(E.B.W.) Critter Corner: Dec. 26/2018

Feature:
The 12 Birds of Christmas

“… To celebrate the holidays this year, here are some interesting tidbits about 12 different birds found in Canada, some of which are featured in the 12 Days of Christmas song:

A Grey Partridge In A Pear Tree
The grey partridge is native to Eurasia, but was introduced to North America in the 1790s…grey partridges don’t actually perch on pear trees- or any trees for that matter. Instead, they prefer to stay on the ground.

2 Mourning Doves
Mourning doves are one of North America’s most abundant bird species, with an estimated population of 6 million in Canada…

3 Greater Prairie Chickens
Male greater prairie chickens are known for their elaborate- & unusual- mating dances. After gathering at communal courtship display areas, called leks, males have group ‘dance-offs’ to attract females. Their dances consist of raising their feathers above their heads, inflating their orange throat sacs & moaning deeply.

4 Red-Winged Blackbirds
…During the breeding season, male red-winged blackbirds, one of the most common North American blackbird species, are highly territorial, chasing away other males & attacking intruders.

5 Golden-Winged Warblers

The golden-winged warbler has experienced one of the largest population declines of any songbird species- around 68% between 1966 & 2014. A major cause of this has been increased mating between golden-& blue-winged warblers, resulting in hybrid offspring that are sometimes called Brewster’s & Lawrence’s warblers.

6 Canada Geese A Laying

Canada geese are known for their distinct V-shaped flying formations. This pattern helps them to better coordinate their movements, such as when changing direction or speed.

7 Trumpeter Swans A Swimming

The trumpeter swan got its name from its low-pitched, trumpet-like call. Weighing between 7.7 kg & 12.7 kg, it is North America’s heaviest bird species.

8 Brown-Headed Cowbirds A Milking

The brown-headed cowbird is North America’s most common brood parasite: females lay eggs in other birds’ nests instead of constructing their own. When the cowbird chicks hatch, the ‘foster’ parents feed them at their own offspring’s expense.

9 Greater Sage-Grouses Dancing

Like male greater prairie chickens, male greater sage-grouses have intricate mating dances. They inflate & deflate their throat sacs to make popping noises, throw their heads back, spread their wings, & fan their tails.

10 American Woodcocks A Leaping

On spring nights, male American woodcocks repeatedly make buzzy ‘peent’ calls & then fly in upward spirals to attract females. They then zigzag downward while chirping & land right near a female, if one is present.

11 Plovers Piping

Male piping plovers with shared territory boundaries do parallel-run displays, where one bird runs a short distance & stops, then the other runs past the first & stops. They keep doing this until they’ve run out of space, then they chase one another back to the starting point.

12 Ruffed Grouses Drumming

To attract mates & defend their territories, male ruffed grouses “drum” the air by quickly flapping their wings in front of their bodies while standing on logs...”