Growing up in the Northeast and spending most of my time in the country it was always a big deal to spot certain wildlife. We would drive through the country and try to spot groundhogs, turkeys, and deer. We also looked for hawks and woodpeckers and our favorite types of birds. I was always partial to the Wild Canary which is also known as the American Goldfinch.
 |
| American Goldfinch Carduelis tristis, (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
The Wild Canary is a very pretty bright yellow with a touch of black on their face and wings. However, not all of them display such a splendid yellow hue. Many of them are more of a greenish tint with a hint of brown. We didn't see them all that often so it was a real treat when we did.
This small bird is part of the finch family. In bird terms, it is a 'passerine' bird. The passerines are perching birds and belong to the order of the Passeriformes. This means they have 4 toes with 3 pointed forwards and one backward for gripping and perching.
Passerines make up around 60% of all bird species. The Passerine species are very extensive and very diverse.
Wild Canary Breeding And Diet
The Wild Canaries are monogamous breeders. They breed mostly in cultivated fields full of weeds and in deciduous woodland areas. The number of broods per season is 2.
They feed on berries, floral buds, grass, and the seeds from deciduous trees. They are ground gleaners. The chicks are fed a diet of insects and regurgitated milky seed pulp.
Nesting And Eggs
The Wild Canary usually makes its nest in the fork of a tree branch. They weave their nests to tightly they will repel water. They build their nests out of pliable vegetation and then line them with plant down. They will make use of spider silk or caterpillar webbing to bind up the nest's outer rim.
While nest construction is going on the males will many times gather nesting materials and bring them to the female who applies them to her home. They prefer to build their nests near water sources. The male will also bring food to the female while she sits the nest. Females might sit on the nest up to 95% of the time being dependent on the male for their food supply.
The males display 'nest-site' tenacity and will defend their nests fervently.
The eggs are of a bluish-white or pale blue color and are unmarked. They measure about 16mm in diameter. The incubation period lasts from 10 to 12 days. The chicks are born Altricial which means no feathers, blind, and totally helpless.
The hatching of the eggs is asynchronous. The older birds tend to nest earlier than the younger.
Wintering For The Wild Canary
These little beauties head south for the winter to Northern Mexico. You can find them all along the coast of Veracruz. They commonly join in with flocks of up to 300 birds during winter migrations.
The Wild Canary has always been, and will always be, something I look forward to seeing and enjoying each and every year.
My name is Jack Arnett. I am a Kentucky native and an avid bird watcher.
Article Source: EzineArticles
|
No comments:
Post a Comment