To describe my lifelong fascination with flight and with creatures that fly I like to echo the words of John James Audubon who in 1839 wrote of himself as "...one who never can cease to admire and to study with zeal and the most heartfelt reverence, the wonderful productions of an Almighty Creator."
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Northern Cardinal, stranger in Oregon
This is not a good-quality photo, but since it was taken in Oregon it is significant. There may have been earlier reports of Northern Cardinal in this state, but as far as I know none have been verified by photos. I was invited to a private residence not far from where I live in Yamhill Co. to see this bird, and sure enough... it's a Cardinal! It seems quite likely that this bird did not arrive here without human assistance, since this species is not known to be migratory. The longest distance on record (in the Audubon Encyclopedia) that an individual has been known to move from its home territory, is less than 300 miles. The population in southeastern California is almost 1,000 miles from Oregon's Willamette Valley.
I suppose the livin' is easier in Hawaii, but I really don't know why they haven't ever settled along our west coast. Indiana is colder in winter, but maybe the cool and wet here doesn't agree with them, or doesn't produce the seeds they prefer. A lot of people have been asking that very question for a long time.
If you have been reading the rare bird alert for any length of time you would know there have been yearly reports of one or two in the last few years. there have indeed been a couple migrating.
Princess Vashti, I don't know which rare bird alert you have been reading, but I'm sure it hasn't been related to Oregon birds. Furthermore, Cardinals are not known to be migratory, except along a very narrow belt of eastern Canada, just where it borders the U.S.
I came from Staten Island, NY (NYC), and my feeder was full of cardinals. Now that I'm in Portland, I'm missing them. They really do make an impression. People we know have moved into Clakamas County, and said they have seen one or two cardinals. Keep your eyes open!
I live in Colton Oregon and saw two female Cardinals out in my front yard on the fence. I nearly fainted because I know they are not native to this area. I grew up in the Midwest where we had lots of them. We have been feeding mass quantities of black oil sunflower and thistle seed and have a ton of finches(all colors) but I was not expecting Cardinals!
Oh..i hope and pray that a Cardinal will pay me a visit. I spend hours every day feeding, enjoying birds here, over the edges of Boring Oregon. Saw a comment they're in the Hawaiin Islands as well...probably were 'Woo'd" there listening to awesome vocalist IZ and his iconic song "Over the Rainbow"...they got plenty of awesome birds there...and San Diego has numerous flocks of small green parrots...noisy as all heck, but always makes for a few smiles...BUT i miss hearing the mocking birds singing all night long... We visit the Fla Keys as often as we can and I LOVE hearing these Cardinals singing early am as I walk along the shores. Today is the first time a Chickadee landed in my hand to snatch a sunflower seed. WOW... thrilling for sure. WE also have American Bald Eagles AND Belted King Fischer visiting our front yard fish pond and snatches a big colorful fish...grrrrr.
If ALL these transplant MISS the birds where they are from, I suggest they go back to those places and try to figure out WHY they are ALL dying, and coming here too. Perhaps you should be thinking more about YOUR impact on OUR environment rather than COMPLAIN and try to change it here to resemble "home". Oregon has been our home since 1920 and we have actually done things to try and SAVE the environment. Can you say that? ALL OF YOU COMPLAINERS. Im sick of ppl moving here and COMPLAINING
Actually .... here in the Pacific NW we also enjoy the Blue Jay, Steller's Jay, Western Scrub Jay, Pinyon Jay & Canada Jay .... other colorful songbirds include Bullock's Orioles, Goldfinch, Robin & 4 types of Swallows .... on and on !
It looks like I am the not so recent unknown poster. Having resided on O'Ahu for 4 yrs in the early 1980's ... I can testify to having seen Cardinals almost daily around the university campus where I taught. The small Zebra doves feed on the sidewalks of Waikiki .... so many they're almost a nuisance. The Great Blue Heron flourish due to the shrimp farming out on the North Shore towards the Banzai Pipeline & Pounders Beaches. I have to stop .... so many fond memories .... I'm reminiscing and I'm missing not being there.
This is not a good-quality photo, but since it was taken in Oregon it is significant. There may have been earlier reports of Northern Cardinal in this state, but as far as I know none have been verified by photos. I was invited to a private residence not far from where I live in Yamhill Co. to see this bird, and sure enough... it's a Cardinal! It seems quite likely that this bird did not arrive here without human assistance, since this species is not known to be migratory. The longest distance on record (in the Audubon Encyclopedia) that an individual has been known to move from its home territory, is less than 300 miles. The population in southeastern California is almost 1,000 miles from Oregon's Willamette Valley.
17 Comments:
I love these! They are probably the only thing that I truly miss from my childhood in Indiana.
Why is it that they are all over Hawaii but not seen in the Pacific Northwest?
I suppose the livin' is easier in Hawaii, but I really don't know why they haven't ever settled along our west coast. Indiana is colder in winter, but maybe the cool and wet here doesn't agree with them, or doesn't produce the seeds they prefer. A lot of people have been asking that very question for a long time.
well, maybe with this little guy came a little gal...
hopefully if things progress the universe wont become too out of order.
If you have been reading the rare bird alert for any length of time you would know there have been yearly reports of one or two in the last few years. there have indeed been a couple migrating.
Princess Vashti, I don't know which rare bird alert you have been reading, but I'm sure it hasn't been related to Oregon birds. Furthermore, Cardinals are not known to be migratory, except along a very narrow belt of eastern Canada, just where it borders the U.S.
I came from Staten Island, NY (NYC), and my feeder was full of cardinals. Now that I'm in Portland, I'm missing them. They really do make an impression. People we know have moved into Clakamas County, and said they have seen one or two cardinals. Keep your eyes open!
There is one that visits a feeder in our Lake Oswego neighborhood.
I saw one outside my dad's window in Seaside, OR just before he passed away. Everyone was looking at it since we'd never seen a black one.
I live in Colton Oregon and saw two female Cardinals out in my front yard on the fence. I nearly fainted because I know they are not native to this area. I grew up in the Midwest where we had lots of them. We have been feeding mass quantities of black oil sunflower and thistle seed and have a ton of finches(all colors) but I was not expecting Cardinals!
Oh..i hope and pray that a Cardinal will pay me a visit. I spend hours every day feeding, enjoying birds here, over the edges of Boring Oregon. Saw a comment they're in the Hawaiin Islands as well...probably were 'Woo'd" there listening to awesome vocalist IZ and his iconic song "Over the Rainbow"...they got plenty of awesome birds there...and San Diego has numerous flocks of small green parrots...noisy as all heck, but always makes for a few smiles...BUT i miss hearing the mocking birds singing all night long... We visit the Fla Keys as often as we can and I LOVE hearing these Cardinals singing early am as I walk along the shores.
Today is the first time a Chickadee landed in my hand to snatch a sunflower seed. WOW...
thrilling for sure. WE also have American Bald Eagles AND Belted King Fischer visiting our front yard fish pond and snatches a big colorful fish...grrrrr.
If ALL these transplant MISS the birds where they are from, I suggest they go back to those places and try to figure out WHY they are ALL dying, and coming here too. Perhaps you should be thinking more about YOUR impact on OUR environment rather than COMPLAIN and try to change it here to resemble "home". Oregon has been our home since 1920 and we have actually done things to try and SAVE the environment. Can you say that? ALL OF YOU COMPLAINERS. Im sick of ppl moving here and COMPLAINING
Pokey-You need to chill. That was a little too overreactive.
A possible explanation:
https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/condor/v050n03/p0134-p0134.pdf
I wish there were Cardinals on the west coast, but at least we have steller jays!
Actually .... here in the Pacific NW we also enjoy the Blue Jay, Steller's Jay, Western Scrub Jay, Pinyon Jay & Canada Jay .... other colorful songbirds include Bullock's Orioles, Goldfinch, Robin & 4 types of Swallows .... on and on !
Dogs just brought a dead one to the porch in K. Falls.
It looks like I am the not so recent unknown poster. Having resided on O'Ahu for 4 yrs in the early 1980's ... I can testify to having seen Cardinals almost daily around the university campus where I taught. The small Zebra doves feed on the sidewalks of Waikiki .... so many they're almost a nuisance. The Great Blue Heron flourish due to the shrimp farming out on the North Shore towards the Banzai Pipeline & Pounders Beaches. I have to stop .... so many fond memories .... I'm reminiscing and I'm missing not being there.
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