Feathered Friends in the Wild Trivia Quiz

Answer: Adult male

The difference in coloration between the male and female of many (but not all) bird species is an example of sexual dichromatism. In the case of male birds being more brightly colored than their female counterparts, this generally has to do with their mating rituals, as the males try to attract the attention of the females.

There is also something to be said for females having more muted colors as a protection factor, making them less noticeable to predators while incubating their eggs.

Answer: Common loon

The common loon (Gavia immer) is also called the great northern diver, and it is not only found in Canada. Its range includes other regions of northern North America, and even into the Eurasian arctic on occasion. During the winter, the common loon likes to stay close to (mostly North American) coastal regions as far south as Mexico, but can also be seen along the Atlantic coastline of Europe.

Answer: Whippoorwill

The whippoorwill (Caprimulgus vociferus) is a nocturnal North American songbird whose onomatopaeic name and call is distinctive and recognizable... and relentless. They have been known to repeat their call hundreds of times in the space of one night (without stopping).

Its range extends from as far north as Southern Canada during its breeding season, down to Costa Rica during the winter months.

Answer: Finches

Charles Darwin studied 18 different bird species and, while they were called finches, they were not actually true finches (of the family Fringillidae), but were actually types of tanagers (family Thraupidae). Some of them still have 'finch' as part of their names, though (such as warbler-finch and vegetarian finch).

Regardless of their actual classification, Darwin was able to observe a wide variety of beak size and function, showing how the different birds developed to adapt to their specific food sources.

Answer: Ring-necked pheasant

The ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) originally came from Asia and the Caucasus and Balkans region of Europe, but has been introduced around much of the world as a popular game bird. Carl Linnaeus was the first to scientifically describe the ring-necked pheasant in his 1758 (10th edition) "Systema Naturae".

Of the other options, roadrunners can be found in desert climes, mountain quail in mountainous regions, and the white-tailed ptarmigan is also known as the 'snow quail'.

Answer: Kirtland's warbler

At one time this bird was known simply for its habitat, called the 'jack pine bird', but it was renamed Kirtland's warbler (Setophaga kirtlandii) after Jared Potter Kirtland, a naturalist and politician from Ohio who, amongst other things, founded the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

With its specialized habitat and vulnerability to the parasitic devastation of cowbirds, at one time this beautiful songbird was on the brink of extinction, but efforts for recovery began in the 1970s, and in 2019 it was taken off the list of endangered species in the United States.

Answer: Raven

With the binomial name Corvus corax, the common raven has a wide distribution, found around the world in the northern hemisphere. Ravens are highly intelligent birds who are opportunistic omnivores, subsisting through predation, scavenging, and foraging, as needed. And while they may not travel in 'murders' like their crow cousins, a group of ravens can be called an 'unkindness' or a 'conspiracy'.

Answer: Whooping crane

The whooping crane (Grus americana) was once as low in numbers as a mere 23 individuals (in 1941), but it has since recovered to more than 800. Nevertheless, the threats to their continued existence still exist, and have even changed over the years, keeping them on the endangered list.

Whooping cranes once ranged throughout central North America, but their nesting habitats are now limited to two, widely separated, parks - Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada's Northwest Territories, and the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin, USA.

Answer: Blue jay

The blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) is a native North American, and ranges from the southern parts of Canada down through central and eastern United States. As referenced in the question, the blue jay is so well-known for its vocalizations that even its binomial name translates as 'crested blue chatterer'.

While it is a bold and boisterous bird, blue jays often aid other birds and small mammals through its loudness, often screeching an alarm when predators are nearby.

Answer: Peregrine falcon

Technically, the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) only holds the airspeed record while in a hunting stoop (high-speed dive), and can only been measured at a top horizontal (wing-powered) flight at a speed 110 km/h (68 mph). And there are a number of other birds that can do that better.

Where once the peregrine falcon was endangered (largely due to DDT pesticide use), they have almost universally recovered around the globe. And they truly do have that wide a range, spanning the globe between from the arctic to the tropics.