Many small birds utilize spider’s webs as they go about their daily lives. Although webs can bring benefits, they also present hazards. In this blog, I will cover both the usefulness and the dangers of spiders and spider webs in the lives of birds. Spider Webs Offer Good Building Materials Spider webs are made of […]
Charles Darwin was certainly not impressed with Turkey Vultures when he first saw them. He noted, “These disgusting birds, with their bald, scarlet heads, formed to revel in putridity.” Yet he seems to have had a better opinion of condors when he wrote, “It is truly wonderful and beautiful to see so great a bird, […]
When people think of eagles, they generally think of a large bird. If asked, “what makes an eagle different from a hawk?” the answer understandably often includes the statement that eagles are larger and more powerful than hawks. In the United States, we have the Bald Eagle and the Golden Eagle. Both are large powerful […]
How Speedy is a Peregrine? Peregrine Falcons are speedy birds that are popular with bird watchers and falconers all over the world. The peregrine has been used for over 4,000 years in falconry and are arguably the fastest animal on the planet. Their spectacular dives and quick chases are a wonder to behold. According to Cornell […]
Finding Unseen Carrion In 1979, David Houston did a study on the efficiency of Turkey Vultures finding carrion by smell. The study was conducted in the tropical forests of Barro Colorado Island, Panama. Setting out dead chickens from fresh to four days old, he discovered that Turkey Vultures within tropical forests rely almost exclusively on […]
Click here to read part 1 When thinking of bird migration, many people think of flocks of geese moving in their typical “V” formation. It’s not always picture-perfect, however. As I stated in The Basics of Bird Migration Part I-Knowing When, Grouping, and How They Prepare, migratory travels can be one of the most dangerous […]