The following is the result of an interview I conducted of a famous amateur ornitholoigst and professional boyfriend, Mr. Mike Marks. The interview resulted in the following list of birds that Mr. Marks would like to see along the trail (and two I would like to see). Various reasons for our choices are included as well as some interesting facts (thanks to Wiki and All About Birds.
1. Northern Bobwhite Quail
Lisa: Why do you want to see one of those, Mike?
Mike - Becuase they are small and plump (mike loves anything that fits that description). They are also one of the few quail species that consistently inhabit an entire region - Ohio included. I've never seen one, though. There's also some interesting conservation issues that have recently come up involving these guys. They are endangered of becoming extinct in the wild.
Lisa: Why do you want to see one of those, Mike?
Mike - Becuase they are small and plump (mike loves anything that fits that description). They are also one of the few quail species that consistently inhabit an entire region - Ohio included. I've never seen one, though. There's also some interesting conservation issues that have recently come up involving these guys. They are endangered of becoming extinct in the wild.
Interesting Facts: The bobwhite's mottled coloring serves a protective purpose. When the bird is threatened or alarmed, it often "freezes," allowing its camouflage coloring to blend into its surroundings. A stout beak and powerful claws are excellent adaptations for finding and eating seeds and fruits. Their name comes from the sound of their whistle which sounds like, "Booobbb Whhhitiittee". It is becoming increasingly popular to raise Bobwhite quail for release in hunting or conservation areas and for sale to the gourmet food market. Bobwhite quail are the most popular game birds in the southeastern United States, and some farmers raise them for sport or additional income. They are also number one on Audobon's endangered bird list.
2. Eastern Screech Owl
Mike: These birds are adorable."
Lisa: Are they loud for their small size? Do they really screetch?"
Mike: No, they whinney.
Lisa: Um. So they are whinneying, tiny, adorable owls? I see why you want to get a look at one.
Mike: Yeah. They aren't threatened but they are uncommon to see.
Mike: These birds are adorable."
Lisa: Are they loud for their small size? Do they really screetch?"
Mike: No, they whinney.
Lisa: Um. So they are whinneying, tiny, adorable owls? I see why you want to get a look at one.
Mike: Yeah. They aren't threatened but they are uncommon to see.
Interesting Facts: The Eastern Screech-Owl is found in nearly every habitat throughout the eastern United States and southern Canada. It is common in urban as well as rural areas and readily nests in nest boxes, although the little buggers are notoriously hard to spot, mostly because of their excellent camoflauge. The commonly eat 1/3 of their body weight each night, not so bad when you know they weigh an average of 4.5 ounces. The Eastern Screech-Owl is known to eat a variety of songbirds, including the European Starling. Despite this fact, the starling regularly displaces the owl from nesting sites and takes over the hole to raise its own brood.
3. Loggerhead Shrike
Lisa: Do you want to see one because they are part turtle?
Mike: Their beaks kind of look like heads, but I dunno if that's where the name comes from. I find them interesting becuase of their feeding habits. Their legs are too weak to rip at their prey so they impale it on thorns or barbed wire, stuff like that.
Lisa: COOL!
Lisa: Do you want to see one because they are part turtle?
Mike: Their beaks kind of look like heads, but I dunno if that's where the name comes from. I find them interesting becuase of their feeding habits. Their legs are too weak to rip at their prey so they impale it on thorns or barbed wire, stuff like that.
Lisa: COOL!
Interesting Facts: These birds regularly rip to shreds, insects, amphibians, small reptiles, small mammals, and birds. Scans for food from perches. Kills by biting prey in back of neck, cutting the spinal cord. Impales prey on thorns so that it can be torn apart. These birds were once abundant, but declined drastically through last half of 20th century. Essentially gone from northeastern part of range and they are continually declining throughout their range. The subspecies on San Clemente Island in California is listed as endangered on the federal list. We'll be lucky to see one of these guys; I hope we do!
4. Pileated Woodpecker
This is one of my choices. These birds are the biggest woodpecker species in the world and they make the funniest sounds, their call is likened to a wild laugh and their drumming is very loud, like a hammer striking a tree. Their tongues wrap all the way around the back of their skull to absorb the shock of their beak slamming into wood all day. I've only seen two - a pair flying low together over my head at Jackson Field MetroPark. I want to see more!
Interesting facts - The only birds from North America with similar plumage and size are the Ivory Billed Woodpecker who's range is the SE US and Cuba (now thought to be extinct), and the Imperial Woodpecker of Mexico (extremely endangered). They are known in the south as an Indian Hen.
5. Golden Crowned Kinglet
5. Golden Crowned Kinglet
Lisa: Why them?
Mike: They are hilarious little balls that fly through the air with little orange caps on. There is a permanent population in northeast Ohio, but there are gaps all around the area with no kinglets. However, there is a line running through the Appalachians that they inhabit because of the trees they prefer, spruce and other conifers.
Lisa: You wanna see your flying ball friends in the mountains too, huh?
Mike: Yeah.
Interesting Facts: These birds are almost as small as hummingbirds, but they winter in Alaska and Canada. They are becoming rare in the West, but interestingly, their populations are increasing in the East. The female of the species feeds her babies only on the first day they hatch. After that, she lays another batch of eggs and sits on them while the male feeds the first babies, himself and occasionally the female. The total amount of young averages around 9. These little flying balls (seriously they are almost spherical) have a single, tiny feather covering each nostril.
6. Blackburnian Warbler
Mike: These guys have a summer range in the Appalachians. They are incredibly long-distance migration birds that belong to a large family with lots of variation which is why it's always such a challenge for me to identify them. I feel like I never see them so I'm picking this one, it's a beautiful bird, and I'll try to spot some individuals along the trail.
Mike: These guys have a summer range in the Appalachians. They are incredibly long-distance migration birds that belong to a large family with lots of variation which is why it's always such a challenge for me to identify them. I feel like I never see them so I'm picking this one, it's a beautiful bird, and I'll try to spot some individuals along the trail.
Interesting Facts: These birds are brilliantly colored, especially during the mating season with neon orange and dark black feathers. These birds will join foraging flocks of chickadees, kinglets and nuthatches after its young fledge. Its winter range extends into the Andes and it breeds through the Appalachians down into Georgia.
7. Baltimore Oriole
Mike: Even though the first time I saw one of these was in Ohio, they remind me of Maryland
Lisa: Remember when I saw one of these in a tree when we were camping by Ithaca, NY for Ned's graduation? I started screaming that someones pet parrot had escaped and then you started laughing and told me I'd seen my first oriole.
Mike: Yeah, hehehe.
Mike: Even though the first time I saw one of these was in Ohio, they remind me of Maryland
Lisa: Remember when I saw one of these in a tree when we were camping by Ithaca, NY for Ned's graduation? I started screaming that someones pet parrot had escaped and then you started laughing and told me I'd seen my first oriole.
Mike: Yeah, hehehe.
Interesting Facts: Mike must like orange and black birds, because the Baltimore Oriole has the similar neon orange and black plumage like the Blackburnian Warbler. This bird received its name from the fact that the male's colors resemble those on the coat-of-arms of Lord Baltimore. These birds migrate in flocks to southern Mexico, Central America and northern South America. Some birds may remain near feeders in winter. Baltimore Orioles forage in trees and shrubs, also making short flights to catch insects. They mainly eat insects, berries and nectar, and are often seen sipping at hummingbird feeders.
8. Peregrin Falcon
The Peregrine's breeding range includes land regions from the Arctic tundra to the Tropics. It can be found nearly everywhere on Earth, excepting extreme polar regions, very high mountains, and most tropical rainforests; the only major ice-free landmass from which it is entirely absent is New Zealand. This makes it the world's most widespread bird of prey. Both the English and scientific names of this species mean "wandering falcon", referring to the migratory habits of many northern populations.
While its diet consists almost exclusively of medium-sized birds, the Peregrine will occasionally hunt small mammals, small reptiles or even insects. It reaches sexual maturity at one year, and mates for life. It nests in a scrape, normally on cliff edges or, in recent times, on tall human-made structures. The Peregrine Falcon became an endangered species in many areas due to the use of pesticides, especially DDT. Since the ban on DDT from the beginning of the 1970s onwards, the populations recovered, supported by large scale protection of nesting places and releases to the wild
9. Wild Turkey
My choice. They are awesome and the males have a carbuncle. Also, male turkey's don't have penises, just a cloacha. Wild Turkeys are surprisingly agile fliers and very cunning, unlike their domestic counterparts. Turkeys are very cautious birds and will fly or run at the first sign of danger. In flight they can reach a speed of 50 miles per hour (80 km/h). They usually fly close to the ground for no more than a quarter mile (400 m). Turkeys have many vocalizations: "gobbles," "clucks," "putts," "purrs," "yelps," "cutts," "whines," "cackles," and "kee-kees." In early spring, male turkeys, also called gobblers or toms, gobble to announce their presence to females and competing males. The gobble can carry for up to a mile. Males also emit a low-pitched drumming sound. Hens "yelp" to let gobblers know their location. Gobblers often yelp in the manner of females, and hens can gobble, though they rarely do so. Immature males, called jakes, yelp often. Turkeys are omnivorous. They mostly contain mast, but are also occasionally known to consume small vertebrates like snakes, frogs or salamanders.
8. Peregrin Falcon
The Peregrine's breeding range includes land regions from the Arctic tundra to the Tropics. It can be found nearly everywhere on Earth, excepting extreme polar regions, very high mountains, and most tropical rainforests; the only major ice-free landmass from which it is entirely absent is New Zealand. This makes it the world's most widespread bird of prey. Both the English and scientific names of this species mean "wandering falcon", referring to the migratory habits of many northern populations.
While its diet consists almost exclusively of medium-sized birds, the Peregrine will occasionally hunt small mammals, small reptiles or even insects. It reaches sexual maturity at one year, and mates for life. It nests in a scrape, normally on cliff edges or, in recent times, on tall human-made structures. The Peregrine Falcon became an endangered species in many areas due to the use of pesticides, especially DDT. Since the ban on DDT from the beginning of the 1970s onwards, the populations recovered, supported by large scale protection of nesting places and releases to the wild
9. Wild Turkey
My choice. They are awesome and the males have a carbuncle. Also, male turkey's don't have penises, just a cloacha. Wild Turkeys are surprisingly agile fliers and very cunning, unlike their domestic counterparts. Turkeys are very cautious birds and will fly or run at the first sign of danger. In flight they can reach a speed of 50 miles per hour (80 km/h). They usually fly close to the ground for no more than a quarter mile (400 m). Turkeys have many vocalizations: "gobbles," "clucks," "putts," "purrs," "yelps," "cutts," "whines," "cackles," and "kee-kees." In early spring, male turkeys, also called gobblers or toms, gobble to announce their presence to females and competing males. The gobble can carry for up to a mile. Males also emit a low-pitched drumming sound. Hens "yelp" to let gobblers know their location. Gobblers often yelp in the manner of females, and hens can gobble, though they rarely do so. Immature males, called jakes, yelp often. Turkeys are omnivorous. They mostly contain mast, but are also occasionally known to consume small vertebrates like snakes, frogs or salamanders.
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