HUMMING BIRDS

Anna's Hummingbird

2010-01-06T01:35:00.000-08:00

Anna's Hummingbird

Anna’s Hummingbird is the Medium hummingbird. The male has bronze-green upperparts, dry gray underparts. Covering and throat are sparkling red, may appear black or dark lavender in low light; broken white eye-ring is usually visible. Tail is dark green with black outer tail fluff. Feeds on nectar, insects, spiders, and sap.
Inhabitant from northern California southward; spends winters frequently from British Columbia south to Arizona. Favorite habitats include chaparral, brushy oak woodlands, and gardens.

Interesting Facts

Anna's Hummingbirds eat more insects than any other North American hummingbird.
Improved planting of ornamental, flowering plants, due to expansion in California over the past fifty years, has permitted these birds to greatly enlarge their breeding range.

American Woodcock

2010-01-03T22:00:00.000-08:00

American Woodcock

American woodcock is the Medium, with buff-brown underparts and an upperpart is dark-streaked gray-brown. Head has black bars rather than the stripes of most other sandpipers. Eyes are black and very large; bill is dull yellow with a black tip and is long and heavy. The legs and feet are Pale. It is found in open woodlands and moist overgrown fields from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast.

Interesting Facts

The detailed courtship habit of the male American Woodcock may be frequent as long as four months running, sometimes long-lasting even after females have already come up with their clutch and left the nest.
In this species, there is no pair bond and the male give no parental care. Nor is there any proof of a social power hierarchy.

American white pelican

2009-12-29T21:03:00.000-08:00

American white pelican

Huge, enormous outstretched wings show black primaries, white seabird, and outer secondaries in flight. Bill, legs are brilliant orange, upper bill develops a tough keel during reproduction season. Slow, bottomless wing beats. Fly high on thermals. Flies in straight line or V structure.
Breeds from British Columbia and Mackenzie south to northern California, Utah, and Manitoba; as well breeds along the Gulf Coast. Spends winters in the southern U.S. south to Panama. Favorite habitats include low lakes and coastal lagoons.

Interesting facts:

American White Pelicans are one of the largest of the boreal birds. They can weigh up as much as 30 pounds and their wing spans can go beyond nine feet.The bill can hold 3 gallons of water, and after the fish have been trapped the bill is pointed down to let the water to drain, and then the bill is raised and the bird swallows.

American Oystercatcher

2009-12-29T20:57:00.000-08:00

American Oystercatcher

American Oystercatcher is a large shorebird which has white underparts and brown upperparts, brilliant red orange needle- shaped bill. During flight the white wing patches are noticeable. Its yellow eyes are encircled by orange eye-rings. The feet and the legs of this bird is pink color. The diet includes mussels and bivalves.. black hood, long, bright red-orange needle-shaped bill. White wing patches visible in flight. Yellow eyes surrounded by orange eye-rings. Legs and feet are pink. Feeds on mussels and other bivalves. It has a Rapid direct flight.

Interesting Facts

American Oystercatchers place their long bills into mussels and other bivalves, severing the dominant adductor muscle before the shells can close up. Nesting adults will add broken shells or gravel to the nests in order to cover the speckled eggs.

American kestrel

2009-12-25T23:11:00.000-08:00

American kestrel

American kestrel is the smallest bird of North American hawk which has distinct black stripes on the face; tail is rust- brown and has black, slate-blue wings. It has black spotted underparts. Its diet includes bats, insects, frogs, rodents, small reptiles, and birds.
Breeds from Northwest Territories and Alaska east through Maritime Provinces and south throughout most of the continent. Frequently winters north to British Columbia, Great Lakes, and New England. It Prefers habitats which include towns, cities, parks, farmlands, and open country.

Interesting Facts

The American kestrel is the most general falcon in North America.
The females arrive first on their winter range and establish their groups in the preferred open region. The males, arriving later are forced to use areas with more trees.

American Coot

2009-12-25T23:08:00.000-08:00

American Coot

American coot is medium sized birds which look like a chicken, swimming bird with dark grey color all around the body, white bill and under tail coverts. Toes of American coot are lobbed and it is not webbed. The upper part of the frontal shield is red in color but mostly visible at close ranges. During the flight it beats its wing rapidly.

This bird usually spends winter in the north to British Columbia and New York. The habitat of this bird includes marshes and open ponds. Found mostly on the inlets and coastal bays which often seen in large rafts during winter

Interesting facts

Even though this bird don’t have webbed feet it swims like duck with the lobbed feet which is found on each side of the feet.
When coot bird doesn’t feel like hunting for their own food, they’ll steal their meal from other birds nest.

American bittern

2009-12-23T22:58:00.000-08:00

American bittern

American bittern is a secretive, medium, heron like wading bird with a stout body, neck And short legs. It has a streaked brown upperparts and white with brown underparts. The throat of this bird is white with black slashes on the side of the neck. It does a direct flight with the bottomless rapid wing beats.It is the breed form southeastern Alaska, Newfoundland south to California and the Carolinas. Is spends winter form coastal British Columbia and along coast to Long Island. It prefers the habitat of fresh water along the tall emergent vegetation.

Interesting facts

The American Bittern has an amazing, though rarely seen, courtship appearance. The male arches his back, short neck, dips his breast forward, and "booms" at the female. Both birds hold in complicated aerial displays.They prefer to freeze, not flush like other herons when approached. If an observer is nearby, they will often widen their neck up, bill pointed towards the sky, and swing from side to side as if imitating beckon reeds.

American crow

2009-12-23T22:33:00.000-08:00

American crow

American crow is a large and black bird with a stout and dark bill. It has a blue-black wing, fan-shaped fin and has a violet gloss on body. Its prey includes insects, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, small invertebrates, eggs, fruits, grains and carrion. It has a steady flight in direct.It breeds from British Columbia, central interior Canada, and Newfoundland south to southern California, the Gulf Coast, and Florida. Mostly in winters it moves from north to southern Canada. The Preferred habitats include farms, field’s groves, river shorelines, towns and woodlands.

Interesting quotes

The American Crow has been eriously infected by the recent introduction of West Nile virus to North America. An infected bird will die in less than a week. In some areas the loss of crows has become ample.

Audubons Shearwater

2009-12-21T22:02:00.000-08:00

Audubons Shearwater:2

Audubons Shearwater is a stocky seabird, small with dark brown upperparts and white lower parts. The under wings are white in color. Tail of this bird is dark brown with short and gray under tails. The main diet of this bird is fish and squid. The alternate wings beat rapidly with glides.This bird breeds on islands in the tropical areas around the world. It always travels along the northern Gulf streams from Caribbean and Bermuda. It spends most of its time on winter.

Interesting Facts:

The Audubon’s Shearwater feeds in different methods, both diving under the water to chase prey, hunt sinking, and surface feeding. Unlike other birds of its genus, it is not a ship follower. Their tweeting calls and mewing sound often heard at night in the breeding settlement.

Alder flycatcher

2009-12-21T21:57:00.000-08:00

Alder flycatcher

Alder flycatcher has upperparts with olive brown color and the underparts are white in color. It has an indistinct white ring around the eyes. The wings of alder flycatcher are olive brown with white and pale bars present. It has black legs and feet. Weak flap directs the flight with shallow, fast wing beats.
It breeds from Alaska east through Manitoba to Newfoundland and south to British Columbia. It spends winter season in tropical areas and the preferred habitat includes the riparian areas, bogs, ponds, swamps and ponds.

Interesting Facts

The Alder Flycatcher is like the Willow Flycatcher that they were once thought to be the same kind. Song is the only ultimate way to tell them apart.
In an experiment made on the song learning, Alder Flycatchers were "trainedr" with Willow Flycatcher song in the first few months of life. The next spring, they sang normal Alder Flycatcher song.

Antillean Nighthawk

2009-12-21T00:57:00.000-08:00

Antillean Nighthawk

Antillean Nighthawk is the large nightjar with dark bars and conspicuous white throat. It has white patches in its long and pointed wings which is visible in flight. The tail of the Antillean Nighthawk is long and slightly rough with tail bands. The bill is tiny and bordered with bristles. During the flight, it regularly changes its direction.
It usually roams from north during summer. It prefers semi and open areas which includes pastures savannas, Pine Barrens and fields

Interesting Facts

The Antillean Nighthawk was once called as a form of the Common Nighthawk. They may be known sitting on roads at night, first observed by its eyeshine.

Arctic tern

2009-12-21T00:51:00.000-08:00

Arctic tern

The Arctic tern is a small bird which makes longest travel of any birds. It breeds in the artic tundra but flies to the edge of Antarctic ice pack during the winter. This bird spends most of the time in flying over the places. It is a social bird which lives in groups known as colonies. Its life span is about 20 years.
They eat on small fishes, small invertebrates like shrimp, insects and krill.The female bird lays 1-2 cream colors eggs with brown speckled eggs each of 1.6 inches long and lay eggs in a clutch. They are laid on grassy places and the both the male and female birds take care of their eggs and feed their hatchling

Interesting Facts

During courtship, the male Arctic Tern will grab a small fish and fly as low as possible over a possible companion if she notices him, she will join him in flight and they will mate soon after.
Because of their extremely long migrations, they almost not land. They spend most of their life in the air.

American Wigeon

2009-12-18T23:13:00.001-08:00

American Wigeon

American Wigeon is the medium shaped dabbling duck. Its body is brown in color with a white crown. It has large patches which are green in color extending to the back of the body and buff washed breast, white belly. It has strong wings to beat and files in tight groups. It is the breed from Alaska, southern Quebec south to Nevada and rarely found in the east. It spends winter mainly along the Pacific, Gulf coasts, Marshes, ponds, shallow lakes and Atlantic are the preferred habitats.

Interesting Facts:

The American Wigeon was previously known as "Baldpate" for the reason that the white stripe on their crown is similar to a bald man's head. Their diet has a higher quantity of plant material than the diet of some other dabbling duck.

Anhinga

2009-12-18T22:55:00.000-08:00

Anhinga

Anhinga has very long and thin neck and it often prenches with its wings spread to dry them. It is long, dark, waterbird with a loosely jointed tail. The adult male has black head and the neck, body has white plumes and the stripes on wings coverts. The adult female has tan neck and head with black body with white plumes and wings coverts. The habitat of anhinga is freshwater and coastal aquatic which includes shrubs or shores and also includes swamps, mangrove swamp and seeks refuge from danger in the water and perch.The primary food for this bird is fish. But its diet also contains insects and aquatic invertebrates.

Interesting Facts:

The Anhinga does not have oil glands for waterproofing its fine hair like most water birds. When it swims, it gets wet which allows it to move more powerfully under water. When it leaves the water, it must stretch its wings and dry in the sun.

American tree sparrow

2009-12-17T22:14:00.000-08:00

American tree sparrow

American tree sparrow is the common bird of western U.S. Its habitat includes moist deciduous woodlands and willow thickets along the streams. It is medium black and rufous-brown streaks on back, gray-brown sparrow, wings. Crown, eyestripes, flanks are rufous-brown, contrasting with gray face. It has Pale gray breast with dark central spot, rufous-brown sides. The Upper mandible of this bird is dark gray and the lower mandible is yellow.

Interesting Facts

When the land is covered with snow, they will hit tall weeds with their wings and then eat the seeds that have found on the snow. Many studies on this bird show that they watch their predators out of their left eyes.

American Flamingo

2009-12-17T22:08:00.000-08:00

American Flamingo

The American Flamingo is referred to as Caribbean Flamingo. It is closely related to the Greater Flamingo. The Flamingo’s color change from pink to red is due to the chemical carotinoid. It is the chemical which is found in the crustaceans and algae which consumed by the birds. It has long thin legs which is ideal for wading. The curved, long neck helps them to dip the shaped beak into the water. They use their break to filter out the food from water.

Interesting Facts

The American Flamingo is the most well-known species of the flamingo family. It is the state bird of Gujarat, India.
At the initial stage of the nesting season, they perform mass courtship displays, where hundreds move together in a coordinated walk.

Barn Owl

2009-12-16T12:18:00.000-08:00

Barn Owl

Medium-sized owl with brilliant white, heart-shaped facial disk, no ear tuft, and long legs. Upperparts are orange-brown with fine white acne and dark bars. Underparts are white with small black acne. Feeds mainly on small mammals, also takes small birds. Slow silent mothlike flight.

Occurs in all continents except Antarctica. Seen in a huge range of habitats, from rural to urban, but prefers warm climates with mild winters. Nearby open grassland is important; not often found in deep forests or mountains.

Interesting Facts

Barn Owls are expectant to nest in certain farming areas because of their capacity to control rodents better than traps or poisons and at no cost. Research shows that they eat twice as much prey for their weight as other owls.

Band Tailed Pigeon

2009-12-16T12:15:00.000-08:00

Band tailed Pigeon

Large dove, small, purple-gray head and broad neck with characteristic, thin white band on nape. Back and wings are purple-gray, underparts is from purple-gray neck and breast to white belly. Tail is pale gray, dark band at base. Bill, legs, feet is yellow. Rapid direct flight.
Largely found in the western Americas, the Southwest and Canada. Occurs as far north as British Columbia, and broaden out from south to Argentina. Favorite habitats include coniferous and mixed forests.

Interesting Facts

The Band-tailed Pigeon is the prevalent in North America.
The parasitic louse Columbicola extinctus, thought to have become extinct with the disappearance of the Passenger Pigeon, was recently discovered again in the Band-tailed Pigeon.

Bald eagle

2009-12-15T22:03:00.000-08:00

Big, hawk-like, dark brown bird and white head, tail. The bill, legs, feet, eyes are yellow. Look for for fish, which it sometimes takes from ospreys. Eats carrion and crippled or wounded squirrels, rabbits, muskrats and waterfowl. Flap-and-glide flight also flies on thermals.

In earlier times it is distributed across most of North America; at present limited to breeding in Alaska, Canada, northern Great Lakes states, Gulf coast states, and the Pacific Northwest. Move south from northern breeding grounds throughout winters. Favorite environment includes open water areas that support large numbers of waterfowl or fish.

Interesting Facts

The Bald Eagle was the emblem of the United States of America in 1782. At one time, the word “bald” (balde) meant white, not hairless, referring to the white head and upper neck of the adult Bald Eagle.

Bananaquit

2009-12-15T21:36:00.000-08:00

Small and short-tailed with short, de curved black bill. Black above with white underparts. Belly is yellow with bold white stripe over eyes. Remnant is yellow. Legs and feet are black. Weak flap flight, swap rapid wing beats with brief periods of wings pulled to sides

Range and habitat

Generally seen in wooded areas and gardens of the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America. A unusual visitor to southern Florida, most often seen in gardens containing unusual flowers.

Interesting Facts

Bananaquits construct nests with side entrance holes. Numerous nests may be built, with some used only as sleeping digs.
Its nickname, the sugar bird, comes from its resemblance a bowls or bird feeders stored with coarse sugar, a common method of attracting these birds in the USVI.

American Pipit

2009-12-14T23:12:00.000-08:00

American Pipit

The American Pipit is a bird of sparrow sized which prefers open, damp, treeless areas. These birds are often found in groups on the ground and its unique and identified from its wagging tail. It is brow faced, crown and has dark streaks on the breast and in flanks. It has white streak above eye and has less heavily streaked underparts and upperparts are grayer during spring and summer. The incubation period for eggs have 13-15 day and fledging occurs in 13-15 days. The nest of it’s an open cup of grass and twigs which is built on the ground.

Interesting facts:

They nourish on eating insects on the ends of tundra puddles, and in alpine meadows they visit unmelted snowbanks. Warm air rising from valleys under the transports insects to high elevation; most of these die and are frozen in snowbanks, giving food for the pipits.

American goldfinch

2009-12-14T22:45:00.000-08:00

American goldfinch

The American Goldfinch is popular bird of Washington. It is seen commonly in the lowlands of Washington, frequently coming to bird feeders. The male goldfinch in breeding plumage is brilliant yellow with black forehead, wings and tail. It has one white wing bar on wing and white on his tail. The female goldfinch in breeding plumage is yellowish-gray brown on the top and the color varies from bright yellow to dull yellow at the bottom. The female has two light wings on each wings and light colored bill.

Interesting facts

They are one of the newest nesting birds, initially in late June or early July, when most other singing birds are finishing with breeding. Their late timing may be related to the availability of suitable nesting resources and seeds for feeding young.

Bachman’s Sparrow

2009-12-14T06:14:00.000-08:00

Bachman’s Sparrow

Bachman’s Sparrow is the medium-sized bird with brown-streaked gray upperparts and buff underparts apart from for white abdomen. Face is gray with brown crown and thin, dark lines broaden back from eye. The tail is long, dark, and round-tipped. Upper mandible is dark. Legs and feet are pink.

Breeds in southeastern U.S. north to Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, but only very nearby. Spend winters mostly in southern Atlantic and Gulf coast states. Live in dry open pine or oak woods with a spreading of scrub; also regular overgrown weedy fields and meadow.

Interesting Facts

The Bachman's Sparrow was first named by Audubon for his intimate friend Dr. John Bachman.
This species is the only sparrow that is widespread to the United States. They were once known as Pine-Woods Sparrow for their liking for pine woods surroundings.

American black duck

2009-12-14T03:20:00.000-08:00

American black duck

It is a medium-sized dabbling duck with dark brown body, foreneck, paler face and purple speculum bordered with black. Head is finely speckled; dark eye line is distinct. White underwings contrast with dark brown body in flight. The adult male and female has a yellow bill, lighter head and neck, a dark body, orange legs and dark eyes. The breeding habitat of this black duck is ponds, rivers, marshes and aquatic environments which also include Great Lakes. This black duck interbreed mostly and regularly with Mallard ducks, both are related closely. They are traveling and especially spent many winter in the east-central United States.

Interesting facts

The American Black Duck is not black, but only visible so at a distance; it was formerly recognized as the "Dusky Duck." .They return to the same marshland each fall, and will starve rather than travel farther south if those marshes are frozen.

Allen hummingbird

2009-12-13T22:04:00.000-08:00

Allen hummingbird:

Hummingbirds are attractive to watch as they fly over their favorite, usually red flowers in the garden on a hot summer's day roughly their long beaks deep into the flowers to nourish on the nectar. Gardeners and bird watchers buy hummingbird feeders which they fill with sugar water, dyed red so that they can persuade the birds near enough to get a good look or maybe a photograph. These birds live mostly in the west of the Rocky Mountains and a majority of them live south of the Mexican border.

Interesting Facts:

Hummingbirds, like all birds, enjoy a good bathe. Try keeping a sprinkler in the back garden in the late evenings, long before sunset; turn the sprinkler on to attract birds. They love to groom. They are also known to sun bathe and are a pleasure to watch during this time.

Acadian Flycatcher

2009-12-12T00:46:00.000-08:00

Acadian Flycatcher:

The breeding of Acadian Flycatcher’s was extends from east of Great Plains from southeastern Minnesota to Massachusetts, south to the Gulf Coast and found in northern Florida. It is a long distance immigrant that winters from eastern Nicaragua south to northeastern South America. The area for habitat is limited for this species. The Acadian Flycathcher is an insectivorous air sallier. It breeds primarily in mature, deciduous floodplain or swamp forest but it also occurs in dry forest. This species is classified as mature, hardwood forest because of its close connection with these forest types.

Interesting Fact

The Acadian Flycatcher is a brilliant flier, it is extremely maneuverable, able to flutter and can even fly backward.
They are a common horde to the Brown-headed Cowbird, which lays its eggs in other birds' nests. But only 16% of cowbird young in Acadian Flycatcher nests fledge effectively.