American Goldfinches are Breeding

Male American Goldfinch feeding on thistle

I am noticing fewer female American Goldfinches at my nyjer (thistle) feeder at the moment. Being one of our last birds to nest they are now sitting on eggs. Their diet is almost exclusively seeds, even during the period that they feed their offspring. The timing of their late-season nesting coincides with the peak flowering of their favorite food - the seeds of annual, composite flowers, in particular thistles. This small, bright yellow bird with black wings, cap and tail and orange bill, gets its brightly-colored plumage from carotenoid pigments acquired from their diet.

The scientific name for the American Goldfinch, Carduelis tristis, comes from the Latin for thistle, carduus, its favorite food, and tristis, meaning sad, in recognition of its high-pitched call, one of Linnaeus’ dubious interpretations!

Male American Goldfinch at nyjer seed feeder

Goldfinches are rarely victims of Brown-headed Cowbirds. This is partly due to their late breeding cycle which begins at the end of the cowbird's cycle, and also because goldfinches are granivorous, eating almost exclusively seeds. There have been very few records of goldfinches raising cowbirds, because their diet contains so few insects, which cowbirds require for sustenance.

all photos © adrian binns

More Leucistic Birds

Looking through my photo files I found a couple more examples of leucistic birds. Before scrolling all the way down (there are a total of 3 photos) try guessing what you think the bird in flight in the first photo (below) is?





This photo (above) was taken at a considerable distance so I apologize if it is not very clear. It is of two Eared Grebes, with the closer one being leucistic. It is almost entirely white with the exception of the back of the head and around the throat. You can see that it has the same shape and characteristic peak or long head plumes (crest), as the normal one it is swimming with. We actually saw four leucistic Eared Grebes! This is not uncommon, to the extent that some think it may even be a morph! The photo was taken in the Great Salt Lake, Utah, on the Antelope Island Island causeway in June 2008 while leading a field trip during the ABA Convention. Beginning in late June Eared Grebes congregate in the tens of thousands on the Salt Lake before continuing south on their migration.


This Red-winged blackbird (above) is the same bird as the top photo. The throat, neck and collar, cheek and a bit of the forehead give it its pied look. What is interesting is that the bird seems to have a peach colored wash in this area. There is also the white feathers in the tail that is visible on the bird in flight. This bird was seen at Pea Island NWR, North Carolina in May 2008.

all photos © adrian binns

Drinking Methods of Birds

As the summer days become hotter, my backyard birds are making more frequent visits to the birdbaths to drink. Since drinking or bathing in an open area makes birds vulnerable to predators, most birds feel safer drinking with others or in flocks, so that some can keep a lookout as others drink.

American Robin drinking by tilting its head back

Most birds drink by dipping their bill in water and tilting their head back so that the water runs down their throat. Look at the above sequence of photos of this American Robin. This motion is then repeated depending upon how much water they need. Doves and pigeons on the other hand are unique amongst birds, in that they have a distinctive way of drinking. The Mourning Dove (below) holds its beak in the water and continually sucks the water up, never having to tilt its head back.

Mourning Dove drinking by sucking water up

While in Texas for the Rio Grande Birding Festival I noticed that Great-tailed Grackles (below) tilted their heads back even further than robins do. I wondered if this exaggeration was due to the longer bill and/or a longer neck?

all photos © adrian binns

July Photo Quiz - Tails

I have chosen three images that will, hopefully, offer a little something for everyone. Images of these resident breeders were taken within the last year, in eastern North America.

Image #1

Image #2

Image #3

Answers will be given next week.

all photos © adrian binns

Leucistic Savannah Sparrow

In my blog on June 30 I discussed a leucistic House Finch. Looking though my files I found a photo that my good friend Colin Campbell had taken of a leucistic Savannah Sparrow (below), in December 2005 in Delaware.


I had mentioned that there were two types of leucism, and that the House Finch showed an example of the Pied type. Colin’s Savannah Sparrow is an example of the Pale type, where the bird is evenly pale all over. Compare this bird with Kevin Loughlin’s photo of a normal Savannah Sparrow in the Notes from the Wildside header (above).

Being very light you may wonder why this is not an example of albinism. Albinism occurs when their is no skin pigmentation at all, rendering the bird all white with a pink eye, whereas leucism occurs when there is a reduction in pigmentation.

photo © colin campbell

July 4th

Happy 4th of July. With the country awash in patriotic flags, lady liberty and various ornaments to celebrate the birth of the United States of America, I am reminded of how the Bald Eagle became our nation's symbol.

Our founding fathers favored the Bald Eagle (above) for its strength, fierce demeanor and freedom of nature, in spite of Benjamin Franklin’s objection. Franklin’s choice was the Wild Turkey (below) as he felt that our new nation needed a symbol that was capable of chasing the British away from any farm field and not one that was intimidated by smaller birds.

In 1782 a congressional vote chose the Bald Eagle as National Bird of the United States of America, by one vote! As we know, the runner-up got relegated to the dinner table at Thanksgiving.

all photos © adrian binns

One Down Two To Go

On my visit to the Cooper's Hawk nest this morning I could only see two of the three chicks. The juvenile feathering is almost complete so the birds are about 28 days old, though you can see that the right hand chick (below) still has a downy forehead. Fledging (when they leave the nest) normally occurs between 30 and 34 days so it is likely the oldest one has either branched out (walked away on tree limbs) or made her maiden flight.

On both birds you can see that they are being well fed as they each have a full crop - the bulging area just below the throat on the breast.

photo © adrian binns

Federal Duck Stamp - 50 Years of Wetland Protection

The 2009-2010 Federal Duck Stamp is now available from post offices, sporting goods stores and National Wildlife Refuges. Every year wildlife artists enter a contest, where the winning design becomes the following years Duck Stamp. This year it features artist Joshua Spies' rendition of a winter plumaged male Long-tailed Duck floating next to a decoy.

Since 1934, sales of duck stamps have generated more than $700 million. This is the 50th year since the Small Wetlands Program began as an amendment to the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act, which required the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to use funds from the sale of Duck Stamps to purchase wetlands and grasslands for breeding waterfowl. Today nearly 3 million acres has been permanently protected. For every dollar spent on a duck stamp, 98 cents goes directly to the purchase of habitat in the National Wildlife Refuge System.

It was originally created as a waterfowl hunting license, but now serves multiply purposes. I can not think of a better way to help support the wetland habitat that is so vital to birders and conservationists, by purchasing a Duck Stamp at a cost of $15. In return for your support you will gain free admission in National Wildlife Refuges. It is without a doubt one of the best deals going. Put your stamp on conservation and buy a Duck Stamp!

photo © adrian binns

A Busy Robin

As I walk around the neighborhood this morning I see many American Robins (above) on lawns. Robins spend a great deal of time in short grassy areas as well as in exposed patches of dirt looking for food. It is not surprising as they are busy feeding their hungry youngsters at this time of year, and it is relatively easy to see them activity searching.

What the robins are after is worms. So how do they search for worms? Watch a robin walk and then stop, and you will notice that it stretches its head out (above) and tilts its head to one side (below). What it is doing is using its hearing to listen for the faintest sound of a worm underground! With its head being ‘cocked’ it is also likely that it is using its vision, one eye close focusing, to detect the slightest movement, before striking. Watch them do this and see how successful they are.

all photos © adrian binns

Active Cooper's Hawk Chicks

The three Cooper's Hawk chicks were very active this morning.  They are growing very rapidly and in need of more space than the nest affords.  They were stretching their wings, wandering about the edge of the nest and even branching out (left bird).  Their mother was perched a few feet below the nest and may have left food for them, earlier in the morning, on the back of the nest. In the photo above the youngest one (white downy head) is flanked by its two older siblings. Even though they all look about the same size, there could be between 3 and 6 days difference between the oldest and youngest. Female are larger than males and that may account for the similarities in size.

photo © adrian binns