Tag: bird_identification

Bird Calls

  • When I wake up, I hear the coos of a dove.
  • When I sit outside in the late morning, I hear the platter of a hummingbird’s wings.
  • When I take an afternoon walk, I hear the caws of a crow.

Are they singing louder? Or do we notice them now?

“Although our perception might be that they’re singing louder, it’s actually likely in places that are typically noisy that they’re singing more quietly than normal,” Zollinger said in an interview with Morning Edition. “But when the noise is gone, they’re probably singing quieter than they do normally.”

In other words, birds are like us: In a noisy bar, for example, people will raise their voices.

Do Those Birds Sound Louder To You? An Ornithologist Says You’re Just Hearing Things

Birding in the new year

It’s easier to start birding than you might think. You don’t need a whole bunch of equipment. You don’t need 10 field guides. You don’t need to be an expert in birds. You just need to start paying attention to things that maybe you just took for granted before. You step out the back door, and you hear some birds and you don’t even pay attention to what ones they are. But when you do start paying attention, you realize, oh, my gosh, there are four different types of birds out there.

NPR Radio: Hobbies To Consider For The New Year: Dan Lory Shares His Passion For Birding

Canada Geese after rain

After a downpour on Christmas night, a brisk cool air filled the empty park. The valley had patches of light and darker green.

After a slow run, I stopped and saw a flock of Canada Geese (branta canadensis) on the empty lawn. They pecked at the ground and moved around each other without restraint. I do not remember seeing their dark coats and white cheek patches before.

Brown feathered Canada goose with a white cheek patch flying in a blue sky
“Canada Goose” by Tom Koerner in the Public Domain

Black and brown starlings move as one

A juvenile starling with gray and brown feathers
“Juvenile Starling” by Garry Knight shared with CC 2.0

I looked to the north as the low winter sun shone bright in the southern sky in the early morning.

A flock of starlings, two or three dozen, hopped onto a fence, jumped down on grass, and then flew off within three seconds. Most starlings were black with a iridescent shine. Some younger ones followed and joined in one collective movement.

You can pick the young out with their gray feathers.