Minnesota Ornithology

1. Minnesota Ornithology Heidi Heldberg & Nichole Christensen

2. Introduction to Ornithology Birds (class Aves) are winged, endothermic, vertebrate animals that lay eggs. There are over 9,000 species of birds known to us today. Modern birds are characterized by feathers, a beak with no teeth, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a lightweight but strong skeleton.

3. Common Loon (Gavia immer) Summer Male Loon Food sources: Minnows, Crayfish, Frogs, Leeches and Aquatic Insects Map of summer/winter territories Winter Female Loon

4. Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) Food Sources: small fish, shrimps, crabs, aquatic insects, rodents, other small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and small birds. Map of summer/winter territories

5. Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) Canada Geese are herbivores although they sometimes eat small insects and fish. Map of summer/ Winter territories

6. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) Female Mallard Male Mallard Aquatic plants, insects, mollusks, crustaceans, and seeds. Map of summer/winter territories

7. Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) Male Wood Duck Female Wood Duck Wood Ducks are herbivores eating vegetation grown in the shallow parts of lakes. Map of summer/ winter territories

8. Red-Tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) Its diet is mainly small mammals, but also includes birds and reptiles. Map of summer/winter territories

9. Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) Map of summer/winter territories Eats mainly fish.

10. Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) Bald eagles which live along the coast and on major lakes and rivers feed mainly on fish, but will also take ducks, birds, or any other prey available. Map of summer/winter territories

11. American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) Map of summer/winter territories. American crows are omnivores and will eat almost anything.

12. Red-Headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) Map of summer/winter territories They are omnivorous, eating insects, seeds, fruits berries and nuts.

13. Ring-Necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) Female Male Map of summer/winter territories Pheasants feed mostly on seeds and insects, with some berries in season.

14. Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis) Lives in all 3 biomes of Minnesota, but mostly the Prairie Grassland biome. Sandhills are birds of wet meadows and open landscapes. Stands erect when feeding in a field or marsh. Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) Lives in the Deciduous Forest biome of Minnesota. The Wood Stork favors wetlands and woody areas. It forages usually where lowering water levels concentrate fish in open wetlands. Compare and Contrast- Wading Birds

15. Compare and Contrast- Falcons • Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus) • Lives in the Prairie Grassland biome of Minnesota. • This high-soaring bird likes wide open spaces. • Prairie falcons may be declining in some places due to habitat loss and possibly due to nest robbing by people and rodent poisoning. • Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) • The rarest bird of prey in Minnesota, but can be found in the Deciduous Forest biome. • They are often found in cities or in cliffs or bluffs near water. • The peregrine falcon was placed on the endangered species list in ‘84. A chemical called DDT got into the birds and killed their eggs. DDT is now illegal in Minnesota. The peregrine falcon was removed from the list in ‘99.

16. Compare and Contrast- Owls • Boreal Owl • (Aegolius funereus) • Lives in the Coniferous Forest biome of northern Minnesota. • The boreal owl prefers northern forests containing spruce, pine, and aspen. • The first boreal owl reported to be nesting here was in 1978. • Burrowing Owl • (Athene cunicularia) • Make their home in the Prairie Grassland biome of Minnesota. • In Minnesota, burrowing owls are found only in the far western edge in the prairie. • Eastern Screech • Owl (Otus asio) • Screech owls can be • found in deciduous • (hardwood) forests, • lakeshores, and suburbs • throughout most of • Minnesota. • Screech owls are fairly • common in Minnesota.

17. Compare and Contrast- Blackbirds • Red-Winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) • The Red-Winged Blackbird resides mostly in the Prairie Grassland biome. • The Red-winged Blackbird inhabits open grassy areas. It generally prefers wetlands, and inhabits both freshwater and saltwater marshes, particularly if cattail is present. • Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) • This Blackbird lives in the Coniferous Forest biome of northern Minnesota. • Their breeding habitat is wet temperate coniferous forests and muskeg across Canada and Alaska. • The reasons are unclear, but habitat loss is a likely contributor to a decline of Rusty Blackbirds.

18. Compare and Contrast- Nuthatches • White-Breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) • A White-Breasted Nuthatch can be found in the Deciduous Forest biome. • In the eastern part of its range, its preferred habitat is old-growth open deciduous or mixed forest, including orchards, parks, suburban gardens and cemeteries; it is found mainly in the lowlands • Red-Breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) • Their breeding habitat is coniferous forests across Canada, Alaska and the northeastern and western United States. • They excavate a nest in dead wood, often close to the ground.

19. Works Cited • Google Images (10/26/09) - (10/30/09) • www.whatbird.com • www.junglewalk.com • www.dnr.state.mn.us