Backyard Birding

Main HW Topics:

Home - Main Page
Backyard Birding - You are here!
Birding Elsewhere - Experiences after joining the local birding group
Hummingbirds - Jewels of the garden
Insects - Some are good, some are bad, do you know which is which?
Herb Garden - Herbs that do well in our area
Gardening for wildlife - Our backyard wildlife habitat, going organic, and using native plants
Zen Garden - A zen garden with wildlife in mind
Wildlife Rehabilitation - Fixing critters (winged or otherwise) broken by humans

What you can do in your own backyard to help birds continue to be birds:

  1. Build or buy nest boxes and hang them in appropriate locations.
  2. Help stop Window Strikes.
  3. Grow native plants and trees that provide food.
  4. Provide water and keep it clean.
  5. Encourage birds in other backyards so that they are available to migrate to yours.
    - Drink Shadegrown coffee and protect the rainforest!
    - Buy Shadegrown coffee!
    - Join with theThe Nature Conservancy in helping save our migratory birds.
    - Your FREE clicks can buy rainforest land
  6. Stop using nasty chemicals and pesticides in your yard!
Red-winged blackbird
"Bess" Female Red-Winged Blackbird
- right hallux has atrophied		 Fun Projects to get involved in:

Cornell University's Project Feeder Watch

The Christmas Bird Count

The Great Backyard Bird Count

New!   Compare and Contrast: Birds and Backyards around town and beyond.

Ken Fuller's Backyard in Southern California

A nice Texas Birding Site: The Texas Ornithological Society (TOS)

Links to other Humble Wildlife bird stuff:
American Goldfinch Page
Favorite Bird Books Page
 Tufted Titmouse
Tufted Titmouse at a window feeder 2002

Because someone asked:

"I think I have Eurasian Collared Doves coming to my backyard, can you compare them to a Mourning dove so I can tell the difference?

"Why is this bird is called a Red-bellied Woodpecker instead of Red-headed Woodpecker?"

Red-bellied Woodpecker

If you are wondering how to tell whether a Red-bellied Woodpecker is male or female; the red only comes half-way up her head, from the nape of her neck to the crown, unlike the male who's red "head" goes all the way to his bill.
If you look closely at this pic (and the female pictured in the table below), you can see the red blush on the bird's belly.
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Note: The actual Red-Headed Woodpecker's head is a true red, where as the Red-bellied Woodpecker's head (or crown) is more of a flourescent orange-red.

Pics from the backyard:

Click on an image to see the enlarged version.

Red-bellied Woodpecker Hermit Thrush American Goldfinch
Red-bellied Woodpecker Hermit Thrush American Goldfinch
House Sparrow Carolina Chickadee Pine Warbler
House Sparrow
Carolina Chickadee
Pine Warbler
Inca Dove
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Great Blue Heron
Inca Dove
Sharp-Shinned Hawk
Great Blue Heron


At Work:

Red-Shouldered Hawk
Hawk Left-overs
Red-Shouldered Hawk
Red-Shouldered Hawk "left-overs"

Email Us with questions or comments

Valid XHTML 1.0!