Archive for August, 2011

Baby Birdorable: California Condor

Posted on August 30th 2011 in Baby Birds, Condors, Conservation, Vultures — 1 Comment »

Blog readers, please note: an error in the Vulture Name Tiles Game from yesterday’s post was discovered on Tuesday, August 30th. The error was corrected at approximately 3:30PM EDT. Please re-download the puzzle if your version was downloaded prior to that time. Sorry for the inconvenience.

International Vulture Awareness Day (IVAD) is coming up this Saturday, September 3rd. We continue to highlight vultures this week with a special Baby Birdorable post!

If you think our Birdorable birds are cute as adults, what about when they are babies? Here are some baby photos of the California Condor. Yes, California Condors are amazing creatures and even cute, especially as down-covered babies. And what could be more precious than a baby of such a critically endangered species?

California Condor clutch size is always one egg. Both parents participate in incubation of the egg, which lasts about 57 days, and in caring for the chick.

Pretty cute, and certainly precious, right? Be sure to check out our (adult) Birdorable California Condor gear!

Baby California Condor photos modified from USFWS Pacific Southwest Region Flickr account and shared via CC BY 2.0.

Fun Vulture Downloads

Posted on August 29th 2011 in Coloring Pages, Events, Free Downloads, Vultures — 1 Comment »

International Vulture Awareness Day (IVAD) is coming up this Saturday, September 3rd. To celebrate vultures and learn about vulture ecology and spread awareness for endangered vulture species, zoos, museums and other groups across the world are hosting special Vulture Awareness Programs. You can find a list of such programs on the IVAD website.

We’ve created a couple of free, fun, educational puzzle pages to commemorate vultures on their special day. These free downloads are all in PDF format.

Please note: an error to the Vulture Name Tiles Game was discovered on Tuesday, August 30th. The error was corrected at approximately 3:30PM EDT. Please re-download the puzzle if your version was downloaded prior to that time. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Our Vulture Name Tiles game asks you to solve vulture identity questions, using the seven vulture species we have on Birdorable.
Our Vulture Word Search has twelve interesting facts about vultures and 15 keywords to find in the puzzle.
Did we say seven vulture species? We’ll officially add a brand new Birdorable vulture, the Lammergeier, to the site on Saturday, September 3rd. Meanwhile, a new Lammergeier coloring page is available now.

If you use these fun vulture freebies, at an IVAD event or at home, we’d love to hear about it! Send us photos of the pages in action, or the final result – we may showcase them on our blog!

Baby Birdorable: Purple Martin

Posted on August 24th 2011 in Baby Birds, Swallows — 1 Comment »

If you think our Birdorable birds are cute as adults, what about when they are babies? Below are some baby photos (shared via Flickr) of the Purple Martin.

Purple Martins nest in cavities, and today they breed almost exclusively in man-made nestboxes, usually arranged communally in a condo-style setup. Clutch size typically ranges from three to six eggs. Incubation lasts from 15 to 18 days and the babies fledge 28 or 29 days after hatching.

Coolest purple martin house ever by tapescraper

Purple Martins by mauricholas/ Maureen Leong-Kee

Purple Martin Eggs – First Clutch of the Year by OakleyOriginals

First Hatchlings of the Year by OakleyOriginals

Purple Martins, Just Hatched by OakleyOriginals

Purple Martins, Days Old by OakleyOriginals

purple martins by mmarchin

Purple Martin Fledglings by OakleyOriginals

Fly Purple Martin Fledglings! by OakleyOriginals

Purple Martin Fledgling by OakleyOriginals

Purple Martins; females and fledglings by rengel134

Most of the photos shared here were probably taken by Purple Martin landlords. To learn more about how to help these birds, visit the Purple Martin Conservation Association. And be sure to check out our Birdorable Purple Martin t-shirts and gifts!

Spot the Birdorable 92

Posted on August 17th 2011 in Spot the Birdorable — 3 Comments »

Can you guess what Birdorable bird this is? This striking bird uses its enormous beak to pluck fruit from trees.

Check the Meet the Birds page to see if you can find it!

The answer to the last ‘Spot the Birdorable’ was American Avocet which was first guessed correctly by Cathi on the blog.

The Crested Auklet’s Fresh Citrus Scent

Posted on August 11th 2011 in Auks — No Comments »

Crested Auklets are small seabirds that live in the Bering Sea. They are in the same family as other cute birds like Atlantic Puffins, Razorbills, and the extinct Great Auk.

During the breeding season, which begins in mid-May, Crested Auklets of both sexes are in their beautiful and striking breeding plumage. This includes an unusual crest of bristles at the forehead, white eyeline contrasting with black body plumage, and a bright orange bill.

Perhaps the most unusual component of the Crested Auklet’s finery includes a strong but not-unpleasant odor, which is said to smell like tangerines, or another citrus-like odor. The function of this odor is not known to science, but it may have something to do with attracting a mate.

While we don’t currently offer scratch-and-sniff gifts, our selection of Crested Auklet apparel and novelties are great for anyone who loves these unusual, striking and fresh-scented birds!

City Bird: Abiko’s Eurasian Coot

Posted on August 4th 2011 in City Birds, Coots — 1 Comment »

You are probably well-aware that many countries have an official national bird. For example, the national bird of the United States is the Bald Eagle, and the national bird of Bolivia is the Andean Condor. Several U.S. states also have official birds. But did you know that there are even some cities that have their own official bird?

The official city bird of Abiko, Japan, is the Eurasian Coot. We used to see these little water birds all the time while we lived in the Netherlands, but in fact their range is across much of Eurasia – all the way to Japan! Besides being one of just a few global cities to have an official bird, Abiko goes a step further with their love of avian friends. It is home to the Abiko City Museum of Birds!

Birdorable Eurasian Coot with the flag of Abiko

Archive for August, 2011

Baby Birdorable: California Condor

Fun Vulture Downloads

Baby Birdorable: Purple Martin

Spot the Birdorable 92

The Crested Auklet’s Fresh Citrus Scent

City Bird: Abiko’s Eurasian Coot

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