Tropical Kingbird

Extremely Rare Kingbird Sighted at Cambridge Narrows

Tropical Kingbird

 It is unheard of to find a Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus) in New Brunswick.  But on October 27, 2019 one was seen at Cambridge Narrows sitting on wires, by an astute birder as he drove past.  That was an incredible find, both in the presence of the bird and in the fact that it was spotted by a birder who recognized it as unusual.

We have eight species of kingbirds which can be seen in North America.  In New Brunswick the Eastern Kingbird is common in summer and breeds here.   The Western Kingbird is a casual spring visitor and sometimes seen in the fall.  The other six species have not been seen here except for the Tropical Kingbird which, according to Jim Wilson, has been seen briefly at Tabusintac in October, 2015 and at Lameque in November, 2017 and possibly a third at Cape Tourmentine in 2017 which may have been the same bird as the former.  These sightings were not confirmed because no sound was heard.

Tropical Kingbird

The Tropical Kingbird is a large flycatcher (23 cm/ 9 in) long with a light gray head, olive-gray back, white throat, a dark eyeline, dark yellow upper breast and bright yellow lower breast, belly and vent, and gray-brown wings and tail.  It has a large black bill and a notched tail.  Males and females are similar.

The Tropical Kingbird cannot be differentiated from the Couch's Kingbird by sight or photographs only.  The only way to tell them apart is by voice.  And, fortunately this recent bird has been vocal and heard by many observers.  The Tropical Kingbird's call is a high-pitched twittering sound all on one pitch.  The call of Couch's Kingbird is a high-pitched descending call sounding like 'breeear'.  Birders today have electronic devices which can play bird songs so it is not difficult to differentiate songs.  Our visitor is a Tropical Kingbird.

Tropical Kingbird [Nelson Poirier Photo]

Where should this bird normally be?  Well, it a long way from home!  Its normal summer breeding grounds are in south-eastern Arizona, northern Mexico and along the lower Rio Grande River in Texas.  It winters in Mexico's coastal areas and into South America to southern Bolivia, southeastern  Brazil and Argentina.  This species is known to wander widely and has been found as far out of its range as Maine, Alaska, Bermuda (and New Brunswick).  It first came to the US to Arizona in 1938.

This week we watched this bird feed, flying out from a high perch and to capture insects.  Apparently it also eats fruit and berries and will readily take mealworms.

A couple of interesting facts about this species; during courtship the perched male flaps its wings vigorously and sometimes lifts straight up.  Also, it has a distinctive dawn song which is sung just before sunrise.  It would be fun to hear it.

Whimbrel

Whimbrel - A Large Sandpiper

Whimbrel

The Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) is a large interesting shorebird. This species is a member of the Scolopacidae family which it shares with many other sandpiper species.  The Numenius genus is shared also by the Long-billed Curlew and in times past, by the Eskimo Curlew.  The Eskimo Curlew was a common fall migrant here before its demise and extinction in the late 1800s.    

The Whimbrel is listed as casual in spring and an uncommon migrant in the fall.  Its numbers are still low after  blatant population destruction due to severe over-hunting in the 1800s.  It is most often seen on coastal bogs, barrens and beaches in mid-to-late summer.  Sometimes flocks are seen on the heath of Miscou Island.  I have seen as many as 20 individuals there feeding on heath and on the lawns of residences at Wilson's Point.  The photos used in this post were taken of an individual seen at Saints' Rest Marsh in Saint John on August 23, 2019.

The Whimbrel is a large sandpiper (45 cm/ 17.5 inches long).  Its gray legs appear short and its long decurved bill is its defining field mark.  It is brown striped over most of its body with a medial beige stripe on its dark crown.  It probes for food in the mud with its long beak and it also picks berries off heath plants.  Its voice is distinctive and melodic.  The display song is a long rising whistle followed by a series of rapid trills.  The flight call is a rapid, loud quiquiquiqui all in the same pitch.  It is enjoyable to hear these birds vocalize.  

Whimbrels breed in the Arctic where they nest on open tundra.  In North America their nesting grounds are in Alaska, Yukon, Northwest Territories and around the western shores of Hudson Bay.  They also breed in Greenland.  They winter in the southern coast of North America, California south through Mexico, the West Indies and South America.  They also breed in Europe in Iceland, Scandinavia and western Russia.  Those birds migrate to West Africa during the winter.

Whimbrel

Whimbrels are known to have a broad diet.  They feed on marine invertebrates, marine worms, molluscs, fish and berries.  They walk along as they feed, probing deeply into the mud.  That bill is certainly an instrument and is well used.  

Whimbrel

Whimbrels are one of the most widespread curlews.  They are known for being very defensive about their nests, attacking humans if they come too close.  That must help with their survival.  They are incredible fliers.  Some birds fly nonstop a distance of 2500 miles from southern Canada or New England to South America.  Just think of that, nonstop with no food or water and not landing to rest!  It is so important that they have good feeding areas here so they can build up their body fat stores so they have enough energy to make it all the way across that long stretch of ocean!

Whimbrel

The photo above shows the medial crown stripe.  That and the long decurved bill make a positive identification for this species.  

A number of years ago an European Whimbrel was seen and photographed near Fredericton.  This was a rare visitor here.  The European race has a white underwing, tail and lower back and coarser dark markings on the breast.  The race we normally see here has a dark rump and dark underwings. 

Sandhill Cranes Migrating

Sandhill Cranes at Tantramar 

Sandhill Crane

In late September and into October a group of 7 Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis) stopped over at Tantramar Marsh during their migration.  The sightings of Sandhill Cranes in New Brunswick have increased gradually over the last 30 years usually in the spring and fall.  The birds are usually on their migrations from breeding grounds in the north to their wintering areas in the south (or return).  Sandhill Cranes breed from Siberia and Alaska across the far north to Hudson Bay and western Ontario.  They spend their winters in California and from Arizona to Florida; also Mexico and the Caribbean Islands.  Some are permanent residents of Florida.  The birds we see here are probably coming from their nesting areas on Baffin Island or northern Quebec.  The Tantramar is a good stopover site because of its good feeding potential.  Its wide open areas also offer good visibility and thus good safety for the birds.

The first documented record of this species was from Nauwigewauk in September, 1984.  There were also two previous sight records from 1973 and 1981.  There have been no breeding records from NB but one pair spent part of a summer at Havelock.  A single bird also spent most of a summer in the Shediac area.  

Sandhill Crane

There are two forms of the Sandhill Crane recognized, the Greater and the Lesser.  The Greater is 117 cm/46" tall and is the species of central Canada and westward.  The Lesser is 104 cm/41" tall and is often found in the east.  There is an intermediate form which is found in the mid-continent area. 

There is only one species of crane that is likely to be seen here, although any crane found here is rare.  Another crane species found in North America is the Whooping Crane.  This species came close to extinction in the mid-1900s but is very slowly recovering due to great work done by recovery programs in the US.  A Whooping Crane has never been seen in New Brunswick.  There is another crane species that could be seen here but never has been, the Common Crane from Europe.  There is usually about one sighting per year of a Common Crane in North America, usually with flocks of Sandhill Cranes.  We should always look for this species when we see Sandhill Cranes.  Common Cranes are always gray and their plumage is never brown-stained.  The adult is black-necked with a white nape.  

Sandhill Cranes Flying [Kathy Ferdinand Illsley Photo]

Sandhill Cranes perform elaborate dances both for courtship and mate bonding.  These dances are accompanied by elaborate, complex duets.  It would be interesting to hear their bugling and rattling turned into a singing duet.  

The top two photos in this blog were taken by me from various cranes visiting New Brunswick.  I especially like the photo of the seven flying cranes which recently visited Tantramar and is presented here by permission.  For more information on the Sandhill Crane, use the 'Search' feature on this blog.  

Black Skimmer

Hurricane Brings Black Skimmers

Black Skimmers

 Hurricane Dorian brought some amazing species of birds to Nova Scotia.  A few also showed up in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island but the bulk of them landed east of Halifax.  One species that was amazing was the Black Skimmer which appeared in large numbers, more than 200!  Shown above is a flock of Black Skimmers.  Unfortunately the photo was taken in South Carolina but it shows what a flock of skimmers looks like.  It is typical of what was seen along the shorelines of NS when they arrived.  I was lucky to see a flock of 21 Black Skimmers on a trip to Chezzetcook recently.  I was scanning over the marsh looking for shorebirds when a flock of 21 skimmers flew in.  What an amazing sight for Nova Scotia!  They stayed around for an hour or so moving periodically from one site to another but still in view.  They were a long way out so no good photos were possible hence the substitute photos.  I did not think I would ever see a flock of Black Skimmers flying over marshes in the Maritimes.  There have been accidental arrivals of Black Skimmers to New Brunswick over the years, almost always after severe storms.  They have appeared in small numbers or as singles in Grand Manan (1879, 1924, 1944),  and in Saint John (2019).

Black Skimmer

The Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger) is about the size of a crow.  It is a member of a subfamily of Laridae (gulls and terns), sharing its  subfamily with terns and noddys.  It is unique in its foraging style, flying over the surface of the water slicing the surface with its lower mandible, closing its beak on any food it encounters.  Its preferred food items are shrimp and fish.

Black Skimmers are 46 cm/18 in long.  Their mainly black and white body is long and their head and beak are large.  Their bright orange legs are short.  The crown, nape and back are solid black and that contrasts sharply with the white forehead, lores, foreneck and underparts.  The unusual beak is orange with a black tip.  The tail is mainly white with a black central strip.  In flight the wings show a white trailing edge.  Juvenile skimmers show the black grayed out.

Black Skimmer Adult Attending Young [Internet Photo]

Black Skimmers breed along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Massachusetts to Florida and Texas.  They spend their winters from southern California and Virginia south to Central and South America.  Their nest is a scrape in the sand among the vegetation of gravelly bars, beaches and shallow bays.  They lay four or five blue or pink eggs spotted with brown, lavender or gray.  Both adults incubate the eggs.

Black Skimmers

Black Skimmers are the only avian species in North America with the lower mandible larger than the upper.  When the young hatch, the mandibles are the same length.  The lower mandible grows quickly and it is already longer than the upper by the time the young fledge at four weeks of age.

The Black Skimmer population is threatened by coastal development and increased use of shorelines and beaches by human traffic.  They face the same threats as all our shorebirds.  Some of the other species shown in the photos above include Laughing Gulls, Willets, Royal Terns, Ring-billed Gulls, Forster's Terns and Ruddy Turnstones.  See if you can find them.

American Avocet

American Avocet - A Bird Brought In By Hurricane Dorian

American Avocet

 Hurricane Dorian dropped many very rare birds on Nova Scotia, mostly in the area east of Halifax.  These birds were probably engulfed by the high winds and funnelled northward.  As the eye of the hurricane passed over that area, the birds were able to make it to land.  Other birds found their way to other parts of Nova Scotia as well as New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland.  Many other birds were surely picked up by the hurricane and were either killed or drowned at sea.

Today's post is about one beautiful bird which made it safely to the Halifax area, a single American Avocet as shown above.  The American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) is rarely found in the Maritime Provinces.  I have records only for NB and it has been recorded from the province fewer than 20 times.  I saw one at Shepody in 2008 and one at St. Andrews in 2010.  It is possible this individual is a casual visitor to the area but most likely it was blown in by the hurricane.

The bird shown above is a male in non-breeding plumage.  The males have a less up-turned bill than the females.  In breeding plumage the bird has a rusty coloured head and neck, a white eyering and white at the base of the bill, black wings and back with a bold white scapular stripe.  In non-breeding plumage the head and neck are white or light gray and the underparts are gray.  The bill is long, needle-like and upturned.  The bluish gray legs are very long.  The bird is 46 cm/18 in. long.  As seen in the photos above and below, there is a remnant of the rusty colour on the head and breast.  The white eyeing and white at the base of the bill are also visible.

American Avocet

The American Avocet is a western shorebird.  It breeds normally in the prairie provinces and down into the mid-western and western US as far as California to Texas.  It winters along the coasts of the southern US and Mexico.  Its preferred habitats include freshwater marshes and shallow lakes.  It breeds in salty or brackish marshes.  Avocets often nest in loose colonies.  Nests are built on a beach or mudflat.  The 3 to 4 pale olive eggs spotted with brown and black are tended by both adults.  This species is very aggressive around the nesting sites.  Adults have been known to physically strike marauding hawks and ravens.  Avocets feed by swooshing their bills underwater side-to-side along the bottom.  That stirs up aquatic insects.  They also eat crustaceans and aquatic plants.

The American Avocet is a member of the Recurvirostridae family along with stilts.  North American members of this family are the American Avocet and the Black-necked Stilt.  There are 7 members of this family around the world.  The decline in this species is due to the loss of wetlands in recent decades.

American Avocets show some interesting traits.  While nesting, if the water levels rise enough to threaten the nest, the adults will raise the nest up a foot or more with sticks, weeds, etc. to keep the eggs above the water.  Another interesting fact is their ability to foil an approaching predator with a special vocal technique.  They emit a series of calls that gradually change in pitch which simulates the Doppler effect.  This makes the approaching bird think it is coming in faster than it really is, confusing the predator and giving the avocet a chance to escape.  Neat birds!

Avocets are a social species.  It made me sad to see this individual all alone except for the crows and Mallard ducks which were around the same pond with it.  Social species need to be with their kin.  I hope this individual can build up its stored energy levels soon so it can return south and hopefully find some of its own.