Green Heron – Foraging Butorides virescens July – Texas L=18” ...... WS=26” ....... WT=7 oz Order: Ciconiiformes (Herons, Ibises, Storks, New World Vultures, Allies) Family: Ardeidae (Herons, Egrets, Bitterns)
Red-winged Blackbird – Feeding in a rice field Agelaius phoenicens December – Texas L=8.75” ...... WS=13” ....... WT=1.8 oz Order: Passeriformes (Passerine Birds) Family: Icteridae (Blackbirds, Orioles, Allies) The Red-winged Blackbird is probably the most abundant bird in North America with a U.S. population estimated at over 200 million. Migration occurs from the northern portion of the breeding range to the southern portion. Accordingly, populations in the southern U.S. increase substantially during the winter months. This blackbird is well known for having huge roosting groups, which can exceed 1 million birds in the non-breeding season, and for damaging important food crops such as corn, sunflowers, and rice. In the accompanying photograph a flock of Red-winged Blackbirds were feeding in rice fields, some of which had already been harvested and some of which had not. The local farmers take no extraordinary actions against these flocks but use a simple two-part strategy - (i) all farmers in the area plant concurrently and (ii) harvests are timed to occur before the onslaught of migrating birds. When this strategy is employed the farmers claim losses to blackbirds of 25% of the crop. When a isolated field is harvested late, as was the case in this situation, losses generally run in excess of 90%.
Osprey – Emerging from water after an unsuccessful divePandion haliaetus December – Texas L=23” ...... WS=63” ...... WT=3.5 lb Order: Falconiformes (Diurnal birds of prey) Family: Accipitridae (Hawks and allies) Osprey, or as they are sometimes called “fish hawks”, are unique among North American raptors in that they eat live fish almost exclusively. To capture prey they dive into the water from a long glide or a hovering position. The dive ends with drama as both the head and feet of the Osprey enter the water. Since they can only penetrate the upper three feet of the water they must hunt for top feeding fish or in shallows.
