Bird of the Day - Common Grackle

The Bird of the Day for today is the common grackle.  It is related to the blackbirds.  The common grackle is 12.5 inches long, with a wingspan of 17 inches.  It is distinguished from the blackbirds by the long and thick bill, keeled tail, and distinctive voice.

I took these pictures by Lake Superior in Grand Marais, Minnesota.

Bird of the Day - Merlin

 The Bird of the Day for today is the merlin.  I photographed this bird shortly after returning to the Gunflint Trail.  There was a pile of feathers nearby, so the merlin has most likely hunted there before.

 The merlin is one of three species of falcon in north-eastern Minnesota.  Peregrine falcons are the largest, followed by the merlin, and the American kestrel is the smallest of that family in Cook County.  

Bird of the Day - Black-capped Chickadee

 The Bird of the Day is the black-capped chickadee.  It is one of the most common year-round birds in Minnesota.  The only other chickadee in Minnesota is the much rarer boreal chickadee, which has a brown cap.

 Black-capped chickadees sing their own name, "chick-a-dee-dee-dee."  They also sing a two-toned "fee-bee" call mainly in the spring.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day!  As a tribute to mothers everywhere, I have gathered several pictures of bird mothers (or mothers soon-to-be), and some babies too.

Mallard with Ducklings

Mallard Ducklings

Canada Goose on Nest

Turkey Hen Watching Over Her Nest

Mallard Hen with Ducklings

All of these pictures were taken in Roseville, Minnesota.

Bird of the Day - House Sparrow

The Bird of the Day today is the house sparrow.  It is an old world sparrow that has become established throughout most of the United States.  

The house sparrow is in the family Passeridae.  Eurasian tree sparrows are the other bird in this family that has become established in the United States, though with a much smaller range than the house sparrow.

I took these pictures on the grounds of the Harriet Alexander Nature Center in Roseville, Minnesota.

Bird of the Day - Ruby-throated Hummingbird

 I saw my first ruby-throated hummingbird of the year today.  It is exciting to see these tiny, but bold birds again.  The pictured bird would have flown from Minnesota to South America last autumn, and came back over the Gulf of Mexico this spring and all the way up to Minnesota.

Birds have a massive amount of feathers.  The ruby-throated hummingbird has roughly 1,000 feathers (according to the Sibley Guide to Bird Behavior).  Swans and geese have closer to 25,000 feathers per bird.

Bird of the Day - Brown-headed Cowbird

The Bird of the Day today is the brown-headed cowbird.  It ranges throughout the United States, and most of Canada and Mexico.  They are in the Icteridae family, which includes such things as American blackbirds, grackles, cowbirds, and orioles.

Brown-headed cowbirds are often vilified in modern society because they lay their eggs in other species nests.  Cuckoos do the same thing, but their reputation has been protected by their inclusion in the clocks.  Both species of birds are only acting on instinct, and are not bad forms of life.