About Birds
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Below you will find lots of information about birds; the nesting and feeding habits of many common species of North American birds, along with information on how to best attract them to your backyard. We have also included information about the history of birds in legend, mythology and religion, along with interesting facts about birds. We will continue to add information to this page regularly.
Chickadee
Information coming soon~
Northern Cardinals
Named for their red plumage the Northern Cardinal is part of the Cardinalidae family most commonly found in the north eastern US. A robust, seed-eating bird with strong bills, Cardinals are also known for their plump, rather compact shape. The sexes have distinctive appearances; males are a vivid red coloring with distinctive black markings (though their coloring can be more muted at certain times of the year) and females are a reddish brown color with less distinctive markings.
Nesting and Living Habits:
Cardinals prefer brushy woodlands, streamside thickets, orchards, swamps, suburban gardens and parks as a habitat. They like to roost and nest in dense thickets, evergreens and privet hedges. Being non-migratory birds, they like to stay in a mix of woodlands, bushy areas, roadsides and forest edges. They may also dwell in the forest or old swamps as well as in cities. They primarily live and flourish in areas where food is plentiful.
Cardinals utilize dry leaves, twigs, dry grass, bark strips, weed stems, fine roots, paper and grape vines interwoven with leaves, paper and plastic to make the outer portions of their nests. The nest’s interior is a collection of bent, fine grass, vines and other hairlike organic materials formed into circles.
Eating Habits:
The Northern Cardinal's diet is a combination of fruits, seeds and insects. They eat an enormous amount of insects, especially during breeding season. At feeders they seem to prefer Black-Oil Sunflower Seeds over all other foods. They will also eat Safflower, Cracked Corn, bread, nutmeats and Peanut Butter mixes.
How to attract the Northern Cardinal to your backyard:
A great way to entice Cardinals into your own backyard is to provide open areas with trees and berry producing shrubs such as mulberry, blueberry, grape and dogwood, as well as creating a dense hedge or thicket around your backyard to offer the birds nesting space. Cardinals are a year- round bird that can be easily supported during the winter by supplying lots of cover and roosting places with dense evergreens such as pines, spruces, and hemlocks. You will also need to make food and water available to them by filling a platform Feeder with Sunflower Seed, Safflower or bread crumbs, and offering a Birdbath for bathing and drinking.
Nesting and Living Habits:
Cardinals prefer brushy woodlands, streamside thickets, orchards, swamps, suburban gardens and parks as a habitat. They like to roost and nest in dense thickets, evergreens and privet hedges. Being non-migratory birds, they like to stay in a mix of woodlands, bushy areas, roadsides and forest edges. They may also dwell in the forest or old swamps as well as in cities. They primarily live and flourish in areas where food is plentiful.
Cardinals utilize dry leaves, twigs, dry grass, bark strips, weed stems, fine roots, paper and grape vines interwoven with leaves, paper and plastic to make the outer portions of their nests. The nest’s interior is a collection of bent, fine grass, vines and other hairlike organic materials formed into circles.
Eating Habits:
The Northern Cardinal's diet is a combination of fruits, seeds and insects. They eat an enormous amount of insects, especially during breeding season. At feeders they seem to prefer Black-Oil Sunflower Seeds over all other foods. They will also eat Safflower, Cracked Corn, bread, nutmeats and Peanut Butter mixes.
How to attract the Northern Cardinal to your backyard:
A great way to entice Cardinals into your own backyard is to provide open areas with trees and berry producing shrubs such as mulberry, blueberry, grape and dogwood, as well as creating a dense hedge or thicket around your backyard to offer the birds nesting space. Cardinals are a year- round bird that can be easily supported during the winter by supplying lots of cover and roosting places with dense evergreens such as pines, spruces, and hemlocks. You will also need to make food and water available to them by filling a platform Feeder with Sunflower Seed, Safflower or bread crumbs, and offering a Birdbath for bathing and drinking.
Blue Jay
Native to Northern America, mostly the eastern and central states, along with southern Canada, the Blue Jay belongs to the Corvidae family. Though common near and in residential areas, the Blue Jay breeds in both deciduous and coniferous forests. Predominately blue with a white chest and underparts, and a blue crest, this strikingly beautiful bird also has a black, U-shaped collar around its neck and a black border behind it's crest. The sexes are similar in size and coloring, which stays the same all throughout the year.
Nesting and Living Habits:
Blue Jays are generally monogamous and bond for life. The mating season of the Blue Jay begins in mid-March, peaks in mid-April to May, and extends into July. Though they prefer an evergreen tree to nest in, Blue Jays will nest in any suitable tree or large bush & will even build a nest in unlikely places such as large mailboxes. Blue Jays have also been known to take over the nests of other mid-sized songbirds, such as the American Robin, providing that the stolen next is placed in a suitable spot.
Both sexes of Blue Jays are active in the construction of their open cup shaped nests, which they built using small roots, bark, cloth, feathers, twigs and other plant material, in the branches of trees. Occasionally, they may add mud to the cup shaped nest for extra stability and insulation. A Blue Jay egg clutch generally contains two to seven eggs, which are blueish or light brown with brown spots. The female cares for the young for 8–12 days after hatching, though they may remain with their parents for up to one to two months.
Eating Habits:
Mainly feeding on nuts and seeds such as acorns, the Blue Jay also eats small fruits, peanuts, weed seeds, grains, bread meat and even small vertebrates occasionally. Most of the Blue Jays diet is gathered from trees, shrubs, and on the ground. Blue Jays are equipped with strong, black bills which they use for eating corn, grains and seeds, as well as cracking nuts and acorns. Blue Jays will also eat insects such as grasshoppers, beetles, and caterpillars.
How to attract Blue Jays to your yard:
These intelligent, highly curious birds are rather easy to attract with food, nesting materials and water. Fill feeders with Peanuts, Sunflower Seeds and also provide suet. Leave a few piles of twigs and lawn clippings for the Blue Jays to build their elaborate nests with and also provide drinking and bathing water in a birdbath.
Nesting and Living Habits:
Blue Jays are generally monogamous and bond for life. The mating season of the Blue Jay begins in mid-March, peaks in mid-April to May, and extends into July. Though they prefer an evergreen tree to nest in, Blue Jays will nest in any suitable tree or large bush & will even build a nest in unlikely places such as large mailboxes. Blue Jays have also been known to take over the nests of other mid-sized songbirds, such as the American Robin, providing that the stolen next is placed in a suitable spot.
Both sexes of Blue Jays are active in the construction of their open cup shaped nests, which they built using small roots, bark, cloth, feathers, twigs and other plant material, in the branches of trees. Occasionally, they may add mud to the cup shaped nest for extra stability and insulation. A Blue Jay egg clutch generally contains two to seven eggs, which are blueish or light brown with brown spots. The female cares for the young for 8–12 days after hatching, though they may remain with their parents for up to one to two months.
Eating Habits:
Mainly feeding on nuts and seeds such as acorns, the Blue Jay also eats small fruits, peanuts, weed seeds, grains, bread meat and even small vertebrates occasionally. Most of the Blue Jays diet is gathered from trees, shrubs, and on the ground. Blue Jays are equipped with strong, black bills which they use for eating corn, grains and seeds, as well as cracking nuts and acorns. Blue Jays will also eat insects such as grasshoppers, beetles, and caterpillars.
How to attract Blue Jays to your yard:
These intelligent, highly curious birds are rather easy to attract with food, nesting materials and water. Fill feeders with Peanuts, Sunflower Seeds and also provide suet. Leave a few piles of twigs and lawn clippings for the Blue Jays to build their elaborate nests with and also provide drinking and bathing water in a birdbath.
American Goldfinch
Also known as the Wild Canary or Eastern Goldfinch, the American Goldfinch is a small, migratory bird from the finch family. The male American Goldfinch displays vibrant yellow plumage during the summer months, when it is seen from Alberta Canada to North Carolina, and olive colored plumage during the winter when it resides anywhere from just south of the Canadian border to Mexico. The female is a dull yellow brow coloring which only lightens slightly in summer.
Eating and Living Habits:
The only finch in it’s subfamily to completely molt, the American Goldfinch eats grains which it is adept at removing with it’s beak and agile feet. Gathering in large flocks, it is a very social bird, though it may be a bit territorially aggressive while constructing a nest which usually takes place beginning in mid-July. Producing one brood each year, this beautiful bird is generally monogamous. It is often seen in residential areas, attracted by bird feeders, the presence of which had increased it’s survival rate, though their preferred habitat is open meadow areas.
Nesting Habits:
American Goldfinch females build late summer nests in large shrubs or trees around 30 feet high, accompanied by the male during her efforts. The nest is usually around 2.5 inches in interior diameter, made with tightly woven spider web or caterpillar bound bark on the exterior and lined with soft materials such as milkweed, thistle down or cattail. The nest is so well built, it is able to hold water and the parents must prevent their hatchlings from drowning by covering the nest during rain storms. Laying between four to six slightly blue, white eggs during the night, the female incubates the eggs while the male brings her food.
Song:
The American Goldfinch has a distinctive song comprised of a series of musical twitters and warbles, along with it’s defense calls for protecting it’s young. When confronted with an intruder close by it’s nest, an American Goldfinch will try one or both of the following tactics, using specific verbal calls; it will attempt to rally other Goldfinches to the nest or signal to it’s young to crouch down in the nest & be quiet until the danger is gone.
How to attract Goldfinches to your yard:
Providing Nyier Thistle Seed in feeders and/or planting grasses and perennial plants such as thistle, cosmos and zinnias attracts the American Goldfinch. You may also want to provide strips of bark for nest building materials by leaving scraps from trees in areas of your backyard for them to collect.
Eating and Living Habits:
The only finch in it’s subfamily to completely molt, the American Goldfinch eats grains which it is adept at removing with it’s beak and agile feet. Gathering in large flocks, it is a very social bird, though it may be a bit territorially aggressive while constructing a nest which usually takes place beginning in mid-July. Producing one brood each year, this beautiful bird is generally monogamous. It is often seen in residential areas, attracted by bird feeders, the presence of which had increased it’s survival rate, though their preferred habitat is open meadow areas.
Nesting Habits:
American Goldfinch females build late summer nests in large shrubs or trees around 30 feet high, accompanied by the male during her efforts. The nest is usually around 2.5 inches in interior diameter, made with tightly woven spider web or caterpillar bound bark on the exterior and lined with soft materials such as milkweed, thistle down or cattail. The nest is so well built, it is able to hold water and the parents must prevent their hatchlings from drowning by covering the nest during rain storms. Laying between four to six slightly blue, white eggs during the night, the female incubates the eggs while the male brings her food.
Song:
The American Goldfinch has a distinctive song comprised of a series of musical twitters and warbles, along with it’s defense calls for protecting it’s young. When confronted with an intruder close by it’s nest, an American Goldfinch will try one or both of the following tactics, using specific verbal calls; it will attempt to rally other Goldfinches to the nest or signal to it’s young to crouch down in the nest & be quiet until the danger is gone.
How to attract Goldfinches to your yard:
Providing Nyier Thistle Seed in feeders and/or planting grasses and perennial plants such as thistle, cosmos and zinnias attracts the American Goldfinch. You may also want to provide strips of bark for nest building materials by leaving scraps from trees in areas of your backyard for them to collect.
Humminbird
Hummingbirds are among the smallest of the worlds birds, in fact, the hummingbird is the smallest extant bird species. Restricted to the Americans, hummingbirds are found from the tip of South America to southern Alaska and the Caribbean. Most species occur in subtropical and tropical Central and South America. Their plumage spans a large array of colors from blue to copper, though their comes from prism-like cells within the top layers of the feathers which refract light, not pigmentation in the feather structure.
Capable of hovering in mid-air, the hummingbird can flap their wings 12 to 80 times per second depending on the species, and can also conserve energy by going into a hibernation like state by slowing their metabolic rate to 1/15th the normal rate. The only group of birds capable of flying backwards, hummingbirds can also fly up to 15 miles per second! Most North American species of hummingbirds can live from 3 to 5 years, an impressive lifespan for an organism with such a high metabolism.
Eating Habits:
Hummingbirds will take sugar water from nectar feeders, which can be a reliable source of energy, especially when flower blossoms are less abundant. A sugar water solution of 1/4 parts sugar & water respectively works best; the mixture should be boiled and then cooled to avoid the growth of bacteria and yeasts. Honey is not recommended for use in making hummingbird food as microorganisms easily grow in it when diluted in water, causing it to rapidly spoil.
Nesting Habits:
Most species of hummingbirds construct a cup shaped nest on the branches of trees or shrubs, which, built by the female, ranges in size from that of half a walnut shell to several centimeters in diameter. Some species us spider silk, to bind the nest together and attach the nest to its support.
The female will generally lay two white eggs which are surprisingly relatively large in comparison the adult's size. The female will incubate the eggs for 14 to 23 days, depending on the species and temperature.
How to attract Hummingbirds to your yard:
Hummingbirds are easily attracted by bright, colorful nectar hummingbird feeders. Large numbers of these adorable little birds often collect around the feeder to via for food and one can witness spectacular aerial displays as the birds zip around to feed.
Capable of hovering in mid-air, the hummingbird can flap their wings 12 to 80 times per second depending on the species, and can also conserve energy by going into a hibernation like state by slowing their metabolic rate to 1/15th the normal rate. The only group of birds capable of flying backwards, hummingbirds can also fly up to 15 miles per second! Most North American species of hummingbirds can live from 3 to 5 years, an impressive lifespan for an organism with such a high metabolism.
Eating Habits:
Hummingbirds will take sugar water from nectar feeders, which can be a reliable source of energy, especially when flower blossoms are less abundant. A sugar water solution of 1/4 parts sugar & water respectively works best; the mixture should be boiled and then cooled to avoid the growth of bacteria and yeasts. Honey is not recommended for use in making hummingbird food as microorganisms easily grow in it when diluted in water, causing it to rapidly spoil.
Nesting Habits:
Most species of hummingbirds construct a cup shaped nest on the branches of trees or shrubs, which, built by the female, ranges in size from that of half a walnut shell to several centimeters in diameter. Some species us spider silk, to bind the nest together and attach the nest to its support.
The female will generally lay two white eggs which are surprisingly relatively large in comparison the adult's size. The female will incubate the eggs for 14 to 23 days, depending on the species and temperature.
How to attract Hummingbirds to your yard:
Hummingbirds are easily attracted by bright, colorful nectar hummingbird feeders. Large numbers of these adorable little birds often collect around the feeder to via for food and one can witness spectacular aerial displays as the birds zip around to feed.
Blue Bird
Bluebirds are a mostly insectivorous or omnivorous species of bird from the genus Sailia, of the trush family. Bluebirds have blue or blue & rust colored feathers, the male of the species displaying the brighter colored plumage, while the female has less brightly colored plumage.
Nesting Habits:
Bluebirds prefer areas of open grassland or scattered trees, producing two to four broods over the course of spring & summer. Though the female builds the nest by herself, the male bluebird chooses potential nest sites to attempt to attract females. The male uses special behaviors, including singing, wing flapping & placing nesting materials in the nesting cavity or box in an effort to get the female to accept.
The common Starling & American Crow are competitors of Bluebirds which can take over nests by smashing eggs, killing young & even possibly injuring or killing adults.
The Bluebird is a highly beneficial bird for gardeners as they are voracious insect consumers that can rid gardens of pesky insects quickly & efficiently. Gardeners who know of this beneficial presence go out of their way to attract & keep Bluebirds around their garden.
How to attract Bluebirds to your backyard:
Blue birds are easily attracted to backyards by platform bird feeders, Bluebird Houses and nesting boxes specifically designed for the species & bird baths! They will even bath in heated birdbaths during the winter.
Nesting Habits:
Bluebirds prefer areas of open grassland or scattered trees, producing two to four broods over the course of spring & summer. Though the female builds the nest by herself, the male bluebird chooses potential nest sites to attempt to attract females. The male uses special behaviors, including singing, wing flapping & placing nesting materials in the nesting cavity or box in an effort to get the female to accept.
The common Starling & American Crow are competitors of Bluebirds which can take over nests by smashing eggs, killing young & even possibly injuring or killing adults.
The Bluebird is a highly beneficial bird for gardeners as they are voracious insect consumers that can rid gardens of pesky insects quickly & efficiently. Gardeners who know of this beneficial presence go out of their way to attract & keep Bluebirds around their garden.
How to attract Bluebirds to your backyard:
Blue birds are easily attracted to backyards by platform bird feeders, Bluebird Houses and nesting boxes specifically designed for the species & bird baths! They will even bath in heated birdbaths during the winter.
Downy Woodpecker-Coming Soon
The smallest of North America's woodpeckers, the Downy Woodpecker is a very vocal bird which can be found across most of North and Central America. Identical in plumage pattern to the much larger Hairy Woodpecker, the Downy Woodpecker has mostly black upperparts and wings, with a white throat, back, and belly and white spotting on the wings. The adult males display a red patch on the back of their heads while juveniles have a red cap.
Living & Eating Habits:
Downy Woodpeckers thrive mostly on insects, making them a very beneficial bird to attract to your backyard and/or garden. They also eat seeds and berries, and in winter especially, are often found in suburban backyards with trees, attracted by Suet provided in Birdfeeders. Downy Woodpeckers are mostly permanent residents in the areas they choose to inhabit, though they may migrate futher south or to lower elevations during winter.
Breeding & Nesting Habits:
The Downy Woodpecker's preferred breeding habitat spans across most of North and Central America, in mainly deciduous forested areas. The nesting pair excavates a cavity in a dead tree or limb in which to lay eggs, hatch and raise their young.
How to attract Downy Woodpecker to your backyard:
As discussed above, Downy Woodpeckers are attracted to feeders with Suet; insect seed cakes and seed feed may also be used. Dead trees may attract the attention of nesting pairs, as they provide the soft wood necessary for the woodpecker to excavate a cavity for nesting in. Though allowing a dead tree to stand in ones' yard may not be possible, as dead trees are also fire hazards, many individuals have had luck getting the woodpeckers to nest by cutting off the limbs of the dead tree leaving just a tall stump available.
Living & Eating Habits:
Downy Woodpeckers thrive mostly on insects, making them a very beneficial bird to attract to your backyard and/or garden. They also eat seeds and berries, and in winter especially, are often found in suburban backyards with trees, attracted by Suet provided in Birdfeeders. Downy Woodpeckers are mostly permanent residents in the areas they choose to inhabit, though they may migrate futher south or to lower elevations during winter.
Breeding & Nesting Habits:
The Downy Woodpecker's preferred breeding habitat spans across most of North and Central America, in mainly deciduous forested areas. The nesting pair excavates a cavity in a dead tree or limb in which to lay eggs, hatch and raise their young.
How to attract Downy Woodpecker to your backyard:
As discussed above, Downy Woodpeckers are attracted to feeders with Suet; insect seed cakes and seed feed may also be used. Dead trees may attract the attention of nesting pairs, as they provide the soft wood necessary for the woodpecker to excavate a cavity for nesting in. Though allowing a dead tree to stand in ones' yard may not be possible, as dead trees are also fire hazards, many individuals have had luck getting the woodpeckers to nest by cutting off the limbs of the dead tree leaving just a tall stump available.
Birds in Legends, Mythology & Religion
Birds have been a common & popular subject among countless cultures throughout the centuries. Perhaps their capability of flight was what first fascinated man about birds, possibly their sensitive, graceful nature, or the useful, working relationships that can be developed with them has inspired humans to take such interest in the creature. Whether the reason is flight, beauty, or usefulness, they have captured the imagination of man and fascinated us for ages.
Birds have been symbols of power and freedom in countless cultures throughout the ages, depicted in many myths and legends, often linking the human world to the divine or supernatural realms that lie beyond the ordinary world. Assuming a wide range of roles in religion, legend and mythology, including association with the creation of the world, representation of love, strength and wisdom, and appearing as oracles, tricksters and even messengers of the deities. A number of creation myths from Southeast Asia feature birds, as do many ancient Egyptian creation stories.
Birds have been symbols of power and freedom in countless cultures throughout the ages, depicted in many myths and legends, often linking the human world to the divine or supernatural realms that lie beyond the ordinary world. Assuming a wide range of roles in religion, legend and mythology, including association with the creation of the world, representation of love, strength and wisdom, and appearing as oracles, tricksters and even messengers of the deities. A number of creation myths from Southeast Asia feature birds, as do many ancient Egyptian creation stories.
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The Native American legend of the Thunderbird tells of a powerful spirit in the form of a bird. With lightening flashing from its beak and the rumble of thunder created by the flapping of it's wings, it is often accompanied by lesser bird spirits, frequently in the form of eagles or falcons. Almost all Native North American people's share the legend of the Thunderbird. Native American rock engravings, or petroglyphs, of the majestic, legendary Thunderbird, have been found across the US and Canada, while evidence of similar figures have been found throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe.
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