Birdnote
-
Nest Building
Make a gift to BirdNote through GiveBIG on May 2, 2012, and s-t-r-e-t-c-h your donation!Give now. And thanks! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Imagine building a bird's nest. An averageAmerican Robinweighs less than three ounces. An average person 1,000 times as much as a robin. A robin’s nest, made of grass and mud, weighs about seven ounces, so yours will weigh 450 pounds. You’ll need to collect about 350 strands of grass, each about four feet long. And don’t forget the...
-
A Young Bewick's Wren Learns to Sing
Make a gift to BirdNote through GiveBIG on Wednesday, May 2, 2012, and s-t-r-e-t-c-h your gift!Here's how. Donald Kroodsma, an avian communication expert, offers great research on the songs of the Bewick's Wren. At this time of year, a very young male Bewick's Wren is beginning to learn how to sing. His father sings a crisp well-defined song, separated by pauses, but the young bird's song is fuzzy, unfocused, a little rambling. Each adult maleBewick's Wrenhas his own set of unique songs. A...
-
Sapsuckers and Hummingbirds
The sapsucker is a type of woodpecker that notches rows of small holes in trees, causing sap to well out. The birds eat the sugary liquid flowing from these sapwells. Now tree sap is similar in sugar content to the nectar hummingbirds take from flowers. And it is no coincidence that just as theYellow-bellied Sapsuckersget their sapwells flowing in spring,Ruby-throated Hummingbirdscome migrating north. Several species of hummingbirds partake of the bounty of sap released by sapsuckers, even...
-
Mapping Songbird Migration with Geolocators
Devices called geolocators are giving us new insights into how, when, and where birds migrate. They record daily changes in light levels at different latitudes and longitudes by recording the time of each sunrise and sunset. And by attaching them to migrating birds - like thisRed Knot-scientists can determine where the birds have been and for how long. Some migrants make lengthy fall stopovers that were previously unknown, and some wintering zones have been pinpointed with new accuracy....
-
Unlikely Places to Go Birding
Birding is often best in the least likely places. At sewage treatment plants, watch for ducks and gulls - and raptors keeping watch over them all. Another place might be your local landfill or dump. The Brownsville, Texas dump was, for years, the only place in the US you could find thisTamaulipas Crow. For a more sedate birding adventure, visit a cemetery. Especially in rural areas and in the Midwest, cemeteries are often repositories of native plants, and thus magnets for migratory birds,...
-
American Woodcock
At sunset, the maleAmerican Woodcock— a plump, robin-sized bird — walks slowly on short legs from the cover of the forest to a nearby clearing. After a few sharp calls, the woodcock takes flight. As it spirals upward, slim, stiff feathers at its wingtips create a curious twittering. At the apex of its flight, the woodcock circles, then descends in a slow spiral, putt-putting like a tiny car about to run out of gas. The woodcock’s odd looks and sounds have earned it many colorful nicknames....
-
John James Audubon Birthday
April 26th is the birthday of John James Audubon - flamboyant, groundbreaking artist, dedicated observer, adventurer, and writer. John James Audubon grew up in France, but moved to Philadelphia at 18. Embracing the natural wonder of his new homeland, Audubon set out to paint all the birds of America.This "Audubon's" Yellow-rumpedWarbler was named for him, and he is also recognized as the man after whom theAudubon Societywas named.Learn more.
Recommended Shows
PROGRAM INFORMATION
- Tacoma, WA
- Environment
- English
-
BirdNote
PO Box 99456
Seattle, WA 98139 - Visit the station website Update show info
