Questions tagged [birds]
Egg laying, two legged, warm blooded, vertebrates with feathers. Use this tag to ask questions about our feathered friends.
145
questions
3
votes
0
answers
55
views
Will house finches abandon a nest that fills with snow?
I had a pair of house finches build a nest in some hedges outside my window. It looked pretty much complete, but ten days ago we had a severe snowstorm that dropped a foot of snow on the yard. Despite ...
- 221
2
votes
1
answer
145
views
Why would a bird sing while still dark at the same time each night?
My first thought was that there is some artificial event that is timed that sets them off but I can't think of what that would be where I live. Is it usual for birds to sing at a particular time other ...
- 203
0
votes
1
answer
169
views
Birds start fighting each other and spill the seeds that I put on my window ledge
When I put out food on my window ledge for birds to feed on, they start fighting over the food and pecking at each other, and literally waste everything by spilling it off the ledge onto the ground.
...
user23339
26
votes
4
answers
7k
views
A bird is stuck flying in circles in my room. How to make it fly away?
A bird (possibly a sparrow) somehow got into my house, and cannot get out (I think it wants to get out). It flies in circles near the ceiling, like some moths sometimes do.
I turned off the lights and ...
- 4,106
0
votes
0
answers
47
views
How much room do blue birds and wrens need to perch on?
I'm thinking I lost the bottoms to 16 bird houses (8 of each) and am needing to cut them again. How much room will the birds need to perch on if I make new ones that fold down this time rather than ...
- 173
5
votes
1
answer
143
views
What type of cuckoo bird is this? From South India, Asia
I found this bird near home in Kerala, India. Don't know the call. I sort of think this is a Fork tailed drongo. but not sure. Thank you...
- 53
4
votes
1
answer
236
views
Are Ravens & Ducks compatible?
I recently (February 2021) began feeding a flock of 35 ravens in my backyard. In the spring and summer months I have 3 to 4 families of mallards and woodies raising their families in my pond and swamp....
7
votes
1
answer
242
views
Blue tits looking in nesting boxes
I have had blue tits coming to my garden for a few years and have had a couple of bird nesting boxes up for about 2 years, but these have never been nested in.
I have seen blue tits occasionally land ...
- 349
4
votes
0
answers
156
views
Need help identifying a sound
I wondered if anybody could help me identify the animal producing the sound that I just about managed to record with my phone (it was extremely quiet, so I apologize for the low quality of the ...
- 41
8
votes
1
answer
493
views
Birds of prey in holiday hotels
On several holidays (in southern Europe) I have noticed a bird handler exercising a bird of prey in hotel grounds. The handlers often wear clothing advertising shows.
Why is this?
I don't see lion ...
- 275
4
votes
1
answer
119
views
Hundreds of swallows meeting for an hour every evening
Every evening for the past week, I've witnessed flocks of swallows meeting in a high crane close to my house. They arrive by waves of ~20-30 individuals around 8pm, until the crane is full of these ...
- 53
3
votes
1
answer
84
views
Boreal owls in Virginia?
Several times in the past month, I have heard at dusk what I think is an unfamiliar owl species. Tonight it was a pair performing a duet. I'm well acquainted with barred, eastern screech, and great ...
- 31
1
vote
1
answer
59
views
What bird(s) is this in this recording?
I have been hearing these birds from around the start of July in Australia from my backyard (mid-winter) at 7am, 8am and 9am depending on the day and they go on for at least 1-2hours. What bird(s) is/...
- 11
2
votes
1
answer
408
views
Where do Canada geese live at night?
I live in the central Ohio area. There is a human-made lake surrounded by grasses around my home, and the size of the lake is about 2 tennis courts. Many Canada Geese together with their chicks gather ...
- 123
5
votes
1
answer
200
views
What species of bird is this?
I have been observing this bird in my surrounding since month. It makes a loud melodious sound. Does someone know which bird species is this?
The location is western India
Thanks
- 153
2
votes
1
answer
554
views
How to Safely Relocate a Robins nest?
Right outside of my backdoor to my house, a robin has decided to build a nest on top of my homes electrical meter:
So far, I do not see any eggs in the nest There is now one egg present. How can I ...
- 1,157
2
votes
0
answers
224
views
Is this a house sparrow fledgling? (Found a bird in my garage)
I left my garage door open for about an hour last night on a windy day, and I later heard incessant chirping inside Apparently, this fledgling somehow go into, and was trapped, in an old bag over 18 ...
- 21
2
votes
1
answer
132
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 ...
- 121
9
votes
1
answer
251
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 ...
27
votes
7
answers
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 ...
- 709
5
votes
1
answer
1k
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.)...
- 51
6
votes
1
answer
229
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, ...
- 69
4
votes
1
answer
131
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
3
answers
2k
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 ...
- 217
5
votes
1
answer
521
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 ...
- 15.4k
3
votes
2
answers
625
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?
...
- 68.8k
6
votes
1
answer
163
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 ...
- 5,158
8
votes
1
answer
447
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 ...
- 15.4k
5
votes
0
answers
120
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?
Jody
7
votes
1
answer
709
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 ...
- 68.8k
9
votes
1
answer
511
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
1
answer
124
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 ...
- 141
4
votes
2
answers
432
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 ...
- 68.8k
10
votes
1
answer
153
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 ...
- 203
8
votes
3
answers
632
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 ...
- 141
6
votes
2
answers
306
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 ...
- 621
4
votes
2
answers
581
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 ...
- 41
6
votes
2
answers
2k
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 ...
- 4,309
6
votes
2
answers
446
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
1
answer
126
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 ...
- 643
3
votes
1
answer
3k
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
1
answer
569
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 ...
- 71
8
votes
1
answer
2k
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
3
answers
600
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?
...
- 51
10
votes
1
answer
3k
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
2
answers
2k
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, ...
- 68.8k
4
votes
1
answer
850
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 ...
7
votes
2
answers
13k
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 ...
- 173
3
votes
1
answer
414
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 ...
- 68.8k
13
votes
1
answer
18k
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 ...
- 68.8k