Brown-headed Cowbird: "North America's most reviled native bird"

Brown-headed Cowbird, Hines, Oregon, 24 May 2009 by Greg Gillson.

 

Brood parasite: "Organisms that use the strategy... involving the... use of host individuals... to raise the young of the brood-parasite." -- Wikipedia.

The Brown-headed Cowbird does not build its own nest. Instead, it lays its eggs in nests of other birds. In fact, at least 221 known bird species have been hosts to Brown-headed Cowbirds. They usually only lay one egg per host nest. The host parent, often a much smaller species of bird, raises the cowbirds' young, usually to the detriment of its own young.

In "Brown-headed Cowbird: Villain or Scapegoat?" Birding 31:448–451, August 2004, author Stephen I. Rothstein argues that widespread population declines of host species by cowbirds is not scientifically supported. He believes that "North America's most reviled native bird" is unfairly blamed for declines in bird populations largely caused by habitat loss. Of course, we know who is responsible for altering and destroying the established natural landscape, now don't we?

So let's take a step back for a moment and view this bird without prejudice.

The Brown-headed Cowbird is a migratory blackbird. It arrives in the Pacific NW in April and remains into October. A few birds may be found in winter mixed in flocks with other blackbirds at cattle feedlots and similar concentration points.

The male has a black body and brown head; the female is slate-colored gray-brown. The young birds are brownish-gray with paler feather edgings. The bill is pointed and rather thick. Thus, as with female Red-winged Blackbirds, this combination causes some confusion with beginners in thinking juvenile cowbirds might be a sparrow or bunting.

 

Juvenile Brown-headed Cowbird, Hillsboro, Oregon, 13 July 2010 by Greg Gillson.

 

Two hundred years ago, this bird was restricted to the Great Plains. They followed great herds of American bison as they traveled, eating the insects kicked up as the huge mammals walked through the grass. Because of the nomadic lifestyle of the bison, cowbirds couldn't stay in one place to raise their young. Thus, the strategy formed of laying its eggs in other bird's nests.

With the subsequent cutting of forests, both in the East and West, the cowbird substantially increased its range. Cowbirds became common west of the Cascades only in the 1960's. In the past 50 years they have increased tremendously in the Pacific Northwest.

Male cowbirds give a rising squeaking call (starling-like) as they chase females in courtship. They also give a bubbly rattle call, similar to Bullock's Oriole.

Besides insects, cowbirds eat seeds. So, you may host cowbirds at your bird feeder--especially, it seems, east of the Cascades.

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Note: I write some of my "natural history" articles weeks in advance and have them published on a schedule. As sometimes happens in blogging about birds, another blogger posted an article on cowbirds while mine was in the queue (in news parlance, I was scooped!). Please read Dave Iron's account on Brown-headed Cowbirds that appeared on the BirdFellow blog on June 18.

Cliff Swallow

Cliff Swallow, Malheur NWR, Oregon on 29 May 2010 by Greg Gillson.

 

Cliff Swallows are rather common throughout the Pacific Northwest, especially near water east of the Cascades. In agreement with their name they do nest in colonies on cliffs, bridges, highway overpasses, under the eaves of barns, and in smaller numbers on porches and out buildings, especially in rural settings. They are not usually found in forest habitats or urban areas.

They need water nearby, as they build their nests of mud. Those nests are gourd-shaped structures--a mud ball usually with a protruding side entrance. The bird in the photo above is collecting one bill-full of mud at a time to build its nest on a cliff near the Buena Vista Station at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in SE Oregon.

Field marks for this swallow include the compact shape with short square tail, creamy-tan rump, dark rusty throat, and pale forehead. It is the only swallow in the Pacific NW with a buffy rump. The call is rather grating.

As with all swallows, they primarily feed on insects on the wing. They often feed over water. Their bills are short, but very wide.

Cliff Swallows winter in South America. They first arrive in the Pacific Northwest by the first of April. Fall migratory flocks form in July and most birds are gone by the end of September, though some stragglers may remain, rarely to November.

Turkey Vulture

Turkey Vulture, Newport, Oregon on 12 September 2008 by Greg Gillson.

 

The Turkey Vulture is familiar to all as it rocks unsteadily over the summer landscape of North America searching for carrion.

These birds have two-toned black wings and the head is bald. Adults have red head skin, while the skin on the head of younger birds is black. They really do look rather like turkeys when on the ground.

Some vultures winter in the southern parts of the Pacific Northwest, though most depart in September and October. They arrive again from February to April.

As common as these birds are, it is quite hard to actually find a nest. Eggs are laid on the bare floor of caves or hollow logs or in similar situations.

So how did the term "buzzard" come to be applied to the Turkey Vulture? Buzzard is the European term for the Buteos, the soaring raptors such as our Red-tailed Hawk. Early European settlers of the New World called all the unfamiliar soaring raptors buzzards, including the Black and Turkey vultures. With the passage of time the name buzzard stuck to the vulture but, incomprehensibly, not to the Buteo hawks in North America.

In the backyard... Lesser Goldfinch

Lesser Goldfinch, Forest Grove, Oregon on 11 April 2009 by Greg Gillson.

 

The Lesser Goldfinch is rather local and rare in the Pacific NW. However, it is nearly as abundant as American Goldfinch in the Willamette Valley of Oregon (especially the west side), in the Rogue and Umpqua Valleys of SW Oregon and in the Klamath Basin in southern Oregon and northern California. This species is much less common east of the Cascades in isolated canyons of eastern and central Oregon. It also occurs in southern Idaho, and in extreme south-central Washington State near the town of Lyle. The bird is rare on the coast north of Coos Bay.

The typical habitat for this species throughout most of its range is dry canyons of oaks. East of the Cascades they are found in riparian areas. They are often found in towns, as well.

Specializing in weed seeds, these cheerful singers with the mournful calls quickly find thistle feeders in backyards offering Niger seeds. Drinking water will also attract these bright-colored birds.

In the countryside... Red-tailed Hawk

Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk, Fernhill Wetlands, Forest Grove, Oregon on 22 November 2007 by Greg Gillson.

 

Throughout the Pacific NW and, indeed, most of North America, the Red-tailed Hawk is the default large hawk.

Red-tailed Hawks are buteos, with broad wings with rounded tips and rather short tails. Falcons have pointed wings, Accipiters have shorter wings and long tail, harriers have longer tail, ospreys have bent wings, eagles are larger and more evenly-colored.

Highly variable, some birds are very pale, others are very dark and others may be entirely rusty or even all-blackish. Many Red-tailed Hawks in the Pacific NW are very similar to this bird. They show heavy streaking on the belly with an obvious unmarked pale chest. The leading edge of the inner wing from below is dark (see it in the photo above?).

As an adult these birds will have a brick red tail. However, many fall birds are juveniles with finely banded tail as shown by the bird in the photo.

Red-tailed Hawks are common birds of open country with trees, power poles, or fence posts for perching. Travel any of the regions highways and you'll see them. They'll be hunting rabbits, mice, frogs, or snakes in the median between the north and south bound lanes of Interstate 5. They don't hunt in the deep forests and are not fond of empty grasslands or sage flats with no trees or power poles for miles. In such places they are replaced in summer by Ferruginous and Swainson's Hawks, and in winter by Rough-legged Hawks.

They can also be spotted on sunny days soaring high in the air on thermals.

They build stick nests in May about 2 feet across. In January, before they get back on territory, their old nests may be used by Great Horned Owls to nest in.

In the countryside... Western Bluebird

Western Bluebird in a clear cut, Hayward, Washington Co., Oregon on 16 May 2008 by Greg Gillson.

 

When I began birding in 1972 the Western Bluebird was near the bottom of a 30-year decline in population in western Oregon countrysides. In fact, they were nearly extirpated. For instance, winter bird censuses for the Portland Christmas Bird Counts (CBC) from 1935-1947 averaged 20 birds per year, with a high of 47 and a low of 5. From 1966-1976 not a single bluebird was recorded on the Portland CBC (Hubert Prescott, Portland Bluebird Trail, SWOC Talk, Vol 3, No. 2. 1977).

Causes of decline are complex, controversial, and not fully understood. Certainly the spread of House Sparrows in the Pacific NW from the late 1890's was a large factor. The demise of family farms and the conversion to larger edge-to-edge farming played a role, as did the conversion of farmland into residential suburbs. Widespread use of insecticides may have played a role after World War II from 1945, eliminating insects or causing harm to birds eating treated insects. Then, too, the European Starlings could also have hurried the bluebird's downfall after they arrived in western Oregon in the 1940's. Forest practices, namely clear cutting with complete snag removal, made the foothills unattractive to bluebirds.

There were a very few bluebirds remaining, however, on farms on some of the small hills in the Willamette Valley. From 1974-1976 Bluebird Trails started up in rural areas near Portland, Salem, Corvallis, Eugene, and elsewhere. Volunteers built and placed hundreds of bluebird boxes at regularly spaced intervals across rural areas, starting at known nesting sites. Small diameter entrance holes kept out Starlings and most House Sparrows. But Violet-green Swallows, Black-capped Chickadees, House Wrens, Bewick's Wrens and other cavity nesting birds competed for these boxes. And predation and vandalism was high. Nevertheless, bluebird numbers climbed.

Numbers have not recovered on the Portland CBC. Perhaps, because of the urban sprawl, bluebirds will never return to backyards in Portland. But in Corvallis, some comparisons can be made. The first 5 years of counts in Corvallis, 1963-1967, this count averaged 24 birds. The population crashed, perhaps due to disease and a harsh winter, in 1969. During a couple of subsequent years no bluebirds were found. In the 5 years after the Corvallis Bluebird Trail was started, 1976-1980, Corvallis averaged 54 bluebirds on the CBC. In the most recent 5-year period, 2003-2007, the average number of Western Blubirds on the Corvallis CBC was 263. Amazing!

More and more people in the general public are erecting specially designed bluebird nest boxes. Forest practices have changed a bit so that some standing snags are left after timber harvest. Bluebirds nest in old woodpecker holes in these snags out in the middle of a clear cut in the lower Coast Range and Cascade forests. And bluebirds are increasing because of it.

In the Pacific Northwest, Western Bluebirds occur in lowland farmlands with scattered trees away from European Starlings west of the Cascades in Oregon and Washington. They also like open pine forests on the east slope of the Cascades of Oregon and Washington and higher mountians of NE Oregon, SE Washington, northern Washington and Idaho. They like oak savannah and open dry woods in SW Oregon and northern California.

In the countryside... Ring-necked Pheasant

Ring-necked Pheasant, Catlow Valley, Harney Co., Oregon on 27 May 2007 by Greg Gillson.

 

The first Ring-necked Pheasants were introduced from China to North America in 1881 in the Willamette Valley of western Oregon by Judge Denny. It is still common to hear them referred to as "China Pheasants" or "Denny Pheasants." By 1894 over one-quarter million pheasants were hunted in western Oregon. They have been pen-raised locally ever since and spread to the rest of the Pacific Nortwest and been introduced widely throughout North America for hunting purposes.

Pheasants inhabit farms and agricultural lands and suburban edges. They eat a wide variety of items including fruit and berries, seeds, leaves, and insects such as grasshoppers.

In the spring, males begin courtship with loud crowing and wing flaps. In June and July one may see females and broods of young.

In the countryside... Mourning Dove

Mourning Dove, Fernhill Wetlands, Forest Grove, Oregon on 24 May 2004 by Greg Gillson.

 

The mournful "boo-hoo... boo-hoo-hoo" call of the Mourning Dove is familiar to most people across North America, from southern Canada through Mexico. In winter this bird retreats from the northern Great Plains, and is much reduced in the Great Basin region of the Pacific Northwest. These are the second most frequent species found in backyards across the United States, according to Project FeederWatch.

This bird is most common around farms and rural areas, but often visits bird feeders even in the city if there is water and some open areas nearby. They do not breed in deep forests or high mountains, but do occur in lower clearcuts. They are rather scarce along the immediate coastline and in the Coast Range north of California.

This plump pinkish-brown bird has a small, round, marble of a head on a thin neck. The long tail is sharply pointed. This is because of the graduated tail with longer central tail feathers, with each matching set of tail feathers gradually shorter to the base of the tail (see photo above). From above, the tail has a black subterminal band and white tips to the feathers on the sides of the tail. This is best seen on flying birds when they fan their tail to land on the ground.

These birds feed on seeds on the ground. You may encounter them flushing away with whistling wings from the gravel edge of a country road. You may also see them perched on roadside power lines digesting their latest meal. Believe it or not, Mourning Doves eat up to 20% of their body weight each day! For more information on the fascinating life history of these birds please see the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's online field guide All About Birds.

To attract Mourning Doves to your yard, use large tray feeders, or spread seeds on the ground. They will eat oats, wheat, and cracked corn, but millet and sunflower seeds are preferred. They will also appreciate a bird bath for drinking. Nearby scattered trees and evergreens offer protection and a place to build their flimsy stick nests. They frequently choose a smaller dead tree as a favorite perch.

In the countryside... California Quail

California Quail, Shevlin Park, Bend, Oregon on 13 June 2008 by Greg Gillson.

 

Originally, the California Quail was, indeed, restricted primarily to California, with birds spilling over into all of Baja California, southwestern Oregon, and western Nevada. In the mid 1800's sportsmen began introducing these quail widely into western Oregon and Washington. Today they are common from southern British Columbia, south through all of Washington and Oregon, eastern Idaho, northern Nevada, and locally in Utah, as well as in the traditional range in California and Baja.

California Quail are instantly recognizable with their scaled bellies, white-bordered black face, and drooping top-knot. In the southwest deserts live the similar Gambel's Quail. But in the Pacific Northwest the look-a-like bird is the Mountain Quail. These birds have chestnut and white barred sides and long straight head plumes. The usually secretive Mountain Quail are usually found in forest clearings in the hills, not in agricultural areas.

In fact, California Quail are found in a wide variety of habitats, often near water. They like agricultural lands, brushy woodlands, lower clear cuts and forest edges, rimrock and sage lands, chaparral, and even some suburbs with brushy cover and open feeding areas. They are found in most open areas of the Pacific Northwest, but are not found in the high mountains or deep forest. They are generally rare in the Coast Range and along the coast north of southern Oregon.

Scurrying around the brush in coveys of family groups, they can be quite secretive. When pressed, or surprised, they burst into flight, the wings making a loud whirring sound while they utter cackling notes. Often a single male will act as sentinel as the rest of the covey feeds (as the bird photographed above).

In spring the coveys break up and birds pair off. It is during this time the males crow their familiar chi-ca-go song.

In the countryside... American Kestrel

American Kestrel, Tualatin River NWR, Sherwood, Oregon on 7 February 2009 by Greg Gillson.

 

One of the frequent open country roadside birds in the Pacific Northwest and, indeed, most of North and South America, is the American Kestrel. These small falcons perch on isolated tree tops, telephone lines, and roadside signposts adjacent to grassy fields, prairies, and even the grassy meridian between Interstate freeways.

In the Pacific NW they are found throughout the region, but are typically scarce along the immediate coastline, in heavy forests, and in extensive grasslands that lack elevated hunting perches. In winter they move out of the mountain clearings and are much reduced in the Great Basin, but then move to the interior valleys in larger numbers. They nest in old flicker holes and will readily use nest boxes.

Like other falcons they have pointed wings and a fairly long tail. The male American Kestrel, as pictured above, has bluish-gray wings and rusty red tail ending in a black band, tipped narrowly in white. The female has rusty wings matching the back. The rusty tail of the female is barred throughout its length with thin black bars and a black terminal band as the male.

Unlike other North American falcons, the American Kestrel hovers in place while hunting, then drops to its prey. These birds are easily spotted hovering in place over fields, summer or winter. Their preferred food is grasshoppers, supplemented in winter with small mammals (mice, shrews, voles) and occasionally small birds. They are not too proud to eat angleworms, either.