When I first read through the syllabus of my Wildlife Education course, I got incredibly nervous about the birding I would have to engage in. Years ago, my daughter got interested in observing mushrooms on nature walks. I bought her a few wildlife identification laminated pamphlets (fungi, mammal tracks, and edible forest plants). When we went camping that year, my dad brought his North American bird field guide with us as well. I didn't do too much identification on the trip, but every time my dad turned around he was announcing "robin red-breast!" or "red-winged blackbird!" Those were the only birds I learned. So when I read that we would be identifying birds, I knew I was in trouble. I took a walk that very day and saw tons of birds... and when I saw each and every one, I thought "I think that's a robin red-breast."
It turns out that we do have a large population of
American Robins in my neighborhood. They can be identified by their gray-brown body, dark head, yellow bill, and reddish chest. Their preferred habitat is a woodland, but they will live in many different ecosystems. The suburbs are the perfect environment for these birds--lawns, sporadic trees, and parks with open grasslands where they can get to worms, insects, and various berries.
I took this picture about an hour ago (maybe 6 p.m. on June 4th) from my favorite chair in my living room... right out the front door. If you zoom in a bit, you can see that the bird is panting. It's 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and this robin is attempting to cool himself off in the courtyard.
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