Common Yellowthroat

Common Yellowthroat
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne, Florida, USA
April 2016
Member of the Wood Warbler Family
§A Wrench of Warblers§

~true bird fact~ The males of the species are generally monogamous and will stick with one partner throughout the mating season. Females on the other hand will surreptitiously call for and seek out other mates. Take that patriarchy!

Seems super self-assured, but puts his pants on one leg at a time like everyone else actually
Easily makes friends, good at small talk
Eager for experiences of peak actualization, whatever that means
Generous with his time and resources

Prairie Warbler

female

Prairie Warbler
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne, Florida, USA
April 2016
Member of the Wood Warbler Family
§A Confusion of Warblers§

~true bird fact~ These birds eat the eggshells after their young have hatched. Kinda gross, like eating a placenta in humans. Better than eating it before they hatch?

Plucky
Asks pointed questions
Always learning about some new obsession
Smokes when nervous

Checking in with Florida Birds

It's been a while since we've visited with our Florida bird friends, but as you might've guessed from last weeks parrots, we took a trip not long ago. While there are some exciting new birds to come, we also caught up with some old favorites. What're they up to now? How's Florida treating them?

Great Blue Heron has gotten really into the art scene. He lives in a studio/work space now, and is very into his new housemates. We're happy for him, but he's actually not very talented. Art has to be more than just provocative, you know Blue Heron? Even worse, he's been sort of ignoring his old interests and friends. It'll all come crashing down eventually.

Brown Pelican is up to some sketchy behavior. After a failed bird of the year bid, he went down to Florida and got involved in some ill-defined business. He lost some weight, probably from sweating so much in the South Beach heat and humidity. Takes a lot of trips down to Cuba. Drugs? Arms deals? Guantanamo? We wouldn't put it past him.


Northern Mockingbird, as the state bird of Florida (among others), is distressed. She worries a lot these days about the state of politics, climate change, growing civil unrest. Really, just the whole thing. She is often seen with a furrowed brow, staring off into the distance. Where have the simpler times gone, she wonders, when her duties as state bird were mostly ceremonial, and she felt like she was making people happy? Nobody told her it was going to end up like this.


Oh. My. God. Have you guys seen Sandhill Crane's new baby? It is, like, seriously the cutest baby you have ever seen. And so well behaved too. She takes it everywhere and it doesn't make a fuss. Sandhill Crane's really got this mom thing down. Maybe it's easier than we thought to have a baby. Maybe not, Sandhill Crane does look a little tired.

Monk Parakeet: The Wild Parrots of Miami Beach

Monk Parakeet aka. Quaker Parrot
Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, Florida USA
April 2016
Member of the Lorie, Parakeet, Macaw, and Parrot Family
§A Flock of Parakeets§


Native To: Southern South America, mainly Argentina. A popular pet bird for their ability to learn how to talk, they've been taken all over the world. Self-sustaining feral populations began appearing in the 1960's. Although their largest population is in South Florida, there are pockets as far north as New York and Chicago. Where else do these guys live? They adapt so remarkably well to city life that there are parakeets in Spain, Portugal, Azores, Madeira, Balearic Islands, Gibraltar, France, Corsica, Malta, Cyprus, Sardinia, Italy, Channel Islands, Great Britain, Ireland, Belgium, British Columbia, Mexico, Brazil, Israel, Bermuda, Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Easter Island, Puerto Rico, South Korea, and Japan. They may not be quite as idolized as their cousins in San Francisco, but as far as feral parrots go, they're a pretty big deal.
 
~true bird fact~ Literally the only parrot to build nests out of sticks and branches rather than living in tree-hollows. They live communally, at times with groups of up to 200 birds, which is also unusual. This strangely divergent evolution seems to be the key to their ability to succeed and thrive in places that are normally too cold for parakeets.

Diligent and workmanlike
Shy, but works hard to overcome it
Does best in high pressure situations
Family-oriented