Bohemian Waxwings - a Huge Flock

 On Saturday, January 20, 2023, a friend and I were birding the Fredericton area.  After visiting a very productive feeder area we visited the Mactaquac Dam, then the lagoons and water treatment plant.  While driving through downtown Fredericton we were watching for waxwings but were unsuccessful.  We finished our outing at the Agricultural Experimental Farm and then I received an email with a movie attached.  Waxwings!  Many, many waxwings!  

                                                                Bohemian Waxwings

Bohemian Waxwings are winter visitors that travel around our area in small to large flocks feasting on fruits usually still on the trees and bushes, apples, crab apples, cherries, cranberries, wild grapes, etc.   It is obvious when a flock is near because you can hear their cheerful voices as they feed.  They make a high trilling zeee.  With many birds singing at once it makes a beautiful sound.  So far this year I have seen a flock of 40 individuals and have received a report of 100 here in Douglas.  But that is nothing compared to what I am about to show you!  The following video was recorded by a veterinarian friend who was attracted to the beautiful singing and the size of the flock which was feeding near York Street on January 20.  I don't know how we missed them.

       Bohemian Waxwing Flock  [Video by Dr. Krista Foreman]

It is common for Bohemian Waxwings to winter in flocks.  There must be advantages to the birds to remain in flocks, probably for safety and finding food.  Presumably the flocks have a hierarchy with some watching for predators and some with the experience to locate food sources.  The amazing thing about this flock is its size.  At first I estimated 400-500 birds but that was very inaccurate.  I stopped the video and roughly counted the birds in patches and came up with over 1400 birds!  That is a huge flock!  I have never seen a flock of Bohemian Waxwings that large.  It must make finding enough food for all a very difficult task.  What it would certainly do is remove all the food from that particular area before the flock left.  See below a photo of an area where a different flock of Bohemians were feeding and notice all the fragments of fruit on the ground, dropped by the feeding birds.

                                                    Bohemian Waxwings Feeding on Apples

The red 'appendages' on the wing feathers of Bohemian Waxwings look like wax and give the group its name.  These scarlet red and yellow appendages are located on the tips of the secondary wing feathers.  They are flattened ends of the feather shafts and are pigmented with astaxanthin and enclosed in a transparent sheath.  They don't usually appear on the adult bird until it is 3 years old.  They certainly are pretty and unique.  See a closeup of the waxy appendages in the photo below.

                                    Bohemian Waxwing Showing Wax Appendages on Wing 

For information on the life history of Bohemian Waxwings and other information, please search this blog for more posts using 'Bohemian Waxwing' as your search item.

Townsend's Warbler

                                            Townsend's Warbler   [Jim Carroll Photo]

A Townsend's Warbler (Setophaga townsendi) has recently caused much excitement among New Brunswick birders with its discovery at Waterfowl Lane, Sackville in late December.  It stayed into early January allowing many interested birders to see and photograph it.  Being a western warbler species, we do not usually get to see it.  The species has been seen twice before in the province, both in 2005.  One appeared in Fundy National Park from November 4-11 and one at Quispamsis from November 27 to December 11.  I was fortunate to see the one at Fundy National Park on November 5.  It was on a steep hillside along the road just past the Welcome Centre feeding actively in bushes. 

Townsend's Warbler  [Marbeth Wilson Photo]

The Townsend's Warbler is a western North American warbler species.  It is fairly common in the coniferous forests of the Pacific Northwest.  It breeds from Washington State and Oregon north to southern Alaska and Yukon Territory and east to southern Alberta.  It is a medium-to-long distance migrant and winters normally in the extreme western parts of Washington State, Oregon and California and inland areas of central Mexico.  This species prefers coniferous forest habitats for most of the year but can be found in lowlands in summer. 

The Townsend's Warbler was first described in 1837 by John Kirk Townsend, an American naturalist.  It was first called Sylvia townsendi but due to changes in taxonomy it was renamed, Setophaga.  It is from John Townsend that it gets its name.  

The Townsend's Warbler much prefers the tops of the large conifers of the west.  For that reason it can be difficult to see.  It finds lots of its usual diet of insects and spiders there.  As described by Taylor and Shaw (1927):  "On entering the great forest of the Pacific Northwest with its solitude, the deep-shaded grandeur of its brown-barked pillars and its stillness, one can almost imagine himself in a different world.  Incessantly repeated apparently from the very crowns of the trees, comes the song of the Townsend (sic) warbler, denizen of upper foliage strata."

                                        Townsend's Warbler  [Rosemonde Duguay Photo]

The Townsend's Warbler is a boldly patterned warbler.  It is closely related to the Black-throated Green Warbler which is common in New Brunswick.  It is the same size as this warbler (13 cm)  but differs in pattern.  In general, the Townsend's Warbler has dark cheek patches (auriculars)  surrounded by yellow, yellow on the breast, extensive white on the outer tail feathers, and two bold white wing bars.  The male shows a black cheek patch surrounded by yellow with a yellow crescent below the eye.  It has a black crown and an olive-green streaked back.  It shows a bold black chin and throat and broad stripes on its sides.  The belly and undertail coverts are white.  The adult female is more subdued with an olive-green crown and cheek patches, a yellow chin and throat with a bit of black showing, and the side streaks are narrow.  The plumages fade somewhat in winter plumage.  Immature birds are similar to females.  

The Townsend's Warbler will hybridize with the Hermit Warbler and the Black-throated Green Warbler where their ranges overlap.  Although there is some regularity in the plumage of these hybrids it would be left to the experts to identify these individuals.

                                            Townsend's Warbler  [Jim Carroll Photo]

The photos above show the olive green auricular, yellow breast, side streaking, yellow crescent under the eye, white vent and outer tail feathers.  The side streaking is fairly bold so this may be a winter-plumaged adult male.

Here in New Brunswick the Townsend's Warbler must be differentiated from the Black-throated Green Warbler.  The Black-throated Green Warbler does not have the dark auriculars nor the yellow throat and breast.  It also has a yellow vent and not the white vent of the Townsend's Warbler.  The immature female Blackburnian Warbler is also similar but shows less green and more streaking on the back.  It shows no black or streaking on the throat.   In the west the Townsend's Warbler must be separated from the Hermit Warbler where the Townsend's Warbler has streaked flanks and well defined cheek patches.

The Townsend's Warbler places its nest on top of a branch of a conifer tree in a well concealed location.  It is a shallow nest, made of grass and lined with moss.  Four to 5 brown-speckled white eggs are laid and incubated for 12 days by the female.

The Townsend's Warbler begins to sing before it leaves its winter range.  It must love to sing because it has been described as 'singing to itself' as it moves around gleaning insects from the foliage.  The voice has been described as variable and buzzy and is represented as weazy weazy weazy dzee.  Its call note is a sharp tsik. I imagine the call of this species is very familiar to the people of the west who enjoy hiking in the forest.  The voice changes somewhat later in the season.  In the west one would have to distinguish its voice from that of the Black-throated Gray Warbler.

We are blessed to have rare avian species show up periodically in New Brunswick.  It is interesting and broadens the knowledge of our naturalists.

                                                Townsend's Warbler  [Jim Carroll Photo]

Clay-colored Sparrow

                                                Clay-colored Sparrow   [Marbeth Wilson Photo]

The Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida) was listed in 2004 as a very rare visitor from spring through fall and casual in winter.  It was first confirmed from Grand Manan in September, 1973.  It was found almost annually in the fall after that (Birds or New Brunswick:  An Annotated List. 2004).  This species has been seen more regularly since 2004.  It is not unusual at all to see it in all seasons.  To my knowledge we have not yet had a breeding record but according to the above reference, males have been found on territory in June and July in old fields in various locations about the province.  

The Clay-colored Sparrow is a small, slim sparrow with a long, notched tail, unstreaked breast, buffy brown ear coverts, a broad white supercilium and a whitish median crown stripe.  Before this past year the only other sparrow species we had to differentiate it from was the winter and juvenile Chipping Sparrow.  Chipping Sparrows are darker on the back with chestnut tones rather than buff and tan.  The Chipping Sparrow's face is more strongly marked with a dark line that extends from the eye to the beak.  The Chipping Sparrow does not usually have the white supercilium  and the moustachial line of the Clay-colored Sparrow.  The breast of the Chipping Sparrow is usually gray and not buff as in the Clay-colored.  For a quick reference in the field, look for the presence or absence of the dark line from the eye to the bill.  

Since 2023 we now have to distinguish the Clay-colored Sparrow from the Brewer's Sparrow.  The Brewer's Sparrow that showed up at a feeder in Quispamsis gave us a lesson in distinguishing the two species, a difficult lesson it was.  The Brewer's Sparrow is very similar to the Clay-colored Sparrow but can be differentiated by the Clay-colored showing a white central crown stripe, a gray nape, and distinct dark borders to its cheek patches as well as dark whiskers.  We will leave the rest to the experts!

Given that the Clay-colored Sparrow hybridizes with the Chipping and Brewer's Sparrows, identification could be difficult.  Presumably, however, this would be a rare occurrence.

                                             Clay-colored Sparrow   [Marbeth Wilson Photo]

The Clay-colored Sparrow is 12-14 cm long, the same size approximately as the Chipping Sparrow.  The ones I have seen have been in the fall and their plumage looks very faded.  Note all the gray, buff and light brown in the plumage.  The way I have found the ones I have been lucky enough to see is by their song.  It is a series of 2 to 8 short, low-pitched loud buzzes.  They remind you of a loud insect, buzz buzz buzz.  If you hear a buzzing sound that seems to be a bird, take special care to find it because it is likely to be rare.  

Clay-colored Sparrows prefer uncultivated, bushy areas with bushes interspersed with grassy areas.  The breeding range of this species includes most of northern US and all of Canada east of the Rockies to the St. Lawrence River, north to northern Ontario, the northern prairies, and into Yukon and Northwest Territories.  In the fall they migrate in flocks to southern Texas and Mexico.

During breeding season the males are persistent singers and even sing at night.  The nest is built in a bush or clump of weeds up to 2 m. off the ground.  Three to five blue-green eggs are laid in a cup-shaped nest built from hair and fine grasses.  Incubation lasts 10-12 days and the male assists the female in this duty.  The diet of Clay-colored Sparrows is seeds and insects which they forage from the ground and low trees.  

The ploughing of prairie land has diminished the population of Clay-colored Sparrows.  The species has, however, extended its range to the northeast.  That may be what we are seeing or we are seeing the effects of global warming with more records of this species being seen in NB.  According to a scientific model devised by Audubon scientists, global warming will have dire effects on Clay-colored Sparrows (and many other species).  A 1.5ºC increase will decrease the Clay-colored Sparrow habitat collectively by 14%; a 2ºC increase will cause a 25% habitat loss and a 3ºC increase will cause a 51% habitat loss.  Wow, we have a lot of trouble looming on the horizon!

I am happy we can occasionally see a Clay-colored Sparrow in NB.  With diligence in summer or with success at feeders in late fall or winter, we can add this beautiful species to our lists.  It is not enough to just admire and list this species.  We need to be advocates against global warming and severe ecological changes so our vulnerable birds can survive.

Tennessee Warbler

                                                    Tennessee Warbler Male  [Internet Photo]

The Tennessee Warbler, Leiothlypis peregrina, is a common summer resident and migrant in New Brunswick.  It is an indicator species for spruce budworm since it feeds heavily on forest insects.  In past years during our budworm outbreaks it was very common here.  Although not in such high numbers it is still found here during its breeding season and those that breed north of here pass through during migration.

The Tennessee Warbler is rather inconspicuous compared to some of our other common warbler species in breeding plumage.  It shows no brilliant oranges, blacks or reds.  It is, however, a very beautiful, sleek warbler.  It is small (12 cm), sharp-billed, short-tailed, and has a long wing primary projection.  Of special note for identification is its lack of streaking on the breast and flanks, the prominent supercilium and white undertail coverts.  Occasionally the undertail coverts can be tinged with yellow but they are still whiter than the breast.

The male in breeding plumage is shown above.  It has bright yellow-green upperparts with a greyish crown and nape.  Note the white supercilium and black eye stripe.  The underparts are white including the undertail coverts. 

The breeding female plumage shows a more yellowish wash over most of the bird.  This makes her appear duller and the crown and nape are not as contrasting.  The yellow shows on the breast and flanks but the undertail coverts are still white.  The supercilium is often yellow and the black eyeline is still prominent.

Warblers can often be difficult to distinguish from one another.  Tennessee warblers can be confused with some vireos, especially Philadelphia and Warbling vireos.  These can be differentiated by their thicker bills which have a hook on the end.  Fall individuals can be confused with Orange-crowned warblers.  Tennessee warblers usually migrate earlier from our area so the date can help in identification.  The best way to tell one from the other is to check the head pattern, the underparts and the shape.  

The fall Tennessee warbler shows a long whitish or yellowish supercilium with a dusky eyeline.  The Orange-crowned shows a short indistinct yellowish supercilium and a narrow whitish or yellowish split eyering.  Regarding the underparts, the Tennessee warbler is dull whitish or yellowish and unstreaked with white undertail coverts.  The Orange-crowned has dull yellowish underparts and sometimes shows faint olive streaks.  It shows bright yellow undertail coverts which are always brighter than the rest of the underparts.  The Tennessee has a shorter tail and a longer primary projection.  Some confusion may arise in distinguishing the juvenile Tennessee warbler from the juvenile Nashville warbler.  The Nashville has yellow undertail coverts, a gray head and no wing bars which should make differentiation easy (the juvenile Tennessee warbler shows faint wing bars).

                                    Tennessee Warbler Male  [Jim Carroll Photo]

In the photo above note the grayish wash on the white breast of this male, the relatively short tail and the narrow sharp bill.

The breeding range of the Tennessee warbler is most of Canada except British Columbia west of the Rocky Mountains, and the extreme north.  It does, however, include some of Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and northern Quebec and Labrador.  This is truly a Canadian species!  The Tennessee warbler winters from southern Mexico to Venezuela.  Most migrate south over the eastern US and the Gulf of Mexico.  

The preferred habitat of this species on the breeding territory is mixed and boreal forests and bogs.  On the wintering grounds it prefers coffee plantations (a big reminder to buy bird-friendly coffee).  The Tennessee warbler loves our boreal forest.  It contributes greatly to the control of forest insect damage.  One study estimated that some areas during a spruce budworm outbreak could have up to 610 breeding pairs per square kilometre.

This species nests on the ground usually in grassy tussocks, under bushes or in a mossy hillock.  The nest is made of fine grasses and in it are laid 4 to 7 creamy white eggs spotted and blotched with brown.  The female incubates the eggs for 11 to 12 days.  Tennessee warblers eat all forms of insects and arachnids but also sumac seeds and poison ivy berries.  In the past this species was frowned upon for the destruction that it allegedly did to vineyards.  Further study showed that the birds were actually piercing the grapes and drinking the juice.  They were getting a drink, not intentionally destroying the grapes.

So why is this beautiful warbler species named the Tennessee warbler (unless that is another one designated to be changed)?  The naming goes back to 1832 when Alexander Wilson discovered the species on the banks of the Cumberland River in Tennessee and named it thus.  But, it is inappropriate for a bird to be named after a state when its main breeding range is in Canada!  Wilson obtained only two specimens and thus concluded it was a rare warbler.  Hence he gave it the specific name peregrina which comes from the Latin word, peregrinus, meaning 'wanderer'.  Another appropriate name for the Tennessee warbler might be 'Coffee Warbler' since it spends its winters in coffee plantations.  I vote for 'Canadian Boreal Warbler'.  Another interesting fact is that the breeding range for this species was not known until 1901 when they were discovered breeding in Canada.  Where were our enthusiastic birders then?

                                        Tennessee Warbler Male  [Jim Carroll Photo]

Warblers are often identified by their voices.  The Tennessee warbler's song is usually in three parts sometimes two parts.  The song is rapid, loud and described as unmusical.  It has been described in many ways but one is:  tit it it it it it pita pita pita pita pita chit chit chit CHIT.  It can be confused with the song of the Chipping Sparrow.  In my experience I found that when you hear the 3 parts to the song you have learned it and will recognize it in the future.  

The Tennessee Warbler is a plain, little warbler but when you learn how important it is to the ecosystems of New Brunswick and Canada, it moves well up on the list of our favourite birds.  We will be looking forward to seeing it when late April and May arrive.  Check our mixed forests, our boreal forests and our bogs for this little gem.  

Bell's Vireo

 

                                                        Bell's Vireo    [Photo by Mark Morse]

A Bell's Vireo was seen and photographed on October 2, 2023 by Mark Morse, previously found by Karen Miller across from the Anchorage Road on Grand Manan.  This is a significant event because it is the first record of this species for New Brunswick.  The photos above and below in this post were taken by Mark Morse.  Birds of New Brunswick: An Annotated List lists six vireos found in New Brunswick and, of course,  Bell's Vireo is not one of them.  The story of its discovery follows.

Sometime in September Jim Wilson and his birding friends were discussing vireos and commented that we were overdue for a rare vireo.  Specifically they were thinking about Bell's Vireo and Cassin's Vireo.  If Maine and Nova Scotia have had autumn records of these species over the years, why not us?  Well, fate would have its way.

On September 28, 2023, a vireo was seen on Grand Manan by Karen Miller which was not easy to identify.  She thought at first it was a Blue-headed Vireo and thus did not report it since that species is common.  She saw it again over the weekend and then thought that it might be a juvenile White-eyed Vireo.  That was when Mark Morse decided to get some photographs for identification.  We are thankful they were able to get them!  The bird was identified as a Bell's Vireo.

                                                   Bell's Vireo   [Photo by Mark Morse]

So what is a vireo that is supposed to be in the southwestern US doing in New Brunswick?  The range of this species is expanding but we are way off its normal range.  The Bell's Vireo's normal breeding range includes southern California, Colorado, the Dakotas and Indiana southward.  It is not found at all in the eastern third of the US.  It winters along the Pacific coast from northern Mexico south to northern Nicaragua.  Its preferred habitat is thickets in forests and along streams.  It also likes woodland edges and overgrown fields.

                                                   Bell's Vireo   [Photo by Mark Morse]

The Bell's Vireo is a small vireo, 12 cm long, compared to the Blue-headed Vireo which is 13 cm long and the Red-eyed Vireo which is 15 cm.  The plumage varies geographically, the eastern population being yellower and the western population grayer.  Two indistinct wing bars are present, the upper one sometimes very indistinct.  The white spectacles and lores are also sometimes indistinct.  Both of these features are seen in the photos above.  Notice that the eyering is broken.  The bill is thick and slightly flattened.  The bird's upper parts are green to gray and the underparts are white with a wash of pale yellow on the sides.  The Eastern race has more gray-green on the upper parts and distinctly yellow on the underparts.  The bird flicks and bobs its tail frequently.  Both genders are similar.  

                                                   Bell's Vireo   [Photo by Mark Morse]

The photo above gives a clear view of the gray-green on the dorsum.  Notice the gray head.  The Bell's Vireo is a very active species.  It feeds low to the ground in dense underbrush.  It eats insects, spiders and fruit.  Given the indistinct plumage features, this species can be difficult to identify.  Its song, however, is the way it is mostly identified.  The song is distinctive among vireos.  It is described as rapid, complex, harsh, squeaky, sharp.  We, here in NB, have not heard this species but would quickly learn it.  Given that the bird prefers dense thickets and is reluctant to show itself, the song is the best way to identify it.  

Karen has already told us what species we might mistake this one for, Blue-headed Vireo and White-eyed Vireo.  In the west one would have to distinguish it from the Hutton's Vireo and the Gray Vireo. The Bell's Vireo was named by John James Audubon after John Graham Bell (a taxidermist from Tappan, NY) who was with him on a trip up the Missouri River in the 1840s.  The Least Bell's Vireo is an endangered subspecies in southern California and is endangered due to habitat loss and parasitism by the Brown-headed Cowbird.

Bell's Vireos nest in dense shrubbery often along streams.  The nest is well camouflaged and made from grasses, leaves, bark and spider webs.  It is lined with fine grasses, coarse hairs, feathers and wool.  Brown-headed Cowbirds often parasitize the nests of this species throughout most of its range.  Three to five white eggs are laid and incubated for 14 days by both adults. 

                                                   Bell's Vireo   [Photo by Mark Morse]

We are unlikely to see a Bell's Vireo nest here in NB but the appearance of this individual will make us all look more closely at vireos in the future.  It has been a learning experience for all serious birders.  Thanks go to Karen and Mark!

Hammond's Flycatcher Found in New Brunswick

                                            Hammond's Flycatcher    [Jim Carroll Photo]

What are the chances of seeing a small western flycatcher in New Brunswick?  The chances are very slim especially for an Empidonax flycatcher, as shown in the statistics from eBird.  The Hammond's Flycatcher is not even mentioned in Birds of New Brunswick:  An Annotated List.  We have had many western flycatchers seen over the years here including: Say's Phoebe, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, Western Kingbird, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, and Fork-tailed Flycatcher.  Some of these species have been seen here this year.  But not a Hammond's Flycatcher Empidonax hammondii.  According to eBird, a Hammond's Flycatcher was seen and photographed on 13 November 2016 at Alma, Fundy National Park by Gilles Belliveau.  I think one other was seen or listed as 'possible' by Jim Wilson around 2016-2017.  There was no photo to confirm that sighting.  

Nova Scotia has had two confirmed sightings.  One was in 2013 where a Hammond's Flycatcher was banded on Bon Portage Island by David Bell.  The second was in 2019 reported by Phil Taylor and seen and photographed at Acadia University.

The Hammond's Flycatcher is a small Empidonax flycatcher.  It is 14 cm. long,  just slightly larger than our Least Flycatcher which is commonly found here.  It is tricky to identify these Empidonax flycatchers.  There was a time in birding when they were all called just 'Empidonax' flycatchers because they are difficult to identify in the field.  

The second confirmed New Brunswick sighting is the subject of this blog post.  The individual reported here was seen and photographed by Jim Carroll on September 22,  2023 at Black River, Saint John County, NB.  Black River is on the Fundy coast, on Route 825, east of Saint John and southeast of Garnett Settlement.  It was seen near the Community Centre in Black River.  It is fortunate the bird was seen by an experienced birder and photographer or it would not have been recognized.  Jim Carroll is from the 'new school' of birders who view the bird with a camera first and binoculars later.  He had about 5 seconds with this bird!  Fortunately, he did get good photos as seen in this post (with his permission).  For such a rare species a photo is the only way we can confirm its presence.  The photos were taken with a D500 Nikon camera with a 200 to 500 mm. lens.  In Jim's words, "Photo first and ask questions later!"  

                                              Hammond's Flycatcher    [Jim Carroll Photo]

Jim was not sure what he saw on his camera at first.  He sent it first to Merlin, the bird indentification digital app put out by Cornell Ornithological Laboratories.  At first Merlin responded that it did not recognize that species.  He posted it on our birding chat line and one of our top birders responded that it was 'possible' to see it here.  He then returned to Merlin  and posted a hypothetical location from out west and it answered with 'Hammond's Flycatcher'.  This gave him the route to checking the key identification features and tentatively confirmed it as a Hammond's Flycatcher.  Further work with the photos, other experts confirmed the sighting as a Hammond's Flycatcher.  As of this writing, the bird has not been seen again.

Let's look at the life history of this rare species for in this area.  The Hammond's Flycatcher belongs to the family Tyrannidae.  It is a small insectivorous bird that normally inhabits coniferous and mixed forests in the western part of North America.  It was named after William Alexander Hammond who, in the 1800s,  was an army surgeon who birded in his spare time and collected birds for the Smithsonian Institution.  The normal breeding range of this species is in the west from northern California northward to Yukon and Alaska.  It winters in Mexico and the Tropics.  

The Hammond's Flycatcher has grayish-olive upperparts, darker on the wings and tail.  It has a white eyering  which expands behind the eye.  There are pale white wing bars and the wings show a long primary projection.  It has a short, very narrow bill with a mostly dark lower mandible. The head and throat are grayish and there is usually a gray or olive wash on the breast and sides.  The belly is yellow.  Fall birds often are more olive above and on the sides and breast and the yellow below is brighter.

What species do we need to distinguish this one from?  If we were out west we would have to determine if it was a Dusky Flycatcher or a Gray Flycatcher.  We would not normally have to think about that here but we must consider them.  The Hammond's pip call eliminates the Dusky Flycatcher but Jim was not able to hear it.  The Dusky Flycatcher has a short primary projection and its bill is longer and wider than the Hammond's.  The same features eliminate the Gray Flycatcher as well and also the Gray Flycatcher flicks its tail which would help identify it.  

In New Brunswick the Hammond's Flycatcher would have to be differentiated from the Least Flycatcher.  The Least Flycatcher has a larger, more triangular bill that is pale in colour.  The Least has pale underparts and also has a shorter primary projection and contrasting dark wings with prominent wing bars.  

                                              Hammond's Flycatcher    [Jim Carroll Photo]

If you examine the photos above you can see all the identifying features of the Hammond's Flycatcher.  Note on the photo immediately above one can even see the wash of light gray on the sides.  The yellow belly is seen in all 3 photos.  The top photo shows how the eyering expands behind the eye.  The small dark bill  with a dark lower mandible and long primary wing projection are very easily seen.  The bird appears large-headed which is another descriptor for the species.  

The Hammond's, the Dusky and the Gray Flycatchers are considered sister species with no evidence of interbreeding.  The Hammond's Flycatcher itself does not show a lot of genetic variation.  Its plumage and its morphology are consistent across its range.  Scientists believe this is because the species was confined to an area below the ice during the Pleistocene Age.  

Hammond's Flycatchers do not sing during fall migration nor on the wintering grounds.  At those times one would only hear the pip call note.  Male Hammond's Flycatchers are feisty during breeding season and can be seen physically fighting, often locked together in mid-air and fluttering to the ground.  The Hammond's Flycatcher nests high up in tall trees and they prefer old growth forest.  The cup-shaped nest is in the fork of a branch and 3 to 4 creamy white eggs are laid.  The female incubates the eggs and both adults feed the young.  

We are thankful that this special Hammond's Flycatcher was seen by a sharp birder/photographer who was able to 'capture' identifying photos in the short 5 seconds the bird was able to be seen.  Many thanks to Jim Carroll!  It is a good exercise in flycatcher identification.  

Common Loon Mortality

                                                                       Common Loon 

The population of Common Loons in Canada has declined over recent years.  In this post I will discuss a relatively recent case of loon mortality, followed by a general discussion.

The loon family, Graviidae, is one of the oldest avian families.  We in Canada are proud of our loons and consider them as symbols of the wonderful wilderness which is one our our treasured resources.  We think enough of this species to immortalize it on our coinage.  Loons breed on our northern lakes and we are all delighted to hear their calls and yodelling as they feed and raise their young.  They winter off our ocean shores and southward only to return the next spring to the same lake when the ice is barely opened up.  Banding records reveal that they live for 20 to 30 years and it is thought that they mate for life.  

Loons breed first at the age of 2 years.  The nest is built by both adults very near the water's edge on an island or shoreline hidden by vegetation.  The nest itself is a mound of reeds, grasses and twigs and is often reused year after year.  Two eggs are laid and are incubated by both adults.  The young hatch after 24 to 31 days and leave the nest within 1 to 2 days.  They learn to swim and dive after 2 to 3 days on the water.  Both parents feed, protect and care for the young.  We have all seen the small chicks riding on the backs of the adult birds. 

Two years ago a friend and I were working on a plant survey in the Kennedy Lakes area of New Brunswick and came upon the remains of a deceased bird.  A photograph of that bird is shown below.  CAUTION, please scroll down if you do not wish to see it.  The remains were collected and submitted for examination.  

                                                Remains of Common Loon  [E Mills Photo]

The autopsy was conducted by Andrew Sullivan, NB Museum, and identified the remains as that of a Common Loon.  It showed two levels of trauma.  The first, fractured sternum and furcula (wishbone) had been sustained some time before and were partly healed.  See photo below.  The second traumatic event had obviously been lethal.  There were gun pellet holes in the pelvis which were not healed.  This individual had obviously endured two levels of pain and suffering.  The first could have been from a collision while in flight and the bird was recovering and functioning from that.  It could also have been caused by a collision with a boat.  The second was probably accompanied by significant additional soft tissue damage which was enough to end the bird's life.  The fact that it was on land in a wilderness area may mean it had been trying to care for young or that it crawled on shore to die.  Whatever the circumstances, it was a painful,  traumatic event caused by a human.  That is inexcusable human behaviour and whether it was a trigger-happy teenager (or adult) or a duck hunter who wasn't careful about the species he/she was shooting, it just should not have happened.  

 Furcula of Loon Showing Healed Fracture  [Andrew Sullivan Photo]

The loss of this adult loon resulted in the breakup of a pair of loons that may have been nesting on that lake for many years.  It may have resulted in the death of that year's chicks.  It certainly upset the ecological balance of that lake.  We humans must be more mindful of our actions and how seriously we can (and do) negatively influence the environment and its animal and plant species!

Relevant Common Loon mortality studies have been conducted in Maritime Canada and New England.  These reveal some interesting facts.  The Maritime study (Daoust 1998) looked at 31 moribund or dead Common Loons from the 3 Maritime provinces.  Eight of these birds were in good body condition and died acutely by drowning or trauma.  23 of the birds were in poor body condition and died of chronic lead poisoning, respiratory mycosis, or oil contamination of their plumage.  The poor body condition was studied further and these birds also had high numbers of intestinal trematodes and significantly higher levels of total renal mercury.    

The New England study (Sidor 2003) examined 522 dead or moribund Common Loons taken from the New England area.  They found the causes of mortality differed significantly in breeding and wintering habitats.  Wintering adults died mainly of trauma and infection and had poorer body condition than breeding loons.  In breeding adults lead toxicosis from ingested fishing gear accounted for almost half of all mortality.  Direct anthropogenic factors accounted for 52% of loon mortality in that study!  They also studied mortality in loon chicks and they could identify that infraspecific aggression (from one loon chick to another) caused 25% mortality and other causes of trauma were responsible for 32%.  

So, considering the Maritime study, humans were responsible either directly or indirectly for much of the mortality.  Eight out of 31 cases were caused by drowning or trauma.  Humans were not responsible for all of that but certainly caused some of the trauma as in the case cited above.  23 out of the 31 cases had lead poisoning, respiratory mycosis or oil contamination.  Humans caused all the lead poisoning and the oil contamination.  We are looking really bad here!  Those birds in poor body condition had toxic levels of renal mercury.  Humans again!  What is not mentioned here as well is poisoning from PCBs which can also be a factor.  The New England study showed human causes in 52% of the loon mortality.  

The picture as presented by the case cited above and these studies is bleak.  Humans are a significant cause of loon mortality.  There is no easy way to look at this without putting the blame squarely on humans.  We must change our behaviour and we must continue to clean up our environment.  The Common Loon is perceived as a regal representative of our wilderness environment.  We have not protected it properly.  We can and must do better.

                                                     Common Loon on Canadian Dollar Coin

 Reference:

Daoust PY, Conboy G, McBurney S, Burgess N.  Interactive mortality factors in common loons from Maritime Canada.  J Wildl Dis. 1998 Jul 34(3) 524-31.

Sidor Inga F, Pokras Mark A, Major Andrew R, Poppenga Robert H, Taylor Kate M, Miconi Rose M.

Mortality of common loons in New England, 1987 to 2000. J Wildl Dis. 2003 Apr  39(2): 306-15.