Ornithology field journal 1

February 5, 2024
Outside in my neighbor’s backyard amidst the white cedar and a large maple tree in downtown Burlington were a large bird of prey (Red-tailed Hawk maybe) and a small cluster of Black-capped Chickadee. For the course of about 15 minutes from 1pm to 1:15pm I watched them fly around. The temperature was in the mid twenties, but the sky was clear and the sun was shining. When the Red-tailed Hawk flew it spread its slotted wings that made its take-off from the branch it was on look easy as it lifted easily onto a rooftop higherup. The Hawk beat its wings slowly in large strokes when it moved, instead of fluttering and flapping its wings quickly. The Black-capped Chickadees had the same slotted feathers making up their wings, but their flying was different. They flitted around in short bursts, darting around so fast it made it difficult to follow just one bird.
The Red-tailed Hawk seemed to be saving its energy for hunting, using its wings as little as possible when moving from one branch to another. Using its wings mainly for lift and to get airborne rather than dart around from branch to branch. On the other hand, the Black-capped Chickadees used their wings often, seeming to keep in constant emotion. I would imagine this is to make themselves a more difficult target for predators, it is much easier to catch something slow moving and easy to see than a darting blur of feathers. Both of these birds were found in a relatively open expanse of anthropogenic land, so I believe that the reason for their differences in how they use their slotted wings is because of where they lie on the food chain and their overall body size.

Posted on February 9, 2024 02:47 PM by grace723