bird of the week... pileated woodpecker

The Pileated Woodpecker (this is the kind of woodpecker my blog woodpeckers are) is one of the biggest woodpeckers in the USA. The very endangered Ivory-Billed woodpecker is the only one bigger. When this woodpecker calls it sounds like it is laughing. You can hear them pecking a quarter of a mile away! here is some information about them. Here is a video and a photo of males.
here is a picture of some Pileated woodpeckers and here is a coloring page just like it.

-the birdman-

neat thing about Titmouse name

This is a neat thing I found out the other day about the Titmouse name. The word Titmouse comes from the old Icelandic word mase wich means small and the Anglo-Saxon word tit which means bird. So, the name Titmouse literally means small bird.

-the birdman-

wing banded ring-billed gull

Back in January we saw a wing banded Ring-Billed Gull in the Walmart parking lot. I entered it on a banding website. Today, I got a certificate of appreciation for entering the information. It was banded in Worcester County, Massachusetts a year ago today (3/26/08). It hatched in 2005 or earlier,they do not know the sex of it.
If you ever see a banded bird, write down the band number and the species,location, etc. Then, go to this website and enter the information. They will send you a certificate with all of its info. This is not just for fun, it also helps scientists track them. Scientists can learn important stuff about birds behavior,movement and other important things.

-the birdman-

Wordless Wednesday: Surprise Pie...we made it ourselves

the great backyard bird count...

Don't forget to mark your calendar to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count, February 13-16,2009!
For more info visit The great backyard bird count website!