Barred Owl

A nocturnal bird. Hides in dense foliage during the day, usually high up. May also roost on a branch close to a broad tree-trunk, or in a natural tree hole. May be very aggressive when defending a nest. While it has a keen sight and hearing it's sense of smell is poor. Perhaps that's why skunks are on it's diet as well as rats, squirrels, young rabbits, bats, moles, opossums, mink, and weasels. Birds are taken occasionally, including woodpeckers, grouse, quail, jays, blackbirds, and pigeons. Meadow voles are its main prey, followed by shrews and deer mice.

   Courtship activities begin in February with breeding occurring between March and August. Males hoot and females give contact calls. As the nesting season approaches, males chase after females giving a variety of hooting and screeching calls. Males display by swaying back and forth, and raising their wings, while sidling along a branch. Courtship feeding and mutual preening also occur.

American Kestrel

 The American Kestrel is the smallest and most numerous of the North American falcons.

  While the young birds are practicing their hunting skills, kestrels will often hunt in family units.

  There is a color difference between the sexes. The male kestrel has blue on its wings, while the female is mostly brown.

Sandhill Cranes

     Can you tell which is the male and which is the female? It's all in the voice. A male emits a series of long, low calls for each 2-3 shriller calls of the female. The female's bill is usually horizontal in unison call, while the male's is vertical. So therefore the female is on the left and the male is on the right.

Anhingas

     You can find Anhingas in Venice, Florida all year round. Left is an adult male and on the right iis the female. Anhingas are fish eaters and are often mistaken for Cormorants. Their bills are straight as the Cormorants are curved. They are also known as "Snakebird" because when they swim with their body submerged and only their head and neck showing, they look like a snake in the water. The male has white plumes on the upper surface of the wings and back, and a yellow bill. The female is similar, but has a buff-colored head, neck, and upper breast.