Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)

"Ring the alarum-bell!" To trumpet the return of Theo's Aviary I bring you the mysterious Black-crowned Night Heron! Apologies, dear audience, for the extended intermission in bird blogging. I hope you will find the recess worthwhile once you cast your gaze upon this juvenile heron which the team spotted near the North Pond in Chicago.

A devout pescetarian, the Black-crowned Night Heron is actually one of the most common nocturnal creatures in areas that abut wetlands (like Chicago). It is rarely seen with the naked eye, however, because of its stealthy nature during daylight hours. Listen closely during the crepuscular hours and you will hear its plaintive cry at a wetland near you!

Brown Creeper (Certhia americana)

He'll creep on up that tree till he reaches the top, then he'll hop down to a lower branch. Sighted at the North Pond in Chicago's Lincoln Park.

Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)

I have it from a good source (Jill at the North Pond Birdwalk) that the Red-winged Blackbird is the classic "newbie" bird. The males have beautiful bright red epaulets on their wings which excite the jejune aesthetic sensibilities of birding tenderfoots. Little do these ornithological neophytes know how common this blackbird is - indeed it may be the most studied wild bird in North America. Well, I say phooey to that cynical view. This is a pretty bird. Spotted below preening for the audience at Chicago's North Pond.

Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)

I went birding at Indiana Dunes State Park today. It's a scenic coastal wetland environment sandwiched between steel mills and a coal power plant. Spotted this beautiful woodpecker, the only with a completely red head east of the Mississippi. He is considered "near threatened" but is spotted with some frequency at the Dunes.

Interesting fact: the Red-headed Woodpecker is the only woodpecker that stores its food in a little treasure chest under a piece of bark or wood. He will keep grasshoppers alive in there until he's ready to eat, much like a good sushi chef!

Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)

I photographed this Ring-billed Gull perched on a statue on North Wacker. This species of gull has been present in the Chicago area since human settlement but has only begun to nest here since the 1970s.

Normally one sees these gulls drifting loftily above. It's hard to get close enough for a photo op.

Rock Pigeon (Columba livia)

Often maligned as a "flying rodent," the common rock pigeon is actually a noble beast. Take a look at this candid picture.

Furthermore, rock pigeons demonstrate a remarkable amount of phenotypic diversity. In the average flock one will see a splendid variety of patterns: brown, blue, gray, white, black, spotted, and rusty-red - they're all the same species!

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

I found this common little songbird gamboling amidst the wire fences and thickets on Dorchester Street in Hyde Park. He is the House Sparrow, or passer domesticus. A descendant of 19th century European immigrants (like so many of his fellow Chicagoans), the House Sparrow is a true sparrow in the European sense of the word (not like those buntings we Americans ludicrously aggrandize as sparrows). Nay, the passer domesticus is the French champagne to the spizella aborea's California sparkling wine.

Aggressive, scrappy, and unpretentious with his single-note chirping song that sounds like a DJ scratching a record, this street-wise avis has been much more successful in the USA than his odd unassimilated relative, the Eurasian Tree Sparrow (passer montanus). His cousin refuses to learn English or watch the NFL. I hope to spot passer montanus sometime soon as he is seen in North America exclusively in a small range around St. Louis and Western Illinois.

American Robin (Turdus migratorius)

My first bird! A male American Robin (Turdus migratorius). Sighted on 56th Street in Hyde Park, Chicago, foraging with several others by the sidewalk.

 

The yellow bill distinguishes the male from the female. Identifying features: broken white eye-ring, bright orange breast, and dark back. One of the most common thrushes in human environments. My research indicates they are resident year-round in Chicago.