WFB2300A: Ornithology Field Journal 4

Date: March 21, 2024
Start Time: 3:30 PM
End Time: 4:30 PM
Location: Centennial Woods, Vermont
Weather: Partially cloudy, chilly temperature, 24°F, moderate breeze from the northwest
Habitat: Mixed Forest: Red Spruce, Balsam Fir, Eastern White Pine, Red Maple, Sugar Maple, Northern Red Oak, Paper birch, Yellow Birch

As I make my routine walk through Centennial Woods, I am greeted by several year-round inhabitants of the forest. I am easily able to recognize the soft and sweet “fee-bee” call of the Black-capped Chickadee and the sharp “cue cue cue, cheer cheer cheer, purty purty purty” repetitions of the Northern Cardinal. Unlike the other birds that share the forest in the warmer seasons, the Black-capped Chickadee and the Northern Cardinal have adapted to the harsh winters and stick around all year. These birds have developed specific physiological and behavioral adaptations to thrive in the area year-round. One of their key adaptations is their thick plumage, which helps insulate them against the cold. During particularly harsh weather, these birds puff up their feathers to create insulating air pockets and seek shelter in dense vegetation to shield themselves from the wind. Additionally, these birds store food in various hiding spots, ensuring a steady food supply even when resources are scarce. Moreover, being foragers by nature means that their diet is relatively flexible, switching between eating seeds and berries to insects and fruits can ensure there is always enough to eat.
By this point in the season, migratory birds like the American Robin start showing up. The American Robin migrates south for the winter, where it's warmer. When winter arrives food becomes scarce. So, robins fly south where they can find more abundant food supplies. In the winter months, American Robins can be found as far south as Mexico and the Gulf Coast. But now, as spring temperatures gradually begin to increase, these migratory birds return to the north to find adequate locations to build nests. As the snow melts, and the ground thaws, more food becomes available, providing sufficient sustenance to fuel the return trip. Arriving early not only gives the return migrants early access to a plentiful supply of food but also the first choice of nesting sites. On the other hand, early return migrants are susceptible to early spring temperature fluctuations.
As I stopped to count all the return migrants of the forest, I began to wonder how far these birds were flying to return home. While I was in the forest I counted three American Robins. Acknowledging there is no way to know exactly where these birds are flying from, I decided to calculate the total flight distance to the southern tip of Florida +/- 1,600 miles as American robins can be found migrating as far south as Chihuahua, Mexico. The total distance for just the three-return migratory American Robins is approximately 4041miles +/- 1,600 miles as the crow flies. Thinking about the total flight distance for a one-way return flight is absolutely mind-blowing, considering there are hundreds of migratory birds in this forest alone.

Posted on March 22, 2024 01:22 PM by bwells02