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Why Are Robins Associated With Christmas?
In the 19th century, the robin bird started gaining popularity as the most popular Christmas symbol. These gorgeous red-breasted birds appeared on holiday cards, wrapping papers, and gifts. They were also featured on multiple Christmas postage stamps. And truth be told, they still are in vogue around the winter holidays! But why the popularity? How…
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Do Cardinals Eat Peanuts? Shelled Peanuts or Peanut Butter?
Cardinals are part of the Cardinalidae family and feature unique seed-crushing bills specialized in feeding on seeds and fruits, especially in the winter. As such, if you live in an area where cardinals are frequent visitors, you’re probably wondering whether peanuts will attract them to your yard. If you’re planning to do this during the…
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How Long Do Finches Live? [Finch Lifespan Revealed]
Finches are birds found within five families, Fringillidae, Thraupidae, Estrildidae, Passerellidae, and Emberizidae, in the songbird order Passeriformes. Hundreds of finch species exist within these families. Because finches are such a diverse group of birds, their maximum longevity is also varied. Their average lifespan ranges from five to ten years, depending on the species and…
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How Long Do Sparrows Live? (Sparrow Lifespan)
Sparrow is the common name that describes the 43 bird species within the Old World Sparrow family, Passeridae. These birds are in a different family than the New World Sparrows, Passerellidae, which are more similar to finches and buntings than sparrows. In general, sparrows are a short-lived species, averaging only around three years of age…
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Do Cardinals Eat Mealworms?
Cardinals are known among bird enthusiasts primarily thanks to their distinctive short, conical bill and conspicuous crest. Moreover, male cardinals have beautiful reddish plumage which distinguishes them from other species. But, above all, bird enthusiasts are probably fond of cardinals, northern cardinals precisely, because they’re often seen in huge flocks of thousands of birds foraging…
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Baby Cardinals (Facts You Didn’t Know)
Cardinals are beautiful red birds that are located in North America. They’re easy to recognize with their bright bodies, black-mask face, and crested head. Every year, these birds mate during the spring and summer and baby cardinals hatch. Baby cardinals are naked when they hatch. They quickly develop and are ready to leave the nest…
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Do Robins Mate for Life? [WHEN & HOW OFTEN]
Robin is a common name for many members of the songbird order Passeriformes. These birds are classified into three different families found worldwide except in South America and Antarctica. American Robins in North America are in the Turdidae family; Australasian Robins in Australia and the Pacific Islands are in the Petroicidae family; and European Robins…
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What Do Bluejays Eat? (In the Winter and Spring)
Attracting bluejays to your yard is easy when you put out the right food sources. Since bluejays are adaptable birds, they can eat a varied diet. So, what foods do they eat? Bluejays are omnivores, which means they can eat a variety of foods. They prefer to eat nuts and seeds. Peanuts and sunflower seeds…
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Do Bluejays Mate For Life?
Many species of birds are monogamous, staying with one mate their entire lives. Bluejays are social birds that are typically found in big groups. Do these beautiful birds choose a mate for life? Bluejays do mate for life. When the bird has chosen its partner, it will have a bond that lasts its entire life.…
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What Do Sparrows Eat? (The Best Foods for Sparrows)
Sparrows are small songbirds found worldwide, except in Antarctica. Two types of sparrows exist. Old World Sparrows are in the family Passeridae and are often referred to as True Sparrows. New World Sparrows are in the family of Passerellidae and look like finches. This family is most closely related to the Buntings and not closely…
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Bluebird vs Blue Jay – The Key Differences
Blue is an uncommon color in nature: blue pigments are chemically complex and costly for organisms to produce, and they’re not worth the expense for most organisms. Among birds, however, it’s much less rare than in other organisms (birds can produce color in their feathers without chemical pigments, a phenomenon called structural coloration). This means…
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Do Cardinals Mate for Life? (Also When They Mate)
Cardinals are a songbird species in the family Cardinalidae and are related to buntings and grosbeaks. The Northern Cardinal is native to North America, with a range that extends from southern Canada to Guatemala. The bright red coloration of the male cardinal makes this species easy to identify. Female cardinals are also easy to spot…
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Female House Finch vs House Sparrow – The Key Differences
Birders like to joke about the difficulty of identifying LBBs, or “little brown birds”. They might be wrens, sparrows, finches, or even warblers, but they’re alike in their small size, drab coloring, and cryptic plumage — it sometimes seems as if they have no identifying features at all. There’s a good reason why so many…
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When to Put Out Thistle Seeds for Finches?
Finches are small to medium-sized birds with stout conical bills used for eating seeds and nuts. Their scientific classification has undergone numerous changes due to their skull structure and mitochondrial and nuclear DNA. More than 200 finch species are now divided into many subfamilies and genera. Regardless of how many or what particular species live…
