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Here are some things I’ve learned from the Peterson Reference Guide to Owls of NorthAmerica and the Caribbean by Scott Weidensaul: The Burrowing Owl is the only North American owl species where the male is larger than the female, albeit, only slightly larger. And the term is ‘non-reversed size dimorphism.’).
The second edition of the National Geographic Complete Birds of NorthAmerica, 2nd Edition has one of the longest book names in bird bookdom: National Geographic Complete Birds of NorthAmerica, 2nd Edition: Now Covering More Than 1,000 Species With the Most-Detailed Information Found in a Single Volume.
I want to alert you to a recent study (from April) that looks at the plight of bird populations under conditions of climate change in Europe and NorthAmerica. Data were collected from the North American Breeding Bird Survey and the Pan-European Common Birds Monitoring Scheme. Stephens et al. Let’s look at that first.
These and several other species might end up being armchair ticks if and when we take a closer look at their evolutionary history. Taxa that could end up being split into one species occurring north of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and one south of the isthmus. (2). Bird species that require further research.
A new paper out this month attempts to paint the most comprehensive picture yet of the origins and diversification of the American sparrows, wood-warblers, blackbirds, cardinals, tanagers, and their kin, an enormous group of birds more than 800 species strong. The paper is by leading researchers F. Keith Barker, Kevin J.
In June, I visited North Dakota for the first time. Like any birder visiting a new place, I had a target species list I was hoping to seek out during the one day I had available between business commitments. Black Rosy-Finch. Brown-headed Nuthatch. McCown’s Longspur. White-headed Woodpecker.
There was a time when I thought each bird species had its own individual song. Then I found out that there was this vocalization called a ‘call,’ so I thought each bird species had its own individual song (but just the males) and individual call. Bird communication is a complex and evolving science. How do they know?
You can blame the nice people at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, who took it upon themselves to send me a review copy of the Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Southeastern NorthAmerica by Seabrooke Leckie and David Beadle. Moth plates from Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Southeastern NorthAmerica. Let that sink in.
The official Ontario bird checklist, produced by Ontario Field Ornithologists , June 2022 listed 506 bird species**, putting it in the top tier of U.S. Small Species Accounts: Each species is allotted one page (with certain exceptions) offering basics–bird names and size, one or two photographs, and a one-paragraph description.
Fish and Wildlife Service has listed the “Rufa” population of Red Knot ( Calidris canutus rufa ) as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The other sub-species, Calidris canutus roselaari , migrates along the Pacific Coast and breeds in Alaska and the Wrangel Island in Russia. Conservation'
This is the first identification guide that I know of that covers Mexico (technically NorthAmerica but rarely included in North American raptor guides) and Central America. Like Peterson’s Hawks of NorthAmerica, 2nd edition (Houghton Mifflin, 2001), which Clark co-authored with Brain K.
Guiding aside, Howell is a research associate at the California Academy of Sciences and the author of many books, including Petrels, Albatrosses, and Storm-Petrels of NorthAmerica (Princeton). We have tended to a liberal (= realistic) direction when recognising species.” Well, this is one interesting claim.
It’s mid-July, which among other things means that those of us in NorthAmerica are starting to check local mudflats for returning shorebird migrants and waiting impatiently for the AOU to hurry up and create five species from the Clapper-King rail complex (the reasons for which we covered last year ). Gowen et al.
Last night I saw my second plover species of the year, a Common Ringed Plover. Interestingly, until a couple of years ago conventional wisdom held that the north end of Baffin Island was only populated by Common Ringed Plovers , the south Baffin by Semipalmated. The first I saw was its doppelganger, the Semipalmated Plover. Dr. Neal G.
It’s a decidedly different direction for the author of Kingbird Highway (1997), Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of NorthAmerica (2005), and A Season on the Wind: Inside the World of Spring Migration (2019), to cite just three of his books, and one that I thoroughly enjoyed, underlined with energy, and am still thinking about.
They inhabit the grasslands, shrub steppes, and deserts of western and central NorthAmerica. Note the long yellow gape, a characteristic field mark of this species. Fish and Wildlife Service and as a Sensitive Species by the Bureau of Land Management 1. Obviously more research needs to be done on this magnificent raptor.
With the breeding colony concentrated on one small island this species is vulnerable to a catastrophic weather event. It’s all of the things I learn about different birds from researching to write posts. If you want to learn a lot about bird species, I find “Birds of NorthAmerica Online” the best resource on the net.
The Yellow-rumped Warbler ( Setophaga coronata ) complex is one of the most abundant and widespread representatives of the New World warbler family in NorthAmerica, present in many parts of the United States even through the winter months, when the birds feed on small fruits and other foods, including sap.
There’s been some interesting bird research lately, having to do with the origin of birds ( new analysis of new and old fossils ) and the overarching taxonomy ( using DNA analysis ) but I’ve not had a chance to absorb this weighty new knowledge so I’ll probably write about it next month.
The survey was commissioned by National Flyway Council (NFC), which implements the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP), which, in turn, aims to maintain abundant waterfowl populations in NorthAmerica. Thus, birders like natural areas close to home with rare species, and perhaps some ducks. Paul, MN 55108.
The Red-breasted Sapsucker ( Sphyrapicus ruber ) and the Red-naped Sapsucker ( Sphyrapicus nuchalis ) were considered different forms of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker ( Sphyrapicus varius ) until 1983 when they were split into separate species. The bird shown above arrived at my house at the end of October, a new species for my yard list!
I stopped at the Red Crossbill , realizing that the species indeed “occupies an immense range, including NorthAmerica, Eurasia, and northern Africa” (HBW) – including Baxi forest, China. It is hard to see any scientific value in defining a bird species as a country endemic. Progress of sorts, I guess.
You can see some of my older Lassen Park posts featuring several other species from this beautiful park here. This week I am reporting on the Cassin’s Finch ( Haemorhous cassinii ), another western species found nesting in Lassen Volcanic National Park. This is the male of the species (click on photos for full sized images).
All sorts of exotic and beautiful species may be seen. This would sound attractive even to me, except for one fact: almost all of those exotic and beautiful species are common down here in central Mexico. Southeastern Arizona is unusual, precisely because its species mix is as much Mexican as it is American.
Getting to know the subtleties in differences between closely related species takes years of dedication and practice. Thirdly, many species of shorebirds display such vast differences in their summer and winter plumages that it is always interesting to note how some birds in the same flock are in contrasting stages of plumage.
There are 35 raptor species that have a presence in the United States and Canada, 56 (more or less) if you count by subspecies, and they are all covered in admirable, exhausting, unbelievable detail in B irds of Prey of the East: A Field Guide and Birds of Prey of the West: A Field Guide by Brian K.
Though Ron is based in Ontario his reports are eagerly anticipated by birders across the northeastern United States and eastern Canada because it takes into account a vast array of data to figure out which irruptive species might show up where. Red Crossbills comprise at least 10 “call types” in NorthAmerica.
So, I was intrigued when I saw that Comstock Publishing, an arm of Cornell University Press, was publishing Baby Bird Identification: A North American Guide by Linda Tuttle-Adams. The scarcity of information on the young of some avian species is astounding. Not all species accounts have corresponding plates or photographs.
I was puzzled by a couple of the birds featured in North American Songbirds ; I had never heard of Plain Titmouse nor Water Pipit. A little research revealed that these are old names of birds that have been split into different species. Scientific names don’t reflect the massive changes to species in the warbler family.
Although this list may not be comprehensive by any means, here are some potential splits that could shake up North American birding in the coming years. Band-rumped Storm-Petrel: Pictured above, it is rumored that Band-rumped Storm-Petrel may actually consist of multiple cryptic species. Both occur off the east coast of the U.S.,
The newest bird on the brink to capture her fertile imagination is the California Condor, on which she graciously shares her research and ruminations: Sometimes as a writer you recognize there’s been something overlooked in your midst—something quietly abiding. Their size doesn’t escape you. You think of turkey dressed in black.
These coveys usually range is size from 27 to 73 individuals but researchers have suggested that in arid areas, larger groups are drawn to the same water source, thereby producing large, stable coveys 2. 2005), Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds , Princeton: Princeton University Press 2 Birds of NorthAmerica Online a.
What are the best field guides for birds in NorthAmerica? Birders often venture into various habitats, such as forests, wetlands, grasslands, or coastal areas, to encounter different bird species. The primary objective of birding is to identify bird species based on their physical characteristics, behavior, and vocalizations.
But getting a grip on gulls can be rewarding, and even within a large group of seemingly drab-colored, dump-loving trash eaters, there are spectacular species, like the dramatic Sabine’s Gull, the nearly mythical Ivory Gull, and easily one of the most sought-after species in NorthAmerica, the mysterious Ross’s gull. (p.
The very first thing we notice about this large member of the Galliformes is that there is a wild version and a domestic version, and although the two are rather different, they are both given the same species name, Meleagris gallopavo. This is not entirely unknown among domestic animals, but many domesticates have no living wild version.
The USVI are smaller and have fewer habitats and, as a result, fewer bird species. Much of the research regarding Caribbean ecology and ornithology has been conducted in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico has a checklist of 269 species, 207 of which are migratory and the USVI has a checklist of 149 species, 124 of which are migratory.
Over and again, Kroodsma admits to things to which neither he, nor any other researchers, yet have answers – including areas where diligent amateurs can, he says, make discoveries. Good field guides to bird sounds are certainly available, particularly Nathan Pieplow’s for eastern and western NorthAmerica.)
Written in the tradition of the classic Hawks in Flight , but very much a product of the experiences of its birder authors, this is a groundbreaking book that offers a new way of identifying migratory birds at sea to all of us who observe the waters of eastern NorthAmerica with expectation and excitement. No rails or gallinules.
The species was named after John P. I suspect there is little opposition to changing the names of species with particularly sordid namesakes. That said, it seems obvious that the central purpose of a common name is to have a uniform and well-known identifier for a particular species. Some see political correctness run amuck.
All species are from the ABA area, and all groups must meet at least one of these criteria: (1) the group “represented a good opportunity to build core birding skills,” (2) the authors thought it was a group that needed “a refreshed treatment,” (3) the authors were intrigued by the group and wanted to present it using their unique format.
She does, and her narrative serves as a role model for how to write about birds simply and knowledgeably; informing birds’ family stories with scientific facts and research findings. Some chapters focus on one species (Yellow Warbler), some on several related species (Chickadees and Nuthatches). Egg biology, from Part I.
This is “the deep cradle of Western ornithology: the birthplace of bird study,” he tells us as he writes about gazing at the 8,000-year old depictions of “flamingos, herons, raptors, avocets and many other species” (p. Common Guillemot research at Skomer Island, Wales. Beagle , pt.
For birders, it’s the extremely large book, shelved in a place where it can’t crush the field guides, used to research the history of a bird in their area. You can see the Species Account for Henslow’s Sparrow above, in the banner photo. The second page is the map page. Brauning and Andrew M.
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