Ornithology Journal 4

For this journal, I was at the base of Sugarbush near a residential, woody area from 8:10 am to 9:10 am on March 21st. I walked around to some conifers and watched on a porch near a bird feeder for this journal. It was right after it snowed 4 inches and it was fairly cold around 12 degrees Fahrenheit with high winds. During this hour I saw black-capped chickadees, Darkeyed Juncos, Blue Jays, and Song Sparrows. There were many Blue Jays present as well as Black-capped chickadees in this area. Out of all the birds, I saw Song Sparrows migrate as well as some Dark-eyed Juncos and Bluejays.

Normally the black-capped chickadees are not known to migrate if they are adults. To endure the cold winters in Vermont black-capped chickadees are known to fluff up their feathers to add insulation to their wings. By fluffing up their wings it reduces the ratio of surface area- volume which increases their ability to keep heat.

Dark-eyed Juncos are known to be medium-distance migrants some in the rocky mountains only migrate in short distances whereas others don’t migrate at all if they are to the east of the Apaplations. The dark-eyed juncos that migrate have a peak migration in October and March/ April. In the Eastern United States, they go Northward each spring. For the birds that don’t migrate they move to lower elevations and thicker woodlands. Regarding to their behavior, when I was researching them I found that it is common for them to overlap ranges in the winter with Sparrows and Bluejays which I noticed during my observation.
Blue jays migrate as well but there is a lot that is unknown about this species. Some are present during all of the winter whereas others migrate, mostly juveniles but some adults as well. For the Blue Jays that don’t migrate they tolerate the colder temperatures by staying in dense, evergreen forests with thicker vegetation.

Lastly, the Song Sparrows migrate and are known to be medium-distance migrants but Song Sparrows from Canada or Alaska travel the longest distance. They migrate to either the Southern part of the United States or Northern Mexico. They are known to migrate in April which it seems like they could have migrated earlier. When I mapped out the ranges of the Song sparrow and if it traveled from Mexico to Vermont that is around 2000 miles which I think is very impressive. It is really interesting when you draw it out to see how far they travel to get to their desired temperature for the winter.

Posted on March 23, 2024 02:23 AM by jloyst