Hobbies And Interests
Instructions
Know the environment. You won't see a great blue heron flying through the woods or a great horned owl wading out into the water. A key aspect of identifying wild birds is knowing where you'll find them. From wetlands to grasslands, Michigan has a wide range of habitats that support wild birds. Great blue herons are found nesting in trees near lakes; along with these leggy fowl you'll find the double-crested cormorant with its black plumage and long neck. Great horned owls can be found throughout the state in wooded areas and share there home with such notables as the downy woodpecker. The downy is the smallest woodpecker in North America and sports black and white plumage. Adult males have a striking red crest on their heads.
Be aware of the season. According to the Nature Conservancy, the Great Lakes are a hub for North American bird migration. This means that you may not see the same birds in the same places all year-round. The purple finch, for example, only resides in northern Michigan during the summer months. They can be identified by the burgundy plumage on their heads and backs. Red winged black birds, so named for the red stripe on the upper part of their wings, are found throughout the state but only in the summer. The sharp shinned hawk, a small hawk with gray wing feathers and tan barred white feathers on its belly, can only be found in the summer in Michigan's Upper Peninsula but can be found year round in the Lower Peninsula.
Learn the uncommon species. You'll be lucky to spot some rare species, so be sure you know how to identify them. According to the Nature Conservancy, Kirtland's warbler is one of the rarest song birds in North America with only 2,800 remaining in the wild. These birds breed in the summer in Michigan's jack pine forests and winter in the Bahamas. They are yellow breasted with pale blue, yellow barred backs. The Fish and Wildlife Services list the piping plover, a small, white shore bird with a distinctive black band around its neck, as endangered.