Nature Area: Birds

1
Nature Area Birds

• Authors
• Jennifer Cunningham (SMC 2007) a political
  science major, biology with an environmental
  concentration minor, and womens studies minor.
  She is currently attending law school.
• Doris Watt, biology professor (email
  dwatt_at_saintmarys.edu)

Jennifer in field biology attire
The following slides highlight the species seen
in the nature area during Field Biology, May
2006, followed by some additional notes.
2
Canada GooseBranta canadensis

• This is the most widespread goose in North
  America. Flocks travel in a V-formation.
  Considerable variation in size between various
  races. Giant race was reintroduced into Indiana
  and has become an over-populated pest species
  here and throughout the mid-west.
• Family Anatidae. Subfamily Anserinae.
• Permanent resident
• Habitat Lakes, ponds, bays, marshes, fields
  common now in suburbia, golf courses
• Sexually monomorphic black head and neck or
  stocking that contrasts strikingly with the
  pale breast and white patch or chinstrap that
  runs onto the side of the head.
• Voice A deep musical honking or barking ka-lunk.
• Food Grasses, seeds, aquatic plants.

Picture Source http//www.wikipedia.org/
3
MallardAnas platyrhynchos

• The most common duck in our area found on
  waterways dabbling with head underwater, tail up,
  or in most suburban areas waddling along
• Family Anatidae, Subfamily Anatinae
• Permanent resident
• Habitat Marshes, wooded swamps, grainfields,
  ponds, rivers, lakes, bays common in suburbia
  previously more common at SMC before early 1980s
  when Canada Geese moved in.
• Sexually dimorphic Male glossy-green head and
  white neck ring, grayish belly with a chestnut
  chest, curly tail, yellowish bill, orange feet,
  violet-blue speculum. Female Mottled brown,
  whitish tail non-curly tail, bill patched with
  orange, feet orange.
• Voice Male yeeb- a low kwek Female has a
  boisterous quacking.
• Food Aquatic plants, seeds, grass, small aquatic
  animals, insects.

Male
Female with ducklings
Picture source http//www.wikipedia.org/
4
OspreyPandion haliaetus

• Large fish-eating diurnal bird of prey,
  conspicuous dark wrist patches in flight, unique
  scaley ridges in talons aid in holding on to
  slippery fish prey.
• Family Pandionidae, a cosmopolitan family
  (worldwide) of one species, related to other
  hawks (family Accipitridae) but distinctive
• Permanent resident
• Habitat rivers, lakes
• An osprey pair has recently nested on the SMC
  side of the St. Joseph River at a man-made
  platform on convent property south of the Nature
  Area osprey populations are recovering in the
  mid-west after reductions due mostly to
  pesticides.
• Sexually monomorphic
• Voice call a series of loud kyews
• Food mostly fish caught by diving from air and
  with outstretched raptorial feet

Picture Source http//www.wikipedia.org/
5
KilldeerCharadrius vociferus

• Common shorebird that inhabits upland habitats
  Killdeer usually nest at SMC on gravel next to
  the old railroad or along the gravel roads around
  the fields. Famous for its distraction display
  that looks like the bird has a broken wing when
  predators approach the nest area.
• Family Charadriidae
• Summer resident
• Habitat Fields, airports, lawns, river banks,
  shores
• Sexually monomorphic two conspicuous black
  breastbands, golden-tawny rump, longish tail,
  white wing stripe.
• Voice Noisy a loud insistent kill-deeah,
  kill-deeah, usually while flying a plaintive
  dee-ee (rising) often while walking and
  tail-bobbing. Also a low trill.
• Food small aquatic life, insects, some vegetable
  matter

Picture Source http//www.wikipedia.org/
6
Mourning DoveZenaida macroura

• Another common bird that has adapted well to
  human habitats Mourning Doves at SMC frequently
  nest on window ledges at LeMans Hall.
• Family Columbidae
• Permanent resident
• Habitat Farms, towns, open woods, scrub,
  roadsides, grasslands.
• Sexually monomorphic soft buffy brown, pointed
  tail with white spots, pink legs and feet and
  pale blue eye-ring.
• Voice A hollow mournful coah, cooo, cooo, coo.
• Food Seeds, waste grain, fruits, insects.

Picture Source http//www.wikipedia.org/
7
Yellow-billed CuckooCoccyzus americanus

• A rather common bird that is rarely seen, the
  Yellow-billed Cuckoo forages in leafy treetops
  looking for caterpillars rather slow-moving and
  secretive. Its distinctive call often heard on
  hot summer days gives it the predictive local
  name of Rain Crow as they are siad to call in the
  rain.
• Family Cuculidae
• Summer resident
• Habitat Woodlands, thickets, farms, orchards.
• Sexually monomorphic slim sinuous look, brown
  back, and plain white breast, long graduated tail
  with conspicuous white spots, yellow bill.
• Voice Song, a rapid throaty ka-ka-kakow-kow-kowl
  p-kowlp-kowlp
• Food Caterpillars, other insects

Picture source http//www.wikipedia.org/
8
Belted KingfisherMegaceryle alcyon

• Robin-sized large-headed large-billed noisy
  fish-eating resident along waterways although
  sometimes seen flying over campus, our
  kingfishers center their activities along the St.
  Joseph River.
• Family Alcedinidae
• Permanent resident
• Habitat Streams, lakes, bays, coasts nests in
  holes they dig in banks.
• Sexually similar bluish gray and white birds but
  dichromatic with female sporting a rusty orange
  flank and breast band not present in male.
• Voice A loud dry rattle.
• Food Mainly fish acquired by diving from a perch
  or hovering

Picture Source http//www.wikipedia.org/
9
Red-bellied WoodpeckerMelanerpes carolinus

• A zebra-backed large woodpecker with a red cap,
  white rump, and light reddish belly.
• Family Picidae
• Habitat Woodlands, groves, orchards, towns
• Sexually dimorphic males red cap covers
  complete crown, females starts behind the eye
  and onto the nape but is not red in the frontal
  area.
• Voice Note, kwirr, churr, or chaw. Muffled in
  Flicker-like series.
• Food Tree-boring insects

Picture Source http//www.wikipedia.org/
10
Downy WoodpeckerPicoides pubescens

• A small woodpecker with a white back and belly
  and a small bill.
• Family Picidae
• Permanent resident
• Habitat Forests, woodlots, willows, river
  groves, orchards, shade trees.
• Sexually dimorphic females have no red on their
  heads, males have a red patch on the back of the
  crown.
• Voice A rapid whinny of notes, descending in
  pitch.
• Food Tree-boring insects

Picture Source http//www.wikipedia.org/
11
Great Crested FlycatcherMyiarchus crinitus

• Kingbird-sized flycatcher with cinnamon wings and
  tail, a gray breast, and a yellow belly.
• The only eastern flycatcher that has a long rust
  tail.
• Family Tyrannidae
• Summer resident
• Habitat Woodlands and groves.
• Sexually monomorphic
• Voice Whistled wheeep! and rolling prrrrreee.
• Food Flying insects

Picture Source http//www.wikipedia.org/
12
Eastern Wood-PeweeContopus virens

• A sparrow-sized flycatcher with 2 narrow white
  wing bars. No eye-ring.
• Family Tyrannidae
• Summer resident
• Habitat Woodlands, groves.
• Sexually monomorphic
• Voice Whistled pee-a-wee and pee-ur.
• Food Flying insects.

Picture Source http//www.wikipedia.org/
13
Black-capped ChickadeeParus atricapillus

• Small, tame acrobat is distinctively patterned
  with a combo of black cap and bib, white cheeks.
  Sides buffy.
• Family Paridae
• Permanent resident
• Habitat mixed and deciduous woods willow
  thickets, groves, shade trees. Visits feeders,
  where it eats suet, sunflower seeds.
• Sexually monomorphic
• Voice call a clearly enunciated
  chick-a-dee-dee-dee. Song, a clear whistle,
  fee-bee-ee.
• Food Insects, seeds, acorn masts, berries.
• Source Eastern Birds by Peterson

Picture Source http//www.wikipedia.org/
14
Tufted TitmouseParus bicolor

• Small, gray, mouse-colored bird with a tufted
  crest, commonly seen at feeders and in mixed
  flocks with chickadees in winter.
• Family Paridae
• Permanent Resident
• Habitat woodlands, shade trees, groves feeders.
• Sexually monomorphic gray back, whitish belly,
  buffy flanks, large black eyes and black around
  bill.
• Voice Whistles peter, peter peter or here, here,
  here.
• Food Insets, seeds, acorn masts, and berries.
• At feeders suet and sunflower seeds.
• Source Eastern Birds by Peterson.

Picture Source http//www.wikipedia.org/
15
White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensis

• Small bird most often seen climbing down tree
  trunks or branches headfirst, also often heard as
  it almost constantly calls a nasal nyet, nyet,
  nyet.
• Family Sittidae
• Permanent resident
• Habitat Forests, woodlots, groves, river woods,
  shade trees visits feeders.
• Sexually similar gray back, white belly with a
  black cap (blacker in males) and beady black eyes
  on a white face, undertail coverts are chestnut.
• Voice Song, a rapid series of low, nasal,
  whistled notes on one pitch. Whi whi whi or who
  who who.
• Food Bark insects, seeds, nuts attracted by
  suet, sunflower seeds.
• Source Eastern Birds by Peterson

Picture Source http//www.wikipedia.org/
16
Gray CatbirdDumetella carolinensis

• This slim resident of brushy hedgerows is most
  often heard before it is seen, its cat-like meow
  call is distinctive.
• Family Mimidae
• Summer Resident
• Habitat Undergrowth, brush, thorn scrub,
  suburban gardens.
• Sexually monomorphic Slate-gray body, black cap,
  chestnut undertail feathers.
• Voice Catlike mewing call, song a complex long
  combination of many sounds.
• Food Insects, fruits

Picture Source http//www.wikipedia.org/
17
American RobinTurdus migratorius

• A large thrush commonly seen in spring and summer
  hopping around lawns catching earthworms. Robins
  appear to leave in winter but many gather in
  flocks and overwinter in floodplain forests.
• Family Turdidae
• Permanent resident
• Habitat forests, woodlands, and gardens.
• Sexually dimorphic back and wings are gray,
  underparts are orangish-red (darker in males),
  dark head (black in males, dark gray in females),
  yellow bill young have gray spotted breasts.
• Voice Song cheerily, cheer up, cheer up,
  cheerily, cheer up
• Food Invertebrates, especially earthworms, and
  fruit

Male
Picture Source http//www.wikipedia.org/
18
Wood ThrushHylocichla mustelina

• Largest of the Hylocichla thrushes, the Wood
  Thrush is a frequently studied species used as an
  indicator of high quality large forest tracks.
  Heavily parasitized by cowbirds, this species
  reproduces most successfully in large forests
  rather than in small woodlots with lots of edge
  habitat.
• Family Turdidae
• Summer resident
• Habitat mature deciduous woodlands
• Sexually monomorphic larger and plumper than
  other brown thrushes but smaller than a robin
  rusty brown on back of head and back, large
  roundish dark spots over belly.
• Voice Song long, melodious, flutelike.
• Food Insects, worms, snails, berries, fruits

Picture Source http//www.wikipedia.org/
19
Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorum

• This species is most often seen in large flocks
  feeding on fruiting trees. They are social most
  of the year, only pairing up during their
  breeding season, which doesnt begin until late
  summer when many fruits ripen.
• Family Bombycillidae
• Permanent resident
• Habitat open woodlands, fruiting trees,
  orchards in winter, widespread, irregular.
• Monomorphic soft buffy gray-brown over most of
  body, lighter on belly, under tail, black mask
  and pointed crest, yellow band on end of tail,
  some adults have waxy red tips on secondaries
  (not correlated with sex or age). Young birds
  grayer, softly streaked below.
• Voice A high thin lisp or zeee sometimes
  slightly trilled.
• Food Mostly fruits and berries, some insects

Picture Source http//www.wikipedia.org/
20
Red-eyed VireoVireo olivaceus

• Vireos are insect-gleaning birds that appear more
  sluggish and sneaky than the next group, the
  warblers. They are most often heard and not
  seen.
• Family Vireonidae
• Summer resident (click on picture to see breeding
  and winter ranges) one of many species of
  neotropical migrants that winter in Central or
  South America and breed in North America.
• Habitat Woodlands, shade trees, groves
• Sexually monomorphic gray cap contrasting with
  the olive back, strong black-bordered white
  eyebrow stripe, dark red eye.
• Voice Song short abrupt phrases separated by
  pauses repeated up to 40 times per minute hour
  after hour (hello, how are you? I am fine.)1
• Food Mostly insects.

Picture Source http//www.birdwatchersdigest.com
http//www.leo.lehigh.edu
1 Imagined by D Watt.
21
Warbling VireoVireo gilvus

• Another vireo species this one has a dark eye
  rather than a red one as in the previous species.
  Warbling Vireos are especially abundant along
  the trail near the river.
• Family Vireonidae
• Summer Resident
• Habitat Deciduous and mixed woods, aspen groves,
  poplars, shade trees.
• Sexually monomorphic similar to the Red-eyed
  Vireo but with a black eye and lacks black
  boarder on the eyebrow stripe.
• Voice Song a languid warble the best way to
  identify summer vireos is by their distinctive
  song since it is very unlikely you will see one
  or identify its eye color. Click on this link to
  listen to the Warbling Vireo song
• http//identify.whatbird.com/obj/152/_/target.aspx
  
• The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology describes
  the song as "If I sees you, I will seize you, and
  I'll squeeze you till you squirt!"
• Food Mostly insects.

Picture source http//www.wikipedia.org
22
Tennessee WarblerVermivora peregrina
Nashville WarblerVermivora ruficapilla

• The North American family of Wood Warblers
  consists of a variety of brightly colored (or
  not) small neotropical migrants that mostly eat
  insects, by gleaning, flycatching, or probing.
  The two most numerous during migration are the
  Nashville and Tennesee (next slide) Warblers,
  when their songs almost drown out human
  conversation. Their peak migration date usually
  coincides with SMC graduation in mid-May when the
  trees ring with their songs. Many move on to
  Canada to breed including these two species.
• Family Parulidae
• Transient
• Habitat cool open mixed woods with undergrowth,
  forest edges, bogs mostly in trees during
  migration.
• Sexually monomorphic Nashville has white
  eye-ring and a yellow throat and belly Tennessee
  has white throat and belly, light stripe over
  eye neither has wing bars common to other
  parulids.
• Voice Nashville song 2 parts Seebit, seebit,
  seebit, seebit, titititititi Tennessee song,
  staccato, similar to the Nashville Warblers
  song, but louder, and more tirelessly repeated.1
• Food Mainly insects

Nashville (top) and Tennessee (bottom)
Warblers Illustration by Louis Agassiz
Fuertes Picture Source http//www.answers.com/
1 Eastern Birds, Roger Tory Peterson
23
Chestnut-sided WarblerDendroica pensylvanica

• One of several wood warbler species that do stay
  and breed in northern Indiana. This species is at
  its southern-most range in northern Indiana and
  its rarity make it a super special find breeding
  along SMCs nature trail.
• Family Parulidae
• Summer resident
• Habitat successional stages of old fields, bushy
  pastures, powerline right-of-ways
• Dimorphic male with darker chestnut sides,
  greener crown, otherwise sexes similar in plumage
• Voice song please please pleased to meetcha
• Food mostly insects

Picture source sdakotabirds.com
24
Baltimore OrioleIcterus galbula

• One of our showiest summer birds, Baltimore
  Orioles can be attracted to hummingbird feeders
  or halved oranges early in the spring (mid- to
  late April) as they arrive on migration.
• Family Icteridae
• Summer resident
• Habitat Open woods, elms, shade trees builds
  pendulous nest that often hangs from the tip of a
  branch.
• Sexually dimorphic male flame-orange and black
  with a solid-black head, female and young olive
  green-brown above, burnt orange-yellow below
• Voice Song rich, piping whistled notes
• Food mostly flowers and fruits early, feed on
  insects later and to young

John J. Audubon print copy Picture Source
http//www.princetonaudubon.com
25
Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalis

• The quintessential Christmas card bird, the
  cardinal is a common bird in Indiana the year
  round. It is the most common state bird (seven
  including Indiana).
• Family Fringillidae
• Permanent resident
• Habitat woodland edges, thickets, suburban
  gardens, towns.
• Sexually dimorphic Male red with pointed crest
  and a black patch at the base of its heavy
  triangular orange bill female buff-brown with
  some red on the wings and tail, orange bill.
  Immature similar to female, but all brown with a
  dark brown bill.
• Voice Song clear loud slurred whistles, lowering
  in pitch. Several variations.
• Food Seeds, insects, small fruits

Picture Source http//www.wikipedia.org/
26
Rose-breasted GrosbeakPheucticus ludovicianus

• Another neotropical migrant, this large finch is
  seen mostly at feeders in springtime. It nests
  in the canopy of tall trees, and both male and
  female incubate the eggs and sing from the nest.
• Family Fringillidae
• Summer Resident
• Habitat Deciduous woods, orchards, groves,
  thickets
• Sexually dimorphic Male black and white with a
  large triangle of rose-red on the breast and a
  thick pale bill. Female streaked brown and
  white, broad white wing bars, striped crown, and
  broad white eyebrow stripe.
• Voice song, rising and falling passages similar
  to a robins song
• Food Seeds, insects, fruits

Picture Source male http//www.wikipedia.org/ fe
male http//www.sialis.org
27
Indigo BuntingPasserina cyanea

• A small finch commonly found along fence rows and
  other old field or edge habitats during late
  spring and summer. This is very much a
  successional stage species, rarely found inside
  forests, but much more common along the SMC trail
  now that the canopy has been opened up. The male
  sings loudly from an exposed perch but in spite
  of his bright coloration is difficult to see
  against the sky.
• Family Fringillidae
• Summer Resident
• Habitat Brushy pastures, bushy wood edges, briar
  tangles. The nest is usually located in one of
  these brushy tangles.
• Sexually dimorphic male bright blue, female
  plain brown.
• Voice Song, lively, high, strident notes
  usually paired sweet-sweet, chew-chew,
  sweeter-sweeter, sweeter than you
• Food seeds, insects, and small fruits

Picture Source http//www.wikipedia.org/
28
American GoldfinchCarduelis tristis

• A small finch with deeply undulating flight
  common throughout our area.
• Family Fringillidae
• Permanent Resident
• Habitat patches of thistles and weeds,
  dandelions on lawns, roadsides, open woods,
  edges in winter, also feeders.
• Sexually dimorphic Male bright yellow and black
  in summer, female greenish yellow sexes more
  similar in winter and resemble summer female.
• Voice Song sustained, clear, light, canary-like.

Picture Source http//www.wikipedia.org/
29
List of Bird Species Banded by Dr. Watt at Saint
Marys since 1983
Magnolia Warbler Yellow Warbler Mourning
Warbler Worm-eating Warbler Yellow-rumped
Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler American
Redstart Chestnut-sided Warbler Nashville
Warbler Tennessee Warbler Palm Warbler Wilsons
Warbler Hooded Warbler Ovenbird Baltimore
Oriole Brown-headed Cowbird Common Grackle Indigo
Bunting Rose-breasted Grosbeak Northern
Cardinal White-throated Sparrow White-crowned
Sparrow Field Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Song
Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Lincolns
Sparrow Chipping Sparrow American Tree
Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco American Goldfinch Pine
Siskin House Finch House Sparrow European
Starling
Canada Goose Yellow-shafted Flicker Red-bellied
Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Hairy
Woodpecker Mourning Dove Eastern Phoebe Great
Crested Flycatcher Acadian Flycatcher Blue
Jay Black-capped Chickadee Tufted
Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch Red-breasted
Nuthatch Brown Creeper House Wren Carolina
Wren Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Cedar
Waxwing Red-eyed Vireo White-eyed
Vireo Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned
Kinglet American Robin Wood Thrush Hermit
Thrush Swainsons Thrush Gray-cheeked
Thrush Veery Common Yellowthroat Golden-winged
Warbler Black-and-white Warbler Northern
Waterthrush
Magnolia Warbler 9 May 2007
Species caught but not banded Red-Tailed
Hawk Screech Owl Common Nighthawk
30
List of Bird Species recorded by SB Audubon
Society at Saint Marys Nature Area since 1983
(mostly May Counts, not all years)