Common Songbirds
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20190813 Photos courtesy Jerry Ting Jerry courtesy Photos Song sparrow. Song cover: the On . REGIONALPARKSFOUNDATION ORG . 510-544-2220 510-544-2220 . , PASS DOG MORE AND , , , - FREE ENJOY SWIMMING PARKING USE DAY Regional Parks Membership Parks Regional 510-544-2233, [email protected] 510-544-2233, Tilden Nature Area/Environmental Education Center Center Education Area/Environmental Nature Tilden [email protected] 510-544-3169, Garden: Botanic Berkeley , Park Regional Tilden Open weekends only weekends Open 510-544-3249, [email protected] 510-544-3249, Sunol , Wilderness Regional Sunol-Ohlone Open summer weekends summer Open , [email protected] , Hills) (Coyote 510-544-3220 , Hayward Hayward , Parks Regional Pioneer Creek Garin/Dry Open summer weekends summer Open 510-544-3146, [email protected] 510-544-3146, , Livermore , Park Regional Valle Del 510-544-3187, [email protected] 510-544-3187, Crab Cove Visitor Center and Aquarium Aquarium and Center Visitor Cove Crab Alameda , Beach State Memorial Crown 510-544-3220, [email protected] 510-544-3220, , Fremont , Park Regional Hills Coyote 510-544-2750, [email protected] 510-544-2750, Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve Regional Mines Diamond Black , Antioch , the shallow edge of a stream or pond. or stream a of edge shallow the 510-544-3050, [email protected] 510-544-3050, Big Break Visitor Center at the Delta Delta the at Center Visitor Break Big get a good look at this bird by pausing quietly near near quietly pausing by bird this at look good a get them in the air. the in them Big Break Regional Shoreline Regional Break Big , Oakley Oakley , male is distinctive. They are fond of water; you may may you water; of fond are They distinctive. is male in trees and tall shrubs, sometimes flying up to catch catch to up flying sometimes shrubs, tall and trees in another warbler species, the silky black cap of the the of cap black silky the species, warbler another 510-544-2797, [email protected] 510-544-2797, warble. Look for yellow-rumps foraging for insects insects for foraging yellow-rumps for Look warble. olive-green female Wilson’s might be confused with with confused be might Wilson’s female olive-green Ardenwood Historic Farm Historic Ardenwood , Fremont , on the breast and cheeks. His song is a sweet sweet a is song His cheeks. and breast the on to snatch airborne prey. While the yellow and and yellow the While prey. airborne snatch to Visitor Centers Visitor crown as well as black (sometimes dark blue-gray) blue-gray) dark (sometimes black as well as crown by gleaning, probing, and suddenly flitting upward upward flitting suddenly and probing, gleaning, by also has bright yellow on the sides, throat, and and throat, sides, the on yellow bright has also Wilson’s warbler seems to chase bugs constantly constantly bugs chase to seems warbler Wilson’s patch. The male “butter butt” in breeding plumage plumage breeding in butt” “butter male The patch. never stops moving. A tireless insectivore, the the insectivore, tireless A moving. stops never dazzling bird is identified by its bright yellow rump rump yellow bright its by identified is bird dazzling ebparks.org but difficult to positively identify because it almost almost it because identify positively to difficult but One of the most abundant warbler species, this this species, warbler abundant most the of One ( TR S 711) S TR ( 1-888-327-2757 or 1-888-EBPARKS This dazzling, yellow warbler can be easy to spot, spot, to easy be can warbler yellow dazzling, This 2950 Peralta Oaks Court, Oakland, CA 94605 CA Oakland, Court, Oaks Peralta 2950 5-6 inches 5-6 Length: 4½-5 inches 4½-5 Length: Regional Park District Park Regional Dendroica coronata Dendroica Wilsonia pusilla Wilsonia Yellow-rumped Warbler Warbler Yellow-rumped Wilson’s Warbler Wilson’s in the East Bay Bay East the in Common Songbirds Songbirds Common ongbirds are often American Robin Bewick’s Wren Sbeautiful, and Turdus migratorius Thryomanes bewickii their songs are familiar, Length: 8½-10 inches Length: 4½-5¼ inches pleasing sounds to many An all-time backyard favorite in much of North Flitting through parkland open forest and scrubby people. Making up almost America, the robin is also widespread in chaparral, or probing around your house, the half of all bird species in the undeveloped areas of California. Look for this bird always-curious Bewick’s wren inspects cracks world, songbirds are also in grassy patches as it hunts worms by watching and crevices for a possible insect meal or future known as “perching birds.” Their and listening for them as they squirm near the top nest site. The striking white eyebrow stripe feet have three toes facing forward and of the soil. The handsome rust-colored breast of distinguishes this year-round resident from other one facing back, allowing them to easily this thrush, combined with its elegantly cheerful wrens. The Bewick’s long tail is usually held in a grasp their perch, even while sleeping. song (cheerily-cheeri-up-cheerio), make the robin stiff, vertical tilt and waved about threateningly as Male songbirds pour forth their melodies on easily identifiable. the wren scolds territorial intruders. As a loud spring mornings, and many sing from mid-winter singer, this wren produces a complex and variable through mid-summer. They use songs to announce collection of burr-like buzzing, ending in a long, their claim to nesting territories and to warn sweet trill. other birds of the same species to stay away. If all goes well, the irresistible combination of colorful plumage and vibrant song will attract a mate, and a nest full of young birds will be the result. Males tend to stop singing when close to the nest to avoid attracting predators. Songbirds also produce other shorter and simpler sounds known as calls, used to communicate during all seasons. Both the male and female adults of some species Hear the Songbirds take care of their nestlings. In others, only the Songbird An Internet search will show many birdwatching apps female incubates the eggs and feeds the young. for smartphones and computers. Most include songs! During the spring, listen for baby birds in the nest Resources Comparing recordings with live songs is an excellent chirping aggressively when their parents are close, Field Guides way to identify birds. However, please DO NOT play begging for food. Once the young birds fledge (leave • The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western recordings outside; the sudden appearance of a the nest and start flying), they often continue to North America, David Allen Sibley competing “bird” (the sound coming from your phone) beg the adults for food through late spring and will be very stressful to the birds you are observing. • Western Birds, Roger Tory Peterson sometimes even summer. To hear songbird audio clips • Field Guide to the Birds of North America, When exploring your East Bay Regional Parks, your of the birds in this brochure, scan National Geographic neighborhood, or even your backyard, it may be this QR code with a smart phone possible to see and hear many of the birds listed in • Field Guide to the Birds of North America, camera, its QR code reader, or go this brochure. In whatever way you choose to study National Wildlife Federation to www.ebparks.org/songbirds. songbirds, the experience is sure to be rewarding! Songs sometimes vary by region and • Field Guide to the Birds, Western Region, The following are just a few favorites among the Donald and Lillian Stokes Songbird audio even by the individual bird, so what many songbird species commonly seen and heard recordings you hear in the wild may sound Birder Resources in the East Bay Regional Parks. differently than the recording. • www.goldengateaudubon.org goes here goes Soy Ink Bug Bug Ink Soy 20190813 Photos courtesy Jerry Ting Jerry courtesy Photos Song sparrow. Song cover: the On . ORG REGIONALPARKSFOUNDATION . 510-544-2220 510-544-2220 . , MORE AND PASS DOG , , , - SWIMMING PARKING USE DAY FREE ENJOY Regional Parks Membership Parks Regional 510-544-2233, [email protected] 510-544-2233, Tilden Nature Area/Environmental Education Center Center Education Area/Environmental Nature Tilden [email protected] 510-544-3169, Garden: Botanic Berkeley , Park Regional Tilden Open weekends only weekends Open [email protected] 510-544-3249, Sunol , Wilderness Regional Sunol-Ohlone Open summer weekends summer Open [email protected] , Hills) (Coyote 510-544-3220 , Hayward Hayward , Parks Regional Pioneer Creek Garin/Dry Open summer weekends summer Open [email protected] 510-544-3146, , Livermore , Park Regional Valle Del 510-544-3187, [email protected] 510-544-3187, Crab Cove Visitor Center and Aquarium Aquarium and Center Visitor Cove Crab Alameda , Beach State Memorial Crown 510-544-3220, [email protected] 510-544-3220, , Fremont , Park Regional Hills Coyote 510-544-2750, [email protected] 510-544-2750, , Antioch , Preserve Regional Mines Diamond Black the shallow edge of a stream or pond. or stream a of edge shallow the 510-544-3050, [email protected] 510-544-3050, Big Break Visitor Center at the Delta Delta the at Center Visitor Break Big get a good look at this bird by pausing quietly near near quietly pausing by bird this at look good a get them in the air. the in them , Oakley Oakley , Shoreline Regional Break Big male is distinctive. They are fond of water; you may may you water; of fond are They distinctive. is male in trees and tall shrubs, sometimes flying up to catch catch to up flying sometimes shrubs, tall and trees in another warbler species, the silky black cap of the the of cap black silky the species, warbler another 510-544-2797, [email protected] 510-544-2797, warble.