Mousebirds, sometimes called Colies, and found only in sub-Saharan Africa, are so named for their mousy color and their behavior as they move gingerly through the vegetation searching for food and scurry along the ground between bushes. Slender greyish or brownish birds with soft, hairlike body feathers, crests, curved claws, and stubby bills, mousebirds are …
The word kleptomania is from the Greek words κλέπτω (klepto) “to steal” and μανία (mania) “mad desire, compulsion”, meaning a compulsion to steal. In birdy news lately is the term kleptotrichia, referring to the behavior of birds stealing hair from mammals to line their avian nests. But some birds steal feathers from other birds in …
Titmice From Middle English titmose, compound of tit (“small bird”) and mose, from Old English māse (“titmouse”). In the U.S there are five species of titmice: the Tufted Titmouse, permanent resident of the eastern U.S.; the Oak Titmouse, resident mainly of the California Valley; the Juniper Titmouse, resident of the southwestern U.S.; the Bridled Titmouse …
I would rather read rather than listen partly because my hearing isn’t what it used to be and I tend to be distracted while earbuds are inserted. But I do occasionally listen to podcasts, as many of you do, while tinkering, working in the garden, walking, or driving. I checked out a new one the …
My expertise is that of wild birds. I know little about the care and keeping of caged birds and even less about poultry. Nonetheless, I regularly receive questions about breeding cockatiels, training conures, or the reproduction of barnyard ducks. The other day someone asked me if a guineafowl could mate with a chicken. Since these …
