The Birdhouse

Since I live in North Carolina we have to include a picture of the North Carolina state bird. Cardinals live all year here and are a nice bit of color in the winter. They are a dependable guest at the bird feeders too, though they seem as happy to eat off of the ground as from the feeder itself.

photos courtesy Michael Myers Photo Gallery

Here is one of my favorites. Goldfinches winter in North Carolina and most of them disappear soon after getting their brilliant yellow coloring. Most people don't recognize them in the winter because they are a kind of drab olive green color. They seem to be especially fond of sunflower seeds, even more so than the thistle seeds they are supposed to love so well.

photos courtesy Michael Myers Photo Gallery

People around here always say "Spring must be here, the Robins are back. Only problem with that is Robins stay all winter in North Carolina. I think maybe they are just spending more time outside because it is warming up, and because of that they just notice the Robins more.

photos courtesy Michael Myers Photo Gallery

Check out the Bird Cams

Books about Birds

Attracting birds to your yard

I love to watch the birds that come to visit us. The brilliant yellow of the Goldfinches, the dark red of the Cardinals and the bright blue of the Blue Jays all make the drab winter landscape look a little more alive. The Carolina Chickadee's antics always make me wonder what it is that they've found this time that is so fascinating. It seems like they have to investigate every little nook and cranny while they are here, and then they come back the next day and do it all over again to see if anything has changed. You may want to check out the books at Amazon.com on Backyard Birding for tips on attracting birds to your yard, or you might want to purchase a book such as The Sibley Guide to Birds to help you identify the birds that come to visit you. It isn't hard to attract birds to your yard. If you provide the things birds need then they will come to visit you, raise families in your yard and maybe even do things to make life a little more pleasant for you and your family. Check out Chucks Purple Martin Page to find out why you might want Martins in your yard. They are natural pest control. A lot of birds eat insects, either as their main menu item or as a supplement. There are Bluebirds here that catch a lot of insects in the summer, but they are very territorial and you can't have Bluebird houses very close together. Still, every little bit helps. Besides, they are a pretty bird.

Birds have four basic requirements

Feeding Attract birds to your yard by feeding them
Bird Feeding

Housing Birds that will nest in houses and how to build houses for them
Houses for Birds

Cover (trees, grass, shrubs and snags)

Water (streams, lakes, mud flats, bird baths, and wetlands)

They also need space (larger for hawks and owls, smaller for sparrows and finches)

This is a guy that spent a lot of time during the winter of 2000/2001 in and around our backyard. Some days you could see him there three or four times, other days you might not see him at all. I believe it is a Coopers Hawk due to the size. This was a huge bird compared to the others that come to our yard.

Late one evening I saw two of them in a tree together, settling down for the night. I assume they had paired off. That was the end of our visitor. They must have moved on to a more suitable housing area. Who knows, maybe they will bring their family around to show them the old stomping grounds.

To see some nice pictures of birds check out Michael Myers Photo Gallery - Beautiful bird photos

To find out what birds you can see in National Parks go to Birds at Selected Parks, U.S. National Park Service (NPS) (Information Center for the Environment) This link appears to not be working. I will keep watch to see if they are having problems or see if I can find out if they have moved.

Chucks Purple Martin Page has a lot of information about Purple Martins and why you would want them in your yard. For $5.00 and a S.A.S.E. he will send you the plans to build your own housing project.

Feeding Preferences of Wild BirdsHere are the scientific facts on what foods birds prefer - written by Aelred Geis, Ph.D., of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Dr. Geis's findings

Alaska Raptor Rehabilitation Center ARRC's mission is to treat, rehabilitate and release wild birds, educate the public about wild bird habitat and their ecology, and to support and conduct research pertaining to the medical treatment of wild birds. Alaska Raptor Rehabilitation Center Alaska

Endangered Species ImagesThese 60 images of endangered species come from the Fish and Wildlife Service Region 3.

Bill's Wildlife Links Info relating to: wildlife biology, environmental organizations, endangered species, carnivores, amphibians and reptiles, and birds.

More Bird Links with descriptions.