Field Journal 5

I started birding at 8:00am, it was sunny but a little windy with a temperature of 39F. I walked down the street to Pomeroy Park and stayed there sitting still in various parts of the park, so the habitat was urban/urban green space with some trees a clearing and some bushes. I think this habitat is why it was more difficult for me to take pictures of the birds, they mostly stayed in the trees or bushes or were flying, and if they were on the ground it was not for very long. This could be because early April is before breeding season so each of these birds is considering their energy costs and which will be the most profitable for them to invest in.

The year round residents that I observed were the House Sparrow, Ring-billed Gull, Tufted Titmouse, Blue Jay, Northern Cardinal, and European Starling. I think they forgo migration because their diets are not solely reliant on insects, instead they are able to forage and eat various berries and other plants that are available year round. The physiological and behavioral adaptations that allow them to survive year round in Vermont include being able to poof themselves so there is an increased amount of feathers around them to trap body heat. Furthermore by being cavity nesters such as Tufted Titmice, they are able to access the best nesting sights which increases their reproductive success. Ring-billed gulls are also able to conserve body heat through the winter by covering apteria parts of their body this includes sitting on their legs or standing on one leg and tucking the other. Furthermore following Burgmann's rule that body size increases with latitude these birds bodies may be more suited for the thermoregulation necessary for the winter opposed to smaller migratory birds such as hummingbirds. The cardinals, house sparrows, and blue jays especially appeared to be interacting with one another perhaps to have an advantageous edge on other species for nesting availability and resources.

The facultative resident I observed was the American Robin. They are likely coming from a place that is southern but still relatively close to Vermont, such as North Carolina. Although in milder winters it is possible that robins will stay year round. The American Robin is making its way back to Vermont for breeding because as the weather is warming up more food is available and the habitat is becoming ideal for nesting. This includes new vegetation which better conceals nests and there being more available nesting material. The robins I saw were all on the ground looking for food which could indicate fueling up after migration and before breeding.

The obligate migrant I saw was a Turkey Vulture. It could be advantageous to arrive in Burlington in early April in order to secure optimal territory for feeding then breeding. Since migration is one of the highest energy cost events that a bird will experience it will want to space it out from breeding which is the next high energy cost event. By arriving early, the obligate migrants allow themselves time to feed and establish territory from other birds which gives it a greater advantage during breeding. Since Turkey Vultures can winter as far south as Central America, their timing of migrating to Vermont is reactive to the amount of daylight they are experiencing, as such they can have a disadvantage of not knowing the climate of where they are migrating to. This could mean unexpected spring snow storms (like what we had last week), this could harm their ability to forage for food or have adequate shelter and overall ends up being more energy costly after migration.

Mini activity: The House Sparrow, Ring-billed Gull, Tufted Titmouse, Blue Jay, Northern Cardinal, and European Starling would have a wintering rage that stays within the area that I observed them. A robin traveling from Durham, NC to Burlington, VT would cover a total distance flying of 1,057.79 km. A Turkey Vulture Traveling from Miami, FL to Burlington VT would cover a total flying distance of 2,168.34 km.

Posted on April 5, 2021 06:50 PM by maliabertelsen maliabertelsen

Observations

Photos / Sounds

No photos or sounds

What

Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)

Observer

maliabertelsen

Date

April 5, 2021

Photos / Sounds

No photos or sounds

What

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

Observer

maliabertelsen

Date

April 5, 2021

Photos / Sounds

What

American Robin (Turdus migratorius)

Observer

maliabertelsen

Date

April 5, 2021

Photos / Sounds

No photos or sounds

What

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)

Observer

maliabertelsen

Date

April 5, 2021

Photos / Sounds

No photos or sounds

What

Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)

Observer

maliabertelsen

Date

April 5, 2021

Photos / Sounds

No photos or sounds

What

Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)

Observer

maliabertelsen

Date

April 5, 2021

Photos / Sounds

No photos or sounds

What

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Observer

maliabertelsen

Date

April 5, 2021

Photos / Sounds

No photos or sounds

What

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)

Observer

maliabertelsen

Date

April 5, 2021

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