2003 Nickname Beat

Nickname Beat:  Birds

By Matthew Anderson

Are Birds Really Dinosaurs?

The word dinosaur was created in 1841 and used to describe a type of extinct reptile.  Dinosaurs and birds are very different in many ways.  Two of the most brilliantly designed structures in nature are bird feathers and special lungs.  Feathers are complex structures with barb, barbules, and hooks.  They originate from follicles inside the skin in a manner akin to hair.  Dinosaurs had scales, which are folds in skin.  In reptile ("bellows"-style) lungs, the air is drawn into tiny sacs where blood extracts the oxygen and releases carbon dioxide.  The stale air is then breathed out the same way it came in.  But birds have a complicated system of air sacs (avian lungs).  This system keeps air flowing in one direction through special tubes in the lungs, and blood moves through the lung's blood vessels in the opposite direction for efficient oxygen uptake.  Also birds move both its upper jaw and lower jaw.  In most vertebrates, including reptiles, only the lower jaw moves.

Puffin

Nickname:  Puffin to Duane from Dianne

Puffins don't build their nest in trees; they build their nest in burrows, which they make themselves.  A large group of puffins are called "rafts."  Bald eagles, sea gulls, falcons, and killer whales are a puffin’s enemies.  They are excellent swimmers and divers, and can live to be almost forty years old.  Some people have nicknamed them "clowns of the sea" or "sea parrots."

Baltimore Oriole

The Baltimore oriole, sometimes also called a firebird or golden robin, is a pleasant-sounding songbird.  It was named after Lord Baltimore, the Maryland colony's governor.  The male bird's orange and black feathers are the colors of Lord Baltimore's coat of arms.  In 1894, Baltimore's major league baseball team was named after the bird.  It became the state bird of Maryland on June 1, 1947.

Hawks

Hawks see clearly over long distances, and have strong wings and strong feet.  They usually catch and eat live animals.  Duck hawks can dive at 175 miles per hour and can catch birds in midair.  Kestrels are about the size of a robin.  The largest hawks are called eagles.

Partridge

The partridge is mentioned in The Twelve Days of Christmas.  The name partridge is also sometimes associated with grouse, the bobwhite, and quail.  It was first introduced to North America in 1889, when the gray partridge was brought into Virginia.  The partridge is a fast bird. Using its deep chest to propel itself, the partridge can scurry across the ground at quick speeds to avoid predators.

The National Symbol

The bald eagle was officially declared the National Emblem of the United States by the Second Continental Congress in 1782.  It was selected by the U.S.A.'s founding fathers because it is a species unique to North America.  Ben Franklin wanted the wild turkey to be the national bird, because he thought the eagle was of bad moral character.  Bald eagles were once very common throughout most of the United States.  They feed primarily on fish and they can carry their food off in flight, but can only lift about half their weight.

Swans

You can find swans on ponds, lakes, slow-moving rivers, and many live in salt water, too.  There are mute, whooper, bewick's, whistling, trumpeter (which is the largest and they don't migrate south for the winter), black, black-necked, and coscoroba swans.  Migrating swans travel mainly at night.  There is a book about swans called The Trumpet of the Swan.  It is a bird mentioned in The Twelve Days of Christmas.

Penguins

There are 18 different kinds of penguins, and they live south of the equator.  Emperor penguins are the biggest (35 in. tall and up to 90 lb.) and little blue penguins are the smallest (a third as tall and just over 2.2 lb.).  Penguins have enemies such as seals, sharks, and killer whales.  Some penguins make their nest with stones and pebbles.  There is a book about penguins called Mr. Popper's Penguins.

Worm-Eating Warbler

Nickname:  Wormer to Gloria from Matthew

Worm-eating warblers can also be called wormers.  However, they mainly feed on caterpillars, spiders, and other insects.  Wormers winter in the Caribbean Basin, and they summer in North America.  They build their nest on the ground and hide it with leaves.  The song of a wormer is a thin dry buzz.

Green Jay

Nickname:  Green Jay to Julie from Gloria

The green jay has a blue cap and no crest.  It eats seeds, fruits and insects.  The City of McAllen, Texas has chosen the green jay as its official bird.  The green jay lives in southern Texas and Mexico.  Its song is a harsh ch-ch-ch-ching, fast beetle-beetle, and odd low snore.

Archaeopteryx

Nickname:  Archaeopteryx to Jennifer from Julie

Archaeopteryx is an extinct bird, being about the size of a pigeon.  It had curved claws for perching.  It could move both its upper and lower jaw.  Unlike the vulture, the archaeopteryx had feathers on its head.  Also, it had claws on its wings, which could be used if attacked like the ostrich.

Great Auk

Nickname:  Great Auk to Paul from Dianne

Before it became extinct in the mid 1800's, the great auk was found in the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean along the coasts of North America and northern Europe.  It was a swimmer, not a flyer, and a superb navigator.  The great auk was a hardy, gentle and trusting bird that loved the sea.  People carved the great auk's figure on the walls of caves.  The carvings can now be seen in El Pinto Cave in Spain.

Dove

Nickname:  Dove to Linda from Holly

Doves eat on the ground, and they eat cracked corn, sunflower seed, and white millet.  The mourning dove is smaller than a pigeon, makes a soft cooing sound, takes tiny steps, and bobs its head as it goes.  Wisconsin's symbol of peace is the mourning dove.  The nest is sometimes built on top of a deserted robin's nest.  In the Bible Noah sent out a dove from the ark to find out if the waters had gone down.

Mockingbird

Nickname:  Mockingbird to Dianne from Julie

Mockingbirds will eat bird cakes as well as raisins and other fruit at backyard feeders.  If you get too close to its nest it will attack you.  One time a pig came to a tree to eat some oranges, and the mockingbirds attacked it because they thought their nest was being threatened; however, the pig actually enjoyed the pecking.  One mockingbird was heard imitating the calls of 32 different birds in just 10 minutes.  The mockingbird is the state bird of Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas.

Western Meadowlark

Nickname:  Western Meadowlark to Shirley from Dianne

The western meadowlark is the state bird of Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, and Wyoming.  Its nest is placed on the ground in a concealed spot and is partially domed, made of grass and other plant materials.  The eggs are buff speckled with brown.  Its song is "See-me- I'm MEADOWLARK!"  If you move close to it, it will turn its back to match the grass; if you move even closer it will fly away.

Blue Jay

Nickname:  Blue Jay to Judy from Matthew

The blue jay is nearly 1 foot long, including the tail.  They can raise or lower their crest on their head.  Blue jays live about four to six years.  They love peanuts.  A blue jays voice is "Jay-jay-jay;" it also can mimic the calls of red-shouldered and red-tailed hawks.

Dunlin

Nickname:  Dunlin to David from Gloria

Dunlins have a long bill and short legs.  They live on tundra in the summer and beaches in the winter.  The dunlin looks different throughout the year with its colors being brightest in the summer.  The call of a dunlin sounds like a short slurred 'treep'.  The dunlin is on many stamps.

Robin

Nickname:  Robin to Matthew from Gloria

Robins are not afraid of living near humans.  They have many enemies such as squirrels, dogs, cats, and hawks.  They make their nest of twigs and mud.  The robin is the most popular songbird in the United States because it appears to be a happy and friendly bird.  It is the state bird of Wisconsin, Michigan and Connecticut.

Bluebird

Nickname:  Bluebird to Holly from Dianne

The bluebird is a songbird that lives in North America.  Bluebirds eat insects, some berries, and other small fruits.  The bluebird is the state bird of Idaho, Missouri, Nevada and New York.  Bluebirds are dying out.  They are dying out because their houses are being taken over by sparrows and starlings.