One bird encounter that I had was with a pair of robins (Turdus migratorius). I was really excited because traditionally robins are thought to herald Spring. However, once I did a little research I learned that robins don't actually migrate South for the Winter; they stay around, but are less visible. So much for that old-wives tale!
The Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is Ohio's state bird and we have a lot of them near our house. They're around year round, but are especially easy to spot in the Winter since they're (at least the males are) a bright spot of red against the brown and white of bare trees and snow. Reading up on Cardinals, I learned that they are highly territorial. Now I'm curious as to whether it is the same pair of Cardinals I spot out in my backyard all the time.
Jumping up in bird size, I saw a Turkey Vulture (Carthartes aura) from pretty close range over break. I was outside in my driveway talking to my neighbors when some children in the street starting yelling about a large bird. Behind my neighbor's house, I saw a huge Turkey Vulture circling around before flying off. I've seen them circling high in the sky, but I don't recall ever seeing one from such a close distance before. It really reinforced how large they are!
I have cardinals in my backyard at home too, although I unfortunately didn't get to see any during this trip home. But I had also learned cardinals are highly territorial and can get aggressive. My uncle actually got chased by a cardinal in his backyard once! If I had to guess, I would guess it is the same couple of cardinals you see in your yard from day to day. I wonder if there is a way to actually find that out for sure though!
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