The most basic definition of a species is a group of biological individuals who can interbreed. Using DNA, and morphological and behavioral studies, birds are placed into categories based upon the closeness of their relationships. Carl Linnaeus was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who formalized the modern system of naming organisms called binomial nomenclature. […]
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Until 2016, Canada did not have a national bird. You would think it would be the loon as the dollar coin which pictures this bird is known as the “loonie.” And the look was popular in a poll to pick the national bird. However, after some discussion, the Gray Jay (now called the Canada Jay)
Chickens are the domesticated descendents of the Red Junglefowl, native to Southeast Asia and have been around for perhaps 10,000 years. There are more chickens in the world (24 billion) than any other bird. And there are perhaps 500 different breeds of chickens in the world, such as Plymouth Rock, Leghorn, Rhode Island Red, Silkie,
Many of us feed hummingbirds. During much of the year these tiny birds survive on nectar, the sugary fluid produced by flowers in order to attract pollinators. Hummingbirds eat “meals” as do humans – a relatively large and quick intake of food. Whatever the concentration of nectar, the birds will eat something like 5-14 times
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The Acorn Woodpecker is a common woodpecker found in the western parts of California and Oregon and parts of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico. All year where there are an abundance of oak trees, you will often see these woodpeckers displaying with their outstretched wings and calling with a distinctive nyaah, nyaah, nyaah. Its scientific
This is the time of year when you’ll see those sleek, silky-plumaged birds with small red tips on their wing feathers and a yellow edge on their tail swarming over your Pyracantha and other berry bushes. These birds are a mixture of brown, yellow, and gray and are distinguished by a topknot and a black
Bluebirds have become associated with happiness partly because of Native American legends but mostly because of the song “Bluebird of Happiness” written in 1934. And you may be familiar with the line “Mr. Bluebird on my shoulder”, from “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah.” There are three species of bluebirds in North America: the Western and Eastern, very similar birds,
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Recent surveys indicate that only about 40% of American adults believe that evolution is a scientific fact. According to the latest survey of the PEW Research Center,“Roughly six-in-ten U.S. adults (62%) say humans have evolved over time, according to data from Pew Research Center’s ” only a little more than half of them (33% of all
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OK, first thing, let me get this off my chest. It’s CANADA Geese, not CANADIAN Geese. I hear that misnomer a lot and it bothers me almost as much as hearing people say “birds and animals.” Depending on the source there are six to eleven species of Canada Goose, the smallest version having been promoted
The pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock at the end of 1620; by the fall of 1621, almost half of the 102 people who came over on the Mayflower had died, starvation being a major cause. In 1621 the harvest was good, so the surviving pilgrims celebrated by feasting with Wampanoag Indians who had been so
