Hooded Merganser

Birdorable Hooded Merganser

We recently added the Hooded Merganser to Birdorable. These little ducks are named for their large head crests. In breeding males, the crest has a large white patch. Females are quite drab overall (a recurring theme with many birds, especially ducks), but they do have the 'hood' for which the species is named. Hooded Mergansers have elongated, serrated bills which are useful when hunting and feeding on slippery fish. They will also eat frogs, crayfish, and other small aquatic animals. With legs set back on the body, Hooded Mergansers are agile underwater swimmers but awkward on land. To defend her helpless young, a female Hooded Merganser might try to distract predators by pretending to have a broken wing and leading the predator away from her ducklings.

Hooded Merganser

Hooded Mergansers are one of our favorite species of duck. Depending on the time of year, Hooded Mergansers can be found across much of North America; they do not range in the American southwest or the farthest northern reaches of Canada. Do you have Hooded Mergansers where you live? Have you seen one lately? Have you seen our cute Birdorable Hooded Merganser gifts? :) * HOME is the four-letter code bird banders (and birders) use when referring to Hooded Mergansers.

Harlequin Macaw

We recently added the Harlequin Macaw to Birdorable. The Harlequin Macaw is a relatively common hybrid macaw, a cross between a Green-winged (Red-and-green) Macaw and a Blue-and-yellow Macaw. Like other hybrid macaws, male Harlequins tend to take the coloring of the mother bird, while female Harlequins take the coloring of the father. The word Harlequin has several meanings; one refers to a comic servant character in Italian literature (similar to the court jester). Owners of these gregarious birds might find this meaning fits their avian friend. Harlequin is also a color, described as being between green and yellow. This fits well with the beautiful hybrid coloring of the Harlequin Macaw.

harlequin macaw
Harlequin Macaw by Dave Womach (source: Flickr)

Check out our Harlequin Macaw t-shirts and gifts. Besides the usual array of apparel, don't forget that Birdorable also offers goodies like magnets, keychains and postage!

This week's featured t-shirt design is our Birdorable Barred Owl shown here on a kids organic t-shirt. This will make a great gift for bird lovers, birdwatchers and owl fans.

Birdorable Barred Owl T-Shirt

You might know that Birdorable's very own Amy is a huge fan of Barred Owls. She was lucky enough to get to work with birds of prey by following a raptor course at a local rehabilitation center, Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation, earlier this year. FCWR has one education Barred Owl in residence, Meepy, who was easily Amy's favorite. Isn't she gorgeous?

Meepy the Barred Owl

Meepy and me

Bluer than a Bluebird

Birdorable Indigo Bunting

We recently added the Indigo Bunting to Birdorable. These birds are named for the striking bright blue plumage found in breeding males.

Indigo bunting
Indigo bunting by Henry McLin, on Flickr

Like many passerine birds, for safety the Indigo Bunting often migrates overnight. They use the stars as a directional tool in their travels. In captivity, since they cannot migrate, Indigo Buntings may experience disorientation in April and May and in September and October if they cannot see the stars from their cages.

Indigo Bunting
Indigo Bunting by drivebybiscuits1, on Flickr

We can expect Indigo Buntings to return here to northern Illinois very soon. They will visit back yard feeders and the males especially are hard to miss.

American Goldfinch and Indigo Bunting
American Goldfinch and Indigo Bunting by jackanapes, on Flickr

You can also listen for their song, which some birders describe as sounding like "fire! fire! where? where? here! here! see it? see it?"

Calling For Love
Calling For Love by Chad Horwedel, on Flickr

Indigo Buntings summer across much of the eastern part of the United States. Do you have Indigo Buntings where you live? Have they already returned? While you wait, be sure to check out our cute Birdorable Indigo Bunting t-shirts & gifts! :)

This week's featured t-shirt design is our I Love Budgies with three Birdorable Budgerigars in a row. They include the gray budgie, blue budgie and blue-and-yellow budgie. Cute gifts here for budgie lovers!

Birdorable I Love Budgies T-Shirt

Our 'old' coots

Birdorable Eurasian CootWhen we lived in Leiden, there were Eurasian Coots, also called Common Coots, living all over the Singel (the canal or moat surrounding the city). This was one species of bird we saw nearly every day. Here's an arial view of Leiden, from Google Maps. You can see the zig-zag shape of the Singel going around the city. The old city walls used to follow the water around the city. (Our house was in the upper right corner of the map, just outside of the Singel)

Anyway, if you walked along the Singel virtually any time of year, you could find coots in the water or in the parks just off shore. They stayed all year round, but in the spring you really noticed them because they were always fighting, aggressively defending their territory. And they were busy busy busy constructing nests, usually surrounded by water, attached to some piece of garbage in the water (most likely a sunken bicycle or shopping cart), or along the water's edge. It was fun to watch them build their nests, which would be made up of primarily vegetation, but also pieces of paper, plastic bags and other found garbage.

It was also so much fun to watch them with their babies. Coot babies (I call them cooties) are precocial, which means they are relatively mature from the moment they hatch. We would see very tiny coots swimming behind adults in the water, bouncing in the gentle wake of their parents. The very young ones would try to dive down for food like their parents, but they were too small and much too buoyant to stay under for any amount of time. They would just pop up immediately.

Once the breeding season was over, and the babies were taking care of themselves, the coots were more convivial. Large groups of adult and juvenile coots would feed together and no arguments would break out as they swam around the Singel. We would also see coots when we went birding out of Leiden. They don't call them Common Coots for nothing; they are fairly widespread all across Europe.

Eurasian Coot

Common Coots are one of our favorite birds and I'm glad we finally have a Birdorable version of this species! Be sure to check out our shop for the new Birdorable Eurasian Coot gear.

Meet Birdorable's Common Pheasant: Common in Name, Unique in Style

Birdorable Common Pheasant

The Common Pheasant, a bird famous for its striking plumage and adaptability, is the latest addition to our Birdorable family. This bird is truly a sight to behold with its vivid colors and intricate patterns, making it a standout among game birds.

Native to large parts of Asia and parts of Europe, the Common Pheasant has been introduced to various regions across the globe, showcasing its remarkable ability to thrive in diverse environments. These introductions have made the Common Pheasant one of the most widely recognized and, indeed, common species of pheasant worldwide. Its presence is so significant that, despite not being native to North America, it has been designated as the state bird of South Dakota, symbolizing its importance in local culture and wildlife.

Our Birdorable version of the Common Pheasant captures the essence of this magnificent bird in an adorable, stylized form. Whether you're a bird enthusiast, a lover of wildlife, or simply someone who appreciates the beauty of nature, our range of cute Birdorable Common Pheasant t-shirts and gifts is perfect for you. These items are not just a way to celebrate the beauty of the Common Pheasant but also a great way to share your passion for birds with the world. Explore our collection and find the perfect Common Pheasant-themed item to express your admiration for this stunning bird.

Photo of a Common Pheasant

Common Pheasant by Stefan Berndtsson (CC BY 2.0 DEED)

Common Pheasant photo

Common Pheasant by Ron Knight (CC BY 2.0 DEED)

Cute Common Pheasant Gifts

This week's featured t-shirt design is our cute Birdorable Northern Pintail, a beautiful large duck with a long pointed tail. The bird breeds across northern areas of North America, Europe and Asia and in winter migrates as far south as Hawaii, Central America, sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The duck is shown here on a men's basic long sleeve shirt and women's EDUN LIVE t-shirt.

Birdorable Northern Pintail T-Shirts

Northern Bald Ibis

Birdorable Northern Bald Ibis

We recently added the Northern Bald Ibis to Birdorable. This bird is a non-wading species of Ibis with a feather-free head. Along with the Southern Bald Ibis, these birds prefer arid landscape over wetlands, and will breed on cliffs rather than in trees. These traits, along with their bald heads, separates these two species of ibis from all others. Unfortunately, the Northern Bald Ibis is a critically endangered species. Originally native to the Middle East, north Africa and south Europe, the species is no longer found in Europe and is declining in its remaining range. A group of 500 wild birds in Morocco make up the bulk of the population today. There are approximately 1100 Northern Bald Ibises living in captivity. The guidelines for conservation and reintroduction of the species were established at an International Advisory Group for Northern Bald Ibis (IAGNBI) conference in 2003. The release of captive birds into the wild has not been successful so far, but several different groups are hard at work on discovering a successful method of release to increase the wild population. Interestingly, the Northern Bald Ibis became one of the world's first protected species by decree of the Archbishop Leonhard of Salzburg in 1504. Despite this status the species still died out in Austria, along with the rest of Europe. And its struggles continue today. If you'd like to learn more about the Northern Bald Ibis and the work being done to save this critically endangered species, visit the IAGNBI website.

Northern Bald Ibis
Northern Bald Ibis by Luke Robinson, on Flickr

This week's featured t-shirt design is our Birdorable Common Loon. Loons are currently migrating north and passing through northern Illinois, where we live. This time of year, local bird clubs organize "Looney trips" where birders drive from lake to lake to spot these beautiful birds. Have you seen a Loon this year?

Birdorable Common Loon