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Monthly Archives: September 2017

Bird Spotlight: Northern Flickers

Posted on September 28, 2017 by Rosann Kovalcik

Northern Flicker in a snag, By Jan Palland

I love it in the spring when I hear the sound, “wicka, wicka, wicka”. I look to the treetops, especially exposed snags, hoping to find the pair of Northern Flickers engaging in courtship behavior, as tipped off by their calls. With beaks pointed to the sky, they move their heads side to side in unison while calling, tails fanned out. The Flicker Flamenco Dance is one of my favorite local treats to watch.

Northern Flickers are a woodpecker, and one of the few that can be found feeding on the ground. Their specialty is ants! There was a study done of the stomach contents of 700 Northern Flickers which showed that 98% of them had eaten only ants, with one count at 3,000 and another at 5,000 ants.

Northern Flicker with extended tongue, By Jan Palland

Perhaps one of the most interesting features of Northern Flickers, as with all woodpeckers, is their ability to extend their tongue far past the end of their bill. In fact, Flicker tongues extend two inches beyond their bill. The tongues of birds are comprised of long flexible bones with a soft tip, collectively called the hyoid apparatus. At its base, the Flicker’s tongue splits into two branches called horns which curl under the jaw and wrap around the base of the skull, extending over the top of the skull and meeting near the nostrils at the base of the bill. The tip of the tongue is highly sensitive, allowing Flickers to feel the ants they are catching. As well, they have very sticky saliva which allows them to catch many ants at once with the saliva being extra alkaline to negate the ants’ acidic defense to being attacked!

Two Northern Flickers on a snag, By Jan Palland

Northern Flicker males and females differ very little in their appearance. The male has black malars, marks that start where the beak meets the face and travel down at an attractive angle on the cheek. The black color in the plumage of Northern Flickers comes from pigment (melanin) that adds strength and durability to their feathers. This is quite necessary when you think of how much time a bird like this is entering and exiting from a cavity to tend to its young. Most of their tail is black, an adaptation for strength where it is needed a great deal.

Another unique adaptation of the Flicker is the fact that two of their toes point forward and two point backward, this zygodactyl arrangement provides extra grip on the bark of a tree, especially since the fourth toe can be spread more to the side when needed. Their tail feathers are also of special design, with a reinforced shaft and pointed tips, creating a sturdy third part of the tripod as they move on the sides of trees. Northern Flickers have a couple of ribs that are abnormally large which allows for extra chest muscle attachment, making the physical demands of being a woodpecker easier.

Northern Flicker at nest cavity, By Jan Palland

Flickers create a cavity that they chisel into a tree for nesting purposes. Northern Flickers are built to withstand the hammering blows needed to create the cavities because of a bone that projects from the top of the upper bill and acts as a stop, as well as having extra cartilage between the skull and the bill for shock absorption. Cavity nesting birds are usually more successful than birds that use open nests, with a higher survival rate for their young because they are protected from poor weather conditions and predators. Woodpecker eggs are white, not needing to be camouflaged inside of the cavity.

Woodpeckers are indeterminate egg layers, which means that they do not lay a specific number of eggs. This allows them to replace eggs that may have been lost to poor weather conditions or predators. One egg is laid per day, with the parents taking one of two roles – standing guard nearby or engaging in mock incubation which lasts usually under 30 minutes. The guarding and mock incubation continue until all eggs are laid, at which time real incubation starts. Another interesting fact about woodpeckers is that the male incubates the eggs overnight, the opposite of most bird species. Both the male and female develop a brood patch on the upper belly and lower breast, where feathers fall out and bare skin is exposed to effectuate the transfer of the heat from the adult to the eggs and young. The amount of oxygen in the nest cavity is a reason for shorter incubation in the Northern Flicker. The end result is that the eggs hatch sooner with the baby birds being more immature than most other birds. Yet within 24 hours, baby Flickers are able to begin crawling up the cavity walls toward the entrance in order to beg their parents for food. The Northern Flicker adults have a crop, a specialized expandable pouch, where they can cache larger quantities of food to feed their young, allowing for less trips back and forth to the nesting cavity.

Northern Flicker foraging for ants, By Jan Palland

How cool is it that Flicker cavities that are no longer being used by the woodpeckers are used by some duck species for nesting including Wood Ducks, Mergansers and Bufflehead.

All woodpeckers have a flight pattern that makes them easy to recognize. Instead of flapping continuously like most small birds, woodpeckers flap-bound which means that they flap which causes their body to rise and then they tuck their wings and glide, losing altitude as they do. In flight, the Northern Flicker is a little steadier than other woodpeckers. However, the white rump is a helpful diagnostic field mark when the Flicker is in flight.

Flickers are a treat with their unusual plumage. I hope you see many during this Fall migration

– Enjoy your Birds!

Rosann Kovalcik, Owner

Wild Birds Unlimited, Grosse Pointe Woods

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Posted in Wild Bird Facts | Leave a comment |

A Fall Bird Walk at Elmwood Cemetery

Posted on September 21, 2017 by Rosann Kovalcik

Who would have imagined, a Bird Walk at Elmwood Cemetery on September 20th with 80 degree temperatures!? Despite the unusual warmth, our crowd of 15 had a delightful time walking around this historic cemetery – and Detroit’s only certified Arboretum.

We love our hostess, Joanie Capuano, who fills in the blank on the history of the “who’s who” in the cemetery and what certain headstones mean, and is as engaged in the birds as everyone else.

The flycatchers were high in the trees and, with the size of the trees here, that’s way up! Through the scope we were able to identify Great-crested Flycatcher – the rest we chalked up to “flycatcher species”, as they can all look extremely similar. American Robins were in abundance all over the cemetery. The fruit crops here are ideal for them and they were gorging themselves on this energy rich sustenance, perfect fuel for the migration ahead.

Our view of warblers and other small birds was in a backlit, dead tree. The scope came in handy again as we then had enough light to enable us to see the coloration on the Yellow-rumped Warblers, American Redstart and American Goldfinches that were preening in the late sun.

We expected Chimney Swifts and were not disappointed as they flew overhead in steady numbers. What we didn’t expect, and brought much excitement, was a Red-headed Woodpecker. The unmistakable black and white in flight had me calling out the birds’ name. It then very cooperatively hung out on a silver maple, perfectly poised for most to see through their binoculars and in the telescope as well. The stunning beauty of their crimson head colors never fails to delight me. We were all excited about this rare find.

As we were walking our final stretch, the antics of a Belted Kingfisher entertained us. He flew back and forth across the pond, rattling as he flew. Many times he perched long enough for us to view him through the telescope, commenting about his crazy head feathers.

We relaxed after the walk, tallying up our species and looking through the field guide to expand upon our experience. A lovely time was had by all!

Much thanks to Joanie Capuano for hosting us and to Jim Szelc for co-leading and carrying the scope, a worth-while effort and much appreciated.

Rosann Kovalcik, Owner
Wild Birds Unlimited, Grosse Pointe Woods

Species seen at Elmwood Cemetery on September 20, 2017 – 20 Species

Canada Goose
Ring-billed Gull
Mourning Dove
Common Nighthawk
Chimney Swift
Belted Kingfisher
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Great-crested Flycatcher
Blue Jay
Black-capped Chickadee
American Robin
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler
American Redstart
Chipping Sparrow
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow

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Posted in Events & Outings, Fall | Leave a comment |

Maintaining a Clean Bird Feeding Station

Posted on September 6, 2017 by Rosann Kovalcik

The onset of autumn is a great time to check your feeding stations for cleanliness and functionality. With feeding the birds comes the responsibility to reduce the risk of disease and illness and keeps pests away (this is good for your birds and for you)! The following tips should help you achieve these goals.

This time of year, I find the non-migrant birds such as Chickadees, Cardinals, House Finches, and Nuthatches come to the feeders less often, as they feast on the natural foods that are in abundance. Once those seeds and insects start to lessen, birds look to supplement their diet with feeder offerings. The most favored seed option to offer is black oil sunflower, preferred by more birds than any other seed. Using sunflower as the main seed in a blend and adding other favored seeds including white proso millet will satisfy the needs of the local bird population as well as the migrants. Birds that perch while they eat prefer the sunflower, whereas the ground feeding birds (like doves, juncos, and certain sparrows) prefer the millet that falls to the ground from the feeder.

Choosing high-quality seed is the most important factor in crafting your tidy feeding station. The birds toss aside seeds they do not prefer, which leaves a food source for rodents. Check the ingredients within your seed blends and do not buy any blends with wheat, red proso millet, canary seed or oats as these seeds are not high on the list of bird’s favorites. A No-Mess Blend can be the best option for a pest-free, clean feeding station. With no shells under the feeder, there is no place for insects that gather under the decomposing shells. If you live near large groups of House Sparrows, it is definitely a challenge to keep seed off of the ground. If this is your situation, consider feeding only thistle, suet or seed cakes, which leave less mess. Cylinder feeding is another option for reducing seed debris, as the seed stays tightly packed in is cylinder form as opposed to loosely falling to the ground.

Regular cleanup efforts can also make for a happier and healthier clean bird feeding station. One way to alleviate messes is to attach a tray to your feeder, which catches seeds scattered by the sparrows and other feeder birds (we’re convinced they are trying to share with their brethren below!). No matter what, there will always be a least a small amount of loose seed which falls to the ground. Try to clean up any seed which has been sitting on the ground for long periods of time, as this can collect droppings, mold, and other germs which can negatively affect the birds. A hardware cloth or screen placed on the ground below the feeders can allow for a much easier cleanup. Simply pull away the cloth or screen, dispose of the seed, rinse or replace, and repeat as needed. Mulch can also be used on top of landscape cloth. When seed collects, roll it up and place dirty mulch and cloth in composting pick-up.  Start fresh for the best health of your birds.

Cleaning and sterilizing feeders should be done when you notice the feeder is getting dirty, that is whenever feeders have an accumulation of bird droppings. A good soak in some warm water will loosen all of the dirt that builds up in most tube feeders. We carry an excellent soy-based cleaner that works very well to clean feeders of oil that builds up as a result of seed as well as removing the accumulation of dirt. We also carry cleaning brushes with soft bristles, allowing you to scrub without scratching the feeders. To sterilize, add one part of vinegar or chlorine free bleach to ten parts water.  Always rinse thoroughly and then let the feeder dry completely before filling. With a wooden feeder, follow the same steps without a prolonged soak. A good alternative to wood is the recycled plastic feeders that are now being made. The plastic does not allow organic material to grow as readily as wood does.

Store seeds in galvanized cans inside of the garage or a shed. Storing seed in the house can be a bad idea, as the higher temperatures of our homes can prompt cereal moths to hatch. These moths come from eggs laid in the seed shells of the sunflower plant as it grows in the field. We recommend galvanized cans, as rodents are able to chew through plastic. Whether the little teeth of mice or the larger teeth of squirrels, plastic is ineffective at keeping rodents out.

I hope that these tips help you to enjoy the influx of fall migrants as well as the continued visits of your local birds.

Enjoy your birds!

Rosann Kovalcik

Store Owner, Wild Birds Unlimited, GPW

Posted in Bird Feeding Solutions, Fall | Leave a comment |

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