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in by JOHN SCHAUSTthe Morning amazing when you consider that the ne of life’s simple pleasures, often Mourning Mourning Dove is classifi ed as a game missed in today’s world, is going to Dove. bird in at least 38 states. Hunters harvest ® Osleep with your windows open. To be approximately 25 million of them every and our partner gently awakened in the early morning by year. In perspective, this means that the an enchanting cacophony of bird songs annual Mourning Dove harvest exceeds is an experience that was common to our the total harvest of all other migratory ancestors, but one that has rapidly disap- game species combined. peared in modern society. Death from non-hunting related As an early riser, the Mourning Dove’s causes (weather, predators, disease, etc.) plaintive cooing call is almost always a is believed to claim four to fi ve times the Tracks part of the dawn song heard just outside number of Mourning Doves taken in BIRD by DR. DAVID BIRD Eastern and Spotted Towhees the window. While many of the other hunting. It is estimated that between 50 the name “Rufous-sided Towhee,” but birds’ songs are cheery and bright, the – 65 percent of all Mourning Doves die Spotted Towhee. genetic studies proved them to be two Mourning Dove’s call sounds almost sad Mourning Dove Fun Facts annually. separate species. Nevertheless, they and lamenting. But with all of this annual mortality, do hybridize in a fairly narrow zone  e Mourning Dove really doesn’t •Like all birds, Mourning Doves just how does the Mourning Dove man- in the Great Plains, which can make have much to be sad about. It has truly are unable to sweat. To stay cool age to maintain such a viable population things challenging for bird watchers in prospered from humankind’s activities during hot weather, they pant under the weight of such losses? Nebraska and the Dakotas. and is now one of the most abundant and much like a dog. Panting requires Modestly stated, they are inexhaustible Both species are migratory, but this widespread birds to be found in North the doves to drink a great deal of breeders. can vary from population to popula- America. It is estimated that 350 – 450 water due to the excessive loss of Mourning Doves are monogamous and tion.  e Eastern Towhees inhabiting million of these doves inhabit the conti- moisture to evaporation. form strong pair bonds that persist dur- the northern parts of their range are nent each autumn, making it one of the •Doves are one of the few species ing at least one nesting season.  ey may more likely to head south in the fall, 10 most numerous and ubiquitous bird of birds that drink by sucking up have up to six clutches per year—the larg- but some individuals try to tough it species in the United States. their water instead of taking a bill est number of nesting cycles of any North out, especially in milder winters and at Something else for them to be happy full of water and letting it trickle American bird—with a typical clutch size locations that off er shelter and read- about is their potential lifespan. Although down their throat.  ey can suck of two eggs.  is prolifi c nesting helps the ily available food such as backyard the average longevity for a typical adult up their total daily requirement in Mourning Dove to keep its large popula- feeders.  e picture for the Spotted is only about one year, the oldest known less than 20 seconds. tion stable from year to year. Towhee is a little messier, with some free-living Mourning Dove, as proven by •Both Mourning Dove parents So maybe the Mourning Dove isn’t so being fully migratory, some partially bird banding research, was more than feed their young on “crop milk,” sad after all! E  S T— Continued from page 5 so, and others non-migratory. 31 years old!  is is one of the longest a yogurt-like secretion produced And as for their plaintive call you hear lifespans ever recorded for any terrestrial by the walls of their crop. It takes outside your window every morning, it In every issue of BirdTracks Habitat bird found in North America. both parents to provide enough just may be their way of trying to wake we feature questions from In all parts of their ranges, Spotted  is feat of longevity is even more food for the growing nestlings. you up early to fi ll the feeders. BRIAN HENRY Towhees favor habitats with a wide va- you, our best customers. riety of plants, but you can best expect We welcome your to fi nd them in places with shrubs, E  S T— Continued from page 1 suggestions, comments or the other bird watchers on away. You see, back in my region those brushes, thickets, and tangle only a and questions. We also our early morning bird walk, the sapsuckers are a dime a dozen, but few yards tall.  ey especially like to have contributed to the evolution of Spotted Towhee.  e mew call of the selection on the nest site—either on “bird-of-the-morning”F was the Yellow- towhees are somewhat rare. root around in habitat with plenty the white spots on the backs of the Spotted Towhee is apparently analo- the ground or slightly elevated from it, hope to share your tips and bellied Sapsucker, but for me it was the of litter and humus on the ground Spotted Towhee. It makes for eff ective gous to the chewink call of the Eastern but with litter piled right up to the rim, ideas for enhancing our Spotted Towhee. What a sharp-looking Territoriality shaded by protective canopy of foliage camoufl age. Towhee, and has been described by and well-concealed in tangles or heavy Although North America is home and twigs overhead. Eastern Towhees enjoyment of backyard Eastern Towhee. bird, and certainly one of the prettier some as “whining or mewing, nasal, thickets.  e nest itself is generally and more easily identifi able sparrows! to several towhee species, the two frequent the same kind of habitat in birds and wildlife with that best represent the continent are Diet slurred, catlike.” composed of bark strips, dead leaves, other BirdTracks readers  e black contrasting with the rust, the East, but they are not as fussy in  e most appropriate word to Both towhee species are aggressively grasses, twigs, and sometimes bits of white spots, and red eyes in an other- the Eastern Towhee, aptly named for their preference for dryness compared describe the towhee’s diet is “omnivo- territorial, particularly at the edges or cardboard or string.  e eggs—rang- all over North America. wise dull wintry landscape on a rainy, the East, and the Spotted Towhee to their western counterpart. Inter- rous.” Depending on what menu the boundaries of given territories. Like ing from whitish to white suff used with young for about four weeks after fl edg- its population even increasing in the chilling morning in suburban Colo- in the West. Until 1995, these two estingly, it has been suggested that season off ers, both species will happily most bird species that hold a territory, pink, green or gray and speckled with Write to us at: ing. Occasionally in warmer climates, northwestern part of its range. Loss rado Springs truthfully took my breath species were lumped together under this light-dappled kind of habitat may WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED consume seeds, fruits, and all stages of the dimension of its defended area de- brown to purplish gray—are laid one BirdTracks such as in California and Florida, of habitat from urbanization, as well Continued on page 5 invertebrates such as beetles, caterpil- pends on the population size and the a day to form a clutch of two to six, towhees have been known to raise a as changing forestry and agricultural resources available to it. In general, a but usually three to fi ve. If the clutch c/o BWD lars, moths, grasshoppers crickets, and second brood—and, rarely in the Spot- practices, is largely to blame for the Feature Backyard Café  e Backyard Watcher many other assorted creepy-crawlies. towhee territory might range from two is lost, another is laid. Only the female PO Box 110 ted Towhee, a third—in a single season. Eastern Towhee’s decrease, although it Eastern and Spotted Towhees ...... 1 The Many Joys of Sunfl owers ...... 2 10 Fascinating Sights to See in Your to fi ve acres. incubates the eggs, which hatch in 12 Marietta, OH 45750  e population numbers of East- is still relatively common and abundant Summer Backyard ...... 4 Calls and Songs or 13 days. ern Towhees have shown a disturbing in some habitats. News on the Fly Towhees have some interesting Nesting  e nestlings are quite typical of decline during the past two or three Bird News and Discovery ...... 2 Readers’ Questions ...... 3 Birds In Depth Or send an e-mail to: Mourning Doves in the Morning ...... 5 calls and songs. I will be honest—I As with many songbirds, it is the songbird nestlings and leave the nest decades, while the Spotted Towhee CONTENTS WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED was fooled by the meow-like call of a female towhee that makes the fi nal in 10 to 11 days.  e parents feed their ISTOCKPHOTO.COM [email protected] has been a little more fortunate, with 5 1 For Preferred Wild Birds Unlimited Customers For Preferred Wild Birds Unlimited Customers For Preferred Wild Birds Unlimited Customers

BirdTracks_29_SUMMER_12_v3.indd 1 6/5/12 11:47 AM News on the Fly BIRD TRIVIA: Chimney Swift Decline Related to in which they would kill or transfer Barred e Backyard Watcher Beetle Kill-Off by DDT Owls that have expanded their range Bird News and Discovery Bird Records from the A team of Canadian scientists headed westward into that of the Northern Spotted by DAVID BIRD Bird Almanac: by Dr. Joseph Nocera of Trent University Owl. Found mostly in British Columbia, in Peterborough, Ontario, has uncovered Oregon, Washington, and California, Spot- 10 Fascinating Sights to See in Your Bermuda Petrel Reaches Harbour. With the small colony’s The lowest altitude for nest- ted Owls have been listed as a threatened ing is held by the Little Green a link between the rampant use of DDT species since 1990. Although the loss of by BILL THOMPSON, III a New Milestone annual reproduction rate of only in the 1940s and ’50s to serious changes Once thought to be extinct, the seven or eight chicks per year—not Bee-eater at 1,307 feet below old-growth forest has been cited as a major Summer Backyard Bermuda Petrel (or Cahow) is not enough to sustain the population’s sea level on the shores of the in the insect diet of Chimney Swifts, a insecticide in the cause of the species’ decline—40 percent in Summer hummer number. From Who is eating what? One way to the bird watching slows down in mid- only alive but doing rather well in its numbers—an intensive recovery Dead Sea. species listed on Canada’s endangered 1940s and 1950s, the past quarter-century—the larger, more the time the first broods of young gain insight into your birds’ diets is afternoon, get out your butterfly field aggressive, and generally more adaptable 10 namesake country, where it is cel- program was initiated in 1961. species list. ey achieved this by dig- and a corresponding decrease in hummingbirds leave the nest in late 6to check your fence posts and deck rails guide and switch your attention to these ebrated as the national bird. Its wild Serious predator control, installa- ging into a 2-meter-deep pile of swift Barred Owls have been displacing the spring (as early as mid-May in southern for clues as to what’s being eaten. Many delicate beauties. You can attract but- The highest altitude for nesting beetle remains and increase in true Spotted Owls, including disrupting their population has just reached a major tion of artificial nesting burrows, is held by the Himalayan Snow- poop—or, as ornithologists like to call locales) the hummer numbers at your insect eaters, such as bluebirds, flycatch- terflies with nectar feeders, flowers, wet milestone: 100 pairs! is nocturnal, and increased public awareness led bug remains. Because beetles provide nesting, competing with them for food, and feeder will begin to swell. Watch for a ers, and even owls, will catch a flying muddy earth, and rotten fruit. cock at 15,000 feet. it, guano—that had accumulated over much more energy in the form of calories even killing them outright in some cases. ground-nesting bird was quite abun- to a major population comeback. many decades in a chimney attached big increase in feeder activity in the dog insect and proceed to a handy perch to Evening song. Many bird species dant more than 500 years ago, but Citing a record production of 56 than true bugs, the lack of beetles triggered e U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants days of late summer. is is also when subdue and process the insect for con- The most northerly nesting bird to Fleming Hall at Queen’s University to shoot and/or capture between 257 and besides owls and goatsuckers will the introduction of cats, dogs, rats, fledged chicks in 2011, the goal of serious nutritional consequences for swifts, single males set up their bully territories. sumption. is processing can involve sing3 at night. Some famous nighttime and pigs, as well as hunting by human the Department of Conservation is the Ivory Gull at the edge in Kingston from 1928 to 1992. e and likely for other aerial insectivores as 8,960 Barred Owls to see if the Spotted To address this problem, put up multiple smacking the insect on a hard surface, or of the pack ice 400 miles south chimney had been used during that Owl numbers will bounce back. e high singers include the Northern Mock- settlers on the island, took their toll. Services is to increase the nesting well. As a result, Chimney Swift populations feeders in a cluster. e bully will tire it can be a simple tearing off of hard-to- ingbird, American Woodcock, Wilson’s Many believed that the bird had been population to at least 1,000 pairs. of the North Pole. time by roosting Chimney Swifts—up to end of this range represents 0.2 percent of out and let others feed eventually. digest parts such as wings, legs, anten- dropped sharply, to a level from which they the North American population of Barred Snipe, Common Loon, and herons, driven to extinction; however, in 1951, Occasionally this species can be 4,000 at one point. e layers of the guano, Spot the tots. Fledgling birds are nae, and heads. Needless to say this ac- bitterns, and rails. In the backyard, 18 nesting pairs were discovered on seen off the coast of Cape Hatteras, may never fully recover. Owls and only 6.5 percent of its popula- tivity leaves behind some pretty obvious containing a vast amount of indigestible tion that overlaps with the Spotted Owl’s out and about, having just left the in addition to mockers, you might several small, rocky islets in Castle North Carolina. insect remains, were analyzed for both 9friendly confines of the nest. Some, such clues. If you can tell what legs, wings, hear sparrows, warblers, cardinals, Killing One Owl to Save Another territory. Depending on public reviews, the and so forth, belong to which insects,

JULIE ZICKEFOOSE as hungry young robins, can be noisy and flycatchers tune up for a song. Is levels of DDT and insect parts. It revealed e U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is program could start in 2013 and last up to you’ll know what is on the birds’ menu. the steep rise in the use of DDT as an contemplating an experimental program 10 years. and easy to see. Others, such as young this territoriality by males, or is it just Backyard Caf´e Wood rushes, are mostly silent and I might also mention what clues berry- nighttime restlessness? Probably it’s a still. Listen for unfamiliar calls, whistles, and fruit-eaters leave behind. Check combination of both factors. When out and cheeping. ese are the location your freshly washed car or clean laundry at night, keep your ears open to hear e Many Joys of Sunflowers and feeding calls of young birds, sounds on the clothesline for these clues! what birds might sing. by KEVIN J. COOK : Robins are the most common birds in my neighborhood, so I see many of them in my Frequently Asked that help busy parents relocate dis- You with the stars in your eyes. Bird- Qyard and enjoy watching them. I’ve noticed they rub their bills frequently, but I can’t persed youngsters to feed them. If you he wildlife garden cannot grow sunflowers. The aphids suck many sunflowers. figure out why. A Song Sparrow rests ing optics are great for looking at the too many sunflowers because the plant fluids, concentrate the Plant sunflower species common find a nestling bird out of a nest, the best at a shallow birdbath. nighttime2 sky. I find that our spotting wildlifeT cannot get enough of them. carbohydrates and excrete them to your area. Horticulturally bred : Lacking both napkins and opposable thumbs to manipulate napkins, robins—and policy is to leave it alone. e young of scope works better than any astronomi- The Compositaceae, the most diverse as sugar-rich liquid—the famous cultivars often fail to produce seeds, other birds—need some alternative way to clean their bills, for two reasons. many species are able to survive outside cal telescope I’ve ever owned (perhaps family of flowering plants in the “honeydew,” which the ants then and their brilliant flower colors often A First, when a robin preens it acquires oil by rubbing its bill against its oil gland, which the nest at a surprisingly young (and because I only owned cheap astronomy world, understandably appeals to collect as food. fail to attract the wild pollinators, protrudes like a stubby nipple near the base of its tail. e bird then transfers the oil to its young-looking) age. scopes!). Binoculars, although only 7 wildlife. • Builders. Thistles produce which can be very finicky. Leave feathers by wiping and working them with its oily bill. After preening, the robin wipes its bill Young bachelor males. Early sum- to 10 power, can be surprisingly useful Botanists recognize at least 23,000 floss so mature fruits can disperse spent seed heads intact rather than against leaves or twigs to remove leftover oil. mer is also when unmated first-year for getting a better look at the moon, species in the sunflower family. by wind. Some portion of thistle deadheading—the birds will continue by Kevin Cook Second, as a robin feeds it often gets food debris, such as fruit pulp or earthworm slime, 8male birds are still lonely, singing, and stars, and planets. A good method for The diversity ranges from ragweeds heads never fully open and they to gorge on the seeds well into the ’s stuck to its bill. By wiping the bill against a perch, the robin removes the food debris. looking for love in all the wrong places. using binoculars for stargazing is to lie to lettuces, asters to artichokes, retain their floss through the winter. fall and winter. Q ese birds are too young and inexperi- on your back on the ground. Once your sagebrushes to marigolds. Goldfinches, plus some vireos, Diversify the species and amplify : I have a flowering crabapple tree that robins really like. I’ve noticed that a robin will hop enced, having hatched just last summer, eyes adjust to the night, you can focus A unique set of species grows warblers, and sparrows, collect floss the numbers of each that you plant, Qabout the tree to select specific crabapples. After swallowing a few, the robin will just fluff and to attract a prime female or to defend your binocs and enjoy long periods of naturally in every geographic nook to line their nests. and watch your garden blossom with sit for a while, then repeat the feeding and the fluffing and sitting. Is this typical feeding behavior? premier habitat. So it is their lot to wan- star watching without getting a sore and cranny, and from this it logically • Diners. Some birds eat the more than flowers. der around hoping to find someone and neck and tired arms. follows that the local wildlife seeds from the : With a good food supply such as your crabapple, a robin can feed efficiently, expending a minimum amount of calories by someplace to call their own. Listen and utilizes the local sunflowers. So, shelled, single- Sunflower seed— just sitting. But it’s not just sitting; it’s processing its food. Early fall migrants. Early fall migra- A watch for these young guys—next year tion at our farm in southeastern incorporating sunflower abundance seeded fruits. particularly black- After swallowing a few crabapples, a robin’s crop and stomach will be full. As it sits in place, it passes food from stomach to you won’t recognize them! 1 and diversity into your yard plantings Some insects, oil sunflower seed— intestine to colon, from colon to rectum, from rectum to cloaca. It then eliminates unusable waste. Water world. Summer is the best Ohio begins in mid-July. Shorebirds, makes good sense from the wildlife especially is sure to attract Passing a few droppings allows the robin’s food to move along in the body, eventually freeing space at the upper end, in the crop Changing menu. I am always fas- time of year to watch bathing be- swallows, male hummingbirds, and cardinals and other and the stomach. At that point the bird is ready to eat again. So, yes, what you have noticed about robin feeding behavior is per- cinated at how every summer is havior5 at your birdbath. All birds need some small songbirds begin the trek garden perspective. These are the grasshoppers, backyard regulars. 7 main benefits. graze on fectly normal. different from a backyard perspective. water and most backyard species need southward even as we’re still planning • Pollinators. The large, showy sunflower Some are hot and dry, some are wet and it for both bathing and drinking. Late summer vacations and flipping burgers typical sunflowers attract a startling leaves. Some : During summer I see robins scattered, one here, one there, but during winter I see them bunched up in small flocks. I would think cool—all of which has an effect on the morning and late afternoon on sunny on the hibachi. Watch for these early array of insect pollinators. Beetles, birds watch Qthat in winter, when food is harder to find, flocking would be a competitive disadvantage. birds and what they are eating. Some days are good times to watch for activ- migrants dropping out of the sky in the flies, bees, wasps, moths, and the sunflowers years are good fruit years, so we get lots ity. If your bath is fitted with a dripper early morning or as silhouettes passing : Winter flocking can be explained from several ecological perspectives. of robins and waxwings. Until late June, or mister, it will be even more attractive over the face of the moon at night. But, butterflies all visit for a meal of either to feed on the • Birds will congregate where food is abundant and easily found. When food is abundant, the time and effort to defend that pollen or nectar. Many of them are pollinators hummingbirds are scarce at our feeders. bird watcher beware! Some male war- supplyA are too costly in terms of daily calorie needs. Basically, it’s better to eat more and quarrel less. is is because the honeysuckle blos- Butterflies. If warblers are “the but- blers won’t look like they did when they unbelievably colorful, challenging the and the • Many birds foraging in flocking proximity are more likely to discover food supplies large enough that at least several birds, if terflies of the bird world,” as Roger beauty of the finest hummingbirds grasshoppers. soms and other nectar-producing flow- 4 passed through in spring. I suppose not the whole flock, can benefit from the find. ers are abundant, and the hummers are Tory Peterson once said, then butter- that’s what keeps us anticipating and and warblers. And so I • Feeding in winter means less cover and more exposure while foraging, which trigger the concept of safety in numbers. Being flies must be the silent warblers of the • Ranchers. Certain ants repeat: You taking advantage of this natural nectar watching for the birds that pass through part of a flock reduces individual vulnerability to predators. source. Watch what food source is abun- insect world. Like birds, butterflies can our yards—and through our lives—sea- deliberately place aphids on cannot grow too WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED Taken collectively, these factors make flocking worthwhile. dant in your backyard, and then watch be found everywhere, especially when son after season. the weather is hot and sunny. When ALICE MIDDLETON/WBU how the birds take advantage of it.

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BirdTracks_29_SUMMER_12_v3.indd 2 6/5/12 11:47 AM News on the Fly BIRD TRIVIA: Chimney Swift Decline Related to in which they would kill or transfer Barred e Backyard Watcher Beetle Kill-Off by DDT Owls that have expanded their range Bird News and Discovery Bird Records from the A team of Canadian scientists headed westward into that of the Northern Spotted by DAVID BIRD Bird Almanac: by Dr. Joseph Nocera of Trent University Owl. Found mostly in British Columbia, in Peterborough, Ontario, has uncovered Oregon, Washington, and California, Spot- 10 Fascinating Sights to See in Your Bermuda Petrel Reaches Harbour. With the small colony’s The lowest altitude for nest- ted Owls have been listed as a threatened ing is held by the Little Green a link between the rampant use of DDT species since 1990. Although the loss of by BILL THOMPSON, III a New Milestone annual reproduction rate of only in the 1940s and ’50s to serious changes Once thought to be extinct, the seven or eight chicks per year—not Bee-eater at 1,307 feet below old-growth forest has been cited as a major Summer Backyard Bermuda Petrel (or Cahow) is not enough to sustain the population’s sea level on the shores of the in the insect diet of Chimney Swifts, a insecticide in the cause of the species’ decline—40 percent in Summer hummer number. From Who is eating what? One way to the bird watching slows down in mid- only alive but doing rather well in its numbers—an intensive recovery Dead Sea. species listed on Canada’s endangered 1940s and 1950s, the past quarter-century—the larger, more the time the first broods of young gain insight into your birds’ diets is afternoon, get out your butterfly field aggressive, and generally more adaptable 10 namesake country, where it is cel- program was initiated in 1961. species list. ey achieved this by dig- and a corresponding decrease in hummingbirds leave the nest in late 6to check your fence posts and deck rails guide and switch your attention to these ebrated as the national bird. Its wild Serious predator control, installa- ging into a 2-meter-deep pile of swift Barred Owls have been displacing the spring (as early as mid-May in southern for clues as to what’s being eaten. Many delicate beauties. You can attract but- The highest altitude for nesting beetle remains and increase in true Spotted Owls, including disrupting their population has just reached a major tion of artificial nesting burrows, is held by the Himalayan Snow- poop—or, as ornithologists like to call locales) the hummer numbers at your insect eaters, such as bluebirds, flycatch- terflies with nectar feeders, flowers, wet milestone: 100 pairs! is nocturnal, and increased public awareness led bug remains. Because beetles provide nesting, competing with them for food, and feeder will begin to swell. Watch for a ers, and even owls, will catch a flying muddy earth, and rotten fruit. cock at 15,000 feet. it, guano—that had accumulated over much more energy in the form of calories even killing them outright in some cases. ground-nesting bird was quite abun- to a major population comeback. many decades in a chimney attached big increase in feeder activity in the dog insect and proceed to a handy perch to Evening song. Many bird species dant more than 500 years ago, but Citing a record production of 56 than true bugs, the lack of beetles triggered e U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants days of late summer. is is also when subdue and process the insect for con- The most northerly nesting bird to Fleming Hall at Queen’s University to shoot and/or capture between 257 and besides owls and goatsuckers will the introduction of cats, dogs, rats, fledged chicks in 2011, the goal of serious nutritional consequences for swifts, single males set up their bully territories. sumption. is processing can involve sing3 at night. Some famous nighttime and pigs, as well as hunting by human the Department of Conservation is the Ivory Gull at the edge in Kingston from 1928 to 1992. e and likely for other aerial insectivores as 8,960 Barred Owls to see if the Spotted To address this problem, put up multiple smacking the insect on a hard surface, or of the pack ice 400 miles south chimney had been used during that Owl numbers will bounce back. e high singers include the Northern Mock- settlers on the island, took their toll. Services is to increase the nesting well. As a result, Chimney Swift populations feeders in a cluster. e bully will tire it can be a simple tearing off of hard-to- ingbird, American Woodcock, Wilson’s Many believed that the bird had been population to at least 1,000 pairs. of the North Pole. time by roosting Chimney Swifts—up to end of this range represents 0.2 percent of out and let others feed eventually. digest parts such as wings, legs, anten- dropped sharply, to a level from which they the North American population of Barred Snipe, Common Loon, and herons, driven to extinction; however, in 1951, Occasionally this species can be 4,000 at one point. e layers of the guano, Spot the tots. Fledgling birds are nae, and heads. Needless to say this ac- bitterns, and rails. In the backyard, 18 nesting pairs were discovered on seen off the coast of Cape Hatteras, may never fully recover. Owls and only 6.5 percent of its popula- tivity leaves behind some pretty obvious containing a vast amount of indigestible tion that overlaps with the Spotted Owl’s out and about, having just left the in addition to mockers, you might several small, rocky islets in Castle North Carolina. insect remains, were analyzed for both 9friendly confines of the nest. Some, such clues. If you can tell what legs, wings, hear sparrows, warblers, cardinals, Killing One Owl to Save Another territory. Depending on public reviews, the and so forth, belong to which insects,

JULIE ZICKEFOOSE as hungry young robins, can be noisy and flycatchers tune up for a song. Is levels of DDT and insect parts. It revealed e U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is program could start in 2013 and last up to you’ll know what is on the birds’ menu. the steep rise in the use of DDT as an contemplating an experimental program 10 years. and easy to see. Others, such as young this territoriality by males, or is it just Backyard Caf´e Wood rushes, are mostly silent and I might also mention what clues berry- nighttime restlessness? Probably it’s a still. Listen for unfamiliar calls, whistles, and fruit-eaters leave behind. Check combination of both factors. When out and cheeping. ese are the location your freshly washed car or clean laundry at night, keep your ears open to hear e Many Joys of Sunflowers and feeding calls of young birds, sounds on the clothesline for these clues! what birds might sing. by KEVIN J. COOK : Robins are the most common birds in my neighborhood, so I see many of them in my Frequently Asked that help busy parents relocate dis- You with the stars in your eyes. Bird- Qyard and enjoy watching them. I’ve noticed they rub their bills frequently, but I can’t persed youngsters to feed them. If you he wildlife garden cannot grow sunflowers. The aphids suck many sunflowers. figure out why. A Song Sparrow rests ing optics are great for looking at the too many sunflowers because the plant fluids, concentrate the Plant sunflower species common find a nestling bird out of a nest, the best at a shallow birdbath. nighttime2 sky. I find that our spotting wildlifeT cannot get enough of them. carbohydrates and excrete them to your area. Horticulturally bred : Lacking both napkins and opposable thumbs to manipulate napkins, robins—and policy is to leave it alone. e young of scope works better than any astronomi- The Compositaceae, the most diverse as sugar-rich liquid—the famous cultivars often fail to produce seeds, other birds—need some alternative way to clean their bills, for two reasons. many species are able to survive outside cal telescope I’ve ever owned (perhaps family of flowering plants in the “honeydew,” which the ants then and their brilliant flower colors often A First, when a robin preens it acquires oil by rubbing its bill against its oil gland, which the nest at a surprisingly young (and because I only owned cheap astronomy world, understandably appeals to collect as food. fail to attract the wild pollinators, protrudes like a stubby nipple near the base of its tail. e bird then transfers the oil to its young-looking) age. scopes!). Binoculars, although only 7 wildlife. • Builders. Thistles produce which can be very finicky. Leave feathers by wiping and working them with its oily bill. After preening, the robin wipes its bill Young bachelor males. Early sum- to 10 power, can be surprisingly useful Botanists recognize at least 23,000 floss so mature fruits can disperse spent seed heads intact rather than against leaves or twigs to remove leftover oil. mer is also when unmated first-year for getting a better look at the moon, species in the sunflower family. by wind. Some portion of thistle deadheading—the birds will continue by Kevin Cook Second, as a robin feeds it often gets food debris, such as fruit pulp or earthworm slime, 8male birds are still lonely, singing, and stars, and planets. A good method for The diversity ranges from ragweeds heads never fully open and they to gorge on the seeds well into the ’s stuck to its bill. By wiping the bill against a perch, the robin removes the food debris. looking for love in all the wrong places. using binoculars for stargazing is to lie to lettuces, asters to artichokes, retain their floss through the winter. fall and winter. Q ese birds are too young and inexperi- on your back on the ground. Once your sagebrushes to marigolds. Goldfinches, plus some vireos, Diversify the species and amplify : I have a flowering crabapple tree that robins really like. I’ve noticed that a robin will hop enced, having hatched just last summer, eyes adjust to the night, you can focus A unique set of species grows warblers, and sparrows, collect floss the numbers of each that you plant, Qabout the tree to select specific crabapples. After swallowing a few, the robin will just fluff and to attract a prime female or to defend your binocs and enjoy long periods of naturally in every geographic nook to line their nests. and watch your garden blossom with sit for a while, then repeat the feeding and the fluffing and sitting. Is this typical feeding behavior? premier habitat. So it is their lot to wan- star watching without getting a sore and cranny, and from this it logically • Diners. Some birds eat the more than flowers. der around hoping to find someone and neck and tired arms. follows that the local wildlife seeds from the : With a good food supply such as your crabapple, a robin can feed efficiently, expending a minimum amount of calories by someplace to call their own. Listen and utilizes the local sunflowers. So, shelled, single- Sunflower seed— just sitting. But it’s not just sitting; it’s processing its food. Early fall migrants. Early fall migra- A watch for these young guys—next year tion at our farm in southeastern incorporating sunflower abundance seeded fruits. particularly black- After swallowing a few crabapples, a robin’s crop and stomach will be full. As it sits in place, it passes food from stomach to you won’t recognize them! 1 and diversity into your yard plantings Some insects, oil sunflower seed— intestine to colon, from colon to rectum, from rectum to cloaca. It then eliminates unusable waste. Water world. Summer is the best Ohio begins in mid-July. Shorebirds, makes good sense from the wildlife especially is sure to attract Passing a few droppings allows the robin’s food to move along in the body, eventually freeing space at the upper end, in the crop Changing menu. I am always fas- time of year to watch bathing be- swallows, male hummingbirds, and cardinals and other and the stomach. At that point the bird is ready to eat again. So, yes, what you have noticed about robin feeding behavior is per- cinated at how every summer is havior5 at your birdbath. All birds need some small songbirds begin the trek garden perspective. These are the grasshoppers, backyard regulars. 7 main benefits. graze on fectly normal. different from a backyard perspective. water and most backyard species need southward even as we’re still planning • Pollinators. The large, showy sunflower Some are hot and dry, some are wet and it for both bathing and drinking. Late summer vacations and flipping burgers typical sunflowers attract a startling leaves. Some : During summer I see robins scattered, one here, one there, but during winter I see them bunched up in small flocks. I would think cool—all of which has an effect on the morning and late afternoon on sunny on the hibachi. Watch for these early array of insect pollinators. Beetles, birds watch Qthat in winter, when food is harder to find, flocking would be a competitive disadvantage. birds and what they are eating. Some days are good times to watch for activ- migrants dropping out of the sky in the flies, bees, wasps, moths, and the sunflowers years are good fruit years, so we get lots ity. If your bath is fitted with a dripper early morning or as silhouettes passing : Winter flocking can be explained from several ecological perspectives. of robins and waxwings. Until late June, or mister, it will be even more attractive over the face of the moon at night. But, butterflies all visit for a meal of either to feed on the • Birds will congregate where food is abundant and easily found. When food is abundant, the time and effort to defend that pollen or nectar. Many of them are pollinators hummingbirds are scarce at our feeders. bird watcher beware! Some male war- supplyA are too costly in terms of daily calorie needs. Basically, it’s better to eat more and quarrel less. is is because the honeysuckle blos- Butterflies. If warblers are “the but- blers won’t look like they did when they unbelievably colorful, challenging the and the • Many birds foraging in flocking proximity are more likely to discover food supplies large enough that at least several birds, if terflies of the bird world,” as Roger beauty of the finest hummingbirds grasshoppers. soms and other nectar-producing flow- 4 passed through in spring. I suppose not the whole flock, can benefit from the find. ers are abundant, and the hummers are Tory Peterson once said, then butter- that’s what keeps us anticipating and and warblers. And so I • Feeding in winter means less cover and more exposure while foraging, which trigger the concept of safety in numbers. Being flies must be the silent warblers of the • Ranchers. Certain ants repeat: You taking advantage of this natural nectar watching for the birds that pass through part of a flock reduces individual vulnerability to predators. source. Watch what food source is abun- insect world. Like birds, butterflies can our yards—and through our lives—sea- deliberately place aphids on cannot grow too WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED Taken collectively, these factors make flocking worthwhile. dant in your backyard, and then watch be found everywhere, especially when son after season. the weather is hot and sunny. When ALICE MIDDLETON/WBU how the birds take advantage of it.

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BirdTracks_29_SUMMER_12_v3.indd 2 6/5/12 11:47 AM News on the Fly BIRD TRIVIA: Chimney Swift Decline Related to in which they would kill or transfer Barred e Backyard Watcher Beetle Kill-Off by DDT Owls that have expanded their range Bird News and Discovery Bird Records from the A team of Canadian scientists headed westward into that of the Northern Spotted by DAVID BIRD Bird Almanac: by Dr. Joseph Nocera of Trent University Owl. Found mostly in British Columbia, in Peterborough, Ontario, has uncovered Oregon, Washington, and California, Spot- 10 Fascinating Sights to See in Your Bermuda Petrel Reaches Harbour. With the small colony’s The lowest altitude for nest- ted Owls have been listed as a threatened ing is held by the Little Green a link between the rampant use of DDT species since 1990. Although the loss of by BILL THOMPSON, III a New Milestone annual reproduction rate of only in the 1940s and ’50s to serious changes Once thought to be extinct, the seven or eight chicks per year—not Bee-eater at 1,307 feet below old-growth forest has been cited as a major Summer Backyard Bermuda Petrel (or Cahow) is not enough to sustain the population’s sea level on the shores of the in the insect diet of Chimney Swifts, a insecticide in the cause of the species’ decline—40 percent in Summer hummer number. From Who is eating what? One way to the bird watching slows down in mid- only alive but doing rather well in its numbers—an intensive recovery Dead Sea. species listed on Canada’s endangered 1940s and 1950s, the past quarter-century—the larger, more the time the first broods of young gain insight into your birds’ diets is afternoon, get out your butterfly field aggressive, and generally more adaptable 10 namesake country, where it is cel- program was initiated in 1961. species list. ey achieved this by dig- and a corresponding decrease in hummingbirds leave the nest in late 6to check your fence posts and deck rails guide and switch your attention to these ebrated as the national bird. Its wild Serious predator control, installa- ging into a 2-meter-deep pile of swift Barred Owls have been displacing the spring (as early as mid-May in southern for clues as to what’s being eaten. Many delicate beauties. You can attract but- The highest altitude for nesting beetle remains and increase in true Spotted Owls, including disrupting their population has just reached a major tion of artificial nesting burrows, is held by the Himalayan Snow- poop—or, as ornithologists like to call locales) the hummer numbers at your insect eaters, such as bluebirds, flycatch- terflies with nectar feeders, flowers, wet milestone: 100 pairs! is nocturnal, and increased public awareness led bug remains. Because beetles provide nesting, competing with them for food, and feeder will begin to swell. Watch for a ers, and even owls, will catch a flying muddy earth, and rotten fruit. cock at 15,000 feet. it, guano—that had accumulated over much more energy in the form of calories even killing them outright in some cases. ground-nesting bird was quite abun- to a major population comeback. many decades in a chimney attached big increase in feeder activity in the dog insect and proceed to a handy perch to Evening song. Many bird species dant more than 500 years ago, but Citing a record production of 56 than true bugs, the lack of beetles triggered e U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants days of late summer. is is also when subdue and process the insect for con- The most northerly nesting bird to Fleming Hall at Queen’s University to shoot and/or capture between 257 and besides owls and goatsuckers will the introduction of cats, dogs, rats, fledged chicks in 2011, the goal of serious nutritional consequences for swifts, single males set up their bully territories. sumption. is processing can involve sing3 at night. Some famous nighttime and pigs, as well as hunting by human the Department of Conservation is the Ivory Gull at the edge in Kingston from 1928 to 1992. e and likely for other aerial insectivores as 8,960 Barred Owls to see if the Spotted To address this problem, put up multiple smacking the insect on a hard surface, or of the pack ice 400 miles south chimney had been used during that Owl numbers will bounce back. e high singers include the Northern Mock- settlers on the island, took their toll. Services is to increase the nesting well. As a result, Chimney Swift populations feeders in a cluster. e bully will tire it can be a simple tearing off of hard-to- ingbird, American Woodcock, Wilson’s Many believed that the bird had been population to at least 1,000 pairs. of the North Pole. time by roosting Chimney Swifts—up to end of this range represents 0.2 percent of out and let others feed eventually. digest parts such as wings, legs, anten- dropped sharply, to a level from which they the North American population of Barred Snipe, Common Loon, and herons, driven to extinction; however, in 1951, Occasionally this species can be 4,000 at one point. e layers of the guano, Spot the tots. Fledgling birds are nae, and heads. Needless to say this ac- bitterns, and rails. In the backyard, 18 nesting pairs were discovered on seen off the coast of Cape Hatteras, may never fully recover. Owls and only 6.5 percent of its popula- tivity leaves behind some pretty obvious containing a vast amount of indigestible tion that overlaps with the Spotted Owl’s out and about, having just left the in addition to mockers, you might several small, rocky islets in Castle North Carolina. insect remains, were analyzed for both 9friendly confines of the nest. Some, such clues. If you can tell what legs, wings, hear sparrows, warblers, cardinals, Killing One Owl to Save Another territory. Depending on public reviews, the and so forth, belong to which insects,

JULIE ZICKEFOOSE as hungry young robins, can be noisy and flycatchers tune up for a song. Is levels of DDT and insect parts. It revealed e U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is program could start in 2013 and last up to you’ll know what is on the birds’ menu. the steep rise in the use of DDT as an contemplating an experimental program 10 years. and easy to see. Others, such as young this territoriality by males, or is it just Backyard Caf´e Wood rushes, are mostly silent and I might also mention what clues berry- nighttime restlessness? Probably it’s a still. Listen for unfamiliar calls, whistles, and fruit-eaters leave behind. Check combination of both factors. When out and cheeping. ese are the location your freshly washed car or clean laundry at night, keep your ears open to hear e Many Joys of Sunflowers and feeding calls of young birds, sounds on the clothesline for these clues! what birds might sing. by KEVIN J. COOK : Robins are the most common birds in my neighborhood, so I see many of them in my Frequently Asked that help busy parents relocate dis- You with the stars in your eyes. Bird- Qyard and enjoy watching them. I’ve noticed they rub their bills frequently, but I can’t persed youngsters to feed them. If you he wildlife garden cannot grow sunflowers. The aphids suck many sunflowers. figure out why. A Song Sparrow rests ing optics are great for looking at the too many sunflowers because the plant fluids, concentrate the Plant sunflower species common find a nestling bird out of a nest, the best at a shallow birdbath. nighttime2 sky. I find that our spotting wildlifeT cannot get enough of them. carbohydrates and excrete them to your area. Horticulturally bred : Lacking both napkins and opposable thumbs to manipulate napkins, robins—and policy is to leave it alone. e young of scope works better than any astronomi- The Compositaceae, the most diverse as sugar-rich liquid—the famous cultivars often fail to produce seeds, other birds—need some alternative way to clean their bills, for two reasons. many species are able to survive outside cal telescope I’ve ever owned (perhaps family of flowering plants in the “honeydew,” which the ants then and their brilliant flower colors often A First, when a robin preens it acquires oil by rubbing its bill against its oil gland, which the nest at a surprisingly young (and because I only owned cheap astronomy world, understandably appeals to collect as food. fail to attract the wild pollinators, protrudes like a stubby nipple near the base of its tail. e bird then transfers the oil to its young-looking) age. scopes!). Binoculars, although only 7 wildlife. • Builders. Thistles produce which can be very finicky. Leave feathers by wiping and working them with its oily bill. After preening, the robin wipes its bill Young bachelor males. Early sum- to 10 power, can be surprisingly useful Botanists recognize at least 23,000 floss so mature fruits can disperse spent seed heads intact rather than against leaves or twigs to remove leftover oil. mer is also when unmated first-year for getting a better look at the moon, species in the sunflower family. by wind. Some portion of thistle deadheading—the birds will continue by Kevin Cook Second, as a robin feeds it often gets food debris, such as fruit pulp or earthworm slime, 8male birds are still lonely, singing, and stars, and planets. A good method for The diversity ranges from ragweeds heads never fully open and they to gorge on the seeds well into the ’s stuck to its bill. By wiping the bill against a perch, the robin removes the food debris. looking for love in all the wrong places. using binoculars for stargazing is to lie to lettuces, asters to artichokes, retain their floss through the winter. fall and winter. Q ese birds are too young and inexperi- on your back on the ground. Once your sagebrushes to marigolds. Goldfinches, plus some vireos, Diversify the species and amplify : I have a flowering crabapple tree that robins really like. I’ve noticed that a robin will hop enced, having hatched just last summer, eyes adjust to the night, you can focus A unique set of species grows warblers, and sparrows, collect floss the numbers of each that you plant, Qabout the tree to select specific crabapples. After swallowing a few, the robin will just fluff and to attract a prime female or to defend your binocs and enjoy long periods of naturally in every geographic nook to line their nests. and watch your garden blossom with sit for a while, then repeat the feeding and the fluffing and sitting. Is this typical feeding behavior? premier habitat. So it is their lot to wan- star watching without getting a sore and cranny, and from this it logically • Diners. Some birds eat the more than flowers. der around hoping to find someone and neck and tired arms. follows that the local wildlife seeds from the : With a good food supply such as your crabapple, a robin can feed efficiently, expending a minimum amount of calories by someplace to call their own. Listen and utilizes the local sunflowers. So, shelled, single- Sunflower seed— just sitting. But it’s not just sitting; it’s processing its food. Early fall migrants. Early fall migra- A watch for these young guys—next year tion at our farm in southeastern incorporating sunflower abundance seeded fruits. particularly black- After swallowing a few crabapples, a robin’s crop and stomach will be full. As it sits in place, it passes food from stomach to you won’t recognize them! 1 and diversity into your yard plantings Some insects, oil sunflower seed— intestine to colon, from colon to rectum, from rectum to cloaca. It then eliminates unusable waste. Water world. Summer is the best Ohio begins in mid-July. Shorebirds, makes good sense from the wildlife especially is sure to attract Passing a few droppings allows the robin’s food to move along in the body, eventually freeing space at the upper end, in the crop Changing menu. I am always fas- time of year to watch bathing be- swallows, male hummingbirds, and cardinals and other and the stomach. At that point the bird is ready to eat again. So, yes, what you have noticed about robin feeding behavior is per- cinated at how every summer is havior5 at your birdbath. All birds need some small songbirds begin the trek garden perspective. These are the grasshoppers, backyard regulars. 7 main benefits. graze on fectly normal. different from a backyard perspective. water and most backyard species need southward even as we’re still planning • Pollinators. The large, showy sunflower Some are hot and dry, some are wet and it for both bathing and drinking. Late summer vacations and flipping burgers typical sunflowers attract a startling leaves. Some : During summer I see robins scattered, one here, one there, but during winter I see them bunched up in small flocks. I would think cool—all of which has an effect on the morning and late afternoon on sunny on the hibachi. Watch for these early array of insect pollinators. Beetles, birds watch Qthat in winter, when food is harder to find, flocking would be a competitive disadvantage. birds and what they are eating. Some days are good times to watch for activ- migrants dropping out of the sky in the flies, bees, wasps, moths, and the sunflowers years are good fruit years, so we get lots ity. If your bath is fitted with a dripper early morning or as silhouettes passing : Winter flocking can be explained from several ecological perspectives. of robins and waxwings. Until late June, or mister, it will be even more attractive over the face of the moon at night. But, butterflies all visit for a meal of either to feed on the • Birds will congregate where food is abundant and easily found. When food is abundant, the time and effort to defend that pollen or nectar. Many of them are pollinators hummingbirds are scarce at our feeders. bird watcher beware! Some male war- supplyA are too costly in terms of daily calorie needs. Basically, it’s better to eat more and quarrel less. is is because the honeysuckle blos- Butterflies. If warblers are “the but- blers won’t look like they did when they unbelievably colorful, challenging the and the • Many birds foraging in flocking proximity are more likely to discover food supplies large enough that at least several birds, if terflies of the bird world,” as Roger beauty of the finest hummingbirds grasshoppers. soms and other nectar-producing flow- 4 passed through in spring. I suppose not the whole flock, can benefit from the find. ers are abundant, and the hummers are Tory Peterson once said, then butter- that’s what keeps us anticipating and and warblers. And so I • Feeding in winter means less cover and more exposure while foraging, which trigger the concept of safety in numbers. Being flies must be the silent warblers of the • Ranchers. Certain ants repeat: You taking advantage of this natural nectar watching for the birds that pass through part of a flock reduces individual vulnerability to predators. source. Watch what food source is abun- insect world. Like birds, butterflies can our yards—and through our lives—sea- deliberately place aphids on cannot grow too WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED Taken collectively, these factors make flocking worthwhile. dant in your backyard, and then watch be found everywhere, especially when son after season. the weather is hot and sunny. When ALICE MIDDLETON/WBU how the birds take advantage of it.

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in by JOHN SCHAUSTthe Morning amazing when you consider that the ne of life’s simple pleasures, often Mourning Mourning Dove is classifi ed as a game missed in today’s world, is going to Dove. bird in at least 38 states. Hunters harvest ® Osleep with your windows open. To be approximately 25 million of them every and our partner gently awakened in the early morning by year. In perspective, this means that the an enchanting cacophony of bird songs annual Mourning Dove harvest exceeds is an experience that was common to our the total harvest of all other migratory ancestors, but one that has rapidly disap- game species combined. peared in modern society. Death from non-hunting related As an early riser, the Mourning Dove’s causes (weather, predators, disease, etc.) plaintive cooing call is almost always a is believed to claim four to fi ve times the Tracks part of the dawn song heard just outside number of Mourning Doves taken in BIRD by DR. DAVID BIRD Eastern and Spotted Towhees the window. While many of the other hunting. It is estimated that between 50 the name “Rufous-sided Towhee,” but birds’ songs are cheery and bright, the – 65 percent of all Mourning Doves die Spotted Towhee. genetic studies proved them to be two Mourning Dove’s call sounds almost sad Mourning Dove Fun Facts annually. separate species. Nevertheless, they and lamenting. But with all of this annual mortality, do hybridize in a fairly narrow zone  e Mourning Dove really doesn’t •Like all birds, Mourning Doves just how does the Mourning Dove man- in the Great Plains, which can make have much to be sad about. It has truly are unable to sweat. To stay cool age to maintain such a viable population things challenging for bird watchers in prospered from humankind’s activities during hot weather, they pant under the weight of such losses? Nebraska and the Dakotas. and is now one of the most abundant and much like a dog. Panting requires Modestly stated, they are inexhaustible Both species are migratory, but this widespread birds to be found in North the doves to drink a great deal of breeders. can vary from population to popula- America. It is estimated that 350 – 450 water due to the excessive loss of Mourning Doves are monogamous and tion.  e Eastern Towhees inhabiting million of these doves inhabit the conti- moisture to evaporation. form strong pair bonds that persist dur- the northern parts of their range are nent each autumn, making it one of the •Doves are one of the few species ing at least one nesting season.  ey may more likely to head south in the fall, 10 most numerous and ubiquitous bird of birds that drink by sucking up have up to six clutches per year—the larg- but some individuals try to tough it species in the United States. their water instead of taking a bill est number of nesting cycles of any North out, especially in milder winters and at Something else for them to be happy full of water and letting it trickle American bird—with a typical clutch size locations that off er shelter and read- about is their potential lifespan. Although down their throat.  ey can suck of two eggs.  is prolifi c nesting helps the ily available food such as backyard the average longevity for a typical adult up their total daily requirement in Mourning Dove to keep its large popula- feeders.  e picture for the Spotted is only about one year, the oldest known less than 20 seconds. tion stable from year to year. Towhee is a little messier, with some free-living Mourning Dove, as proven by •Both Mourning Dove parents So maybe the Mourning Dove isn’t so being fully migratory, some partially bird banding research, was more than feed their young on “crop milk,” sad after all! E  S T— Continued from page 5 so, and others non-migratory. 31 years old!  is is one of the longest a yogurt-like secretion produced And as for their plaintive call you hear lifespans ever recorded for any terrestrial by the walls of their crop. It takes outside your window every morning, it In every issue of BirdTracks Habitat bird found in North America. both parents to provide enough just may be their way of trying to wake we feature questions from In all parts of their ranges, Spotted  is feat of longevity is even more food for the growing nestlings. you up early to fi ll the feeders. BRIAN HENRY Towhees favor habitats with a wide va- you, our best customers. riety of plants, but you can best expect We welcome your to fi nd them in places with shrubs, E  S T— Continued from page 1 suggestions, comments or the other bird watchers on away. You see, back in my region those brushes, thickets, and tangle only a and questions. We also our early morning bird walk, the sapsuckers are a dime a dozen, but few yards tall.  ey especially like to have contributed to the evolution of Spotted Towhee.  e mew call of the selection on the nest site—either on “bird-of-the-morning”F was the Yellow- towhees are somewhat rare. root around in habitat with plenty the white spots on the backs of the Spotted Towhee is apparently analo- the ground or slightly elevated from it, hope to share your tips and bellied Sapsucker, but for me it was the of litter and humus on the ground Spotted Towhee. It makes for eff ective gous to the chewink call of the Eastern but with litter piled right up to the rim, ideas for enhancing our Spotted Towhee. What a sharp-looking Territoriality shaded by protective canopy of foliage camoufl age. Towhee, and has been described by and well-concealed in tangles or heavy Although North America is home and twigs overhead. Eastern Towhees enjoyment of backyard Eastern Towhee. bird, and certainly one of the prettier some as “whining or mewing, nasal, thickets.  e nest itself is generally and more easily identifi able sparrows! to several towhee species, the two frequent the same kind of habitat in birds and wildlife with that best represent the continent are Diet slurred, catlike.” composed of bark strips, dead leaves, other BirdTracks readers  e black contrasting with the rust, the East, but they are not as fussy in  e most appropriate word to Both towhee species are aggressively grasses, twigs, and sometimes bits of white spots, and red eyes in an other- the Eastern Towhee, aptly named for their preference for dryness compared describe the towhee’s diet is “omnivo- territorial, particularly at the edges or cardboard or string.  e eggs—rang- all over North America. wise dull wintry landscape on a rainy, the East, and the Spotted Towhee to their western counterpart. Inter- rous.” Depending on what menu the boundaries of given territories. Like ing from whitish to white suff used with young for about four weeks after fl edg- its population even increasing in the chilling morning in suburban Colo- in the West. Until 1995, these two estingly, it has been suggested that season off ers, both species will happily most bird species that hold a territory, pink, green or gray and speckled with Write to us at: ing. Occasionally in warmer climates, northwestern part of its range. Loss rado Springs truthfully took my breath species were lumped together under this light-dappled kind of habitat may WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED consume seeds, fruits, and all stages of the dimension of its defended area de- brown to purplish gray—are laid one BirdTracks such as in California and Florida, of habitat from urbanization, as well Continued on page 5 invertebrates such as beetles, caterpil- pends on the population size and the a day to form a clutch of two to six, towhees have been known to raise a as changing forestry and agricultural resources available to it. In general, a but usually three to fi ve. If the clutch c/o BWD lars, moths, grasshoppers crickets, and second brood—and, rarely in the Spot- practices, is largely to blame for the Feature Backyard Café  e Backyard Watcher many other assorted creepy-crawlies. towhee territory might range from two is lost, another is laid. Only the female PO Box 110 ted Towhee, a third—in a single season. Eastern Towhee’s decrease, although it Eastern and Spotted Towhees ...... 1 The Many Joys of Sunfl owers ...... 2 10 Fascinating Sights to See in Your to fi ve acres. incubates the eggs, which hatch in 12 Marietta, OH 45750  e population numbers of East- is still relatively common and abundant Summer Backyard ...... 4 Calls and Songs or 13 days. ern Towhees have shown a disturbing in some habitats. News on the Fly Towhees have some interesting Nesting  e nestlings are quite typical of decline during the past two or three Bird News and Discovery ...... 2 Readers’ Questions ...... 3 Birds In Depth Or send an e-mail to: Mourning Doves in the Morning ...... 5 calls and songs. I will be honest—I As with many songbirds, it is the songbird nestlings and leave the nest decades, while the Spotted Towhee CONTENTS WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED was fooled by the meow-like call of a female towhee that makes the fi nal in 10 to 11 days.  e parents feed their ISTOCKPHOTO.COM [email protected] has been a little more fortunate, with 5 1 For Preferred Wild Birds Unlimited Customers For Preferred Wild Birds Unlimited Customers For Preferred Wild Birds Unlimited Customers

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Birds In Depth PRST STD Customers Only U.S. POSTAGE Are you enjoying BirdTracks? We’d appreciate your feedback and comments MARIETTA,PAID OH PERMIT NO 161 Mourning Doves the next time you visit our store.

in by JOHN SCHAUSTthe Morning amazing when you consider that the ne of life’s simple pleasures, often Mourning Mourning Dove is classifi ed as a game missed in today’s world, is going to Dove. bird in at least 38 states. Hunters harvest ® Osleep with your windows open. To be approximately 25 million of them every and our partner gently awakened in the early morning by year. In perspective, this means that the an enchanting cacophony of bird songs annual Mourning Dove harvest exceeds is an experience that was common to our the total harvest of all other migratory ancestors, but one that has rapidly disap- game species combined. peared in modern society. Death from non-hunting related As an early riser, the Mourning Dove’s causes (weather, predators, disease, etc.) plaintive cooing call is almost always a is believed to claim four to fi ve times the Tracks part of the dawn song heard just outside number of Mourning Doves taken in BIRD by DR. DAVID BIRD Eastern and Spotted Towhees the window. While many of the other hunting. It is estimated that between 50 the name “Rufous-sided Towhee,” but birds’ songs are cheery and bright, the – 65 percent of all Mourning Doves die Spotted Towhee. genetic studies proved them to be two Mourning Dove’s call sounds almost sad Mourning Dove Fun Facts annually. separate species. Nevertheless, they and lamenting. But with all of this annual mortality, do hybridize in a fairly narrow zone  e Mourning Dove really doesn’t •Like all birds, Mourning Doves just how does the Mourning Dove man- in the Great Plains, which can make have much to be sad about. It has truly are unable to sweat. To stay cool age to maintain such a viable population things challenging for bird watchers in prospered from humankind’s activities during hot weather, they pant under the weight of such losses? Nebraska and the Dakotas. and is now one of the most abundant and much like a dog. Panting requires Modestly stated, they are inexhaustible Both species are migratory, but this widespread birds to be found in North the doves to drink a great deal of breeders. can vary from population to popula- America. It is estimated that 350 – 450 water due to the excessive loss of Mourning Doves are monogamous and tion.  e Eastern Towhees inhabiting million of these doves inhabit the conti- moisture to evaporation. form strong pair bonds that persist dur- the northern parts of their range are nent each autumn, making it one of the •Doves are one of the few species ing at least one nesting season.  ey may more likely to head south in the fall, 10 most numerous and ubiquitous bird of birds that drink by sucking up have up to six clutches per year—the larg- but some individuals try to tough it species in the United States. their water instead of taking a bill est number of nesting cycles of any North out, especially in milder winters and at Something else for them to be happy full of water and letting it trickle American bird—with a typical clutch size locations that off er shelter and read- about is their potential lifespan. Although down their throat.  ey can suck of two eggs.  is prolifi c nesting helps the ily available food such as backyard the average longevity for a typical adult up their total daily requirement in Mourning Dove to keep its large popula- feeders.  e picture for the Spotted is only about one year, the oldest known less than 20 seconds. tion stable from year to year. Towhee is a little messier, with some free-living Mourning Dove, as proven by •Both Mourning Dove parents So maybe the Mourning Dove isn’t so being fully migratory, some partially bird banding research, was more than feed their young on “crop milk,” sad after all! E  S T— Continued from page 5 so, and others non-migratory. 31 years old!  is is one of the longest a yogurt-like secretion produced And as for their plaintive call you hear lifespans ever recorded for any terrestrial by the walls of their crop. It takes outside your window every morning, it In every issue of BirdTracks Habitat bird found in North America. both parents to provide enough just may be their way of trying to wake we feature questions from In all parts of their ranges, Spotted  is feat of longevity is even more food for the growing nestlings. you up early to fi ll the feeders. BRIAN HENRY Towhees favor habitats with a wide va- you, our best customers. riety of plants, but you can best expect We welcome your to fi nd them in places with shrubs, E  S T— Continued from page 1 suggestions, comments or the other bird watchers on away. You see, back in my region those brushes, thickets, and tangle only a and questions. We also our early morning bird walk, the sapsuckers are a dime a dozen, but few yards tall.  ey especially like to have contributed to the evolution of Spotted Towhee.  e mew call of the selection on the nest site—either on “bird-of-the-morning”F was the Yellow- towhees are somewhat rare. root around in habitat with plenty the white spots on the backs of the Spotted Towhee is apparently analo- the ground or slightly elevated from it, hope to share your tips and bellied Sapsucker, but for me it was the of litter and humus on the ground Spotted Towhee. It makes for eff ective gous to the chewink call of the Eastern but with litter piled right up to the rim, ideas for enhancing our Spotted Towhee. What a sharp-looking Territoriality shaded by protective canopy of foliage camoufl age. Towhee, and has been described by and well-concealed in tangles or heavy Although North America is home and twigs overhead. Eastern Towhees enjoyment of backyard Eastern Towhee. bird, and certainly one of the prettier some as “whining or mewing, nasal, thickets.  e nest itself is generally and more easily identifi able sparrows! to several towhee species, the two frequent the same kind of habitat in birds and wildlife with that best represent the continent are Diet slurred, catlike.” composed of bark strips, dead leaves, other BirdTracks readers  e black contrasting with the rust, the East, but they are not as fussy in  e most appropriate word to Both towhee species are aggressively grasses, twigs, and sometimes bits of white spots, and red eyes in an other- the Eastern Towhee, aptly named for their preference for dryness compared describe the towhee’s diet is “omnivo- territorial, particularly at the edges or cardboard or string.  e eggs—rang- all over North America. wise dull wintry landscape on a rainy, the East, and the Spotted Towhee to their western counterpart. Inter- rous.” Depending on what menu the boundaries of given territories. Like ing from whitish to white suff used with young for about four weeks after fl edg- its population even increasing in the chilling morning in suburban Colo- in the West. Until 1995, these two estingly, it has been suggested that season off ers, both species will happily most bird species that hold a territory, pink, green or gray and speckled with Write to us at: ing. Occasionally in warmer climates, northwestern part of its range. Loss rado Springs truthfully took my breath species were lumped together under this light-dappled kind of habitat may WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED consume seeds, fruits, and all stages of the dimension of its defended area de- brown to purplish gray—are laid one BirdTracks such as in California and Florida, of habitat from urbanization, as well Continued on page 5 invertebrates such as beetles, caterpil- pends on the population size and the a day to form a clutch of two to six, towhees have been known to raise a as changing forestry and agricultural resources available to it. In general, a but usually three to fi ve. If the clutch c/o BWD lars, moths, grasshoppers crickets, and second brood—and, rarely in the Spot- practices, is largely to blame for the Feature Backyard Café  e Backyard Watcher many other assorted creepy-crawlies. towhee territory might range from two is lost, another is laid. Only the female PO Box 110 ted Towhee, a third—in a single season. Eastern Towhee’s decrease, although it Eastern and Spotted Towhees ...... 1 The Many Joys of Sunfl owers ...... 2 10 Fascinating Sights to See in Your to fi ve acres. incubates the eggs, which hatch in 12 Marietta, OH 45750  e population numbers of East- is still relatively common and abundant Summer Backyard ...... 4 Calls and Songs or 13 days. ern Towhees have shown a disturbing in some habitats. News on the Fly Towhees have some interesting Nesting  e nestlings are quite typical of decline during the past two or three Bird News and Discovery ...... 2 Readers’ Questions ...... 3 Birds In Depth Or send an e-mail to: Mourning Doves in the Morning ...... 5 calls and songs. I will be honest—I As with many songbirds, it is the songbird nestlings and leave the nest decades, while the Spotted Towhee CONTENTS WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED was fooled by the meow-like call of a female towhee that makes the fi nal in 10 to 11 days.  e parents feed their ISTOCKPHOTO.COM [email protected] has been a little more fortunate, with 5 1 For Preferred Wild Birds Unlimited Customers For Preferred Wild Birds Unlimited Customers For Preferred Wild Birds Unlimited Customers

BirdTracks_29_SUMMER_12_v3.indd 1 6/5/12 11:47 AM