All posts by traderscreek

Ring-billed Gull – Larus delawarensis

March 14, 2013 traderscreek

Ring-billed Gull – Larus delawarensis

General:Ring-Billed Gulls are flocking birds. They can readily be seen along rivers, lakes, farm land and unfortunately fast food restaurants. There is an island on Lake Ontario that can hold as many as 85,000 pairs during breeding season. (1)

Although it is considered a typical large white-headed gull, the Ring-billed Gull has been known to hybridize only with smaller, black-headed species, such as Franklin’s, Black-headed, and Laughing gulls. (2)

Many, if not most, Ring-billed Gulls return to breed at the colony where they hatched. Once they have bred, they are likely to return to the same breeding spot each year, often nesting within a few meters of the last year’s nest site. Many individuals return to the same wintering sites each winter too. (2)

In the late 19th century, this bird was hunted for its plumage. Its population has since rebounded and it is probably the most common gull in North America. In some areas, it is displacing less aggressive birds such as the Common Tern. (3)

As mentioned, these birds nest in colonies. A nest is made from a scrape in the ground and filled with twigs and sticks. The female lays 1–4 buff/olive eggs with dark brown speckles. Both the male and the female incubate the eggs. Incubation is about 28 days. The chicks are hatched covered in down. They fledge in about 30 days.

Identification: The Ring-billed Gull is a medium sized gull that is approximately 16”–21” long with a wingspan of between 41”*46”. They weigh between 10 – 25 oz. ( ¾ – 1 ½ lbs.). It has a short, bright yellow bill with a black ring at the tip. Wingtips black with white spots. It has white head, neck, chest and under-parts and a soft gray back and upper wings and the legs are yellow. Young birds are mottled brown with blackish tail band and flesh colored legs.

Habitat: Found around fresh water, landfills, golf courses, farm fields, shopping areas, and coastal beaches and water ways.

Territory: Depending on time of year, these birds can be found on either coast, on inland water ways from Alaska to Labrador into the Great Lakes, south to the Gulf of Mexico.

Migration: For spring and breeding season Ring-Billed Gulls migrate north to Alaska to Labrador down to New England into the Great Lakes. They are migratory and most move south to the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North America, the Great Lakes and Cuba.

Food: Ring-Billed Gull is an omnivore that eats insects, seeds, grain, fish, mollusks, rodents and garbage. These birds are opportunistic and have adapted well to taking food discarded or even left unattended by people.

(1) Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds.

(2) Cornell University

(3) Wikipedia

Birds

Great Egret Information Identification

March 14, 2013 traderscreek

Great Egret

The great egret is a summer visitor to upstate New York. Each summer they come up in spring and stay until late October/early November. The great egret is also known as the common egret, large egret or great white heron. It is a widely distributed egret, with four subspecies found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and southern Europe.

Great Egret populations have increased across most of their range from 1966 to 2014, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey, though there appears to have been a decline in Canadian populations. The North American Waterbird Conservation Plan estimates that there are over 180,000 breeding birds on the continent, and rates them at least a 5 out of 20 on the Continental Concern Score. Great Egret is not listed on the 2014 State of the Birds Watch List. During the 19th century great egrets were hunted for their plumes.

What I find interesting is that for such a beautiful bird, its call is usually a low hoarse croak when disturbed, and at nest sites. It can also give a loud croaking cuk cuk cuk and higher-pitched squawks.

Description:

Great egret flying - notice he "S" curve in its neck
Great Egrets are tall, standing about 3 ¼ feet tall. They are also long-legged, which helps them wade in shallow water. As can be seen from the pictures, the great egret has an S-curved neck and long, narrow yellow bill. In flight, the long neck is tucked in and the legs extend far beyond the tip of the short tail just like a blue heron. The egret’s wingspan can measure 52” – 70”.

As can be seen, great egrets are white. Their bills are yellowish-orange, and the legs black. If you are out bird watching and come across a white egret, the yellow bill with black legs is the important identifier.

In breeding plumage, delicate ornamental feathers are on the bird’s back. Males and females are identical in appearance; juveniles look like non-breeding adults.

Habitat:

Great egrets live in freshwater, brackish, and marine wetlands. During the breeding season they live in colonies in trees or shrubs with other waterbirds, ranging across the southeastern states and in scattered spots throughout the rest of the U.S. and southern Canada. The colonies are located on lakes, ponds, marshes, estuaries, impoundments, and islands.

Territory:

The great egret range has expanded as far north as southern Canada. However, in some parts of the southern United States, its numbers have declined due to habitat loss. The great egret is partially migratory, with northern hemisphere birds moving south from areas with colder winters

Diet:

The great egret feeds in shallow water, marshes and even land. They feed mainly on fish, frogs, small mammals, and occasionally small reptiles and insects, spearing at them with its long, sharp bill most of the time by standing still and allowing the prey to come within its striking distance. Just so it is clear, they do not spear with the bill, they quickly thrust forward and catch the prey in their mouth.

Nesting:

Great egrets are colonial nesters Believe it or not they usually build their stick nests high in trees. You can find them often on islands that are isolated from predators. The nest is up to 3 feet across and 1 foot deep.

The female will lay approximately 1 – 6 smooth, pale greenish blue eggs that are roughly 2” – 2 1/2” long and about 1 1/2” wide. The incubation period is between 23 – 27 days. The young hatch as long and colored white with down covering the back with their eyes open.

Not all young that hatch survive the nestling period. Aggression among nestlings is common and large chicks frequently kill their smaller siblings.

Birds

American Flamingo – Phoenicopterus ruber

March 14, 2013 traderscreek

Birds

Turkey Vulture – Cathartes aura

March 14, 2013 traderscreek

General: The Turkey Vulture, the most widespread of the New World Vultures, is found throughout most of the Americas (North and South). In certain areas it is called “buzzard” and “Turkey buzzard”. The Turkey Vulture received its common name from the resemblance of the adult’s bald red head and its dark plumage to that of the male Wild Turkey.1 Its life expectancy in the wild ranges upward of 16 years, with a captive life span of over 30 years being possible.2

Turkey Vultures breed in March and into late spring. Eggs are generally laid in a protected location such as a cliff, a cave, a rock crevice, a burrow, inside a hollow tree, or in a thicket. Clutch Size is typically 1 – 3 eggs that are 2.6” – 3” long and 1.7” – 2.1” wide. The eggs are cream-colored, with brown or lavender spots. Incubation is 38 – 41 days. Chicks fledge between 65 – 90 days.

The Turkey Vulture, like most other vultures, has very few vocalization capabilities. Because it lacks a syrinx, it can only utter hisses and grunts. It usually hisses when it feels threatened. Grunts are commonly heard from hungry young and from adults in their courtship display.

Their sense of smell is incredibly unique in the avian world and they are particularly good at picking up the scent of ethyl mercaptan (a gas produced by animals beginning to decay). The olfactory lobe of a turkey vulture is well developed when compared to other avian species which helps allows a turkey vulture to actually detect odors up to 12 miles away.3

Turkey Vultures hold their wings in a shallow V-shape while soaring and riding thermals.

Identification: Turkey Vultures are large dark birds, 25” long with long, broad wings that measure approximately 72” from tip to tip. The Turkey Vulture’s head is red and unfeathered. The yellowish bill is hooked. The plumage is dark brown except for paler flight feathers, appearing black and gray. They have short, thick legs

Habitat: With its substantial distribution throughout the Americas, the Turkey Vulture is a generalist in its habitat choices and can be found in open and semi-open areas, including subtropical forests, shrub lands, pastures, and deserts. They typically like to stay in areas with open land with nearby areas such as forests for roosting. In the northeastern US, Turkey Vultures can be seen riding thermals over open farmland, the Adirondacks and along lake and ocean shorelines. They are particularly noticeable along roadsides and at landfills.

Territory: Generally, Turkey Vultures can be found from Southern Canada to the southern tip of South America. Certain of its populations do migrate. In upstate New York, Turkey Vultures show up in early Spring and generally leave in early winter. These northern birds may migrate as far south as South America. In the southern United States the Turkey Vulture is a permanent resident.

Diet: The Turkey Vulture is a scavenger and feeds almost exclusively on carrion which can be almost any animal – mammal, reptile, fish, etc. Turkey Vultures almost never attack living prey.

3. http://twcdoc.blogspot.com/2011/10/vehicle-versus-vulture.html

Birds

Red-tailed Hawk – Buteo Jamaicensis

March 14, 2013 traderscreek

Red-Tailed Hawk

General:

The Red-tailed Hawk is a common bird of prey that can be found throughout the contiguous 48 states, Canada into Alaska. These large hawks are commonly seen sitting in trees alongside roads and highways near large fields bordered by tree line.

“Red-tailed Hawks are the most common and widespread hawk in North America. Red-tail numbers have increased significantly as a result of forest fragmentation that creates the mosaic of interspersed wooded and open areas they prefer. In some areas, this increase has been at the expense of Red-shouldered, Ferruginous, and Swainson’s Hawks.” (1)

Along with the American Kestrel, the Red-tail Hawk is the most commonly captured raptor for falconry in the United States.

Red-tailed Hawks typically put their nests in the crowns of tall trees, cliffs or high on man-made structures where they have a commanding view of the landscape. Both male and female will help in building the nest. The female lays 1 to 3 brown spotted white eggs. Clutch size depends almost exclusively on the availability of prey for the adults. The incubation period is between 28–35 days. The chicks are born helpless and need the parents to provide food and protection. The chicks fledge in 42 days

Identification:

Red-tailed Hawk plumage can be variable, depending on the subspecies and the region. Red-Tailed hawks are 17”–22” long with a wingspan of 44”-53”. They weight 24-46 oz (1 ½ to 3 lbs.) – females are up to 25% larger than males.