"Who's Awake? Me Too!"By JOHN SCHAUST

Home , Bufflehead, Northern mockingbird

For Preferred BirdTracksthis specialYou because have receivededition you are of a A special BirdTracks edition from Spring 2012 preferred WBU customer!

PRST STD C  F B B—Continued from page 2 Customers Only U.S. POSTAGE an already formed pair, is much shorter Are you enjoying BirdTracks? We’d appreciate your feedback and comments MARIETTA,PAID OH and involves rapid hovering behavior PERMIT NO 161 near dense cover. Courtship feeding the next time you visit our store. entails the males giving food to a crouch- The male Downy Woodpecker does a ing, wing-fl uttering female, who makes combination of courtship moves including faint begging calls. drumming, tapping, and dancing through the trees to attract the female (pictured). • Mourning Dove. Most people can recognize that famous mournful coo-OO, males, females acquire mates that and our partner oo, oo, oo call made by males from con- may be more attentive to the nest and spicuous perches as they try to attract a might even pass on good qualities to female. Some males might have up to a her off spring. Coloration aside, the dozen special cooing perches within a male also can try a version of the but- ® single territory. Watch for males engag- terfl y fl ight described above. ing in an aerial display known as the fl apping-gliding fl ight. e male leaves • Downy Woodpecker. Males often Tracks by JOHN SCHAUST his cooing perch while vigorously fl ap- perform drumming to attract females. BIRD ping and noisily clapping his wings. e tion of these songs is unclear among Steady and staccato-like, a burst might "Who’s Awake? Me too!" wingtip extension is quite pronounced ornithologists, so resist the tempta- last about one second and occur 9 to 15 ook at the title of this article and and they actually touch together at the tion to assume that the males sing to times per minute. Drumming is not to be read it out loud a couple of times. apex of each wingbeat. He’ll rise as high attract a female. Male House Finches confused with tapping, another court- SayL it slowly and draw the words out as 100 feet or so, extend his wings, hold- must, however, work hard to attract a ship behavior that consists of 9 to 10 taps a little. Go ahead—try it! ing them quite still below the plane of female because as many as 40 percent at roughly four taps per second. Once a Congratulations, you have just his body, make a long, spiraling glide for of males remain unattached in vari- male gets a female interested, he shows learned the typical five-note call of a complete circle, and then add a series ous populations. With this species, at off his fl ight skills. Yes, it is another ver- one of the most powerful and domi- of fl aps and glides just before alighting least, being chosen by a female may sion of the butterfl y fl ight—in the case of nant raptors of the night sky—the on the same perch or perhaps another. If have much to do with diet and looks. the Downy Woodpecker, it is the most Great Horned Owl. the female likes what she sees, she’ll land According to both laboratory and fi eld spectacular courtship to see. Look for In owl language, the call sounds beside him and the two begin a series of experiments, females prefer to pair it on sunny, warm days. e male and something like whooo…whoo-hoo…. display movements. with the most brightly colored males female chase one another in dance-like who..who. During the breeding season, available to them. e redder the male, fashion through the trees by holding their pairs of Great Horned Owls will often • House Finch. Male House Finches the better! To acquire the red plumage wings up high and fl apping them slowly perform this call in a duet that starts are capable of beautiful songs ranging color, the male must take in plenty of like butterfl ies or even bats do. Some- around dusk and may last for more than from four to 40 syllables and last- carotenoids, which are pigments found times the fl ight is level and other times it an hour. If you are lucky enough to have

ing a couple of seconds. e func- in plant parts. By choosing well-fed might be in long, deep loops. DEWHURST/USFWS DONNA a pair near your home, you can separate who is who by listening for the female’s W’ A M T— Continued from page 5 higher pitched and slightly faster song. W’ A M T— Continued from page 1 Odds are good that you do have a indeed see if they are still awake, too! allaboutbirds.org to hear a great pair of these large and long-lived owls In every issue of BirdTracks living nearby. Able to thrive in virtually has been known to feed on inver- we feature questions from To check the accuracy of your audio clip. tebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, newly-learned imitation of the Great Remember practice makes perfect! any habitat found in the United States, and even other birds. A wide variety you, our best customers. Horned Owl’s call, visit Canada, and Mexico, they are equally of mammals, including skunks and We welcome your at home in wilderness or suburban porcupines, makes up the largest suggestions, comments settings. is amazing diversity is the portion (up to 90 percent) of its typi- and questions. We also result of their superior physical and be- cal diet. Great Horned Owl Fun Facts: havioral adaptations which enable them But life for the Great Horned Owl hope to share your tips and • The Great Horned Owl has • Great Horned Owls use the to survive under almost any condition. is not always easy, especially in the ideas for enhancing our the largest distribution widest variety of nesting sites Superbly adapted for hunting at night early months. Mortality rates dur- enjoyment of backyard with large “night vision” eyes, acute of any North American owl. of any bird in North America, hearing, silent ﬂ ight, and strong talons, ing the first year of life can range birds and wildlife with but most often reuse old nests from 30 to 60 percent depending on • It takes almost 30 pounds of it is the rare item of prey that can of hawks, crows, and squirrels. local food conditions. But, if a fledg- other BirdTracks readers force to open the closed talon escape the clutches of a Great Horned ing owl can survive to become an all over North America. Owl. And it’s not picky about what it FUHRMAN JOE of a Great Horned Owl. • Great Horned Owls are eats! It has the most varied diet of any adult, it has the longest potential life believed to be truly Great Horned Owls may weigh two to four pounds. Those in the northern part of the span of any species of owl in North • Great Horned Owls nest North American hawk or owl and continent can weigh about twice as much as their southern cousins. Write to us at: monogamous and form long- America. Bird banding studies con- earlier than any other bird of BirdTracks term pair bonds that may last Continued on page 5 firm numerous owls living well into prey in North America. c/o BWD their lifetime. their 20s, with the record bird being 28 years old. Feature Birds in Depth e Backyard Watcher PO Box 110 • Great Horned Owls have Great Horned Owl ...... 1 Courtship in Favorite Backyard Birds ... 2 Top 10 Long-awaited Signs of Spring .... 4 Great Horned Owls are regular Marietta, OH 45750 visitors to residential parks and been known to successfully News on the Fly backyards. Take a few moments this GENTRY/USFWS GEORGE incubate eggs at Snowy Owls and Other Predators...... 2 Readers’ Questions ...... 3 spring to step outside after dusk to Great Horned Owls nest earlier than any other bird of prey in North America. Or send an e-mail to: temperatures below -20˚ F. CONTENTS JESSICA ANDERSON JESSICA [email protected] 5 1 For Preferred Wild Birds Unlimited Customers For Preferred Wild Birds Unlimited Customers For Preferred Wild Birds Unlimited Customers

BirdTracks_28_Spring_12_v1.indd 1 2/27/12 10:17 AM News on the Fly e Backyard Watcher BIRD TRIVIA: Snake Bans to Help Birds to dealing with such threats. ese four just seabirds—land-based birds such as e U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service snakes have been listed under the Lacey woodpeckers, tanagers, meadowlarks, cat- Snowy Owls and Other Predators Most Popular State Birds: (UFWS) has banned the importation and Act as injurious wildlife. In a recent intes- birds, kingbirds, and swallows were among the species found. How would a land bird Top 10 Long-awaited Signs of Spring by DAVID BIRD interstate transportation of four non-na- tinal examination of 56 captured Burmese • Northern Cardinal: 7 states end up in a shark’s stomach? e answer by BILL THOMPSON, III tive constrictor snakes: Burmese Python, Pythons in or adjacent to Everglades Na- y the time you read this, spring may pal prey item—in the far north. (Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, may be the large numbers of night-migrat- end of every twig. Soon every living tree e Winter of 2011–2012: a Banner Yellow Anaconda, and the Northern and tional Park, 50 were found to have eaten ing birds attracted to brightly lit oil and have a firm grip on your local area, Juncos leaving. Although we’ll have Year for Snowy Owls A plentiful supply of the small North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, B in our woods will be about to burst into a few with us until early May, by late Southern African Pythons. e release of multiple bird species, including White gas platforms, which today number more but as I write it’s still winter here in 4 It is being described by raptor research- rodents this past breeding season West Virginia) these snakes by irresponsible pet-owners Ibis, Limpkins, King Rails, and Clapper southeastern Ohio. Each winter, spring leaf. When the budding is at its fullest, February, our junco numbers are slowly ers as “unbelievable” and the “most resulted in larger than normal than 6,000 in the Gulf. ese attractions we know the Blue-gray Gnatcatchers will Rails. Other python species released into occur most often on cloudy nights, when seems a little slower to arrive than in dwindling. I’m always fascinated by these significant wildlife event in decades.” ey broods of the owls, and the num- and animal dealers into sensitive bird be here soon. little grayish wonders that seem to be the wild have killed and consumed endan- thousands of migrating birds mistake the past years. Or perhaps it’s that I’m long- are referring to the large numbers of snowy ber of fledglings virtually doubled. • Western Meadowlark: 6 states habitats is posing a significant threat to ing for it more as I get older. with us no matter how bad the weather, owls that have blessed the landscapes of e resulting competition for the future of some bird species, as well gered Wood Storks. Millions of govern- platform lights for the stars by which they Duck flights. As the Great Lakes (Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, navigate. When the birds circle in confu- Here are my top 10 long-awaited all winter long, scratching out seed bits southern Canada and well into the United food among the owls led many as other wildlife in the United States, ment dollars have been spent to combat signs of spring. ese are, of course, begin to open up and ice disperses, from under our feeders. is species is a States, from Montana to Massachusetts of the younger birds, especially North Dakota, Oregon, Wyoming) sion, they often crash into the platform or 6we get skeins of ducks coming up the particularly in the Everglades. People buy the spread of the reptiles. fall exhausted from the sky into the water. the signs that I see here on my farm notable “get” for our spring Big Day list to as far south as Missouri. e large, males, to head south to hunt ro- the snakes only to realize later that keep- near Whipple, Ohio. Your signs might Ohio River Valley. It’s so exciting to take in early May, when a late-lingering junco white owls, which stand two feet tall with dents in “greener pastures.” Even One solution may be the application of a Sunday drive along the rivers and past • Northern Mockingbird: 5 states ing a snake several feet long inside their Birds on the Menu for Sharks bird-friendly lighting strategies, which be totally different. But I hope these may visit our feeder, and for our Big Sit a wingspan of five feet, generally breed on if the snowies seem to be plenti- the ponds in our area, because each one day in early October, when the first junco house or apartment is not such an attrac- Scientists at the Dauphin Island Sea have been successfully used to reduce bird will help you think about, or become the treeless tundra of the Arctic stretching ful this winter, Holt believes the (Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Lab in Alabama made an unexpected more aware of, your own signs of offers a chance to see the first stunning of winter magically appears at our feed- from Alaska to Greenland. Denver Holt world population of the popular tive idea. Sadly, the pet-owners’ solution fatalities in other places such as oil and gas drake Bufflehead, Ring-necked Duck, or Tennessee, Texas) discovery when studying the diets of platforms in the Netherlands and at the spring. ers. Before they leave, our juncos sing of the Owl Research Institute, who has owl is in overall decline, likely due often is to release the snakes into the Tiger Sharks in the Gulf of Mexico—birds even a Northern Pintail. Our first spring and jostle around our yard with increas- studied snowy owls for decades, says the to the impact of climate change on wild, where they breed readily and prey 9/11 Memorial in New York City. ducks are often the hardy Mallards and showed up with a surprisingly high fre- Songbird songs. e first species ing intensity, practicing for the coming rare mass southerly irruption is linked to the tundra grasses that lemmings upon on native wildlife not accustomed quency in their digestive systems. And not 1 0 that I noticed tuning up this year Black Ducks, followed closely by the breeding season. the cycles of lemmings—the owl’s princi- feed upon. was a Tufted Titmouse singing Peter, impressive Wood Ducks. One of these Peter, Peter in our orchard on a sunny years we hope to put a pond on our Peepers. One night soon I’ll be making Birds In Depth Frequently Asked Sunday afternoon in late January. His property, so we might lure some water- my way from the garage to our front : Mourning Doves, Barn Swallows, American Robins, and House Finches nest in our song was my first aural reminder that fowl to stop and rest. door3 (a walk of about 100 feet) and I’ll Qyard, often several times a year. Are they always the same birds that use the same nests, winter will eventually fade. Since then hear that high-lonesome sound of spring. Courtship in Favorite Backyard Birds and how many times will they nest each year? I’ve heard House and Purple Finches, No it’s not a Bill Monroe bluegrass ballad, by DR. DAVID BIRD White-breasted Nuthatches, Northern it’s the evening chorus of spring peep- De- • American Goldfinch. Goldfinch Cardinals, and Song Sparrows. ers—those tiny cold-hardy amphibians t’s always fun watching hapless males • Black-capped Chickadee. : e species you mention are strongly disinclined to use vacant nests built by other that sing from every wet patch of ground try to get hooked up with a gal. Male pending on where you live, chickadees males have to work a little harder both birds, even if of the same species. Robins and finches build their own nests over old Clumps of raptors/pairs of raptors. I can form a pair bond at any time of year. to obtain mates and to keep them. Not in the woods. Peepers start vocalizing so birds don’t have it any easier than hu- Anests. So a good site might be used by the same pair, different pairs, or different species. Last weekend we went out birding early in spring they might be more accu- man males do—they have to work to Although the bond can last for years, only do females appear to select their A moderately sized brood—three or four nestlings—inevitably compromises the struc- 9with the kids, and we saw 10 Red-tailed the divorce rate can reach as high as 15 mates after springtime arrival, there’s by Kevin Cook rately called late-winter peepers. Hearing make it happen. Here is a little guide to ’s tural integrity of a nest, compelling the adults to build a new structure for each nesting Hawks in four hours. Some of these are them lets us know that ground is thawing percent in some populations. Despite a fair bit of mate-switching during the some of the courtship strategies used by attempt. A single nestling can be reared with virtually no damage to the nest structure, mak- our local year-round residents, some and the springs are starting to flow. male birds in six of our favorite back- years of observation, we know little about breeding season. To get the female’s Q ing it suitable for a second use. are winter visitors, and some are birds yard birds. the courtship displays of the Black-capped attention, the males might engage in Regarding the doves, robins, and finches, in any given population some percentage of pairs will nest once, some two or of passage, returning north to set up Chickadee. Although the female might two main courtship flights. In the but- at spring smell. I love to inhale three times, and a minuscule fraction will attempt four nestings. Barn Swallows are mostly single-brooded, with some double- territories. Late winter and early spring the earthy spring smell that the land • Northern Cardinal. Because receive as much as 50 percent of her food terfly flight, two or more singing males brooding. are excellent times for raptor watching. 2 from the male, it may have little to do with fly level in slow, interlocking circles produces in late February and early cardinals are nonmigratory, a pair may Warm climates and lower altitudes stretch the nesting seasons; cold climates and higher altitudes shrink the nesting season. Many of our resident Red-tailed and March. It’s equal parts rain and soil, grass remain together on the breeding terri- courtship. Both birds are fairly silent in for about 10 to 30 seconds some 75 to So geography influences the mix of percentages: Robins high in the Rocky Mountains or far north are more likely to nest once or Red-shouldered Hawk pairs are already the early stages, and then later on females 100 feet above the nesting habitat. e and ozone, creating a perfume that no tory for the entire year. e frequency twice, whereas southern or low-elevation robins are more likely to nest two or three times. courting each other, complete with acro- amount of chemical wizardry can rep- of “divorce” is about 10 to 20 percent, will quiver their wings and issue a broken moth flight, more often associated with Age and experience also matter. Birds that have successfully reared young are far more likely to nest multiple times within the batic flights, dives, and piercing screams. version of the dee part of their famous A male Red-headed licate. Julie and the kids often catch me so the males do have to perform some Continued on page 5 same season. standing in the front yard at dusk, nose courtship displays to keep their part- chicka-dee-dee-dee Owls hooting. Hawks aren’t the only Woodpecker stakes out call. Little or no raptors making noise. Our evenings his territory. pointed skyward, eyes closed, breathing ners interested. In the lopsided display, Despite their hand- 8 deeply. It’s heaven. the male spreads his wings, keeps his visual display is some good looks, are punctuated with hoots from Great feathers and his head crest flattened, made prior to mat- male American Gold- :We live in a neighborhood with a pond where we see ducks putting their heads under water Horned and Barred Owls. If we listen ing, but sometimes finches have to work Qthen splashing with their feet. What are they doing? carefully at dusk we can hear Eastern Woodpeckers drumming. On our Woodcock. It’s often when I’m com- and twists his body so as to display his ing in from the garage, at the end of a breast. If she is not impressed with that, the male might extra hard to capture Screech-Owls whinnying far off in our farm we hear woodpeckers drum- 1 use the “gargle” the attention of the east woods. Owls can be hard to hear if ming5 in early spring and it continues workday, perhaps when I’m smelling the he might try the song-dance display, ladies. spring air, or listening to the first spring where he remains more upright and call, perhaps the : Some ducks feed by diving underwater, where they find everything from plants to snails you don’t get outside to listen. Late win- until the following fall. Woodpeck- most complex of and fish. Other ducks feed on the surface, where they skim fruits and seeds, insects larvae, ter is the best time to catch the concert ers are drumming both as a territorial peepers, that I hear the first peent! of erects his crest. With a little singsong, he A our American Woodcock male. He’s a sways back and forth. And if that doesn’t all of their vocal- and crustaceans. of hoots, because many owl species are announcement and as a part of spring izations and the ese surface-feeding ducks will also take food from the bottom in shallow water. ey setting up territories and starting the courtship. Some suburban woodpeck- tough old coot, often starting his spring work, he can always resort to the song- performances when there’s still snow on flight display. Fluffing out his breast one least likely to particularly go after snails, the shells of which provide calcium that female ducks need for egg breeding cycle. Spend an hour outside ers have discovered the great resonance be recognized by production. right at dusk, listening quietly, and you of chimney flues and drainpipes, much the meadow and ice in the valleys. But he feathers and erecting his crest, he sings knows that the early male woodcock gets and descends upon the female slowly bird watchers. e When the ducks splash the water with their feet, they are compensating for their natural might tune into a little night music. to the dismay of slumbering human female may engage buoyancy so they can work the bottom for the food they want. homeowners. Among our drummers are not only the earthworms, but also the with short, rapid wing strokes. e old Trees and flower buds. Our water gals. We cherish the evenings we spend standby is offering little tidbits of food to in wing-quivering maples and red maples are the first Pileated, Red-bellied, Hairy, and Downy for a few seconds Woodpeckers, and Northern Flicker. listening to his nasal calls and watching the receptive female. 7trees to show signs of budding. In a few his silhouette against the pink west- after mating. A diving duck in action can Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers tap our birch MENKE/USFWS DAVE weeks the bare, lifeless branches will of- ern horizon as he spirals skyward and be a strange sight indeed. ISTOCKPHOTO.COM trees each spring but do not stick around fer a reddish glow—the effect created by twitter-tumbles back to our old meadow. BILL THOMPSON,BILL III the thousands of growing red buds at the to breed. And Red-headed Woodpeckers (my favorite birds) nest in a small colony Of all the signs of spring we see each just a couple of miles away. year, he’s our favorite! 2 3 4 For Preferred Wild Birds Unlimited Customers For Preferred Wild Birds Unlimited Customers For Preferred Wild Birds Unlimited Customers

BirdTracks_28_Spring_12_v1.indd 2 2/27/12 10:17 AM News on the Fly e Backyard Watcher BIRD TRIVIA: Snake Bans to Help Birds to dealing with such threats. ese four just seabirds—land-based birds such as e U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service snakes have been listed under the Lacey woodpeckers, tanagers, meadowlarks, cat- Snowy Owls and Other Predators Most Popular State Birds: (UFWS) has banned the importation and Act as injurious wildlife. In a recent intes- birds, kingbirds, and swallows were among the species found. How would a land bird Top 10 Long-awaited Signs of Spring by DAVID BIRD interstate transportation of four non-na- tinal examination of 56 captured Burmese • Northern Cardinal: 7 states end up in a shark’s stomach? e answer by BILL THOMPSON, III tive constrictor snakes: Burmese Python, Pythons in or adjacent to Everglades Na- y the time you read this, spring may pal prey item—in the far north. (Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, may be the large numbers of night-migrat- end of every twig. Soon every living tree e Winter of 2011–2012: a Banner Yellow Anaconda, and the Northern and tional Park, 50 were found to have eaten ing birds attracted to brightly lit oil and have a firm grip on your local area, Juncos leaving. Although we’ll have Year for Snowy Owls A plentiful supply of the small North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, B in our woods will be about to burst into a few with us until early May, by late Southern African Pythons. e release of multiple bird species, including White gas platforms, which today number more but as I write it’s still winter here in 4 It is being described by raptor research- rodents this past breeding season West Virginia) these snakes by irresponsible pet-owners Ibis, Limpkins, King Rails, and Clapper southeastern Ohio. Each winter, spring leaf. When the budding is at its fullest, February, our junco numbers are slowly ers as “unbelievable” and the “most resulted in larger than normal than 6,000 in the Gulf. ese attractions we know the Blue-gray Gnatcatchers will Rails. Other python species released into occur most often on cloudy nights, when seems a little slower to arrive than in dwindling. I’m always fascinated by these significant wildlife event in decades.” ey broods of the owls, and the num- and animal dealers into sensitive bird be here soon. little grayish wonders that seem to be the wild have killed and consumed endan- thousands of migrating birds mistake the past years. Or perhaps it’s that I’m long- are referring to the large numbers of snowy ber of fledglings virtually doubled. • Western Meadowlark: 6 states habitats is posing a significant threat to ing for it more as I get older. with us no matter how bad the weather, owls that have blessed the landscapes of e resulting competition for the future of some bird species, as well gered Wood Storks. Millions of govern- platform lights for the stars by which they Duck flights. As the Great Lakes (Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, navigate. When the birds circle in confu- Here are my top 10 long-awaited all winter long, scratching out seed bits southern Canada and well into the United food among the owls led many as other wildlife in the United States, ment dollars have been spent to combat signs of spring. ese are, of course, begin to open up and ice disperses, from under our feeders. is species is a States, from Montana to Massachusetts of the younger birds, especially North Dakota, Oregon, Wyoming) sion, they often crash into the platform or 6we get skeins of ducks coming up the particularly in the Everglades. People buy the spread of the reptiles. fall exhausted from the sky into the water. the signs that I see here on my farm notable “get” for our spring Big Day list to as far south as Missouri. e large, males, to head south to hunt ro- the snakes only to realize later that keep- near Whipple, Ohio. Your signs might Ohio River Valley. It’s so exciting to take in early May, when a late-lingering junco white owls, which stand two feet tall with dents in “greener pastures.” Even One solution may be the application of a Sunday drive along the rivers and past • Northern Mockingbird: 5 states ing a snake several feet long inside their Birds on the Menu for Sharks bird-friendly lighting strategies, which be totally different. But I hope these may visit our feeder, and for our Big Sit a wingspan of five feet, generally breed on if the snowies seem to be plenti- the ponds in our area, because each one day in early October, when the first junco house or apartment is not such an attrac- Scientists at the Dauphin Island Sea have been successfully used to reduce bird will help you think about, or become the treeless tundra of the Arctic stretching ful this winter, Holt believes the (Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Lab in Alabama made an unexpected more aware of, your own signs of offers a chance to see the first stunning of winter magically appears at our feed- from Alaska to Greenland. Denver Holt world population of the popular tive idea. Sadly, the pet-owners’ solution fatalities in other places such as oil and gas drake Bufflehead, Ring-necked Duck, or Tennessee, Texas) discovery when studying the diets of platforms in the Netherlands and at the spring. ers. Before they leave, our juncos sing of the Owl Research Institute, who has owl is in overall decline, likely due often is to release the snakes into the Tiger Sharks in the Gulf of Mexico—birds even a Northern Pintail. Our first spring and jostle around our yard with increas- studied snowy owls for decades, says the to the impact of climate change on wild, where they breed readily and prey 9/11 Memorial in New York City. ducks are often the hardy Mallards and showed up with a surprisingly high fre- Songbird songs. e first species ing intensity, practicing for the coming rare mass southerly irruption is linked to the tundra grasses that lemmings upon on native wildlife not accustomed quency in their digestive systems. And not 1 0 that I noticed tuning up this year Black Ducks, followed closely by the breeding season. the cycles of lemmings—the owl’s princi- feed upon. was a Tufted Titmouse singing Peter, impressive Wood Ducks. One of these Peter, Peter in our orchard on a sunny years we hope to put a pond on our Peepers. One night soon I’ll be making Birds In Depth Frequently Asked Sunday afternoon in late January. His property, so we might lure some water- my way from the garage to our front : Mourning Doves, Barn Swallows, American Robins, and House Finches nest in our song was my first aural reminder that fowl to stop and rest. door3 (a walk of about 100 feet) and I’ll Qyard, often several times a year. Are they always the same birds that use the same nests, winter will eventually fade. Since then hear that high-lonesome sound of spring. Courtship in Favorite Backyard Birds and how many times will they nest each year? I’ve heard House and Purple Finches, No it’s not a Bill Monroe bluegrass ballad, by DR. DAVID BIRD White-breasted Nuthatches, Northern it’s the evening chorus of spring peep- De- • American Goldfinch. Goldfinch Cardinals, and Song Sparrows. ers—those tiny cold-hardy amphibians t’s always fun watching hapless males • Black-capped Chickadee. : e species you mention are strongly disinclined to use vacant nests built by other that sing from every wet patch of ground try to get hooked up with a gal. Male pending on where you live, chickadees males have to work a little harder both birds, even if of the same species. Robins and finches build their own nests over old Clumps of raptors/pairs of raptors. I can form a pair bond at any time of year. to obtain mates and to keep them. Not in the woods. Peepers start vocalizing so birds don’t have it any easier than hu- Anests. So a good site might be used by the same pair, different pairs, or different species. Last weekend we went out birding early in spring they might be more accu- man males do—they have to work to Although the bond can last for years, only do females appear to select their A moderately sized brood—three or four nestlings—inevitably compromises the struc- 9with the kids, and we saw 10 Red-tailed the divorce rate can reach as high as 15 mates after springtime arrival, there’s by Kevin Cook rately called late-winter peepers. Hearing make it happen. Here is a little guide to ’s tural integrity of a nest, compelling the adults to build a new structure for each nesting Hawks in four hours. Some of these are them lets us know that ground is thawing percent in some populations. Despite a fair bit of mate-switching during the some of the courtship strategies used by attempt. A single nestling can be reared with virtually no damage to the nest structure, mak- our local year-round residents, some and the springs are starting to flow. male birds in six of our favorite back- years of observation, we know little about breeding season. To get the female’s Q ing it suitable for a second use. are winter visitors, and some are birds yard birds. the courtship displays of the Black-capped attention, the males might engage in Regarding the doves, robins, and finches, in any given population some percentage of pairs will nest once, some two or of passage, returning north to set up Chickadee. Although the female might two main courtship flights. In the but- at spring smell. I love to inhale three times, and a minuscule fraction will attempt four nestings. Barn Swallows are mostly single-brooded, with some double- territories. Late winter and early spring the earthy spring smell that the land • Northern Cardinal. Because receive as much as 50 percent of her food terfly flight, two or more singing males brooding. are excellent times for raptor watching. 2 from the male, it may have little to do with fly level in slow, interlocking circles produces in late February and early cardinals are nonmigratory, a pair may Warm climates and lower altitudes stretch the nesting seasons; cold climates and higher altitudes shrink the nesting season. Many of our resident Red-tailed and March. It’s equal parts rain and soil, grass remain together on the breeding terri- courtship. Both birds are fairly silent in for about 10 to 30 seconds some 75 to So geography influences the mix of percentages: Robins high in the Rocky Mountains or far north are more likely to nest once or Red-shouldered Hawk pairs are already the early stages, and then later on females 100 feet above the nesting habitat. e and ozone, creating a perfume that no tory for the entire year. e frequency twice, whereas southern or low-elevation robins are more likely to nest two or three times. courting each other, complete with acro- amount of chemical wizardry can rep- of “divorce” is about 10 to 20 percent, will quiver their wings and issue a broken moth flight, more often associated with Age and experience also matter. Birds that have successfully reared young are far more likely to nest multiple times within the batic flights, dives, and piercing screams. version of the dee part of their famous A male Red-headed licate. Julie and the kids often catch me so the males do have to perform some Continued on page 5 same season. standing in the front yard at dusk, nose courtship displays to keep their part- chicka-dee-dee-dee Owls hooting. Hawks aren’t the only Woodpecker stakes out call. Little or no raptors making noise. Our evenings his territory. pointed skyward, eyes closed, breathing ners interested. In the lopsided display, Despite their hand- 8 deeply. It’s heaven. the male spreads his wings, keeps his visual display is some good looks, are punctuated with hoots from Great feathers and his head crest flattened, made prior to mat- male American Gold- :We live in a neighborhood with a pond where we see ducks putting their heads under water Horned and Barred Owls. If we listen ing, but sometimes finches have to work Qthen splashing with their feet. What are they doing? carefully at dusk we can hear Eastern Woodpeckers drumming. On our Woodcock. It’s often when I’m com- and twists his body so as to display his ing in from the garage, at the end of a breast. If she is not impressed with that, the male might extra hard to capture Screech-Owls whinnying far off in our farm we hear woodpeckers drum- 1 use the “gargle” the attention of the east woods. Owls can be hard to hear if ming5 in early spring and it continues workday, perhaps when I’m smelling the he might try the song-dance display, ladies. spring air, or listening to the first spring where he remains more upright and call, perhaps the : Some ducks feed by diving underwater, where they find everything from plants to snails you don’t get outside to listen. Late win- until the following fall. Woodpeck- most complex of and fish. Other ducks feed on the surface, where they skim fruits and seeds, insects larvae, ter is the best time to catch the concert ers are drumming both as a territorial peepers, that I hear the first peent! of erects his crest. With a little singsong, he A our American Woodcock male. He’s a sways back and forth. And if that doesn’t all of their vocal- and crustaceans. of hoots, because many owl species are announcement and as a part of spring izations and the ese surface-feeding ducks will also take food from the bottom in shallow water. ey setting up territories and starting the courtship. Some suburban woodpeck- tough old coot, often starting his spring work, he can always resort to the song- performances when there’s still snow on flight display. Fluffing out his breast one least likely to particularly go after snails, the shells of which provide calcium that female ducks need for egg breeding cycle. Spend an hour outside ers have discovered the great resonance be recognized by production. right at dusk, listening quietly, and you of chimney flues and drainpipes, much the meadow and ice in the valleys. But he feathers and erecting his crest, he sings knows that the early male woodcock gets and descends upon the female slowly bird watchers. e When the ducks splash the water with their feet, they are compensating for their natural might tune into a little night music. to the dismay of slumbering human female may engage buoyancy so they can work the bottom for the food they want. homeowners. Among our drummers are not only the earthworms, but also the with short, rapid wing strokes. e old Trees and flower buds. Our water gals. We cherish the evenings we spend standby is offering little tidbits of food to in wing-quivering maples and red maples are the first Pileated, Red-bellied, Hairy, and Downy for a few seconds Woodpeckers, and Northern Flicker. listening to his nasal calls and watching the receptive female. 7trees to show signs of budding. In a few his silhouette against the pink west- after mating. A diving duck in action can Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers tap our birch MENKE/USFWS DAVE weeks the bare, lifeless branches will of- ern horizon as he spirals skyward and be a strange sight indeed. ISTOCKPHOTO.COM trees each spring but do not stick around fer a reddish glow—the effect created by twitter-tumbles back to our old meadow. BILL THOMPSON,BILL III the thousands of growing red buds at the to breed. And Red-headed Woodpeckers (my favorite birds) nest in a small colony Of all the signs of spring we see each just a couple of miles away. year, he’s our favorite! 2 3 4 For Preferred Wild Birds Unlimited Customers For Preferred Wild Birds Unlimited Customers For Preferred Wild Birds Unlimited Customers

BirdTracks_28_Spring_12_v1.indd 2 2/27/12 10:17 AM For Preferred BirdTracksthis specialYou because have receivededition you are of a A special BirdTracks edition from Spring 2012 preferred WBU customer!

BirdTracks_28_Spring_12_v1.indd 1 2/27/12 10:17 AM For Preferred BirdTracksthis specialYou because have receivededition you are of a A special BirdTracks edition from Spring 2012 preferred WBU customer!

BirdTracks_28_Spring_12_v1.indd 1 2/27/12 10:17 AM