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As a native New Yorker, I’ve seen my share of squirrels. Our standard Sciuridae is the Eastern Gray Squirrel ( Sciuridae carolinensis ) and while most of these rambunctious rodents are indeed gray, they sometimes come in other flavors. The Bronx was beset by hordes of Black Squirrels , melanistic members of this common species.
The White-tailed Antelope Squirrel , sometimes referred to as the White-tailed Ground Squirrel or the Antelope Chipmunk , is the rare diurnal mammal in the deserts of the southwestern United States. White-tailed Antelope Squirrels are endearing little squirrels and it is well worth making their acquaintance.
When my friends over at YourBirdOasis sent me a super squirrel-proof bird feeder to review, I had to think about who I knew who could really put the device to the test. After all, I have my local white squirrels well in hand. Another wonderful feature of the Squirrel Buster Plus is the adjustable trigger weight of the spring.
I still know my audience - this is primarily a blog read by birders in North America, who see the term “squirrel” as little more than a synonym for house sparrow, starling, pest and cholera. But bear with me for a second: this post presents a different context for a different squirrel. Anyway, the Eurasian Red Squirrel.
Ferruginous Hawks were known as Rusty Squirrel-Hawks back in the 1800′s and they exist in both a light and dark morph. They are often seen on the ground since their prey consists mainly of rabbit, prairie dog and, you guessed it, ground squirrel. Note the long yellow gape, a characteristic field mark of this species.
When you move on to Montana, you discover that there are worse things that one species of tiny screaming mammal tricking you each year as you try to cope with an influx of songbirds and a winterized memory bank that contains only Black-capped Chickadees and Dark-eyed Juncos (and only about half their calls at that.) You sigh and move on.
There’s also a much greater variety of species of deer living here now than than there were four or five hundred years ago, for along with our native Roe and Red Deer we also have large populations of Fallow, Sika, Reeves’s Muntjac and Chinese Water Deer. Reeves’s Muntjac , a highly successful invasive species in the UK.
These species are not only beautiful or charming, but have a personal resonance for me. Squirrel Cuckoo : Somebody else’s trigger bird? I was in that same nature reserve, when a Squirrel Cuckoo turned up on the side of the main path. We had dear guests from the Middle East staying with us on Monday, my usual birding day.
As a birder, I’ve found this place to be a complete treasure trove for many species difficult to see elsewhere. Personally I’ve seen over a hundred species over several birding trips there, the overall species list for the location is approximately 160 – a tally that will only increase. Squirrel Cuckoo. Blue Dacnis.
Although Torrent Ducks are fairly widespread throughout much of South America they are a declining species in most places due to hydroelectric schemes, introduced trout, pollution and erosion of riverside habitat. Otun Quimbaya remains a very good place to view this highly enigmatic and entertaining species.
Ahead of the first trip, I wasn’t thinking much about mammals, and yet, you cannot miss them, from Nilgais near villages to Indian Flying Foxes in town centres, not to mention those ubiquitous and irresistibly cute Palm Squirrels eating seeds left for parakeets. Larger species, that is, excluding dolphins and whales.
Although an attractive bird, this species was not of particular interest to me as I’ve seen it countless times when I lived in South Africa (and is not present there at this time of year anyway), but the area has much more on offer. Red Squirrel The post Wagbachniederung & Saalbachniederung first appeared on 10,000 Birds.
This skulking species always manages to elude me. This tree was also where I had enjoyed previous sightings of Speckled Tanager – and eventually a pair of this beautiful species flew in. The call of a Squirrel Cuckoo got me searching in the highest branches of some large trees nearby. Squirrel Cuckoo.
Still, I did manage to see a decent 65 species in 6 hours, and many of them stayed quite close to me, allowing for some nice photos. The lovely Rufous-capped Warbler is something of a flagship species for this site. Suddenly I saw a ground squirrel creeping up on the Bunting. I am always down for the day when I get home.
Yes, it’s the same species that so many North American birders have looked for around the San Pedro River (myself included) and like those Arizona birds, our urban Gray Hawks likewise use riparian zones. Hasn’t happened yet but sometimes I see resident Rufous-naped Wrens, Red-billed Pigeons , and a Squirrel Cuckoo or two.
After the fireworks end, I listen for that first bird of the night, count the first species calling at the break of dawn. Having successfully raced to identify more than 700 species in Costa Rica during the final days of 2021 , I suppose I more or less took January 1st off. Not this year.
In pastures of the hot lowlands, they tend to be lines of stunted Gumbo-Limbo trees or some other heavily pruned species. In addition to those birds and the Squirrel Cuckoo pictured above, the following are some of the more common hedgerow species of Costa Rica. Rufous-tailed Hummingbird and other hummingbird species.
It’s perhaps an easy one for many people to overlook, since they don’t occur in Europe or the Americas, but visit a patch of forerst or bush in Asia or Africa and there should be one or two species around. It can reach quite ludicrous levels in some places, like in Danum Valley where you can see ten different species of a morning.
When our local government called for Michoacán’s residents to stay at home, I said goodbye to some 250 regional species, and shut myself in at home with the other 30 that regularly visit my neighborhood. And on this particular trip, I could see all these species on a single kind of tree. And what species!
In the relatively brief period, my group had something on the order of 450 species. They bounce around limbs like jays and scurry like squirrels. In fact, let’s just just go with “squirrel-jays”, because that’s pretty close. I, personally, had around 430. Sunbirds are hummingbird, I guess.
Four moments (and species) stand out in my own personal birding renaissance: I put an improvised birdbath in my yard to see if I can get the House Sparrows to stop munching on my lettuce plants, and a stunning Black-vented Oriole arrives to bathe. I start visiting a nearby canyon to see what other species might be around.
In the last few months, Downy Woodpecker s and squirrels have added some holes to the cedar siding of the building. But once you notice birds pecking (or squirrels chewing) in your siding–YOU MUST ACT FAST. ” Effective? But I realize this is not in everyone’s budget.
But all of them had to wait before several Red-tailed Squirrels had their (more than) fair share. In the world of creatures small, squirrels are undoubtedly the kings. It consists of a small reserve with a well maintained in site trail (over 195 species recorded, many endemic and rare birds accessible), cozy lodging and a dining room.
Typical of the species. The only harassment came from the resident Red-tailed Squirrel family – which seemed to be more curiosity than anything else, as their nest was just about two feet away. Both species seemed content to observe each other though. This young male Summer Tanager didn’t linger or waste time.
But it does offer plenty of the endemics and other species that make our area distinctive, and many of them were waiting for me on this latest visit. There were two Squirrel Cuckoos ; la Cañada is the highest site in which I have seen these beautiful birds, and this was my first sighting there of a pair. Blue Mockingbird.
Birds hatch out of eggs, like some species of snakes, who also have no boobs, although with a snake the fact is more readily apparent. Even wild mammals – fawns, squirrels, bunnies, etc. Birds have no boobs. Although it might look like they could have a pair or two lurking beneath all those chest feathers, they actually don’t.
With that logic those trees, if left to grow, should produce something of use to at least one or two species of birds. It’s been some years since I’ve seen any Short-tailed Hawks as the entire valley is now overrun with concrete – but I’m trying my best to create some sort of oasis for any species.
Both Trinidad and Tobago share over a hundred species but within the mix are many that are found on one island and not the other. The disparity in species could be stark, for example if one were to bird on different sides of the planet. I don’t keep lists but one of my guests did and the final tally was 166 species.
We may not have huge numbers of species, but we can find some real specialties. I’ve managed a number of globally endangered or vulnerable species in my own backyard, from Saddlebacks and Stitchbirds to the irrepressible Kaka (which I’m listening to right now). New Zealand can generate some interesting yard birds.
It is swimming with its body half-submerged (typical for the species and yet, so strange for songbirds) and often diving. This species is reasonably easy to find if you are in the right kind of habitat – but I am rarely in that type of habitat. And in order to see the bubbles underwater, one needs to be right above the bird.
On my 21-day Kenyan safaris we reckoned to find around 600 species of birds and around 60 mammals, both impressive totals. In 2023 I attempted to keep a year list of mammal encounters: the list barely exceeded 20 species, while it became complicated by seeing bats and voles that I was unable to name specifically.
The hapless Sooty Tern ( Onychoprion fuscatus ) is the classic hurricane bird, but other pelagic species are entrained in storms and blown ashore as well, like Bridled Terns ( Onychoprion anaethetus ), White-tailed Tropicbirds ( Phaethon lepturus ), and Magnificent Frigatebirds ( Fregata magnificens ).
Lassen Volcanic National Park is also home to approximately 57 species of mammals ranging in size from the tiny shrew to the North American black bear. Last June I found adult Nutcrackers feeding young at this location. You can download their bird list here.
Bufflehead ( Bucephala albeola ) Female at Cavity Entrance photos by Larry Jordan “Some 85 species of North American birds excavate nesting holes, use cavities resulting from decay (natural cavities), or use holes created by other species in dead or deteriorating trees.
By tagging the Parrot and monitoring the area with remote cameras, scientists hope to learn more about this species and how to keep it safe. If you follow baseball, you’ve probably heard of the “ rally squirrel ” and the infamous “ rally monkey.” The bird is so rare and elusive that it was thought to be extinct.
With almost 1200 species of birds in the Capital Region, the house and roof steadily filled with Egyptian Vultures, Barn Owls, Hornbills, Black Ibis, Cattle Egrets, Steppe Eagles , a multitude of songbirds and pigeons , as well as the occasional cobra or palm squirrel.
They are quite a rare breeding species in Serbia, declining as we speak, but one pair breeds nearby. They are rare breeders here, but at least, this species’ numbers are on the increase. There wasn’t a single European souslik or ground squirrel ( Spermophilus cittelus ).
These arid hills, cloaked in a mosaic of deciduous scrub and desert vegetation, form a northern outpost for several Neotropical species while also harboring several key endemics and southwestern Nearctic species. I had point blank life views of this tricky species from within a few feet.
I took home a few of the pellets and found that the owls were feasting on grey squirrels and cottontail rabbits. Oehlenschlager apologized that he couldn’t say the exact species of bat. Who cares, the fact that he could narrow it down to 2 species was quite amazing to me. But the jawbone…that was from a bat!
Black-chested Sparrow is one of Paso Ancho’s flagship species. Once I moved to the riverbank, I got to see something else I had never seen before: a Squirrel Cuckoo , drying itself after a good bath. And I, for one, choose not to let the lack of a few species ruin my enjoyment of many more. A Golden Vireo showed up.
It was an unexpected bird tour, without too much planning and aimed at a few target species, of which we saw most, but the main one eluded us… Early morning, leaving the last houses behind… and a Little Owl awaits us on a traffic sign. It turned out to be a Long-legged Buzzard !
There’s an unofficial series of posts on species of birds that occur in threes in T&T (see: bitterns , trogons , antshrikes , spinetails , manakins , hermits , honeycreepers , and resident warblers ). Further along the road the calls of a Squirrel Cuckoo alerted us to the presence of a pair of these beauties.
Later on — after seven years at most, in the case of the Black-backed Woodpecker — these first responders are gone and the holes in the snags serve as nesting cavities for martens, and squirrels and Mountain Bluebirds and Flammulated Owls. Conservation black-backed woodpecker endangered species fire olive-sided flycatcher'
You typically do not find a bird this naked or featherless outside of the nest unless there has been a storm or the nest has been attacked by predator like a raccoon, chipmunk, squirrel or corvids. The adults of most species will still care for the chicks no matter how much you touch them. That is probably one of the adults.
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