Concerning Passerines (Part 2)

                In my previous post, I introduced the passerines (of order Passeriformes); including two of the most contrasting families, along with some general characteristics and temporal and spatial variation in their presence.  I ended by encouraging readers to go outside and appreciate the passerines in their own backyard.  In this post, I’ll introduce some of the more common families, how, where, and when you can find them, and share some personal experiences.  As with the last post, the idea is that if you have not yet observed passerines, it is an exciting world that is often overlooked, and I hope this encourages you to experience it for yourselves. 

                It is my pleasure to introduce some of the passerine families of North America, but before I begin, a few disclaimers: (1) these are discussed by no means in any sort of phylogenetic order (reflective of evolutionary relationships within the order Passeriformes), (2) this is not all-inclusive of passerine families in North America, and (3) this is not all-inclusive of all species in each family (it is limited to a few examples of each).  When I say family, I refer to one of a number of taxonomic ranks- how biologists organize organisms for naming purposes and in relation to others, first designed by Carolus Linnaeus.  Please see below for an example, classification is more exclusive closer to the species level (bottom-most).  Also note that there are higher rankings missing, and I will not go into the many phylogenetic conflicts of class Aves here! 

                I’ll start with one of the most common species, which I’m sure everyone has seen; the American Robin (Turdus migratorius).  This species belongs to the family Turdidae; the thrushes.  Most of these birds have long legs, shorter, blunt bills, and feed on insects and fruit.  Many also have a similar, rounded body shape.  If you are or become familiar with the songs of these species, many have beautiful, fluty, unique-sounding songs.  Considering these appearances and habits, it is now not surprising that the Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) is also a thrush.  These are permanent (year-round) residents in Ohio, but the migrant Wood (Hylocichla mustelina), Swainson’s (Catharus ustulatus), and Hermit Thrushes (Catharus guttatus) are also in this family (now obvious given the name, as Turdidae=thrushes).  Robins and Bluebirds can often be found in open fields, but to see the Wood, Swainson’s, and Hermit Thrushes you will have to explore a forest in the spring or summer.  Examples are shown below so you can see the similarities discussed above.  This pattern will stay the same for all other families discussed. 

This is a juvenile American Robin (adults lack the breast spotting).  I took this picture from the cabin I lived in in Alaska this summer.  

Eastern Bluebird male, I took this last week in east Texas.

Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides), taken in Yellowstone National Park, 2012.

Wood Thrush, NOT my picture!  All pictures that are not mine were found on Google Images.

                Another very common and very striking bird (in eastern US anyway, and I apologize for any occasions where I forget to mention geographic specificity when it is relevant) is the Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis).  This species is in the family Cardinalidae; the cardinals (surprise, surprise!).  This is a very colorful family (males anyway, but I’ll get into sexual selection later).  Many of these species have larger, thicker bills (they eat insects in summer, but they need strong bills to feed primarily on seeds in winter), more slender bodies than Turdidae members, and medium length tails.  It also includes the tanagers (Summer (Piranga rubra), Western (Piranga ludoviciana), Scarlet (Piranga olivacea), etc.), the buntings (Indigo (Passerina cyanea), Painted (Passerina ciris), etc.), and some Grosbeaks (ex. Rose-breasted (Pheucticus ludovicianus)).    

Northern Cardinal male, taken last week in east Texas.

Indigo Bunting male, NOT my picture.

Western Tanager male, taken in Yellowstone National Park, 2012.

                If you’re out in tall grass, along a body of water, or driving by fields in spring and summer, you’ll see Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) males calling “konk-ka-reeeee” and opening their wings to reveal bright red often yellow-lined patches known as epaulets.  The females are brown and streaked- completely different in appearance.  Conversely, you will often see Common Grackles (Quiscalus quiscula) scavenging in parking lots, noisily calling “kerrrr”.  You can also see them flying in large flocks in the fall.  This is a large, iridescent bird, along with further southern and coastal Great-tailed (Quiscalus mexicanus) and Boat-tailed Grackles (Quiscalus major).  These are a few of the blackbirds, members of family Icteridae.  These birds have slender, pointed bills, and most have long tails.  All reside in flocks when not breeding, so they are particularly noticeable in fall.  From personal banding experience, they also have sharp claws!  Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater), which lay their eggs in other species’ nests (brood parasites), Eastern (Sturnella magna) and Western Meadowlarks (Sturnella neglecta), and the summer migrant Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) are also in this family. 

Red-winged Blackbird male, showing off his epaulets!  NOT my picture.

Common Grackle, taken at Columbus Zoo in Ohio.

Baltimore Oriole, NOT my picture.

                You’re probably familiar with the “chickadeedeedeedee” that often greets (or more accurately scolds) you as you walk under a tree.  The more southeastern Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) and more northern Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) both emit this call.  If you are in the east, you’ll likely hear a more eerie “peter peter peter” where trees are more dense, coming from a Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor).  These species are members of Paridae; which includes the chichkadees and titmice (along with tits in Eurasia).  These are small birds (body size and bill size) with big attitudes!  They are bold and curious; you will undoubtedly find members of this family walking through a forest.  They are also fun to watch, as they often forage while hanging upside-down, and hold food items in their feet while pecking at it with their bills. 

Carolina Chickadee, NOT my picture

Boreal Chickadee (Poecile hudsonicus), this was a characteristic chickadee and extra-curious fledgling that approached me on a trail in King Salmon, AK.

Mountain Chickadee (Poecile gambeli), taken near Yellowstone National Park, in Montana.

Tufted Titmouse, taken in east Texas last week.

               

                It’s just a sparrow, right?  Well actually, the Emberizids/sparrows, of family Emberizidae, can be quite colorful upon closer examination, and diverse.  They can be emberassing to try and identify at first (I’m not sorry for the bad pun!), but with a little practice, they are a fun albeit challenging group.  They are mostly ground-dwellers, brownish, and have short, conical bills.  All species have a diet of mainly insects in the summer and seeds in the winter.  If you have a bird feeder, you will definitely have some Emberizid visitors.  The most common species is the Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia), which as the name suggests, sings a beautiful song.  You can find and listen to them in your own backyard, a nearby park, a field, or brushy area, singing atop bushes, lightposts, etc., and recognizable by brown streaks on their back and breast along with a messy, almost heart-shaped breast-spot.  The brown coloration might look similar to the White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis), an east to southwest winter resident species, but this species is not so streaky, has a bold white throat, and bright yellow lores (feathers between the top of the bill and the eye).  It has a sad-sounding song that seems to be saying “Old Sam Peabody Peabody Peabody”.  Another winter resident emberizid to most of the US is the Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis).  This species is much grayer than brown, and can catch your eye with its white outer tail feathers.  A personal favorite of mine is the Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus).  Not only are the males a striking combination of rusty orange, black, and white (not at all the stereotypical sparrow appearance), but they also sing what sounds like “Drink your teeeea”!  There are many, many more sparrow species, some other examples are shown below. 

Song Sparrow, NOT my picture.

Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca), larger and more reddish than the Song Sparrow, taken in King Salmon, AK.

White-throated Sparrow, NOT my picture.

Eastern Towhee male, NOT my picture.

                The finches, of family Fringillidae, are similar to sparrows in appearance and are another commonly observed group.  They have pointed wings and notched tails (while sparrows have more rounded wings and tails).  They also show undulatory motions in flight.  House Finches (Haemorhous mexicanus), an invasive (non-native, problem causing) species from the west, are gray-brown streaky birds and males have reddish heads, breasts, and rumps (top feathers before tail).  Another common and beautiful Fringillid is the American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis).   Males are brilliant yellow and black March-October, but then turn a yellowish-gray in the fall (many a birder has been tricked by this change in plumage!). 

House Sparrow female (left) and male (right), NOT my picture.

American Goldfinch male having just been banded at Braddock Bay Bird Observatory.

                Mimidae encompasses the mimickers (mimids); the mockingbirds, catbirds, and thrashers.  These birds have long tails, long bills, and long legs.  They are solitary; you won’t see them in flocks.  Truly living up to their name, they can mimic and combine the songs of many other species into an amazing repertoire.  I’ve picked the songs of over 10 other species out of one Northern Mockingbird’s song, and I’ve been fooled into thinking another species is around more than once!  You can find Northern Mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos) around all year, but Gray Catbirds (Drumetella carolinensis) and Brown Thrashers (Toxostoma rufum) are summer residents. 

Northern Mockingbird, taken in east Texas.

Gray Catbird, NOT my picture.

Brown Thrasher, NOT my picture.

                I’ll lump the last few common passerines into one paragraph, as there are only a few members of the following families that are commonly seen (at least from an east-central US perspective).  Family Troglodytidae, the wrens, includes the permanent resident Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) (Eastern US).  This small bird has a big voice, and if you listen to its song (Follow this link- ), it will probably sound familiar!  Family Bombycillidae includes the Cedar and Bohemian Waxwings.  Bohemian Waxwings reside farther up north, but both eat fruit, have silky plumage, and are often in flocks.  You can listen for very high-pitched “sreee” calls, and can usually find them in fruit-bearing trees.  The White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis), distinctive because of its head-down climbing style and nasally calls, is a permanent resident of most of the US in the family Sittidae.  Finally, two species that are all too common, are invasive from Europe, and have very negatively affected native bird species, are the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), in family Passeridae, and European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), in family Sturnidae.  Although their presence is regrettable, European Starlings are very intelligent, often mimic other birds, and impressively coordinate flight to form all kinds of shapes composed of hundreds and thousands of individuals.  These two species are most common in urban environments (this was part of my undergraduate senior honors thesis), but you can find them in suburbs and even rural areas. 

Carolina Wren, NOT my picture.

Cedar Waxwing at Braddock Bay Bird Observatory.  Usually their tail feathers are all yellow, but this one had been eating Morrow's Honeysuckle berries, which turns the feather tips orange.  It is a young bird, it does not have the red waxy tips characteristic of this species.

Bohemian Waxwing, NOT my picture.

White-breasted Nuthatch, NOT my picture.

House Sparrow, NOT my picture.

European Starling, you can tell this was taken in winter by the white tips on its feathers, which will be gone in the spring.  

Starling murmuration, NOT my picture.

                I hope this blog has been both interesting and informative.  I hope that it encourages you to walk outside and seek out these birds.  Knowing family is useful for identification purposes, and also gives you a different perspective on how different species are related to one another.  Again, this has not been a comprehensive list of all passerine families in North America, but I think it is a good place to enter the world of passerines.  For a book guide to bird identification, I recommend The Sibley Guide to Birds.  The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, http://www.allaboutbirds.org/Page.aspx?pid=1189, is also a great resource.  Those little birds in the bushes have stories to tell; you can learn all about different species’ behaviors, the presence of other species in an area, bird movements, and more.  Those little birds in the bushes are incredibly diverse, and often very colorful!  Watching them heightening your senses to see and hear new things and understand some of what is happening in the lives of other species.  Whether it’s in your own backyard or in a national park, you can learn new things every day by watching the passerines. 

Until next time,

Jess

Concerning Passerines (Part 1)

                It is 6:45am.  I sheepishly put on my waders and shuffle out the door, a thermos full of coffee in hand.  The sun is quickly rising, and despite the cold winter air, sparrows and cardinals are chipping, a Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) calls a raspy “Chat” again and again, and farther in the distance Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) softly call quivering “Tu-a-wee”s.  Morning is well underway, and the birds are much more awake than I am.  I am on my way to observe ducks as part of my current job in east-central Texas, but ironically that isn’t what I am going to discuss today.  No, I will not be discussing the comparatively large and colorful Green-winged Teal (Anas carolinensis) and Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) drakes, but rather those small birds chipping and calling in the bushes.  So small that they can easily go unnoticed and so do by many. 

                Passerines, or the perching birds, include all birds belonging to the order Passeriformes.  The most recognizable trait binding group members together is their feet; 3 toes face forward and one back (known as anisodactyly), enabling them to grab onto limbs and perch (hence the namesake) (Frank B. Gill- Ornithology (textbook)).  Passeriformes is by far the largest bird order, containing over 50% of all species.  It is incredibly diverse, with members inhabiting all continents except Antarctica, filling a variety of ecological niches, and being very different in size, shape, and color(s) (The Institute for Bird Populations- http://www.birdpop.org/index.html). 

(From www.glutenberg.org)

                Jays, crows, ravens, magpies, and nutcrackers, of the family Corvidae, include some of the largest passerine species.  These are also some of the most intelligent species on the planet; they show incredible problem solving skills both in natural systems and experimental setups (New Caldonian Crows (Corvus moneduloides) not only use tools, but construct and enhance them over generations, Clark’s Nutcrackers (Nucifraga Columbiana) cache (store) up to 30,000 seeds each fall and then remember the locations of most of those seeds the following spring, Blue Jays (Cyanocitta cristata) mimic hawk calls to scare away other birds (I have seen this and I can almost guarantee that if you have a bird feeder with regular resident Blue Jay visitors, you can observe this for yourself if you watch closely enough!), crows dwelling in cities have been observed using moving vehicles to crush seeds in intersections by learning and monitoring traffic light cycles, and of course there are numerous intelligence tests that have been performed and are being performed on Corvids (follow this link to see one of the more famous examples: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01r0md3).  They live in a variety of habitats- from montane areas to inside cities, are often non-migratory, and most species are omnivorous with a broad diet.  The largest, the Common Raven (Corvus corax), is also the largest passerine species at 2.6 lbs (1.2 kg) with a 53 inch wingspan. 

A few examples of Corvids are shown below:

Gray Jay (Perisoreus canadensis)

Black-billed Magpie (Pica pica)

Clark's Nutcracker

Common Raven

As a sidenote, during my time in Alaska this past summer, I regrettably had some fledgling American Robins (Turdus migratorius) hit my house windows.  A Common Raven must have been observing this as I had, because it swooped in and grabbed a robin stunned from hitting a window, looking over at me before flying off with its meal!  I also was called to retrieve a dead raven that had been hit on the Alaska Peninsula Highway.  Several other ravens sat on a telephone pole several hundred meters away, watching me and making strange, mournful calls before flying away as I approached the dead raven.  If it is not completely obvious at this point, Corvids are my favorite group of birds!  They are a very interesting group as discussed above, and more easily noticed because of their large size and loud, harsh voices. 

Common Raven with dead American Robin fledgling outside of my house.

On the opposite end of the spectrum are the Wood-Warblers, of family Parulidae.  They are all small songbirds, with the American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla), for instance, weighing only 0.29 oz (8.3 g).  They have higher pitched voices often in short songs, such as the “Sweet sweet sweet ti ti ti to soo” (many birders remember “Sweet sweet I am so sweet”) of the Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia).  Most are highly specialized in habitat and diet, and are summer migrants from South America (Neotropical).  Contrary to the Corvids, if you want to see most of the Parulids you’ll have to put forth more effort and visit parks or private areas that are less disturbed by humans and meet their habitat qualifications, and look very closely.  Despite the bright and often contrasting colors, Parulids are often moving quickly through the canopy and are easy to miss because of this and their small size. 

Yellow Warbler male (you can tell by the bright yellow and extensive red breast streaks)

Same male Yellow Warbler

Juvenile Yellow Warblers (females also typically look like this, note absense of red streaking)

American Redstart male

Wilson's Warbler (Cardellina pusilla)

There are 29 other families of Passerines occurring in North America, and if I discussed all of them, this would be a book rather than a blog!  Above I’ve covered diversity, some biology, and ecology of two very different families.  Next, I’ll begin a discussion of ordinary phenomena in the lives of these birds (extending into my next blog which will be posted later) and what insight and simple joy you can gain by looking and listening a little closer.  I’ll finish with a discussion of my own experiences and what I feel like is a good starting point for beginning birders who will hopefully be inspired by this blog. 

Daily, there are temporal and spatial changes in vocalizations among birds.  Especially in breeding season in the spring but also in the winter, passerines will be singing species-specific songs from the treetops in the early morning, compromising the dawn chorus.  If you know how a species sounds, you are alerted to its presence without even seeing the individual!  Later on in the day you might hear short chips closer to the ground as birds forage, or maybe just quiet.  Some birds will sing again before sunset, but the chorus will not be as strong as that of dawn.  You will also hear different birds singing if you are in different habitats, and they will likely stop singing and make sharp alarm and scolding calls as you and/or another predator species approaches.  Seasonally, you will see different birds and hear different songs as migrants move between their breeding and wintering grounds.  Every spring I look forward to the creative, integrative songs and “meeeew” call of the mimicking Gray Catbird (Drumetella carolinensis) (In the family Mimidae along with the Northern Mockingbird), as well as the ethereal and soft songs of the Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) (in the family Turdidae along with the American Robin (Turdus migratorius)) in deep forests (This is my personal favorite bird song, and you can hear it by following this link and scrolling down: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/wood_thrush/sounds). 

I haven’t read the whole book (I borrowed it and then returned it before leaving Alaska), but Jon Young’s book, What the Robin Knows, discusses in greater detail how to interpret different bird sounds, postures, and movements.  They give clues to what else is happening in the area- maybe a fox is hidden nearby, maybe several birds are performing dominance or mating displays, maybe a hawk is flying overhead, maybe a large food source is nearby, maybe a pair or mother and fledglings are communicating to each other, the list goes on.  Not only can you enjoy watching different species fly about, and admire their beauty and diversity, but you can learn greater insights into the world around you, if only you pay more attention to those little birds chirping in the bushes. 

I encourage you, if you do not already do so regularly, to closely watch the birds in your own backyard.  Grab a pair of binoculars, look up at trees and in bushes.  You’ll likely see a plethora of different kinds of birds that you previously did not know were present.  It’s a delightful and complicated world, with loads to teach!  I have much to learn and I know I will never stop learning!  I hope the above has your feathers a little ruffled (pun intended); thinking about the world of passerines that can be easily overlooked.  In my next blog, I’ll introduce you to some of the more common bird species and families, along with some of their characteristic behaviors and associated meanings, where to find them, and some tricky surprises to look out for.  I’ll tell a few stories and hope you’ll share yours.  In the meantime and beyond, we can all continue to sharpen our senses and take the time to walk outside and look and listen.  It’s cold winter weather, but passerine colors contrast boldly and beautifully with the snow!  Until next time! 

-Jess

A few pictures of some of our most common eastern birds in winter (sorry to any western viewers of this blog, I haven't spent a winter out there yet!), these were taken with my old point-and-shoot camera, so they are not as good as my more recent pictures taken with my SLR.  

Blue Jay and Northern Cardinal

Northern Cardinal

American Robins

Northern Mockingbird

European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)