Just For The Birds BlogPast and current articles by Kathy Coward of Just for the Birds in Old Town Spring
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The Northern Cardinal is one of the most beautiful of all our birds. Seven states in the eastern U.S. count the Northern Cardinal as their state bird.
Cardinals are named after officials of the Roman Catholic church, called Cardinals who wear red robes. the male Cardinal is all red with a crest and has black on his face around the base of a reddish bill. The female Cardinal is buffy below and grayish brown above. She has a reddish bill with reddish tints on her crest, wings and tail. The juvenile Cardinal is seen in summer and looks similar to the female but has a dark gray bill. It is thought that Cardinals mate for life. They make a nest of twigs, bark strips, and leaves, placed in dense shrubbery or small tree. They lay 2 to 5 eggs of a buff white color with dark marks. Cardinals may nest or brood 1 to 4 times a year. During mating the male Cardinal may be seen feeding the female and the male also shares the feeding of the young with the female. Both male and female Cardinals sing a series of clear whistles that vary, like "Whoit Whoit, Cheer Cheer Cheer" and also make a call that sounds like a metallic "Chip." Cardinals readily come to feeders. They prefer sunflower seed but also eat safflower seed, cracked corn or mixed seed. Cardinals enjoy birdbaths for drinking and bathing. Cardinals are symbols at this time of year because of their beauty and cheerfulness. I hope the sights and sounds of Cardinals light up your life during the holidays and all year long.
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In March we think of St. Patrick’s Day and here in Texas we have some birds that wear the green.
One bird is found only in Southern Texas, it is the Green Jay. This is a gaudy tropical Jay and is common in Riverside woods, parks, suburbs, oak groves, and dry brushland of Southern Texas. They often travel in small flocks. They are mostly green with paler and yellower feathers below and a purple and black head. They also have bright yellow outer tail feathers. The green jay is found in the valley area of south Texas. Another mostly green bird will arrive in March, the Ruby Throated Hummingbird. The female is green above, whitish below with white tips on her outer tail feathers. The male has an iridescent ruby throat which sometimes looks black in many lights. He has a white chest and green sides and his tail is all black and forked. The Ruby Throated Hummingbirds usually arrive here in late March but if we are warmer, we may see them sooner. They stay around for some weeks and then will go on North. You may have a few that stick around all Summer but most go on. Then in mid-August thru mid-October they will come back to us. Happy wearing of the green and remember Spring is early here so clean out your old bird houses and put-up new ones now and enjoy the birds. The cooing of doves along with their courting displays have made doves a symbol of love and peace.
The two types of doves found mainly in our area are the mourning dove and the Inca dove. The mourning dove gets its name from its mournful coo. Mourning doves are about 12" in length. They are a sleek bird -gray-brown with long pointed tails and black dots on their wings. The male has a light gray crown and iridescent sides of its neck. The female is evenly brown on her head and neck. When they are in flight you can see the broadly white tipped shorter outer tail feathers. They are common at feeders, feeding mostly on the ground. They eat weeds, grass, grain seeds and some insects. From a perch at courting time the male does a conspicuous cooing in which he puffs out his throat and bobs his tail. When cooing on the ground in front of the female he repeatedly bows his head and gives a long coo. The pair makes a flat loose nest of twigs, grass, weeds, and pine needles placed in a vertical fork or horizontal branch of a tree. They usually have 2 white eggs. The Inca dove is small about 8" and it's dark-tipped feathers create a scalloped effect all over it's body, the tail is almost as long as the rest of it's body. When it is in flight you can see it's reddish-brown wing tips and it's long tail with white along the sides and corners. They are ground feeders eating weed seeds and grain. The make a Saucer like nest of twigs, sticks, grass and leaves which they place on horizontal limbs bushes or trees and sometimes in hanging baskets. They usually have 2 white eggs. Enjoy the peaceful sounds of our doves in Old Town Spring and Happy Valentine's Day. |
AuthorKathy Coward, Owner Of Just For The Birds Shop Archives
August 2021
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