H.J. Ruiz – Avian101 – Page 631 – "My Backyard Visitors" – All about birds

Friendly Sparrow

The bird featured today is the Chipping Sparrow. These birds where present when I had recently moved to Georgia in the first and second season but then skipped a few seasons until about two years ago when they decided to be frequent visitors to my backyard again. Next are important descriptions to help ID these birds and get acquainted with them.

Throughout the year, adults are gray below and an orangish-rust color above. Adults in alternate (breeding) plumage have a persimmon-red cap, a nearly white supercilium, and a black trans-ocular line (running through the eye). Adults in basic (nonbreeding) plumage are less prominently marked, with a brownish cap, a dusky eyebrow, and a dark eye-line.

Juvenile chipping sparrows are prominently streaked below. Like nonbreeding adults, they show a dark eye-line, extending both in front of and behind the eye. The brownish cap and dusky eyebrow are variable but generally obscure in juveniles.

In eastern North America, chipping sparrows breed in woodlands, farmlands, and suburban and urban districts. In western North America, the chipping sparrow prefers conifer forests for breeding.

Throughout the year, chipping sparrows forage on the ground, often in loose flocks. Their diet consists mainly of seeds and crumbs of mostly any food, especially those fallen on the ground.

Although this bird’s original habitat was probably coniferous forest, especially the eastern subspecies has adapted well to the changes brought about by increased human population in its range. Being familiar with urban feeders.

From my own observations, the Chipping Sparrows are peaceful and not confrontational.

“Their behavior is of gregarious, friendly bird type.”

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Text and photographs © HJ Ruiz – Avian101

Tags: birds, Chipping Sparrow, nature, photography, photos of birds

The Other Red Bird

The bird being feature on this post is the House Finch, a well know bird which has expanded its territory to all the USA. They can be found all year round. For a while I heard some folks referring to this species as “the other red bird, not the cardinal”.

Adults have a long, square-tipped brown tail and are a brown or dull-brown color across the back with some shading into deep gray on the wing feathers. Breast and belly feathers may be streaked; the flanks usually are. In most cases, adult males heads, necks and shoulders are reddish.This color sometimes extends to the belly and down the back, between the wings. Male coloration varies in intensity with the seasons and is derived from the berries and fruits in its diet. As a result, the colors range from pale straw-yellow through bright orange (both rare) to deep, intense red. Adult females have brown upper-parts and streaked under-parts.

What I love about these birds is the deep sense of parental responsibility. Where ever the couple go the brood is always with them close by to assist them if needed. The fly in family group until the birds are juvenile and are on their own. By the way, these species are very prolific and they are very abundant.

Ever sine I moved to Georgia I’ve seen them coming to eat to my feeders.

“There are estimated to be anywhere from 267 million to 1.7 billion individuals across North America”

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Text and photographs © HJ Ruiz – Avian101

Tags: birds, House Finch, nature, photography, photos of birds

Handsome Sparrow

The bird being featured today is the White-throated Sparrow, a passerine, larger that other sparrows and well defined features as well as attractive colors.

White-throated Sparrows are brown above and gray below with a striking head pattern. The black-and-white-striped head is augmented by a bright white throat and yellow between the eye and the bill, which is gray. You’ll also see a less boldly marked form, known as “tan-striped,” with a buff-on-brown face pattern instead of white-on-black. (I haven’t photographed any “tan-striped” yet)

White-throated Sparrow breeding grounds are in Canada, then migrate south to USA during winter, they have a very extended territory.

They eat plants and seeds and live in bushes, overgrown fields and also backyards. These birds have been visiting my backyard for several years.

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Tags: birds, nature, photography, photos of birds, White-Throated Sparrow

Little Bird that Could

Another small bird that I see very often in my backyard is the Carolina Chickadee. Small in size but a giant in courage when defending its family or home. These are very popular and well known birds that most people recognize immediately when seen. It is a small passerine bird. Adults have a black cap and bib with white sides to the face. Their underparts are white with rusty brown on the flanks; their back is grey. They have a short dark bill, short wings and a moderately long tail. Very similar to the black-capped chickadee,

Insects form a large part of their diet, especially in summer; seeds and berries become important in winter. They sometimes hammer seeds on a tree or shrub to open them; they also will store seeds for later use.

I am very fond of this species, they are very organized and full of energy usually stay through the winter and can be seen flying back and forth to the feeders, they fly fast and in a peculiar way, undulated, up and down pattern.