ID Bird

Posts Tagged ‘North America’

Part 2: Author Ted Floyd speaks about the new Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds of North America

The Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) is a small wading bird. It is a highly migratory bird, breeding in northern parts of Eurasia and North America and flying south to winter on coastlines almost worldwide. It is the only species of turnstone in much of its range and is often known simply as Turnstone. These specimens were filmed on the Algarve coast of Albufeira, Portugal. The turnstone is a fairly small and stocky bird, 22-24 centimetres long with a wingspan of 50-57 centimetres and a weight of 85-150 grams. The dark, wedge-shaped bill is 2-2.5 centimetres long and slightly upturned. The legs are fairly short at 3.5 centimetres and are bright orange. At all seasons, the plumage is dominated by a harlequin-like pattern of black and white. The head is mainly white with black streaks on the crown and a black pattern on the face. The breast is mainly black apart from a white patch on the sides. The rest of the underparts are white. In flight it reveals a white wingbar, white patch near the base of the wing and white lower back, rump and tail with dark bands on the uppertail-coverts and near the tip of the tail. The female is slightly duller than the male and has a browner head with more streaking. The Ruddy Turnstone has a varied diet including eggs and plant material but it feeds mainly on invertebrates. Insects are particularly important in the breeding season. At other times it also takes crustaceans, molluscs and worms. It often flips over stones and other objects …

www.yproductions.tv Lagoons for Laypeople is an intimate look at a typical coastal wetland reserve set in the middle of an urban area. Across the country they are often overlooked, misunderstood, and under appreciated. Wetland Birds of North America DVD available at www.createspace.com/Customer/estore.do?id=254026

Mini-documentary about the House Finch of North America.

Author Ted Floyd speaks about the new Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds of North America

April 27, 2009: The Herring Gull, Larus argentatus, is well known along the shores of Asia, western Europe, and North America. The Herring Gull should not be confused with the Silver Gull, Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae. The Herring Gull is called the silver gull in many other languages: German Silbermöwe, French Goéland argenté, and Dutch zilvermeeuw). The Herring Gull, perhaps the most common and familiar gull of the northeastern United States and western Europe, is a large white-headed gull that inhabits shorelines of oceans, seas, lakes, and large rivers. The behavior and ecology of the Herring Gull are well studied, especially in Europe and Canada. Although this species is an opportunistic feeder, most individuals feed primarily on natural prey such as marine fishes and invertebrates. Studies from Europe and North America indicate that individual gulls specialize in their foraging and that choice of diet influences breeding performance. This species generally nests in colonies, often large ones; successful nesting appears to require sites near water and safe from terrestrial predation, sites such as islands, offshore rocks, or abandoned piers. This gull typically lays three-egg clutches in May, which generate fledged offspring by mid- to late July. Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology: The Birds of North America – bna.birds.cornell.edu The location of this cam is on the most western island of the Wadden islands, Netherlands. The area where the Spoonbills nest is on the north-eastern coast of Texel, outside the dyke. Here is the link to a map, showing you the exact location: maps.google.nl Watch the live stream here: www.beleefdelente.nl

that visit feeders throughout North America. FeederWatchers count the birds at their feeders from November through early April. The data help scientists track broadscale movements of winter bird populations and long-term trends in bird distribution and abundance. Project FeederWatch is operated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Bird Studies Canada. www.birds.cornell.edu … “Project FeederWatch” “Cornell Lab of Ornithology” birds backyard “bird feeding” birdfeeding birding “citizen science …