So you want a pet bird...

Pet birds can be a great source if joy, but can also teach you to be responsible, especially if you're a kid. I'll assume you want  parakeet, also known as the Budgerigar. Birds need to be maintained - well fed, fresh water and new newspaper. Daily. But before we get into that, you need the supplies. What are they?

1. Bird cage - you bird's cage should be at least two times taller and two and a half times wider then the bird itself, to give him/her some room to fly around.
2. Food - Do you know what type of food to get your bird? PetSmart and Petco both have a wide variety!
3. Water - Spring and purified are the best, because there's no chlorine. The chlorine in your tap water can severely shorten your bird's life.
4. Newspaper - Any newspaper will do good. Its a lot easier to have newspaper in the bottom tray than a handfull of bedding. Bedding is expensive, anyway!
5. Toys - Birds get really bored really easily, so having a couple toys is good. Nothing fancy, but a chew toy and a bell or mirror would do it. If you like to have them out, then maybe consider a play gym.
6. (Maybe) another bird - It takes double the maintenance, but having another bird is really fun. They might like each other! Plus, if you have a male and a female, then they might mate and you'd have a bunch of budgies then!

If you're just a kid and you're reading this because you want a pet bird, you probably have no idea what you're getting yourself into. But if you get help from Mom and Dad, that's definitely a huge weight off your shoulders. And for parents: I know you think birds are messy, but they make a lot of cute noises, they look nice, and most birds (especially parakeets) are really easily tamed! I know because I have one of my own. It makes kids really happy to have such a cute little animal perched atop their shoulder.

Now that you've read this (I'll assume you didn't just skim over the negative parts), you probably want one. If Mom and Dad are okay, then get out there and choose one!

Wait, wait, wait! I forgot the most important part of buying a bird: Choose wisely. At places like PetSmart, you only have a fourteen day money back guarantee. Choose the youngest male, as they're the easiest to train and handle. And when you get him home, leave him alone. A lot of kids reach right in there after they bought them. The new little guy will be really stressed, so after a week approach the cage slowly, and just stick your hand in there until he relaxes. then you can get him out. Even after that, he'll be freaked out. He'll fly, so if they give yo an option to clip his wings at the pet store, go for it.

Have fun with your new pet!

What makes a bird a bird

Blue macaw feathers.

What defines a bird? That's a really short question with a 

1. Eggs - Birds lay eggs, but so do reptiles, amphibians, insects and platypuses. (Platypusi? Platypus?)
2. Bipedalism - Birds walk on two feet. But so do we.
3. Beak - All birds have beaks, also known as bills. But turtles have them too!
4. Wings - They have wings too, but so do bats.
5. Feathers - Now, besides birds, can you think of a single animal that has feathers? No.

Feathers are very complex. There are a ton of parts to each type of feather - And there are a couple feather types!

I'll start with the type most commonly found and prized feather, the primary flight feather (There are secondaries, too, but those are generally just shorter). There is the pennaceous region, the part where all the itty-bitty barbs stick together. The barbs are the main branches that stick out from the central shaft, or rachis. The calamus is the hollow base of the central shaft where the muscles attach. Finally, the plumulaceous region is that really fluffy part at near the bottom of the feather where the bars don't interlock like the rest of the feather.

I would talk about all of the feathers if I had time, but I don't, so let's move on. What's something that differentiates birds from other organisms? The syrinx. We have a larynx. Basically our vocal cords. Ours look like a long tube. But birds' vocal cords look like a tube that splits at the bottom, thus letting them generate two noises at once.

I know I didn't explain a lot about either of these subjects, so if you want more info, visit All About Bird Biology by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Flying squirrel



Northern flying squirrel

Well, yesterday after I had come back from a bike ride at a nearby forest preserve, I found a flying squirrel on our feeder. I sauntered right up and petted him, and he didn't care. First his tail, then his back. I think I spooked him after a couple of seconds because he bolted right up the tree. And then he flew into our neighbor's yard. That must have been the fourth or fifth time that I've seen him.

 

If you want to know more about Northern flying squirrels, visit www.EOL.org.

Feeder reminder

 Don't forget to put up all of your feeders this month! Warblers, hummingbirds and orioles will be migrating through this August. Also remember to clean out your feeders - you don't want any dead ruby-throats or Baltimore orioles lying around your feeding station.

Monthly Bird #6: Red-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk, light morph adult.

 I've had many incidents with Red-tailed Hawks. Last year was really crazy: Driving home from errands with the family, a Red-tail almost hits our car! Spotting him landing in a tree, we all get out and walk over to him. By the time we all get over there, he's eyeing a squirrel with hunger in his eyes. Wow, this is amazing, I thought the entire time. I had never been this close to any wild raptor before. Eventually he got intimidated by us and flew off, looking almost disappointed he didn't catch breakfast. So then we got back in the car to drive home. In the distance, however, I could see him flying away. I like to think that he caught breakfast.

Also, last year I got to watch Red-tails nesting and raising young! I never came up with a name for the dad, but the mom was Jenny and their son was Ralphy. Ralphy was a troublemaker, always harassing other animals, and constantly asking his mom for food. I was a little disappointed when I figured out that the other two eggs never hatched, but even so, I still see little Ralphy everywhere.

Yet again, I had another incident with a Red-tail (not surprising): Jenny flew two feet over my head! I had no idea she was so used to humans! Wow.

When soaring, Red-tails hold their wings like Turkey Vultures.

Red-tailed Hawks come in tons of different colours, varying from off white to jet black. The most common ones are usually lightish brown, though. Being the most common and widespread raptor in North America, they are very adaptable. You'll find them everywhere. Everywhere except forests, that is. Their preferred habitat is open fields, where the hawks can find mice, rabbits, voles, wood mice, and sometimes large birds, such as grouse and turkeys. You'll see them carrying food less than an ounce to over five pounds!

What I'm getting at here is that no matter where you go hawk watching, you're sure to see a Red-tail or two.

More pictures from the Birdfest

Chase, a Cooper's Hawk. Wing damage.

Stella the Peregrine - A retired falconry bird.

Phoenix the Red-tail. Blind in the left eye.

A baby Painted Turtle - They have one every year.

Birdlog #11 - 5-18-14: Sulphur Butterfly

Here are some pictures of a Cloudless Sulphur Butterfly.

From the side.

Front view.

You can tell by the little dot on the middle of the wing that it was a female. Males don't have that, and they are more brightly colored. The weird thing was that after awhile, it just didn't want to leave. So I encouraged it to fly away by dropping it (that's what you do with birds after they're banded!), but it wouldn't go! So, after ten minutes or so, I finally got it to fly off. It was pretty cool - You don't get to hold Cloudless Sulphurs every day!

End.

Monthly Bird #5: Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Here's All About Birds's description: "Bursting with black, white, and rose-red, male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are like an exclamation mark at your bird feeder or in your binoculars."
And I agree entirely.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak, male.

In my opinion, the male Rose-breasted Grosbeak is a well-dressed bird, with its black suit, white undershirt and blood red tie. These are the key field marks for identifying one, along with the two white wing bars. The female can be tricky. It's brown with streaks on its breast, and its bill is the pale color of its eyebrow. The tricky part is that it looks so much like the female of another species, the Black-headed Grosbeak. I think the only difference is the Black-headed has a blacker head and a yellower eyebrow. Two other species it can be mixed up with are the females of both the Purple Finch and the Red-winged Blackbird.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak, female.

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks eat a huge variety of insects, seeds and berries. According to All About Birds again, they eat a lot of berries: "elderberries, blackberries, raspberries, mulberries, juneberries, and seeds of smartweed, pigweed, foxtail, milkweed, plus sunflower seeds, garden peas, oats, wheat, tree flowers, tree buds, and cultivated fruit." And that's just the berries they eat - Can you even imagine how many bugs and seeds they consume?

Like many birds, elegant grosbeak is commonly found in the eastern US and Canada, wintering in Central America and northern parts of South America, along with the Caribbean Islands. Its favorite habitat is the deciduous-coniferous forest. Other spots you might see one are: suburban areas, parks, gardens, and orchards, as well as shrubby forest edges next to streams, ponds, marshes, roads, or pastures.

Birdlog #8 - 4-7-14: Another list

I went birding again with a friend, and this is what we saw:

• 1 Turkey Vulture
• 1 Sharp-shinned/Cooper's Hawk
• 2 Mourning Doves
• 1 Downy/Hairy Woodpecker (heard only)
• 1 American Crow
• 4 Black-capped Chickadees
• 1 White-breasted Nuthatch
• 8 American Robins
• 1 European Starling
• 1 Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)
• 5 Northern Cardinals
• 1 Common Grackle
• 4 Brown-headed Cowbirds
• 5 House Sparrows

I organized an event called the Big Week, based on the Big Year and the Big Day. Basically the same thing, but it lasts for a week. I used a checklist by the North Central Illinois Ornithological Society (NCIOS) to count the species. I'll probably post a list of all the birds I've seen every day this week (but don't count on it).

End.

Monthly Bird #4: Purple Martin

Hey. Guy here - Sorry about the weird bugs in the post. I can't get rid of them.

Purple Martin, male.

The Purple Martin is easy to recognize because of it's blueish-purple color.  Purple Martins eat a variety of insects. Remember to put that in your feeders - if you want to touch bugs, which I don't care much to do.








 

Purple martin, female.

The female has a duller color, and gray-white underpart but it is mostly purple, though it has less than the male. She has a speckled breast.

Purple Martin range.

The purple finch lives in the eastern US in the summer, so you may be able to see some this year.

                                                                   ~ Buddy Finch

Birdlog #8 - 3-27-14: Birding at a lek during migration...

... Rocks.

You're probably wondering what a lek is (unless you're an obsessive bird nerd who knows every obscure term ever used anywhere). A lek is where adult male birds can do courtship displays, and females will come and watch. I think they're only used by plovers, grouse and some birds-of-paradise.

Anyway, here's the list:

• 5 Canada Geese
• 2 Mallards
• 1 Turkey Vulture
• 3 Bald Eagles
• 1 Red-tailed Hawk
• 20-30 Sandhill Cranes - The first I've seen in Illinois!
• 11 Killdeer
• 1 Peregrine Falcon
• 1 Blue Jay
• 2 American Robins
• 1 European Starling
• 1 Cedar Waxwing - possible
• 3 House Sparrows

The species that really stick out to me are: Bald Eagle, Sandhill Crane and Peregrine Falcon. The Killdeer were the only ones actually using the lek, but there were other birds around. Here's the really crazy part: We saw all of those birds in twenty minutes!

And once again, I didn't have my camera with me - It's outta battery, anyway.

End.

Monthly Bird #3: Black-capped Chickadee

Who hasn't heard the ever-so familiar song of a Black-capped Chickadee?

Black-capped Chickadee, adult.

"It's so adorable!" Due to the oversized head and curiosity about everything, the bird that most people know and love is the Black-capped Chickadee. With a black cap and neck, gray back and buffy (tannish) sides, this species is easy to recognize. Where its range overlaps with the Carolina Chickadee (the Black-cap's slightly smaller cousin), these two are easily confused and almost impossible to tell apart without hearing their different songs.

Carolina Chickadee, adult.

Black-capped Chickadees' brains actually grow and shrink throughout the season, due to its habit of caching food (taking from plants/feeders and storing it for later). And the more dees in a call, the higher the threat. There's a dominant hierarchy within flocks. Some birds are called "winter floaters" 'cause they don't belong to one flock. These individuals might have a different rank within each flock that they spend time in.

Black-capped Chickadee range.

Ranging from the northern Pacific coast to the northern Atlantic coast, the Black-capped Chickadee is a familiar sight in and even sometimes outside its range! It is commonly found in deciduous and mixed forests, open woods, parks, willow thickets, cottonwood groves, and disturbed areas. Happy birding!







-Mr. Bird

Birdlog #6 - 02-04-14: Gross squirrel head

Eww.

Yeah. No idea what happened to it. I can't believe it was just scrambling around in the snow - it didn't behave injured at all! Just showed up, and it was there. I think something (maybe a hawk) ripped its skin open. The orange stuff is its skull.

End.

The Monthly Bird #2: Common Nighthawk

Common Nighthawk, adult.

No, it's not really a hawk. Many people think so, but it's not. Every time someone sees one and says "hawk!" I shudder (I'm so picky!). It's actually in the family of goatsuckers: Nocturnal flycatching birds that are seen the most during migration, from 6:30 p.m. to whenever it gets dark. Due to their long wings, they can resemble a small falcon or kite. But it's swooping and diving tell you it's not a raptor, but a nighthawk.

The Common Nighthawk in the sky looks like a cross between a kestrel and a gull. It is mottled brown all over, except for the white throat patch and white lines on the under and upper parts of the wings, where a human's wrist would be. And the swift flycatching behavior is another good field mark.  But the main field mark is their wing patches.

Common Nighthawk, adult, in flight.

Their habitat is amazingly varied, ranging from rural grasslands to the big cities, including: Coastal sand dunes and beaches, logged forest, recently burned forest, woodland clearings, prairies, plains, sagebrush, open forests, and rock outcrops.



Common Nighthawk range.

Living all over North America and being quite common, it's a bird that most people find easy to see. But when it comes to migration, they're just everywhere! And at night, if you're lucky, you'll see them fill the sky, night after night! So grab your binoculars, bird guide and flashlight, get out there this spring to do some (night)hawk watching. Happy birding!

-Guy

Tips for beginning birdwatchers - Bill Thompson, III

1. Get a decent pair of binoculars, one that is easy for you to use and hold steady.
2. Find a field guide to the birds of your region. (Many guides, like this one, cover only eastern or western North America.) Guides that cover all the birds of North America contain many species that are uncommon or entirely absent from your area. You can always upgrade to a continent-wide guide later.
3. Set up a basic feeding station in your yard or garden.
4. Start with backyard birds. They are easiest to see, and you can become familiar with them fairly quickly.
5. Practice your identification skills. Starting with a common bird species, note the most obvious visual features of the bird (color, size, shape, patterns in the plumage). These features are known as field marks and will be helpful clues to the bird's identity.
6. Notice the bird's behavior. Many birds can be identified by their behavior--woodpeckers peck on wood, kingfishers hunt for small fish, swallows are known for their graceful flight.
7. Listen to the bird's sounds. Bird song is a vital component to birding. Learning bird songs and sounds takes a bit of practice, but many birds make it pretty easy for us. For example, chickadees and Whip-poor-wills (among others) call out their names. In the Young Birder's Guide to Birds of North America, the Resources section contains a list of tools to help you learn bird songs.
8. Look at the bird, not the book.* When you see an unfamiliar bird, avoid the temptation to glance at the bird and grab the guide. Instead, watch the bird carefully for as long as it is present. Your field guide will be with you long after the bird is gone, so take advantage of every moment to watch an unfamiliar bird while you can.
9. Take notes. No one can be expected to remember every field mark and description of a bird. But you can help you memory and accelerate your learning by taking note on the birds you see. These notes can be written in a small pocket notebook or even in the margins of your field guide.
10. Venture beyond the backyard and find other bird watchers in your area. The bird watching you'll experience beyond your backyard will be enriching, especially if it leads not only to new birds but also to new birding friends. Ask a local nature center or wildlife refuge about bird clubs in your region. You state ornithological organization or natural resources division may also be helpful. Being with others who share your interest in bird watching can greatly enhance your enjoyment of this wonderful hobby.

That was straight from Bill Thompson, III's "the Young Birder's Guide to Eastern Birds of North America."

-Guy

ABA Principles of Birding Ethics

Everyone who enjoys birds and birding must always respect wildlife, its environment, and the rights of others. In any conflict of interest between birds and birders, the welfare of birds and their environment comes first.

CODE OF BIRDING ETHICS

1. Promote the welfare of birds and their environment.
1(a) Support the protection of important bird habitat.
1(b) To avoid stressing birds or exposing them to danger, exercise restraint and caution during observation, photography, sound recording, or filming. Limit the use of recordings and other methods of attracting birds, and never use such methods in heavily birded areas or for attracting any species that is Threatened, Endangered, or of Special Concern, or is rare in your local area. Keep well back from nest sites and nesting colonies, roosts, display areas, and important feeding sites. In such sensitive areas, if there is a need foe extended observation, photography, filming, or recording, try to use a blind or hide, and take advantage of natural cover. Use artificial light sparingly for filming or photography, especially for close-ups.
1(c) Before advertising the presence of a rare bird, evaluate the potential for disturbance to the bird, its surroundings, and other people in the area, and proceed only if access can be controlled, disturbance can be minimized, and permission has been obtained from private land-owners. The sites of rare nesting birds should be divulged only to the proper conservation authorities.
1(d) Stay on roads, trails, and paths where they exist; otherwise keep habitat disturbance to a minimum.
2. Respect the law and the rights of others.
2(a) Do not enter private property without the owner's permission.
2(b) Follow all laws, rules, and regulations governing the use of roads and public areas, both at home and in abroad.
2(c) Practice common courtesy in contacts with other people. .* Your exemplary behavior will generate goodwill with birders and non-birders alike.
3. Ensure that feeders, nest structures, and other artificial bird environments are safe.
3(a) Keep dispensers, water, and food clean and free of decay or disease. It is important to feed birds continually during harsh winter.
3(c)* If you are attracting birds to an area, ensure the birds are not exposed to predation by cat and other domestic animals, or dangers posed by artificial hazards.
4. Group birding, whether organized or impromptu, requires special care.
Each individual in the group, in addition to the obligations spelled out in Items #1 and #2, has responsibilities as a Group Member.
4(a) Respect the interests, rights, and skills of fellow birders, as well as those of people participating in other legitimate outdoor activities. Freely share your knowledge and experience, except where code 1(c) applies. Be especially helpful to beginning birders.
4(b) If you witness unethical birding behaviors, assess the situation and intervene if you think it prudent. When interceding, inform the person(s) of the inappropriate action and attempt, within reason, to have it stopped. If the behavior continues, document it and notify appropriate individuals or organizations.

Group Leader Responsibilities [amateur and professional trip and tours].
4(c) Be an exemplary ethical role model for the group. Teach through word and example.
4(d) Keep groups to a size that limits impact on the environment and does not interfere with others using the same area.
4(e) Ensure everyone in the group knows of and practices this code.**
4(f) Learn and inform the group of any special circumstances applicable to the areas being visited (e.g., not tape recorders allowed).
4(g) Acknowledge that professional tour companies bear a special responsibility to place the welfare of birds and the benefits of public knowledge ahead of the company's commercial interests. Ideally, leaders should keep track of tour sightings, document unusual occurrences, and submit records to appropriate organizations.

PLEASE FOLLOW THIS CODE--DISTRIBUTE IT AND TEACH IT TO OTHERS.

Additional copies of the Code of Birding Ethics can be obtained from: ABA, 4945 N. 30th Street, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80919-3151, (800) 850-2473 or (719) 578-1480; email: member@aba.org

This ABA Code of Ethics may be reprinted, reproduced, and distributed without restriction.

Please acknowledge the role of ABA in developing and promoting this code. 7/1/96

 

Wow. That was a lot to type. Anyway, the link to the PDF so you can print it (or save it) is right here. If you ever go birding, remember the ABA Principles of Birding Ethics. (Yeah, I know, "that's too long to memorize!" Well, tough luck.)

 

*All mistakes with an asterisk adjacent to them are mistakes in the actual document.

**I'm kinda iffy about this one.

 

-Guy

Birdlog #4 01-05-14: Little tip about Dark-eyed Juncos

Dark-eyed Junco, adult male.

Just a little identification tip: If you look at a junco's pale-orange beak closely, you'll see a little black spot on the tip.

End.

Birdlog #3 - 01-01-14: More birdy small talk, getting to know Louis and James

Again, today there aren't many birds at our feeders except a couple house Finches and maybe a Dark-eyed Junco or two. Which is one of the reasons that I hate winter: The only birds you see are the regulars, making today's rounds at your feeders.

Louis (left) and James (right).

So for a couple months I've had some pet budgerigars (FYI, for all you non-birdlovers, a Budgerigar is just a type of parakeet). They're names are Louis and James. Louis is green with a yellow head, and James is blue with a white head. Like most parakeets, they both have barring on the back of their heads. Why haven't I posted about them? Well, originally this blog was about wild birds. Well, since you voted yes, now I can. I wasn't keeping 'em secret!
I bet that Louis is the squirmiest Budgerigar that you'll ever see. And when we first got him, he broke his tail against the bars of the cage. In fact, you can see it in that picture to the left of this writing.
James is weird. He kinda flip-flops in between biting you and not biting you if you stick your hand in the cage. If he's stressed, sometimes he'll even fluff up and rush at your hand!
I'm not exactly sure about their ages/gender, but I'm pretty sure that they're both at least 8-9 months old. James is totally a boy, but I'm not sure about Louis. I think he's a boy, too.
You can tell a Budgerigar's gender by the cere, or, for you non-birdlovers, the little bit of skin covering the nostrils. On a boy it's neon blue, but on a girl it can be pink or brown. And as your bird gets older, his/her cere will begin to look crusty, but do not fear! It's completely normal. And if he/she grows little things that look like pepper, it means he/she's molting. And he/she'll get kinda moody, so you won't wanna take it out for a while. But when it's done molting (6 weeks or so), feel free you handle him/her again!

End.

The Monthly Bird #1: Lazuli Bunting

Lazuli Bunting, adult male.

"What a beautiful bird!"

You could say that about a couple hundred bird species - easily - but the Lazuli Bunting's mixture of shiny lazuli blue, bluebird brown, black and white makes this bird beyond compare.

What gives it its bright colors? I won't go into all the details, but I think it goes something like this: These things called pigments are in the feathers, and when the sun's light hits the feathers, we see the bright blue on the head and back. But colors can be tricky: Like other buntings, when not seen in good light, parts of the bird may appear dark blue or even black. I'm pretty sure that you can see the brown/orange in poor light, though.

Like most songbirds, they eat seeds, fruits and bugs. Again, like most songbirds, they come to feeders. And they're really versatile when it comes to finding food. They'll eat in the trees or in bushes, they hop on the ground like robins and they'll even flycatch for the insect portion of their diet!

Lazuli Bunting range.

And its song is incredible! I think it just sounds like a bunch of chirping - literally - but it's because of its, well, "generic" call, that it sounds so good.

Also, they nest in shrubs close to the ground, so be sure to not step on one of their many silk-wrapped dry grass, bark and leaf nests.

There's really nothing more to be said except their range. They live out in the western half of the US, so you're not likely to see one in Maine.

-Guy

Birdlog #1 - 12-09-13: Juncos and bird photography

We got juncos really early this year. I think the first ones were in mid-to-late October. And we've had a ton since then! Sometimes, the males look gray, and sometimes they're slate-black, hence the name "Slate-colored Junco." And the females look like sooty Oregon Juncos (which's a subspecies of the Dark-eyed), with brownish wings and a gray head.
The Yellow-eyed Junco (not a subspecies) differs from the Dark-eyed in one way: A yellow eye. Other than that, almost nothing.

I like taking pictures of birds. It's especially fun when you're photographing a rarity or one in a funny position. It's even more fun when you have a camera, unlike me. My "dream camera" is the Canon PowerShot SX500 IS. I know how to use it because I know someone who has one. The main feature that I like is the image stabilization. A close second is the 30x optical zoo, for taking pictures of a bird really far away. Overall, it's a good camera.

End.