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Red-tailed Hawks Take the Bus

info@birdnote.org (Tune In to Nature.org) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:02:00 PST

Travel into Seattle from Sea-Tac airport, and you might share the shuttle with a Red-tailed Hawk! To protect planes, passengers and birds, airport biologists Steve Osmek and Bud Anderson are capturing and relocating raptors. They band and wing-tag the hawks, then release them in the Skagit Valley, far enough away that they won’t come back. And how to transport such big young birds? Enter Bellair Shuttle. The airporter agreed to carry the hawks, secure in covered animal carriers, north to safer foraging grounds. See photos. Seen a tagged bird? Report it to the Port of Seattle.

Spring Brings New Bird Songs

info@birdnote.org (Tune In to Nature.org) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:02:00 PST

All winter long, our neighborhood House Finches—like this one—have called to one another with their distinctive, sweet cheeps. And our resident Song Sparrows, with calls that sound like a tiny barking dog. But as the days grow longer in late winter, the lengthening light helps trigger a bird’s urge to really sing. The breeding cycle is beginning anew, with song and courtship and then pair-bonding, all leading to nesting. Listen again.

Mating for Life

info@birdnote.org (Tune In to Nature.org) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:02:00 PST

Most bird species in North America mate for a single breeding season. Some may team up again the following year, just because both stay in - or return to - the same territory. Fewer than one-fifth of Song Sparrow pairs, like these, are reunited. Hawks, eagles, and ravens have wide territories, thus few contacts with the opposite sex. Maintaining a relationship through the winter may assure breeding in the next season.

Bald Eagle - National Symbol

info@birdnote.org (Tune In to Nature.org) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:01:00 PST

Stretch your arms as far as you can, and imagine a bird whose reach is even greater! Sitting about three feet tall, the Bald Eagle has a wingspan of more than six feet. When you see a mature Bald Eagle, you’ll see a snowy-white head and tail with a dark brown body. Look closer and you’ll see lemon yellow eyes and a powerful set of legs and feet. To learn more about the intriguing ways of the Bald Eagle, visit Cornell's AllAboutBirds.

If It Weren't for Birds

info@birdnote.org (Tune In to Nature.org) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 00:02:00 PST

If it weren't for birds, how many of us would take notice of the natural world? Birds are all around us. In our back yards or driving across country, most of the animals we see are birds. Many draw attention with their songs. Some birds hunt on the wing, and you’ll see one if you watch the sky. They sometimes fly in large flocks. Birds are unavoidable. How many fewer nature-lovers there would be, if it weren't for the more than 10,000 species of birds! Imagine a world without this Green Heron...

Black-capped Chickadee

info@birdnote.org (Tune In to Nature.org) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 00:02:00 PST

If you hang a simple feeder outside your window, you might attract this Black-capped Chickadee and many other birds. Fill the feeder and install it close to any room where you spend time. Hang the feeder within three feet of the window to keep the birds from colliding with the glass. That way, if they do, the impact is less damaging since they haven’t gained much speed. Learn more at Cornell’s AllAboutBirds.

Annual Great Backyard Bird Count

info@birdnote.org (Tune In to Nature.org) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:02:00 PST

The 2012 Great Backyard Bird Count, February 17-20, is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Birdwatchers across the country count birds and then report the numbers on-line. Although it may seem that crows are everywhere, the Northern Cardinal is reported on the most lists nearly every year, far above the crow. Well, if there’s a male cardinal at your feeder, it is pretty hard to miss! Birds reported in the highest numbers have been the European Starling and the American Robin. There’s no cost, and you don’t need to register. Learn more and sign up.

Consider the Ostrich

info@birdnote.org (Tune In to Nature.org) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:01:00 PST

The flightless Ostrich is a bird of superlatives. It's the largest and tallest bird on the planet, growing to maybe eight feet tall, and weighing 250 pounds! It’s also the fastest creature on two legs, capable of running at 40 miles an hour. Ostriches have never been observed to stick their heads in the sand. When threatened, they’re more likely to run away. But if an Ostrich senses danger and can’t run away, it lies down and remains still. Tell your friends about BirdNote! Copy this link and paste it in email: http://bit.ly/cFlTqC. Thanks!

Wood Storks and Climate Change

info@birdnote.org (Tune In to Nature.org) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:02:00 PST

Wood Storks nest in trees, often in big colonies, and only when conditions are just right for them. Because of their feeding technique, they thrive in the early part of the dry season, when receding floodwaters concentrate fish in small pools. But this method of feeding is effective only when the rainy season is normal. In some years, increased droughts brought about by global climate change prevent Wood Storks from breeding at all. Learn more about Wood Stork conservation. Have you ever seen a Wood Stork? Find us on Facebook and share your story.

Swans on Valentine's Day

info@birdnote.org (Tune In to Nature.org) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:02:00 PST

Swans have long exalted the human heart. Among the world’s most magnificent creatures, swans inspire us, especially on Valentine’s Day. On a lake, an adult pair of swans glides serenely, side by side, a classic symbol of love. And they have earned their reputation for fidelity. Swans mate for life. Their bond endures from year to year and the family group remains together until spring. No wonder swans have worked their way into many human images of love. Learn more about these Trumpeter Swans.

Rock Pigeon, Urban Bird

info@birdnote.org (Tune In to Nature.org) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:02:00 PST

The Rock Pigeon is the quintessential urban bird. Early European settlers at Jamestown and Plymouth introduced it to North America in the 1600s, and it is now found across the entire country. Flocks roam parks and city streets and sit on wires and billboards. Be part of our flock of supporters, and make a gift to BirdNote -- begin here. Thank you!

Old Abe, the War Eagle

info@birdnote.org (Tune In to Nature.org) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:02:00 PST

Abe Lincoln's Birthday! An infantry regiment from Wisconsin had a Bald Eagle as its mascot during the Civil War. Named “Old Abe”, in honor of President Abraham Lincoln, this eagle accompanied Company C in nearly 40 battles. After the Civil War, Old Abe retired to the Wisconsin Capital, appearing in parades and visiting veterans’ conventions. For more about Old Abe, visit the Wisconsin Electronic Reader.

Sanderlings

info@birdnote.org (Tune In to Nature.org) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:03:00 PST

Here and there along winter shorelines, little flocks of pale, silvery shorebirds probe at the water’s edge, keeping pace with each wave’s ebb and flow. These are Sanderlings, small sandpipers that stay through the winter. Rachel Carson, in Under the Sea Wind, described Sanderlings as running “with a twinkle of black feet.” Learn more about the Sanderling at Cornell's AllAboutBirds. Check out this photo of a whole flock of Sanderlings, taken by Simon Tan.

The COASST Program - Interview with Julia Parrish

info@birdnote.org (Tune In to Nature.org) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:02:00 PST

In the late 1990s, Julia Parrish started the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team or COASST. Julia says: “We train people to go out to their local beach and survey it. They are looking for birds that have literally washed in on the last tide. COASST offers people a chance to learn more about the birds. And that I think is the essence of citizen science.” Learn more about Julia Parrish’s work and how you might get involved. Cornell offers many projects. There's more at Wikipedia.org.

Franklin's Gull - Sometimes a Seagull, Sometimes Not

info@birdnote.org (Tune In to Nature.org) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:02:00 PST

Gulls are often called "seagulls," but many spend a lot of time far away from the sea. The Franklin's Gull breeds in freshwater wetlands more than 5,000 miles from its winter home at the ocean. After the breeding season, they ascend high in the sky for their long flight across the Equator to the coasts of Peru and Chile. Now deserving the name “seagull,” the Franklin's Gulls roost on the beach and dive for anchovies in the cold Humboldt Current. Habitats of the world are connected by the birds that go between them. Learn more at StateOfTheBirds.org.

Winter Field Notes - Reflections by Heather Murphy

info@birdnote.org (Tune In to Nature.org) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:02:00 PST

Heather Murphy, a naturalist, watches for birds with the trained eye of a wildlife biologist, then makes a few field notes. From her journal: “I hear tzeet-tzeet-tzeet. Fast movement. Ah, a tiny kinglet. Which kinglet? Hm.m.m. No leaves anymore, so I easily see an olive-green back. And through my binocs, eye stripes! Aha! It’s the Arctic-loving Golden-crowned Kinglet." Peek into Heather Murphy’s journal, where you can see her drawings. See more of Heather’s work at WildTales.com.

Yellow-billed Magpies and West Nile Virus

info@birdnote.org (Tune In to Nature.org) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:02:00 PST

Like their cousins, jays and crows, the Yellow-billed Magpies of California were hit hard by West Nile virus. The disease reduced magpie numbers by half. Habitat loss and poisoning also threaten the birds. They’re now on Audubon’s watchlist of species of concern. Whether the magpies will develop immunity to West Nile, as some other birds have, is still not clear. In 2009, volunteers from Audubon California started conducting surveys of the bird’s population. Citizen science can help keep a close eye on the Yellow-billed Magpie, whose future remains in question.

Three Kingfishers

info@birdnote.org (Tune In to Nature.org) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:01:00 PST

The Belted Kingfisher is the one species of kingfisher found throughout most of North America north of Mexico. You’ll have to go to Texas to see two other kingfishers. The quiet call of the Green Kingfisher — like this one — can be heard at wooded streams and ponds. A Ringed Kingfisher perches up high and makes spectacular dives into the water, coming up with fish larger than those the Belted can handle. Learn more about other Texas birds at WorldBirdingCenter.org.

Birds in Music

info@birdnote.org (Tune In to Nature.org) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:02:00 PST

We have many examples of music inspired by birdsong, but there are also composers who have used actual bird sounds in their works, including Ottorino Respighi in his 1923 work, The Pines of Rome. When Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara composed "Cantus Arcticus" (also known as “Concerto for Birds and Orchestra”), he may have had in mind these Whooper Swans. In 2007, German producer Dominik Eulberg released a composition made entirely with sampled bird sounds. Listen to this show again.

Flocking and Foraging

info@birdnote.org (Tune In to Nature.org) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:02:00 PST

In winter, a foraging flock might include several species of birds: chickadees, kinglets, and even a Downy Woodpecker. Many bird species eat alone, so you might wonder why these birds have chosen to dine together. Different species flocking together to find food enhances the success of all. One species assists the foraging of others. Find out how to attract birds to your back yard at Cornell's AllAboutBirds. Join your local Audubon chapter and learn how to help save habitat for birds.