The Great Outdoors

Questions tagged [birds]

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Egg laying, two legged, warm blooded, vertebrates with feathers. Use this tag to ask questions about our feathered friends.

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2
votes
1answer
119 views

Behavior of crow pair, larger crow eats the food, not leaving any for smaller buddy

There are a couple of crows that come around regularly, they come as a pair. One is larger than the other. Perhaps a couple? or parent and youth? or adult and older parent? When providing nuts/seeds ...
9
votes
1answer
207 views

Why do they turn the 9/11 Memorial Lights off for birds?

On the morning of September 11, 2001, two airplanes flew into the "Twin Towers," part of the hub of the World Trade Center in New York City, United States. The towers, which at one time had been the ...
25
votes
7answers
7k views

Why is there such a singular place for bird watching?

There are a lot of interesting things in nature, but of all land vertebrates, birding has highly disproportionate attention. People (perhaps including birding enthusiasts) may note and appreciate ...
5
votes
1answer
188 views

Can Cormorants swallow and digest large prey like eels whole?

Can a cormorant really manage to digest a huge, living eel, bones and all? Does the poor eel (it was quite a bright/pretty green color) stand any slim chance of escaping (that thrashing, biting, etc.)...
3
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0answers
141 views

Birds singing and dancing on telephone wire

Location: UK East Midlands, suburban garden. Bird: possible marsh tits, something in that size range with a black cap. Time: late July. Two similar-looking birds were observed making high-pitched, ...
4
votes
1answer
117 views

Feather found on chicken coop

I live in the southern part of Zealand, in Denmark. I assembled a chicken coop yesterday, and found this feather on top of the egg-collection box lid this morning. I have been unable to find out which ...
3
votes
2answers
170 views

Birds not eating Nyjer (thistle seed)?

I purchased a sock filled with thistle and a large bag of bulk thistle from the same store. The sock is hung and the bulk thistle is in a feeder, but the birds don't eat from either. Is there ...
5
votes
1answer
102 views

How to tell the difference between Lesser and Great spotted Woodpeckers?

Around my work I walk in local parks for a couple of hours a day, and I've noticed we have Green Woodpeckers, and I've seen them quite a few times and can now recognise them rather easily. Recently I ...
3
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2answers
171 views

How do they tell the sex of Peregrine Falcon chicks?

Related to this question where the difference in size might possibly be due to one of the 3 peregrine falcon chicks being male, how do they tell whether a peregrine chick is male or female? ...
6
votes
1answer
147 views

Why might a larger peregrine falcon chick take longer to molt than smaller siblings?

It has become a bit of a fad in the last few days at my current workplace to open a browser tab to either http://www.lbwl.com/falcon.htm or http://www.lbwl.com/falcon2.htm , take a quick look now and ...
7
votes
1answer
420 views

When to clean out old bird boxes?

We had birds (blue tits) at who work last year nested in a metal wall mounted cigarette bin, this year we provided a hand-made wooden bird box specifically designed for blue tits and then blocked up ...
6
votes
1answer
101 views

What can I do with a lone young cardinal I found in my yard?

A pair of cardinals have nested in my yard for years. Yesterday found a young one in the yard, made it comfortable, just didnt want a cat to get it. Still alive, cant fly. What to do?
7
votes
1answer
692 views

Are there any tips to help hummingbirds find a new feeder?

Once a hummingbird feeder is set up and the hummingbirds know about it they will come back over and over again on a regular basis. They even seem to remember after the winter and will come to check to ...
8
votes
1answer
341 views

Can dirty bird feeders make birds sick?

We have bird feeders of all shapes, sizes, and types of material. Some we've had for years. We dump out leftover bird seed and shells when we refill them. If there are obvious dangers, like algae, ...
4
votes
1answer
71 views

How do you situate a protected bird house that is not under a branch?

According to the Audubon book on bird houses, they should not be constructed under a branch or other support that a squirrel could use to jump down to them. However, in that case, how do I make a ...
2
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1answer
138 views

Are perches on humming bird feeders bad for the humming birds?

Apparently, there is a theory that says Hummingbirds can become hypothermic if they sit on a feeder perch and drink several cropfuls of cold sugar water early in the morning. The birds fall to the ...
11
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1answer
132 views

Can a tag on the prey's leg harm a peregrine falcon if eaten?

I saw a bird (the mother) swallow the birdring of another bird it was eating on live camera (while feeding its chicks) link (the site is in Polish) and I am wondering whether: Can it actually cause ...
8
votes
3answers
254 views

Who to contact for a bird with broken wing in Portugal, Algarve?

I saw a bird with an injured wing among the rocks on a beach in Portugal (Algarve). The bird has been on the beach since Friday evening, and her wing feathers have completely dropped off by now. It's ...
6
votes
2answers
226 views

Why aren’t birds using these feeders?

I've been hanging these fat balls for a good while and they're intact. Previously I was hanging a feeder filled with seeds (for birds) in front of the window and that was also intact for a while; so I ...
4
votes
2answers
113 views

What kind of bird in Michigan looks like a cardinal with black wings?

I have been seeing a bird that looks like a cardinal but has black wings and has an orange-red color. Closest photo I've found is the hooded oriole, but this is Michigan and early March. Any ideas of ...
6
votes
2answers
618 views

Bird identification from feathers - brown-black feathers, medium size, West Sweden

While hiking in western Sweden in October this year, I came across a bunch of feathers on my trail: To me it looked like the leftovers of a small to medium bird of prey, which was seemingly eaten by ...
6
votes
2answers
242 views

How can a Common Kingfisher bird balance on a tiny swaying reed without moving its head?

This is a one minute video of a Common Kingfisher bird standing on a tiny reed swaying in the wind. It's from the BBC Network in England. For much of the video, especially the beginning, the bird ...
8
votes
1answer
123 views

How common are avian diseases?

I feed the local birds quite a lot, and am wondering about the possibility of contracting any avian-related illnessess. How often is it for us to come across a disease-ridden bird anywhere, as well as ...
3
votes
1answer
673 views

Do doves go through a molting time of shedding and replacing their feathers?

We live in Massachusetts, Northeastern United States. It's late July, and our temperatures this month have ranged between 70°F (21°C) and 90°F (32°C). Mourning doves, Zenaida macroura, live here ...
6
votes
1answer
249 views

How can I help birds know how to feed from feeders?

In Malaysia, the country I'm from, almost nobody puts up bird feeders. I have just bought a bird feeder from overseas, but the birds don't seem to know what the feeder even is, as they may not have ...
8
votes
1answer
257 views

How do songbirds and small animals know when there's a hawk in the immediate vicinity?

At any given time in our yard, we have at least 20 birds, up to the same number of squirrels, 15 or so chipmunks, and a few rabbits. Our many feeders and birdbaths are mostly under big trees and next ...
5
votes
3answers
288 views

Why are birds so nervous around humans?

I bet the first thing that came to your mind, was... because humans are evil and hurt animals because we're bigger than birds because we are louder than birds because of all of the above ...right? ...
10
votes
1answer
2k views

Do any birds hibernate?

A friend said she heard there's a species of bird that hibernates during the winter. I was surprised because I've only heard of birds that either migrate to warm weather as it gets cold; or stay ...
6
votes
2answers
617 views

Is it realistic that a duck would raise a swan?

One of the older fairy tales is The Ugly Duckling where the one oddball of the bunch is considered ugly by the other ducks but turns out to be a swan at the end of the story. From what I have read, ...
4
votes
1answer
258 views

When and why were House Sparrows originally brought to the United States?

The common House Sparrow, Passer domesticus, is one of the few birds not protected under federal law in North America, because it's considered a non-native species. However, it currently lives in ...
6
votes
2answers
3k views

How should I rescue a baby bird, including when it's wet?

A baby black bird fell in my baby's pool and I think he was there about 30 min. I took him from the pool and put him under the sun for 3-4 min to dry and then left him under the tree where there is ...
3
votes
1answer
207 views

How do mallard mother ducks tell their ducklings from others?

Right now the irrigation ditches and ponds have lots and lots of mallard ducklings, sometimes multiple families to a single pond. The way to tell is that there will be too many ducklings for one ...
12
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1answer
8k views

How much weight can a bald eagle carry?

Just recently, a photographer was watching some foxes hunt rabbits. One of the foxes caught a rabbit when a bald eagle swooped down grabbed the rabbit and pulled both rabbit and fox into the air. The ...
9
votes
3answers
1k views

How do I safely move around Canada Geese?

I live in an area with a lot of lakes/ponds, with many paths around them. Many humans and dogs enjoy walking on these paths. However, the Canada geese have recently set up shop on the lakes. They don'...
5
votes
2answers
567 views

Is it possible for birds to develop mental problems?

A buzzard seen nearby has been continuously attacking people for over a year now. As far as I know this isn't normal behaviour, especially not outside breeding season. Please correct me if I'm wrong. ...
10
votes
5answers
5k views

Finding dead hummingbirds on my property

I'm hoping that this isn't the beginning of a trend, but over the past week I have discovered an alarming number of dead hummingbirds on my property. For reference, I live in a suburban area on the ...
11
votes
2answers
410 views

Why was I attacked by a bird (twice)?

Last night, I had to climb a tower at work. When I reached the top platform (about 40 feet up), and turned my back to close the swinging gate behind me, I was whacked on the back of the head. ...
10
votes
1answer
217 views

What kind of bird is outside my window?

I live in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Recently, there has been a bird sitting in the mesquite tree outside my window, singing. This bird comes in the middle of the damn night. Once 3am, once 5am, and now ...
18
votes
2answers
4k views

Do birds eat chillies? Do they feel the chilli heat?

We had a few white browed bulbuls visit us recently. One of them seemed to have a peculiar interest in the chillies that grew in one of our pots (I believe these are bird's eye chillies [no pun ...
5
votes
0answers
690 views

Why are vultures attracted to rubber on vehicles?

I was looking up some things for some of our recent questions when I saw this line in the safety guide for Everglades National Park, Vultures are attracted to the rubber on vehicles and have been ...
4
votes
2answers
65 views

Possible resources to identify birds while outdoors (preferably in the Indian subcontinent)?

I get to travel a lot in the richly biodiverse western ghats of India. While hiking, one of the most difficult tasks I face is to identify birds that I come across. I'm not a professional or even ...
4
votes
3answers
154 views

Is there a way to attract more birds to my yard without a bird feeder?

I live with my parents. I love bird watching, and would love a bird feeder, but my mother does not want to keep one fearing it will attract rodents which may carry lyme disease. We've had bad ...
3
votes
0answers
2k views

Seagulls flocking by night?

I just went outside (11:30pm) and could hear seagulls screaming/cawing overhead. I looked in the direction of where the sound was coming from and could see a couple hundred of them being illuminated ...
6
votes
2answers
154 views

What factors should be considered when helping to feed crows/ravens in the yard?

We've had at least one discussion about what to feed birds in the crow and raven families in our yards. This question is about the most effective way to do so. When setting up the feeding areas of ...
11
votes
1answer
1k views

Is a sentinel (guard) Canada Goose always a male, or a female, or does it vary?

While there are a number of recognized sub-species of Canada geese, this question pertains to the main species, Branta canadensis. This answer to a question asking how many hours a day Canada Geese ...
5
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1answer
4k views

How many hours a day, on average, do Canada Geese sleep?

How many hours a day do Canada Geese typically sleep in a 24 hour period?
4
votes
1answer
129 views

What features should I look for in a free-standing heated birdbath for below zero temperatures?

I live in Massachusetts, in the Northeast United States. Our backyard is a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat. We're responsible for providing shelter, places for raising young, ...
9
votes
2answers
688 views

How to defend against swooping Torresian Crow

6 weeks ago a pair of Torresian Crows ("also called Australian crow or Papuan crow") began roosting in close proximity to my residence. Their chicks have left the nest and they do not seem to be ...
10
votes
6answers
11k views

Is the correct term Canada Goose or Canadian Goose?

The author of a question on our site referred to a certain type of goose as a Canadian goose. Some people thought that the correct name is Canada goose, rather than Canadian. Wikipedia refers to them ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views

Dead Canada goose stuck frozen to top of lake

I saw a Canada goose stuck frozen on Ramapo Lake in the Ramapo Mountain State Forest near Oakland, New Jersey. I was told that it had been dead for a while. Can a goose freeze to the ice and get ...

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