The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : Nest The Pet Tree House - Where Pets Are Family Too : Nest
Showing posts with label Nest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nest. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Peregrines Are Nesting in Cities from Coast to Coast in the United States


Peregrines nest in towns and cities from coast to coast in the United States. The urban locations make the birds easier to watch, which leads to an abundant supply of photos and videos as the puffy progeny come out of their shells each spring.

Peregrines, like bald eagles, nearly went extinct during the mid-20th century because of exposure to the pesticide DDT. By the time the species was given federal endangered species protection in the 1970s, there were just 324 known nesting pairs, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Today there are 2,000 to 3,000 pairs, according to the agency, which took the species off the federal endangered species list in 1999.

Wildlife officials around the country continue to monitor the birds, however. Many cities make special efforts to manage local peregrine nesting sites, providing special structures and banding baby birds for future tracking. Partly this is good public relations, but with peregrine numbers still relatively low, the extra attention also helps biologists keep tabs on the health of individual birds as they grow up and find mates of their own.

This new peregrine family includes one baby male and three baby females. They live in a special nesting box set 215 feet up a tower of the Marine Parkway Bridge in New York City. City and state wildlife officials recently banded the chicks so they can be tracked as they mate and raise their own families.

Peregrine falcons have endangered species status in New York state.

In Lowell, Massachusetts, last week, a peregrine named Merri flew over the head of a staffer from the Massachusetts fish and wildlife agency, who had just returned her newly banded chicks to their nest.

This falcon family’s home is a rooftop nesting box atop the 18 story tall Fox Hall, a dormitory on the University of Massachusetts–Lowell campus.

One of Merri’s chicks, newly banded and ready for its close-up. UMass regularly posts video streams and status updates on this falcon family.

Merri has been raising chicks at Fox Hall for 10 years, according to the university.

These downy peregrine babies—two males and two females—are nesting 693 feet above sea level atop New York City’s Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, which connects Brooklyn and Staten Island.

According to a statement from the Metropolitan Transit Authority, which manages the city’s river crossings, 12 peregrine babies are in residence this season on three of the city’s bridges.

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Monday, April 13, 2015

Orphaned Baby Songbirds Need Your Help, Knitting Them Cute Little Nests


There is nothing better than waking up to a warm, sunny morning and hearing the sound of baby birds happily tweeting away in their nests.

During the first few weeks of spring, these baby birds will spend the majority of their time safely huddled in their nests until they learn to fly. Unfortunately, however, the time when baby birds are most reliant on their nests often coincides with spring landscaping season for humans. This can spell disaster for a new family of birds if the tree or bush where their nest is hidden is recklessly trimmed or pruned.

For WildCare, a California-based animal rescue organization, springtime means an influx of orphaned baby songbirds who have sadly become the victims of irresponsible landscaping. Successfully rescuing and rehabilitating these little birds until they can be released requires an incredible amount of expertise and experience. These newborn birds require a highly specific diet and environment to thrive.

To care for the hundreds of birds who end up at the sanctuary, WildCare started making tiny, knit nests to house the newborns.


As you can see in the photo below, most baby birds are no bigger than the size of a paperclip and need the nests to help keep them warm.





Depending on the species, these babies need to be fed every 25-45 minutes.





While they do require a lot of intensive care, these little guys can fledge over the course of one to three weeks and be released back into the wild shortly thereafter.




If you have a knack for knitting, you can help WildCare rescue orphaned songbirds by making one of these precious nests. For the instructions on how to do so, CLICK HERE

And remember, if you’re doing some yard work this spring, be sure to check your trees and shrubs for hidden birds’ nests before you start trimming! If you come across any orphaned or injured fledglings, be sure to contact a professional before trying to move or help the birds in any way. WildCare runs a 24-hour “Living with Wildlife” hotline that can help instruct you on the appropriate steps to take. If you are not located in California, you can also check out one of these hotlines  for help.

For more information on songbirds, visit the website below:
Songbirds A Colorful Chorus FOLLOW US!
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Saturday, April 4, 2015

Washington, DC: Three Bald Eagle Nests Have Been Sighted With Baby Eaglets Inside


The National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted a helicopter survey Thursday along the Potomac and Anacostia rivers, although it had to be cut short due to wind.

All three of the nests sighted were active, with an adult either brooding (caring for young) or incubating, said the agencies.

At the National Arboretum, an adult female was spotted sitting on a nest. Experts said it was difficult to confirm whether she was incubating or brooding, but they believe there is a recent hatchling or hatchlings in the nest due to the way the female positioned her shoulders and a slight "blanketing" of her breast feathers. There were two fish in the nest.

During a ground survey the same day, a male bald eagle was seen delivering a fish to the nest. The female stood and began breaking the fish into small pieces, appearing to demonstrate feeding behavior.

The agencies will make another check of the National Arboretum in mid-April.


These are not the eaglets.
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