May is full of Colourful Birds

Nature Notes for May 24, 2013

May is the month when the most colourful migrants return. Many of the most colourful birds are the warblers. They are tiny, weighing in at between 8 and 15 grams.

Last weekend at the annual Warblers and Whimbrels weekend at Presqu’ile ProvincialPark, my husband and I were able to show several of these birds to an admiring audience. We captured and banded male American Redstarts (orange and black), Common Yellowthroat (yellow and gray with a black mask). Nashville Warbler (yellow body, gray head with a few rusty red feathers on the crown), NorthernWaterthrush (more subdued shades of brown and cream), Cape May Warbler (female, so subdued shades of gray), Yellow-rumped Warbler (bright yellow, white, black, gray), Yellow Warbler (yellow with red streaks on the breast), Magnolia Warbler (a different pattern of yellow, white and gray), Chestnut-sided Warbler (lime green head, chestnut flanks).

These little birds, despite their bright colours, can be very difficult to see among the newly emerging foliage on the trees.

We also captured four Baltimore Orioles, a slightly larger bird, bright orange and black, which even non-birders can often see and usually identify.

Other brightly coloured birds which were in the park, but not handled included Scarlet Tanager (male is bright red with black wings), Rose-breasted Grosbeak (male is black and white with a splash of red on the upper breast) and IndigoBunting (male is bright blue).

Most of these species winter in the tropics and are arriving back in the north to take advantage of abundant insect prey to feed and raise a family.

Some of the birds listed will continue further north. The Yellow-rumped Warbler breeds primarily in the Boreal Forest and may be headed as far at the Yukon. On the other hand, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat and American Redstart all breed at Presqu’ile. Chestnut-sided Warblers nest throughout Northumberland in brushy roadsides, hedgerows and shrubby old fields.

Baltimore Orioles, a member of the blackbird family, often nest in urban areas as well as in the surrounding countryside. Despite their orange colour, they can be difficult to see when in a green tree. Often, their hanging pendulous nests are not found until the trees shed their leaves in the fall.

Scarlet Tanager and Rose-breasted Grosbeak both favour deciduous woodlands in which to nest. Readers who live near these forests may have the good fortune to see Rose-breasted Grosbeaks at bird feeders all summer. To see the Tanager takes a little more effort because they don’t come to feeders. They don’t eat seeds, but insects and fruit.

One of the most strikingly beautiful birds appeared yesterday at my backyard bird feeder in Port Hope: a Red-headed Woodpecker. We haven’t had one in the garden for a number of years, although they nested in a ravine a few blocks away last year. There are nesting Red-headed Woodpeckers in Cobourg as well. Male and female are alike in plumage – completely red head with large blocks of black and white on the body and wings.

Many of these colourful birds will be around until at least August. With only a little searching, readers should be able to find some of them.