Florida's songbirds
Spring is in the air and the Florida birds are all chirping about the great weather. From the time I wake up until I close my eyes at the end of the evening, I can always hear a variety of birds in my back yard. Although they don't always get along with each, I appreciate each and every one of them for their beauty, musical notes, and for making my backyard a lot more interesting. Florida grasshopper sparrows are small, short-tailed birds, about 5 inches long and weighing less than one ounce. This not so drab sparrow is mostly black and gray with some brown streaks on the back. Underneath, it is light gray or buff color with no streaking. Feathers at the bend of the wing are bright yellow and there is an orange patch in front of the eyes. A white stripe marks the top of the head. The male’s primary song is weak and grasshopper-like, giving rise to the bird’s common name. Like most Floridian backyards we have some Florida scrub jays, with one dominant ma...