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Assorted Birds |
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| Indigo Bunting, Mourning Dove, Red-winged Blackbirds, Carolina Wrens | |
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Carolina Wrens
Nesting/Eggs:
The nest of the Carolina Wren is usually placed in a hole in some low decayed tree, stump, or in a fence-stake, sometimes even in the stable or barn. The nesting materials are hay, grasses, leaves, feathers, hair, or dry fibres of Spanish moss. The feathers, hair or moss forms the lining and the coarser materials the outer parts of the nest. The number of eggs is from five to 6 and are oval, greyish-white, sprinkled with reddish-brown. Incubation is performed by the female only and lasts anywhere from 12-14 days with the first young leaving the nest 12-14 days after hatching. Both the male and female feed the young. The young's plumage undergoes no change, merely becoming firmer in the colouring. Carolina Wrens usually raise two broods in a season. Natural Feeding Habits: Indigo Bunting
Though Indigo Buntings appear to be a striking blue
color, they have no blue pigment; they are
actually black, but the diffraction of light through the structure of
the feathers makes them appear blue. These attractive birds are also
found in rural roadside thickets and along the right-of-way of
railroads, where woodlands meet open areas. They are beneficial to
farmers and fruit growers, consuming many insect pests and weed seeds.
During the breeding season, indigo buntings eat small spiders and insects, seeds of grasses and herbs, and berries. Major food items taken include caterpillars, grasshoppers, bugs, beetles, seeds and berries. In winter, indigo buntings eat small seeds, buds, and some insects. Their main food in winter is small seeds of grasses. They also frequent feeders, and eat the seeds of rice in rice fields. Indigo buntings do not appear to drink frequently, and may obtain sufficient water from their diet. (Payne 1992) Mourning doves
Mourning doves eat a wide variety of seeds, waste grain, fruit and
insects. They prefer seeds that rest on the ground. Occasionally, they
eat in trees and bushes when the ground foods have become scarce. 95% of
the mourning dove's diet relies on seeds or plant parts. Doves also like
to ingest agricultural crops. Those especially coveted are cereal grains
such as corn, millet, rye, barley, and oats. On rare occasions, doves
can also be seen preying on grasshoppers, ants, beetles, and snails.
Two much-studied behaviors of mourning doves are their monogamous mating and their widespread migration patterns. Migration originates in the breeding grounds and continues to the southern areas where the doves go to escape the harsh winter months. During migration the birds fly over 1000 of miles through hostile environment to reach their winter resting spot.
Red-winged Blackbirds
Red-winged blackbirds tend to be
generalized feeders, consuming a greater amount of plant tissue in the
non-breeding season and a greater amount of animal material in the
breeding season. Red-winged blackbirds will feed on almost any plant
material they can consume, preferring seeds and agricultural products,
such as corn and rice. Adult red-winged blackbirds will consume a wide
variety of foods including snails, frogs, fledgling birds, eggs,
carrion, worms and a wide array of arthropods. Insects, especially
Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies),
Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), and
Diptera (true flies) are preferred, although arachnids and other
insect and non-insect arthropods are consumed. For the most part,
red-winged blackbirds feed on whatever they can find, picking insects
out of plants and feeding on seeds and plant material. At times,
red-winged blackbirds will hunt using their beaks for gaping (opening up
of crevices in plant material with the beak). Red-winged blackbirds will
also catch insects in flight. (Kirschenbaum,
1996;
Yasukawa and Searcy, 1995)
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawks eat small
mammals such as voles, moles, mice, and squirrels; also, some rabbits;
snakes, toads, frogs, lizards, crayfish, large insects, small birds.
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