My Bird Blog is a series of “then and now” stories that combine my experiences as a juvenile birdwatcher in Britain during the 1950s and 1960s with my knowledge of the same species in California today. Each month I publish the details of a bird …
Feathers in Fashion, Easter Parade 1911 New York City Photo Credit – Library of Congress At the turn of the nineteenth century, in North America and Britain, birds were hunted for sport and food, and their feathers used for fashion. Ornithologists killed birds …
Half Moon Bay, CA
Parasitic Jaeger
I’m sure they were Skuas, but I could not identify the species. They were close to the shore in Half Moon Bay, northern California. My Bird Book identified them as Jaegers, a word expressed as “yay-ger” from the German word for “hunter.” They are known in Europe as Skuas, a Faroese word meaning dark or shady.
They were about the size of a Mallard, dark brown, with bulky bodies and a robust flight, and probably were Parasitic Jaegers. In Europe, they are called Arctic Skuas. The name “parasitic” comes from the behavior of all Skuas, which is to attack other seabirds to have them give up their food. They might have been “poms,” Pomarine Jaegers, a first name taken from the waxy structure covering their bill’s base. I also saw these in Europe, where they are known as Pomarine Skuas. Skuas are kleptomaniac birds, ones who steal compulsively.
Arctic Skua
Parasitic Jaegers’ North America Range
Orange: breeding; Yellow: Migration; Blue: Winter
Arctic (Parasitic) Skua UK Distribution
Yellow: Breeding; Pink: Passage
As a teenager at Spurn Point, England, I spotted Arctic Skuas migrating off the coastline. They are distinguished by their strong wing beats and pointed wings, and I watched them chasing Sandwich Terns to rob them of their food. They breed in the high Arctic Tundra in northern Eurasia and North America and migrate south for winter as far as the Southern Hemisphere.
Pomarine Jaeger (Skua)
Pomarine Jaeger (Skua) Range
There were also sightings of Pomarine Skuas at Spurn Point. Sometimes referred to as the Pomeranian Skua, they have no connection with the Pomeranian area of the Baltic Sea. They are broad-winged and bulkier than the Arctic Skua, and they have darker plumage and a more methodical, direct flight pattern. The species nests in the Arctic Tundra in the far north of Eurasia and North America and migrates to the Southern Hemisphere for winter. The birds rely heavily on lemmings for their food during their breeding season.
Long-tailed Skua/Jaeger
Long-tailed Skua/Jaeger Range
Long-tailed Jaegers are a third species of Jaeger that migrates along the California coast. In Europe, the Long-tailed Skua can be seen along Britain’s east coast and occasionally flies across the country during migration. It prefers to stay some distance out to sea. It is the smallest of the Skuas/Jaegers family, with thin, pointed wings and a graceful flight. It displays delicate, long tail streamers. Above, it is grayish and dusty below, with a pale breast and a dark cap on its head. In Eurasia, it breeds in the high Arctic and winters off the West African coast as far south as South Africa. In North America, they breed in the Arctic. They spend the remainder of the year at sea, reaching as far south as the Brazilian and Argentinian coasts and along the west coast of South America using the Pacific Ocean.
Great Skua
Great Skua Range
The only species that carries the name “Skua” in North America is the Great Skua, a large and aggressive bird that inhabits the North Atlantic area. I watched these birds migrate along Spurn Point, where some colleagues called them “Bonxies,” a Nordic word for corpulent. They breed in Iceland, Norway, the Faroe Islands, and the Scottish islands north of Great Britain and winter at sea.
They regularly appear along the northeast coast of North America, where they travel as far south as Brazil and South Africa. Adult birds are large, powerful, thick-necked, bulky, wide-winged, streaked greyish brown, with white wing flashes and a black cap. Their tail feathers are short and blunt. Their diet consists of fish, carrion, rodents up to the size of rabbits, and smaller seabirds. Their population is about 35,000 individual birds.
South Polar Skua
Three Southern Hemisphere species carry the name Skuas, not Jaegers, and one winters as far north as the California coast. It is called the South Polar Skua. It breeds in the Antarctic from November to January and moves north to winter at sea in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. It does not reach as far north as the UK, although there is speculation that an occasional vagrant may have been mistakenly identified as a Great Skua.
South Polar Skua Range
Their arrival along the California coast begins in southern California during late spring and reaches northern California by early fall. It is rare to see them from the shore since the preferred habitat is the open ocean, where concentrations of other birds are available to offer the opportunity for them to steal their food. Pelagic boat trips provide the best chance to spot this species. It is a large, brown Skua with white wing flashes.
Brown Skua
Brown Skua Range (blue = Rare vagrant)
Two other Skua species appear only in the Southern Hemisphere. The most widely spread is the Brown Skua, which ranges across the Antarctic and subantarctic and is seen off the coastlines of South Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and South America. It is the largest and heaviest of all Skuas and is normally seen offshore, where birds may follow boats. Their plumage is dark brown, with broad white patches on the upper and underwings in flight.
Chilean Skua
Chilean Skua Range
Orange = Breeding
Finally, the Chilean Skua’s territory is limited to South America. It inhabits coastal regions from central Peru southwards, through the Strait of Magellan, to northern Argentina, and some birds may reach Brazil during winter. It is also known as the Cinnamon Skua because of its conspicuous cinnamon-colored neck ring. The species displays a dark brown cap, gold upper breast, and cinnamon-colored underwing covers.
Calculating skua populations is challenging because of their remoteness from humans, but numbers appear stable. Reductions in food supply are the most significant risks. When lemmings are in short supply, the Long-tailed Jaeger will miss a breeding season. In the UK, the number of breeding Arctic Skuas has fallen 70 percent since 2000, possibly due to the decline of other seabirds that provide them with food. The lifespan of Skuas varies by species but typically falls between 10 to 25 years, with some birds living over 30 years.
South Polar Skua and Penguin Attack
These are fabulous birds to watch as they chase other birds and display superior flight skills. Try to use location, size and plumage color to determine which species you are looking at. Remember, the most likely place to see them is a few miles offshore.
European Ring Ouzel, male Photo Credit – Birdfact European Ring Ouzel, female Photo Credit – Flickr The Ring Ouzel, a member of the Thrush family, is only seen if visiting or living in Europe. There is no reference to the appearance …
American Pipit Photo Credit – American Bird Conservancy There are about 40 pipit-named species worldwide, with the word “pipit” derived from the Meadow Pipit’s call “pi-pit.” Pipits are small, slender, drab-looking, streaky-brown birds with forenames often identifying their habitat, location, or coloring—such as …
Woodpecker that does not drill holes, Northern Flicker males (red-shafted /yellow-shafted)
The Northern Flicker (a species in the Woodpecker family) is on my golf course for the winter. Several birds recently flew low alongside the eighth tee, exhibiting their characteristic undulating flight broken by regular glides and their loud, rasping cries. Some quiet ones dug dirt near the sixth hole to catch ants. Their smaller relative, the Red-breasted Sapsucker, is leaving its signature by drilling rows of small holes less than half an inch apart as horizontal lines on selected tree trunks across the course. It uses these holes as wells to feed on the accumulated sap. Since neither species exists in Europe, I have included their European Wryneck cousin to represent the Old World.
European Green Woodpecker
All three species belong to the Woodpecker family. The Northern Flicker is a winter visitor and a resident, and in California, the species is represented by the “Red-shafted” variety. The “Yellow-shafted” subspecies is distributed east of the Rockies, although the two interbreed. Hybrid birds often have a mix of plumage characteristics from both sides. Fifty percent of their diet is ants, with the remainder of beetles, moths, grub larvae, and fruits and nuts in winter. They have extra-long tongues, up to two inches beyond the tip of their bills, coated with sticky saliva.
While Flickers are absent in Europe, their eating habits are like those of the European Green Woodpecker, and juveniles of this species can look very similar to Flickers.
Northern Flickers are beautiful birds of medium size, with black barring on a light grey back, a spotted belly and chest, a white rump, and red feathers on the tail, underwings and some wing feathers. For the “Yellow-shafted” variety, the under feathers are yellow, not red. Males of both subspecies have a moustache of either red or black feathers.
Like most woodpeckers, Northern Flickers generally nest in holes in trees, although sometimes they occupy earthen burrows left by other birds. They will also drum on trees to defend their territory and communicate with each other. The maximum life span is a little short of 10 years, and their preferred habitat is woodland, the edge of forests, city parks, and areas with scattered trees. The estimated global breeding population is around 10 million birds. Numbers have declined because of human activity, but the species remains off the endangered list.
But now let me present the Red-breasted Sapsucker, the most common Sapsucker in California. There are also the Red-naped Sapsucker (Rocky Mountains and Great Basin), Williamson’s Sapsucker (northern Mexico to British Columbia, including eastern California), and the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Canada and northeastern United States). Until 1985 the Red-breasted, Red-naped, and Yellow-billed Sapsuckers were considered the same species.
Woodpecker with a sweet tooth, the Red-breasted Sapsucker
Red-breasted Sapsucker Range
Red: summer; Purple: resident; Blue: winter.
The Red-breasted Sapsucker, about the size of an American Robin, is primarily a winter visitor to my part of northern California. I am more likely to see its presence by spotting its tidy lines of pecked holes in the trunks of trees than seeing the bird. The plumage is similar in color to other woodpeckers but with a more extensive covering of bright crimson on the head and upper breast. Unfortunately, they attack living trees and can kill them by girding their trunks with closely spaced holes. They nest in holes in the trees excavated by the males. The lifespan is around five years, and estimates suggest a global population of around 2.8 million. The species is of low conservation concern, and, in the past, they were shot as orchard pests; now, they are protected.
Woodpecker that mimics a snake, Eurasian Wryneck
Eurasian Wryneck Range
Orange: summer; Blue: winter; Purple: resident
I never recorded an Old World Eurasian Wryneck while growing up in England. They were widespread and nested in central and southern England, but I stayed in Yorkshire then. Their last confirmed breeding was in 2002; the species is now a rare passage bird in spring and August/September, appearing along the British east and southern coasts. They are small birds, sparrow-sized, and because of their greyish plumage mottled in pale brown, they are inconspicuous. They have a broad black stripe down the middle of their crown and back. Shape-wise, the birds are slim and elongated with a long tail. Like Flickers and the Green Woodpecker, they prefer a diet of ants, moths, and insects gathered in the soil and on decaying wood. Their bills are small and weak; they have long, sticky tongues and do not hammer or excavate, so for nesting, the birds use woodpecker holes or occupy wall crevices.
The species name comes from their ability to twist their necks nearly 180 degrees. “Wry” originates from the Old English verb meaning “to contort, twist, or turn.” They do this and sometimes hiss snake-like to frighten off predators (hence their nickname, snake bird). Preferred habitat during summer is open country with scattered trees, orchards, parklands, gardens and fields. As shown on the Range Map, they are long-distance migrants, breeding in Europe and Central Asia, and with the European birds wintering in central Africa. Despite rarity in Britain, their global population is estimated to be three to seven million birds, with 50 percent breeding in Europe.
Population numbers are believed to be declining because of climate change, such as increased rainfall during the breeding season, loss of nesting habitat, and the use of pesticides. However, none of the three species I presented are seriously threatened.
A Wryneck
Sabine’s Gull Photo Credit – eBird On a recent pelagic birding cruise out of Ventura, CA., I spotted my first Sabine’s Gull, a small, delicate seagull Sir Edward Sabine first described in 1818. Unlike most seagulls, these are readily identified but rarely seen because they …
Great Blue Heron Nests Photo Credit – Louisa Cammidge The above photo arrived a few days ago with the question, “To whom do these nests belong?” The location is Puget Sound on the northwest coast of the US state of Washington. The answer is …
Lesser Goldfinch at my Tube Feeder
It has been a fascinating two years living in northern California, close to the Pacific Coast, observing the etiquette of birds that visit my bird feeders. Each specific species has a distinct bird behavior and attitude. A comprehensive list of visitors to California bird feeders is available on this website: https://avianreport.com/california-backyard-feeder-birds/
My more personal list is as follows.
Downy Woodpecker
Nutall’s Woodpecker
I have added substitutions, deletions, and additions to focus on my more familiar visitors. In my yard, there is the Downy Woodpecker, not the Nutall’s Woodpecker; the American Robin arrives for berries rather than visits my bird feeders; Starlings, Golden-crowned Sparrows, and Northern Mockingbirds are absent even though they live nearby; the Black-headed Grosbeak is a rare visitor but is not on the attached list, and flocks of Band-tailed Pigeons (also not on the attached list) are unwelcome guests. They descend in groups and eat from bird feeders until the food is exhausted and frighten away everything else. Recently, I added peanuts to my offerings, only to discover a few minutes later that a mass of Band-tailed Pigeons had arrived.
Band-tailed Pigeons
Here are some of my more frequent visitors. The Lesser Goldfinch (illustration above) is a year-round visitor, easily frightened and subordinate to larger, more aggressive birds. Its favorite food is the small, dark-colored thistle (nyjer) seed, kept in a mesh tube feeder that other birds cannot access except for the occasional Oak Titmouse. This way, it avoids competition, but its presence remains skittish.
American Goldfinch
Sometimes, Lesser Goldfinches are accompanied by the American Goldfinch, which has the distinctive black head of the breeding male. They are a little more sociable but appear to prefer regular bird feeders with various seeds.
House Finches; red male; plain female:
House Finches are my most common visitors, probably every day of the year. They gather in the bushes and chatter while waiting to compete at the tube feeders. They defer to larger, more aggressive birds like the California Scrub Jay and allow smaller birds, such as the Oak Titmouse and Chestnut-backed Chickadee, to take over their perches. They are more aggressive towards each other. Sometimes mixed among them are Cassin’s Finches and Pine Siskins.
Oak Titmouse
The Oak Titmouse is a curious bird that feeds using a grab-and-run technique. It visits platform feeders, suet cages, and hanging feeders but takes its food to eat elsewhere. If being pushed to one side, expect to hear its harsh scolding call and see its raised crest.
Its close relative, the Chestnut-backed Chickadee, displays similar bird behavior. This cautious visitor prefers suet holders over tube feeders and flits quickly between food sources. It takes a mouthful at a time and promptly leaves to eat or store it elsewhere.
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
California Scrub Jay
The species I find the most fascinating is the rather drab-looking California Towhee. It has some interesting bird behavior — appearing to have no fear of humans as it persistently pecks away at the ground for food. The California Towhee neither bullies other birds nor will it be bullied. It is a ground feeder, but occasionally, it visits platform and suet feeders. It seems to know what’s up there. I watched a California Towee repeatedly fly to a suet basket to peck at the suet balls while still in flight. It then dropped to the ground to eat what it had pecked. Over the weeks, it discovered a platform in the center of the suet feeder and eventually realized by occupying it, the bird could happily peck away at the food and consume it undisturbed.
California Towhee
Dark-eyed Junco
Finally, my most industrious visitor is the Dark-eyed Junco. I observe them year-round as they hop, search, and peck for food on the ground, often spilt by other birds. It is not easily frightened.
On a peaceful day, nothing is more satisfying than sitting outside watching birds feed. In addition to the species I have covered, there are other visitors, such as the American Crow, Mourning Dove, Nuthatches, and Spotted Towhee.
If you have or are thinking of installing a bird feeder, please consider the following:
Enjoy your backyard birdwatching. You’ll see some interesting bird behavior. It’s been a hobby of mine since the 1950s when, on my family’s farm home in England, I would see Blue Tits, Great Tits, House Sparrows, European Robins, Starlings and Chaffinches. Today, in the same area, you can include European Goldfinches, Long-tailed Tits, and Nuthatches.
Black Phoebe Photo Credit – Cornell Lab of Ornithology Phoebes are smallish (6 inches/16 cm), insect-eating, perching songbirds native to the Americas. Black Phoebe – United States, Mexico, Central America, parts of South America Eastern Phoebe – Eastern North America Say’s Phoebe – …
Mistle Thrush Photo Credit – British Trust for Ornithology This month, I am focusing on a bird I observed during my childhood in northern England: the Mistle Thrush. In the late 1950s, my ornithological colleagues at Bootham School reported that the Mistle Thrush was …
Barn Swallow
My local Barn Swallows have arrived and have been constructing mud nests and feeding their offspring under the roof eaves of houses along the Corte Madera Creek near San Francisco. These avians make an annual pilgrimage, often in large groups, during early spring from as far away as Argentina, a journey spanning approximately 5,000 miles (8,000 km). They travel up to 600 miles (1,000 km) daily during daylight, indulging in a mid-air feast as they dart across the sky. Barn swallows eat only insects. Most other migrant birds travel under darkness, resting and feeding during the daytime so as not to be seen by predators. Barn swallows can quickly alter their course and altitude, accelerate when necessary and often soar too high to be pursued by raptors.
Barn Swallow Range Map
Green – breeding; dark green – resident; light blue – migration; blue – non-breeding
The Barn Swallow, a truly cosmopolitan bird, also breeds in northern Europe, northeastern Asia, the Middle East, and northern Africa. As a young bird enthusiast, I would eagerly anticipate their annual arrival at the Yorkshire farm, where they would promptly construct their mud nests in barns, sheds, and under the eaves of buildings. I would call them “the swallows “. They are the world’s most populous and widely dispersed swallow species. Other members of the Hirundinidae family seen during my childhood were the Sand Martins and House Martins. In California, there are these additional representatives:
There are approximately 90 Hirundinidae species worldwide. Swifts are unrelated and classified in a separate family, the Apodidae.
WHY DO BIRDS MIGRATE?
Arctic Tern
WHEN DO BIRDS MIGRATE?
Seabird Migration
HOW DO BIRDS FIND THEIR MIGRATION DESTINATION?
WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF GLOBAL WARMING ON MIGRATION?
In summary, there is more to learn about the effects of climate change on birds. There seem to be winners and losers, with some benefiting and increasing in numbers and others hindered and experiencing declining populations.
HOPEFULLY, THIS INFORMATION WAS USEFUL. THERE APPEARS TO BE MUCH MORE TO LEARN ABOUT BIRD MIGRATION AND HOW EACH SPECIES COPE WITH CLIMATE CHANGE.
Cory’s Shearwater off the coast of Madeira, Portugal Photo Credit – Author Cory’s Shearwater is a large, heavy bird and a member of the seabird family Procelleridae. It breeds primarily in the Portuguese islands of the Azores and Madeira and the Canary Islands, Spain. …
Northern Mockingbird Photo Credit – the Author Amidst a cacophony of mid-morning birdsong, a medium-sized bird, approximately 10 inches (25 cm) in length, caught my eye. Its tail, as long as its body, was a striking feature. The bird’s plumage was a mix of …
Greater Scaup (male with the white plumage)
California winter visitors, the Greater Scaup, have recently left the coastal creek near my home and returned to their breeding grounds along the West Coast up to Alaska. Previously, I have written about ducks known as Buffleheads and Teal; now, it is the turn of the Scaup: Lesser and Greater. The name probably originates from the Scot’s word scalp, meaning a bed of shellfish, a favorite food of the duck. Alternatively, some suggest the word comes from the female’s scaup call. Its nickname in North America is Bluebill because of its distinctive blue bill.
Both species of Scaup are medium-sized and similar in appearance, except for the longer, whitish band on the wings of the Greater Scaup and its rounded head, whereas the Lesser Scaup’s head is peaked. Large bodies of water, often near the coast, are home to the Greater, and the Lesser inhabits marshes and ponds. Both dive underwater for food, and while the most common dabbling duck in the United States is the Mallard, the Lesser Scaup is the most numerous diving duck.
Greater/Lesser Scaup (Greater is whiter)
I recorded Scaup during my childhood in Yorkshire, England. After leaving their breeding grounds in Iceland, Scandinavia, and western Russia, they were winter visitors. As winters have become warmer and wetter, there are fewer Scaup, with the British population estimated to have shrunk 75 percent since the mid-1970s. Britain also hosts the “Lesser” variety as a rare vagrant, with the first recorded sighting in the 1980s.
Greater Scaup Global Range
Blue: breeding; Red: winter and migration
Lesser Scaup Range
What makes a Scaup a duck and not a goose since both are in the same waterfowl family, Anatidae? Experts identify the number of bones the bird has in its neck. Ducks have 16 or fewer, while geese have between 17 and 24. Other differences include ducks with broader and longer beaks, geese typically larger, and ducks with more colorful plumage, especially males.
For now, I must be patient. The Greater Scaup will return in October. In the meantime, I can look for the widespread Mallard found virtually on all bodies of water or search in California for breeding Gadwalls and Cinnamon Teals.
Gadwall
Cinnamon Teal
Eurasian or Common Kestrel: Photo Credit – Wikipedia American Kestrel Photo Credit – Cornell Lab of Ornithology Thank you, Sonoma Land Trust, for connecting me with the beautiful American Kestrel, the smallest raptor in North America, during a recent visit to the Sonoma …
