As bird-lovers, we know closely that these are the most beautiful creatures in the world and also - the most vulnerable. We know how easily they can become prey as well as fierce attackers, fighting for breeding and roosting territory.
But there are some battles they cannot win. Human activity, deforestation and other world-changing conditions have made a huge impact on our feathery friends and many are now on the brink of extinction.
We all look for the bright reds, yellows and oranges in our gardens, for the cardinals, warblers and orioles - and pay less attention to these cute chippers. But although not flashing any primary colors, these delicate, bubbly beauts still have their own ways to charm us and conquer our affections.
No bigger than a golf ball and no heavier a teaspoon of sugar, sweet Anna’s Hummingbird will make a striking impression anywhere they fly. And what a flight. Soaring high up in the sky, then nose-diving down at 60 MPH, all the while showing off their iridescent forest-green feathers and shimmering rose-pink throats. They are essentially flying gemstones.
What a gorgeous sight to see a Black-billed Magpie spread its wings and fly over the western skies of North America. Even when perched on a road sign or fence post, it spreads its colorful wings and flaunts its long tail behind him.
This lavish display is its way of establishing territory. Instead of calling and chirping like the Red-winged Blackbird and other songbirds, it will perch atop trees and other high spots, flapping its wings and tail, or strutting around on the ground with a confident gait and swagger...
Birdwatchers across North America feel a lift of the heart at the first sight of the red-winged blackbird because it means … spring is here!
Flying up from Mexico and the Southern parts of the United States, they fly from coast to coast across the northern country, looking for breeding territories.
Red-winged blackbirds are everywhere at this time of the year, flying around with their nasal chirps, looking for a safe spot to build a nest in marshes, wet fields, meadows and sometimes at the edge of ponds. Basically they like a lot of water around them.
The Killdeer is the largest and best known of the "ringed" plovers. Although classified as a shore bird, these conspicuous, graceful birds are often found in areas far from water in open habitats across most of North America - from golf courses to lawns and parking lots.
The Scarlet Tanager is one of the 5 species found in North America: there are also summer, western, hepatic and flame-colored tanagers.
Scarlet Tanagers are mostly found in the eastern parts of North America. When you see them or hear them, it is a welcome sign that winter is coming to a close.
We are now in the depth of winter, which means that your bird feeders are crowded with foreign travelers. One international visitor to expect is most likely the dark eyed junco, called snow-birds because if you see one, that means winter is coming, and snow will likely follow.
These white wizards have arrived from their summer homes in the Arctic tundra. Leaving their perches on the snowy hills and flying south, we can now see them on electricity and telephone poles or on the ground, silently waiting for their prey. Unlike other owls, these snowy owls hunt in daylight, mainly at dawn and dusk.
This winter of 2021 is filled with many of these moments and the reason we are seeing so many rare birds, those which usually roam the Canadian Boreal forests, a major breeding bird range spreading from Alaska to Newfoundland, is because of an ecological phenomenon called:
IRRUPTION
The meaning of irruption is as onomatopoeic as it sounds: a sudden change in nature, in routine - a sudden influx of a certain kind of species, usually due to fluctuations in food supply.
Purple finches are a rare and welcome guest at our bird feeders. Their warbling from the highest of treetops as well as their warm coloring are a welcome sight and sound.
This is yet another bird with the wrong description in its name, as this bird is not purple but rather rosy-red. Described by the famous saying of Tory Peterson, this finch looks like “a sparrow dipped in raspberry juice” - though I see more “dipped in a fine merlot” coloring.
Ironically, despite their name, they nest and peck for their grub on the ground, in the tundra.You will see them communing with dark eyed juncos in your bird feeders all season, until spring arrives. As the days get longer and the temperature rises, they sing their beautiful farewell song before flying north, as the sun rises again warm on our skin, and the cycle of Nature starts anew.
