Oystercatchers are large, conspicuous shorebirds that inhabit coastal regions worldwide. With their bright orange-red bills and bold black and white plumage, oystercatchers are unmistakable. However, with around a dozen oystercatcher species worldwide, identification to species can be tricky. This article will guide you through the key identification features to look for when trying to identify an oystercatcher in the field. We’ll cover topics like size, plumage patterns, bill shape, behavior, habitat, and range to help you confidently separate the different oystercatcher species. Read on to become an oystercatcher identification expert! Distinguishing Features of Oystercatchers All oystercatchers share some core features…
Author: Peter Knight
The Bird Bath is a unique and iconic feature of Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland. Oriole Park is home to the Baltimore Orioles baseball team and is renowned for its classic ballpark design that incorporates touches of early 20th century ballparks. The Bird Bath is a marble decorative fountain that sits just beyond the right center field wall, with water cascading down its tiers. It provides a distinctive backdrop during Orioles games and has become one of the most recognizable symbols of Oriole Park. History of the Bird Bath The Bird Bath was constructed along with Oriole…
Telling a wood thrush apart from a hermit thrush can be tricky for beginning birders. These two similar-looking thrushes overlap across much of the eastern United States and Canada during the breeding season. With some practice, though, you can learn to confidently identify them by sight and sound. Range and Habitat The first clue is to consider where you are located. Wood thrushes breed in deciduous and mixed forests across eastern North America. Their breeding range stretches from southern Ontario and Quebec to northern Florida, and west to eastern Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and the eastern Dakotas. They migrate to spend…
Hawks come in a wide variety of colors, from dark brown to light grey and many shades in between. When it comes to identifying a grey-colored hawk species, there are a few likely options that stand out. Light Morph Red-Tailed Hawk One of the most common grey-colored hawks is the light morph red-tailed hawk. As their name suggests, these hawks are typically identified by their distinctive red tail feathers. However, light morph red-tailed hawks have more variation in their plumage color than others in their species. Light morph red-tailed hawks have plumage that can range from almost white to a…
Costa Rica is home to six species of colorful trogons that birders from around the world come to see. Trogons are medium-sized birds in the Trogonidae family, known for their vibrant plumage and distinctive silhouettes. Costa Rica’s trogons can be found in forests and woodlands across the country. What types of trogons live in Costa Rica? The six trogon species found in Costa Rica are: Resplendent Quetzal – The most famous and sought-after trogon in Costa Rica. Males have vibrant green bodies and crimson chests and bellies. Females are smaller and have more muted colors. Slaty-tailed Trogon – Large black…
Quick Answer Deer are herbivores, meaning they eat plants, not meat. While deer don’t typically hunt and eat birds, they may occasionally eat eggs or baby birds that they come across by chance. However, this is rare and deer mainly survive on leaves, twigs, grass and other plant foods. Do Deer Eat Birds? Deer are herbivorous mammals belonging to the Cervidae family. This means deer have specialized digestive systems designed to break down fibrous plant matter into nutrients. Deer lack the sharp teeth, claws and instinct to hunt down and consume meat. Their diet mainly consists of: Grasses Leaves Twigs…
The northern cardinal is a popular state bird, chosen by 7 U.S. states as their official state bird. The northern cardinal is known for its bright red plumage and sweet song. They can be found across eastern North America. Let’s take a closer look at which states have the northern cardinal as their official state bird. Quick Facts Here are some quick facts about the northern cardinal as a state bird: 7 U.S. states have the northern cardinal as their official state bird Those states are: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia The northern cardinal was…
Wrens are small, energetic songbirds that belong to the family Troglodytidae. They are known for their loud, complex songs and active foraging habits. Wrens build dome-shaped nests out of twigs, grasses, moss, and other materials, often in hidden locations like tree cavities or dense shrubbery. Female wrens lay clutches of 4-8 tiny eggs and incubate them for around 14 days until they hatch. But do wrens actually sit on their eggs like chickens or other birds? Or do they use alternative incubation strategies? Let’s take a closer look at wren nesting habits and how wren eggs are incubated and hatched.…
Birds come in all shapes and sizes, from tiny hummingbirds to enormous ostriches. When it comes to wingspan, which bird has the widest spread wings? There are a few contenders for the title of widest wingspan. Birds with Wide Wingspans Some birds that are known for their huge wingspans include: Albatrosses Condors Eagles Pelicans Hawks Of these birds, albatrosses, condors, and pelicans have some of the widest wingspans across species. Let’s take a closer look at each of these birds and their wings. Albatrosses Albatrosses are large seabirds that soar over the open ocean. They have the largest wingspan of…
The egret is a type of heron that lives in wetland habitats around the world. The egret’s ecosystem includes the physical environment it inhabits as well as all the plants, animals, and other organisms that interact within that environment. Understanding the egret’s ecosystem provides insights into its behavioral adaptations, food sources, threats, and conservation needs. Some quick answers to basic questions about the egret’s ecosystem: – What type of biome do egrets live in? Egrets live in wetland biomes like marshes, swamps, ponds, and along slow moving rivers. – What kinds of plants live in an egret’s habitat? Common plants…