Camoflauge

This is one of the best examples of protective Camouflage in birds. The Common Paureque, a nightjar,  hunts at night and sleeps in the daytime. He looks just like the forest floor.

The topic today is camouflage. Have you given much thought to how birds stay hidden from their enemies? One of the things that birds do that really present the challenge to birders, is that they constantly move around. But when they are not moving, they take advantage of several things that keep them from being seen. Here is a list.

Color

Markings

Posture

Birds are in constant danger of being lunch for many mammals and birds of prey so they take advantage of camouflage as their number one protection when they are not on the move and even when they are moving, the camouflage works.

Daytime Roosting Birds: Birds that roost during the day and are more active at night often have heavily camouflaged plumage to protect them from the day's active predators. Owls, nighthawks and nightjars are all primarily nocturnal and have developed strongly camouflaged plumage for daytime protection when they are less alert.

Nesting Females: In bird species where the female does most of the incubation and care of young chicks, she is often far more heavily camouflaged than the male. This is true of many types of ducks, as well as for warblers and other songbirds. The female's camouflage helps her blend in with the nest surroundings so she can stay protected without abandoning her young.

Juveniles: When first hatched and before they are fully mature, most juvenile birds have camouflaged plumage that may resemble the look of an adult female. Because juvenile birds are vulnerable in the nest and do not initially fly well, this camouflage gives them a slight edge over predators until they are grown enough to avoid danger more successfully.

Ground Foragers: Birds that regularly forage on the ground where they may be more susceptible to predators often have more camouflaged plumage. This includes many shorebirds, game birds, sparrows, thrashers and brown thrushes that have evolved different colors and markings for protection in their preferred habitat.

Here are a few of the pictures I have taken recently that illustrate some of the camoflague used by birds. 

This little Marsh Wren is colored just like the reeds that it lives in with markings that look like shadows and grasses.

The Clapper Rail, just like the Marsh Wren, is colored like the reeds and shadows of the marsh and just blends in which is why you seldom see them out in the open.

This eastern Blue Jay, is an example of how pretty colors help because when he is in this tree, the blue and white blend with the sky and he sort of disappears.

 

February 1, 2015, we are camped next to one of the best bird spots in Texas, Bentsen State Park which is one of the designated World Birding Centers.  So I found three more examples of bird camouflage to share:

Most sparrows are ground feeders so you can see why they are "Little Brown Jobbies"  all their brown streaks and spot blend in very well with the dead grass, dirt and other ground debris

It is of course winter down here even if it is currently 80 degrees but when these guys are in a tree without leaves, they really stand out.  However You can see that the yellow color of the Great Kiskadee blends right in with the yellow-green leaves

This Eastern Screech Owl is another classic example of night hunters sleeping in the daytime blending right in with their surroundings. 

And here's one more, I'm sure you can see the Savannah Sparrow here but look who well he blends in. 

Here are the next 21 birds for the list.

310 Vesper Sparrow, Williamson County, Texas

311 Harris's Sparrow, Williamson County, Texas

Striped Sparrow, Williamson County, Texas Note: this is a first record for North America, a really rare bird sighting. I must be approved by the American Birding Association as a bird that arrived here on it's own power so at this point it is not counted as an official wild bird. (it's complicated)

312 Glossy Ibis, Guadeloupe National Wildlife Management Area

313 Couches Kingbird, Guadeloupe National Wildlife Management Area

314 Le Conte's Sparrow, Guadeloupe National Wildlife Management Area

315 Whooping Crane, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge

316 Boat-tailed Grackle, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge

317 Lesser Black-backed Gull, Mustang Island, Texas

318 Snowy Plover, Mustang Island, Texas

319 Northern Bob White, Sabal Palm Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas

320 Least Grebe, Sabal Palm Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas

321 White-tipped Dove, Sabal Palm Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas

322 Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Sabal Palm Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas

323 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Sabal Palm Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas

324 Long-billed Thrasher, Sabal Palm Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas

325 Wilson's Warbler, Sabal Palm Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas

326 Hooded Oriole, Sabal Palm Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas

327 Plain Chachalaca, Sabal Palm Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas

328 Inca Dove, Sabal Palm Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas

329 Green Kingfisher, Sabal Palm Sanctuary, Cameron County, Texas

330 Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Paul's RV Park, Cameron, County Texas

331 Tropical Kingbird, Paul's RV Park, Cameron, County Texas

Bird of the Week 19

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnXvUpyrpYs

I think you will really like this bird of the week, sorry if it is a bit long, I just love these guys. This is one of the birds I come to Texas to see. They are sub tropical and most of their range is south of the border. Listen to all the different birds calling in the background. Any idea what any of them are? Sounds a bit like the jungle doesn't it. You may already have guessed what family these birds are in but in the way of a great big hint, most of the rest of this group are colored some kind of blue. Enjoy these tropical birds and Happy birding.

Feral Birds

Lilac-crowned Parrots, Brownsville, Texas

Feral Birds

Sorry I have gotten behind on my midweek blog posts. We have not always had good internet and I have been a bit busy chasing birds. I promised to address feral birds. Feral birds are ones that have esaped from cages and have managed to establish breeding populations in the wild. Usually this refers to birds that escape accidentally and not the result of releases by people who want to add them to the local fauna. Exotic species such as parots and parakeets are a prime example. The American Birding Association has now accepted population of some exotics that have established populations and thus  birders are allowed to include them on their official lists. They are always studying populations of escaped birds and they have fairly strict rules in the interest of good science. They mainly want to see strong populations that continue to remain stable or grow before they will consider them established.



Because most of these exotic birds come from warm climates, they are only found in the extreme south of the US in places like Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California. I am currently in Texas as you know and there are three species here that are currently accepted, the Red-crowned Parrot, Monk Parakeet, and Green Parakeet. You had the Monk as the bird of the week and I will be seeing and photographing the other two this week as well as some that are not fully established as of yet but are present in good numbers, such as the Lilac-crowned Parrot. 



I need to get the year list caught up and I will submit portions of the list each 

week till I catch up so as not to overwhelm our map all in one day. The number is up to 340.



293 Monk Parakeet, White Rock Lake, Dallas, Texas
294 Ruddy Turnstone, Bolivar Peninsula, Gulf Coast, Texas
295 Red-cockaded Woodpecker, W. G. Jones State Forest, Montgomery County, Texas
296 Brown-headed Nuthatch, W. G. Jones State Forest, Montgomery County, Texas
297 Mottled Duck, Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, Texas
298 Forester's Tern, Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, Texas
299 Barn Owl, Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, Texas
300 Mountain Plover, Bolivar Flats, Texas
301 Long Billed Curlew, Bolivar Flats, Texas
302 Marbled Godwit, Bolivar Flats, Texas
303 Least Sandpiper, Bolivar Flats, Texas
304 Short-billed Dowitcher, Bolivar Flats, Texas
305 Black Skimmer, Bolivar Flats, Texas
306 Stilt Sandpiper, Terrell Park, Beaumont, Texas
307 Lapland Longspur, Walker County, Texas
308 McCown's Longspur Walker County, Texas
309 Pine Warbler, W. G. Jones State Forest, Montgomery County, Texas

Monk Parakeets, Dallas, Texas

Bird of the Week, 18

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2dNHbtymHM&feature=youtu.be

Can you tell I like woodpeckers? I am one of the guides for the Dean Hale Woodpecker Festival in Sisters held the third weekend of June and if you want a great birding experience, go to the East Cascade Audubon Society web site and sign up for one of the tours at the festival. But I digress.

Many of you may know this woodpecker. It is found over much of eastern North America and most of Canada and its range dips down to western Washington, Oregon and northern California. They can be found in the mountains of western Deschutes County but they are not common.

When I was a child, there was a cartoon on TV called Woody Woodpecker. This bird of the week is what Woody was patterned after. Not sure if they are still playing it, but Woody had a very laughable call and if you hear this bird of the week calling in the woods, you will know where they got the idea for the cartoon characters call. Good luck with this weeks bird, and happy birding. 

Bird of the Week, 17

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On0QTvdRkzM

 When I presented the Bird of the Week in November, Colin Cheney expressed an interest in Parrots and Parakeets so since I ran across a large flock of these guys in White Rock Lake Park, Dallas, Texas, I thought this would make a good bird of the week.  This was a pretty cold day and again I was dealing with windy conditions but you can hear the birds calling in the video.

 


There are several established populations of exotics throughout the warmer climates of North America and this particular bird seems to be hardier than some and can be found in colder climes as well.  Established populations  occur throughout Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York,  Rhode Island, Texas and Puerto Rico.   There used to be a population of this birds near the airport in Portland but they have disappeared now.

More specific regions where the bird resides include: Austin, Dallas, and Fort Worth, TX; Chicago, IL; New Orleans, LA;  Jacksonville, Ft. Lauderdale, Boca Raton, St. Petersburg, Tampa, Brevard Co., Pinellas Co., Pasco Co., FL; Bridgeport, CT; Barrington, Warwick, RI; and, Brooklyn, NY.
Small populations have also been seen in California, South Carolina, Bedfordshire and Alfreton, England, Amsterdam, Paris, Italy, Belgium, Spain and the Canary Islands

This should be a easy ID because again, it is in the Sibley bird book.  In the mid week post, we will talk some more about feral bird populations and I will have more birds to ad to the list which should bring the list over 300!.  Have fun and Happy birding.

A New Chapter

Our new home on the road

This has been a busy first week on the road fighting unusually cold and snowy weather and now a new chapter to our travels.  Last night we arrived in the small town of Rice Texas where a small, self contained camper trailer is manufactured.  Known as the Casita, which means small house in Spanish, we ordered one about five months ago.  They make about one a day and the price of delivery to Oregon is the cost of a trip to Texas so the central purpose of this trip was to pick up the trailer.  Texas and the Southwest is one of the birdiest parts of the country so of course I couldn't resist the chance to enjoy all the great birds and share them with you, while I learn the ropes of the new trailer.  This new mode of lodging  should ultimately put us in closer touch with the birds.

Vermillion Flycatcher

Orange-crowned Warbler

The bird list is piling up so I thought I better post something tonight because I am not sure where we will be tomorrow or the weekend and might not be able to get on line.  I already am working on the Bird of the week for next week, one that is sure to please.

Early morning flight of Double-crested Cormorants

More birds for the map :)

265 Greater Scaup, The Dalles, Oregon
266 Greater White-fronted Goose, Colusa National Wildlife Refuge, California
267 Snow Goose, Colusa National Wildlife Refuge, California
268 Falcated Duck, Colusa National Wildlife Refuge, California
269 Nuttall's Woodpecker, Colusa National Wildlife Refuge, California
270 Black Phebe, Colusa National Wildlife Refuge, California
271 California Towhee, Colusa National Wildlife Refuge, California
272 Yellow-billed Magpie, Central California, Exit 428, off I5
273 Virgina Rail, Sweetwater Wetlands, Tucson, Arizona
274 Sora, Sweetwater Wetlands, Tucson, Arizona
275 Anna's Hummingbird,  Sweetwater Wetlands, Tucson, Arizona
276 Gila Woodpecker,  Sweetwater Wetlands, Tucson, Arizona
277 Red-napped Sapsucker,  Sweetwater Wetlands, Tucson, Arizona
278 Vermilion Flycatcher,  Sweetwater Wetlands, Tucson, Arizona
279 Verdin,  Sweetwater Wetlands, Tucson, Arizona
280 Black-tailed Gnatcatcher,  Sweetwater Wetlands, Tucson, Arizona
281 Black-throated Gray Warbler,  Sweetwater Wetlands, Tucson, Arizona
282 Orange-crowned Warbler, Sweetwater Wetlands, Tucson, Arizona
283 Abert's Towhee, Sweetwater Wetlands, Tucson, Arizona
284 Sagebrush Sparrow, Rest stop on I 40 west of Kingman, AZ
285 Chihuahuan Raven, along the I 10 Freeway, New Mexico
286 Short-eared Owl, out skirts of Roswell, NM
287 Scalled Quail, Chaves County, NM
288 Prairie Falcon, Chaves County, NM
289 Bewick's Wren, Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico
290 Sage Thrasher, Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico
291 Yellow-headed Blackbird, Stock yard, Chaves County, NM
292 Curve-billed Thrasher, Hwy 114 eastern New Mexico

Bird of the Week 16

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lb42k0qEXyw 

Happy New Year to all my friends at Three Sisters Adventist Christian School. I trust you all had a great holiday with friends and loved ones and you are rested and ready to continue with the Amazing Bird Race. Mrs. Sutherland and I left Bend on Sunday December 28 and have been chased by bad weather ever since. Cold and snow in Arizona where we were wearing shorts and t shirts last year at this time. Thursday, We had to change our plans as to which road I wanted to travel because I40 was closed for 90 miles due to ice and car/truck crashes. It's now Friday, and we are now as far south as we can get in New Mexico spending the night in Las Cruces.. It just stopped snowing. Tomorrow we hope to be greeted with sunshine and head north to attempt to find a rare European Crane that has been hanging out with thousands of Sandhill Cranes in east New Mexico. More on that when and if we find them.

The first bird of the week for the new year is a duck. This duck is normally found in Eastern Asia and sometimes one strays to Alaska and as far south as California. We stopped at Colusa National Wildlife Refuge north of Sacramento to see this duck that has been spending the winter there for a couple of years. This should be and easy ID, even though it is a casual visitor to the US, it is in the Sibley bird book that I gave the classroom. Sorry about the very windy video, remember the big winds of about ten days ago? They caught up with us and the wind was blowing about 35 miles an hour with gusts over 50 MPH. The duck was hunkered down as you see in the first part of the video and did not move for over an hour but it finally started to feed. Enjoy this beautiful bird.

We will be in Texas next week and what a bunch of wonderful birds await us. There should be some great birds of the week coming up. The next post will have the new additions to the list as it grows toward 300.

Happy Birding. 

Bird of the Week in the company of a Greater White-fronted Goose