12 Birds of Christmas

1. On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me A partridge in a pear tree. According to Cornell Labs, AllAboutBirds.com website there are 50 species of partridges in the world, NONE of them are native to North America. But two have been introduced and naturalized for hunting purposes. The Chukar is found in the mountains of the west while another one has adapted to the Great Plains, including occasional sightings in northwestern Illinois. Which one is it? (Bonus points if you have seen it in the wild!)

2. Of the eight species of doves one might see in Illinois, which Two Turtle Doves are introduced species, not native, but they are now somewhat common in many parts of the Midwest?

3. Though many of the female birds from the Galliformes order are called hens, some people like to think of the Three French Hens as prairie-chickens. The French voyagers named them Tétras des prairies. Various Native American nations had different names for prairie-chickens. Which of these Illinois cities is an American Indian name for prairie-chicken?

4. While walking on a trail, the intricate songs from some bird species can be heard as direct calls from Four calling birds. Several bird species say their name as part of their song or call. Which one of these species found in Illinois is NOT a bird that calls its name?

5. In the right light, different color feathers around some bird’s necks can glow like Five gold rings. Ring-necked pheasants (with white neck feathers) are ground-dwelling birds that are not native to Illinois or even North America. They were brought over from Asia for harvest as a game bird. Approximately what year were ring-necked pheasants introduced into Illinois?

6. It may or may not be happenstance that at any one time, there can be up to six geese species regularly found in Illinois. But not all are Six geese a-laying. Only one species of goose, the Canada goose, is native to Illinois and also breeds in the state. What types of habitat have served as goose nest locations?

7. Have you been lucky enough to see Seven swans a-swimming on your recent Christmas Bird Count? If so, consider yourself fortunate. Just over 90 years ago, trumpeter swans were one of the most endangered birds on the planet. When E.B. White wrote his young adult novel “The Trumpet of the Swan” in 1970 to highlight their plight their numbers were just beginning to rebound. How many trumpeter swans were left in the lower 48 states when they were at their low point in 1932?

8. If you were among the Eight maids a-milking in days of old, you may have expressed fear and anger over seeing a member of this group of birds in your barn late at night. Which group of birds was historically linked to terrorizing livestock, especially goats?

9. Nine ladies dancing…Which bird dances have you seen? What is your favorite bird dance to impersonate? One favorite dancer is a great success story in bird conservation. This bird had not been seen in Illinois in many years. With the restoration of habitat at The Nature Conservancy’s Emiquon Preserve and the Wetlands Initiative’s Dixon Waterfowl Refuge this species is now nesting in both locations. It’s dance has been described as two flamenco dancers courting, she stands perfectly still as he preens and moves back and forth behind her, and then after their nuptials, they dance in unison moving a few steps forward, then curling apart to create a heart shape, made more visible if you painted their footprints on the dance floor. Which bird dance does this describe?

10. Similar to nine ladies dancing, Ten lords a-leaping can also refer to dancing done by birds. Cranes are renowned for their dancing abilities. Many explanations have been postured for why cranes dance. Which of these explanations best describes the enduring dance of cranes?

11. Twentieth century composer Olivier Messiaen used recordings of this bird from Cornell Labs for a concerto. Jean-Pierre Rampal’s golden flute is often compared to this musical genius of the forest. And The Paul Winter Consort used its sweet voice to arrange a song with echoes of Bach. Though often solitary, if you stand quietly in an old growth forest on an early summer’s evening you may hear Eleven pipers piping… Which of these birds has inspired pipers and their piping throughout the centuries?

12. RAT-A-TAT-TAT! Hear Twelve drummers drumming! Woodpeckers are renowned (or notorious) for drumming on tree trunks and branches for a variety of reasons including communication, foraging, and nest cavity construction. What is considered the most important physical structure allowing woodpeckers to drum on trees without injury?