Birds Archives - Page 67 of 79

October 27, 2011May 17, 2019

A Big Year in Utah

Click to view a larger image. Courtesy Utahbirds.org: https://www.utahbirds.org/records/RecordsMain.htm — **Utah Big Year Records**
Courtesy Utahbirds.org/records/

Hi I’m Holly Strand.

Birders are flocking to theaters to see the new movie The Big Year. The story is based on a real life competition among birders in which they race around to count the most birds within a particular geographic boundary in a single calendar year.

To do a Big Year, you need to follow some simple rules. To count a bird it must be alive and wild and unrestrained when encountered. You have to see enough or hear enough of the bird to absolutely be sure it’s the species you are claiming to see. And the bird must be within the prescribed area and time period of your particular Big Year competition. For instance if you are doing a Big Year for the state of Utah, you can’t count a bird that you see across the border in Idaho. However, you can be standing in Idaho looking at a bird in Utah, and you can count it.

To be competitive in a Big Year you have to find ALL the usual or common birds in your designated country, state or area. This means hitting all the major birdwatching spots at critical times during the year. In Utah you might want to start in the southwestern corner of the state picking up desert species such as vermillion flycatcher and greater roadrunner . Then head to the high Uintas to see Rocky Mountain alpine and subalpine birds such as the rosy finch and northern goshawk. You’d want to check out the Great Salt Lake in all four seasons and make frequent trips up and down the Wasatch canyons as different elevation zones harbor different species. Whenever possible you should be scouring wetlands and riparian zones for whoever might be perching, wading or fishing.

To push your count up beyond that of your competitors, you would need to spot rare birds, esp. vagrants. Vagrants are birds who have wandered or been blown off course. For example, when setting the Big Year record in Cache County, Ryan O’Donnell saw an Iceland Gull who was obviously terribly lost. And a Mexican Whip-poor-will that had somehow drifted up from Southern Arizona.

Modern communication technology is incredibly useful for locating rare birds and vagrants. Big Year participants monitor chat lists like Birdnet and BirdTalk run by Utahbirds.org. Ebird also helps spread the news of sightings. Email hotlines operate in several Utah regions. It always helps to maintain a network of birding friends who can text you the location of birds you haven’t seen yet.

Thanks to Frank Howe and Ryan O’Donnell of Utah State University’s Dept. of Wildland Resources for their assistance in developing this Wild About Utah story.

For Wild About Utah, I’m Holly Strand.

Credits:

Table: Courtesy utahbirds.org
Text: Holly Strand

Sources & Additional Reading:

American Bird Association https://www.aba.org/

Utah Birds https://utahbirds.org/

Ebird https://ebird.org/content/ebird/

Bridgerland Audubon Society Cache Birders Hotline https://www.bridgerlandaudubon.org/hotline.htm

Official movie site: https://www.thebigyearmovie.com/

September 29, 2011March 4, 2026

Migratory Birds and Coffee

Western Tanager, click to view larger image, Photo Courtesy and Copyright © 2010 Michael Fish — Western Tanager
Courtesy & Copyright © 2010
Michael Fish

For many of us, the day has not truly begun until we hold a warm mug of richly flavored coffee in our hands. But how often have you considered where that coffee comes from and how its culture impacts wild Utah?

We tend to think of migratory birds as our residents who take a winter vacation to the south every year. But it is more truly the other way around. They are representatives from groups of tropical birds who venture north to take advantage of less crowded nesting and a seasonal abundance of food for their young. For instance, of the 49 species of true tanagers, only 4 summer in the United States. Much of our coffee originates in Central and South America and its production directly affects birds who fly north to nest in Utah.

Traditionally, coffee bushes are grown under a diverse canopy. Some of the trees in the overstory yield timber, others fix nitrogen and still others like papaya provide food. This multi-tiered habitat supports a wide variety of birds that is only exceeded by undisturbed tropical forest itself.

About twenty years ago, coffee production changed radically with the development of varieties that tolerate full sun. This has allowed huge areas of land to be cleared of forest and planted exclusively to row after row of coffee bushes that demand intensive management. More fertilizer and pesticides are needed leading to toxic runoff. Soil erosion increases. Much lovely bird habitat has been destroyed for this barren coffee monoculture. Many migratory bird populations are in trouble due to the loss of their forested winter habitats.

But there is hope for coffee lovers because many farmers still grow coffee in the traditional way. These grower-owned farms tend to be smaller and provide a more reliable income for the farmer due to the diversity of crops. Soil quality is maintained while providing critical habitat for tropical frogs, insects, plants and birds. When purchasing coffee, look for bird friendly or shade grown or certification by Rainforest Alliance or Smithsonian. Our warblers, tanagers and thrushes will thank you.

This is Linda Kervin for Bridgerland Audubon Society.

Credits:

Images: Courtesy & Copyright Michael Fish
Text: Linda Kervin, Bridgerland Audubon Society

Additional Reading:

Shade-Grown Coffee, National Audubon Website, https://web4.audubon.org/bird/at_home/coffee/

Song Bird Coffee, American Birding Association, https://www.aba.org/shadecoffee/songbird.html

Some Coffee-related Resources, American Birding Association, https://www.aba.org/shadecoffee/whattodo.html#Coffee-related%20Resources

Why Migratory Birds are Crazy for Coffee, Migrants and Coffee: What’s the Connection?, National Zoo, Smithsonian Institution, https://nationalzoo.si.edu/scbi/MigratoryBirds/Fact_Sheets/default.cfm?fxsht=1

Why Migratory Birds Are Crazy for Coffee, Atlanta Audubon Society, formerly: https://atlantaaudubon.org/aaswww/sgc/sgcfacts.htm

Smithsonian-Certified Shade Grown & Bird Friendly Coffee, Caffe Ibis, https://caffeibis.com/

September 15, 2011February 12, 2026

Crow vs. Raven

Image of the American Crow, Corvus brachythynchosby, Courtesy and Copyright 2011 Wayne Whaley — Common Raven (Corvus corax)
Bryce Canyon National Park
Courtesy US National Park Service
And found on Wikipedia

American Crow Juvenile & Parent
*(Corvus brachythynchosby)*
Copyright © 2011 Wayne Whaley

American Crow, Orem, UT
*(Corvus brachythynchosby)*
Copyright © 2011 Wayne Whaley

American Crow Pair, Orem, UT
*(Corvus brachythynchosby)*
Copyright © 2011 Wayne Whaley

Hi I’m Holly Strand.

As you might have guessed, the American crow and the common raven are birds of a feather—two closely related species of the same genus Corvus. Both of them are residents of Utah. Together with family members magpies and jays, crows and ravens are among the brainiest animals on the planet.

Many times I’ve heard someone ask “Is that a crow or a raven?” or “What’s the difference between them?”

Perhaps the easiest way to tell these two apart is by size. If you are thinking to yourself “Wow! That’s a huge crow!” You are probably looking at a raven. Ravens can weigh over 2.5 pounds while crows typically weigh less than 1. The Raven’s wingspan can clear 4.5 feet while that of crows is less than 3. Proportional to their bodies, the bill on a Raven is larger and thicker.
The crow has a thinner, more pointed bill.

Take a look at the tail in flight: a crow tail is fan shaped with a straight tail edge. A raven tail has a rounded wedge shape.

In the air, ravens usually soar, while crows will flap a lot more. It’s not always apparent why, but some ravens will perform acrobatic rolls during flight—usually half rolls, but sometimes full rolls and even double rolls!

Common ravens are abundant throughout Utah, They can be found in almost all habitats and in all seasons. They are more wilderness-oriented than crows who prefer forest edges, savannas, agricultural fields and urbanized areas. In cities and towns humans provide lots of easy food in the form of garbage. The crows’ intelligence allows them to take advantage of novel food items– like pizza and Cheetos–that don’t really resemble food in the wild.

Finally, listen to the difference in sound: Here are two crows calling—an adult and a juvenile https://xeno-canto.org/72977 . Now listen to the throatier sound of the raven https://xeno-canto.org/12581 [Updated February 11, 2026]
Crows will also scream, rattle, whine and coo, but most of the time they just caw. Ravens have a richer, more complex vocabulary. They’ll scream, trill, knock, croak, cackle, warble, yell, and kaw. Young birds reared in isolation have even been taught to say “Nevermore.”

Thanks to Ryan O’Donnell and Andrew Spencer for their recordings available on the web at www.xeno-canto.org

For Wild About Utah, I’m Holly Strand.

Credits:

Sources & Additional Reading:

Boarman, William I. and Bernd Heinrich. v1.9 March 4, 2020. Common Raven (Corvus corax), The Birds of the World. Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of the World: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/comrav/cur/introduction [Updated February 11, 2026]

Kilham, Lawrence. 1989. The American crow and the common raven. W. L. Moody Jr. Natural History Series. College Station: Texas A&M University Press. https://www.amazon.com/American-Common-Raven-Natural-History/dp/0890964661/ [Updated February 11, 2026]

Marzluff, John M. 2005. In the company of crows and ravens. Yale University Press. https://www.amazon.com/Company-Crows-Ravens-John-Marzluff/dp/0300122551/ [Updated February 11, 2026]

Savage, Candace Sherk , 1997. Bird brains: the intelligence of crows, ravens, magpies, and jays. Sierra Club Books. https://www.amazon.com/Bird-Brains-Intelligence-Ravens-Magpies/dp/1771644257/ [Updated February 11, 2026]

Verbeek, N. A. and C. Caffrey. v1.5, December 24, 2025. American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos), The Birds of the World Online. Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of the World Online: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/amecro/cur/introduction [Updated February 11, 2026]

August 11, 2011January 24, 2021

Fitting the bill

Few among us would choose to eat a steak with a spoon or soup with a fork. And in the world of birds, it’s the same story – you need the right tool for the right job – and you can tell a lot about a bird by paying attention to its beak.Fitting the bill

Physiologically, beaks are a specialized extension of the skull and are coated in keratin – the same material that makes up our fingernails. And like our fingernails, the cutting edges of the beak can be re-grown as they are worn down by use.

Birds use beaks for a multitude of tasks including preening, weaving nests, and defending territories. However it is the task of eating that seems to dictate beak shape and size. Envision the hummingbird, for instance. Its long, thin beak – and corresponding tongue – is designed to reach deep into flowers to collect the nectar within. A hummingbird beak would not work for a woodpecker or a great horned owl. Likewise an eagle’s beak needs to be sharp and strong for tearing flesh, and wouldn’t suit the lifestyle of an ibis or a sparrow.

One Utah native, the aptly-named red crossbill, has one of the most unique beaks around. When closed, its curved top and bottom bills overlap crossways in what looks like an awkward and uncomfortable pose.

French naturalist Count Buffon, first laid eyes on a crossbill in the mid-1700’s. The bird was collected in the Americas, then shipped abroad for examination. Without observing the crossbill in its natural habitat, Buffon labeled its beak “an error and defect of nature, and a useless deformity.” More than 50 years later, Scottish-American naturalist Alexander Wilson observed a crossbill in the wild and determined that its beak ‘deformity’ was in reality a magnificently adapted tool. The crossbill’s diet consists mainly of the seeds of conifer trees, and it turns out that the bird’s curiously crossed beak is perfectly adapted to prying apart the scales of pinecones to get at the seeds within.

Members of the finch family, these birds are often seen in flocks and occasionally visit backyard feeders. They are easily identified by their unique beaks, which serve as a reminder that the right tool for the right job can sometimes seem a bit unconventional.

For more information and photographs of crossbills, visit our website at www.wildaboututah.org. Thank you to Rocky Mountain Power Foundation for supporting the research and development of this Wild About Utah topic.

For the Stokes Nature Center and Wild About Utah, this is Andrea Liberatore.
Fitting the Bill-Credits:
Fitting the Bill
Photos: Courtesy & Copyright Paul Higgins(phiggins)www.pbase.com/phiggins
Text: Andrea Liberatore, Stokes Nature Center, logannature.org

Fitting the Bill-Additional Reading:

Benkman, Craig W. 1987. Crossbill Foraging Behavior, Bill Structure, and Patterns of Food Profitability. The Wilson Bulletin 99(3) p. 351-368 https://www.uwyo.edu/benkman/pdfs%20of%20papers/benkman_1987_wilsonbull.pdf

Conniff, Richard. 2011. The Species Seekers: Heroes, Fools and the Mad Pursuit of Life on Earth. W.W. Norton & Company: NY https://www.amazon.com/Species-Seekers-Heroes-Fools-Pursuit/dp/0393341321

Pearson, T. Gilbert (ed.). 1936. Birds of America. Garden City Publishing Company, Inc. Garden City, NY https://www.amazon.com/T-Gilbert-Pearson/dp/1331531268/ref=pd_lpo_14_t_0/144-1525643-4789824

Fitting the bill
Fitting the bill
Fitting the bill