Pudgy, social, chatty, and ubiquitous, the House Sparrow has adapted to living in cities, suburbs, and rural areas. What happened to these lovely long-tailed doves?
Western Washington sits mid-way on the Pacific Coast flyway. The male Great Blue Heron finds and brings the sticks, and the female decides what goes where. That birds can hear so acutely the fine structure of song allows them to convey much information in a short sound.
Warblers can be hard to spot.
Look for swarms of swallows under bridges, under the eaves of barns, or even the side of your house.
Their wings make a whine much like the sound of a cicada. First, she wedges one strong stick near the main branch of a tree. The intricate pattern of color on its wings resembles dappled sunlight on the forest floor. By setting out a birdbath, you can watch them chatter and splash and shake like a dog, sending droplets flying. Perhaps the most familiar duck in the Northwest, the Mallard is a large and heavy bird. Look for swarms of swallows under bridges, under the eaves of barns, or even the side of your house. All across North America, there are field trips, festivals, and exhibits to celebrate the birds that migrate.
Plain natural wood is good.
All across North America, there are field trips, festivals, and exhibits to celebrate the birds that migrate. The raucous laughter of the Common Murre rings out from a nesting colony, high on a narrow ledge on a sea cliff.
Rufous Hummingbirds do not sing but make warning chips in response to perceived threats.
There may be several nests near each other.
Have you ever wondered if a hummingbird can recognize colors other than red, or if other birds see color? Precarious as their nest site is, Common Murres are highly successful.
Most migrating songbirds fly at night, when fewer predators are out.
They often nest in trees, but may also nest on cliffs in arid areas far from trees. The intricate pattern of color on its wings resembles dappled sunlight on the forest floor. To bring them into your garden, plant thick, low vegetation, or create a brush pile. Plain natural wood is good. Nothing signals spring quite like the sound of a Red-winged Blackbird, calling from the marsh. The raucous laughter of the Common Murre rings out from a nesting colony, high on a narrow ledge on a sea cliff.
Stretch your arms as far as you can, and imagine a bird whose reach is even greater! Birds were some of the first species to return to the devastated area.
One of the best ways to find a towhee is to listen for the scuffling sound it makes as it hunts for food in the leaf litter. The holes typically reach three to six feet into the bank. The Chestnut-backed Chickadee is slightly smaller than its cousin, the Black-capped Chickadee, and the two sound different.
Their eggs are pointed at one end and blunt at the other, so they spin on the ledge rather than tumbling into the sea. These twittery, flittery birds love to eat the insects that we humans consider pesky.
Birds use the stars to help orient their northward journey.