/r/Ornithology

Photograph via snooOG

Welcome to Ornithology, a subreddit dedicated to the scientific study of wild birds.

This is a place to discuss wild birds in a scientific context — their biology, ecology, evolution, behavior, and more.

Welcome to Ornithology, a subreddit dedicated to the scientific study of wild birds.

This is a place to discuss wild birds in a scientific context — their biology, ecology, evolution, behavior, and more.


RULES:

  1. No posts about pet birds.

  2. No posts or comments supporting harming birds.

  3. Keep comments and posts civil and non-toxic.

For bird ID posts: r/whatsthisbird.


Everything you need to know about:

Avian Biology


Other Bird Subreddits:

/r/BirdPics

/r/Birding

/r/BirdsofPrey

/r/WhatsThisBird


/r/Ornithology

308,479 Subscribers

10

I saw this bird today drink out of the small puddle in front of it. How do birds like this survive drinking stuff like that? Is it even water?

Even if it is water, look at all the stains on the pavement around it. Wouldn’t it be contaminated with oils from cars and other things. I assume birds like this drink from puddles in parking lots a lot. Wouldn’t it make them sick or though. They’re so tiny it seems like drinking just a little bit of that gross puddle water could kill them. Can they tell the difference between a puddle of oil or of water?

4 Comments
2024/03/29
07:52 UTC

2

Living in South California Coastal area, How do I make my garden good living environment for California gnatcatcher?

I live in OC, CA. There is a pair of california gnatcatcher (I believe) recently comes to my garden. I don't know where they nesting, but they often look for food in my garden soils, and singing on my tree before sunset.

I'm thinking to plant some flowers and plants so that they can enjoy their time here. I asked GPT for some advices. It says these kind of birds eat insects, spiders and berries. It gives a list of plants good for such birds. Are these good plants/flowers for birds ? What you guys think ?

https://preview.redd.it/cmefab25b7rc1.png?width=662&format=png&auto=webp&s=57269755dc5bd0a78aa3c38341371bc4036df5de

https://preview.redd.it/b7m8tn2da7rc1.png?width=519&format=png&auto=webp&s=17e674bbff00ac4e23fdb2150ac5da1bc7a1e2dc

https://preview.redd.it/bxw41qtab7rc1.png?width=1536&format=png&auto=webp&s=b5decb1104c333697b9bce1eb12258aa18a3c3c1

2 Comments
2024/03/29
04:32 UTC

42

Sad news, we lost another roadrunner chick today. I believe it's too early in the season and there is not enough food. Just one nestling left, hope it will make it!

9 Comments
2024/03/29
03:03 UTC

0

Nest Relocation?

hi, i have a wren pair that built their nest on my porch just under the edge of my grill. it’s quite lovely watching them but there are crows trying to get at the eggs. mom and dad have successfully managed to fight them off but i was curious if there was a way i could move it into a nesting box? the box would replace the junk the nest is currently on but instead of being exposed, the opening would keep bigger birds at bay. i know that moving the nest isn’t supposed to be done unless it’s absolutely necessary because they could abandon it which is why i haven’t done anything but just curious if there’s anyway to make this happen?

they aren’t too scared of me obviously considering they built it on my porch that i’m out on very often. i’ve been leaving very small amounts of food and water out for her and dad which they’ve been eating.

thanks in advance :)

5 Comments
2024/03/29
02:03 UTC

0

Help with bird?

There's a loggerhead shrike with a nest of 4 eggs on a palm tree about 6 feet away from my front door and I've grown pretty emotionally attached to the nest and really want to help.

Unfortunately the branch the nest is on isn't very safe for the nest, strong winds have very close to making the nest falI. I got a ladder and secured it pretty good with some bungie cords so the branch can withstand the strong winds a bit better and it seems to be working.

Is there anything I could/should do to help further? I really want them to prosper.

2 Comments
2024/03/29
01:34 UTC

20

Possible Bald Eagle Sighting

I was out walking my dog today in Libertyville, IL, when I saw two large raptors flying above the neighboring marsh. At first, I thought they were hawks. Then, I noticed distinct white markings on the heads and tail. Anyone able to tell from my extremely poor video if these are Bald Eagles? It’s been my dream to encounter them in the wild for years!

11 Comments
2024/03/29
00:37 UTC

136

White headed female cardinal?

Am I going crazy or is this what I think it is?

12 Comments
2024/03/28
22:35 UTC

7

Cooper’s Hawk makes a lot of noise — why?

Recently we’ve had an influx of smaller birds due to mating season and new feeders. As has happened before, it’s attracted a Cooper’s Hawk. And as before, I’m curious why it calls so much and so loudly. I haven’t seen it up close so I don’t know whether it’s a juvenile, if that makes a difference. We have had dorky young’uns around here in previous years.

It just seems like announcing your presence to all the prey in the area would be counterproductive. Unless it’s calling for another reason? Informing the local population that there’s a hot new restaurant? Trying to find a mate? Or both?

4 Comments
2024/03/28
19:31 UTC

25

Great spotted woodpecker

1 Comment
2024/03/28
15:42 UTC

34

Crimson breasted shrike

Heard a call I've never heard before and quickly hopped out of my car to take a pic with my phone! Pretoria, South Africa

1 Comment
2024/03/28
10:46 UTC

61

I am so excited to share an update!

Omg you all! It has been 46 days since my owl became widowed. And here tonight I was trying to sleep after having had a bad day. Out of no where I hear two owls outside my window talking to each other!

That means my widowed owl left, found a mate and brought them back home! I hadn’t heard a peep since the third night after the death (they were calling out for their mate for the first three nights). But tonight the two are calling back and forth non stop! I couldn’t be happier to hear this! I can’t wait to spot them during the day. I hope they are nesting! Here is the original post:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ornithology/s/usSQAUrcxg

11 Comments
2024/03/28
04:14 UTC

165

Two roadrunner chicks are growing fast!

10 Comments
2024/03/28
01:06 UTC

122

Did I just witness a private intimate moment?

Sitting on my balcony and notice one dove hop on the back of another. I thought maybe they were fighting at first but I think maybe they were fuckin.

35 Comments
2024/03/28
00:09 UTC

115

A coordinated exit of two trumpeter swans visiting the pond this afternoon

9 Comments
2024/03/27
19:06 UTC

10

Why is this bird displaying this behavior?

This bird (I believe it’s a Robin, this is Eastern Tennessee) does this all day until someone walks into the kitchen and or goes to the door. Started about a week ago. Anyone know why or have a hypothesis? If this is the wrong sub please direct me to the right one. Thank you

8 Comments
2024/03/27
13:38 UTC

6

Bird strike solutions that go inside windows

Hi all! A pigeon just flew into my bedroom window (again) and I'd like to install something to prevent further incidents. The problem is, the solutions I've found online generally require you to attach something to the window's exterior, which I can't do, since my bedroom is on the first floor and there's no roof below it. We do have a ladder, but I'm afraid of heights - is there a solution that I can deploy from inside my room?

8 Comments
2024/03/27
13:04 UTC

132

I just moved in this house and there is a great egret who just comes in the house!

17 Comments
2024/03/27
04:15 UTC

9

Help me find this bird that hides under lily pads?

I am looking for this bird I saw a video on tiktok of a few years ago that was small enough to climb between the stalks of tall lily pads to hide under in order to hunt? I don't think it was a jacana bc I can't find videos of them doing that specific behavior. It wasn't walking on them it was carefully gripping the stems to use the lily pad as cover in order to hunt fish. (Starting to get worried I dreamt this but I'm 85% sure this was a real video of a real bird that I saw in like 2021 so it probably wasn't AI)

I'd try r/whatsthisbird but the it's private? Or maybe I'm just reddit illiterate

10 Comments
2024/03/27
03:57 UTC

17

Most aggressive species?

There are lists everywhere about the most dangerous species of bird you can encounter, but what in your opinion are the most aggressive? I.e. a pit bull may be more dangerous than a chihuahua pound for pound but a chihuahua may be way more aggressive

44 Comments
2024/03/27
03:05 UTC

712

Found it in my balcony

Are Eurasian hoopoes rare?

47 Comments
2024/03/27
01:46 UTC

52

I desperately want to learn absolutely everything about American Crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) from books, websites, and scholarly articles. Can I have some recommendations?

There's two or so families of American Crows that I've befriended in the neighborhood over the past few years.

Their behavior and intelligence is constantly surprising and delighting me:

  • They steal pieces of tiles from roofs and place it on the grass. They periodically flip these tiles over to check for bugs hiding from the sun.

  • they've given us multiple gifts (and stopped when we started feeding other family groups).

  • there's crows with deformities, and possibly one that is developmentally delayed, that are cared for by their family.

  • Crows with visible illness (mainly avian pox in this area) are immediately and violently chased away from gatherings

Now that it's nesting season and I'm seeing my buddies less, I want to spend the time learning as much as I possibly can about them to better communicate with and understand them.

14 Comments
2024/03/27
01:44 UTC

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