Bird ID Is Tough

Even for those of us who bird regularly, bird identification can be tough. For those with little prior experience, it can be even more difficult. If they don't have experience, binoculars and/or field guides, all people have to rely on is their memory of birds they have seen on TV or in a magazine.

Many times people call, excited that they have found a really unusual bird. Other times they call because they see a bird that "looks like" a very unusual bird, but know that it cannot be what they think it is. Usually, they have found a fairly common bird--just one they haven't seen before and therefore, not one that pops into their minds.

Two examples to illustrate:
- There was a call there were birds that look like penguins building a nest in a tree. The person knew it was very unlikely this is what she had, but the markings looked like a penguin to her. It turned out to be a pair of yellow-crowned night herons. If you know your birds, then the confusion is hard to understand. But if you look at the aspects of the birds (both seem kind of hunched up and stumpy) and you haven't seen night herons, the coloring could lead you to think penguins, especially if the lighting wasn't the best.
- Received a call that there were a couple of bald eagles in a tree in my neighborhood. Well, in June, that is very unlikely, but if I missed a pair of bald eagles because I didn't go look, I would have been upset. I did not see any birds on the tree mentioned, but I did see two Mississippi Kites flying overhead. This is possibly the cause of the confusion. Although to an experienced birder, there is no resemblance between a bald eagle and a Mississippi kite, the fact is they are both raptor type birds and both have a pale head with a darker body. If you have seen both birds, you would recognize immediately the tremendous difference in body size, if nothing else. If you haven't then you might reach for "what hawk-like bird do I know of that has a pale head?" and come up with a bald eagle.

Sometimes, we are not understanding enough when people mis-ID birds. Heck, I have been a birder for most of my life and still make mistakes, even with binoculars, field guides, and a host of other tools. I am just glad that people noticed the birds and were interested enough to try to find out what bird they are seeing. Fortunately, most birders have "been there" and remember what it was like just starting out. The birding list servs are full of requests for ID help, sometimes spurring a lively debate.

So get out there and look for birds and don't worry about making mistakes. Start with a few common birds and work your way to some of the less common. You'll have fun regardless.

Good birding!

Raffle to Support Wild Bird Rescue

Wild Bird Rescue is raffling at 2009 Honda Rebel Motorcycle (MSRP $3999) to raise money. Tickets are $10--ONLY 500 will be sold. The drawing will be at United Market Street on June 5 (you do not have to be present to win) in conjunction with the baby shower.

Last year, Wild Bird Rescue cared for over 1000 injured and orphaned wild birds and provided education programs on birds to a host of audiences. Like all non-profits, Wild Bird Rescue is operating on a very thin budget and this is another attempt to raise funds to care for our local wild birds, like the four baby mockingbirds in the photo (courtesy of Wild Bird Rescue.)

If you would like a ticket, stop by Wild Bird Rescue at 4611 Lake Shore Drive or call 940-691-0828.

Good birding!

I Love NPR

Great documentary on hummingbirds you can watch online. If you have a spare 50 minutes, learn more about these fascinating little birds.

Good birding!

Summer Birding

Sunday morning was very warm and muggy. When I went to Lake Wichita Park, the mosquitos were waiting. Fortunately, the breeze came up about 7:30, which helped keep the little bloodsuckers at bay for a little while. Then the wind died out and they were back with a vengence. Since I try not to wear bug spray too much (somehow spraying poison all over your body seems like a bad plan to me), I got a few bites. But most of my skin was covered. I do need to get a new supply of the non-DEET spray soon though.

The vegetation has really filled out, giving the birds lots of places to hide. If it weren't for the males singing to establish territories and attract mates, it would be very difficult to find the birds. Fortunately, they do.

In the summer, it is much more important to know the bird calls. The birds are easier to see in the winter and birds don't vocalize as much, so I tend to forget many of the calls and have to brush up every spring. But once you know the calls of at least some of the birds, a walk, even through areas of dense vegetation, can be a great birding morning. It is also fun to pick out the calls of baby birds--their calls are often quite different than the adults and very distinctive. Volunteering at Wild Bird Rescue in the summer provides a great opportunity to learn those calls.

Another good way to get better visibility on birds is by pishing. That is where birders stand and make silly noises to draw out the birds. I know there is at least one renowned birder who says this only works because birders actually stand still long enough for the birds to make an appearance, which they would have done without the pishing. I think that is Pete Dunne, but I wouldn't swear to it. While I agree pishing doesn't work for a lot of birds, I have found there are a few birds species that seem to find pishing irresistable--cardinals, spotted towhees, many sparrows, wrens, and a few others seem to pop out to see the goofy birders almost immediately. Sunday I managed to pull out a white-eyed vireo along the chat trail in Lake Wichita Park.

I heard a lot of yellow-billed cuckoos in the park yesterday. I saw one in flight--the rest were calling from the vegetation.

So to get the most out of your summer birding experience, learn the songs of the most common birds. You'll gradually expand your knowledge and enjoy birding even more.

Good birding!

Need Bird Pictures

American tree sparrow, From Wikipedia Commons, Dominic Sherony

I am finishing up my presentation about sparrows today for Tuesday's North Texas Bird and Wildlife Club meeting. I always have trouble finding good photos, since I am not a photographer myself.


I have been finding small caches of public domain photos, or photos that can be used with attribution (which of course, I would do), but some of the lesser known (or better termed, less spectacular) birds are difficult to find. I should have guessed wikipedia would have an answer. In the wikipedia commons, there are thousands of photos, free for use. That is where I found the photo above.

I also found today an open source of bird song recordings through a post on the OKBIRDS listserv. Thanks to all of those who share their work. I hope these photos will make this blog more interesting going forward. Who wouldn't want to be able to see the beautiful birds we're talking about?

Good birding!

Come Learn About Sparrows

I will be speaking on the topic of "Sparrows" at the next North Texas Bird and Wildlife Club meeting, Tuesday, May 18, 7:00 PM at the NALC Building on Southwest Parkway (next to Wichita Valley Nursery).

When we say "sparrow," most people assume we're talking about the ubiquitous House sparrow. We have many sparrow species that reside in this area at various times of the year. We'll learn more about the habits of various sparrow species as well as hints on identification during this presentation.

As always, the public is welcome. Light refreshments will be served.

Good birding!

Get Out the Snorkle!

It has been raining on and off all week. In the Wichita Falls area, it hasn't been too bad, although tornadoes and strong storms have been pounding our neighbors to the north in OK. In fact, a tornado destroyed the home of Debby Kaspari, one of the regular contributors to the OKBIRDS listserv. Listserv members are collecting money to help her out.

However, we in the Wichita Falls area have been catching more severe weather since yesterday. Consequently, there is a lot of standing water and the authorities are beginning to close the roads in some low lying areas. The watch is on the Wichita River--it is rising rapidly. This is the river that caused flooding and evacuation of much of our neighborhood in 2007 (we were one of the lucky ones that didn't have to leave.) At present, the water is not nearly that high. Weather forecasts are for storms all weekend, into next week.

I am glad we are having cool weather and rain, but it would be nice to spread it out throughout the summer.

The birds are laying low. Although there are some branches down around town, it didn't look to bad when I was out earlier today. Storms are often followed by a huge influx of birds at Wild Bird Rescue, but so far, that hasn't been the case. We are getting the normal run of babies (right now, running heavily to blue jays) but not yet any large numbers of additional birds from the storms. We have had over 100 birds come in after major storms in the past; we'll continue to hope for continued good fortune in that respect.

Cedar waxwings are still in the area--I heard them in the front yard at lunch today. I guess they aren't convinced there will be fruit up north yet.

Good birding!