Bird Profile: Ring-necked Pheasant

Apr17

 

The male Ring-necked Pheasant is a very colourful bird with a loud, harsh and raucous “koork-KOK”, call; one that often emerges from grasslands, deep brush and agricultural land. The pheasant is native to Caucasus and Russia and has been introduced all over the world as a popular game bird.

Ring-necked Pheasant

 There is usually one male who guards his harem of plain, mottled females from other males, chasing them away during the breeding season. Pheasants are known to hunker down in a roost in very bad weather, going for days without eating. They nest and forage on the ground, eating seeds, wild fruits, nuts and insects.

 I had my own special encounter with a pheasant the other day. I rode my bike to Fish Creek and as I turned a corner, I came to within a couple meters of a pheasant. He was startled (so was I!) and in his haste to get away, slipped on ice! Definitely funny for me to see!

Elegance… This male Pheasant is trying to be as regal as possible. 

He hits the ice as he runs away and is unprepared…

Whoa!!! He definitely wasn’t ready for this!

Dignity regained… Or so he thinks. 

Posted by Matthew Sim

Rare Bird Alert Calgary: April 14

Apr16

Welcome to the City of Calgary and Nature Calgary’s (CFNS) Bird Alert. This Bird Alert was recorded on Thursday, April 14, at 10:25 am. To report a bird sighting, phone 403 221-4519 and leave a message after the beep at the end of the recording. To report injured wildlife please call Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Society at 403 239-2488, or the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation at 403 946-2361.

SIGHTINGS FOR:

Wednesday, April 13

–BLACK-NECKED STILT (3) – at a slough E of Irricana (the road to Tschetter Hutterite Colony) on RR 260, N of Twp Rd 270 seen by Joan & Malcolm McDonald.

–GREATER YELLOWLEGS (1) – as above at a slough on the W side of RR 254 about 1 Km N of the farm by J&MM.

–TREE SWALLOW (1) – observed by Cedric Hitchon on the Bow River at the Hwy 22X Bridge in SE Calgary.

–TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRE (1) – reported by Matthew Sim in his yard in the Willowpark community in SE Calgary.

Monday, Apr 11

–SNOW GOOSE (1) – observed flying in with Canada Geese on Twp Rd 314 E of RR 253 N of Linden by Corrine Griffin.

–GADWALL (2 pair) – near the observation blind at Frank Lake on Hwy 23 about 8 km E of High River by Greg Wagner.

–PEREGRINE FALCON (3) – 1 seen feeding on a duck along the SW shoreline of Basin 1 at Frank Lake by GW and Thomas Glen reports a pair in downtown Calgary.

–LAPLAND LONGSPUR (300) – seen on Twp Rd 314 E of RR 253 N of Linden by CG.

–RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD (1 male) – seen by Carol Coulter in her yard in the Southwood subdivision in SW Calgary.

Sunday, April 10

–RUDDY DUCK – seen at Frank Lake by GW.

–SHARP-SHINNED HAWK – reported by Dwight Knapik at the Calgary Zoo private breeding facility off Dunbow Rd just SE of Calgary.

–WHOOPING CRANE (2) – seen flying northward over the Hwy 2 & Hwy 547 overpass S of Calgary by Roger Hoffort

Saturday, April 9

–AMERICAN KESTREL – watched by Bob Lefebvre by the irrigation canal at 32 Ave & 26 St SE in Calgary.

–PRAIRIE FALCON (1) – seen on the S side of the river upstream from the Bearspaw Dam W of Calgary by Kelly Day & Christine McDonald.

–RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD (3) – seen just SE of Frank Lake by GW.

The next scheduled update of the Bird Alert is Monday, April 18.

Posted by Pat Bumstead

Backyard Birds: American Tree Sparrow

Apr13

At this time of year, American Tree Sparrows are moving through the Calgary area on their way north.  They like to frequent brushy thickets and back yards across the city.  I’ve had a pair in my yard since April 2, and I’ve seen them in many other parts of the city in the past week.  These sparrows can also be seen in Calgary on their southward migration in the fall, with some of them occasionally overwintering. 

American Tree Sparrows have a brownish-red cap and eyeline, and a dark spot in the centre of the breast.  Despite its name (which was bestowed due to its resemblance to the European Tree Sparrow), these birds forage and nest on the ground.  Their nesting areas lie north of the treeline. 

 They seek shelter in thick bushes…

Like many of our native sparrows, they prefer to feed on the ground…

American Tree Sparrows are a beautiful little bird with a beautiful song: one or two clear notes followed by a sweet, rapid warble.  Just this week, I heard that song in my yard for the first time. 

So don’t just assume that all of those little brown birds in your yard are House Sparrows and House Finches; if you look carefully, you might find that one of them is actually an American Tree Sparrow.

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

Rare Bird Alert Calgary: April 11

Apr12

Welcome to the City of Calgary and CFNS Bird Alert. This report was prepared on Monday, April 11 at 9:00 pm. To report a bird sighting,call 403-221-4519 and leave a message after the recording. The next scheduled update of the Bird Alert is on Thursday, April 14th.

SIGHTINGS FOR:

Sunday, April 10
–AMERICAN AVOCET(1), no location given
–GREATER YELLOWLEGS(1), Frank Lake
–BONAPARTE’S GULL(1), Clear Lake, east of Stavely
–NORTHERN CARDINAL(1)(F), 4th.Str. and Cliffe Ave, E.of StanleyPark
–AMERICAN GOLDFINCH(1), Votier’s Flats, Fish Creek Park

Saturday, April 9
–RED-BREASTED MERGANSER(1)(m), Bow River, Mallard Pt, East Fish Creek Park
–DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT(7), snow covered gull colony, Langdon Reservoir
–BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON(2), Frank Lake
–GREATER YELLOWLEGS(1), Frank Lake
–PEREGRINE FALCON(1), Frank Lake

Friday, April 8–BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON(1) Frank Lake

Thursday, April 7–THAYER’S GULL (adult), GLAUCOUS GULL (adult) Shepard Landfill

Birds of Frank Lake

Apr12

Thank you to David Lilly for sending us these amazing pictures taken at Frank Lake on April 9/11.

Black-crowned Night-Heron

Tundra Swan displaying

Rough-legged Hawk

Posted and species identified by Pat Bumstead

 

Never a Dull Moment: Mallard Point

Apr11

On Saturday, upon finally having good weather after a long winter, the Friends of Fish Creek Park group went to Mallard Point to see what could be found on the river.  There were seventeen people on the outing, which meant lots of pairs of eyes on the lookout for birds.  We saw many of the usual species, but even so, one never tires of the quirks of bird behavior.

Black-capped Chickadee excavating a nest hole…

… and emerging with a beak full of sawdust.

Male Common Goldeneye declaring his love…

…and then a pair of Goldeneyes demonstrating how diving ducks have to run on takeoff.

Male Ring-necked Pheasant chasing the female all over the island.

And for some reason it always seems odd to see Canada Geese up in the trees:

 

They can’t be thinking of nesting on the picnic table, can they?

We were also lucky enough to see some returning migrants:

Franklin’s Gulls.  The one on the right has a pinkish breast colour.

But the highlight was a rare bird sighting, a male Red-breasted Merganser.  These are only seen in southern Alberta on migration, and not very frequently within the city.  This was a life bird for about ten of us, and even Gus Yaki, the trip leader, said he had not seen one in Calgary for about five years.

 

 

Posted by Bob Lefebvre

Foraging Flocks

Apr8

We’ve seen it often enough; you’re out bird watching, looking at the deserted trees and bushes and wondering where all the birds are. Suddenly, they are upon you, lots of them, making it next to impossible to follow them all. It’s a foraging flock. But what is a foraging flock?

These congregations of several different species, often insectivorous, occur where there is an abundance of food. There has to be a ‘nuclear’ species as a basis for the flock’s hierarchy; with this species being central to the flock’s formation and movement.

Attendants come next. Attendant species often don’t join in on the activities until the flock’s activities enter their territory.  Titmice and chickadees often fill the roles of a ‘nuclear’ (‘core’) species in North America and are soon followed by nuthatches, creepers, woodpeckers, kinglets and New World warblers all of which are insect-eating birds. These flocks are seen mostly in the non-breeding season when birds come out of the secrecy of breeding and raising a family.

Downy Woodpeckers use chickadees as sentinels in the foraging flocks

The benefits are great for birds in these flocks, namely; the increased vigilance by more eyes, lowering the risk of predation. There could also be a rise in feeding efficiency; as bugs flee from one bird, they head right into the beak of another. Feeding together heightens the chance that someone will locate a rich feeding patch and birds benefit from the different abilities, such as a woodpecker’s strong beak.

Chickadees often act the part of the ‘nuclear’ species

Nuthatches will often join in on the action of feeding flocks.

But there are costs as well, for example, kleptoparasitism, or parasitism by theft. This is when one more aggressive bird, steals the food caught by another bird. The costs, however, are often outweighed by the more advantageous benefits.

Well, birds of a feather don’t always flock together, but they sure know who to flock with!

Posted by Matthew Sim

Bird Alert April 5

Apr5

Welcome to the City of Calgary and CFNS Bird Alert. This Bird Alert was recorded on Monday Apr 04.

Bird Sightings:

Mar 28:
RED-TAILED HAWK , dark morph, south of Longview

Mar 31:
A SNOW GOOSE in a flock of CANADA GEESE just east of Calgary

Apr 1:
PEREGRINE FALCON, Bow Building, (downtown),
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE (2), east side Frank Lake
RED- BREASTED MERGANSER female, EURASIAN WIGEON male, flocks of LAPLAND
LONGSPURS at Clear Lake

Apr 2:
Possible LONG-EARED OWL east of Parkland Blvd/146 Ave SE
GREATER SCAUP, male, on the Bow River at Glenmore Tr. bridge

Apr 3:
NORTHERN HAWK OWL , TURKEY VUKTURE, Votiers Flats to Bebo Grove, FCPP
PEREGRINE FALCONS (2) Bow Bldg .
FERRUGINOUS HAWK over Turner Valley
CEDAR WAXWINGS (15) in Willow Park district
CEDAR WAXWING (1), in Douglas Glen dist
VARIED THRUSH (2) males at Harvie Heights