Did you Know....

General:

The presence of birds helps up develop a better understanding of all living things.
Birdwatching is the second largest hobby (gardening is the first) in North America with over 31 million participants.
In the United States, using native birds as state emblems has aroused a general interest in birds and wildlife conservation. Sometimes, state birds are indications of the avian characteristics that have the greatest appeal to people. The birds most frequently chosen are brightly colored, have melodious songs that are easily recognizable, and have a tendency to live near human habitations.
There are approximately 65 million birders in the United States, ranging from novices and casual field observers to hardcore birders who spend at least 8 hours in the field every weekend.
The most adopted state bird is the Northern Cardinal. It represents 7 states; Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia.

Conservation/Environment:

Ornithologist Frank Chapman and other conservationists were disturbed at the slaughter of birds at an annual holiday event called a "side hunt" in which the winner was the team that shot the most birds. As a protest, on Christmas Day of 1900, Chapman organized approximately 27 friends in 25 locations. Instead of shooting the birds, they counted them. That protest turned into the National Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count. There are more than 50,000 people from the United States, Canada, Central and South America that participate in the annual bird census.
Jays are responsible for the spread of many native trees and shrubs, which sprout from seeds the birds have stored for future consumption.

Bird Facts:

The Bald Eagle gets its name from its majestic white head, which does not turn white until it is about four or five years old. Until then, the plumage is dark brown with pale white wing linings.
On March 16, 1890, 60 European Starlings, brought from Europe, were released in New York City's Central Park. In April 1891, 40 more were released in that same area. The European Starling began to spread beyond the city limits and today their innumerable descendants may be seen in large flocks over the entire United States and Southern Canada.
During the 1880's, the feathers of the Great Egres were collected and used to make ornamental displays for hats. In 1886, at least 5 million birds were slaughtered in order to decorate the hats.
The Ostrich lays the largest egg of any living bird comming in at 7 inches long while the Bee Hummingbird lays the smallest egg which is about 0.24 inches long.
The Arctic Tern sees more daylight than any other species. It flies some 22,000 miles each year (the longest known migrration) between its breeding grounds in the high Arctic and its winter grounds in the southern ocean.
When courting, the American Coot calls to each other while crazily chasing across the water; hence the phrase, "crazy as a coot".
The Great Horned Owl's eyeball is nearly the size of an adult human's. Popular myth suggests that Owls are blind in the daylight when in fact they are not and many species hunt in the daytime.
When Chipping Sparrows cannot find horse hair for their nests, they are known to steal hair from sleeping dogs.
We all think that the Indigo Bunting has blue feathers when in fact the Indigo Bunting has no blue pigment in its feathers; it is black. The refraction fo light through the feathers makes it appear blue.

Feeder/Food Facts:

Beef Suet attracts 80 species of birds some of which include woodpeckers, warblers, starlings, grackles, chickadees, titmice, wrens, shrikes, thrushes, mockingbirds, nuthatches, catbirds, orioles and even sparrows and finches
One in three households in North America feed birds
More than 28 million Americans maintain bird feeders, spending more than $500 million annually on birdseed.
Providing nectar from backyard feeders attracts over 50 species of birds such as the hummingbirds, orioles, warblers and tanagers.
Finely ground dog biscuits make a good substitute for nut meats which the White-breasted Nuthatch, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Tree Sparrow and Juncos will eat.
Nuthatches and titmice store insects and seeds in bark crevices during the summer and fall for winter consumption.
Acorn Woodpeckers store acorns that fit snugly in a hole that the bird has prepared in the bark of pine and oak trees.
The Green-backed Heron uses feathers or fish-food pellets to lure fish. When the bait floats away, the heron retrieves it and carries it to another spot to try again until a fish is caught. Because of this technique, Green Herons are known as "tool-users" or "toolmakers".
When an Anhinga snares a fish with its bill, it tosses the fish in the air and then swallows it head first.
The Peanut Butter Debate: Apparently, the peanut butter scare goes back to 1961 when Charles Nichols, biologist at the American Museum of Natural History, autopsied several chickadees found dead at his feeder and discovered their esophagi were clogged with peanut butter. The birds found dead were not all found on the same day, but was spread out over a period of time. The newspaper editors at the Associated Press got wind of this and reported that the birds were killed by peanut butter. It's possible that the birds died of a disease and peanut butter was their last meal. This was a one-time incident and never occured again.

Cornell Labs received many phone calls about this article and John K. Terres (editor of Audubon Magazine at the time), came out with the "Marvel Meal" peanut butter suet recipe to alleviate any anxieties. Also note that birds will not eat entirely on food we provide; they go off in search of insects, weed seeds, fruits/berries, etc. If you feed peanut butter, it is a good idea to have plenty of water is nearby.
Flocks of Cedar Waxwings will strip the berries of a Bittersweet vine in a matter of minutes. If the berries have fermented, the birds actually get drunk and flop around until they sober up which is approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour following ingestion.