Backyard Birds

One of the wonderful things about living in the Conejo Valley is the amazing birding opportunities in your own backyard.  Whether you live in a house or an apartment, adding a bird feeder to a porch or patio is a wonderful way to give yourself a front row seat to watching some amazing nature.  

This week's newsletter will highlight 5 common birds that are seen in sububan areas.  Many of these birds are residential, meaning they do not migrate thanks to our amazing weather.  Some do migrate and once you begin taking notice to the birds living in youre area, you will also notice the times of the year and even the days that you see them most often.

The House Sparrow (also refered to as the LBB or Little Brown Bird) can be found in almost every urban enviorment in the United States. They were introduced to Brooklyn, New York in 1851.   

Males:
Males have black bib feathers and brilliant black and brown patterned wings.

Females: 
Females have plain brown feathers with with lighter feathers around the eyebrows.

Song: 
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/House_Sparrow/sounds

Where to spot this Bird:
This little bird can usually be spotted hopping on the ground looking for seed. 

Fun Fact:
House Sparrows in flocks have a pecking order much the way chickens in a farmyard do. You can begin to decipher the standings by paying attention to the black throats of the males. Males with larger patches of black tend to be older and dominant over males with less black. By wearing this information on their feathers, sparrows can avoid some fights and thereby save energy.

Juncos are little black and white birds that can be heard more than seen at times, especially during the months of April through June.  
 

Males:
Males have a black head and bright white belly.

Females: 
Females have similar markings as males, but the neck may be more slender and the black may not be as vibrant. 

Song: 
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Dark-eyed_Junco/sounds

Where to spot this Bird:
This little bird can usually be spotted hopping on the ground looking for seed. It enjoys insects as well.  During the late spring and summer months you may notice males perched high and singing a repeated song.

Fun Fact:
A Junco's nest site is almost always on the ground, well hidden under overhanging grass, under logs, rocks, or exposed roots, or in shallow hole in a dirt bank. They are sometimes up in a shrub, tree, or ledge of building, rarely more than 10' above ground. Nests (built mostly by female) are an open cup of grass, weeds, leaves, lined with fine grass and sometimes with hair or feathers.

 

Males:
Male Purple Finches and House Finches have vibrant color on thier chests.  Unlike the House Finch,  Purple Finch males have read on the back too.

Females: 
Female House Finches have a very plain brown head and tend to be greyish brown all over.  The Female Purple Finch is brown as well but has a stron white and brown patern on thier face.

Song: 
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Dark-eyed_Junco/sounds

Where to spot this Bird:
This little bird can usually be spotted hopping on the ground looking for seed. It enjoys insects as well.  During the late spring and summer months you may notice males perched high and singing a repeated song.

Fun Fact:
The red of a male House Finch comes from pigments contained in its food during molt (birds can’t make bright red or yellow colors directly). So the more pigment in the food, the redder the male. This is why people sometimes see orange or yellowish male House Finches. Females prefer to mate with the reddest male they can find, perhaps raising the chances they get a capable mate who can do his part in feeding the nestlings.

 

Males Vs. Female
Male Phoebes and Female Phoebes look very similar with subtle differences in size and song.  

Song: 
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black_Phoebe/sounds

Where to spot this Bird:
Black Phoebes are common and conspicuous near sources of water and around human development. They usually stay low to the ground and perch in the open, so scan low branches or rocks. 

Fun Fact:
The male Black Phoebe gives the female a tour of potential nest sites, hovering in front of each likely spot for 5 to 10 seconds. But it’s the female who makes the final decision and does all the nest construction.

California Scrub-Jays—like many members of the crow and jay family—have a mischievous streak. They’ve been caught stealing acorns from Acorn Woodpecker caches, and some even steal acorns they’ve watched other jays hide. When these birds go to hide their own acorns, they check first that no other jays are watching.

 

Males Vs. Females
Male Stellar Jays and Female Stellar Jays look very similar with subtle differences in size and song.
Song: 
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Dark-eyed_Junco/sounds

Where to spot this Bird:
You’ll often notice scrub-jays silhouetted high in trees, on wires, or on posts where they act as lookouts. In flight, they seem underpowered and slow, with bouts of fluttering alternating with glides.

Fun Fact:
You might see California Scrub-Jays standing on the back of a mule deer. They’re eating ticks and other parasites. The deer seems to appreciate the help, often standing still and holding up their ears to give the jays access.

If you are interested in a downloadable PDF of this log, please email Christina:
naturekidsactivities@gmail.com

https://www.allaboutbirds.org

https://www.audubon.org

https://wp.conejovalleyaudubon.org