Ornithology Field Journal #6

• 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.

Posted on April 23, 2024 01:08 AM by widoweva