The ABCs of birds - letter C

[Aafke]

Annie very nice, I also choose for
the C is for Crane

A few years ago we travelled to Sweden to see the Cranes. In the first week we saw one Crane, in the second week we saw 5 Cranes. A few years later we visit Sweden again, but now we drove more to the north. We saw different groups of Cranes. But the most special thing was that we hired a house and sitting on the porch we could see a few Cranes. They came every day, it was sensational.
greetings Aafke

[MAK]

Catbird
If you’re convinced you’ll never be able to learn bird calls, start with the Gray Catbird. Once you’ve heard its catty mew you won’t forget it. Follow the sound into thickets and vine tangles and you’ll be rewarded by a somber gray bird with a black cap and bright rusty feathers under the tail. Gray Catbirds are relatives of mockingbirds and thrashers, and they share that group’s vocal abilities, copying the sounds of other species and stringing them together to make their own song.

[Dumpsterkitty]

C is for Canary

My personal canary story...when I was little we lived in an apartment, so we could only have birds and fish.  We had a canary named Bambi.  He used to go everywhere with us and even had his own suitcase with a label, Bambi Jones.  

 Canary singing  

From http://www.canarybird.info/

Canaries are one of the most beautiful birds around. Originating from the Canary Islands (which owes them its name); these small birds can be found both in the wild as well as in almost every pet and bird shop nearby.

They came to Europe by the help of Spanish sailors at the start of the 17th century. The Europeans quickly noticed that the male canary bird is the one that sings (unlike the mute female), and as such started breeding them and selling the males. But quickly, European nations (especially the Italians) managed to allow a larger breeding to occur and these birds started being noticed in many households in the continent.

It is important to note that singing canaries do not just make random sounds, but rather they have their very own song patterns that no other birds can match. They are often sub classified as 'American singers', 'Persian singers', 'Russian ringers', 'Spanish Timbrados', 'Waterslagers' and 'Rollers'.

[Carol P.]

I call Cockatiel!  I'll get a picture posted when I get home.   

[anneintoronto]

C is for the Common Grackle

The 32 cm (13 in) long adult has a long dark bill, pale yellowish eyes and a long tail; its feathers appear black with purple, green or blue iridescence on the head, and primarily bronze shine in the body plumage. The adult female is slightly smaller and usually less iridescent; their tails in particular are shorter, and unlike the males, do not keel in flight and are brown with no purple or blue gloss. The juveniles are brown with dark brown eyes. (Wiki)

We don't often see a Grackle in downtown Toronto, so I was thrilled to see one in August!



Anne in Toronto

[Patti from Kentucky]

C is for Casqued Oropendola -- a very strange looking bird that I saw in the Peruvian jungle.  They were hard to miss because they are very vocal (sort of like visiting a swamp in North America full of Red-winged Blackbirds).  There were bunches of them together in a nest tree, with each pair having a long woven basket nest hanging from the end of a branch.

[Patti from Kentucky]

C is for Curl-crested Aracari, another bird from Amazonian Peru.  Many birds in the Amazon jungle spend their time high up in the tree canopy, where it's not always easy to see them from the ground.  I took this photo from a high canopy tower in the Tambopata reserve built for the purpose of looking down into the canopy.  This bird is in the toucan family, and they're primarily fruit eaters, as this pair is demonstrating.

[gayle]

Cormorants

I will mention several types of cormorants in the United States.  The most widespread  is the Double Crested Cormorant.  It winters along all the coasts and breeds in the interior of the US and Canada.  The wingspan is 38â€�.  It is distinguished by two tufts on the crown in breeding season, white in the western population and dark in the eastern one.  It has an orange beak and an orange throat patch.  The kink in its neck is visible when in flight.

Brandt’s Cormorant may be found along the Pacific Coast.  Wingspan is 48â€�.   It has a band of pale feathers around a bright blue throat patch in breeding plumage.  They are abundant on off shore rocks.

The Pelagic Cormorant has a wing span of 39â€� and its range is the Pacific Coast.  It is dark and glossy all over.  Pelagic is something of a misnomer as it is found coast side.

The Red Faced Cormorant’s range extends westward from Alaska through the Aleutions.  And, yes, its face is red.  Wingspan is 40â€�.

The Great Cormorant is found on the Atlantic Coast principally north of the Chesapeake.  Wingspan of 63â€� and it has a white throat patch.

ID photographs are from Cornell.  Tufts image bears the photographer's name.

Gayle

[Patti from Kentucky]

Cormorants

I will mention several types of cormorants in the United States. 

Gayle

And here's a contribution from the Galapagos.  We took these photos on the island of Fernandina.  This is the Flightless Cormorant, also known as the Galapagos Cormorant.  Due to the absence of land-based predators (until human arrival brought rats, dogs, cats, etc.), these cormorants no longer need wings to escape.  Since their wings don't give them any evolutionary advantage, they're gradually losing them.  As you can see in the photo of the single cormorant, their legs and feet are incredibly thick and strong; they use their legs for propulsion in the water rather than wings.  They still maintain the habit of holding their pitiful residual wings out to dry, like other cormorants.

The first photo is a single cormorant, the second photo is a pair with a chick in between (and another bird on a nest behind them).

[Donna]

C is for Cowbirds: My sis took this pic in her yard in 2007



These birds feed on insects, including the large numbers that may be stirred up by cattle. In order for the birds to remain mobile and stay with the herd, they have adapted by laying their eggs in other birds' nests. The cowbird will watch for when its host lays eggs, and when the nest is left unattended, the female will come in and lay its own eggs. The female cowbird may continue to observe the nest after laying her eggs. If the cowbird egg is removed, the female cowbird may destroy the host's eggs,

[Donna]

I love Cranes also, this is from my sis.

Mom Dad and 2 babies.

Baby 

[Donna]

Catbird  meow  (sis again) This species is named for its cat-like call. Like many members of the Mimidae (most famously mockingbirds), it also mimics the songs of other birds, as well as those of Hylidae (tree frogs), and even mechanical sounds. Because of its well-developed songbird syrinx, it is able to make two sounds at the same time. The alarm call resembles the quiet calls of a male mallard.

[Donna]

Last one, I think  Cardinal: 

Mr and Mrs at my sisters birdbath.

Mr.

Mrs.

[gayle]

Cormorant addendum

Double Crested Cormorants at Mystic Harbor, Connecticut.

Gayle

[gayle]

Cranes, Sandhill

While I have many images of cranes, they are pre-digital and I am not up to all that scanning, so here is a lovely photograph I received from the International Crane Foundation.

Gayle