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Additional InformationPhylum: Chordata The Great Blue Heron is a large wading bird with a long slender neck and stick like legs that are similar to the legs of cranes and storks. This heron's general color is pale slate-gray, with a black and white streaked breast. It is chestnut colored at the bend of the wing, and has a white patch on the crown of the throat. Also both the legs and feet are black. It has a yellowish, long pointed bill and some have long crests and plumes on their throats and bodies. The Great Blue Heron is the largest of the truly American Herons, its overall length is 50-52 inches with a wing span of 70 inches and a bill length of up to 6 1/4 inches. The Great Blue Heron breeding range extends from Nova Scotia to southeastern British Colombia to Nebraska, South Carolina and Bermuda. The winter range extends from Oregon and New York south to Florida, Venezuela, Colombia and Panama. However, their frequent habitat is Northeast America. This heron is frequently found in marshes, lake margins, rivers and small streams. These herons are typically solitary birds, with the exception of the breeding season, when they nest and roost in colonies either in rushes or in trees. These colonies can include more than 50 nests. The nest of this heron is constructed of a platform of sticks, which may be used for many years. The courtship takes place during the breeding season and is largely by display in a circle. After mating, the female will lay 3 or 4, pale dull blue eggs that will hatch after an incubation period of approximately 28 days. The fledglings are helpless at first and fed by a violent regurgitation of food by the parent. The food of the adult Great Blue Heron consists of fish, sometimes up to 1 foot long, water snakes, grasshoppers, crayfish, mice, frogs, shrews, and other small animals. They may also feed on pocket gophers, ground squirrels and field mice. All of this food is caught by the lightening like thrust of the beak. The flight of the Great Blue Heron is remarkably beautiful, however, slow and steady. It can rest on deep water and take to flight from a floating position. In flight, herons stretch their long legs straight out behind them and curl their heads between their shoulders in an As@ shape. The Great Blue Heron may also be known locally as a red-shouldered heron, blue crane, or common blue crane. This bird is protected by law in many states. Information adapted from: Palmer, E. Laurence and H. Seymour Fowler. A Fieldbook of Natural History.@ Second Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1995. Phylum: Chordata The Sandhill Crane is a large, wading marsh bird of the northern hemisphere and Africa. They are one of the oldest living species of bird, dating back 2.5 million years. Their overall length and height can be up to 4 feet with a bill up to 6 inches long and a wingspread of 7 feet. Their overall appearance is slate gray or light brown throughout their bodies, with darker wings and light to white throats with a dark bill. Their most noticeable feature is their head. The crown of the head and the area in front of the eyes is red and naked (featherless). In contrast, the young are entirely feathered and more rusty in appearance. The Sandhill Crane's former breeding range extended from British Colombia to Southwestern Michigan and South to California, Illinois, and Ohio. The former migration patterns were from the east to New England, however, they are now rarely seen east of the Mississippi and over much of their former range. This crane still breeds from northeastern California to Wisconsin and Michigan, and winters in California, Texas and Mexico. Sandhill Cranes have an elaborate courtship display, with many of these birds congregating and beginning a united bowing, parading, and bouncing in which the whole group appears to behave like bouncing balls. The nest that is built is constructed on the ground and consists of a mass of vegetation with a hollowing at the top. Although some nesting occurs in forested areas, most takes place in open savannahs and swamp openings. Usually two eggs are produced which are an olive buff color with brown spots. Interestingly, the young fledglings leave the nest soon after hatching. Although the Sandhill Crane is primarily a plant eater which feeds on roots, stems, leaves, fruits and seeds of both wild and cultivated plants, other foods include frogs, snakes, insects, and similar small animals. The Sandhill Crane's flight is steady and heavy, however deceptive in its speed. Both during rest and in flight, the neck is held straight out, and not tucked in like herons do. Also the gray legs are extended in flight. This bird has been declared endangered throughout its range under the provisions of the Endangered Species Act by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Information adapted from: Palmer, E. Laurence and H. Seymour Fowler. A Fieldbook of Natural History.@ Second Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1995. Phylum: Chordata The Scarlet Tanager is a bird about the size of a Robin, with an overall length of 7 1/2 inches, with a wingspread of 12 inches and a tail up to 3 1/4 inches long. The female of this species is smaller than the male, and the male is bright red with black wings and tail during the breeding season. However, the male loses most of its red color in autumn. The female of the species is dull green above and yellowish below, and the fledglings look like the female in color. The breeding range of the Scarlet Tanager stretches from southern Saskatchewan to Nova Scotia and south to Arkansas. It is also found in northern Alabama, northern Georgia, and in the mountains of Virginia and South Carolina. The winter range of this species extends from Colombia to Bolivia and Peru, and it migrates through Cuba, Jamaica, and Yucatan, as well as along the coast of Central America. This bird is considered a treetop bird because it spends much of its time in the tops of the trees. The nest is built on a horizontal limb in high open woods in trees such as oaks or pines. The nest can be built up to 50 feet above the ground and is composed of a flat platform of rootlets with interwoven grasses. The female produces between 3 and 5 eggs that are pale, greenish blue with many brown spots. The incubation of the eggs takes 13 days and is done solely by the female of the species, who produces only one annual brood. The fledglings will develop their first breeding plumage within one year. The food of the Scarlet Tanager consists of insects that live on various species of oak, including beetles. One of this birds most recent food items is the harmful gypsy moth and leaf rollers in the eastern United States. It searches for wood-boring beetles and grasshoppers and true bugs, and it also feeds on fruits of wild plants such as bayberry, sumac, elderberry, and blueberry. This bird is considered useful in every imaginable aspect. However, due to habitat loss this species is becoming more rare. Information adapted from: Palmer, E. Laurence and H. Seymour Fowler. A Fieldbook of Natural History.@ Second Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1995. Phylum: Chordata The Northern Saw-whet Owl is one of the smallest of the eastern nocturnal birds of prey, with an overall length of 8 1/2 inches, a wingspread of 21 1/2 inches and a tail length of 3 1/4 inches. Both the male and the female of this species appear the same, except the female is possibly somewhat larger than the male. This owl can sometimes be confused with a screech owl, however it does not have the characteristic ear tufts and is smaller than a screech owl. The breeding range of the Northern Saw-whet Owl ranges from southern Asia to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and south to Central California, Arizona, and Maryland. Its winter range includes southern California and Virginia and parts of its breeding range. Because of its nocturnal habits, this owl is not often seen, even when it is abundant. The nest of the Northern Saw-whet Owl is generally in wooded areas, particularly where it is swampy. They nest in a hole in a tree, such as a deserted Common Flicker hole. The female owl will produce 3 to 7 eggs that are chalky white in appearance. The incubation of the eggs takes about 27 days and is done solely by the female, who produces only one annual brood. The food of this owl consists primarily of rodents such as mice, frogs, insects and small birds. This owl is obviously useful as a mouse eradicator, although it is never present in sufficient numbers to serve a very important role in this capacity. In winter, the numbers of these owls may appear much larger than normal because of crowding where food is readily available. The eyes of owls are directed forward and surrounded by disks of radiating feathers. Their eyes are especially adapted to seeing in partial darkness, and most owls sleep during the day. Their soft, fluffy plumage makes them almost noiseless in flight, making them a very efficient predator. Information adapted from: Palmer, E. Laurence and H. Seymour Fowler. A Fieldbook of Natural History.@ Second Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1995. Phylum: Chordata The Blue Jay is a conspicuously blue bird with white and black markings, with a long-tipped tail and a conspicuous head crest. This bird can reach 12 1/2 inches in length, with a wingspread up to 17 1/2 inches, the tail can reach lengths up to 6 inches and the bill length is 1 1/4 inches long. The female of the species is slightly smaller than the male. These are generally noisy birds and have a "sassy" disposition. There are three subspecies of Blue Jays which include the Northern, Florida and Semple's species. The Northern Blue Jay, native in Michigan, breeds from southern Alberta to Newfoundland, south to Colorado, central Texas and Virginia. This bird ranges somewhat farther south in winter but may be resident year round. It is also sometimes found in New Mexico. The Blue Jay will defend a home territory up to 1/2 mile across. The Blue Jay nests in dense woods or small groves of trees, especially in coniferous trees. The nest is built anywhere from 5 to 50 feet above the ground, in the crotch or on a branch of the tree, close to the trunk. The nest is constructed of sticks with a lining of roots. The female will produce between 3 and 6 eggs, that appear greenish gray or olive, with brown blotches. The incubation of the eggs takes 15-17 days and is done by both the male and female. These birds will produce one to two annual broods. The food of the Blue Jay includes vegetable matter, hen's eggs, insects, spiders, snails, fishes, frogs, salamanders, and birds and their eggs, nuts and acorns. The Blue Jay is a persistent nest robber and destroys eggs and eats the young of other species. Information adapted from: Palmer, E. Laurence and H. Seymour Fowler. A Fieldbook of Natural History.@ Second Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1995. |
Last Updated: 8/31/01 Please address all comments and suggestions about the contents of this Web page to rougeweb@co.wayne.mi.us. The Rouge River National Wet Weather Demonstration Project is funded, in part, by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Grants #XP995743-01, -02, -03, -04, -05, -06, -08 and C-264000-01. |
