America’s Killdeer is a stunning bird and quickly identified. Its length measures in at between 20 and 28 cm and its wingspan at 46 to 48 cm. It is much the same size as a typical robin, but its legs are much longer. Most notable are the two thick black bands running across the Killdeer’s white chest. The rump, tail and lower back are also a distinctive orange color. The Killdeer’s throat and short neck are white and a white band marks the forehead, with a black band just above. to the side of each eye is a striking white eyestripe. The Killdeer’s wings and upperback are brown and the wings are boldly striped with white, typically seen when flying. This beautiful bird is very vocal and emits a loud kill-deeah sound.

The Killdeer has been classified as a shorebird, but it is frequently seen far off from water in pastures, on golf courses and at airfields. They are quick runners and fantastic fliers. During the summer the Killdeers nest in southern Canada, their range stretching from Newfoundland all the way to British Columbia and up to Alaska. They also nest through the United States and into Mexico. Winters are spent in Long Island and the coasts of British Columbia and the north of South America. Migration is slow and flight takes place in the day and night. Killdeers are keen insect eaters, dining on beetles, worms, grasshoppers, bugs, dragon flies, caterpillars and other creatures which cause damage to farmers’ crops. They also feed on other types of invertebrates including spiders, snails, crustacea, centipedes and so forth.

Nests are simple scrapes in the ground which may be lined. A clutch of 4 to 6 eggs is laid and incubation lasts 22 to 30 days. The hatching chicks are precocial and hop out of the nest as soon as their soft down feathers have dried. As mentioned already, the Killdeer has remarkable skills when it comes to guarding its nest and young. Should a grazing animal accidentally wander too close, the adult Killdeer will run toward the animal with its wings outstretched. If the intruder is a predator the parents will fly about, calling loudly. This is followed by a distraction display of feigning injury. This “injured” bird keeps just out of reach of the threatening individual so as to draw it away from the nest. As the predator moves far enough away from the nest and the young have had time to take cover, the Killdeer parent flies off.

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The American Avocet is a shorebird with a distinctive long, upward curving black bill. Its long legs are grey-blue in color and thus it has received the nickname “blue shanks”. Its back and sides are clearly marked with white and black stripes. It measures about 43-47 cm, with a wingspan of 72 cm. Its eyes are dark brown. When it is breeding season, the head and neck turn a pink-tan color, but are usually gray-white. Female American Avocets are a bit smaller than the males and the bill is more curved and shorter. When bird watching along the shoreline, listen out for the call of the avocet, a high-pitched “kleek” sound.

American Avocets feed on aquatic invertebrates found in their habitat. They will forage in shallow water, whilst wading or swimming. The avocet will swing its unusual bill along the ground under the water so as to disturb the aquatic prey, grabbing it for a tasty meal.

American Avocets engage in complex courtship displays when breeding season arrives. This display involves the male avocet preening himself with water. The intensity increases into a massive splashing and then he mounts the female to mate. Following copulation the avocet pair run along with their necks intertwined. American Avocet nests are simply a scrape in the ground that is carefully lined with vegetation, feathers and so forth. Between 3 and 4 little green-brown eggs with dark spots are laid in the nest. Whilst in the nesting phase the avocets become very aggressive, even attacking intruders. They will use a number of methods, such as dive-bombing, to distract predators from the nest. Incubation lasts 22 – 24 days and is carried out by both the male and female. The young hatchlings are able to fend for themselves immediately after making their way out into the world.

American Avocets had a major drop in numbers during the 1960s and 70s due to wetland destruction and contamination. In 1995 special provision was made to protect the wetland habitats of California. The avocets are battling to get their numbers up, but it is hoped that they will flourish in the future.

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Andean Condors (Vultur gryphus), part of the vulture family, are the largest flying birds on the Earth. Originally they could be seen in the skies of Tierra del Fuego right along the South American Andes mountain range. Sadly, hunting led to a reduction in numbers and Andean Condors teetered on the brink of extinction. In 1973 the Andean Condor bird species was marked on the Endangered Species list. For many years South American’s have seen the powerful, huge Andean Condor as a symbol of health and strength. Villagers have sought the bones and organs of this fine creature for medicinal purposes and thus they were, and continue to be, subject to hunting. Habitat loss as well as air, water and food pollution have also led to a drastic reduction in the numbers of Andean Condors. Fortunately, though, various organizations have been involved in the conservation of this remarkable bird species, resulting in improved numbers of Andean Condors in certain localities.

As the world’s largest flying bird, the Andean Condor weighs between 9 and 12 kgs, or 20 to 30 pounds as an adult. Their impressive wingspan extends 10 feet or 3 meters assisting them to stay aloft for hours on rising air currents. Andean Condors are black, their wings are patched with white and they have a white ruff around the area of the neck. They have bare heads and the males are recognized by their fleshy comb. Wild Andean Condors can live to the age of 50 years, whilst captive birds have been known to live to about 75 years.

Condors mate for life, and their nests are carefully constructed on cliff ledges, with eggs are often being laid on bare rock. In fact, this is a great locality for a nest as it affords a measure of protection from potential predators. Andean Condors are slow breeders and mating typically takes place every second year in July depending on food availability. The courtship display involves unusual hissing and clucking noises accompanied by the male strutting with his wings out. Incubation of the single egg lasts 54 to 58 days. Both of the condors will care for the young one until its second year.

Andean Condors spend much of their day soaring on the updrafts of warm air currents. They forage over a vast area relying on their outstanding vision to spot their main food source – carrion. Once a meal has been spotted they will descend to feed with other carrion eaters such as the Turkey Vulture, Black Vulture and King Vulture. Interestingly Andean Condors have an eating hierarchy with males of all ages dominating. Their bald head is perfectly adapted for dining on carrion as the bird is able to reach right into the carcass without feathers becoming soiled. Andean Condors will also feed on bird eggs and newborn animals should it be necessary.

Andean Condors are a truly remarkable bird species worthy of conservation efforts and very important for the continued functioning of South American ecosystems.

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How can you identify the Black Swift? This bird species has the typical swift shape with a cigar-shaped body and crescent wings. The Black Swift is, however, a large and rather bulky swift measuring 7 inches in length. The tail is short with a deep notch. All the plumage is black except for its whitish forehead which is only seen at close quarters. Juvenile Black Swifts are marked by little white flecks. To clarify your identification of this quick moving bird, listen out for its harsh ci-chi-chi-chit call.

Black Swifts tend to be habitat specific, requiring particular conditions for nesting. Their prefered habitat is in forests near rivers. Typically they will nest behind waterfalls or even on wet cliffs and sometimes in limestone caves. These swifts enjoy a nesting environment that is damp, dark and difficult for predators to reach. Another important factor when choosing a nest site is that it must have an easy flyway for entering and leaving the nest. Because of their very particular nesting requirements, Black Swifts’ distribution is very patchy. The nests are constructed in a cup-like shape made of mud, algae and moss. Black Swifts will either nest on their own or may become part of a small colony. The female bird will lay just one egg in June or July which both parents take turns incubating. Incubation lasts about 4 weeks. The young swift will be able to fly at between 45 and 49 days old.

Black Swifts forage whilst flying either singly or in groups. They frequently forage in wide open areas or above the forest canopy in search of small airborne insects. These are certainly fascinating birds that you will want to watch out for.

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This shore bird is treated as an endangered bird species in Canada and the United States. It only breeds in three geographic areas in North America, namely the East Coast, the Great Lakes region and on the Northern Great Plains. Piping Plovers prefer gravel beaches, coastal areas, prairie lakes and specific saline lakes and river sandbars. The nesting habits of the Piping Plover greatly depend on the level of water and the surrounding vegetation. Human activity along the coastal areas has also interfered with the nesting. Artificial nesting sites have been established to encourage nesting, but these have not proven to be successful. Although Piping Plovers are known to be able to live for 14 years, most Plovers don’t survive for more than five.

Piping Plovers feed on aquatic invertebrates, which the Plovers pick up with their bills by probing the shore-lines and pecking alternatively as the run and stop. Nests are created by scraping hollows into the ground and then lining these with bits of seashells, bone fragments and small pebbles. Piping Plovers will only have one partner during the breeding season, and will only select a new partner in the next season. Females are able to re-nest if the eggs are destroyed. She will lay about four eggs that are pale with black speckles. The 26 to 28 day incubation period is shared between the parents and within 20 to 25 days the chicks will be able to take short flights, with full flight capabilities at 27 days. If a Piping Plover feels that its nest is being threatened by any form of predator, they will fake injury to lead the danger away. Chicks will crouch into a motionless position to avoid detection from the danger. The female will leave the nest before the family disperses, leaving the male to attend to the chicks until they fledge the nest.

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Ongoing ornithological research continues to confirm what keen bird-watchers have suspected all along – their feathered friends are highly intelligent and adaptive, with an amazing array of communication skills. A new study conducted by researchers at Queen’s University in Washington has revealed that migrating songbirds rely on the behavior of local resident birds to assist them in avoiding predators during migration.

Migrating birds face many potentially dangerous situations during their annual journey and sadly, many don’t make it. Avoiding predators when flying through unfamiliar territory would substantially increase a bird’s chances of arriving at its destination safely. However, to be in a position to avoid predators, a migrating bird needs to be able to establish exactly what its predators are. This is where the behavior of the local bird population proves invaluable.

The Queen’s University research project involved testing whether migratory songbirds note, and respond to, the anti-predator behavior of local birds. A common method of chasing off predators is known as “mobbing”. Once a potential predator has been identified, a number of birds will approach and rapidly change their positions around its location, while at the same time flapping their wings, twitching their tails and emitting load alarmed calls.

Recognizing that migratory birds seldom participate in mobs, researchers wanted to establish if they gain information with regard to the location, identity and degree of threat of a predator by listening to mobbing calls of local bird species. A test was carried out on birds migrating between Canada and Belize, whereby researchers broadcast playbacks of the alarm calls of the black-capped chickadee which is common in North America and therefore familiar, as well as the blue-gray tanager which is common in Central America and therefore unfamiliar to the migrating birds.

The results of this test showed that birds resident in Belize responded only to the tanager calls, whereas migrant birds responded to the tanager and chickadee calls. Queen’s University biology professor Dr. Laurene Ratcliffe, said that the results of the test present the first evidence that migrating birds take note of the anti-predator behavior of local birds during migration, and use this information to their advantage.

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Recent research reveals that the New Zealand bellbird is able to change its nesting behavior if necessary in order to protect itself from predators. The finding is of massive importance since the introduction of alien predators has been a threat that shore birds have had to face for many years. Often this usually unintentional phenomenon results in the extinction of a number of endemic bird species and some 25 percent of all endangered species continue to be under threat from exotic predators.

The research was lead by Dr Melanie Massaro and Dr Jim Briskie who work for the University of Canterbury. Massaro feels that the impact of exotic predators is particularly noticeable on birds that are native to oceanic islands, chalking this phenomenon down to evolutionary concepts and the fact that the birds seem to be particularly naive about the dangers posed by these new animals. However, it would seem that the situation is not quite as dire as previously thought. After studying the bellbird, a species which is endemic to New Zealand, the researchers found that this previously naive bird was soon able to adapt its nesting habits in response to the threat that was posed by large numbers of exotic predators that had been introduced by humans. The birds were studied in high risk (predators a constant threat), recent low risk (the predators recently removed) and permanent low risk (predators never introduced) areas and it was found that females spent more time on the nest where there was an increased risk of predation. This defensive behavior minimized predator activity at the nesting site and decreased the risk of egg predation.

Over the centuries the introduction of a number of predatory or opportunistic mammals, such as rats, stoats and cats, has led to the extinction of a number of endemic island birds. However these new findings show that quite a few birds have at least a limited capacity to fight back. The marked increase in parental activity during the nesting period greatly reduced the risk of a predator destroying the nest. This shows that the birds are not trapped in a particular mode of behavior, but rather that they are able to adapt their routines in ways which are greatly beneficial to their young. Previously it was thought that this sort of change would take centuries occur, but instead it seems that these changes took place over a matter of only a few years. It is hoped that the new finding could help conservationists to encourage birds to respond to exotic predators and so help ensure their own survival – especially in such cases where these predators cannot be eliminated.

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Found in and around the Amazon basin in the Northern regions of South America, the male Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock never fails to impress. This fascinating bird sports an orange-colored fan-like crest with a chestnut stripe running along the edge, accentuating the flawless semicircular shape. From his crest down to his claws the Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock is wrapped in shades of orange plumage. His wings, which are black with a splash of white, are covered by a layer of fluffy golden-orange feathers, giving him the appearance of being wrapped in a shawl.

The ostentatious appearance of the Cock-of-the-Rock is a perfect reflection of his extrovert character. Many birds in the dark green rain-forest of the Amazon try to blend in with their surroundings, but not so with the Cock-of-the-Rock. He goes out of his way to be seen, using his dazzling looks to expel rivals and charm admirers.

During mating season, a group of up to fifty male Cocks-of-the-Rock gather in a well-defined area in the forest in what is known as a lek. This area becomes the center stage for the annual courtship dances. It is believed that the word “lek” comes from the Swedish verb “att leka”, meaning “to play”, but although the antics of the Cock-of-the-Rock are amusing, they are far more meaningful than just a game.

Each bird marks a patch of the forest floor as his private court by clearing away any fallen leaves. He also claims any perches in the vines above his court. With so many suitors in close proximity to one another it is inevitable that some territorial border disputes may arise. These are settled with lively, but harmless, war dances consisting of vigorous head bobbing, bill snapping, feather whirring and wing flicking, punctuated by harsh squawking and dramatic leaping into the air. After a couple of minutes, when each bird feels his neighbor is suitably impressed by their show of dominance, they retreat to within their court borders.

The females of the species are not likely to win any avian beauty contest. They have small crests on their heads, short legs and large feet, with ungainly brown feathered bodies. Nevertheless, when a female glides into the branches above the lek, announcing her arrival with a high-pitched call, every male takes notice. This sets off what is considered by many to be among the most impressive courtship displays in the avian world. Each male tries to outshine the other in an explosion of movement, color and sound. Then suddenly, as if on cue, the pandemonium stops – the decisive moment has arrived.

Each male spreads his display plumage to it fullest extent as he stands completely still. The fanned-out crest hides his bill while his orange fluffy feathers obscure the shape of his body, making him look like an exotic jungle flower. The female descends to inspect three or four silent statue-like males, who keep their backs to her while at the same time tilting their heads to keep an eye on her. The female takes her time in making up her mind, finally picking at the fluffy fringes of her chosen mate’s wing feathers to indicate her choice. The chosen male springs to life and they mate on his court or nearby perch, after which the female flies off.

Once mating is over, the male Cock-of-the-Rock forgets about his mate and does not get involved in the raising of his offspring either. This may seem like an unfair division of the work load, but needing to keep a low profile to avoid predators, the female and nestlings are better off without eye-catching dad around. The female’s dull plumage is the perfect camouflage for her two spotted, brown eggs, which hatch four weeks later. Mother bird feeds her chicks with fruit and insects, or even an occasional lizard. The male Cock-of-the-Rock develops his golden-orange plumage at about two years of age – and so the next generation prepares for life as one of the world’s most beautiful and fascinating birds.

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New research conduced by a team from the Arizona State University revealed with startling certainty that the color of a bird has a massive effect on its physiology. During the course of the experiment a number of male barn swallows had their breast feathers artificially colored to match those of more desirable males. The results showed that the change in color didn’t just affect the eligibility of the males in the females eyes, but it actually changed the birds own body chemistry.

Assistant Professor Kevin McGraw commented that it was always traditionally thought that the bird’s internal processes determined their external appearance. However, the new research indicates that when the birds perceived a change in their coloring it directly affected their internal physiological state. At a time in the breeding cycle when the bird’s sex steroids are usually declining, these birds showed a massive jump in testosterone levels after just one week. McGraw also noted that the speed at which these changes took place suggested that the tiny birds had a very dynamic system.

The change in plumage coloring also had other effects on the birds. The birds that had been purposely altered with a non-toxic marker were found to breed earlier in the season and to father more young. Their females also cheated less frequently. However, the increase in activity seems to have had a marked effect on the health of the bird too, as many of them not only had increased androgen levels but showed a marked decrease in weight. This seems to confirm that plumage conveys accurate and honest information about the health of the animal and that it is usually only the healthiest and fittest birds that develop the richer coloring. Darker feather colors are not only more biochemically costly to produce but they also make the bird more vulnerable to predators. Thus only the fittest birds with naturally higher levels of testosterone are naturally capable of producing this sort of plumage, making them more appealing to females and increasing their chances of successfully producing offspring.

The striking change in the hormone levels of the bird might make one think of how a good haircut or a new suit can make you feel a million times better about yourself and more appealing to the opposite sex. Clearly this is not just a phenomenon that occurs in humans and the research suggests that there is more to it than just ‘feeling good’.

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Researchers have recently discovered that certain bird species make use of a sentry when searching for food. This remarkable finding gives us fascinating insight into the survival tactics used by certain bird species.

A team of researchers from Bristol University recently traveled all the way to South Africa to study a group of pied babblers in the Kalahari Desert. It was already known that pied babblers lived in close-knit family groups that make use of a sentinel system, so they were an obvious choice for researches who wanted to study the effect that this system had on the group. The results of the research were very interesting.

It would seem that the pied babblers post a sentry high up in the tree tops. This bird’s job is to look out for potential predators that may cause a threat to his feathered comrades as they search for food. Findings show that birds foraging for food under the guard of this watchman spread out and search a wider area for food, thus increasing their chances of finding something and making them better foragers. The bird on duty employed a distinctive and specialized song in order to let other birds know that no dangers had been spotted and they could continue feeding safely. Pied babblers feed by digging in the sand for small animals such as scorpions. However, they need to be wary of larger predators such as cobras and puff adders.

The team of researchers, led by Dr Andy Radford, also found that the birds did not fret about whether or not they could see the sentinel in the tree but instead that their actions were a response to the song alone. Recordings of the watchman’s song were played back to the birds whose reaction was the same as if a real bird were present: the birds automatically became calmer and spread out in their search for food.

Only a few bird groups actually use the look-out system when feeding, but it has definitely proven to be beneficial for those that do. Improved survival of the group leads to an increase in population, which in turn increases survival rates when a group comes under attack from predators. The bird on duty sings continually using a chirp-like call that is repeated between five and fifty times a minute. The research was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and has been published in Current Biology.

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