https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLHXit4az1o
Well here we are, the school year is almost half over and 2014 is rapidly coming to a close. I hope you have been enjoying this birding adventure half as much as I have. It has been a pleasure to challenge you with new birds, many of which you may never see, at least without taking a road trip. I look forward to the new year as the Great Bird Race continues. If all goes as planned, we will be traveling the Southwest and exploring the many wonderful trails and interesting places along the way. And of course great birds.
This weeks bird was found at Mingo National Wildlife Refuge in Missouri and it is challenging because it has a very close cousin that is found in Deschutes County. This is an example of using range maps to differentiate which one it could be, but it pays to really look close for the subtle differences because this bird is found occasionally in Oregon and it does sometimes interbreed with its cousin so the offspring present a real challenge. So, range maps are a guide but where the ranges overlap, they are not a good tool. In this case, since the bird was found far from where it overlaps with its cousin, the range map does become useful.
Look closely at all the holes in this tree, this guy has been spending a lot of time and the holes are a sign of the special way they feed which is reflected in its name. I will point out that this is an adult male. Oh, and the other part of its name is completely lacking on this bird and can be very subtle on many of this species.
Extra points if you can tell what bird is calling loudly in the background :=)
Have a great week and Happy birding.
Well here we are, the school year is almost half over and 2014 is rapidly coming to a close. I hope you have been enjoying this birding adventure half as much as I have. It has been a pleasure to challenge you with new birds, many of which you may never see, at least without taking a road trip. I look forward to the new year as the Great Bird Race continues. If all goes as planned, we will be traveling the Southwest and exploring the many wonderful trails and interesting places along the way. And of course great birds.
This weeks bird was found at Mingo National Wildlife Refuge in Missouri and it is challenging because it has a very close cousin that is found in Deschutes County. This is an example of using range maps to differentiate which one it could be, but it pays to really look close for the subtle differences because this bird is found occasionally in Oregon and it does sometimes interbreed with its cousin so the offspring present a real challenge. So, range maps are a guide but where the ranges overlap, they are not a good tool. In this case, since the bird was found far from where it overlaps with its cousin, the range map does become useful.
Look closely at all the holes in this tree, this guy has been spending a lot of time and the holes are a sign of the special way they feed which is reflected in its name. I will point out that this is an adult male. Oh, and the other part of its name is completely lacking on this bird and can be very subtle on many of this species.
Extra points if you can tell what bird is calling loudly in the background :=)
Have a great week and Happy birding.
Great bird for learning how to use the Range map!
ReplyDeleteGreat fun, this has been a great semester and I have enjoyed the challenge of finding and videoing birds to share. Next year should be even better because the Southwest has some really beautiful birds.
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