History, Natural History & the Arts
In early March, birds that have been gone all winter begin appearing at my feeder. One of the earliest of these spring migrants is a brown-backed sparrow with a white breast coarsely streaked with brown.
The streaks converge in a dark central breast spot, an easy identification mark. This is the song sparrow, our most widespread and abundant North American sparrow. [Read more…] about The Song Sparrow: Backyard Neighbor
From forest edges and thickets on late spring mornings in the Northeast comes what sounds like an exhortation from across the pond: drink-your-tea!
This is not a British parent’s plea, but rather the song of a chunky, colorful sparrow: the eastern towhee. The eastern towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus, or “red-eyed chipper”) is found in much of the eastern United States. [Read more…] about Eastern Towhee: Dapper Sparrow of the Underbrush
Birds exist in a fluid and unpredictable world. Survival depends on remaining constantly alert, adapting and responding to encounters with predators and environmental conditions that change with the seasons, weather, and geography. But sleep is also essential, providing rest, rejuvenation, and healing.
Normally, day-active (diurnal) animals sleep at night, and night-active (nocturnal) species sleep by day. During the sleep cycle, brain activity diminishes, as do metabolic rate and sensory awareness of an animal’s surroundings. When people (and many forms of wildlife) sleep, both sides of our brains disengage in a process known as bihemispheric slow-wave sleep (BSWS). [Read more…] about The Eye-Opening Realm of Avian Sleep
Black birds with a greenish sheen and brown heads sometimes visit my yard during spring migration. These are male brown-headed cowbirds, and they often arrive in mixed flocks of red-winged blackbirds and grackles.
Cowbirds breed in most of the Northeast and have an unusual reproductive strategy. Instead of building their own nests, cowbirds lay their eggs in other birds’ nests and depend on those birds to raise their young. This evolutionary strategy is called brood or nest parasitism. [Read more…] about Brood Parasitism: Laying Your Eggs in Another Birds’ Nest
The shift begins around the time we turn the clocks ahead, a gradual transition from winter’s steady chorus of chickadees, squawking jays, and crows cawing over the compost pile to – well, more. On an afternoon walk along back roads, I’ll hear an avian uprising and look up to find a large flock of red-winged blackbirds gathered in the still-bare branches overhead. [Read more…] about Learning the Language of Birding
In the wild, finding a suitable mate is no simple matter – and it’s an extra complicated affair for one familiar resident of the woods and underbrush.
With its chunky build, boldly striped head, and namesake white throat, the white-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) is among the most common and recognizable birds of the northern forest. [Read more…] about White-Throated Sparrow: Complicated Mating Choices
Fourteen years of monitoring by many hundreds of community scientists has revealed that mountain birds face challenging times and significant declines in the Northeast.
Research sheds light on the underlying driving forces behind these declines, with climate change likely a root cause. [Read more…] about Study: Mountain Birds Facing Steep Decline
Most winters, a few sparrows visit my yard, feeding on the seeds I scatter on the ground near my bird feeder. These particular sparrows have long tails, rusty crowns and eye-lines on their gray heads, and a distinctive dark breast spot. Looking more closely, I’ve noticed buff-colored patches on the sides of their pale breasts, two white wingbars, and streaked brown backs.
These birds are American tree sparrows (Spizelloides arborea), so named by European settlers who were reminded of Eurasian tree sparrows back home. [Read more…] about American Tree Sparrows: Hardy Winter Visitors
Grassland habitat is in decline in New York State, which is key to the survival of grassland breeding songbirds, such as bobolink, Eastern meadowlark, and savannah sparrow. [Read more…] about How Landowners Can Help Grassland Breeding Birds
As autumn begins and insect populations dwindle, many waterfowl species rely increasingly on seeds as a food source. Common buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), with its spherical bouquets of seeds now ripening, provides food for an array of ducks, geese, and other wetland denizens. [Read more…] about Buttonbush Is a Boon for Wildlife
City life favors species that are adaptable and not too fussy about what they eat, among other characteristics. A worldwide consortium of scientists calls the resulting collection of traits an “Urban Trait Syndrome.” Their study includes data from 379 cities on 6 continents, with the largest data set coming from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s eBird program. The work is published in Nature Communications. [Read more…] about City-Dwelling Wildlife Demonstrate Urban Trait Syndrome
In the spring and summer many species of birds will set up nests in shrubs (catbirds and common yellowthroats) and on tree limbs (robins, orioles, or vireos). Chickadees, nuthatches, or woodpeckers may be nesting in tree cavities. These nests may be hard to spot from the ground. To protect birds, wait until the fall to cut or prune trees and shrubs if possible. Birds such as house wrens, phoebes, and Carolina wrens often get creative and build nests on decks, porches, or sheds. [Read more…] about Help Protect Nesting Birds in Your Field or Yard
House Sparrows were introduced in Brooklyn in 1851. They expanded rapidly to become one of the most common species in the U.S. and Canada.
The European House Sparrow has a story to tell about survival in the modern world. In parts of its native range in Europe, House Sparrow numbers are down by nearly 60%. Their fate in the U.S. and Canada is less well known. [Read more…] about Even The Common House Sparrow Is In Decline Study Finds
For nearly a decade, I’ve been adding to a brush pile in the woods behind my home. A depository of pruned branches, dead flowers, discarded logs, old leaves, and an occasional Christmas tree, the pile is a decaying testament to seasons and chores long past. Over the years, the pile has settled a bit as the accumulated debris has slowly broken down. Yet, the brush pile remains as intended: a woody oasis for wildlife. [Read more…] about Life In A Backyard Brush Pile
Pine barrens are certainly piney – but they’re not the least bit barren. They were so named not because they lack life, but because colonists found them unsuitable for raising cattle or growing vegetable and grain crops. Left behind by the glaciers more than 10,000 years ago, pine barrens are characterized by sandy, acidic soil where pitch pine and scrub oak are the dominant trees. [Read more…] about Pine Barrens Are Definitely Not Barren
Beware! Pictured here are your adversaries – the official enemies of the state. Don’t be distracted by the pretty colors, lovely feathers, or furry critters. These are vermin, and citizens are urged to kill them at every opportunity.
The poster, by the way, represents only the top nine targets from a group of notorious killers, presented here alphabetically: bobcat, Cooper’s hawk, crow, English sparrow, goshawk, gray fox, great gray owl, great horned owl, house rat, “hunting” house cat, lynx, porcupine, red fox, red squirrel, sharp-shinned hawk, snowy owl, starling, weasel, and woodchuck. Kingfishers and a number of snakes were later added, and osprey were fair game as well. [Read more…] about A Century Ago: New York’s War on Animals
Use your bank’s “bill pay” option (or just send a check)
Thanks for your support! These are difficult times. Without your support we cannot publish the Almanack.
*Donations are not tax deductible.
(Click the X in the top right corner this box to not see this message again for 7 days).