Happy Halloween!

I knew you'd expect me to post something, so:

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

-Mr. Bird

Why vultures aren't buzzards, why nighthawks aren't hawks, and why all gulls aren't seagulls

Have you ever heard someone say, "Look! a buzzard!"? I have. It's annoying. And one time heard is one time too many.

Don't. Misuse. Bird names. EVER.

Turkey Buzzard Vulture, adult, in flight.

The term buzzard came from Europeans, who used the word to name Buteos, or large hawk that soar. But us silly Americans have, like so many other things, misused it. And now (unfortunately) too many people think that a vulture is a buzzard. Incorrect, I say! Incorrect!
But I have more evidence. Buzzard hawks (Buteos) kill and eat freshly killed prey. They're hunters. Vultures eat carrion, or things that have already died. They're scavengers.

Common Nighthawk, adult.

Nighthawks aren't hawks. They're just nocturnal, flycatching birds that look like hawks. Their diet, behavior and "cousins" are totally different! Nighthawks are members of the "Goatsucker" family because they were mistaken to drink goat's (and other livestock's) blood! But they don't, so you farmers don't worry. What nighthawks do for a "living" is pretty much a duller version of what hawks do. Nighthawks eat flies and other flying insects. Hawks eat birds and other flying creatures (along with rodents, but that's not what I'm trying to get at).

Laughing Gull, adult, in flight.

Gulls... I don't know a single person who hasn't heard or said "seagull". Everybody's so used to saying it that nobody says "gull" anymore! I know what you're saying: "But some gulls live by the sea!" Yes they do. And those and only those are seagulls. All the rest are gulls. It's that simple.





So what I'm trying to say is that many people use many incorrect names for birds, and if you're not sure about it, look it up. Happy birding!

"Look! A yellow finch!"
He means Goldfinch. Whoopsie daisy.

-Mr. Bird

Goldfinch. Not yellow finch. Remember that.

Birding hotspots

Okay, okay, so I haven't posted anything for a few months. So sue me. I've been busy. But this post isn't an apology; it's about birding hotspots. For some people, seeing the same birds at their feeders every day is satisfying. But the others (like me!) don't think that's quite enough. That's why we visit the birding hotspots: The locations that a lot of birders go to because there are a lot of birds that go there. Places like Rio Grande Valley, or Central Park.

I've never been to any, seeing as I live in the middle of nowhere when it comes to hotspots. If I had to choose one, it would be Central Park, New York. Not just because it's a small patch of green in the heart of New York, but because it's the only one. Meaning it's the one stop for birds on their way north. Some even use it as a spot to breed!

South Florida promises vists from exotic birds, like the Budgerigar (of which I have two) or the Common Myna. This hotspot is the best, seeing as it has the most bird variety. 

Cape may, New Jersey offers Golden-crowned Kinglets, Common Redpolls and Red Crossbills.

Southeast Arizona also has some cool ones: Groove-billed Anis and Spotted Owls.

I'm not saying that you have to go to any of these; I'm just suggesting a few good birding places. Even I haven't been to any of these! Just remember these places, and try to visit one or two if you can. Happy birding!

-Mr. Bird