43
votes
Accepted
Why do some birds fly in a V-formation?
They fly on the wing currents produced by the birds in front of them. It's similar to drafting someone in front of you while cycling or racing. The leader is breaking trail, and the followers are ...
- 53.7k
23
votes
Accepted
Why does this blue tit bird desperately want to come inside?
Two possibilities:
There's something it thinks is food on the inside. Note that blue tits are quite clever at accessing food, to the extent of opening foil-topped milk-bottles (though the linked ...
- 27k
14
votes
Accepted
Why would a Canada Goose sleep on a frozen pond?
it's not cold for a goose, as they bring their insulating down-filled sleeping gear with them.
ponds/lakes are safer for them than a field where predators are more common. Typically in a flock, not ...
- 1,006
14
votes
Do birds eat chillies? Do they feel the chilli heat?
TLDR: Yes they eat them, No they don't feel the heat.
The tiny Bird’s Eye Chili originated in Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, The Philippines, and surrounding countries, but they can now be found all ...
- 69.4k
14
votes
Accepted
Why do they turn the 9/11 Memorial Lights off for birds?
The basic idea of turning them off temporarily is to let the birds readjust to their surroundings.
For reasons still unknown to science, artificial light attracts birds, from fledgling seabirds to ...
- 69.4k
12
votes
Is this bar-headed goose's behavior an indication of a problem?
Paul Lydon could be right. The behavior is designed to encourage worms to come to the surface, to make it easier for the geese to find and eat.
From the same Wikipedia page he quoted, entitled Worm ...
12
votes
Accepted
What is the ecological justification (if any) for bird feeders?
If we exclude the birdwatching explanation Shem gives, the only possible ecological reason for a bird feeder is to counteract the negative effect we have on the bird's habitat by having our house ...
- 25.1k
12
votes
Accepted
Sparrows eating grains strewn on floor but not the grains in a nice bowl
There are a number of different birds in the sparrow family. In Massachusetts, USA, I think what we technically have most of is the House Sparrow. This page has a whole sparrow list with their sounds. ...
11
votes
Is this bar-headed goose's behavior an indication of a problem?
I have seen gulls do exactly that. It is known as:
Worm charming, worm grunting, and worm fiddling are methods of attracting earthworms from the ground. The activity is usually performed to collect ...
- 6,005
11
votes
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Do any birds hibernate?
According to the RSPB, which @muru found spelled out at the bottom of the linked page below as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, there is one species of bird that does truly hibernate. ...
- 24.3k
11
votes
Accepted
How do songbirds and small animals know when there's a hawk in the immediate vicinity?
All it takes is one of the birds to notice and give the alarm and then the other birds join in. Even the chipmunks and squirrels will listen to the birds and then pass the message along.
Birds' ...
- 69.4k
10
votes
Accepted
Why are common grackles standing on our bird feeders with their heads pointed straight up?
Those grackles are engaged in a courting behavior, most frequently called “bill tilt.” It's also been called “head up” or “head up threat.” While establishing pairs for mating, males vie for the ...
9
votes
What is the smallest owl in the world, and where can I see one?
The smallest owl in the world is the elf owl (Micrathene whitneyi). It's about the size of a sparrow, and weighs about an ounce and a half, which is just less than the weight of a golf ball!
Wingspan:...
9
votes
Bird migration across Atlantic?
There is a route known as the East Atlantic Flyway used for migration between Eastern Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Siberia, Northern Europe, Western Europe, and on to Africa.
There are 297 species ...
- 11.8k
9
votes
Accepted
What must be causing a decrease in sparrows and an increase in pigeons in my town?
Common Sparrows, which are the State Bird of Delhi, and also of Bihar, have indeed been on a massive decline in India in recent years. What you're seeing is not a fluke. It's happening in many urban ...
9
votes
Why would a Canada Goose sleep on a frozen pond?
There are a few reasons why Canada Geese sleep on the ice. michael has covered them, so this is supplementary.
In simplest terms, it's because they live in the water, and are able to tolerate frozen ...
9
votes
Accepted
How to defend against swooping Torresian Crow
You might try an umbrella. See this article from The Guardian, Rogue owl caught after year-long reign of terror in Dutch town.
A rogue owl that has terrorised a northern Dutch city for the past
...
- 24.3k
9
votes
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What can I do to get garden birds back after hawk has made my bird-feeder his hunting ground?
The hawk will leave after its food source is gone. It may not be after the small birds you are feeding, but it may be after the rodents that eat the birdseed that falls to the ground.
- 1,847
8
votes
Do backyard birds prefer birdbaths with moving water?
I found a paper from Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Providing Water for Birds
While it does mention the usage of a pump or circulating water, it doesn't suggest it to attract birds. However, it says:
...
- 867
8
votes
Accepted
Is a sentinel (guard) Canada Goose always a male, or a female, or does it vary?
When geese are feeding it is not specified as far as I can tell, but during nesting it is the male who does the guarding.
Wary - Alert for danger. Often while the flock is feeding, individuals ...
- 69.4k
8
votes
Accepted
Is it realistic that a duck would raise a swan?
As you suspected, in general it's not realistic that a duck would raise a swan, especially in the wild.
INCUBATION:
A swan's egg is much bigger than a mallard's, so the mother mallard (hen) is not ...
8
votes
Can dirty bird feeders make birds sick?
Dirty bird feeders are known for causing problems for birds,
CPW said the disease has not yet been confirmed in Colorado, but the agency wants to warn people that house finch eye disease, along with ...
- 69.4k
8
votes
Is this a Starling Egg in a Robin's Nest?
Perhaps there are now eggs of three species - robin, starling and cuckoo.
Starlings do attempt to take over others birds' nests, see European Starling Life History
Starlings often take over the nests ...
- 4,785
7
votes
Does feeding migratory birds in the fall affect the timing of migration?
Because there are so many different migratory birds, each with their own unique pattern, this is a rather broad question. The answer, therefore, will be based on the general study of migration, rather ...
7
votes
What is the ecological justification (if any) for bird feeders?
The answers to this question may differ based on location, but I can tell you that in my part of the world there is legislation in place for controlling populations of certain birds (as well as other ...
- 53.7k
7
votes
Accepted
Possible snowy owl seen in the trees
As the Sherlock Holmes would say,
How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?
If you look through the list ...
- 69.4k
7
votes
What is the meaning and proper usage of the term "irruption" in bird behavior?
TLDR: Its when a massive amount of birds suddenly migrate all at once to a area they aren't usually found in.
An irruption is a dramatic, irregular migration of large numbers of birds to areas ...
- 69.4k
7
votes
How to defend against swooping Torresian Crow
You're correct that these Torresian Crows can, at times, exhibit aggressive behavior, and, unlike some other crows, may directly attack people. It stems from a defensive parental instinct though, and ...
7
votes
Why was I attacked by a bird (twice)?
You almost certainly got close to a nest. The behavior you describe fits various raptors when intruders get close to a nest. There very likely is a nest up there somewhere. If the nest isn't on the ...
- 21.5k
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