Discover the expert in you.
Discover the expert in you.
The osprey (Pandion haliaetus) has a worldwide distribution, occurring on every continent with the exception of Antarctica. It lives along the entire Australian coastline, across much of Europe and Asia, as well as most of the non-desert regions of Africa. In the western hemisphere, the osprey survives on a diet almost entirely of fish and lives in both South and North America, according to National Geographic,
When choosing a backpack for your next hiking trip, it is important to consider each pack's specifications before making a decision. The Osprey Aether 45 is a high-quality frameless pack with easy access to gear and internal accessories. While not the biggest of Osprey packs, the Aether 45 has heavy duty buckles, is made of durable material and weighs in around 2.5 pounds.
Game birds are wild and traditionally hunted for human consumption. The most common game birds in North America include the pheasant, the quail, the grouse, the wild turkey and wild ducks known as mallards. Hunting game birds is a popular sport but is regulated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as well as state agencies to conserve species. Game birds have specific hunting seasons defined by species and may be hunted only with proper licenses and in specified areas.
Two species of eagles are found in North America---the golden eagle and the bald eagle. Both are skilled hunters and birds of prey, although one will often resort to stealing food from other raptors when the situation arises. The bald eagle is the national emblem of the United States, while the golden eagle earned the same honor in Mexico.
Magpies belong to the same family (Corvidae) as other birds thought to be quite intelligent--the crows, ravens and jays. Two types of magpies occur in the United States, with the black-billed magpie having a much larger range in the West, as opposed to the yellow-billed magpie. Magpies are omnivores, eating many different things and often stealing food from other animals and birds.
Birdwatching is a fast-growing outdoor recreational activity in the United States, and Florida, home to almost 500 species, is one of the states best suited to it. Indeed, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has opened a program called the Florida Birding Trail, intended to "conserve and enhance Florida's bird habitat" by highlighting birdwatching activities and providing conservational education. There are various hotspots throughout the state, all offering opportunities to spot distinct species.
The ptarmigan, a close relative of the grouse, is a species of bird that exists in alpine settings and on the tundra of the northern hemisphere. The three subspecies of ptarmigan all live in Canada and portions of the United States. In Alaska, the willow ptarmigan is the state bird.
Flamingos are colorful wading birds with a global distribution, existing in the New World as well as Asia, Africa and parts of Europe. Most species have a pink color to their plumage, which comes from their diet. The pigment contained in certain algae and crustaceans turn the feathers pink, which is a trademark of the flamingo. The flamingo has certain adaptations that allow it to live in the ecosystems it inhabits.
No raptor species has a larger range than the osprey. Often called a fish hawk because of its diet, the osprey is present on all continents with the exception of Antarctica. An osprey is skilled at finding fish and capturing them with their talons after literally diving into the water. No other raptor in North America practices such behavior.
No other species of goose in the world is rarer than the Nene (Branta sandwicensis), Hawaii's state bird. There were perhaps as many as 25,000 of these geese in the island chain prior to the arrival of explorers in the late 1700s, but by the middle of the 1900s, as few as 30 remained. Efforts to repopulate the islands with the Nene appear to have succeeded for the most part, as the Nene struggles against the specter of extinction.
The “National Audubon Society Field Guide to Birds” states that of the 94 kinds of kingfishers in the world, three reside in the United States. Two live in the Southwest close to the Mexican border, but one has a range that covers nearly the entire North American continent. This is the belted kingfisher, as accomplished an angler as the most expert human being could be.
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology website says the red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) is among the most plentiful birds in all of North America, with numbers possibly as high as 200 million, according to the Chipper Woods Bird Observatory website. The birds live in flocks and are easy to spot as they sit and sing on perches like cattails. Their range covers nearly the entire continent.
The sparrow is a well-camouflaged bird, typically brown with some striping. Many species of sparrows live in the United States. Sparrows are some of the most difficult birds to identify because of the similarities among species.
A chubby songbird that walks along the bottom of mountain brooks and streams looking for something to eat sounds fantastic, but that describes the American dipper, the only aquatic songbird species in North America.
