widoweva's Journal

• Date - Thursday April 25, 2024
• Start time - 8:00 am
• End time - 9:00 am
• Location - Centennial Woods, Burlington Vermont
• Weather - 42°F Sunny with cloudy skies, no precipitation, 4.5 mph winds from the north

• Habitat(s) - secondary growth forest, sugar maples, eastern white pines, and edge habitat shrubs are most
  abundant, partly boggy and along a stream

Species Observed by Sight:

• Black-capped Chickadee
• Turkey Vulture
• Sharp-shinned Hawk
• Blue-headed Vireo
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet
• American Robin
• White-throated Sparrow
• Northern Cardinal

Species Observed by Sounds:

• Black-capped Chickadee
• Northern Flicker
• Eastern Phoebe
• Blue-headed Vireo
• American Crow
• Tufted Titmouse
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet
• White-breasted Nuthatch
• American Robin
• Dark-eyed Junco
• White-throated Sparrow
• Song Sparrow
• Northern Cardinal

• Date - Monday April 22, 2024
• Start time - 7:54 am
• End time - 9:03 am
• Location - Centennial Woods, Burlington Vermont
• Weather - 33°F Sunny with cloudy skies, no precipitation, 10 mph winds from the north west
  

• Habitat(s) - secondary growth forest, sugar maples, eastern white pines, and edge habitat shrubs are most
  abundant

Species Observed by Sight:

• American Robin
• White-throated Sparrow
• Black-capped Chickadee
• Dark-eyed Junco
• Northern Cardinal
• Brown Creeper
• Song Sparrow
• Red-breasted Nuthatch

Species Observed by Sounds:

• Dark-eyed Junco
• Canada Goose
• Blue Jay
• American Crow
• Black-capped Chickadee
• Tufted Titmouse
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet
• Golden-crowned Kinglet
• Red-breasted Nuthatch
• Carolina Wren
• Eastern Bluebird
• American Robin
• Pine Siskin
• American Goldfinch
• Fox Sparrow
• White-throated Sparrow
• Song Sparrow
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• Pine Warbler
• Northern Cardinal

Field Observation: Reproductive Ecology and Evolution

Several species I observed continuously sang back and forth to each other, which related to mate selection. The Dark-eyed Juncos and White-throated Sparrows flew back and forth under the canopy and flew high and low amongst the trees. These behaviors likely relate to nest and territory selection because the individuals were very actively searching the landscape. I also observed several species singing louder when birds of a different species got closer to them, which relates to territory selection.

The Dark-eyed Juncos spent most of their time in the understory and foraging for food or nest building materials on the ground, which makes sense given that they are ground nesters. The White-throated Sparrows I observed displayed similar behaviors as they also nest on the ground. Most of the Robins I saw were on the edge of the woods, closer to the houses nearby. American Robins nest in trees and are common in residential areas, which matches where I observed them the most.

The habitat requirements of the species I observed differ based on their life histories. Dark-eyed Juncos and White-throated Sparrows both nest on the ground partially because they are ground foragers. American Robins prefer open forested habitats and Brown-headed Cowbirds are most commonly found in grasslands. The species I observed were all found in the same area, however, each species occupies a different part of the woods – on the ground, in the shrubs, or in the trees.

I observed several White-throated Sparrows defending a territory by singing. It was defending a territory within an eastern white pine stand with openings in the canopy that had dense understory vegetation, which is a prime habitat for this species. The ability of these individuals to defend ideal territories and habitats indicates that they are very fit individuals.

I noticed Dark-eyed Juncos picking up pine needles, old leaves, decomposing wood, old bark, and various other items off the forest floor that they may be using to build or line their nests. Dark-eyed Juncos have to forage on the forest floor for these materials.

Sound Map:
The larger squiggles represent higher quality, louder sounds and the smaller squiggles represent quieter, lower quality sounds.

• Date - Monday April 8, 2024
• Start time - 7:25 am
• End time - 8:30 am
• Location - Centennial Woods, Burlington Vermont
• Weather - 36°F Sunny and clear skies, no precipitation, 4 mph winds from the south east
  

• Habitat(s) - secondary growth forest, sugar maples, eastern hemlocks, eastern white pines, and edge
  habitat shrubs are most abundant

Species Observed by Sight:

• Black-capped Chickadee
• White-breasted Nuthatch
• Northern Cardinal
• American Crow
• American Robin

Species Observed by Sounds:

• Black-capped Chickadee
• White-breasted Nuthatch
• Northern Cardinal
• American Crow
• American Robin
• Downy Woodpecker
• Hairy Woodpecker
• Brown Creeper
• Carolina Wren
• Pine Siskin
• American Goldfinch
• Song Sparrow

A Glimpse Into the Lack of Migration and Evolutionary History of Birds on Tiritiri Matangi Island

• Date - Wednesday March 13, 2024
• Start time - 10:43 am
• End time - 1:03 pm
• Location - Tiritiri Matangi Island, New Zealand
  
• Weather - 70°F Sunny and clear skis, no precipitation, minimal wind
• Habitat(s) - Prior to human inhabitation of the island, a mixed coastal broadleaf forest covered the land. Māori occupation of the land and European farming and grazing resulted in near complete deforestation of the entire island (1). From 1984 to 1994, over 280,000 native trees were planted with the goal of restoring the island to the rich habitat it was prior to human intervention (1). Today, the island is a pest free, open sanctuary that provides suitable habitats for some of New Zealand’s most endangered birds (1).
  

Species Observed by Sight (Māori and common names):

• Brown Quail
• Pūkeke/Australasian Swamphen
• Tūī
• Korimako/New Zealand Bellbird
• Pōpokatea/Whitehead
• Pīwakawaka/New Zealand Fantail
• North Island Kōkako
• Tīeke/North Island Saddleback
• Hihi/Stitchbird
• Toutouwai/North Island Robin
• Welcome Swallow
• Takahē
• Kiwi Pukupuku/Little Spotted Kiwi (observed at later time in the day)

90% of the world’s birds are land birds, however, Native New Zealand land birds only account for roughly 36% of Native New Zealand Birds (1). The high amount of shoreline and wetland habitats provides much more suitable habitat for seabirds than for land birds. Around 90 species are considered land birds in New Zealand, and their unique evolutionary history provides insights to the life histories of these birds.

Native New Zealand birds have evolved in almost complete isolation from the rest of the world, which explains a lot of their physical adaptations and life histories. The birds of New Zealand evolved with virtually no predators as the island was originally free from any land mammals. Many species are very bad fliers because of this, prefering to fly short distances or hop from tree to tree. New Zealand continues to provide endemic bird species with suitable breeding habitats and plenty of food throughout all seasons, so the costly risk of migrating was abandoned by all endemic New Zealand land birds. Variable Oystercatchers are known to locally migrate in search of food sources or better breeding grounds and some species of Terns and Albatrosses will migrate to Australia once the breeding season is over (1). The Bar-tailed Godwit migrates across the Pacific Ocean from New Zealand to Alaska, however, these examples of migratory birds are the exceptions in New Zealand (1). Land birds of New Zealand have no need to migrate long distances or even to other parts of the North or South Islands. The seasons in New Zealand do not change as drastically as they do in other parts of the world, which supplies birds with reliable food sources year round.

After Tiritiri Matangi was replanted and made into a sanctuary for New Zealand’s birds, most of the species thriving on the island today were translocated to provide populations with suitable habitat to help prevent the many declines certain species were experiencing (1). The North Island Kōkako is a notable species that was translocated to the island in 1998. I noticed that the Kōkako pairs I saw were poor flyers, hopping from tree to tree. The wings of the Kōkako are short and only allow them to fly short distances. The North Island Saddleback forages for insects in the leaf litter and similar to the Kōkako, it nests closer to the ground. The low nesting tendencies of these species resulted in declines in numbers when introduced land mammals like rats and possums were brought to the island.

I observed a Little Spotted Kiwi and Takahē while staying on the island, both of which are completely flightless. The Kiwi has a vestigial wing, hair like feathers, and nostrils at the end of its long beak (1). Both of these species have evolved in different ways to avoid predators and forage effectively despite being unable to fly. Kiwi are nocturnal, camouflage well, and have nostrils at the ends of their long beaks that they use to find insects deep in the soil and leaf litter. Takahē are large grazing birds with strong legs for walking. Large forested areas with grazing provide plenty of food for these birds without a need for flying to other food sources. Takahē diets consist of grasses and other vegetation, which they need a lot of since they are such large birds. Lacking the ability to fly proves advantageous for this species because flight is so energetically taxing and would require a massive amount of vegetative food to be consumed in order to sustain the flight of such a large bird. Unlike the Kiwi the Takahē are not nocturnal and are very territorial to other families of Takahē and will fight to the death in order to protect their families and territory (1).

1: Information and facts provided by the volunteers and rangers on the island.

• Date - Tuesday March 5, 2024
• Start time - 10:28 am
• End time - 11:30 am
• Location - Colchester Railway Causeway, Colchester Vermont
• Weather - 54°F Sunny, 15 mph winds from the south, no precipitation
• Habitat(s) - the path to the causeway was a wooded area on the edge of residential properties. Several mature cedar species. The habitat transitioned to open water when we reached the Causeway

Species Observed by Sight:

• 1 Dark-eyed Junco
• 3 American Robin
• 6 European Starling
• 6 Black-capped Chickadee
• 5 Ring-billed Gull
• ~20 Common Merganser
• 3 Common Goldeneye
• 1 Bufflehead
• ~50 Canada Goose

Species Observed by Sounds:

• Black-capped Chickadee
• Canada Goose

All the birds I observed were very active and vocal. The chickadees were communicating with songs and calls. The Canada Geese that flew overhead were all simultaneously calling using several loud honks. The three American Robins we observed were not vocal but seemed to understand each other because they all hopped across the ground looking for food together. The Chickadees were the most vocal and could be heard along the entire path leading to the Causeway. They became more vocal when we approached them and started making calls to them. They could have been territorial or just curious about the noises they were hearing.

The American Robin I observed had a thin layer of plumage in comparison to the Common Mergansers. The Robin has darker feathers overall, which could be advantageous for mating if the birds we observed were males. The plumage of the Robins is not as thick as the Common Mergansers for many evolutionary advantages. Having a thinner plumage allows the Robin to fly more efficiently and hop around for food to feed its young. The Common Mergansers have a thicker plumage to help with insulation and the water repellency of the feathers is more important for the waterfowl because they spend lots of time in open waters. The Common Mergansers we observed were in a small group, floating along the shoreline. They often dipped their heads underwater and eventually would dive under to forage for food. Common Mergansers are found in open waters where they spend a lot of their time. Foraging during the day while the sun is out allows them to stay warm.

We called to the Chickadees using the “pish” sounds and it seemed to pique their curiosity. They came closer to us when we called to them and would respond with vocalizations or calls. Chickadees and other songbirds are known to be very curious species. “Spishing” noises could cause curiosity in the birds or the sound could be similar to other bird noises. As we near the breeding season, the Chickadees will become more territorial and this sound could alert the birds to a possible threat.

• Date - Monday February 19, 2024
• Start time - 8:09 am
• End time - 9:28 am
• Location - Ethan Allen Park, Burlington Vermont
• Weather - 15°F, sunny, 12 mph winds from North West, no precipitation

• Habitat(s) - forest edges, backyard of houses, park trails, secondary newer-growth forest, mature eastern
  white pine and maples predominated with lots of immature understory species.

Species Observed by Sight:

• Pileated Woodpecker
• Hairy Woodpecker
• Black-capped Chickadees
• American Crow
• White-breasted Nuthatch

Species Observed by Sounds:

• Hairy Woodpecker
• Tufted Titmouse
• American Crow
• Black-capped Chickadee
• Pileated Woodpecker
• White-breasted Nuthatch
• Brown Creeper
• American Robin
• Northern Cardinal

Black-capped Chickadees and White-breasted Nuthatches spent their time flying from tree to tree or across trails to different shrubbery patches. Both species were active to retain body heat and sang frequently. I did not see any Tufted Titmouses, but they were singing and calling to each other for a majority of my walk. Two Pileated Woodpeckers perched on trees next to the trail and spent most of their time drumming or pecking at the bark for insects or other sources of food. They moved up the trunks and around them, spending a notable amount of time on the side of the trunks that faced the sun. Each Pileated Woodpecker spent a considerable amount of time at the top of particular trees, eating as much as they could. Eventually they flew to a new tree nearby, but overall, they did not move as much as the songbirds did.

The Pileated and Hairy Woodpeckers were both searching for insects in the bark of trees. The songbirds I observed did not seem to be hunting or searching for food, but I would think they eat seeds, nuts, and other foods that can be found in the winter. The diet of songbirds could change depending on the season and the food availability. In spring and summer there are berries to eat or a larger variety of insects. If the crows were to overnight within the park they could be found roosting in a large group at the tops of the trees. The woodpeckers would be found deeper in the forest away from the nearby houses. The songbirds would be most likely to overnight on the edges of the trails or closest to the houses by the park.

While walking throughout the trails in the park I counted roughly 30 snags. The smaller snags, most of which were birch species, did not have any cavities. I noticed that as the size of the snags increased, the amount of cavities increased as well and typically the size of the cavities also increased. Most snags were located deeper in the forest. Some snags had an abundance of holes in them from woodpeckers. Snags are important nesting and overnight habitats for resident birds, especially in the winter months. They can provide shelter from the harsh elements and can help keep smaller birds out of sight from predators when breeding. Songbirds and smaller birds are mostly likely to utilize snags and cavities. Blue Birds, Black-capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatches, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers are just a few of the species that could benefit from snags.

• Date - Sunday February 4, 2024
• Start time - 7:52 am
• End time - 9:00 am
• Location - Oakledge Park, Burlington Vermont
• Weather - 21°F Partly Cloudy, 4 mph winds from the south, no precipitation

• Habitat(s) - Overall habitat is a park with exposed trees and edges. Rocky outcropping, trees mostly young
  with a few mature individuals, mature eastern white pines, many mature species in the Cupressaceae
  family, young riparian species on edges of park paths.

Species Observed by Sight:

• Black-Capped Chickadee
• Downy Woodpecker
• American Crow
• Mallard

Species Observed by Sounds:

• Brown Creeper
• Pileated Woodpecker
• Blue Jay
• Downy Woodpecker
• Tufted Titmouse
• Black-capped Chickadee
• American Crow
• White-breasted Nuthatch

I observed Black-capped Chickadees and their flight patterns. The chickadees I observed were very social with one another and the people walking along the trails near the forest edge. They flew in between nearby trees, often perching on higher branches, and never flying for long distances at a time. A few short, fast, wing flaps allowed the Chickadees to flutter between branches in a “hopping” motion. The Chickadees often dove from a higher branch down to a lower one and were curious about the people nearby and even came closer when I whistled a Chickadee song.

The flight pattern of Crows is quite different from that of the Chickadees. I only saw the Crows fly across the grassy clearing beside the trail. This species has stronger, longer wing flaps and does not need as many little wing flaps as the Chickadees do. The crows' flight pattern is direct, flying from one point to the next. Crow wings are much larger, wider, and longer than Chickadee wings. This larger size allows crows to have longer, stronger wing flaps. Crows prefer open woodland habitats with trees to perch in. This habitat niche preference relates to the larger wings of Crows since they have to fly longer distances than Chickadees, who like a variety of habitats and tree species to preside in.

Chickadees characteristically maneuver across small branches, which makes it easy to identify them based on their flight pattern and behavior. Crows can often be found roosting high in trees or swarming with a large group of the species.

I heard and saw a decent amount of birds during my observation time. I went birding roughly an hour after sunrise, which affected the amount of birds I heard and saw. If I had gone right at dawn I’m sure I would have heard even more species. The weather conditions described above and the edge plot that I did my observations at influenced the bird distribution heavily. Black-capped Chickadees and Hairy Woodpeckers were the two most dominant species I observed. The distribution of species was dominated by Black-capped Chickadees and Downy Woodpeckers, which makes sense since I did my observations in a habitat these two species prefer.