The Himalayan cutia, “Cutia nipalensis,” is a bird species in Leiothrichidae.The amazing species inhabit the Himalayan region, found in north India along with the Himalayas: Nepal, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Burma, adjacent south China, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and peninsular Malaysia. Witnessing this rare gem is a rally-like dream come true, showing off the various colors and patterns it possesses. This is one of the birds that has been listed in the book, 100 Birds to See Before You Die! Source
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The common potoo, is one of seven species of bird within the genus Nyctibius. It is notable for its large, yellow eyes and comically wide mouth. Potoos are nocturnal and are related to nightjars and frogmouths. They lack the characteristic bristles around the mouths of true nightjars. It has a haunting melancholic song, dropping in both pitch and volume. When seized, this bird produces a squeaky sound, not unlike that of a crow. This call greatly differs from that of much deeper and more dramatic northern potoo. Common potoos are 34–38 cm long with mottled red-brown, white, black, and grey cryptic plumage. This disruptive coloration allows the potoo to camouflage into branches. The sexes appear similar, and cannot be distinguished upon observation.
The eyes can appear as giant black dots with a small yellow ring, or as giant yellow irises with small pupils due to voluntary pupil constriction. The potoo has two or three slits in the eyelid so that it can see when the eyelids are closed; these notches are always open. The upper and lower eyelids can be moved independently and rotated so that the bird may adjust its field of vision. The common potoo has an unusually wide mouth with a tooth in its upper mandible for foraging purposes. common potoo is found in Trinidad & Tobago and every mainland South American country except Chile, though it has been recorded in that country as a vagrant. There it ranges from the Andes to the Atlantic Ocean. N. g. panamensis is found from eastern Nicaragua south through Costa Rica and Panama and west of the Andes from northwestern Venezuela through Colombia and Ecuador into northwestern Peru.
The common potoo is a resident breeder in open woodlands and savannah. It avoids cooler montane regions; it is rarely observed over 1,900 m above mean sea level even in the hottest parts of its range. It tends to avoid arid regions but was recorded in the dry Caribbean plain of Colombia in April 1999. It has many populations in the gallery forest-type environment around the Uruguayan-Brazilian border. A bit further south, where the amount of wood-versus grassland is somewhat lower, it is decidedly rare, and due west, in the Entre Ríos Province of Argentina with its abundant riparian forest, it is likewise not common.
The birds at the southern end of their range may migrate short distances northwards in winter. The potoo sits with its eyes open and its bill horizontal while awake, but if disturbed, assumes an alert “freezing” posture (flexibility). This entails sticking its beak vertically up in the air, closing its eyelids (through which it can still see via slits), and remaining still. If disturbed by larger animals, it may break its camouflage and try to chase the threat away.
If disturbed by a human being, its behaviors can be quite variable - quickly flying away, intimidation via beak-opening, or remaining still even when being touched. Common potoos are monogamous. After mating, the female lays a single white egg with lilac spots directly into the depression in a tree limb. Parents normally care for one egg at a time. The male and female alternate brooding the egg while the other forages for insects. They divide brooding time evenly.
The Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) is a common species of wren that is a resident in the eastern half of the United States of America, the extreme south of Ontario, Canada, and the extreme northeast of Mexico. Severe winters restrict the northern limits of their range while favorable weather conditions lead to a northward extension of their breeding range. Their preferred habitat is in dense cover in forest, farm edges and suburban areas. This wren is the state bird of South Carolina.
There are seven recognized subspecies across the range of these wrens and they differ slightly in song and appearance. The birds are generally inconspicuous, avoiding the open for extended periods of time.
Carolina Wren is about 12.5 to 14 cm long, with a 29 cm of wingspan and a weight of about 18 to 23 g. Carolina wren is a fairly large wren; the second largest in the United States species after the cactus wren. Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 5.4 to 6.4 cm; the tail is 4.5 to 5.6 cm. The sexual dimorphism is slight with males being larger than their mates.
There are several differences among the subspecies. For T. l. ludovicianus, the crown is rich brown that appears more chestnut-colored on its rump and uppertail-coverts. Shoulders and greater coverts are a rich brown, with a series of small white dots on the lesser primary coverts. The secondary coverts are rich brown with a darker brown barring on both webs; the bars on the primaries are on the outerwebs only, but darker and more noticeable. The rectrices are brown with 18 to 20 bars that span across the tail.
The white supercilious streak borders thinly with a black above and below, and extends above and beyond its shoulders. The ear coverts are speckled gray and grayish-black. Its chin and throat are grey that becomes buff on its chest, flank and belly, though the latter two are of a warmer color.
The underwing coverts sport a grayish buff color. Its iris is reddish-brown, the upper mandible is lemon-colored and paler at the base and lower mandible. The legs are flesh-colored. Survival rates differ by region, as roughly 90 percent of the Carolina wrens died within 10 years. The easiest species to confuse with the Carolina wren is Bewick's wren, which differs in being smaller but with a longer tail, grayer-brown above and whiter below.
The Carolina and white-browed wrens differ from the house wren in being larger, with a decidedly longer bill and hind toe; their culmen has a notch behind the tip. Carolina wrens adapt to various habitats. Natural habitats include various types of woodland such as oak hardwoods and mixed oak-pine woodlands, ash and elm woods, hickory-oak woodlands with a healthy amount of tangled undergrowth. The preferred habitats are riparian forest, brushy edges, swamps, overgrown farmland, and suburban yards with abundant thick shrubs and trees, and parks.
Carolina wrens sing year round and at any point during the daytime, with the exception of performing during the most harsh weather conditions. Males alone sing, and have a repertoire of at least twenty different phrase patterns and on average, thirty two. One of these patterns is repeated for several minutes, and although the male's song can be repeated up to twelve times, the general number of songs range from three to five times in repetition.
While singing, the tail of the birds is pointed downward. Some general vocalizations have been transcribed as teakettle-teakettle-teakettle and cheery-cheery-cheery. Various descriptions of the teakettle song include whee-udel, whee-udel, whee-udel, che-wortel, che-wortel and túrtee-túrtee-túrtee and familiar names and phrases such as sweet heart, sweet heart, come to me, come to me, sweet William, and Richelieu, Richelieu. Males are capable of increasing their repertoire through song learning, but due to their sedentary nature and territorial defense habits, the song learning must occur within the first three months of life. Their songs can be confused with the Kentucky warbler.
The song patterns are similar, but the warbler's songs are described as richer, with more ringing and a hurried pace. Carolina wrens spend the majority of their time on or near the ground searching for food, or in tangles of vegetation and vines. They also probe bark crevices on lower tree levels, or pick up leaf-litter in order to search for prey. Their diet consists of invertebrates, such as beetles, true bugs, grasshoppers, katydids, spiders, ants, bees, and wasps. Small lizards and tree frogs also make up the carnivorous portion of their diet.
Vegetable matter, such as fruit pulp and various seeds, makes up a small percentage of their diet. In the northern portion of their range, they frequent bird feeders. Carolina wrens are both genetically and socially monogamous and will usually mate for life. Mate changing is rare,[15] and there has been one possible observation of polygamy. During the winter season, males are more responsible for guarding the territory. Females vary in succeeding to maintain winter territories without a mate.
The northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a bird in the genus Cardinalis; it is also known colloquially as the redbird, common cardinal, red cardinal, or just cardinal (which was its name prior to 1985). It can be found in southeastern Canada, through the eastern United States from Maine to Minnesota to Texas, New Mexico, southern Arizona, southern California, and south through Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala.
It is also an introduced species in a few locations such as Bermuda and Hawaii. Its habitat includes woodlands, gardens, shrublands, and wetlands.
The northern cardinal is a mid-sized songbird with a body length of 21–23 cm (8.3–9.1 in). It has a distinctive crest on the head and a mask on the face which is black in the male and gray in the female. The male is a vibrant red, while the female is a reddish olive color. The northern cardinal is mainly granivorous, but also feeds on insects and fruit.
The male behaves territorially, marking out his territory with song. During courtship, the male feeds seed to the female beak-to-beak. A clutch of three to four eggs is laid, and two to four clutches are produced each year. It was once prized as a pet, but its sale as a cage bird was banned in the United States by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.
The white-browed wagtail or large pied wagtail (Motacilla maderaspatensis) is a medium-sized bird and is the largest member of the wagtail family. They are conspicuously patterned with black above and white below, a prominent white brow, shoulder stripe, and outer tail feathers. White-browed wagtails are native to South Asia, common near small water bodies, and have adapted to urban environments where they often nest on rooftops. The specific name is derived from the Indian city of Madras (now Chennai).
Read More - The Melodious Baltimore Oriole Song
Roller Coracius garrulus, from mid-April to Sep in the Roller winters of Spain in the Afrotropical region. It is a lowland species, favoring open, sunny habitats (steppes and meadows) with scattered, mature trees. It breeds in sandy banks, in walls, and in nest-holes of the Green Woodpecker, although it will also accept suitable nest-boxes. It avoids intensively cultivated areas.
Birds hunt from open perches on trees, posts, and overhead wires overlooking sparsely vegetated ground which provides little cover for prey. In the province of Lleida there are fewer than 100 pairs of Rollers, although this represents the great majority of the Catalan population of the 133 species. It appears that parts of Aragón, especially the southern part of Huesca, were colonized by the neighboring population in Lleida around the year 1980 and that the species is still spreading in some parts of the Ebro valley.
1) Ballobar-Candasnos-Ontiñena: the best areas to search are just to the north of the junction of the Candasnos-Ontiñena road with that of Ballobar, mainly to the west of the road, as well as the pseudosteppe a few kilometers to the east of the village of Candasnos, on the higher ground on either side of the N-II. The species also occurs on either side of the N-II between Bar Ventorrillo and Ventas del Rey, to the west of Fraga.
2) Balaguer Drylands: Rollers inhabit areas bordering the River Farfanya between Castelló de Farfanya and Menàrguens. From Balaguer head towards Menàrguens on the C-12 (LV-9224) and just after the first entrance to the village of Menàrguens turn right onto a wide track following the course of the River Farfanya, signposted to Castelló de Farfanya. Pay attention to the clumps of trees here and there along the river’s edge. The first 4kms are the best.
3) Alfés Drylands: several pairs of Rollers can be found in the area immediately to the east of the village of Alfés on both sides of the River Set, to the north of the road between Alfés and Aspa. The species may also be encountered to the east of the LV-7021 between Aspa and Artesa de Lleida. Rollers also occur further south, between Alcanó and Sarroca - the best area is along the track that runs southwest from the edge of Alcanó village towards Sarroca.
4) Belianes Drylands: the area to the east of the LP-2015 between Preixana and Sant Martí de Maldà is currently a very good one for Rollers, but its future as such looks bleak because of plans to irrigate the remaining drylands.
5) 5) Aiguamolls Natural Park: some of the 6-7 pairs of Rollers breeding in the park can normally be seen from the path that leads to the hide at Vilaüt and at the Closes de Mornau, as well as at the Cortalet meadows. Rollers are also present in the area between Berbegal and Barbastro, in the province of Huesca.
Identification
The
Mississippi kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) is a member of the family
Accipitridae, a group of diurnal birds of prey. Adult Mississippi kites are
falcon-shaped with light gray underparts, a dark gray dorsal surface, and a
black unbarred tail. They have orange-red legs and feet, with a pale
pearly-gray head, red eyes, gray bill, and black wings tipped with a broad
white patch on each rear edge that is visible in flight.
Adult
kites are about 13 to 14 inches (34 to 36 cm) long, have a wingspan of about 3
feet (0.9 m), and weigh 8 to 11 ounces (227 to 312 g). The male Mississippi
Kite bird is lighter gray and smaller than the female. However, immature kites
have heavy brown streaks below, and a notched black tail that is somewhat
banded on the ventral surface.
The
Juvenile kites are covered with a fluffy white down that contrasts with their
black eyes and bill. Mississippi kite birds are graceful in flight, often
appearing to float in the air but not uncommon to see several circling in the
same area.
Distribution
and Habitat
Mississippi
kites’ nest found in Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, southeastern
Colorado, southern Kansas, and the eastern states from southern Missouri to
South Carolina. The southern Great Plains is considered a stronghold for the
species. Mississippi kites nest primarily along with riparian areas and in
mesquite thickets and tree plantings such as shelterbelts, windbreaks, farm
woodlots, urban parks, and urban residential woodlots.
Kites
frequently use large windbreaks that are surrounded by native vegetation and
have few nearby roads and homes. Shelterbelts planted in native grassland
habitats likely have resulted in the westward expansion of the kite’s range.
Kites usually perch in the open on bare branches or on television antennas.
This bird is one of the United States' most elegant raptors, 6 to 7 pairs in sight
of one another in a grove of tall trees.
Migrations – Mississippi
Kite birds migrate in the fall to their wintering grounds in central and
southern tropical South America. A long-distance migrant, in flocks; every so
often seen in very large concentrations in Texas and Mexico. In a 2006 report,
more than 10,000 birds migrate at Fuerte Esperanza Argentina. Also, in 2004
nearly 9,8000 individuals fall migrate to Corpus Christi Texas.
Food
Habits
Mississippi
kites are primarily insectivorous. Their preference for insects that are
harmful to crops, such as cicadas and grasshoppers, makes them economically
beneficial. Most insects are captured by kites in flight. Kites supplement
their diets with lizards, frogs, small turtles, rodents, small rabbits, and
occasionally, small birds.
General
Biology, Reproduction, and Behavior
Most
Mississippi kites probably wintering Argentina and Brazil. They often migrate
in groups of 20 to 30, and usually arrive at their nesting sites in mid to late
April or early May. Their southward migration generally begins in early
September, a few weeks after the young have fledged. Mississippi kites usually
start nesting soon after their arrival in spring.
They
form pair bonds before arriving at nest sites and display little territorial
behavior. Kites either repair old nests or construct new ones. Nests usually
are concentrated in colonies. Many nests occur in elm, cottonwood, willow,
hackberry, oak, and mesquite trees.
Most
nests, except for those constructed in elm and cotton-wood trees, are usually
less than 20feet (6 m) above the ground. Nests vary in size, ranging from 10 to
18inches (25 to 46 cm) long and 10 to 14inches (25 to 36 cm) wide. They usually
are composed of small twigs and lined with leaves.
In late
May or, early June, kites lay two dull white to pale bluish-white eggs about1
1/2 inches (3.8 cm) long and almost oval in shape. Both parents incubate the eggs
and feed the young. They usually lay only 1 clutch per year, which hatches
after an incubation period of about 29 to 32 days. The young can fly and leave
the nest 28 to 35 days after hatching.
About
half the nesting kites successfully raise young. Major mortality factors
include strong winds, usually associated with summer thunderstorms, that blow
out nestlings and destroy nests, and egg and nestling predators, including
great horned owls and raccoons. Mississippi kites produce younger in urban than
in rural areas; the greater success has been related to lower predation. These
kites usually live about 8 years and prefer to make a nest at deciduous trees.
Some
Mississippi kites create problems by diving at and frightening people who
venture near their nests. The diving behavior is initiated to protect the nest
and young but occurs at less than 20% of the nests. Diving increases as
incubation progresses and is most prevalent after hatching. Often both parents
dive and emit shrill cries when the nest is threatened. These alarm calls often
attract other kites, which also harass the intruder.
Although kites may swoop within inches of an individual, only 3% of 903dives recorded at one golf course resulted in the birds actually hitting humans. These attacks, however, can be serious if elderly individuals or children riding bicycles are frightened and fall. After the young leave their nests, the diving behavior stops.
Legal
Status
Mississippi
kites are fully protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act (1918)
and state regulations. It is illegal to take, possess, transport, sell, or
purchase kites or their parts without a permit. These regulations also protect
the kite’s eggs and nests, even nests that have been abandoned after the
breeding season.
A special permit may be issued by this Fish and Wildlife Service that authorizes
the permit holder to take, transport, and temporarily possess juvenile kites
for relocation to alternate nest sites and to remove the nest.
Damage
Prevention and Control Methods
Exclusion
and Habitat Modification - Preventing access of the adult kites to the
nesting areas, which should deter subsequent diving, is difficult and not
practical in most situations. If the nest can be removed in compliance with the
US Fish and Wildlife Service permit, further nesting at that site maybe
deterred by removing one of the branches that supported the nest or by fencing
out the nest area with hardware cloth.
Nest
Avoidance - Avoiding the area around Mississippi kite
nests, from incubation through fledging (mid-June through mid-August), is one
of the best methods to prevent kites from diving at people. To reduce conflicts
at golf courses or parks, people can be encouraged to stay away from a nest by
placing yellow-plastic tape that says “Do Not Enter” in a 50-yard (50-m) radius
around the nest.
If the
nesting area cannot be avoided, wearing a hat should prevent the rare
occurrence of a kite strike but will not prevent diving. Place protective
netting in the kites’ path of flight to prevent them from diving in certain
areas. Frightening People who are attacked by kites should wave their arms or
other objects to frighten the offending birds. You may encourage kites to nest
elsewhere by placing a life-sized kite effigy in a previously used nest or in a
human-made nest before kites arrive in the spring.
The greatest average distance that kites ranged from their nest while performing
aggressive behavior was 35 yards (32m) in one study. Decoys should therefore be
placed in all potential nest trees within at least 50yards of the area to be
protected. Repellents No chemical bird repellents (for example, sticky pastes,
sprays) currently registered by EPA have prevented kites from nesting in an
area.
Toxicants - No
chemical toxicants are currently registered by EPA for Mississippi kite
control. However, other kite birds are less aggressive and restrict to the
shrill cries of scream. The Mississippi Kite bird normally very frightening to
the unsuspecting victim, and normally does not result in any physical harm.
Trapping
or Shooting - Trapping or shooting Mississippi kites is
seldom warranted. Permits for such activities are required by the US Fish and
Wildlife Service and the local state wildlife agency. These permits likely will
not be granted in most cases.
Hence,
choose to foster kite nests that have eggs or young at the same developmental
stage as in the problem nest. Usually, no more than one chick is added to a
nest. Furthermore, material may need to be wired to the foster nest to enlarge
it. Occasionally, eggs or young may be incubated and/or reared by humans.
Some
kites, whose eggs or young have been removed, may re-nest nearby and continue
their aggressive behavior. In most instances, the severity of the diving
behavior does not warrant removal of the nest, eggs, or young.
Economics
of Damage and Control - Few tangible costs can be associated with the
harassment of humans by the diving behavior of Mississippi kites. Also,
preventing the diving behavior is usually a matter of avoiding the nesting area
or frightening the birds when they are diving.
Reference
- William
F. Andelt Extension Wildlife Specialist Department of Fishery and Wildlife
Biology Colorado State University-Fort Collins, Colorado 80523
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