Today we’re introducing the Bar-headed Goose to Birdorable! This mid-sized species of Anser goose is easy to recognize due to the namesake black bars found on the back of the head.
Bar-headed Geese are known to be one of the highest flying species in the world. They spend the breeding season on high altitude lakes and migrate across Asia to reach their wintering grounds to the south. Using tracking data, Bar-headed Geese have been recorded at flying at altitudes of up to 21,000 feet! They have also been noted to fly over Mount Makalu at over 27,000 feet, and even over Mount Everest at over 29,000 feet! Wow!
Tomorrow we’ll introduce an African species with crazy long toes. Is this clue and the silhouette enough for you to guess the correct bird?
Today’s new species is found in scrubland habitat in parts of Argentina and Bolivia. Welcome the Birdorable Grey-hooded Parakeet!
This cute species is known by other names in aviculture: Aymara Parakeet or Sierra Parakeet. Aymara refers to people local to part of the birds’ range, in the high plateau region around Lake Titicaca. A Sierra is a chain of mountains, again referring to the type of habitat where these parakeets are found in the wild.
Grey-hooded Parakeets feed on plant material, including seeds, fruits, nuts, and berries.
Grey-hooded Parakeets in Capilla del Monte, Córdoba, Argentina by Nes (CC BY 2.0)
Tomorrow we’ll introduce an extremely high-flying species of goose found in parts of Asia. This bird is named for a pattern found on the back of its head. Can you guess what it is?
Today’s new bird is an Australian wading species, native to the island nation and now widespread across a variety of habitats. Our second bird in the 2020 Birdorable Bonanza is the Australian Ibis!
This species is also known as the Australian White Ibis. Like other ibis species, this bird has a long, down-curved bill. Its white plumage is highlighted by fluffy black feathers over the tail, which are actually secondary wing feathers.
Australian Ibis feed on aquatic prey, like frogs, fish, and mussels. They also eat worms and, having adapted to living in areas near human habitation, will also feed on carrion and even food scraps found in trash.
Tomorrow we will reveal a new species of parrot found in high elevation scrubland in parts of South America, including around Lake Titicaca. Can you guess the bird?
Today we start our 2020 Birdorable Bonanza with a bang! Actually… make that an IRRUPTION! We’re kicking off 29 days of new birds by dropping four finches in this “finch invasion” winter season. A bright spot in 2020, many birders are delighting at seeing these and other finches visit their feeders for the first time in many years or for the first time ever.
Northern finches follow the food, and when they have a good season, large flocks of them might congregate farther south than in other years; their gregarious groups are a delight to see.
Pine Siskins are extremely gregarious and may be found in feeding flocks of hundreds of individuals. Wow!
Crossbills are named for their specialized bills, crossed at the tip, which allows them to feed on conifer seeds by stripping cones down to reach the food inside. Different crossbills specialize in different kinds of conifer seeds. Isn’t that neat?
Male Purple Finches have a beautiful bright raspberry red, streaky plumage. Females and juveniles are duller, with little to no red, though you can see the same face mask pattern on adult females.
Find our new finches in a variety of new designs on a great assortment of apparel and other products, available in our shop.
Tomorrow our 2020 Birdorable Bonanza will continue with a bird native to Australia with a long, curved bill and a bare head. Birds of this family are found nearly all around the world. Can you guess tomorrow’s new species?
