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June 2026
Sharp-shinned hawk
The Sharp-shinned hawk or Northern sharp-skinned hawk, colloquially often nicknamed Sharpie, is a small hawk (or accipiter), with males being the smallest hawks (about the size of a Blue jay) in the United States and Canada. They often frequent backyard bird feeders bursting from nearby bushes to snatch a small bird off a branch. Although some homeowners vilify them, Sharpies server a needed function of keeping wild bird populations healthy and wary.
Unlike other predatory birds, hawks kill their prey with their talons and not their beak.
When migrating, they travel in groups to increase the chances of survival. This behavior is know as “flocking”, and a group of hawks doing so is referred to as a “kettle.”
Their large, broad, sturdy wings help them in a swift and easy flight. The birds initially flap their wings rapidly before letting their momentum carry them forward. This also allows them to dive at speeds of 150 mph.
They have excellent senses—including acute hearing and vision that allows them to see eight times better than humans. These birds of prey even have the ability to perceive different colours more accurately due to the four colour receptors present in their eyes.
A young hawk is called an eyas or eyass.
Sharp-shinned hawks dive-bombing humans
While Sharp-shinned hawks are generally not a threat to humans, there are instances where they may attack. One reason is territorial defense. Hawks in general fiercely protect their nesting sites and will aggressively defend their territory from any perceived threats. Humans may unknowingly approach a nesting site, causing the hawk to feel threatened and attack. Individuals must know their surroundings and avoid getting too close to potential nesting sites.
Another reason is provocation. If a hawk feel threatened or provoked, it may attack in self-defense. This can occur if someone gets too close to a hawk and its prey. Individuals must give hawks their space and avoid disturbing them in their natural habitat.
To avoid conflicts with hawks, be aware of your surroundings, especially during nesting season. If a hawk nest is identified, maintaining a respectful distance and avoiding the area prevents triggering defensive behaviours. Supervising small pets outdoors and keeping them on a leash is recommended, as hawks might perceive them as prey, although attacks on pets are not common. In areas with known hawk activity, wearing a hat or carrying an open umbrella can offer protection and deter a hawk from swooping.
If an encounter with an aggressive hawk occurs, remain calm and avoid sudden movements. Do not run, as this can trigger a hawk’s pursuit instinct. Instead, maintain eye contact with the bird, as hawks prefer to strike from behind. Making yourself appear larger by raising your arms can help deter the hawk.
Slowly and deliberately move away from the area until the hawk ceases its aggressive behaviour.
If you are unable to make it in to the store on Tuesday for Senior’s Day discount, then you can call the store anytime on Tuesday to place and pay for your order, and then you can pick it up later in the week at your convenience.
PLEASE NOTE:
This is for customers who are currently signed up as a senior’s day customer and applies only to in-store purchases.
PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING CHANGE IN DELIVERY SCHEDULE
Commencing June 1, 2026 deliveries will be EVERY SECOND week
Delivery dates will be as follows for the month of June 2026
Thursday June 4 and Thursday June 18
Jim’s years of guiding bird walks for the Wild Bird Store has been instrumental in teaching “birders” how to get the most out of their birding excursions.
Unfortunately, Jim has decided he can no longer continue to spend many hours walking while guiding his walks. An option for Jim is to continue his lifelong passion, not only for birding, but for sharing his knowledge and passion in a different way. Birding by car has become the alternative, but might surprise you with the multitude of species you have the opportunity to see, especially when your guide is so proficient at finding wild birds.
FRANK LAKE: Saturday June 6, 2026
PLEASE NOTE: This is an actual walk, kindly note meeting place.
9:00am meet at rear of the Wild Bird Store and carpool from there. Please bring a lunch
Ticket price $7.00 + GST
IRRICANA SLOUGHS: Saturday June 20, 2026
PLEASE NOTE: This is an actual walk, kindly note meeting place.
9:00am meet at rear of the Wild Bird Store and carpool from there. Please bring a lunch
Ticket price $7.00 + GST
PLEASE BE ADVISED:
Jim will be away for a period of time starting in July. Please consult future newsletters or the Wild Bird Store online calendar at www.wildbirdstore.ca for future dates.
Wildwood Community Centre (4411 Spruce Drive SW): We will be on location every
Tuesday of the month 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm through the summer months.
We will be there with Broxburn Vegetables mobile truck.
Thank you for your continued support.
Crowfoot Arena (corner of John Laurie & Nosehill Drive NW: Every Wednesday 2:00pm to 5:30pm
Please place orders by 12:00 noon the day before the truck is on location
The Mobile Seed Truck is a mini version of The Wild Bird Store, and as such, we are limited to what we can carry. It is therefore, highly recommended that you place an order the day before the truck is to be at your desired location. This will ensure that when you come to the Mobile Seed Truck you get the items you need.
Text us @ (403)701-4571 OR email us at orders@wildbirdstore.ca
Earn and redeem customer loyalty points on the Mobile Seed Truck
DELIVERY: Deliveries will still be made on Thursdays ONLY.
Please phone the store at (403) 640-2632 any day prior to 12:00 noon on the Wednesday before your delivery; place and pay for your delivery. Please phone with your order as early as possible to avoid disappointment. If you have any special instructions please do not forget to inform us when you place your order.
THE DELIVERY CHARGE WILL BE $10
MINIMUM ORDER FOR DELIVERY $25.
Options for shopping at the Wild Bird Store
THE DELIVERY CHARGE WILL BE $10. MINIMUM $25 ORDER FOR DELIVERY.
Commencing June 1, 2026 deliveries will be EVERY SECOND week
Thursday June 4 and Thursday June 18
Store hours are:
10:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Saturday
We offer a discount if you return your 20 LB or 40 LB seed bags so that we can re-use them (sorry—not the Mother Nature bags which we cannot re-use), suet ball containers, or if you bring your own container or bag to fill . This discount is in addition to any other discount offered.
Question:
I am absolutely amazed at how much effort songbirds like robins, chickadees, finches and hundreds of other species spend singing in the spring. Why do it? What are the risks and benefits?
Response:
I have to admit to being a bit puzzled as to why songbirds spend so much time belting out their songs on a daily basis, especially knowing that there is a risk to letting every predator in the area know of their existence. Even though most bird songs last a few seconds or so, a typical songbird puts out between 1,000 to 2,500 singing bouts a day. One European species called the Yellowhammer sings over 3,000 times a day. So, why do it, one might ask. Well, a recent study may shed some light on this question. Now, it is well-established that songbirds mainly sing to attract mates, particularly the males, but that they also use song to ward off intruding competitors. But is there a need to do it incessantly? It turns out that birds need to regularly exercise the muscles that they use to produce song. Iris Adam, a behavioural neuroscientist at the University of Denmark, designed some experiments with tiny male Zebra finches in captivity. First, she severed the connection between the singing muscles and the brain. After two days, they lost some of their singing strength. But after three weeks, they regained their ability. Adam then took some other intact finches and prevented them from singing by keeping them in the dark around the clock. After a week, their singing muscles lost half their strength. Next, she gave females a choice of listening to those males versus ones with a full singing ability. Naturally, the girls preferred the males with the full Sinatra capability! The bottom line is that male songbirds need to exercise those vocal cords and practice their singing on a daily basis to keep them in top shape. Or they lose the ladies to the crooner next door! Adam says that we humans can learn from birds. If one refrains from speaking or singing for that matter, for too long, it is possible to lose some vocal performance. Perhaps that is why we men love to sing in the shower so much!
David M. Bird, Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of Wildlife Biology, McGill University www.askprofessorbird.com
David M. Bird is Emeritus Professor of Wildlife Biology and the former Director of the Avian Science and Conservation Centre at McGill University. As a past-president of the Society of Canadian Ornithologists, a former board member with Birds Canada, a Fellow of both the American Ornithological Society and the International Ornithological Union, he has received several awards for his conservation and public education efforts. Dr. Bird is a regular columnist on birds for Bird Watcher’s Digest and Canadian Wildlife magazines and is the author of several books and over 200 peer-reviewed scientific publications. He is the consultant editor for multiple editions of DK Canada’s Birds of Canada, Birds of Eastern Canada, Birds of Western Canada, and Pocket Birds of Canada. To know more about him, visit www.askprofessorbird.com or email david.bird@mcgill.ca.
The Most Important Things To Know About Bird Song
1. For a bird, singing can be draining. It is both energetically expensive and alerts predators. So then why do birds sing? Evidence suggests that in part, it is to proclaim and defend their territories. Studies have also shown that songs play a crucial role in attracting and impressing potential mates and may signal the overall health of the singer.
2. Why are some bird sounds referred to as songs and others as calls? Typically a song is defined as a relatively structured vocalization produced while attracting a mate or defending a territory. Calls tend to be shorter, less rhythmic sounds used to communicate a nearby threat or an individual’s location. Each species and individual has a variety of songs and calls used in different contexts that together make up its repertoire.
3. Chances are when you hear a bird singing, it’s a male. The majority of female songbirds in temperate zones use shorter, simpler calls while the males produce the longer and more complex vocalizations we think of as song. The story is different in the tropics where females commonly sing, and many species engage in “duetting” (a coordinated set of vocalizations most often made by male/female pairs to maintain and strengthen their pair bond).
4. The songbird syrinx makes vocal gymnastics possible—for example the Northern cardinal is able to sweep through more notes than are on a piano keyboard in just a tenth of a second. Because each branch of the songbird syrinx is individually controlled, the cardinal can start its sweeping notes with one side of the syrinx and seamlessly switch to the other side without stopping for a breath, making them the envy of human vocalist everywhere.
5. Unlike humans, birds produce vocal sounds using an syrinx, and organ located where the trachea splits into two branchial tubes. In songbirds, each side of the syrinx is independently controlled, allowing birds to produce two unrelated pitches at once. Some birds even have the ability to sing rising and falling notes simultaneously, like the Wood thrush in its final trill.
6. While some birds hatch knowing the songs they will sing as adults, the true songbirds have to learn how to communicate effectively. Songbirds begin learning their songs while still in the nest, a phase known as the critical period, when nestlings listen to the adults singing around them. Following fledging, young birds attempt to replicate these songs, practicing until they have matched their tutor’s songs. Some songbirds, such as catbirds, thrashers and mockingbirds, learn to mimic other species—frogs, cats and even car alarms.
7. Just as humans have regional accents, some bird species develop distinct, area-specific dialects. Such variation in song often arises when populations of the same species are isolated by geographic features such as mountains, bodies of water, or stretches of unsuitable habitat. These local dialects are then passed on to the next generation of young birds, which hear the songs being performed by their father and other local males. After many generations, the birds from one area can sound quite different from those the next mountain over.
8. Birds are often up before dawn singing their hearts out and adding their voices to the dawn chorus. But why do many species sing more intensely at dawn than they do at any other time of day? Many of the songs heard at dawn are thought to function as warnings given by male birds in defense of their territory and mate. While the dawn chorus is a common phenomenon wherever birds live, little is known about why birds concentrate their efforts during these early hours.
We offer a discount if you return your 20 LB or 40 LB seed bags so that we can re-use them (sorry—not the Mother Nature bags which we cannot re-use), suet ball containers, or if you bring your own container or bag to fill . This discount is in addition to any other discount offered.
Write a Google review on your experience at The Wild Bird Store, and as a thank you, we will give you 100 customer loyalty points ($5.00 value). To get a promo code, kindly email info@wildbirdstore.ca
(one Google review per customer)
Earn 200 customer loyalty points ($10.00 value) by referring a friend, acquaintance or fellow birder.
Please visit the store to get a promo code.
No need for a card, just give your phone number. You earn $1.00 for every $20.00 spent (excludes “sales” items, books & optics) and can be used in-store and on Mobile Seed Truck. As a loyalty member our monthly promotions and in-store “specials” are automatically given at the cash register.
Combining our Seniors 10% discount with the Loyalty Program. (Excludes “sales” items, books & optics).
Discount for membership 10% discount for members of Fish Creek Park, AIWC, Priddis Golf Club, Nature Calgary, Sandy Cross Conservation, Springbank Garden Club and Millarville Horticultural Society. Must present valid membership card at time of purchase.
Discount for Military Members & Veterans 10% discount on
purchases in-store or on Mobile Seed Truck (sorry—excludes “sales”
items, books, optics and consignment items)
It’s Time to Rename the Ring-necked Duck
The term “ring-necked” suggests, obviously, that you see a ring around the bird’s neck, such as the white ring on a Mallard drake or a male Ring-necked pheasant. But most observers will see no such thing on a Ring-necked duck. As with many birds, the duck’s name was first made at a time when birds were described up close in the hand. Yet for someone making an ID from across the pond, all they’ll observe is the female’s grey-brown plumage and dark back, or the male’s glossy black head, black chest, black back, and pale sides.
What they won’t see is a neck ring—unless they peer intently, in just the right light, at the drake, which will reveal in such circumstances that it has a narrow band of cinnamon-brown feathers between its head and chest. As field marks go, it’s atrocious—almost never applicable in the field.
Why then is this all-but-invisible mark—one present only on the male bird—still the distinction that earns the bird its name? A name is a tool, and when it becomes difficult to use that tool, some kind of adjustment is in order.
Luckily, there is a clear and obvious field mark on both the drake and the hen: a white band circling the blue-gray bill, one so easily discerned that hunters have already adopted the nickname “ringbill” for the bird.
In short, authorities of the AOU (American Ornithologist’s Union) has a reasonable solution to the problem: officially redubbing Aytha colloris (latin name for the bird) the Ring-billed duck thus keeping frustrated birders from spending countless hours searching for the invisible. They can give us the tool we need!
The Wild Bird Store also carries a complete line of Mason bee supplies for your one-stop shopping convenience.
The key is to create a gentle slope into the water. That way, the bees can land, gently approach the water, and put its proboscis down into the water;
Start with a glass or ceramic pie plate—almost everyone has one in their home. Add smooth stones—you will need enough to fill the pie plate three-quarters full. Add water—fill the dish three-quarters of the way full with water so that the tops of the stones are still showing, and what you’ve just done is created a bee watering station. It’s that simple.
Important to remember:
Birds do not like bees, so remember to place your bee watering station as far away as possible from your bird bath. Deep pools of water with no easy off ramp are hazardous for bees.
DONATIONS
Located at The Wild Bird Store (near the seed bins). We collect your cash as well as “wishlist” donations and arrange to deliver them to local wildlife organizations including Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation, Alberta Institute of Conservation and Ellis Nature Centre.
We ask for your support quarterly for each of these organizations.
For June, July and August 2026 your donations will go to:
https://www.calgarywildlife.org/
Thank you for your support
Have you checked out the Merlin app? Would you like a demonstration on how they will help you to identify birds? Stop by The Wild Bird Store during regular business hours and staff will be happy to show you how the app will enable you to identify birds in various ways.
Identify Bird Songs and Calls
Identify Birds by your Photos
Save Birds to Your Life List
Explore lists of birds near your location
- A single ladybug can consume 5,000 aphids in its lifetime, acting as a biological pesticide
- When threatened, they exhibit “reflex bleeding,” oozing a foul-smelling, toxic yellow fluid from their leg joints
- Their bright red colour is aposematic signaling, a visual warning to birds that they taste like bitter chemicals
- They can fly at speeds up to 37mph, making them surprisingly fast long-distance commuters
Get Rid of Aphids Naturally
Aphids are not only a nuisance, but they damage and slow the growth of common plants like hydrangea, birch and viburnum. With so many options to get rid of aphids naturally, there is no need to resort to harmful chemical pesticides.
Aphids suck up plant sap. They excrete a sticky sap, called honeydew, back on the plant’s leaves and stems. Honeydew also encourages the growth of black sooty mold, a fungus that darkens the plant and hampers the plant’s ability to receive sunlight.
Apply a homemade spray for fighting aphids. Garlic has long been used to get rid of aphids. Garlic has an added benefit: sulfur slows the growth of bacteria and fungi.
Grate or chop four garlic cloves, add two teaspoons of mineral oil, and let it rest for a full day. Add two cups of water. Strain out the solid pieces, leaving only the garlic solution.
Dilute the garlic solution even more when you add it to a garden sprayer. Test the solution in one section of the plant before spraying the entire plant.
Another option is to plant marigolds which are known to deter aphids, whiteflies, and some beetles. The best varieties for insect repellent purposes are African and French marigolds. Both varieties contain natural compounds that repel insects.
Herons and Egrets have a “Pectinate Claw” on their middle toe. The claw has a comb-like edge designed for grooming and maintenance. It is used to brush off the “fish slime” and debris after a successful hunt. They use it to distribute “powder down” – a biological talc they produce. This talc chemically waterproofs their feathers better than any spray. Without this toe-comb, the bird would suffocate and lose flight due to gunk.
Does your Aspects or Squirrel Buster feeder need some replacement parts?
Is the warranty & repair depot for:
Squirrel Buster® Bird Feeders
Aspects® Feeders
Did you know that we can repair/replace parts and make it look like brand new?
WE ARE LOCATED AND CAN BE FOUND AT:
5901 3rd Street S.E.,
Calgary, AB T2H 1K3
email: info@wildbirdstore.ca
(403) 640 2632
The Store is open Monday through Saturday 10:00am to 5:00pm
We are CLOSED Sundays, and ALL Statutory holidays for Faith, Family and Friends.
We still offer curbside pickup every day we are open and delivery service on every Thursday.
FOLLOW US ON:
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Go to YouTube, type in the search bar “The Wild Bird Store” to watch our videos and to help us become more visible . Be sure to click on “Subscribe” before you leave the page.
How Birds Sing: the Amazing Syrinx
Songbirds have a specialized two-sided vocal organ called the syrinx that allows them to perform impressive feats of vocal gymnastics—including the unique ability to create two unrelated pitches at once.
