H.J. Ruiz – Avian101

Mourning Doves are a fixture in my backyard.  They are strong, hardy birds very common almost in old kinds of environment. They have adapted to living in urban areas very well. These birds have a voracious appetite, they could sit by a feeder and eat until all seeds are gone… that simple! They may look pacific and innocent but they have a lot of aggressiveness within their genes. They fight among themselves or with other birds.  But they also are a preferred staple for predators such as Hawks, cats, snakes, etc.

Eastern Towhees are beautiful birds, medium size and very independent and forages the grounds for insects, fruits, invertebrates and very rarely go to feeders. However, I have noticed that when they are juveniles, they feel very curious to go to feeders but not for long! Their sense for safety immediately kicks in and then prefer to be apart from other birds. Since they do not fly in groups and have nobody to fend for them. When they have found a mate, they become inseparable from each other.

The Blue Jays are usually accompanying other blackbirds such as Cowbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds, European Starlings, etc. They travel together and eat together. Blue Jays are very cautious about being at open air, they hide on tall trees and observe for a while before flying down to eat. One particular eating habit is to gobble several nuts or large seeds in their bill and then go hide and eat. Their plumages are incredibly attractive with patterns in shades of blue, also black markings on head and neck all combined with white a a bit of gray. Cool!

Text and photographs © HJ Ruiz – Avian101