WARBLER & VIREO MIGRATION MAPS VIRGIN ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK

June 2017

Attract Find Identify Enjoy

Journey 6
PHOTOS OF
RECENT

to the RARITIES

Amazon
CHASING
JAEGERS
How climate change
hurts spring migrants
THRUSH ID TIPS AMAZON KINGFISHER
is one of 470 bird
species to find in
Ja National Park,
in the heart of the
Brazilian Amazon.
Page 16.
June 2017 Vol.31 No.3

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FEATURES IN EVERY ISSUE

16 A morning on the Rio Negro COVER STORY 2 From the publisher
A birder sidelined by injury finds comfort in his companions,
cocktails, and the Amazons abundant birds. BY JOHN R. NELSON 5 Birding briefs
The impact of climate change on war-
blers and other migrants, this years
22 Lesser is more International Migratory Bird Day art, a
When a Lesser Black-backed Gull turned up on an island off the coast tool-using nuthatch, potential checklist
of Maine in 2007, the author had a front-row seat to history in the changes, and more.
making. BY MARY CASWELL STODDARD
6 Since you asked JULIE CRAVES
28 For the birds Answers to readers questions about wheth-
Two essays that widen the meaning of the term backyard bird- er martins help their young learn to fly,
watching, suggesting we still have much to learn about the birds in why birds destroy squirrel nests, and why
our local communities. BY JEN BRUMFIELD AND CHARLES HAGNER birds dont build stronger nests.

37 Hotspots 8 On the move EBIRD

Tips, maps, and directions for places to find birds in the U.S. Virgin Where and when to find Cape May Warbler
Islands and Montana. BY JASON A. CROTTY AND SUSIE WALL and Warbling Vireo.

14 Birder at large PETE DUNNE

In praise of watching, not chasing, birds.

34 ID tips KENN KAUFMAN

How to identify Swainsons Thrush.

New 40 Amazing birds ELDON GREIJ

How birds lightweight anatomy aids them
books, in flight.
p.43
Cinnamon and Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds by Raul Andrade, Hummingbirds: Volume 1, 2016 Gorgas Science Foundation

42 Attracting birds LAURA ERICKSON

Musing on the surprising appearances of
vagrant birds.

43 Bookshelf
The Complete Guide to Bird Photography by
Jeffrey Rich, and Hummingbirds: Volume 1
by John C. Arvin.

47 Classifieds
48 ID toolkit DAVID ALLEN SIBLEY
Identifying found feathers.

FROM OUR READERS

44 Your view
Readers photos of a curious titmouse,
chattering honeyeaters, and a cardinal
that needed a closer look.

46 Your letters

Like us on Facebook: Follow us on Twitter: Flickr: BirdWatching COVER PHOTO Amazon Kingfisher by
BirdWatchingMagazine @BirdWatchDaily group photo pool Ondrej Prosicky/Shutterstock
 fromthepublisher
EDITORIAL
Publisher Lee Mergner
Senior Editor Matt Mendenhall
Associate Editor Sean Dennis
Here at BirdWatching, we get a lot of Founding Editor Eldon D. Greij
books nonfiction, memoirs, photography, guides. Contributing Editors Julie Craves, Pete Dunne,
Laura Erickson, Kenn Kaufman, David Allen Sibley
And, like many of our readers, our bookshelves are
ART & PRODUCTION
overflowing to the point where were beyond
Art Director Carolyn V. Marsden
alphabetizing or using the Dewey Decimal system. Senior Designer Lizz Anderson
We just hope to keep the books off the floor.
SALES & MARKETING
So its not big news when we receive a review copy Vice President, Media Solutions Stu Crystal
of a birding book. However, one title that caught our [email protected]
eye was the new anthology Good Birders Still Dont Media Solutions Manager Jim Hummerstone
[email protected]
Wear White, a follow-up to the 2007 Good Birders Client Services [email protected]
Dont Wear White, in which noted birders and Director, Sales & Marketing Andrew Yeum
authors wrote about their lifelong love of birds. Priced low and in small paperback Marketing Associate Briana Balboni

format, the original was a big hit among birders and was reprinted several times.
The sequel features 37 new essays from acclaimed birders such as Richard EXECUTIVE
Crossley, David Lindo, and Noah Strycker, as well as BirdWatchings own Kenn Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey C. Wolk
Kaufman, Pete Dunne, and Chuck Hagner. On page 28 of this issue, you can read Chief Operating Officer Susan Fitzgerald
SVP, Sales & Marketing Robin Morse
two of the essays from the new edition: Hagners Why Im a Patch Birder and SVP, Content Cheryl Rosenfeld
naturalist Jen Brumfields Chasing Jaegers.
OPERATIONS
The creative vision behind the series, editor Lisa White of Houghton Mifflin Vice President, Operations Courtney Whitaker
Harcourt, told me that the idea (and titles) for the books came from an essay by Director, Custom Content Lee Mergner
hummingbird expert Sheri Williamson. At a 2005 birding festival in Cape May, Executive Director, Operations Justin Vuono
Senior Circulation Associate Nora Frew
New Jersey, White and her colleagues started talking about what a book called
Custom Content Specialist Nate Silva
Good Birders Dont Wear White would be, she explains. We [talked] about Human Resources Generalist Katherine Walsh
getting different writers to write little essays. On the plane home I was thinking Client Services Kristyn Falcione, Vanessa Gonsalves,
about it and started making a list of possible contributors, and by the time I got Tou Zong Her, Jessica Krogman, Cassandra Pettit
Accounting Amanda Joyce,
home I had more than 50 writers whom I could approach. Tina McDermott, Wayne Tuggle
Originally, White and her team were going for humor, but they quickly Administrative Coordinator Jennifer Hanrahan
realized that comedy is hard. We switched the theme to light, not laugh-out-loud AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT
funny, she says. Thats why we got to that artist, Robert Braunfield, because we Vice President, Audience Development Heidi Strong
were specifically looking for more of a cartoon style to go with the light and fun Vice President, Strategy Jason Pomerantz
Audience Development Manager Rebecca Artz
tone of the book. Indeed, you can see for yourself his whimsical style on page 33.
Technical Product Manager Michael Ma
Not every book has a larger purpose, but this one surely does. What we really Senior Digital Designer Mike Decker
wanted to achieve, White says, was to have active avid birders express or get at the
heart of what it is they love about birds why they devote so much of their time Newsstand National Publisher Services

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birdingbriefs
N E WS PHOTOS BOOKS CON S E RVATION Q& A S IG HTI NG S PRODUCTS FE STI VA L S & E V E NTS

Tim Zurowski/Shutterstock
AT RISK: A study of 46 bird species that breed in the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes ranked Black Tern as the most highly vulnerable to climate change.

Vulnerability high for spring migrants

New assessment of climate change finds 10 species especially threatened
Ornithologists with the bility while 34 species ranked background risk, climate ture and/or moisture change
Smithsonian Migratory Bird as moderately vulnerable. change exposure, and the throughout the annual cycle.
Center and the U.S. Geologi- The remaining 10 are capacity to adapt. Projected drying will
cal Surveys Upper Midwest considered highly vulnerable Two species Black Tern have the greatest effect during
Environmental Sciences to climate change. They are and Forsters Tern had high the nonbreeding season for
Center have found more Black Tern, Forsters Tern, overall vulnerability during species overwintering in Mex-
evidence of the negative Caspian Tern, Common Tern, the breeding and nonbreeding ico and the Caribbean, the
effects of climate change on Eastern Whip-poor-will, seasons, a fact the authors say researchers write in the
North American birds. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, strengthens the case for journal Ecosphere.
They used several criteria Worm-eating Warbler, management action for each. Projected temperature
to assess the vulnerability to Red-necked Grebe, In addition, Black Tern and increases will have the
climate change of 46 species Black-throated Blue Warbler, eight others Upland greatest effect during the
that breed in the Upper and Rusty Blackbird. Sandpiper, Eastern Whip- breeding season in [the Upper
Midwest and Great Lakes The researchers produced poor-will, Acadian Flycatcher, Midwest Great Lakes area] as
region of the United States. their rankings by assessing Nashville Warbler, Prairie well as during the nonbreed-
Two birds abundant the full annual cycle of each Warbler, Dickcissel, Bobolink, ing season for species
Killdeer and Red-winged species and assigning scores and Orchard Oriole are overwintering in South
Blackbird had low vulnera- based on criteria such as highly vulnerable to tempera- America.

w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 5
sinceyouasked
YOUR QUESTIONS
ANSWERED BY
BIRD BANDER EYE ON CONSERVATION
JULIE CRAVES

Q
Why dont birds build
better nests? It seems
like some always fall out
of trees in storms, and it
is not unusual for me to
see baby birds that must
have fallen out of nests.
Adam Cox, Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania

A
First, the baby birds you are
seeing likely arent accidentally
falling out of nests. It is perfect-
ly normal for most songbirds to
be unable to fly when they leave
the nest. A nest full of young

Thiago Calil
birds being visited continually
by parents filling hungry mouths
is at high risk of being found by COLORFUL AND RARE: Seven-colored Tanager occurs only in the forests of eastern Brazil.
predators. It is much safer for
birds to leave the nest as soon
as they are feathered and able
Helping tanagers in Brazils Atlantic Forest
to cling to branches and move The Seven-colored Tanager is hard to The efforts are paying off. In the last five
around. Parents will move them miss, decked out in eye-catching shades of years, Seven-colored Tanagers local range has
to different locations, giving turquoise, green, blue, yellow, and orange. The expanded into new forest areas, and the birds
each a better chance to survive. colorful bird prefers the humid Atlantic forests population appears to be increasing in Serro do
That being said, many nests of eastern Brazil, an area known for other spec- Urubu, which is run by SAVE Brasil. Plans are
are clearly not fortresses, offer- tacular species, including Gilt-edged Tanager, a afoot to expand the reserve by 181 acres.
ing only minimal support and close relation. Seven-colored Tanagers are usually seen in
protection for eggs, young, and The birds forests have pairs or small groups, often
parents. This is thought to be dwindled, putting pressure in mixed-species flocks that
due to a number of factors, of- on these and other rare spe- forage through the forest
ten related to time constraints. cies such as Stresemanns canopy.
Migratory birds in particular Bristlefront. Eighty-five per- To nest successfully,
have a limited period during the cent of the original Atlantic Seven-colored Tanager
breeding season to find and Forest has been cleared, and needs trees that host plants
secure a territory and to mate only small fragments remain. Habitat loss, along called bromeliads (also known as epiphytes
and raise their young. Most with capture for the caged-bird trade, has made or air plants), where the birds build their twig
long-distance migrants have Seven-colored Tanager as rare as it is colorful. nests. In addition to providing nesting sites for
only enough time to raise a Fortunately, the species shows signs of tanagers and other birds, bromeliads attract
single brood. If too many hours adapting to secondary forests previously hummingbirds like the Ruby-topaz.
are spent nest-building and deforested sites where trees are growing again. Bromeliads help support biodiversity in
the nest fails, the birds wont Together with partner SAVE Brasil, ABC has tropical rainforests. But they require a high level
(continued on page 8) set out to protect the most important remaining of humidity, and forest fragments and edges
fragment of northeastern Atlantic Forest the tend to be too dry for them. That makes pro-
Pernambuco Endemic Area by planting trees tecting and restoring whats left of the Atlantic
Julie Craves is supervisor of avian
and protecting border areas of old-growth Forest essential to the survival of Seven-
research at the Rouge River Bird
forest in the Serro do Urubu Reserve. colored Tanager and many other species.
Observatory at the University of
Michigan Dearborn and a research American Bird Conservancy is a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization whose mission is to conserve native birds and their habitats
associate at the universitys throughout the Americas. You can learn more about the Serra do Urubu Reserve and its birds at www.serradourubu.org.br/birdwatching.
Environmental Interpretive Center.

6 B i r d Wa t c h i n g
 birdingbriefs

The next checklist

Splits of harriers, crossbills, Yellow-rump among
potential revisions
This year, the American Ornithological Societys North and Middle
America Classification Committee is considering many changes to its
official bird checklist, including the following eight.
Split Northern and Hen Harriers. A year ago, the committee
rejected the idea of splitting Northern Harrier from the Old Worlds Hen
Harrier, but now it has received new information on morphological and
genetic differences between the birds and is re-evaluating a split.
Split Willet. As we noted in our February 2017 issue, genetic data
suggest the Willets of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts are distinct from
their cousins that nest in prairies and grasslands of the western
interior. If the committee agrees, it may name the new species Eastern
Willet and Western Willet.
Split Magnificent Hummingbird. The northern subspecies of this
large hummingbird breeds from the Southwest to Nicaragua; until
1945, it was known as Rivolis Hummingbird, when it was lumped
with its southern neighbor, Admirable Hummingbird. The committee is
deciding whether to recognize the two as distinct again.
Split Northern Shrike. The Old Worlds Great Gray Shrike has long
been considered a single species with our Northern Shrike. A proposal
being considered would split them; if accepted, Northern Shrike would
include birds in North America and Siberia.
Split Yellow-rumped Warbler into three species. Researchers say
genetic differences between the eastern, western, Mexican, and
Guatemalan populations support the split. If accepted, the eastern
birds would again be known as Myrtle Warbler; the birds from western
North America and north-central Mexico would be called Audubons
Warbler; and the birds in southern Mexico and Guatemala would be
named Goldmans Warbler.
Place Yellow-breasted Chat in its own family. The chats classifica- Showcasing stopovers
tion as a warbler has long been questionable. A new proposal to May 13 is annual celebration of migratory birds
re-align many songbird families includes placing the chat into its own This year, International Migratory Bird Day May 13 in the
family, Icteriidae, not to be confused with the blackbird family Icteridae. United States and Canada celebrates stopover sites, the places and
Split South Hills Crossbill from Red Crossbill. Recent genetic habitats where birds rest and refuel.
evidence suggests Idahos South Hills population is the most distinct The 2017 poster highlights 11 migratory species (from top to
of the 10 call types of Red Crossbill. (For background, see our bottom): Western Sandpiper, Green-winged Teal, Wilsons Warbler,
February 2014 issue.) Merlin, Wood Thrush, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Painted
Lump Common and Hoary Redpolls. This proposal was rejected Bunting, Tree Swallow, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Lesser
last year, but its being reconsidered due to new genetic and genomic Yellowlegs, and Bobolink. Argentinian artist Roco Landvar
data that suggest the redpolls consist of one variable species, from illustrated the poster.
small and red-breasted birds to large and pale. To find Bird Day events, resources for hosting a program, and
The committees decisions are expected in July. more, visit www.migratorybirdday.org.

App identifies bird songs

Sibley illustrations accompany sophisticated audio analysis software
In February, Wildlife Acous- illustrator, and BirdWatching The app immediately reveals apps David Sibley Bird
tics, a bioacoustics technology columnist David Sibley, Song the three most probable birds Reference, which includes
company, released Song Sleuth, Sleuth uses sophisticated on its Likely Matches screen. Sibleys illustrations, descrip-
an app that enables iPhone or algorithms and audio analysis Final identification of the bird tions, and range maps and
iPad users to record, recognize, technology specifically tailored can be accomplished by charts developed exclusively for
and positively identify the songs to the unique acoustical listening to recordings of the Song Sleuth. Available on the
of nearly 200 North American characteristics of bird songs. likely matches, comparing iTunes App Store for $9.99. An
bird species. Developed in To identify a nearby birds spectrograms of the song versus Android version will be
collaboration with author, song, users simply tap to record. reference recordings, or via the released in fall 2017.

w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 7
sinceyouasked
(continued from page 6)
ON THE MOVE FROM eBIRD
have enough time to attempt a
An eastern warbler and a widespread vireo to watch for in spring
second nest, and the breeding
season will be lost. Cape May Warbler
Nest-building activities
can attract predators or brood
parasites such as cowbirds
to the nest site, so spending
less time on construction may
minimize that risk. Too much
time and energy invested in
collecting nest materials and
constructing a nest may leave
adults less fit and able to
properly care for young. Under
some circumstances, more
substantial nests may also June 2006-16 January 2006-16
be more visible to predators.
The four maps on this page compare the distributions of Cape May Warbler and Warbling Vireo
Thus, there is a trade-off be-
using eBird data collected over the last 10 years. Cape May Warbler breeds in boreal coniferous
tween the costs and benefits of
forests across Canada, from Alberta east to Quebec and in portions of the northern lower 48, from
having a more secure, bigger,
Minnesota to Maine. A spruce budworm specialist, the warblers population fluctuations are
or better nest.
correlated with the boom and bust of the budworm, a naturally occurring insect that causes periodic

Q
widespread defoliation of spruces and firs. In June, warblers occur across much of southern Canada
in the boreal forest zone, and in January, the birds winter almost entirely in the Caribbean. Import-
While I was monitoring
ant wintering islands include Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. Look for migrants in
my Purple Martin house,
patches of conifers, though they will use other forested habitats.
I observed a fledgling
exit the house, flying
poorly, and closely Warbling Vireo
followed by an adult
male. When it appeared
the young bird would
fall, the male sped up
and was able to carry
the fledgling on its back
for about 20 feet, after
which the chick flew off
by itself. Do other
swallows exhibit this
behavior? Jim McKay,
Calgary, Alberta

A
June 2006-16 January 2006-16

As martin landlords know, an Well-known Warbling Vireo occurs across much of North America in summer. As the June map
encouraging parent, often the shows, it breeds from British Columbia and Alberta south and east through the Pacific Northwest
male, accompanies the maiden and California, the Rockies, Midwest, Great Lakes, and Northeast. The bird occupies a wide range of
flights of youngsters. The deciduous forest habitats from sea level to nearly 3,000 meters in elevation. The species is separated
adult will fly near the fledgling, into eastern and western forms, which differ only slightly visually, though the songs of the two groups
spurring it to stay airborne, are normally different enough to be identifiable. Warbling Vireo is a complete migrant, and by
leading it to a safe spot, and January, it has vacated its breeding range for wintering areas in western and central Mexico and south
protecting it from predators through Central America to Costa Rica. Seemingly well adapted to urban environments, birders
or harassment. Carrying a should look for vireos and listen for their complex jumbled song in parks and gardens, along fence-
fledgling on its back is not a rows, and in streamside woods habitats where they can be found as migrants or while breeding.
typical behavior for martins or
other swallows. I believe you eBird is the real-time online checklist operated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon. On the Move is written by
eBirds Garrett MacDonald, Chris Wood, Marshall Iliff, and Brian Sullivan. Submit your sightings at eBird.org.
(continued on page 10)

8 B i r d Wa t c h i n g
 birdingbriefs

Tool-using youngsters ABA awards

First juveniles seen using tools in the wild are Brown-headed Nuthatches The American Birding Association
Tool use has been documented in more At least two of the young birds seized recently named three award recipients
than 270 species of birds in 33 families, prey that had been hidden: a caterpillar for 2017.
mostly in wild or captive adult birds. The and a grub. Scott Weidensaul, author of Living
few records of juveniles using tools involve The birds using tools were only a few on the Wind and other books and a
only captive species Woodpecker Finch months post-hatching when the observa- co-founder of Project Owlnet and Proj-
and New Caldonian Crow. tions occurred, suggesting the behavior is ect SNOWstorm, will receive the Roger
Recently, scientists from the Tall probably innate. Only one instance of an Tory Peterson Award for Promoting the
Timbers Research Station and Land adult using a tool was recorded during the Cause of Birding.
Conservancy in Tallahassee, Florida, same study, although past observations Raptor expert Jerry Liguori, author
reported what they say are the first have also reported tool use by adults. of Hawks from Every Angle and Hawks
observations of tool usage by juvenile birds The observations of multiple juveniles at a Distance, will receive the Robert
in the wild. In a paper in Southeastern using novel tools soon after fledging Ridgway Award for Publications in Field
Naturalist, Mary Mack Gray, Elliot W. coupled with adults using tools rarely Ornithology.
Schunke, and James A. Cox describe five during this period suggest the behavior is Chicago-area conservationist Judy
instances in which they saw juvenile not associated with cultural transmission, Pollock, an organizer of Lights Out
Brown-headed Nuthatches using tools. Mack Gray and her colleagues wrote. Chicago, a light-reduction program in
The birds used pine needles, twigs, and a Brown-headed Nuthatch is a pine the downtown area, and numerous other
pine-bark scale to probe for food under specialist of the southeastern states and projects, will receive the Betty Petersen
bark scales and in a mass of pine needles the Bahamas; it is declining throughout Award for Conservation and Community.
stuck in the crotch of a limb. its range.

BONDING RITUAL: A pair of American

Avocets engages in their post-copulatory
Secret life of birds
dance: As the male slides off the female,
he drapes a wing over her body, they cross
bills, and they strut around together with
bills crossed for several seconds before
disengaging.

Jim Burns

w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 9
sinceyouasked
(continued from page 8)
PHOTO GALLERY
witnessed a highly serendipi- Recent rare-bird sightings in North America
tous and likely unintended
performance.

Q
Why do birds destroy
old squirrel nests? We
have seen starlings tear
apart these leaf nests
several times. Val and
Johann OBrien, Ann
Arbor, Michigan

A
Jay McGowan

Kyle Gage
Although nests in cavities
are often preferred, most FIRST IN THE U.S.: From late January into March, FIRST IN NEW YORK: This Clarks Grebe hung
tree squirrels will also build this Black-backed Oriole, a Mexican endemic, around the harbor of Oswego, on the coast of Lake
multiple leaf nests in the visited a yard in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Ontario, in February and early March.
branches of trees. The nests
are also known as dreys. A
main nest might be used for
raising young and is typically
located in part of the territory
where food is plentiful. Satellite
nests scattered throughout a
territory can be used as shelter
from predators when a squirrel
is out and about or to cache
extra food stores. The stashes
of seeds and nuts provide a
Keith McCullough

bonanza for birds that discover

Rangel Diaz
them. I expect that birds such
as Blue Jays and starlings can
quickly learn that squirrel nests FIRST IN SOUTH CAROLINA: In February, birders SECOND IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA: In
may contain such a stockpile. found this Great Kiskadee at Bear Island Wildlife mid-February, this Kirtlands Warbler was
Squirrel nests can also harbor Management Area, southwest of Charleston. spotted at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park.
many other food items such
as spiders, moths, beetles,
and other insects and inver-
tebrates. I often see smaller
birds like Carolina Wrens
rummaging in squirrel nests,
and I suspect it is these types
of food items they are after.

Send a question
Send your question to ask@
birdwatchingdaily.com or visit
Lynn Barber

www.BirdWatchingDaily.com
Joe Kaplan

and look for Contact us.

Or write to: BirdWatching SECOND IN MICHIGAN: This Crested Caracara was SECOND IN MAINLAND ALASKA: In late February
Since You Asked, 25 Braintree seen in Escanaba in February and March, seven and March, this Hawfinch, a Eurasian bird, visited a
/PSS6JL7HYR:\P[L months after the state recorded its first caracara. feeder in Anchorage.
)YHPU[YLL4(

10 B i rd Wa t c h i n g
Cranes fly onto stamp Every bird
U.S. Postal Service honors Platte River spectacle
counts.
ZEISS Victory SF 42 &
Conquest Gavia 85

A new stamp, issued on March 1 by the U.S. Postal Service,

celebrates one of the greatest bird spectacles in North America the
annual convergence of Sandhill Cranes on Nebraskas Platte River
valley. The stamp features a photo of cranes flying over the river at
sunset. Nebraska photographer and conservationist Michael Forsberg
took it around the year 2000 from a small blind that he built and
placed on a riverbank. He would get into the blind in the afternoon
before the cranes flew in for the night, and he would not leave until
after they flew away the next morning. It took me most of the month
of March to finally make this photo, he says.

Festivals + events
Four fun festivals to put on your summer calendar
Southeast Arizona Davis Mountains
ZEISS Victory SF 42 &
Birding Festival Hummingbird Celebration Conquest Gavia 85
Attendees at this Tucson-based Held in the Davis Mountains
festival will look for Elegant of western Texas, this three-
Our binoculars, spotting scopes and accessories were
Trogon, Montezuma Quail, day event includes field trips,
developed from our passion for nature observation.
and more. Full- and half-day banding programs, and other
expert-led field trips explore programs featuring humming-
Together with birders and BirdLife International we
canyon, mountain, and wetland birds and other Southwestern commit ourselves to protect endangered species.
habitats, and even a ghost town. species. Participants have www.zeiss.com/nature
Photographer and conservation- recorded a total of 16 humming-
ist Paul Bannick will deliver the bird species. August 24-26
keynote. August 10-13
Hawaii Island Festival of Birds
Plumas Audubon Society Attendees will have oppor-
Grebe Festival tunities to see endemic birds
At this three-day event in Ches- during field trips along the newly
ter, California, participants can created Hawaii Island Coast to
witness the rushing displays of Coast Birding Trail, and in guid-
Western and Clarks Grebes and ed boat trips. Guest speakers
get close views of adults and include author Kenn Kaufman,
hatchlings during nesting sea- ABA president Jeff Gordon,
son through field trips on Lake and eBird project leader Brian
Almanor. August 18-20 Sullivan. September 15-17
Find out more at:
For festival contact info, or to list your event in our www.zeiss.com/sports-optics
calendar, visit our website: www.BirdWatchingDaily.com/events

w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 11
 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

VIRGINIA IS FOR BIRDERS AND BIRDS: Fairfax County, which borders the Potomac River and Washington, D.C., is home to many places to find birds.
Great Falls Park (left) features breathtaking rapids, and Meadowlark Botanical Gardens is a favorite spot to take in the beauty of cherry blossoms.

A birds-eye view of Fairfax County, Virginia

Lovely scenery, beautiful trails, and plenty of wildlife keep me coming back
Ive outrun eagles in Elizabeth Hartwell National Wildlife not so much the Marsh Wrens, they are usually a little moody
Refuge. Ive soared with the hawks over the meadows and seeing as this is their breeding ground and all. In fact, its
wetlands of Huntley Meadows Park. Ive perched with Snowy the only place they get amorous in all of Northern Virginia.
Owls in Riverbend Park and then witnessed the stunning view From Dyke Marsh, the next stop is farther up the Potomac:
of majestic waterfalls at Great Falls Park. They look better Riverbend Park. Here you can get in some good people-
from the ground, in my humble opinion. But what do I know? watching as Riverbend connects to Great Falls Park, an
Im just a bird. A bird that stops in Fairfax County, Virginia, incredible part of the National Park Service. Its just so
every year as I migrate along the Atlantic Flyway. satisfying to land on a branch and see a whole group of people
Why Fairfax County? Thats a much more interesting whip out their binoculars. All to get a glimpse of me! But, I
question. Lets start with Huntley Meadows Park, named a digress. Riverbend Park sprawls over 418 acres and is great for
Hotspot Near You by this very magazine. A combination of catching up with the American Woodcocks along with 191
forests, meadows, and wetlands all spread out over 1,500 acres. other species. Ive never counted how many species of humans
Huntley Meadows offers some of the best year-round birding pass through there, but thats not really my thing.
in the entire Washington, D.C. region. Ive seen over 200 If you listen closely, from Riverbend you can hear the
different species here, which makes for a very active social life. sound of woodpeckers up in Great Falls Park. As you make
Another favorite stop is Mason Neck State Park. I love it your way toward the cascading falls, youre likely to come
because the humans will get into these long skinny boats and across some of my favorites: the Tundra Swans. But if they
come right up to you. Truly fearless creatures these humans arent there, you can check out over 160 different types of us
are. Mason Neck is near Elizabeth Hartwell National beautiful birds. And as I mentioned before, check out the
Wildlife Refuge, which is the very first refuge established falls. Gorgeous. Breathtaking.
specifically for the American Bald Eagle. You can also find And when I am ready to make my way down the coast, I
herons, Wood Thrush, and more than 211 types of my fine stop in at Pohick Bay Regional Park to hang with beavers,
feathered friends here. Osprey, deer, and bluebirds, to name a few. Theyre a pretty
When Im in the mood to glide along the Potomac, I usually active bunch, so for me, a little goes a long way. But always
make my way to the Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve. The worth it to stop in and say hello.
Preserve features 485 acres of freshwater tidal wetlands, one of I truly do hope that youll have the opportunity to migrate
the largest remaining wetlands in the D.C. region. I come here on over to Fairfax County, Virginia. You wont egret it. Sorry.
to hobnob with waterfowl, warblers, sometimes humming- Bird humor. Were known for our bad puns.
birds (but they tend to mumble), and Marsh Wrens. Actually, Find out more at www.fxva.com/birding

12 B i rd Wa t c h i n g Ju n e 2 017
 More about watching birds
birderatlarge BY PETE DUNNE You can read these past articles on
our website:

Born-again birdwatcher: Vermont

birder Maeve Kim contemplates the
differences between watching birds
and getting birds.

Why I love birdwatching: Better

binoculars, Aldo Leopold, and the
death of writer Frank Zufall's parents
combined to make him a birdwatcher.

Cure-all for kids: Birding can

improve a childs health, and it might
just change the course of the planet.

www.BirdWatchingDaily.com

and that they also liked to tuck a bit of

paper in the adobe mix. Imagine my
pride to discover that my failed math
quizzes, discarded before I arrived
home, were sometimes recycled as nest
material.
From those formative nest-finding
forays, I also learned that the eggs of
catbirds are dark, dark blue, while those
of Brown Thrashers are pale and
brown-spotted. One of my greatest
adventures involved finding an
Ovenbird nest. The nests do indeed
resemble a kiln-like oven suitable for
DISCOVERY: A Brown Thrasher flies away from its nest in search of food for its young. baking bread.
If you read the accounts of Alexan-
der Wilson and John James Audubon,

For fun and insight youll find that they too were avid
watchers of birds.
Even as late as the 1970s, my old
In praise of watching, not chasing, birds mentor Floyd Wolfarth would take me
to the Hackensack Meadowlands or the
Whatever happened to birdwatch- youth when he sought out bird eggs to North Shore (of New Jersey) and wed
ing? Back in my youth, before we add to his collection. spend a whole afternoon scanning
started calling ourselves birders, I This outlawed practice was popular flocks of gulls or waterfowl. You never
used to do a lot of it. among young Brits but seems not to knew what you might find, which was
A typical morning might be spent have been much practiced on this side precisely the point. Whatever you
searching for bird nests. Once I found of the pond after the Victorian gentle- discovered you owned, and your level of
one, Id go back on successive days to men moved on to other pursuits. I never pride was the product of the effort and
see whether the eggs had hatched and if engaged in it, but my hours of nest skill involved.
so, what kind of food adults were study produced much the same Everything was grist for Floyds mill
bringing to young. It was fun watching avocational grounding. Seek, find, great aggregations of waterfowl, local
an adobe nest bloom with open orange discover, and learn. From those early rarities like Razorbill, late lingering
mouths whenever an adult robin birdwatching forays I learned that terns. This was birdwatching, an
Ivan Kuzmin/Shutterstock

perched on the rim. towhees nested on the ground in nests exploration of birds and their world for
One top British birder of my shaped like ashtrays, that Wood Thrush fun and insight. Near as I can tell it was
acquaintance confided to me that all he built deep cup-shaped nests, and used how everybody approached bird study
knew about bird biology he learned as a more grass and less mud than robins, back then.

14 B i rd Wa t c h i n g Ju n e 2 017
 Successive generations of birders have
grown up thinking that studying birds means
plotting a course to intercept a bird found
by somebody else.
So, when did birdwatching become So, Im anti-listing? Heavens no.
the mindless pursuit of birds suffering That would be as silly as being
inner-ear disorders i.e. a four-hour anti-baseball cards. Im pro-bird-
drive to the opposite end of the state to watching and fearful that this avoca-
relocate a bird, found by somebody else tional element is getting lost. Consider
the weekend before, that had crossed this column a yearning for the days
some political boundary and having when birdwatching was less one-
done so, now was found where dimensional. I keep lots of lists
(according to conventional wisdom) it disguised as a journal entries: lists of
did not typically occur? early arrivals and late departure dates;
Did this avocational trend begin lists of record peak numbers; and yes,
with the American Birding Association records of birds that are locally rare
and the accent upon the big list? Or was and unusual that I find during the
ABA, as I suspect, a reaction to a normal course of birdwatching.
growing fascination with avian aggran- Back in the 1970s, a severe gas
dizement the effect not the cause? shortage in the U.S. resulted in lines at
The institutional fixation upon the pump and gas rationing. By
chasing cannot be blamed on state necessity, birders were compelled to
journals that reward all manner of forgo statewide chases and concentrate
notable encounters using bold-font instead upon birding their local patch.
entries insofar as the bold-faced What I recall from the Changing
encounters went beyond celebrating Seasons summary in American Birds
mere rarities. They highlight, for regarding that period was the ava-
instance, great aggregations of birds lanche of local rarities that were
like Floyds one-day spring flight of discovered, and the general realization
more than 1,000 Red-tailed Hawks that the onset of fall migration was
along the flank of the Kittatinny Ridge much earlier than anyone thought. Ah
and Clay Suttons 40,000 shorebirds at discovery, grist for birdwatchings mill
some obscure place called Reeds (crop?) and a feather in your cap.
Beach, the first published account of Bird on! Discover great things and
the now celebrated May concentrations keep good notes.
of Red Knot along the beaches of But if you are thinking about
Delaware Bay. searching for an Ovenbird nest, know
I suppose birding hotlines (now that deer ticks were not the problem in
listservs, Facebook, and Twitter) fueled my youth that they are today. No more
the chasing craze, but I hesitate to say sitting on the forest floor for me.
they caused it. Information sharing has Now, please excuse me. Its snowing.
always been part of the birdwatching Birds are flocking to my feeders and
culture. But now successive generations Im curious to learn what seed type
of birders have grown up thinking that Dark-eyed Juncos favor and whether
studying birds means plotting a course White-throated Sparrows have a
to intercept a bird found by somebody different seed preference.
else because they need it for their
(choose one or all) Life, Year, County, Pete Dunne is New Jersey Audubons birding
or July List. ambassador at-large. He is the author of Bird
Me? Id much rather spend my Droppings: Writings about Watching Birds and
Saturday watching birds than driving Bird Watchers, Pete Dunne on Bird Watching
to see one. Second Edition, and other books about birds.
And who knows what Ill find?

w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 15
FAR AFIELD

3000ad/Shutterstock

A HINT OF LIGHT: Dawn breaks over the

Rio Negro, in central Brazil. The river is one
of the largest tributaries of the Amazon.
 a morning on the

Sidelined by injury on a dream trip, a birder the new day find us in this paradise. It
takes me back to the morning my wife
finds comfort in his companions, cocktails, and I visited the famed opera house in
the city of Manaus, the Teatro Amazonas,
and the Amazons abundant birds BY JOHN R. NELSON an improbable Belle Epoque marvel,

T
salmon-colored, golden-domed, with
he Dorinha meanders along a Cocks-of-the-Rock strike poses, bob imposing white columns and statues of
narrowing stretch of black water heads, and show off their triple axels mythological figures, all the imperial
in the wilderness of Ja National before chasing the females through the grandeur of Europe transplanted to the
Park, in the heart of the Brazilian trees. My favorite, the Capuchinbird, jungle by rubber barons.
Amazon. A hint of light, from moon or stands bolt upright on a branch, leans We toured the Italian Renaissance
sun, greens and softens the boundless back at an impossible angle, shivers its interior marble doorways, hand-blown
mass of plant life on shore. Birds sing, a timbers, then shoots out the pom-poms glass sconces, jacaranda armchairs
rehearsal punctuated by the whip crack on its thighs while blaring, well, not a covered in red velvet, frescoes of Amazo-
of a Screaming Piha, the emblematic call song exactly, but the noise an outraged nian legends and then lingered on the
of the Amazon Basin. howler monkey might produce if forced plaza outside. In the center, a towering
Ive yet to see a piha dance, but I know to mimic an air-raid siren. fountain celebrates Manaus in its heyday
they dance. In Brazil all the birds dance. I lie in my bunk and wait for the as a center of global trade. Around the
Wire-tailed Manakins moonwalk with captains music. It comes, finally, the fountain, an expanse of wavy black and
flank feathers fanned. Black-capped same song that welcomes each day on the gray tiles evokes the meeting of the
Donacobius couples twist and sway with river: Pavarotti singing Brindisi from waters, where, for miles, the dark, cold,
the tight synchronization of champion Verdis La Traviata. Be happy. Wine and fast-moving Rio Negro flows alongside
rhumba partners. Rowdy Guianan song and laughter beautify the night. Let the warm, muddy, slow-going Rio

w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 17
BLENDING IN: A Great Potoo
sleeps away the day on a tree.
Amazonian splendor
The species is active at night, Ja National Park is the largest forest
when it hunts flying insects reserve in South America, covering
and occasionally bats. about 5.8 million acres (2.3 million
hectares). Its also part of the Central
Amazon Conservation Complex
World Heritage Site, the largest
protected area in the Amazon Basin.

The park is located about 125 miles

(200 km) northwest of Manaus, a city
of 1.8 million people. The Ja, Negro,
and Carabinani rivers dominate the
parks landscape. White-sand beaches
line the rivers during the dry season,
and the forests flood during the wet
season. Many of the parks rivers,
streams, and braided channels contain
black water, a color that occurs because
of acidic decomposing organic matter.

The park is home to 470 bird

species, 120 mammal species,
320 fishes, 15 reptiles, and 87
families of insect. Jaguars, pumas,
ocelots, spider monkeys, giant
anteaters, dolphins, caimans, and
turtles make their homes here.

The bird list includes tinamous,

guans, curassows, King Vulture, Harpy
Eagle, Sunbittern, potoos, more than
15 hummingbird species, trogons,
kingfishers, jacamars, aracaris,
toucans, forest-falcons, caracaras,
parrots, macaws, antshrikes, antwrens,
antbirds, woodcreepers, Amazonian
Umbrellabird, manakins, tanagers,
oropendolas, and many more.

WHATS THAT? DONA MARIA ASKS. THAT LOOKS

DIFFERENT. THE MAGIC WORDS.
Solimes. To a soundtrack of piped-in pouring sweat, I lay on the ground and relocate it (or reduce it, to use the term
Mozart, a Fork-tailed Flycatcher hawked then struggled to my feet. Dona Maria, a doctors used 16 days later in a Boston
Andrew M. Allport/Shutterstock, David Tipling/FLPA/Minden Pictures

bugs from the sculpted shrubs on the nurse, thought the shoulder was dislocat- hospital). With the help of a borrowed
perimeter. ed. My arm was dangling like a broken cane and a sling from Brets pack, I made
I work my way out of the bunk. In the wing, and there was nothing, only space, it back to camp.
top bunk, Dona Maria, as my wife is where meat and bone should be. Bret After lunch, Bret told us we had a
known on the boat, sleeps on, dreaming Whitney, our guide, doubted her choice to make. In two days wed return
of fancy-stepping manakins. I guess I diagnosis. If the shoulder were dislocat- to Manaus to board the Dorinha. If I
could sleep in too, if I could sleep. Five ed, wouldnt I be howling in agony? Dona needed medical help anytime soon, wed
days earlier, at a remote biological Maria explained: Hes got a very high have to quit the tour and go to a Brazilian
research station, I slipped on a steep, pain threshold. Hes stoic to the point of hospital or make arrangements to fly
sloppy trail, tumbled, and trashed my left lunacy. He says it hurts. If it were home and get treatment there. Once on
shoulder. Stunned, ashen, nauseous, dislocated, they didnt trust themselves to the boat, wed be on it for a week. Thered

18 B i rd Wa t c h i n g Ju n e 2 017
 hostess during our nightly checklists and
A LITERARY BIRD: A Lettered
making sure that no one in the group,
Aracari perches on a branch. It
ever, even for an instant, is without a
is one of five aracari species
caipirinha, Brazils national cocktail.
that occur along the Rio Negro.
Through trial and error Ive learned
that, if youre not steadily downing
caipirinhas, the checklist session is
interminable, endlessly digressive,
degenerating into aimless anecdotes, bad
imitations of Irish accents, worse puns,
and other caipirinha-fueled silliness. If,
however, you keep at the tasty drinks, the
checklist chore becomes great fun, your
companions all brilliantly inventive.
Medically speaking, mixing multiple
rum concoctions with large doses of
generic Brazilian codeine substitutes is
probably not advised, but if youre in
constant pain, one desirable side effect is
a stupor that borders on sleep.
Others join us up top to take in the
wonder of another dawn on the Rio
Negro light rippling in the black water,
roots reflected, the flutter and glide of
Band-tailed Nighthawks over the river.
At the heart of Earths largest freshwater
ecosystem, the confluence of great rivers,
dark and light, theres a tremendous
feeling of vastness, a yielding to time and
space. Human acquisitiveness greed
for gold, iron, rubber, oil, timber, wildlife
has brought drama and tragedy to
Amazonia. Natives enslaved, habitats
ruined, birds held captive, disease, death.
But for a few days were blessed to feel
untouched by it all, uncorrupted by histo-
ry. Amidst cuckoos, trogons, monkeys,
enormous beetles, and grasping vines,
theres camaraderie and sweet solitude.
On this stretch of river we havent seen
another single human soul.
be no turning back; evacuation would pharmacy in Manaus stocking pills that Bom dia, Dom Joo, says Bret,
require a float-plane from Manaus. We (a) contained recognizable ingredients climbing the steps and using my
were torn. Other than pain, what and (b) might actually mitigate my pain. I moniker on the boat. Still dangling?
happens if you let a dislocated shoulder pop assorted multi-colored capsules and I swing my sling. Still dangling.
remain that way for days, weeks? Wed leave the cabin. In the hallway, after some Weve decided to pass on the excursion
been so looking forward to the boat trip, confusion about my intentions, a fellow today.
a whole week on Amazonian waters, birder, pre-coffee groggy, consents to Wise man. Youll have a nice day on
with birds galore, as the highlight of the button my zipless pants, a task that Ive the boat.
tour. Would we ever have this chance yet to master with one hand and that He joins the group at the railing and
again? My wife left the choice to me. I Dona Maria, who bought the damn scans the trees. I give the man credit. No
opted for the Dorinha. Id suck it up. pants, usually performs. doubt I wouldve made his life less
In the bathroom I count out pain pills I pass through the wood-paneled worrisome if Id quit the tour, but he
no need for rationing yet. In the dining room and climb to the upper applied no pressure. He simply laid out
mirror a worn face smile-grimaces. This deck, where Im greeted by Barbara, who facts and options. Once Id chosen, he
adventure does have its comedy, like the likes to sleep under the stars. Barbara is didnt become overly solicitous, but he
pink and lavender splint, a bit effete for a now known as Bad Betty the Caipirinha helped when I needed help in negotiating
stoic birder, that was given to me by a Queen a Betty Crocker gone over to the precarious moves from boat to
crew member, Anetty, or the quest for a the dark side for her habit of playing bobbing canoe and from canoe to islands

w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 19
CHECKED OFF THE LIST: HOME BASE: The Dorinha sits
The author spotted his at anchor on the river.
lifer Greenand-rufous
Kingfisher on his Rio
Negro trip.

with steep banks of muddy clay. One day then the all-day trek into the hot jungle slog for an antbird, Yapacana or
we did a little dance together, as Bret campina in hopes of finding, among otherwise. Shes quite happy to be on this
eased backward up a wobbly, makeshift other things, the rare Yapacana Antbird. boat with her strong morning brew.
ladder while I death-gripped his arm and I smile at my wife and try to hide my Together, we scan the river: Muscovy
labored to keep my balance. agitation. I know that, by not joining the Ducks downstream, a Black-fronted
In the field hes all business: focused, trek, Ill miss 10 or 12 life birds. I also Nunbird perched closer, and closer still,
decisive, one of the worlds experts on the know I dont have it in me. its iridescence caught by morning light,
birds of Brazil and the discoverer of a At certain moments, every birder an Amazon Kingfisher winging toward
number of new species. When its must decide: am I master of my list or is us along the shore, directly under an
checklist time, he dons a gaudy tropical my list the master of me? No, Ill probably only-a-mother-could-love Bare-necked
shirt, pours himself a caipirinha, shuffles never see a Yapacana Antbird or a Fruitcrow. The regular raucous crew of
his iPod from antbirds to sambas, and Pavonine Quetzal. When checklist time Yellow-rumped Caciques flies across the
becomes wit and raconteur. One evening, comes, Ill have to grin and bear it. Or, river, while another busy gang, Greater
pretending we were all in the canoe, he with my good arm, I can lift a caipirinha, Anis, forages on the opposite bank.
re-enacted, in slow motion, the moment salute my mates, and toast the well-being White-winged Swallows swoop over the
he found me the only New World of antbirds everywhere. Im on a water. A Swallow-winged Puffbird on a
kingfisher I hadnt yet seen. beautiful boat, with a beautiful woman, perch studies them. Marvelous birds one
Green-and-rufous Kingfisher! he drifting on a shimmering Amazonian and all: its not hard to imagine Im
called out, his voice slowed to a low, river. To insist on more would be an seeing each one for the first time.
guttural 16 rpm. Where? he answered, insult to Earths bounty. If I curse the Whats that? Dona Maria asks. That
playing my part with the same slowed, birds Ill miss in the campina, I might as looks different. The magic words. She
Gualberto Becerr/Shutterstock, Mary Nelson, Nick Gordon/NPL/Minden Pictures

Darth Vader-ish voice. Himself again, well curse the birds I wont see today in points to a bird high above us on a snag. I
he lifted his arm in slo-mo and pointed. Madagascar, Key Largo, or Boston. Of all one-arm my binoculars. Its big, some sort
There. Me again, with one arm the lists that birders keep, none is more of toucan, from an avian family created by
dangling, he pivoted, raised imaginary senseless than the should have seen list. children with crayons. Yellow belly, no
binoculars so slowly it was painful to Well, my wife says as the group bands, yellow bill with scratchy dark
watch, got on the bird one-handed, and vanishes into vegetation, lets find some marks along the mandible, chestnut ear
stayed on it until it disappeared birds. Dona Maria is a potoo-lover and patch. It looks a lot like the Green Aracari
downstream. Thumb up! excellent spotter but a sometime-birder we saw at our hotel in Manaus, but that bill
Foods up! a voice calls from below, and never-lister. If Id joined the group, and eye patch? I check my field guide.
and we file down for breakfast. After- she wouldve come too, to keep me safe, Well?
ward, on the top deck, Dona Maria and I but I claim no great sensitivity as a spouse Lettered Aracari.
wave as our comrades climb down into when I say that, whatever shes thinking, Lettered? She laughs. A literary
the canoe for the short ride to shore and shes not kicking herself for passing up a bird?

20 B i rd Wa t c h i n g Ju n e 2 017
 NOISY: A Capuchinbird
calls in a rainforest in
Brazil. The bird occurs
only in northeastern
South America.

The letters are those black marks on porthole, and found my wife kneeling on flower. This time I dont need the book. I
its bill. A female. The male has a black a dock, squealing as she fed a fish to a just studied the bird.
ear patch. long-snouted bubblegum dolphin. Reddish Hermit, I tell her. Thats
Is that a new one for you? Do you wish youd gone with the three. You know, Im feeling pretty good
Yep. group? she asks. right now. I might have the energy to go
What about this one? She points to I shake my head. Envy subsides. Ive owling tonight.
another bird, a smallish parrot heading had a talk with my list. Dona Maria gives me a kiss. Maybe
right for the boat. White eye-ring, dark Hows your arm? we could go potoo-ing too.

AMIDST CUCKOOS, TROGONS, MONKEYS,

ENORMOUS BEETLES, AND GRASPING VINES, THERES
CAMARADERIE AND SWEET SOLITUDE.
iris, red in the wings. The underside of the The same. It hurts, but the birds, the
tail looks dark, maybe maroonish. I check boat, the river, the dolphins, and the John R. Nelson is a director of the
the book again: Maroon-tailed Parakeet. pleasure of your company continue to Brookline Bird Club, the Essex County
Yep. outpace the pain. Ornithological Club, and the New
Thats two. Well, if you dont watch out, there England journal Bird Observer. His
The action slows as morning wears might be more pain. Duck! recent publications include Funny Bird
on. Dona Maria goes below to change I turn, duck. Big branches are coming Sex, the lead essay in the Winter 2016
into shorts and her motmot T-shirt and at us. The Dorinha has drifted to shore. issue of The Antioch Review, and I Saw
returns with her camera, a paperback Land birding, says Dona Maria. What I Said I Saw: Witnesses to Birds
mystery, and fresh cups of coffee. When We stand at the railing, a few feet from and Crimes in the Winter 2015 issue of
Anetty comes up with a load of laundry, terra firma, and look for movement, The Missouri Review. He wrote the
Dona Maria helps her hang it, and they listen for sound. A little bird lands 10 feet essay Complicity in our October 2014
chat about Anettys children. Its just the from us, and we get an astonishing view issue, the remembrance Whip-poor-will
two of us again when the dolphins arrive of what might be the dullest species on Synchronicity in June 2013, and the
the gray, tucuxi, and the pink ones, Earth, the Brown-headed Greenlet. article Personal Ads in October 2012.
boto. The trip has been worth it if only Is that a new ooh, look at that tiny And he described Rockport Headlands in
for that moment when I roused myself thing! Dona Maria gestures toward a Massachusetts, Hotspot Near You No. BONUS
from an attempted nap, gazed out a hummingbird, feeding on a flaming red 128, in December 2011. PHOTOS

w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 21
SPECIES PROFILE

CELEBRITY: This Lesser

Black-backed Gull arrived
on Maines Appledore
Island in May 2007, when
this photo was taken. The
species typically nests in
northern and western
Europe and in recent
decades has become
regular in winter
Sara Morris

throughout North
America.
 LESSER IS
MORE
The true story of the first Lesser Black-backed Gull to breed
successfully in North America BY MARY CASWELL STODDARD

Appledore Island, Maine, June 2007. graduates Program, which gives college in 1914. Old pottery shards from the hotel
I weave through the crowded nesting students the opportunity to spend the dinnerware can still be found on the
grounds, wearing a customized helmet summer engaged in scientific research. I island; once, to my delight, I discovered a
with three plastic pipes glued to the was selected for a project on gull ecology small piece of a porcelain plate half-
top to ward off harassment from above. supervised by Julie Ellis, a research buried under a clamshell, just a few
An eruption of shrill squawks professor at the Cummings School of yards from the waters edge.
announces my arrival at the heart of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. Today the island is home to Shoals
the gull colony. An agitated Great So, while many of my friends flocked to Marine Laboratory, which is operated by
Black-backed Gull launches an attack. city internships, I boarded a small boat Cornell University and the University of
I duck, the birds efforts to land a swift in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and New Hampshire. It is also home to
kick to my skull thwarted only by my headed east to the Isles of Shoals. hundreds of breeding Herring and Great
protective headgear. A short distance Appledore Island is located seven Black-backed Gulls that arrive each
away is my refuge, a makeshift blind miles off the coast, the largest of the rocky spring to find mates, build nests, and
overlooking a rocky ravine. I sprint the islands that form the Isles of Shoals. The tirelessly rear their offspring, many of
last few yards and climb inside. I turn archipelago straddles the Maine-New which will not survive to fledging. It is
my telescope to a far ledge covered Hampshire border, and Appledore Island difficult to say exactly how long gulls
with gulls, focusing on one gull in falls on the Maine side. The island is small have been nesting on Appledore. Like
particular. The one with yellow legs. about half a mile at its widest and is many birds in the late 19th century, gulls
dominated by shrubs and rock. As a were hunted by the thousands to support

17th-century explorer put it, Upon these the feather trade. However, during the
This story begins in May 2007, when islands I neither could see one good 20th century, gull populations rebound-
Appledore Island welcomed two new timber-tree nor so much good ground as ed. On Appledore, gull census data have
visitors to its craggy shores. I was the to make a garden. Despite this, the isles been collected since the 1970s. Currently
new summer research intern, having just have enjoyed a vibrant history, which about 750 pairs of Herring Gulls and 375
completed my junior year at Yale, where I includes the likes of Captain John Smith pairs of Great Black-backed Gulls nest on
was a biology major and an ornitholo- and the infamous pirate Blackbeard. In the island. That said, the numbers were
gist-in-training. Months earlier Id the late 19th century, Appledore Island in the thousands just 15 years ago.
applied to the National Science Founda- was the site of a flourishing artists colony In 2004, Ellis initiated a gull-banding
tions Research Experience for Under- and boasted a grand hotel, which burned program on Appledore, resulting in the

w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 23
 In press
Two scientific publications have
resulted from research on F05:

Ellis, J. C., M. C. Stoddard,

and L. W. Clark. Breeding by a
Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus
fuscus) on the Atlantic coast of
North America. North American
Birds 61 (2008): 546-548.

Ellis, J. C., S. M. Bogdanowicz,

M. C. Stoddard, and L. W. Clark.
A ROOM WITH A VIEW: Hybridization of a Lesser Black-
The author records backed Gull and Herring Gulls
data about Appledores in Eastern North America. The
gulls in her tent-like Wilson Journal of Ornithology
blind in June 2007. 126.2 (2014): 338-345.

identification of more than 4,000 adult She had important news. Another ingly no definitive breeding record
and young gulls of the two species. Each newcomer had arrived on the island, a existed for Lesser Black-backeds in the
bird receives one band on each leg: a bird that didnt belong. His arrival was U.S. or Canada, except for a short note
stainless-steel band containing a unique discussed sensitively, in hushed tones, in the 1993 issue of Bulletin of the Pacific
identifier issued by the U.S. Geological and I was quickly initiated into the inner Seabirds. In the report, a Lesser
Survey, plus a green or black field-read- circle. The day before, while Ellis and her Black-backed Gull in Alaska was
able band with a three-part alphanu- colleagues had been out in the gull observed on two occasions at a nest with
meric code. When a birder, scientist, or colonies, they had discovered an unusual a Herring Gull, though apparently no
larophile (a person who loves birds of visitor on a rocky ledge on the southeast chicks survived. Thus, if our Lesser
the gull genus Larus) spots a banded side of the island. At first she had Black-backed Gull on Appledore were to
gull, he or she reports it, resulting in new wondered, Whats a Great Black-backed successfully breed with a Herring Gull,
information about the movement and Gull doing over on that ledge? Thats we would have the opportunity to
behavior of New England gulls. Herring Gull territory. But upon closer document the first confirmed breeding
I, on the other hand, knew little of inspection, her team realized that the and hybridization of a Lesser Black-
the Appledore gulls when I ventured to interloper was smaller than a Great backed Gull in the U.S. or Canada.
the island for the first time. On the boat, Black-backed Gull and had a paler gray On an island, I soon learned, small
I announced to one of my fellow interns back and bright yellow legs completely dramas quickly evolve into epics. Thats
that I would be studying gulls. She had unlike the pink legs of Great Black- not to say that the discovery of the Lesser
spent the previous summer on-island. backed and Herring Gulls. It was a Lesser Black-backed Gull wasnt thrilling it
Oh... Her eyes grew wide, and she Black-backed Gull. Whats more, the certainly was but the excitement that
looked worried for me. Good luck with Lesser Black-backed Gull was not alone. followed can only be truly appreciated by
that, she said. When we arrived at the It was cavorting with a Herring Gull. avid birders, longtime island-dwellers, or
dock, I could see the reason for her Lesser Black-backed Gulls do not both. I remember huddling around a
concern: The gulls ruled the place. I breed in North America, at least not out- laptop with Ellis and her colleague Bill
nearly dropped my duffle bag when I side of Greenland. They typically nest in Clark, a retired, intrepid gull enthusiast
stepped too close to the nest of a Great northern and western Europe, though and long-time volunteer for the
Black-backed Gull; it warned me off their breeding range has expanded gull-banding program, as we attempted
with a foreboding kek-kek call. The significantly in recent years, reaching to draft a press release. There were phone
vocalization is a low-level response to a Greenland in 1990. Their winter range calls to bird experts on the mainland,
threat, the first in a series of aggressive has grown too; Lesser Black-backeds including Steve Mirick in New Hamp-
behaviors aimed at predators and now frequently overwinter in the United shire, who spotted a Lesser Black-backed
David Brown (left); Mary Caswell Stoddard (right)

intrusive researchers. Soon I would States. In an article titled Rethinking Gull (perhaps the same one) on Apple-
become well acquainted with the other the Lesser Black-backed Gull, (Birding, dore in September 2006, and Bill Etter in
defenses in a gulls arsenal, including a January/February 2013), Amar Ayyash Pennsylvania, who had been tracking
remarkable if unfortunate ability reported that no other gull species has wintering Lesser Black-backed Gull
to unload waste products on its target undergone such a rapid trans-Atlantic numbers for years. There were frantic
with astounding accuracy. expansion. Lesser Black-backeds are attempts to obtain a copy, by fax
Ellis, with whom I had corresponded now recorded in all the U.S. states and machine, of the Bulletin of the Pacific
but not yet met, greeted me at the dock. Canadian provinces. But astonish- Seabirds. There were conversations with

24 B i rd Wa t c h i n g Ju n e 2 017
HOME SWEET HOME: Gulls dot the rocky
terrain of Appledore Island in May 2013.
The Lesser Black-backed Gulls nest
was located on the far ledge in the
center of the photo.

the Shoals Marine Lab leadership about display to reaffirm their bond. I heard mate what times of day they preferred
whom to tell about the discovery. Would the Lesser Black-backed give a throaty to incubate, which neighbors they
fervent larophiles swarm the island? long call, deeper than the Herring Gulls, particularly disliked, how they commu-
Finally, a decision was made that the when his mate returned from a foraging nicated with one another using mew calls
Lesser Black-backed Gull should be trip. Apparently the couple was serious: and head tosses. I gathered that the
monitored daily, its activities recorded They produced two eggs in the nest. Lesser Black-backed was feisty, seeing
meticulously throughout the three- Then I waited along with the whole him once steal nesting material from a
month breeding season. But who would island it seemed to see whether the much larger Great Black-backed.
volunteer for that? All eyes turned to me. eggs would hatch. The behaviors of the other gulls
In June, during the three or so weeks nearby were familiar to me, too. One

when the two birds incubated the eggs, massive Great Black-backed always
It was exhilarating at first. The island tedium set in. The canvas roof covering attempted and twice managed to bite
engineers hastened to build a blind for my blind was coated, Jackson Pol- my left leg as I approached my blind. A
me, a tent-like contraption on stilts, lock-style, with gull splats, and the biting nearby Herring Gull invariably
balanced on a rocky path about 65 yards flies had discovered that I was an easy returned from foraging with interest-
from the gulls nest. Getting any closer and stationary target. My detailed ing food to upchuck for her chicks
might have spooked the birds. I looked observations bordered on voyeuristic. most memorably, an intact hot dog,
east, out over the Atlantic. In the rare On June 14, 2007 at 3:56 p.m., I docu- which flew out of her esophagus in a
moments when my gaze deviated from mented: Following six minutes of exhib- perfect, soaring arc. Hidden away in
my focal nest, I saw Black Guillemots iting a gular flutter, the Lesser Black- my blind, I was forgotten by the gulls. I
and eiders and seals and once a backed Gull stood up off the nest, became a privileged observer of their
breaching whale. But there was little time preened, looked down at the nest, fascinating, complex world.
to enjoy the scenery. I was new to the shuffled feet, turned the eggs, and The rest of the summer passed
study of gull behavior, and the learning resettled on the nest facing northeast. quickly. In late June, the eggs hatched.
curve was steep. Gulls have an impres- The observations continued in a The news spread throughout the island,
sive array of behaviors and vocalizations, blow-by-blow fashion, which I typed up and I spent meals updating the Shoals
each with a particular function or and analyzed in a manifesto that grew to masses on the daily activities of the two
meaning. I pored over Tinbergens 1953 162 pages before the end of the summer. chicks. (I secretly named them Frosty
tome The Herring Gulls World, the Truth be told, the gulls spent a lot of time and Mocha, against professional advice.)
definitive guide to gull behavior. I felt just sitting. I started adding notch marks The successful hatching of the chicks
like a prospective parent reading What to to the wooden beams of my blind, one was electrifying not just because it gave
Expect When Youre Expecting. for each hour, just as a reminder that me a host of new behaviors to describe
Sure enough, just as Tinbergen time actually was passing. but also because it confirmed that the
described, I watched the Lesser Black- But the initial excitement and the pairs hybrid eggs had indeed been
backed Gull cough up nuptial gifts for subsequent dullness eventually gave way viable. Hybridization among gull species
his Herring Gull mate. We suspected the to a satisfying equilibrium: At some is common, but it had not been clear
Lesser Black-backed Gull was a male, point, I realized that I knew gull-speak. I whether the Lesser Black-backed Gull x
based on his behavior. I saw the pair do a understood the patterns and peculiarities Herring Gull pairing would produce
strange dance near the nest a choking of the Lesser Black-backed Gull and his offspring that were both viable (can

w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 25
ODD COUPLE: The Lesser Black-
backed, known by his band code F05,
and his Herring Gull mate in May 2014.

hatch and grow) and fertile (can fledged, and its parents eventually story. Michael Brothers, director of the
reproduce). The arrival of the two chicks departed from their territory. The 2007 Marine Science Center at Ponce Inlet,
confirmed the former. We were also able breeding season was over. Florida, observed F05 on a stretch of beach
to band the hybrid chicks, which I in Daytona Beach, Florida, every winter

learned while scrambling after one that from 2009 to 2012. Numerous birders
darted down into the rocky gully were A year later, I moved to the United spotted F05s chicks, from Provincetown,
surprisingly mobile for birds that could Kingdom and started a PhD program Rhode Island, down to Gulf Shores,
not yet fly. in zoology at the University of Cam- Alabama, and Brevard County, Florida.
In July, I watched as the Lesser bridge. The Lesser Black-backed Gull Dedicated bloggers wrote about F05s
Black-backed and his mate endured the kept busy, too. Each year from 2008 to escapades, in posts titled Love Conquers
exhaustive task of parenthood. They fed, 2011, he returned to the exact same All, Hilton Head Islands Newest
nurtured, and protected their offspring, spot on Appledore Island to breed. In Celebrity, and F05: A Famous Gull.
all-consuming activities that now charac- 2008, a dedicated gull-banding team On the science front, David Bonter,
terized the lives of adult gulls on the (known as the gull wranglers) was now the director of Citizen Science at
island at least those whose chicks had able to capture and band him and his the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, taught
hatched and survived thus far. The pairs mate. They also obtained blood field ornithology each year on the
efforts were heroic. They attacked foreign samples for DNA analysis. island, introducing a new crop of
gulls that approached the chicks and Capturing wild gulls on a cliff is no students to F05 and the gulls of Apple-
regurgitated an impressive supply of crab, small task. Fortunately, the birds have a dore. Sarah Courchesne, a veterinarian
fish, and landfill spoils. Once I remember strong drive to incubate their eggs, and at the Tufts Cummings School, helped
watching the Lesser Black-backed brood they will readily enter traps placed over lead teams of gull banders and reported
the chicks, keeping them safe under his their nests. Before long, the Lesser on F05 and his activities. Steve Bogdan-
wings during a ferocious storm. Out on Black-backed became known by his new owicz, a research specialist at Cornell
the exposed rock, the wind blasted him band number, F05. Genetic analyses University, conducted detailed genetic
so viciously that he had to fight to stay in confirmed that F05 was indeed a male. analyses of tissue collected from F05
place. Life in a gull colony is dangerous An analysis based on DNA microsatel- and his chicks. Julie Ellis remained the
for young birds, and only one of the pairs lites revealed that his chicks were true chief orchestrator of gull-banding
chicks survived to the end of the month. hybrids, possessing both Lesser Black- research on the island, and Bill Clark
The gulls we see at the beach, the ones backed Gull and Herring Gull DNA. In still returns each summer for gull-
waiting to steal our lunches, have beaten 2010, in a scandalous twist, F05 returned induced punishment, all in the name of
long odds to get there. to his spot to breed, but with a different scientific knowledge.
On an overcast day in early August, Herring Gull mate. In 2011, F05 arrived So it did not go unnoticed when F05
I clocked my last hour in the blind and with yet another new mate. Over the did not return to Appledore Island in
left the island, my 10-week tenure on years, F05 fledged several hybrid chicks. 2012. We feared the worst. But then, in
Jim Coyer

Appledore complete. Not long after, the As F05s reputation grew, so too did the January of 2013, Michael Brothers
Lesser Black-backeds surviving chick cast of human characters entwined in his spotted F05 in Daytona Beach yet again

26 B i rd Wa t c h i n g Ju n e 2 017
 the gulls winter destination for five people I saw when I got off the boat. His the band. It was F07, one of F05s hybrid
consecutive years. Where had F05 been in sweatshirt was covered with evidence of chicks from 2011. None of F05s chicks
2012? Had he taken the breeding season scatological warfare, and his foam had ever been spotted on the island after
off, or had he discovered a more favorable helmet had several peck marks. Tell fledging until now. F07 was standing
breeding location? Would he return to me, I said. Bill beamed. Hes back! on a rock, not far from his father.
Appledore Island in the spring of 2013? Sure enough, F05 had returned once A year later, in the spring of 2015, F05
In May 2013, I had moved back to the again, having spent the winter down in did not return to Appledore Island. The
U.S. and was finishing my first year of a Florida. This year, F05 had a brand new last time he was seen was in Daytona
postdoctoral research fellowship at Herring Gull mate. The next evening, I Beach, Florida, in January 2015. Gulls
Harvard University. I decided to make a climbed up to the nest, careful not to typically start breeding at the age of four,
trip to Appledore Island, my first since twist an ankle while Herring Gulls so F05 would have been at least 12 years
2007. Officially, the purpose of my trip dive-bombed my head. One egg was in old in 2015, and possibly quite a bit older.
was to give guest lectures for the field- the nest. But F05 and his mate were Lesser Black-backed Gulls can live for
ornithology course and to conduct pilot copulating an Olympic feat requiring 15-20 years. However, F05s hybrid chick
experiments. Unofficially, I hoped to see the male to balance on the females back F07 did return to Appledore in 2015. He
F05. I shared a boat with several spritely so perhaps there would be more. and his presumed mate did not build a
research interns, almost six years to the Several days later, I was halfway nest, but he guarded a territory for
day since my first ride out to Appledore. through delivering a guest lecture to several weeks, just a few yards from the
Two of the interns turned to me. We David Bonters field-ornithology course spot where his father made quiet history
worked on the island last summer. Weve when he was called out of the classroom. eight years before.
heard all about Pierre, and we cant wait He returned with deeply troubling news: We know a lot about Lesser Black-
to see if he has returned, they told me. F05 was hurt. Badly. My stomach backed Gull F05, thanks to the hard
Whos Pierre? I asked. They laughed. lurched. A small group of us went to work of scientists, birders, and beach-
You know, Pierre! investigate. With our binoculars, we combers. We know about his behavior
F05 had been given a new moniker could see a nasty gash on F05s throat. and migration patterns. We know about
since my day, a name apparently befitting We suspected a gunshot wound. his DNA, and about the DNA of his
a European gull. After we landed at the Sometimes gulls are shot as part of chicks. In future years, we will
dock, a small group of us hurried out to landfill or airport management pro- undoubtedly learn more about Lesser
the southeast part of the island, to F05s grams. Sometimes they are shot for Black-backed Gulls. Why is their range
ledge. He wasnt there. But then I heard a sport, even though they are protected expanding? Are other Lesser Black-
deep, throaty long call I could recog- under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. backeds already breeding in North
nize in my sleep. A Lesser Black-backed That evening, Bill and I watched F05 America, perhaps at a nearby but
Gull flew in and landed on the ledge, carefully, hopefully. Over the next few undiscovered colony? How will they be
right in the old spot. It was F05. days, island staff and students even affected by our changing climate? The

AT SOME POINT, I REALIZED THAT I KNEW GULL-SPEAK. I understood the patterns

and peculiarities of the Lesser Black-backed Gull and his mate what times of day
they preferred to incubate, which neighbors they particularly disliked, how they
communicated with one another using mew calls and head tosses.
For the next two weeks, I sneaked the volunteer pastry chef told me they science is intriguing. Perhaps F07 will
over to visit F05 often. My blind was were sending F05 good vibes. A T-shirt one day successfully breed. If he does,
long gone, but I found a comfortable was designed in his honor. And F05 we may be able to demonstrate that he is
rock that afforded a clear view of F05 seemed to get better. He flew, he preened, a fertile hybrid and watch as the
and his mate, a rather haggard-looking he ate. Steve Mirick, who had been genes of the legendary Lesser Black-
Herring Gull. For a wild bird I had not involved in the original sightings of F05 backed Gull F05 spread throughout the
seen in six years, F05 looked pretty in 2007, even spotted F05 on the Appledore population.
much the same: healthy and strong, with mainland, bathing in a pond near Rye,
the same electric yellow legs. I thought New Hampshire. It seemed that F05 Mary Caswell Stoddard is an assistant
of his many adventures over the years. would recover. The island rejoiced. professor in the Department of Ecology
Ultimately, F05 had a difficult summer: Soon came another cause for celebra- and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton
The eggs he and his mate incubated did tion. That same week, a new banded gull, University. Her research investigates
not hatch. I wondered if he would return a third-year sub-adult, was spotted near avian sensory ecology and physiology,
to Appledore the following year or try F05s ledge. It looked funny, with with a focus on vision and coloration.
his luck elsewhere. pinkish-yellow legs and a dark mantle. In 2016, she received the Ned K. Johnson
In May 2014, I returned to the island Sarah Courchesne and her students could Young Investigator Award from the
again. Bill Clark was one of the first hardly believe their eyes when they read American Ornithologists Union.

w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 27
BOOK EXCERPT

WEAVERS: Baltimore
Orioles display near their
partially completed
hanging nest. The
Heather L. Hubbard/Shutterstock

species nests each

summer in a Milwaukee-
area park that is steps
from former editor Chuck
Hagners back door.
For the birds
Why birding a local patch, whether it is a vast
lake or a city park, can help preserve birds
When you think about backyard birdwatching, do you
restrict the terms meaning to your actual backyard?
The authors of the following essays, from the new book
Good Birders Still Dont Wear White, argue that the
term also applies to your metaphorical backyard a
local park, for example, or a Great Lake. With that
mindset, they suggest, its clear that we still have
much to learn about our backyard birds.
BOOK EXCERPT FALCON OF THE SEAS:
A juvenile Parasitic
Jaeger cuts across the
blue skies over Lake
Erie in September 2014.
The author of this essay
runs multiple pelagic
boat trips on the lake
each fall, primarily in
search of jaegers.

CHASING JAEGERS
One of the most fascinating and stunning aspects of
BY JEN BRUMFIELD

OK. WEVE GOT BIRDS. WEVE GOT CORMORANTS

birding is its profound ability to pull on the heartstrings of AND EAGLES AND HERONS. You want me to take you up the
countless diverse peoples around the world. We all see birds river? Weve had them cormorants by the hundreds right from
even if they go unidentified and unrecognized as to their full shore. AND THE WHITE EGRETS. THE BIG ONES. And the
splendor, stories, and natural history. We all see birds. Their seagulls with the BLACK BACKS.
capability of flight and lavish array of colors and sounds combine Still shouting. I like this guy.
to render each of us awestruck or, at the very least, fascinated and Awesome. Those birds are great. Theyre really great.
momentarily captivated or charmed at even a glimpse. Black-backed Gulls. Thats fantastic. Were looking for some
Connecting people to birds enlightens ones place and space birds that are out on the middle of the lake. Ten miles, twenty
on this planet and cultivates a connection, meaning, and miles out.
discovery. The stories of how these sometimes random, Long pause.
sometimes peculiar, often ironic and delightful connections WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GONNA SEE OUT
spark, evolve, and grow impassioned should not be whispered. THERE. WE ONLY SEE SEAGULLS OUT THERE.
They should be shouted. They should be loud. The challenge. I started to chug my coffee.
Very loud. That. Exactly that. We want those seagulls. We want rare
I cleared my throat. Coughed out a bit of excitement and seagulls. And birds called jaegers that chase them d
nervousness. JAEGER?
This could be it. down. Jaegers are sort of like falcons but theyre
Had another sip of coffee. Dialed the number and waited. seabirds. Theyre offshore. What wed need is... if we saw a
HULLO, Fishermans Wharf, TIM SPEAKING. special gull or a jaeger... wed need you to drive the boat really
He shouted that. He shouted that into the phone. Perfectly fast. Fast. To chase that jaeger. To stay with it and put it on
gruff and rough. either side of the boat for folks to see.
Hi there, good morning. I have some questions about your Complete silence.
charters. Im hoping to talk to the captain to see if I can run a Processing.
special kind of boat trip. More silence.
WELL THATS ME. Then it clicked: A bird that sounds like liquor. Driving fast.
Great, Im looking to do some birding trips out on the la Canadian border.
Interrupted. BIRDERS . . . HOLD ON. I CAN DRIVE THAT BOAT FAST.
Rustling. Dull shout overheard: Hey Jimmy, BIRD watchers Yes. You. Can.
Chuck Slusarczyk, Jr.

want the BOAT. He tried to muffle it with his shoulder or hand. Absolutely. Im in. Were pumped.
More rustling. WELL THE WAVES GET BIG. THEY CAN GET BIG OUT
Hes back. THERE. AND ITS COLD. WINDLL PICK UP THEM

30 B i rd Wa t c h i n g Ju n e 2 017
WAVES IN AN INSTANT. YOU MIGHT GET SICK. a jaeger, Im going to yell to you. Rush up to you, to point in the
Thats great. Majority of the folks that come will have been direction of the bird. And Ill keep communicating to you,
on boats before. On the ocean. constantly, where the bird is, so you know where to go. Just go
Silence. fast. Theyre fast. We may have to cut hard to the left or right.
YOU SURE YOU DONT WANT TO SEE THEM PRETTY Or pull a full one-eighty.
WHITE EGRETS, THEYRE RIGHT ALONG THE SHORE. OHHKAYY. I BET WE GET A BLACK BACK GULL.
That sounds fun too. Maybe we could do that sometime. Yes. Lets do that.
Were excited to get out there on the lake. Itll be awesome. Common and Forsters Terns. A tight flock of Black Terns.
WELP. OK. ILL TAKE YOU OUT THERE. ILL SHOW Tims Great Black-backed Gulls. Lesser Black-backed Gull.
YOU YOUR SEAGULLS. Bonapartes Gulls.
Rock on, man. Flocks of Bonapartes Gulls. No seagulls so far.
WHAT DAY ARE YOU LOOKING AT. Were eight miles offshore and pushing, and zipping around
We want to do five or six trips. flocks of Bonapartes Gulls.
Silence. Tim gets on the radio.
OK. HERE WE GO. GIMME A SECOND. LET ME GET YEP. IVE GOT THE BIRD WATCHERS. WERE LOOK-
MY BOOK. Rustling. JIMMY, the BIRD watchers want the ING AT THE GULLS. WHAT? NO. NOT THE JAEGERS YET.
boat five times. My god. His crew on the other side of the radio are asking
I heard that. about the jaegers.
ALRIGHT. GOT MY BOOK. WHEN. Then it happens. Were relentlessly scanning the horizon
September. October. November. and poring through flocks of terns and Bonapartes Gulls, and
then it happens. We knew it would.

I scream. Jaeger jaeger jaeger two oclock! Jaeger two oclock.
We arrive at the docks in a mass cluster of vibrating joy Parasitic Jaeger. Chasing Bonie. TIIIIIIIIMMMMMM!
and humming excitement. The group has dressed for hurricane Like Secretariat on the last leg of the world-shocking run, Tim
conditions even though Lake Erie has a mere two- to three-foot connects. Its slow motion, but its so fast. I point and scream.
chop this fine morning. Some are in full waterproof camo. Tim peers over his shoulder, sees me wide-eyed. He looks back
Others look like SWAT. Ready for the first full days pelagic on out onto the lake. The wheel of the boat spins hard to the right.
Lake Erie. The first of its kind in Ohio, an organized opportunity OOOOOHHHHHHKAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY.
to be consistently ten to twenty miles offshore and cover seventy He looks fierce.
or more miles of open water. Conditions: excellent. Timing: well GIVE IT ALL YOUVE GOT, MAN. (Now Im yelling.
within the windows of opportunity for Sabines Gull and Were yelling. Were all yelling.)
Long-tailed and Parasitic Jaeger. Chum ready. Boots on. Bins up. Then something Ive never seen before. Through a nicked
A beast of a black truck rolls up behind the group. Two doors and spray-coated window, Tim squints and finds the jaeger.
slam and Tim and his first mate stroll over to the trip briefing. Its a spot. A dark spot.
Tim takes a few looks around the group. IVE GOT IT. IVE GOT THE THING.
And promptly starts shouting. My god, yes, he does.
BIRD WATCHERS. I THOUGHT YOUD SHOW UP IN PUT IT ON THE RIGHT, TIM, ON THE RIGHT. YOUVE
YOUR SHORTS. GOT THIS. ITS STILL AT TWO OCLOCK.
Pause. He puts it on the right. Full parallel. For ten minutes he cuts
YOU DRESS BETTER THAN HALF THE FISHERMEN the chop and weaves and double-backs and puts it back on the
COME ON MY CHARTERS, ILL GIVE YA THAT. right each time.
Folks! Tim, our capta Stunning views of Parasitic Jaeger, eleven miles offshore.
Interrupted, deliciously. And another, later that day, fourteen miles offshore.
WERE GONNA HAVE A GREAT TIME. WERE Gulls, terns, migrant shorebirds, waterfowl birds that
GONNA GET OUT THERE AND GET YOU SOME BIRDS. would never have been documented, for the record, otherwise.
WHAT WERE LOOKING FOR TODAY IS JAEGERS. AND A new world of birding. A new effort for Ohio birding.
RARE SEAGULLS. Were nearly back to shore when the radio buzzes.
Naw no he didnt. He did not just say that. Yes he did. YEP. NOPE. YEP. YEP, WE GOT THE JAEGERS. YEP,
A full safety announcement, key boating terms, introduc- WEVE GOT FIVE MORE OF THESE TRIPS. WERE GONNA
tion of the guides, final comments, and the engines on. GET EM. WERE GONNA GET EVERYTHING OUT HERE.
Everybody settles in and checks cameras, cleans binoculars. Yes. We. Are.
Tim, this is great. Awesome to meet you. Were stoked.
YOU BIRDERS. I THOUGHT YOUD BE IN YOUR Jen Brumfield is a naturalist with Cleveland Metroparks. She has
SHORTS. authored and illustrated seven natural-history field guides, and is
Hes stuck on that. an active rep with Leicas Birding Optics Pro Staff team. She
Were ready. Okay! So. This is how this thing goes. If I spot resides in Cleveland, Ohio.

Chasing Jaegers by Jen Brumfield from GOOD BIRDERS STILL DONT WEAR WHITE. Copyright 2017 by Jen Brumfield. Used
by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 31
BOOK EXCERPT

WHY IM A PATCH BIRDER BY CHARLES HAGNER

I am a lucky guy. My favorite birding hot spot, Estabrook BirdWatching magazine, almost all of the native plant habitats
Park, is just a five-minute walk from my back door. in the county were long gone. Where upland woods had once
Its a county park, situated along the east bank of the stood, there were roads, buildings, and more buildings. Accord-
Milwaukee River in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, one of a ing to the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Com-
dozen or so green spaces that Charles B. Whitnall and other mission, no less than 89.6 percent of the county was classified as
far-sighted city planners plotted out in the early 1920s to serve residential, commercial, industrial, or institutional, and
as the lungs of a fast-growing metropolis, breathing spots open ecologists said less than 2 percent of the remaining habitat,
to every citizen. Parks would aid the cause of civilization, almost all of it in parks, was of any quality. The lungs of the city
Whitnall believed, by conserving those environmental were needed more than ever.
influences which park experts recognize as essential to Less than half a mile wide and a mile and a half long,
wholesome living conditions.* Estabrook is a narrow park, bounded on its long sides by the
He drafted his master plan at a time when it was still Milwaukee River and residential areas and on the north and
possible to chat with Milwaukeeans who remembered the south by multilane thoroughfares. Two-lane Estabrook Drive
abundance of environmental influences bestowed by the splits it lengthwise into even narrower sections, and a popular
county in the mid-1800s, before settlement and rapid urbaniza- bike path, paved walkways, and mountain-bike trails subdivide
tion. Then, upland woods (oaks, sugar maples, beech, bass- it further. Consequently, it lacks vegetated areas large enough to
wood, hickories) covered no less than 84 percent of the land. attract and sustain Wood Thrush, Scarlet Tanager, and other
Canada and Black-throated Green Warblers nested in ravines species that nest in forest interiors, but Baltimore Orioles weave
in the bluffs overlooking the Lake Michigan shoreline. Flocks dangling nests in its trees each summer and Common Gold-
of prairie hen (Greater Prairie-Chicken and Sharp-tailed eneyes display on the river every winter.
Grouse) were spotted from coaches and trains. And each In 2000, the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, in the
winter, migratory wildfowl gathered by the thousands in fourth edition of its essential bird-finding guide, Wisconsins
wetlands at the confluence of the Menomonee, Kinnickinnic, Favorite Bird Haunts, described the park as great for birding.
Dzmitry Yakubovich/Shutterstock

and Milwaukee Rivers, at what would become the heart of the The designation was thanks largely to the river, which serves as
city. Even more astonishing, Carolina Parakeet was an a guiding line for northward-migrating Nearctic/Neotropical
occasional summer wanderer, and Passenger Pigeon, another species. They fly at night, often great distances, and most
soon-to-be-extinct species, migrated along the lakeshore. individuals stop frequently during the day to rest and refuel,
By 2001, when I moved to the area to become the editor of putting down in almost any conceivable shelter. Scientists say

32 B i rd Wa t c h i n g Ju n e 2 017
A WALK IN THE PARK: At left, a male Common Goldeneye displays for a
female, a common sight each winter on the Milwaukee River beside
Estabrook Park. At right, an artists depiction of birding in the park.

Still, the thought that neighbors of mine

might be staying away from my park bothered me.
I had walked its paths safely for years, filling notebooks
with the arrival and departure dates of warblers and
other birds that build their nests far to my north
and spend the winter far to my south.

urban swatches containing even small amounts of low-quality

vegetation are valuable, since they enable birds simply to
survive, so they can continue migrating another day.
Yet when the fifth edition of Bird Haunts appeared in 2009,
Estabrook was left out, as were two other county parks that
had been featured in the previous edition. Looking back, I
realize I should have seen the omission coming: as budgets
tightened, the county had put off maintenance. Graffiti hadnt Illustration by Robert A. Braunfield from GOOD BIRDERS STILL DONT WEAR WHITE. Illustration 2017 by
Robert A. Braunfield. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
been removed, and garlic mustard had spread. Unsavory
characters were rumored to frequent the park. Whats more, spring and fall, or in winter, when small numbers of ducks,
new birding haunts had been discovered elsewhere in the state. including the goldeneyes, make do on unfrozen sections of the
They deserved write-ups, too, the books editor told me; there river. My regular monitoring helped the village satisfy
wasnt room for everything. requirements for certification as a bird-friendly community
Still, the thought that neighbors of mine might be staying via the innovative Bird City Wisconsin program, and Im no
away from my park bothered me. I had walked its paths safely longer the only birder reporting sightings in Estabrook, a
for years, filling notebooks with the arrival and departure dates result that has me musing about the sixth edition of Wiscon-
of warblers and other birds that build their nests far to my sins Favorite Bird Haunts. But its the indirect results of my
north and spend the winter far to my south. Witnessing their patch birding that are most satisfying.
annual movements had been a mostly solitary pursuit, a The park is once again functioning as the city planners
personal pleasure, an opportunity to concentrate on the intended it, as a breathing spot open to every citizen. Thanks
planets grand natural calendar rather than the magazines to the creativity of volunteer groups and the cooperation of the
bimonthly production schedule, but now it dawned on me that county, it recently gained a dog-exercise area and then a disc
my bird watching could serve a practical purpose, perhaps even golf course. Thanks to the hard work of the friends group
inject a bit of fresh air into century-old lungs. weve been planting trees, organizing cleanups, and removing
I became a patch birder. I started bird watching in Esta- buckthorn and garlic mustard the park is looking better.
brook Park every weekend, all year round, and reporting my And in 2012, an outdoor beer garden opened, the first in
sightings to eBird, the real-time online checklist operated by Milwaukee since Prohibition, Whitnalls era. Im sure its
the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon. More import- proprietors had their choice of locations to offer their giant
ant, playing a hunch that the presence of birds might make a pretzels and infectious oom-pah-pah music, but they went
community think again about a park that had fallen out of where there were birds. Prost!
mind, I made it a point to share what I had seen via an email
listserv, on Facebook, and at meetings of a park friends group Charles Hagner was the editor of BirdWatching magazine for
that I helped found. more than 15 years. He is the author of two books about birds and
When I started, few administrators of the village I live in birding and a director of the Western Great Lakes Bird and Bat
had any idea that so many different birds relied on the park. Observatory in southeastern Wisconsin. He has birded Estabrook
Ive since recorded over 160 bird species, most of them during Park regularly for over eight years.
* As quoted in The Making of Milwaukee, by John Gurda (Milwaukee County Historical Society, 1999 and 2006), p. 270.

Why Im a Patch Birder by Charles Hagner from GOOD BIRDERS STILL DONT WEAR WHITE. Copyright 2017 by Charles Hagner.
Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 33
 idtips BY KENN KAUFMAN PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRIAN E. SMALL

Swainsons Thrush
Buff eye-ring usually connected to buff
line above lores, creating spectacles Usually buff on sides
of neck and on lower
part of face

Variable dark
spotting on chest

Upperparts plain
olive-brown to
warm brown

Wings and tail close to

same color as back

Swainsons Thrush, adult April in Galveston County, Texas

On quiet nights in spring, if we stand

outdoors and listen, we may hear the noc-
What to look for turnal flight calls of migratory songbirds
drifting down from overhead. Especially
Overall color. Upperparts smooth olive-brown to medium
in late May in eastern North America,
brown, with little contrast between back, wings, and tail.
one of the most characteristic sounds is
the soft, bell-like whistle of Swainsons
Eye-ring. Complete buff eye-ring, usually connected to
Thrush. During a major flight we might
a pale buff stripe above darker lores to create a specta-
hear dozens of them per hour, but the
cled look.
next morning it will take some work to
find a fraction of those numbers: After
Face and neck pattern. Thin lines or flecks of buff on
landing at dawn, the shy brown thrushes
cheeks, and usually a buff wash on sides of neck. This
seem to melt away into the thickets.
color is obvious on the widespread olive-backed birds, Identifying brown thrushes in
less so on the warmer brown birds of the far West. migration is an annual challenge for
birdwatchers. Swainsons Thrush occurs
Chest pattern. Variably marked with dark spots, throughout most of North America as a
usually less conspicuous on the birds of the far West. migrant, and its widespread in the
North and West in summer, so observ-
ers everywhere have reason to study its
ID points.

34 B i rd Wa t c h i n g Ju n e 2 017
 In migration, the main challenge is
separating Swainsons from Gray-
cheeked Thrush (and Bicknells Thrush,
which is so similar to Gray-cheeked that
the same field marks apply). Swainsons
typically has a much stronger face
pattern, with distinct buff spectacles
consisting of a complete eye-ring and a
wide pale line above darker lores.
Narrow lines of buff through the brown
cheeks are hard to see, but they add to
an overall warm look, and buff usually
shows up on the side of the neck and side
of the upper breast.
Gray-cheeked Thrush, by compari-
son, has a much colder appearance.
With a close look, it shows narrow lines
of gray through the cheeks, in place of
buff. Although the Gray-cheek lacks the
obvious eye-ring of Swainsons, it does
have a pale area enclosing the back half of Gray-cheeked Thrush, adult April in Galveston County, Texas
the eye. This face pattern plain gray in
front of the eye, paler behind the eye is Although the Gray-cheeked Thrush is sometimes the face and contributing to a pale-faced look. (It can
quite distinctive and worth studying. described as lacking an eye-ring, this is misleading. It even suggest the plain face of the Veery, not
Hermit Thrush is also mistaken for typically shows a sort of half-eye-ring, a pale border illustrated here. The Veery is a much brighter
Swainsons Thrush at times. It also has a mostly behind and below the eye, leaving only the reddish-brown bird, but in bad light it can look
area directly in front of the eye completely unmarked surprisingly similar.) Appropriately, the Gray-cheek
bold eye-ring (although it usually lacks gray-brown. Often the pale border behind the eye has some fine gray lines through the cheeks, where
the pale line above the lores that would lacks a distinct edge, fading evenly into the center of Swainsons Thrush is marked with buff instead.
create the spectacled pattern), and it
often shows buff on the side of the neck.
Its key field mark a reddish brown tail,
contrasting with the duller brown back
is well-known, but often hard to see in
tricky light conditions. Hermit is the
only brown thrush likely to be found
north of the Mexican border in winter.
In spring migration, its peak passage is a
full month earlier than that of Swain-
sons in the eastern part of its range. In
the far West, where Swainsons is not
such a late spring migrant, the difference
in their timing is less obvious.
The most intriguing ID tip for
Swainsons Thrush is this: It may
actually be two species. A century ago,
ornithologists referred to the birds along
the Pacific Coast as Russet-backed
Thrushes and those farther east as
Olive-backed Thrushes. Judging by
recent studies, the names might make a
comeback. Birders could soon have Hermit Thrush, probably first-year October in Los Angeles County, California
another challenging pair of thrushes to
separate, as detailed on the next page. Among the brown thrushes in North America, Hermit of Swainsons, and its overall plumage color varies
Thrushes are the most cold-tolerant. They migrate with geography. With a suspected Swainsons in
Kenn Kaufman is the author of Kaufman Field earlier in spring and later in fall than the others, and winter, birders should always check for the
are common in winter in the southern states. Reports contrasting reddish tail of Hermit Thrush. Incidentally,
Guide to Advanced Birding and other books.
of Swainsons Thrushes during the coldest months the bird in this photo shows buff spots at the tips of
Brian E. Small (www.BrianSmallPhoto.com) is are usually based on misidentified Hermit Thrushes. the greater coverts on the wing, typical of all the
a professional nature photographer. The Hermits eye-ring can be just as striking as that brown thrushes in first-winter plumage.

w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 35
 A new focus on old names

Birders in general stopped

referring to Olive-backed and
Russet-backed Thrushes
decades ago, but recently
scientists have been taking a
closer look at the birds repre-
sented by the names. The two
populations, currently classified
under Swainsons Thrush, may
merit treatment as full species.
The Olive-backed group
breeds from western Alaska to
Maine, and far south in the
Rockies, while the Russet-
backed group breeds from
southeastern Alaska south to
Swainsons Thrush, Olive-backed form April in Galveston County, Texas California. Potential contact in
their breeding ranges occurs
A few generations ago, when birders more frequently wings, and tail, and with fairly strong spotting on the mostly in British Columbia, and
used English names for subspecies, it was common chest. Encompassing at least three subspecies, this
research there has highlighted
to refer to Swainsons Thrush across most of its is the more widespread and abundant form. It nests
range as Olive-backed Thrush and to the Pacific all across Alaska and Canada except for a narrow differences between the groups.
Coast population as Russet-backed Thrush. The region along the Pacific Coast, and southward into Although Russet-backed and
bird in the photo is a classic example of the former, the northeastern U.S. and the northern Rockies. Its Olive-backed types do inter-
washed with dull olive-brown on the crown, back, winter range is mostly in South America.
breed, the hybrid zone between
them is narrow only about 50
miles wide in the best-studied
spot. In addition to plumage
differences, the songs also tend
to differ, with Russet-backed
songs averaging longer and
lower-pitched. Russet-backed
birds also migrate earlier in
spring, reaching the breeding
grounds sooner.
Recently, studies have looked
at the genetic basis for the
different migrations. Olive-
backed birds from British
Columbia migrate east and then
south in fall, heading for South
America. Russet-backed birds
move south, ending up in Mexico
and Central America. Hybrids
Swainsons Thrush, Russet-backed form May in Riverside County, California apparently take an intermediate
Swainsons Thrushes breeding near the Pacific and neck dont contrast as much and are usually
route through more hostile
Coast, from southeastern Alaska to southern less noticeable. The birds also tend to show paler, terrain, making it less likely that
California, were once known as Russet-backed less obvious spotting on the chest than the they will survive the journey. If
Thrushes and they may be again in the future Olive-backed form, although the bird in the photo
hybrids are at a disadvantage,
(see sidebar). True to the name, they do average is near the pale extreme. They also tend to be
more russet or reddish brown above than their earlier migrants in spring, perhaps because most of that leads to more isolation
eastern olive-backed cousins. Because of their their nesting range is in mild coastal climates. between the two groups, helping
warmer overall color, the buff tones of the eye-ring to drive their evolution toward
36 B i rd Wa t c h i n g Ju n e 2 017
distinct species status.
 jun
17
hotspotsnearyou

HOTSPOTS NEAR YOU

Virgin Islands National Park

HOTSPOTS 255-256 THE HOTSPOTS FEATURED in this issue, Virgin

Islands National Park and the National Bison Range,
couldnt be more different in terms of climate, terrain,
and birdlife. What they have in common, however, is
arguably more important: People who saw value in
saving lands for future generations established each
property. President Theodore Roosevelt, who created
the National Wildlife Refuge System, set aside the bison
range in 1908 as a site to protect buffalo. And we owe
philanthropist and conservationist Laurance S. Rocke-
feller a debt of gratitude for Virgin Islands National
Park, which he helped create in the 1950s. At a time
no. 255 virgin islands national park when threats to public lands are increasing, its worth
st. john, u.s. virgin islands remembering the conservation heroes of the past.
Sorin Colac/Shutterstock

no. 256 national bison range Matt Mendenhall

moiese, montana

w w w. B i rd Wa t ch i n g D a i ly. c o m/ h o t s p o t s ma p 37
no.
255
virgin islands national park AT A GLANCE
HOTSPOTS NEAR YOU

st. john, u.s. virgin islands HABITAT

1819'59.04"N 6447'30.59"W Subtropical moist to dry forest, mangroves,
salt ponds, sandy beaches.
British Virgin Islands
TERRAIN
Centerline and North Shore roads provide
access to most birding sites and trailheads.
Most trails steep, uneven, or rocky. Visitor
St. John
center wheelchair-accessible, as are facilities
10
Visitor N. Shore Rd. at Trunk and Hawksnest beaches and the
St. Thomas center
Francis Bay Boardwalk.
Red Ferry Virgin Islands
Hook Cruz National Park
Bay BIRDS
Year-round: White-cheeked Pintail, Magnificent
Frigatebird, Brown Booby, Brown Pelican, Great
Egret, Little Blue and Green Herons, Common
C ar ibbean S ea Gallinule, Black-necked Stilt, Royal Tern, Scaly-
naped Pigeon, Common Ground-Dove, Bridled
2 mi
2 km Quail-Dove, Zenaida Dove, Smooth-billed
Virgin Islands National Park protects approximately 15,000 acres on the island of Ani, Mangrove Cuckoo, Green-throated Carib,
St. John. From neighboring St. Thomas, take the vehicle or passenger ferry to St. John. Antillean Crested Hummingbird, Caribbean
The visitor center is in Cruz Bay, just a few blocks from the ferry terminal. Rental cars, Elaenia, Gray Kingbird, Pearly-eyed Thrasher,
taxis, and public buses available on St. John. Yellow Warbler, Bananaquit, Black-faced
Grassquit, Lesser Antillean Bullfinch. September
One of just two national parks to April: Blue-winged Teal, Spotted Sandpiper,
outside the 50 states, the core of sites nearby Lesser Yellowlegs, Northern Waterthrush,
the Virgin Islands National Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart,
Small Pond at Frank Bay
Park is 5,000 acres donated to Northern Parula. June to October: Laughing
Most birding on St. John is within the
the Park Service by Laurance S. Gull, Least, Roseate, and Sandwich Terns.
park, but this pond surrounded by
Rockefeller in 1956. The park
mangroves near Cruz Bay is worth
now covers approximately a look for White-cheeked Pintail, WHEN TO GO
two-thirds of the island. Common Gallinule, Black-necked Stilt, Year-round.
Situated at the convergence and others. Small observation deck.
of the Greater and Lesser AMENITIES
Antilles, St. John has birds from Magens Bay Preserve Visitor center and gift shop, restrooms,
both regions. Despite its small On St. Thomas. The Discovery campground, picnic areas, trails, boardwalks,
size (20 square miles), it has Trail can be productive for Brown- boat moorings.
many habitats, from moist to throated Parakeet, as well as many
dry subtropical forest to birds found on St. John. Also has a
ACCESS
mangrove forests to salt ponds. world-class beach.
National park. No entrance fee for park, but a
The most productive trails for
$5 fee for beach at Trunk Bay.
birding are the Francis Bay,
Reef Bay, and Salt Pond Trails. Bridled Quail-Doves may be found foraging
TIPS
in the leaf litter, Smooth-billed Ani feeds in noisy groups in trees, and
Bananaquits are everywhere. December to April is the high season, which
Even the most popular attraction is good for birding: The beach at Trunk means crowds and more expensive lodging.
Bay is considered one of the most beautiful in the world, and Magnificent St. John also busy when cruise ships stop at
Frigatebirds soar overhead. An American Flamingo showed up last summer. Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas. Drive on the
For mainlanders, many birds will likely be new, as they were for me. A left side of the road in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
few Caribbean birds have strayed to Florida, but many others simply cannot
be found outside the West Indies a perfect reason to pay this park a visit. FOR MORE INFO
Jason A. Crotty Virgin Islands National Park, (340) 776-6201,
www.nps.gov/viis.
Jason A. Crotty is an attorney from Portland, Oregon. He previously wrote
about El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico, Hotspot Near You No. 247. www.BirdWatchingDaily.com/hotspotsmap

38
 no.
256
AT A GLANCE national bison range

HOTSPOTS NEAR YOU

HABITAT
moiese, montana
Rare intermountain grasslands, Douglas fir 4722'14.21"N 11415'25.38"W
and ponderosa pine forests, shrubland, small
wetlands, and riparian areas.
Moiese Visitor center
TERRAIN
Prairie Dr. is a fairly flat, well-maintained dirt

Pra
road. Red Sleep Mountain Dr. gains 2,000 feet National

irie
Bison Range

r.D
in elevation on a sometimes bumpy dirt road.
212 Red
F l ath e Sle
ad ep
BIRDS Riv e r Mo
unt
ain
More than 210 species. Year-round: American Dr.
200
Wigeon, Common Goldeneye, Hooded and
Common Mergansers, American Kestrel, 93
Northern Goshawk, Bald and Golden Eagles,
200
Merlin, Dusky Grouse, Northern Saw-whet
Owl, Belted Kingfisher, Pileated Woodpecker,
Ravalli
Stellers Jay, American Dipper, White-crowned To Missoula
2 mi 93
Sparrow, Cassins Finch. Breeding: Wood 2 km

Duck, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk, The National Bison Range encompasses 30 square miles in western Montana, about
American Avocet, Short-eared Owl, Calliope 45 miles northwest of Missoula. From the city, take I-90 to Hwy. 93 and continue to the
Hummingbird, Bank and Cliff Swallows, town of Ravalli. Head west on MT 200 for six miles, then turn north on MT 212. Drive
Mountain Chickadee, Pine Siskin. Rare: Ruddy 4.7 miles to the bison range entrance on the right.
Duck, Peregrine Falcon, Virginia Rail, Long-
billed Curlew. President Theodore Roosevelt
established this refuge in 1908 sites nearby
WHEN TO GO to provide a sanctuary for
Nine-pipe National Wildlife Refuge
Spring is best for migrants. Many species can American bison. It remains so
17 miles northwest of bison range
be found year-round. Early mornings best. more than 100 years later and is
along MT 212 and Hwy. 93. Prairie
also an ideal place to bird. In
potholes and changing water levels
AMENITIES addition to the buffalo roaming bring an abundance of marsh birds
Visitor center has a small museum and the grasslands, a staggering and waterfowl such as American
restrooms. Picnic area. A few short nature trails number of raptors, songbirds, Bittern and American White Pelican.
are in picnic area, behind the visitor center, and and ducks are attracted to the
at the top of Red Sleep Mountain Dr. refuges mountain forests, Pablo National Wildlife Refuge
shrublands, and river bottoms. 28 miles northwest of bison range
ACCESS
Since foot-traffic is limited off Hwy. 93. Trumpeter Swans were
due to free-roaming bison, start reintroduced here in 1996 and a
National wildlife refuge. Open dawn to dusk.
your visit strolling the picnic successful breeding colony has
Visitor center hours limited in winter. Fee $5,
area, where massive cotton- taken hold.
but a Federal Recreation Area Pass or Federal
woods provide fodder for Hairy
Migratory Bird Stamp will get you in for free.
and Pileated Woodpeckers.
Red Sleep Mountain Dr. opens mid-May.
Then take Prairie Dr., which is open all year and leads you past the refuges

grasslands. Its fun to watch harriers and Red-tails effortlessly glide among
TIPS the massive boulders deposited by ancient Glacial Lake Missoula.
If taking Red Sleep Mountain Dr., make sure In the warmer months, jump at the chance to experience the dizzying
you have a full tank of gas and be confident heights of Red Sleep Mountain Dr. Hawthorn thickets alongside the road
your brakes can handle the 10% downgrade. are great places to look for Townsends Solitaire and Cedar Waxwing. Your
destination is 4,885 feet above the Mission Valley, and the view from the top
FOR MORE INFO is not to be missed. Its where I can really practice my identification skills on
National Bison Range, (406) 644-2211, www. soaring raptors, especially when Im trying to decide: Golden Eagle or
fws.gov/refuge/national_bison_range. Flathead immature Bald? Susie Wall
Audubon Society, www.flatheadaudubon.org.
Susie Wall is a freelance writer and photographer and a board member for
www.BirdWatchingDaily.com/hotspotsmap and the program coordinator of Missoulas Five Valleys Audubon Chapter.

39
 amazingbirds BY ELDON GREIJ

Perhaps the most

remarkable adaptations
for lightness are found in
the avian skeleton.
avian skeleton. It has been reported, for
example, that the skeleton of a Great
Frigatebird with a seven-foot wingspan
weighs about four ounces, which is less
than the total weight of its feathers.
Two important skeletal changes
contribute to the low weight of birds. The
first is hollow long bones large,
central cavities surrounded by a thin
layer of bone. Inside the cavities of some
of the long bones are bony strands
arranged in a W-pattern, like bridge
trusses. The strands maximize strength
with a minimum of materials and
weight. The second skeletal change is the
structure of flat bones, such as those
found in the skull, made of material that
is loose and spongy rather than dense
and compact.
The modern avian skull differs
dramatically from those of the earliest
known birds in the fossil record. Avian
fossils have dinosaur-like skulls with
thick jaws supporting many prominent
teeth. The much smaller and lighter
WIND MASTER: Great Frigatebirds light body allows it to soar for hours or days at a time. modern skull has thin jaws that lack
teeth. The muscular avian gizzard
compensates for the lack of teeth by

The original ultralights grinding food, with the aid of ingested

pebbles. The transfer of chewing to the
gizzard also moves the center of gravity
Hollow bones, feathers, and more help keep birds airborne to a more favorable position under the
wings, a distinct benefit for flight.
Humans have been fascinated by metabolic rates, as well as high tempera- The efficiency of birds digestive and
flight since their earliest writings, and tures and a rapid heartbeat, all fueled by excretion systems also contributes to a
accounts of attempts to master the high-energy foods resulting in a lightweight design. They digest food
airways are scattered throughout history. high-compression engine. much faster and more completely than
Using kites and gliders, early pilots (sort Adaptations for lightness are varied. other vertebrates, so they void a relatively
of) conquered the air. Budding engineers Feathers, for example, are incredibly light small amount of fecal material. Such
watched birds and tried to emulate them, and essential for flight. They provide efficiency is important, because it
all the while missing two critical excellent insulation and thereby help prevents birds from carrying a lot of
elements a powerful engine and an maintain high body temperatures undigested food in their intestines. A
extremely lightweight design. even in the extreme Arctic cold. They thrush, for example, can defecate seeds
In birds, power is developed by also contribute to aerodynamic efficiency 30 minutes after eating berries.
massive breast muscles that seem to spill by helping form a teardrop body shape, Birds also extract water from digestion
Randimal/Shutterstock

out of the chest and require a large keel augmenting lift, and theyre sufficiently and metabolism efficiently, so they can
on the sternum to provide enough flexible to bend and fan the air to create spend less time at the watering hole, and,
surface area for attachment. To support thrust. Perhaps the most remarkable therefore, reduce their exposure to
this power plant, birds have high adaptations for lightness are found in the predators. The diet of most birds is high

40 B i rd Wa t c h i n g Ju n e 2 017
 The acclaimed guide to the
ecology and natural history of
the American tropicsnow fully
updated and expanded
in fat and carbohydrates. They can
extract more water from these sources
than from protein. But because birds do The New
eat protein, getting rid of nitrogenous Neotropical
waste presents a special challenge. Companion
All vertebrates consume protein and
John Kricher
have to deal with nitrogen by-products,
Paper $35.00
including ammonia, which can be
toxic. Mammals metabolize them to
urea, which is somewhat toxic, and
dilute it with water in the bladder until Covers all of tropical America
it can be voided as urine. Because of the Describes the species and habitats
weight concerns of birds, they dont most likely to be observed by visitors
carry around a water-filled bladder.
Includes every major ecosystem, from
Birds, therefore, have developed a
lowland rain forests to the high Andes
urinary system that metabolizes nitrogen
waste products to uric acid, a non-toxic Features a wealth of color photos of
solid that appears as a white precipitate in habitats, plants, and animals
urinary waste. Because uric acid does not
need to be diluted with water, the urinary
waste is relatively dry, which further
conserves water. (I know, bird droppings
that hit your windshield are anything but
dry. Bird droppings also include watery press.princeton.edu
waste from the large intestine.) Ureters
drain urinary waste from the kidneys
directly into a chamber in the back of the FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
intestine known as the cloaca, which Guest speakers, including Jeff Gordon
opens directly to the outside. Conse- (American Birding Association) and
quently, birds lack urinary bladders and Kenn Kaufman (Author, Artist, Conservationist)
urethras, which further lighten the load. Guided eld trips on land and sea
FEST
Another adaptation for lightness is to ND I
Trade show for outdoor and
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two functioning ovaries. So in most
species, one ovary and oviduct has been
lost, and the birds function with one set. Birders paradise

There is no question that birds are

in the hummingbird
capital of the country!
Birding Property
masters of the sky. This is due to their For Sale
aerodynamic shape combined with Birders and Butterfly paradise
powerful, high-compression engines and located in hummingbird capital of
USA in southern Arizona about 5
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the founder of Birders World magazine. or [email protected]

w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 41
 attractingbirds BY LAURA ERICKSON

I was the lucky one on

November 16, 2004, when
a Rufous Hummingbird
turned up in my backyard.
natural range or what pulls them down in
any given place. When they do find a
particular spot that meets all their needs,
they may stick around, but even that is
hard to predict. The Pink-footed Goose at
Hendrickson Park was first reported on
November 1, 2016, and it remained
through at least February 22, 2017.
In January 2015, a friend and I
learned of an Ivory Gull from the far
north being seen in Quincy, Illinois, and
drove 550 miles south to see it. Unfortu-
nately, it was last seen the evening before
we arrived. On New Years Day 2016, an
Ivory Gull turned up in Duluth,
Minnesota, my own city, at a popular
gull-watching spot where it was very easy
to see. That one remained for over three
weeks; I saw it many times.
One vagrant turned up three winters
in a row in my neighborhood. A
Golden-crowned Sparrow from the far
West showed up at a friends feeder in
November 2014 and remained until
EUROPEAN VISITOR: This Pink-footed Goose hung around a park in Brooklyn, New York, last winter. January 2015. The same bird returned in
November 2015 and November 2016. I
live just a few blocks away and yearned

The unpredictable to entice the little guy to my yard at least

once, but without luck. In a neighbor-
hood teeming with bird-feeding
Musing on the surprising appearances of vagrants stations, it visits just one.
I was the lucky one on November 16,
On January 20, 2017, when I was But how did that one lone goose from 2004, when a Rufous Hummingbird
staying at my daughters place in Iceland find its way to that tiny park? turned up in my backyard and stuck
Brooklyn, New York, I took a train to Vagrants birds that wander beyond around for over two weeks. Hundreds of
Valley Stream, walked a short way to a the limits of what we think of as their birders saw it.
concrete-edged pond at Arthur J. species natural range can turn up Discovering a vagrant anywhere is like
Hendrickson Park, scanned carefully almost anywhere. In January of this year, winning the lottery. But unlike lotto
through 360 Canada Geese, 120 individual Pink-footed Geese, which winnings, which can be squandered in
Mallards, and a sprinkling of other mostly winter in northwest Europe, short order, we can share our birding
ducks, and found what I was looking for: especially Ireland, Great Britain, the winnings with others, and that tick on
my lifer Pink-footed Goose! Netherlands, and western Denmark, had our life list or yard list will last forever.
Arthur J. Hendrickson Parks name is been seen in Nova Scotia, Maine,
bigger than the park itself its not even Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Laura Erickson is the author of the American
mentioned in Kellye Rosenheims Pennsylvania, and even British Columbia! Birding Associations new Field Guide to Birds of
Birdwatching in New York City and on Vagrant waterfowl can be drawn to areas
Laura Erickson

Minnesota. In 2014, she won the ABAs highest

Long Island. I learned about the goose teeming with wild birds, but no one knows honor, the Roger Tory Peterson Award.
and found my way to it thanks to eBird. exactly what sends them away from their

42 B i rd Wa t c h i n g Ju n e 2 017
 bookshelf BY MATT MENDENHALL
TELL US
Hummingbirds: Volume 1, by John C. Arvin, plates by Raul
Andrade, Sangeetha Kadur, and Vydhehi Kadur, Gorgas Science
Foundation, 2016, hardcover, 216 pages, $60, available at http://
gsfinc.org/hummingbirds/.
WHAT YOU
This is the first of two monu-
mental publications showcas-
ing every hummingbird species
in the world. It measures 12x16
THINK!
inches and weighs about six
pounds. The 100 plates of
TAKE THE BIRDWATCHING
Volume 1 feature 127 species 2017 READER SURVEY
found in North America,
Central America, and the We are here to provide you, our reader, with
Caribbean islands. In the the resources and information that you need
paintings, each species is to enjoy birding. Give us your input on how we
shown in a scene reflective of are doing and what you would like to see.
its range and environment
along with the preferred As a special thank you for taking the survey,
flowering plant that its most associated with or that it serves you will be entered for a chance to win a
as exclusive pollinator for. Accompanying text by avian $50 AMAZON GIFT CARD!
biologist John C. Arvin describes each birds life history,
distribution, adaptations, morphology, and conservation
status. The nonprofit Gorgas Science Foundation, based at the
Sabal Palm Sanctuary in Brownsville, Texas, produced the
book. Proceeds from its sale will support the development of
Volume 2 (expected around 2020) and the groups conserva-
tion and educational work at the sanctuary.

The Complete Guide to Bird Photography: Field Techniques for

Birders and Nature Photographers, by Jeffrey Rich, Amherst
Media, 2016, softcover, 128 pages, $29.95.

Jeff Richs photos have appeared

in our pages many times, so we
were thrilled to see his recently
published guide to bird photogra-
phy. In it, he discusses cameras,
lenses, window mounts, and other
gear, and for readers who are new
to photography, he explains
exposure, white balance, lighting,
composition, and other basics.
Then he goes beyond the basics to
explain various types of bird
photos: portraits, headshots,
behavior, flight. Rich tells why the background can make or
break the shot and explains how to look for uncluttered,
pleasing backgrounds. He also writes about setting up feeding TAKE THE SURVEY NOW:
stations, water holes, and habitat that will attract cooperative
subjects you can photograph. And he describes editing photos
bit.ly/bw2017readersurvey
and your options for what to do with images after youve edited FOR OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES VISIT:
them. Rich has produced a compact, practical guide to a subject Madavor.com/contest-rules-2017-birdwatching
he knows as well as anyone.

w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 43
 From
our
yourview Birding experiences and photographs submitted by readers readers!

Ready for a close-up

NOT CAMERA SHY: Randy Queen was shooting photos in Blue Ridge, Georgia, recently CURIOUS: Michael
when this Northern Cardinal seemed to be very interested in the red camera, he tells us. Rossacci photographed
I left it on the tripod and got my other camera (a Nikon D7100 with 300mm lens) and this head-tilting Tufted
waited. It took about 30 to 40 minutes, but he finally decided he needed a closer look. Titmouse at Horn Pond, in
Woburn, Massachusetts.
He used a Canon 7D with
a 300mm lens.

44 B i rd Wa t c h i n g Ju n e 2 017
 AT THE WATERING HOLE: A group of
New Holland Honeyeaters chatters at a
backyard birdbath an inverted
trashcan lid in Adelaide, a city in
southern Australia. Greg Blackman used
a Nikon Coolpix P900 camera.

Lets hear from you!

Submit photos as full-resolution, high-quality JPG files via email (no TIFFS,
please). Include a short description of the photo; include the bird name,
the equipment used, and the location. Please include your name, address,
phone number, and email address. If we publish a story or photo of yours,
well send you a complimentary copy of the issue in which it appears.
Theres no payment for use of text or photos in Your View.

Send your photos and stories to:

Your View Editor
BirdWatching Magazine
[email protected]

w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 45
 From
our
yourletters readers!

PLANNED TURBINES NEAR ISLAND

THREATEN BIRDS A speck of green MY FAVORITE PLACE

I have lived on Monhegan island in

Maine for 30 years. It is a small island In our April 2011 issue, Will Russell,
that is located 13 miles off of the coast a founder and managing director of
and is a stop-off for many species of birds WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide,
traveling the Atlantic Flyway north in wrote about Monhegan Island,
the spring and south in the fall. In many Maine, the way a bird, migrating
cases the island is the first piece of land at night over the ocean, sees it.
Turning back to the northwest and
that birds see after flying north over
to land, it finds a speck of green.
large expanses of water in the spring;
Having flown all night and who
they arrive on the island in huge
NOT A SEABIRD: A
Northern Flicker, a
woodpecker of open

knows how long during the first forests, flies over the

numbers in late May to rest and eat for water toward Monhegan
Island, 10 miles off the

hours of daylight, our bird is ready coast of Maine.

several days before continuing their

Luke Seitz
to rest and feed, so it drops down
migration north to breed. They come
A
An experienced tour s a kid on the coast of Maine, I loved islands, especially little-visited ones.
leader looks at Maines I never knew what I might find along the shore perhaps a delicate
on Monhegans southeast-facing

Beth McCullough-Russell
glass float from an offshore Portuguese fishing boat or the skeletonized
Monhegan Island remains of an unlucky porpoise. As an adult, I continue to be fasci-

back to the island in the fall to eat as coast. Read his article at
the way a migrating
bird sees it
nated with islands. The simple pleasures from my childhood are now augmented
by the bittersweet sense of being cut off from the larger world, transported to a
simpler life where the mainlands niggling rules somehow dont apply. Its not Will Russell
strictly true, of course most inhabited islands I know now have internet access but the sense

much as they can before heading south www.birdwatchingdaily.com/

by Will Russell
of wonder and the unexpected still exists, especially for birdwatchers.
Take Monhegan Island, Maine. Its about 10 miles southwest of Port Clyde, about halfway along
the west-east axis of the states coast, isolated, and fairly small, about 1.75 miles long and half a

back over the water. Hundreds of featured-stories/island-rest-stop.

mile wide. Most of the island is covered in spruce or spruce blowdown surrounded by raspberry
tangles. It has a small pond, a modest wet meadow, and several narrow red maple swamps. The

w w w. BirdWatch ing D ai ly. c om 37

thousands of birds migrate through

Monhegan seasonally, and people come
from all over the world to watch them. battle against a huge conglomerate with what is happening here and the threat it
I am writing as a concerned citizen millions of dollars that has no vested poses on so many species of migratory
and as a fellow birdwatcher to make your interest in Maine, Monhegan, or the birds. If its allowed to go up, the effects
readers aware of an impending project regions valuable resources. In fact, the on bird populations will be felt from
that I fear could have catastrophic power the turbines will be generating Mexico to Canada.
implications for bird populations that will be going directly out of state. Any help, whether it be letters written
use the Atlantic Flyway and migrate up As sad as I am for this island commu- to political representatives, or maybe
the eastern seaboard. Many people are nity, too small in population (only 60 lawyers for bird groups or chapters,
still unaware that the government residents) to stand up to the Goliath that would be more than appreciated.
intends to install wind turbines in the is upon us, and the changes it will mean Nobody here is against pursuing wind
waters only about two miles off of for those who live here, I am frightened power; it is obviously a resource we need
Lobster Cove, Monhegan. at the potential harm the project and to tap into. But many other locations for
The federal group has changed an those huge turbines could have on birds. floating turbines can be used that would
original plan from being a small test I am reaching out to your readers not so negatively impact birds.
site to the current plan of putting two because the potential impact of this For more information about the
of the worlds largest wind turbines in project is far more than being a Maine specifics of the turbine project and what
the waters right off the islands shore. problem. The birds that fly up the islanders are doing to try to get it moved,
The plan is to eventually add 18 more of Eastern seaboard and land on Monhe- please visit www.facebook.com/
them in future years. It would undoubt- gan include species that are not common ProtectMonhegan, the online home of
edly have a tragic impact on the birds elsewhere in the state; they are simply on our local community organization.
traveling the Atlantic Flyway, and their way to their breeding grounds. Anyone on the committee would be
would kill mass numbers of them as Many Audubon groups and photogra- more than happy to talk with you.
they fly toward the island to land in the phers from all over the nation come to Thank you for your consideration.
spring and fall. Additionally, the witness the spring and fall migrations The birds need your help. Cynthia
numbers of dead birds would not be here, and Monhegan is well-known to Charles, Monhegan, Maine
countable as they would quickly birders as one of the best locations in the
disappear into the sea. (The turbines world to see birds of so many species in Write to us!
will be two times the height of the large numbers in such a small area. Send a letter to the editor at http://bit.ly/
Statue of Liberty.) The wind-turbine project is planned WriteALetter or [email protected], or
Monhegan residents have hired a to begin as soon as possible, and I feel write to BirdWatching Letters, 25 Braintree Hill
lawyer and are getting many donations that all Audubon and nature groups, Office Park, Suite 404, Braintree, Massachusetts
to attempt to have this huge project aviaries, conservation groups both 02184. Please include your name and postal
moved to a new, more appropriate national and international, and other address. We may edit your letter.
location, but we are fighting an uphill concerned birders need to be informed of

46 B i rd Wa t c h i n g Ju n e 2 017
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we will refuse to accept further advertising from them.

Caligo Ventures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Carl Zeiss Sports Optics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Catskill Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
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Exotic Birding, LLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Leica Sport Optics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C3
Lindblad Expeditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C4
Lowa Boots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
New Jersey Audubon and Cape May
Bird Observatory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Opticron. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Partnership for International Birding. . . . . . . . . . . 3
Princeton University Press . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Southwest Wings Birding & Nature Festival . . . . 47 Cuban Trogan
Steven Regueiro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Presented by BirdWatching Magazine in
partnership with Caribbean Conservation Trust
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The Advertiser Index is provided as a service to BirdWatching [email protected] or go to
magazine readers. The magazine is not responsible for omissions
or for typographical errors in names or page numbers. www.cubirds.org or bit.ly/cubirds

w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 47
 idtoolkit ART AND TEXT BY DAVID ALLEN SIBLEY Look for our next issue
On sale June 27

Body feathers: Streaked, spotted and barred patterns.

Tail feathers: A straight central tail feather (left)

and a slightly curved outer tail feather.

Large wing feathers: Secondary, inner primary, and outer primary.

Identifying found feathers

Ignore color and focus on simple guidelines of shape
Occasionally we run across loose All feathers curve toward the tail, and perfectly straight and symmetrical
feathers on the ground sometimes a if you find a feather that is essentially central tail feathers.
single feather, sometimes a bunch straight, its likely to be a tail feather. The All of the body feathers are smaller,
together (which usually marks the scene largest and stiffest feathers are on the symmetrical, flexible, and rounded.
of a predators meal). Regardless of the wings and tail, and each of them has a They grow out from the body and curve
situation the same question always comes distinctive shape that will allow you to back toward the tail. The size and
up: What species lost these feathers? determine exactly which part of the wing length of the feathers varies greatly,
The best way to begin is to ignore or tail its from, and (just for fun) which from short and stiff feathers around the
color and instead study the shape of a side of the bird. face and at the leading edge of the wing,
feather. All birds share a similar All of the large wing feathers to relatively long and flexible feathers
structure, and simple rules will help you (primaries and secondaries) curve back on the flanks.
determine which part of the bird a and down, and the outermost are Using these simple guidelines of
feather is from. Knowing that, matching strongly asymmetrical: The leading edge shape, you should be able to determine
a feathers color and pattern to a species is narrower than the trailing edge, and the placement of a feather, and then
becomes much easier. the tip is angled. The inner wing feathers use color to narrow down the possible
Please note that the Migratory Bird (secondaries) are also curved; the shaft is species.
Treaty Act makes it illegal to possess close to the center of the feather, and the
any feather or other part of a native, tip is squarish. David Allen Sibley is the author of The Sibley
non-game species. If you find feathers The outer tail feathers, like the outer Guide to Birds, Second Edition, Sibley's Birding
on the ground, its OK to handle them, wing feathers, are asymmetrical with a Basics, The Sibley Guide to Trees, and other
study them, and take photographs, but narrow leading edge, and the shaft has a books. In our last issue, he explained how to
it is against the law to carry any away slight S-shaped curve. This shape determine the age of songbirds.
with you. changes gradually to the almost

48 B i rd Wa t c h i n g Ju n e 2 017
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 EXCLUSIVE
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B O N ULL
S
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PHOTO G A n
Birds of the Amazo
Fotos593/Shutterstock
BONUS PHOTO GALLERY

bi r ds of t h e

Channel-billed Toucan
Wang LiQiang/Shutterstock; Ondrej Prosicky/Shutterstock; guentermanaus/Shutterstock

Green-backed Trogon
King Vulture
 Harpy Eagle

e_rik/Shutterstock; Cristian Gusa/Shutterstock; Faer Out/Shutterstock

Sunbittern

Swallow-winged Puffbird
 Yellow-rumped Cacique

Black-throated Mango
Martin Mecnarowski/Shutterstock (bottom left); Brian Lasenby/Shutterstock (3)
 Wattled Jacana chick

Wattled Jacana

Watch for bonus digital content

with our July-August 2017 issue,
available on June 10!

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