Interesting notes on wild birds

Kaila

Kaila

SF VIP
In a rehab facility, today I discovered a small library!

Calling to me from a shelf, was a thick brightly covered book, called.....

BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA.

I decided to look for short interesting facts....
And to share them here with my SF friends.

OWLS...
have the strongest grip strength of ANY bird in North America.

(Watch out! 😄)


WOOD Ducks...
Are unusual among ducks,
in that they enjoy trees, have strong claws that grip tree bark and branches.



I will add more as I find them, in the pages.

***********
Would you like to share short interesting facts about wild birds that some of us have forgotten or never knew????
 

Last edited:
Mallard ducks.....

Expansive range, in that they live across most of North America, and also in Europe, and in Asia.
.....Canada, Mexico, West Indies....

Do mallards live near you?
 
Kaila said:
Mallard ducks.....

Expansive range, in that they live across most of North America, and also in Europe, and in Asia.
.....Canada, Mexico, West Indies....

Do mallards live near you?
Click to expand...
Hi, Kaila, from Tucson, Arizona. We have mallards here, when they are migrating. They are beautiful and the subject of many a wild life painter.
How is the rehab going? Am not sure what all you are rehabbing for..don't want to be nosy. But am rather into medicine, and of course imagining what and how long, how difficult your recovery may be, depending on your medical issue.

Hope all is going along with your plan of care and no complications arise! Stay busy as possible...I know: hard to do in rehab.

Hug, if you like them, take two.
 

Kaila said:
In a rehab facility, today I discovered a small library!

Calling to me from a shelf, was a thick brightly covered book, called.....

BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA.

I decided to look for short interesting facts....
And to share them here with my SF friends.

OWLS...
have the strongest grip strength of ANY bird in North America.

(Watch out! 😄)

***********
Would you like to share short interesting facts about wild birds that some of us have forgotten or never knew????
Click to expand...
 
We had HUGE owls in Texas. They say EVERYTHING is BIGGER in TEXAS! IS rather true, too!

We lived in the semi-boonies (country outside a big town) and many owls. One night I could not sleep and was walking my medium sized dog (18-20 kilos?/35-45 lbs?,) at 1am, we had lights mounted on poles, so I could see as I was walking at night.

Suddenly, an huge owl swooped out of nowhere in the dark and grabbed the leash where it was attached to my dog!! The owl apparently didn't realize there was a leash attached to the heavier ME! He got the dog about a foot off the ground and when realizing I was there, dropped poor "Buddy"! He was my Flat Coat retriever, age 15 years!!
 
Kaila said:
In a rehab facility, today I discovered a small library!

Calling to me from a shelf, was a thick brightly covered book, called.....

BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA.

I decided to look for short interesting facts....
And to share them here with my SF friends.

OWLS...
have the strongest grip strength of ANY bird in North America.

(Watch out! 😄)


WOOD Ducks...
Are unusual among ducks,
in that they enjoy trees, have strong claws that grip tree bark and branches.



I will add more as I find them, in the pages.

***********
Would you like to share short interesting facts about wild birds that some of us have forgotten or never knew????
Click to expand...
What a nice idea.

I was curious if Wood Ducks actually climb trees and found this picture of a beautiful duck.
Wood-duck-in-tree-Joe-Viola-March-2023.jpg
 
Very interesting. I would have thought eagles would have a stronger grip, but apparently owls are king.

I have observed Acorn Woodpeckers extensively, and they are pretty fascinating as well. They stay in family groups of a dozen or more, and ward off all others. They all look the same to me, so how they spot an intruder, I have no idea.

Anyway, they choose a tree with thick bark to serve as their "feeder tree". They then peck a hole in the bark, go find an acorn just the right size, then proceed to wedge it into the hole. They do this a thousand times in one tree, but it doesn't seem to hurt the tree because the hole is just in the bark. It's food storage for winter.

The curious thing is that the clever little guys also find small rocks to stuff into the holes to fool the other birds, but they all do it, so not sure why it would work.

I often wondered how a woodpecker could peck all day and not suffer brain damage. It has taken a great deal of study and high speed videos to understand the mystery. Apparently, nature has given them a tiny brain and just the right amount of head design to avert becoming a vegetable. They hammer about 20 times per second with incredible force compared to their size.

They also attack squirrels who they view as competition. Other birds give them the right of way also. I guess the other birds don't want to become Swiss cheese.
 
CooCooforCoCoPuffs said:
Hi, Kaila, from Tucson, Arizona. We have mallards here, when they are migrating. They are beautiful and the subject of many a wild life painter.
How is the rehab going? Am not sure what all you are rehabbing for..don't want to be nosy. But am rather into medicine, and of course imagining what and how long, how difficult your recovery may be, depending on your medical issue.

Hope all is going along with your plan of care and no complications arise! Stay busy as possible...I know: hard to do in rehab.

Hug, if you like them, take two.
Click to expand...
Glad you told us about seeing the mallards in Tucson, Arizona, nearly across the USA, from New England in northeast, USA, near Canada.
That fascinated me, that they'd have gone there.

Thanks for reminding me that we see them here in Spring to Autumn,
So yes, you see them when they migrate to areas like yours, to get away from the cold of winter.

Thank you for the hug. I Will take 2, thank you. ☺️
 
I agree, @bobcat
I would have thought some type of hawk, or Osprey would have a stronger grip strength.
And I forgot eagle; I would have thought that too!

Osprey, I have watched the large ones fish for family dinner! Very impressive!

But this National Audobon Society book says it's the owl who tops the grip strength.

This is the Complete guide....a thick heavy weight version.
Nothing to take on a hike. 😄
 
Fascinating info in above post re acorn woodpeckers.

Thanks, @bobcat

I haven't seen any type of them in a group like that!

Downy woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers,... red bellied woodpeckers... and that largest one....
I've seen
None of them social like your excellent description.
 
CooCooforCoCoPuffs said:
I too wondered why they didn't get brain damaged! Figured it must be a brain cushioned inside their skulls or something.
And pecking holes to HOLD acorns??!! That IS really cool! Fascinating is right!

We have woodpeckers in AZ; they come to my backyard for fruit and nuts...
Click to expand...
Red bellied woodpeckers there???

Right about the pecked holes for saving acorns...
And diversionary holes with small stones.... gosh!
 
I don't know if this counts as a wild bird. I bought a white dove, and she lived 13 years. She was very affectionate and bonded to me. Years went by, and I bought another one, who did the same. No avian vets near me, so I nursed her myself when she got sick with an eye infection with animal antibiotics from Tractor Supply. She lived 10 years, until 2023. I cannot get another dove. No pet stores have them, nor any breeders near me.
 
Kaila said:
Oh yes, pileated.... that's the large one I could not remember the name.

I've only seen that one once.
Unforgettable.
Thank you!
Click to expand...
I’ve seen many woodpeckers. Just yesterday I saw a Pilated one. Unfortunately our dogs chased it away before I got my camera ready.
The hairy one got shocked when I flew into our window. He needed about 15 minutes to recoup. Luckily I find all kinds of birds in our area. I find birds fascinating.

This Pilated Woodpecker flew by in between chopping firewood. They are fairly large woodpeckers.
 
Last edited:
Kaila said:
I agree, @bobcat
I would have thought some type of hawk, or Osprey would have a stronger grip strength.
And I forgot eagle; I would have thought that too!

Osprey, I have watched the large ones fish for family dinner! Very impressive!

But this National Audobon Society book says it's the owl who tops the grip strength.

This is the Complete guide....a thick heavy weight version.
Nothing to take on a hike. 😄
Click to expand...
Yeah, I had a smaller guide once just to try and identify the ones in my backyard, but nothing as comprehensive as the one you have. I find that birds are endlessly fascinating. Watching hummingbirds go from flower to flower in the blink of an eye, do aerial battles with others of their kind, and then zip out of sight like it's nothing.

Then watching the intelligence on display of ravens who turn over rocks with their beaks searching for grubs, buzzards soaring for hours with hardly a wing flap now and then, or just watching a Grossbeak in the top of a tree singing out it's lungs, or Canadian geese flying in formation.

I have observed Stellar Jays building their nest, and it is amazing to watch what they choose, how it gets woven in, and it's even heartwarming to watch the male bring food to the female when she is on the nest incubating the eggs. I don't know that much about birds, except that they are very cool.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top