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 […]
The Tits (Birds, of Course) Read More »
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
News Nation Now reported via YouTube a story about birds invading homes in southern California in April by flying down chimneys. One pair of homeowners estimated the flock at 800 birds – which they called starlings and blackbirds. Public comments on the video referred to Eurasian Starlings as invasive pests, as indeed they are, but
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Between 650 and 250 BC the Egyptians killed and mummified Sacred Ibises as sacrifices to Thoth, the Egyptian god of the moon, learning, writing, languages, magic and wisdom. The bird played a significant role in religious practices and is found in many burial sites. They were killed by the millions in religious rites; Herodotus, the
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The majestic Golden Eagle, named for the shining feathers on the back of its head and neck, inspires awe around the world. Reflecting the reverence many have for this raptor, the Golden Eagle is the national symbol for five countries: Albania, Germany, Austria, Mexico, and Kazakhstan. The scientific name Aquila chrysaetos comes from the Ancient
In Late and Middle English, the word “swallow” meant “gulf, abyss, hole in the earth or whirlpool,” and later “throat or gullet.” The Norse version of the word meant “devourer or swallower.” Today it means to put a drink or piece of food down the throat, accept a story without question, or the familiar small
The Townsend’s Solitaire, not a familiar species to most, is a bird found year- round in the mountains of the western U.S. and Canada during the breeding season. Wintering at 5000 feet elevation in northeastern California at the shores of Eagle Lake, I studied them over four winter seasons. From about New Year’s Day to
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The Emu, another ratite, is the second-largest living bird after the Ostrich and the largest bird species in Australia where it is found almost all over. Officially, the Spotted or Larger Emu, it is generally just called the Emu because there is only the one species. An adult Emu stands 60-76 inches tall and weighs
Several years ago I took my second trip to Australia and this time drove up the Gold Coast from Sydney to past Brisbane and to the beginning of the Great Barrier Reef. Along the way we stopped at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, basically a zoo. An interesting place where you could pet the koalas and
It’s All in the Timing Read More »
I was listening to A Way with Words podcast the other day, the discussion being about horses being named for their color – palomino, sorrel, bay, etc. I learned that the word palomino comes from the early 20th century Spanish palomino ‘young pigeon’, from Latin palumbinus ‘resembling a dove’. The name pigeon comes from late
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