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Birds of Norther America (2000), Atlas of Breeding Birds of Monterey County (1993) and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Website (Accessed 2011)

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Birds of Norther America (2000), Atlas of Breeding Birds of Monterey County (1993) and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Website (Accessed 2011) 1 Facts on the bird species most commonly observed at the Preserve: Sources: The Sibley Guide to Birds of Norther America (2000), Atlas of Breeding Birds of Monterey County (1993) and The Cornell Lab of Ornithology website (Accessed 2011) 1. Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus) This is a common permanent-resident seen and heard in all the habitat types on the preserve except the deep redwood canyon, however it is most abundantly in chaparral. It forages for food in the dense brush by scratching at the leaf litter with its powerful legs. In one scientific study, a male of this species was recorded singing continuously for 45 minutes! The males’ loud singing declines as the summer progresses and they become busy feeding the young, until the singing ends in early August. The song is described as having “0-8 identical introductory notes followed by a buzzy rapid trill.” 2. California Quail (Callipepla californica) “Chi-ca-go! Chi-ca-go!” is ironically the call of the state bird of California that you may hear while walking in the grassland/chaparral ecotone or oak woodland habitat. Quail are classified in the same family as chickens and pheasants. Quail populations are known to be highly variable depending on if it is a wet or dry year – in wet years, pairs will attempt to raise two sets of young sequencially. A group of quail is called a covey (“cuh-vee”) and ranges from about 10-30 individuals where multiple pairs of parents take care of the young collectively. At the preserve, you will most often see quail in parking lot area. 3. Wilson’s Warbler (Wilsonia pusilla) This species spends the winter in Mexico and arrives at the Byrne forest in late spring where it often forages in mixed-species flocks in oak woodlands. It is more often heard than seen; listen for a rapid series of 10-15 whistled notes. It’s yellow body with black-topped head is what to look for – for identification, remember, President Wilson wore a black top hat! Prepared 8/6/2011 by Eileen Kitayama ([email protected]) 2 4. Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) This beautiful bird has a large black head-crest, blue body, and in the Pacific population look for its blue eyebrows! It fills the coniferous forest with distinctively loud, hoarse calls. Multiple individuals are sometimes observed mobbing small birds, squirrels, or large hawks to steal their food. Another behavior seen at the preserve is that they crack tan oak acorns (which they might have raided from woodpecker granaries) on their favorite redwood stumps. Jays are in the same family as crows and ravens, all of whom have been found to have especially high levels of intelligence. 5. Brown Creeper (Certhia americana) A strange name for the fellow, yes, but this well-camouflaged bird is recognized by the way it clings to tree trunks and creeps its way upwards searching the cracks for insects (in contrast, nuthatches creep downwards on a tree trunk). Then the Brown Creeper swoops down to the base of another large tree and repeats its feeding technique. In flight it has a a wide horizontal stripe on its wings you can see from both above and below. 6. Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) This species of sparrow is one of the most widespread birds on the continent. You will see it foraging on the ground in pairs, often along the edge of the roads in the Byrne Forest. Its nests are made on the ground hidden by the undergrowth. It has a wide variety of songs and calls which can be difficult to use as identification. Look for the two bold vertical white stripes on the edges of the tail when it flies. 7. Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) You normally see the underside of this bird as it soars above you (look for the dark shoulder patches), but sometimes at A.J.’s point (elev. 1300 ft) you get to look down on the top side of a soaring red- tail. Only the adults, not the juveniles, have a red tail. This species perches in redwoods and eucalyptus on the property, eats squirrels, rabbits, and snakes, and is considered the most common hawk in North America. Pairs stay together and often inhabit the same territory year after year. Don’t be confused - whenever you hear any hawk or eagle calling in a movie, it is usually a soundtrack from this species! Prepared 8/6/2011 by Eileen Kitayama ([email protected]) 3 8. Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) This “clown faced” oak woodland species has one of the most complex bird social structures known anywhere. Groups of about a half dozen adults swap mates, raise young communally, and share a “granary tree” which they use to store acorns and will defend against intruders. There are at least two places to view granary trees along the Byrne Trail. When this species flies, you will notice its “rowing” jay-like wingbeats. 9. Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens) The most common and widespread bird at the Byrne, it can be seen in every habitat. It forages for insects by lifting up moss and lichen on tree branches and also uses this material to build its nests along with animal hair! Another cool thing is that this bird is one of the few that can hang upside-down on branches! Listen for: “Chickadee, chicka-chicka-dee-dee,” its common call. 10. Wrentit (Chamaea fasciata) A secretive bird of the chaparral, it is plain brownish in color, with a large head, stout bill, and a long tail that’s often raised. It is named for having features of two other kinds of birds – wrens and titmice. Its “bouncy-ball” song is unmistakable as it accelerates in frequency kind of like a ball bouncing lower and lower off the ground each time until it comes to rest. Prepared 8/6/2011 by Eileen Kitayama ([email protected]) 4 Tips on Tricky Identification: 1. Hermit vs. Swainson’s Thrush (Catharus guttatus vs. C. ustulatus) Appearance: Although they are completely different birds with regards to life history, the visual difference between the two is very subtle. The Hermit Thrush has a whiter eye ring, redder tail, and a stockier body. Voice: The Hermit Thrush song has one introductory note and then flutters like a clear flute, but without an upward spiral in pitch. It is one of the most beautiful songs in the forest. As the famous zoologist Joseph Grinnell put it in 1902 “We were content with listening to its song which now and then swelled into a full melodious strain only to die away. Such a song has to be felt to be appreciated, for it seems to exert a hypnotic influence, inducing in one a sort of melancholy reverie.” The Swainson’s Thrush song rapidly spirals upwards and reaches a higher pitch. I use the memory trick: “Swainson’s = Swirls” Habitat: The Hermit Thrush inhabits coniferous forests (redwood and Douglas fir), and as an interesting note, it is found more commonly in the Santa Cruz mountains than in Monterey County to the south. Its Western populations nest in trees. The Swainson’s Thrush inhabits coniferous forest and is also common in river-side woodlands (the Byrne Forest is within 1,000 feet of Brown’s Creek a little over a mile from Corralitos Creek). It nests in shrubs in the forest understory. Season: The Hermit Thrush is the only member of its genus to spend the winter in N. America. On the coast of California, this species is a year-round resident (“Hermits” don’t like to travel!) although elsewhere in the country it is migratory. The Swainson’s Thrush is only with us for a short time in the summer breeding season, reportedly arriving in May and departing by mid-August. During the rest of the year it resides in the forests of Central and South America that are being slashed and burned at an alarming rate, which is leading to its population decline. 2. Anna’s vs. Allen’s vs. Rufous Hummingbird (Calypte anna vs. Selasphorus sasin vs. S. rufus) found in scrub and chaparral at the Byrne: The Anna’s Hummingbird (year-round resident) you have probably seen in your garden. The adult female has a small red throat patch and the adult male has a red crown and throat. He tries to impress the female with a characteristic dive display that ends with an explosive squeak (which he makes with his tail, not his mouth!) and it sounds similar to a Ground Squirrel alarm call. Prepared 8/6/2011 by Eileen Kitayama ([email protected]) 5 Advanced Stuff: The Allen’s (resident approx. Jan - June) and Rufous Hummingbird (passing migrant en route farther north) have green backs, with orange on the tail, belly and face. These two species are hardly distinguishable from each other, and even scientific experts looking at stationary dead specimens have a hard time. Both winter in Mexico. Both give similar calls and wings that make a high buzzy trill in flight. The only difference is in the male dive display, for which the Rufous is more buzzy. 3. Sharp-shinned vs. Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter striatus vs. A. cooperii) Appearance: These two species are agile birds that maneuver through the forest and hunt other birds. They are famously hard to distinguish from one another. Although the Cooper’s is larger, this may not be helpful when they’re not side-by-side for comparison, and in addition a Sharp-shinned female can be a similar size to a Cooper’s male.
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