Elizabeth
Forum Replies Created
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The boobook owls and barking owl are members of the Ninox genus of owls. There are more than 30 species of boobook. The barking owl, Ninox connivens, is related but a separate species.
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You can revisit course content at any time. Go to My Courses, then click on Growing Wild. Scroll down to view the Course Content. Click Expand All to choose the exact topic you want to view. From there you can answer the discussion question. Alternatively, you can go to the discussion board directly. Scroll down on the page and click on Join a Discussion Group. Click on the Growing Wild group, then find the topic you want to comment on. If you have additional issues please contact Customer Service.
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This looks like a Black-bellied Whistling-Duck. Usually they are found farther south, but their range is expanding northward. Very cool!
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Great news! Merlin now has a Sound ID feature. Click the "Get Sound ID" button when you open Merlin, or download the latest update. You can find more information here. Currently this feature is only available for birds in the US and Canada, but more species will be added over time.
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Hi Raizel, currently SnapID is only available in our courses, not elsewhere on the site.
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The best way for you to approach this is probably to think of some birds you are familiar with, then look up their size measurements and compare them to the four birds used in Merlin. Sparrows are about 12-17 cm, robins are 20-28 cm, crows are 40-53 cm, and geese are 76-110 cm. Saffron finches are 13.5 cm, so that is a good one for approximately sparrow-sized. Grassquits are smaller than sparrows. Ruddy ground doves are 16.5-18 cm, which is slightly smaller than a robin but is probably close enough. The goal of the size chart is not to figure out the exact measurement of your bird, just to get an approximate size. We're halfway there! Now just think of some medium and large birds you know, and continue the process. Once you have your four birds selected, the next time you use Merlin think of your own four when looking at the size chart to place your mystery bird. And of course if you get a photo you can upload that to Photo ID without answering the size question.
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The best way for you to approach this is probably to think of some birds you are familiar with, then look up their size measurements and compare them to the four birds used in Merlin. Sparrows are about 12-17 cm, robins are 20-28 cm, crows are 40-53 cm, and geese are 76-110 cm. Saffron finches are 13.5 cm, so that is a good one for approximately sparrow-sized. Grassquits are smaller than sparrows. Ruddy ground doves are 16.5-18 cm, which is slightly smaller than a robin but is probably close enough. The goal of the size chart is not to figure out the exact measurement of your bird, just to get an approximate size. We're halfway there! Now just think of some medium and large birds you know, and continue the process. Once you have your four birds selected, the next time you use Merlin think of your own four when looking at the size chart to place your mystery bird. And of course if you get a photo you can upload that to Photo ID without answering the size question.
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@Maureen You can upload your sound file to the Macaulay Library by submitting it on an eBird checklist. If you haven't used eBird yet, learn how to get started here. We also have a free eBird Essentials course! Learn about uploading media here. Then you can share the link to the file, if you'd like.
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To post images in a discussion, click on the "Insert Image" button located in the top left of the reply text editor (the box where you added your text), and then select an image from your computer or your phone.
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Unfortunately there is not a dedicated discussion forum for the Comprehensive Bird Biology course. You are welcome to post questions or comments about the course in the public forums.
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This looks like a female masked yellowthroat. Have you tried using Merlin Bird ID? It is a free app that identifies birds. There is even an option to identify birds from a photo, like this one.
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Hi Carol, To post images in a discussion, click on the "Insert Image" button located in the top left of the reply text editor (the box where you typed your comment), and then select an image from your computer or your phone. Then click the "Submit" button.
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It may have to do with your privacy settings. You can check those at https://ebird.org/prefs. Look in the Data Privacy section to see if "Hide my data from Recent Visits" is checked. If it is, uncheck that box. If that doesn't help, please try the eBird Help Center. You can submit a question using the New Support Ticket button if you don't find the answer there.
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It is confusing! The Summer Tanager, Scarlet Tanager, and the rest of the species in the Piranga genus were originally placed in the Thraupidae family. However, more recent genetic testing has shown they actually belong in the Cardinalidae family. Things like this happen frequently as molecular techniques become more advanced.
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Based on the black and gray face pattern, rusty collar, and black chest patch it looks like a rufous-collared sparrow.
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Hi Nancy, Check out this link for another tip about telling males apart from behind. It's not diagnostic, but still helpful.
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@Robert Fish crows, Corvus ossifragus, are another species of crow. You can learn more about them on the All About Birds site here.
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I'm not sure what species of blackbird you mean–it's a bit of a confusing term. But no, blackbirds are not in the family Corvidae with crows. Corvids include crows, ravens, magpies, jays, and some others. New World blackbirds, such as red-winged blackbirds, are in the family Icteridae. Eurasian blackbirds are in the family Turdidae, thrushes. Hope that helps!
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I'm glad you checked out the Cornell feeder cam! That is a tufted titmouse.