Shabby Lemmy

Posts

2.3yr

Puerto Rican Tody

The Puerto Rican tody (Todus mexicanus) is a bird endemic to Puerto Rico. It is locally known in Spanish as "San Pedrito" ("little Saint Peter") and "medio peso" ("half-dollar bird"). Adults are almost entirely bright green above with a red chin and throat patch, white malar stripes, yellow flanks, and a long bill. The Puerto Rican Tody is a common and widespread endemic to Puerto Rico from the coast to the Mountains. Its' habitat are forested areas, including damp forests of hills and mountains, shade coffee plantations and dense thickets in the arid lowlands of the south coast. The Puerto Rican tody is primarily insectivorous (85.9% of its diet). Todies eats katydids, grasshoppers, crickets, earwigs, dragonflies, flies, beetles, spiders (8.2%), and occasionally small lizards (3.5%) and frogs. During the past, the Puerto Rican tody suffered from human predation as it was captured as food. Currently it suffers from nest predation by introduced Indian mongooses. Puerto Rico Tody makes loud, nasal “beep”. It also utters raspy calls “neeet” or “prrrrrreeet”. This bird produces rattling sounds with the wings when it performs short flights. Here is a link so you can listen to this pretty little bird. ... read full post

2.3yr

AnarchoBolshevik in hnaa_hobb_el_tayur

Great Auk

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Keulemans-GreatAuk.jpg

Became extinct in the 1850s, sadly.

2.3yr

Ocommie63 in hnaa_hobb_el_tayur

Magnificent Frigatebird

The Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) is a seabird of the frigatebird family Fregatidae. With a length of 89–114 centimetres (2 ft 11 in – 3 ft 9 in) and wingspan of 2.17–2.44 m (7 ft 1 in – 8 ft 0 in) it is the largest species of frigatebird. The magnificent frigatebird has a long gray bill with a hooked tip. It has a deeply forked, scissor-like tail and sharply pointed wings. In the breeding season, male magnificent frigatebirds have a bright red throat pouch that they puff out to attract a mate. Females have white throats and bellies. Magnificent Frigatebirds range along coasts and islands in tropical and subtropical waters. They nest and roost in mangrove cays on coral reefs and in low trees and shrubs on islands. Magnificent Frigatebirds forage over warm oceans far out to sea, along the coast, and in shallow lagoons. Magnificent Frigatebirds range along coasts and islands in tropical and subtropical waters. They nest and roost in mangrove cays on coral reefs and in low trees and shrubs on islands. Magnificent Frigatebirds forage over warm oceans far out to sea, along the coast, and in shallow lagoons. Magnificent Frigatebirds eat primarily flying fish, tuna, herring, and squid, which they grab from the surface of the water without getting wet. They also eat plankton, crabs, jellyfish, and other items on the surface of the water including discarded fish from fishing boats. Magnificent Frigatebirds are usually silent at sea, but sometimes give a grating call when coming in for a landing or while fighting with each other above the colony. Males make guttural drumming sounds during courtship. Juveniles beg for food with harsh screams. During breeding and courtship males and females make clicking noises with their bills. Males also use their bill to tap on the inflated gular sac, making drumming sounds. Here is a link to listen to this bird if you are so inclined. ... read full post

2.3yr

Ocommie63 in hnaa_hobb_el_tayur

White-Faced Ibis

The white-faced ibis (Plegadis chihi) is a wading bird in the ibis family, Threskiornithidae. This species breeds colonially in marshes, usually nesting in bushes or low trees. The white-faced ibis frequents marshes, swamps, ponds and rivers. It nests in isolated colonies from Oregon to Kansas, but its center of greatest abundance seems to be in Utah, Texas and Louisiana. In Texas, they breed and winter along the Gulf Coast and may occur as migrants in the Panhandle and West Texas. White-faced Ibises eat mostly invertebrates such as earthworms, crayfish, and insects. They are both visual and tactile feeders, foraging by lowering their bills into the water or mud to feel for prey, or by swinging the bill side to side through water. They also pick at prey near the water’s surface or on vegetation. They forage mostly in moist soil or wetlands, though they have been observed probing gopher mounds in dry fields. The bulk of their diet consists of earthworms, crustaceans (particularly crayfish), spiders, snails, clams, leeches, and various insects and their larvae—dragonflies, crickets, grasshoppers, midges, beetle, flies, and bugs. They take vertebrate prey such as fish, frogs, and even small rodents as well, sometimes rinsing larger prey items in water before consuming them. Unlike the Glossy Ibis, which eats large quantities of rice, White-faced seems not to regularly eat seeds or plant material. White-faced Ibises sometimes utter a soft oink call when feeding, flying, or interacting at the nest. Alarmed birds or those in conflict make a drawn-out gheeeeee that is similar to the repeated geeeeeek of a male returning to the nest. Here is a link so you can listen to this bird too. ... read full post

2.3yr

Ocommie63 in hnaa_hobb_el_tayur

Great-tailed grackle

The great-tailed grackle or Mexican grackle, (Quiscalus Mexicanus) is a medium-sized, highly social passerine bird native to North and South America. A member of the family Icteridae, it is one of 10 extant species of grackle and is closely related to the boat-tailed grackle and the extinct slender-billed grackle. Great-tailed Grackles can be found in open habitats with water nearby including farmland and city parks. Look for them in mixed flocks foraging on pastures and lawns—their long legs and massive tails distinguish them from other blackbirds and Common Grackles. Their diet is extremely varied, it includes many insects, spiders, millipedes, snails, crayfish, tadpoles, small fish, lizards, eggs and nestlings of other birds, and sometimes adult birds. They also eat a wide variety of seeds, waste grain, berries, fruit, and nuts. Great-tailed Grackles make an impressive array of sounds, ranging from sweet, tinkling notes to what one biologist described as “calls so loud they were best heard at a distance.” Other descriptions include “rusty gate hinge” and “machinery badly in need of lubrication.” The male’s territorial song includes a sound like crackling brush, a rapid-fire ki ki ki repeated 1–12 times, mechanical rattling notes, and a shrieking, high-pitched whistle. When ready to mate, both sexes give a “solicitation call” of clear cheat or che notes. Both males and females also make a low-pitched, hard chut alarm call, and males give a loud clack in response to humans and other predators. Females “chatter” when building the nest and when incubating eggs and feeding young. Here is a link so you can listen to this bird too!!! ... read full post

2.3yr

Ocommie63 in hnaa_hobb_el_tayur

Baltimore Oriole

The Baltimore oriole (Icterus galbula) is a small icterid blackbird common in eastern North America as a migratory breeding bird. It received its name from the resemblance of the male's colors to those on the coat-of-arms of 17th-century Lord Baltimore. For at least part of the year, Baltimore orioles can be seen in the eastern United States and as far west as Montana. Migrating populations head south during the late summer to early fall and stay in the Southeast U.S., Central America, or South America until April. Their preferred habitat is open deciduous woodlands. Baltimore Orioles eat insects, fruit, and nectar. The proportion of each food varies by season: in summer, while breeding and feeding their young, much of the diet consists of insects, which are rich in the proteins needed for growth. In spring and fall, nectar and ripe fruits compose more of the diet; these sugary foods are readily converted into fat, which supplies energy for migration. Baltimore Orioles eat a wide variety of insects, including beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, moths, and flies, as well as spiders, snails, and other small invertebrates. They eat many pest species, including tent caterpillars, gypsy moth caterpillars, fall webworms, spiny elm caterpillars, and the larvae within plant galls. However, orioles can also damage fruit crops, including raspberries, mulberries, cherries, oranges and bananas, and some fruit growers consider these birds a pest. The pure, liquid, whistling tones of the male Baltimore Oriole are a herald of springtime in eastern North America. His song consists of a short series of paired notes, repeated 2–7 times, lasting 1–2 seconds. The flutelike sound has a full, rich tone. The male sings to establish and defend a breeding territory, so you won’t hear the full song on the wintering grounds. The female Baltimore Oriole also sings. Her shorter songs may be communications with her mate. Occasionally, mated pairs may sing a duet. Both male and female Baltimore Orioles give a staccato chatter during aggressive encounters, such as when trying to drive an intruder out of their nesting area. The chatter call may be heard at any time of day and year. It alerts other orioles nearby and can attract them to help drive away the threat. Both male and female Baltimore Orioles also give a sharp, repetitive chuck as an alarm call. Neighboring orioles of various species respond to each others’ chuck calls. Female Baltimore Orioles give a special, aggressive scream call when defending their nests. During breeding season, mature males sometimes make a flutter-drum sound to each other by beating their wings loudly in flight. Here is a link so you can listen to this bird too. ... read full post

2.3yr

Ocommie63 in hnaa_hobb_el_tayur

Red-winged blackbird

The red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) is a passerine bird of the family Icteridae found in most of North America and much of Central America. Red-winged blackbird habitat includes a variety of wetlands including marshes (freshwater and brackish) and swamps. They are also known to inhabit uplands like hayfields, croplands, meadows and oil fields and sometimes wooded areas along waterways and open patches in woodlands. They feed on many insects, especially in summer, including beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and others; also spiders, millipedes, and snails. Majority of an adult's annual diet (roughly three-fourths) is seeds, including those of grasses, weeds, and waste grain. Also they eat some berries and small fruits. The male Red-winged Blackbird’s conk-la-ree! is a classic sound of wetlands across the continent. The 1-second song starts with an abrupt note that turns into a musical trill. Males often sing from a high perch while leaning forward, drooping their wings, spreading their tail feathers, and fluffing their bright shoulder patches to show them off. Females give a very different song in response to a singing male, a series of three to five short chit or check notes. The typical call of a Red-winged Blackbird is a distinctive, matter-of-fact check that’s fairly easy to recognize. Males and females make these calls all year round, in flight and while feeding, when confronting rivals and to raise an alarm. They also give a more intense alarm call, a fast, scolding chak chak chak. Here is a link so you can listen to this bird too. ... read full post

2.3yr

AnarchoBolshevik in hnaa_hobb_el_tayur

Mauritius blue pigeon

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Alectroenas_nitidissima-John_Gerrard_Keulemans_improved.jpg

Became extinct in the 1830s, sadly.

2.3yr

Ocommie63 in hnaa_hobb_el_tayur

Wrentit

The wrentit (Chamaea fasciata) is a small bird that lives in chaparral, oak woodlands, and bushland on the western coast of North America. It is the only species in the genus Chamaea. The Wrentit is a year-round resident in coastal scrub and chaparral along the West Coast. Away from the coast it lives in dense shrublands with coyotebush, manzanita, California lilac, and blackberry thickets in foothills and desert regions of California. In northwestern California and northwestern Oregon, the Wrentit breeds in oak woodlands and mixed hardwood and evergreen forests. Wrentits sometimes make suburban yards and parks their home especially if they find plenty of dense shrubbery to hide in. Wrentits tend to avoid areas with non-native plants such as eucalyptus and broom. This bird feeds heavily on insects, especially in spring and summer, including ants, small wasps, caterpillars, beetles, scale insects, leafhoppers, and others, plus spiders. They eat many berries, especially in fall and winter, including those of poison oak. Wrentits sing a distinctive song reminiscent of a ball bouncing that lasts for about 4 seconds. In males this starts out as 3 to 5 pits followed by an accelerating trill; the ball bounces away. Females also sing but they catch the ball and sing only 3 to 14 pits without the accelerating trill. Both sexes sing at all hours of the day, all year long, although they are more vocal within the first hour after sunrise and early in the breeding season. Wrentits give a churring call which sounds similar to someone rolling their r's. Wrentits give louder more emphatic calls when scolding a predator or intruder. Here is a link so you can hear this bird too. ... read full post

2.3yr

AnarchoBolshevik in hnaa_hobb_el_tayur

Cattle tyrant on a capybara

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Cattle_tyrant_(Machetornis_rixosa)_on_Capybara.jpg

2.3yr

Ocommie63 in hnaa_hobb_el_tayur

American Kestrel

The American Kestrel (Falco sparverius), is the smallest and most common falcon in North America. Formerly called "sparrowhawk", a misnomer as it is a true falcon and is unrelated genetically to the Eurasian sparrowhawk, Accipiter nisus. This bird inhabits any kind of open or semi-open situation, from forest clearings to farmland to desert, wherever it can find adequate prey and some raised perches. In the breeding season, it may be limited to habitats that also provide appropriate nesting sites. In the winter, females may tend to be found in more open habitats than males. The American kestrel usually hunts in energy-conserving fashion by perching and scanning the ground for prey to ambush, though it also hunts from the air. It sometimes hovers in the air with rapid wing beats while homing in on prey. Its diet typically consists of grasshoppers and other insects, lizards, mice, and small birds. American Kestrels have a fairly limited set of calls, but the most common one is a loud, excited series of 3-6 klee! or killy! notes lasting just over a second. It's distinctive and an excellent way to find these birds. You may also hear two other common calls: a long whine that can last 1–2 minutes, heard in birds that are courting or feeding fledglings, and a fast chitter, usually used by both sexes in friendly interactions. Here is a link so you can listen to this bird too. ... read full post

2.3yr

Ocommie63 in hnaa_hobb_el_tayur

Golden-Crowned Kinglet

The golden-crowned kinglet (Regulus satrapa) is a very small songbird in the family Regulidae that lives throughout much of North America. In winter, Golden-crowned Kinglets are found across much of the United States and in parts of the east and west of Canada, in coniferous, mixed, and deciduous forests. As during their breeding season, from fall through early spring, these birds prefer to forage in spruce, fir, and pine trees. This bird feeds on a wide variety of tiny insects, including small beetles, gnats, caterpillars, scale insects, aphids, and many others. They also eat spiders. Their diet includes many eggs of insects and spiders. They will feed on oozing sap; rarely feeds on fruit. Golden-crowned Kinglets sing an ascending, accelerating series of up to 14 very high-pitched tsee notes lasting up to 3 seconds and sometimes ending in a musical warble that drops an octave or more in pitch. This is one of the first bird songs that people stop being able to hear as they age. Both males and females sing while constructing the nest, when other songbirds approach, and when predators are nearby, and males sing to proclaim their territory. Both males and females give thin, threadlike tsee notes, often two or three in a row, to contact each other. Here is a link so you can listen to them too. ... read full post

2.3yr

AnarchoBolshevik in hnaa_hobb_el_tayur

Norfolk Island pigeon

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Hemiphaga_novaeseelandiae_spadicea.png

This one became extinct in the 1900s.

2.3yr

Ocommie63 in hnaa_hobb_el_tayur

American Dipper

The American dipper (Cinclus mexicanus), also known as a water ouzel, is a semiaquatic bird species native to western North America. The American Dipper is found on fast-flowing mountain streams and cold coastal streams of western North America and Central America. They forage in cascades, riffles and waterfalls along unpolluted waterways. Dippers feed principally on aquatic larvae of insects like mayflies, mosquitoes, and caddisflies. They also eat dragonflies, worms, small fish, fish eggs, tadpoles and small shrimp-like crustaceans called amphipods. The song of the American Dipper, given by both sexes, is a sweet, burbling medley of single and repeated notes. They sing loudly to rise above the background noise of rushing water. Bouts of singing may last up to 10 minutes. The American Dipper has a short, burry jik call, given in bursts of two to five repeats. Here is a link so you can listen to this bird as well. ... read full post

2.3yr

Ocommie63 in hnaa_hobb_el_tayur

Veery

The veery (Catharus fuscescens) is a small North American thrush species, a member of a group of closely related and similar species in the genus Catharus, also including the gray-cheeked thrush, Bicknell's thrush, Swainson's thrush, and hermit thrush. Alternate names for this species include Wilson's thrush and tawny thrush. Veeries breed in dense, damp, mostly deciduous woodlands, often near rivers, streams, and swampy areas. Breeding habitat includes forests of oak, maple, cherry, aspen, birch, alder, spruce and fir, among other trees and shrubs. Veeries gravitate toward disturbed forests, where dense understory provides protected nest sites. During spring and fall migration, they favor forest edges and second-growth woodlands. Veeries eat mostly insects and other invertebrates during the breeding season; mostly fruit in late summer and fall. Prey include beetles, ants, wasps, caterpillars, grasshoppers, flies, bugs, and occasionally small frogs and salamanders. Fruits in the diet include juneberries, honeysuckle, strawberries, blackberries, wild cherries, sumac and dogwood fruits, blueberries, wild grapes, and elderberries. The name “Veery” was inspired by the song that males use to defend territory. A series of variations on veer, the song descends slightly in pitch, and resonates as if whirling around inside a metal pipe. A group of nineteenth-century observers called it “an inexpressibly delicate metallic utterance…accompanied by a fine trill which renders it truly seductive.” Veeries emit a variety of whistled, squealed, and chattering calls. The most common is a distinctive, abrupt veer or jeer note that can make these birds easy to find even when they are not singing. Here is a link so you can listen to this bird as well. ... read full post

2.3yr

AnarchoBolshevik in hnaa_hobb_el_tayur

Yellow-headed caracara on a capybara

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Yellow-headed_caracara_(Milvago_chimachima)_on_capybara_(Hydrochoeris_hydrochaeris).JPG

2.3yr

Ocommie63 in hnaa_hobb_el_tayur

Willow Ptarmigan

The willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus) is a bird in the grouse subfamily Tetraoninae of the pheasant family Phasianidae. It is also known as the willow grouse and in Ireland and Britain, where the subspecies L. l. scotica was previously considered to be a separate species, as the red grouse. During the breeding season, Willow Ptarmigan inhabit subarctic and subalpine habitats where there is abundant shrubby vegetation, usually places below 6,000 feet elevation. At this season, they favor flat, moist areas as opposed to steep, dry slopes. Willow Ptarmigan have a simple diet of plant matter, primarily flower buds, catkins, leaves, twigs, berries, and seeds. In summer, they also eat whatever insects are available, both from the ground and low vegetation. Males are highly vocal during courtship and territorial defense, when they often deliver what some refer to as “flight song,” a rollicking, guttural series of clucks. Willow Ptarmigan are very vocal during the nesting season and have a remarkable repertoire of call types, many of which sound comical, even humanlike. Both male and female produce a series of nasal clucks and growls in many contexts, ranging from contact with mates, conflict with rivals, or the presence of predators. Still other calls sound like a scream, hiss, purr, or peep. Displaying males audibly snap their tail feathers into a fan and drag their wingtips noisily over the ground. Here is a link so you can listen to this silly little bird too. ... read full post

2.3yr

AnarchoBolshevik in hnaa_hobb_el_tayur

Red-moustached fruit dove

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Ptilinopus_mercierii_mercierii.jpg

It seems that this fellow went extinct in the 1920s.

2.3yr

Ocommie63 in hnaa_hobb_el_tayur

Costa’s Hummingbird

Costa's hummingbird (Calypte costae) is a bird species in the hummingbird family Trochilidae. It breeds in the arid region of the southwest United States and northwest Mexico; it winters in western Mexico. The desert might seem like a bad place for a creature that feeds at flowers, but it is the favored habitat for Costa's Hummingbird. In Arizona and California deserts, this species nests during late winter and spring, and most then avoid the hot summer by migrating to coastal California and Baja. This bird takes nectar from flowers, and will feed on tiny insects as well. Often visits desert natives such as agave, chuparosa, desert honeysuckle, and fairy-duster. Males sing a thin, high-pitched whistle when perched and when performing a looping dive. From a perch, a male whistles 4 short and thin notes less than 1 second long. During his looping dive, his whistle rises and falls in pitch for about 2.5 seconds. Females call with a sharp, dry tic when foraging or flying, but males rarely call. They call singly or give a series of tics. Males make gentle humming noises with their wings during their looping dive display. Here is a link so you can listen to this bird too ... read full post

2.3yr

Ocommie63 in hnaa_hobb_el_tayur

House Wren

The house wren (Troglodytes aedon) is a very small bird of the wren family, Troglodytidae. It occurs from Canada to southernmost South America, and is thus the most widely distributed native bird in the Americas. It occurs in most suburban areas in its range and it is the single most common wren. This species breeds in a wide variety of semi-open habitats, including suburbs, orchards, woodlots, open forest, streamside groves, mountain pine-oak woods, and many others. They Winter mostly in areas of dense low growth, including thickets and streamside brush. Wrens eat mostly tiny insects, They hunt spiders and insects, such as beetles, bugs and various caterpillars. They stuff their nestlings with a similar diet, along with grasshoppers and crickets. They will eat mealworms, tiny pieces of suet, peanut & sunflower pieces. Both males and females sing. Males often sing 9-11 times per minute during breeding season. Songs are a long, jumbled bubbling introduced by abrupt churrs and scolds and made up of 12-16 recognizable syllables. Females sing mainly in answer to their mates shortly after pairing up; their songs can include high-pitched squeals unlike any sounds males make. House Wrens make a variety of harsh sounds: churrs, chatters, rattles, and scolds, often in response to large animals that might be predators. For this reason, they can often be coaxed into view with squeaks or pishing sounds. Also, Adults may snap beaks softly while harassing predators near the nest. Here is a link so you can hear this fun little bird too. ... read full post

2.3yr

Ocommie63 in hnaa_hobb_el_tayur

Great Grey Owl

The Great Grey Owl (Strix nebulosa) is an owl, which is the world's largest species of owl by length. It is distributed across the Northern Hemisphere, and it is the only species in the genus Strix found in both Eastern and Western Hemispheres. The Great Grey Owl generally favors country with mix of dense forest for nesting and roosting, and open areas for hunting. In the north, mostly around bogs, clearings, and burns in extensive coniferous woods; in the west, mostly around meadows in mountain forest. The great grey owl's diet is made up of around 80-90% small rodents. They mostly hunt voles, but will also eat gophers, weasels, squirrels, rabbits, rats and mice. They will also take some birds, including thrushes, grouse, and ducks. During the breeding season (roughly from March–July), males and females give a low-pitched series of resonating hoos that last for 6–8 seconds with about 30 seconds between calls. The male’s vocalization is lower pitched than the female’s. Adults also make a soft double hoot when defending territories or during food delivery. Here is a link so you can hear this owl too. ... read full post

2.3yr

Ocommie63 in hnaa_hobb_el_tayur

Mangrove Cuckoo

The mangrove cuckoo (Coccyzus minor) is a species of cuckoo that is native to the Neotropics. This elusive neotropical bird can be found in the coastal mangrove forests of south Florida. Beyond its range within the state, the cuckoo's distribution includes the Caribbean, coastal Mexico and Central America. The mangrove cuckoo is a medium-sized bird with dull grey feathers.Mangrove Cuckoos have a varied diet that includes insects and larvae, spiders, frogs, lizards, eggs, nestlings, and fruit. Most of their feeding is in the tree canopy, where they peer around slowly, watching for caterpillars and other prey, then move to another perch to repeat the process. The song of this bird is a harsh, guttural series of nasal ahrr notes. Males sing primarily, but females respond with song during courtship. And their calls are An abrupt whip; also, a series of clucks or coos. Here is a link so you can hear them too. ... read full post

2.3yr

Ocommie63 in hnaa_hobb_el_tayur

Osprey

The osprey (Pandion haliaetus), also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor, reaching more than 60 cm in length and 180 cm across the wings. It is brown on the upperparts and predominantly greyish on the head and underparts. Ospreys prefer habitats with plenty of shallow water where fish are plentiful. They often built nests on small islands or structures over bodies of water that are difficult for predators to get to. Manmade structures such as power poles and other stable structures are common nesting sites. The osprey's diet is almost exclusively fish, a unique characteristic among raptors. They are opportunistic about the species of fish they catch, but they can only catch fish swimming within three feet (1 m) of the water's surface. They rarely take fish over 16 inches (40 cm) long. Ospreys have high-pitched, whistling voices. Their calls can be given as a slow succession of chirps during flight or as an alarm call—or strung together into a series that rises in intensity and then falls away, similar to the sound of a whistling kettle taken rapidly off a stove. This second type of call is most often given as an unfamiliar Osprey approaches the nest. As the perceived threat increases, the call can build in intensity to a wavering squeal. Here is a link so you can listen to this bird too. ... read full post

2.3yr

Ocommie63 in hnaa_hobb_el_tayur

Wild Turkey

The wild turkey is an upland game bird native to North America, one of two extant species of turkey and the heaviest member of the order Galliformes. It is the ancestor to the domestic turkey, which was originally derived from a southern Mexican subspecies of wild turkey. Wild Turkey habitats vary in different parts of continent, they include oak-hickory forest, pine-oak forest, cypress swamps, arid mesquite grassland, pinyon-juniper woodland, chaparral. They are usually found near some kind of oak (acorns are a favorite food). The best habitat includes a mixture of woodland and open clearings. Wild turkeys are opportunistic foragers and can eat a wide variety of leaves, grass, seeds, berries, insects, worms, snails, frogs, and small reptiles. This allows them to thrive in a variety of natural habitats. They also can inhabit residential areas, particularly where they are being fed. Male turkeys are called “gobblers” because of their famous call, which is their version of a rooster’s crow. It’s a loud, shrill, descending, throaty jumble of sound that lasts about 1 second. Males often gobble from their treetop roosts, where the sound carries better than on the ground. They use it to attract females and in response to other males—sometimes one male’s call can lead to a group of others joining in. Both males and females cackle as they fly down from roosts, give very short, soft purring calls while traveling on foot, and give a long series of yelps to reassemble a flock after it has become scattered. Young turkeys whistle three or four times to their flockmates when they’re lost. The strutting male periodically gives a chump sound followed by a low hum. The source of these sounds is not well understood. Here is a link so you can listen to them too. ... read full post

2.3yr

AnarchoBolshevik in hnaa_hobb_el_tayur

Passenger Pigeon, another bird that became extinct in 1914

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/Passenger_Pigeon_coloured.jpg

It was endemic to North America and was probably at one point the commonest bird in the world. This is a colorized edition of a 1913 photograph.

Scientists are currently working on a project to clone the passenger pigeon back into existence.