Prior to the field guides used today to identify birds biologists and bird enthusiasts would shoot birds and study them once they had them in their hand. In 1934 at the age of 25 Roger Tory Peterson revolutionized bird identification by creating the first Field Guide to Birds of North America using his artistic talent….
Most people have little trouble recognizing a variety of common birds like Cardinals, Blue Jays, Crows, or American Robins. But you happen to be out in your yard or on a walk and you see a bird that you don’t recognize. Curiosity is the first step in identifying a bird. You want to know…
Most woodpeckers have four toes. Two face forward and two face backward. This arrangement is called zygodactyl. Their short legs and sharp nails make it easier for them to cling to bark and even upside down hopping along branches and tree trunks. A pair of stiff, centrally located tail feathers which provides leverage for the woodpecker…
While writing this month’s newsletter I am started to see several of our native sparrows appear in my backyard. The heavily striped Song Sparrow. The bold black and white stripes on the head of a White Crowned Sparrow. The yellow lores on a White Throated Sparrow. Other native sparrows I expect to see in my…
May is the premiere month for songbird migration. Warblers, thrushes, and all the other Neo-tropical birds will be coming in to spend the summer, or passing through on their way to northern breeding grounds. The best part is they are all in their brightest colors, or breeding plumage. If you enjoy warblers, you know how…
May is the premiere month for songbird migration. Warblers, thrushes, and all the other Neo-tropical birds will be coming in to spend the summer, or passing through on their way to northern breeding grounds. The best part is they are all in their brightest colors, or breeding plumage. If you enjoy warblers, you know how…
The “Big Morning” The Wild Bird Habitat Stores sponsored a visit by Greg Miller to the Crane Trust Nature & Visitors Center at Alda, NE. Greg Miller was one of three extreme birders featured in the book “The Big Year” by Mark Obmascik and characterized by Jack Black in the major motion picture of the…
The Snow Geese, Sandhill Cranes and many ducks have passed through on their way to their northern breeding grounds. It was another exciting season viewing the geese and cranes, but migration is far from over. April is one of the three most exciting migration months of the year. We will once again welcome back many…
The Snow Geese, Sandhill Cranes and many ducks have passed through on their way to their northern breeding grounds. It was another exciting season viewing the geese and cranes, but migration is far from over. April is one of the three most exciting migration months of the year. We will once again welcome back many…
Purple Martins The longest managed bird species in North America Dave Titterington, Wild Bird Habitat Stores One of the most sought after birds that homeowners wish to attract to their yards is a colony of Purple Martins. The largest of the swallow family martins have adapted well to living in close proximity to humans. Through…