Bird Journal #2

On February 22nd around 3pm, I went on a bird walk around UVM campus with TA’s Rachel and Danielle. It was a cold, winter day with light wind. We saw some flocks of European Starling above Jeffords and American Robins perched in trees. Songs and calls I heard during the bird walk included Tufted Titmouse, American Robin, White-breasted Nuthatch, and Black-capped Chickadee. I also was able to get somewhat close-up to a Black-capped Chickadee on the sidewalk on South Prospect Street before it flew away.

European Starlings keep warm in the winter with various types of regulation. This species of bird does not migrate, so they must be able to increase their metabolism during winter months to keep warm. These birds are very good at warming themselves up, and have higher metabolic rates than other species their size. They also may puff up their feathers to retain heat, which is an example of a behavioral temperature regulation. I saw some of the flocks stop to perch on top of Jeffords or on the ground, most likely to forage for food and rest from flight, which is extremely energetically expensive. They feed in flocks, and may help other individuals find food, especially juveniles who may need more help. European Starlings feed on mostly insects and other invertebrates, and also eat seeds, fruit, and garbage. Their diet may change during the seasons; for example, insects will be less available during the colder months. They roost in flocks, which most likely helps them retain body heat due to being in close contact with each other, similar to huddling.

We learned in class that Black-capped Chickadees undergo facultative hypothermia during the winter to retain body heat. They lower their body temperature by 6 degrees Celsius at night when they need to save energy. This species’ diet consists of mostly seeds, berries, and insects. In the spring, summer, and fall, Black-Capped Chickadees eat animals as 80-90% of their diet. At feeders, they eat seeds, peanuts, mealworms, etc. They tend to nest in small cavities, and sleep in thickets, dense shrubs, and tree cavities. In order to have a steady food supply for winter, they hoard and hide seeds in small places to save for later.

During the walk on South Prospect Street/Redstone Campus, I noticed two snags with crevices that could be inhabited by birds. One of the holes was very tall and skinny, and one was very small. I see the large tree with the tall crevice everyday during my walk to class, and in the past I had seen a woodpecker on this tree- most likely a Pileated Woodpecker. There are probably more snags in Centennial Woods than on campus because there's many more trees, and more birds in general.

Snags are important because they have many holes and cavities for birds to take advantage of. Woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches, owls, and so many other birds use cavities in snags as hiding spots, safety, or to store food for later. Woodpeckers peck at snags bark to find sources of food such as insects and larvae. Snags provide habitat, places for birds to keep their nests, and branches for them to perch on. They can also be used as song posts to attract mates and label territories. Without snags, so many different species of birds would be negatively affected.

Posted on March 9, 2018 05:34 PM by natalielaible