BirdNote Daily

In the blue skies over the Andes Mountains, Andean Condors look majestic, with a ten-foot wingspan. While flying, according to researchers from Argentina and the UK, Andean Condors only flap one percent of the time. One bird was tracked for more than 100 miles over five flapless hours. 

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Ospreys are remarkable nest builders. Many reuse their massive stick nests from the previous year, but continue tinkering with it once the nesting season begins. And the nest transforms along with the growing chicks. It’s bowl-shaped at first, corralling the young birds, but it gets flatter after the chicks hatch. By the time they fledge, it has fully flattened out.

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Not all owls live in the deep woods. Many Great Horned Owls make their homes in urban areas. Though mostly nocturnal, Great Horned Owls are also active early in the morning and just after sunset, offering a chance to see them hunting for rodents and other prey. Look for their distinctive horns, which are really just feather tufts. At night, you might hear their deep, syncopated hoots echoing through the neighborhood. Avoiding toxic rodenticides helps protect Great Horned Owls and other urban raptors.

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Because of its abundant open space, Detroit, Michigan has a thriving ring-necked pheasant population. The birds have endeared themselves to many by representing a connection to the natural world. But some worry what upcoming development might mean for pheasants and their future in the city.

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There are many great tools for identifying birds, some of them right on your phone. If you’re stumped on an unfamiliar plant species, iNaturalist is a great resource. When you upload a photo to iNaturalist’s website or mobile app, it uses AI to make an educated guess on the species ID. A community of online naturalists then helps confirm the ID. Finding the links between plants and birds can show you how birds see the world, and what they need to survive and raise their young.

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Bird feeders and birdbaths are great ways to attract birds to your yard, but they aren’t the only ways to entice our feathered friends. Planting an area densely with native shrubs, trees, and other vegetation can create a natural look that some birds are more likely to feel at home in because it resembles their native habitat. Shy singers, like the Fox Sparrow or Veery, will repay you with their beautiful songs.

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During the breeding season, when Eastern Screech-Owls capture the worm-like reptiles known as blind snakes, they deliver them to their chicks alive and wriggling. Some are gulped down immediately, but others escape by burrowing beneath the nest. The surviving “snakes” feed on the insect larvae they find in the nest — larvae that would otherwise parasitize the owl nestlings. A study conducted by Baylor University scientists found that screech-owl chicks grew faster and healthier in nests kept vermin-free by the blind snakes.

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You'll find the Black-capped Chickadee across the northern US into Canada. The Carolina Chickadee holds sway in the Southeast. Hear the husky voice of a Mountain Chickadee in the Rockies. Travel to Canada for the Boreal Chickadee. This Chestnut-backed Chickadee calls the Pacific Northwest home. The Mexican Chickadee just nudges into SE Arizona. And the Gray-headed Chickadee turns up north of the Arctic Circle.

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An unusual flycatcher called the Great Kiskadee takes on much bigger opponents, sometimes even riding on the back of a falcon for a few seconds to drive them off. Chunky and robin-sized, kiskadees live along wooded edges near water all the way from South Texas to Argentina. They’re a familiar sight around rural towns and villages.

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In summer, many shrubs bear fruit that birds find irresistible. Elderberries, serviceberries, blackberries, dogwood berries, mulberries, and currants attract many species of birds, including waxwings, tanagers, robins, warblers and this Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Plants offer this bounty in exchange for birds’ help in distributing their seeds. And in dispersing pollen, birds, bats and insects also help to guarantee a new crop of berries!

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