LI FEATURED BIRDS by Karen

DARK EYED JUNCO

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:13:18 -0500

Junco hyemalis, 5 1/2-6 1/2 in., 14-16 cm.

What a sweet little bird! Dark-eyed Juncos visit us in the winter and are often called “Snowbirds”; both because they are winter residents here and also due to their plumage which has been poetically described as “leaden skies above, snow below”.

Dark-eyed Juncos are simply marked; gray/brown head, back and chest, with distinctly separate white belly, two prominent white outer tail feathers on the long notched tail that flash when the bird takes off, and a pinkish bill. Females are duller and browner. There are 12 subspecies of Juncos found in the United States, falling into 6 major groups (all with plumage variations): White-winged, Oregon, Pink-sided, Gray-headed, Slate-colored and Red-backed. “Our” Juncos fall into the Slate-colored grouping.

Dark-eyed Juncos breed further north, commonly in Canada, but spend winters on LI as well as other more southerly states. Migration takes place during March to May and September to December. Highly social and vocal birds, during winter they form flocks of 30 or more birds and are often mixed with other birds like White-throated Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows, and Pine Warblers (Juncos are actually part of the sparrow family).

Juncos feed mostly on seeds and insects, feeding along the edges, hopping along the ground, sometimes scratching through the leaf litter. They are regularly found at bird feeders, foraging on the ground under the feeder. They often exhibit feeding behavior called “riding”, where they land on a seed filled grass or flower stem and “ride” it to the ground with their weight, then feeding off the seeds while standing on the stem. When startled they “explode” into the air, often flying to perches nearby to “assess the situation”. The flashing of the white tail feathers will signal alarm to the rest of the flock. They will often sing during the winter, their song consisting of a rapid trilling varying in length and pitch.

Males arrive first on territory and often sing from tall trees, claiming and defending the same territory each year. Courtship consists of both pair members hopping on the ground with drooped wings, and tail spread showing off the white tail feathers. Nesting almost always occurs on the ground, hidden under logs or overhanding brush. Females mostly build nests, using grass & feathers. 3-5 eggs are usually laid with incubation done by the female, taking 11-13 days. Both parents feed the young, who leave the nest in 9-13 days but can be continually fed by parents for another 3-4 weeks. (If second brood is laid, the male with continue to feed the first hatched young.)

As they return to the same breeding territory each year, they also return to the same wintering areas each year. Their flocks have distinct hierarchy, with adult males being the most dominant, then immature males, then adult females and finally immature females. Watch for dominance displays at your feeders; “pecking-attacks”, lunging, “head-dance” display (where they throw their heads up & down), and flight-pursuits. Due to the lower status of females in the flock, many females continue further south for winter months; 70% of southern US Juncos in winter are female.

Juncos are one of the most common birds found in North America. According to Project Feeder Watch, there are more sightings of Juncos at backyard feeders than any other North American bird. They are widespread and their populations appear to be stable.

Miscellaneous facts: Juncos are documented to interbreed with White-throated Sparrows, longevity for Dark-eyed Juncos is approximately 10 years, they have 30% more feathers (in weight) in winter, and they spend 65% of their time on the ground.

Listen for the lovely winter song of the Dark-eyed Junco ... that Junco trilling certainly signifies winter to us here on LI.

COMMON RAVEN

Sun, 18 Sep 2011 11:11:58 -0400

CORVUS CORAX, 22-27in., 56-69cm.
WINGSPAN: 45.7 -46.5in, 116-118Ccm.
The Common Raven is a large “sooty black“ bird, much bigger than our ever present American Crow. It is, in fact, the largest perching bird in North America and has an average life span of 13 years. Common Ravens, also called Northern Ravens, generally nest more north than L.I. and in parts of Pennsylvania. The species has been present out west and farther north for years. They have not been as visible in the east due to de-forestation in past centuries. However, as the forests regrow the ravens are coming back.
And an exciting and interesting event has happened in the world of birding on Long Island! Common ravens, only reported rarely on Long Island, appeared in Hampton Bays this spring. And a pair stayed and built a nest on the H.B. water tower, raised and fledged a brood. (One bird was found on the ground, slightly injured and was rehabbed at the Wildlife Rescue Center of the Hamptons and was released back into the wild.) Hopefully, they will return to nest again next year.
Ravens and Crows can be difficult to tell apart. Some of the physical differences between the Raven and the Crow are: The bill of a Common Raven is larger and heavier, and has a less obvious downward curve, a raven’s throat feathers look shaggy and fluffed out, the tail feathers of a raven form a wedge shape, while a crow’s tail feathers form a fan, a feature most easily observed when the bird is in flight.
Raven courtship can begin at a very early age but pair bonds occur after two or three years of age and it is believed that pairs will mate for life. Courtship can include “aerial chases, dives and rolls.” Nests are built in trees, on craggy cliffs, billboards, bridges and on water towers. Males will bring some sticks but most of the labor to build the nest is done by the female. A basket shape of sticks is lined with small twigs, bark strips, grass and fur, if available.
Three to seven eggs are laid with an incubation period of 20 to 25 days and a nesting time of 28 to 50 days. The young birds are born with closed eyes and sparse down and have been compared to “grotesque gargoyles”. Once the young birds have fledged they love to pick up and inspect almost all new things to see how they may be used in the future.
And this brings us to raven intelligence. As with other corvids (crows and jays) ravens exhibit many behaviors and traits that speak to a higher level of intelligence.
A sure sign of intelligence, Ravens are known to work cooperatively: as an example they will work as a group to raid sea bird nesting sites. Another (more fun-filled) example is this documented occurrence: a dog happily chewing his bone looks up to see a raven in front of him. A second raven flies into his left and pecks him on the head, and then another bird flies in to his rear and pulls his tail. The dog then spins to see what is going on and when he turns back, his bone is gone!
Other experiments have shown that members of the crow family are capable of using tools; an experiment, where some desirable item lay on the bottom of a bottle, showed that some of these birds were able to form a hook to reach the item.
Playfulness is also a sign of intelligence and Ravens engage in what appears to be “play”: they have been observed rolling down snow covered hills as well as taking twigs in their beaks flying high, dropping the twigs and diving down to catch them before they hit the ground. Also other playful behavior like playing "tug-of-war" or "king-of-the-hill" with other ravens has been observed.
Ravens will respond to the sound of gunfire, fly towards it to see if there may be carrion left by the hunters. They do not, however, respond to other “human “sounds as sirens or car alarms.
Ravens are omnivorous. They will eat almost anything from fledgling Great Blue Herons to trash. They also eat grasshoppers, insects, fish, baby tortoises, birds, berries, pet food, and food left by humans. Common ravens typically vocalize with a croaking sound, but they boast a wider repertoire of calls. In winter, Common Ravens may gather in flocks to forage during the day and to roost at night. During the rest of the year, they are often coupled, or in small groups. A group of ravens is sometimes collectively referred to as an "unkindness" or a "conspiracy".
Ravens have been associated by various cultures with different qualities. In popular western literature, they symbolize darkness, depression, and death (popularized in Edgar Allan Poe's poem, 'The Raven'). In medieval times they stood for virility. Historically ravens have been called “tricksters” by Native Americans for their “playful nature”, as well as seen as a popular totem and the creator of man, who placed the Sun in the sky. In England ravens have nested and resided in the Tower of London for centuries and it is believed that if they ever leave, the Tower will crumble and the kingdom will fall.
At this point I usually discuss migration and where to find the birds on L.I. I feel that having ravens nest here is unique to date so I don’t really know where to direct fellow L.I. birders to go to see them. Generally the birds remain in the area of where they nest but I haven’t heard reports of any sightings. So I would suggest keeping your eyes to the skies and if you see a really really big black bird you may have just seen a Common Raven.
Good luck and Good Birding!! Karen

PRAIRIE WARBLER

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:09:30 -0400

Dendroica discolor, 5 in., 13cm.

Warblers ... Don't ya just love them?!

The Prairie Warbler is one of the eight warblers that nest on Long Island (others being Ovenbird, Redstart, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow, Black & White, Pine and Blue-winged). We hear the Prairie’s buzzy song during the spring and well into the summer, as they first set up territory and then continue to reinforce pair bonding through song. Prairies are found in second growth scrub and dense overgrown fields, not in what we now think of as prairies. They were named in 1810 for the habitat in which they were found which was then considered prairie, but is now known as barrens.

Prairie Warblers are handsome yellow and black medium sized warblers. They have a striking facial pattern with a black line going through the eye on a yellow face and head. Under the eye is a pale yellow crescent, giving a "spectacled" appearance. The underparts are yellow also, with heavy black streaking along the sides. A good behavioral ID assist is the wagging of the tail, which flicks up and down constantly. Their song is a series of buzzy notes ascending in pitch: referred to as "climbing the stairs" or "climbing to heaven".

Prairie Warblers nest in loose colonies with well defined territories (sometimes nesting singularly). The male returns to the same breeding territory each year, but the female often does not. During courtship males perform a slow butterfly like flight display and will often chase the female. Once the courtship is done, and the pair is formed, the female will build the nest alone. Nests are usually attached to scrubs or tree limbs at low elevations and are cup shaped. They are woven from fine grasses,held together with spider silk and lined with hair and feathers. After 3-5 eggs are laid, incubation will take from 12-13 days. (The female will often eat the eggshells after hatching, and will consume them in 15-90 seconds!) The young take 40-50 days to fledge and are fed and tended by both parents.

Prairie Warblers eat mostly insects, gleaning from the underside of leaves and tree branches, often hovering and catching insects in mid-air. They will also consume berries and the sap from holes sapsuckers have drilled.

The range of Prairie Warblers is slowly expanding northward, due to Christmas tree plantings and pine tree farms. These wonderful warblers migrate to southern Florida and the Bahamas. There is a population that resides year round in Florida mangroves and is actually considered a sub-species of the warblers we see here on LI; they are slightly bigger in size and have large white spots on the tail. Unfortunately, Prairie Warbler populations are declining, possibly due to habitat loss.

A wonderful warbler ... So look for nests and watch for young as nesting Prairie Warblers raise their families on our LI.

PINE SISKIN

Sun, 13 Feb 2011 12:35:40 -0500

Carduelis pinus, 41/2-51/2 in., 11-14cm.

During some winters we may see a bird that is not usually seen at the feeder and appears to look like a “husky” goldfinch. What you may be seeing is a Pine Siskin.
Pine Siskins are heavily streaked with dusky brown and black feathers on the back. The base color of the breast is pale grey to white, with heavy streaking of brown to lighter brown. Two yellow/buff wing-bars may be more visible in flight as is the yellow in the flight feathers. Siskins have thin beaks as well as a notched tail.
Pine Siskins are birds of the far Northern forests. Central Alaska and Northern Canada are their territories. If however, their food sources are scarce they will move south. They may be in our area one year, maybe two, and then not be seen again for years. This is known as an “irruptive species”. Other irruptive examples for Long Island are Snowy Owls, Red-breasted Nuthatches, and Red and White-winged Crossbills to name a few.
Siskins feed during the day. They like seeds from alder and birch but they will also eat tender buds, insects and spiders. Besides seeking food at the tree tops they will check out weedy fields, road sides and lawns. When eating from conifers, they usually hang upside down from the tips of the trees. They will accumulate a great deal of fat during the winter; each bird can pack enough seeds into its expandable esophagus to sustain itself for an extra five hours overnight…even when temperatures are below 0˚ F.
Pine Siskins are also very social birds and will build nests adjacent to each other, with only a few feet in between them. Being social, they will also feed in large flocks during the year.
Courtship begins before breeding season with the males flying in circles over the tops of the trees, singing and rapidly fluttering their wings in what is called “butterfly flight”. Once mating has occurred, usually in late February to early March depending on the area, the female begins to gather nesting material. The nest is built by the female on a conifer limb amidst foliage making it difficult to see. It a loose construction of grasses and weed stems, with small twigs making up the outer part of the nest. The inner part is lined with feathers, fur, grass, and possibly thistle down. Three to four eggs are laid and the female alone incubates the eggs.
Baby birds are born with their eyes closed and their bodies bare except for some down on their heads. Males will feed their mates and the female will then feed the babies. This lasts for about 13 to 17 days. Once fledged the young birds will fly with the parents and other members of the flock.
As noted above, lengthy migrations only occur when food sources are limited. Some years, we can see as many as 120 siskins at our feeders and other years, none. During irruptive years, they have been reported as far south as Alabama.
The name Siskin is derived from its sound or chirp. Thus, this bird’s common name is really “pine chirper.” Pine Siskins can often be heard before they are seen; their call has a distinct rising buzzy tone that can be described as sounding like zhree-e-e-e-e-eet.

Check out your feeders for a goldfinch sized bird with lots of stripes and several patches of pale yellow and you may be seeing an ”irruptive” species, the Pine Siskin.
Good Birding!! Karen