For the Birds
If you can arrange an after-school field trip to a wild bird store and/or
a pet shop where they sell birdfeeding equipment, you can get a . . . excuse
the expression . . . bird's eye view of the latest and greatest in the
wonderful world of birds.
Now might be the time to
get started with a birdfeeder or birdhouse that you purchase, put together and
put up. Talk with the store clerk about your home habitat and what varieties of
birds you're likely to attract. You can get a lot of good tips about plants and
flowers that bring the birds and their short-legged breakfasts, lunches and
dinners - insects - to your habitat.
Soon it will be time to
observe all aspects of bird life outside: courting a mate, nest building,
laying and incubating eggs, feeding the babies, and nudging the little ones out
of the nest when it's time.
Read up on the
fascinating life of birds:
Courtship
Woodpeckers drum to
attract a mate and lay out their "turf" so you may hear rapid pecking on trees,
downspouts, your home, anyway, the louder the better.
Birds that have more
notes in their songs are thought to be more attractive than one-note singers.
Waterfowl, like ducks
and geese, bob their heads and flutter their wings to attract a partner.
Mourning doves and
mockingbirds fluff out their feathers and dance.
Bluejays and cardinals
may offer their sweethearts a seed.
Nesting
Some birds, including
cardinals and robins, build open, cup-shaped nests.
Other birds are ground
nesters and may build nests in dirt, sand or leaf litter.
Then there are the
cavity nesters - no, not in your teeth, but in holes in trees, buildings or
manmade nesting boxes. Examples: wrens, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches,
bluebirds, woodpeckers and purple martins.
Bird birth and early
days
Different birds lay
different sizes, shapes and colors of eggs. Robins, for example, usually lay
from three to six pale blue eggs with an incubation period of 12 to 14 days. A
wren may lay six or seven brown and white eggs that may take a day longer than
a robin's eggs to hatch.
It's not a good idea to
move a baby bird that's on the ground. But if you're convinced the bird is
orphaned, observe him or her for two or three hours from a concealed location.
If dogs, cats or other predators are in the area, it's OK to put on gloves and
return the bird to the nest. It's not true that the parent birds will reject a
baby that's been anywhere near a human. But it's much better to let the parents
do it. So stay away if you possibly can.
Many robins, cardinals,
bluebirds and mourning doves may nest a second or even third time.
Check with your birding
clerk, or your county extension service, for tips on providing nesting cover or
nesting boxes. The latter may require different hole sizes, ventilation and
materials to attract various species, so get sound advice before you try to
become a bird landlord.
By Susan Darst Williams • www.GoBigEd.com • After School
Treats 017 • © 2006
