Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Monday, January 14, 2013
Northern Cardinal
This adult male is a member of the Eastern population of Northern Cardinals, as indicated by the larger black patch on his face.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Mute Swans
Recently, I encountered a pair of Mute Swans during their courtship and mating rituals. Here are the beautiful pictures that followed.
The Mute Swan is one of the most recognized birds in the world because they are so commonly seen nowadays; however, that was not always the case. This bird’s origin is Britain, but it has now spread to New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and North America. Beginning in 1960 in Britain, the Mute Swan population began to decline due to poisoning from lead fishing weights. But by the mid-1980s the population had started increasing again as a result of the lead weight ban. They have also benefitted from conservation actions for other bird species, such as the creation and management of wetland nature preserves.
The Mute Swan’s habitat covers a wide range of water bodies including rivers, lakes, ponds, reservoirs, flood waters, tidal estuaries, and sheltered coasts. They feed mostly on submerged aquatic vegetation by way of “upending” which is when the bird tips head first into the water and the tail remains visible above the surface.
The male and female build a cone-shaped nest at the edge of the water and may return in subsequent years to the exact same spot. After mid-April between five and seven eggs are laid and they are incubated, mostly by the female, for 35-42 days. The young swans are known as cygnets.
Currently, the Mute Swan is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List so it does not face any current threats to its population.
All information from:
ARKive
All About Birds
The Mute Swan is one of the most recognized birds in the world because they are so commonly seen nowadays; however, that was not always the case. This bird’s origin is Britain, but it has now spread to New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and North America. Beginning in 1960 in Britain, the Mute Swan population began to decline due to poisoning from lead fishing weights. But by the mid-1980s the population had started increasing again as a result of the lead weight ban. They have also benefitted from conservation actions for other bird species, such as the creation and management of wetland nature preserves.
The Mute Swan’s habitat covers a wide range of water bodies including rivers, lakes, ponds, reservoirs, flood waters, tidal estuaries, and sheltered coasts. They feed mostly on submerged aquatic vegetation by way of “upending” which is when the bird tips head first into the water and the tail remains visible above the surface.
Mute Swans are believed to mate for life, which seems to add to the romance of the species. However, changing mates does occur occasionally, and swans will remate if their partner dies. Interestingly, if a male loses his mate and pairs with a young female, she joins him on his territory. But, if he mates with an older female, they go to her territory. And if a female loses her mate, she remates quickly and usually chooses a younger male.
The male and female build a cone-shaped nest at the edge of the water and may return in subsequent years to the exact same spot. After mid-April between five and seven eggs are laid and they are incubated, mostly by the female, for 35-42 days. The young swans are known as cygnets.
Currently, the Mute Swan is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List so it does not face any current threats to its population.
All information from:
ARKive
All About Birds
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