BirdNote Daily

A century of logging and fire control has taken its toll on the mature pine forests of the West, the preferred nest site for this Lewis's Woodpecker. But there is hope. Lewis's Woodpeckers also nest along rivers in large cottonwoods, trees of little value for timber. Also, many remaining tracts of old-growth ponderosas are protected on public lands, and the trees are growing larger day by day.

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A bird known as Titanis walleri made its home in Florida just a few million years ago. Titanis, as its name suggests, was titanic indeed — a flightless predator, 5 feet tall, with a massive hooked bill. Titanis and other birds related to it belong to a group some paleontologists call the "terror birds." They were dominant land predators in South America for tens of millions of years. Paleontologists still aren’t clear about why Titanis and its kin went extinct. But whatever factors ended the era of the terror birds also made it a lot less risky to go out and fill your bird feeder.

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Every bird species uses its wings a little differently, and some are specialized for highly efficient flight. But that means going without other abilities. Swallows and hummingbirds, like a Talamanca Hummingbird, capture their food on the wing, but they can’t walk. Swifts, which are acrobatic in the air, can’t even perch. Yet they dazzle with the maneuverability made possible by their aerodynamic bodies.

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To hear a Common Loon in the wild during summer, you’ll need to find a northern, freshwater lake where a pair is nesting. But to find that same Common Loon in winter, you’ll likely need to look on a saltwater bay. This shift from fresh to salt water would kill most animals. But loons — along with many ducks and other water birds — have evolved to make that move. It’s possible that breeding adults nest on fresh water in order to save their energy for raising chicks.

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The Wall of Birds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a towering mural showing nearly 250 life-sized birds across a map of the world. To complete the impressive artwork, artist and scientific illustrator Jane Kim spent 17 months painting day in and day out. Though the experience was often solitary, Jane stayed connected to the outside world through the sounds of wildlife in the nature preserve that surround Cornell Lab.

Read more about Jane Kim and the Wall of Birds in Field Notes!

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Writer and ornithologist J. Drew Lanham shares a note he has written to a Dark-eyed Junco, which he fondly nicknames “snowbird.”

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In the depths of winter, when open water is frozen over, it can be challenging for birds to stay hydrated. Some birds eat the frozen water all around them. Cedar Waxwings catch snowflakes in mid-air. Black-capped Chickadees drink from dripping icicles. Plenty of other birds scoop up fresh, powdery snow and eat it. It could be worth the calories to melt the snow when searching for liquid water could expose them to predators.

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Thomas Poulsom is a hobbyist LEGO builder best known for his models of birds. But making birds out of bricks isn't easy. That’s why he uses special pieces to sculpt something entirely different — like when minifigure carrots became a puffin’s legs. A unique piece called a “snot brick” allows him to build in any direction, making it possible to make a round object out of square LEGO bricks.

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At the visitor center of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, artist and scientific illustrator Jane Kim painted the Wall of Birds to celebrate the evolution and diversity of birds. Completed in December 2015, the massive mural depicts nearly 250 birds — and several of their ancient predecessors — on a map of the world where each lives. Jane worked closely with scientific advisors to ensure that each portrait accurately represents the bird's features and behaviors, including many species — like the Three-wattled Bellbird — that appear to sing from their place on the wall.

Read more about Jane Kim in Field Notes!

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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While many shorebirds have gone south, tiny sandpipers called Sanderlings are easy to find on winter shores. They follow the waves as they lap in and out, probing the swirling sand for prey. They often eat various small crustaceans such as mole crabs, isopods, and amphipods. But they also enjoy miniature clams, polychaete worms, and horseshoe crab eggs. They’ll even catch flying insects or eat plant matter.

This episode is dedicated to Deb Rivel, for her many years of board service and generous support of BirdNote.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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