Spring is almost here.  So far we have seen a Murder,  Knot, Pod, Wedge, Gaggle, and Development that have returned to Southern Manitoba Canada. These birds along with the ones that winter here bring our total to 59 in the Big Year.

This will be the sight in the next few days.

59 White-winged Crossbill

• A group of Crossbills are called a; Crookedness / Wrap.
• These are big eaters, they can consume up to 3,000 conifer seeds in one day.  They have a special pouch in their throat, kind of a flying chipmunk. 
• This one was at our feeder, unlike its cousin the Red Crossbill it has a bigger bill and two distinct white bars on its wings.  Otherwise they share the same coloring, Pink males, Olive color females.
• These birds will nest year round depending on the abundance of feed.
• They have a very distinct fight pattern, lunging, wings coming right to sides.
• They molt in the fall and have unpigmented barbules in their feathers that wear away come spring leaving them a bright pink.  All about attracting that female for breeding season.

58 Broad-winged Hawk

• A group of Broad-winged Hawks are called a; Boil / Knot / Stream / Tower.
• These birds migrate 3,000 to 6,000 Km flying up to 100 a day.  They fly in very large flocks up to 1,000 and only fly over land.
• They eat frogs, salamanders, snakes, mice, voles, chipmunks, small birds, insects and other small mammals.  They are very neat eaters and are known to skin the frogs and snakes that they catch and pluck the birds.
• During courtship the male will perform an aerial acrobat, dives, cartwheels and so on to catch the eye of the female.
• They rarely drink water and rely chiefly on liquids they get from their prey.
• They have a very large range of coloration depending on age and sex.  They have a short tail and broad wings that tapper on the ends.  We tend to only see the light morph coloration.

57 Western Meadowlark

• A group of Western Meadowlark are called a; Pod.
• We saw this bird on April 9th, and there is still 2 feet of snow on the level.  Poor thing, someone didn't tell it spring hasn't arrived here yet.  On the Canadian prairie and northern plains states they mark the arrival of spring with their pleasant flute like song.
• They are grassland birds.  They are the state bird of 7 different prairie states.  No wonder, they have one of the most beautiful flute like songs.  My wife Vicki says it is her favorite of all song birds.
• They need deep old grassland for nesting and safety. 
• The nest is made in deep grass with a grass woven roof on top.  Most males have two females in their territory that they mate with.  The female generally does most of the care.
• They eat bugs and grasshoppers.  When not available they eat seeds and berries. 

56 Canada Goose

• A Group of Canada Geese in the air is called a; Flock / Skein / Wedge / Team.
• A group of Canada Geese on land is called a; Gaggle.
• I often wonder how a Canada can walk out on ice and their feet don't freeze off or stick to the ice.  Yikes!  Well it turns out that a Canada has its blood veins and arteries running very close to each other in their legs.  It is a very adaptive form of heat exchange.  Yes the Canada is the first environmentalist and conservationist in Canada, it cools the blood going to its feet while warming the blood going back to its heart.  Blood in a Canada is normally 104 F, blood in their feet is a cool 35 F. Because of this close proximity of veins and arteries the feet never get less than the 35 F and won't freeze.  How cool is that.
• These birds are a very sought after game bird.  I love Goose jerky and goose stew.
• They have adapted to live with man and are found in every major city and park and golf course.  This can be a real problem for those people who don't like goose poo on their shoes or bare feet when walking on the shared grass.  During the spring traffic signs can be found asking to yield to mothers and goslings where they are crossing the roads.
• Many Canada Geese don't migrate but the majority do.  When they do you can find them flying in their traditional V shape to conserve energy by sharing the lead and air streaming. They can be herd encouraging the leader with their vocalization.  In fact they have 13 different sounds  learning these sounds even inside the egg.  Now that is starting school at an early age.
• Their bill have lamellae or it is serrated to help cut vegetation.  They are really good grazers, the Holstein cow of the sky.
• They are a beautiful bird with a gosling the color of the sun.

 

55 House Finch

• A group of House Finches are called a; Development.
• The original Angry Bird.  This one is very unhappy it is April 7th, snowing and we still have 2 feet on the level. Last year I was golfing.
• Many people call this bird a pest.  It harbors a multitude of chronic diseases at the bird feeder.  This is bad news, I have over 100 Redpolls, 50 Sparrows, 10 Dark eyed Juncos, 8 Black Capped Chickadees, 6 Red Breasted Nuthatches, 4 White Breasted Nuthatches, 6 Downy Woodpeckers, 6 Hairy Woodpeckers, the occasional; Red Breasted Crossbill, Shrike, Blue Jay, Grey Jay.... You get what I'm saying, we don't need to spread any chronic sickness to the rest of this collective.
• These birds eat seeds and fruit. 
• It was introduced to this part of the world back in the 1940's and done really well.  They have replaced much of the native Purple Finch and House Sparrow.  There is an estimated 1 billion of them.  I may introduce this one to "Daisy".
• Yikes! 

54 Loggerhead Shrike

• A group of Loggerhead Shrike are called an; Abattoir / Watch.
• This one crashed into our window chasing some poor little Red Polls.
• They generally eat grasshoppers and beetles when available, and mice and voles, and small birds when not.
• They kill their prey by breaking their necks and paralyzing them by cutting their throats with the aid of, wait for it, an anatomical or cutting tooth.  YES I said a tooth.  Who knew?  Know wonder a group of these are called an Abattoir!
• They can carry prey up to their body weight in their feet and then impale them in thorns or a barb wire fence to eat.  Their feet do not have talons to aid in the kill.  Insects they will carry in their beaks.
• The eastern Loggerhead is endangered in Canada and in some states.  The Prairie has seen signs of declining population as well.  The Prairie Loggerhead is well liked by farmers for their fight on grasshoppers, beetles, mice and voles.
• They have 4-7 eggs about head height off the ground in April, both parents help raise them.