William's Birding / Wild Birds Blog

One does not normally expect to see owls during the daytime, and certainly not for an extended period of time, but Burrowing Owls are unique for many reasons, including their high level of activity during the daytime. Burrowing Owls are also more approachable than most terrestrial birds species, and thus are very photogenic –like the fledglings pictured to the right. Another interesting behavior is their ability to imitate a rattlesnake's rattle when disturbed in their nest burrows.

Photo © William C. Webb

The sounds that crows make in the spring and early summer can sometimes test the patience of even the most enthusiastic birder. A great deal of the crow vocalizations made this time of year are produced by juvenile crows begging for food from their parents. These vocalizations are especially nasal and high-pitched. Begging by juvenile crows probably irritates the greatest number of humans, especially when the sounds occur near dawn –before most humans are awake.

In all fairness, it would be hypocritical for humans to fault crows as a species just for having youngsters which produce irritating sounds when the youngsters are not getting what they want. In fact, perhaps it is a sign of a successful species, since the number of crows and humans are both expanding rapidly. Nevertheless, crow vocalizations cause many humans to wonder about the legality of controlling crow populations – a question which is frequently posed this time of year, and often elicits strong emotional responses.

Not many bird species - other than the American Robin can lay claim to nesting on both the Arctic tundra as well as Manhattan rooftops. If you open a window on a higher floor in the spring or summer, you can often hear the recognizable song of an American Robin even with all the background urban noises. Small gardens with lawns and shrubs grow on the roofs of many high-rise apartments in Manhattan, and quite surprisingly these gardens are sufficient to support nesting robins. Rooftops in Manhattan are probably not the best place to raise a brood of robins, since human residents have reported fledglings entering their apartments through chimneys. But don't worry about robins – their populations are expanding. You can learn more about this familiar songbird in this new species profile of the American Robin .

Photo © William C. Webb

House Sparrows are perhaps the quintessential avian example of a human-obligate species. Although they occur throughout much of North America, rarely are they found more than a stone's throw from a human dwelling or farm. Since their introduction to North America in 1850, they have been well-studied by ornithologists and maligned by birders for usurping the nests of native species. You can read more about North American populations of House Sparrows in this new species profile .

Photo © William C. Webb

Hummingbirds are obligate nectarivores – meaning they rely on flower nectar for the bulk of their energy. They drink enough nectar in a day to excrete 75-85% of their body weight each day! In addition to feeders, certain flowering plants attract hummingbirds. Hummingbird plants make beautiful additions to any yard, and watching hummingbirds defend their feeding plants from other birds and insects can be very entertaining. In this new article, you can learn more about how to attract hummingbirds with garden plants.

Photo © William C. Webb

Yes, the headline speaks truthfully - but how can that be? Mockingbirds famously imitate all kinds of living and non-living entities, but certainly they can't imitate birds from thousands of miles away - or can they? You can read about my recent strange experience with a West Coast mockingbird learning East Coast birdsong.

Photo © Rosa Hatfield

This summer, parents and others hoping to divert children away from electronic temptations like T.V. and video games might follow Melissa Block's advice, and encourage children to try finding some birds. Birding presents a fun outdoor exercise that kids can readily enjoy, as Melissa describes in a recent report for NPR.. Melissa and daughter Chloe traveled to Virginia's Huntley Meadows with renown birding authority Bill Thompson III – author of a wonderful book written for young birders (which you can learn more about in Melissa's report). Experiencing nature at an early age influenced many famous scientists and naturalists, and birding presents a potential cure for so many of the kids today that suffer from nature-deficit-disorder – so go ahead and start 'em young!

Wood-warblers grace northern forests every spring with their songs and bright-colors. In the autumn, wood-warbler identification becomes more difficult due to the influx of dull-colored juveniles and post-breeding adults molting out of their brighter breeding plumage. Their long migration to South America and other far-away destinations is truly an amazing accomplishment. Despite spending much of their time in the forest canopy, many species of wood-warblers nest on the ground. You can learn more about the interesting natural history of these colorful birds in this new short article on wood-warblers .

Photo © William C. Webb

Many warblers are difficult to identify, but this species is very distinctive. Black and White Warblers have a very descriptive common name – since their plumage is streaked mostly with black and white coloration. Their song is also very distinctive – sounding a lot like a wet rag on glass or a squeaky wheel. If you are just starting to learn your warblers, then learning to recognize the Black and White Warbler is a good place to start.

Photo © William C. Webb

Thanks in large part to the many great photos submitted by About.com readers, there are so many great bird photos that a single gallery can no longer hold them all efficiently. As new photos continue to be submitted, they will be added into new galleries organized taxonomically, such as the new passerine photo gallery . And of course, new photo submissions are always welcome. To submit your photos for inclusion in one of the photo galleries, check out these instructions.

Photo © Sandy Kanerva