Savannah Sparrow has threatened status in Ontario...

                                                                                                    Photo by BarrytheBirder

BIRD SPECIES BY COUNTRY

The country in the world with the most bird species is Columbia with 1,878.    Ranking last is Tokelau with 10 species.   Canada is ranked in 69th place with 518 species.  But as safe a place as we think Ontario is, generally speaking, 64 species (12%) of all Ontario bird species (including the Savannah Sparrow pictured above) are declared Endangered, Threatened or Of Special Concern by the international agency Birdlife International.   Similarly, many countries all over the developed world are seeing similar threats to avian species.   Compounding the threat are staggering numbers of bird populations physically declining around the world...by the millions.   The reality of threats to our way of life ( that of humans and all other animals) is underscored every day, every month, every year.  We must come together, sooner rather than later, for our survival.

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BarrytheBirder   

Recognize this bird?

                                                                                             Photos by Caroline Lambert

COMMON NIGHTHAWK

(Chordeiles minor)

The Common Nighthawk appears to have two faces, depending on how you view it.   In the cropped photo above, it appears as if the nighthawk has a bill with a large, dark eye right behind it.   But what appears to be an eye is actually one of its nostrils (or nares).  In the larger cropped version of the same photo (below), one can see that the nighthawk's true eye is much larger and set farther back from its very small bill.  And while the bill appears small, the nighthawk's mouth is actually very large, allowing it to catch and eat large moths.  These birds are seen most commonly at dawn and dusk, rather than at night, and are the most common and widespread North American nighthawk.   They also occur in Central and South America. 

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Barry Wallace

Parrots most threatened group of birds...

                                                                                                 Photo by BarrytheBirder

Science Daily reports a new study by the University of Copenhagen and the University of Porto, in Portugal, shows that trade in wild birds has dropped 90% since the European Union banned bird imports in 2005.   The study shows how it decreased the number of traded birds annually from 1.3 million to 130,000.  Birds are the most traded animals in the world, with Europe being the main importer, with 70% of exported birds coming from West Africa.   Before 2005, almost all bird exports were passerines (80%) and parrots (18%).   Today, popular passerine birds make up less than 20% of imports, while parrots are up almost 80% of all traded birds.   Latin America has taken over as the main exporter of wild birds and is responsible for more than 50% of global exports.   Important new buyers of wild birds include Mexico and the USA, with annual numbers increasing from 23,000 to 82,000.   Several  south-east Asian nations are major importers of wild birds and these regions are now exposed to a higher risk of bird invasion.   A global wildlife trade ban would reduce the number of traded birds, and minimize the risk of exotic birds spreading.

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BarrytheBirder

 

If I was made to choose one bird species...

                                                                                                   Photos by BarrytheBirder

American Goldfinch would be an easy choice

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BarrytheBirder

Northern Cardinal

BIG

SEEDS

need

BIG 

BILLS

Photos

by 

BarrytheBirder

     

   Please comment if you wish.

   BarrytheBirder

Nearby at Lake Wilcox Park

Photos by BarrytheBirder

Birds appear in many forms here...

Above is an eye-catching Buttonball flower located  

 in a dark, damp spot on the edge of Lake Wilcox.

A wild cross-breed duck does its grooming

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BarrytheBirder 

In the backyard...

                                                                                                    Photo by BarrytheBirder

Minature Chick-a-dee birdbaths

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BarrytheBirder

Cree Tamarack Geese

Photo by BarrytheBirder

Pictured above is a group of Canada Geese crafted by Cree native people of eastern James Bay in the central part of the Canadian province of Quebec.   My sister Denise has been a longtime resident of the Cree village of Wemindji.   Over the years several friends, acquaintances and family members have received these native cultural keepsakes as gifts, including myself.   The tamarack Canada Geese pictured here are between 5" and 8" in length.   In the past, life size tamarack geese were made but are almost impossible to find now, and they are incredibly expensive.   Small ones, like those pictured here, are worth up to $245 U.S. ( Cdn. $330).  Cree hunters once used life-size tamarack Canada Goose decoys while hunting. 

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BarrytheBirder

A few more favourite bird photos I have taken...

Sharp-eyed Osprey

Bathing Robin

White-crowned and White-throated Sparrows

Mom feeds young Starling

Sleeping Swan

Hermit Thrush

Wren

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BarrytheBirder

Some favourite bird photos I have taken...

One-legged Starling

Great Blue Heron

Nest-building Chick-a-dee

Tree-nesting Canada Goose

Jaunty Junco

Mourning Dove

Female Baltimore Oriole

(more tomorrow)

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BarrytheBirder

Folk art by my brother Bob...

                                                                                                             Photo:  Bob Wallace

so simple ... so evocative

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BarrytheBirder

Youngster is a wannabe photographer...maybe?

                                                                      Photo by Brawley Parekh-Wallace

This photo was taken by my 11-year-old granddaughter Brawley, who lives in Metcalfe, Ontario, a few kilometres south of Ottawa.  This week however she is spending a week in a cottage on a beach, on Georgian Bay.   This was one of several photos by Brawley, that she took at The Wye Marsh in Tiny Township.  It's certainly good enough to be in her grandpa's birding blog.  Well done Brawley.

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BarrytheBirder

Near the Mill Road...

Photo and haiku by BarrytheBirder

wild turkeys go by

following in single file

they seem loathe to fly

                                        Please comment if you wish

                                                                        BarrytheBirder

So small - so amazing...

                                                                                                     Photo by BarrytheBirder

Joy of July

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

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BarrytheBirder

Great Blue Heron was known by many other names...

                                                                                     Photo by BarrytheBirder

GREAT BLUE HERON

(Ardea herodias)

The Great Heron Blue Heron has been known by many other common names over the years.   The list includes California, Wurdemann's, Espiritu Santo, Florida, Great White, Northwestern Coast, San Lucas, Treganza's and Wards Heron.

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BarrytheBirder

12th Concession of King Township...

                                                                                                    Photos by Barry Wallace

These geese are to be found on the western border of King Township and there appears to be two or three hundred, or more, of the big white birds.   I don't think the collective noun 'gaggle' fits in this case, because of the huge number of geese.  They certainly make for an impressive sight surrounding and floating upon a large pond.   I suggest a new collective noun in this case.   How about a 'gargantuagaggle' of geese.   Some ducks and Canada Geese have joined in the big assembly also.

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BarrytheBirder

Adolescent Wild Turkeys are called 'jakes'

                                                                                Photos by BarrytheBirder

Seen above is a female Wild Turkey and pictured below are her three adolescent offspring which are called 'jakes'.   Most common clutch size is 10, but predation can reduce poults and adolescents considerably.

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BarrytheBirder

More abandoned nests than new ones...

                                                                                     Photos by BarrytheBirder

I seem to spot more old, abandoned Osprey nests in King Township, than I do finding new, occupied nests.   This has been a trend for many years now.   Their are still Ospreys in the township, mainly because there many small ponds and lakes with fish, plus many wooded areas to develop the large nests Osprey prefer.   The empty nest pictured above is on the far western edge of King Township.

 

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BarrytheBirder

Sharp-shinned Hawk with an odd eye...

                                                                                           Photo by BarrytheBirder

I didn't notice this hawk's right eye when I took the picture, but spotted it shortly thereafter.   It wasn't a light reflection because the bird is back-lit by the sun.   The clear glazed look of the eye is very odd.   It seemed well-sighted otherwise when it left me, pondering its fate.

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BarrytheBirder

The BIRD WAY

                                                                   Photo: Sofia Runarsdottar

"Writing this book has changed the way I see birds, given me a new pair of binoculars, so to speak"

--JENNIFER ACKERMAN, Author

Reading this book has changed the way I see birds also.   I've been a birder for many years and my life list has over 450 species on it and at my age I don't expect to add to it any time soon.   But Jennifer Ackerman's new book 'The Bird Way' has shown me behaviour in the avian world in a whole new way.  Ornithology has and is changing rapidly, upsetting much of what I had observed and learned over the years.   The bird world is changing in so many ways and so rapidly that even the experts are often bewildered.   But what is being learned about our old notions and contentions throws a lot of our pre-conceptions and prejudices on the dung heap.   Keep an open mind reading this book, you'll need it big-time.

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BarrytheBirder