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Birds

Northern Cardinal – Cardinalis Cardinalis

General: According to The Audubon Society the Northern Cardinal was given its name because the deep red color of the males resemble the color of the robes of Roman Catholic Cardinals. Both sexes sing clear, song patterns, which are repeated several times, then varied. Some common songs are purdy-purdy-purdy, whoit-whoit-whoit and wheet-wheet-wheet.

The female lays three to four eggs pale green eggs that are spotted red/brown in a cup shaped nest. Incubation takes 12 to 13 days. When hatched the chicks are naked except for sparse tufts of grayish down and eyes closed. Young fledge 10 to 11 days after hatching.

In the United States, the Northern Cardinal is the mascot of a number of athletic teams. In professional sports, it is the mascot of the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball and the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. In college athletics, it is the mascot of many schools, including the University of Louisville, the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, Ball State University, Illinois State University, Lamar University, the Catholic University of America, Wesleyan University, Wheeling Jesuit University, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, North Idaho College and Saint John Fisher College. It is also the state bird of seven states, more than any other species: North Carolina, West Virginia, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Virginia.

Northern CardinalIdentification: The Northern Cardinal is a mid-sized songbird that is 8” – 9“ long with a wing span of 10” – 12“. As can be seen from the pictures, the Northern Cardinal has a distinctive crest on the head and a mask on its face which is black in the male and gray in the female. The male is a brilliant crimson red with a black face mask over the eyes, extending to the upper chest. The color is dullest on the back and wings. The female is fawn, with mostly grayish-brown tones and a slight reddish tint on the wings, the crest, and the tail feathers.

Young birds, both male and female, are similar to the adult female until the fall, when they molt and grow adult feathers.

Northern CardinalHabitat: The Northern Cardinal is found in woodlands, gardens, thickets, shrub-lands, and swamps. It is a common bird in suburbs and is a frequent visitor to backyard bird feeding stations.

Territory: It can be found in southern Canada – Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia and east, through the eastern United States from Maine to Texas and south through Mexico.

Migration: Cardinals are year round residents and really don’t have formal migratory patterns.

Food: Cardinals primarily eat seeds, grains, and fruits, however; they do eat insects to a lesser extent. Parent birds feed nestlings mostly insects.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Birds

House Finch – Carpodacus Mexicanus

House Finch

General:

The House Finch was originally an inhabitant to the west coast of the U.S. and Mexico but has been introduced to the east coast. According to Audubon, in the 1940’s caged House Finches were released in New York City and Long Island, New York. Since that time, the House Finch has established new territory along the Atlantic coast. House Finches were introduced to Oahu from San Francisco sometime before 1870. They had become abundant on all the major Hawaiian Islands by 1901. As with all such events, unintended consequences have occurred. Competition for food and habitat resulted in East coast populations of native Purple Finch and the invasive House Sparrow to decline. (1)

With its increased territory and adaptability, the total House Finch population across North America is estimated between 267 million and 1.4 billion individuals. (2)

House Finches nest in many different places from man-made structures to trees to rock ledges. They will use abandoned nests of other birds. Overall width of the nest is 3-7 inches, with the inside cup 1-3 inches across and up to 2 inches deep.

The female lays 2 to 6 pale blue to white eggs speckled with fine black and pale purple markings. The eggs are about .6” long and ½” wide. The chicks hatch in 13 to 14 days and are naked except for sparse white down along feather tracts. They fledge in 12 to 19 days.

House Finches can have two or more broods per year.

In captivity House Finches have lived as long as 11 years.

Identification:

House Finches are about the same size as House Sparrows but more slender. They measure 5.1” – 5.5” long and with a wingspan between 7.9” – 9.8”. They weigh ½ oz – 1 oz.

Adult males are rosy red around the face and upper breast, with streaky brown back, belly and tail. Adult females are plain grayish-brown with thick, blurry streaks and an indistinctly marked face.

The red of a male House Finch comes from pigments contained in its food. Because of this, sometimes orange or yellowish male House Finches will be observed.

Habitat:

House Finches inhabit city parks, backyards, urban centers, farms, and forest edges across the continent. In the western U.S., House Finches native habitat is desert, grassland and open woods. They are frequent late fall and winter visitors to my upstate NY backyard birdfeeder.

Territory:

Native range was west coast from Mexico to Canada east to Texas and Nebraska. The east coast population is north to Maine and Canada south to Florida and west to the Mississippi.  (3)

Migration:

These birds are mainly permanent residents; some eastern birds migrate south.

Diet:

House Finches eat almost exclusively plant materials, seeds, buds and fruits. In orchards, House Finches eat cherries, apricots, peaches, pears, plums, strawberries, blackberries, and figs.

1.       Wootton, JT. (1987). “Interspecific Competition between Introduced House Finch Populations and Two Associated Passerine Species”. pages 325–331.

2.       Cornell Lab of Ornithology

 

3.       Belthoff, James R.; Gauthreaux, Sidney A. (1991). “Partial Migration and Differential Winter Distribution of House Finches in the Eastern United States”

Birds

Common Starling – Sturnus vulgaris

Common Starling

General:

The Common Starling, European Starling, is native to most of temperate Europe and western Asia. It was introduced into the New York in 1890 when only 100 birds were released. (1) Since then they have spread throughout the US and Canada. Large flocks of Starlings (easily made up of thousands of birds) can be seen in farm areas in upstate NY. This has proven to be both beneficial and detrimental at the same time. They do eat many crop damaging insects yet they also eat grain seeds and have replaced native species. Frankly, I believe this a classic example of the unintended consequence of introducing an “invasive species”.

common starlingThe breeding season begins in early spring and summer. Males choose the nest site and use it to attract females. (2) I have had numerous issues with Starlings becoming stuck in vent grates and have friends that had them entering the house via the fireplace. Starlings also occasionally nest in burrows and cliffs. The female lays 3 to 6 light blue – green/white eggs. The incubation period is approximately 12 days. The chicks are helpless when hatched. They fledge in approximately another 21 days. Pairs may have three broods per breeding season.

The Common Starling is a great vocal mimic: individuals can learn the calls of up to 20 different species. Their normal calls are rather raspy calls with no real rhythm.

As a note – in NY there is no closed hunting season on Starlings (at least now).

common starlingIdentification: Starlings are chunky and blackbird-sized they are 8”–9” long with a wingspan of approximately 13”-16”. They weigh between 2–4 oz. The bill is narrow conical with a sharp tip. In flight their wings are short and pointed as are their tails. At a distance, starlings look black. In summer they are purplish-green iridescent with yellow beaks; in fresh winter plumage they are brown, covered in white spots. Their legs are stout and as can be seen are pink/red.

Juveniles are grey-brown, and by their first winter resemble adults though often retain some brown juvenile feathering especially on the head in the early part of the winter.

Habitat:

European Starlings prefer urban or suburban areas. They also commonly reside in grassy areas such as farmland, grazing pastures, open forests and woodlands.

Territory:

Starling range from Alaska, through much of Canada, all the contiguous US.

Migration:

Starlings do not engage in any significant migration.

Food:

Starlings are omnivorous but they eat mostly insects and other invertebrates such as grasshoppers, beetles, flies, caterpillars, snails, earthworms, millipedes, and spiders. They also eat fruits and grains and will frequent bird feeders.

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

(2)    Cornell University

Birds

Common Grackle – Quiscalus Quiscula

Common Grackle

General:

The Common Grackle is very “common” blackbird. They often come to bird feeders in noisy flocks with other blackbirds, cowbirds, and starlings that seem to take over all other visitors. In some areas, it is now considered a pest by farmers because of their large numbers and fondness for grain.

Along with some other species of grackles, the common grackle is known to practice “anting,” rubbing insects on its feathers to apply liquids such as formic acid secreted by the insects.

These birds are aggressive and will raid picnic baskets and food at parks and beaches. I enjoy watching unsuspecting people’s food grabbed by Grackles.

They are relentless in fighting off aggressive crows and predators. A small flock of Grackles made nests in my neighbor’s two huge pine trees. One late afternoon I heard noise and saw what appeared to be 10 -12 Grackles frantic and vocal. as I approached a crow came out from the tree and took flight. What I thought were 10 grackles turned to almost 20. They took chase and for roughly 5 minutes an aerial battle took place. The crow eventually came back, I believe to rob the Grackle nests, and the Grackles fought with it within the tree. What was interesting was that the Grackle calls seemed to alert all the Grackles in the area. Within about 10 minutes over 50 grackles came and hounded the crow and eventually chased it from the nests.

During spring mating season, Female grackles typically build nests in a coniferous tree between, in dCommon Grackle are very “common” blackbirds. eciduous vegetation, cattails and other sites. It is my experience that grackles nest in large flocks. Each spring we have roughly twenty active grackle nests with these noisy birds. I have had Grackles nest about 10’ up in my neighbors hemlock hedges. The female lays 1–7 eggs that pale blue eggs, with black scrawls. Incubation period is 11-15 days. The chicks are born blind and helpless. They fledge in approximately 21 days.

Identification:

Common Grackles are large, about the size of a Mourning Dove. They are 11”–13” long with a wingspan of approximately 14”-18”. Common Grackles weigh approximately 2.5–5 oz. They have long legs and long tails. Their head is flat and the bill is longer than in most blackbirds Common Grackles appear black from a distance, but up close their glossy purple heads contrast with bronzy-iridescent bodies. A bright golden/yellow eye gives grackles an intent expression. Males are slightly larger than females. Females are slightly less glossy than males.

Young birds are dark brown with a dark eye.

Habitat:

The common grackle thrives around agricultural fields, feedlots, city parks, and suburban lawns. They’re also common in open habitats including woodland, forest edges, meadows, and marshes. Unbroken tracts of forest are the only places where you are unlikely to find Common Grackles.

Territory:

The Common Grackle moves north in spring to northern Alberta, central Ontario, and Newfoundland, New England south to Gulf Coast states east of Rockies.

Migration:

This bird is a permanent resident in much of its range. Northern grackles migrate in flocks to the southeastern United States. Those Northern Common Grackles migrate to northern Kansas, southern Great Lakes region to the southern US in the winter.

Food:

The Common Grackle is omnivorous however they mostly eat seeds, corn, rice and fruits. They are frequent visitors to bird feeders. Amazingly, Grackles also eat: beetles, grasshoppers, worms, all other types of editable bugs and invertebrates, crustaceans, mollusks, fish, frogs, salamanders, mice, and other birds.

Birds

Chipping Sparrow – Spizella passerina

General: The Chipping Sparrow used to use hair in its nest, accordingly, it was given a nickname of “hairbird”. They are frequent visitors to birdfeeders. They are a timid bird that makes way when other birds are present.

Chipping Sparrows typically build their nests low in a shrub or tree. The female lays 2–7 Pale blue to white eggs lightly streaked or spotted with black or brown. Incubation is about 10 – 15 days. When the chicks hatch they are naked, helpless with their eyes closed. They fledge in 9 – 12 days.

Identification: The Chipping Sparrow has a dark, conical bill. The crown of the head is a rusty color. There is a black stripe that runs through the eye. It has a gray face and under-parts (these two features help identify the Chipping Sparrow). Its back is tan with dark streaks the wings are brown with brown bars. Chipping Sparrows are between 4 ½” – 6” long with a wingspan of approximately 8 ½”. They weigh roughly ½ oz.

Chipping SparrowJuvenile Chipping Sparrows are prominently streaked below. Like non-breeding adults, they show a dark eye-line, extending both in front of and behind the eye. The brownish cap and dusky eyebrow are variable but generally obscure in juveniles.

Habitat: Chipping Sparrows inhabit grassy woodland pastures, gardens, city parks, brushy pastures and suburban neighborhoods.

Chipping SparrowTerritory: Depending on time of year – during breeding season from the Yukon, Manitoba and Newfoundland south through the entire US, south into Mexico and Northern Latin America.

Migration: The Chipping Sparrow is partially migratory, with almost all high northern birds migrating in winter to the southern United States and Mexico. Chipping Sparrows migrate by night.

Chipping Sparrow nest

Food: Most of the foods Chipping Sparrows eat are seeds – grass seeds, grains and flower seeds and at times fruits. Insects will be eaten in spring and fed to chicks. These birds are frequent visitors to feeders. The pictures here are from my feeder.

Birds

North American Robin – Turdus migratorius

General: The American Robin is one of our most common and recognizable birds. I always look forward to the first Robin of spring. For over forty years I have also looked forward to finding discarded pieces of blue Robin eggs while walking through my neighborhood in mid-spring (after the chicks hatch the parents carry the shells away from the nest).

The North American Robin is a member of the thrush family. In winter Robin roosts can be huge, sometimes including a quarter-million birds during winter – something I have witnessed crows doing in winter along the Hudson River in Troy, NY.

The American Robin is the state bird of Connecticut, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

The Robin breeds throughout most of North America, from Alaska and Canada southward to northern Florida and Mexico.

Because the robin forages largely on lawns, it is vulnerable to American Robinpesticide poisoning and can be an indicator of chemical pollution. Robins found in suburban and urban areas have lead levels in their blood that are roughly twice as high as robins from rural areas and the amount of lead in their blood suggest that some symptoms of lead poisoning are being manifested. Researchers have found that Robins appear to be a favored target of mosquitoes and many have Nile-Virus antibodies in their blood, this means that they were infected but have survived. (1)

In spring, males attract females by singing, raising and spreading their tails, shaking their wings and inflating their white-striped throats. They nest commonly above the ground in a bush or in a fork between two tree branches. The female lays three to five light blue eggs, and is incubates them alone. Incubation is about 12-14 days, the chicks are helpless at birth, mostly naked with spare whitish down. They fledge in about 14-16 days. The adult male and female both are active in protecting and feeding the fledged chicks until they learn to forage on their own. Robins usually have 2 broods during breeding season.

Identification: American Robins are fairly large songbirds with a large, round body, long legs, and fairly long tail. They are 7.9”–11” long with a wingspan of 12.2”–15.7”. They weigh approximately 2.7–3 oz. Robins are the largest North American thrushes.

American Robins are gray-brown with orange under parts and dark heads. In flight, a white patch on the lower belly and under the tail can be conspicuous. Compared with males, females have paler heads that contrast less with the gray back.

Habitat: American Robins can be found on lawns in fields, and city parks, as well as in more wild places like woodlands, forests, mountains up to near treeline, recently burned forests, and tundra. During winter many robins move to moist woods where berry-producing trees and shrubs are common.

Territory: The American Robin has an extensive range throughout North America, wintering south of Canada from Florida to central Mexico and along the Pacific Coast.

Migration: Most North American Robins migrate in August to winter south of Canada from Florida and the Gulf Coast to central Mexico, as well as along the Pacific Coast.

Food: The Robin’s diet consists of invertebrates (such as beetle grubs and caterpillars), fruits and berries. Nestlings are fed mainly on worms and other soft-bodied animal prey.

(1) National Science Foundation: West Nile Virus: The Search for Answers in Chicago’s Suburbs