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[...]... female begins feeding one of the four hungry nestlings Only residents on the arctic tundra see the black-and-white breeding plumage of the snow bunting More familiar are the brown-and-white birds seen farther south • The snow bunting is one of two species of birds that often receives the nickname snowbird; the other is the dark-eyed junco • Another nickname for the bunting is “snowflake.” food & feeding...   After breeding, the male molts and takes on a dull plumage, like the female’s, which offers better camouflage against predators lucky dip 1 Gathering on ice… Smews gather at a partly frozen reservoir to feed They can take off from the ­tiniest patch of water 2 Ducking for food… One bird dips its head below the s ­ urface When it spots a shoal of fish, it‑dives, and the others follow 3 Catching the. .. outstretched wings and grabs the snake in its talons The motion is swift and effective 3 No escape… Once in the eagle’s powerful clutches, the snake is trapped Using its sharp beak, the eagle will rip the head off the snake 4 Meal in tow The eagle flies off with the snake’s tail hanging from the bird’s partly opened bill A waiting mate or chick will feed on the same snake A powerful flier, the eagle soars to... When it senses danger, the skylark runs to cover or freezes on the spot, flattening its body against the ground If the threat persists, the skylark “explodes” into the air without warning and flies to safety   In common with other species of the lark family, the skylark never bathes in streams or pools of water The bird instead grooms by ­ruffling its plumage during showers of rain or by rolling about... Columbia and the Hawaiian Islands • The skylark is an occasional mimic It copies the songs of other larks and of waders, including the curlew and redshank • 4 On course Tracing patterns in the sky, the skylark plummets to the ground after about five minutes Birds from the east of the skylark’s range are larger than those farther west; northerly breeders have longer wings to help them complete their migrations... Although their arctic habitat and long migration results in a rugged life for the juvenile snow bunting, the hardy young birds are fully able to accompany their parents on the long journey southward behavior The snow bunting can often be seen in small flocks of 20–30 birds, especially when feeding or migrating; entire flocks quickly take to the air if one bird is spooked The buntings often fly in great,... territories to ­gather in large flocks, often with buntings, finches and sparrows  On the run Together, the small birds scour When feeding, the skylark the land for seeds relies on its mobility ? • 2 Up, up and away… About 30' up, the lark switches from a slow, fluttering flight to a swift, vertical ascent A favorite of Europeans, the skylark has been introduced in many areas of the world, including New... grabs the victim with its talons, smashes its head or tears it off with its talons or beak, and then transfers the prey to its mouth The eagle is not immune to venomous snakes, but it can swallow them without being bitten; the poison is then digested in the gut Externally, the bird is protected from bites by thick feathers on its legs After the eagle has fed on a large snake, the tail often trails from... of 2 species in the genus Rostrhamus; the other is the slender-billed kite, R hamatus, which is quite different from the snail kite These two kites are among over 200 species in the family Accipitridae, which consists primarily of hawks, eagles and kites, including the zonetailed hawk, Buteo albonotatus These birds join falcons and osprey in the order Falconiformes CREATURE COMPARISONS At 13–15", the. ..   The female lays 3–9 eggs, which are bluish or white and marked with brown and lilac spots and speckles The female alone completes the 10–15 day incubation After hatching, the young are fed invertebrates, such as mosquitoes, midges, crane flies, moths and spiders; the female provides most of the food The young reach 90% of their adult weight after about 8 days, and leave the nest from 10–17 days after . eagle’s powerful clutches, the snake is trapped. Using its sharp beak, the eagle will rip the head off the snake. 3 Meal in tow The eagle flies off with the snake’s tail hanging from the bird’s. mimic. It copies the songs of other larks and of waders, including the curlew and redshank. • Birds from the east of the skylark’s range are larger than those farther west; northerly breeders. shadow from the fish below. It is often most numerous in areas where the water has a low oxygen level — lungfish, a favorite food, then must surface more often, making the shoebill’s foraging