The Canada Goose is recognizable by its distinctive colourings. The species is characterized by its greyish coloured body combined with a solid black head and neck with white cheek patches. Canada Geese appear to all look the same. The species may appear relatively uniform; however, there are many different species of Canada Geese. The species are distinguished mostly by size as some smaller varieties weigh as little as 1.1 kilograms with a wingspan of 90 centimetres, while at the other end of the spectrum a Canada Goose can weigh up to 8 kilograms and have a wingspan of 2 metres.
Migration
The Canada Goose like most birds migrates every year. Canada Geese begin to prepare to migrate in the late Fall when the ground in the North begins to freeze. In an effort to prepare for the travelling of migration Canada Geese eat more prior to making the trip. The Canada Goose migrates from its Northern locations, including Greenland, to the Southern United States or even Mexico as Winter in the Northern hemisphere approaches. The Canada Goose migrates a considerable distance; however, the migration period is not long as the birds can travel more than 1000 miles per day. When migrating the Canada Goose is easily recognized as the flock flies in a V-shaped pattern.
Habitat
The Canada Goose may be named after the country of Canada but the species can be found all over North America depending on the time of year. Canada Goose adapt well their environments, although ideally they like to live in low areas with lots of open waters. The Canada Goose when nesting will often make its nest on an island in an effort to provide increased protection from predators.
Interesting Facts
The Canada Goose is also an interesting bird as it has many unique characteristics. One interesting fact is that the species mates for life usually in the second year of life. It may be true that the species mate for life; however, it is also a fact that if one of the mates die, the remaining goose will take another mate. Another fact about the Canada Goose is that many of the species use not only the same nest each year but also build their nests in the same area that their parents did. The Canada Goose also spends a large amount of time eating grasses, roots and leaves as up to 12 hours per day can be spent foraging for food. Canada Geese as a flock also fly in a V formation the reason behind this is the fact that the formation makes it easier to fly and assists with communication. The Canada Goose has also successfully adapted to urban life as the population in urban centres is expanding. The adaptability of the Canada Goose is lastly proven by the fact that the average lifespan in the wild is 24 years.
Bird watching is a lot more than just a hobby. Many loyal bird watchers team up with naturalists to understand more about the habits of birds, migration, increases and declines in populations, and mating rituals carried out by birds. A bird watcher who has several bird feeders in his yard not only enjoys the birds that frequent his feeders he also is taking detailed notes about the species, sex, and many different details to send the report to naturalists who study avian habits.
You could actually call these people professional bird watchers because they perform a service that is extremely important in nature. They, the bird watchers, will employ many different items to help lure more birds to their property. Some of the items bird watchers will use are:
* Bird baths: These will generally be placed near feeding areas and are placed in a purposeful line of view of the bird watcher. Birds will often do mating dances and such while using the birdbath.
* Bird houses: Different species of birds will nest completely different than others. Specialized houses that are built for certain bird species, such as purple martin houses, lure this breed of bird to the bird watchers location.
* Hummingbird bird feeders: These feeders don't hold seeds; they hold nectar or sugar water. Hummingbirds are very well known for returning to the same feeding grounds every season. Hummingbird feeders that are kept clean and full of fresh nectar will attract up to twenty hummingbirds at a time. Most bird watchers have at least four hummingbird feeders around their property.
* Window bird feeders: Bird watchers will use these types of feeders to try to get a closer look at the birds coming to feed. This is especially helpful if the watcher is trying to get a picture of a particular bird.
* Butterfly houses: Most avid bird watchers who have bird feeders and bird houses almost always have butterfly houses as well. These are set out to attract butterflies and just add to the beauty of the yard.
* Wind chimes: Bird watchers will have wind chimes of different styles with different tones, which are said to help calm the birds.
* Bat houses: These are not extremely common for most bird watchers but some will install bat houses to lure the bats in. The significance in having bats around is because one small brown bat can eat thousands of mosquitoes in an hour. If the bird watcher lives near a body of water such as a small pond, having bat houses around helps cut down on the mosquito population.
* Bird watching binoculars: These are an important tool to the bird watcher because some birds look a great deal alike with very subtle differences. The bird watcher needs the use of the binoculars in order to tell the difference between the two species of birds. Some binoculars come with a built in digital camera that comes in very handy for up close shots.
The valuable service that professional bird watcher perform is extremely important to the study of migration. If science can understand why and when birds migrate and to where they migrate this can give science a lot of useful information that can be used to determine weather patterns and other important data.
Whether a bird watcher is making detailed reports for naturalists or just watching birds for the beauty of it, one thing's for sure: a bird watcher loves birds. Blue birds to black birds, bird feeders to birdhouses; a bird watcher is a bird's best friend.
Bird lovers should know understand how important it is to have the proper bird cage for their bird. Bird cages vary not only in their size, but also in a variety of other ways that should be considered while shopping for your pet bird.
For the bird, this cage will be its home where it will spend most of its time. As a bird owner it is your duty to provide your bird with a cage that will be comfortable for the bird, safe, and have a positive impact on the bird's mental health. Size of cage, appropriate spacing and thickness of the bird cage bars, and the structural material of the cage are all important factors that you need to consider.
The rule of thumb for bird cage sizes is bigger is better. The larger the cage, the more space, and freedom the bird has. Obviously not everyone has the budget or the space for a huge bird cage. However, a cage should be purchased that will be appropriate for the bird's size. For example a very small bird like a finch can have a significantly smaller cage than a large bird like a Macaw.
Once you have decided upon the bird cages size, the correct spacing between the bars as well as their thickness must be determined. Again, the size of the bird is what determines the appropriate spacing and thickness of bars in bird cages. If the spacing is too wide the risk of escape or getting the bird's head trapped in between the bars is greater. Spacing that is too small between the bars can lead to wings, beaks, or feet getting stuck and the bird being injured. Since the bars of bird cages are bitten by the birds, the larger the bird the thicker the bars. If the bars are not thick or strong enough, a larger bird is capable of bending the bars, which is a potential safety concern.
The material from which the cage is constructed is important. You want a bird cage that is going to last a long time. Mild steel powder coated cages can last between five and seven years with proper care. Stainless steel powder coated bird cages can last three times as long, but are more costly. Since it won't chip or break easily, 100% stainless steel is preferred by many folks. In addition, look for bird cages that have anti-rust properties. Some powder coated bird cages may have toxic levels of lead or zinc in the powder coating, so it is important to buy your cage from a reputable manufacturer.
You will need to clean our bird's cage frequently so you should consider before purchasing a bird cage the assembly of the cage and its bars. Drilled-through bars are sturdier and stronger than welded bars but are more difficult when cleaning the cage. A cage that is composed of many nuts and bolts may be more affordable, but is much harder to clean and assemble. You want to look for a birdcage that you can easily break down to cleaned.
As you search for the perfect bird cage you will see descriptions regarding dome bird cages and play top bird cages. Consider your lifestyle when deciding between "dome top" bird cages and "play top" bird cages. Although owners are advised to give their birds time out of their cage every day, it is not always possible. Dome bird cages offer additional space within the bird cage, without taking up more space in your home. Dome top bird cages are better for owners who do not let their bird(s) out to play everyday. Play top bird cages are popular with owners who give playtime to their birds outside the cage. Play top bird cages will allow your pet to perch, play, and stretch their wings on the cage's highest point where they feel safer. The external play areas offer various "play" features depending upon the model.
Now that you know what to look for when searching for bird cages go to americas-pet-store.com where you will find a large selection of a variety of bird cages made by the top bird cages manufacturers. In addition, you can use their chart to match your bird type to the recommended bar spacing, bar thickness and cage size minimums for your bird, making your shopping experience a whole lot easier. And, every item americas-pet-store.com sells includes free shipping.
At americas-pet-store.com you will find a huge selection of bird cages for every kind of bird and every kind of owner.
There are so many different applications one can think of for a digital camera. Who doesn’t like to take pictures? Family events, sporting events and nature trail hikes are all great places to snap that perfect picture and to preserve that special memory for all time.
The regular camera - which uses film instead of digital technology - are often bulky and an annoying contraptions. The changing of the film and making sure it doesn’t get wet or exposed to the elements once taken from the camera is enough to irritate most people.
With a digital camera, you have none of these problems. They are smaller than their film camera counterparts and less heavy. They can also hold many more pictures and instead of paying twenty dollars to have your film developed, you can do it yourself in the comfort of your home.
What more could you ask for, right?
For starters, how about binoculars with a digital camera. That’s right, no more fiddling around in your pouch or your backpack to find the digital camera, in order to take a picture of something you’ve been viewing through your binoculars. Now you can just push a button, and take that picture easily with your brand new digital camera binoculars.
Sounds like paradise, doesn’t it?
It does to any outdoor enthusiast who has ever tried to take a picture of something they were viewing through their binoculars.
Digital binoculars used to be very expensive when they first came out. But now, thanks to the advent of the latest technology, that is no longer the case. Today you can buy a perfectly good pair of digital binoculars for about two hundred and fifty dollars. Of course, there is a lot of junk on the market today. You can buy much cheaper digital binoculars, but they are likely to break more easily, and are a waste of money in the long run.
If you are going to take the time and effort into buying something—including digital camera binoculars—you might as well do it right and safe yourself the aggravation that would result in the long run if you buy garbage.
The first thing you should do, is check out some of the reviews that are available on the Internet and in some sporting goods magazines. That way, you can get an unbiased view of the different products and make a wise, informed decision.
The second thing you should consider doing is looking at some of the more popular and reputable binocular companies, such as Bushnell, Nikon and Zeiss. These companies (as well as a few others) are the tops in their field for a reason.
Next you should make sure you understand all the fancy talk you are sure to be exposed to by the people who are knowledgeable about digital binoculars. Terms like Mega pixels and video slots can quickly frustrate those of us who prefer English. By learning the terms and being aware of their meaning, you will be harder to con, and also you will be able to make a more informed buying decision.
Digital binoculars are heavier than regular binoculars (those that don’t have a camera of any kind) but technology advances have made them smaller than they used to be, and they aren’t too much of a burden to carry around. After all, you would have been carrying a digital camera and a binocular in any case, so if they are all in one, it makes little difference to the weight you would have been carrying.
If you plan on taking a lot of pictures and using binoculars at the same time, there is no wiser investment you could make than picking up digital camera binoculars for yourself.
Feathers are birds most important feature since, unlike birds, no other animal possesses them. The first living beings to develope feathers did so 150 million years ago. Archaeopterix is the best example.
Its skeleton was more similar to that of reptiles, with teeth and a tail, something that no bird has. But the sternum lacked the keel shape that birds have today, so they could not have the muscles necessary to fly. However, its feathers were identical to those we know today.
Feathers come in many shapes, sizes and colors. But in general, they all share a similar structure. They display a hollow longitudinal axis called rachis onto which the barbs are inserted from the surface of the feather.
Seen through the microscope, these barbs branch into barbules which are interlocked like a zipper. Confronted with such complexity, one question arises: What is the purpose of feathers?
It may seem obvious that the role of the feathers is to enable flight. They are rigid, lightweight, with an unbeatable aerodynamic shape. But are they good for something else?
Yes, most definitely.
When temperatures drop, feathers separate trapping air in-between them. This air is kept warm and acts as an insulating layer that prevents heat loss. This mechanism is so effective that even we humans use it in the manufature of coats and quilts.
Feathers are also waterproof. They provide protection against rain so that the animal doesn't get cold. For waterfowl, impermeability must be total, since they are in constant contact with water. If the body was to get wet, the bird would quickly cool down and might die.
The case of cormorants illustrates this point. Their plumage is not completely water proof, so when they get into the water their feathers get soaked. They absorb so much water that the weight makes their take-off to fly too difficult.
The solution that cormorants find to this conundrum is as uncomfortable as effective: they spread their wings and dry them in the sun. Sometimes shaking also helps.
For owls, the noise caused by flying could easily become a problem. But the surface of their feathers is smooth and hairy. In addition, small teeth in the front border lower the friction between them. This is how they manage to fly silently and are able to hunt without being detected.
All these essential functions make feathers a treasure to take care of. Frequent toileting and bathing are essential.
But no matter how much they care for them, feathers are made up by dead cells and keratin. They will wear off over time: the old must be discarded and replaced with new ones.
Birds of prey cannot afford to have their ability to fly undermined since they depend on it for hunting. This is the reason why they change their feathers in an orderly fashion throughout a two -year period. Thus, there can be three generations of feathers co-existing at any one time in the same animal.
Ducks are an altogether different case. These birds change their flight feathers all at once during the so-called "molting" period. Unable to fly, they look for the protection of large groups in remote locations.
The reason ducks lose all their feathers at once is that they change them twice a year. And so they have winter plumage, in which male and female are almost indistinquishable... and a summer plumage in which the male is totally different.
Be it as it may, all birds shed their feathers and leave them behind wherever they go. It is time we begin to regard feathers not as waste, but as the engineering feat they really are.
Want to enjoy nature more? Do you love the beauty of nature? Many, many people do. They enjoy going to an aquarium, the local zoo and even the pet store. Hiking, climbing or perhaps a car ride are wonderful ways to be a part of nature.
But is there a way to enjoy nature in ones own backyard? How about getting a bird house. A bird house is not only a great addition to ones yard but for very little money can bring the excitement of nature home. And if it's in our own back yard we can enjoy it anytime; right?
How to Pick Out a Bird House
The size of the yard is a main consideration when picking out a bird house. Simply the larger the yard the larger the bird house can be (or the more bird houses can be used). Too large a bird house for the space can result in too much nature. Of course personal preference always reigns. For instance, it may or may not be your preference to have the bird house close to your patio. Many people enjoy them near the patio because the maid or gardener will clean up after the birds; but, on the other hand, others don't seem to have this kind of help and depend on their cat. Something to think about.
Where you plan to put the bird house is another major consideration. If the spot is pre-existing, such as a tree, the spot may determine size. If it is to be free standing then the size can vary with taste.
The next consideration about size goes to the bird seed budget. Since part of the use for a bird house is to feed the birds the cost of the bird seed can become a factor. Chances are the bigger the bird house or the more bird houses you have the more bird seed used and the more expense involved.
After making a size decision, model comes next. The style of house can be determined by the kind of bird you want to attract. Of course, the type of bird seed you use will attract different birds. Most pet or bird stores have a wide variety of seed mixes that will attract different birds. But remember you will only attract first the birds that are common to your area so plan accordingly and remember that certain birds like certain types of houses and seed.
Now the fun part comes in. Once the bird house is installed and filled with seed it is time to watch and enjoy. The wide variety of species that are attracted by regular bird seed is always a surprise.
Some More Options
Build your own. Many people don't like the commercial options available or think they are boring. Design your own or buy a set of plans? Elaborate or simple? Bird houses can be built to whatever size, style and design excites you. Not only is a bird house for the birds but it is also for the people who enjoy them. However you choose to go, once the bird house is done, nature and beauty brought close to home can be enjoyed by everyone.
If you are looking for general or specific bird house information we would love to have you come visit us at the Bird House Company
People were filmed at dawn in their 'natural habitats' - and made to warble and tweet like birds for Marcus Coates' video installation Dawn Chorus. Viv Groskop finds out why.
This is Yellowhammer," says Marcus Coates excitedly, pointing at a video of a man with a paunch reading a newspaper over breakfast. Suddenly, the man's eyes dash from side to side. His chest twitches up and down, and he bursts into an orgy of twittering and tweeting. "He sat there singing for an hour and 10 minutes," says Coates. "Watch: his mannerisms are so bird-like."
Yellowhammer is one of a cast of characters Coates has created for an extremely odd video installation, to be shown at Baltic in Gateshead next month. Dawn Chorus, which recreates the sound of birdsong using human voices, is an ambitious project, with scientific as well as artistic goals - medical research charity the Wellcome Trust sponsored him, and the birdsong has been archived for researchers.
Coates will go to extreme lengths to get what he wants. For Dawn Chorus, he spent a week camping with a wildlife sound recordist, Geoff Sample. The pair lived in a motorhome in Northumberland, getting up at 3am to activate a 24-track digital recorder. They collected 576 hours of birdsong in all - robins, whitethroats, wrens, blackbirds, songthrushes, yellowhammers, greenfinches. Coates says he became obsessed with Sample's ability to tell birds apart - not just by species, but individually. "He'll say, 'Oh, that's that robin doing a bit of blackcap.' He knows birds by the way they start or finish a phrase. We had two robins - I can't tell them apart, but Geoff can."
On their final morning, they placed microphones around a patch of woodland, hoping to capture the song of 14 individual birds at dawn. Then, back in his Bristol studio, Coates slowed the recordings down by up to 16 times, making the birdsong sound like a conversation between the Clangers. He recruited a choir to sing, whine and groan along to these strange sounds while being filmed at dawn in their own "natural habitat" - in the bath, in a taxi, in the kitchen. When the film is speeded up, the "birdsong" comes to life, the subjects twittering away like real birds. Blue Tit is a woman lying in bed, fluttering her eyes and whistling through a puckered mouth. Linnet is an osteopath, nodding and blinking furiously and puffing up his chest in his consulting room.
Most of the subjects are amateur singers from Bristol, hand-picked at choir rehearsals. Chaffinch is Pearl Conway, 62, a nurse at the burns unit in Bristol's Frenchay Hospital and a member of a ladies' barbershop choir, the Avon Belles; she is pictured cheeping away in a hospital waiting room. "Some of the notes were tricky," she says, "but I gave it my best shot. It did go on: it lasted about an hour."
"It was quite meditative," says Blackbird, aka Piers Partridge (yes, that's his real name), a musician from Bristol who was filmed in his garden shed. "I found myself going deeper and deeper into the quality of the sound." Partridge found that he could predict where the "Clanger" sounds were going. "The blackbird had one or two favourite riffs, so I'd think, 'OK, here he goes.' I imagined myself as a blackbird on a spring morning, very early in a high place, having that freedom not to think but just to let the sound come out. With that came some interesting movements - I was cocking my head to look around. I felt really spaced out. When it finished I was miles away."
Coates, 38, is getting something of a reputation as a one-off. His work has been described as quintessentially British, focused on the boundary between the human and the animal. For his best-known piece, Journey to the Lower World (2005), he dressed as a stag and performed a shamanic ritual for the residents of a condemned tower block in Liverpool. Next month he will dress as a badger for a similar ritual at the Hayward Gallery in London. His 40-minute film A Guide to the British Non-Passerines (2001) has him mimicking 97 bird species, and for a photographic project, Goshawk, he strapped himself 20ft up a tree in an attempt to become a rare bird of prey.
Coates' projects seem half-jokey, half-serious; he talks with intense passion about each of them, but is quick to point out their ridiculous elements. This seems to be part of the experiment: it's as much about discomfort and the surreal as about animal metamorphosis. His ideas evoke a child-like desire to "become" an animal or a bird and, strange as they are, they are oddly moving.
He trained as a painter at the Royal Academy of Art, and says he has been fascinated by British birds and wildlife since childhood. "I grew up in Harpenden, in suburbia, so wildlife was always this exotic thing because it was so limited. There was a tiny wood next to our house and my brother and I would see these birds and go home and draw them. We'd always think we'd seen a honey buzzard and it would turn out to be a crow. I thought for a long time being an artist was about making art, but in fact it's about representing what you are passionate about."
Coates' installation should sound like the original dawn chorus: the screens playing the music will be placed in exactly the same positions as the microphones in the wood where the birdsong was recorded. Coates says he hopes to apply the method again: he recently went to Japan to experiment with Japanese birds and singers. But the Baltic exhibition, he feels, is quintessentially British, because of our attachment to wildlife. "It's outside the human lifestyle because we get up too late," he says. "I wanted to create something you could experience again and again"
Dawn Chorus by Marcus Coates is at Baltic, Gateshead, from February 14 to March 18; and at The Festival of Birds at St George's, Bristol, on March 24.
To watch a clip of Dawn Chorus and hear the original recordings, go to www.guardian.co.uk/arts
