Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Answers to December 20, 2008 Odds & Sods Questions

The answers to the December 20, 2008 Odds & Sods posting questions are:

1) There are 60 rock pigeons in the photograph.

2) It's a raven!

Happy holidays and good birding,
Bruce

2 comments:

David Tyrer said...

But, how do we know that it's a Raven? Do we just take your word for it?

Anonymous said...

Hi David,

Here's a description of a Common Raven:

"The Common Raven is the largest song bird in North America. It ranges from the Arctic, south to Texas. This opportunist is easily recognized by its distinctive deep croaking call. When solitary and quiet it can be sometimes a challenge to identify. Is it crow or raven?? In comparison, the raven is a larger bird overall. It has a longer, heavier bill and it has a wedge-shaped tail, not fan-shaped, like the crows . The raven frequently soars overhead like a hawk. The Common Raven is slowly increasing in numbers in Eastern Ontario and now is found regularly within the City of Ottawa. Preferred nesting sites include hydro towers, old buildings, quarries and silos."

Take a look at the tail shape and the beak on the bird in the photograph. These details, along with the size of this bird, are what confirms for me that it is a Common Raven.

Good Birding,
Bruce