Centennial Woods

Time: 8:15 am
Date: 4/2/18
Location: Centennial Woods, Burlington, VT
Weather: Cold, partially cloudy
Habitat: Forest

Black-capped Chickadees are primarily a non-migratory species. I would attribute their winter survival to high insulation and high activity. These birds have a half-inch coat of feathers to keep them warm and continue to forage throughout the colder months of the year. The American Crow is also primarily non-migratory species. They stay warm during winter nights by gathering in large communal roosts.

Turkey Vultures are more migratory in the west than they are in the east, but the individual I observed could be recently returning from Central and South America where these birds most often spend the winter. It most likely returned because the weather has recently gotten warmer in Vermont, rather than more food becoming available because Turkey Vultures are generalists. Some American Robins are also migratory. American Robins migrate in response to food more so than to temperature. As the ground thaws in the spring, they eat earthworms and insects. This American Robin most likely returned to Burlington now because the ground has thawed and its preferred food is available.

Mini Activity- Frequent Flyer: I estimated that the migratory species I observed travelled about 5,000 miles.

Posted on April 8, 2018 01:49 AM by laurenberkley