Scientist and author Donald Kroodsma talks about his life-long passion for bird song. The conversation took place at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology where he was working on CDs to accompany a new book.
Tag Archive: Bird Song Audio
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Top 5 Unique Birding Gifts For The Backyard Birder Who Has It All
With thousands of bird feeders, bird houses, bird baths and accessories to choose from, finding the perfect gift for someone who likes to attract birds to their backyard garden or patio can be a daunting task. Here is a top 5 list of gift ideas that are sure to be a hit with your backyard birder.
Squirrel proof feeders can be fun to watch
Squirrel proof feeders are fun to watch, and effective.
Unique Gift Idea #5: Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders
Squirrels can be a huge nuisance to a backyard birder. They can quickly destroy an average bird feeder as they gorge themselves on premium bird seed. Luckily, there are bird feeders designed especially to prevent squirrels from feeding from them, and that provide hours of entertainment as the spurned squirrels stubbornly try to get to the seed (see squirrel obstacle course video).
Our best-selling squirrel proof bird feeder is the Yankee Flipper. It has a motor driven, battery powered, weight activated perch ring that allows the birds to eat and twirls squirrels off. It holds 5 lbs of seed, and is durably constructed of stainless steel and non-yellowing polycarbonate. The Yankee Flipper link above includes a video of it in action.
Also, a squirrel proof baffle can be added to a favorite bird feeder. For an automated spin, our Twirl-A-Squirrel baffle sits above an existing feeder and uses a squirrel’s weight on the feeder to activate a motor which gently spins the squirrel to the ground.
Heated Bird Bath
Heated Bird Bath
Unique Gift Idea #4: Heated Bird Baths
If the fall migration has left your backyard birder’s garden devoid of birds, adding a heated bird bath is the perfect solution to draw in an amazing variety of winter birds looking for a source of unfrozen water.
There are a number of heated bird bath options available, including deck mounted bird baths and pedestal style bird baths. Some backyard birders choose to protect the pumps of their favorite fountains by storing the fountains over the winter, and placing a separate heated bird bath or basin close to a window or vantage point.
Also, if your backyard birder already has a fountain in their backyard, heating elements (some thermostatically controlled) can be added to deice the bird bath during the coldest winter months.
Bird-Song-Audio-From-New-England-BirdhouseUnique Gift Idea #3: Bird Song Audio Learning Devices
The enjoyment of watching birds in your backyard is dramatically increased, when you can identify bird songs and bird calls. Being able to identify a bird based on its song is now attainable through technology.
Devices such as the Identiflyer, store and playback a recording of wild birds’ calls and songs, and can even be used sparingly to attract birds to the area. Bird song scanning wands use bar codes that can be placed in bird watching field guides to scan and playback recordings of bird songs in the field. There is even a singing alarm clock that wakes a sleeping birder with the call of their favorite bird. The convenience and simplicity of these devices, make them a terrific resource for kids interested in backyard birding.
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.newenglandbirdhouse.com/backyard-birding/gifts-for-the-birder-who-has-it-all/
Your Backyard Birds: Red-Bellied Woodpecker
The Red-bellied Woodpecker is a member of the Picidae family, and is the largest common woodpecker of the eastern United States. It is found primarily in northeastern US and southern Canada, ranging as far south as Florida and as far west as Texas. Its common habitat is wooded areas, including suburban neighborhoods and parks. Red-Bellied Woodpeckers are very tolerant of humans, and are regular visitors to backyard garden feeders (especially during the winter), favoring sunflower seed, suet, and fruit. Red-Bellied Woodpeckers climb and “hitch” along branches and trunks of trees, picking at the bark.
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.newenglandbirdhouse.com/backyard-birding/about-red-bellied-woodpecker/
Your Backyard Birds: American Robin
The state bird of Connecticut, Michigan and Wisconsin, the American Robin is a familiar songbird in the thrush family. They live in towns and woodlands, and are commonly seen on suburban lawns exhibiting their “running and stopping” behavior as they gather their morning worms.
The America Robin feeds on different things throughout the day, including earthworms in the morning, and fruits and berries in the evening. They are mostly active during the day and gather in large flocks at night to roost in trees in secluded areas.
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.newenglandbirdhouse.com/backyard-birding/about-american-robins/
Your Backyard Birds: Black-Capped Chickadee
Black-Capped Chickadee
Scientific Name: Poecile atricapilla
The state bird of Maine and Massachusetts, the Black-Capped Chickadee is a small, common songbird in the Tit family generally found throughout Alaska, Canada and the northern United States.
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.newenglandbirdhouse.com/backyard-birding/about-black-capped-chickadee/
Your Backyard Birds: House Sparrow
House Sparrows are the most abundant songbirds in North America and the most widely distributed birds on the planet. These small, round birds are frequent visitors to suburban backyard bird feeders, and are commonly found in school yards, fast food parking lots, and street corners. Imported from England to North America between 1850 and 1886 in an effort to control insects, the House Sparrow (originally called the “English sparrow”) has grown in population to over 150 million. It’s aggressive nesting behavior and adaptability to humankind, has led to this increase and given them an unpopular status among many birding enthusiast.
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.newenglandbirdhouse.com/backyard-birding/about-house-sparrow/
Do You Know Your Backyard Bird Songs? (video quiz)
Think you know your backyard bird songs and calls? Take this short video quiz from Birds and Blooms magazine to find out. How many bird songs and calls did you get right?
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.newenglandbirdhouse.com/backyard-birding/do-you-know-your-backyard-bird-songs/
Bird Nest Cameras
A nest-cam or a bird house video camera, is a device for monitoring birds inside their nesting cavity. The 24-7 access to the nest provides an amazing view of rarely seen events such as nest creation, egg incubation & hatching, nestling and fledgling development and feeding activities.
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.newenglandbirdhouse.com/backyard-birding/bird-nest-cameras/
Your Backyard Birds: Mourning Dove
Mourning Dove
Scientific Name: Zenaida macroura
A member of the dove family (columbidae), Mourning Doves are the most abundant and widespread of all North American birds. They are named for their mournful call. They are very prolific breeders – raising up to six broods per year. Parents are typically monogamous, and both incubate and care for the young.
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.newenglandbirdhouse.com/backyard-birding/about-mourning-dove/
The Birdsong Identiflyer – A great tool for Backyard Birding
For an amatuer backyard birder like myself, bird song identification can be overwhelming. But I found a hand-held resource that has made it fun and easy for me and my family. The Birdsong Identiflyer™ plays back digital birdsong recordings from …
Permanent link to this article: http://blog.newenglandbirdhouse.com/backyard-birding/the-birdsong-identiflyer/
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