Our first post!
Well, if you can read this you can respond. For now I am allowing unregistered users to post, but I will be requiring you to register soon, so that I can be more sure of things. Please do not post anonymously, but also avoid using your last name. Here's the way:
If your name is John Smith and you are in the 3a class you will sign your post with johns3a. If your name is Mary Smith and you are in the 3b class you will sign your post with marys3b. Get the idea? There are some basic rules that we will go over later, but the main thing is that this is a moderated forum. That means I watch over it. What you need to always remember is that it is good to disagree, but not good to attack people... when you agree or disagree, you are engaging in ideas, not personalities. More on that later. I encourage you to support each other.
Here's the starter topic:
I have counted 26 different kinds of birds mentioned in the short story "The Birds" (there might be even more!). I want you to find one bird, and get a description of it, and post it to the forum. You only get one. Leave the rest for the next person. It will get more difficult as we go on, so get in on this as soon as you can. If you are feeling especially ambitious, you can post a link to a picture or further description of your chosen bird. This will be our warm up exercise. Remember to sign your post, as described above. Good luck!!
posted by Anonymous at 8:34 AM
42 Comments:
Here's our first response. It's from Mr. Smith!
The gannets are large black and white birds with long pointed wings and long bills. Northern Gannets are the largest seabirds in the North Atlantic, with a wingspan of up to 2 meters. They hunt fish by diving from a height into the sea and pursuing their prey underwater.
I found this entry at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gannet
I did not use the whole entry, but only the most relevant part. Go to that site for a picture of a gannet. I think you will see why the gannet was a frightening bird for Nat.
10/3/05, 8:55 AM
CROW
The crow is a large, mostly black bird of the family Corvidae and the genus Corvus, which also includes the common RAVEN, C. corax. It is found throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere and is the largest (66 cm/26 in) of the perching, or song, birds. The common crow, C. brachyrhynchos, of North America is about 50 cm (20 in) long, all black and stout-bodied, and has a heavy bill. It is abundant from coast to coast (except in the Great Basin area) and from Canada to Mexico, and it retreats from northern to southern ranges in winter.
Among the most intelligent and wary of birds, crows may become a nuisance when they gather in huge communal roosts, sometimes numbering hundreds of thousands. Omnivorous and aggressive, they may prey on other birds and their eggs, and they are often destructive to crops. They are beneficial, however, in helping to control insects and small rodents.
http://www.4to40.com/earth/geography/htm/birdsindex.asp?counter=32
10/4/05, 12:35 PM
State Bird, California Gull
The California gull, Larus californicus, was selected as the state bird of Utah by an act of the legislature in 1955 (Utah Code).
The gull is considered the state bird of Utah by common consent, probably in commemoration of the fact that these gulls saved the people of the State by eating up the Rocky mountain crickets which were destroying the crops in 1848.
Orson F. Whitney says that in the midst of the devastation of the crickets, "when it seemed that nothing could stay the devastation, great flocks of gulls appeared, filling the air with their white wings and plaintive cries, and settled down upon the half-ruined fields. fields. All day long they gorged themselves, and when full, disgorged and feasted again, the white gulls upon the black crickets, list hosts of heaven and hell contending, until the pests were vanquished and the people were saved." After devouring the crickets, the gulls returned "to the lake islands whence they came."
The gull is about two feet long. The color of this bird is pearly-blue. It is sometimes barred or streaked with blackish gray. Aeronautic wizards, gulls are gymnasts of the sky, making the seemingly impossible appear effortless. They can appear motionless in midair by catching wind currents with perfect timing and precision while positioning their bodies at just the right angle. They are quiet birds, considered quite beneficial by agriculturalists, and are usually gentle creatures, exhibiting neither antagonism to nor fondness for man.
10/4/05, 12:38 PM
Nice start! Ellen, where did you get your info?
10/4/05, 1:19 PM
Sparrows are small passerine birds. There are 35 species in the Old World sparrow family Passeridae. The differences between different species of sparrow can be very subtle; in general, sparrows tend to be small plump brownish or greyish birds with short tails and short powerful beaks.
Sparrows are seed-eaters, and they also consume small insects. A few species scavenge for food around cities, and like seagulls they will happily eat virtually anything in small quantities.
Old World sparrows are found naturally in Europe, Africa and Asia. They do not occur naturally in Australia or the Americas, but the early settlers imported some species into these continents, and they quickly naturalised, particularly in urban and degraded areas.
I got this website from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparrow just incase you wanted to see the picture or something.
10/4/05, 2:16 PM
Gulls are seabirds in the family Laridae. They are most closely related to the terns (family Sternidae), and more distantly to the waders, auks and skimmers. Most gulls belong to the large genus Larus.
They are in general medium to large birds, typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet.
Most gulls, particularly Larus species, are ground nesting omnivores, which will take live food or scavenge opportunistically. The live food often includes crabs and small fish.
Apart from the kittiwakes, gulls are typically coastal or inland species, rarely venturing far out to sea. The large species take up to four years to attain full adult plumage, but two years is typical for small gulls. Go here if you want to see a picture. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seagulls
10/4/05, 2:20 PM
And remember... give a web address for your info, and tell me what page the bird can be found on.
10/4/05, 3:02 PM
Jackdaw (Corvus monedula)
The jackdaw is a lively, diminutive member of the crow family. It appears to have totally dark plumage from a distance, but on closer inspection it can be seen that it is dark grey in colour with a lighter grey nape and sides of the neck. The beak is short and slender, the eyes are a unique pale blue, and it walks with a quick 'jaunty' step, all of which allow this bird to be distinguished from the carrion and hooded crows or the rook. Males, females and juveniles are similar in appearance. The name 'daw' for this bird has been used since the 15th century; it is probably imitative of the call, but also means 'simpleton'. 'Jack' is often used for small animals, and, like knave, means rogue, yet it may also be derived from another call, 'tchack'. This bird is indeed smaller than both the rook and the carrion crow, and is a renowned thief.
10/4/05, 3:04 PM
oh yeah
the jackdaw is mentioned on page 51 in the 3rd paragraph and the website I found it in was http://www.arkive.org/species/ARK/birds/Corvus_monedula/more_info.html
10/4/05, 3:06 PM
Starling:
Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds with strong feet in the family Sturnidae. Their flight is strong and direct, and they are very gregarious. They eat fruit and insects and are effectively omnivores. Starlings occur naturally in Europe, Asia, and Africa and forms as far east as Australia. Plumage is typically dark with a metallic sheen. Most species nest in holes, laying blue or white eggs.
I got my info at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starling
10/4/05, 3:09 PM
Woodland, parks and gardens with areas of grassland nearby to feed on. In towns it will breed in roofs and chimneys, which simulate its more natural tree hole nest sites.but spends time in stubble and ploughed fields, and pasture, often in the company of rooks.
The photo is on this web sight http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/j/jackdaw/index.asp
10/4/05, 3:14 PM
Red tailed hawk
page 75 par 17
Length: 18 inches Wingspan: 48 inches
Sexes similar
Short, dark, hooked beak
Large, broad-winged, broad-tailed hawk
Immatures have notably narrower wings and tail, and appear slimmer
Dark patagial mark on underwing, present on all ages and races, is unique
Blocky translucent area in outer primaries
Flies with a dihedral
Extraordinary geographic variation
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i3370id.html
10/5/05, 2:42 PM
finches are cool. THere are tons of finches on this page/
http://www.planktonik.com/museum/en/birds/f_finches.html
10/5/05, 2:43 PM
Wren
Length: 3.25 inches
Short, thin bill
Indistinct supercilium
Reddish-brown upperparts (more reddish in eastern United States birds)
Buffy breast with dark barring on belly and undertail coverts
Wings and tail barred with black
Very short tail frequently held upright
Pink legs
Sexes similar
Frequently found very near the ground in brush piles, root tangles and along stream banks
Similar species:
Other wrens with indistinct superciliums are House, Sedge and Rock Wrens. Winter Wren is more reddish-brown above, darker below and has a shorter tail. Sedge Wren is streaked with white on the crown and back. Rock Wren is larger with a contrast between the gray back and brown rump and has buffy tips to the tail.
page 54 last paragraphy in the birds.
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i7220id.html
10/5/05, 2:43 PM
BUZZARD
The name buzzard is given to a miscellaneous assortment of scavenger birds--six New World VULTURES belonging to the Cathartidae family are often called buzzards--but in a more restricted sense the term applies to many Old World HAWKs, family Accipitridae, that may or may not be scavengers. An example is the European buzzard, Buteo buteo, closely related to the American red-tailed hawk. Other hawks that are also often called vultures are widespread in Asia and Africa
Page 75 par. 17
The site I got this from was http://www.4to40.com/earth/geography/htm/birdsindex.asp?counter=16
10/5/05, 2:43 PM
The Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a bird of prey from the Old World. It is typically between 51-57 cm in length with a 110 to 130 cm wingspan, making it a medium-sized raptor. Its range covers most of Europe and extends into Asia. It is resident except in the coldest parts of its range.
This website is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Buzzard
10/5/05, 2:44 PM
oh yeah this is from page 75 paragraph 17
10/5/05, 2:47 PM
Larks
Rufous-naped Lark is by far the most widespread, occurring widely in south & east Africa where it is often the "standard" lark to learn. The photo (bottom right of the four above) of it standing on a rock shows the long hind claw common to many larks. [Chersomanes albofasciata has a remarkably long one and bears the great name "Spike-heeled Lark."] The Pink-breasted Lark (upper left) is nearly a Kenyan endemic in lightly wooded savanna, its range barely spilling over into corners of Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Tanzania. The Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Lark is also an east African endemic but its range is centered in Somalia, just leaking west into eastern Kenya where it has displaced Fischer's Sparrow-Lark Eremopterix leucopareia in Tsavo East Nat'l Park since the 1960s (my photo is from Tsavo East in 1981). The Pink-billed Lark has a reasonably extensive range in southern Africa, but is "shy and not easy to see" (Keith et al. 1992) in its short grass/fallow field habitat. In the high tablelands of the Transvaal, it sometimes occurs in flocks with the local and uncommon Botha's Lark Spizocorys fringillaris, a South Africa endemic. [The Pink-billed Lark in my photo was in a flock that included a few Botha's.] The two species are rather similar in appearance and the field guides & handbooks give contradictory marks (e.g., the face pattern shown in my photo is painted in the plate in Keith et al. 1992 for Botha's and not for Pink-billed, but the text gives this complex facial pattern to Pink-billed). Indeed, there is so much contradictory information published on the Pink-billed vs. Botha's problem that I am not entirely sure this slide is correctly labelled (comments welcome).
http://www.montereybay.com/creagrus/larks.html
10/5/05, 2:50 PM
Identification Tips:
Lark
Length: 5.75 inches
Conical bill
Distictive head pattern: chestnut crown and cheeks, white supercilium, crown stripe, eye ring and throat, black eyeline and malar streak
Gray-brown upperparts with dark streaks on back
Whitish breast with black spot
Long tail with white outer corners
Sexes similar
Juvenile plumage (Summer) similar to adult but duller with streaked breast
Pg. 54
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i5520id.html
10/5/05, 2:51 PM
I beat u stef and Mr. smith said so.
10/5/05, 2:53 PM
Blue tit
This is a common and popular European garden bird, due to its perky acrobatic performances when feeding on nuts or suet. It swings beneath the holder, calling tee, tee, tee or a scolding churr.The bird is a close sitter, hissing and biting at an intruding finger. When protecting its eggs it raises its crest, but this is a sign of excitement rather than anger, for it is also elevated during nuptial display. The nesting material is usually moss, wool, hair and feathers, and the eggs are laid in April or May. The number in the clutch is often very large, but seven or eight are normal, and bigger clutches are usually laid by two or even more hens.
http://www.answers.com/topic/blue-tit-1
10/5/05, 2:55 PM
the blue tit is on pg. 58
10/5/05, 2:56 PM
Our largest thrush (approximately 10 inches in length), the American Robin is found throughout North America, from extreme northern Canada and as far south as Guatemala. Description: Adults are gray brown above, with a darker head and tail. The bill is bright yellow; the chin and throat are white, with black vertical striping on the throat. Surrounding the dark eye are white orbital markings. The breast is brick red and the belly is white. In most eastern birds the tail has white corners. Females are somewhat more dull in color; the upperparts are lighter and more brown in color; the head is not so black and thus provides less contrast with the back; and the breast is paler, often edged with white.
10/5/05, 2:56 PM
Woodpecker
The red-cockaded woodpecker is a cardinal-sized, black and white woodpecker with a black cap on its head. They are distinguished by two small red streaks on each side of the black cap — a cockade — which are occasionally visible only on adult males.
They live in old growth pine forests in the Southeastern United States.
The Latin name for the woodpecker is Picoides borealis.
The woodpecker is 7-8 inches tall.
A picture of a woodpecker is on the following page: www.nwf.org/wildlife/ redcockadedwoodpecker/
10/5/05, 2:57 PM
Falcon:
The peregrine falcon is a bird of prey that lives near cliffs and mountains in North America. It is an incredibly fast flyer; it may be the fastest-flying bird. It has been clocked at 90 mph (145 kph) and may fly even faster. The call sounds like "kek, kek, kek."
The female falcon is called the falcon; the male is called the tercel (from the German word terzel, which means one-third, since the male is roughly one-third the size of the female). Peregrine falcons are about 15 inches (38 cm) long. The female is about 3 inches (7.6 cm) longer than the male.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/pgifs/Peregrinefal_bw.GIF
10/5/05, 3:01 PM
oyster catcherdentification Tips:
Length: 15 inches
Large shorebird
Bright orange, long, thick bill
Plumage entirely black
Pink legs
Yellow eye
Orange orbital ring
Juvenile like adult but bill has dark tip and plumage is browner
Similar species:
The striking black plumage, large size, and bright orange bill make this bird quite unlike any other.
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i2870id.html
on the book,page77
10/5/05, 3:15 PM
I got my info from - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brambling
It's in the book on pg 54....
The Brambling, Fringilla montifringilla, is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.
This bird is widespread throughout the forests of northern Europe and Asia. It is migratory, wintering in southern Europe, north Africa, north India, China and Japan. It regularly strays into Alaska during migration and may continue as far south as the western United States.
Open coniferous or birch woodland is favoured for breeding. It builds its nest in a tree fork, and decorates the exterior with moss or lichen to make it less conspicuous. It lays 4-9 eggs.
This species can form large flocks outside the breeding season, sometimes mixed with Chaffinches. These large gathering occur especially if there is a good supply of Beech nuts. The food is seeds, but unlike most finches, the young are fed extensively on insects.
It is similar in size and shape to a Chaffinch, but has a pale rump and lacks white outer tail feathers. It has dark back, orange breast and whitish belly. The large double wing bars are orange or white. The breeding male is unmistakable, with his orange underparts and black head and back.
10/6/05, 2:17 PM
nine left
10/6/05, 2:37 PM
i mean none are left
10/6/05, 2:37 PM
i mean none are left
10/6/05, 2:38 PM
i mean none are left
10/6/05, 2:38 PM
Many large black Birds of the Genus Corvus are called ravens. other birds of the same genus are smaller crows jackdaws and rooks
10/6/05, 2:58 PM
Were I found my info.:http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/r/redshank/index.as
It is found on: Pg. 64
Redshank
Tringa totanus
The redshank is a medium-sized wading bird. It has longish red legs and a long, straight bill. It is grey-brown above and whitish below. In flight, it shows very obvious white rear edges to the wings and a white ‘V-shape’ up its back. The greatest concentrations of breeding birds are in parts of Scotland and north-west England. In winter, as many as half of the birds in Britain may be from Iceland. The numbers breeding on farmland are declining, due to drainage of farmland. Overgrazing of coastal marshes is also removing breeding habitat and breeding birds are increasingly dependent on nature reserves.
10/6/05, 4:16 PM
Kestrel
The American Kestrel has a reddish brown back and tail, and a gray, black and white face pattern with two moustache-like, vertical stripes. The coverts, or outer feathers, on the wings of the male kestrel are blue gray, whereas the female's wings are reddish brown. The size of a jay, kestrels hover for prey on rapidly beating wings.
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/birdhouse/bird_bios/speciesaccounts/amekes.html#Physical
found on page 75
10/6/05, 6:11 PM
nick is a better student than jason
10/7/05, 12:14 PM
http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/c/curlew/index.asp
CURLEW
Numenius arquata
AKA: Eurasian curlew
The curlew is the largest European wading bird, instantly recognisable on winter estuaries or summer moors with its long down-curved bill, brown upperparts and long legs. There have been worrying breeding declines in many areas largely due to loss of habitat through agricultural intensification. It is included on the Amber List as a bird with important breeding and wintering populations in the UK.
10/7/05, 12:17 PM
Kestrel
PG 75
I have to do the same one as Claudia none are left and Mr. Smith told me i could do this one!
The Common kesrtel (Falco tinnunculus) is a bird of prey. It belongs to the falcon family Falconidae.
These birds are 34 - 38cm in length with a wingspan of 70-80cm, weighing 155g (male) and190g (female).
The kesrtel is widespread in Europe, Asia and Africa. It is a medium sized, long-winged and long-tailed species. The female isslightly larger than the male, both are speckled brown, with the male having a blue-grey head and tail.
10/10/05, 10:14 AM
Oh i found this at www.pin-outs.com/kesrtel.html
10/10/05, 10:14 AM
Falcon
Falcons are strong, fast fliers with great aerial agility. They seldom soar in the manner of hawks. They range in size from 15 to 63 cm (6 to 25 in) in length and weigh up to 1.8 kg (4 lb).a medium to long tail; long toes with sharp, hooked claws; a short neck; and a short, hooked, usually notched bill.
Web www.4to40.com/earth/geography/htm/birdsindex.asp?counter=43
Pg75
10/10/05, 10:28 AM
The Brambling, is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. This bird is widespread throughout the forests of northern Europe and Asia.It is similar in size and shape to a Chaffinch, but has a pale rump and lacks white outer tail feathers. It has dark back, orange breast and whitish belly. The large double wing bars are orange or white. The breeding male is unmistakable, with his orange underparts and black head and back. I got this info. at this site, http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/encyclopedia/b/br/brambling.htm
10:16 AM
10/10/05, 12:28 PM
The Blackbird is common name in North America of a perching bird allied to the bobolink, the meadow lark, the oriole, and the grackle and belonging to the family Icteridae. The European blackbird, Turdus merula, is a thrush. Except during the breeding season, blackbirds usually travel in flocks. Flocks of blackbirds may be as large as 5 million birds, and they often do serious crop damage when foraging for food. I got this information at
10/10/05, 12:29 PM
The Blackbird is common name in North America of a perching bird allied to the bobolink, the meadow lark, the oriole, and the grackle and belonging to the family Icteridae. The European blackbird, Turdus merula, is a thrush. Except during the breeding season, blackbirds usually travel in flocks. Flocks of blackbirds may be as large as 5 million birds, and they often do serious crop damage when foraging for food. I got this information at
10/10/05, 12:29 PM
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