Ornithology Lab Week V Passeriformes

Transcription

1 Myiarchus crinitus - Great Crested Flycatcher Ornithology Lab Week V Passeriformes Passeriformes Perching Birds Make up more than half of all species ~5,700 species in 1161 genera Mostly small land birds Defining Characteristics: distinctive bony pallet Unique oil gland, spermatozoa, and forelimb and hind limb muscles Feet with enlarged flexible hind toe (hallux) Pirangaolivacea Scarlet Tanager Agelaius phoeniceus Red-winged Blackbird Sturnella magna Eastern Meadowlark Passeriformes Sub-orders Avian syrinx, where sound is produced Sub-Oscines ~1200 spp. Simple syrinx < 4 syringeal muscles Tyrannidae only U.S. family Most are tropical Do not learn songs Oscines or songbirds ~4400 spp. 5-8 syringeal muscles Worldwide (except Antarctica) but heavily concentrated in the Northern Hemisphere Most songs complex; some are simple Songs are learned Sub-Oscine - Tyrannidae: Tyrant Flycatchers Big head; rear of head squarish in profile Flat, wide bill with small hook at tip Sit upright Sally or hawk for flying insects All eastern spp. migrate Flycatcher foraging patterns Tail-wagging Sayornis phoebe Eastern Phoebe 1

2 Tyrannidae: Eastern Wood-Pewee Forest flycatcher Named for call: Pee-awee Usually does wag tail Tyrannidae: Eastern Phoebe Never far from streams Nests under bridges and eaves or bank Jerks tail downward; drifts upward Contpus virens Eastern Wood-Pewee Alaudidae: Larks One sp. in NA; most in Eurasia holarctic distribution prefers short, sparsely vegetated prairies, deserts, and agricultural lands Alaudidae: Horned Lark Fields, pastures Horns not always visible Breed earlier than most other species in DE Eremophila alpestris Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris Horned Lark Petrochelidon pyrrhonota Cliff Swalloa Hirundinidae: Swallows Worldwide exc Antarctica Long pointed wings; tail often forked When perched, wings longer than tail Very social; often perch on wires or forage in flocks Feed on the wing Nests often made of mud Hirundinidae: Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor Tree Swallow Glossy blue-green above; white below Tail w/ slight notch First migrant swallow in spring (mid-march) Nest in cavities and boxes in open and often near water 2

3 Hirundinidae: Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Barn Swallow Glossy deep blue above; buffy orange below; chestnut throat Only NA swallow w/ deeply forked tail Mud nests under bridges, eaves, etc. or in garages or sheds Motacillidae: Wagtails and pipits one of the most widespread in the world and is divided into six genera. Even found in Antarctica Pipits and wagtails are small to medium sized birds with long, slim bodies and long tails (which they often bob up and down, especially while foraging). Motacillids are insectivores and are found in open and semi-open habitat. Anthus rubescens American Pipit Regulus satrapa Golden-crowned Kinglet Regulidae: Kinglets 6 species in 1 genus 2 species in NA Tiny, drab; with distinct wingbars Hyperactive; constant flitting among foliage; flick wings nervously Insect gleaners Distinguish by eye ring vs. superciliary line Compare with warblers, vireos, Empidonax spp. Ptilonorhynchidae: Bowerbirds distribution is centered around the tropical northern part of Australia New Guinea complex behaviour of males, known as the "transfer effect," bowerbird species that build the most elaborate bowers are dull in color and show little variation between male and female, whereas bowerbird species with minor bowers have males with bright plumage. Regulus calendula Ruby-crowned Kinglet Bombycillidae: Waxwings 2 spp. in family Sleek, gray-brown plumage w/crest; yellow tail band Usually seen in flocks feeding on buds in fall, winter, and early spring; hawk insects spring and summer Named for red, waxy tips on secondaries Streamside Songbirds 5 species in 1 genus 1 species in NA Eat mainly aquatic invertebrates Cinclidae: Dippers Bombycilla cedrorum Cedar Waxwing 3

4 Cinclidae: American Dipper, western NA Dippers inhabit the banks of fast-moving hillside rivers They have dense feathers with a down undercoat Their blood can store more oxygen than other passerine birds which allows them to remain underwater for up to 10 seconds These adaptations let them submerge and walk on the bottom to feed on insect larvae Cistothorus palustris Marsh Wren Troglodytidae: Wrens Thin, long, decurved bill Brown with barring on wings and tail Short, cocked tail Very active, vocal birds ID by head and tail markings, size, predominant shade of brown Name means cave-dweller ; wrens feed and nest in holes Troglodytidae: House Wren Plain face; dull brown Bubbly song Aggressive toward other spp., especially CAWR Pecks holes in others eggs Typically use nest boxes Troglodytidae: Carolina Wren Rusty w/ white superciliary line Larger than House Wren Overwinter at this latitude; often die out in very cold winters Song is variable Trolodytes aedon House Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus Carolina Wren Mimidae: Thrashers, catbirds, mockingbirds Mimidae: Gray Catbird Sage Thrasher 34 species in 11 genera 10 breeding species in NA Usually gray or brown in color Slender body with long tail Often perch with tail raised Bills straight to decurved Western Hemisphere only Some adept at vocal mimicry Common in forest understory and shrubs; often in residential areas Named for cat-like call Only charcoal gray bird; black cap; rusty crissum Migrant from southern U.S. Dumetella carolinensis Gray Catbird 4

5 Mimidae: Brown Thrasher Only rusty, long-tailed, longbilled species in East Thrashers named for foraging method: toss leaf litter with bill Migrant from southern U.S. and tropics Compare to Wood Thrush Mimidae: Northern Mockingbird Only long-tailed, long- billed, gray species in East White wing patches visible in flight Open habitats w/ shrubs for nesting Best mimic among mimids Winter territories include fruit bearers (e.g. holly) Toxostoma rufum Brown Thrasher Mimus polyglottos Northern Mockingbird Robin Hermit Thrush Turdidae: Thrushes 330 species in 54 genera 18 breeding species in NA Elongate shape with moderately long tail Rounded chest and belly; many species with spots Bill slender, not sharply pointed; adapted for eating soft foods Conspicuous eyes Ground foragers Forested habitat to open woodlands with scattered trees Hylocichla mustelina Wood Thrush Turdidae: Wood Thrush Large spots on chest and belly Head rustier than back Turdidae: American Robin Breast color varies among races Largest turdid in U.S. Winter in forests in flocks Often roost w/ blackbirds Turdidae: Veery Cinnamon upperparts Indistinct eye ring Breast buffy with small dark spots White underparts Pink legs Sexes similar Often forages on forest floor Found at WCC Turdus migratorius American Robin Catharus fuscescens Veery 5

6 w / chick Turdidae: Eastern Bluebird Open areas with perches Bluebirds most conspicuously dimorphic of all thrushes Cavity nester Two other species: Western, Mountain Sylviidae: Old World Warblers 284 species in 50 genera Most species are in Old World; 6 species in NA, all gnatcatchers, Insectivorous Polioptila caerulea Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Sialia Sialis Eastern Bluebird Mountain Chickadee Paridae Many other parids in Eurasia Small, drab (in NA) Forests and residential areas Cavity nesters In NA: Titmice have crests; Chickadees have dark bibs and caps, both w/ short, stout bills Paridae: Carolina Chickadee Poecile carolinensis Carolina Chickadee Compare with Blackcapped Chickadee Black cap and bill Common at feeders Bridled Titmouse Paridae: Black-capped Chickadee Paridae: Tufted Titmouse Mouse-sized; gray; orange flanks Crest Conspicuous eyes Peter-peter Common at bird feeders Baeolophus bicolor Tufted Titmouse Poecile atricapilla Black-capped Chickadee 6

7 Paridae: Tufted Titmouse Range Expansion Sittidae: Nuthatches Sitta pusilla Brown-headed Nuthatch Sitta canadenis Red-breasted Nuthatch Sittidae: White-breasted Nuthatch Frequent in forests and wooded residential areas Readily comes to feeders (suet and sunflower) Variable amounts of red on body Certhiidae: Creepers Only 1 spp in NA: Brown Creeper Small with very short legs Stiff tail Thin, decurved bill used to extract insects from bark Forage upand around trunk Sitta carolinensis White-breasted Nuthatch Certhia americana Brown Creeper Lanius excubitor Northern Shrike Largely Old World family w/ two species in US White wing patches Shrikes predatory on large insects and small vertebrates; note hooked beak Laniidae: Shrikes Corvidae: Crows, Jays, and relatives Common Raven Black-billed Magpie Large size Loud, raucous calls instead of songs Generalized diet; some cache seeds in fall Known for intelligence; cerebrum larger than most birds Susceptible to West Nile Gregarious 7

8 Corvidae: Blue Jay Corvidae: American Crow and Fish Crow Very common in eastern U.S. Nothing comparable in East May mob birds of prey Corvus brachyrhynchos American Crow Cyanocitta cristata Blue Jay Corvus ossifragus Fish Crow Sturnidae: Starlings and mynas Wings triangular in flight White spots in fall-winter; glossy iridescence in spring-summer w/ bright yellow bill Juveniles dull brownish gray Serious pest in livestock areas Nest in cavities; displace residents Passeridae: Old World Sparrows All spp. native to Old World HOSP w/ chestnut nape and black bib (hidden by white tips) in fall and winter Not closely related to Emberizidae, with which it is confused Passer domesticus House Sparrow Sturnus vulgaris European Starling Vireonidae: Vireos Small to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to the New World They are typically dull-plumaged and greenish in color, the smaller species resembling wood warblers apart from their heavier bills Vireonidae: White-eyed Vireo White iris, yellow spectacles White wing bars Shrubby habitat, hedgerows Short-distance migrant Vireo solitarius Blue-headed Vireo Vireo griseus White-eyed Vireo 8

9 Vireonidae: Red-eyed Vireo Fringillidae: Finches and 2 Grosbeaks Vireo olivaceus Red-eyed Vireo Red iris; black eyestripe; black over white supercilium; gray cap; white underside Deciduous forest canopy Sing persistently Winter in Amazon Evening Grosbeak Red Crossbill often seed-eating, found mainly in the northern hemisphere and Africa. One subfamily is endemic to the Neotropics. s brightly colored (compare to sparrows) Undulating flight Fringillidae: House Finch Streaks on breast extend to belly s w / red (or orange) crown, face, throat Released in NYC in 1940s; has spread back to western populations Common at feeders; nest in wreaths, hanging pots, conifers Fringillidae: American Goldfinch only bright yellow bird w/ black wings, forehead, and tail; in winter brownish w/ dark wings : yellow wash w/ dark wings Flock at birdfeeders in winter and early spring and in newly-leafed trees in late spring Breed mid-late summer Carpodacus mexicanus House Finch Carduelis tristis American Goldfinch Blackburnian Cape May Parulidae: Wood Warblers Small, active, most brightly colored; most sexually dimorphic Thin, pointed bill Forage on insects from ground to tree canopy and all in-between Songs from ringing to buzzy Forests, shrublands Compare to vireos, sparrows, kinglets; most warblers are slimmer Parulidae: Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroicacoronata Yellow-rumped Warbler Butter butt Yellow rump and sides of chest; white throat Formerly two species (the Myrtle Warbler in the East and Audubon s Warbler in the West) Most common warbler 9

10 Parulidae: Yellow Warbler Yellow; faint yellow wingbars; red breast streaks Sweet, sweet, sweet, (sweet); I m so (so) sweet. Open shrubby, wooded habitats Common DE breeder Parulidae: Ovenbird Brown - no wingbars Ground forager Walks Sings loud Teacher song in subcanopy Area-sensitive species of deciduous forest Seiurus aurocapilla Ovenbird Dendroica petechia Yellow Warbler Parulidae: Common Yellowthroat No wingbars Yellow throat, brownish black : black mask Common breeder in shrubby areas and meadows Witchity song Parulidae: Northern Parula Geothlypis trichas Common Yellowthroat Parula americana Northern Parula one of North America s smallest wood-warblers found in moist deciduous, coniferous, or mixed woodlands where it builds its nest in beard S i h Western Tanager Thraupidae:Tanagers 254 species in 65 genera 6 species in NA Eat insects and fruit Swollen bill, often with a tooth Reds, yellows, greens, blues, and black in family; males bright in breeding season s in NA w/ red or yellow predominant Forest breeding birds Thraupidae: Scarlet Tanager brilliant red; black wings and tail is a visual highlight of spring dull green Breeds in NE quarter of U.S. Pirangaolivacea Scarlet Tanager 10

11 Emberizidae: American Sparrows and others Snow Bunting 319 species in 72 genera 50 species NA Short, conical bills that husk seeds Tail usually. rounded or pointed Swamp Sparrow ID features: - Streaked (or patterned) or unstreaked breast -Face patterns (malar stripe +/-) -Crown cap or stripes Many habitats, usually not forests Ground and shrubs Emberizidae: Eastern Towhee Black (M) and brown (F) above, head and bib; rufous flanks Scratch leaf litter loudly w/ feet while foraging Edges of forests; shrubby areas Chewink ; Drink your tea Pipilo erythrophthalmus Eastern Towhee Emberizidae: Chipping Sparrow Unstreaked breast Rusty cap w/ clear white supercilium and black eye stripe Black bill Lawns or sparse grass w/ scattered trees, esp. conifers Emberizidae: Field Sparrow Unstreaked breast Rusty cap, NO dark eyeline, gray supercilium; white eye ring = blank expression Pink bill and feet Old fields w/ grass and small trees Song pattern resembles dropped ping-pong ball Spizella passerina Chipping Sparrow Spizella pusilla Field Sparrow Emberizidae: Song Sparrow Heavily streaked breast, usu. w/ central spot No buff or yellow on face, breast, or wings Longish, rounded tail pumped in flight Common nester and singer around homes, parks, fields, edges Emberizidae: White-throated Sparrow Unstreaked breast w/ white throat; yellow lores Two morphs: crown stripe black & white or gray & brown Dense, low growth in winter and spring at edges or within forests; frequent at feeders Zonotrichia albicolis White-throated Sparrow Melospiza melodia Song Sparrow 11

12 Emberizidae: Dark-eyed Junco No wingbars No head or face markings Pink bill White outer tail feathers, esp.visible in flight Winter resident in most of U.S. Cardinalidae 43 species 12 genera 13 species in NA Cardinals and grosbeaks have very large, conical bills Buntings are sparrow-sized but slimmer bodied Junco hyemalis Dark-eyed Junco Rose-breasted Grosbeak Cardinalidae: Northern Cardinal Cardinalidae: Indigo Bunting Crest; red or reddishorange bill (F) Juveniles brown w/ black bill Widespread geographically; shrubby habitats Form flocks in winter Named for male color on entire body and winter male brown w/ fine streaking on breast Neotropical migrant Forest edges, shrubby fields Cardinalis cardinalis Northern Cardinal Passerinacyanea Indigo Bunting Icteridae: Blackbirds, orioles, and relatives Bobolink 103 species in 24 genera 23 species in NA Elongate bodies Usually longish, pointed bills; culmen extends onto forehead Strong sexual dimorphism Yellow-headed Blackbird Many species are social or colonial breeders Western Hemisphere; mostly Neotropics Agelaius phoeniceus Red-winged Blackbird Icteridae: Red-winged Blackbird Epaulets in males used in aggressive and sexual communication Cryptically-colored, smaller females migrate later Breeds in marshes, meadows, shrubby edges Polygynous mating 12

13 Quiscalus quiscula Common Grackle Icteridae: Common Grackle Largest blackbird; longbilled, long-tailed, iridescent (esp. males) Yellow iris Nest colonially / singly in evergreens Part of huge winter roosts, flights, and feeding flocks Pest on newly planted seeds V-shaped tail on males, adds height to tail in flight Icteridae: Brown-headed Cowbird Smallest of NA blackbirds Named for male; female almost uniformly brownish gray Brood parasite Molothrus ater Brown-headed Cowbird Icteridae: Baltimore Oriole The orange & black mid-sized songbird of East Nests/sings in scattered tall trees or woodlands, often sycamore One of the migration highlights Icterus galbula Baltimore Oriole 13