Belted Kingfisher

Belted Kingfisher - Baron of Small Waters

Belted Kingfisher Female   [Internet Photo]

 If you have ever gone trout fishing along our streams or walked on one of our beautiful trails along lakes or streams in summer you probably have heard and seen the Belted Kingfisher.  This Baron of Small Waters prefers habitat that is wooded and bordering fresh water streams and lakes.  It feeds mainly on small fish which it captures by plunge diving.  It also eats molluscs, amphibians, crustaceans, insects, reptiles, small birds, mammals and even berries.

Kingfishers belong to the Alcedinidae family which contains 91 species worldwide with only 3 in North America; the Belted Kingfisher, the Ringed Kingfisher and the Green Kingfisher.  The Belted Kingfisher is by far the most common.  The other two species occur in the most southern parts of the US.  Alcedinidae members sit on low perches watching for prey below them.  They have large heads, long straight beaks and short legs.  They lead solitary lives except during breeding season.  Kingfishers are a large diverse group occurring on all continents except Antarctica but are absent from the very north of North America, most of Russia and central Asia.

Belted Kingfisher Male

The Belted Kingfisher is a medium-sized bird, 33 cm/13 inches long.  Its large crested head is a dull blue colour. The back, tail and wings are also blue as is the band across its breast.  The underparts are white.  The male has the single band across the breast but the female also has a broad rufous band across the belly which also extends down the flank.  Yes, that is correct.  In this species the male is subdued in colour and the female is flashy with the rufous band!  More about that later.

The call of the Belted Kingfisher is characteristic - a loud rattle.  It often makes it when disturbed along the lake or stream shore.  The sound is made as the bird flies to another favoured perch.

Belted  Kingfisher Female  [Internet Photo]

Belted Kingfishers nest in burrows excavated in sand banks near fresh water.  If you have visited a gravel pit or a washout along a river or stream and looked at the vertical wall of sand or gravel you will notice holes dug in the wall.  In New Brunswick there are two sizes of holes.  The smaller ones are usually Bank Swallow nest holes.  There will sometimes be one large hole.  That is the kingfisher nest hole. The entrance hole is 10 cm/4 inches in diameter and the tunnel 1-4 metres/3-15 feet long and is usually inclined upward.  The nest area is a spherical chamber.  The adults excavate the tunnel with their bills (their feet are small) and the loose sand is kicked to the exterior.  The adults can dig about 0.3m or 1 foot per day.  The female lays 5 to 8 white eggs.  Incubation lasts  22 to 24 days and is carried out by both the male and the female.  The female usually sits during the night and the male during the day.  Both adults feed the young.

Kingfishers winter in the extreme southern US and Mexico.  Occasionally they winter along the coast of western North America.  Rarely they will winter here in NB or NS.

Belted Kingfishers have been known to share their tunnels with swallows who excavate small enclosures on the sides of the tunnel.  There are other interesting facts about kingfishers.  To avoid becoming prey to a hawk they are capable of diving under the water.  The kingfisher was honoured by being placed on the Canadian $5 bill in 1986.  As noted above, the female sports the bright, flashy plumage in this species.  That is because the male plays the primary role in caring for the young.  Nature has a way of looking after its young.

American Bittern

American Bittern, the Thunder-Pumper

American Bittern

The American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) is a member of the Ardeidae family, a group of waders that have pointed bills and seize their prey with a lightning-fast strike and they fly with their necks coiled back.  This family consists of bitterns, herons and egrets.  

We see the American Bittern less frequently than we do the Great Blue Heron, for example, because bitterns are secretive birds who prefer freshwater marshes with tall emergent vegetation.  They are most active at dawn and dusk.  Other than one individual crossing a road, all bitterns I have seen were in these fresh water marshes thick with high vegetation.  They usually hold tight when seen rather than flush like herons and egrets.  Usually they face you showing their striped breast and point their bill straight up.  They can still see you around their facial structures.  If the wind is blowing the vegetation, they often wave back and forth with the moving tall grasses and sedges.  One time I watched a bittern waving slowly as it faced me.  It matched the grasses blowing in the wind precisely, back and forth with the same rhythm.  I wondered how it could do it so well!

American Bittern

The American Bittern has a large body,  a long tapering neck and short greenish or yellowish legs.   It has brown upperparts flecked with black, brown head with a darker brown cap, white eyeline, chin and throat, and a long black malar streak (line from edge of bill running down neck).  The eyes are yellow and the bill is mostly yellow.  The underparts are white or buff with bold rufous streaks.  This bird is built for camouflage.  Here the only other species one might mistake for the bittern is the immature night-heron.  They are smaller, lack the malar stripe and are usually found in more open habitats near salt water.  The voice of the American Bittern is distinctive, a loud oonk-a-lunk sound like someone using a plunger on a toilet.  Often the presence of a bittern is discerned by the sound rather than actually seeing the bird.  

American Bittern [Internet Photo]

American Bitterns are non-colonial like herons and egrets.  They nest in dense vegetation over water where the female builds the nest of reeds, sedges, cattails, and other vegetation.  Two to seven pale brown or olive eggs are incubated by the female for 24 to 28 days.  Bitterns feed on insects, amphibians, crayfish, small fish and small mammals.  To catch their prey they wait motionlessly waiting for the prey to come close.  They then dart forward and strike rapidly.  

American Bittern with Frog

The summer range of this species covers most of southern Canada.  They winter on British Columbia and California's coastline southward to the most southern parts of the US and into Mexico, Costa Rica and Greater Antilles.  

American Bittern [Internet Photo]

The American Bittern has an interesting courtship display which is rarely seen.  The male shortens his neck, arches his back, dips his breast forward and 'booms' at the female.  I have never seen this performance.  The pair also perform aerial displays.  Another interesting fact about this species is the nicknames it has earned due to its notable vocalizations.  As seen in the title above, they are sometimes called 'thunder-pumpers' and also 'stake-drivers' or 'mire-drummers'.  A very interesting species indeed!

Brant

Single Brant at Carleton Park 

Brant

On a trip home from Fredericton South I took a detour to check on the birds at Carleton Park.  That was a good decision because there was a special bird there feeding on the grass above the water and walkway, a lone Brant.  That was a surprise because we don't often get Brant in Fredericton.  Occasionally there will be one or two who put down on their migration north.  This one clearly had dropped out of the flock to rest or feed.  Exhaustion or hunger probably forced it to leave the flock.

Brant (Branta bernicla) are a member of the Anatidae family (ducks, geese and swans).  This is a large family with many members worldwide.  The Branta species represents 4 species in North America; Cackling Goose, Canada Goose, Brant, and Barnacle Goose.  Brant, Cackling Goose and Barnacle Goose are about the same size, 64 cm/ 25 inches long and the Canada Goose is much larger at 114 cm/45 inches.

Brant with Ring-billed Gull

The Brant is a relatively small marine goose that appears stocky, short-necked and short-billed.  Its head, neck and breast are black.  The upper parts are brown.  The black tail is contrasted by the white rump and vent.  The underparts are pale (varies with the race) and the sides are light gray.  There is 

a small partial whitish collar which shows a fish scale pattern.  See the top photo where this shows clearly.

Judging by size, the only other geese you would have to distinguish the Brant from are the Cackling Goose and the Barnacle Goose.  The Cackling Goose has a long neck and both these species have white on the head.  The Cackling has a white cheek patch and the Barnacle Goose has a white face and forehead.  The Brant has a completely black head.

There are four subspecies of Brant.  In our area we have the 'Pale-bellied Brant'.  There are also the 'Dark-bellied Brant' of the central and western Russian Arctic and wintering in western Europe; the 'Gray-bellied Brant' of the western High Arctic; and the 'Black Brant' of eastern Russia through the Western High Arctic.  The Pale-bellied Brant breeds in the eastern Arctic of North America, Greenland, and Svalbard and winters along the Atlantic coast of the US, England and Ireland.  The subspecies differ mainly in belly and flank colour.  This is a truly holarctic species!

Brant

The Atlantic Brant (Pale-bellied Brant) breeds in Northwest Territories, stages in James Bay on their way south, and then flies nonstop to coastal New Jersey and New York.  After wintering there they move north in April flying two different routes.  Some use the coastal route to the St. Lawrence River estuary  and on to James Bay and the others fly overland to Lake Ontario and then up the Ottawa River to James Bay.  There the whole population stages.  They leave James Bay in early June and fly to the Foxe Basin, NT.  Historically more birds used the Atlantic route with important staging areas in the Maritime Provinces.  Some have moved somewhat westward in recent years.  For flight routes and distribution of the other 3 subspecies, see in-depth bird books, e.g., 'National Geographic Complete Birds of North America'.  The Atlantic Brant population has fluctuated but is now stable.

Brant in Staging Area Along Bay of Fundy

The flight of Brant is fast and agile.  They fly in scattered 'U' formations or lines.  In flight they sing a constant chorus of a low, gargling sound or sometimes a 'cut-cut' sound.  They nest on coastal tundra close to salt water.  The male brings the nesting material (moss) to the female who makes the nest on the ground. She lays 1 to 7 creamy white eggs which she incubates for 22 to 26 days.  Both genders  care for the young.  They feed on grasses, sedges, algae, moss, lichens and invertebrates.  In winter they prefer eel grass which grows on tidal flats.

Brant are known as Brent Geese in the United Kingdom and Ringgas in Scandinavia.  The term, Brant, is the original name whereas Brent is a corruption originating from foklore derived from a classical Greek water bird named 'brenthos'.  Apparently the guttural call note of the goose is similar to that of the ancient water bird.

Another interesting feature of Brant, the sea goose, is its ability to mobilize salt from its system enabling it to drink sea water.  It has a well developed salt gland that desalinizes the system.  Brant are interesting geese which can be seen more easily here along the coast.  Maces Bay usually has flocks staging in April.  It is worth the drive to try to see these interesting geese.

American Woodcock

American Woodcock - Song and Dance

American Woodcock [Magalie St-hilaire Poulin Photo]

The American Woodcock (Scolopax minor) is an early spring migrant that we need to be watching for now.  Several people have reported seeing them around their houses or crossing roads or paths.

Woodcock are shorebirds and generally look like a round ball of feathers with a very long bill and short legs.  Their most outstanding feature is their large eyes which are positioned well up and back on their heads.  They are medium-sized, 28 cm/11 inches long including the long bill.  They have buffy-brown underparts and dark brown-gray streaked upper parts.  They have dark bars across the top and back of their head which run crosswise rather than lengthwise like other shorebirds, including the Wilson's Snipe which they might be mistaken for.  The bill is a dull yellow with a black tip.  Both males and females look alike.

American Woodcock [Internet Photo]

What about the 'song and dance' mentioned in the title?  Well, woodcock actually do dance, sing (to a limited extent) plus they perform a wonderful aerial display called a sky dance.  The female woodcock is a lucky bird in that respect.  In wet fields that this species prefers especially where there are alders and other bushes, the males start performing in early spring.  They continue this well into summer.  The birds are not easily seen because they prefer dense cover and only are seen when they are flushed or when they come out into fields to perform.  

Male woodcock perform mainly at night and can be seen as dusk approaches or rarely on dull days.  They begin their performance on the ground by making a loud, nasal peent sound which is repeated several times (the song).  The male then takes to the air and flies in ever-increasing circles over the beginning point.   It climbs in this circular pattern until it reaches a very high point.  Often it is at a point where the setting sun shines on the bird.  While the bird is climbing the air moving through its wings makes a twittering sound.  At the zenith a metallic tinkling sound is heard and then the bird drops straight down to the beginning point, only to begin again.  Several males are usually in the same area performing for a female.

The female picks a male from this wonderful performance and breeding takes place.  The male exercises no commitment, however, with her.  She is then on her own to make her nest, lay her eggs and raise the young.  She builds her nest on the ground in an overgrown field.  She lays four buff or reddish brown eggs spotted with brown or purple and incubates them for 20 to 22 days.  Chicks leave the nest a short time after hatching.  They learn to feed themselves within a week.  

Woodcock feed by probing that long bill into soft mud.  There are sensors in the bill which enable them to find food.  They feed on earthworms and insect larvae.  They sometimes rock back and forth while feeding and it is thought that this behaviour causes the worms to move.  This rocking dance is very interesting to watch.  

The American Woodcock is an upland game bird in New Brunswick.  It is one of the prized birds for hunters using bird dogs.  Breeds that are commonly used are setters, Brittanys, spaniels, and pointers. The season is open in the fall.  

The American Woodcock is certainly an interesting species.  Its aerial display and its feeding dance are a real treat to watch.  If the bird is dancing across the road in front of you, you will wonder if it will ever make it to the other side.  The fact that the species exhibits no pair bonding is unique.  The males provide no parental care and seem only interested in performing aerial displays.  Keeping this up well past the time of rearing young is also interesting. 

This species is not easily seen since it is mainly nocturnal.  The aerial displays going on in spring are easy to locate if you look in a partially overgrown wet field in spring at dusk on a sunny evening.  Good luck. Finding them is well worth the effort. 

Ring-necked Duck

Ring-necked Duck

Ring-necked Duck Male

The Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) is first seen in this area in spring as a migrant.  New Brunswick is part of this species' breeding range so they are summer residents.  The Ring-necked Duck is a summer resident in most of southern Canada northward to Labrador, southern Yukon and Northwest Territories and Alaska.  The range extends southward to about the Canada/US border.  They winter along the British Columbia coast and in the southern US, Mexico, and the West Indies.

The preferred habitat of this species is marshy ponds, lakes and rivers.  They are seldom seen on salt water.  Here it is common to see this species in small flocks along the St. John River in spring.  I saw my first last week (end of March).  I have also seen wintering birds in larger flocks (about 50-60) on wooded ponds in South Carolina.  These birds were usually  in a tight group sleeping.  Here in New Brunswick they are often associated with scaup and goldeneyes.

Ring-necked Duck Male

The male Ring-necked Duck is striking in appearance.  His distinguishing feature is the white slash separating the breast from the flank in front of the folded wing.  His head is angular-shaped, peaking near the rear and is a dark purple colour.  He has a remarkable beak; basically gray with a black tip and white ring just inside the black tip as well another white ring at the base.  The male's flanks are gray and the back is black.  His eye is deep yellow.  The female is more subdued in plumage as you would expect.  She is mainly brown with a gray face.  She has a white eyering and a darker crown which is also angular shaped.  She also has a white ring around the bill.  This species has a rapid wingbeat and shows a gray trailing stripe on the secondaries.

Ring-necked Duck Male and Female Group

Ring-necked Ducks build their nest on the ground in vegetation near the edge of a pond.  In the down-filled nest the female lays 6 to 14 olive, gray, or greenish eggs.  The female incubates the eggs for 25 to 29 days.  Ring-necks feed by shallow diving or tipping and dabbling.  Their diet includes aquatic plants, seeds, insects, molluscs, worms and crustaceans.  Although they are often described as silent ducks they do make a faint, wheezy whistling sound.

Although the white slash on the side of the male and the white ring on the bill of both genders make them fairly easy to identify, there are some species you have to differentiate them from.  The Greater and Lesser Scaup are similar but they do not have the white ring on the bill and their backs are gray.  The Tufted Duck is rare here but it is similar, also with a black back but it does not have the white slash on the side in the male.  It also has a tuft in the back of the crown of its head.  The white ring on the bill, the angular head shape, and the gray face distinguish the female Ring-billed from other similar female ducks.

So what about the name of this duck, Ring-necked Duck?  We don't normally see a ring on its neck.  Shouldn't it be called the Ring-billed Duck?  This species (along with most species) was named long ago with a specimen in hand.  The males actually do have a ring on their necks, a narrow faint chestnut-coloured collar were the neck joins the body.  I have never seen this ring in a very many years of birding!  Unfortunately it is not visible in the two photos above of the males.  So there you have it, a Ring-necked Duck with no visible ring on its neck but a ring on its bill!

The Ring-necked Duck wanders very rarely to the United Kingdom.  There are two official records (1801, 1955) and perhaps others since.  The species was first described in 1809 by Edward Donovan, an Anglo-Irish writer and amateur naturalist.

Birding for waterfowl in the spring is an exciting and rewarding endeavour.  Ducks are very beautiful and quite easy to see in this area since we have many places where you can get close to water.  Now is a good time to get out and see what you can find.