The Project FeederWatch Top 20 feeder birds in California

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1 The Project FeederWatch Top 20 feeder birds in California Based on the reports of citizen scientists from across the state. Spotted Towhee by M. Woodruff Do you like to watch the birds that visit your backyard bird feeder? Perhaps you even keep a list of these birds. Although keeping track of the birds at your feeders may seem like nothing more than a relaxing hobby, you are actually collecting important information. By sending your counts of feeder birds to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology s Project FeederWatch, you can help scientists learn more about the distribution and abundance of birds. Project FeederWatch is an annual survey of North American bird populations that visit backyard bird feeders in winter. Since 1987, thousands of bird watchers across the United States and Canada have participated in Project FeederWatch. The following show is a countdown of the 20 species that were the most frequent visitors to the backyards of Project FeederWatch participants in California. 1

2 PROJECT FEEDERWATCH REGIONS Project FeederWatch counts are divided into regions. What is a FeederWatch region? If you travel across the continent from west to east, you will encounter different types of birds at different locations along your way. For example, you might see Western Scrub-Jays in California, Gray Jays in the Canadian Rockies, and Blue Jays in Virginia. Therefore, to interpret FeederWatch data in a meaningful way, the continent is divided into 15 FeederWatch Regions. Each region includes a group of states and provinces that share similar bird communities. Because of the unique avian community found in California, the state is its own FeederWatch region. 2

3 Yellow-rumped Warbler Regional Rank #20 Seen at 32% of feeders Average flock size = 1.7 Continental Rank #40 Milne Suet In the countdown that follows, all species will be featured in a slide similar to this one. The slides provide a map, based on FeederWatch reports, of where the species can be seen in the winter. The slides also highlight a few key statistics telling us how common the birds are in the region. For instance 3

4 Regional Rank #20 Seen at 47% of feeders Average flock size = 2.6 This species was the 20 th most commonly reported bird in your region Continental Rank #13 This same species was the 13 th most commonly reported bird in North America The Regional Rank refers to how common the species is at feeders in your region. The Continental Rank refers to how common this species is at feeders when considering all of the United States and Canada. 4

5 Regional Rank #20 Seen at 47% of feeders Average flock size = 2.6 Continental Rank #13 This species was seen at 47% of the FeederWatch count sites When present at a site, an average of 2.6 birds were reported Also included on each bird slide is information on the percentage of feeders visited and average group size. The percentage of feeders visited tells what percentage of FeederWatchers in the region reported this species at least once during the winter, thus describing how widely a species is distributed. The average group size indicates the average number of individuals of a species seen at one time in a feeder area. This tells us how abundant a bird is when that species is present at a count site. 5

6 Yellow-rumped Warbler Regional Rank #20 Seen at 32% of feeders Average flock size = 1.7 Continental Rank #40 Milne Suet Suet Winter Behavior: Most North American warblers spend the winter in Central or South America, so the fact that many Yellow-rumped Warblers stay in the United States makes them unusual. Cool Fact: The Yellow-rumped Warbler is one of the most common warblers in North America. Although other warblers have yellow rumps, none are as conspicuous as in this species. 6

7 Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regional Rank #19 Seen at 33% of feeders Average flock size = 1.1 Continental Rank #42 W. Comstock Suet Suet feeder Ruby-crowned Kinglets are among the last birds to head south in the fall and among the first birds to return in the spring. They winter in parts of California and throughout the southern United States. Kinglets will occasionally visit feeders in small flocks, but often only one kinglet is seen at a time. Males typically winter slightly farther north than females, as is the case with many other species of songbirds. 7

8 Regional Rank #18 Seen at 34% of feeders Average flock size = 1.3 Continental Rank #22 Northern Flicker C. Johnson Suet Preferred feeders: Suet Ground Winter Behavior: Most people with feeders will see flickers at some point during the winter, but this species is rarely a consistent visitor to a feeding station. Although it can climb up the trunks of trees and hammer on wood like other woodpeckers, the Northern Flicker prefers to find food on the ground. Cool Fact: Ants are the Northern Flicker's favorite food, and the flicker digs in the dirt to find them. It uses its long barbed tongue to lap up the ants. 8

9 Purple Finch Regional Rank #17 Seen at 35% of feeders Average flock size = 3.1 Continental Rank #24 Female Male W. Johnson Milne Sunflower seed Nyjer seed Hopper Tube Winter behavior: Purple Finches are faithful to their breeding area but are nomadic in winter. Like other birds that eat tree seeds, Purple Finches disperse widely in winters when seed crops are poor. Cool facts: The Purple Finch feeds on flowers by crushing the base to get the nectar and leaving the upper flower undamaged. In a similar action, it often feeds on the seeds of fruits rather than the pulp. The decline of the Purple Finch in the East may be partly explained by competition with the introduced House Finch. In aggressive interactions, the House Finch nearly always wins. 9

10 Regional Rank #16 Seen at 36% of feeders Average flock size = 5.1 Continental Rank #55 Bushtit L. Schwab Suet Suet At about 1/5 of an ounce, the Bushtit ranks among the world s smallest songbirds. Small size generally leads to high energy costs, and Bushtits are no exception. They eat up to 80% of their body weight daily during cold weather. Bushtits may also roost together at night to conserve energy. Huddling at low temperatures can reduce overnight energy expenditure by about 20%. This species is well known for its confusion chorus. When a predator is detected usually a hawk a Bushtit make a high-pitched alarm call to alert the rest of the flock. All the birds in the flock then make a monotonous trilling sound that makes it very difficult to pinpoint the location of any individual bird. 10

11 Regional Rank #15 Seen at 37% of feeders Average flock size = 2.8 Continental Rank #13 American Crow Meat scraps Ground Platform Winter Behavior: American Crows congregate in large numbers in winter to sleep in communal roosts. These roosts can include several thousand crows. Some roosts have gathered in the same general area for well over 100 years. Cool Facts: The American Crow is highly susceptible to West Nile virus, a disease recently introduced to North America. Crows tested in the laboratory generally die within one week of infection, and few seem able to survive exposure. Recent declines in crow populations in many areas are likely due to mortality from West Nile virus. Most crows nesting in the United States are permanent residents. Each family maintains a large territory, shared by the adult pair and several of their offspring from previous years. Young crows may remain with their parents to help raise their younger siblings. 11

12 Northern Mockingbird Regional Rank #14 Seen at 42% of feeders Average flock size = 1.1 Continental Rank #26 M. Hopiak / CLO Peanut butter mixes Fresh and dried fruit Platform Suet Winter Behavior: Most young mockingbirds set up territories in the fall when pair formation also occurs. Once having staked some boundaries, mockingbirds stay within them for the rest of their lives. In winter the home turf may be split into separate male and female areas, especially in northern regions. Territory size is smallest where there are dense, defensible sources of food. Cool Fact: A single mockingbird may sing up to two hundred different songs in a year over fifty in one day s concert alone and the songs incorporate mimicked sounds of other bird species. The imitations are not perfect, but they are often good enough to fool bird watchers into searching for a calling cardinal or jay only to find themselves being mocked by a mockingbird. 12

13 Regional Rank #13 Seen at 45% of feeders Average flock size = 1.8 Continental Rank #30 Spotted Towhee M. Woodruff Mixed seed Millet Ground Platform Winter behavior: A familiar bird of scrubby habitats, the Spotted Towhee was formerly considered the same species as the Eastern Towhee. The two forms hybridize on the Great Plains. Towhees from northern parts of the breeding range migrate to areas where there are year-round residents, either mixing with local towhees or joining separate winter flocks. Towhees that do not migrate also wander in winter and flock with other towhees, instead of maintaining winter territories. Cool fact: Watch a Spotted Towhee feeding on the ground; you'll probably observe its two-footed, backwards-scratching hop. This "double-scratching" is used by a number of towhee and sparrow species to unearth the seeds and small invertebrates they feed on. One Spotted Towhee with an unusable, injured foot was observed hopping and scratching with one foot. 13

14 Regional Rank #12 Seen at 48% of feeders Average flock size = 6.2 Continental Rank #11 House Sparrow L. Elliott Mixed seed Platform Winter Behavior: House Sparrows are year-round residents, and their distribution is closely associated with human habitation. They are found in agricultural, suburban, and urban areas, although they tend to avoid woodlands, forests, grasslands, and deserts. In winter, the size of foraging flocks of House Sparrows is correlated with both the amount of food available and time of day (with feeding activity increasing in the late afternoon). Foraging in flocks is highly beneficial due to the protection against predation that is afforded by larger, more vigilant, flocks. Each bird within the flock can spend less time looking up for danger and therefore forages more efficiently. Cool Fact: The House Sparrow was introduced into Brooklyn, New York, in 1851, partly as a means to control insect pests. By 1900 it had spread to the Rocky Mountains. Its spread throughout the West was aided by additional introductions in San Francisco, California, and Salt Lake City, Utah. 14

15 Golden-crowned Sparrow Regional Rank #11 Seen at 56% of feeders Average flock size = 4.2 Continental Rank #56 L. Worthington Mixed seed Millet Cracked corn Preferred feeders: Ground Platform Winter Behavior: Golden-crowned Sparrows winter in dense woodlands, tangles, and brush. They are more common in western California than in the eastern part of the state. They form winter flocks that collectively hold a territory. Individuals will return to the same winter territory for many years. Cool Fact: Golden-crowned Sparrows eat a variety of sprouts and buds throughout the winter and are frequently seen with beaks that are stained green. 15

16 Regional Rank #10 Seen at 57% of feeders Average flock size = 2.8 Continental Rank #12 American Robin Milne Fresh and dried fruit Preferred feeders: Ground Platform Winter Behavior: Although the appearance of a robin is considered a harbinger of spring, the American Robin actually spends the winter in much of its breeding range. However, because they spend less time in yards and congregate in large flocks during winter, you're much less likely to see them. Cool Fact: Earthworms are the food of choice for robins on suburban lawns. Experiments have shown that robins rely on vision to find their prey. The bird s familiar head-cocking allows it to see straight ahead even though its eyes are on either side of its head. 16

17 American Goldfinch Regional Rank #9 Seen at 61% of feeders Average flock size = 6.0 Continental Rank #5 Winter plumage Summer male L. Worthington C. Ray Nyjer seed Black-oil sunflower seed Preferred feeders: Tube Hopper Platform Winter Behavior: Goldfinches rely on storing food in their crops each evening to provide energy during the night. Goldfinches will hang upside down to eat, but experiments with specially designed feeders have shown that they prefer to dine upright if possible. Cool Fact: The bright yellow plumage of summertime is replaced by a dull-green winter plumage often confusing new bird watchers. This winter coat features a dense layer of soft feathers to provide extra insulation against cold temperatures. 17

18 Regional Rank #8 Seen at 62% of feeders Average flock size = 5.9 Continental Rank #54 Lesser Goldfinch Milne Nyjer seed Tube Winter behavior: Lesser Goldfinches from the eastern portion of their range are partially migratory, with some remaining resident and others withdrawing southward for the winter. These finches are highly gregarious, with as many as 400 flocking together in winter, although flocks more commonly consist of 20 to 30. Cool fact: The Lesser Goldfinch lives in semiarid regions where brush and scattered trees dot an open landscape. However, Lesser Goldfinches are seldom found more than half a mile from water, and distribution of water sources may determine that of the birds. Indeed, providing water is among the best ways to attract Lesser Goldfinches to your feeders. 18

19 Regional Rank #7 Seen at 68% of feeders Average flock size = 1.7 Continental Rank #65 California Towhee H. Smith Mixed seed Millet Preferred feeders: Ground, platform The California Towhee is more bold than the Spotted Towhee, and exhibits a less enthusiastic hop-and-scratch technique. It will usually pick up food items that are already visible and runs from spot to spot instead of hopping. This towhee will eat any seeds that fall to the ground from feeders, but it also enjoys crumbs of suet or bits of dried fruit. Mates stick together throughout the year. If the male and female become separated by more than 20 feet, they will start to call to one another. 19

20 White-crowned Sparrow Regional Rank #6 Seen at 77% of feeders Average flock size = 5.2 Continental Rank #34 Adult (above) First winter (right) Milne Mixed seed Platform Hopper Winter behavior: Four of the five subspecies of White-crowned Sparrows are migratory. The sedentary race lives in a very narrow band along the California coast. Most White-crowned Sparrows visit feeders early or late in the day. A migrating sparrow that has discovered a feeder will often pause in its journey for several days to fatten up before moving on. There is a good chance that the same individual will repeat the stopover in subsequent years. Cool facts: A young male White-crowned Sparrow learns its song during the first two or three months of its life. Because male White-crowned Sparrows learn the songs they grew up with and do not travel far from where they were raised, numerous song dialects exist. Males nesting in an area between two dialects may be bilingual and able to sing both songs. 20

21 Regional Rank #5 Seen at 81% of feeders Average flock size = 5.1 Dark-eyed Junco Continental Rank #1 H. Key Dark-eyed race (above) Oregon race (right) L. Worthington Mixed seed Ground Platform Winter Behavior: Snowbirds, as juncos are also known, have earned their informal name on two counts. Not only are they more likely to visit feeders during snowy periods, but their return from far-northern breeding areas is a signal that colder weather is close behind. In fact, juncos are sighted at more feeders across North America than any other species, visiting over 80% of FeederWatch sites. Cool Fact: The sociable junco spends its winter in a flock of up to 30 birds who remain together throughout the season. Each flock is organized following a dominance hierarchy dominant birds get to feed in the center of a food patch and spend less time looking around for predators. At the top of the dominance hierarchy are adult males, followed by young males, adult females, and young females. 21

22 Anna s Hummingbird Regional Rank #4 Seen at 83% of feeders Average flock size = 1.7 Continental Rank #49 P. Meacham Sugar water Hummingbird feeder Cool Facts: Anna s Hummingbird is the only hummingbird species whose entire range, both summer and winter, is largely contained within the United States, mostly in California. It is also the only North American hummingbird species without an extensive migration. The range of Anna s Hummingbirds has expanded since the 1930s northward into Canada and Alaska, possibly due to the increased food supply offered by hummingbird feeders and winter-blooming ornamental flowers. 22

23 Regional Rank #3 Seen at 84% of feeders Average flock size = 8.1 Continental Rank #44 Western Scrub-Jay D. McMordie Peanuts Sunflower seed Platform Hopper Winter behavior: Young Western Scrub-Jays disperse in fall and join winter flocks. The noisy winter flocks of 5 to 15 juveniles may wander out of their normal breeding areas into oak-grassland habitats. Cool fact: Western Scrub-Jays feed on parasites located on the bodies of mule deer. The deer often help the jays by standing still and holding their ears up. 23

24 Regional Rank #2 Seen at 85% of feeders Average flock size = 5.0 Continental Rank #4 Mourning Dove C. Johnson Mixed seed Cracked corn Ground Platform Winter Behavior: Mourning Doves form winter flocks in November and December. The flocks average about 50 birds but range from a few birds to several hundred. Winter flocks spend their days in fields eating grain or small seeds. One patient scientist counted 17,200 grass seeds in a single Mourning Dove s stomach. Cool Facts: A Mourning Dove pair rarely leaves its eggs unattended. The male usually incubates from mid-morning until late afternoon, and the female sits the rest of the day and night. A dove may have up to five or six clutches in a single year. A majority of the Mourning Doves spending the winter in Ontario, Canada, were found to have lost one or more toes to frostbite. 24

25 Regional Rank #1 Seen at 91% of feeders Average flock size = 7.4 House Finch Continental Rank #7 T. Fauceglia Male (above) Female (right) L. Elliot Black-oil sunflower seed Hulled sunflower seed Platform Hopper Tube Winter Behavior: Eastern House Finches have become partially migratory (some individuals migrate and others do not), whereas the ancestral stock, which is from Western North America, is resident. Cool Facts: House Finches were introduced to eastern North America in the 1940s by pet dealers. Threatened with prosecution for illegally selling House Finches, the merchants freed their captive finches on Long Island. From this founding population, House Finches rapidly spread throughout the East. Coloration in male House Finches can range from yellow to bright crimson. The color comes from carotenoid pigments found in some natural foods. A bird s color can change if different pigments are consumed prior to the growth of new feathers. 25

26 Signing up for Project FeederWatch is easy Online at: By phone: BIRD By mail: Send a check for $15 for Project FeederWatch to: PFW Cornell Lab of Ornithology PO Box 11 Ithaca, NY A joint research and education project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Bird Studies Canada, Audubon, and Nature Canada. Are the Top 20 species at your feeders similar to those reported by FeederWatchers from across California? You can contribute to future Top 20 lists and help scientists learn more about the distribution and abundance of feeder birds by participating in Project FeederWatch. You don t need to be an expert birder to participate. When you sign up you will receive an identification poster of common feeder birds, a calendar, an instruction booklet, and the FeederWatcher s Handbook with tips on bird feeding. Find more information online at 26