LAURA ERICKSON: WHY WE NEED A ‘CULTURE OF CONSERVATION’

February 2020

Attract • Find • Identify • Enjoy

Saving BIRDING
with
CHILDREN
Snowies
Surprising
behaviors of
ROADRUNNERS
Birds that
use TOOLS
ID TIPS from
David Sibley & When SNOWY OWLS
hang out around airport
Kenn Kaufman runways, a few heroes
spring into action.
Page 14
 January/February 2020 Vol.34 No.1

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FEATURES IN EVERY ISSUE

COVER STORY 2 From the editor
14 The rescuers 5 Birding briefs
When Snowy Owls turn up near airport runways, these heroes go to New hope for a Hawaiian honeycreeper, the
work to move them to safety. BY MATT MENDENHALL discovery of a complex avian society, one
woman’s trek for a rediscovered bird, recent
16 Birdwatching with children rarities, and more.
How to nurture — or spark — your kids’ interest in birds.
BY ANDREA MILLER 6 Since you asked JULIE CRAVES
How diet helps male cardinals become red,
22 Raised by birders how birds can survive despite deformities,
A daughter of ornithologists reminisces about her unusual child- and whether Barred Owls would threaten
hood and the eternal truths she learned from her parents’ love of nesting bluebirds and swallows.
birds. BY HOLLIN STAFFORD
8 On the move EBIRD
26 Birding hallowed ground Migration maps for King Eider and
Searching for Chuck-will’s-widows along the pathways of Harriet Mountain Plover.
Tubman’s Underground Railroad. BY ORIETTA C. ESTRADA
12 Birder at large PETE DUNNE
32 Roadrunner surprises Why it’s not possible to have a bad birding
Close observations of an iconic bird of the desert southwest day in Cape May.
reveal rarely seen behaviors. BY JIM BURNS
38 ID tips KENN KAUFMAN
Identifying Pygmy Nuthatch.
41 Hotspots Near You
Maps, tips, and directions for birding loca- Meet the 44 Amazing birds ELDON GREIJ
tions in Maryland and North Carolina.
BY ORIETTA C. ESTRADA AND ERIC HARROLD
Greater Various ways that birds around the world
use tools.
Roadrunner,
p. 32 46 Attracting birds LAURA ERICKSON
How a “culture of conservation” can reduce
threats to our birds.

48 Bookshelf
Books about penguins, woodpeckers,
eagles, and more.

50 Your view
Readers’ photos of beautiful birds.

54 Your letters
55 Classifieds
56 ID toolkit DAVID ALLEN SIBLEY
Tropical birding tips.

COVER PHOTO Snowy Owl

Jim Burns

by FotoRequest/Shutterstock

Like us on Facebook: Follow us on Twitter: Flickr: BirdWatching Follow us on Instagram:

BirdWatchingMagazine @BirdWatchDaily group photo pool @birdwatchingmagazine
 fromtheeditor
Editor Matt Mendenhall
Founding Editor Eldon D. Greij
Contributing Editors Julie Craves, Pete Dunne,

Snowies in winter Laura Erickson, Kenn Kaufman, David Allen Sibley

Editorial Consultant Lee Mergner

ART & PRODUCTION

As I write in early November, it’s too soon Art Director Carolyn V. Marsden
to say what kind of winter this will be for Graphic Designer Haley Nunes

Snowy Owls in southern Canada and the OPERATIONS

Vice President, Circulation Strategy Jason Pomerantz
lower 48 states. Users of eBird have reported a Operations Supervisor Andrea Palli
handful of sightings of our cover bird from Operations Coordinator Toni Eunice
Alberta to North Dakota and a couple Human Resources Manager Alicia Roach
Supervisor, Client Services Cheyenne Corliss
sightings in Michigan and Quebec. We’ll have Senior Client Services Associate Tou Zong Her
to wait and see if they come farther south. Client Services Aubrie Britto, Darren Cormier
If one or more Snowies turn up near you Accounting Director Amanda Joyce
Accounts Payable Associate Tina McDermott
this winter, please bear in mind that the birds Accounts Receivable Associate Wayne Tuggle
are trying to survive in a landscape that is far different from their summer
DIGITAL OPERATIONS
home in the arctic. Roads, airport runways, and other aspects of modern Digital Ad Operations Director Leza Olmer
life are alien to Snowies and all pose threats. So, by all means, go see the Wordpress Developer David Glassman
Senior Digital Designer Mike Decker
birds, but always keep their welfare in mind, especially if you’re taking
photos. (For the best advice on this topic, look up “Audubon’s Guide to SALES & MARKETING
Media Solutions Director Scott Luksh
Ethical Bird Photography” at www.audubon.org.) sluksh@madavor.com
A special event like a Snowy Owl sighting is an opportunity to “wow” Senior Media Solutions Manager Alexandra Piccirilli
apiccirilli@madavor.com
your children or grandchildren and get them excited about birds. If you’re
Client Services clientservices@madavor.com
going to look for a Snowy, bundle the kids up and bring them along! And Audience Development Analyst Ryan Gillis
for more advice on how to inspire kids to get hooked on birds, turn to Social Media and Marketing Manager Tim Doolan
Marketing Associates Shawn Daniel, Tommy Goodale
Andrea Miller’s article on page 16.
Content Marketing Supervisor Anthony Buzzeo
And follow that up with Hollin Stafford’s piece on page 18: “Raised Content Marketing Associate Sarah MacDougall
by Birders.” She tells a funny and delightful story about her childhood, as EXECUTIVE
a daughter of ornithologists. She recalls an early memory of seeing a Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey C. Wolk

Snowy Owl in Minnesota: “If one needed to conjure a definition for magic, Vice President, Business Operations Courtney Whitaker

I suppose this image would fit the bill. It was glorious.” Newsstand Weekly Retail Service
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MAUI ENDEMIC: Kiwikiu, a native Hawaiian honeycreeper, was once fairly common on Maui but now numbers less than 300 birds.
New hope for a honeycreeper
Conservationists working to establish second Kiwikiu population
Government agencies
and conservation groups on
the island of Maui are
working to prevent the
extinction of the Kiwikiu, or
Maui Parrotbill, by estab-
lishing a second “insurance”
population.
In October, they moved
five males and two females
from the Hanawi Natural
Area Reserve (NAR), on the
windward slopes of Haleak-
alā volcano, to the Nakula
NAR, on the leeward slope of
the mountain.
The species currently
numbers fewer than 300
birds, and possibly no more
than 157, in the wild.
Kiwikiu is only found in
the high-altitude native
forests on East Maui. As its
one remaining wild popula-
tion has declined, the
species’ range has shrunk to
less than 7,400 acres.
Hawaii was once home to
more than 50 native honey-
creeper species, but over the
centuries, at least 35 have
become extinct, and another
six are probably extinct.
About 15 species are
currently listed as critically
endangered, endangered, or
vulnerable. Kiwikiu is
considered critically
endangered.
“The Kiwikiu is hanging
on in a very small and
vulnerable population,” says
Hanna Mounce, project
coordinator at the Maui
Forest Bird Recovery Project.
“We are committed to doing
everything we can to save
this species, and the
partnership has used the best
science we have to move
forward with these recovery
efforts.”
American Bird Conser-
vancy, San Diego Zoo
Global, and the state’s
Division of Forestry and
Wildlife are also involved in
w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m
Zach Pezzillo/MFBRP
the recovery project.
The seven wild birds were
released along with captive-
bred birds into the newly
restored, koa-dominated
forest at Nakula.
Prior to their release, the
birds were outfitted with tiny
radio transmitters to allow
researchers to track their
movements for one to two
months. These observations
will be used to determine if
the birds are surviving and if
they start to breed — mea-
sures of the overall success of
the project — and whether
any changes will be neces-
sary in future translocations.
5
sinceyouasked
YOUR QUESTIONS
ANSWERED BY
BIRD BANDER EYE ON CONSERVATION
JULIE CRAVES

Q
What do cardinals eat to
make them red in
seasons without berries?
Are cardinals gray or olive
if fed a carotenoid-free
diet? — Catharine W.
Tucker, via email

A
Several different types of
pigments can lend their color to
bird plumage, alone or in
combination. Structural

Sergio Chaparro-Herrera
characteristics of feathers are
also responsible for various
colors. Carotenoids are the type
of pigments that contribute to
yellow, orange, and red feathers. LOST AND FOUND: Colombia’s Antioquia Brushfinch was first seen in the wild in January 2018.
Carotenoids are derived from
plants, and therefore they are
acquired through the diet. One woman’s trek for a rediscovered bird
This doesn’t necessarily
mean that birds must eat plants A rusty-crowned Colombian songbird the journey. In the end,
or plant parts that contain known only from old museum specimens, the she tallied 380 miles on
carotenoids; they might eat Antioquia Brushfinch, eluded scientists until it the AT and exceeded her
insects or other prey that have was found for the first time in the wild in January fundraising goal, collecting
ingested plant matter, for 2018. After the initial sighting, Colombian $5,901 for the Antioquia

American Bird Conservancy

example. How pigments are
expressed in the plumage can
also vary depending on the
manner in which the pigments
are metabolized or processed
by birds.
Pigments can only be
deposited in actively growing
feathers; for cardinals, that
means late summer and fall.
During this season, cardinals
have been reported to utilize a
number of different fruits; wild
grapes are often cited as a
favorite. One study looking at the
intensity of red coloration in
cardinals over several years was
able to confirm that the breast
(continued on page 8)
Julie Craves is an ecologist and the
retired director of the Rouge River
Bird Observatory in Dearborn,
Michigan. Read her blog at
http://net-results.blogspot.com.
researchers spotted additional birds in four
patches of remnant habitat, all within Antioquia,
in northwestern Colombia. Some of the parcels
are already being converted to agriculture,
however, and American Bird Conservancy
and its partners, which announced the bird’s
discovery in April 2019, knew they needed to
act quickly to save the species.
Wendy Willis, ABC’s deputy director of
international programs, went the extra mile.
She launched a GoFundMe campaign entitled
“Trailblazing for Brushfinches” and then hit the
Appalachian Trail (AT) on June 17 to pursue
a long-time dream of hiking the AT through
her home state of Virginia. Her goal was to
raise $5,000 to donate to ABC so it could help
“Colombian partners do more area searches for
this critically endangered species” and identify
important pieces of habitat to conserve.
Willis hiked the trail for a month, and while
she enjoyed the company of many companions,
she also dealt with blisters and scrapes made
worse by continuous rain the first five days of
American Bird Conservancy is a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization whose mission is to conserve native birds and their habitats
throughout the Americas. You can learn more about its search for lost birds at abcbirds.org/birds/lost-birds.
Brushfinch. “By walking
through eight wilderness
areas, several state parks,
and a couple of national
parks,” she says, “I
Wendy Willis
gained an even greater
respect for the protected-area systems in our
country and feel invigorated to keep protecting
birds in Latin America.”
Before Willis took time off work to hike the
AT, she vowed that if she reached her $5,000
goal, she would dye her hair the color of her
beloved brushfinch’s crown. The accompanying
photo shows that she made good on this
promise as well.
In October, Willis joined searches in
Colombia that found more brushfinches, efforts
funded in part by the money she raised. The
“Buscatón” (Big Search) had 85 participants
who recorded the species in eight localities,
five of them new. They counted 20 to 25 more
individual birds in addition to the maximum 12
previously found.

6 B i r d Wa t c h i n g
 birdingbriefs

Complex society discovered in birds

Large brains may not be a requirement for multilevel societies, study shows
Multilevel societies have,
until now, only been known
to exist among large-brained
mammals including humans,
other primates, elephants,
giraffes, and dolphins. Now,
scientists from the Max
Planck Institute of Animal
Behavior and the University
of Konstanz have identified a
multilevel society in a
small-brained bird, the
Vulturine Guineafowl.
The study, published in
Current Biology, suggests
that the birds can keep track
of social associations with
hundreds of other individu-
als — challenging the notion
that large brains are a
requirement for complex
societies and providing a
clue as to how these
societies evolved.
Multilevel societies occur
when social units, such as
pairs, of animals form
groups that have stable
membership, and these
groups then associate
preferentially with specific
other groups. Because this
requires the animals to keep
track of individuals in both
their own and other groups,
the assumption has long
been that multilevel societies
should only exist in species
with the intelligence to cope
with this complexity. While
many bird species live in
groups, these are either
open, lacking long-term
stability, or highly territori-
al, lacking associations with
other groups.
The guineafowl study
involved tracking social
relationships over the course
of multiple seasons in a
population of over 400 adult
birds in a field site in Kenya.
The researchers individually
marked all birds in the
population, and by observing
them they discovered that the
population comprised 18
distinct social groups (with
13 to 65 individuals in each).
What struck the research-
ers is that the groups
remained stable, despite
regularly overlapping with
one or more other groups
both during the day and at
night-time roosts. To see if
these groups preferentially
associated with one another,
the researchers attached GPS
tags to a sample of individu-
als in each group. This meant
that the position of every
single group was recorded
continuously each day, which
allowed researchers to
simultaneously observe how
all 18 groups in the popula-
tion were interacting.
The researchers found
that groups associated with
each other based on prefer-
ence, rather than random
encounters, and also showed
that intergroup associations
were more likely to take place
during specific seasons and
around particular physical
features in the landscape.

Order your Santa Cruz County Wildlife Watch Guide at

www.SantaCruz.org or 800-833-3494

w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 7
sinceyouasked
(continued from page 6)
ON THE MOVE FROM eBIRD
color of some males was
A sea duck and a shorebird to watch for now
reduced following a season with
a near-total failure of the fruit King Eider
crop of multiple plant species,
but the difference was small.
Further, fruit is only one source
of carotenoids in the diet of
cardinals, which also includes
seeds and insects. Since
carotenoids are available in so
many natural food items, it is
unlikely that birds would be
unable to obtain at least
adequate amounts. In addition
to providing plumage pigments,
carotenoids play a crucial February 2008-18 June 2008-18
nutritional role. I’m not sure how
long a bird would survive if King Eider is one of the most northerly breeding bird species in the world, occurring mainly above
experimentally deprived of all the Arctic Circle. In June, during the breeding season, King Eider pairs can be found from northern
carotenoids. Alaska east into the Canadian Arctic — places that are largely unvisited by humans. By February,
the species has retreated to nonbreeding grounds in two distinct locations: in the northern Bering
Sea between Alaska and the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia, and in the eastern Arctic, from

Q
I saw a goldfinch with
only one foot at our
feeder! I tried to contact
a wildlife rehabilitator,
but the bird flew off, and
I never saw it again.
Could it have survived?
Labrador to Newfoundland and Greenland. Purple squares on the eBird map from places like
California and Virginia represent (normally solitary) individuals that strayed farther south than is
typical. Records in inland North America are exceedingly rare away from the Great Lakes, where
they are annual.

Mountain Plover
— Jerry Greenberg,
Newark, New Jersey

A
Many birds can survive and
flourish with only one foot or leg,
adapting well to healed breaks,
various deformities, lame feet,
and absent limbs. During my
bird-banding career, I captured
quite a few birds with only one
functioning leg or foot, of which
about a third were complete-
ly missing. While a single leg February 2008-18 June 2008-18
would seem to be a serious
handicap for birds that scratch A North American endemic shorebird that breeds in dry landscapes with short grass and a history of
on the ground or climb on trees, disturbance, the Mountain Plover is a drab, easily overlooked species with a restricted year-round
for example, the species I en- range. In June, during the breeding season, plovers are found east of the Rocky Mountains, in dry
countered included a Lincoln’s valleys of short grass and in agricultural fields, which mimic their native breeding habitat. By
Sparrow, multiple White-throat- February, most birds can be found in one of three valleys in California: the Central, Imperial, and
ed Sparrows and American San Joaquin, though scattered birds also winter in parts of Arizona, Texas, and northern Mexico.
Robins, and even a Downy Mountain Plover is a semi-regular stray outside of these areas (see February eBird map) and has been
Woodpecker! Others represent- found in the Midwest and in various locations along the Atlantic Coast, where most records come
ed species with other foraging from coastal beaches.
strategies, such as Common
Grackle, Eastern Kingbird, eBird is the real-time online checklist operated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon. “On the Move” is written by
eBird’s Garrett MacDonald, Chris Wood, Marshall Iliff, and Brian Sullivan. Submit your sightings at eBird.org.
(continued on page 10)

8 B i r d Wa t c h i n g
 birdingbriefs

Secret life of birds

UNIQUE: Sword-billed Hummingbird is the only

Ondrej Prosicky/Shutterstock

bird in the world with a bill longer than its body.

The species lives year-round at high elevations
in the Andes, from Venezuela to Bolivia.

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Guianan Toucanet in Brazil by participant Myles McNally

w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 9
sinceyouasked
(continued from page 8)
PHOTO GALLERY
Magnolia and Yellow-rumped Recent rare-bird sightings in North America
Warblers, Black-capped Chicka-
dee, and Gray Catbird. I suspect
a goldfinch would cope well with
only one leg. As long as the gold-
finch you saw was not obviously
bleeding or otherwise injured, it
was probably not necessary to
call a rehabber.
It’s also not hard to mistake
a bird standing or hopping on
one foot as being “one-legged.”
Daniel Lee Brown

In order to conserve heat, many

John Gordon
birds tuck a foot and leg into their
belly feathers. While this is often
observed while a bird is napping, FIRST IN CALIFORNIA: This Yellow-browed Warbler, FIRST IN CANADA: This Yellow-browed Warbler was
if it’s really cold, birds will keep a vagrant from Asia, was seen on October 24-25 observed from October 18-24 at a park in Victoria,
one foot up while active at a bird in Markleeville, a town south of Lake Tahoe. British Columbia.
feeder or even hopping on the
ground. I’ve been surprised at
how long a bird like a junco can
keep this up to prevent heat loss.

Q
I have 21 bluebird boxes,
usually occupied by
bluebirds and Tree
Swallows. I’ve heard
Barred Owls not too far
away. Can I put up a box
for them even if I have

Arthur Wilson
Connor Vara

bluebird boxes? —
Brenda Delazzer, via email
FIRST IN PENNSYLVANIA: On October 22, this FIRST IN IDAHO: This Vermilion Flycatcher was seen

A Your bluebirds and swallows

should be safe. Studies indicate
birds make up less than 10
percent of Barred Owl diets in
the breeding season. The owls
rarely catch birds on the wing, so
songbird prey is usually recently
immature Snail Kite turned up at Presque Isle
State Park in Erie.
in late October at Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge,
west of Boise.

fledged birds that do not fly well

and are on the ground. Since
Barred Owls hunt near their nests
in the forest and your boxes are
in the open, the odds are that the
owls are unlikely to prey on the
Rachel Kolokoff Hopper

bluebirds or swallows.
Jim Tietz

Send a question
FIRST IN WYOMING: This Red-flanked Bluetail, a FOURTH IN CALIFORNIA: On November 3, banders on
Send your question to ask@
songbird from Asia, was seen on November 4 in a Southeast Farallon Island caught this Red-flanked
birdwatchingdaily.com or visit
neighborhood in Laramie. Bluetail; four days later they netted another bluetail.
www.BirdWatchingDaily.com
and look for “Contact us.”

10 B i rd Wa t c h i n g
 Success stories
Feds delist Kirtland’s Warbler, propose same step
for Interior Least Tern
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service has removed the
Kirtland’s Warbler from
protections afforded by the
federal Endangered Species
Act, and it’s proposing to do
the same for the Interior
Least Tern.
The warbler, listed as
endangered since the late
1960s, saw its population dip
to a low of 167 pairs in 1974
and again in 1987 before it
began a steady climb toward
recovery. The current
population is estimated to be
around 2,000 pairs, double
the goal identified in the
species recovery plan. The
Joel Trick/FWS
population has exceeded
recovery goals for the past 17
Kirtland's
Warbler
years and continues to
increase and expand its range,
the agency says.
The tern numbered fewer
than 2,000 birds at a few doz-
en nesting sites in 1985, but
now the subspecies numbers
more than 18,000 birds at
more than 480 nesting sites
in 18 states, “thanks to
decades of innovative
conservation efforts and
diverse partnerships among
local, state, and federal
stakeholders,” FWS says.
Female birds overlooked
Study finds sex bias in bird conservation plans
After pairing up and raising chicks, males and females of some
bird species spend their winter break apart. At the end of their
journey to Central or South America, you might find mostly
males in one habitat and females in another. Yet conservation
strategies have typically overlooked the habitats needed by
females, putting already-declining species in even more peril,
according to a new study in the journal Biological Conservation.
“Among the small songbird species that have been studied,
the general rule seems to be that females occupy lower
elevation, shrubbier, drier sites,” says lead author Ruth
Bennett. “Mid-elevation and high-elevation sites that are more
humid and have better quality forest are occupied by males.”
Bennett conducted the research while at Cornell University
and is now a postdoctoral researcher at the Smithsonian
Migratory Bird Center.
This male-female split is pretty common, Bennett says, but the
study found that in conservation plans for 66 declining
migratory species, only three made any mention of his-and-
her-habitats — those being plans for Golden-winged Warbler,
Bicknell’s Thrush, and Black-capped Vireo. Bennett concludes
that female birds are definitely being overlooked.
w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 11
 birderatlarge
BEACON: The Cape May Lighthouse stands tall on the horizon of southern New Jersey.
‘Wow...wow...wow’
It’s just not possible to have a bad day birding in Cape May
When you talk about Cape May, it’s
not necessary to pinpoint a state. There
isn’t a birder alive who does not know
that Cape May is the terminus of the
land funnel that is New Jersey.
The region is celebrated for songbird
fallouts and is known as the “raptor
capital of North America,” averaging
50,000 migrating hawks tallied from
September to November.
Every visitor hopes that his or her trip
coincides with the passage of a
migration-spawning cold front and the
northwest winds that ferry birds to Cape
May Point, but some fall seasons are
cold-front impoverished. 2019 was such
a year. But birders came anyway because
travel plans made months in advance are
not easily deferred, nor should they be.
The fact is that Cape May always has an
engaging bird spectacle worth
showcasing. If it’s not clouds of hawks or
sheets of migrating robins, then it’s
12 B i rd Wa t c h i n g • J a nu a r y/ F e br u a r y 2 0 2 0
BY PETE DUNNE
masses of hungry Tree Swallows and
skeins of migrating sea ducks.
Consider Tuesday, October 8. Winds
were northeast under skies dressed for
a funeral when I left our rental and
headed for the hawk-watch platform.
Only 34 birders were present along with
the hawk counter and this year’s crop of
interpretive interns. Most birders were
still beating the bushes for songbirds.
But in short order, naturalist and
author Mark Garland arrived with a
tour group, bringing the platform total
to an even 50.
Raptors were few, the odd Osprey, a
Peregrine or two, a Bald Eagle that
pursued a fish-laden Osprey offshore.
“Caspian Tern,” one of the interns
announced, alerting viewers to the
arrival of the large, black-capped terns.
It was joined by a second, and they held
everyone’s attention until a fair number
of the 5,000 Tree Swallows jamming
It’s called a hawk
watch, but we’re equal-
opportunity observers in
Cape May. From Indigo
Buntings to migrating
monarchs, it’s all grist for
the conversational mill.
Cape May airspace all vied to pack into
the same berry-laden bayberry bush
simultaneously. The resulting avian
tornado drew all eyes and assorted
exclamations of “Wow...wow...wow....”
It’s a word you hear a lot in Cape
May, and it says a great deal about the
spectacles that await viewers, no
matter what the wind direction or
calendar date.
With or without swallows, birds
were going by and a host of waterfowl
were in view. The loaner Swarovski
spotting scope was vacant and trained
on what I assumed was a drake
Eurasian Wigeon. But in fact, it was
pointed at a drake Wood Duck, one of
13 waterfowl species present. By
November, it was closer to 20, when the
Merlins and Peregrines of October
gave way to Red-tailed and Red-
shouldered Hawks.
Offshore skeins of migrating scoter
and cormorants gave animation to the
horizon. I heard Mark announce that
he and his group had over 20 Parasitic
Jaegers that morning.
Good news for birders, bad news for
terns that must pay a tribute in fish to
Mike Ver Sprill/Shutterstock
the jaegers that infest the “rips,” the
area of turbulence where the ocean
meets the bay.
A hungry Merlin made the swallows
seek the scant safety of the sky, and the
air over the “bunker” vibrated with wings and the excited
twitter of the fast flyers. Several days earlier, when the flock
was closer to 10,000 swallows, an albino bird had been in
their midst, a rare treat.
The Merlin swept through the birds, who separated like
wind-driven smoke, and the hungry falcon moved on in
search of easier prey.
By noon, hunger had driven many platform visitors to
seek lunch in Cape May, so they missed the flock of
Pectoral Sandpipers that swept in and fused to the back side
of Bunker Pond. It was probably the same group we’d had
the day before in the South Cape May Meadows, just before
the Sora landed atop the bunched grass and struggled to
find cover.
The birding was slow Monday, too; less than 50 species on
the two-hour walk, but there was never a time when birds
were not in view. The Yellow-billed Cuckoo perched in the
open below eye level was a treat. Greater and Lesser
Yellowlegs, side-by-side, made for a great comparison, and
the several Bobolinks perched among the sparrow-infested
reeds were a delight for western visitors.
Me? I savored the two dozen or so Savannah Sparrows
that were obliged to fly across an open expanse to get to
better cover.
Handsome sparrows, Savannahs, gentrified and variable.
But, as I said, there is always something to see in Cape May,
and even if there is not a major hawk flight in progress, the
hawk-watch platform is a crossroads for local and visiting Photos: Javier Gonzalez, South Padre Island Birding, Nature Center & Alligator Sanctuary

birders. Present today were Scott Whittle, coauthor of The

Warbler Guide. Paul Kerlinger and Richard Crossley. Clay
Sutton and Michael O’Brien are frequent visitors and
conversations are always lively, punctuated at intervals by
we’re the reason
the appearance of this bird or that.
It’s called a hawk watch, but we’re equal-opportunity birds fly south.
observers in Cape May. From Indigo Buntings to migrating
monarchs, it’s all grist for the conversational mill. Warblers?
Visit the South Padre Island
Try the Northwood Center. The tiny woodlands on the north Birding, Nature Center & Alligator
side of Lake Lily are a magnet for migrants such as Sanctuary. Enjoy the birds,
Philadelphia Vireo and Cape May Warbler. It’s not a bad
place to test drive the latest and greatest in birding optics,
flora, fauna, and the Laguna
either. Just return them to the store after you are finished. Madre Bay with an emphasis on
The loaner Swarovski instruments at the hawk watch are conservation and environmental
likewise at your disposal so long as you remain on the
platform, which, given the number and variety of birds to be
awareness. Find out more info at
seen, is no great hardship. SoPadre.com/Birding.
Even a “bad day” birding in Cape May bests the finest
birding opportunities at most other spots. Now excuse me,
we still have two hours of daylight, and it’s a falcon wind.
Tomorrow? More of the same. More dirty weather and
more birds. I can’t wait to see what Ma Nature serves up.

Pete Dunne is the retired director of the Cape May Bird Observatory, the
founder of the World Series of Birding, the Cape May Hawk Watch’s first
official encounter, and the author or co-author of many books, including Gulls
Simplified, Birds of Prey, Hawks in Flight, and The Art of Pishing.

w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 13
 TOO COMFORTABLE: A Snowy
Owl perches on a runway light
at an airport in Ontario.

Every birder knows how special

The Snowy Owls are. If you haven’t seen one

of the big, white, cold-hardy birds, then
they’re likely high on your must-see list.
Whether or not you’ve spotted Snowies,
it’s a safe bet that you wouldn’t want

rescuers
harm to come to the birds. More so than
most bird species, Snowies inspire great
interest and passion among birders and
nonbirders alike.
In winter, when Snowies migrate
south into southern Canada and
northern parts of the lower 48 states,
they look for habitats similar to the arctic
tundra where they breed, meaning they
turn up in wide-open fields and along
When Snowy Owls show up near shorelines. Unfortunately, the fields
around airport runways are quite
airport runways, these heroes attractive to the owls. When Snowies
arrive, they pose aviation hazards, and
go to work to move them to safety planes certainly threaten owls when
flight paths cross.
BY MATT MENDENHALL According to a database of wildlife
strikes maintained by the Federal
Chris Seager/Shutterstock

Aviation Administration, in the U.S.

and Canada, at least 321 Snowy Owls
have been killed in strikes with
airplanes since 1991. Wildlife strikes

14 B i rd Wa t c h i n g • J a nu a r y/ F e br u a r y 2 0 2 0
overall have increased in recent years,
and the same is true with Snowies; more
than three times as many owls have
been hit in the last decade than in the
previous two decades.
The airports with the highest counts
of strikes on Snowies are Boston’s Logan
(69), New York’s John F. Kennedy
International (40), Chicago’s O’Hare
(39), and Detroit’s Metro Airport (32).
Most incidents don’t threaten airplane
passengers and crew, but an FAA report
about significant wildlife strikes to civil
aircraft shows three involving Snowies
since 1990. In two of them, birds were hit
during take-off, forcing the pilots to
abort going airborne, and in the other
case, an owl was ingested into an engine
shortly after take-off from Chicago’s
Midway Airport, and the flight was
diverted to land at O’Hare.
The good news is that some people
have worked for many years to remove
owls from the dangers of being in close
proximity to fast-moving planes.
Norman Smith, who recently retired
as sanctuary director for Mass
Audubon’s Blue Hills Trailside Museum
in Milton, Massachusetts, has been
rescuing Snowy Owls from Boston’s
Logan Airport since 1981. Despite
retiring from his day job, he’ll continue
his work with the owls.
He has captured and relocated more
than 750 Snowies over nearly four
decades. Most winters, he rescues 10 to
12 owls; his high count was 121 birds
during the irruption of 2013-2014.
Logan, he says, attracts the “largest
concentration of Snowy Owls that we
know of in the Northeast.”
Airport officials contact Smith when
an owl is located, “but I also go out
there on a regular basis just to check,”
he says. Sometimes he finds birds that
airport staff haven’t noticed. He traps
birds “just as the sun’s going down or
just before the sun comes up in the
morning because that’s when the birds
are most likely in a hunting mode.” He
releases the birds at sites 20 to 50 miles
away from the airport.
The work is a labor of love for Smith,
who volunteers his time and expertise to
rescue Snowies and, occasionally, other
large owls or raptors. “Logan has been
very responsive and very receptive to
allow me to get out there and to get
special security clearances and permits
to actually do this work,” he notes.
After the 2013-2014 irruption, Smith
wrote a protocol about trapping and
removing Snowies from airports that the
U.S. Department of Agriculture’s
Wildlife Services division adopted. At
many airports, Wildlife Services is
responsible for controlling and removing
wildlife. Previously, when the birds
could not be scared away from runways
with pyrotechnics, they may have been
trapped and relocated, or officials may
have shot them to prevent accidents with
airplanes. (Airports conduct the work
under permits from the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service.)
Smith says that a number of airports
in the U.S. and Canada work to relocate
owls just as he does at Logan.
Wildlife strikes overall
have increased in
recent years, and the
same is true with
Snowies; more than
three times as many
owls have been hit in
the last decade than in
the previous two
decades.
“Wildlife staff at airports had already
been trapping and relocating raptors
prior to [the irruption in 2013-2014], but
the efforts and data that Norm had
recorded over several years helped
highlight the trap and relocation efforts
of Snowy Owls as a tool for mitigating
their hazards,” says Justin Willey, a
Wildlife Services biologist at Logan.
Larger airports tend to get the most
attention, but Snowy Owls are just as
likely to show up at small regional
airports. That’s just what happened in
November 2017 when an owl wouldn’t
leave the vicinity of a runway in eastern
Wisconsin. Airport workers tried to
scare it away but eventually shot the bird.
The story made local headlines, leading
to negative press for the airport; its
Learn more
The work to remove owls and other
raptors from airports is often done by
volunteers. To learn more about their
efforts and to make donations to sup-
port them, visit the following websites:
Blue Hills Trailside Museum
www.massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/
wildlife-sanctuaries/blue-hills-trail-
side-museum/our-work/snowy-
owl-project
Project SOAR
www.facebook.com/SnowyOwl
AirportRescue
officials even received death threats.
Janet Wissink, president of the
Winnebago Audubon Society, decided to
try to prevent future owl shootings. She
and Erin Giese, president of the North-
eastern Wisconsin Audubon Society,
soon teamed up with Frank Ujazdowski,
a local licensed falconer with an interest
in Snowies.
They convinced the airport to let
Ujazdowski trap and relocate Snowies
near runways. The trio soon formed
Project SOAR (Snowy Owl Airport
Rescue) and now work with three
airports in the Badger State. In their
first two winters, they have rescued
15 Snowies as well as a few Great
Horned Owls and other raptors.
They’re hoping to work with more
airports and to sign up more falconers
to rescue birds. Project SOAR appears
to be the only group in North America
that removes Snowy Owls at small
airports. That’s not too surprising
considering the work involved. Like
Smith in Massachusetts, Ujazdowski,
Wissink, and Giese are volunteers.
They’re tackling the problem because,
as Ujazdowski says, “We all love birds
and want to take great care of them,
especially birds of prey.”
And, he says, the feeling isn’t limited
to birders and falconers. After telling the
story of Project SOAR at an aviation
conference, he says an airport manager
told him, “We don’t want to shoot these
birds. Can you help?”
Special birds, indeed.
Matt Mendenhall is the editor of
BirdWatching.
w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 15
 B
efore my daughter was old enough to talk, she’d
grunt and squeal and point whenever she saw a bird.
For all the world, it seemed like she was crazy about
birds, but I wondered if I was imagining it. Maybe, I thought, I
was projecting my own interest in birds on her. Then my
daughter started to talk, and one of her very first words was
bird, and shortly thereafter she said owl. My daughter really did
K Woodgyer/Shutterstock

love birds — and, in fact, she still does. These days, at age 3, she
likes to stand on one foot and pretend that she’s a flamingo.
I’ve come to understand that my daughter isn’t unusual — a
lot of kids gravitate toward birds. And why wouldn’t they?

16 B i rd Wa t c h i n g • J a nu a r y/ F e br u a r y 2 0 2 0
 Birdwatching
w i t h y o u r
nestlings
How to nurture — or spark —
children’s interest in birds
BY ANDREA MILLER

Birds come in all colors of the rainbow
and all shapes and sizes, and like fairies
and airplanes, they fly! Plus, the lives of
birds mirror the lives of humans, so
little ones can relate when they see
mommy and daddy birds teaching their
babies, protecting them, or bringing
food to them. Of course, kids — like
adults — are all different, so maybe you
have a youngster in your life who is so
busy with trucks or books or dogs that
he or she doesn’t seem to notice birds.
That’s OK, too.
What’s important for grownups to
keep in mind is that if a child has an
innate interest in birds, that interest can
be nurtured, and if a child isn’t currently
interested, an interest can, in many
cases, be sparked. And there are a lot of
good reasons for wanting to share the
world of birds with children.
First of all, a love of birds gets kids
outdoors, and that’s a good place for
kids (and adults) to be. Studies show
that spending time in nature is benefi-
cial to both our physical and mental
health. Among other things, it improves
blood pressure, helps lift depression,
decreases the risk of cancer, reduces
stress, and boosts short-term memory.
Ample, unstructured time outdoors
provides kids with the opportunity to
experiment with activities such as

w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 17

climbing trees and jumping over
streams, and this gives them increased
confidence, creative problem-solving
skills, gross motor skills, and flexibility.
A “wild child” has a greater ability to
concentrate and, in short, has an
academic edge.
Indeed, an interest in birds can be a
child’s first step to falling in love with
biology and the other sciences. We were,
in a sense, all born scientists. That is,
babies and toddlers are constantly
experimenting and observing in order
to figure out how the world works. They
throw their toys to see if they will always
fall; they mix their milk with their beef
stew to see how the consistency and
colors change; and they constantly test
our boundaries. Of course, much of this
is what we generally call “bad behavior,”
and we naturally try to curb it. But the
trick is keeping our children’s innate
scientific interests alive by channeling
the impulses rather than squashing
them. Exactly how we go about doing
this is somewhat individual. It depends
18 B i rd Wa t c h i n g • J a nu a r y/ F e br u a r y 2 0 2 0
The world needs green-thinking
like never before, and a love of
birds will spontaneously spill
over into a desire to protect the
wild spaces that birds live in.
on who we are; it depends on who our
kids are. Yet there are some pointers we
can keep in mind.
ENGAGING WITH QUESTIONS
For starters, really engage with a child’s
questions: How do birds fly? What do
crows eat? Are those robins fighting or
playing? Don’t be afraid to say you don’t
know, but show them how to find the
answers to their questions in books, on
the Internet, or by observing. Matching
games are another possibility. For
example, you could gather images of
POINTING THE WAY: When
you give a child a pair of
binoculars, you open them
up to a world of birds.
various types of birds plus images of
their eggs, nests, and/or the environ-
ments where they live. Then ask the
child to match them up. Matching
adult birds with their newly hatched
young is particularly fun since — I
think we can all agree — baby birds are
quite funny looking.
Now, consider a birdwatcher’s most
important tool: binoculars. When you
give a child a pair, she’ll follow your lead
patat/Shutterstock
finding nests or observing how different
types of birds have different flight
patterns. But then it’s just a matter of
time before she trains her binoculars on for you and your children to deepen snacks, and water with you.
the moon and begins to discover the your relationship with each other and Moreover, come prepared with the
wonders of astronomy. So, in that same the natural world. If you insist on understanding that birds are often
vein, consider the gift of a microscope marathon birding sessions, your kids elusive and difficult to spot, even for
for an upcoming birthday. In magnify- will come to hate and resent birds. So, adults. Whenever I walk home from day
ing feathers and eggshells, children get a follow your kids’ lead. If they want to care with my daughter, for example, I’m
whole other view of birds, and then they stop because they’re tired or bored, or always trying to show her Blue Jays, but
can marvel at seeing other things up because it’s blazing hot or freezing cold, those ruckus little birds keep darting
close, too — maple leaves, onion skins, or because they’re hungry, listen to around and disappearing into the trees,
swamp water, and more. By the time them. Of course, it’s also important to so she doesn’t usually manage to see
your kids use microscopes in biology make sure you come prepared. Always them. Nonetheless, we still enjoy
class, they’ll be pros. bring sweaters, comfortable shoes, birdwatching together.
Another reason to want to share
the joy of birds with children is
because, right now, the world needs
green-thinking like never before,
and a love of birds will sponta-
neously spill over into a desire to
protect the wild spaces that birds
live in. Children have such a good
sense of what’s fair and right.
Educate them about how their
actions have an impact and
empower them to make positive
changes. Show your kids how
human activity threatens birds,
and they’ll want to know what they
can do to help. Make it clear to
children that if they get too close to
a nest, the parent birds might
abandon it. Tell them that if they
give birds seeds that aren’t fresh,
they could make the birds sick.
And show them how they can keep
birds from crashing into windows
by putting decals, BirdTape, or
other patterns on the glass. In addi-
tion, maybe you’ll want to encour-
age your kids to think of ways they
can raise money for a charity that
supports wildlife. Maybe they
could have a lemonade stand or sell
their old toys.
In order to encourage an interest
in birds, there is no better place to
start than by giving your children
the opportunity to see real, living
birds right in front of them, so don’t
be afraid to take your kids or
grandkids birdwatching. They’re
never too young to start, but make
sure that you tailor the experience
to suit their age and individual likes
and dislikes.

DEEPENING RELATIONSHIPS
When birdwatching with your kids,
it’s not an opportunity to work on
your life list. It is, in fact, a chance

w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 19
 LOOKING UP: Studies show
that spending time in nature When bird-
benefits kids’ physical and
mental health. watching with
your kids, it’s
not an opportu-
nity to work on
your life list.

Really little kids like seeing birds that

are numerous and easy to find, such as
gulls at the beach, pigeons at your local
city monument, or chickadees in parks
where they might land on your hand for
a few seeds. Ducks are another easy-to-
spot option for small children, but don’t
give into the temptation to feed water-
fowl bread — let alone pretzels or chips!
(Among other reasons, it encourages the
formation of flocks that are too large,
and health concerns arise when crowded
birds defecate where they feed.) For
parents who want to show their small
children more unusual or elusive species,
I suggest visiting a zoo or humane
wildlife park. We took our owl-crazy
daughter to one so that she wouldn’t
think owls only existed in books.
Older kids enjoy more challenging
“bird hunts.” When you go birdwatching
with kids, show them that it’s like being a
detective or a ninja. To not scare away
the birds, you have to move through the
forest or meadow stealthily. So, how
quiet can you be? Can you creep across
the forest floor? Can you use gestures to
communicate with each other silently?
It’s also helpful if you wear clothes that
camouflage you, and you get to use
binoculars or a spotting scope. Bird-
watching is an exciting adventure!

SCRAPBOOKS, FEEDERS, AND BOOKS

Serious adult birders usually keep lists
of the birds that they see, and young-
sters can do something similar. That is,
they can keep a scrapbook where they
write down where and when they see
wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock

different species, add drawings or

photos of the birds, or write poems
and stories about them. Encourage
creativity. Kids, in fact, don’t need to
limit their scrapbook to birds they’ve
actually seen. They should, instead, feel free to include
material about birds that they’d like to see but haven’t yet
— maybe a Blue-footed Booby or a King Penguin. Kids can
even include material about imaginary birds. Maybe your
child dreams of a parrot-ostrich-hummingbird mashup. Get
him to draw a picture and stick it in his scrapbook. He’ll
particularly love it if you sit down with him and also draw
your own crazy avian creations.
Building or decorating a bird feeder is another great
project for crafty kids. Living in a condo, I don’t have a
backyard. All the same, I bought a feeder made of raw wood
from the dollar store and gave it to my daughter to paint. We
then varnished it and hung it from a tree in a nearby park.
Now, whenever we go there, we’re sure to stroll by it to see
how the birds (and squirrels) are making use of it. If you do
have a backyard, you and your little ones can hang your
feeder there, and then your whole family can enjoy seeing
cardinals or finches out the kitchen window. Having a
backyard bird feeder helps make birds a part of the fabric of
your family life.
Including books about birds in your bedtime-story
routine is also helpful because the more kids know about the
amazing secret lives of birds, the more intrigued they’ll be.
Lots of great bird books for kids are available. ABC Birds, an
American Museum of Natural History board book, is a
favorite in my house. It’s pithy enough to be enjoyable for
tots but also meaty enough to still be relevant for kids in
early elementary school, plus it has the added benefit of
supporting letter learning. Also check out the National
Geographic Kids book Little Kids First Big Book of Birds,
which is choc-a-block with great photos and facts.
Just remember, watching birds and learning about them
isn’t doing homework or making the bed. Keep it fun.
Children are active little creatures and like to involve all
their senses. Accept that and work with it. See if your kids
can mimic the honk of a Canada Goose or the walk of a
Common Loon, and if you find a feather or an old aban-
doned nest, let them touch it (but leave it where you find it).
Finally, for one last trick up your sleeve, let your little ones
in on the juicy family history of birds. That is, birds are
related to that all-time kiddie fave — dinosaurs! Showing
kids drawings of feathered dinosaurs and primitive birds
will teach them about evolution, and your kids will probably
get a giggle out of imagining a chickadee coming from a
creature resembling a tyrannosaurus.
These days in my house, I have a son who is just a little
older than my daughter was when she first started saying
“owl.” One night during bedtime reading, he gleefully
pointed to a picture of a bird with blue, black, and white
feathers and squealed something that sounded rather like
“Blue Jay.” If he were my first child, I’d be thinking that
couldn’t be what he meant, but this second time around, I
don’t doubt it for a minute.
Andrea Miller is an editor, journalist, and picture-book author.
Her books include My First Book of Canadian Birds (Nimbus
Publishing, 2019). For many years, she taught English as an
additional language to children and adults in Canada, Japan,
Korea, and Mexico.
New bird books for young readers
My First Book of Canadian Birds, by Andrea
Miller, Nimbus Publishing, $22.95. Introduces young
children to familiar birds like Canada Goose, Atlantic
Puffin, and more. Ages 1-4
Numenia and the Hurricane, by Fiona Halliday,
Page Street Kids, $18.99. Inspired by a remarkable
true story of a young Whimbrel that fought her way
through a devastating storm, this book brings a
brave little shorebird to life through poetic language
and vividly expressive art by a debut author-
illustrator. Ages 4-8
Bird Count, by Susan Edwards Richmond, Peachtree
Publishing, $17.95. A young girl eagerly identifies
and counts the birds she observes around her town
during the New England Christmas Bird Count.
Ages 4-8
Silent Swoop: An Owl, an Egg, and a Warm Shirt
Pocket, by Michelle Houts, Dawn Publications, $8.95.
Tells the story of a bird rehabilitator who hatches a
couple of abandoned Great Horned Owl eggs.
Ages 4-8
Why Should I Walk? I Can Fly!, by Ann Ingalls,
Dawn Publications, $8.95. This book is about a lively
young robin learning to fly. Ages 4-8
Finding a Dove for Gramps, by Lisa J. Amstutz,
Albert Whitman & Co., $16.99. This book tells the
story of a boy and his mom who, after his grandpa
goes south for winter, continue the family tradition of
participating in the annual bird count. Ages 5-7
Star Guy’s Great Adventure: The True Story of
a Salisbury Snowy Owl, by John Harrison and
Kim Nagy, Ziggy Owl Press, $14.95. Tells the real-
life story of a Snowy Owl that spent the winter in
Salisbury, Massachusetts. Ages 5-8
The Nature Club: Taking Flight, by Rachel Mazur,
Wild Bear Press, $6.99. The first book in The Nature
Club series compares the story of a migratory
bird with a fifth-grade girl who faces the stress of
changing schools. Ages 7-12
Owling: Enter the World of the Mysterious Birds
of the Night, by Mark Wilson, Storey Publishing,
$18.95. Brings young readers into the world of real-
life owls to learn about their fascinating behaviors
and abilities. Ages 8-12
w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 21
ALWAYS BIRDING: The author’s
parents, Alan Craig and Narca
Moore-Craig, enjoy a birding
trip to Alaska in 1998.

Raised by
birders
A daughter of ornithologists reminisces about her
unusual childhood and the eternal truths she learned
from her parents’ love of birds
BY HOLLIN STAFFORD
 My first word
was a four-letter word. Little did I realize
that this one word would have such an
enormous effect on my life: on my
upbringing, my sense of humor, my view
of the world, and my family road trips.
The precious little word that, much to
my mother’s delight, was the first to ever
escape my lips — bird.
The word, so simple, so delicate, for
many invokes a lovely image, one of
feathers, song, or the freedom of flight.
For me, however, it means and will
always mean so much more. Mine was
no ordinary childhood because my
parents were no ordinary parents. They
were, still are, and always will be —
capital-O Ornithologists.
The horror.
To say my folks are birders is an
understatement. From my perspective,
every aspect of our life was somehow
connected to birds.
My father, Alan Craig, edited the
journal Western Birds for 17 years and
was one of the founders of California
Field Ornithologists, which later became
Western Field Ornithologists. He worked
for California Fish and Game (now the
California Department of Fish and
Wildlife) on endangered birds, and then
he managed San Jacinto Wildlife Area,
located in southern California, for about
nine years.
Like my father, my mother’s work
has always been about birds. Narca
Moore-Craig is an artist and a field
biologist, and for 30 years, she guided
natural history and birding tours,
including trips offered by the Smithso-
nian Institution, World Wildlife Fund,
American Association for the Advance-
ment of Science, Harvard’s Museum of
Comparative Zoology, and Naturalist
Journeys. She also was the first woman
president of Western Field Ornitholo-
Courtesy Narca Moore-Craig
gists and has served two terms on the
Arizona Bird Committee.
What this meant for me, an extrovert
who didn’t study anything related to
birds in college but instead majored in
sociology, was that I spent every year
from fifth grade through high school
living in what I viewed as compulsory
desolation. I did not share my parents’
love of living miles from anywhere nor
for these feathered creatures.
From the time I was two weeks old,
my parents took me along on their
birdwatching trips. It didn’t matter if we
were heading to the Salton Sea, the
Rockies, a small brown bush in a
neighbor’s yard, or Stater Bros. super-
market, the binoculars were always only
an arm’s length away. For my folks, hope
was indeed a thing with feathers.
When I asked my dad what sparked
his passion for birds, he said he was
always at least mildly interested in them.
He can remember, at age 7 in Idaho, his
grandfather driving right past him on
his way home. His grandfather said he
kept going because he saw my dad was
fixated on a bird.
In the eighth grade, he really got
hooked on birding. He was living in
Carmichael, California, near Sacramen-
to, and was watching a small flock of
Evening Grosbeaks feeding in an olive
grove during his lunch period. At the
time, he thought such spectacular birds
must be stragglers from Mexico, but later
he realized it was more likely they were
winter visitors from their Sierra Nevada
breeding range.
My mother was 17 when she was first
taken by a bird. She was looking out her
window when she spied a Pyrrhuloxia
plucking berries from the pyracantha
hedge on her grandparents’ porch in San
Angelo, Texas. And as a sophomore in
college, she helped a friend with his field
study of chickadees and nuthatches,
discovered the joys of field guides, and
has loved birds ever since.
My parents often tried to entice me to
join them in their love of all things
feathered. Mom would reminisce about
special moments, such as when I was
about 4 and she held me up to the
spotting scope to see a beautiful and rare
bird — Colorado’s first record of a
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper. And one of my
earliest childhood memories is that of a
Snowy Owl in Duluth, Minnesota. I can
still see it sitting on a ragged wooden
fence, the sky and snow tinged pink by
the sunrise. If one needed to conjure a
definition for magic, I suppose this
image would fit the bill. It was glorious.
Over the years, Mom would sit me
down in front of a blank white projector
screen, turn off the lights, and show me
slides from her various world adven-
tures, filling the room with images of the
Galápagos, the Antarctic, or any number
of other amazing places. In those
moments, our small living room felt
different somehow — expansive. She
may not have managed to inspire a love
of birds in me at that age, but she gave me
a gift — the knowledge that the world is
a wondrous and diverse place and that
exploring it (whether in the national
park several hours away or a country
5,000 miles from home) deepens you in a
way other pursuits do not.
A CHRISTMAS TRIP FOR BIRDS
As a child, my view of birds was pretty
simple. They were my nemesis! Instead
of sitting in front of the TV with a giant
bowl of Lucky Charms like “normal”
kids on Saturday mornings, I was
dragged out of bed before dawn and
tossed in the back seat among scopes,
macaroni tuna salad, and giant jugs of
juice. And even worse, Christmas was
dictated by when and where we had to be
for Christmas Bird Counts. Like I said,
the horror.
Then, in the mid ’80s, something
happened.
I was 14 years old and my parents
announced we’d be going on a birding
trip to Baja California for Christmas…
not for a bird count, but definitely for the
birds. We were living on the wildlife area
in Southern California but didn’t fly to
Baja in comfort. Instead, my folks
packed up our green Dodge van with
sleeping bags, scopes, binoculars, and
trail mix that looked suspiciously like
bird seed. The vehicle was indeed a sight
to behold. Red duct tape covered the
w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 23
 FAMILY TIME: Author Hollin Stafford pets a local dog
during a trip to the Baja Peninsula in 1985. Below, she and
her parents pose for a photo with her dog Howie in 1996
in Portal, Arizona.

broken taillights, and the giant Sabine’s
Gull painted on the side had started to
run. It looked like dripping bird poop.
Disneyland or just the mall.
My parents would stop for any bird,
rodent, or shriveled bush they found of
interest. I spent my time making up
bumper stickers for them in my head
— “I break for anything boring” and
“Honk if you’re in a fowl mood.” At each
stop, there’d be the wild scrambling for
the scope, the flipping of field guide
pages, and the popping open of
Hansen’s All-Natural Mandarin Lime
soda before moving another 20 feet.
When I complained and asked what we
were doing in the middle of nowhere,
my mother exclaimed, her cheeks
glowing and hair blowing out the open
window, that we were exploring the
beauty of the desert country (and its
birds). Her favorite of the trip was the
Gray Thrasher, endemic to the Baja
peninsula, which she said was always
fun to see in the desert.
I desperately tried to drown out the bird
calls, bird discussions, and horticulture
comments coming from the front seats.
The scenery was brown. Over a thou-
sand miles of cactus and dust.
However, and I’d never admit this to
my parents at the time, as the miles
passed, the stark beauty of the alien place
started to scratch at the surface of my
teen-angst-induced shell. I noticed that it
not only looked different here — it felt
different. Somewhere within, I heard it
— the stirrings of an ancient call — as if
the desert sky itself had opened up and
invited me to soar.
One afternoon driving on the
peninsula, we stumbled onto some
locals throwing rocks at a bird nest.
They’d already broken some of the
fragile eggs. My mother leapt out of the
still-moving van, yelling in fluent
Spanish. The men turned and stared as
Courtesy Narca Moore-Craig (2)

We bounced along dirt roads in our
aging van toward Bahia de Los Angeles,
a rural fishing village on the Gulf of
California. I sat in the backseat day-
dreaming of normal vacations — trips to
I only had two cassette tapes to
accompany me on this journey through
my teenage hell: Oingo Boingo’s “Dead
Man’s Party” and Depeche Mode’s
“Black Celebration.” Seemed fitting.
the gringa bounded toward them —
blonde hair twisting in the wind, all
5 feet 4 of her coming straight at them
with fists waving in the air. Frightened,
and reasonably so, they sped off. I stood

24 B i rd Wa t c h i n g • J a nu a r y/ F e br u a r y 2 0 2 0
on the side of the parched road watching — proud that she
was my mother.
We finally made it to the small village where we would
spend Christmas. We spent our days combing the beach for
treasures, floating over the tide pools on a little rubber raft,
and, of course, watching birds.
That Christmas Eve is one I will never forget. We had no
tree, no tacky tinsel or gifts. We simply sat around a campfire
on the beach eating turkey sandwiches and canned cran-
berry sauce. My parents’ “wine” of choice was a giant jug of
Welch’s Grape Juice that was passed ceremoniously around
and from which everyone took a swig.
We sat and talked, and I remember watching as the stars
came out. They were dazzling and close. They floated
sublimely above, covering us in light. As if a thousand birds
occupied a huge azure quilt woven by the spirits of our ances-
tors and that night decided to take flight.
I never became a serious birder, but all my nonbirding
friends would tell you that I am a birder. With a childhood
like mine, I suppose it couldn’t be helped. All that birdwatch-
ing and enthusiasm must have taken hold.
These days, my parents live in Portal, a place known
mainly by birders and not many others. It’s located in the
Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona. Portal is a

Somewhere within, I heard it — the

stirrings of an ancient call — as if the
desert sky itself had opened up and
invited me to soar.
small community at the base of the venerable Cave Creek
Canyon. It’s an incredible place, fringed at the base in
grasslands and desert and topped with ponderosa pine and
Douglas-fir at the highest elevations. It’s a haven for birders
as half of North American bird species — yes, half! — can be
seen in the canyon. You can stumble upon a dozen hum-
mingbird species, Golden Eagles, Montezuma Quail, and
Elegant Trogon, as well as jaguar, black bear, and collared
peccaries. Yes, Portal is the perfect place for my parents.
My mother’s current pursuits are wildlife art and
designing and editing books. My dad volunteers for (and is
on the board of) Friends of Cave Creek Canyon, including
working on habitat improvements at Willow Tank, one of
the better birding sites in the region.
Currently, I live in Sintra, Portugal, with my husband
and son, and, yes, when I see birds, I point them out. I have
even been known to pull the car over when I see a group of
people on the side of the road, binocs raised upward, scopes
standing like strange metal insects dug into the shoulder of
the road, to ask, “What we are looking at today?”

Hollin Stafford is an author, a freelance writer, and a former

flight attendant. Her first young-adult novel, Degree of Light,
was published in 2018, and her short story, Blue, was published
by Literary Mama. She currently lives in Portugal with her
family and three dogs.

w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 25
 POSTCARD WORTHY: A Great Blue Heron wades in
the water as the sun rises over Blackwater National
Wildlife Refuge. The Maryland preserve contains
28,000 acres of tidal marshes, mixed hardwood
and loblolly pine forests, and other habitats.
place the note on an empty seat
at the table. She’ll find it when
she and my husband sit down to
eat breakfast. The message is
part of the ritual for any long
birding day I take and requires
two specific components: hugs
and kisses. So, after brushing my
teeth, I put on bright red lipstick
and press my lips to the paper, evenly
distributing the impressions. In the
note, I leave instructions for them: “Hug
26 B i rd Wa t c h i n g • J a nu a r y/ F e br u a r y 2 0 2 0
each other from me.” My guilt. My love.
All neatly translated and sealed for my
6-year-old.
It’s 2 a.m. when I slip past the dogs.
The front door creaks but neither stir, so
I’m in the clear — free as a bird to bird. I
leave my family to their dreams, while I
embark on a race against a breaking
dawn. On this summer day, sunrise in
Dorchester County, Maryland, is around
5:40 a.m., which means that I must arrive
well before then if I am to hear and,
hopefully, catch a glimpse of my target
species: Chuck-will’s-widow, a nocturnal
nightjar of the southeastern states.
The drive from my home in western
Maryland takes me east through the
Baltimore/Washington corridor, across
Chesapeake Bay, and south on the
Delmarva Peninsula toward Blackwater
Jim Beers/Shutterstock
National Wildlife Refuge, the largest of
the state’s six national wildlife refuges.
While Blackwater’s birds are the main
attraction, a visit to the refuge and its
surroundings carries more historic
weight than your average birdwatching
outing. Harriet Tubman was born into
slavery here in the early 1820s, escaped
north in 1849, and returned to rescue
approximately 70 enslaved people via
the Underground Railroad. Numerous
Tubman landmarks exist among the
natural beauty of the refuge.
The farther east I travel, the more
eager I am to reach my first destination:
Bestpitch Ferry Road, along the eastern
edge of the refuge. It’s always first on my
Dorchester itinerary, but once the sun
has risen at the location, I only linger for
half an hour. The bark of Yellow-
breasted Chat from the loblollies, the
song of Indigo Bunting at the edge of a
land fragment, and the buzzing of
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in
territorial dispute, among others, are
what decorate this post-sunrise
soundscape. I always have a tough time
departing from Bestpitch. There is so
much to experience. Whether I’m
waiting for a rail to appear out of the
marsh, checking out a black rat snake, or
taking a moment to examine the red
tubercles of the invasive red swamp
crayfish as it scurries, there’s time to
stop and appreciate the details because
the roads are quiet.
BIRDING AMONG LANDMARKS
I arrive at Bestpitch in darkness and
meet up with Anthony VanSchoor, one
w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 27
 STEWART’S CANAL: Enslaved and free black
people dug this seven-mile canal for the
slave-owning Stewart family. The work took 22
years. The canal is located near the eastern
edge of the refuge and is a stop along the
Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway.
of my closest birding companions.
Standing beside his tripod, in the
middle of the road, he is taking long
exposures of the night sky. I cut my
high beams but not fast enough to avoid
ruining a photo.
Bestpitch Ferry Road crosses over the
Transquaking River by way of the
Bestpitch Ferry Bridge. The landscape
remains largely unchanged from
Tubman’s time because it has not been
over developed, making it a modern-day
natural time capsule. The waterways
that unfurl from the river snake
throughout the marshy landscape.
Freedom-seeking slaves used these
trails, which were part of the Under-
ground Railroad, on their way north.
Independent of the specter of slavery, I
find it difficult to imagine traveling
under such exposed conditions. Without
the aid of light, the darkness is vast, and
the insects here are painfully relentless.
POSSIBILITIES AMONG GHOSTS
Bestpitch Ferry Road connects to
28 B i rd Wa t c h i n g • J a nu a r y/ F e br u a r y 2 0 2 0
Greenbrier Road. At the junction is the
Bucktown General Store, a place where
Tubman nearly died as a teenager. She
was in the store to make a purchase and
defied a slave owner’s order to tie up
another slave. The slave master threw a
heavy weight that struck Tubman in the
head, almost killing her and causing an
injury that she lived with for the rest of
her life.
The store is now a historic landmark
and part of the 125-mile Harriet
Tubman Underground Railroad Byway.
Along this stretch of the byway are the
Brodess plantation, where Tubman was
enslaved, and her childhood home,
where she was born into bondage and
began slave labor at 6 years old (my
daughter’s age). I’m here for the birds,
but around every corner, it’s impossible
not to sense the ghosts of the past.
West of the general store is Maple
Dam Road, a great spot to bird. The best
time to cruise it is after sunrise, when
the water mirrors the sky. These roads,
especially midweek, aren’t busy, making
it is easy to pull to the side and spend
quality time birding. A few hours can
pass quickly. Along several nearby
narrow, undeveloped off roads, where
the earth is soft and sandy, Seaside and
Saltmarsh Sparrows are possibilities.
At Bestpitch, while we wait in the
dark, the thin red line of dawn scatters
at the horizon. Despite being close
friends, Anthony and I are all business.
No chit-chat, not now. We’re here for
birds, for solitude. This is how most of
our birding adventures begin: silence
and darkness, the prelude to the birds.
The full-bodied harmonies of the
Marsh Wrens, frogs, toads, and
mosquitoes shift while we stand in the
middle of the road patiently welcoming
the possibility of something new. We
know it’s coming, so we wait. Then,
Beth Parnicza/National Park Service
kidik kidik kidik, a Virginia Rail solos
from a section of marsh behind us. We
exchange silent smiles and nods. His
camera shutter releases.
Blackwater is on Chesapeake Bay
and about a two-hour drive from

Washington, D.C. The area encom-
passes tens of thousands of acres of tidal
marshes and coastal forests. The refuge
was established for migratory birds in
the early 1930s and is recognized as an
Important Bird Area with global
priority. Long before its designation as a
wildlife refuge, the land was used for
fur farming, primarily muskrat, and
was the backdrop for the slave trade
in the area. (When Tubman began
her slave labor at age 6, her role was to
set out muskrat traps in the icy
marshes, barefoot.)
According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service, Blackwater is home to one of the
largest concentrations of breeding Bald
Eagles along the Atlantic. Wildlife Drive
at Blackwater is a 4-mile trail for
Anthony VanSchoor; National Park Service
vehicles, hikers, and cyclists. Four miles
may not sound like much, but the drive
has many places to pull over and trails to
explore. Because it’s in the middle of the
refuge, the views are incredible. Herons,
egrets, Osprey, Brown-headed Nuthatch,
Least Bittern, and others are plentiful
TARGET BIRD: Late April through July
are the best months to look for
Chuck-will’s-widow just after sunrise
at Bestpitch Ferry Road.
and easy to see in spring and summer.
It’s a spectacular place with much to
photograph and take in.
Even in the cooler morning hours,
the humidity is overwhelming. The
silvery grasses tssssss as wind ripples the
water. Anxiety sets in. I should be at
home, waking up to breakfast with my
family. There’s no promise that we will
find the Chucks. What if the bird is a
no-show? How will I mask my disap-
pointment when my daughter asks,
“Did you get the bird?” I try to stay
positive. After all, we plan to be here all
day and will see lots of birds, Chucks or
no Chucks.
In less than an hour, the dew-covered
dragonflies resting on the tips of the
marsh grasses will blow around, wings
glittering on the wind. Summer
Tanagers will flit branch to branch
through the hardwood and pine forest.
The morning shift will ramp up as the
night shift settles down and the light
changes the landscape. For now, we’re
standing in the dark, quietly bearing
Harriet Tubman
Connecting to history
Along the western boundary of
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge
lies Harriet Tubman Underground
Railroad National Historical Park,
which was created in 2014. In
the center of the refuge and just
1.2 miles from its visitor center,
you will find the Harriet Tubman
Underground Railroad Visitor
Center. It opened in 2017 and is
jointly operated by the Maryland
Park Service and the National Park
Service.
To understand the historical
significance behind the most
impressive wildlife areas in
Dorchester County, stop at the
center for a self-guided tour. The
center is a museum where tourists
can learn about the life and legacy
of Harriet Tubman and others who
participated in the extrication
of enslaved people via the
Underground Railroad. The site is
also part of the 125-mile-long Harriet
Tubman Scenic Byway.
A tour of the museum is necessary
to fully appreciate the area’s
wilderness. Learning about the
people who passed through and
those who lived, were enslaved, and
died here completely transforms
your perspective of the landscape.
When you realize that you’re birding
on hallowed surroundings, the
connection to the land takes on a
deeper meaning. It’s no longer only
about the birds. It’s about being
present in a place where such
profound events occurred. And it’s
about acknowledging the abuse,
the cruelty, the suffering, and the
bondage of an entire group of people
based on the color of their skin.
w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 29

witness to the birth of a new dawn in anticipation of seeing a
bird we haven’t seen since last year. Anthony begins packing
up his gear. It’s time to find the birds.
CHUCK-WILL’S-WIDOW
Sika deer wander calmly across the road unphased by our
vehicles as we caravan away from the marsh through the
coastal forest. The cacophony of frogs and toads press
through the glass, so I roll the windows down and let it all in:
the marshy air, the biting bugs. We come to a stop and get
out. Morning glows electric behind the black wood silhou-
ettes. A Barred Owl hoots in the distance. Then, I hear it. A
faint whirl of whistles to the south. Without conference, we
follow the sound until it is in our faces. Four Chuck-will’s-
widows. Two to our right. One to our left. And one right in
front of us on the road.
After a few moments, the closest one launches itself onto a
snag. It perches momentarily, then swoops, flycatcher-like,
and returns. I fumble for the settings on my camera, but
knowing this moment will pass swiftly, I opt for video. The
song, if you can call it that, is very loud, the clear top line of
the soundscape. It repeats the behavior over and over, and
the songs decrescendo with distance. It lasts for seven pure,
wild, and uninhibited minutes. This was more than we could
have hoped for.
Once we’re sure the birds have gone, we are all chat.
Gleeful, we rejoice and compare notes. A feeling of immense
relief and sheer joy overcomes me. My face aches from
smiling so hard. Now, the rest of the day will be carefree.
In awe of what we have just witnessed, we head back to
where we started on the other side of the Bestpitch Ferry
Bridge. The light is different. The grasses, silvery in the
30 B i rd Wa t c h i n g • J a nu a r y/ F e br u a r y 2 0 2 0
WATERFOWL HAVEN: Northern
Shoveler, other ducks, swans,
and geese winter by the
thousands at the refuge.
A sample itinerary
My story is about birding Blackwater in summer, but
the refuge is just as engaging during winter. The entire
marshland transforms during the colder months. Instead of
the summertime aroma of marsh, the breeze carries with it
the smell of burning earth. And while Chuck-will’s-widows
and other summer residents have moved on, Snowy Owls
sporadically descend from the north, and wide rafts of
Redhead, Canvasback, scaup, Snow Geese, Tundra Swans,
American White Pelicans, and other waterfowl gather on the
icy water. Vesper and Clay-colored Sparrows intermingle with
Field, Song, and Chipping Sparrows at the Harriet Tubman
Underground Railroad Visitor Center.
When I bird Dorchester County, depending on the season, I
typically visit the same spots: Bestpitch Ferry Road, Hoopers
Island Bridge, Maple Dam Road, Blackwater National Wildlife
Refuge Wildlife Drive, and the Harriet Tubman Underground
Railroad Visitor Center. All are accessible by car.
Start out before dawn at Bestpitch Ferry Bridge. The marsh
is lively, even in the dark. Once the sun is at the horizon,
drive toward Maple Dam Road via Greenbrier Road. Take
VIKVAD/Shutterstock; moosehenderson/Shutterstock
your time on Maple Dam Road and try one of the off roads.
Once you’re satisfied with this area, head to Wildlife Drive.
Visit the observation decks first, then continue on the 4-mile
road. Take the Golden Hill Road exit. Across the street is the
Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center. Take a
self-guided tour of the museum and end your visit with a walk
in the Legacy Garden. Visit mdbirds.org for more information
about birding Dorchester County.
predawn light, are now gilded by the
RECOVERED: The Delmarva
morning sun. The dew-covered
Peninsula fox squirrel is endemic to
odonates are quickly drying out. One
Blackwater and nearby lands. Once
has decided to hitch a ride on my
endangered, it was removed from
driver’s side door. The swallows are
the endangered species
gathering; Tree, Barn, and Bank perch
list in 2015.
on a wire that runs parallel to the
bridge. An Osprey patrols the marsh,
crows caw in the distance, Great Blue
Herons pass overhead, the morning
traffic patterns of nature bustling about
have begun.
Hyper and excited, I FaceTime home
to share the good news. My daughter
answers the phone at the breakfast table.
“Did you get the bird?” she asks. “Yes!” I
exclaim. “Mommy got the bird!” She
shouts to my husband. The three of us
share the moment as I recount the
details. My daughter presses the kisses
from the note to her forehead. “I love
you,” I tell her, adding, “I’ll be home
after dinner.” I cannot wait to hug and Orietta C. Estrada is the editor of The naturalist and vice president of the
kiss them when I get home. I disconnect. Maryland Yellowthroat, a bimonthly Frederick Bird Club. Her hotspot report
The sun has risen quickly, and a flurry publication of the Maryland Ornitho- about North Point State park is on page
of bird activity is just head. We collect logical Society (mdbirds.org), and a 42 of this issue. Follow her on Instagram
ourselves and move toward it. wildlife columnist. She is also a master at @Birds_Nature_Life.

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w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 31
 PROVIDER: A Greater
Roadrunner in Arizona
carries five grasshoppers
for its nestlings.

Roadrunner
urprises
Close observations of an iconic bird of the
desert southwest reveal rarely seen behaviors
STORY AND PHOTOS BY JIM BURNS

32 B i rd Wa t c h i n g • J a nu a r y/ F e br u a r y 2 0 2 0
W
henI first realized the
diversity of prey species my
Greater Roadrunners were
catching — lizards, butterflies and
moths, bees, dragonflies, scorpions,
grasshoppers, cockroaches, snails
— and how they were catching them, I
knew I had to write about them. Then,
when I saw the male bring his mate a
bunch of yellow wildflowers, desert
bladderpod, as nesting material, I knew
I had to write them up carefully to avoid
rampant anthropomorphism.
Birders are well aware of the several
avian families that capture prey on the
wing: raptors, nightjars, and flycatchers,
most notably. But roadrunners are
seldom seen “on the wing,” so it is not
well appreciated how aerially adept they
are and how developed their beak-to-eye
coordination is. I have seen my pair of
roadrunners catch all of those enumer-
ated flying insects, while the birds were
off the ground, airborne. Let me explain
and highlight just how athletic these
“ground” cuckoos really are.
Greater Roadrunners in the central
Arizona area around Phoenix are not
rare, but they are certainly uncommon.
Good luck trying to find one to show a
visiting birder from the east. They have
large territories (up to a mile in length),
and their heavily streaked, dark
plumage can render them nearly
impossible to spot unless they’re
moving. I found a pair that I was able to
follow, photograph, and study for two
years only because one day in early
spring I saw them on the move, chasing
and catching grasshoppers.
A recent research study, “Ecological
winners and losers of extreme drought
in California,” found that locally rare
and less-common species increase in
periods of drought, and Greater
Roadrunner was one of two avian
“winners” in the study. When I discov-
ered my pair in February a few years ago
in the Tonto National Forest, abutting
the northeast suburbs of metro Phoenix,
the area had recently experienced over
100 consecutive days with no rainfall.
Previous roadrunners I had seen
were shy, solitary, and seemingly on a
mission, yet this pair was relatively at
ease with my presence. Whether they
accepted me as a result of that year’s
drought, or simply because the Tonto is
the most heavily used “urban” forest in
the country and they were acclimated to
people, I can’t say. (But it would make a
good research project.) Whatever the
case, they became my roadrunners for
the next 24 months.
That day of our first encounter,
I couldn’t believe I was seeing two
roadrunners foraging together. They
were working along a stretch of desert
gravel interspersed with acacia and
mesquite trees and tall stands of
wildflowers, including globemallow
and brittlebush. I sensed they were
comfortable with my shadowing them if
I moved slowly and kept a respectful
distance. And I knew that roadrunners
mate for life and hunt together during
courtship, so I figured this might be a
once-in-a-birder’s-lifetime chance to
gain some insight into an iconic species’
natural history.
My first surprise was learning a
primary roadrunner foraging technique
is wing-flashing, the very same method
first made familiar to many birders by
Northern Mockingbirds — walk several
steps, stop, spread both wings, then
repeat. If the white patches on the open
wings flushed an insect, of course, they
were all over it.
I chose to concentrate on just one of
the pair: the female, as it turned out
(more later on how I was able to
distinguish male from female). I was
dumbstruck when I saw her suddenly
sprint 10 yards, leap 6 feet into the air,
and come down with a grasshopper on
the wing that she had flushed. She had
me when I realized she had jumped
higher than my head, and I hadn’t even
seen the insect flush. I soon watched her
mate leap over a brittlebush, 2 feet high
and 3 across, and snatch a grasshopper
out of the air without touching the bush
or its array of bright, yellow flowers.
The pair seemed to prefer open
ground, but whenever either bird would
come to a bush or a small tree with
limbs hanging close to the ground, it
would completely circle the plant,
staring intently upward. If prey items
were spotted in the branches, a leap and
grab with the bill was employed. Count-
less times over the months, I saw both
male and female crouch, jump several
w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 33
 DECORATIONS: A male roadrunner
carries desert bladderpod flowers
for his nest-building mate. Females
do most of the nest construction.

feet off the ground, snatch prey with the

bill while pushing off a branch with
their feet, fall toward the ground
head-first, then open their wings to
slow the drop, and land on their feet.
Don’t try this at home!
I came to call it the “rebound
technique” because they never actually
landed in a bush or tree when foraging
like this. In the cool of the early
mornings, the technique yielded a wide
assortment of prey items that had spent
the night presumably safe and warmer
above ground — spiders, caterpillars,
both lepidoptera families (moths and
butterflies), odonata (dragonflies),
lizards, and snails.
ATHLETIC PROWESS
Roadrunner foot speed is legendary (up
to 20 mph), but that is in linear pursuit.
Not as well appreciated is the species’
ability to cut, turn, and change direction
while chasing elusive prey such as
rabbits, ground squirrels, and, espe-
cially, lizards. Remembering how futile
it was trying to catch lizards myself as a
Easily anthropomorphized but
largely misunderstood, my
roadrunners gifted me with
great insights into the natural
world around me.
kid, I watched their athleticism in awe as
they pursued land-based prey across the
desert and through brush, dust and
feathers flying. I saw them catch several
lizards and wished my camera had video
capability. I also saw them with mice, a
juvenile rabbit, and a Killdeer chick,
though I did not witness those captures.
My best capture was a photo cliché
I had envisioned for years — on four
occasions, I was in the right place at the
right time with my camera to catch the
pair copulating. Each time, I saw a gift
exchange, which was different during all
four instances: dried vegetation for
nesting, a leaf, a grasshopper, and not
one but two white-lined sphinx moths.
Courtship and copulation also
displayed roadrunner athleticism —
the male chasing with a gift while
wagging his tail horizontally, the
female, crest erect, tail bobbing
vertically. If and when she was ready,
she assumed submissive posture, and
he leapt 3 feet in the air and dropped
down onto her to mount.
It was during courtship and
copulation, of course, that I was finally

34 B i rd Wa t c h i n g • J a nu a r y/ F e br u a r y 2 0 2 0
able to distinguish male from female
with certainty. She was slightly smaller
and buffier-breasted than her mate,
though this was difficult to discern
unless they were seen together.
However, after I realized the physical
dissimilarities, unexpected behavioral
differences became more obvious as I
followed them through their breeding
cycle — nest building, food foraging,
and raising young.
Though smaller, the female seemed
to be the more efficient hunter: In wing
flashing, she extended her wings
forward to their fullest extent, while he
went only about halfway, and with the
rebound technique, she jumped higher
into the foliage than he did, possibly
because she was lighter in weight.
When feeding the nestlings (three
the first year, two the next), the male
always made the first several deliveries
of the day and, overall, made twice as
many as the female. She was much more
circumspect and careful than he was
when approaching the nest tree (a
whitethorn acacia) with food, and, when
leaving, she would slip down, crouch,
and freeze for several minutes before
continuing out to forage, whereas he
bounded down and left quickly.
NESTING DUTIES
My pair’s nest, an aggregation of sticks
lined with grasses and leaves, was in a
crotch in the heart of their acacia, 6 feet
high. It appeared the nest had been used
in years past, and the only “remodeling”
was done by the female with soft
materials brought by her mate, spectac-
ularly so on the occasions when I
watched him dig up
or clip off wildflow-
ers for the purpose.
Research has
shown both parents
incubate, but on nights
with lower temperatures,
only the male incubates and
stays with young nestlings
overnight because he
carries more fat
deposits and is larger
in size. This became another useful
FEED ME: A fledgling roadrunner begs for food.
Young birds leave the nest at 14 to 25 days old
and stay with their parents for another month.
clue in parental identification because
when I would arrive shortly after
sunrise some mornings, I’d see one
bird, the male, leaving the acacia as the
female arrived. The timing of their
duties (and her greater efficiency?)
meant he delivered more insects, but
she brought more lizards, which
became more active only after the sun
warmed the surrounding desert.
Eggs were
never left alone
but nestlings
often were,
w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 35

especially as they grew and demanded
more and larger food deliveries. Though
the adults typically foraged together
during courtship, after the eggs
hatched, they always went separate ways
when leaving the nest, undoubtedly an
evolutionary adaptation to ensure the
best coverage of the entire territory.
Here are five fascinating behaviors I
observed that are all well documented
in Greater Roadrunner literature but
casual birdwatchers seldom see: beating
larger prey items against a rock to
disarticulate the carcass for easier swal-
lowing; closing the nictitating mem-
36 B i rd Wa t c h i n g • J a nu a r y/ F e br u a r y 2 0 2 0
WASTE NOT, WANT NOT: When this
bird captured a lizard to feed to
its young, the tail broke off. The
bird picked up both parts and
carried them back to the nest.
branes over the eyes in flight and while
feeding young; adults sitting out the
heat of mid-day in the shade despite
nestlings unattended; very lengthy
copulation (up to four minutes);
feeding lethargic or unresponsive
nestlings to siblings.
Here are five fascinating things I
observed that I could not find refer-
enced anywhere in the literature:
carrying multiple prey items (five
grasshoppers!) in the bill at once; the
male teaching the first fledged (and
largest) young how to forage and hunt;
always picking up and delivering
lizards’ tails, broken off in capture,
with the lizard bodies to young in the
nest; subtle false eyespots on the back
of the head rather like some owl
species; frequent vocal signaling
between mated pairs that is difficult for
humans to hear.
How did I know that vocal signaling
occurred if I couldn’t hear it? A few
times at the beginning of my observa-
tions, I would observe a parent coming
to the nest, and it would pause up to
50 yards from the nest. I would be
hunkered down behind a bush, hear
nothing, but then see the other parent
leave the nest. How did the parent on
the nest know the other was coming? I
then began listening more closely and
watching for bill and throat movement.
Every now and then, I could hear very
faint “cooing” sounds or see movement
on the part of the incoming bird, but I
can’t tell you how many times they
fooled me — one showing up and the
other already gone without my seeing or
suspecting nest exchange. I came to the
conclusion that they kept in vocal touch
much more than I realized, perhaps
using a pitch too soft or low for human
ears to pick up.
And here are five things I’d hoped to
observe but didn’t: eggs in the nest (the
nest was just above eye level and deep
inside the thick, thorny tree — no way
to see into); territorial defense; nest
defense; snake capture; a roadrunner
outrunning a coyote (not going to
happen — the bird’s top speed is 20
mph, but the mammal’s is 43 mph).
The second spring of my observa-
tions was during an El Niño year in the
Arizona deserts, and the roadrunners’
breeding cycle followed the wettest
October in Phoenix history. They
reused the same nest, but the surround-
ing habitat was vastly different, lush
and green instead of sere and dusty.
Wildflowers were profuse, waist-high
weeds and grasses carpeted the
territory, and open desert was scarce.
I couldn’t help thinking if the
previous spring had been like that,
perhaps the brood’s third sibling would
have survived. On the other hand, if
the years’ weather had been reversed, it
is unlikely I’d have seen the roadrun-
ners in the first place or been able to
follow them on their rounds, so
effective their cryptic coloration, so
I was
NOT IN THE LITERATURE: The author

dumbstruck noticed that roadrunners have false

eyespots on the back of the head,
similar to some owl species.
when I saw
the female
suddenly sprint
10 yards, leap 6
feet into the air,
and come down
with a grass--
hopper on the
wing that she
had flushed.
hidden they became in the burgeoning
desert vegetation.
These are active birds that look
plump when feathers are fluffed out, and
go up to 2 feet in length and a pound in
weight, yet I saw one pass through a
square opening in fence wire that I
subsequently measured at 3.5 inches in
width, the length of my index finger!
Like athletes of other species, roadrun-
ners are lithe, remarkably flexible, and
can shapeshift seemingly at will. They
have evolved to breed among thorns,
forage through brambles, and capture Jim Burns is an outdoor writer and
and consume anything and everything photographer and the author of five books
in their environment. And they thrive in illustrated with his photos: A Beginner’s
drought conditions. Field Guide to Phoenix Birds (Maricopa
It is little wonder that the Greater Audubon Society, 2004), North American
Roadrunner, revered by the ancients, has Owls: Journey Through a Shadowed
become the modern icon of the south- World (Willow Creek Press, 2004), Jim
western deserts. Attentive in parenthood Burns’ Arizona Birds (University of
but brutal in predation, readily admired Arizona Press, 2008), Owls Rock (e-book,
but difficult to find, easily anthropo- 2012), and Arizona Bird Photography Site
morphized but largely misunderstood, Guide (with Matthew Studebaker, e-book,
my roadrunners gifted me with great 2018). In past issues of BirdWatching, he
insights into the natural world around has written about birding hotspots, a close
me and, in the process, to my place in it. encounter with an Elegant Trogon, and
Long may they prosper. Costa Rica’s toucans and barbets.

w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 37
 idtips BY KENN KAUFMAN • PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRIAN E. SMALL

Pygmy Nuthatch
Top of head only a little
browner than the gray back
Usually a conspicuous
black line through eye

White spot on nape

is usually hidden

Typical nuthatch shape

with short tail, big
head, sharp bill
In fresh plumage,
narrow whitish
edges on primaries

White spots in
bases of tail
feathers

Pygmy Nuthatch, adult January in Los Alamos County, New Mexico

In pine forests of the West, Pygmy

Nuthatches are among the smallest songbirds
What to look for and are often the most conspicuous. Active,
acrobatic, highly social, these nuthatches
Size and shape. Very small, with compact, short-tailed shape
clamber up, down, and around tree trunks
typical of nuthatches.
and limbs, hop along branches, or dangle
Head pattern. Brownish gray crown coming down to a notice- upside down from twigs. Usually in flocks of
able dark stripe through the eye, contrasting with a whitish three to 10 individuals, they keep up almost a
throat. A white spot on the nape is sometimes visible. constant high-pitched piping. Often, they’re
at the center of mixed flocks, with chickadees
Wing pattern. Mostly plain gray but with narrow whitish edges and others joining the roving nuthatch gangs.
on the primaries, especially near the base, becoming less Any discussion of Pygmy Nuthatch leads
apparent in worn plumage (late spring and summer). to a mention of its close relative, the
Brown-headed Nuthatch. The two are so
Tail pattern. White patches in the base of the short tail, some- similar that in the past they occasionally were
times noticeable in flight. treated as one species. While the range of
Pygmy Nuthatch extends north into western
Canada and south into the mountains of
Mexico, the Brown-headed is essentially
restricted to the southeastern United States.

38 B i rd Wa t c h i n g • J a nu a r y/ F e br u a r y 2 0 2 0
 Both nuthatches are strong habitat
specialists, seldom seen away from pine
forests. The range of Pygmy Nuthatch is
practically defined by ponderosa pine and
similar long-needled species. In the
southeastern states, the Brown-headed
has a choice of pine species, but it’s most
common in old-growth pine forests with
a relatively open understory. Both species
require dead trees or limbs for their nest
sites, so they don’t do well in young pine
plantations.
Although both species are nonmigra-
tory, both are known to stray outside
their normal ranges. Pygmy Nuthatches
sometimes wander onto the Great Plains
and have been recorded as far east as
Minnesota and Iowa. Brown-headed
Nuthatches occasionally stray far north of
their typical southern haunts and have
reached northern Ohio and Illinois. Both Brown-headed Nuthatch, adult February in Montgomery County, Texas
have been recorded in eastern Kansas,
and in Nebraska, both have been found at
True to its name, the Brown-headed Nuthatch has a they would not show the narrow but distinct white
the exact same site — Holmes Lake cap of rich, warm brown, contrasting with the edges on the primaries that are typical of Pygmy
— near Lincoln. So, it isn’t always possible blue-gray of its back. The division between the Nuthatch. Brown-headed Nuthatch also has a
to identify the species by range alone. brown cap and the white cheeks and throat may be longer wingtip, or primary extension, than Pygmy
Visually, the two are quite similar. The set off by a darker line, but it’s usually not obvious. Nuthatch — the distance that the primaries extend
Brown-headed has a distinctly browner On this February Brown-headed, the wings already past the tips of the tertials. It’s a subtle difference
cap, contrasting sharply with the gray of look somewhat worn, but even in fresh condition, but visible in good photos like these.
the back. Pygmy Nuthatch has a grayer
cap, showing only slight contrast to the
back color. In most of its range, Pygmy
Nuthatch has a much stronger blackish
mask or eyeline, distinctly set off from
the grayish crown. This mark is less
distinct in populations along the central
and southern California coast, but these
are extremely unlikely to show up any
place where Brown-headed Nuthatch
might occur.
The species also have different wing
structures and patterns, as described in
the photo captions. But callnotes are also
helpful, and both species are very vocal.
Both make a wide variety of peeping and
chattering sounds, but those of Pygmy
Nuthatch are sharper and feature series of
single notes: peep peep or pip pip pip.
Brown-headed Nuthatches frequently
give a squeaky double note: peechew! A
lone bird out of range is likely to respond
Pygmy Nuthatch, adult March in Inyo County, California
to a recording of its own species, helping
to clinch the identification.
With a good view, the crown of Pygmy Nuthatch is Nuthatch has more white in the tail than
clearly closer to gray than brown, but this can be Brown-headed, and this can sometimes be seen in
Kenn Kaufman (www.kaufmanfieldguides.com) has hard to see on birds overhead in tall conifers. More flight. A field mark that’s usually shown
written several books on birds and nature. Brian E. evident at a distance is the smudgy blackish line prominently in field guide illustrations of both
Small (www.briansmallphoto.com) is a nature through the eye. On this bird, note the narrow white Brown-headed and Pygmy Nuthatches is a white
photographer whose photos illustrate many books. edgings on some primaries, especially at the base, spot on the nape, but most of the time it’s not
and the white in the outer tail feathers. Pygmy evident in the field.

w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 39
 Helpful nuthatches

The regular presence of

“helpers” at bird nests —
additional adults or subadults
that assist the breeding pair in
caring for the young — is
relatively rare among North
American songbirds. But in
both Pygmy and Brown-
headed Nuthatches, breeding
pairs have one or more helpers
about 20 percent of the time,
and in some populations, the
rate is 40 percent or more.
These additional nuthatches
do help in a variety of ways.
The female of the breeding
Pygmy Nuthatch, adult January in Los Alamos County, New Mexico pair does all the incubation,
but helpers take part in
While individuals straying out of range can cause winter, they are almost always seen in flocks, and defending the territory,
excitement (and ID challenges), the best places to see their roosting is a group behavior. Pairs, family excavating the nest cavity,
Pygmy Nuthatches are forests within their normal groups, or flocks pack into cavities in trees for warmth bringing food to the female
range, where we can simply enjoy the acrobatics of overnight. Multiple flocks, foraging separately during
their spunky, noisy little flocks. They spend much of the daytime, may come together in the evening. On a
while she’s incubating, and
their time in the treetops, but their almost-constant few occasions, more than 100 Pygmy Nuthatches feeding the young birds in the
piping chatter draws attention to their presence. In have been found roosting in holes in a single tree. nest and after they fledge.
Do helpers really help in a
measurable way? It varies.
Some studies found that pairs
of nuthatches with helpers had
higher success in fledging
young. Other studies found
no difference.
But why are the helpers
there? One explanation is that
helpers may be closely related
to the breeding pair, so if they
assist in raising more young,
they’re indirectly passing along
some of their own genes. In
the case of Pygmy and Brown-
headed Nuthatches,
apparently there’s a skewed
sex ratio, with far more males
than females in the population
Brown-headed Nuthatch, adult April in Montgomery County, Texas — and the helpers are
essentially all extra males.
Recent news stories have discussed the Bahama Dorian in September 2019 may have finished it off. They may gain valuable
Nuthatch, a bird that was long considered merely a The loss of a bird like this reminds us to tend to the practice in nesting duties while
subspecies of Brown-headed Nuthatch. Confined to conservation needs of birds that are still with us.
the island of Grand Bahama, it is (or was) similar to Brown-headed Nuthatch populations have declined
they wait to establish a
the Brown-headed seen here, but with a longer bill, significantly in recent decades; they require territory and find a mate of
darker face mask, and different voice. By spring 2019, high-quality pine forests, so protecting habitat for their own.
it was down to a handful of individuals, and Hurricane them will help a whole suite of southeastern species.

40 B i rd Wa t c h i n g • J a nu a r y/ F e br u a r y 2 0 2 0

hotspotsnearyou
HOTSPOTS 299-300
no. 299 north point state park
baltimore county, maryland
no. 300 pee dee national wildlife refuge
Matt Cuda/Shutterstock
wadesboro, north carolina
feb
20
HOTSPOTS NEAR YOU
Brown-headed Nuthatch
ONE OF THE BIRDS that Kenn Kaufman describes
on the previous pages, Brown-headed Nuthatch, can be
found at one of the hotspots described in this section:
Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge, located southeast of
Charlotte, North Carolina. The bird can be hard to see
well because it tends to stay high in the canopies of pine
trees. When you’re in its likely habitat, pine forest, listen
for its squeaks, similar to the sound of rubber duckies,
coming from above, and start scanning the trees. At
Pee Dee, your attention will also be drawn to the vast
numbers of other birds on the refuge, including ducks,
raptors, and others. Our other hotspot in this issue,
North Point State Park in Maryland, is a good place to
look for Rusty Blackbird, Northern Pintail, and Tundra
Swan, among other species, this winter. Enjoy.
— Matt Mendenhall
w w w. B ird Wa t chi n gD aily.co m/ hot spo tsm ap 41
no.
299
north point state park AT A GLANCE
HOTSPOTS NEAR YOU

baltimore county, maryland HABITAT

39°13'14.54"N 76°25'46.49"W Grasslands, wetlands, marine.

TERRAIN
695
North Point Blvd.
To Baltimore Flat trail, muddy, not wheelchair-accessible.
Grassland species can be observed from a car
but not herons or other waterbirds.
695

Ches apeake BIRDS

B ay
More than 200 species. Summer: Little Blue
Edgemere Heron, Snowy Egret, Osprey, Orchard Oriole,
Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Barred Owl, King and
Nort
695
B eth
le h e m B l v d .
h
Poin Virginia Rails, Caspian Tern, Black-crowned
t Rd
. Night-Heron, Northern Rough-winged
North Point Swallow, Least Bittern, Eastern Bluebird.
State Park
North Point Spur Winter: Scaup, Bufflehead, Gadwall, Common
P
Black Marsh Trail Goldeneye, Brown Creeper, Rusty Blackbird,
P Winter Wren, Fox Sparrow, Pied-billed Grebe,
Tundra Swan, American Black and Ruddy
2000 ft
500 m Crystal Pier Ducks, Northern Pintail. Rarities: Snow
North Point State Park is located on Chesapeake Bay, east of Baltimore. From the city, Bunting, American Bittern.
take I-695 and exit onto Hwy 151 S./North Point Blvd. Use the left two lanes to turn left
onto Bethlehem Blvd., make a slight right onto North Point Rd., and turn left onto North WHEN TO GO
Point Spur, which leads into the park. Year-round. Weekdays during business hours
for a quiet birding experience.
Each visit I make to North Point  
begins the same way: on the Black sites nearby AMENITIES
Marsh Trail. I take the trail from the Crystal Pier Picnic tables. Bicycling allowed except in the
parking lot, and within seconds I’m Inside the park and a short car ride Black Marsh Wildlands. Visitor center has
immersed in the wonders of the nature and history-themed exhibits, a science
from Black Marsh Trail parking lot.
mature forest that surrounds the classroom, and public restrooms; center open
Wonderful for views of wintering
Black Marsh. There are no bends Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, 9-5
waterfowl. Occasionally, Snow Bunting
along the forested part of trail, daily. Bowhunting and waterfowl hunting, so be
can be found foraging in and around
making the view long and tunnel-like. the stones that border walkway. aware of the presence of hunters.
If you didn’t know that a brackish  
marsh was sandwiched between two Fort Smallwood Park ACCESS
large forest fragments, you might Across the Patapsco River from State park. Entrance fee $3. Parking available.
think the trail went on forever. North Point State Park. Excellent for Hours: 8 a.m. to sunset (closed December 25).
However, at the end of the wooded warblers during migration and home Park is known to fill to capacity on summer
tunnel is a tidal freshwater/brackish to a spring hawk watch. weekends and holidays, and visitors will be
wetland. The urge to rush through the turned away when it’s at capacity.
prelude to the marsh is strong and excitement builds the closer I get, but I
always hold back because the stillness is intoxicating. If you’re interested in TIPS
snakes, this is a great place to see a northern watersnake. Another reptile to Bring binoculars, scope, and photography
keep an eye out for is diamondback terrapin, the state reptile of Maryland. equipment. Expect very hot and humid weather
In the summertime, when I’ve reached the opening to the marsh, I’m during summer months and prepare for biting
greeted by bushes of marsh mallow — white hibiscus flowers, centers dabbed bugs. Watch for ice during winter.
with magenta. Shortly thereafter, Little Blue Herons in their stormy blues,
cloudy whites, and combination molts come into view — stars in the Black FOR MORE INFO
Marsh. In winter, when the flowers have died back and the showy herons are North Point State Park, (410) 592-2897,
long gone, American Bittern and Virginia Rail are my targets along the trail. dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/
Then it’s off to Crystal Pier for waterfowl and a possible Snow Bunting, with central/northpoint.aspx. Baltimore Bird Club,
so much more to explore in between. — Orietta C. Estrada baltimorebirdclub.org. Maryland Ornithological
Society, mdbirds.org.
Orietta C. Estrada is the editor of The Maryland Yellowthroat, a bimonthly
publication of the Maryland Ornithological Society, and a wildlife columnist. www.BirdWatchingDaily.com/hotspotsmap

42

AT A GLANCE
HABITAT
Artificial impoundments, natural wetlands,
hardwood bottomland forest, mixed pine-
hardwood forest, pine forest, agricultural fields,
and early-successional old fields.
TERRAIN
Mostly flat.
BIRDS
Year-round: Wood Duck, herons, egrets,
Brown-headed and White-breasted
Nuthatches, Red-headed, Pileated, and Red-
bellied Woodpeckers, Red-shouldered Hawk,
Eastern Bluebird, Pine Warbler. Winter: Bald
Eagle, Northern Shoveler, Green-winged
Teal, American Wigeon, Blue-winged Teal,
Gadwall, and Northern Pintail. Spring through
fall: Northern Bobwhite, Indigo Bunting,
Blue Grosbeak, Yellow-breasted Chat,
Prothonotary, Hooded, Kentucky, Swainson’s,
Prairie, and other warblers, Scarlet and
Summer Tanagers. Uncommon: Wood Stork,
Sandhill Crane.
WHEN TO GO
Year-round. Summer breeding season and
winter are the most frequently birded times of
the year.
 
AMENITIES
Hiking, biking, and boating opportunities
in accordance with regulations. Restrooms
available at the entrance; pinic tables near the
headquarters. The refuge is open to hunting by
permit so be aware of the presence of hunters
at various times from fall through early spring.
 
ACCESS
National wildlife refuge. Open from sunrise to
sunset. Numerous roads can be used to access
certain tracts or parts of the refuge, including
Wildlife Drive, which is a loop road directly
behind the headquarters.
 
TIPS
When visiting in summer, bring sun protection
and insect repellent. Venomous snakes present,
so stay on roads and trails, especially when
traversing wooded portions of the refuge.
FOR MORE INFO
Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge, www.fws.
gov/refuge/pee_dee.
www.BirdWatchingDaily.com/hotspotsmap
no.
300
pee dee national wildlife refuge
HOTSPOTS NEAR YOU
wadesboro, north carolina
35°3'41.77"N 80°5'7.81"W
Ansonville er
1627
Riv
ee
52 Pee D
1418
Pee Dee National 1634
Wildlife Refuge
Headquarters
742
1627
52
To Charlotte 74
1 mi
Wadesboro 1 km
Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge protects 8,500 acres of wetlands and forests in central
North Carolina. From Charlotte, take U.S. Hwy. 74 east for about 50 miles to Wadesboro.
Turn left on U.S. Hwy. 52 and go 6 miles. Turn right into the refuge. The headquarters is the
first building on the right.
Established in 1963, Pee Dee
National Wildlife Refuge features sites nearby
diverse habitats and more than 200 Uwharrie National Forest
bird species. South entrance is about 22 miles
Fall and winter bring waterfowl north of Pee Dee. Trails and recreation
species from points north.
areas offer great birding for warblers,
Dabbling ducks make up the tanagers, waterfowl, and raptors.
majority of the thousands of ducks
that spend the winter on the refuge. Town Creek Indian Mound State
Wood Ducks nest on the refuge Historic Site
and are present in winter months Located about 17 miles from Pee
as well. Ring-necked Ducks and Dee. North Carolina's oldest state
both Lesser and Greater Scaup may historic site. Good for grassland birds,
be seen as well. Although Bald warblers, other songbirds.
Eagles breed here, they are much
more visible in winter with the
absence of foliage.
Spring and summer are the seasons to visit the refuge to enjoy warblers,
tanagers, and vireos. Shorebirds take advantage of the managed moist soil
units before moving on to northern breeding grounds. Kentucky Warblers,
Swainson’s Warblers, and Yellow-throated Warblers utilize woodland habitat
while Northern Bobwhites, Blue Grosbeaks, Orchard Orioles, Yellow-
breasted Chats, and Prairie Warblers can be heard staking their claim to
young brushy upland territories upon their arrival in late April and early
May. Scarlet and Summer Tanagers add to the array of spring colors.
Mississippi Kite, Osprey, Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawks, and
American Kestrels nest on the refuge along with Eastern Screech-Owls,
Barred Owls, and Great Horned Owls. — Eric Harrold
Eric Harrold is a naturalist and environmental educator. He has written past
reports about hotspots in the Carolinas, Tennessee, and Virginia.
43
 amazingbirds
CLEVER BIRD: A New Caledonian Crow uses a twig to probe for insects in a tree.
Hooks, bait, and
drop zones
Various ways that birds around the world use tools
For years, scientists believed that
tools were used only by higher
mammals, but now tool use — the
process of utilizing an object to obtain
food or achieve other goals — is
understood to occur in more than just
apes and elephants. While the vast
majority of bird species are not known to
use tools, the clever behavior has been
observed in at least 33 bird families.
44 B i rd Wa t c h i n g • J a nu a r y/ F e br u a r y 2 0 2 0
BY ELDON GREIJ
One of the earliest known tool users
was observed by Charles Darwin on the
Galápagos Islands in 1835. Twelve of the
13 species of Darwin’s Finches feed on
seeds and show much variation in bill
size as they adapt to different-sized
seeds. The exception, the Woodpecker
Finch, adapts to the niche normally
occupied by woodpeckers (woodpeckers
are not found on the Galápagos) and
feeds on insect larvae found in crevices
of tree bark and dead limbs.
The Woodpecker Finch has a
typical short, finch-like tongue rather
than an elongated woodpecker tongue
designed to penetrate deep crevices or
long burrows and withdraw grubs and
other food items. To compensate, a
Woodpecker Finch breaks off a cactus
spine or small twig and, holding it in
its bill, probes a cavity, scraping the
insect larvae to the opening where its
bill can reach.
A similar tool is used by the New
Caledonian Crow on the Pacific island
of New Caledonia. While Woodpecker
Finches simply snap off a cactus spine
at the desired length, New Caledonian
Crows actually fashion twigs by
bending them to form hooks or make
serrated rakes from stiff leaves.
In a clever laboratory experiment
with the crows, researchers presented
the birds with two different pieces of
wire — one straight and one hooked.
Food was in a small basket with a wire
handle on top and placed in a vertical
clear tube. The only way to get the food
was to select the hooked wire, insert it
into the tube, and lift the food basket
out. In one cage, the hooked wire had
been inadvertently removed, and the
bird had only a straight wire. To the
astonishment of the biologists, the bird
bent the wire to form a hook and
promptly retrieved the food basket.
Carrion Crows of Japan were
observed using “tools” in a very
different way. The crows would drop
walnuts on roadways and wait for
them to be smashed by cars driving
over them. In fact, crows were
observed lined up with pedestrians at
a traffic light. When the light changed,
people walked across the street, and
the crows hopped out to drop their
walnuts and then hopped back to the
sidewalk, waiting for the light to
change, and, after another light
change, would go back out and extract
seeds from broken nuts. If walnuts
were not smashed, the birds would
move them slightly.
Striated Herons (close relatives of
 our Green Herons) surprised observers
in Japan when they picked up
breadcrumbs from a park and dropped
them into the water immediately below
their fishing limb. The crumb served as
bait, frequently drawing small fish into
the heron’s attack zone. Herons have
also been observed using bits of twigs
and other vegetation as bait.
Not to be outdone in the prey-
attracting category, Burrowing Owls
sometimes gather animal dung from
nearby fields and place it around their
burrows. The “bait” attracts dung
beetles, which can reach 2 centimeters
in length and are a major prey item of
the owls. In one study, biologists
compared dung beetle remnants in
regurgitated pellets of owls that had
dung placed around their burrows
with pellets from burrows without
dung. Owls with dung near their
burrows consumed 10 times more
beetles than the others.
Perhaps the most amazing use of a
tool for catching prey comes from INSECT EATER: To compensate for its short tongue, the Woodpecker Finch uses tools to catch prey.
Australia. In stories and traditional
ceremonies, Aboriginal Australians in
the northern part of the country have local people in the Northern Territory.” (525-456 B.C.), considered by some as
long referred to birds carrying fire. It’s the first recorded instance of the “father of tragedy,” returned to
Recently, ornithologists published fire being used by animals other than Sicily from a trip and died soon after.
accounts of witnesses who seem to humans. While that is not unusual, the manner
verify the legends, saying birds of prey Shellfish, such as clams, can be of death was. It was reported that an
use smoldering branches to spread difficult for gulls to open. Several eagle, mistaking Aeschylus’ bald head
fires and scare prey from safe cover. species of gull will grab a clam in its for a rock, dropped a tortoise on it to
Black Kites, Whistling Kites, and bill, fly up, and drop the clam onto break the shell, but, instead, mortally
Brown Falcons are known to hunt rocks below. wounded the man. While the accuracy
small prey at the edges of brush fires. Sometimes a hard object is too large of the story is debated, the widespread
Ornithologist Bob Gosford, lead to be carried aloft. The Egyptian knowledge of the eagle behavior is not.
author of a 2018 paper in the Journal of Vulture faces this problem with That birds should take up tool use
Ethnobiology, says Black Kites and ostrich eggs. And the ostrich shells are is just another example of their
sometimes Brown Falcons “will pick too thick for the vultures to break with amazing behavior. And it suggests that
up a firebrand or a stick not much their bills. They compensate by people traveling to Greece might want
bigger than your finger and carry it “throwing” stones at them. The to pack a camouflage hat.
away to an unburnt area of grass and vultures pick up the largest stones that
drop it in there to start a new fire.” can be held in their bills, raise their Eldon Greij is professor emeritus at Hope College,
Dubi Shapiro; Agami Photo Agency/Shutterstock

In the paper, Gosford writes: bills skyward, and forcefully throw

“Observers report both solo and
cooperative attempts, often successful,
to spread wildfires intentionally via
single-occasion or repeated transport
of burning sticks in talons or beaks.
This behavior, often represented in
sacred ceremonies, is widely known to
them at the eggs.
Turtles are well protected by
withdrawing into their shells. Eagles in
Greece, however, have been observed
carrying tortoises aloft to great heights
and dropping them onto rocks.
The Greek playwright Aeschylus
located in Holland, Michigan, where he taught
ornithology and ecology for many years.
He is the founder of Birder’s World magazine. You
can find an archive of his “Amazing Birds”
columns on our website at www.BirdWatching
Daily.com/news/science.

w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 45
 attractingbirds BY LAURA ERICKSON

U.S., half a billion to a billion birds are

killed at windows. That number caught
the attention of prominent
ornithologists, who were skeptical
until their own research confirmed
Klem’s figures.
He documented that vertical strips of
tape, stickers, parachute cording, or even
just markers set on the outside of the
glass no more than 4 inches apart (just
2 inches apart if the lines are horizontal)
keep most birds at bay, perhaps because
4 inches is less than the wingspan of
even the smallest songbirds. Now the
Cornell Lab of Ornithology, American
Bird Conservancy, Audubon, and others
are also getting the word out about ways
we can reduce kills at our own windows.
That’s the ripple effect.
Many researchers once thought the
number of birds killed by domestic cats
was too small to pose a problem to
YARD GOALS: Providing plants for birds, like this Ruby-throated Hummingbird, is one way to help. populations. Pioneering research by
Stanley Temple in Wisconsin established
that the toll is a billion or more every

The ripple effect
How a ‘culture of conservation’ can reduce threats
to our birds
A recent study published in Science
concluded that 29 percent of the bird
population of the United States and
Canada — that is, 3 billion birds — have
been lost since 1970. And a report just
published by Audubon concludes that
climate change threatens nearly
two-thirds of our birds.
What can we birdwatchers do when
the problems are so very huge?
Individual actions may seem
insignificant, but fostering what
Audubon calls a “culture of
conservation” can be important
locally, and it can ripple outward
about all the birds killed at tall lighted
buildings during migration, banded
together to form the Fatal Light
Awareness Program (flap.org).
Volunteers combed downtown in early
morning, picking up dead and injured
birds, and they kept the public
informed of the death toll. More and
more people encouraged high-rise
dwellers and managers of tall buildings
to turn lights off or draw drapes at
night during migration. Now people in
many other cities, inspired by their
work, have “Lights Out” programs.
year. Now more and more people and
organizations are trying to make
windows safer for birds and working to
get people to keep cats indoors and enact
cat leash laws and ordinances. That’s the
ripple effect.
Over the years, BirdWatching has
published articles and columns
suggesting ways we as individuals can
help birds, many archived at
birdwatchingdaily.com. My book, 101
Ways to Help Birds, published by
Stackpole in 2006, focuses on large and
small ways that we can help birds via our
shopping, driving, and travel habits, our
backyard habitat, and supporting
organizations and agencies that work on
a larger scale. That information and
more is available on my webpage,
lauraerickson.com/ways-to-help.
Laura Erickson, the 2014 recipient of the
K Quinn Ferris/Shutterstock

regionally and even nationally and
internationally. How?
In 1993, a small group of people in
Toronto, wanting to do something
That’s the ripple effect. American Birding Association’s highest honor, the
Daniel Klem, for decades the only
Roger Tory Peterson Award, has written 11 books
researcher studying bird deaths at
about birds and hosts the long-running radio
windows, got people’s attention in 2009
program and podcast “For the Birds.”
after determining that every year in the

46 B i rd Wa t c h i n g • J a nu a r y/ F e br u a r y 2 0 2 0
Submit
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Bokmakierie/Johan Swanepoel/Shutterstock
 bookshelf BY MATT MENDENHALL

Reading materials
Books about penguins, eagles, woodpeckers, and more

Bald Eagles in the Wild: A Visual Essay of
America’s National Bird, by Jeffrey Rich, Amherst
Media, 2018, paperback, 128 pages, $24.95.
Even though the story of the Bald
Eagle’s recovery from the DDT
days has been told many times,
it’s one we should not forget
because, as we’ve witnessed in
recent years, when people in high
office want to set aside laws and
regulations that protect wildlife,
they will. Photographer and
wildlife biologist Jeff Rich looks
at many angles of our national bird’s narrative,
including its natural history and its status as an
icon. Rich writes about the people and organizations
that worked to restore populations in the U.S. And
the book is filled with page after page of Rich’s
gorgeous photos. What’s not to love?
The Handbook of Bird Families, by Jonathan Elphick,
Firefly Books, 2019, paperback, 416 pages, $35.
In 2014, Firefly Books
published the comprehen-
sive two-part reference
The World of Birds by
British ornithologist
Jonathan Elphick. Its first
part was about bird
anatomy, behavior, and
the like, and the second
part was a species
directory. This new,
essential book is an update
of the second part, reflecting the latest classifica-
tion changes to the Howard and Moore checklist. It
includes an introduction to each of the bird orders
and a detailed account for every one of the 234
avian families.

My Penguin Year: Life Among the Emperors, by Landfill: Notes on Gull Watching and Trash Picking
Lindsay McCrae, William Morrow, 2019, hardcover, 304 in the Anthropocene, by Tim Dee, Chelsea Green
pages, $27.99. Publishing, 2018, hardcover, 240 pages, $25.

In 2018, the BBC aired If you enjoy

“Dynasties,” a brief series watching gulls,
narrated by Sir David then there’s a good
Attenborough about the bet that you own a
lives of penguins, chimpan- field guide or two
zees, lions, painted wolves, dedicated to
and tigers. For the penguin describing the
episode, Lindsay McCrae, a various species and
cameraman and photogra- their shades of gray
pher, followed thousands of and white. This gem
Emperor Penguins in of a book is also
Antarctica for 337 consecu- about gulls, but it
tive days. In this remark- has nothing to do
able book, he tells the story, including the birds’ with identifying the
breeding behaviors, interactions between parents birds in the field.
and chicks, and much more. About halfway Instead, British birder, author, and radio producer
through the book, he describes watching a female Tim Dee has written what Helen MacDonald calls
penguin lay an egg and eventually turn it over to “a love letter to gulls and their charged relationship
her mate to keep warm while she heads back to the with humans.” Dee considers the state of nature,
sea to feed — an extraordinary moment in the lives filled with our trash and junk, and the birds that
of incredible birds. associate with said trash and junk.

48 B i rd Wa t c h i n g • J a nu a r y/ F e br u a r y 2 0 2 0
Hawks on High: Everyday Miracles in a Hawk Ridge
Season, by Phil Fitzpatrick, Savage Press, 2019,
paperback, 92 pages, $14.95, available at
savpress.com.

In the preface to his collection of

poems about the Hawk Ridge hawk
watch in Minnesota, lifelong birder
Phil Fitzpatrick notes that this may be
the first book of poems “devoted solely
to the raptor watching experience at
one specific site.” The book, he says, is
his attempt to ponder the soul of birds as well as
the soul of Hawk Ridge itself, and he accomplishes
both. Fitzpatrick’s poems, as Dyana Furmansky
writes in the foreword, “are the interface between
wild masters of the sky and the ones stuck on the
cold ground. They portray humanity’s place in the
wild.” The book is illustrated with stunning
pen-and-ink drawings by artist Penny Perry.

Peterson Reference Guide to Woodpeckers of North

America, by Stephen A. Shunk, Houghton Mifflin
Harcourt, 2016, hardcover, 320 pages, $35.

We somehow neglected to
recommend this Peterson
guide when it was published a
few years ago, but better late
than never. The book covers
the natural history, ecology,
and conservation of the 23
woodpecker species of the
United States and Canada, and
it features the work of 70
photographers and artists.
Author Steve Shunk, a
co-founder of the East
Cascades Audubon Society
and the Oregon Birding Trails project and the
owner of the tour company Paradise Birding, is a
leading expert on woodpeckers. He lives on the
eastern slope of the Oregon Cascades, where 11
woodpecker species breed. The book dives deep on
each species, including one that may or may not
persist — the Ivory-billed Woodpecker.

w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 49
 From
our
yourview Birding experiences and photographs submitted by readers readers!

In living color

THE FISHER KING: A Belted Kingfisher

stops on a favorite fishing perch at Virginia
Lake, in St. John’s, Newfoundland.
Subscriber Geoff Smith took the photo with
a Canon 70D camera and a Canon 400mm
f/5.6 L-series lens.

SYMMETRY: Michael Rossacci

photographed these Least Terns on Plum
Island, off the northeast coast of
Massachusetts. He used a Canon 7D,
a 300mm f/2.8 L IS lens, and a 1.4x
teleconverter.

50 B i rd Wa t c h i n g • J a nu a r y/ F e br u a r y 2 0 2 0
 LIFT OFF: A Green Heron takes
wing at Redding, California.
Malachi Isome shot the photo in
August with a Nikon D3500 and
a 70-300mm lens.

REFLECTION: A Lesser
Yellowlegs wades in a salt marsh
in Scarborough, Maine. Ed Norris
shot the image with a Nikon
D5600, a Sigma 150-600mm lens,
and 1.4x extender.
 SNEAK ATTACK: As one Limpkin nabbed an apple snail at
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park in Florida, a second bird
came up from behind to lunge for the snail meat. Tom Wronski
used a Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 with a 100-400mm lens.

POSING: A Steller’s Jay shows off its black and blue

plumage in Edmonds, Washington. Mary Ross used a Nikon
D5100 with a 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 lens.

Let’s hear from you!

Submit photos as full-resolution, high-quality JPG files via email (no
TIFFs, please). Include a short description of the photo; include the
bird name, the equipment used, and the location. Please include
your name, address, phone number, and email address. If we pub-
lish a story or photo of yours, we’ll send you a complimentary copy
of the issue in which it appears. There’s no payment for use of text
or photos in “Your View.”

Send your photos and stories to:

Your View Editor
BirdWatching Magazine
yourview@birdwatchingdaily.com

52 B i rd Wa t c h i n g • J a nu a r y/ F e br u a r y 2 0 2 0
 BREAK TIME: A Sharp-shinned Hawk
rests on a tree stump after chasing feeder
birds at Bob Ampula’s property in Kent
County, Maryland. He used a Canon 60D
with a 100-400mm lens.
THICK-BILLED: Kimberly
Miskiewicz photographed this
female Blue Grosbeak in Raleigh,
North Carolina, with a Sony A6500
and a 150-600mm lens.

Birders on the Go

w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 53

A cloudy
Whooping Cranes have made a steady return from the
brink of extinction, but sea-level rise due to climate
change poses a serious coming threat
his past February, I crossed two
T related but distinct items off my
bucket list. I attended the
Whooping Crane Festival in
Port Aransas, Texas, an event I had
wanted to take part in for years. And I
saw truly wild Whooping Cranes for the
first time — four white adults and one
tawny-headed juvenile.
I’d bet a dollar that, if you’re a birder,
these experiences are on your bucket
list, too. The 23-year-old festival features
a great lineup of speakers, including
George Archibald of the International
Crane Foundation, excellent birding
tours, and a lively vendor area. And
when you live in Wisconsin, like I do, it’s
a no-brainer to want to spend a few days
in winter on the Texas coast.
Whether you have seen 30 species of
birds or 3,000, when you can add the
Whooping Crane to your life list, you
should savor the moment. Because, of
course, it’s not simply one more bird. It’s
a species that was driven up to the cliff
of extinction just eight decades ago,
when its population was in the low 20s
— including just four breeding females
— and has been pulled back from the
brink thanks to the dedication of
conservations, government biologists,
zoos, pilots, and many others.
It’s a species whose breeding
grounds, in the vast Wood Buffalo
14 B i rd Wa t c h i n g
S e p t e m b e r/O c t o b e r 2 019
DON’T FORGET PATUXENT
I am a volunteer at the Patuxent
Research Refuge in Laurel, Maryland
(home of the Patuxent Wildlife
Research Center). I was very disap-
pointed not to see mentioned in the
article about Whooping Cranes (“A
Cloudy Future,” September/October
2019 issue, p. 14) the importance of the
PWRC in breeding Whoopers for
release in the wild, which enabled the
new eastern flocks to be established.
After they had matured, young
Whoopers were sent to other refuges to
establish migratory and non-migratory
populations.
The PWRC was involved for over
50 years of studying and breeding
Whoopers (1967-2019). The breeding
Whoopers have now been transferred to
other institutions in order for captive
breeding to continue.
Although I was not involved directly
with this program, as a volunteer
naturalist at the National Wildlife
Visitor Center on the refuge, I did
educate the public on the importance of
captive breeding of endangered species,
in particular the Whooping Cranes.
— Steve Noyes, Laurel Maryland
SELFISH INTERESTS TRUMP
CONSERVATION ACTION
I have a comment about your recent
article entitled “Coverage of alarming
bird study may ‘jar people into paying
attention’” (November/December 2019
issue, p. 5; online September 25). Since
I’ve been a bird lover since childhood, I
really do hope that such coverage might
make more politicians, companies, and
private citizens show more respect and
concern for birds and nature in general.
Unfortunately, however, with
54 B i rd Wa t c h i n g
yourletters
BY MATT MENDENHALL
National Park in far northern Canada,
were not discovered until 1954.
And it’s a species that has captured
the public’s imagination like few other
North American birds. Even without its
up-and-down recovery story, the
Whooper demands attention — it
stands nearly 5 feet tall (making it the
tallest bird in North America), is all
white with black primaries and a red
crown, and makes an unforgettable
ker-loo call over the marshes it inhabits.
Overall, the crane’s prospects have
been on the upswing in recent years,
especially as the Aransas-Wood
Buffalo population grew in 2018 to a
record 505 birds. But as I learned at the
festival, the future for Whooping
Cranes is cloudy at best.
RECENT HISTORY
Before we look ahead, let’s review the
crane’s story.
Overhunting and habitat loss
reduced the crane’s numbers from an
estimated 10,000 before European
settlement of North America to about
1,300 by 1870. The trend continued into
the 1930s, when the Aransas-Wood
Buffalo flock declined to just 15 birds. A
hurricane wiped out many birds from a
nearby Louisiana flock, leaving only 21
wild and two captive cranes in the world
in 1941.
From
our
readers!
HUGE: A Whooping Crane at
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge
in Texas. The bird’s wingspan can
measure up to 7 feet, 7 inches.
Recovery was quite slow for the next
30 years, but public awareness of the
species grew as more people learned
about it. In 1967, the crane was one
of the original 75 species listed as
Endangered in the U.S., a status it
retains to this day.
In the 1970s and early ’80s, when the
species numbered fewer than 100 birds,
Archibald famously danced with a
prominent world leaders like Donald says. Undignified? Good grief.
captive female crane named Tex that
had imprinted on people, and she
eventually laid a viable egg. The story
produced an invitation for Archibald to
appear on “The Tonight Show” in June
1982. Sadly, the night before Archibald
went on the show, Tex was killed when
raccoons got into her enclosure. He told
the news to a shocked Johnny Carson
and his vast audience.
Tex’s son, Gee Whiz, would go on to
sire many birds, including some that
have been released in Wisconsin and
Florida.
Trump either trivializing, denying or Beautiful and unusual names like
Over the decades, as captive
ignoring the obvious harm being done Phainopepla, Pyrrhuloxia, and Tinkling
breeding populations were established
and the wild flock that winters in
Texas and breeds at Wood Buffalo
grew, biologists wanted an insurance
policy. Or two. The small wild flock
was (and still is) vulnerable to a
catastrophe, such as a hurricane or an
oil spill in the shipping channel next to
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. So,
w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 15
to nature by humans, it will be very Cisticola need to be kept, not dumbed
difficult to make the changes so down, which some people think would
urgently needed. For example, Trump be better.
wants to get re-elected, which in part Keep the “ludicrous” and silly names
means maximizing jobs, which means like Fluffy-backed Tit-Babbler and the
helping the biggest industrial compa- many other such names of tropical
nies stay profitable, which means birds. If you can’t stand the common
allowing them to continue polluting the name, then learn the genus and species.
air, land, and water like they always — Carl Nollen, Runnells, Iowa
have. How do we change the mindset of
people as ignorant as that? PRAISE FOR PETE AND LAURA
It seems when politicians, companies My letter concerns two columns in
or private citizens have to choose the March/April 2019 issue. Pete Dunne
between long-term benefits to nature, or has again hit the nail on the head with
short-term financial (or re-election) his “recruiting” article (p. 14). I was
benefits to people, the short-term selfish exposed to birding by a grandmother
interests of people usually come first. when I was six (1939) with a Roger Tory
I’m hoping the ever-increasing climate- Peterson field guide. I regret that I did
change youth movement might be just not start my grandchildren earlier than
what it takes to finally make the adults I did, but better late than never.
of the world smarten up and take notice. Secondly, Laura Erickson has done
I know people tend to ignore or scoff all birders a favor by pointing out the
at someone’s opinion simply because of rats nuisance (p. 48). In the Lowcountry
which political party they are known to of South Carolina, marsh rats, attracted
be, or suspected of being, affiliated with. to seed spilled under feeders, are fond of
So, I’ll add that I’m Canadian and have nesting in the engine compartments of
no allegiance whatsoever to either the nearby motor vehicles. It is a warm, dry,
Democratic or Republican parties. My and protected spot that comes with a
comments about Trump have nothing secondary food source. The soy-based
to do with his political party and tape with which the wiring is covered in
everything to do with his disturbing many vehicles makes a nice protein
“don’t-confuse-me-with-the-facts” source. The cost to repair the damage
mentality. — Colin Clasen, Coquitlam, they incur can easily reach thousands
British Columbia of dollars.
Keep up the good work. — George
BAD BIRD NAMES? Haskins, Rochester, New York
Yes, Red-bellied Woodpecker is a bad
name (my favorite bird, by the way,
because it “chucks” and “churrs” here in Write to us!
the worst winter weather). But some of Send a letter to the editor at http://bit.ly/
your respondents read too much into WriteALetter or mail@birdwatchingdaily.com, or
names they don’t like (“Great Birds with write to BirdWatching Letters, 25 Braintree Hill
Bad Names,” November/December 2019 Office Park, Suite 404, Braintree, Massachusetts
issue, p. 26). 02184. Please include your name and postal
What’s wrong with “Common?” It’s address. We may edit your letter.
descriptive and means exactly what it
• J a nu a r y/ F e br u a r y 2 0 2 0
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w w w. B i rd Wa t c h i n g D a i l y. c o m 55
 idtoolkit
A GLIMPSE: Tropical birds such as
a Green Jay skulking in vegetation
can be surprisingly hard to see.
Tips for tropical birding
Basic binocular skills can help you locate birds within
dense foliage
Winter is the season when many
North American birders take a tropical
vacation and discover that seeing birds
in dense foliage is not easy! The birds
can be spectacular, but it’s sometimes a
single bird skulking in the shadows,
sometimes 10 or 20 species moving
through in a rush, and always seemingly
hidden behind leaves. It’s a good chance
to practice some basic binocular skills.
Keeping your binoculars at the ready
is very important. When you are in one
56 B i rd Wa t c h i n g • J a nu a r y/ F e br u a r y 2 0 2 0
ART AND TEXT BY DAVID ALLEN SIBLEY
of these “active birding” situations, hold
your binoculars in both hands at chin
height, ready to aim at a bird. Also
check to make sure they’re focused on
the right distance. You should be
anticipating where the birds will show
up, so before any birds appear, just raise
your binoculars and focus on that area.
This will save the frustration of aiming
at a bird and finding that you have to
spend three seconds cranking the focus
knob around.
Look for our next issue
On sale February 25
Keeping your binoculars
at the ready is very
important.
Use your naked eye to watch for
movement — a shaking leaf or a bird
flitting across an opening is all it takes
— then immediately raise your
binoculars to look for it. Hold your
view on that spot for a few seconds at
least, studying the leaves and twigs to
try to make out a bird or anything
moving. If a bird is barely visible
through the leaves, you have a much
better chance of finding it with
binoculars. Try adjusting your
binoculars to focus on different
“depths” through the vegetation. If
nothing is evident after a few seconds,
lower your binoculars and go back to
scanning for movement.
If your guide is pointing out a bird
“sitting on a bare twig in the treetops,”
for example, and you can’t see it with
your naked eye, just lift your
binoculars in the general direction and
start scanning the treetops for bare
twigs. If multiple birds have been
called out in one particular tree or
around one fruit cluster, try scanning
the area with your binoculars; there’s a
good chance you will find a bird.
When you do get your binoculars
on a bird, even if it’s a common
species, take a few moments to enjoy
the sight. You’ll get some good looks,
and often another bird will appear in
the field of view.
David Allen Sibley is the author of The Sibley
Guide to Birds, Second Edition, Sibley’s Birding
Basics, and field guides to the birds of eastern
and western North America. In our last issue,
he described how sleeping postures can help
you identify distant waterbirds.
 Expand Your Scope

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