62
votes
Accepted
Why is there such a singular place for bird watching?
This is rather speculative, but draws on a few birding/wildlife books I've read and it's too much for a comment. It also has a little UK bias, but I've visited 4 continents on wildlife trips, and much ...
- 26.1k
26
votes
Is color blindness a significant obstacle to bird watching?
My son is red-green colour blind, and he has the superpower that goes with colour blindness: his eyes are much less easily fooled by camouflage. My lay understanding is that colour blind people are ...
- 361
24
votes
Accepted
Is color blindness a significant obstacle to bird watching?
Colour is only one of several visual clues for identification. It's useful to a novice who gets a good look (I regard myself as a perpetual novice when it comes to birds), but shape (bill and whole ...
- 26.1k
17
votes
Does a bird really abandon the nest? Will similar birds re-use it?
Birds do not typically reuse nests, as pests and parasites typically move in and use it as a habitat after the birds are done with it. Those birds who do reuse nests often don't have much success ...
- 53.5k
15
votes
Why is there such a singular place for bird watching?
It's also a case of accessibility, birding really doesn't take any special equipment beyond say a pair of binoculars and birds will visit peoples backyards and bird feeders. While mammals can be shy ...
- 69.2k
14
votes
Accepted
What should I feed ravens/crows?
We love crows! I live in America, where there are three main breeds of crow, including American Crows, Fish Crows, and Northwestern Crows. They're a bit different from the Common ravens, and other ...
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 ...
- 69.2k
12
votes
Accepted
Is there a type of binoculars to view both nature reserves (birds, etc.) at a distance, and airplanes?
You can definitely go for one pair.
I've actually been pleasantly surprised at the quality of the optics at almost the bottom end of the market, if you go for something common like 8x20.
We've got ...
- 26.1k
12
votes
Accepted
Did I see an Osprey?
The osprey does seem the most likely option. There are only a handful of breeding pairs in North Wales, but they are in your area so it's credible.
The wingspan of a small common buzzard starts at ...
- 11.7k
11
votes
Does a bird really abandon the nest? Will similar birds re-use it?
Some species reuse abandoned nests. According to the Bird Nests and Eggs field guide, great horned owls reuse abandoned raptor nests, and elf owls nest in abandoned woodpecker holes. This is far ...
- 769
11
votes
Accepted
What should I do if I disturb a bird of prey with a kill?
The best thing to do would have been not disturb them in the first place, but I do understand the need of this question. So I wouldn't add any advice like "Do not disturb them in the first place".
...
- 31.7k
11
votes
Accepted
How can I tell the difference between an American Crow, and a Common Raven that lives in America?
According to this article, (How to Tell a Raven From a Crow):
Ravens often travel in pairs, while crows are seen in larger groups. Also, watch the bird’s tail as it flies overhead. The crow’s tail ...
- 69.2k
11
votes
Accepted
What is this black and white bird with thin brown legs and a multi-colored beak, found in Massachusetts USA in January?
It looks like a Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), which are quite common over here in the UK.
https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/bird-and-wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/s/starling/
Starlings love suet....
- 933
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' ...
- 69.2k
11
votes
Why is there such a singular place for bird watching?
I'm not a bird-watcher myself, but I have bird-watchers in my family, so I had rich opportunity to observe their conversations on their hobby. Here's a collection of points that I think contribute to ...
- 213
10
votes
Is there a type of binoculars to view both nature reserves (birds, etc.) at a distance, and airplanes?
(Ah, I meant this as a comment to Chris' post. Oh well, I guess I need to try making it a real answer.)
For tracking moving objects, a wide field of view (FOV) may also be helpful. (Apparent FOV ...
- 8,428
10
votes
What should I feed ravens/crows?
The real question is what won't ravens or crows eat. Ravens hang out at the garbage dumps and perch on dumpsters, the easiest way to get them to visit your yard would be to leave garbage spread out ...
- 53.5k
10
votes
What should I feed ravens/crows?
Crows and ravens are opportunistic foragers, meaning they eat carrion, rodents, steal eggs and nestlings, insects, etc. You will likely find them curious and very cautious (more so than typical "bird ...
- 996
9
votes
Accepted
What type of bird seed attracts the most amount of birds?
This answer may apply to other countries but is pretty cert for the UK.
Bird feed sold in the UK (from big chain pet stores, to garden centres, to little corner shops) usually comes with a time of ...
- 15.4k
9
votes
Accepted
Are crows more interested in identifying individual humans than vice versa, and if so, why?
I suspect this mostly is a result of need, and antipathy.
First of all I think your premise that humans can't identify individual animals within a breed or species is false. People who spend ...
- 9,678
9
votes
Are crows more interested in identifying individual humans than vice versa, and if so, why?
I support the accepted answer but wanted to add an potentially helpful anecdote.
When I joined the Marine Corps as a young man some 20 years ago - the first thing they did was give us a uniform and ...
- 339
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
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
Accepted
What kind of bird is outside my window?
The bird you are listening to is a northern mocking bird. I am not sure why it’s making the calls in the middle of the night.
Mockingbirds in general are known for their intelligence and their ...
- 7,815
9
votes
Accepted
What species of bird is this?
Asian Koel (wikipedia), specifically a female.
CC-BY-SA 3.0 Wikipedia user Dougjj
It's a member of the cuckoo family, and like other cuckoos it's a brood parasite. This species is found across much ...
- 26.1k
8
votes
Accepted
Does a bird really abandon the nest? Will similar birds re-use it?
Is it okay to take that pretty nest as a sample or a show-piece to put in a personal balcony or a garden?
This can be a simple question of size. A large nest, like an eagle's nest, is of course too ...
- 196
8
votes
Accepted
Swans jammed together in a small pond
If the swans are forced to stay next to shore (as opposed to casually being there), they flock together to avoid predation. In addition to flock safety by numbers, Swans are very tough, and very ...
- 4,802
8
votes
Accepted
Best food to attract Blue Tits
It looks like the problem might not be the types of food, but the feeder itself.
In the past blue tits had a monopoly on the relatively tricky kind of feeders people put out. The tiny birds were ...
- 69.2k
8
votes
Accepted
Where are some accessible flat areas for handicapped birders in Acadia National Park in Maine, USA?
I am an avid birder in and around Acadia National Park.
Acadia National Park is one of the most accessible national parks in the system when it comes to major locations and their accessibility. ...
- 96
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible