Interesting Bird Facts: Canada Goose

  By Sam Brunson | June 18, 2013 - 11:29 am |
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Interesting Facts about Canada GeeseCanada Geese are prevalent birds that can be seen throughout the entire United States at different times of the year.

Although they are sometimes considered to be a nuisance, they are fascinating birds. I get to enjoy the birds swimming through the lagoon in my backyard each year, allowing me to see each Canada Goose family grow.

Read up on some interesting facts about Canada Geese:

Baby Geese are Called Goslings

Baby Canada Geese Are Called GoslingsBaby Canada Geese look like your stereo typical cute baby waterfowl. Baby Geese, or goslings, have fiercely protective parents who are known to attack humans who appear to be threatening the state of the Goose family.

Goslings are yellow and somewhat fluffy and usually stay with their parents for a good amount of time.

Canada Geese can fly around 3 months after they have been hatched.

Canada Goose11 Species of Canada Geese

There are many different species of Canada Goose. The Cackling Goose used to be the same species as the Canada Goose, but in 2004, the AOU (American Ornithologists’ Union) split the Canada Goose and Cackling Goose into two different species.

Canada Geese have a plethora of sub-species. For example, there is the Dusky CanadaGoose and the Giant Canada Goose.

Canada Goose Quick Facts

  • Canada Geese can weigh up to around 24 pounds
  • Canada Geese have been known to nest in abandoned Heron or Hawk nests
  • Canada Geese fly in v-formations when migrating, but not all Canada Geese migrate

Happy birding!

-Sam

What are your favorite Canada Goose stories? Share your in the comments below!

Scissor-tailed Flycatchers in Georgia

  By Two Birders | June 13, 2013 - 8:32 pm |
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On the evening of June 8th a local birder spotted a single Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in Oconee County, GA. Skizzers (Scissor-tailed Flycatchers) are a very rare bird for Georgia, but when they do stray into the state, they usually build a nest.

The morning of June 9th I went out to see the bird and found out that there was a pair of Skizzers! Not only was it a pair, but they were carrying nesting material. This was fantastic: the first county record of Scissor-tail Flycatchers in Oconee was going to nest!

The pair of birds will stay through the Summer while they raise their young, and who knows where the young will go after they hatch.

The two Flycatchers chose a rather odd place for a nest, a power pole no more than 15 feet from the road. There is a chance that one of the Skizzers might fly from the nest at the wrong time and hit a car, but so far they look like they know how to cross the road safely.

The surrounding fields have become their foraging areas. So far they have been feeding in about a 200 yard range of their nest. They have had a couple spites with the local Eastern Kingbirds, but overall they seem to be doing great.

With this pair now nesting in Georgia, there are three different pairs of Skizzers nesting in GA at one time. There are two other pairs that have been found one of which nested in the same place last year.

Could this be an expansion of range? Its possible that Skizzers have extended their boundaries some, but there is not enough evidence at this point to see if they really are expanding.

Hopefully some photos of young Scissor-tailed Flycatchers will come soon!

Happy birding!

- John Mark

How to Tell Apart Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned Hawks

  By Two Birders | June 11, 2013 - 9:04 pm |
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Cooper's HawkEven though Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned Hawks are both common backyard birds, for many of us identifying them can prove a challenge.  In this post I’m going to discuss how to separate Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned Hawks.

Hopefully after you have read this you will have a better handle on how separate these birds.

Structure

Because these two hawks look very similar, the structure of the bird is usually the best way to separate them.

The best field mark that I will discuss is size.

Size

A Cooper’s hawk should be about the same size as of a Red-shouldered Hawk, while a Sharp-shinned Hawk should a little larger than a Merlin.  Size can give you a good indicator about what species you are looking at, but you should never use it alone because both species frequently overlap each other in size.

The next field mark that I will discuss is the tail shape.

Tail Shape

This is one of the best field marks for separating Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned Hawks.  On a Cooper’s Hawk, the tail should be rounded at the end, while a Sharp-shinned Hawk’s tail should appear squared at the end.

Even though this is one of the best field marks to use, it is useless when birds are molting because the molt can affect the shape of the bird’s tail.

Another field mark that involves the structure of the bird is the size of the legs.

Size of the Legs

In a Cooper’s Hawk the legs should be much thicker than a Sharp-shinned’s, which should be about pencil size.  Because you really only can get a good look at the legs when they are perched, this field mark should be left to use only when these birds are perched.

The last important field mark that involves structure of these bird is the head shape.

Head Shape

On a Cooper’s hawk the head should be large and have a squared feel to it.  Also, on the nape of the bird (especially females) a lot of times there will be some white on it.

Next, the Sharp-shinned Hawk has a rather small head and this will create a rounded feel to it.

While these field marks may not work by themselves using these field marks together can help you separate these two hawks apart.

Immature Birds

When identifying the immature birds of these two species you can use the same field marks that you can use separating the adults; however, the streaking of these two birds is a little different in the immature plumage.

Immature Cooper’s Hawks tend to have long, thin dark streaks that run down the breast, while on a Sharp-shinned Hawk, the streaks tend to be a warmer brown color that are smaller and messier on the breast.  This feature in these immature birds is a good field mark in separating these two species.

Birds in Flight

I tend to think these birds are easier to identify in flight … Continue reading →

Interview with Bird LEGO Creator Extraordinaire- Thomas Poulsom

  By Sam Brunson | June 6, 2013 - 1:41 pm |
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Arnie the American Robin

I recently had the pleasure of getting to interview Thomas Poulsom, the creator of the LEGO Bird Series, a project Thomas has been working on in hopes of having the set become produced by LEGO.

There are more details on how to support Thomas’s work at the end of the post, so after you finish reading the interview, be sure to stick around and read the closing remarks.

Without further ado, my interview with Thomas:

Stormy the Snowy Owl

Sam: What was your inspiration for creating the project?

Thomas: I have always been a fan of LEGO, and a big admirer of the natural world, I rekindled my love for LEGO two years ago and built what most boys would build, cars, trucks and spaceships, this lasted a year but being a gardener and tree surgeon and a lover of nature I wanted to build something related to my job. One day during a break from digging in a customers garden a Robin Red Breast landed on my fork handle. This was the eureka moment behind what is now the LEGO Bird Project and that evening Bobby the Robin was born. Birds have always fascinated me. I find the variation and different characters of these beautiful creatures spell binding and once I had built this Robin I wanted to build more.

I decided that I would build a collection of my favourite birds from the UK. I then wanted to expand the project and create birds from around the world.

Sam: When did you start your project?

Thomas: The project started just over a year ago, I introduced the British Bird series on Flickr in April and they were received by the viewers incredibly well. I try to put life in to the LEGO bricks by recreating the shape, posture and character as well as I can.

Peter the Painted Bunting

Sam: How long does it take to create each bird?

Thomas: The time taken varies a lot. Sometimes a bird will be very complex and take several days until I am happy with the finished bird. Other times a bird can be completed in one evening. The process is getting a lot faster now as I am learning the best techniques to get the shape right but each bird will throw me a new challenge. How to get the markings as close as possible to the real bird is always tricky and there is also the problem of never having enough LEGO.

 


Sam: What is the process for creating each bird like?

Thomas: The process will start with research in a book or online. I love to look at photos of birds on Flickr and I get a lot of inspiration from them. If I see a photo of a bird I like, I will then … Continue reading →

Interesting Bird Facts: Carolina Wren

  By Sam Brunson | June 4, 2013 - 11:25 am |
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Carolina Wren

Carolina Wrens are a favorite for many birders, and for good reason. With their teakettle-teakettle song and plush toy appearance, these little birds have accumulated quite a copious following of fans.

Non-Migratory

Carolina Wrens aren’t migratory birds, but stay in the same area year round.  The Wrens are frequent visitors and nesters in many yards in their range, which spreads from the east coast up to around Pennsylvania going west to close to the middle of Oklahoma.

Creative Nesters

Creative Nest of Carolina Wren

Carolina Wrens are extremely creative nesters. Don’t be surprised to see them nesting:

  • On your porch
  • In a decorative wreath
  • In your shoes or boots (like in the picture to the right)
  • In many other unique places

 

State Bird of South Carolina

The Carolina Wren is, not surprisingly, the state bird of South Carolina.

This little bird, however, had a hard time to be named the official state bird of the palmetto state.  In 1948 the South Carolina legislature repealed the Northern Mockingbird as being the state bird and dignified the Carolina Wren with the title of state bird.

Carolina Wren Quick Facts:

  • The Carolina Wren’s short tail and orange-red and buffy coloring help distinguish it from other Wrens.
  • Wrens generally stay south because it is hard for them to survive harsh, cold temperatures.
  • Carolina Wrens stay with their mate for their entire lives, but if one outlives the other, he/she might find a new mate.

What other interesting facts do you know about Carolina Wrens?

-Sam

How to Tell Apart Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers

  By Sam Brunson | May 30, 2013 - 6:40 pm |
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Woodpecker IdentificationThe Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers are similar members of family Picidae that can be hard to tell apart.

Let’s look at what these two Woodpeckers have in common:

  • Both have a white patch on their back
  • Adult males of both species have a red spot on the back of their crown
  • No streaking on the breast, flanks, or belly

Now let’s look at the key field marks to look at when telling these two Woodpeckers apart:

Bill

One of the best ways to tell apart the Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers is to look at their bills.  Relative to the size of the head, the Hairy Woodpeckers will have a much longer bill.  

The Downy Woodpecker’s bill length will be about 1/4 the length of the head, while the Hairy Woodpecker’s bill will be about 4/5 the length of the head.

Size

Hairy Woodpeckers are larger than Downy Woodpeckers.

Adult Hairy Woodpeckers are usually around 9 inches in length, while Downy Woodpeckers are usually around 7 inches in length.

Quiz

Which Woodpecker do you think this one is? Scroll down when you think you have the answer.

Woodpecker Identification

The answer is…

HAIRY WOODPECKER

Why: Notice how long the bill is relative to the Woodpecker’s head?  If this were a Downy Woodpecker, the bill would be much shorter and smaller.

I hope this cleared up any issues on telling the differences between these two similar looking Woodpeckers.

Happy birding!

-Sam

What to do When You Find a Banded Bird

  By Two Birders | May 28, 2013 - 8:15 pm |
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Bird banding has been a way for ornithologists to research birds for many years. Some birds are easier to band than others. Warblers are banded by simply setting up nets in anticipated flight paths through the forest or undergrowth. However, Shorebirds require a more complicated banding plan.

A commonly used technique for catching shorebirds is to set up a net powered by air cannons which launches the net over the birds.

Since banding birds can be very difficult at times, it is important to report all banded birds that you find to help the researchers know where the bird has been.

I found the banded Piping Plover pictured above on Sapelo Island, GA. After posting the picture to the Georgia birders list serv, I received a response from the researcher who banded it. We found out that the Plover had been banded when it was a chick at Whitefish Point in Michigan. Pretty cool, right?

What to look for:

  • Songbirds will typically have s small aluminum ring around their leg.
  • Shorebirds may have two or more bands on their legs. Usually there is at least one aluminum ring an one colored ring. This makes it easier to spot bands on birds when scanning a large flock.
  • Raptors will have very large aluminum bands on usually just one leg.

A good way to get the word out about a banded bird you have found is to post to your local birding list serv. If you don’t have a local list serv, you can resort to various Facebook groups, or email any birding connections you might have and work your way up from there.

Recoveries of banded birds are rare, so it always makes the bander happy when a recovery is made. But sometimes this comes in the form of a dead bird, which isn’t a total loss because you will get to know where the bird had been.

Now you can start looking for banded birds, if you haven’t already!

Happy birding everyone.

- John Mark

Planning a Big Year

  By Two Birders | May 23, 2013 - 7:52 pm |
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Little Blue HeronHave you ever wanted to do a big year, but weren’t sure how to actually do one?  Well, in this article I will discuss about how to plan a big year.

Types of Big Years

First thing that you want to decide is what kind of big year that you want to do?  This may seem like a no brainer, but it is a good to decide what kind of big year you want to undertake.  There are many types of big year such as:

  • World
  • ABA
  • County
  • Bigby (a big year that consists of only using environmental friendly transportation).

Deciding this will help you determine how much time and money you will need to spend on you big year.

Setting Goals

The next thing that you should consider is whether your big year is about just trying to get a species goal that you have given yourself or actually trying to break a record for your state or area.

This is a big factor because this will determine whether you will want to bird hard or not.  Also, this factor will decide on how much money you are willing to spend on your big year too.

Overall, this factor is a very important one to consider when deciding on doing a big year.

Planning

The next thing to do is to do the actual planning.

Try to make a list of all the species that you think you will be able to see and then figure out when your best chances to see birds and then bird according to that.

For example, you aren’t going in the forest to look for warblers in January.  Instead you would be going to the local marsh to get winter waterfowl. Because of this you should try to plan your birding according to what birds are around then.

Weather

The last thing that you should remember is that you should pay close attention to the weather because sometimes picking the right day to bird during migration can give you a lot of new birds and save you a lot of time having to look for them.

If you don’t know how to use weather to predict bird movements please check that out on our weather birding post.

Overall, I hope that this has been helpful to any of you who have ever wanted to do a big year, but wasn’t sure how to plan it.

Good Birding,

-Landon

Planting for Birds

  By Two Birders | May 21, 2013 - 7:34 pm |
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Planting for Birds

Consider enhancing your bird habitat by offering an assortment of plants.  Then when you sit back to take it easy outside, you will be rewarded by a beautiful view of flowers, butterflies, and birds.

Let me begin with a few recommendations:

  • Plant native
  • Offer a wide assortment of plants
  • Include flowers, shrubs, and trees
  • Add conifers for added winter shelter
  • Avoid insecticides and herbicides

Native plants encourage the presence of native insects. During breeding season birds rely heavily on insects to provide much needed protein to their growing young.

Now, at this point, I could provide lists of plants to consider.  Instead, let me describe some of my efforts in my back yard to provide an example.

My yard is small steep hill awith 20 steps to the right and a fence to the left. My shed sits at the top of the hill, separating my parking from the hill. While all my neighbors continue to struggle up and down their sections of the same hill with mowers and weed whackers, I replaced my entire lawn with terraced layers filled with flowers, bushes, and a few trees.

Trees

My biggest tree is a Sweet Gum, which provides shade for the house and offers landing areas for birds.  A Dogwood stands at the top of the hill, just in front of my shed, and a 20 foot hawthorn is close to the Sweet Gum.  I am removing a small Pear Tree which I placed too close to my shed.  I will add a Juniper or two, one in front of my compost pile on the top left of my yard, and the other in the vicinity of where the pear tree now is.

Note: My trees serve as a staging area for most of the birds coming in to feed.  Juncos, Cardinals, Robins, Titmice, Chickadees and more – circle from tree to tree before zooming in to feed.  The Titmice and Chickadees usually carry their seeds to a tree for hammering open to eat.

Bushes

I have assorted bushes.  A Viburnum offered the only actual nesting site I am aware of.  For several years, Robins bravely tolerated the traffic of the near by steps – which consisted primarily of just me. The Viburnum became overgrown and I pruned it back – so sadly – no Robins this year.  In addition, I have another viburnum, Butterfly Bushes, Spirea Bushes, a St. John’s Wort Bush, and several Winter-berry Bushes.  I just added a small Hydrangea Bush.

Note: When my Viburnum grows back, I expect to see the Robins nesting in it again.  Most of my bushes invite butterflies. The Winter-berry entices Cardinals and an occasional Mockingbird.  Butterfly bushes attract Hummingbirds.  All the flowers from the bushes attract insects – offering food to all sorts of birds.

Wild Flowers

Currently, my wild flowers consist of Sage, Cotton Tuff, Daisies, Black-eyed Susans, Bleeding Heart, Yarrow, Bee balm, and Columbines.  I am … Continue reading →

Interesting Bird Facts: Common Nighthawk

  By Two Birders | May 16, 2013 - 7:45 pm |
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Isn’t such a cool experience to see a flock of Nighthawks fly over? It certainly is for me. Whether you’re at the soccer field watching them Hawk the bugs around the lights; or, just happen to witness the shadowy wings pass by your house, they are undeniably unique birds. Its almost an art; angling through the air with their razor sharp wings and catching insects with their tiny beaks.

Booming

Did you know that these Nighthawks have a “booming” display flight?

That’s right, sometimes Nighthawks will soar high above the tree tops, then transform into a high speed dive towards the ground, pulling up just a few feet from the ground.

This is sometimes used as a display flight for females, or as an aggressive way to ward off predators.

Whiskers

Notice the tiny whiskers on the bird pictured above. These are used to help catch insects during flight.

You may have wondered how they are able to grab insects out of the air at such high speeds and with such a tiny beak.

The whiskers help them to navigate that tiny beak to where it needs to go to grab an insect.

Other facts about this unique bird: 

  • The oldest Common Nighthawk on record was ten years old
  • Common Nighthawks have one of the longest migrations of North American bird species, and often stray far away from their normal migratory areas
  • A good way to find Nighthawks is to go to a local ball field where they are bright lights which attracts insects.
  • Numbers are slowly declining in the Eastern U.S. and more research is needed to verify the cause
  • Nighthawks as well as other Nightjars received the name “goatsuckers” by some people. The reason is because nightjars would feed on the plentiful insects around goat fields, and local farmers formulated the myth that they were trying to get goat’s milk.
  • The Common Nighthawk is the 2013 ABA Bird of the Year!

I hope you enjoyed reading about this hawk of the night, which actually isn’t a hawk at all.

Happy birding!

- John Mark