Steller's Sea Eagle

The Steller’s Sea Eagle Haliaeetus pelagicus occupies a limited breeding range along the seacoasts and on islands and rivers of eastern Siberia from Koryakland south to northern Korea. Part of the population over-winters in the breeding range, concentrating around ice-free portions of lakes, rivers and the sea (Nakagawa et al. 1987, Lobkov & Neufeldt 1986). Others move south to Hokkaido, the Kuril Islands, Korea, and the coast of the Russian mainland (Babenko et al. 1988, Lobkov 1988, Nakagawa & Fujimaki 1988).

At least 20 fledglings moved to pre-migration sites for 1-4 weeks. This behavior was most obvious for birds whose nesting sites were coastal. Pre-migration sites were on the lower reaches of rivers and might be areas where dead (post-spawning) salmon are found in abundance. Eagles raised on large rivers and lakes tended to wander along rivers prior to the onset of a definite migratory push.
Steller’s Sea Eagle Birds initiated migration between August 18 and November 15. Birds marked in 1997 migrated earlier than those marked in 1998. Migration occurred between August 18 and January 14. All but one followed established migration routes. The pace of migration varied considerably. Birds took 5 to 116 days to reach their initial wintering destinations. Migration rate averaged 51.3 km/day (SD = 56.0). Most birds from Magadan and Amur migrated down the western edge of the Okhotsk Sea, and birds reared in Kamchatka moved down the Kuril Island chain. The eagle whose migration patterns was ‘atypical’ (ID 23374) was marked in Magadan region. It made an initial move west, then turned east, and migrated to the Kamchatka Peninsula. Only one location between the breeding and wintering grounds was estimated for this bird. This was of relatively low quality, but was located in the middle of the sea, and suggests that the bird may have made a sea crossing. The shortest crossing would be about 730 km.

Korea. Part of the population over-winters in the breeding range, concentrating around ice-free portions of lakes, rivers and the sea (Nakagawa et al. 1987, Lobkov & Neufeldt 1986). Others move south to Hokkaido, the Kuril Islands, Korea, and the coast of the Russian mainland (Babenko et al. 1988, Lobkov 1988, Nakagawa & Fujimaki 1988). Twenty-nine, nestling Steller’s Sea Eagles were fitted with PTTs in the summers of 1997 and 1998. Twenty-four provided data useful in understanding post-fledging movements, twelve from Magadan, 7 from Amur, 4 from Kamchatka and 1 from Sakhalin. We are still (27 January, 1999) receiving information from six birds.
Fledging occurred in August and early September for most Steller’s Sea eagles. Nestling dispersal (when the eagle moved permanently more than 5 km from the nest site) occurred 9 September to 6 December (N = 24). Twenty-two nestlings dispersed 14 September - 21 October. Dates of dispersal did not differ between years or regions.
Twenty-nine nestling Steller’s Sea Eagles Haliaeetus pelagicus were fitted with satellitereceived transmitters (PTTs) in the summers of 1997 and 1998. Twenty-four provided data useful in understanding post-fledging movements, 12 from Magadan, 7 from Amur, four from Kamchatka, and one from Sakhalin. At this time (27 January 1999), we are still receiving information from six birds. Fledging occurred in August and early September. At least 20 fledglings moved to pre-migration sites for 1-4 weeks. This behavior was most obvious for birds whose natal ranges were coastal.
Steller’s Sea Eagles raised on large rivers and lakes tended to wander along rivers prior to the onset of a definite migratory push. Nineteen birds were followed south, 16 made it to wintering areas. Eagles took 5-116 days to reach their initial wintering destinations. Migration rate averaged 51.3 km/day (SD = 56.0). Most birds from Magadan and Amur migrated down the western edge of the Okotsk Sea, and birds reared in Kamchatka eventually moved onto the Kuril Islands. Two birds were tracked from fledging into their second autumn migration. They moved northward from the wintering grounds in the second and third week of April. Summering areas were south of natal areas, and both had early and late summering areas.

Australian King Parrot

The female Australian King Parrot is camouflaged in a dull green while the male struts around in brilliant red, bright green and a contrasting deep green.

Australian King Parrots are also called the Southern King Parrot or King Lory. Their scientific name is Alisterus scapularis.

King Parrots are shy and live in the forests along the coastal areas of New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland. The will enter gardens when they feel safe, which is usually after all the noisy aggressive birds have moved on.

The birds eat insects for protein, fruit for vitamin C and energy, and seeds for the other nutrients and essential fatty acids. When they visit your garden and munch on food scraps, give them the healthy stuff, not sugar, white bread, or fried food as refined food makes them fat without providing nutrition.

You might be able to attract a King Parrot down to feed close to you but they will be the last bird in your garden to trust you and the female may take a lot longer than the male. They will fly away when any other bird approaches, which means you have to feed all the other birds first.

The King Parrots breed from Spring, September, through to late Summer, January. In autumn you will see the young kids out eating with mum and dad. The baby parrots start off in the same green as the mother so they will be hard to see when in the nest among the leaves. Late in Autumn or in winter, you see the young males gradually developing the bright colouring of the adult males.

If you find an injured King Parrot then call a wildlife specialist to save the bird because the birds are becoming less common as we clear away trees. They need a big cluster of big mature trees for their nest, which means they are not surviving in areas of high density housing where there are only token small trees and shrubs.

What's The Macaw Bird?

Native to Central and South America, macaws — which include the scarlet macaw, the blue-and-gold macaw, the blue-throated macaw, the Buffon's macaw, the green-winged macaw, the hyacinth macaw, the military macaw and the red-fronted macaw — are the gentle giants of the parrot species. They’re the largest parrot species and popular pet birds. These social birds can create quite a racket when they want to, and the large beaks of macaws can be intimidating.

The hybrid macaws — which include the miligold macaw, the ruby macaw, the shamrock macaw, the bluffon's macaw, the calico macaw, the catalina macaw, the camelot macaw and the harlequin macaw — are offspring of the crossing of two macaw species (e.g., is the catalina macaw is the result of a scarlet macaw paired with a blue-and-gold macaw). First-generation hybrid macaws are crossings between two naturally occurring macaw species. There are also second-and-third generation hybrid macaws. Second-generation hybrid macaws have one parent that is a naturally occurring macaw species and one parent that is a first-generation hybrid macaw. A few third-generation hybrid macaws are the result of crossing hybrid macaws.

Some aviculturists are against hybridization. When a naturally occurring macaw species population is threatened, the primary effort is to breed the species to help it survive and, in such cases hybridization could potentially undermine this effort.

Whether you get a naturally occurring macaw species or a hybrid macaw, you’ll need a lot of space and time to keep your macaw happy, but you will be rewarded with a comical, friendly and affectionate pet.

The Cockatoo Belongs To The Bird Family Cacatuidae

The Cockatoo belongs to the bird family Cacatuidae. The name of cockatoo is originated from Malay. The Cockatoos can be recognizable by their showy crests and curved bills.

The plumage is less colorful than the plumage of other parrots, they generally have white, grey or black, and frequently with colored features in the crest, cheeks and tail.

The Cockatoos` dies consists of seeds, tubers, corms, fruits, flowers and insects. They live in flocks, that is why when they go for food, they go in flocks.

The Cockatoos have between 30 to 60 cm in length and between 300 to 1,200 g in weight. Like any parrots, the cockatoos have short legs ,strong claws and a waddling gait. Because of their large wings, the cockatoos can fly with the speed of 70 km/h.

The Cockatoos use their “voice” when they want to recognize each other, when alerting other of predators , when indicating individual moods or when maintaining the cohesion of a flock.

The Cockatoos are diurnal birds, and need daylight to find their food. They have also several characteristics methods of bathing: they may hang upside down or fly about in the rain, or flutter in wet leaves in the canopy.

The Cockatoos` nests consists of sticks, wood chips and branches with leaves. The eggs are oval and initially white as their location makes camouflage unnecessary. Only 20% of eggs laid are infertile. The incubation depends on species size, the duration may be between 20 to 29 days.

Like other parrots, the cockatoos can be afflicted by psittacoses beak and feather disease. The viral infection causes feather loss and beak malformation, and reduces the bird`s overall immunity.

Many of the cockatoos have benefited greatly from anthropogenic changes to the landscape, with the great increase in reliable seed food sources and available water, and have also adapted well to a diet including foreign foodstuffs. Preponderantly forest- dwelling species have suffered greatly from habitat destruction; in the main , they appear to have a more specialized diet and have not been able to incorporate exotic food into their diet.

Working With Baby Birds

Training your bird at a young age is ideal when compared to re-training or correcting the bad habits of an older bird. Some pet owners can become sidetracked by the freshness of having a new bird and enjoying their cuteness while they’re still baby birds; however, you must remember that in order to set the stage for the future, it is important to socialize your bird, work on good communication, and establish trust at a young age. Just as human babies need to learn to eat with a spoon and play well with others before they tackle long division, baby birds need to start with the basics. Spend time with your young bird developing trust and teaching the basics of good bird behavior. For example:

• Body handling. If you help your baby bird become accustomed to being gently handled now, you will prevent many problems later. For example, gently playing with your bird’s feet and toes will help it tolerate toenail filing. Gently lift its wings, so a trip to the groomer doesn’t become a nightmare later on.
• Toweling: Start using the towel as part of your play with your baby bird, gradually working into wrapping your bird up in the towel. When you or your vet need to wrap the bird in the towel for its own safety, the experience will be much less stressful.
• Beaking: Baby birds use their beaks to explore, but now is the time to let your bird know that anything beyond gentle nibbles is unacceptable. Frown and tell your bird “No,” and leave it alone for a minute or two, so it associates biting with being put in “time-out.”
• Harness: It can take some time before a bird accepts wearing a harness or flight suit, but things will go more smoothly if you start when the bird is young. Once you get your bird into the harness, take it outside, at least briefly, so it learns why the harness is worth the bother. It’s also a good time to try out the carrier. Take short car rides that don’t end at the vet each time, and your bird might look forward to them.

You will begin to notice better communication between you and your baby bird. Working with your bird frequently allows you to become familiar with the body language and preferences of the bird, making it easier to know what your pet wants and how to respond to its actions. By taking time to teach your bird new tricks, you are encouraging desired behavior. Your bird will begin to demonstrate the favorable behavior because it learns it receives your attention then, as opposed to misbehaving. The stimulation training provides your bird is also very important to cater to their intelligence and appease their curiosity.

This White-tailed Eagle Bird Is Unique

The New Year sees adults already re-establishing territories and, in fine weather, indulging in courtship display and nest-building. The earliest recorded eggs in Scotland have appeared on 29 February, but most are laid in late March. Some are not produced until mid-April, by which time the first laid will be hatching. Normal clutch size is two, but three eggs have been recorded at least twice, supporting historic records of clutches of three eggs. Incubation is 38- 40 days. Broods may be one or two chicks, and there is one case of triplets which fledged in 1997, though one of them was found dead only a few months later. Unlike Golden Eagles, White-tailed Eagle siblings rarely exhibit any aggression in the nest. The fledgling period can vary from 10-14 weeks, occasionally longer, presumably depending upon food availability. The latest Scottish fledging date is 29 August 2000, coincidentally from the hundredth chick to be fledged following the reintroduction.

Young birds may remain dependent upon food supplied by adults for several more months, but observations from the reintroduction on Rum showed that some individuals, with access to food dumps, can develop on their own, without any parental example (Love 1983). Juveniles from Rum have ranged as far afield as Northern Ireland and Shetland, but most were reported within 100 km of the island. A similar pattern was shown by the birds later released at Letterewe.

During this second phase, about 300 sightings of young wing-tagged eagles were reported annually, totalling over 2,000 records between 1993 and 2002. Although most White-tailed Eagles are confined to the Inner and Outer Hebrides and the west coast mainland, young birds in their first two or three years may appear anywhere in Scotland. One was even seen over the centre of Glasgow (Clyde) in March 1996!

Tagged bird ‘Red 7’, set free at Letterewe in the summer of 1993, is a good example of ranging behaviour. It remained near the release site until November, was seen at Munlochy Bay (Ross & Cromarty) from 4-9 December, before heading north to be next reported in Orkney on 25-26 April 1994, at Sumburgh Head, Mainland (Shetland) the following day, and then back again on Orkney on 29 April.

This White-tailed Eagle bird is unique amongst Scottish White-tailed Eagles, being sighted in Fraena, Norway in October 1994 where it began breeding in the summer of 2001. White-tailed Eagles normally breed for the first time at about five years, but several Scottish birds have paired a year or two earlier in the absence of competition from existing pairs that would be normal in an established population. The youngest Scottish breeding pair was a three-year-old male with a four-year-old female in 2000, which even produced a chick. Sadly, the male was illegally poisoned in 2002, when one of his siblings was successfully fostered into another nest, and the female fell to an identical fate the following year.

Once mature, White-tailed Eagles tend to be faithful to the vicinity of their breeding territory where they may then live long and productive lives. ‘Blondie’ is a case in point: released in Rum in 1979, she moved south to Mull and established one of the first breeding pairs there; and she remained on the island until her death, 21 years later. Her mate disappeared two years later, aged 23 years. Such a lifespan is not unusual; before she finally disappeared in 1918, the last bird in Scotland had a distinctive white plumage and was known to the local Shetland Islanders for some 30 years (Love 1983, Birds of Shetland).

North America's Largest Bird

This powerful eagle is North America's largest bird of prey and the national bird of Mexico. These birds are dark brown, with lighter golden-brown plumage on their heads and necks. They are extremely swift, and can dive upon their quarry at speeds of more than 150 miles (241 kilometers) per hour.

Golden eagles use their speed and sharp talons to snatch up rabbits, marmots, and ground squirrels. They also eat carrion, reptiles, birds, fish, and smaller fare such as large insects. They have even been known to attack full grown deer. Ranchers once killed many of these birds for fear that they would prey on their livestock, but studies showed that the animal's impact was minimal. Today, golden eagles are protected by law.

Golden eagle pairs maintain territories that may be as large as 60 square miles (155 square kilometers). They are monogamous and may remain with their mate for several years or possibly for life. Golden eagles nest in high places including cliffs, trees, or human structures such as telephone poles. They build huge nests to which they may return for several breeding years. Females lay from one to four eggs, and both parents incubate them for 40 to 45 days. Typically, one or two young survive to fledge in about three months.

These majestic birds range from Mexico through much of western North America as far north as Alaska; they also appear in the east but are uncommon. Golden eagles are also found in Asia, northern Africa, and Europe.

Some golden eagles migrate, but others do not—depending on the conditions of their geographic location. Alaskan and Canadian eagles typically fly south in the fall, for example, while birds that live in the western continental U.S. tend to remain in their ranges year-round.

Blue and Gold Macaw Paradise

The Blue and Gold Macaw Ara ararauna is one of the most beautiful large parrots. It is a sweet tempered and affectionate parrot, and has one of the best all around personalities of the large Macaws. This bird makes a great companion for a single person. But it is friendly with everyone, including other birds, when it's well socialized. Although some Macaws are one-person type birds, the Blue and Gold is right at home in a family type situation as well.

This large parrot is also sometimes called the Blue and Yellow Macaw, or you may come across a larger variant from Bolivia called the Bolivian Blue and Gold Macaw. The Bolivian variety is distinguished by its larger size and its coloring. On all these Macaws the colors are vibrant, but the Bolivian has more of a true blue rather than the teal blue seen in the average Blue and Gold. They all share the same wonderful personality and characteristics.

Simba, seen in the picture above, is a handfed Blue and Gold Macaw. He originally came to us at the age of about 4 months and then quickly became everybody's favorite, as is typical for a Blue and Gold Macaw!

The Blue and Gold Macaw is very adaptive. Whatever environment they are in, it becomes quite normal for them. If they are around many people, they will accept many people. When well trained and socialized, Blue and Gold Macaws enjoy participating in all sorts of outdoor and public activities with their owners. We've seen them attending public festivals on their owners arms. One woman regularly took her Macaw with her to Western line dance classes. Another woman would take her Blue and Gold horseback riding with her. There are bird leashes available so you can take your feathered friend wherever you go, and they just adapt. They ride well in a car on a bird car seat

This is a lively, bouncy bird that loves to play, climb, and interact. They need a couple of hours a day outside a cage to be happy. Blue and Gold Macaw's are eager learners. They can be taught a variety of tricks and they are frequently seen in animal behavior acts. They are also one of the best talking of the Macaws and can learn about 15 to 20 words or expressions. But like all Macaws this parrot has a loud call, and it may be quite vocal at times.

The Blue and Gold is one of the most readily available of the large Macaws. They are also one of the least expensive Macaws for sale. But like all Macaws, they do require good socialization and consistent training to make good pets. They bond very closely with their humans. They are very affectionate, and will want your attention regularly.

Conures

Conures are native to most of South and Central America.
In general, they are part of a large group of parrots that range from small species of 8.5 inches in length (about the size of some of the parakeets) to 19 inches (larger than some of the smaller macaws) with most of them being in the 12 to 13 inch range.

They can be very colourful birds, in both appearance and personality. These birds have a never-ending source of energy. They are fun to watch because of their vibrant colours and acrobatic natures. They are pleasant and peaceful birds. Unfortunately, the voice of many Conures is not always pleasant – often consisting of bouts of loud screaming. Although not known for their talking abilities, many can develop good vocabularies, especially if handfed.

Green Cheek Conures, like my Griffin pictured here are among the smaller conures that are fairly common as pets. They are generally very quiet and even their speaking voice is almost a whisper.

Sun Conures, like TJ who belongs to a member of the Parrot Club of Manitoba is a mid sized conure. Their voice can be considerably louder than a smaller conure, but their personality is fun and outgoing.

The Key features of Sun Conure are, it is medium-sized parrot with large, black hooked bill, large head; long wings; long, tapered tail; plumage bright yellow, intensifying to orange on head and belly; outer wing bright green, with blue on primaries and primary coverts; sexes alike. Its habits are usually seen in medium-sized flocks; mobile and noisy; feeds in trees and shrubs.

They nest in tree holes, often in palms; other details known from captive, birds 4 eggs; incubation 28 days, by female; young fledge after 56 days; 1 brood. Sun Conure sounds like high-pitched, grating “screek”, rapidly repeated. Feed mainly fruit. Their habitat is Savanna and forest.

Taking Care Of Cockatiel

One of the earth’s most well-known birds will be the cockatiel which could be popular because of its light, friendly and also clever character. This specific bird isn’t very difficult plus constitutes a fantastic pet. Even newbies will likely be more likely to have no problems adapting to this certain bird’s desires.

Individuals who curently have this bird think it’s to be truly fortunate for them.
Cockatiels are originally present in Australia as they’re viewed as the tiniest from the cockatoo (parrot) family. You’d discover plenty of commonalities between a cockatiel as well as a parrot merely for the truth that the cockatiel is amongst the species of parrot. The actual name sounds a great deal more like a Dutch word “Kakatielje” that basically recommend just a little cockatoo.

By their own really character itself these cockatiel birds are actually sociable and moderately active and they like to be touched, played and talked to. Most of the time, you may find these birds doing a trick to catch your attention and by singing also. They live for as long as 15 to 20 years and are located in yellow, white and gray color.

You may uncover these birds quite cheerful and affectionate to the extent that they will groom your hair. Affection is something they want and they would adore to get stocked and cuddled and might be trained to talk and whistle. Male are normally seen as far better than females for this, but then overall cockatiels aren’t extremely clear in their speech when compared to parrots.

In size they’re smaller than most parrots, don’t bite as significantly and are quieter and cleaner also. The point you should contemplate before taking one as a pet is that they are usually hand fed. This makes them straightforward to tame. Believe twice just before making a selection between a male and a female as they are friendly but not so costly birds. Female care are general far more nervous than males.

Also, you should consider insurance for this pets,due to the fact that they are sometimes ill and might be expensive to treat!

Please take a appear at the internet site to get all the info on cockatiel care! In case you would like to uncover our more about cockatiels, then have a peek at our cockatiel facts page.

Enjoy!

Caring for Your African Greys

African Greys are the most sought-after parrots, thanks to their amazing ability to communicate with humans. They are extremely intelligent birds and are known to be the best at mimicking human behavior.

There are two types of African Greys: The Congo African Grey and the Tinmeh Grey. The Congo subspecies is the more common pet bird. African Greys are typically 12 to 13 inches from beak to tail, and thus need adequate living space. If properly cared for, these birds can live to be 50 years old or older. If you’re thinking of owning an African Grey, or if you are new owner, there are some important things you should know.

Along with the intelligence of the Grey comes an extreme sensitivity. Greys need the special attention that human children require. Experts say that these birds need at least three hours of interaction per day. Greys, like children, need to be put on a schedule; they thrive when following a routine.

It is also very important to note that all Teflon products (including kitchen pans and accessories, and beauty tools) must be removed from the house before a parrot takes up residence. Teflon is deadly toxic to parrots. Once you use a Teflon product, the particles become airborne and then deadly to your pet parrot. Please seek your veterinarian's advice about which kitchen and/or beauty tools you can purchase to replace those with Teflon.

However, not all Greys speak well or at all. Those that do speak tend to do so after age 1. Experts advise that these birds should not be taken on as pets solely because the human wants the bird to speak. Greys form a special bond with their human owners, Hollander says. They often will bond this way with only one human, and may act shy around other people. Not only will the birds mimic the words of that special human in their lives, they are also known to take on their emotions. If you’re upset, there is a good chance your Grey will be, too.

A familiar and noisy American bird - Blue jay

Blue jays are natural forest dwellers, but they are also highly adaptable and intelligent birds. They are a familiar and noisy presence around many North American bird feeders. The blue jay's "Jay! Jay!" call is only one of a wide variety of sounds the bird employs—including excellent imitations of several hawk calls.

Blue jays are sometimes known to eat eggs or nestlings, and it is this practice that has tarnished their reputation. In fact, they are largely vegetarian birds. Most of their diet is composed of acorns, nuts, and seeds—though they also eat small creatures such as caterpillars, grasshoppers, and beetles. Blue jays sometimes store acorns in the ground and may fail to retrieve them, thus aiding the spread of forests.

Common in much of eastern and central North America, blue jays are gradually extending their range to the Northwest. They are fairly social and are typically found in pairs or in family groups or small flocks. Most northern birds head south for the winter and join in large flocks of up to 250 birds to make the long journey. However, this migration is a bit of a mystery to scientists. Some birds winter in all parts of the blue jay's range, and some individual birds may migrate one year and not the next. It is unclear what factors determine whether each blue jay or family decides to migrate.

The Eagle Is Not Really Bald

The bald eagle is a species of eagle species, the most popular. Bald eagle found in many regions of North America. His name is bald eagle, but the eagle is not really bald, it was just the name alone. Characteristic of bald eagle is the color of the head until his neck is white, you also must have been very popular with the kind of eagle this one, because the bald eagle became the national symbol of the United States.

There is an unquestionable awe in witnessing the natural phenomenon that occurs in Brackendale every winter as 1000s of Bald Eagles congregate but there is no mystery to it. What these birds have found here, on the shores of the Squamish, Cheakamus and Mamquam rivers, is an inviting environment complete with all that is necessary to survive winter's harsh realities.

Eagles have wintered in the Squamish Valley for perhaps millennia but it wasn't until about 25 years ago, when habitat along the Pacific Coast was increasingly lost to misguided logging practices and dwindling salmon stocks often due to the damming of rivers, that bald eagles discovered Brackendale en mass.

A truly unique way for up close and personal encounters with the wintering eagles is a gentle float trip through the heart of where the eagles and other birds gather. Eagles are relatively unperturbed by the rafts as they float gently down the river sometimes only a few metres away from these magnificent raptors. Sunwolf Outdoor Centre, located on the banks of the Cheakamus River, offers daily Float Tours where guests see up to a thousand eagles (often in groups of twenty in one tree) during a two hour tour. On your return from the river the Sunwolf Lodge awaits with a hot and hearty fireside lunch. An invigorating soak in the hot tub while taking in the magnificent views of the Tantalus Mountain Range is an ideal way to complete the day's adventure. Better yet, combine your winter eagle rafting experience with a night's stay in one of their cozy riverside cabins and continue to view roosting eagles from your doorstep.

Something About Parrots

The parrots are a broad order of more than 350 birds. Macaws, Amazons, lorikeets, lovebirds, cockatoos and many others are all considered parrots.

Though there is great diversity among these birds, there are similarities as well. All parrots have curved beaks and all are zygodactyls, meaning they have four toes on each foot, two pointing forward and two projecting backward. Most parrots eat fruit, flowers, buds, nuts, seeds, and some small creatures such as insects.
Parrots are found in warm climates all over most of the world. The greatest diversities exist in Australasia, Central America, and South America.
Many parrots are kept as pets, especially macaws, Amazon parrots, cockatiels, parakeets, and cockatoos. These birds have been popular companions throughout history because they are intelligent, charismatic, colorful, and musical. Some birds can imitate many nonavian sounds, including human speech. The male African gray parrot (Psittacus erithacus) is the most accomplished user of human speech in the animal world; this rain forest-dweller is an uncanny mimic.
Currently the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) bans the sale of any wild-caught species, yet the parrots' popularity continues to drive illegal trade.
Some parrot species are highly endangered. In other cases, once tame birds have reproduced in the wild and established thriving feral populations in foreign ecosystems. The monk (green) parakeet, for example, now lives in several U.S. states.

The Interesting Courtship Behavior Of Hummingbirds

Hummingbird is a small bird of the Trochilidae family. The rapid beating of the hummingbirds wings (60 to 80 beats per second) makes the distinctive humming sound from which they get their name.

They are found only in North America and South America.
The hummingbird range extends as far north as southeastern Alaska and the hummingbird range extends as far south as southern Chile.
South America has the biggest variety of hummingbirds and more than half the species are found there. The country of Ecuador in northwestern South America has the largest number of hummingbirds of any one country with 163 different species.
The Hummingbirds courtship behavior is very interesting
They communicate with one another by making visual displays. Males sometimes raise the feathers bordering the gorget and toss their heads from side to side, while uttering shrill sounds. Females and young are more likely to do perched displays in which they spread their tail feathers to show the white tips.
Sometimes both males and females do shuttle-flights, which are rapid back and forth movements in front of another bird. During the shuttle flight, the tail and gorget may be displayed.
Dive display are only done by the males. At key points in the dive, buzzing, whistling, or popping sounds might be made with the wing feathers or the vocal cords. The trajectory of the dive is U-shaped. At the top of the arc, the bird may be quite high in the air.
The narrowly-focused shuttle dance of the male is usually part of a courtship ritual. After finding a ready female, he flies in front of her in short, rapid arcs. The dance field may be about ten inches wide.
We once saw a black-chinned hummingbird shuttle like this in front of a female that was perched in a mesquite. Looking intimidated, she moved her head back and forth to watched his awesome arial movements, which were only inches from her face; then she hung upside-down by her toes as he mounted her.
In some hummingbirds--mostly species that are south of the border--the males gather in communities, which are called leks. Then they all sing together to try to entice females to come into the neighborhood for mating.

Birds Will Be Bigger Because Of Global Climate Change?

Birds in central California are significantly larger than they were 25 to 40 years ago, and researchers believe it may be because they are bulking up in body weight to ride out severe storms related to global climate change.
Over the last 25 years, a robin, for example, has increased about an eighth of an inch in wing length and about 0.2 ounces in mass, according to a paper published online in Global Change Biology.

The findings fly in the face of assumptions based on an ecological benchmark known as Bergmann’s rule: Birds and mammals tend to be larger at higher latitudes, perhaps to conserve body heat. Under this reasoning, birds and mammals would get smaller as they adapted to rising global temperatures.

But they also suggest that explanations for the bigger birds are more complex, according to researcher Jill Demers, executive director of the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory.

“The degree of physical change over a relatively short scale of time is remarkable and surprising,” Demers said. “Similar studies in Pennsylvania and Europe, for example, show that birds there have decreased in size over the past several decades.”

Overall, birds in central California have grown an average of 2% to 5%  in body weight and wingspan, said Rae Goodman, who discovered the trend while working as a graduate student at San Francisco State University, analyzing data from thousands of birds caught and released each year near San Francisco Bay and the Point Reyes National Seashore.

More study is needed to determine whether these changes are good for central California birds and how they affect food chains, Goodman said.

The data was gathered from “banding stations” where dozens of species of birds each year are captured, banded around the leg with an identification tag, weighed and measured before being released, allowing researchers to analyze physical traits over several decades.

Researchers, including a team from PRBO Conservation Science, analyzed data from 14,735 individual birds collected from 1971 to 2010 near the southern end of Point Reyes National Seashore, and 18,052 birds collected between 1983 and 2009 from the southern end of San Francisco Bay.
“I recently presented my research to my students,” said Goodman, who now teaches biology at San Francisco’s Jewish Community High School of the Bay. “It was something a little more glamorous than the lessons they’re used to.”

Eye on Nature birds

We do a lot of birding on the Laguna Madre. We bird almost every day. It is a big part of keeping an eye on nature. We know birds individually and we see new ones all the time.
This time of year we get to see and meet so many species that just use this area as a migration stop over. They may stay a few hours, a few days or even a few weeks before they move on south.
One species in particular we watch for is the little shorebird called a Redknot. It is plain in the winter, a not so redknot. But one we see very few of. While we can see high numbers of other species, with this one the most I have seen at one time is a dozen.　　
　　Of all the species we see, we have seen only a handful of banded or tagged species. Ones that have been captured and banded are highly sought after as it helps researchers monitor the status of the species.
We have seen many banded piping plover, which is the species we have seen the most banded birds. We have seen a few banded brown pelicans; one osprey; one rose throated bicard, which is another story in it self; a few peregrines; and a few reddish egrets. But never a banded redknot.
As we were armchair birding the other day along the shore ooing and ahing over piping plovers and the variety of shorebirds just feet in front of us, I saw a light green tag on a bird just larger than the sanderling it was feeding next to. It was a redknot. Finally, a banded redknot.
So I took many photos and got some good ones to read what the tag said. I searched the flat for more redknots but only found pectoral sandpipers, ruddy turnstones, least and western sandpipers, a few more unbanded piping plovers but no more redknots, just this loner.
The wind was kicking up and we headed to the house. After uploading my photos and searching Google for tagged redknots, I found the website to report this bird, and map it, too. It was neat to see the history on this precious gem, a species that might be lost to us soon if we do not save the horseshoe crabs. Here is what we learned from the report that came back on the little redknot.
Capture on Oct. 7, 2009 at County Beach North on Mustang Island.
Resightings on Jan. 4, 2010 on Mustang Island at the Port Aransas Jetty and Beach, May 17, 2011 at the Padre Island National Seashore, and Oct. 27, 2011 in the Brownsville Ship Channel.
Keeping an eye on nature, Scarlet Colley, Dolphinwhisper on facebook. To book an armchair birding trip call 956-299-1957

Disappear "series TG4 outstanding threat to Ireland's wildlife

　　
　　　　A new six-part nature series, to be broadcast on TG4 from next week, will chart species of Irish wildlife under threat in Galway and in other areas of the country, wildlife which is in danger of joining those animals which have fallen into extinction. 　　The series, Ag Dul in Éag or Dying Out, takes a broader look at threatened Irish wildlife and recounts the facinating stories of how some of Ireland’s species suffered total annihilation. Featuring the music of Galway city man John Finn, the series is produced by County Clare based Waxwing Productions and explores the extinction of animals such as the brown bear, the wolf, and the wild boar many years ago and the danger that is posed to wildlife today, in particular water birds in Galway, for example the yellowhammer.
According to wildlife expert and director of Waxwing Wildlife Productions, John Murphy: “Some of our most interesting species have been decimated; whether centuries ago or in the past few hundred years. The wolf, the wild boar, the Eurasian crane and the brown bear were once plentiful in our woodlands, waterways and caves. Some were hunted out of extinction either by directive or demand, such as the wolf and the wild boar, whilst others fell prey to the clearance of our woodlands, such as the brown bear, the capercaille and the red squirrel. Whereas there are many other species such as the eel, the little tern, the bittern and the yellowhammer currently clinging on for their lives on our island nation.
“The clearance of our native oak woods played a large part in the drumming echo of the woodpecker disappearing from our forests centuries ago. But in the past decade we have seen the return of these colourful birds to many areas of the countryside. This is a very welcome development and in this series we will explore what has contributed to this resurgence.”
Mr Murphy further explained that the introduction of non-indigenous species into the countryside can also have a negative effect on rare and precious species. He said: “To eradicate a species once is regrettable, but to allow it to disappear for a second time is simply irresponsible. This could be the fate of our native red squirrel. In the past the clearance of our native woodlands and the open killing spree that was waged on the red squirrel decimated this cute little mammal. But after the English restocked the countryside with them, the introduction of a non-native grey squirrel from America in the 1800s once again put them in danger of survival. If these aggressive grey squirrels aren’t kept in check they will very soon eradicate our native reds, as has happened in Britain. Another example would be how the introduction of mink to the wilds of Donegal is severely endangering the survival of red-throated divers in the area.”
Ongoing efforts to ensure the protection and preservation of other species such as the arctic char, Irish pollan, the red-throated divers, the Irish red deer, the grey partridge and the little tern are also charted in this series. The strong links to Irish folklore that many of the extinct species have is also explored, a reminder of the unique and once integral part they played in the Irish countryside.

Upon whom shall I defecate?

　　
　　"Upon whom shall I defecate?"
​ Birds can do it all. They fly, have hollow bones, eat worms all day, and live in houses made of sticks and spit. If you think birds can't get any more amazing, think again. Researchers at the University of Kyoto have found that Bengalese finches follow a pitch pattern in their tweets that is essentially grammatical. Danielle Perszyk writes in Scientific American that the study found "the birds responded strongly to tunes ordered with certain structure, even when this structure was artificially constructed." Birds may be the only species that can drop a dookie on you from one hundred feet in the air while correcting your use of a split infinitive.
How does one find out if birds know grammar? Kentaro Abe and Dai Watanabe, the researchers who led the study, did the following:
In each experiment, the birds were presented with the same songs until they became familiarized with the tune. The researchers then created novel songs by shuffling the notes around. But not every new song caught the birds' attention; rather, the finches increased response calls only to songs with notes arranged in a particular order, suggesting that the birds used common rules when forming the syntax of that song. When the researchers created novel songs with even more complicated artificial grammar--for example, songs that mimicked a specific feature found in human (Japanese) language--the birds still only responded to songs that followed the rules.
Amazingly, baby finches that were isolated from other birds were able to pick up on artificially constructed songs. It took the finches only two weeks to learn standard birdsong grammar after being introduced to a group of fellow fowls. This means they "absorb the precise rules of Bengalese finch grammar" just by listening.
Should further research prove that the varying tweets convey actual meaning, like words, it's a possibility that "these animals possess other cognitive abilities once thought to be singularly characteristic of human intelligence"

The birds food

　　
　　When it comes to providing food for the feathered creatures that visit your backyard, there are many decisions to be made. The type of feeder you choose, the food you use to fill it, where you place it, and what sort of habitat you provide the birds in your backyard will all affect the diversity and number of birds you see in your yard.
San Diego area residents are lucky birders, because there is a wild amount of diversity on the warm California coast, right through the year. Let’s start with the basic question: is there a certain type of bird you want to attract? If so, you should start by reading up a bit about that species. One of the best websites out there for birds is allaboutbirds.org, which is hosted by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Additionally, you can check out the National Birdfeeding Society’s website birdfeeding.org.
No matter your preference of birds, there are some rules of thumb for all species.
1-Birds will be more comfortable coming to feeders if you have some cover in your yard, whether that is provided in the form of trees, shrubs, or even a brush pile or two
2- You’ll get more birds if you also have a source of fresh and clean water.
3- Keep your feeders well off the ground if you have prowling neighborhood cats in the area, or consider a fence that closes off access by cats into your yard.
Hanging feeders, such as gazebos and tube feeders, will attract many small songbirds that like to perch in trees. There are a huge variety of these birds, which include chickadees, warblers, vireos, finches, and some tree sparrows like Chipping Sparrows. Heavier and larger birds, and birds that forage on the ground will avoid hanging feeders. These birds will come readily to platform feeders and include: robins, doves, grosbeaks, jays, and many ground and shrub-foraging sparrows like White-crowned Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos.
Hummingbirds and Orioles each have nectar feeders specifically designed for them. The choice of feeder is mostly aesthetic, but be sure that it is easy to fill and clean. Providing fresh fruit in your yard, either nailed to a surface that provides a perch or presented in a specialized fruit feeder, will attract any frugivore including orioles. Suet feeders will round out the bunch, and will attract any bark-foraging birds like woodpeckers, flickers, nuthatches, and chickadees.
No matter your feeder type, be sure that it’s easy to fill and clean! You can save yourself a lot of frustration in the future this way, especially if you are successful in attracting lots of birds. Also, make sure the feeder is designed to protect the contents from rain and has good drainage for any moisture that finds its way inside. Remember to hang your feeder so that it’s easy to reach!
Feeders can be filled with a number of different small nuts or seeds. Black-oil sunflower seed is an all-purpose seed that many birds like and it keeps well because it is protected inside its shell. I have had no luck using bags of mixed seed to fill hanging feeders, because most of the seed is usually wasted. Each species will prefer a different seed, and will dig through the mix until they get it, dropping whatever is in their way onto the ground. It’s much better to provide the seeds individually in different feeders.
If you are interested in bird diversity, provide several feeder and feed types in your yard. Experiment with the placement of those feeders to find that magic combination of shelter and openness that will make your birds flock in! No matter what else you do, remember to enjoy the birds that come into your yard. Happy birding!

Baltimore Oriole Of lovely

　　Few birds can match the bold coloring of the male Baltimore oriole. With it's signature black and orange feathers, it's no wonder so many people want this flier at their feeders. Learn how to attract a Baltimore oriole to your yard, and listen to its song.

　　Photo: Roland Jordahl
Scientific Name: Icterus galbuba.
Family: Blackbird.
Length: 8-3/4 inches.
Wingspan: 11-1/2 inches.
Distinctive Markings: Male has full black hood and fire-orange plumage. Female is drab yellow with dusky-brown wings.
Nest: Woven bag-like structure.
Song: Short series of clear whistles in varied pattern.
Habitat: Deciduous woodlands, parks and suburbs.
Diet: Mostly insects and berries.
Backyard Favorites: Comes to feeding stations for sugar water, halved oranges nailed to posts and grape jelly.

Hurt by oil of birds

　　
　　BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - One of seven oil companies charged with killing migratory birds during drilling operations in North Dakota has agreed to plead guilty.
Slawson Exploration Co. Inc., of Wichita, Kan., was charged under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act with killing 12 birds in oil waste pits in western North Dakota from May 6 through June 20.
Under a plea deal filed in federal court Monday, Slawson will pay $12,000 to the nonprofit National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
The maximum penalty for each misdemeanor charge is six months in prison and a $15,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Timothy Purdon said he could not comment on the deal because it still must be approved by U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland in Bismarck.
Stu Kowalski, an attorney for Slawson, also declined to comment.

A nail hurt two red-tailed hawk

　　
　　SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A red-tailed hawk that appears to have been shot in the head with a nail gun was captured in a San Francisco park and rushed to a wildlife center, a rescue group says.
The juvenile bird was trapped Saturday evening at the San Francisco Botanical Gardens, said Rebecca Dmytryk, executive director of the Monterey-based group WildRescue.
There was no immediate word on the bird’s condition, but a photo of the capture shows the bird being held by a rescuer.
Dmytryk said it was immediately transported to Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley in San Jose, where specialists were staying late to receive it.
WildRescue had been notified of the injured bird nearly a week ago and had tried to trap it several times last week without success.
But observers got close enough to the bird to see the nail extending from its cheek through the front of its head. They said the hawk appeared to be in pain.
Dmytryk’s group had been using a trap called a bal-chatri, a trap made of wire mesh, to try to catch the injured hawk.
Rescuers believe someone intentionally hurt the hawk earlier this month. A reward of $10,000 has been offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whomever harmed the bird.
She has said that wild birds, like hawks are protected, and that it’s a felony to try to capture the birds without a license.

Birds are our friends

1-Birds will be more comfortable coming to feeders if you have some cover in your yard, whether that is provided in the form of trees, shrubs, or even a brush pile or two

　　2- You’ll get more birds if you also have a source of fresh and clean water.
3- Keep your feeders well off the ground if you have prowling neighborhood cats in the area, or consider a fence that closes off access by cats into your yard.
Hanging feeders, such as gazebos and tube feeders, will attract many small songbirds that like to perch in trees. There are a huge variety of these birds, which include chickadees, warblers, vireos, finches, and some tree sparrows like Chipping Sparrows. Heavier and larger birds, and birds that forage on the ground will avoid hanging feeders. These birds will come readily to platform feeders and include: robins, doves, grosbeaks, jays, and many ground and shrub-foraging sparrows like White-crowned Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos.
Hummingbirds and Orioles each have nectar feeders specifically designed for them. The choice of feeder is mostly aesthetic, but be sure that it is easy to fill and clean. Providing fresh fruit in your yard, either nailed to a surface that provides a perch or presented in a specialized fruit feeder, will attract any frugivore including orioles. Suet feeders will round out the bunch, and will attract any bark-foraging birds like woodpeckers, flickers, nuthatches, and chickadees.
No matter your feeder type, be sure that it’s easy to fill and clean! You can save yourself a lot of frustration in the future this way, especially if you are successful in attracting lots of birds. Also, make sure the feeder is designed to protect the contents from rain and has good drainage for any moisture that finds its way inside. Remember to hang your feeder so that it’s easy to reach!
Feeders can be filled with a number of different small nuts or seeds. Black-oil sunflower seed is an all-purpose seed that many birds like and it keeps well because it is protected inside its shell. I have had no luck using bags of mixed seed to fill hanging feeders, because most of the seed is usually wasted. Each species will prefer a different seed, and will dig through the mix until they get it, dropping whatever is in their way onto the ground. It’s much better to provide the seeds individually in different feeders.
If you are interested in bird diversity, provide several feeder and feed types in your yard. Experiment with the placement of those feeders to find that magic combination of shelter and openness that will make your birds flock in! No matter what else you do, remember to enjoy the birds that come into your yard. Happy birding!

Birds life

　　If you like to hunt pheasants and quail, this might be the perfect fall to give the state's Walk-In Access areas a try. It looks like pheasant and quail numbers are up in Utah.

　　Walk-In Access areas can be great places to hunt pheasants. Utah's pheasant and quail hunt starts Nov. 5, 2011.
Photo by Scott Root
Great conditions
Justin Dolling, upland game and migratory game bird coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, says lots of rain this past spring and early summer gave Utah's pheasants and quail exactly what they needed—good nesting cover (which makes it harder for predators to find the birds) and plenty of insects for pheasant and quail chicks to eat.
When the state's pheasant and quail hunts open on Nov. 5, don't be surprised if you see some younger birds. Pheasants and quail nest in April and May. But if their first nesting attempt isn't successful, they'll nest again in early summer.
"Many of the birds' first nesting attempts probably failed because of all the rain," Dolling says. "But bird numbers appear to be up from last year, so it looks like the second nesting attempts were successful."
Biologists don't have long-term survey data for pheasants and California quail. But they do have long-term data for Gambel's quail. And surveys conducted this past summer in the Mohave Desert in southwestern Utah—which is the only place Gambel's quail are found in the state—indicate the number of birds is up.
In 2010, the highest number of Gambel's quail and chukar partridge biologists saw at the two water holes they surveyed was 66 birds.
This past summer, the highest count was 90 birds. "And the birds were scattered more than they were last year," Dolling says. "To have 90 birds come to the two waters holes, compared to 66 during a much drier year, indicates Gambel's quail are doing really well."
Best places to hunt
Pheasants
Dolling says marshes near Great Salt Lake and Utah Lake are some of the best places to hunt pheasants in Utah. "Both of these areas have good numbers of birds," he says.
Other good areas to try near the Wasatch Front include eastern Box Elder County; along the Bear River and near Cutler Marsh in Cache County; western Weber County; small, scattered areas in western Davis County; and areas near Nephi.
Away from the Wasatch Front, Uintah and Duchesne counties in northeastern Utah and areas in central Utah south of Price, including areas near Huntington and Cleveland, are good places to try.
California quail
Northeastern Utah is the best place to hunt California quail in the state. Private land, from Duchesne east to Vernal, harbors good numbers of birds.
"You'll usually find quail in the same place you find pheasants," Dolling says.
Gambel's quail
Gambel's quail are found in only one area in Utah—the Mohave Desert in southwestern Utah. And that's good because there's plenty of public land in the desert.
You might have to travel awhile to get there. "But, if you can spend a couple of days in the area," Dolling says, "you should have a good experience."
To find Gambel's quail, Dolling suggests walking rolling hills and drainages in the desert that have cactus and mesquite plants on them.
"It's really helpful to hunt with a dog," Dolling says. "But make sure you place boots on your dog's paws so your dog isn't stuck by thorns."
Walk-In Access areas
One of the challenges to hunting pheasants and California quail in Utah is finding a place to hunt. Much of the land the birds are found on is private land.
Fortunately, Utah's Walk-In Access program is opening some of this private land to public hunters.
"I'd encourage you to visit our website and learn more about the state's Walk-In Access areas," Dolling says. "Several of them offer good pheasant and quail hunting."
You can learn more about the Walk-In Access areas—and see which ones have pheasants and quail on them—online.
More information about the Walk-In Access program.
Wildlife Management Areas
The DWR manages several wildlife management areas in Utah. Some of these WMAs have pheasants and quail on them.
In addition to the pheasants that are already on the WMAs, some of the WMAs will receive some additional pheasants before Nov. 5.
A list of the WMAs should be available online by Oct. 31.
You can learn more about Utah's WMAs by reading the "Access to Wildlife Lands in Utah" book. The free book is available at wildlife.utah.gov/publications.
Private land
Another option is getting written permission from a private landowner to hunt on his or her property.
Dolling encourages you to be polite and understanding if a landowner doesn't give you access to his or her property. "But if they do give you access to the property," he says, "you'll not only end up with a good place to hunt; you might end up with a new friend."
Dolling says you should not wait until the morning of the hunt to approach a landowner about hunting his or her property. "You need to get this permission several days before the hunt begins," he says.

Protect the Marine and birds

　　Spanish diplomacy has prevailed over environmental protection. On Tuesday, the Environment Ministry published its proposed list of the maritime areas that it wants the government to declare as national preserves.
However, in an effort to head off any diplomatic spats, ministry officials have eliminated three areas located in international waters, including two that are in an area of jurisdiction that is disputed with Gibraltar and Morocco.
Nevertheless, environmentalists are praising the government's move to declare 41 other areas as marine bird sanctuaries, saying that "it is a big step forward" in Spanish conservation efforts.

　　In total, the so-called Special Protection Zones for Birds total more than 50,000 square kilometers of areas along the coast of the Spanish peninsula and the Balearic and Canary Islands.
Strict controls will be enforced in each zone to keep oil tankers away and to ensure that birds that forage in these waters are not accidentally caught in fishermen's nets.
The Spanish Society of Ornithology (SEO-Birdlife), with financing from the European Union, helped ministry officials identify more than 37,000 kilometers of the most sensitive areas and, using GPS, spotted and listed more than 200 marine birds. Among the first tracts to appear in the SEO's proposed list were the Chafarina Islands, located some 2.5 miles off the coast of Morocco, where there are colonies of Cory's Shearwaters and Audouin's Gulls - both endangered species.
The SEO also included a part of the Straits of Gibraltar, which is located on the principle African-European migratory route, and the Banco de la Concepción, which lies just north of the Canaries.
José Jiménez, the director general of the Forestry Police, explained on Tuesday that the government decided to eliminate these areas from the initial protected-zone list because they are located in international waters. "Where there are disputes, we are going to sit down with the Foreign Ministry and study this issue more profoundly," he said.
Spain recently ignited a diplomatic rift when it declared the Bay of Algeciras a Site of Community Interest, which London immediately challenged before the European courts. The complaint was later thrown out by the justices.
Spain doesn't recognize any of Gibraltar's sovereignty claims to the waters surrounding the British overseas territory.
"Sites of Community Interest are designed to protect certain species and they must be justified," Jiménez said. The Forestry Police head also said he agreed with the Environment Ministry's decision not to designate the three areas in international waters Special Protection Zones for Birds because there "exist more than just scientific questions." The government doesn't want to create any unnecessary conflicts and has opted to study the matter before declaring the areas protected sites.
In 2006, the State Council prepared a report concerning the implications of designating protected zones in international waters. The report states that the Chafarina Islands were already declared a "national hunting refuge" in 1982, and recommended that if the government was going to extend the protected area, it should do so in conjunction with the Moroccan authorities.
SEO-Birdlife officials say they are disappointed by the Spanish government's decision to exclude the three areas from the list but reiterated that the ministry's designation of 41 other maritime areas "is a big step toward the conservation of our seas."
Pep Arcos, head of the SEO Marine Program, explained that even though an area is designated a special marine protection zone, "existing uses would remain" for the waters, such as fishing, but fishermen and others must avoid causing any injury to the birds. Arcos, however, admits that any approval of gas or oil exploration permits in these protected areas is more complicated.
The Environment Ministry has set a November 8 deadline for anyone who wants to file comments concerning the areas. Jiménez, for his part, hopes that the government will approve the designated areas before the current term expires.
Spain is far ahead of other European countries in this process of designation, Jiménez added. SEO-Birdlife acknowledged that it has been difficult to approve such protected zone designations in the past, but says this has been a commitment that has been driven by the past two Environment ministers.

Birds Houses

　　
　　Decorative birdhouses are a delight for bird lovers and birds alike. Featuring stunning architectural designs that are easy to clean and to fill, these decorative bird houses are not only beautiful, but fully functional. These classic designs will keep birds safe year round and add that finishing touch to your backyard with ornate architecture. Decorative bird houses help to invite and protect birds, while adding aesthetic appeal to any landscape of gardens. Enjoy early spring and summer mornings with the gentle and inviting chirps and songs of the birds who will call these decorative bird houses their own.

The white-tailed tropicbird

　　
　　The white-tailed tropicbird found in the road near Colebrook reservoir.
View and purchase photos
FALLS VILLAGE—Most of us have wondered at the ability of birds to travel thousands of miles between northern climes and their South American winter homes but recently this region had an unusual visitor who made the trip unwillingly, blown in on the winds of Hurricane Irene.
Wildlife rehabilitator Linda Bowen of Falls Village was host on Sept. 10 to a white-tailed tropicbird—Phaethon lepturus for those who like their birds with Latin names—that had been picked up sitting in the middle of the road near the Colebrook reservoir. These birds, natives of Caribbean, are rarely seen in North America—in fact, they are so rare that none of the people who came in contact with the visitor had any idea what he was.
The bird’s original rescuer called the rehabilitator saying he believed he had a tern, but, as few people can recognize terns, Ms. Bowen was skeptical and believed he had a sea gull.
“When the rescuer arrived and opened the box, I was surprised to see that the bird had a single, very long—perhaps 14-inch—tail feather,” she said. “The rescuer asked me what it was. I said, quite frankly, ‘I have no idea!’”
Subsequent consultation of field guides proved the bird’s southern origins. This began the saga of the first recorded sighting and rehabilitation of a White-tailed Tropicbird in Connecticut.
The bird, buffeted by the hurricane winds and swept more than a thousand miles from home, appeared to be slightly dehydrated, but had no visible signs of trauma. Ms. Bowen noticed that his legs were positions fairly far back on his body, which explained the rescuer’s report that the bird didn’t walk much.
“These birds spend almost all their time in air,” reported Ms. Bowen. “They even sleep in the air, riding on thermals. They will dive into the water, maybe 10 or 20 feet deep, catch a fish and gobble it down on the way back to the surface. Then they take off again. They don’t loll around on the surface like a sea gull.”
Ms. Bowen quickly gathered information about the bird as she attempted to stabilize him so that he could be returned to his natural environment. The rescuer revealed that he had the bird for at least a week and had been feeding it thawed smelt, which the bird readily accepted. He also bought it chopped octopus, apparently a treat for the refugee.
Without any knowledge of the species, the rescuer had hit close to home for the bird’s diet, which naturally consists of fish and squid. The docile bird dined on chopped clams for his first night at the rehabilitator’s. She also sought to rehydrate him by offering him water from a long curved-tip syringe. “When he bit at the tip of the syringe, I was able to push the tip beyond the glottis and he swallowed several times,” she reported.
Housing the bird required some ingenuity. Ms. Bowen set the bird up in a large crate to accommodate his very long, single feather, sometimes referred to as a “streamer,” arranging sheets under him to protect his keel, an extension of the sternum. With the bird fed and comfortable, she pondered her next step.

The new fanshion ad video by New York

NEW YORK, NY, Oct. 14, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cotton Incorporated is taking its "The Fabric of Our Lives®" celebrity campaign to Main Street. Along with media partner MTV.com, the company is launching a Cotton Style Search, an opportunity for 24 lucky cottonistas to strut their cotton styles on the runway of an industry first --- Cotton’s 24 Hour Runway Show.

From October 14^th - 26^th, fashion-minded cotton fans from around the nation will be able to log onto cotton24hours.mtv.com and upload images showing off cotton as the fabric of their lives. Twenty-four individuals will be selected to join professional models on a runway showcasing 1,440 looks; a cotton look a minute, from Noon to Noon,
The 24 selected Style Icons--- individuals who combine fashion sense with a cotton sensibility --- will be announced once a day beginning at 12:00 Noon on October 26^th; 24 days ahead of the big event; Cotton’s 24 Hour Runway Show. The looks culled from around the nation will be available for viewing in a fashion lookbook hosted on cotton24hours.mtv.com, and the 24 Style Icons will be highlighted and profiled on the site.

MTV is the world’s premier youth entertainment brand.   With a global reach of more than a half-billion households, MTV is the cultural home of the millennial generation, music fans and artists, and a pioneer in creating innovative programming for young people.  MTV reflects and creates pop culture with its Emmy®, Grammy® and Peabody® award-winning content built around compelling storytelling, music discovery and activism across TV, online and mobile.  MTV’s sibling networks MTV2 and mtvU each deliver unparalleled customized content for young males, music fans and college students, and its online hub MTV.com is a leading destination for music, news and pop culture.  MTV, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. 


As the day for Cotton’s 24 Hour Runway Show approaches, the 24 Style Icons will be flown to South Beach and prepped to join Elite models and local celebrities on a fashion runway featuring 1,440 looks --- a cotton look a minute --- for 24 hours. Each of the 24 hours will present themed categories of cotton apparel, such as "Pajama Party" and "Urban Chic." Streamed live on MTV.com, this unprecedented fashion event will show viewers and attendees cotton clothing for every style, occasion, and budget during a continuous 24-hour period.


"The runway show illustrates in a significant way the breadth of cotton fashion possibilities," says Hendee. "No matter who you are, there is a cotton look that fits your lifestyle, 24-hours a day."
In addition to walking the catwalk, the 24 selected Style Icons will receive a three night stay in South Beach, and a $350 American Express Gift Cheque to put together a cotton ensemble.
November 19^th and 20^th in South Beach, Miami.

See video from Cotton Inc. at: http://inr.synapticdigital.com/CottonInc/24HOURRUNWAY/
The well-known "The Fabric of Our Lives" television campaign has demonstrated how cotton fits into the lives and lifestyles of such celebrity icons as Miranda Lambert, Zooey Deschanel and most recently Kate Bosworth. Through its 24-hour fashion show and associated style search, the company aims to give fashion-minded citizens their time in the spotlight.


"Cotton is the everyman fabric," says Ric Hendee, Cotton Incorporated Senior Vice President of Consumer Marketing. "Its many permutations and comfort fit into everyone’s lifestyle, whether you are a red carpet celebrity or an as-yet-unsung fashion innovator."


About Cotton Incorporated
Cotton Incorporated, funded by U.S. growers of upland cotton and importers of cotton and cotton textile products, is the research and marketing company representing upland cotton. The Program is designed and operated to improve the demand for and profitability of cotton.
About MTV.com

Cute little bird

　　American Goldfinch and Lesser Goldfinch both eat seeds at my backyard feeders. They are year round residents here in northern California.
American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) and Lesser Goldfinch (Carduelis psaltria) are members of the family Fringillidae and the genus Carduelis.
Finches are small, colorful birds with conical bills adapted to seed cracking. They nest in late summer, after most birds have fledged their young. They build finely woven cup nests in trees and shrubs, lining them with thistle and milkweed down. Females usually do the nest building and incubation, while males contribute food to them and their young. Their food preferences are thistle seed, sunflower seed, and sunflower hearts.

Last week a female Lesser Goldfinch collected nesting materials from one of my hanging flower baskets while the male Lesser Goldfinch perched atop a stake nearby. I was able to get photos of the male but the female flitted around too much and I could not get a clear picture.　　

Lovely Birds

　　This is a delightful way to spend an afternoon. The gardens are lovely and contain a number of sizeable waterfalls. Our guide let us climb out onto the rocks for some of them.
After the garden/waterfall tour, you go into an aviary. There they put in generous amounts of birdseed in your hands so that the numerous colorful birds flock to you. It was a lot of fun.

The bird habitat

　　
　　Getting pictures of birds both perched and in flight appears to require an unusual amount of patience and dexterity with a camera. The web site titled Birds I View Photos has some beautiful pictures of birds. These footage may be purchased on the entrance of notice cards. They would be a fantastic gift.
Go to the page that claims photographs and scroll all the way down to view the entire group of fascinating picture shots the photographer, Mark Shaw, took on his travels around the western United States. This collection contains the Bald Eagle, Merlin, Tough-Legged Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk, Alder Flycatcher, Mew Gull, Geese, Lesser Yellowlegs, White-Topped Sparrow, Western Kingbird, American Goldfinch, American Avocets, Killdeer, Black-Topped Night time Herron, Mallard Duck, Variety Pack of Birds of Prey and a Variety Pack of Water Birds.

　　The picture of a Tough-Legged Hawk in flight at the Denali Nationwide Park, Alaska and the American Goldfinch in flight within the San Joaquin Valley, California are two wonderful shouts that have been timed perfectly.
Mark Shaw has a love and a expertise for exploring and observing a gorgeous factor of nature. The birds view to this point offers the viewer a close feeling of what the photographer felt as he was taking these pictures. Mark Shaw grew up round Fresno, California positioned in the San Joaquin Valley. He lives near the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Central California Coast the place lots of the birds photographed are found.

A lovely canary birds

　　


Canary birds, also known as hibiscus, hibiscus, white, white bird, jade bird, Pak Yin, is the bird head Branch Bird food grains. Origin of the northwest coast of Africa, the Canary, Madi take, Aisulizi other islands, is excellent both in plumage color and the chirping of caged pet birds. There are 24 varieties, both at home and abroad is listed as one of the noble captive pet birds. Although China has since the 1840s since the introduction from abroad, but did not pay attention to maintain a variety of strains, now more than pure. Relatively stable genetic canary are the following: (1) vibrato Canary: also known as German Luona canary, made by the German training. Male bird sounds like rattles, feathers, yellow-green close to the original species. (2) orange vibrato Canary: Canary mutated from the tremolo, because only the pursuit of plumage color, sounds slightly less than the canary trills. (3) Red Canary: the United States with orange canary bird with its own hybrid culture Fei made the body red. (4) Curly Canary: bred by the Japanese. Curly plumage, sounds quite beautiful. (5) Crescent Canary: British bred. Body was slender crescent-shaped. (6) Shandong Canary: from China Shandong, Yangzhou and other places bred. Chunky body, feather light yellow-green, loud song. (7) White Canary: Canary variation may be made by the Shandong Province, Shandong Canary similar size. Plumage white, pay attention to red-billed, red feet, red eyes. Mainly by the domestic canary, "Shandong species", "Yangzhou species" and German "Lorna kind of" three varieties. Shanghai to support "Lorna kind of" main body of this slender birds, plumage color is much more varied, from yellow, orange, bronze, silver and other colors. Surrounded by the feathers to the head and neck valgus crested, the wings from the feathers of different color, symmetrical on both sides of the flower, song length and tactfully, light and soft tones, singing up and down when the beak is closed, open, call and explain if impure varieties .

Dongzhai House Nature Reserve

Dongzhai Henan-Hubei provinces home Nature Reserve is located at the junction of the Dabie Mountains, the southernmost Luoshan from Xinyang City 32km. In June 2001, Dongzhai home Nature Reserve by the State Council approved the establishment of a total area of ​​46,800 hectares, located in China's north-south dividing line on the climate, the region is now distributed in 1879 kinds of plants, mammals 37 species, 44 amphibians and reptiles species of birds, 237 kinds, known as the "bird Paradise." Is a set of conservation, eco-tourism, bird watching, scientific study, teaching internships, entertainment, Chengde convalescence in one multi-functional integrated nature reserve.

Protected area's unique geographical location and characteristics of a mild and humid climate, the formation of a good forest ecosystems, and carries out a rich variety of species and biological resources, libraries, therefore, be included in the "China Biodiversity Conservation Action Plan" in the northern subtropics priority to the protection of the ecosystem area, but also inscribed on the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) conservation priority areas and national and worldwide significance of the area.
Dong Village of birds as much as does the same for the same latitude or longitude of protected areas in the rare bird species account for 79% of Henan Province, accounting for 20% of the country, including national key protected birds, 39 species included in the Sino-Japanese migratory bird protection agreements list of 95 species, country two protected birds Syrmaticus pheasant population density ranks first in the country.
Dong Village in bird-watching, one day is generally seen sixty-seven ten kinds of birds, up to see eighty-nine ten. Dong Village received a year of protected areas around the country who bring a hundreds of bird-watching trips, Beijing Normal University, River Normal University and other institutions of higher learning to Dong Village of teaching practice as a fixed base. Birds of protected areas to achieve scientific provincial and municipal scientific research 25. Protected areas are building China's largest white-crown pheasant breeding base in captivity, the full range of museum specimens of birds and attract beneficial bird hanging artificial nest.
[Dongzhai home Nature Reserve]

Protected area management and protection of natural resources continue to increase and strengthen public environmental education campaigns, improve and standardize the research and protection system; adhere to artificial nests attract birds and flying birds, to carry out scientific research without interruption; the use of "China Dong Village Bird Photographer of the Year would, "" Love the Birds Week "," wildlife Conservation awareness Month "and other activities to the public for the Protection of Birds, the natural ecological concern education, people's environmental awareness, increased awareness of protecting birds; protected areas is also attaches great importance to the training of technical personnel and training, management and protection of all workers in the distribution of birds identified in the books, a monthly record of bird species observed, Beijing Normal University and other experts invited lectures, has sent researchers to participate in the State Forestry Administration organized the training of the relevant knowledge of birds to learn . Since 2000, protected areas, Dong Village has a new record of birds found in 56 species of local bird species also increased from the 237 kinds of 293 kinds.