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Bulletin No. 27: Birds of Connecticut Salt Marshes - 50Th Anniversary James Stone Mystic Marinelife Aquareium

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Bulletin No. 27: Birds of Connecticut Salt Marshes - 50Th Anniversary James Stone Mystic Marinelife Aquareium Connecticut College Digital Commons @ Connecticut College Bulletins Connecticut College Arboretum Fall 9-1981 Bulletin No. 27: Birds of Connecticut Salt Marshes - 50th Anniversary James Stone Mystic Marinelife Aquareium J. Susan Cole-Stone William A. Niering Connecticut College Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/arbbulletins Part of the Biodiversity Commons, Biology Commons, and the Poultry or Avian Science Commons Recommended Citation Stone, James; Cole-Stone, J. Susan; and Niering, William A., "Bulletin No. 27: Birds of Connecticut Salt Marshes - 50th Anniversary" (1981). Bulletins. Paper 27. http://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/arbbulletins/27 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Connecticut College Arboretum at Digital Commons @ Connecticut College. It has been accepted for inclusion in Bulletins by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Connecticut College. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the author. r ! Birds of Connecticut Salt Marshes 50th Anniversary The Connecticut Arboretum Connecticut College New London, Connecticut Bulletin No.27 THE CONNECTICUT ARBORETUM Director, William A. Niering Assistant Director, James T. Robinson Technical Advisor, Richard H. Goodwin Associate for Community Projects, Sally L. Taylor ResearchAssociates, R. Scott Warren, Randall J. Ameele Assistant Horticulturist, Craig O. Vine THE CONNECTICUT ARBORETUM ASSOCIATION Membership is open to organizations and individuals interested in supporting the Arboretum and its program. Members receive Arboretum publications and enjoy other privileges, including notices of special field trips and lectures, and the use of the Arboretum facilities. Individual memberships: annual, $5 sustaining, $10; life, $500. Organization memberships: annual, $10; sustaining, $25; sup- porting, $100. Checks should be made payable to the Connecticut Arboretum and sent to the Director, Dr. William A. Niering, Connecticut Col- lege, New London, Conn. 06320. 6" The sizes given for species illustrated in this bulletin are based on standard measurements taken from the tip of the bill to the end of the tail. Front Cover: Osprey (Pandton haliaetus} BIRDS OF CONNECTICUT SALT MARSHES James Stone Mystic Marinelife Aquarium Illustrated by J. Susan Cole-Stone Contents Page Foreward .........................•.................. .2 Introduction ..........................•••............. ·3 Great Blue Heron 4-5 Green Heron .......................•....•............ 6-7 Black-crowned Night Heron ......................•...... 8-9 Snowy Egret ............................•.......... 10-11 Mute Swan ...........................•.•.......... 12·13 Mallard ................•.........•...•............ 14-15 Northern Harrier ........................•.......... 16-17 Osprey ..............................•............ 18-19 Clapper Rail ............•.............•............ 20-21 Killdeer ...............•.............••........... 22-23 Black-bellied Plover .....................•........... 24-25 Greater Yellowlegs 26-27 Semipalmated Sandpiper ................•.•.......... 28-29 Herring Gull ..........................•............ 30-31 Common Tern .........................•........... 32-33 Belted Kingfisher .......................•........... 34-35 Barn Swallow 36-37 Common Yellowthroat ...................•........... 38-39 Red-winged Blackbird 40-41 Song Sparrow, Sharp-tailed Sparrow ..............•..... 42-43 Selected Marsh Areas for Birding .44 Birds of the Salt Marsh .45 List of 75 Birds of the Tidal Marsh and Adjacent Waters .46 References and Suggested Readings .47 The Connecticut Arboretum September 1981 1 FOREWARD In 1962 the Arboretum alerted the residents of Connecticut to the rapid disappearance of our tidal marshes as a result of man's activities. CONNECTICUT'S COASTAL MARSHES - - A VANISH- ING RESOURCE was published in that year. Since that time five other bulletins have appeared on various aspects of our coastal re- sources - - a flora of the typical plants, a seaweed guide, one on marsh formation and two on the typical animals of the marsh and estuary. We especially welcome this contribution by Jim and Susan Stone to the tidal wetland series. Mrs. Stone's artistry beautifully captures the exciting qualities of these marsh birds. The diverse marsh avifauna rangesfrom the small songbirds such asthe northern yellowthroat to the large spectacular wading birds - - the herons and egrets. The osprey is one of our most characteristic species and one that has suffered a drastic decline in the past decade due to the in- discriminate use of chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides. However, the good news is that the osprey has been on the increase since the cessation in use of such persistent pesticides. The bird life of our salt marshes represents an important facet in the energy flow and nutrient ecosystem. Numerous people have also been involved in making this pro- duction a success. I wish to particularly thank Mrs. Stone for the spectacular osprey she especially prepared for the cover of this bulletin. I wish to acknowledge the continued dedicated efforts of Mrs. Nancy Olmstead as editor, and Mrs. Dale Julier for the design layout. I would also like to thank Mrs. Jan Fitzpatrick and Mr. Earl Shinault of the College Print Shop for their meticulous work in printing. We hope you will find this bulletin an exciting addition to our coastal wetland series. ---~.. William A. Niering Director of Connecticut Arboretum 2 INTRODUCTION It has been estimated that 385 or so species of birds have been seen in the state of Connecticut. One might fully expect to see at least half of these birds in and around the tidal marshes of our state. There are two key reasons for this. The first has to do with the general nature of birds. They are highly mobile creatures, and in many cases migratory. The east coast of the United States is the site of a major "highway" in the sky called the Atlantic flyway. This flyway is an unmarked path (unmarked, at least, to human eyes) over which countless thousands of birds traverse to and from winter and summer haunts. Since tidal marshes are located coastally, they are often the first terrestrial habitats encountered by birds that have been migrating over the ocean. Depending upon how you look at it, either the bird or the marsh is in the right place at the right time. The second reason concerns the marsh itself. These coastal wet- lands are highly productive parcels of land which provide abundant food and shelter for birds and myriad other animals. The tidal marsh acts like an ecological magnet, attracting birds as they pass through the area. Certain species have specific requirements that are filled only by the salt marsh. A bird such as the clapper rail, for example, nests only in the marsh, and is rarely found far from that habitat. Others, such as the song sparrow, may just as easily be seen at the edge of an inland field as at the upland border of the marsh. In an ecological sense, the tidal marsh is a half-way point be- tween land and sea. Areas such as these, where two ecosystems meet, are called ecotones. Ecotones are characteristically inhabited by three distinct faunal groups. In the case of the tidal marsh, we have one group of animals whose lives are linked intimately with the waters of the nearby estuary and the sea itself. A second group is derived from the upland, while the third set of inhabitants is endemic to the unique environmental conditions that occur in the marsh. The resulting aggregation of animals is rich and diverse. This is true of the avifauna as well as the rest of the many life forms that live in and utilize these vital coastal wetlands. 3 Great Blue Heron GREAT BLUE HERON (Ardea herodias ) 42-52 inches This bird is virtually unmistakable. Standing nearly four feet tall, the great blue heron is the largest member of its family to occur in North America. Its color is more steel-grey than blue, with a buffy neck and streaked throat. A black crown patch on the predominant- ly white head of the adult usually bears a few ornate plumes; how- ever, these are not always visible. Considering the size of this species, it is surprising how easily it is sometimes overlooked by the observer. From a distance, its slaty tones melt with the hues of the marsh vegetation. Posing mo- tionless or moving with measured deliberation, the great blue heron often remains unseen until its six and one half foot wing span carries it aloft. In the marsh, we often see this bird by the grassy edges of the tidal creek or wading in the shallows where it waits unflinchingly for an unwary fish to stray within striking range of the dagger-like bill. Frogs, snakes, and small birds are.also table fare for this heron. When prowling an upland field, insects and small mammals may be added to the menu. Many great blue herons migrate as far as northern South Amer- ica. However, a few choose to remain in our region throughout the winter. These birds prefer protected coastal waters that have not completely frozen over. 5 1 GREEN HERON (Butorides striatus) 16-22 inches This is one of the smallest members of the family Ardeidae; when hunched over it stands no more than twelve inches tall. Only in very good light can you see the greenish gloss on the head and back that gives the bird its name. The chestnut neck is a more no- ticeable feature. During the breeding season adults have orange legs. From a distance, the bird has an overall dark appearance.
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