Mourning Dove

Mourning Dove - Spec. Name:  Zenaida Macroura

This is a member of the dove family (Columbidae). The bird is also called the Western Turtle Dove or the American Mourning Dove or Rain Dove, and formerly was known as the Carolina Pigeon or Carolina Turtledove. It is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American birds. It is also the leading gamebird, with up to 70 million birds shot annually in the U.S., both for sport and for meat. Its ability to sustain its population under such pressure stems from its prolific breeding: in warm areas, one pair may raise up to six broods a year. Its plaintive woo-oo-oo-oo call gives the bird its name. The wings can make an unusual whistling sound upon take-off and landing, and the bird is a strong flier, capable of speeds up to 88 km/h (55 mph).

Mourning Doves are light grey and brown and generally muted in color. Males and females are similar in appearance. The species is generally monogamous, with two squabs (young) per brood. Both parents incubate and care for the young. Mourning Doves eat almost exclusively seeds, but the young are fed crop milk by their parents.

The Mourning Dove is a medium-sized, slender dove approximately 31 cm (12 in) in length. Mourning Doves weigh an average of 4 to 6 ounces. The elliptical wings are broad, and the head is rounded. Its tail is long and tapered ("macroura" comes from the Greek words for "large" and "tail"). Mourning Doves have perching feet, with three toes forward and one reversed. The legs are short and reddish colored. The beak is short and dark, usually a brown-black hue.


The plumage is generally light gray-brown and lighter and pinkish below. The wings have black spotting, and the outer tail feathers are white, contrasting with the black inners. Below the eye is a distinctive crescent-shaped area of dark feathers. The eyes are dark, with light skin surrounding them. The adult male has bright purple-pink patches on the neck sides, with light pink coloring reaching the breast. The crown of the adult male is a distinctly bluish-grey color. Females are similar in appearance, but with more brown coloring overall. The iridescent feather patches on the neck above the shoulders are nearly absent, but can be quite vivid on males. Juvenile birds have a scaly appearance, and are generally darker.

All five subspecies of the Mourning Dove look similar and are not easily distinguishable. The nominate subspecies possesses shorter wings, and is darker and more buff-colored than the "average" Mourning Dove. Z. m. carolinensis has longer wings and toes, a shorter beak, and is darker in color. The Western subspecies has longer wings, a longer beak, shorter toes, and is more muted and lighter in color. The Panama Mourning Dove has shorter wings and legs, a longer beak, and is grayer in color. The Clarion Island subspecies possesses larger feet, a larger beak, and is darker brown in color.



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Inca Tern

Inca Tern - Spec. Name:  Larosterna Inca 

This is a seabird in the family Sternidae. It is the only member of the genus Larosterna.

This uniquely-plumaged bird breeds on the coasts of Peru and Chile, and is restricted to the Humboldt current. It can be identified by its dark grey body, white moustache on the both sides of its head, and red-orange beak and feet.

Inca Tern

The Inca Tern is a large tern, 41cm long. Sexes are similar; the adult is mostly slate-grey with white restricted to the facial plumes and the trailing edges of the wings. The large bill and legs are dark red. Immature birds are purple-brown, and gradually develop the facial plumes.

The Inca Tern breeds on rocky cliffs. It nests in a hollow or burrow or sometimes the old nest of a Humboldt Penguin, and lays one or two eggs. The eggs are incubated for about 4 weeks, and the chicks leave the nest after 7 weeks.

The Inca Tern is a graceful flier but is not a strong swimmer, its webbed feet are too small to propel it through the water effectively. It is, however, able to float on the surface. The Inca Tern fishes for its prey by hovering over water at a height of around 50 feet. The bird then swoops down and emerges almost immediately with its catch. In addition, the birds hover in a big flock when sea lions haul out onto rocks in order to eat. Stealing half chewed fish from the sea lions.The Inca Tern specializes in a high-pitched “laughing” or “cackling” call, often in conjunction with bowing or other gestures.

The displayed photograph I took while visiting fishing town and Resort of Ancon, Peru

Field Sparrow

 Field Sparrow - Spec. Name: Spizella pusilla

This is a small sparrow. Adults have brown upperparts, a light brown breast, a white belly, wing bars and a forked tail. They have a grey face, a rusty crown, a white eye ring and a pink bill.

Their breeding habitat is shrubby fields across eastern North America. The nest is an open cup on the ground under a clump of grass or in a small thicket.

These birds are permanent residents in the southern parts of their range. Northern birds migrate to the southern United States and Mexico.

These birds forage on the ground or in low vegetation, mainly eating insects and seeds. They may feed in small flocks outside the nesting season.

The male sings from a higher perch, such as a shrub or fencepost, which indicates his ownership of the nesting territory. The song is a series of sad whistles ending in a trill.

This bird's numbers expanded as settlers cleared forests in eastern North America, but may have declined in more recent times.

From my own observations I had the Field Sparrows visiting my feeders since day one, during all four seasons. From what I gather, the number of Field Sparrows has increased in my area contrary to the national count.