Pablo
Forum Replies Created
Viewing 13 posts - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)
-
I have observed the different species of animals that utilize the woodpecker's holes for living, for example saw a Screech Owl emerge from a woodpecker made hole during a bird count. In California saw some flying insects and birds taking advantage of the sap coming off the tree when a sapsucker flew away. If there were not to have woodpeckers I think part of the food chain will change based on what woodpecker can "unearth" by digging onto the trees.
-
Years ago we were in Yosemite National Park and heard the drumming of a woodpecker, within a minute my group heard similar drumming coming from three different directions and it was not an echo we were hearing. The day after at the Nature Conservancy location near El Portal we heard and saw Acorn Woodpecker's drumming on metal and again some other drumming coming from different directions. The metal sound was incredible, it carried farther than the others drumming.
-
The adaptation I found fascinating was the ability of the tongue to wrap around the head and "return" to it's regular size. The usage of the tongue to trap the corresponding pray is an adaptation I did not know. The tip differences now make sense as the prey or food they need varies.
-
What surprised me the most was that the woodpecker species that looked alike are not closely related to each other. I have learned about mimicry in other animals and did not think that as a possibility for the "looking alike" in the woodpeckers. By the way thanks for showing the taxonomy woodpecker tree that emphasized the point, helps a visual learner.
-
After all that dancing and display to get the females attention and favoring him for mating he leaves and does not participate on rising the chicks? Well at least she incubate her own eggs and do not also leave them like the cowbirds where neither parent are involved in rising the chicks.
-
I was surprised to hear from the video that in hummingbirds there is no bend in the wing during the upstroke but that the wing flips over, so the bird also generates lift on the upstroke. Looking at other birds fly I always saw this wing bend and assume because hummingbirds are so small and fast wing-beaters I could not see the wings bend.
-
I have seen almost 30 species of Hummingbirds. Most of them (11 species) have been from several trips to Colombia. I am originally from Puerto Rico where I was raised looking at some endemic hummingbirds. Living in the USA I have seen 8 species. In total I have seen 11 species of the ones featured in the course.
-
I enjoyed this course very much. The section on sounds was really informative and I will revisit it again. I will also enjoyed the photos of owls from different countries. Now I will keep an eye for those also.
-
Some of the sounds were new to me. I have heard Barred Owl, Screech Owl and Great Horned Owls and while living in Merced California, heard a Bobcat family, its amazing how many sounds we can hear at night if we live away from the cities.
-
What I found interesting and did not know was the "Branching" behavior of owls. Although I knew birds will eventually leave the nest they hatched in, falling out of the nest may be a sure way to be entering the "food chain" as a prey. Watching the video of owls climbing back up a tree and getting themselves to safety is not something all bird species may be able to do. Strong legs and claws are sure helpful even at such young age.
-
That is a wonderful photo! I have birded in Arizona but have only seen Great Horned Owls.
-
I have personally seen Short-eared Owls hunting bats. So whatever they can catch will be fair game for food.
-
I’m originally from Puerto Rico where I had the opportunity to observe in 1983 the Puerto Rican Owl, and Short-eared Owl during field trips as they were hunting some bats. When I moved to the USA to attend grad-school I saw in 1988 my first Great Horned Owl near the Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, and Barred Owl at the UNC Chapel Hill campus in 1989. In 1997 in Maryland during the Midwinter Montgomery County Bird Count I found a gray Eastern Screech-Owl looking out a Wood Duck box. In my first trip to Costa Rica in 2004 I observed and heard a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl. I moved to California in 2007 and joined the faculty at UC Merced where in campus I had the opportunity to observe Burrowing Owl and Barn Owl. After I moved back to Maryland during the irruption in 2013, I followed various birders and saw my first Snowy Owl. For several years I have looked between November and December for the Great Gray Owl in Yosemite and Northern Saw-whet Owl in Maryland but as of yet not seen either but have found some regurgitated pellets indicating they were around.
Viewing 13 posts - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)