birding
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White-throat
One of those indefatigable winter warriors, a White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis), in the life-giving Sumac. This is one of the easiest birds to identify by voice, since its call, transcribed as “Oh-sweet-Canada Canada Canada” or “Old-Sam-Peabody Peabody Peabody” (I have duel allegiances) is distinctive and frequent. These birds will head to Canada to breed, their…
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Belted Kingfisher
A Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) was patrolling some of the un-iced water in Stranahan-Olmsted-Vaux’s park over the long weekend.This is a male. Male birds are typically more colorful than females, but this isn’t the case with this species. M. alcyon females have a rusty band below the blue collar-like markings, the “belt” of their common…
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Bills V
The Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) is a woodpecker who often forages on the ground, digging and poking for ants and beetles and those ever gooey larvae. This particular bill appears to have some dirt on it from poking into Green-Wood last fall. This species is found across the U.S., but western birds have red-shafted feathers,…
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Ring-billed Gull
Last year, I posted a picture of a Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) on a lamp between Pier 5 & 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park. This year, with a better-lensed camera, I offer another shot of a Ring-billed on the fence in the same area. Could it be the same bird? It’s very tolerant of people,…
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Bills IV
Get a load of the schnoze on this Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata). This is one of the dabbling duck species, straining tiny crustaceans, plankton, and seeds from the surface of the water. These long bills have comb-like filters on them. This is a male, but not yet in full breeding plumage, which, like the large…
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Bills III
The Black and White Warbler (Mniotilta varia) has a very slender bill for foraging for invertebrates amidst the bark and knots of tree.The bird’s hind toes/claws are unusually long, too, for getting a grip on vertical trunks. This one, a female, had just bathed and was grooming. This is not a shy species: I watched…
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Merlin
In the last week, I’ve seen 9 raptors, nearly half of them while I was walking down various streets of Brooklyn and Manhattan. My best day was Sunday, when I saw five birds of four different species in Green-Wood. This Merlin (Falco columbarius) was the highlight. Merlins are falcons, just slightly larger than Kestrels. I…
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Bills II
This male Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea), in his subdued non-breeding plumage, was capturing wasps on Lookout Hill during fall migration. These birds are usually pretty high up in the trees, but this one was acting like a flycatcher not so far above eye-level.
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Red-Headed, Nearly
An uncommon visitor to Brooklyn, this Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) has been hanging out in Green-Wood Cemetery this winter. This is a juvenile bird, on its way to getting the bright red head of an adult. The adult bird looks like a flag: red, black, & white.
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Bills I
Our most common birds give us great opportunities to examine them in detail. Here’s a close up of a House Sparrow (Passer domesticus). The bony upper and lower mandibles of birds are covered with a horny sheath of keratin, which is why it reminds me of unkempt fingernails, since it’s essentially the same material. The…
Backyard and Beyond 