Fun Trivia » Animals » Wild Birds » Birdwatching / Birdfeeding

Peterson, Sibley, and National Geographic are excellent choices for field guide books. Difficulty: Hard.

 

dictionary, bird handbook, outdoor survival manual

I have a bird-watching friend who excels in the identification of little brown birds (or little brown jobs as a Brit might say). His special advantage? He is both blue-yellow and red-green colorblind. Since he sees the world in monochrome and must rely entirely on patterns of shade to identify any bird, he has an advantage when other bird watchers are unable to exploit their ability to see colors. Difficulty: Average.

 

They are licentious and brooding., They are loud and brash., They are lanky and beautiful.

The male of both these species has a little red on the back of its neck. You can attract woodpeckers by offering suet and peanuts. These species also feed on bugs in logs. Difficulty: Easy.

American Goldfinches love to eat thistle also known as niger. They sometimes will sit for hours at a time at thistle feeders. After this they will sometimes take a bath. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Sunflower, Safflower, Millet

Suet cakes are placed in suet feeders, which are like metal cages. They are mostly put out in winter since the fat helps to keep the birds warm. Difficulty: Easy.

 

fruit, grass, mealworms

The grey catbird, mockingbird, and eastern screech-owl all "speak for themselves". Difficulty: Hard.

 

Grey catbird, Mockingbird, Eastern screech-owl

"Twitcher" is a usually nonpejorative moniker applied to birdwatchers, albeit somewhat obsessive ones, particularly in Britain. The term may have derived from the propensity of an avid birdwatcher to twitch at the mere mention of the sighting of a rare bird. A hardened twitcher would not let any weather, any distance or any expense stand between themselves and their prey... that is... I mean... a rare bird they are seeking. Some are reportedly competitive enough to take steps to prevent other birdwatchers from seeing the prize bird once they have. "Vellicate" means "twitch" but is not in the birding vernacular. Difficulty: Hard.

 

You constantly vacillate about bird identification, You are subject to fits of avian vellication., You can't hold your binoculars steady.

The red-breasted nuthatch is a cute hardy bird that can be attracted by suet and sunflower seeds. The white-breasted nuthatch is a larger blue and white bird. It can be attracted by the same things as the red-breasted nuthatch. Difficulty: Hard.

 

White-breasted and Pygmy, Red-breasted and Pygmy, Red-breasted and Common

The Eastern towhee is a black, white and rufous bird which typically feeds on the ground. Difficulty: Hard.

 

California Towhee, Brown Towhee, Red Towhee

House sparrows were introduced in the U.S. in the 1800s. They were originally from Europe and Asia, but have also been introduced to Australia and Africa. One way to keep house sparrows away from feeders is to put mesh around the feeder. The mesh keeps out the house sparrows, but still allows the smaller, native birds access. Difficulty: Hard.

 

yellow warbler, goldfinches, blue jay

The tufted titmouse is a tame bird. It can be attracted by sunflower seeds. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Black, Red, Green

Both of these birds have long legs and small bodies. Difficulty: Hard.

 

more than 10 miles off shore, roaming the sand dunes, perching in dead trees

The ruby-throated hummingbird can be attacted with sugar water. They hover in the air and are sometimes mistaken for moths. Difficulty: Easy.

 

Magnificent, Black-chinned, Anna's

Project Feeder Watch is an excellent study that shows the patterns of feeder birds. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Audubon Society, Sierra Club, World Wildlife Fund

The Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge is a wonderful area for seeing birds and wildlife. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Cape May, Catalina Island, Greenland

Waxwings can be attracted by berries. Normally, they move in flocks. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Bohemian and American, Bohemian and Western, American and Western

The house sparrow along with the European starling are big nuisances at feeders and will eat a lot of your seed. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Tufted Titmouse, Chipping Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow

The Cooper's hawk along with the sharp-shinned hawk can be seen at feeders occasionally. They are very small in relation to other hawks(especially the sharp-shinned). Difficulty: Hard.

 

Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Harrier, Common Black Hawk

Oriole feeders are somewhat like hummingbird feeders except they are larger, and they are orange instead of red. Difficulty: Hard.

 

Red, Green, Yellow