Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with ornithology

what bird is this?

griseus — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:57:55 -0800

Can anybody identify this bird, seen at the Biltmore Estate, NC in August of this year? Thanks.

Name this bird

Shutter — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:55:55 -0800

Please help me identify this bird from Oregon with rather vague information [more inside] This was a medium size (4-9 inches perhaps) bird. It was black, with a very bright red/orange collar around his neck, which may have stuck out a bit. I saw two, one in the central willamete valley (oregon wine country), and again along the central oregon coast. Does anyone have any brilliant notions of what this might be? I just spent a couple hours poking through ornithological websites to no avail. I might have missed something, but he looked to be all black to me (except for the collar).

Any notions?

Which bird makes this whistle?

Ogre Lawless — Tue, 30 May 2006 11:38:14 -0800

Bird Song-o-rama: Northern California Sierras, two pairs of doublet whistles (notes G-G/ [lower] D-D), song used often by two birds as call and response. Ring any bells? Heard this bird about one million times while working up near Bear Valley (somewhat north of Yosemite, so birdwatchers there might click on it) but have never seen the bugger. The birds can often be coersced into responding by either starting the whistle or completing the pair.

Where do the birds go when it rains?

agropyron — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 12:38:55 -0800

BirdFeederFilter: When it's gloomy and rainy, I don't see any birds at my birdfeeder for days on end. Then as soon as it's sunny, they're all over the place. What gives? What do they do on rainy days, just forage near their nest? Don't birds gotta eat when it rains?

What causes a bird to fly into my window repeatedly with reckless abandon?

MegoSteve — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 11:55:33 -0800

Why are birds repeatedly hurling themselves against my office window? It isn't just accidental, like when a bird doesn't see the glass and crashes into the window, knocking itself silly (or dead). It's a persistent tapping behavior. The bird flies against the window, tapping at it with its beak, then lands on the tree right next to the window, then does it again and again. It's lmost the same rhythm as if a kid were throwing a ball against the side of the house. *Bonk* *Bonk* *Bonk*

It started several months ago with a different bird of indeterminate species who has since left. Last week, the same behavior started again with a beautiful, bright red cardinal. He's tapping at my window on and off since last Wednesday, and he's doing it right now. It's almost like a game, and I kind of enjoy the distraction (so do the cats), but I'm also not out there smearing peanut butter and bird seed on my window, so I don't get why it's happening.

Is this typical bird behavior? What would cause this?

Bird Watching in the Northeast

dchase — Thu, 08 Jul 2004 08:59:47 -0800

Read any good field guides for bird watching in the North East U.S. lately? Our new home has a huge English style garden and is close to a reservoir, resulting in a lot of great bird activity. My kids gave me some binoculars and an Audubon field guide for father's day and we've really been getting into spying on and trying to identify all the birds. I'm finding the Audubon guide a bit clumsy, though. Any recommendations on guides for beginning birders? How about for kids?