John Davidson - Birds of North America For Kids

John Davidson

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Introduction

Did you know that some of the birds whichpeople believed would never ever be extinct because they were sonumerous have disappeared in the 20th and the21st century? The last passenger pigeon, which oncecovered the skies of North America, died in captivity in 1904.

1.Common North American Bird Families

North America is home to a number of birdspecies and families. Below, are some of these species.

Anatidae is one common North American birdfamily. This group includes geese, swans, and ducks. There are anumber of types of Anatidae and some are more commonly found inmore areas than others. For instance, the Canadian goose istypically found in Canada and the northern states in the US.

Strigidae is another common type of NorthAmerican bird. The owl is the kind of bird that belongs to thisfamily. In the US, the Snowy Owl is the heaviest owl, followed bythe Great Horned Owl.

Another popular North American bird family isthe Columbidae. Many people are not too fond of one member of thisfamily, the pigeon. This family does, however, include doves. Manyof the birds that belong to this family are found in urban areasthroughout the continent.

The penguin belongs to the Spheniscidaefamily, another common North American bird. Unlike many otherbirds, this family prefers colder climates. Therefore, they aretypically found in Northern Canada and Alaska.

Apodidae is a North American bird family thatspends most of its life flying. Their short legs do not allow themto settle on the ground very long. Swift birds make up thisfamily.

Pelecanidae is a popular bird family in NorthAmerica, but differs from many other birds in that they spend mostof their time in the water. Also, these birds have four webbedtoes. This group includes egrets, herons, and bitterns.

The Phoenicopteridae family also calls NorthAmerica home. The bird most people are most familiar with in thisfamily are flamingos. What makes this bird unique from other birdsis its height; they can stand up to five feet tall! They lovewarmer climates, such as the Caribbean Islands and Florida.

Knowing More about the Birds around You Fun Facts of the More Common Bird Species

2. AllAbout Blackbirds

Male blackbird.

The Common Blackbird , usually known simplyas a "Blackbird ", is a part of the Thrush bird family. Unlike manyother birds that are native to just one or two continents, theBlackbird breeds in North Africa, Asia, and Europe. It has evenbegun to breed recently in Australia. Please do not confuse ablackbird with a crow or with a Raven. They are literally blackbirds due to their color but a common blackbird is a differentbreed altogether.

The Blackbird typically measures between 23.5centimeters to 29 centimeters. They usually weigh between 2.8 and4.4 ounces. Males and females usually differ in appearance. Themale has black-brown legs and orange-yellow bill that gets darkerduring the winter months, and a glossy black plumage. On the otherhand, a female Blackbird has a dull yellow-brownish bill, a sootybrown color, and a bit of mottling on its breast.

A male Blackbird is very aggressive when itcomes to defending its territory. If they feel as though theirterritory is being threatened, they do something called a "bow andrun." Basically, what this entails is a short run in which the headis first raised and then bowed in quick little jerks. During thistime, the bird will dip its tail. When a fight goes down, it isusually a short challenging fight and the intruder is quick to runaway.

As far as diet goes, the Blackbird is anomnivore. Their diet includes earthworms, berries, seeds, and manykinds of insects. They usually feed on the ground, running andhopping to grab their food. If they choose to eat fruits, they cangrab what is on the ground and will sometimes even go into people'sgardens to grab goodies.

The call and song of a Blackbird varies,depending on its purpose. For instance, if the bird is looking toscare away potential enemies, they will make a "pook-pook-pook" sound. If it wants to defend its territory from otherBlackbird s, it will make a "chink-chink" noise.

Unlike many other birds, the Blackbirdspecies is nowhere near extinct. In fact, the population seems tobe growing, thriving and multiplying vigorously. This means theyshould be around for a long time!

3.Amazing Sparrow Facts

Male sparrow.

The most familiar of all birds, sparrowsthrive all over the world. The three main groups are the truesparrows, the snowfinches, and the rock sparrows. These areseparate and distinct from the American sparrow. You may take themfor granted but after reading these facts, you will be amazed athow versatile this bird really is.

1. Sparrows can live just about anywhere.

There have been sparrow sightings in manydiverse locations. Entire groups have lived out their lives underthe shelter of enormous industrial warehouses. Cavers discovered alarge population 2,000 feet underground in an old coal mine. Aslong as they can build nests and find food, these birds can make ago of it and survived, even though you cannot find them in thedensely populated areas of the Indian subcontinent.

2. Sparrows are notorious for sneakingoutside the bonds of monogamy.

Researchers report that up to 28% of all eggsare the product of a female sparrow and a male sparrow who is nother breeding partner. Scientists are puzzled by this behavior.Females with extra-pair offspring have fewer total offspring thantheir monogamous friends. However, more of the young fromextra-pair matings make it to breeding age.

3. House sparrows mostly feed on seeds andother plant matter but in the springtime they can be found busilygathering insects.

Those insects are for the young sparrows.Newly hatched sparrows require more protein and their parents workhard to provide it for them. Living in large flocks, the parentsmust compete with others for access to the best food for theiryoung. Why this hurry? Sparrow chicks must be ready to fly from thenest within two weeks of hatching.

In some ways, the large sparrow population isdue to the progress of human beings especially in the matters ofbuilding cities and constructing houses over what was onceforestland. They prefer building their nests in man-made structuresand love living near their human counterparts. Readily adaptable,they are able to find plenty to eat in the foodstuff we discard ormake available to them in our gardens and parks.