Feathered Friends Facts

Chipping Sparrow

Brooklyn, New York

When Jason and I started truly birding, our place to go was (and still is) Central Park. We met a bevy of birders who were able to tell us who we were looking at instantaneously.

One Spring day, one such expert was trying to get us to see a Chipping sparrow amongst all the House sparrows. He kept pointing down the path, in the extremely shaded Ramble, asking, "Do you see that really small bird?" At that time, all sparrows were really small birds and I really couldn't tell the difference between the two species in front of me.

Did you know there are at least thirty-five different species of sparrows in North America? The more prevalent being the House sparrow in New York City.

Yet this charming little Chipping sparrow should not be overlooked. The above shot was taken in Brooklyn, on a hot day. This adorable bird was bathing next to a curb, thrashing around, and I just happened to catch the tiny bubbles of water ascending above him.  I call this shot, "Bathing Chipping Sparrow"  to allay the fears that he has passed on.

Chipping sparrows are some of the smaller sparrows. They usually forage on the ground and you can spot them because of their bright reddish-brown cap. They can eat seventy times their weight in seeds and insects a day!

Tufted Puffin

Cannon Beach, Oregon

The Tufted Puffin is an amazing bird. It spends its winters out on the open sea, flying inland to nest during the months of May through September.

We traveled to Oregon, stopping at the coast because of its breathtaking views and amazing wildlife. Who knew that we would not only see the Puffin but also a Mountain lion who was marooned on Haystack Rock? Fish and Wildlife had that section of the beach roped off so that the cat wouldn't get overwhelmed. What a sight to see!

The next morning, the Mountain lion escaped during low tide and we go to get closer to the Tufted Puffins. What a thrill to see these boxy little creatures! They jump off the top of the 235 foot tall rock, fluttering their wings rapidly, making their way to the water. They return with a mouth full of fish (5-20 at a time) to bring back to the nest.

These amazing birds are the larger of the species and have yellowish tufts of hair coming from above their eyes. When hunting, they can fly up to 40 miles per hour!  They build their nests in and on rocky cliffs, sometimes digging and burrowing the nests five feet in!

Unfortunately these beautiful birds are largely threatened by humans. Their population is dwindling due to being caught with other bycatch in immense fishing nets. Fisheries are also depleting the Puffin's food source by overfishing. Plus the Puffins mistakingly digest plastic refuse that is found in the ocean, which causes them to fill up and starve. 

Knowing this, we should all take responsibility in trying to save this and other majestic sea birds.

    Eurasian Eagle Owl

                   New York, New York

Update: NYC's beloved owl died on Friday, February 23rd when he flew into a building. Everyone had so much hope for him and it is a heartbreaking and tragic end to such a beautiful life.

You don't have to leave the continent of North America to see an Eurasian Eagle-owl in the wild. A subway ride in NYC will take you to his new environment.

In February of 2023 "Flaco's" cage was vandalized  in the Central Park Zoo and he was released. It was a scary time as no one knew if he would survive. This owl has many admirers (including me), and we all check in on him regularly. The above photo was taken the first week of August. As you can see, his health isn't a question.

What is a concern is how he affects all the other wildlife around him, accidentally digesting rat poison, or colliding with vehicles. As of now, Central Park is not using rodenticides but will be considering it after the summer. The parks aren't the only problem as a raptor's hunting range can go far beyond the walls of Central Park.

Yet for now this amazing owl is surviving in a city park where, at times, his brethren can be found in Europe.

Some quick facts about Eurasian Eagle Owls are they are much bigger than a Great-horned Owl. They have orange eyes whereas the Great-horned has yellow. The wingspan of an Eurasian is about 6.5 feet, whereas the Great-horned is around 5 feet. It is called an eagle-owl because of it large size.