birds
grrlscientist | April 27, 2009tags: Save Our Boreal Birds, online petition, birds, conservation, environment
Palm Warbler, Dendroica palmarum.
Image: Jeff Nadler [larger view].
Save the summer homes of Palm Warblers and other North American bird species that breed in Canada's Boreal forests!
The Boreal Songbird Initiative, along with other environmental groups like Bird Studies Canada, Nature Canada, the David Suzuki Foundation, and others created a petition called "Save our Boreal Birds" a little over a year ago. This petition will be sent to the Prime Minister of Canada and many provincial leaders throughout Canada,…
grrlscientist | April 27, 2009tags: Birds in the News, BirdNews, ornithology, birds, avian, newsletter
Barn Owls, Tyto alba, have been used as
natural agricultural pest controllers around the world.
Image: Amir Ezer.
Birds in Technology
Here's a link to the US Air Force Avian Hazard Advisory System, a system that processes NOAA weather data in real time and uses it to provide bird-aircraft strike risk advisories. The website also shows the processed image loop of bird density data (with most of the weather removed). There also is an image gallery for you to look at. In these images, the yellows indicate lower activity…
grrlscientist | April 27, 2009tags: leucistic Red-Winged Blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] leucistic Red-Winged Blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus, photographed in Arizona. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Richard Ditch, 18 January 2009 [larger view].
Date Time Original: 2009:01:18 08:46:49
Exposure Time: 1/750
F-Number: 8.00
ISO: 320
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
laelaps | April 27, 2009
A group of herring gulls (Larus argentatus) tries to avoid an incoming wave. Photographed at Spring Lake, New Jersey.
grrlscientist | April 26, 2009tags: Blue House Sparrow, Passer domesticus, birds, blue feather color, plumage color, refraction
Blue House Sparrow, Passer domesticus, photographed in Sydney, Australia.
I contemplated giving this bird to you as the daily Mystery Bird, but decided that you'd all probably riot, so instead, I am going to identify this bird so we can discuss it. It's a House Sparrow, Passer domesticus. (I have received dozens of emails telling me I'm a dumbshit: this is clearly a Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Passer montanus, thus, my wavering ID).
House Sparrows were introduced in various places around the world…
grrlscientist | April 26, 2009tags: Birdbooker Report, bird books, animal books, natural history books, ecology books
"How does one distinguish a truly civilized nation from an aggregation of
barbarians? That is easy. A civilized country produces much good bird
literature."
--Edgar Kincaid
The Birdbooker Report is a special weekly report of a wide variety of science, nature and behavior books that currently are, or soon will be available for purchase. This report is written by one of my Seattle birding pals and book collector, Ian "Birdbooker" Paulsen, and is edited by me and published here for your information and…
grrlscientist | April 26, 2009tags: Northern Parula, Parula americana, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery birds] Northern Parula, Parula americana, photographed at Quintana and Beach, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 20 March 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with tsn-pz camera eyepiece 1/1250s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | April 25, 2009tags: Great-Tailed Grackle, Quiscalus mexicanus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Great-Tailed Grackle, Quiscalus mexicanus, photographed in Arizona. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Richard Ditch, 7 January 2006 [larger view].
Date Time Original: 2006:01:07 15:08:24
Exposure Time: 1/159
F-Number: 13.00
ISO: 200
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | April 24, 2009tags: American Golden-Plover, Pluvialis dominica, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery birds] American Golden-Plover, Pluvialis dominica, photographed in Texas. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 19 March 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with tsn-pz camera eyepiece 1/500s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | April 23, 2009tags: Brown Creeper, Certhia americana, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Brown Creeper, Certhia americana, photographed at the Big Sioux Recreation Area near Brandon, South Dakota. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Terry Sohl, 30 December 2007.
Photo taken with a Canon 20D, 400 5.6L.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | April 22, 2009tags: Black and White Warbler, Mniotilta varia, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery birds] Black and White Warbler, , photographed in Quintana and Beach, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 20 March 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with tsn-pz camera eyepiece 1/320s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | April 21, 2009tags: Black-throated Sparrow, Amphispiza bilineata, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Black-throated Sparrow, Amphispiza bilineata, photographed in Arizona. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Richard Ditch, 18 May 2005 [larger view].
Date Time Original: 2005:05:18 08:27:35
Exposure Time: 1/249
F-Number: 16.00
ISO: 400
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | April 20, 2009tags: Birds in the News, BirdNews, ornithology, birds, avian, newsletter
Male Scarlet Tanager, Piranga olivacea, photographed in Newton Hills State Park in South Dakota.
Image: Terry Sohl, 7 June 2008 [larger view].
Photo taken with a Canon 20D, 400 5.6L.
Birds in Science and Technology
Climate change will force bone-weary birds migrating to Europe from Africa to log extra mileage, with possibly devastating consequences, according to a study released recently. The annual voyage of some species, which fly north in search of food and suitable climes, could increase by as much as 400km, the…
grrlscientist | April 20, 2009tags: Black Vulture, Coragyps atratus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery birds] Black Vulture, Coragyps atratus, photographed in Tom Bass Park, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 20 March 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with tsn-pz camera eyepiece 1/400s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | April 19, 2009tags: Birdbooker Report, bird books, animal books, natural history books, ecology books
"How does one distinguish a truly civilized nation from an aggregation of
barbarians? That is easy. A civilized country produces much good bird
literature."
--Edgar Kincaid
The Birdbooker Report is a special weekly report of a wide variety of science, nature and behavior books that currently are, or soon will be available for purchase. This report is written by one of my Seattle birding pals and book collector, Ian "Birdbooker" Paulsen, and is edited by me and published here for your information and…
grrlscientist | April 19, 2009tags: Gray Jay, Perisoreus canadensis, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Gray Jay, Perisoreus canadensis, photographed in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Terry Sohl, 9 August 2007 [larger view].
Photo taken with a Canon 20D, 400 5.6L.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | April 18, 2009tags: Muscovy Duckling, Cairina moschata, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery birds] Muscovy Duckling, Cairina moschata, photographed in Hermann Park, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 22 March 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with tsn-pz camera eyepiece 1/320s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
The single eyeline is seen only in a small subgroup of the dabbling ducks; the mallards, black ducks and their close relatives. However, a close look at the thicker…
grrlscientist | April 17, 2009tags: Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Poecile rufescens, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Poecile rufescens, Photographed near a small Olympic Peninsula lake in Shelton, Washington State. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Lee Rentz, 19 February 2009.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | April 16, 2009tags: American Coot, Fulica americana, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] American Coot, Fulica americana, photographed in [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 2 April 2008 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/800s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, author of Aimophila Adventures and Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
Lobed feet are rare in birds. The foot in question is too long, too green, and too strong for…
grrlscientist | April 15, 2009tags: mystery bird, identify this bird, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Scarlet Tanager, Piranga olivacea, photographed in Newton Hills State Park in South Dakota. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]
Image: Terry Sohl, 16 May 2007 [larger view].
Photo taken with a Canon 20D, 400 5.6L.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Rick Wright, author of Aimophila Adventures and Managing Director of WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide, writes:
Blur your eyes a little and step back from the monitor: what do you see? I see a smallish bird but not…