Bird Week at FFPandC day seven!!

Well, it's the last day of Bird Week at FFPandC. Time to wrap up all we learned with our feathered friends.

Day one was the cormorant.
Lives: near water
Nests: in trees, cliffs, or on the ground
Number of eggs: 2-4
Eats: fish
Fast fact: they have no natural waterproofing

Day two was the lovebird
Lives: as pets throughout the US
Nests: in people's houses
Number of eggs: 4-6
Eats: fruit, pastas, corn, birdseed
Fast fact: lovebirds are very territorial except with their mates

Day three was the tern
Lives: very migratory, so home base changes
Nests: in trees or on the ground
Number of eggs: no reported. :'(
Eats: fish and insects
Fast fact: they can go over 14,000 miles in one migratory journey

Day four was the Osprey
Lives: in watery areas
Nests: in trees, cliffs, or man-made structures
Number of eggs: 2-4
Eats: fish
Fast fact: osprey nests can get to be huge

Day five was the seagull
Lives: near water
Nests: on the ground, on a tree, on a cliff, or on a house
Number of eggs: 2-3
Eats: sea life such as fish and crabs
Fast fact: can be nasty in behavior

And day six was the great blue heron
Lives: near water
Nests: in trees or shrubs
Number of eggs: 2-7
Eats: fish, mice, and other small animals
Fast fact: an all-white version can be found, but they are actually the same species.


And that about wraps up bird week.

Bird Week at FFPandC day six: the great blue heron

Bird week day six! The blue heron.


Found along the ocean shore, and in and around ponds and rivers, the great blue heron is the largest among North American herons. it has a wingspan of around six feet!

Fish and mice make up most of their diet, along with insects and other small animals. Great blues are known to be awesome fishers. They stand in the water, and wait until prey comes near, then they snap out with their beaks. Though herons have choked to death from eating a fish too big.

Herons nest in trees or shrubs, and have two to seven eggs at a time. Both parents incubate these eggs, and protect them. Chicks can be on their own at two months of age.

An all-white version of the great blue can be found, and it is called the great white heron. But they are actually the same species.



source: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/great-blue-heron/

Bird Week at FFPandC day five: the seagull

Bird week day five! The seagull.


Seagulls live near water, and often near humans, too. Gulls' main diet is fish and other sea life like crabs, mollusks, and clams. But they will eat just about anything, from berries to carrion to "people food".

They generally nest in flocks, and have only one mate that they stay with year after year. They build nests out of shallow scrapes on the ground lines with vegetation. Some species of seagulls nest around human dwellings. Cliffs and trees can also sport a gull nest.

Two are three eggs are layed, and incubated for three to five weeks by both parents, who take turns sitting on them. Chicks fledge at three to seven weeks.

Gulls can be generally nasty in behavior, sometimes stealing eggs (which they eat) or chicks (Which they adopt. Or eat.) from each other. They can be pests to humans, too; stealing food, and generally making a nuisance of themselves.

But seagulls are beautiful birds, and no seashore would be complete without one.


source: http://www.suite101.com/content/all-about-seagullsgulls-and-kittiwakes-a124159

Bird Week at FFPandC day four: the osprey

Bird week day four! The osprey


Ospreys live throughout the world, in watery spots like marshes, rivers, and seas. Their diet is pretty much exclusively fish, which they dive for from up to 120 feet. but when fish is not available, ospreys will eat lizards or small mammals.

Osprey nests are made of sticks and put on all sorts of things, like trees, cliffs, and man-made structures; so long as it's near water. These nests are re-used year after year, and sticks are added to them. Nests can get to be huge: more than seven feet across and five feet deep.

A clutch of 2-4 eggs are layed at one time, and incubated over a period of 35-40 days. Chicks mature at 3 years of age.



source: http://www.seattleaudubon.org/birdweb/bird_details.aspx?id=96

Bird Week at FFPandC day three: the Tern

Bird week day three! And today: the tern



Miedium-sized birds, the tern is a very migratory species. There are different types of terns, from the Least Tern to the Caspian Tern to the Elegant Tern, to name a few. They all migrate, but the Arctic Tern makes the longest journeys ever recorded for a bird, from the Arctic to the far south, up to of 14,000 miles!

Terns eat mostly fish, diving into the water and coming up with a meal. But some terns peck insects off the water instead. Though they have webbed feet, terns rarely swim; they prefer to fly.

Terns nest in closely packed colonies (the White Tern is an exception). Their nests consist of different things, depending on their habitat. Tern nests can consist of unlined scrapes on the ground, or flimsy piles of sticks in trees.



source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tern

Bird Week at FFPandC day two: the lovebird

Happy Valentine's Day! Since it's Bird Week at FFPandC, and Valentine's day, today's feature birdy is (drum roll please) the lovebird! However, I don't have a photograph of a lovebird, so I drew one on my laptop (using the Paint program on a PC). To view a real photo of a lovebird, click here

Lovebirds originated in Africa. They are usually kept as pets, however there are numerous feral (or wild) populations throughout the US.

A healthy diet for a lovebird would be pelleted or seed food, supplemented with fruit, veggies, pastas, and lentils. Lovebirds also love corn.

Lovebirds have a clutch of 4-6 eggs at a time. Chicks hatch 21-26 days after the eggs are layed.

Lovebirds are rather territorial. They do not like other animals except their own species. As such, pet lovebirds should be kept apart from other pets, except that of their own kind. They are very affectionate toward their chosen mate, however, thus giving them their name: the lovebird.




Sources: http://www.birdsnways.com/articles/lbfaq.htm#Breed
http://www.avianweb.com/lovebirdinfo.htm

Bird Week at FFPandC day one: the cormorant

This week, we'll feature birds. Gulls, pelicans, etc. And today: the cormorant.



Cormorants are fisheaters. As such, they are found pretty much wherever there is sea and shore.

Cormorants nest in trees, on the ground, or in rocky areas like cliffs. Their eggs are a chalky blue color, and they typically have 2-4 at a time. Usually, only one brood is born per year.

One very interesting aspect of the cormorant is that it does not have natural waterproofing for it's wings. The bird pictured here is drying it's wings after being in water by spreading them out.



http://creagrus.home.montereybay.com/cormorants.html
http://www.thewonderofbirds.com/cormorant/