The Type Group Canary

Canaries (Serenus canaria) are a type of finch. They are popular as a cage bird, and rightly so. They are one of the easier birds to raise as well as being entertaining and attractive. But, if you thought a canary was just a canary, you are sadly mistaken.

Canaries are often divided into three groups. These groups are Type, Colour and Song.
A good 'type' canary will have the specific traits of its breed as regards shape and size. Its colour and song attributes are of lesser importance.

'Colour' canaries don't have to sing well or have a particular shape. They just need to be the 'right' colour.

Similarly, 'Song' canaries must sing well – not necessarily loud and long as some breeds sing softly, but each must be a good representative of its breed if it is to do well in the show ring. Luckily for the canary, there are plenty of people who love them for exactly what they are regardless of whether or not they possess special features.
Breeders of 'Type' canaries are looking for a specific physical shape or characteristic. They have little interest in the colour or singing ability. Today, Type canaries can be small, large, frilled, crested or even have humped backs.
The Lizard canary is aptly named as the feathers on the back and shoulders have black crescent-shaped spots giving the appearance of the scales of a lizard. This colour effect is called 'spangling' on the back and 'rowing' on the breast. These colourful feathers become less obvious with each moult so birds usually appear only once on a show bench. Lizard canaries also have a 'cap of colour' – a single circular pattern of feathers on top of the head. This may be an oval shape with clear edges or an irregularly shaped circle. The legs and beak are a shiny black.
The Border canary, or Border Fancy is named for its origins on the border of Scotland and England. Around the 1900s it was the most popular canary in the British Isles. It was once known as the 'wee gem' but it is now one of the largest of the canaries and is about 5 ¾ inches long. It is a well-shaped and slightly chubby bird with a well-rounded head and bold, bright eye. It comes in white, blue, green, yellow, buff and cinnamon colours. It can also be 'ticked' or 'variegated'.
The Gloster originated in England and has a neat, well-rounded cap which covers about half its eyes. The Gloster is not to be confused with the Crested canary which is a separate breed. If a Gloster has a crest it is referred to as a Corona. Otherwise it is a 'plainhead' or Consort. Coronas should not be paired as the survival rate of the chicks will be very low. All other pairings result in normal survival rates.

The Gloster was recognised as separate from the Crested in 1925. The Gloster is short and stubby, about 4 ¾ inches in length. It is named after the English county of Gloucestershire where it was first bred by a Mrs Rogerson. Glosters are seen in green, yellow and cinnamon as well as several other colours. The Gloster is usually a good singer.
The Crested canary is thought to have arisen around 1800 with the Crested Norwich and Crested Lancashire becoming established at that time. Crossing these two breeds resulted in the Crested being recognised as a distinct breed in 1880. It is a large, heavy-set bird and was used to create the Gloster. The Crested Norwich is a chubby bird and comes in many colours.
The Fife canary is a relatively recent addition to the canary types and was bred by breeders in Fife County, Scotland, being officially accepted in 1957. This small bird is under 4 ½ inches long. It is agile with a rounded back and breast, giving it a rotund appearance. It is seen in various colours, including variegated.
Norwich canaries took on the name of the town Norwich in England after arriving there with Flemish refugees. They are now a large breed, well-rounded and nobby and available in many colours. The feathers are bulky and fluffy making the bird look even bigger than its true size.
The Yorkshire canary is one of the largest of the canary breeds. It was developed in the mid 1800s and first exhibited in 1870. Although developed in Bradford, it had its first showing in Yorkshire, hence the name. It is tall and slim with a large chest and shoulders, narrow waist and an erect stance. It appears to be standing at attention and is a popular show bird. Because of its miliary uprightness, it has become known as the 'guardsman' or 'gentleman of the fancy'. The ideal angle when standing is described as being 'five past seven' so the hands of a clock at this time shows the ideal angle for the stance of the bird. Being so large, cages and nests need to be accommodating if breeding is to be successful.
The 'frilled' canaries are a sub-group of the Type variety. The feathers of the frilled breeds turn up and out rather than laying close and snug against the body of the bird. Some of the frilled canaries are 'birds of position' meaning that they have a particular stance which is all-important in a show bird.
Frill canaries include the Parisian frill, the Padovan, Milanais, and North and South Dutch Frills. All these have frilled feathers to a greater or lesser degree. The birds of position include the Scottish Fancy, South Dutch Frill, Belgian Fancy and the Gibber Italicus.
The Belgian Fancy, South Dutch Frill and the Gibber Italicus both have a hunched appearance. These birds hold their legs and body at right angles to the perch. The prominent shoulders and head are held parallel to the perch so the bird forms a sort of figure '7'.
The Scottish Fancy extends the head and neck but swings the tail back under the perch. So the outline from the tip of the beak to the tip of the tail follows the arc of a circle – the nearer a perfect circle the better the bird.

Sand Martin

I recently had the opportunity to watch 100+ sand martins feeding over water and taking insects back to the nesting site. 

This was a wonderful experience. Sadly, these beautiful, agile little birds (the smallest hirundines in Europe) are an amber
list species so I felt very privileged to be able to get such fantastic views (and some lovely shots) of them. I'm hoping to go
back and see them again before they depart for Africa this autumn.
Here's a collection of my favourite Sand Martin shots. Please click on the thumbnails for a larger version.

Cuckoos mimic hawks to fool small birds

Cuckoos are some of nature’s most familiar conmen. Several species of this large family are  murderous slackers, who shun their own parental responsibilities by deceiving other birds into caring for their chicks. In the process, they destroy the eggs of the unwitting adopted family to ensure that their own chick gets undivided attention. But this is not the only way that cuckoos fool other birds – they also mimic hawks.

The resemblance between cuckoos and hawks (particularly  sparrowhawks) has been noted for millennia. Both birds have long bodies, wings and tails and their paler, striped undersides contrast against a darker grey or brown backs. The resemblance is uncanny enough that Pliny believed that cuckoos disappeared from Europe in the winter by transforming themselves into hawks, a theory that Aristotle rightly dismissed on the grounds that cuckoos lacked the formidable talons and curved beak of hawks.

Hawks and cuckoos belong to two very different families of birds, so why do they look so similar? Non-parasitic cuckoos (and indeed, not all cuckoos leech off the parenting skills of other birds) provide an important clue, for they look much less than hawks than parasitic species. There are two possible explanations for this similarity.

The first is that both groups have independently evolved the same physical traits for the same reasons – a process called convergent evolution. Neither bird wants to be seen by potential prey or hosts. As they perch in twigs and branches, having a darker back  makes them harder to spot, and bars on the underside help to break up their outline. Their body shape helps them to make a controlled glide, which sparrowhawks use to launch surprise attacks, and cuckoos use to sneak up on a targeted nest.

Alternatively, the cuckoos could be actively mimicking the hawks. The disguise could fool the cuckoos’ predators. That’s useful for them as they aren’t particularly powerful or agile birds and they spend a lot of time on exposed perches, keeping an eye on the nests of potential victims. They could also fool potential parents. The host birds either run away, which gives the cuckoo free passage into their nests, or they mob the supposed predator en masse, which gives away the location of their precious nests. So which theory is right?

Spot the difference
Nick Davies and Justin Welbergen from the University of Cambridge decided to find out by comparing the way small birds respond to stuffed hawks and cuckoos. Species that are parasitized by cuckoos often evolve defences including the ability to distinguish cuckoo eggs from their own. These frequent victims may also be able to pierce the adults’ hawk-like disguises, so Davies and Welbergen decided to test two birds – great tits and blue tits ­- that are not victimised by cuckoos, but are attacked by sparrowhawks.
They set up peanut feeders at three sites around Cambridge that are frequented by great tits, blue tits and sparrowhawks alike. Near the feeders, Davies and Welbergen set up stuffed mounts of either sparrowhawks, cuckoos and (as a harmless control) collared doves. And to rule out the possibility that the tits could choose to avoid cuckoos simply because they had never seen them before, the duo also tested their responses to teals, a type of small duck that does not use tit feeders.
They found that over a five-minute period, far more tits visited the feeders when there were teals or doves nearby than when cuckoos or hawks were present. In the presence of teals, many tits arrived at the feeders and stayed for a minute on average.
But they were equally alarmed at the presence of both hawks and cuckoos, giving out alarm calls and retreating to perches several metres away with a high vantage point. Not a single tit approached feeders watched by stuffed hawks and just one individual turned up when cuckoos were used, but fled within 30 seconds. After seeing either hawks or cuckoos, the tits were also more reticent to approach the feeders in subsequent trials when the potential threats were removed.

Davies and Welbergen found that its barred underside is a critical element to the cuckoo’s disguise. They pinned pieces of white silk over the undersides of their hawks, cuckoos and doves. Some of these were left untouched and others had black bars drawn onto them with a felt-tip pen. They found that tits always stayed clear of the hawks, bars or no bars, but barred doves or cuckoos were significantly more likely to deter them from the feeders than unbarred versions.
Detecting mimics
These results don’t rule out convergent evolution as an explanation or the similarities between cuckoos and hawks. But they do show that mimicry has undoubtedly driven cuckoo evolution, as some small birds clearly mistake cuckoos for hawks.
The reactions may seem surprising for a closer inspection would surely reveal a cuckoo’s lack of talons or a hooked beak. But Davies argues that small birds can ill-afford the time to leisurely scrutinise a potential threat. So high is the cost of delaying, that the mimicking cuckoos can get away with a half-hearted resemblance to their hawk models.
But not all species are so easily deceived. Davies and Welbergen have another paper in print, which shows that reed warblers, a favourite host of cuckoos, have learned to tell the difference. When they see stuffed hawks, they beat a hasty retreat, but they’ll violently attack stuffed cuckoos. The ability to see through the mimicry of the adults is yet another strategy that cuckoo victims use to protect their own young. 

Short-eared owls

During the 2009 Montezuma Christmas Bird Count, 13 Short-eared Owls  (Asio flammeus) were reported.  Many of the birding groups stopped by Van Dyne Spoor Road in the Town of Savannah on their way back to the Montezuma Audubon Center for the evening’s final compilation.  In addition to finding a retiring Northern Harrier and a Northern Shrike being chased by a Cooper’s Hawk, nine short-ears were still flitting over the fields and crossing the road.
Because of their long wing spans (38 to 42 inches) relative to body size (14 to 15 inches long), Short-eared Owls fly like giant moths, a common comparison for the owl’s typical pattern.  Aside from this moth-like flight which begins in late afternoon, Short-eared Owls can be identified by light-colored facial disks surrounding bright-yellow eyes that face forward in typical owl-like fashion for binocular vision and depth perception.  From the side, the owl’s head appears large and block-shaped and seems to be attached directly to the body without a neck.  I nickname them “block-heads.”  The so-called “ears” are just tufts of feathers used to signal other owls or help them blend into dry grass while resting.  Sometimes these feathers are flattened and invisible.  The real ears are hidden under feathers on the sides of the head.  Typical of owls, one ear is higher than the other to help in accurate location of prey sounds.  
The owl is colored buff and brown on the back and wing tops but is very light with faint streaking underneath, again to aid in camouflaging.   The upper breast is more heavily streaked.  The underwings are white with black “wrist” marks and dark wing tips.  Overall this owl is slightly smaller than a crow.
The Short-eared Owl is now primarily a winter visitor in Western and Central New York.  Decades ago, the species bred in various grasslands around New York State, but like the disappearance of so many other grassland birds, the short-ear had only four confirmed nest sites (three of them in northern New York) during the 2000-2005 Breeding Bird Atlas.  The short-ear is a declining species and is listed as Endangered in New York.  The National Audubon Society lists it as a species of national conservation concern.
Short-ears are attracted to large, open tracts of open grassland with high vole densities.  This is the same habitat preferred by harriers and the two species are often found together.  Both fly low to the ground while hunting.  The owl may briefly hover before pouncing or dropping on its prey.  I’ve also seen them dive directly from fence posts where they’ve been watching the field.
The Department of Environmental Conservation (D.E.C.) along with a number of volunteers is conducting a study of Short-eared Owls at several sites in central and western New York including the Montezuma Wetlands Complex.  The goal is to document all of the owl’s wintering locations and establish long-term population monitoring efforts at both foraging and roosting sites.  Several sites around Montezuma have already been identified and several owls have been live-trapped and outfitted with tiny radio transmitters that allow their movements to be tracked.  If you see a vehicle parked beside a country road in the late afternoon or after dark and
someone is pointing a hand-held antenna, it might be one of the owl researchers.
Another aspect of owl research is monitoring their prey.  D.E.C. Wildlife Biologist Jim Eckler has established three sets of live traps in three different habitats at the Montezuma Audubon Center.  On the afternoon of January 11, students from Clyde-Savannah Middle School helped check the traps and record the findings.  Traps with “occupants” were brought inside and the small mammals were released into large terrariums so they could be identified.  Most were Meadow Voles (field mice), but Short-tailed Shrews, a White-footed Mouse and a Red Squirrel were also caught and then released.  Students from other after-school programs are also helping.  Results will be used to manage grasslands that benefit Short-eared Owls.

American Kestrels

They're easiest to see when they sit on power lines and watch the grass below. In the absence of these utility perches, they may simply turn into the wind and hover on beating wings. Oil droplets coating the bird's eyes filter out haze and glare. Retinas, each packed with a million light-collecting cells, give it vision eight times better than a human's. Theoretically they could see a mouse from the top of the Empire State Building. Once prey is spotted, the hawk drops like a stone and reaches out with needle-sharp talons.
I've also heard of them gliding downhill and grabbing a mouse that was running across the snow -- a most foolish thing for rodents to do. This maneuver caught the attention of two crows which gave chase, causing the kestrel to drop its prey. Undaunted, the hawk circled back and retrieved its fallen victim according to the account.
The American Kestrel, Falco sparverius, was once known as the sparrow hawk, a name derived from its winter habit of eating small songbirds, but in reality these comprise only one-third of the hawk's winter diet. On an annual basis, mice and other small rodents, plus a few frogs and reptiles represent a much larger portion of its intake. During warm weather it eats primarily insects, and late in summer the kestrel dines almost exclusively on juicy grasshoppers which are plentiful and easy to catch. This earned the bird the nickname "grasshopper hawk" from early ornithologists. Kestrels also eat crickets, cicadas, moths, beetles and ants. Small snakes are readily dispatched, but large snakes present a problem if they wrap themselves around the bird's legs. Small roadkills, and songbirds that fly into windows, are a source of easy meals.
Kestrels are the smallest members of the falcon family. Males are nine inches long while the larger females may reach 12 inches. On average they're about the size of a robin or blue jay which makes all these birds vulnerable to larger winged predators, especially Cooper's Hawks. On the other hand, kestrels will not tolerate competitors in their hunting territory and have been known to chase off larger, but less agile, raptors like the redtail. The falcon family also includes the kestrel's larger and more famous cousin, the Peregrine, which is uncommon.
If you're close enough, kestrels are easy to recognize. In addition to small size, look for bold black marks on a white face creating a "mustache" and "sideburns." Males have gray wings and rusty-red tails ending with a black band and white feather tips. Females are mostly rufous-brown with fine cross-barring on the back, wings and tail. The lighter undersides of both are spotted, giving way to white under the tail. The wings and tail are relatively long, much like the larger harriers which also hunt the open countryside. (Harriers, also displaying sexual plumage differences, are in a different family.) Unlike harriers, falcons are noted for flying with pointed wingtips, an advantage for faster speed. Peregrine Falcons, which can reach a diving speed over 200 mph, are the fastest animals on earth.
Kestrels are year-round residents throughout New York and most of the United States, and a summer breeder across much of Canada and the northern Great Plains states. They nest in tree cavities, often taking over old woodpecker holes, but cutting dead trees for firewood results in a shortage of natural nesting cavities. Fortunately, kestrels readily take to large nest boxes erected specifically for the purpose. The size should be at least eight inches square inside and 15 inches tall with a three-inch entrance hole centered three inches below the top. Mount it at least 10 feet above the ground. As controllers of insect and mouse populations, kestrels are valuable to gardeners and farmers, and nest boxes are one way to encourage their presence. For information on the American Kestrel Nest Box Project on the Montezuma Wetlands Complex, see the dedicated News page on this website.

Northern Harriers © Dave Spier

A Northern Harrier hunts at Muckrace Flats beside Savanah Spring Lake Road northeast of Savannah, NY during the 2010 Muckrace.  (Photo © Dave Spier)

The Northern Harrier, once known as the marsh hawk, is a slender and buoyant raptor with a somewhat owl-like face. The hawk's long wings and tail are designed for life in the open. A distinctive white rump patch can be seen when the bird's flight tips sideways toward you, or, sometimes, the white can be seen as the bird departs. When soaring, the wings are held in a shallow V with the tail fanned. At low altitudes, the tail is usually closed and the wings may be held flat to the sides. In a steep glide, the wings are sharply bent and swept back like a fighter jet.
The harrier's Latin name, Circus cyaneus, refers to its circling flight and the supposedly blue plumage of the males. The color is actually gray, but that's only half of the story because females and juveniles are brown or orangish, an unusual disparity for raptors. The name harrier is Old English for "harassing with hostile attacks." Other colloquial names include blue hawk, mouse hawk and white-rumped hawk. Males are smaller and more agile and catch smaller prey, including smaller birds. The larger females are more intent on larger meals.
Harriers nest in the marshes at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. One April I watched a female repeatedly carry nesting material in her beak and then drop down into the same patch of heavy vegetation. There are indications harriers also may nest in the Northern Montezuma Wetlands Complex around Savannah. They almost certainly nest in the Lakeshore Marshes Wildlife Management Area in northeastern Wayne County as well as Howland's Island. The female does all the incubating while the male brings food. After the eggs hatch, the male continues supplying prey, but only the female tears it up and feeds the young. If something happens to her, the nestlings will starve, even though the male continues to drop whole prey into the nest.
Harriers breed from Alaska across Canada to the Maritimes and south into the United States as far as a line from California to Pennsylvania. In warm weather they hunt snakes, frogs and insects in addition to small mammals. When all else fails, carrion is eaten.
Last fall, a young harrier spent some time at the Montezuma Audubon Center. Sometimes it flew close to the building, passing the west windows and then disappearing across the field. I doubt it was hunting the birds at the feeder, but they are within the realm of this raptor's diet. Mostly it flew low over the grasslands and the marsh while looking for small mammals, especially Meadow Voles (also called field mice) which are caught with a sudden pounce. Sometimes the large bird's flight drifted back and forth, then stopped momentarily to hover. After hanging around for several weeks, the first heavy snowfall of the season didn't seem to phase it, but it did finally move on. Most harriers head south for the winter and return in the spring. Those that do stay for the winter hang around with Short-eared Owls and share the same fallow, grassy fields where mice have had time for a population explosion. Both species will use fence posts for hunting perches as they listen for prey. Though they are unrelated species, the facial disks of both harriers and owls seem to help focus sounds on the ears.

Bald Eagle © Dave Spier

An adult Bald Eagle tries to drag a large fish, probably a carp, across the ice on Black Creek west of Savannah, NY.  The photo was taken from the shoulder of Rt. 31 just west of Messner Road where Black Creek exits the Montezuma Marshes and flows north toward Crusoe Creek.  (photo © Dave Spier)

Merlin

Habitat & Behaviour:

Our smallest bird of prey, a male Merlin is no bigger than a Mistle Thrush. They are extremely fast and agile and hunt small birds such as Meadow Pipits over moorland and rough grassland.

Identification & Voice:

These small falcons are an attractive blue grey above with a rusty toned breast and belly.  They have short, broad-based, pointed wings and a shorter tail than a kestrel. Females are larger than the males and browner in colour.  Merlins can be very hard to observe due to their small size and low, dashing flight, with the best indication that they are about is their high pitched call. Merlins sometimes adopt a disguise whilst hunting by imitating the undulating flight of a thrush to avoid detection as a bird of prey.   They are usually silent, but near a nest a shrill ' kek-kek-kek-kek' may be heard when the bird is chasing off intruders.

The Birdman!!

During the week I normally wake up at 06:30 ... work an average of about 8~9hrs, sometimes longer. During the weekends, I usually wake up at 5am ... and work from dawn to dusk. Sometimes, I spend the nights and evenings traveling to and from my 'place of work'. During the weekdays, I have breakfast and lunch at the office cafeteria and on many occassions dinner as well. On the weekends, I'd be lucky to find a warm meal!! During the week, I'm a research engineer. During the weekend, I'm the Birdman!

They say that journey of a thousand miles, start with a single photograph. Well, I've covered many thousands of miles within a country thats about 500miles from north to south in search of birds. Most people cannot comphrehend why I'd take so much trouble for such a 'trivial thing'. I make no effort to explain ... insanity and obsession has a very thin line in between and it shifts widely depending on how you look at it :)
Even though I travel solo on all my birding trips, I often meet locals who, like most other people are unable to comprehend why would someone take so much trouble to watch birds. Sometimes I get invited by completely random people to have coffee! Sometimes, they'd give me a lot of useful information about the local topography and where I might birds. But inspite of these interesting encounters, nothing matches the feeling of spotting a species of bird I've not seen before or managing to capture a good image. With the onset of spring, I could leave behind my gloves and enjoy the flexibility of photography with bare hands. Some images and the stories associated with them.

Many months ago, at the beginning of my birding days, I stumbled upon a nameless creek in the rice fields bordering the Yellow Sea. Many a trips later, I made the 3.5hr journey and went back to what I've come to call my 'secret shooting grounds' in search of waders. The weather was amazing and inspite of the chilly winds, it was an absolute pleasure to photograph under such idyllic conditions. Though began my search for the birds scanning the coastline, I finally found the first of them in that nameless creek. For a long time I observed a group of 3 Common Redshanks from behind a reed bed. This shot was taken when one of them took off. The full resolution of the picture shows the drops of water flying off from the legs of the bird.

Surprise is one of the best feelings associated with birding. On the same day, as the sun was sinking towards the horizon, I walked along the beach exposed by the low tide. I was approaching another group of shorebirds busy picking insects from the exposed wet sand. I was looking through the view finder of the camera when a bright orange 'thing' appeared from behind some rocks. The setting sun intensifies the saturation of warm colors and the beak of this Oystercatcher was absolutely mindblowing.

I found this Tristram's Bunting in the woodlands of the Nakdong estuary in Busan. I was sitting in a sandbag lined pit in the woods searching for passerines. The trees around me showed tremendous activity with birds darting all around. I found this bunting feeding on seeds on the forest floor. Unlike other buntings that are spooked easily, I found this to be remarkably tolerant and allowed me to get within about 10m from it.

A shot from the same woodland of Nakdong estuary. A Japanese Pygmie woodpecker taking off. Because small birds are so agile and stay concealed in vegetation, it is extremely difficult to get a pic of them in action. Of the 7000 or so photos that I've taken so far, only about 10 are of small birds in flight. It takes some patience and a lot of luck!!

This one shows a Siberian Stonechat in a place called Uiwang. Its the closest birding spot to my home in Suwon. I found a pair of them nesting in a orchard close to the Uiwang reservoir. I've spotted them on multiple occassions and they always oblige me with some decent shots :)

Bar-tailed Godwits ... no other bird fills me with such admiration. They have nothing remarkable in appearance, except perhaps for their slightly upturend beaks. But what they lack in appearance, more than makes up in their endurance. They can fly non-stop for as long as 7000miles .... yes, 7000miles without stopping!! An average airplane can make about 6000 miles without refeuling (apart from the ultra-long haul ones like 747 or A380). I found a group them feeding on the beaches of the western coast of Korea.

Sharp-shinned Hawk and Coopers Hawk

The sharp-shinned hawk and Coopers hawk are a common and exciting part of the ecology of many suburban parks, woodlands, and neighborhoods. These two members of the family known as Accipitridae, are built for speed and maneuverability. Like all members of their family, they are characterized by their short wings and long tail. Both hawks live mainly on a diet of birds. Though the two types of hawks are often confused, there are some definite differences.Telling them apart
These two hawks can be confusingly similar in physical appearance, so here are some ways to tell them apart:
Sharp-shinned hawk (Accipiter striatus)

• This hawk is the smaller of the two, generally around the size of a jay.
• Body length: Male= 10-12”, Female=12-14”
• Wingspan: Male= 20-24”, Female= 24-28”
• In typical flight, tail appears squared off and not rounded. Head appears small. Close-up, the eyes look very round and kind of “bug-eyed.”

Coopers hawk (Accipiter cooperii)

• This hawk is larger, generally closer to an American crow in size.
• Body length: Male= 15-17”, Female= 17-19”
• Wingspan: Male= 27-32”, Female= 32-37”
• In typical flight, tail appears rounded off at the end. Head appears large. Close-up, the eyes look stern and have a thin, yellowish ridge sticking out slightly over them.

Natural History As you may have noticed from the measurements above: the female Coopers hawk and sharp-shinned hawk are larger than the males. This is true for most birds of prey throughout the world. Some ornithologists believe that this size difference is an adaptation which minimizes competition between the sexes, allowing the female birds to hunt prey that is too large to tackle for the male hawks.
Sharp-shinned hawks hunt mainly small to medium sized songbirds. Meanwhile, Coopers hawks hunt medium songbirds and birds up to the size of grouse or small ducks. Coopers hawks also hunt some small mammal prey such as rats, chipmunks and squirrels.
Both hawks are very fast in level flight, and often catch birds in mid-flight with a swift grab from their sharp talons. Incredibly, these hawks can fly at nearly full speed through dense woodlands and squeeze through gaps not much larger than their body width without even breaking stride!
Both of these species help keep birds populations healthy by taking out those who are unhealthy or unwary. Although some bird watchers express great frustration at observing these birds of prey hunting the songbirds that visit their feeders, it is important to remember that they help keep the feeder a healthier place for the birds to eat. Over-crowding at bird feeders and feeding stations can cause a variety of problems, including helping spread disease between and among species of songbirds.
If you are lucky enough to witness these hawks flying around in your area, enjoy watching some of the best aerial hunters in the world!

The acrobats at the bird feeder

In this area of Southern Ontario there are two types of Nuthatches, the White Breasted (Sitta carolinensis) and the Red Breasted (Sitta canadensis) varieties.

These small, agile, birds prefer to live in woodland however, a few species have adapted to rocky habitats, and we often see them at our bird-feeder in the garden, especially in the winter time.
They nest in Aspen, Oak, Birch, Cottonwood and Spruce trees and seem to prefer the forest edges and can be quite territorial toward other species of birds, and their own kind.
They build their nests in holes or crevices in trees, or in rocks and in some species, the size of the hole is cleverly reduced by the building of a mud wall.
They will also nest in a bird house if a suitable one is provided for them, in a quiet place in your garden or back yard.
There is little size or plumage difference between the male and female birds, and they are virtually indistinguishable from each other.
These little birds build their small nests of shredded bark, small twigs and grass, which are lined with soft fur or feathers, and the eggs are then incubated by the mother for 12 to 14 days.
These birds have the rare ability to climb down trees head first, unlike other species of birds such as Woodpeckers, which can only go upwards.
It is amusing to watch these interesting birds on trees or fences as they go up, down and around, either head up or head downward, its all the same to this agile little bird!
These little birds have relatively large heads, short tails and powerful beaks and feet and from beak to tail they measure around 4 to 5 inches in length.

Small birds attack hawk

Actually the big bird will occasionally take a whack at tormentors, but normally the mid air maneuvers required to catch the little birds would cost them too much energy. Little birds are far more agile than the big one, and choose their attacks carefully. Small birds tend to fly above a larger bird and interrupt the big bird’s flight with a series of pecks to the neck and wings.

The behavior of small birds attacking a larger predator is called "mobbing." The smaller birds are trying to drive the bigger bird out of their territory. Blue Jays and American Crows mob birds of prey all year long; while other birds like mockingbirds, red-winged blackbirds, and common grackles primarily mob these big birds during the breeding season.


Photographer Rob Palmer

captured this incredible picture in Colorado.

 For the big bird, fleeing is more reasonable than expending unnecessary energy thwarting a small pest that is simply more versatile in air. However, if your lucky you might witness a more experienced large bird using flight techniques such as barrel rolls to flash their talons at smaller birds or to get crows and ravens off their backs.

Merlin - Small, Fast, Agile, Bird-Eating Falcon

The merlin (falco columbariius) is a smallish, slender falcon that can sometimes be mistaken for a pigeon in flight because of its size, shape and gray and white coloring. They have even been called the pigeon hawk. A better look at the falcon's strong raptor head will straighten out that mistake. The merlin may even eat a pigeon that is almost as big as itself. Juveniles and females can have shades of brown coloration while the males have a touch of blue. There are three subspecies in North America. They are also present across Eurasia, in northern Africa and southern Asia. They are about  9.4–13 inches (24–33 cm) tall and have a 20–26 inch (50–67 cm) wingspan.

Their diet consists mainly of small grassland birds. They sneak up on birds, darting around banks, and over hills, flushing the smaller birds out of trees and shrubs and out-flying them to catch their prey. The are fast and agile and often catch birds in mid-air. They can also eat insects but prefer larger ones like dragonflies. If the mood strikes them, they may eat a bat, vole or reptile.

In the 60s and 70s there was a decline in their numbers and it was realized that the birds were very susceptible to pesticides like DDT. Once these chemicals were banned their numbers again increased.