Most woodpeckers have four toes. Two face forward and two face backward. This arrangement is called zygodactyl. Their short legs and sharp nails make it easier for them to cling to bark and even upside down hopping along branches and tree trunks. A pair of stiff, centrally located tail feathers which provides leverage for the woodpecker…
While writing this month’s newsletter I am started to see several of our native sparrows appear in my backyard. The heavily striped Song Sparrow. The bold black and white stripes on the head of a White Crowned Sparrow. The yellow lores on a White Throated Sparrow. Other native sparrows I expect to see in my…
May is the premiere month for songbird migration. Warblers, thrushes, and all the other Neo-tropical birds will be coming in to spend the summer, or passing through on their way to northern breeding grounds. The best part is they are all in their brightest colors, or breeding plumage. If you enjoy warblers, you know how…
May is the premiere month for songbird migration. Warblers, thrushes, and all the other Neo-tropical birds will be coming in to spend the summer, or passing through on their way to northern breeding grounds. The best part is they are all in their brightest colors, or breeding plumage. If you enjoy warblers, you know how…
The “Big Morning” The Wild Bird Habitat Stores sponsored a visit by Greg Miller to the Crane Trust Nature & Visitors Center at Alda, NE. Greg Miller was one of three extreme birders featured in the book “The Big Year” by Mark Obmascik and characterized by Jack Black in the major motion picture of the…
The Snow Geese, Sandhill Cranes and many ducks have passed through on their way to their northern breeding grounds. It was another exciting season viewing the geese and cranes, but migration is far from over. April is one of the three most exciting migration months of the year. We will once again welcome back many…
The Snow Geese, Sandhill Cranes and many ducks have passed through on their way to their northern breeding grounds. It was another exciting season viewing the geese and cranes, but migration is far from over. April is one of the three most exciting migration months of the year. We will once again welcome back many…
Purple Martins The longest managed bird species in North America Dave Titterington, Wild Bird Habitat Stores One of the most sought after birds that homeowners wish to attract to their yards is a colony of Purple Martins. The largest of the swallow family martins have adapted well to living in close proximity to humans. Through…
Some people have reported fewer Goldfinches since the temperatures have moderated a bit. We aren’t certain what causes some birds to abandon what seems to be a well-protected area where we have provided their favorite foods. This may remain a mystery until we begin thinking like birds. But for those that may have been lacking…
The House Sparrow is No Sparrow at All When the word sparrow is mentioned, all too often one thinks of the common house sparrow, an aggressive cavity nesting bird introduced into North America from England in the mid-1850s, becoming the most populace bird in North America by the turn of the century. Besides wreaking havoc…