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SIB “Bird of the Week” – Dunlin
If you’ve ever walked up to the inlet during high tide in winter and noticed a large flock of birds resting in the sand, chances are you’re seeing Dunlin. Dunlin breed in the Arctic regions of the world, but in winter are one of the most widespread shorebirds in North America, favoring coastal regions and…
SIB “Bird of the Week” – Ring-billed Gull
Ring-billed Gull: Length: 16.9-23.1 inches; Weight: 10.6-24.7 oz.; Wingspan: 41.3 – 46.1 inches Ring-billed Gulls are commonly seen on Seabrook Island in winter. But not just at the beach, they frequent parking lots, garbage dumps, lakes and fields, sometimes by the hundreds. These are the gulls you’re most likely to see far away from coastal…
SIB “Bird of the Week” – Mourning Dove
Mourning Dove – Zenaida macrouraLength: 9″- 12″; Wingspan: 17″-19″; Weight: 4-6 oz. Mourning Doves are one of the most recognized birds in North America and can be found all across the continent. Their distinctive cooing sound can be heard throughout the day and lends a sense of peaceful calm to the backyard. A graceful, slender-tailed…
SIB Bird of the Week … Osprey
I think he’ll be to RomeAs is the osprey to the fish, who takes itBy sovereignty of nature.Coriolanus Act 4 Scene 5 The Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) is one of the most widely distributed birds in the world, found on all continents except Antarctica. Its breasts and belly are mostly white with some dark speckling; the…
SIB “Bird of the Week” – White-throated Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis L: 6.3″-7.1″, WS: 7.9″-9.1″, WT: 0.8-1.1 oz. One of the most common sparrows found on Seabrook Island in winter, and one you’re almost sure to see in your backyard. It’s a large, full-bodied sparrow with a fairly prominent bill, rounded head, long legs, and long, narrow tail. According to Cornell Lab…
SIB Bird of the week – Baltimore Oriole
Have you noticed any new birds coming into your yard lately? One brightly colored visitor that might show up frequently in our area at this time of year is the Baltimore Oriole. Icterus galbula One of the most brilliantly colored songbirds in the east, flaming orange and black, sharing the heraldic colors of the coat…
SIB “Bird of the Week” – Cedar Waxwing
Cedar Waxwing – Bombycilla cedrorumLength: 7.25″; Wingspan: 12″; Weight: 1.1 oz. I just love Cedar Waxwings and they are one of my very favorite birds! They are such a cool looking bird with that sleek brown crest that often lies flat over the back of the head. Waxwings are medium-sized gregarious birds that are silky brownish…
SIB “Birds of the Week” – Hooded Merganser & Bufflehead
Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus L: 18″, WS: 24″ WT: 22.4 oz.Bufflehead Bucephala albeola L: 13.5 WS: 21″ WT: 13 oz For winter birding at Seabrook, I always look forward to the arrival of two of my favorite ducks….the Hooded Merganser and the Bufflehead. Both are winter visitors for us. On a quick look, the males…
SIB “Bird of the Week” – Wild Turkey
Wild Turkey – Meleagris gallopavoLength: 46″; Wingspan: 64″; Weight: 259 oz. Eastern Wild Turkeys are often seen on Seabrook Island. The domesticated version of this large native game bird is well known because of its role each Thanksgiving day. Millions of turkeys are drawn from an outline of the hands of elementary children prior to Thanksgiving each year. The turkey would have been our national bird if Benjamin Franklin had…
SIB “Bird of the Week” – American Robin
American Robin – Turdus migratoriusLength: 10″; Wingspan: 17”.Although generally this bird is thought to be a sign of spring in the more northern sections of North American, during the winter this migratory bird loves to hang in the warmer areas of the South gorging on our berries! The Robin is among the most abundant bird species on the…
