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NY Times Article: 7 Tips for Watching Birds During the Spring Lockdown

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NY Times Article: 7 Tips for Watching Birds During the Spring Lockdown

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Imagine that you see a sparrow in a spot where you've seen sparrows many times before. You could just continue on, and might not remember at the end whether you even saw a sparrow. On the other hand, if you stop to watch, ask a question and pick out some details, you will remember those details, as well as other things that you didn't even focus on. It can be fun and enlightening to come up with one question for the day, and ask it of every bird you see. There is an endless supply of good questions, and taking the time to look at how each bird holds its tail, whether it walks or hops on the ground and what it is eatingwill lead to lots of interesting discoveries.

Ultimately it doesn't really matter how you watch birds. All you need to do is take a few minutes to watch and wonder.

David Sibley, a birder and artist, is author of "What It's Like to Be a Bird," from which this essay is adapted.
The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We'd like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some . And here's our email: letters@nytimes.com.

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Opinion | 7 Tips for Watching Birds During the Spring Lockdown

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Imagine that you see a sparrow in a spot where you've seen sparrows many times before. You could just continue on, and might not remember at the end whether you even saw a sparrow.

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allaboutbirds.com - website for researching birds

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allaboutbirds.com - website for researching birds

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Search, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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Detailed information for more than 600 North American bird species, including ID help, browse by shape and taxonomy, and deeper articles.

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Classifying Birds According to their Beaks

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Classifying Birds According to their Beaks

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Don't miss a thing!

Keep up-to-date on all the nesting news.

Video Highlights
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Species Info Site Info About Cams

About the Site

This FeederWatch cam, located in the Treman Bird Feeding Garden at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is dedicated to Joseph H. Williams, a lifetime friend of the Cornell Lab and Administrative Board member from 1990 to 2018. Perched on the edge of both Sapsucker Woods and its 10-acre pond, these feeders attract both forest species like chickadees and woodpeckers as well as some species that prefer open environments near water like Red-winged Blackbirds. The cam hardware includes an Axis P1448-LE camera with an an ETS ML1-WPW microphone.

About the Hosts

The Wild Birds Unlimited store at Sapsucker Woods has been a part of the visitor experience in the Cornell Lab's Visitor Center ever since the new building opened in 2003. They are the preferred vendor of official Cornell Lab merchandise and offer a dizzying number of feeders, binoculars, and birdwatching-related gear and gifts to make any bird enthusiast happy. WBU has also pledged support for many of the Cornell Lab's local efforts, including providing the bird feeders and food for this FeederWatch Cam.

About Cams

The Cornell Lab Bird Cams connects viewers worldwide to the diverse and intimate world of birds. We work to make watching an active experience, sparking awareness and inspiration that can lead to conservation, education, and engagement with birds.

Our viewers tell us that watching the cams is a life changing experience: an unprecedented learning experience that they liken to virtual field trips or field biology in their living room. We're excited to continue sharing and learning with the community as we watch the world of birds together.

Bird Cams is a free resource

providing a virtual window into the natural world
of birds and funded by donors like you

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Watch the birds of Sapsucker Woods visit the feeders outside the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, NY.

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LIVE Bird Feeder Cam in Ohio [20+ species observed!]

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What type of bird is that?

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Do you want to know the most frequently asked question people have while watching my LIVE bird cams?

"What type of bird is that?"

Or I've observed from time to time that someone incorrectly identifies a particular species of bird, and other viewers think what they said was correct.

So I thought it was time to create a guide to the common types of birds seen on my feeders.

In today's post, I want to educate and teach you the most common animals (birds AND mammals) that visit my feeding station. When possible, I have included actual video clips taken from my backyard cams (more added each month!) I did my best to point out identifying characteristics along with some interesting and relevant facts!
Page Navigation:
Before we begin, a few things to keep in mind:

This article is a work in progress. I am continually adding updated video clips and editing bird descriptions. Make sure to check back.

I live in Akron, Ohio which is in the Eastern United States. The feeder birds listed below are common for me and anyone else that lives within close vicinity.

All the videos were taken from the LIVE cameras that point at my bird feeding station.

Most Common Feeder Birds

These are the birds that typically can be seen daily on the bird feeders or underneath eating on the ground. These species do not migrate and are observed throughout the year.

1. Northern Cardinal

In my opinion, the Northern Cardinal is the most popular feeder bird in North America. They have the unique combination of being gorgeous and easy to attract to your backyard.

Identifying Characteristics:

Males are a stunning red with a black mask and throat. Females are pale brown with red on their crest, wings, and tail.

Both sexes have a crest on their head and a short, thick bill that is perfect for cracking seeds.

Favorite Feeder Foods: Sunflower, safflower, corn, and peanuts.

Some people dislike Blue Jays, but I love their bold personalities. Their high intelligence makes them interesting to observe, not to mention their plumage is stunning. Typically they visit the feeders noisily, fit as much food as possible in their throat sacks, and leave quickly to cache their bounty.

Identifying Characteristics:

Favorite Feeder Foods: Sunflower, corn, and peanuts.

3. American Goldfinch

It's hard not to love these small and colorful finches. They do well feeding in any position, even upside down! Goldfinches love feeding on nyjer seed, which not many other birds eat.

Identifying Characteristics:

In summer, males are a vivid yellow with a black cap and black wings. Females are a duller yellow and lack the black cap.

In winter, both sexes turn a pale brown/olive color. They are identified by their black wings and white wing bar.

Favorite Feeder Foods: Sunflower kernels, nyjer seed.

4. House Finch

House Finches are often the first birds to discover new feeders. They are native to Western North America but are now common across almost the entire continent. House Finches have a pleasant and enjoyable song to hear.

Identifying Characteristics:

Favorite Feeder Foods: Black-oil sunflower, sunflower kernels, nyjer, safflower.

5. House Sparrow

House Sparrows are an invasive species (originally from the Middle East) and now one of the most common birds in the world! They owe their success to their ability to adapt and live near humans. Unlike most other birds, House Sparrows love grains and are commonly seen eating bread and popcorn at amusement parks, sporting events, etc.

Identifying Characteristics:

Males have gray crowns, black bib, white cheeks, and chestnut on the sides of their face and neck. Their backs are predominantly brown with black streaks.

Females are a dull brown color with streaks of black on their backs. Their underparts are a light brown. They can be distinguished by the tan line that extends behind their eye.

Favorite Feeder Foods: Black-oil sunflower, sunflower kernels, safflower, millet, milo, and cracked corn.

6. Mourning Dove

The peaceful Mourning Dove gets its name for its soft calls that are sometimes mistaken for owls. At your feeders, they are typically found eating on the ground or a large platform feeder. Upon take off, their wings make a loud whistling sound that is easily recognizable.

Identifying Characteristics:

Favorite Feeder Foods: Black-oil sunflower, sunflower kernels, safflower, nyjer, milo, and cracked corn.

7. Black-capped Chickadee

Chickadees are one of the most personable birds that visit feeders. They are also easily recognized by their distinctive call of song. Did you know you can even train them to feed on your hand? Chickadees typically don't stay long at feeders; swooping in to grab some food then leaving to eat elsewhere. I've also had a lot of success having chickadees visit my window bird feeders.

Identifying Characteristics:

Favorite Feeder Foods: Sunflower, safflower, nyjer, shelled peanuts, and mealworms.

Learn more -> The 4 Best Window Bird Feeders I'm Using.

8. Downy Woodpecker

The Downy Woodpecker is the most common type of woodpecker in North America and is a frequent visitor to feeders everywhere. They are small, roughly the size of a sparrow and for lack of a better word are "cute." Downy's are brave and even visit my window feeders looking for sunflower kernels.

Identifying Characteristics:

Favorite Feeder Foods: Suet, sunflower

Learn More -> 6 Types of Woodpecker Feeders Your Birds Will Love

9. Hairy Woodpecker

Looks just like the Downy Woodpecker! These two woodpecker species are easily confused, especially from a distance. The Hairy is a frequent visitor to the feeders, but not nearly as often as the Downy.

Identifying Characteristics:

Black and white medium sized bird. Has white spots on their black wings. White underparts.

Larger than Downy Woodpeckers. Long bill is the same length as it's head and resembles a thorn.

Males have a red patch on the back of their head which females lack.

Hairy Woodpeckers are common throughout most of North America, but the plumage varies regionally.

Favorite Feeder Foods: Suet, sunflower

10. Red-bellied Woodpecker

No doubt one of my favorite birds to see when they visit. They never overstay their welcome or chase away other birds, but they are definitely tough and don't get pushed around by bully birds. These woodpeckers are beautiful, especially their black and white patterned backs! Ironically, they do not have a red belly.

Identifying Characteristics:

Beautiful black and white barred back. White underparts.

Males have a red crown AND nape.

Females are similar, except they do not have a red crown, just a red nape (FYI - nape means the back of the neck, female in the video above).

Long, powerful bill.

About the size of an American Robin.

Favorite Feeder Foods: Sunflower, suet

11. Tufted Titmouse

Just like chickadees, the Tufted Titmouse doesn't stay long at feeders. These common birds fly in quickly, grab some food and leave to eat elsewhere, except when they have to work at getting a peanut out of a metal mesh feeder. I find that I often hear them first with their call.

Identifying Characteristics:

Favorite Feeder Foods: Sunflower, safflower, peanuts, and mealworms.

12. American Crow

Often misunderstood, many people don't like crows. I find them fascinating, and I make sure to put out corn or peanuts under my feeders every day to attract the local murder (what a group of crows is called). Crows are highly intelligent birds that also help keep hawks away.

Identifying Characteristics:

Favorite Feeder Foods: Peanuts, corn.

13. European Starling

When starlings visit in small numbers, they are fun to watch and have beautiful plumage. Unfortunately, this invasive species can sure ruin a party when they visit in massive flocks, chasing away all of the other birds while eating your expensive bird food.

Identifying Characteristics:

Favorite Feeder Foods: Sunflower kernels, cracked corn, mealworms, shelled peanuts, millet, and mixed suet products.

14. White-breasted Nuthatch

It's not uncommon to see a White-breasted Nuthatch at your feeders, but don't expect them to stay very long! They tend to fly in, grab a sunflower seed and fly off again. They are incredibly agile and are famous for being able to perch upside down on trees!

Identifying Characteristics:

Favorite Feeder Foods: Black-oil sunflower, sunflower kernels, safflower, and shelled peanuts.

15. Common Grackle

Nothing ever good seems to happen when grackles show up. They are bullies in my opinion, mostly because they usually arrive in enormous flocks that chase away all the other birds, all while cleaning out my feeders!

Identifying Characteristics:

Grackles are black all over and appear glossy and bluish on their head.

Long bodies that are a bit bigger than a starling or Red-winged Blackbird.

A large, long bill that eats almost everything.

Loud birds that gather in big flocks high in trees.

Favorite Feeder Foods: Sunflower, peanuts, and corn.

Common Types of Summer Feeder Birds

The birds below don't enjoy our cold Ohio winters and can only be seen on feeders during warmer months. They migrate South as the weather starts lowering. Some of the below species leave as early as September, but some you can see around even during the first snow.

1. Red-winged Blackbird

Red-winged Blackbirds are probably the most numerous type of bird we see from Spring through Fall. This is because we have a marsh in our backyard which is the habitat these blackbirds prefer. Their is always a sign that Spring is back!

Identifying Characteristics:

Males are all black, except for their bright red and orange patch on their shoulder.

Females are brown and heavily streaked. There is a bit of yellow around their bill.

Both sexes have a conical bill and are commonly seen sitting on cattails or perched high in a tree overlooking their marsh.

Red-winged Blackbirds don't migrate long. We typically see them through December and back again in March.

Favorite Feeder Foods: Black-oil sunflower, sunflower kernels, millet, and cracked corn.

2. Ruby-throated Hummingbird

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is a show stopper. I am always amazed at how small they are. I love trying to attract as many of these hummingbirds to our yard as possible, especially to our window feeder. Making homemade nectar is simple, and nectar feeders are inexpensive, so give it a try this summer!

Identifying Characteristics:

Favorite Feeder Foods: Nectar

3. Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are semi-common visitors during the summer months. They LOVE sunflower seeds. The males are easily identified by their unique markings, specifically the red on their chest. Their songs sound very similar to American Robins, except for an added "chink."

Identifying Characteristics:

Favorite Feeder Foods: Sunflower, safflower, and shelled peanuts.

4. Baltimore Oriole

I'm not sure if any feeder bird gets me more excited than Baltimore Orioles. First, their bright orange plumage is stunning and looks completely different than any other backyard bird. Second, their diet is unique. To attract orioles, you must put out oranges and jelly! Once orioles discover your feeders, make sure to keep them supplied with their favorite foods, or you risk them moving on to another location!

Identifying Characteristics:

Favorite Feeder Foods: Nectar, fruit, jelly

Common Types of Winter Feeder Birds

Some birds only appear at my feeders during the cold winter months. Believe it or not, the listed birds below come down from Canada where it's so cold that even an Ohio winter feels warm! 🙂

1. Dark-eyed Junco

Dark-eyed Juncos are a common bird to see at your feeders during winter and always a welcome sight. They are strictly ground feeders. Make sure to throw some sunflower kernels on the ground especially for them!

Identifying Characteristics:

Favorite Feeder Foods: Black-oil sunflower, sunflower kernels, millet, and cracked corn.

2. Carolina Wren

First, Carolina Wrens are present in Eastern North America ALL YEAR. I included them in the winter bird section because that is the only time they come to my feeders! During the warmer months, they strictly hunt insects. During winter they are commonly seen eating peanuts.

Identifying Characteristics:

Favorite Feeder Foods: Shelled peanuts, sunflower kernels, mealworms, and suet.

3. American Tree Sparrow

Identifying Characteristics:

Rusty colored cap and eyeline. Gray face.

Bill is two colors! Black on top and yellow underneath.

Favorite Feeder Foods: Sunflower kernels, millet, and cracked corn.

4. Red-breasted Nuthatch

Noticeably smaller than White-breasted Nuthatches. Most often heard before being seen with their distinctive " yank-yank " calls.

Identifying Characteristics:

Favorite Feeder Foods: Black-oil sunflower, sunflower kernels, safflower, and shelled peanuts.

5. Purple Finch

Unfortunately, most times when you think you see a Purple Finch it's actually just another House Finch. Purple Finches migrate to most of the lower 48 states during winter. They are an uncommon bird to see on the feeders.

Identifying Characteristics:

Favorite Feeder Foods: Black-oil sunflower, sunflower kernels, safflower, and nyjer.

6. White-throated Sparrow

White-throated Sparrows are common visitors to my feeding station, but only on the ground and it seems only at dusk or dawn. Right before sunset, I have seen as many as six searching together for food. They have a fun way of hopping across the ground.

Identifying Characteristics:

Favorite Feeder Foods: Sunflower kernels, millet, and cracked corn.

Common Mammal Visitors

1. Eastern Gray Squirrel

When we first set up our feeding station, we never saw squirrels in our backyard. Now there are up to 9 different Eastern Gray Squirrels that visit at once! I know squirrels drive many people nuts, but as long as you squirrel-proof your pole and feeders and they stay on the ground, they don't cause much stress. Make sure to look for the that visit, which are still Eastern Gray Squirrels, just a melanistic morph.

2. American Red Squirrel

Red squirrels are not as common of visitors as the Eastern Gray Squirrels, but they sure are entertaining. It's common for the small red squirrel to chase away all the larger grays to get access to the food. I always think American Red Squirrels act as if they have had about 8 cups of coffee because they never stop moving.

3. Eastern Chipmunk

Eastern Chipmunks are small rodents that are extremely common. My biggest problem with chipmunks is trying to keep them out of the garage!

4. Eastern Cottontail

These types of rabbits are seen almost every night under the feeders. Since my kids are outside quite a bit, many of the cottontails have become very tolerant of humans, and it's not surprising to get close enough that you can almost pet them.

5. Virginia Opossum

The opossum is the only marsupial found north of Mexico. They are nocturnal, so make sure to watch the

6. Striped Skunk

Skunks are my favorite mammal to see when they visit. Their black and white fur is stunning! Watching them on the cams has also given me an appreciation for how tough they are as they don't back down to raccoons or opossums.

7. White-tailed Deer

White-tailed deer are the only deer species in Eastern North America, so they are easy to identify when they arrive.

The entertaining raccoon is a nightly visitor that loves eating corn and peanuts. Sometimes they are by themselves, and sometimes they come as a big family.

Irregular Animals That Have Visited

I'm hoping that over time we will be able to see some unique animals that don't regularly visit backyard feeding stations. I'm thinking hawks, owls, warblers, coyotes, etc. Below is what has been captured so far.

1. Red-shouldered Hawk

What are your favorite birds that visit your feeders?

What's a unique animal you have observed in your backyard?

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Do you want to know the most frequently asked question people have while watching my LIVE bird cams? Or I've observed from time to time that someone incorrectly identifies a particular species of bird, and other viewers think what they said was correct.

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Skip to Content

Don't miss a thing!

Keep up-to-date on all the nesting news.

About the Savannah Ospreys

During the Fall of 2014, a pair of Great Horned Owls began frequenting this recently abandoned Bald Eagle nest adjacent to a protected, nutrient-rich salt marsh along the Georgia coast. The nest sits nearly 80′ above one of the six Audubon International Certified golf courses at The Landings, on Skidaway Island, near Savannah, Georgia. Over the course of 2015 and 2016, a pair of owls successfully fledged four owlets from the site, but they did not return to breed in 2017. Instead, a pair of Ospreys began renovating the nest and committed to breeding in the same site for 2017.

Ospreys are consummate fishing birds, and this pair fishes primarily from the nearby salt marsh, ponds, and waterways. They use their 6-7 foot wingspans to soar above the water, looking for fish, then diving as deep as 3 feet for shallow-swimming prey. Adult Ospreys usually weigh 3-4 pounds, and they can carry prey up to 50 percent of their own weight. Ospreys can live up to 25 years, and they typically lay 1-4 eggs in a clutch.

Most Osprey pairs are monogamous, staying paired across seasons and beginning nesting soon after each returns from a long migration. Both sexes incubate the eggs. The female sits for the majority of the time (including throughout the night) while the male provisions her with fish. After the eggs hatch, the male continues to bring fish to the nest; the female exclusively broods the young and dissects their meals for about a month after hatching. Later on, when the chicks no longer require her protection and their appetite for fish increases, she will leave the nest and go fishing.

Acknowledgements

The installation was funded by Skidaway Audubon, with approval from the Landings Club board. Essential species-specific information and support came from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Streaming systems vendor HDonTap installed the cameras and provided the managed live streaming service.

Support for the installation and upkeep has come from The Landings Associationand The Landings Club with additional funding from Ogeechee Audubon, the Coastal Conservation Association, The Georgia Golf Course Superintendents Association, the Georgia Golf Environmental Foundation and Wild Birds Unlimited, Savannah.

About Cams

The Cornell Lab Bird Cams connects viewers worldwide to the diverse and intimate world of birds. We work to make watching an active experience, sparking awareness and inspiration that can lead to conservation, education, and engagement with birds.

Our viewers tell us that watching the cams is a life changing experience: an unprecedented learning experience that they liken to virtual field trips or field biology in their living room. We're excited to continue sharing and learning with the community as we watch the world of birds together.

Bird Cams is a free resource

providing a virtual window into the natural world
of birds and funded by donors like you

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About the Savannah Ospreys During the Fall of 2014, a pair of Great Horned Owls began frequenting this recently abandoned Bald Eagle nest adjacent to a protected, nutrient-rich salt marsh along the Georgia coast. The nest sits nearly 80′ above one of the six Audubon International Certified golf c

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Shelby taught us that the female Red-tailed Hawk is larger than the male. Andy taught us that the female Bald Eagle is larger than the male. Is this true for all birds of prey? For all birds?

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Shelby taught us that the female Red-tailed Hawk is larger than the male. Andy taught us that the female Bald Eagle is larger than the male. Is this true for all birds of prey? For all birds?

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Birds have feathers for insulation - to keep body heat in, and the cold and rain out. But the same feathers that hold a mother bird's heat in could keep her body's heat away from her eggs and her babies! What can she do to share her body warmth when she's incubating eggs? This lesson tells you about her special adaptation, the brood patch (also called the incubation patch). Learn how it works and how banders can look at the brood patch to get information about a bird.

A Little Background About Feathers
A bird's outer body feathers, called contour feathers, are designed to give the bird its shape and to make a barrier between the bird's inner, insulating feathers ( down feathers) and the outside world. These outer feathers work like a windbreaker jacket. The inner, down feathers work like the warm sweater under the jacket, to trap the body's warmth. Birds have down feathers covering much of their bodies, but we usually can't see those feathers under the contour feathers. A tiny muscle attaches to each feather, so birds can fluff out their plumage, or even "part it" in places.

How the Brood Patch Develops
Most female birds, and some males, develop a brood patch during the breeding season. Changes in hormone levels during the nesting season start the process. Down feathers on the bird's tummy, and even some contour feathers, suddenly get very loose. In some species, those feathers just fall out. In other species the mother pulls them out. Ducks pull them out while building the nest and use them to make the nest soft and extra warm. Gulls and shorebirds often have three brood patches. Songbirds and hummingbirds have one that heats all the eggs.

When the feathers fall out, other changes happen too. The tissue in the tummy area swells. The tissues hold more water, and the blood vessels that feed the skin expand. These changes make the bird's tummy skin almost as hot as the body's interior.

Which Parent Develops a Brood Patch?
In most songbirds, only the female develops a brood patch, but in a few species the male also does. In species such as hummingbirds, robins, and jays, only the female incubates eggs. In these species only the female develops a brood patch. In a few species, such as phalaropes, only the male incubates; he's the only one who develops a brood patch. In Barn Swallows, males sometimes help with incubation, but not always. Those male Barn Swallows that do a lot of incubating often develop a brood patch.

How the Brood Patch Works
When an incubating parent sits on the eggs, the skin muscles open up the brood patch. Then the parent sits down and wiggles its body back and forth a bit. The sensitive skin feels for the eggs so the parent can settle where the skin makes best contact with the eggs.

National Science Education Standards

Plants and animals have life cycles that include being born, developing into adults, reproducing, and eventually dying.

Each plant or animal has different structures that serve different functions in growth, survival, reproduction.

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Birds have feathers for insulation - to keep body heat in, and the cold and rain out. But the same feathers that hold a mother bird's heat in could keep her body's heat away from her eggs and her babies! What can she do to share her body warmth when she's incubating eggs?

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Breathing Space: A Baby Bird Takes Flight | SuperSoul Sunday | Oprah Winfrey Network