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March 2009 BirdNote Episodes:Pigeon Babies Do Exist.jpg)
Rock Pigeons are one of the most common urban birds. But why do we never see baby pigeons? They stay in the nest -- under bridges and awnings, for instance -- until they're nearly as big as their parents. Learn a whole lot more!
Black-billed Magpies.jpg)
The Black-billed Magpie is a familiar sight throughout much of the West. The magpie’s bulky nest is a rough sphere of sticks nearly three feet across, with entrance ports on the sides. Learn more about this bird at Cornell's AllAboutBirds. Take a field trip with your local Audubon and see what you can see! Begin here.
Tale of a Rascal Crow.jpg)
Crows and their cousins—ravens, magpies, and jays—are among the cleverest birds in the world. Some even use tools — including a lit cigarette! There's more to learn about this behavior. Drop us a line and let us know what you think of BirdNote: mailto:info@birdnote.org. Help BirdNote by taking our survey and receive a ringtone of the BirdNote theme song. It takes only six minutes!
Thirsty Rufous Hummingbird
Hummingbirds need to consume five times their body weight each day. This Rufous Hummingbird of the West is looking for flowering plants to quench that mighty thirst. A feeder would work, too. Learn more about feeding hummingbirds!
Help BirdNote by taking our survey and receive a ringtone of the BirdNote theme song. It takes only six minutes!
Why Birds Sing
Why do birds sing? Ornithologists have learned that the longer hours of light that come with spring trigger the release of hormones in birds. These hormones prompt the enlargement of the birds’ gonads which, in turn, stimulate male birds to sing. Male birds - like this Black-headed Grosbeak - can then attract mates and fulfill nature’s imperative to engender new life. Spring. Song. Romance. Red-winged Blackbird Harem.jpg)
As spring begins, the male Red-winged Blackbird brandishes his red epaulets to warn other males away from his patch of cattails. At the same time, he sings to lure females into his marsh… many females, in fact. One male may attract up to a dozen females. The male is dressed for defending his territory and attracting a harem; she, for blending into the cattails. Help BirdNote by taking our survey and receive a ringtone of the BirdNote theme song. It takes only six minutes!
Urban Birds Change Their Tune.jpg)
The soft whistles of this Great Tit, a common European bird, can be hard to hear over city noises. So these birds now sing at a higher pitch and faster than normal. This song carries better over the traffic noise of the city. A bird singing at a higher range is better able to declare its territory and attract a mate. The songs of these urban birds are also faster, probably so they can be repeated more often. Learn more about Slabbekoorn’s research. Early Spring Songs
In March, we welcome the lengthening days and the renewal of bird song. Among the earliest spring singers in the Northwest is this House Finch, whose sweet, jumbled song carries along city blocks and rocky canyons. And spring songs are breaking out all over the country. Spotted Towhee.jpg)
The Spotted Towhee forages mostly on the ground, and even builds its nest on the ground, or close to it. Its mewing call can be heard from the underbrush, as it scuffles in the leaf litter for food. Look for the ruby-red eye that sparkles from its black head. You can help BirdNote by taking our survey. You'll receive a special ringtone of the BirdNote theme song. It takes only six minutes!
Vernal Equinox - West
Ahhh, the first day of spring . . .at last! And the birds know somethin’ is up. Both science and folklore tie Spring to the renewal of nature, as the world awakens from the long cold winter. Here's a Virginia Rail, usually unseen but hardly unheard, ringing in the new season. Spring has sprung. The birds declare it official. Vernal Equinox - East
This Carolina Wren doesn’t know the precise instant of the vernal equinox of course. But the wren senses the growing hours of daylight through a surge of hormones, which tell it it’s time to sing. Both science and folklore tie Spring to the renewal of nature, as the world awakens from the long, cold winter. Black-capped Chickadee--Birdbrain?.jpg)
In spring, the Black-capped Chickadee adds a new vocalization to its repertoire. When breeding season begins, the tiny brains of Black-capped Chickadees and other songbirds enlarge to enable the birds to create more sounds. After the breeding season is over and the birds no longer need that singing function, the part of the birds’ brains that controls vocalizations decreases in size. Learn more about Fernando Nottebohm's research. Homing Pigeons.jpg)
Pigeon fanciers from around the world race specially bred homing pigeons over distances up to 600 miles. These stalwart and intelligent birds course the skies at speeds greater than 60 miles an hour. In 2005, a homing pigeon flying home to a loft in Norfolk, Virginia earned the record for that year b. It covered more than 250 miles at an average speed of 2,040 yards per minute, at times exceeding 70 miles an hour. Learn more about racing pigeons at Pigeon.org.
St. Patrick's Day.jpg)
On St. Patrick’s Day, we may well wonder: Why are so few of our birds in the United States green, while so many tropical birds wear green proudly? Ornithologist Steve Hilty believes it be a form of protective coloration. Simply put, green birds virtually disappear when they land in a green tree. This Green Jay is about as green a bird as we’ll find in the US, and it’s seen only in far southern Texas. Learn more about the Green Jay. River of Birds - Arctic Tern.jpg)
One of the world champions of long-distance migration is the Arctic Tern. Arctic Terns nest across the far northern reaches of the continent during our summer, then fly south to Antarctica for the rest of the year. Some will circle the polar ice-pack before heading north again, completing a total round trip of more than 30,000 miles. Every year.
European Starling - A Nightmare.jpg)
You can find European Starlings in huge flocks from coast to coast, and from Northern Canada deep into Mexico. Yet not one of these iridescent-black, yellow-billed starlings is native to the Americas. One hundred starlings were released in Central Park in New York City in 1890. From that small, misinformed beginning, starlings have now multiplied into more than 200 million birds across the country. Hummingbird--Mighty Puffball
What bird can fly straight up and down, backwards and forwards, and even upside down? A hummingbird can do all this, and fly up to 75 miles an hour. And most amazing of all? This bird can slow from 25 miles an hour to a dead stop in a space no longer than your index finger. Learn more about this Rufous Hummingbird. Find out more about hummingbird migration -- and what hummingbirds might be coming your way -- at HummingbirdWorld. Learn how to attract hummingbirds to your yard at Hummingbirds.net.
Birds Talk, People Squawk
Darvin Gebhart is a champion goose-caller. But there are also birds that usehuman language. Sparkie Williams was a famous parakeet, or budgerigar, that lived in England in the 1950s. He recorded commercials for bird seed and released his own hit single “Pretty Talk.” Alex, the African Grey Parrot, was another notable talking bird, with amazing cognitive abilities. How Brown Pelicans Dive
Brown Pelicans fly just above the surface of the water. They circle high, then diving headfirst, plunge under water to catch fish. But doesn’t that hurt? Several adaptations protect pelicans as they dive. First, they have air sacs beneath the skin on their breasts, which act as cushions. Looking for the BirdNote survey? Begin here.
Drumming with Woodpeckers.jpg)
Early spring in the West resounds with the percussive hammering of woodpeckers. Their rhythmic drumming functions as other birds' songs do, to broadcast over a long distance a clear statement of territory and mating rights. Helping Birds Survive Window Strikes
A hawk dives into your yard, and a frightened robin slams against a window, mistaking the transparent rectangle for an escape route. But you can help. Fold its wings gently over its body in their natural position, grasp the bird lightly, and wrap it loosely several times in the towel. Keep the wrapped bird indoors for about 15 minutes. Then step outside and gently unwrap the bird. Very likely, it will fly away. Learn what to do when you find injured or orphaned wildlife - begin here.
Great Horned Owl Duet.jpg)
The 22-inch Great Horned Owl has two tufts of feathers that stick up from the top of its head. This owl is often heard during dark winter evenings and pre-dawn mornings. A pair of owls may call back and forth or overlap their hoots. The male’s call is slightly lower in pitch. Everybody Knows a Mallard.jpg)
Mallards are found virtually everywhere there is open water, from city parks and subalpine lakes to sheltered bays and estuaries along the coasts. In their breeding plumage, male Mallards are avian dandies. The female Mallard is the only one that can quack. Who Was Douglas?.jpg)
Both Douglas squirrels and the firs they call home bear the name of David Douglas. In 1825 and 1826, the Scotsman Douglas tramped and canoed over 6000 miles of the Pacific Northwest, documenting plants and collecting seeds and cuttings. In 1827, Douglas traveled to the Royal Horticultural Society in England and delivered botanical samples that he had collected. Amazing Pied-billed Grebe.jpg)
The small, nondescript Pied-billed Grebe has an astonishing talent. The grebe is the master of its own buoyancy. It can squeeze out both the air trapped in its feathers and in its internal air-sacs — and sink effortlessly. Learn more about the amazing, sinking Pied-billed Grebe at Cornell's AllAboutBirds. Watch this grebe sink... Northern Flicker, A Drummer.jpg)
Springtime brings the sound of a woodpecker—maybe one like this Northern Flicker—drumming on a hollow surface. Members of the woodpecker percussion band announce their territory and attract mates, as they pound away on metal roofs or gutters. Drilling holes in tree trunks calls for some specialized tools, and the North Flicker has them: big claws, two toes pointing forward and two backward, and a stiff tail to prop itself up. Sage Grouse Lek.jpg)
At the display area — or lek — the male Sage-Grouse performs for mating rights while the females look on. Learn about Sage-Grouse conservation. The Crafty American Crow
Crows. Large, black, noisy. The raucous birds of the neighborhood. Some people love them; others aren’t so sure. American Crows are crafty and resourceful. They’ve learned to pick though our trashcans. Watch for crows at your local fast food joint. They're a natural clean-up crew.
Birds Return with the Light.jpg)
Winter’s weak light is finally beginning to strengthen, and some birds, long absent, have begun their journeys north. Wood Ducks, Mourning Doves, and Tree Swallows, such as this one, return with the light. So be of good cheer, the birds and Spring are coming back. Learn more about this swallow at Cornell's AllAboutBirds. Take a BirdNote survey, and get a free ringtone of the theme music!
Wood-Wrens - A Tropical Duet.jpg)
Gray-breasted Wood-Wrens sing a duet. Each sings a different phrase, yet the phrases are so closely linked, it sounds like one song. Such singing is called antiphonal song. The pairs use song to stake out and hold breeding territories. Dueting is most typical of birds that live in dense habitats; it no doubt helps them locate each other in deep cover. Learn more about Wood-Wrens at BirdLife.org.
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