Nature Bowl 2021: The Family Challenge Edition!

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife Announces

Nature Bowl 2021: Family Challenge Edition

Your challenge is to work together as a family to complete fun and educational nature-themed games and activities. Enjoy a scavenger hunt, find and become native species, invent a family game, figure out nature snapshots and create a nature commercial!

The Nature Bowl 2021: Family Challenge is open to all Californian families with school-age children. The contest runs from March 15 through May 14, 2021.

For more information, visit https://wildlife.ca.gov/Regions/2/Nature-Bowl

Sign Up Today by contacting genelle.treaster@wildlife.ca.gov

Meet the Belted Kingfisher

Male Belted Kingfisher, Image by Daniel Lee Brown

There are many species of kingfishers in the world, but only one, the Belted Kingfisher, inhabits North America. Their range extends from the northern parts of Canada, Alaska, throughout the United States, and down as far south as Panama in Central America.

Belted Kingfishers are very independent and solitary birds. You will often see them perched alone, over a body of water looking for food. Some Belted Kingfishers must migrate south in the winter to find water that isn’t frozen. However, in the Sacramento area, Belted Kingfishers stay year-round.

What does the Belted Kingfisher look like?

Belted Kingfishers are quite handsome birds with their stunning slate-blue feathers and bright white collar and belly. A tall crest of blue feathers is present on top of their heads and they have a striking slate-blue chest band.

Female Belted Kingfishers have a rusty-orange colored belly band, in addition to the blue chest band. This rusty-orange color also runs down the females’ flanks. Juvenile birds of both sexes have a faint or spotty rusty-orange belly band, like their mothers. This orange band disappears as the male Belted Kingfisher matures into adulthood. 

Female Belted Kingfisher, Image by Ray Rozema

Where do Belted Kingfishers live?

Look for Belted Kingfishers anywhere there is a smooth flat surface of water. You can find them near rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, estuaries, and coastlines. They build their nests in river levees or other types of banks. Belted Kingfishers dig their tunnels in these banks. They purposely avoid choosing nesting sites with lots of trees. Tree roots make it much too difficult to dig tunnels!

What do Belted Kingfishers eat?

Belted Kingfishers are mainly carnivores and prefer small fish and crayfish over other types of foods. If fish aren’t available, they will eat small amphibians, reptiles, mollusks, butterflies and moths, and other insects. Rarely, they even eat berries.

The Belted Kingfisher hunts by perching on a branch, overlooking a body of water; or by hovering (remaining in one place in the air, using rapid wing beats) over a body of water. When prey is spotted, Belted Kingfishers plunge into the water, head first. They have a special membrane that covers and protects their eyes as they enter the water.

What do Belted Kingfishers sound like?

The call of the Belted Kingfisher will most certainly get your attention! Their loud, rattle-like call is usually the first signal that a Belted Kingfisher is near. You can listen to them calling now:

Belted Kingfisher

Richard E. Webster

Belted Kingfisher

Paul Marvin

Belted Kingfisher

Paul Marvin

Belted Kingfisher

Russ Wigh

These sounds and calls of the Belted Kingfisher are from xeno-canto. More Belted Kingfisher vocalizations can be found at xeno-canto.org/species/Megaceryle-alcyon.

Belted Kingfisher, Female © Ray Rozema

Learn more about the Belted Kingfisher.

Belted Kingfisher © Daniel Lee Brown

Learn more about the Belted Kingfisher.

Belted Kingfisher, Male © Daniel Lee Brown

Learn more about the Belted Kingfisher.

A Bird Call - A Bird Song

What’s the Difference?

So what is the difference between a bird call and a bird song? They are both ways for birds to communicate. Humans, however, have put bird vocalizations into two main groups because birds use calls and songs on different occasions and for different purposes.

Calls are used to share a bird’s location with others in their species or to warn them of suspected danger. Calls are usually short in duration and are made up of just a few notes. Both male and female birds use calls. Birds’ calls are frequently heard throughout the year. This is not the case with songs. Calls are sometimes used to notify other birds in their flock, or family group, that a newly discovered food source is nearby. Young birds use begging calls to tell their parents that they wish to be fed.

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Image by Daniel Lee Brown

Savannah Sparrow

Richard E. Webster

Songs are used when birds are claiming or protecting their territory or to attract a mate. Songs are also used for family bonding. They are frequently heard in the spring months and are more complex and musical than calls are. It was previously thought that male songbirds did most of the singing; but we now realize that many females also sing. The female Northern Cardinal is a good example of this and is extremely vocal. Birds that sing songs are usually inhabitants of dense areas or areas of low visibility, such as in forests, jungles, dense scrubland, or areas with tall grass. Birds that inhabit open areas, such as lakes, don’t have as much need for songs because they are more easily seen. Some species of birds have many different songs and some species only have one song. Odd as it may seem, there are songbirds that seldom sing or do not sing songs at all. Jays almost never sing and Cedar Waxwings do not sing at all.

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Image by Mary Forrestal

California Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma californica)

Thomas Magarian

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Image by Larry Hickey

Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)

Paul Marvin

Starlings and Mockingbirds imitate songs of other songbirds and may imitate other sounds as well.

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Image by Daniel Lee Brown

Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)

Matt Wistrand

Image by Daniel Lee Brown

Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)

Parker Davis

There are some birds that do not have either calls or songs. These include storks, pelicans, and some species of vultures. However, most birds do have calls and many have both calls and songs.

Birds do not have a good sense of smell and must depend on vision and hearing for their survival. Therefore, their calls and songs are extremely important for communication out in the wild. There are other kinds of sounds that some birds make that aid in communication. Woodpeckers peck at or “drum” on trees. Here is the drumming of a Nuttell’s Woodpecker.

Image by Larry Hickey

Nuttall's Woodpecker (Dryobates nuttallii)

Ed Pandolfino

Other birds make sounds with their wings or tails that help them communicate with one another. Here is the sound the male Anna’s Hummingbird makes with its tail feathers during an aerial dive display.

Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna)

Ed Pandolfino

Image by Mary Forrestal

Want to learn more about Bird Songs? Check out these great resources:

• The recordings of bird songs and calls used in this article were originally shared on xeno-canto.

• This video from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

• The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has this interactive page of birds and their songs.

• This article from National Audubon has some fantastic owl sounds.

Meet the Cedar Waxwing

Cedar Waxwing, Image by Ray Rozema

Cedar Waxwings are delightful birds and fairly common here in the Sacramento Valley. Most of the time, they fly in flocks and often show up in our yards. Cedar Waxwings are very social birds. There have been several reports of waxwings seen passing berries, one-by-one, down a row of birds! By using this technique, several birds obtained food that was difficult to reach. 

In the summer, Cedar Waxwings nest all across Canada and in the northern most states. But in fall and winter, many fly south in large flocks into the central and southern parts of the U.S. They can fly as far south as Central America and the northern part of South America. Cedar Waxwings do not have set migration routes. They fly in search of food, wherever it takes them.

What does a Cedar Waxwing look like?

Cedar Waxwings are a treat to see because they are very unique-looking. Both males and females look alike. Adult birds have a group of pointed feathers on top of their heads, which is called a crest. A bold black color covers their eyes and faces and resembles a mask. They have pale yellow abdomens, gray upper tail and wing areas, brown heads, chests, and necks, and have bright yellow band on the tip of their otherwise dark tails. Young birds also have these yellow tail tips; but they look different from their parents. They have streaky bodies and do not have dark masks (or only have faintly colored masks). Often on Cedar Waxwings, you can see a wax-like red (or orange) substance on the tips of a particular set of flight feathers. This unusual and brightly-colored substance on their wings is why they are called waxwings. The color is related to the kind of berries the Waxwing has been eating! 

Cedar Waxwing, Image by Chris Conard

What does the Cedar Waxwing eat?

Cedar Waxwings love berries and can remain healthy by eating only berries for several months of the year. Most other bird species need a more varied diet. Cedar Waxwings move around from location to location in search of berries and eat the berries by swallowing them whole! Waxwings have the anatomy to do this; humans do not, so please don’t try this yourself. Cedar Waxwings also enjoy other fruits, including apples and cherries, and they eat insects and cedar cones too.

Cedar Waxwings, Image by Larry Hickey

How do Cedar Waxwings make their nests?

Even though a pair will search for a nest site together, it's the female Cedar Waxwing that makes the final decision on where the nest will be constructed. The nest site is usually in a fork or “v” of two branches. The nest is woven with twigs, grasses, cattail down, blossoms, string, and horsehair, and many other materials. Imagine this….. it takes more than 2,500 trips to the nest and 5-6 days before the nest is finally completed! It is also common to see several nests, or colonies, fairly close together in the same tree. This species is truly quite social and cooperative with one another. You can see a picture of a Cedar Waxwing on her nest at the USGS website.

What do Cedar Waxwings sound like?

Even though they are classified as songbirds, Cedar Waxwings do not have a song! They only make a few call notes. Their calls are generally heard when they are flying and have been described as a thin, high-pitched whistle or trill. Because Cedar Waxwings usually fly in flocks, you often hear lots of them calling together. Two terms have been given for a flock of Cedar Waxwings. One is an “ear-full.” You may come to understand the first term, “ear-full,” after listening to them. You can click on the box below to listen now. The second term for a flock of Cedar Waxwings is a “museum.” Perhaps this is because they are such attractive-looking birds. What do you think?

Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)

Ted Floyd

This recording of the Cedar Waxwing is from xeno-canto. More Cedar Waxwing vocalizations can be found at xeno-canto.org/species/Bombycilla-cedrorum.

So if you have never noticed or seen Cedar Waxwings, hopefully you will sometime soon. Listen for their calls and then look high in the trees around you. Perhaps they are perched there enjoying a fabulous meal.

Cedar Waxwing © Craig Swolgaard

Learn more about the Cedar Waxwing.

Cedar Waxwing © Ray Rozema

Learn more about the Cedar Waxwing.

Cedar Waxwing © Larry Hickey

Learn more about the Cedar Waxwing.

Cedar Waxwing © Chris Conard

Learn more about the Cedar Waxwing.

Cedar Waxwing © Chris Conard

Learn more about the Cedar Waxwing.

Meet the Dark-eyed Junco

Dark-eyed Junco, Image by Daniel Lee Brown

Now here is a bird you may often see in your own yards, the Dark-eyed Junco! It is a member of the sparrow family. They are frequently seen feeding on the ground and sometimes make ticking-like calls as they fly up to trees or bushes. This species is one of the most common birds on the continent; but you will only see them here in the Sacramento Valley from Fall through Spring. In summer, they nest and raise their young in coniferous forests or mixed woodlands, both to the west and east of us and also in Canada and Alaska. There are a few populations of Dark-eyed Juncos which live in other areas of the U.S. that do not migrate and stay in their areas all year long! Most Dark-eyed Juncos do migrate, however, and can be seen throughout much of the U.S. in the winter. They primarily eat seeds but during the nesting season will eat insects as well.

One of the interesting things about this bird is that its color patterns can be very different from bird to bird. Their appearance may make you believe that they are not the same species; but in fact they are. They have “coats” of many colors! (Hint: you can often suspect that you have spotted a Dark-eyed Junco when you observe their white outer tail feathers as they fly away.)

Dark-eyed Junco, Image by Ray Rozema

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Female Dark-eyed Junco,
Image by Mary Forrestal

It’s the female that chooses the nest site and builds most of the nest. The nest site is usually on sloping ground, a low rock face, or amid the tangled roots of an upturned tree. Nests are sometimes in trees; but usually no higher than 10 feet. Males sing from treetops to defend their nesting territory. When around people, juncos may nest in or underneath buildings. Both parents help feed the young. Young birds leave the nest 9-13 days after hatching! 

Go outside and look on the ground in your backyard today. You may very well see a Dark-eyed Junco! 

Here are the calls and songs that Dark-eyed Juncos make:

Call of the Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)

James Link

Call of the Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis oreganus)

Ed Pandolfino

Song of the Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis oreganus group)

Frank Lambert

These songs and calls of the Dark-eyed Junco are from xeno-canto. More Dark-eyed Junco vocalizations can be found at xeno-canto.org/species/Junco-hyemalis.

Kids' Christmas Bird Count

For more than 100 years, birders all over the world have looked forward to December, the time of the Christmas Bird Counts. Data gathered from these counts, or CBCs as they are known, is enormously valuable to scientists and other researchers regarding the abundance and distribution of the world’s bird species.

Read more about last year’s Kids’ and Teen CBCs.

This year, the pandemic has changed this long tradition. The Kids’ and Teen CBCs for the Sacramento Area have been cancelled. However, while disappointing, this does not mean that children and their families must give up counting birds this winter. Instead, your family can choose a site: a backyard, a nearby park, a school yard, a nature center such as Effie Yeaw, and count the birds you see at that site. There are many options where one might find wintering birds in the Sacramento area.

To be consistent with past CBC dates, you’ll want to count birds the first weekend in January, that is January 2nd or 3rd. Count all the birds you see and keep track of them. This can be for half an hour or all day. Hopefully, you will want to enter them in the citizen science database, eBird. Check out the videos below to learn more about eBird. And if you need help identifying the birds you see, we recommend Merlin Bird ID. You can learn more about Merlin below as well.

Participating in this year’s Christmas Bird Count is a great way to engage with nature and spend some fun time outside. Enjoy!

Introduction to eBird

eBird Tutorial

Merlin Bird ID

Meet the Hermit Thrush

Hermit Thrush, Image by Larry Hickey

Every fall, birdwatchers in the Sacramento area look forward to the arrival of the Hermit Thrush. The Hermit Thrush migrates from several northern states (including Alaska) and Canada. The species comes to our area because food is more available and to enjoy the milder winter climate.  Hermit Thrushes are in the same family group as the Robin. Just like Robins, Hermit Thrushes like to eat berries, insects, and sometimes invertebrates.  

Can you see the triangle spots on the bird’s breast?

The Hermit Thrush often perches in one spot for a while; so you can frequently get a good look at it. There is nothing flashy or colorful about the Hermit Thrush. They are a grayish-brown bird that has triangular-shaped little spots on their breast and have reddish-brown tails. However, their sweet nature appeals to many who spot them. Often people refer to them as being their favorite bird.

Many think that the song of the Hermit Thrush is one of the most beautiful of all bird songs. Sadly, in the Sacramento area, we don’t hear them sing all that often. Hermit Thrushes usually save their delightful song for when they are in their breeding grounds, which are to the north and east of us. However, you CAN hear their calls here. Many species of birds have both songs and calls. You can listen to the Hermit Thrush’s song and calls below:

Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus)

Jarrod Swackhamer

This is one of the calls that the Hermit Thrush makes

Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus)

Ron Overholtz

This is another call of the Hermit Thrush

Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus)

Bobby Wilcox

This is the song of the Hermit Thrush

These songs and calls of the Hermit Thrush are from xeno-canto. More Hermit Thrush vocalizations can be found at xeno-canto.org/species/Catharus-guttatus.

So now, perhaps it’s time for you and your family to go out and see if you can find (or hear) a Hermit Thrush! Good luck!

Hermit Thrush © Timothy Jackson

Learn more about the Hermit Thrush.

Hermit Thrush © Mary Forrestal

Learn more about the Hermit Thrush.

Hermit Thrush © Larry Hickey

Learn more about the Hermit Thrush.

Hermit Thrush © Mary Forrestal

Learn more about the Hermit Thrush.

Bird Talk

Contributed by Genelle Treaster, Fish and Wildlife Interpreter 2, for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, these activities will have your kids talking like the birds in no time.

Click on any page to download the 4 page printable PDF activity.

Maze - Fluffy Got Out

Click on the Maze to download a printable PDF.

Northern Mockingbird – The Great Imitator

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Did you know that a bird can imitate the sounds of other birds?

Although many species of bird imitate other birds, the Northern Mockingbird is the best known in North America for doing it. It can learn up to as many as 200 sounds. It imitates not only birds but also other animals and mechanical sounds such as a car alarm and lawn  mowers, a gate opening. Scientist cannot say for certain why  mockingbirds mimic the sounds of birds, other animals, or objects. Click here for a sample of some of the sounds you may hear.

Why do mockingbirds sing through the night?

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In addition to being good mimics, mockingbirds are also some of the loudest and most constantly vocal of birds. They often sing through the night, or when the moon is full. Do you ever wonder why the mockingbird sings at night when most birds sleep? Wouldn’t you think that the  bird would be announcing his exact location to every cat on the block? Doesn’t the volume generated by the cacophony of loud sounds from the bird’s diaphragm and breast muscles take a lot of energy and rob the mockingbird of energy it needs to hunt for food for himself and his family? Some research has discovered that a  “sonic sparring” is happening between principalities within a neighborhood, each of which produces their food and provides the shelter they need forever. So the next time you are awakened in the early morning hours by a chorus of non-stop songs from a male mockingbird, remember it may not only be to attract a mate, but to protect its turf!

Bird Word Search

Click on the Word Search to download a printable PDF.

Click on the Word Search to download a printable PDF file.

Fun Facts About Hummingbirds

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Q: Have you ever wondered what a hummingbird’s colorful patch of throat feathers is called?

A: The feathers are called a “gorget” (pronounced gor-git). The term comes from a period when a knight-in-armor wore a metallic collar – or gorget to protect his throat. The gorget is found on many males, particularly those found in North America, and they are iridescent. 

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Q: What fountains do hummingbirds prefer?

A: Hummingbirds prefer places that are easy for them to perch and take advantage of the water. Fountains with small bubblers and rough textures such as slate slabs. These are best options because they give the birds plenty of space to access the water where they feel safe and comfortable.

Hummingbirds also love to drink from water hoses.

Q: How can I attract more hummingbirds to my backyard?

A: Grow native plants that have lots of nectar to attract these energetic birds. Nectar is a sweet, liquid substance produced by the flowers of plants.  It is made in glands of the plants called nectaries. Hummingbirds need this  sweet (sugar) solution to fuel their high energy lifestyle. Did you know that they flap their wings around 60 times per second, have hearts that beat on average 1,200 times per minute, and stick their tongue in and out of a feeder 13 times per second?

A common trait that many nectar producing plants have is that they are long and tubular. Examples include red columbine, bee balm, trumpet honeysuckle, cardinal flower, and red buckeye. Insects have a hard time reaching the nectars in these types of flowers; but hummingbirds with their long beaks and tongues, are perfectly adapted.

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Q: How long do hummingbirds live?

A: Depending on the species hummingbirds live on average 3 to 5 years; but have been known to live up to 12 years.

Anna’s Hummingbird on Nest by Larry Hickey

Q: What do hummingbirds make their nests out of ?

A: Common items used to build hummingbird nests includes spider silk/ webs, lichens, moss, bark fragments, leaves, feathers, fur, and plant fibers.

Planting a Seed

Northern Flicker, William Pond Recreation Area by Gesna Clarke

Planting seeds in kids to recognize, respect and appreciate nature begins at an early age and in your own backyard. Kids are naturally curious; so what better place than the backyard to start a conversation about birds and ways to create and maintain a healthy and safe environment for local birds who consider your yard their home or birds who drop by during seasonal migration.

Prepare a birding tool kit that includes binoculars, pencils, note and sketch pads, and  birding field or activity guide to help your kids get started.

Below are a few recommended field and activity guides for kids of different ages.

• Backyard Birding for Kids by Fran Lee

• Audubon Birding Adventures for Kids: activities and Ideas for Watching, Feeding and Housing our Feathered Friends by Elissa Wolfson

• The Young Birder’s Guide to Birds of North  America ( Peterson Field Guides) by Roger Tory Peterson

• Bird Log, a kids’ journal to  record their birding experience by De Anna Brandt

Help your kids learn to respect birds and their habitat. One example is by modeling how to quietly observe a bird’s behavior from a distance, so the bird is not frightened and flies away.

Work with your kids and explore ways to support birds who live in or stopover at your backyard.   

• Build a birdhouse or bird feeder

• Identify a corner in the yard to start a kids’ native plant garden. The garden will attract more birds to the yard

• Build a DIY water source in one or two locations in your backyard.

What other things can you and your kids do to create a bird friendly community in your own backyard? Put on your thinking cap and start planting those seeds to introduce your kids to the wonderful world of birding!

Exploring Nature from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife

California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Laura Drath, Nature Bowl Coordinator, has provided the pdfs below. These pdfs include several activities to encourage students to stay connected to nature in their neighborhoods.

Activities and Resources

Life Forms

Human Life Forms

Students are encouraged to send their completed activities, photos of their nature journals and observations, or anything else they’d like to share. They can email these directly to the CDFW. With permission, CDFW will share some of their work on their website. CA Fish and Wildlife are eager to see what students come up with and how they are learning about and enjoying nature in their neighborhoods!  

4th Annual Teen Christmas Bird Count Jan. 5, 2020

Twenty teens, parents, and leaders eagerly trekked the trails of William B. Pond Recreational Area in search of birds in the fog - a perfect time to learn how to listen for birds. 

As the walk wrapped up, the fog was burning off and we found we had a total of 59 species of birds, 11 of them being new to this count. 

Thank you to Teen Leaders/Mentors:  Craig DeMartini, Cliff Hawley, David Rosen, Sandra Steurer, and Jane Van Kessel, who made the bird world very engaging to our teens and their families. 

We ate lunch at our traditional Mexican restaurant and had our drawing for door prizes.  Thank you to the SAS membership for donating so many exciting items to choose from.  What a good way to get our teens started in the study and appreciation of birds. 

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Ruby-crowned Kinglet,
Image by Larry Hickey

Trip highlights mentioned by participants included:  seeing a Cooper’s and Sharp-Shinned Hawk for comparison, flashy color on Ruby-Crowned Kinglets, Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers, very cute Bufflehead, and seeing deer swimming in the river as they crossed.  Notable finds were:  Greater White-Fronted Geese and Pine Siskins flying over, a lone Gadwall, Yellow-Billed Magpies, a Hermit Thrush, and Phainopepla.

Bufflehead,
Image by Ray Rozema

by Wendy Warren Money

Jan 4, 2020 - Kids' Christmas Bird Count

Saturday morning dawned with a thin band of rain and fog going through the Sacramento area and apparently, this discouraged some families from showing up. Thankfully, the weather cleared by the time the families arrived.

Cliff Hawley, Lynne Tweten, Dan Williams, Craig DeMartini and Larry Hickey took two teams out who were able to find 50 species. Everyone’s favorite bird was a cooperative Merlin perched for long enough that everyone was able to look through the scopes and see this beautiful falcon. Children always enjoy the turkeys and they did not disappoint with more than 20 seen by the teams. Deer, especially a stag with large antlers were also fun for the kids to see.

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Merlin,
Image by Larry Hickey

Wild Turkey
Image by Daniel Lee Brown

There were so many raffle gifts that all children were able to pick three gifts from the tables – this, of course, is always a hit. After the raffle, Rachael Cowan, the Volunteer Coordinator for Effie Yeaw, brought out Orion, a Swainson’s Hawk who can fly but sadly, is so imprinted on humans we would not be safe, so now he will be cared for permanently by Nature Center staff. He was very calm, and everyone was incredibly impressed with how beautiful he was.

All in all, the children, their families and the SAS leaders all had a grand time!