How well Do You Know the Cranes of the World?

There are 15 species of Cranes on all continents except South America and Antarctica.

After watching the video about the Demoiselle Crane I was determined to learn more about these extraordinary birds. You will too.
The villagers of Khichan, India feed the Cranes.
http://youtu.be/OJZcjZd_vvE
Migration of the Demoiselle Cranes above the Himalayan Mountains
http://youtu.be/XWruZlnI71M

Black Crowned Cranes live in Africa south of the Sahara.
http://youtu.be/y3_iS3SV-JU
Two Black Crowned Cranes calling
http://youtu.be/IgiBMxPSQrI

Wattled Cranes are found in Africa and south of the Sahara.
http://youtu.be/ugXQm4LrjYY


Japan Red Crowned Cranes Dance
https://youtu.be/-o4xsvE1p-g

Sandhill Crane

Sandhill Crane Dance and calls
http://youtu.be/TZczB4mmw0k

Sandhill Crane Postcard by gramabarb

Live Bird Feeders - as it happens!

When you can't have your own birdfeeders anymore it is wonderful to enjoy live birdfeeders on your computer screen. The birds are coming and going in real time.

The first birdfeeder is situated in Ithaca, NY on the edge of both Sapsucker Woods and its 10-acre pond.
Cornell Lab Bird Cam

Back Porch Bird Feeder Cam on Whidbey Island, WA
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/katersch Thank you for all your hard work in providing this wonderful site.

A Cornell Lab Bird Feeder in Ontario, Canada This bird cam is in an excellent northern site that provide much winter data for the study of birds at Cornell Lab University.
http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/channel/38/FeederWatch_Cam/

Australia Backyard Bird Cam time zone example:
Vancouver (Canada - British Columbia) Monday, December 29, 2014 at 2:00:00 PM
Sydney (Australia - New South Wales) Tuesday, December 30, 2014 at 9:00:00 AM

By the owner on FB: "Set in Goulburn AUSTRALIA (New South Wales) you will see an array of wildlife all year round. The odd kangaroo hopping through by chance or be sure to see plently of wildbirds feeding in my garden."
Thank you for all your hard work that goes into running a quality site. A pleasure to visit.
Click on Backyard Galah Cam

List of Australia birds http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/birds/Featured-Bird-Groups

Facebook page

Note for Australia backyards watch out for the red bellied black snake.

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Little House Backyard Bird Feeder Cam at Kansas City
http://ww.tomnliz.com/Livecam/

Littlehouse On The Prairie Village Facebook

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Sabal Palm Sanctuary Live Bird Feeder Cam, Texas
http://sabalpalmsanctuary.org/feedercam/

Sabal Palm Sanctuary is a 557-acre (225-hectare) nature reserve and bird sanctuary located in the delta of the Rio Grande Valley in Cameron County near Brownsville.
http://youtu.be/NwKfmMH9aGU

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Allen Birdcam situated in Pretoria,South African garden.
http://wildearth.tv/cam/allen-birdcam

African Bird list with links to their sounds

http://www.allenbirdcam.com/index.php/wildlife

A 13 minute youtube Pretoria birds that are identified. Excellent!
http://youtu.be/MgPaQsoB3UY

South African birds that are identfied and accompanied with music for 7 minutes
List of part one you can see in this video:
paradise whydah / grey-headed kingfisher / woodland kingfisher / pied kingfisher / carmine bee-eater / european bee-eater / lilac brested roller / european roller / purple roller / greyheaded bush shrike / spotted-backed weaver / cape sparrow / red bishop / sociable weaver / wire-tailed swallow / starfinch / red-billed oxpecker / doubledbanded sandgrouse / namaqua dove / grey lourie / swainson's francolin / natal francolin

http://youtu.be/o-RJDkTSLcU

Burchell´s Coucal are often seen at Allen Birdcam
http://youtu.be/y0H4MiiWHj0

Allen Birdcam Facebook page

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We are going to visit the small city of Morretes, Parana State, Brazil.
http://youtu.be/EA-sNMzrv3c

Birding Brazil - Live Cams (6 hours ahead of Vancouver, BC)
Ornithos Birdwatching Live Cams
http://www.ornithos.com.br/live-cams/

Thank you for this marvelous educational site, Luciano Breves.
Read about Ornithos site in Brazil
Luciano Breves

Manakin Bird Family total about 60 Species

I'm in love with the Manakin family. The Manakin family consists of about 60 different species of birds. The quest is to learn about each one.

Band-tailed Manakin lives in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Peru. You will find them in the subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
http://youtu.be/w-DEcAH8keM

White-crowned Manakin
http://youtu.be/kNJe1R9qZsA

Crimson-hooded Manakin
http://youtu.be/MPhaePjlB8c

Wire-tailed Manakin that performs a backward dance.
http://youtu.be/oCnJq9Pv3lA

Red-headed Manakin filmed in NE Brazil
http://youtu.be/3pzseu6oGWs

Birds that Dance

A dance show extravaganza

The curtain opens to the drama of the Peacock doing his stunning dance.

Magnificent Peacock Greeting Card by gramabarb

Peacock mating dance
http://youtu.be/jTBHiZtnCsA

The Red-capped Manakin doing the Moonwalk dance
http://youtu.be/o42C6ajjqWg

Long-tailed Manakin high energy dance
http://youtu.be/Z1zOmOfsy2Q

Mute Swan Love Dance
Simply beautiful!
http://youtu.be/iwESI75uk9s

Japanese Crane Dance
http://youtu.be/M8qprOG2LxY

Andean Flamingo mating dance
http://youtu.be/KW8GX2n4qbY

Wire-tailed Manakin backward dance
http://youtu.be/HQAPFFxgifE


Ducks that have the Beat - watch for them on a pond near you.
http://youtu.be/bmp8e9_Fa50

Funny Courtship Bird Dances
http://youtu.be/lMbDjNDD4cM

All year this list can be seen Fairly Common in Vancouver

You have to look a little harder to see these birds as they are rated as Fairly Common in the Greater Vancouver area.

1. Wood Duck
This video of chasing, mating and chick raising of wood ducks was filmed at Beaver Lake in Stanley Park of Vancouver, B. C. Canada
http://youtu.be/MJLu4D05wTc

2. Ring-necked Pheasant
http://youtu.be/rDY0vs8WQnU

3. Sooty Grouse
Sooty Grouse male displaying, hooting and chasing two females. Location: Burnaby Mountain Park, Burnaby, BC, Canada.
http://youtu.be/_JAnbgaWBIk

4. Red-necked Grebe
http://youtu.be/XfDa_yG9zmI

5. Pelagic Cormorant
2014.01.31 White Rock, BC, Canada
http://youtu.be/3p7UG47MwUk

6. Virginia Rail
Take a look at the secretive Virginia Rail and learn a little about why it's so well adapted for marsh life. Learn a couple of bird sounds too!
http://youtu.be/xcv7HUxSeYY

7. Eurasian Collared-Dove
Eurasian Collared Dove filmed in Nanaimo, BC, Canada
http://youtu.be/3wJ8Z5RmKkQ

8. Downy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker ( male ) seen at Hastings Park Sanctuary in Vancouver, BC
http://youtu.be/Ez6l-XqzmBQ

9. Northern Flicker
Northern Flicker at Maplewood Flats, North Vancouver, BC
http://youtu.be/98cYrVdmTDY

10. Steller's Jay
Peanut war! A mature Douglas Squirrel defends the bowl of peanuts from a number of hungry Stellar's Jay. When the squirrel is not around there could be as many as five or six Jays at the bowl.
http://youtu.be/Et2w948DRXw

11. Marsh Wren
These wrens are abundant in marshes, cattails, rushes and sedges.They generally keep hidden but may climb a cattail to sing. http://youtu.be/RlbpWe4SiZ8

12. Purple Finch
Purple Finch, Vancouver Island
https://youtu.be/1XhbWw3sZlI

13. Red Crossbill
http://youtu.be/inzxNQSudqk

14. American Goldfinch
A video of the vibrant and cute lil' american goldfinches that flock to my birdfeeders on a yearly basis.
http://youtu.be/hjgbFqHtM_o

15. Evening Grosbeak
Invaded by Evening Grosbeaks after I made a backyard waterfall and plugged it in.
http://youtu.be/YEvbRUEWmDk

Introduction to the Most Common Vancouver, BC Birds

Armchair birdwatching is a new activity for many and so I am going to start this bird series with a review of what is the most common in the Greater Vancouver area.
The Greater Vancouver area is from the International Boundary (including Point Roberts, WA) North to 49°. 35' N West to the eastern shoreline of Howe Sound (including Bowen Island) and to the middle of the Strait of Georgia. East to 122° 33' W (260th St. in Langley and Maple Ridge) including all of Golden Ears Provincial Park. Nature Vancouver

You will enjoy seeing your local birds upclose on the videos from youtube.

Try this memory exercise --- Challenge yourself to remember the birds.

1. Canada Goose all year. Common.
http://youtu.be/q_BAkR-WsHE

2. Mallard Duck all year. Common.
http://youtu.be/eHevNn-AVQg

photo Cornell webcam screenshot
3. Great Blue Heron all year. Common.
http://youtu.be/sJjr64Lhk7s
http://youtu.be/TU65H7bemT8

4. Glaucous-winged Gull all year. Common.
http://youtu.be/kq4CV_ZH070

5. Rock Pigeon all year. Common.
http://youtu.be/R161oVKs7nw

6. Northwestern Crow all year. Common.
http://youtu.be/ewc_rSSUyik

7. Black-capped Chickadee all year. Common.
http://youtu.be/1Q20ZHirxZY

8. Chestnut-backed Chickadee all year. Common.
http://youtu.be/9MAAhukSZwY

9. Bushtit all year. Common.
http://youtu.be/eMeNlYzFZg8

10. Pacific Wren all year. Common.
http://youtu.be/k00xi9pNEVE

Memory exercise - How many birds can you remember?

11. Golden Crowned Kinglet all year. Common.
http://youtu.be/zsWhxYWhdYo

12. American Robin all year. Common.
http://youtu.be/D3ELutmnT8k

13. European Starling all year. Common.
http://youtu.be/eakKfY5aHmY

14. Spotted Towhee all year. Common.
http://youtu.be/68P0jYEV5fQ

15. Song Sparrow all year. Common.
http://youtu.be/wdaE7eaayKM

16. White-crowned Sparrow all year. Common.
http://youtu.be/ifVLW4fBnpk

17. Dark-eyed Junco all year. Common.
http://youtu.be/Epcf9D5t6FE

18. Red-winged Blackbird all year. Common.
http://youtu.be/q3QicOAiBXk

19. Brewer's Blackbird all year. Common.
http://youtu.be/Izqx5KOhMLY

20. House Finch all year. Common.
http://youtu.be/V-6diwfpmPY

21. Pine Siskin all year. Common.
http://youtu.be/_KjlZk-BvRU

Free as the Birds Framed Poster by gramabarb

All the photographs are either mine (gramabarb) or public domain from wikipedia.