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Common Tailorbird 249
• ORDER •
Passeriformes
• GENUS & SPECIES •
Orthotomus sutorius
• FAMILY •
Sylviidae
KEY FEATURES
•
An abundant
insecteater that is as
at home in an urban
vegetable patch as in
the undergrowth of
a forest clearing
•
Stitches leaves
together to form a
pouch, in which it
builds its nest hidden
from predators
•
The constant call
between male and
female is a
characteristic sound
of southeastern Asia
COMMON TAILORBIRD
WHERE IN THE
WORLD?

Found across southern
China, southeastern
Asia, the Malay
Peninsula and Java;
also throughout the
Indian subcontinent,
including Sri Lanka
LIFECYCLE
250 Common Tailorbird
The tailorbird owes its name to the female’s
extraordinary sewing skills. Using her bill as
a needle, she stitches one or more leaves
into a pouch to form the basis of the nest.
HABITAT
BEHAVIOR
?
•
Despite its efforts to
hide its nest, the tailorbird
is often the victim of
cuckoos, which lay their
eggs in the tiny nests.
BREEDING
Tailor maid…
Selecting a large leaf in the
middle of a bush, the female
carefully brings the two edges
together to form a pouch.
1
GETTING STITCHED UP

Needlework…
Using her long, thin bill like a hole
puncher, the female deftly jabs a
line of small, precise holes along
the edges of each side of the leaf.
2
The common or long-tailed
tailorbird is a familiar sight
throughout its extensive range.
It even thrives in urban gardens
and parks, where it hunts and
skulks in hedges, flowerbeds and tangled shrubbery.
The common tailorbird is adaptable, taking advantage of any
dense vegetation, including forest clearings. It is also found in semi-
desert scrublands and in clumps of bamboo woodland at
altitudes of up to 6,000', provided that there is cover for nesting.
•
The common tailorbird
often steals fibers from
house doormats, which it
then uses to stitch up its
nest pouch.
ᮡ
BIRD IN THE BUSH
The tailorbird lives in
undergrowth that springs
up in forest clearings.
The tropical undergrowth where the tailorbird lives teems with
nest robbers, such as snakes, lizards, mongooses and various preda-
tory birds. To avoid these predators, the tailorbird

constructs its nest deep in a thicket or tree up to 20' high.
Pairs usually breed between February and May.After mating, the
female begins the arduous work of nest-building. It takes her up to
two days to stitch the pouch together, while the male defends the
pair’s territory from other tailorbirds. Once the pouch is complete,
the male helps her construct the nest from grasses, and then line
it with cotton, feathers and animal hairs.
Both parents incubate the clutch, and later bring food to the
nestlings — an exhausting task that
occupies them constantly until the
chicks are fledged two weeks later.
Seemingly tireless, the common tailorbird hops actively among
bushes, hedges and trees in its ceaseless search for tiny insects, its
tail cocked high above its back and wagging from side to side.
The bird’s weak, erratic flight makes it an easy target for flying
predators.Therefore, it flits swiftly from one patch of undergrowth
to another, avoiding open areas. However, where the tailorbird
inhabits areas near human settlements, it is surprisingly tame.
A tailorbird pair forms a long-term bond and lives within a
static territory all year. The birds remain in constant contact with
each other, uttering a surprisingly loud, monotonous call: chee-up,
chee-up.When danger threatens, such as the appearance of a shikra
— the common small sparrowhawk of southern Asia — the pair
makes noisy alarm calls of pit-pit-pit until the danger has passed.
ᮣ
SAFETY POUCH
The nest leaves provide
excellent camouflage.
Chiffchaff 201
CHIFFCHAFF

• ORDER •
Passeriformes
• GENUS & SPECIES •
Phylloscopus collybita
• FAMILY •
Sylviidae
KEY FEATURES
•
One of Europe’s most common migratory birds,
easily recognized by its distinctive two-note song
•
A resourceful insect hunter, its agility and size
enable it to find food that larger birds miss
•
Male sings from the treetops, but female builds
her ball-shaped nest close to the ground
WHERE IN THE WORLD?
Breeds in woodlands in
Europe, Central Asia and
Siberia, as far as the Arctic
Circle; winters in southern
Europe, North Africa, the
Middle East and India
202 Chiffchaff
The chiffchaff’s arrival in early spring allows breeding to get off to
a prompt start. The male courts the female with a fluttering
display flight and, after mating, the female alone weaves the nest
from a variety of plant matter and animal hair. The nest is a
domed structure built about 1' from the ground in a tangle of
plants.The female lays her clutch of eggs in early May, unless the

weather is especially cold; then, there might be a delay.
The male chiffchaff takes no part in incubating eggs, although
he helps feed the nestlings once they have hatched. But the
female does most of the work,
carrying a supply of insects to
the nest.
After the first brood has
fledged, the female often
produces a second, which
normally hatches out in July.
Although these later nestlings do
not have to face the uncertain
spring weather, they may have
less time to feed before the
migration south. If they fail to
build up enough body fat, they
may die on the journey.
One of the first migrants to appear in
northern Europe, the chiffchaff arrives in
early spring. The male broadcasts his
presence by singing heartily from treetops.
HABITAT
BREEDING
FOOD & HUNTING
Extra bedding…
The female collects leaves, grass,
animal hair and feathers to build
and line the nest. Sheep’s wool
makes a useful insulating material.
1

The chiffchaff is a bird of woodlands,
but is often found in large, wooded
gardens and even in hedgerows
studded with tall trees. Like other
leaf warblers, it is most at home in tree canopies or among tangles
of vegetation and rarely alights in the open. If there is enough cover,
the chiffchaff sometimes feeds in low shrubs, but it only breeds
where there are trees the male may use as singing posts.
The chiffchaff arrives in northern European woodlands so
early that it often sets up its breeding territories before the trees
are fully in leaf.
ᮡ
BUSHY TALE
Thick vegetation is an
ideal chiffchaff habitat.
ᮡ
HEAVY LUNCH
The chiffchaff must forage
constantly to feed young.
The chiffchaff feeds mainly on
insects and times its arrival at its
breeding grounds to take full
advantage of the spring boom in
invertebrates.The hunt involves
hours of nonstop activity as the
bird flits from tree to tree,
inspecting leaves, buds and twigs
for caterpillars and adult insects.
Like most of its relatives, the
chiffchaff specializes in picking

insects off plants and rarely
catches them in midair.The chif-
fchaff has been seen feeding on
nectar from flowers and, in its
winter quarters, sometimes eats
fruit and berries.
BUILDING A NEST
LIFECYCLE
Chiffchaff 203
BEHAVIOR
Solitary during winter and migration, the chiffchaff rarely flocks and
only appears with others during breeding. But the bird
communicates with other chiffchaffs nearby through calls — often to
warn of danger.
Like many birds, both sexes
of chiffchaff share a repertoire of
simple one-note calls. In addition, the
male sings to announce that he has
claimed a territory and to invite females into
it to mate. His song, from which the chiffchaff
takes its name, consists of a repetitive and ran-
dom sequence of two notes, the second note
being a lower pitch than the first.
?
•
The chiffchaff is so
similar to the willow
warbler that it usually
takes an expert to tell
them apart. However, the

willow warbler has a more
melodic song.
•
A chiffchaff’s color
shows regional variations.
Birds from Siberia are
mainly gray and white,
while European birds are
more olive-brown.
•
The wood mouse is a
chiffchaff enemy. In places
where it’s common, the
mouse can destroy over
three-quarters of chiffchaff
nests, eating eggs and
nestlings.
Builder at work
Although the female may have
never built a nest before,
instinct tells her how to
arrange the materials collected.
4
Soft furnishings…
The female tugs moss from
stones with her beak and adds it
to the nest; this extra layer
provides insulation from wind.
3
Secret hideaway…

Despite being close to the ground,
the nest is well hidden.The female
arrives and leaves rapidly to avoid
revealing the location to predators.
2
CONSERVATION
The chiffchaff is one of
Europe’s most common
and widespread birds.
Compared to some other
songbirds, such as the
hedge sparrow or skylark,
chiffchaff numbers have
remained relatively stable
despite dramatic changes
to the rural landscape.This
is because the chiffchaff
eats a wide range of insect
food and breeds in many
types of wooded habitats
including bushes close to
towns, parks and gardens.
ᮣ
STAKING A CLAIM
A treetop is an excellent vantage
point for the male to claim territory.
PROFILE
204 Chiffchaff
B
ILL

The bill ends in a
sharp point and
is small
enough to permit
the chiffchaff to pick
up minute insects
one by one.
T
AIL
The chiffchaff flicks and
fans its tail for balance
as it maneuvers through
dense vegetation.
W
INGS
Small wings enable the
chiffchaff to fly and
hover in thick
foliage while
hunting for
insects.
VITAL
STATISTICS
CREATURE COMPARISONS
The chiffchaff is one of a group of small insect-eating birds called leaf warblers. Although leaf warblers
often look similar, they all have slightly different habitats and feeding preferences,
thus reducing competition. Bonelli’s warbler (Phylloscopus bonelli),for
example, resembles the chiffchaff in size and coloring but
prefers to live in mountain forests, particularly
in southern Europe. In contrast to

the chiffchaff's call, the song of
Bonelli’s warbler
consists of a short
trill with a single note.
CHIFFCHAFF
With its tiny lightweight body, slender toes and narrow beak, the
chiffchaff is adept at foraging for insects beyond the reach of many birds.
WEIGHT
LENGTH
WINGSPAN
SEXUAL
MATURITY
BREEDING
SEASON
NUMBER OF
EGGS
INCUBATION
PERIOD
FLEDGING
PERIOD
BREEDING
INTERVAL
TYPICAL
DIET
LIFESPAN
0.21–0.35 oz.
4–4.4"
6–8.5"
1 year
April to July

4–7
13–15 days
14–16 days
1 or 2
clutches a year
Insects and
their larvae
Up to 6 years
Chiffchaff
P
LUMAGE
Olive-brown coloring enables the chiffchaff to hide
among twigs and leaves.The bird is easiest to
see in early spring, when it is often
silhouetted in the bare treetops.
L
EGS
&
FEET
The chiffchaff’s legs
splay out at an angle
to steady it as it
feeds. Like other
songbirds, it has toes
that curl around twigs
for greater stability
when it perches.
Bonelli’s
warbler
RELATED SPECIES

•
The chiffchaff belongs
to the family Sylviidae,
which includes European,
African and Asian leaf
warblers. This family is a
small part of the diverse
order Passeriformes,
which includes the
blue-tailed pitta, Pitta
guajana (below).
Cockatiel 205
COCKATIEL
• ORDER •
Psittaciformes
• GENUS & SPECIES •
Nymphicus hollandicus
• FAMILY •
Cacatuidae
KEY FEATURES
•
The cockatiel is the
smallest cockatoo,
weighing only 3.5 oz.
•
Searches for seeds,
fruits and berries on
or near the ground
•
Devoted mate and

parent; remains paired
year-round and both
sexes care for young
•
Keeps its distance
while perching, but
is usually gregarious,
traveling in flocks of
several hundred
WHERE IN THE
WORLD?
Found exclusively
in and throughout
Australia; especially
numerous in the
northern regions
and rarely found
along the continent’s
many coastal areas
206 Cockatiel
HABITAT
Extremely faithful, the cockatiel is noted for
its touching concern for an injured comrade;
if one member of a flock is hurt, the others
will hover about the bird to protect it.
BEHAVIOR
BREEDING
ᮡ
PRIVATE PERCH
Cockatiels prefer trees

near steady water supplies.
Cockatiels can be found in pairs and small groups, but more often
congregate in flocks numbering well into the hundreds. The birds
living in the more arid regions of northern Australia are highly
nomadic and constantly on the move in search of favorable feeding
grounds. Their flight call, weel, weel, is often heard before the birds
are seen, and the cockatiels zoom through the sky at speeds up to
44 mph. In spite of their gregariousness, each cockatiel prefers to
maintain its own space: when large flocks perch together, they will
not come into contact with one another. However, caring cockatiels
will surround an injured bird in order to protect it from further harm.
The bond between mates is extremely strong. A cockatiel separated
from its mate may “grieve” for as long as six months, during which
time attraction to the opposite sex may appear absent.
ᮡ
SEPARATE BUT EQUAL
Although they may congregate in large flocks, perched
cockatiels will not come in contact with each other.
Cockatiels prefer open, lightly
timbered country close to a
source of freshwater, such as
open woodlands and savannahs,
threaded with waterways or
bordered by water holes. Flocks
also live in more arid parts of
Australia, foraging for food in
one place and flying some
distance for water. Cockatiels
prefer large, dead eucalyptus
trees, on which they perch on

the stout outermost branches.
Cockatiels are able to endure
extreme temperatures as low
as 42ºF and as high as 110ºF.
This ability to endure extreme
temperatures enables the
cockatiel to inhabit areas where
other cockatoos or parrots
usually cannot survive.
Cockatiels are picky when choosing a mate and form strong bonds
that last for life. Breeding usually occurs following a heavy rain,
when food will be plentiful for the chicks. During the rain, many
of the birds will sit with their tails and wings outstretched to
bathe. Males then make displays with their wings, and the females
posture in return. Once the rains have passed, the breeding pair
searches for a nest hollow, usually about 15" deep in a dead
eucalyptus tree about 5' above ground. About four days after
nesting, the female begins to lay a clutch of 4–7 eggs, laying one
egg every other day. Incubation lasts 17–23 days, with the male
and female sharing the duties. Upon hatching, the chicks are fed
immediately, and the parents attentively guard them for the first
five days. Then, they leave the chicks unattended as they forage.
The young leave the nest at about 4–5 weeks and males devel-
op their yellow facial mask at about 6 months of age.
RAPID GROWTH
Backing in…
Since their long tails prevent them
from turning around in the small
tree hollow, the adults must enter
the hole tail first.

2
Honey, I’m home…
After a night of guard duty, the
male reenters the nest to relieve
the female of her incubation
duties until late afternoon.
1
LIFECYCLE
Cockatiel 207
FOOD & FEEDING
CONSERVATION
The cockatiel is not threatened. Because of their occasional
raiding of crops, however, there is an open hunting season for
cockatiels in Queensland. Elsewhere in Australia they are
protected by law year-round.Although they are second only
to the parakeet in popularity as a pet, they are not regularly
captured from the wild since they are easily bred in captivity.
?
•
Travelers in arid regions
of Australia have been able
to follow the flights of the
cockatiel to find water.
•
Confined cockatiels
have developed almost
no homing ability, and they
can become hopelessly lost
in a house or even in a
single room.

Cockatiels prefer to forage on the ground, searching for small
sun-dried seeds from grasses and plants, but they will also perch in
trees and shrubs to look for food. The bird husks seeds by rotating
them with its tongue while the beak and strong jaws effortlessly crack
the seed. The cockatiel also enjoys fruits, berries and the
nectar of some flowers. Large flocks may raid, and often completely
destroy, crops of ripening sorghum, wheat and sunflowers. Powerful
fliers, cockatiels will often take several long flights throughout the day
from foraging grounds to water holes. Cockatiels are cautious when
coming in to drink and will usually circle an area several times before
descending.The bird drinks by immersing its bill into the water, raising
its head and allowing the water to flow down the esophagus.
ᮢ
DOUBLE DUTY
The cockatiel uses its bill and its
tongue to forage.
I’m a big bird now!
Young leave the nest to join the
flock after 4–5 weeks but are
easily recognizable, with their duller
plumage and much smaller crests.
4
Feed me…!
Upon hatching, the chicks almost
immediately beg for food and often
receive their first meal within two
hours of hatching.
3
PROFILE
208 Cockatiel

VITAL
STATISTICS
COCKATIEL
The swift and powerful cockatiel reaches incredible flight speeds of
up to 44 mph, and is easy to spot with its rosy-orange ear coverts.
WEIGHT
LENGTH
WINGSPAN
SEXUAL
MATURITY
BREEDING
SEASON
NUMBER
OF
EGGS
INCUBATION
PERIOD
FLEDGING
PERIOD
BREEDING
INTERVAL
TYPICAL
DIET
LIFESPAN
2.8–3.5 oz.
10–13"
20"
2–3 years
After heavy
rains

4–7
17–23 days
4–5 weeks
Up to 2
clutches
per year
Seeds, fruits
and berries
15–20 years;
up to 38 in
captivity
Major Mitchell’s cockatoo (Cacatua leadbeateri), also known as
the pink cockatoo, is mainly white but has a light-pink head,
breast and underwing. Measuring up to 15" long and weighing
up to 1 lb., it is larger than the cockatiel. Its 5"-long, fanlike
crest feathers are also longer and more colorful than its relative’s.
Major Mitchell’s cockatoo is found among the dry grasslands throughout
central and western Australia—a more limited range than the cockatiel.
The bird’s rounded wings enable it to fly at a leisurely pace, much slower
than the cockatiel, whose narrow wings allow fast flight.
F
EMALE
The female is drabber in color and lacks
the male’s vibrant yellow face. Dark gray
and yellow bars are found on the
underside of her
tail and thighs.
P
LUMAGE
The cockatiel is gray; males have a bright-

yellow face mask and orange ear coverts.
E
AR COVERTS
The orange-red ear coverts, composed of
modified contour feathers, protect the
ears from the turbulence of flight.
F
EET
The feet are adapted for
perching; the bird has a
slow, waddling gait.
B
ILL
The strong, hooked bill
manipulates and cracks
small seeds.
C
REST
The 2"-long, wispy gray-yellow
crest is generally raised
during periods of alarm,
curiosity and excitement.
W
INGS
Strong, agile wings allow the
cockatiel to fly at amazing
speeds of more than 40 mph.
CREATURE COMPARISONS
Major
Mitchell’s

cockatoo
Cockatie
RELATED SPECIES
•
The cockatiel is the
only species in the genus
Nymphicus,
but joins 20
other species of cockatoo
in the family
Cacatuidae.
The palm cockatoo,
Probosciger aterrimus,
is
the largest cockatoo,
weighing over 2 lbs. and
measuring almost 2' in
length. The most distinct
cockatoo is probably the
galah,
Eolophus
roseicapillus,
with its
deep-pink face, neck
and underparts.
Common Eider 209
• ORDER •
Anseriformes
• GENUS & SPECIES •
Somateria mollissima

• FAMILY •
Anatidae
KEY FEATURES
•
A hardy bird that
spends most of its life
at sea, living on cold,
storm-tossed waters
•
Expert diving skills
and a hefty bill enable
the eider to feed on
shellfish on the seabed
•
Uses its own soft,
down feathers plucked
from its breast to make
a snug lining for its
nest; the down is
“harvested” by humans
for use in quilts and
sleeping bags
COMMON EIDER
WHERE IN THE
WORLD?
On coasts from Alaska,
across northern Canada
and northeastern U.S.
to Greenland, Great
Britain, Scandinavia

and eastern Siberia;
birds in the High
Arctic and Baltic areas
migrate south in winter
LIFECYCLE
210 Common Eider
The eider feeds on a variety
of shellfish (mussels, whelks,
cockles and crabs), which it
finds on the seabed. At high
tide, the eider dives beneath
the waves to grab shellfish
in its powerful bill or, as the
tide ebbs, it dabbles for
them in the shallows.
The eider cracks open
large shellfish with its bill,
but swallows small ones
whole. The gizzard (part of
the stomach) grinds down
the shells of the food that it
swallows whole, releasing
the soft flesh inside.
Shellfish form the basis
of the eider’s diet, but it also occasionally eats small fish. While
incubating her eggs, a female may nibble away at plant matter
that’s within reach of the nest, such as berries, seeds and leaves.
The common eider spends most of its time
in the cold, storm-tossed waters of northern
seas, buoyantly bobbing among rough wave

crests or diving below the surface to feed.
HABITAT
BEHAVIOR
FOOD & FEEDING
The common eider is essentially a seaduck, spending most of its
life offshore along cold, bleak and inhospitable sea coasts, from the
North Atlantic and Pacific, north to the High Arctic. It sometimes
flies to inland lakes and rivers, but visits only those waters that
are a short distance away from the coast.
Rarely venturing far out to sea, the common eider prefers to
remain close inshore, seeking the shelter of protected bays,
inlets and estuaries.These sheltered areas also offer ideal breeding
sites, as the common eider
tends to nest very close to the
water, just out of range of
the pounding surf.
ᮣ
OUT TO SEA
A “raft” of eider duck off
the rocky coast of Maine.
ᮡ
SEAFOOD SPECIALISTS
After diving to the seabed for food, the ducks rest to
digest their meal. Eiders also up-end to catch small fish.
ᮣ
COMMUNAL LIVING
Eiders gather in flocks,
sometimes thousands strong.
Common eiders gather in large
flocks on coastlines; they spend

most of their time resting
between feeding sessions. The
sociable birds also come onto
land to loaf about and preen.
When moving from place to
place, they usually fly in single file
or in loose strings.
Eiders winter mainly within
their breeding range out at sea,
although eiders from the Baltic
and Arctic areas may be driven
to coasts farther south when
the polar seas freeze over.
Common Eider 211
Surf…
On rough coastal waters, flocks of
common eiders gather to feed on
shellfish living on the ocean floor.
1
?
•
It’s believed that
the common eider inspired
the first bird sanctuary.
St. Cuthbert, a 7th-century
hermit on the Farne
Islands off the east coast
of northern England,
protected them. In fact,
the Farne Islands are still

a bird sanctuary today.
•
In the few hours
between hatching and
reaching the sea, half of a
brood may be snatched by
predators, such as gulls.
•
It takes the down from
up to 100 common eider
nests to fill just one quilt
or sleeping bag.
BREEDING
DUCKING AND DIVING
Pluck…
Spotting a mussel bed, the eider
pulls off a large individual to
take up to the surface to eat.
3
Plunge…
Plunging underwater, the birds
use their large, webbed feet to
propel down to the seabed.
2
CONSERVATION
In parts of the eider duck’s
range, its down feathers are
harvested at nesting time,
when the bird plucks out
its down to line its nest.

“Eider farmers” collect the
down, which has excellent
insulating properties, and
sell it for use in clothing
and quilts.As a result, the
bird is carefully protected.
Artificial nesting sites are
provided and the eider’s
predators are controlled.
Colonies of up to 10,000
birds have become
established.The world
population now stands at
over 5,000,000 and the
bird is in no danger.
ᮣ
NURSERY GROUP
In dense colonies,
ducklings gather in groups.
ᮢ
NEST BUILDER
Females line their ground
nests with grass and down.
Courtship occurs in flocks.
Drakes (males) circle females in
the water, cooing softly. A
female accepts by imitating his
display, then allows him to mate
with her. The pair goes ashore
to find a nest site. Once a site is

selected, the pair separates.
Eiders nest in colonies, and
egg-laying within a colony is
synchronous (most clutches
hatch within a short time of
each other). Ducklings are
active as soon as they hatch;
within hours, females lead their
young to the sea, where they
plunge in, quickly learning to
dive and find food. The young
are fledged at about 10 weeks.
Chow down
After a dive lasting just over a
minute, the eider surfaces and
cracks open its catch.
4
PROFILE
212 Common Eider
F
EET
Feet are large and broadly
webbed, providing the
eider with the thrust
needed to dive down
to the seabed to feed.
VITAL
STATISTICS
CREATURE COMPARISONS
In the breeding season, drakes of all four eider duck species are strikingly patterned, but the

most spectacular is the king eider (Somateria spectabilis), resplendent in its velvety-black body
and rose-tinged white breast.The pale-green and pearl-gray
head has a remarkable bright-orange “shield”
outlined in black at the base of the red bill.
The common eider lacks the king eider’s
colorful head and has a white back, making it
appear cleaner cut than the king eider. After
breeding, both molt into a dark, drab “eclipse” plumage,
looking quite different from their courtship dress.
COMMON EIDER
Cold-cheating down feathers insulate the common eider against icy seas
and a powerful, shell-cracking bill helps it exploit abundant shellfish.
WEIGHT
LENGTH
WINGSPAN
SEXUAL
MATURITY
BREEDING
SEASON
NUMBER
OF
EGGS
INCUBATION
PERIOD
FLEDGING
PERIOD
BREEDING
INTERVAL
TYPICAL
DIET

LIFESPAN
4–5 lbs.
1.5–2'
2.5–3.5'
2–3 years
April–July
1–8, but
usually 4–6
25–28 days
60–75 days
1 year
Mainly
shellfish;
occasionally
fish and
plant matter
5–6 years
RELATED SPECIES
•
The common eider is
a member of the family
Anatidae, a large group
with over 140 species.
The majority are ducks,
including the Magellanic
flightless steamer duck,
Tachyeres pteneres
(below). However, geese
and swans also belong
to the same family.

Common
eider duck
King
eider duck
D
OWN FEATHERS
Under the outer body feathers is a thick layer of
down.These small, soft and loosely structured
feathers trap a layer of air close to the skin, giving
the eider excellent protection against the cold.
F
EMALE
In contrast to the drake’s bold, black-and-white breeding
plumage, the female is a uniform brown with
blackish stripes and bars all year round.
This provides camouflage when
the female is nesting.
B
ILL
Large, triangular bill is
employed for cracking
open mussels,
crabs, whelks
and other
shellfish.
Common Grackle 213
COMMON GRACKLE
• ORDER •
Passeriformes
• GENUS & SPECIES •

Quiscalus quiscula
• FAMILY •
Icteridae
KEY FEATURES
•
Eats almost anything, from grasshoppers
to weeds, salamanders to seeds; considered
a pest by farmers
•
Its song resembles rusty hinges on a gate
•
Very sociable; flies, roosts and eats in the
company of many other birds
WHERE IN THE WORLD?
Found in southern
Canada and in the U.S.,
east of the Rocky
Mountains; from British
Columbia, east to Nova
Scotia and Florida
214 Common Grackle
The common grackle will feed
on almost anything, and it does so
on the ground, in the water and
in the trees. It forages in the
company of many birds in trees
and bushes, looking for a variety
of foods, including nuts, fruit, the
eggs of small birds and even
young birds.The common grackle

has also been known to eat
salamanders, acorns, chestnuts,
weeds, seeds and grain. The
grackle carefully probes on the
ground using its strong claws and
sharp beak to scratch for worms
and buried insects.Though it usually walks with slow, deliberate steps
during the search for food, the grackle will often chase insects, mice
or lizards, or even leap up to catch flying insects or snatch worms
from out of the beaks of feeding robins. The versatile common
grackle will wade into shallow water if necessary to catch aquatic
creatures such as frogs, aquatic insects and crayfish.
HABITAT
The common grackle is a clever crafter,
using cloth, plastic or yarn when building its
nest, and an ingenious hunter that scratches,
chases and leaps to find food.
BREEDING
The common grackle is polygamous; each male often takes on
multiple partners throughout the breeding season. Just before
this season begins in the early spring, the grackle forms very
large, noisy roosts, often with thousands of other birds. In a
characteristic display performed during the mating ritual, the male
lifts his head and drops his wings before breaking into song. He
then puffs up his feathers to impress the female.
Once paired, the birds fly off to find a nest site, which is
usually located in tall coniferous trees, but can also be found in
elms or maples. Other desirable nesting sites include cattail
marshes and low shrubs around lakes and ponds. With no
assistance from the male, the female builds a large, bulky nest

of woody stems, leaves and grasses; she will even incorporate
man-made materials such as fabric, cloth or plastic. As added
reinforcement, she then lines the nest with mud, fine grasses and
horsehair, if available.The clutch usually varies from 4–6 bluish or
pinkish eggs that are blotched with brown. The female
incubates the eggs for 13–14 days, and both parents tend the
young until the chicks fledge 18–20 days later.
The common grackle is highly
adaptable and has enjoyed great
population success in its North
American habitat. Grackles are
conspicuous, sociable birds on
farmland and in town gardens,
open woodland, fields, swamps,
parks and orchards.The grackle
also lives near cities, towns and
suburbs. This widespread bird
winters just south of its breed-
ing range. However, some sub-
species, such as those found in
Florida, remain sedentary.
ᮡ
GROUNDED GRACKLE
A grackle enjoys the shelter
of its woodland habitat.
ᮡ
WET WADER
A grackle wades into the
water for a meal.
FOOD & FEEDING

Awakening…
Numerous common grackles
roost in a line of trees among
thousands of birds.
1
Location, location…
A pair of breeding birds inspects
a coniferous tree as a possible
nesting site.
2
Master crafter…
The female completes the
finishing touches to the nest by
adding mud to the inside layer.
3
One for all
The five growing chicks feed off a
large spider provided by their
protective mother.
4
IN THE COMPANY OF MANY
LIFECYCLE
Common Grackle 215
BEHAVIOR
CONSERVATION
The common grackle is
plentiful in its New World
residence and faces no real
threats in its environment.
The bird eats almost

anything available and
enjoys a high survival rate
of its young.
The sociable common grackle is rarely seen alone. In fact, it often
flocks with blackbirds, cowbirds and starlings in congregations that
number in the thousands.The noisy grackles roost in large groups
in the midst of evergreen forests and fly together over potential
feeding grounds. In level flight, the grackle splits its long, wedged-
shaped tail to form a V. Pointed wings offer these strong fliers
optimum control and agility.
Considered a songbird, the
male common grackle marks
the onset of spring with a call
that resembles the grating
sound of rusty hinges. Though
it is unpleasant to human ears,
this courtship song attracts
female grackles.This extremely
vocal bird has a loud voice; the
grackle also emits a loud,
hoarse chuk or chak wheezing
song when it is threatened or
in flight.
ᮢ
SPLISH SPLASH
A fastidious common
grackle enjoys a refreshing
midday bath.
?
•

Flight speeds of the
grackle can reach up to 30
mph depending on the wind.
•
Birds have no vocal
chords; sounds come from a
resonating voice box at the
bottom of the windpipe.
PROFILE
216 Common Grackle
P
LUMAGE
The male common grackle
(right) is glossy black all
over, usually with a
purple sheen, depending
on the subspecies.The
female is smaller, with
duller black plumage.
J
UVENILE
Young birds are a
drabber, sooty brown
and have dark eyes, a con-
trast with the adult’s pale
yellow eyes. By its first fall, the
juvenile attains glossier plumage
and pale eyes.
B
ILL

The large, pointed bill is curved
slightly downward and lacks
notches. Specialized jaw muscles
and a cutting ridge in the roof of the
mouth work like a can opener, aiding
in shelling and rip-
ping tough food.
CREATURE COMPARISONS
VITAL
STATISTICS
WEIGHT
LENGTH
WINGSPAN
SEXUAL
MATURITY
BREEDING
SEASON
NUMBER
OF
EGGS
INCUBATION
PERIOD
FLEDGING
PERIOD
BREEDING
INTERVAL
TYPICAL
DIET
LIFESPAN
3–5 oz.

11–13.25"
17–18.5"
1–2 years
March–June
4–7
13–14 days
18–20 days
1 year
Nuts, seeds,
fruit, insects,
frogs, lizards,
worms, birds
and bird eggs
More than 17
years
RELATED SPECIES
•
The common grackle is
1 of over 90 species in the
family
Icteridae
. The birds
in this family range from
6.5–21" in length, and
include 22 North American
species, including the
bobolink,
Dolichonyx
oryzivorus,
as well as the

boat-tailed grackle,
Q.
major
a, a close relative in
the genus
Quiscalus
.
Tropical species include the
melodious blackbird,
Dives
dives
, and the Martinique
oriole,
Icterus bonana
.
T
AIL
The long, wedge-
shaped tail is held
like a V in flight.
COMMON GRACKLE
Sunlight enhances the glossy–black common grackle’s metallic sheen;
males accentuate this feature by puffing out their feathers.
F
EET
A perching bird, the grackle has relatively long
legs and stout feet. Strong claws allow the bird
to roost for long intervals, and also assist in
digging through the ground for food.
The great-tailed grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) lives in open country close

to water, where it feeds mainly on small fish and other aquatic creatures,
unlike the common grackle. Measuring 12–17", the great-
tailed grackle is larger than the common grackle and has a
longer tail. Not nearly as widespread as the common
grackle, the great-tailed grackle inhabits woodland groves
and towns in Mexico, Panama and the southern U.S.,
including Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. It is a noisy bird
with a similarly grating, shrieking courtship call, cha-we, much
like the common grackle’s hoarse chuk call.
Great-tailed grackle
Common grackle
Common Guillemot 217
COMMON GUILLEMOT
• ORDER •
Charadriiformes
• GENUS & SPECIES •
Uria aalge
• FAMILY •
Alcidae
KEY FEATURES
•
A diving seabird
resembling a penguin
in size and color, but
with a much longer,
narrower beak
•
Colony performs
a complicated ballet
display in the water

under the leadership
of a single bird
•
Young guillemot
take their first dive
off a cliff and into the
sea before they are
able to fly
WHERE IN THE
WORLD?
Found on the northern
coasts of the Atlantic
and Pacific oceans in
North America, Europe,
Asia, Africa, Greenland
and Iceland; also in
the U.S. in Maine and
southern California
LIFECYCLE
218 Common Guillemot
The guillemot searches for its fish prey by dipping its head just below
the sea’s surface.After spotting prey, the bird then dives and propels its
body underwater with its wings, in hot pursuit of a meal. This
acrobatic chase usually results in several catches during the day, with
the bird diving from 30–230'.The guillemot prefers fish that are high in
fat, such as herring, capelin, sprat and sand eels, carrying each one head
first in its bill before swallowing it. It
will also eat crustaceans, fish eggs, mol-
lusks and worms.The guillemot swims
up to 13 miles in search of large

schools of fish.
HABITAT
The guillemot is an accomplished swimmer
and diver; it ventures onto dry land only to
nest in colonies that dot the sea cliffs, where
the bird lays a single egg on bare rock.
•
The common guillemot
and other relatives in the
auk family are related to
penguins, but these birds
have retained the ability
to fly — due mainly to
their larger wing size.
•
Adult common guillemots
use a loud, distinctive call to
locate a chick lost in the
dark, icy waters. Guillemot
chicks use loud begging calls
when hungrily awaiting their
parents’ arrival.
The common guillemot prefers ice-free waters where it can dive and
hunt without obstacles.This seabird remains on the high seas until the
breeding season, when it moves to steep sea cliffs and low, flat islands.
It occurs along seacoasts, rocky cliffs and offshore islands during
winter, as well as along the edge
of the continental shelf and
shallow banks, marine coasts and
bays. The guillemot can generally

be found in boreal (northern)
waters with some birds in the
cool, subtropical zone. Depending
on the direction of fish schools,
the guillemot winters offshore at
sea within the breeding range. In
Newfoundland and Norway, the
bird is relatively sedentary; in
Great Britain and Iceland, birds
move toward the North Sea.
The social guillemot nests in
large colonies on cliffs, present-
ing a spectacular splash of black
and white during the nesting
season. These remote sites are
mostly predator-free except for
gulls that fly in and grab the
eggs or very young birds. This
cousin of the penguin, better
suited for swimming, waddles
on land only during the nesting
season and rests sitting upright.
Common guillemots use a
variety of signals and displays to
protect territories.They chatter
continuously, with a combina-
tion of grunts, cries and whistles
that they emit on land and also
as they swim.
BEHAVIOR

FOOD & FEEDING
ᮤ
TIGHT FIT
Rows of guillemots pack
the edges of the steep
coastal cliffs.
ᮣ
ONE AT A TIME
The guillemot carries
one fish head first
before swallowing it.
ᮢ
SHORT FLIGHT
The guillemot rapidly
flaps its narrow wings to
support its heavy body.
ᮣ
DEEP DIVE
The streamlined guillemot
can dive up to 230' and
hold its breath for up to
one minute.
?
Common Guillemot 219
Courting for the guillemot consists of a series of calls and
complicated water ballets. Once formed, pairs are monogamous
and both male and female defend the breeding site, flicking their
heads and lunging at intruders in threat displays.
In April, the female lays a single pear-shaped, blue-green,
speckled egg on bare rock on a cliff ledge (the egg’s pear shape

helps keep it from rolling off the cliff’s edge). Both parents take
turns incubating the egg for about 33 days by holding it between
their feet; they turn to face the cliff side for added protection from
the wind.The hatchling resembles a gray ball of wool; the feathers
become waterproof within about three weeks, about the time that
the chick is ready to make its first attempt to dive into the sea
below, where its parents are waiting.This “parachute” leap can be
from heights up to almost 1,000'.
The juvenile will become an expert swimmer before it learns
to fly; once it is able to fly well, it will leave with the male. The
female, possibly to break the bond with its chick, will often remain
at the breeding site for two weeks after the chick leaves.
BREEDING
CONSERVATION
With a population estimated at 9 million pairs, the guillemot
is not globally threatened. But the populations of guillemot
were reduced in the early 20th century through human
exploitation, mainly egg robbing and hunting.The bird has
made a recovery over much of its Atlantic breeding range due
to bird protection laws enacted in the 1970s. However, the
numbers continue to drop near Greenland and
Newfoundland, where overhunting occurs.
Bird’s eye view
About 15 days after hatching, the
chick leaps off the edge of the
cliff, gliding unsteadily into the
ocean to join its waiting parents.
4
Feeding time…
The parents feed their hungry

young chick up to eight meals
per day, including fish, such as
sand eels, that are high in fat.
3
Tight quarters…
Guillemot eggs are pear-shaped
to prevent rolling.A parent
prepares to incubate its egg; it
will huddle against the cliff wall.
2
Room for one more…
A common guillemot colony
nests on the narrow ledges of a
steep cliff face, where the birds
will remain close to their eggs.
1
SPECTACULAR SIGHT
PROFILE
220 Common Guillemot
VITAL
STATISTICS
COMMON GUILLEMOT
Though awkward on land, the guillemot, with its streamlined head and
slender neck, is a graceful swimmer and diver when it hunts for food.
WEIGHT
LENGTH
WINGSPAN
SEXUAL
MATURITY
BREEDING

SEASON
NUMBER
OF
EGGS
INCUBATION
PERIOD
FLEDGING
PERIOD
BREEDING
INTERVAL
TYPICAL
DIET
LIFESPAN
About 2 lbs.
14–16"
25–28"
4–5 years
Spring and
early summer
1
32–35 days
19–21 days
1 year
Fish,
crustaceans,
mollusks and
worms
Over 7 years
RELATED SPECIES
•

The common guillemot,
also known as the com-
mon murre, is one of 2
species in the genus
Uria;
the other species is the
thick-billed murre,
U. lomvia.
There are 11
genera and 22 species in
the family
Alcidae,
which
includes murres, auklets,
murrelets and puffins. The
smallest members of the
family are the 5.5"-long
least auklet,
Aethia pusilla,
and the 7"-long whiskered
auklet,
A. pygmaea.
B
RIDLED FORM
The bridled, or ringed,
form has a white eye ring
and stripe that extends,
much like a pair of
glasses, on its
head.This form

is found only in
northern
populations
in the
Atlantic
Ocean.
Rhinoceros auklet
F
EET
The black webbed feet are
better suited for swimming
than walking. On land, the bird
moves clumsily in an upright
position. Claws grasp rough,
surfaces. Underwater, the
guillemot uses its feet as a rudder.
P
LUMAGE
When viewed from above, the floating
guillemot blends in with the dark ocean
waters. From below, the white underbelly
blends in with the light from the sky. Both
sexes have similar plumage. In winter, the
cheeks and underside of the head and
foreneck are white, in the summer, black.
B
ILL
The long, slender bill is designed
to catch fish underwater.The
guillemot also uses its bill to

smear oil over its feathers for
insulation.The yellow lining
contrasts with the black bill.
CREATURE COMPARISONS
Common guillemot
The rhinoceros auklet (Cerorhinca monocerata) is 11.5"
long, smaller than the common guillemot. Unlike its
cousin, the rhinoceros auklet develops a hornlike growth
on its upper beak area during the breeding season, and
two long white facial plumes that extend from the eye
and beak area to the throat.The rhinoceros auklet is
found only in Pacific waters, whereas the guillemot is
found in northern regions of both the Pacific and
Atlantic. Both species winter in colonies offshore and
along sea coasts and islands.
Common Kestrel 221
COMMON KESTREL
• ORDER •
Falconiformes
• GENUS & SPECIES •
Falco tinnunculus
• FAMILY •
Falconidae
KEY FEATURES
•
One of the most
abundant and
adaptable falcons
•
A superb flier that

can swoop, soar, dash
and glide with equal
and effortless grace
•
Hovers in the air
while scanning the
ground for prey, then
drops like a stone for
the kill
•
Takes advantage of
human alterations
made to its habitat
WHERE IN THE
WORLD?
A huge range includes
most of Europe and
Asia (apart from
the far north and
east), parts of the
Middle East and
Southeast Asia, and
much of Africa
LIFECYCLE
222 Common Kestrel
An adaptable bird of prey, the kestrel has
bounced back from a population crash in
the 1960s to become a common sight in both
natural and man-made environments.
HABITAT

CONSERVATION
FOOD & HUNTING
Today, the common kestrel is the most abundant bird of
prey in Europe and across much of the rest of its range. Its
total numbers have recovered to 1–2 million pairs since the
1950s and 1960s, when pesticides led to a population crash.
A bird of open country, the
kestrel hovers over meadows,
fields, coastal heaths and other
grassy areas. Highways and
airports, with their wide grass verges, make ideal hunting grounds.
The kestrel avoids forests, wetlands and mountains, but sometimes
occurs at up to 15,000
'
in the mountain ranges of central Asia. In
sub-Saharan Africa, it also lives in savannah.
The kestrel usually nests in a large hole on a cliff or inside a tree
trunk. But it readily nests and roosts in quarries and on electricity
pylons, radio masts and buildings, including barns, churches and
power stations.
ᮡ
FRINGE BENEFITS
The kestrel stays near
woodland edges.
Adapting its plan of attack to suit every occasion, the kestrel preys
mainly on voles, shrews and field mice. It usually hunts over areas
of long grass, stopping every now and then to hover about 30
'
above the ground until it spots a prey animal.With perfect timing,
the kestrel dives and seizes the mammal in its talons. At other

times, it ambushes prey from a suitable perch, such as a dead tree
or fence post.
The kestrel hunts at dawn and
dusk or even on moonlit nights.
Certain prey, such as moths, slugs
and earthworms, are easier to
find at dusk. In urban
areas, small birds
such as sparrows
top the kestrel’s
menu.