Spring in Ontario, Canada, is the time for colour and I love colourful things. The following male birds dazzle, as they strut their stuff for the females.
1. Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Nothing is more stunning than the ruby flashes from the male’s gorget. We believe he’s showing off for us, when really he’s doing it to deter rivals and attract females.
2. Northern Cardinal. The male’s red colour brightens winter days. Also, males start to sing here in mid-February, which adds cheer to a cold, dreary month. By springtime, the male’s red colour is most intense. With his crest, black mask, and beatnik beard, he is quite sharp looking.
3. Rose-breasted Grosbeak. This bird’s song is described as an American Robin that has had voice lessons. The rose-coloured vee on this grosbeak’s breast has led many non-birders to believe they are injured, and they call birding hot lines to ask for help for these birds.
4. Baltimore Oriole. This bird is outfitted in orange and black. When I hear its fluting call, I know the songbird season has started for me.
5. Indigo Bunting. The colour of this bright, blue bird is an optical illusion. Out of the bright sunshine, it looks brown or blackish.
6. Scarlet Tanager. This bird has a tropical look, with a bright, red body and black wings. Its song is described as an American Robin with a sore throat.
7. Cedar Waxwing. This bird is pure elegance for me: from its crest and narrow black mask to its red, waxy wingtips. These birds travel in flocks and it’s rare to see just one waxwing.
8. American Goldfinch. They are bright yellow, with black wings, white wing bars, and a saucy black tam. They are our latest breeder, delaying until late July to raise their young, as they wait for their main food source (thistle) to go to seed.
9. Wood Duck. These beautiful ducks, which are found on ponds or in wooded swamps, are colourful and unmistakable. It’s always disconcerting to see them high in the treetops, where they have their nest holes.
10. Harlequin Duck. This is another colourful, but clown-patterned, duck that is found along the Lake Ontario shoreline. (Pictured at the top of this article.)
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about the feathered models in Ontario’s spring fashion show.
Note: Photo of grosbeak by Leslie Kinrys. Photo of Harlequin Duck from Wikimedia Commons. All other photos are from Pexels.com, an online source of copyright-free photos.
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