Places go bird watching in minnesota Big McDonald lake, little McDonald lake, Mud lake, Detroit Lakes,Otter tail lake, Rush Lake, Glendalough state park, Amor state wildlife management area, phelp mill park, thumper pond and Maple wood state park

Best time to bird watch Best time bird watch would be anytime of day depends on what kind bird species you want look for. You will learn different species come out at different times during the day. If you want find many species you will go out at different various times day.

Bird Watching in Morning Most birds are more active and alert during the morning. Because they are trying to find some food to scraf down. Advantage for early morning bird watching no one else is around disturb birds. In early morning your more likely to find song birds.

Late Morning or Early Afternoon Is worst time go birding because birds are less active and aren't feeding. Best time to observe birds of prey like hawks, eagles, accpiters, and falcons. They like utilize the thermals which are coulmns of thin air. There able to scan ground better for mice, voles and squirrels.

Late Afternoon and Early Evening If our not morning person still can catch song birds at bird feeders for another meal. But when light starts to dwindle you can start seeing the appearances of owls. Some species will come out random during different part of day

Night time birding There are different kinds of birds come out at night. Species that come out at night are owls, night jars and rails. Even different kind swallows will come at night.

IDENTIFYING BLACK BIRDS Your first impulse may be to identify birds based on unique plumage details. However, it’s best to first observe the bird’s size and shape. Rule out certain species by comparing the size of the bird in question to the size of birds you’re already familiar with. For example, if you’re trying to identify a Common Grackle, observe that it’s larger than a Northern Cardinal and about the same size as (or maybe slightly smaller than) a Blue Jay. Consequently, we know that this bird cannot be a crow or a raven since they are both much larger than a Blue Jay. We also know that this bird is probably not a Brown-headed Cowbird or a European Starling since both of those birds are generally smaller than Northern Cardinals. European Starlings can appear completely black under strong sunlight. Photo by JanetandPhil. European Starlings have fan-like tails and can appear completely black under strong sunlight. Photo by JanetandPhil. The tail length of a Brown-headed Cowbird is nearly half its body length. Photo by JanetandPhil. The tail length of a Brown-headed Cowbird is nearly half its body length. It’s also helpful to observe the size and length of the tail or beak. Compared to the Brown- headed Cowbird or the Common Grackle, the tail of the European Starling is significantly shorter and fan-like.

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Behavior Behavior Observing how the bird acts, what it’s eating, or what it sounds like can provide crucial identification information. This skill is demonstrated with the behavioral differences between American Crows and Common Ravens. Crows are very social birds – if you see a massive flock of large black birds, you’re probably looking at a murder of crows. Ravens tend to be solitary or in pairs. Crows and ravens also have different calls and sounds. Generally, American Crows have the standard ‘caw-caw- caw-caw’ call, which is simple and scratchy. The Common Raven’s call is a deep, gurgling croak. Remember that birds have a variety of calls with different meanings, so not all crow calls will resemble that simple ‘caw-caw-caw’ sound. Learn more about bird communication with our free download Bird Communication.

Color pattern Color Pattern It’s important to remember that the sex and/or season can affect a bird’s plumage (think of an American Goldfinch in the summer breeding season compared to one in the winter). Luckily for these five species, sexual or seasonal color pattern differences only exist for Brown-headed Cowbirds and European Starlings. Female brown-headed cowbirds have different color patterns than males. Female Brown-headed Cowbirds have different color patterns than males. Photo by JanetandPhil. Male Brown-headed Cowbirds have a brown head and black body, whereas female Brown- headed Cowbirds are completely brown. Additionally, European Starlings may appear black with a green-purple tint during summer months. But in the winter, they have brownish feathers and their small white spots are more apparent. Keeping these intraspecific (occurring in the same species) differences in mind, we can still make generalizations about the differences in plumage patterns. For instance, American Crows and Common Ravens are black from head to toe, whereas the other three species are not. From a distance, Common Grackles look completely black, but actually have glossy blue-purple heads, bronze bodies, and unmistakable yellow eyes. The contrast between the brown and black plumage on male Brown-headed Cowbirds is a telling detail. And the European Starlings have distinctive white spots and yellow beaks upon closer inspection. You can also observe color differences other than plumage patterns. For instance, Common Grackles have bright yellow eyes and European Starlings have yellow or tan beaks.

Habitat When thinking about habitat, consider both your geographic location as well as your immediate surroundings. Not all of these birds can be found year-round across the US. For example, Common Grackles are not usually seen in the Western United States, and Common Ravens are not generally in the East. Some birds are more likely to be spotted in suburban or developed areas, some on forest edges or in forested areas, some in fields and open spaces. Some black birds can even be found in all of those habitats. As a broad generalization, Common Grackles, European Starlings, and American Crows are more likely to be spotted near urban or suburban settlements compared to Common Ravens or Brown-headed Cowbirds. To find information about habitats and ranges, go to AllAboutBirds.org. Also, be aware of your locational bias when you go birding out-of-town. Just because you’re used to seeing crows in your state or by your house doesn’t mean that the black bird you spot is a crow. Hopefully you’ve learned some of the more obvious and subtle differences between these black birds. But in case you forget some of them, remember that the most important thing is to make a variety of observations when identifying birds, rather than focus on one particular trait.

Five Fresh Ideas For Finding Birds This Fall Weedy Fields for Sparrows Overgrown pastures, abandoned lots, fields gone fallow—all are havens for the next big wave of migrants to arrive after warblers: sparrows. Looking for sparrows along grassy trails cut in fields can be fun because your birds will flush as you walk and hopefully land on a branch just ahead of you in clear view. Keep an eye out for White-throated Sparrows in the East, Golden-crowned Sparrows in the West, Eastern Towhees in the South, and White- crowned Sparrows and American Tree Sparrows all over. Mudflats and Marshes for Dabbling Ducks Late fall is to ducks what September is to warblers—prime migration time. Dabblers are ducks that skim the surface of the water for seeds, aquatic vegetation, and invertebrates, so look for them in shallower waters. This group includes some handsome ducks: the Green- winged Teal with its iridescent green face mask, the Northern Pintail with its elegant tail plume, and the dashing Wood Duck. Females and young of these species tend to migrate earlier and move farther south, while males only move when the cold weather hits. Bigger Lakes and Reservoirs for Diving Ducks Divers are ducks that plunge underwater and paddle with their large feet to reach mollusks, invertebrates, fish, and submerged aquatic vegetation. Accordingly, diving ducks such as Common Goldeneyes and Common Mergansers favor deeper waters. The gales of November bring a bluebill wind out of the North, as rafts of Lesser and Greater Scaup sweep out of Canada. Hardy divers are pushed south by Old Man Winter; they migrate as their northern waters freeze over. Coastal Beaches for Shorebirds The waning days of autumn are too cold for sunbathing or building sandcastles, but if you’re a shorebird it’s the perfect time to snag invertebrates from piles of seaweed washed up on the beach. Large numbers of Sanderlings and Willets settle into their wintering grounds along seacoast beaches in November and early December. Likewise, huge congregations of Dunlins can be found in estuaries and muddy bays. Along the East Coast, it’s the perfect time to add the stout little Purple Sandpiper to your life list, but don’t be fooled—they’re not purple, more gray and white. On the West Coast, look for Black Turnstones and Surfbirds that spend their days foraging on rocky coastlines