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Author Topic: don't know much about birds...  (Read 9198 times)

Offline artsub

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don't know much about birds...
« on: November 29, 2007, 07:28:40 PM »
boy was i surprised to look out my living room window and see a bird hanging out on the fire escape that measured almost 3 feet on the diagonal. would that have been a hawk?
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Offline NYCMacUser

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Re: don't know much about birds...
« Reply #1 on: November 29, 2007, 10:27:44 PM »
Did it look like this?



This is the infamous Fifth Avenue-dwelling red-tailed hawk Pale Male. He and his family are well known to most New Yorkers and birders. Red-tailed hawks are seen in urban areas and NYC, however, Pale Male (named by birdwatcher and author Marie Winn) was the first known to nest on a building in the city. In 1993, Pale Male set up home at 927 Fifth Ave (at 74th Street). In true obsessive New York style, birders set up camp at the boat pond in Central Park for years and documented the life of Pale Male, his mate Lola and their offspring with telescopes, cameras and video equipment. A book was written and a Nature documentary was made in 2003. In 2004, the story became international news when the coop building residents decided to remove the nest and the anti-pigeon spikes used to support it. International outcry resulted in reestablishment of a nest support.
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Offline artsub

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Re: don't know much about birds...
« Reply #2 on: November 30, 2007, 12:05:54 AM »
i didn't get a really good look at it except to be struck by how big it was. when i went to get my camera, it flew away. it was as big or bigger than the pix you sent, but it's feathers were not that patterned. it was more of a mixed dark gray color and it looked much scruffier. anyway, it must have been some kind of a hawk. thanks for the graphic picture.
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Offline NYC Native

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Re: don't know much about birds...
« Reply #3 on: April 28, 2009, 09:10:11 PM »
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Offline madalyn

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Re: don't know much about birds...
« Reply #4 on: April 30, 2009, 12:43:51 PM »
It most probably WAS a Red-Tailed Hawk.  That would be the largest bird we have around our neighborhood and they have definitely been sighted here.

To: NYC Native - that bird photo you posted gave me a good laugh.  I used to see them all over the place in my Timothy Leary days!
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Offline NYC Native

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Re: don't know much about birds...
« Reply #5 on: April 30, 2009, 10:44:45 PM »
WOW!!...Timothy Leary...That's a whole other thread...LOL

SO, were you one of the 300?   :D

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Offline madalyn

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Re: don't know much about birds...
« Reply #6 on: May 01, 2009, 07:57:57 AM »
Can't post now....that psychedelic design is pulling me into its vortex....it's swallowing up the whole room....must get help!!!.....where are those big yellow birds when you really need them???
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Offline madalyn

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Re: don't know much about birds...
« Reply #7 on: May 01, 2009, 09:49:00 AM »
 P.S. to Artsub:  How does a bird get measured "on the diagonal"?
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Offline NYC Native

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Re: don't know much about birds...
« Reply #8 on: May 07, 2009, 06:23:40 PM »
Quote from: madalyn on May 01, 2009, 09:49:00 AM
P.S. to Artsub:  How does a bird get measured "on the diagonal"?

Ask your cat!...LOL


Frustration!! 
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Offline buddy

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Re: don't know much about birds...
« Reply #9 on: May 10, 2009, 09:14:41 AM »
oh good, bird stories.  I have two.  They're from being in Conn. but anyone who likes birds will appreciate them.  the other day, while sitting in my yard, I saw the most gorgeous ORANGE bird at my water garden.  BRIGHT ORANGE, like a tropical bird's color, but average bird size and nothing else unusual about it's markings.  But I've never seen a bright orange bird before and I couldn't help think, "someone's pet flew out their window."  Nothing I could do unfortunately.

but the second story I was able to do something.  A young bird flew into my garage since the door was up.  Back of the garage has windows and it was trying like crazy to fly threw the glass.  I knew it would end up killing itself so I found a box and after awhile managed to get it inside the box long enough to redirect him away from the window.  He flew back to the outside.  HURRAY. HAPPY ENDING. 
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Offline madalyn

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Re: don't know much about birds...
« Reply #10 on: May 10, 2009, 10:23:27 AM »
The only wild orange bird I know of around this part of the country is Northern or Baltimore Oriole, which is black& orange.  There is also a Scarlet Tanager, which is more reddish orange, with black wings.

Thanks for rescuing the garage bird.  For a host of reasons, song birds are having a really hard time surviving these days.

If you put up a bird feeder in the country, you will see an amazing variety of birds.
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Offline buddy

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Re: don't know much about birds...
« Reply #11 on: May 17, 2009, 10:16:44 AM »
the orange bird wasn't close enough to really see much except that it was a bright colored bird.

I have a water fall/ water pond and sometimes I see birds bathing in the water.  I've thought about a bird feeder but aren't there different foods for diff. birds?  How would I pick?  My friend gave me a home made gourd/bird house.  I've put it up in the back of the yard but I've yet to see any birds nesting in it. 
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Offline madalyn

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Re: don't know much about birds...
« Reply #12 on: May 17, 2009, 04:58:25 PM »
Birds are pretty specific about what type of structure they need for nesting.  or example, if you have a bird house and the opening is too large, smaller birds will not use it.  I'm not sure what type of bird would use a gourd for a nest.  You may find some info on Google about this.  Also,wherever did your friend got it, they probably can tell you for whom it was intended.

You can buy ready-made mixtures of bird seed that will entice most seed-eating birds.  They usually contain things like millet, sunflower seed, cracked corn, thistle seeds.  Some birds like robins are insect eaters.  They will get their own food by pulling up worms from the ground and eating whatever type of insect they can catch.

Also, if you have a bird feeder, the best type have several perches for birds to stand on while they select seeds.  This is because not many birds can eat seeds on-the-fly.

The big problem with bird feeders is that squirrels think they are squirrel feeders.  Even the most cleverly designed "squirrel-proof" ones will only deter them for a little while.  I guess everyone has to eat and the enjoyment you will get from seeing so many lovely birds is well worth putting up with a few greedy squirrels!
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