Birds of the Week # 22

Muscovy Duck


Muscovy Duck (Male)
Muscovy Duck (Male)

Muscovy Duck (Female)
Muscovy Duck (Female)

The Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata) is a large duck native to the Americas. Small wild and feral breeding populations have established themselves in the United States, particularly in Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, the Big Island of Hawaii, as well as in many other parts of North America, including southern Canada. Feral Muscovy ducks are found in New Zealand, Australia, and in parts of Europe.


Eastern Bluebird


Eastern Bluebird (Male)
Eastern Bluebird (Male)

The Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) is a small North American migratory thrush found in open woodlands, farmlands, and orchards. Eastern bluebirds are social, and will sometimes gather in flocks of over a hundred. However, they are territorial during the breeding season and may continue to defend a feeding area throughout the winter.


Blue Grosbeak


Blue Grosbeak (Male)
Blue Grosbeak (Male)

The Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea), is a medium-sized North American passerine bird in the cardinal family Cardinalidae. It is mainly migratory, wintering in Central America and breeding in northern Mexico and the southern United States. This is a migratory bird, with nesting grounds across most of the southern half of the United States and much of northern Mexico, migrating south to Central America and in very small numbers to northern South America; the southernmost record comes from eastern Ecuador.


Song Sparrow


Song Sparrow
Song Sparrow

Song Sparrow
Song Sparrow

The Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) is a medium-sized New World sparrow. Among the native sparrows in North America, it is easily one of the most abundant, variable and adaptable species.  Adult song sparrows have brown upperparts with dark streaks on the back and are white underneath with dark streaking and a dark brown spot in the middle of the breast. They have a brown cap and a long brown rounded tail. Their face is gray with a brown streak through each eye.


Savannah Sparrow


Savannah Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow

The Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) is a small New World sparrow. It was the only member of the genus Passerculus and is typically the only widely accepted member. This passerine bird breeds in Alaska, Canada, northern, central and Pacific coastal United States, Mexico and Guatemala. The Pacific and Mexican breeders are resident, but other populations are migratory, wintering from the southern United States across Central America and the Caribbean to northern South America.


Mourning Dove


Mourning Dove
Mourning Dove

The Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) is a member of the dove family, Columbidae. Most mourning doves migrate along flyways over land. On rare occasions, mourning doves have been seen flying over the Gulf of Mexico, but this appears to be exceptional. Mourning doves (Z. m. carolinensis) are native to the North Atlantic archipelago of Bermuda, approximately 1,044 km (649 mi) east-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina (the nearest landfall); 1,236 km (768 mi) south of Cape Sable Island, Nova Scotia; and 1,538 km (956 mi) due north of the British Virgin Islands, from which they had been migratory, but since the 1950s have become year-round residents.


Tufted Titmouse


Tufted Titmouse
Tufted Titmouse

The Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) is a small songbird from North America. Tufted titmice nest in a hole in a tree, either a natural cavity, a human-made nest box, or sometimes an old woodpecker nest. They line the nest with soft materials, sometimes plucking hair from a live animal such as a dog. If they find snake skin sheddings, they may incorporate pieces into their nest. Eggs measure under 1 inch (2.5 centimetres) long and are white or cream-colored with brownish or purplish spots.


ยฉ HJ Ruiz – Avian101

20 thoughts on “Birds of the Week # 22

  1. You do have some very attractive sparrows over there HJ, much more interesting than our introduced House Sparrow. The nearest thing to a native sparrow here is a finch, of which we have many species.

    • You’re right, Ashley. The sparrows are new birds of the new world, Europe have some too. Thank you, my friend. ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. Hi H.J.

    Beaufiful photos as always. I just wanted to comment on the Muscovy because our birds here in CR are feral. We had 4 on our most recent visit to Angostura. They are usually all-black with white wing patches. Any bird with lots of white is considered semi-domesticated.

    Best wishes and keep up the good work. We are still here in Turrialba, by the way.

    Paul

    • Right! Many are feral in places where not being introduced but in other places were brought to mix with other breeds and create more ducks with heavy weight and size. These are big ducks with lots of meat. Thank you Paul. ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Pingback: Birds of the Week # 22 โ€” H.J. Ruiz – Avian101 | By the Mighty Mumford

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