Birdwatching is just now becoming a sport, even though it has been around for many years now. This sport is also known as “birding,” birdwatching folks of all ages are enjoying one of the fastest growing hobbies in America today. Together, these people of all ages are searching for birds in their area to watch in their natural habitat and while listening to their various songs. Birdwatching really is quite fascinating since birds are able to reveal numerous things about nature and the beauty that surrounds it. 7
Nature’s sights and sounds are very familiar to the keen eyes and ears of people who enjoy birdwatching. Watching birds darting through the woods while making music that most people call a “chirp.” However, those who are into birdwatching can tell you what the general species of birds are and then narrow it down to the exact bird that it is. 7
There are more than 900 species of birds throughout the United States. Those who are into birdwatching must be able to quickly distinguish between these birds by analyzing their call, color and shape of their wings and bills. As you can imagine, you really have to be observant of how a bird moves, flies and reacts to their environment. This takes several months of hard work to learn and requires a great deal of patience as well. 7
As it turns out, living in a city and watching birds is hardly a contradiction. Modern birdwatching is virtually an urban invention. Institutions of higher learning where bird skins were available, not to mention collection curators who brought their indoor learning outdoors, were virtual prerequisites as birdwatching came of age. 13
Birdwatching also helps people to relate to nature. Birds are also interesting because they are so accessible. This is not to say that you will not find the same species of birds from one country to the next but they are very different in looks and also in the way in which they interact with the environment. 7
KS: The group is lucky to spot the small, brightly-colored woodpecker. This morning strong winds from the tail-end of a storm have kept most migrating birds huddled on the mainland, waiting to gather their strength for the hop across the Lake Erie Island archipeligo. Some of these birdwatchers seem a little disappointed. They were hoping to spot more of the species on their Ohio bird checklists. But others are content to just to tag along. 42
Every year there’s a nationwide bird count in February. Volunteers count the birds they see in their backyard or other spots. The more who participate, the more accurate the count becomes. 10
But town dwellers have opportunities too. In any urban garden a wide variety of town birds can be seen; especially with a little bit of encouragement. Introduce a nut feeder and a bird table and, abracadabra, in an amazingly short space of time there will be blue tits, robins, blackbirds, sparrows and various finches; if you’re lucky there might be the odd nuthatch. The tiny wren might hop about underneath, picking up any titbits and, if, they all suddenly scatter for no apparent reason, look up to the skies and search for the shape of a sparrowhawk, on the lookout for an unwary prey. 37
The Pacaya Samiria National Reserve (PSNR) is the largest protected area in the peruvian amazon. It has 449 species of birds registered, grouped in 288 geniuses and 61 families. In the PSNR, there are different kind of habitats, with the predominance of birds in aquatic habitats. 41
It has a high biological diversity and the most extended white-sand forest in the Peruvian Amazon. There are 475 species of birds that have been registered, some of them only known in this area. 41
In Auburn, 1,179 birds were counted. The top ten numbers of birds seen together at any one time in 2007 included: American robin, 174; chipping sparrow, 107; Northern cardinal, 72; yellow-rumped warbler, 70; white-throated sparrow, 65; American goldfinch, 54; house finch, 52; blue jay, 44; American crow, 44; and tufted titmouse, 43. 38
Furthermore, at the end of your trip you will have observed birds from the 4000m to the 450m zone, including many rare and endemic species! A good part of the trip will be spent in the Pantiacolla mountains, in the foothills of the Andes, which have proved to be an extremely prolific bird habitat. Many of the species are endemic to the area, extremely rare, or found at altitudes different from their normal range. Pantiacolla Lodge is now constructing a network of trails covering at least eight different habitats, including the small oxbow lake, as well as observation platforms, hides near the Round-tailed Manakin lek and the only clay lick ever found for the range-restricted Blue-hooded Macaw, an observation tower near a huge fig tree and benches at the miradors, and a platform on the first Pantiacolla summit (appr. 41
KS: Today’s bird walk is just part of a special event that’s brought together bird experts from all over the region. Audubon Society members are celebrating the designation of Kelleys Island as an Important Bird Area. Events like an annual hawk watch and seasonal bird banding have helped document the number and diversity of species that migrate through the island. Kevin Metcalf is a naturalist with the Cleveland Metroparks. 42
Birds are the closest living relatives of the dinosaurs-a shocking fact. Perhaps birding is the adult fulfillment of a childhood fascination. Except that birds aren’t extinct (though many species teeter on the brink). The more you look at birds, the more you feel remnants of their cold-blooded reptile past; the pitiless round eye and mechanical beak somehow tell you that if you were the size of an ant they’d peck you up in a second. 13
Reptiles, frogs and other life forms are equally well represented. The Cape fynbos region is home to an astonishing 8500 plant species and is considered to be one of the world’s eight Floristic Regions. The plants in this winter rainfall area are characterized by relatively small leaves and include many varieties of erica and protea. The Karoo is a semi-arid scrubland, but it is a botanist’s dream because of its astonishing number of hardy and succulent plants. The much-celebrated Namaqualand region is renowned for its springtime (late Augustearly September) displays of colorful flowers. True forests are sparse in South Africa, with only small patches on the south coast near Knysna and Transkei, and along the Northern KwaZulu-Natal coast and in the eastern escarpment. Acacia, combretum and mopane dominatethe sub-tropical lowlands, with taller, evergreen trees along rivers and watercourses. 49
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