BIRD POPULATIOR IN VARIOUS ECOLOGICAL CO'n!UNITIES. - -- - Agrie s Kugel. P' Report on i+-g c&ts of the Adv~ncedOrnitilology cl~ssfrog June 29 -~uly'6, 1946. (zoology 377-4. Cnarles Kencieign) Bird Po?-tilation In Various Bc~logicalCoarnunities. Introduction. I - The Ornithology Class of The Biological Station ,Cneboygan !tichiean, gde-rr-the _dii.._e_cCtion of S. C.Kendoigh -- visited- . - --.a represent-- - -- - ative group of six plant communities durinq the sumer of 1946, These tri2s were msde between June 29 and July 6th to determine the bird ?opulation of a given area during the nesting sehson arid to note so far as possible the raasons for their presence. Methods. The clzss working in fwo groups cruised througn the selected i area hbou@feet apbrt and recorded all birds seen an6 heard in a measurec period of time. The average distarice trht-eled was 1 nile per hour. The popul~tionwas determined by converting tne actual co-mt taken into the nsmber tnat voula be seen in ten nours in the zhme are&. Cinze tnie we t.ile nesting Eekson it vrhs assume+bt each mde seer. also meant tne pesence of a fe3de &rid thqs tile fiwl figures as given on tiie hccornpanyi;-g clikrt ceriote the potential number of pair: of birds for ezca conrn-ai'y. A similar co-at -$;as worked out by Cr, Eendeigh for a linear disthnce of 12 ~ilesrhtner tmn trle nurnber for l"ilo;;rs, Grasslbnd. Arch This grzssy field on tne I~llztonroid boarcieree on one side by the road an6 on t'm otner by & young Aspen gro:vtn nis h speciec list of 6 gr&:slbnd bird5 anu 7 low ~kr~bbirds of tne for.est edse, The herbiceous zlarits include Asclepi~ssyrizca, Potentilla recth, The low silrubs ~omewntit ~~htterednetr tine young Aspens were pornus Ztolonifera, Hubus allegneniensis and Edix species. 1 The ground nesting birds hrsh dawk, Upland Plover, Pesper J 1 Eparrow, Meadowlark and Bob-o-link find plenty of nesting material 3 j , - in-the foryof dry grass- - -and. leaves; - - -need stalks and strips of S hark fro~the neighboring low shrubs. Tne vesper Eparrow nest found , .'-. ' -_ here was 3 in. in diaeter,made of grasses ana cup shaped. It c~in- - /' thined 3 small bluish eggs speckled with brown. The ~rairiefirned . -.-j . - - *. Lark presumab-ly nested on some of the bared ground in thLs grassy i' 3 " i" 1 plot as contrasted to the rk whose nekt is usually fpund - / among the grasses and roofed over with thea . The Upland Plover makes a small depression in the grounu and linee it wita dry Trass. ; I . -- The Marsh iiawk and BobLA3 04 ink use the aviilable ahterials and shape a nest in proportion to their size. OC-the forezt ed~ebir~s Bluebirds an6 Sttrling~were present beckuse of tne dead 2rurlus penrlsylvanic~in wnirh the Ekarling nect mhs found ana tne fence posts on three :ides of tne field where the Bluebirds probayly nested. Tne coldf inch and nrourning Dove v1ere ?rob&?-lp nesting in tne low bunnes at tne edge, 1 tile Kircblrd im tiis case rnose tne top of E stunp on wnlcll to rear asfkrnily. ' A "i~egrezence of tne Cov!bira, ke is tneir custon, is due to tne presence of t group of neatinp birds wmse riesti sno cbn ~~sefor tenporl=ril:i ~noecupitd. Tne Barn L1v~llowwas not r.esti:lg ir, the inqeditte vicinit~,isqiiite certkin in. tne ~bkerlceof buildings. for its su2gorted n4st. It is more likely to be searching for foad vrhich he doe^ by flylng netirer to the groun6 tbn tae otner ewallloY$rn do. Thic open field pro~ridedam:_.le room for vaneuvsring prilicfi fhctar is important to t~ieJpl~nu clover whase circlirig,risine flight to often extends over most of the field, and,the 'krsn Eawk o:nen he sohrs ovpr the field in search of food and t~lendives earthward. The food of tne RMarsh Hawk consists allnost entirely of field mice, . snakes, gophers, and insects which would account for its choice result of nesting requirements for the main part and food require- gents in a few species. Young As?en Area. The y&ng aspens along the.'grassy fie16 were for the most phrt Populus tremuloiues. The low shrubs sere Betula phpyrifera, and Cornus stolonifera. Pteris aquilinh and 2-mex acetosella and Poa species were dominant in the ground cover. Of the 9 species of birds? seen ilere the Vesper Sparrow, Goldfirlcn mci Bluebird Fere also pres- ent in tne grassy field thougn ordinarily trle latter two are8essen- tiiilly woods edge birds. The clay-,d olored Sparow was ah-mdsnt in this sm;ll area and one could say almost exclusive to the area.Its nest is cornaonly mad? of .grbsses lined with lc-ig hirs and is found on the ~rou;,dor in low busnes. No nests vere identifiea positively by the class but three were found in low bu:.~em ib.ut 15 inches frog tne :ro-w1d tnht were tilougnt to belorig to1 t~icC15~ Colored. "r:e Cl;i: >in$ .CJr;~.rov:ilere is in it.. n:.tur,l u-bitbt of low snrubs znd nests u~dr-liyfrog 5 to 29 feet above tile gro-u~.Trle Nightnhxk since it ahkes no nest hpp;i,ently selects z territory becbuse of theavaiieble food. In tlris czse t~ie lo^! siirabs ad trees of tile forest ed~e2nd tne o2eri fielS sullplp trie desired insects. In tne o?en iireis tne bird aay gake a aepression for egg: or lzy tnem directly on the gro-md. In cities tney frequently select tne to?s of buildings. In trlis area as well ts iri tne adjoining grisslanc? the nesting eight and 'material seems to be a aetermining fiictor in selecting a co~munity. Aspen -Tine Area, - - - -- -- - -- A - -- - - --- -- - - - .- .-- The - sandy- upland near the fire- tower of the Station is- an area of Populus granaidenthta and Acer rubrum as dominant spacies,gmd Pinus resinosus as a secondary species. Tne ground plants for the gost part consist of ~terisaquilina and Vacciniun species, Tie hezvy leaf and needle cover lhit the nunber of ground plants, There is no definite lox shrub or high shrub area but merely scattered .I^ plants representing this leger:: ln& absence of these plants limits s the number of woods edse birds. Tne larsest pogulatic,l count is - tut of tha Bed-eyed vireo and the ovengird. Tile Vireo makes a w pendant nest in the fork of a tree ususlly on t!aple,wi?ile the Quea Bird selects the fares: floor and mhkes a sli~htdepression wfrich he lines with grkss hnd fine hair. a&l?these bir6s feed on insects tney find anong th2 ty- ees. Another"- grow6 nesting bird . the Herrllit Thrush ezts aniaal ~atter,nostlyirisects, wil6 fruit and seeds. It prefers an evergreen forest probably because of its - etrly spring arrivhl knd late fhll departure. Of tile tree nesting bieds tne ~ehee,aubin, Redstart, Crow and 3l;rk- ld illed Tuckoo are mainly inseqt ehters and ret their food for the aoet part fron the forest floor and forest edge. Firds nesting in noles in trees or etuqps are Tree Swallow, The Flicker,C-hick;. i-dee knd Crested Flycatcher. a?e mhinly insect feeders. The Pur?le Fincn hnd Pine 'Yarbler nest in Tine trees and both eht insects though the Purple Fincn nucn prefers seecs. We Purple Y !!zrtino were present bec&use of the proxizity of the area to the I !$artin house on the beach of Douglas Lake, they were apparently a searcnin? for food in t?le area. The nizhe requiremerlts of nost of tne tree nestin;! birds beeides foo; an.& nesting mbterials incluaes a singirlg post w,ricn may or rtlay aot % higher or lower ththeir nestinz site, depend- * 4 ing on the species, Ground nesting species as the Zermit Thrush - 5 and Oven Bidi ljilrewise require singing posts and, or pe~cwng - - - - - - - -- --- - -- posts for defen-g their territory. This associes provides nesting, fe2din.g and singing sites for 3 coniferous forest species, 13 low shr.~&.forestedge species an6 6 deciduous forest species. -r Red Pine- F rea This aspen associes located near Map2e fiver has ~o~;lustrem' J doides as a dor?zinant species and Pinus strobus ~ndP. resirio'sa as sub dominant species. The ground plants in the herbaceous layer - include the Aster Sp-,Cornu~Canadensis, Prageria virginiana and Caultheria procubens as the aorninznt spe~ies.Of the low ground ~nr~bs,nacciniu?r canadens e, DieBvillh lonicera adRosa blknda were most abundant. At the hign shrub level Cornus stolonifera, salix bebbiana, Pinus sfrobus, P. resinosa and Tsugh canadensis were frequently found In this area the Vesper Sparrorr, tnongn it kzs been found in the grassland and young Lspens , is tlgai~,noted in ths more mature ;ssociabion. This is probtbly do to need for a singing post bnd to t,i~epresence of plhnts bearing seeds for his diet.Tnese are us~bllyfound on tne forezt edge. The coniferous foregbirds here are the 2errnit Thush, Purpie Finci.1, r[yrtle 'narbler and Black- f nroitea qreen Y&rhlen.Of these the ?Tarbiers are insect e~ters,the Yyrtle choosing high bushes or lo~ertree brdncines for ner nest and tne Slack Tluozted Gresn selecting the higher brmches for its nest krid sons. 01 the de~iduousforest birds Crested Flycatcher, :'Toad Peewee, ~hj.~k-~-dee,Bed-??yedTireo &nd Oven Bird bve been discussed and their Tresence here indicates a similarity of nicne requirements in food, nesting naterials, ,song and flignt.