author and lifelong birder
Black Phoebe Photo Credit – Cornell Lab of Ornithology Phoebes are smallish (6 inches/16 cm), insect-eating, perching songbirds native to the Americas. Black Phoebe – United States, Mexico, Central America, parts of South America Eastern Phoebe – Eastern North America Say’s Phoebe – …
Mistle Thrush Photo Credit – British Trust for Ornithology This month, I am focusing on a bird I observed during my childhood in northern England: the Mistle Thrush. In the late 1950s, my ornithological colleagues at Bootham School reported that the Mistle Thrush was …
Barn Swallow
My local Barn Swallows have arrived and have been constructing mud nests and feeding their offspring under the roof eaves of houses along the Corte Madera Creek near San Francisco. These avians make an annual pilgrimage, often in large groups, during early spring from as far away as Argentina, a journey spanning approximately 5,000 miles (8,000 km). They travel up to 600 miles (1,000 km) daily during daylight, indulging in a mid-air feast as they dart across the sky. Barn swallows eat only insects. Most other migrant birds travel under darkness, resting and feeding during the daytime so as not to be seen by predators. Barn swallows can quickly alter their course and altitude, accelerate when necessary and often soar too high to be pursued by raptors.
Barn Swallow Range Map
Green – breeding; dark green – resident; light blue – migration; blue – non-breeding
The Barn Swallow, a truly cosmopolitan bird, also breeds in northern Europe, northeastern Asia, the Middle East, and northern Africa. As a young bird enthusiast, I would eagerly anticipate their annual arrival at the Yorkshire farm, where they would promptly construct their mud nests in barns, sheds, and under the eaves of buildings. I would call them “the swallows “. They are the world’s most populous and widely dispersed swallow species. Other members of the Hirundinidae family seen during my childhood were the Sand Martins and House Martins. In California, there are these additional representatives:
There are approximately 90 Hirundinidae species worldwide. Swifts are unrelated and classified in a separate family, the Apodidae.
WHY DO BIRDS MIGRATE?
Arctic Tern
WHEN DO BIRDS MIGRATE?
Seabird Migration
HOW DO BIRDS FIND THEIR MIGRATION DESTINATION?
WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF GLOBAL WARMING ON MIGRATION?
In summary, there is more to learn about the effects of climate change on birds. There seem to be winners and losers, with some benefiting and increasing in numbers and others hindered and experiencing declining populations.
HOPEFULLY, THIS INFORMATION WAS USEFUL. THERE APPEARS TO BE MUCH MORE TO LEARN ABOUT BIRD MIGRATION AND HOW EACH SPECIES COPE WITH CLIMATE CHANGE.
Cory’s Shearwater off the coast of Madeira, Portugal Photo Credit – Author Cory’s Shearwater is a large, heavy bird and a member of the seabird family Procelleridae. It breeds primarily in the Portuguese islands of the Azores and Madeira and the Canary Islands, Spain. …
Northern Mockingbird Photo Credit – the Author Amidst a cacophony of mid-morning birdsong, a medium-sized bird, approximately 10 inches (25 cm) in length, caught my eye. Its tail, as long as its body, was a striking feature. The bird’s plumage was a mix of …
Greater Scaup (male with the white plumage)
California winter visitors, the Greater Scaup, have recently left the coastal creek near my home and returned to their breeding grounds along the West Coast up to Alaska. Previously, I have written about ducks known as Buffleheads and Teal; now, it is the turn of the Scaup: Lesser and Greater. The name probably originates from the Scot’s word scalp, meaning a bed of shellfish, a favorite food of the duck. Alternatively, some suggest the word comes from the female’s scaup call. Its nickname in North America is Bluebill because of its distinctive blue bill.
Both species of Scaup are medium-sized and similar in appearance, except for the longer, whitish band on the wings of the Greater Scaup and its rounded head, whereas the Lesser Scaup’s head is peaked. Large bodies of water, often near the coast, are home to the Greater, and the Lesser inhabits marshes and ponds. Both dive underwater for food, and while the most common dabbling duck in the United States is the Mallard, the Lesser Scaup is the most numerous diving duck.
Greater/Lesser Scaup (Greater is whiter)
I recorded Scaup during my childhood in Yorkshire, England. After leaving their breeding grounds in Iceland, Scandinavia, and western Russia, they were winter visitors. As winters have become warmer and wetter, there are fewer Scaup, with the British population estimated to have shrunk 75 percent since the mid-1970s. Britain also hosts the “Lesser” variety as a rare vagrant, with the first recorded sighting in the 1980s.
Greater Scaup Global Range
Blue: breeding; Red: winter and migration
Lesser Scaup Range
What makes a Scaup a duck and not a goose since both are in the same waterfowl family, Anatidae? Experts identify the number of bones the bird has in its neck. Ducks have 16 or fewer, while geese have between 17 and 24. Other differences include ducks with broader and longer beaks, geese typically larger, and ducks with more colorful plumage, especially males.
For now, I must be patient. The Greater Scaup will return in October. In the meantime, I can look for the widespread Mallard found virtually on all bodies of water or search in California for breeding Gadwalls and Cinnamon Teals.
Gadwall
Cinnamon Teal
Eurasian or Common Kestrel: Photo Credit – Wikipedia American Kestrel Photo Credit – Cornell Lab of Ornithology Thank you, Sonoma Land Trust, for connecting me with the beautiful American Kestrel, the smallest raptor in North America, during a recent visit to the Sonoma …
Humming-bird Hawk-moth Photo Credit – Graeham Mounteney, Butterfly Conservation Hummingbirds are small, often migratory birds that inhabit the Americas. They have compact bodies, long, narrow beaks, and relatively long blade-like wings. The latter allows them to fly in every direction and to hover. Typically, …
Belted Kingfisher
I usually hear the Belted Kingfisher rather than see one when walking alongside the Corte Madera Creek near San Francisco. Occasionally, you might observe one perched above the water or hovering on rapidly beating wings. The Belted Kingfisher is a member of about 120 species worldwide, with the most prominent being the Kookaburra, native to Australia and New Guinea. Kingfishers have big heads, dagger bills, and tiny feet. Only the Belted Kingfisher and two other species are resident in the United States. Neither of the other two, the Green Kingfisher and the Ringed Kingfisher, is present in California.
Green Kingfisher
Ringed Kingfisher
The global population of the Belted Kingfisher is approximately two million, of which two-thirds inhabit North America. It is abundant and widespread near lakes, streams, and estuaries, and is of Least Concern under the United States classification of Birds of Conservation Concern.
Here is some information on kingfishers in general and Belted Kingfishers in particular:
Painting by Herbert James Draper, 1915: “Halcyone”
Common/Eurasian Kingfisher
Belted Kingfisher, Nest
Belted Kingfisher Native American Art
It is a bird that I love to hear as much as to see.
Eurasian Collared Doves Photo Credit – Cornell Lab of Ornithology Recently, I was walking alongside my local creek-side in Northern California when I heard the purring sound of goo-Goo-goo, and strove to find out what it was. I discovered a pair of Eurasian Collared …
Western Bluebirds Male & Female Photo Credit – National Geographic The number of Western Bluebirds fluttering and dropping to the ground in search of insects appears to have dramatically increased this fall around the golf course I use here in northern California. What is …
Black-Headed Grosbeak
The fall migration is underway. There are birds appearing in my Northern California backyard which I have not identified before. First there was the Black-Headed Grosbeak, a member of the Cardinal family, inspecting my bird feeder, probably looking for its favorite seed, the sunflower, and then there was a terrible accident involving a Western Tanager. These are not rare birds in California, just unusual in my backyard.
Black-Headed Grosbeak Range
The Black-Headed Grosbeak is a medium sized bird, about the size of a Starling, and is widespread and common in most parts of California, with its numbers appearing stable. It breeds as far north as southwest British Columbia. The average life span is approximately seven years. It chooses oak and mixed woodland for its summer habitat, but as it starts to migrate during September, to spend up to seven months wintering in central Mexico, it tends to choose open woodland, trees alongside streams, and suburban areas, as its preferred environment.
Black-Headed Grosbeak, Both Sexes
The plumage of the male and female is somewhat different, but both genders possess a deep, conical beak, which gives the bird its name. The male has a black head, black speckled white back and tail, and an orangish neck, breast, and sides. The female is browner, with a whitish belly and streaking on the sides.
Their diet is mainly insects, snails, and spiders during summer, but they switch to seeds, berries, and fruit in winter. They are one of the few birds that eat monarch butterflies, despite the noxious chemicals these insects contain after eating milkweed during their larval stage.
Spotted Towhee
Beware of confusing the Black-Headed Grosbeak with a Spotted Towhee. The latter can be distinguished by its smaller bill and longer tail, and the orange coloring is restricted to its sides.
Evening Grosbeak
Blue Grosbeak
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
There are other species of Grosbeak to be found in California, such as the Evening Grosbeak, so-named because, at first, it was thought only to sing at dusk, the Blue Grosbeak, and the occasional Pine Grosbeak, which is widespread across northern Europe and Asia as well as North America. The Rose-Breasted Grosbeak breeds primarily in the forests of the eastern United States, and winters in central and southern Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and northern South America.
Western Tanager, Male and Female
The Western Tanager that made it to my backyard unfortunately never left. It flew into a house window during the daytime, and died on impact. I hoped it was only stunned but that was not the case. I need to do something about my window!
Fatal Accident
Glass windows are worse than invisible. They either reflect foliage and the sky, or face off against another window, and appear not to exist. Up to an estimated one billion birds die annually from window strikes in the United States. I am considering what I should do. Should I place decals or stickers on the window despite its large size? The alternatives include installing shutters, using a mosquito screen or netting, adding a series of rope bird-savers, or inside, maybe I could add blinds, the simplest solution.
Western Tanager Range Map:
Western Tanagers breed in the mountains of California, and as far north as Alaska, and winter in north-west Mexico, and as far south as central Costa Rica. Despite their name, the species is a member of the Cardinal family. They eat insects, fruit, and berries. Males are readily recognized by their bright red head, lemon-yellow breast and back, and black wings, shoulders, and tail. Both sexes possess a relatively small, light-colored beak. They are a couple of inches shorter than an American Robin and slightly smaller than a Black-Headed Grosbeak. Their typical life span, excluding accidents, is around eight years.
I await the arrival of my next unusual species of bird.
Barn Owls Photo Credit – Birds and Blooms Someone from San Anselmo recently asked me about Owls in Marin, and expressed interest in installing an Owl Box. I believe Owl Boxes are available as part of the Hungry Owls Project sponsored by the WildCare …
Male Black-throated Gray Warbler (Photo Credit eBird) During May this year, the Black-throated Gray Warbler made its way onto my birding “life list” as a result of a visit to Yosemite Valley. Not that these birds are rare in California ,but I had never …
Eurasian Hoopoe
I have just returned from a trip to Israel, a country that adopted the Hoopoe as its national bird in May 2008. I was fortunate enough to see one hunting for food on the lawns of HaPisga Gardens in Jaffe. My other notable birding event was in Jerusalem at the Nili and David Bird Observatory. Here birds were passing through Israel on their way to Europe, including Blackcaps, Redstarts, and an Olivaceous Warbler. Also caught in the mist net was a Lesser Whitethroat that had previously been ringed in Finland. More local birds observed included a Syrian Woodpecker, White-throated Kingfisher, and Hooded Crows.
Blackcap
The Hoopoe was selected to celebrate Israel’s 60th anniversary, and 155,000 people voted using a list of ten species. Its Hebrew name is “Duchifat”, and in Arabic this converts to the “Hudhud”. The Hoopoe is mentioned in the Torah as “abhorrent and not to be eaten” because of its skunk-like stench, but Jewish legend praises it for introducing King Solomon to the Queen of Sheba. The Queen is believed to have ruled the “Land of Sabah” south of Israel, where she and her subjects worshipped the sun. Gifts were offered, visits took place, the Queen embraced the beliefs of Islam, and the King eventually gave her “all that she desired, whatever she asked”.
Prophet Sulaiman, King of the Jews
Hoopoes are instantly recognized by their cinnamon-colored plumage, their attractive tall, erect crest of black-tipped feathers, and their black and white striped wings. In profile, they look similar to woodpeckers but their black bill is longer and thinner. They are medium-sized birds, about the size of a mourning dove, and their trisyllabic song of “oop-oop-oop” likely gave them their English name. An alternative explanation is that their name is derived from the French word “huppee” that means crested bird. They display an erratic butterfly-like undulating flight, half closing their broad, rounded wings, at the end of each beat.
2022 Israeli Stamp
This Eurasian species is present across most of Europe, Asia, and the northern half of Africa. There are two other species. The Madagascar Hoopoe is restricted to the island of Madagascar, and the African Hoopoe is found in southern Africa; neither of these species migrates unlike the Eurasian variety. The global population of the Eurasian Hoopoe is estimated at between five and ten million birds.
Hoopoe Range Map
Orange: European Hoopoe – breeding; Dark Green: Eurasian Hoopoe – resident; Blue: Eurasian Hoopoe – wintering; Moss Green: Madagascar Hoopoe; Light Green: Africa Hoopoe.
The Eurasian Hoopoe does not breed in the UK and I did not spot one during my childhood days of birdwatching in England. However, up to 100 birds appear during spring as they migrate from Africa to Europe, usually along the south coast of England. The species has two basic habitat requirements. It needs access to lightly vegetated open ground for feeding, and vertical structures, such as trees, walls, cliffs, and burrows, to provide cavities for its nests.
Hoopoe Nesting
The Hoopoe’s reputation for abhorrence originates from the foul-smelling, thick brown liquid that is produced in the preening glands of brooding females. This is ejected from their posterior onto their feathers, and onto their eggs, to protect against predators and parasites. The secretion, which includes the unpleasant odor of dimethyl-sulphide, smells like rotting meat. Additionally, the Hoopoe allows litter and feces to build up in its nest that adds to the odor. Even the chicks can squirt liquid feces in the direction of their suspected predators.
During the breeding season, Hoopoes are territorial and will chase off intruders, sometimes stabbing them with their bill, and occasionally blinding the opponent. Clutch size averages around seven eggs, and incubation begins as soon as the first egg is laid. The male feeds the female during the incubation period.
Hoopoe Chicks
Until my visit to Israel, my sightings had only taken place during trips to Majorca, Spain, like the one I describe in chapter 10 of my novel She Wore a Yellow Dress. The Eurasian Hoopoe is absent from North America except for occasional vagrants that are seen in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon Territory.
Finally, let me to finish with some more legends and myths attributed to the Eurasian Hoopoe:
Tomb of Great Chief Khnumhotep
Whether or not you accept these beliefs, the Eurasian Hoopoe is a species that has had a lasting impact on human civilizations. Thanks to its adaptation and defensive skills, there is little worry about its future survival. It continues to be listed as of “Least concern” from a conservation point of view.
The Wise Hoopoe, King Solomon’s Personal Messenger
