More Ornithology Practice

Numero dos

1/4/10

• Passeriformes; Parulidae; Icteria virens (Yellow-breasted Chat)

• Large size, stout bill, long tail; display flight--hovering with slow, deep-flapping wings and dangling feet; also mimics other birds’ songs.

• Habitat loss from deforestation, which also leads to increased brood parasitism from Brown-headed Cowbirds

A B

• A: Charadriiformes, Jacanidae, Jacana spinosa (Jacana spinosa)

• B: Charadriiformes, Recurvirostridae, Recurvirostra americana (American Avocet)

• C: Gruiformes, Rallidae, Rallus longirostris (Clapper Rail)

• Extreeeeeemely long toes and claws allow it to walk on floating plantsappears to walk on water

• Breeding adult has entire head and neck a darker rusty color. Winter adult has gray head and neck.

• “Saltmarshes and mangrove swamps”

A B C

• Piciformes; Picidae; Colaptes auratus (Northern Flicker)

• Females—no colored stripe on chin area.

• Mainly ants, also other insects. Forages on ground and uses long tongue to catch food.

• Rising and falling, alternating flapping and gliding.

• Passeriformes; Tyrannidae; Tyrannus verticalis (Western Kingbird)

• Pastures on the resulting land = lots of insects!

• In trees or similar manmade things (poles, fence posts)

• Wool, cotton, hair, feathers, cloth

=O

• Both: Passeriformes; A: Icteridae, Dolichonyx oryzivorus (Bobolink); B: Emberizidae, Calamospiza melanocorys (Lark Bunting)

• Only American bird with white on back and black below. Yellowish with brown streaks and stripes on crown.

• Grasslands and meadows

• Colorado

• Attempting to drink from livestock water tanks.

A B

• Passeriformes; Alaudidae; Eremophila alpestris (Horned Lark)

• Walking/running

• Adults usually eat seeds, but feed insects to young

• Open land—colonizes mowed areas around airports

• Passeriformes; Emberizidae; Calcarius lapponicus (Lapland Longspur)

• Black face and chest, yellowy eyestripe

• Arctic tundra!

• Longspur = elongated hind toe

• Passeriformes; Cinclidae; Cinclus mexicanus (American Dipper)

• Low metabolic rate, extra oxygen-carrying capacity in its blood, and a thick coat of feathers (yes, plagiarism =\)

• In swift streams—swims and walks along river bottom

• Domed/ball-like structure with two shells

• Falconiformes!; Acciptridae; Buteo swainsoni (Swainson’s Hawk)

• Western Kingbird, but I meant to ask for family here. Lo siento. Most likely defending its territory from that pesky intruding hawk.

• Older ones kill and eat the younger ones…

• Open grasslands, farmlands, shrublands

A

BB

• Passeriformes; Fringillidae; Coccothraustes vespertinus (Evening Grosbeak)

• Coniferous forests

• Crack open large seeds

• Sunflower seeds