This is the major month for the ducks and geese to move off their northern breeding grounds as they head for open waters to the south. If you are fortunate enough to see thousands of geese taking off in unison from a lake or wetland, you will not soon forget the thrill. In the Midwest…
The Wild Bird Habitat Store Has Landed In Omaha The Wild Bird Habitat Store opened on October 1,1993, in a little house on Orchard Street in Lincoln, Nebraska. One year later we expanded to south Lincoln opening our main location in the Alamo Plaza at 56th & Hwy 2. Between 1995 and 1998 this Lincoln…
Bats! A Valuable Resource One recent morning I was listening to a morning radio show in Omaha where the topic centered on bats. It seems the Health Department and Humane Society in Omaha had received more than its usual calls about bats entering peoples houses. In a two week period they had received 65 calls,…
English (House) Sparrows Controlling house sparrows at the bird feeder The English sparrow, commonly referred to as the house sparrow, is a species introduced into the United States in the mid 1800s. Brought over to this continent from England, this non-native bird is not actually a sparrow but a Weaver Finch, a sub-species of…
It’s Always Bird Feeding Time! Four seasons and the reasons People have traditionally fed wild birds primarily during the winter due to the fact that was the only season certain retail outlets made bird feeding products available. So we have grown to assume that winter is the only season that birds benefit from our enjoyment of…
Bird Vision Birds enjoy sharper vision than humans. Birds can see certain light frequencies–including ultraviolet–that humans cannot see. In fact, many songbirds have feathers that reflect ultraviolet light. This light is used to communicate species, gender, and perhaps even social standing. Birds can see this ultraviolet light under normal, daylight conditions. Humans require the assistance…
The wild turkey is our largest upland game bird. The wild variety is slimmer and has a few color differences than its closely related domestic cousin. They all came from the same original wild stock. The domestic Turkey is thought to be among the most stupid of birds. They have been reported to actually stand…
A favorite winter bird that generally arrives in the Midwest and Great Plains states in late November to early December that has a huge appetite for Nyjer seed at our thistle feeders is the Pine Siskin. Many of these birds breed from southern Alaska across Canada to Newfoundland down to the upper Great Lakes region…
Purple Finch (Bird of the Month) – What a privilege it is to have Purple Finch in our area this winter. These finches differ from our more common nesting bird, the house finch. The purple finch breeds in the evergreen forests of the northern parts of the country and corresponding sections in Canada. It has…