Saturday, May 14, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
"The Birds of New Jersey" - Book Review
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| "The Birds of New Jersey" |
When I received the book, I immediately began reading it. This is what I found:
- I was surprised to find out that New Jersey had such a variety of birds!
- It was very easy to get a brief yet accurate description and relevant information about the species and their habitats.The pictorial samples are a complement in vivid color.. All these is accompanied by a location map quite helpful to know the appropriate habitats, maps are coded in various colors, -“They are better color coded and make more sense that our Homeland Security’s Warning codes”.- I was delighted to find how comprehensive and easy was to read, without going into so deep research or study you learn the most relevant facts right away. For my next trip to New Jersey I promise you that this book will be in my backpack. I believe that Mr. Boyle had a “vision” and wrote the book in a way that was not an exclusivity for the elite Ornithologists but for anybody that loves birds and needs information about them. Good work Mr. Boyle!
Reviewed by: H. J. Ruiz -"My Winged Pals"
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Neotropic Cormorant
Neotropic Cormorant - Spec. Name: Phalacrocorax Brasilianus
This bird is 64 cm long with a 100 cm wingspan. Adults males weigh from 1.1 to 1.5 kg, adult females 50 to 100 grams less. Birds of the southern populations tend to be bigger than the more northerly birds. It is small and slender, especially compared to the larger, heavier-looking Double-crested Cormorant. It has a long tail and frequently holds its neck in an S-shape. Adult plumage is mainly black, with a yellow-brown throat patch. During breeding, white tufts appear on the sides of the head, there are scattered white filoplumes on the side of the head and the neck, and the throat patch develops a white edge. The upper wings are somewhat greyer than the rest of the body. Juveniles are brownish in color.
Its diet consists mainly of small fish, but will also eat tadpoles, frogs, and aquatic insects. Information about its prey is sparse, but inland birds seem to feed on small, abundant fish in ponds and sheltered inlets, less than 10 cm in length, with an individual weight of a gram or two, such as Poecilia spp. especially the sailfin molly Poecilia latipinna. This cormorant forages for food by diving underwater, propelling itself by its feet. Its dives are brief, between 5 and 15 seconds. It is also known to forage in groups, with several birds beating the water with their wings to drive fish forward into shallows.
Neotropic Cormorants are monogamous and breed in colonies. The nest is a platform of sticks with a depression in the center circled with twigs and grass. It is built a few metres above the ground or water in bushes or trees. Up to five chalky, bluish-white eggs are laid. Most pairs lay 3 eggs, but the mean number hatched is less than 2. The eggs soon become nest-stained. Both sexes incubate for about 25–30 days, and both parents feed the young until around the 11th week. By week 12, they are independent. One brood is raised per year.
Unlike other cormorants, this bird can often be seen perching on wires.
This bird is largely a permanent resident, with some birds occasionally wandering north in the warmer months.
Photos are © H.J. Ruiz - “My Winged Pals”
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. See Terms of Use for details.
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
This bird is 64 cm long with a 100 cm wingspan. Adults males weigh from 1.1 to 1.5 kg, adult females 50 to 100 grams less. Birds of the southern populations tend to be bigger than the more northerly birds. It is small and slender, especially compared to the larger, heavier-looking Double-crested Cormorant. It has a long tail and frequently holds its neck in an S-shape. Adult plumage is mainly black, with a yellow-brown throat patch. During breeding, white tufts appear on the sides of the head, there are scattered white filoplumes on the side of the head and the neck, and the throat patch develops a white edge. The upper wings are somewhat greyer than the rest of the body. Juveniles are brownish in color.
Its diet consists mainly of small fish, but will also eat tadpoles, frogs, and aquatic insects. Information about its prey is sparse, but inland birds seem to feed on small, abundant fish in ponds and sheltered inlets, less than 10 cm in length, with an individual weight of a gram or two, such as Poecilia spp. especially the sailfin molly Poecilia latipinna. This cormorant forages for food by diving underwater, propelling itself by its feet. Its dives are brief, between 5 and 15 seconds. It is also known to forage in groups, with several birds beating the water with their wings to drive fish forward into shallows.
 |
| Neotropic Cormorants |
Neotropic Cormorants are monogamous and breed in colonies. The nest is a platform of sticks with a depression in the center circled with twigs and grass. It is built a few metres above the ground or water in bushes or trees. Up to five chalky, bluish-white eggs are laid. Most pairs lay 3 eggs, but the mean number hatched is less than 2. The eggs soon become nest-stained. Both sexes incubate for about 25–30 days, and both parents feed the young until around the 11th week. By week 12, they are independent. One brood is raised per year.
Unlike other cormorants, this bird can often be seen perching on wires.
This bird is largely a permanent resident, with some birds occasionally wandering north in the warmer months.
Photos are © H.J. Ruiz - “My Winged Pals”
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. See Terms of Use for details.
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Happy Mother's Day!
My sincere salute to all the mothers of the world! I wish them a happy and wonderful day!
From: H.J. Ruiz - "My Winged Pals"
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