Here are a few hints:
The Red-headed Woodpecker has a red head!
The Yellow-bellied Sap-Sucker has a yellow belly!
The Downy and the Hairy look like twins, but the Downy is much smaller than the Hairy!
The Red-belled Woodpecker doesn't have a red belly but has some red on its head!
The Northern Flicker is the most colorful and most uniquely-designed!
Birds can sometimes be hard to identify because males, females, and juveniles (young birds) can all look different! Males tend to be brightly colored so they can attract the attention of female birds! Females tend to be a lot less colorful--their plumage (feathers) usually has lots of browns and grays to help them blend in--or camouflage themselves--in their surroundings. This is very important because it keeps nests and chicks hidden behind the camouflage of their mother--protecting them from predators! From the pictures below, can you guess which is the male and which is the female scarlet tanager?
Even with binoculars it can be difficult to identify birds if you can't see them through the leaves! However, another great way to identify birds is by listening to their songs! While the leaves on the trees may hide them from view, their songs help individuals of the same species find one another! For instance, cardinals are known to mate for life. The male and female pair find each other not just by sight but by listening for each other's song! To hear the male cardinal's song, click the link below!
There are many resources available to help you become an expert birder! The best resource is talking with other birders! Many nature centers, including River Bend, host regularly scheduled public bird walks! Come to walk in the woods and share your love of birds! Here are some additional resources to help you on your way!
Smart Phone App: Merlin Bird ID & eBird Birds of Wisconsin Field Guides
(download and print!)
Next time you're hiking at River Bend, see how many birds you can find and identify! Then, add your birds to the outdoor kiosk at the trailhead just outside the main building.
Happy Birding!
There's a very special bird migrating to town very soon--the Ruby-throated Hummingbird! They will be very hungry when they arrive and many flowers won't be ready for them to feed on yet. Here's how you can help--build and hang a hummingbird feeder! Click on the link below for easy instructions and recipes.
DIY Humming bird feeder and Recipe
There's a very special bird migrating to town very soon--the Ruby-throated Hummingbird! They will be very hungry when they arrive and many flowers won't be ready for them to feed on yet. Here's how you can help--build and hang a hummingbird feeder! Click on the link below for easy instructions and recipes.
DIY Humming bird feeder and Recipe
It's a HOOT--Animal Joke of the Week!
Q: What do you call a girl with a frog on her head?
A: Lilly
Riddle Me This...
I create my lair
With earthen string
And dispatch my prey
With a biting sting!
What am I?
(A: REDIPS)
Phenomenal Phenology!
These are some natural events happening this week:
- White-tailed does are giving birth to fawns!
- May apples are beginning to bloom!
- Mallard ducklings are hatching!
- Green Frogs are beginning to call!
- Morel Mushrooms are up!
Critter Corner!
Last week's critters were a mating pair of Wood Ducks!
Wood Ducks are quite possibly Wisconsin's most beautiful duck species! In this photo, the male is on the left and the female is on the right. Wood ducks can be found on bodies of water near forested areas around Wisconsin. Wood ducks are so named because they make their nests in large cavities high up in the trunks of trees. It's a cozy little nest, lined with soft down feathers, which will eventually cradle up to 15 eggs! When the ducklings are ready, the mother will call them and they will eventually jump out of their nest into water or onto the forest floor, landing on a soft pile of leaves! Wood ducks eat a variety of foods including aquatic plants they find while foraging in lakes and ponds as well as nuts and fruits in the woods where they live. They especially like acorns from oak trees and will spend lots of time looking for them in the leaf litter and eating them right off the tree itself! If you want to help wood ducks--build a wood duck nest box and hang it on the trunk of a tree or on a pole!
Can you guess this week's critters?
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| River Bend Nature Center & WiDNR's SnapShot Wisconsin |
That's all for this week! To all the moms out there--Have a very happy Mother's Day!
Stay wild and free and healthy as can be!
-CT
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