Field Observation: ID and Flight Physiology

The site I visited for my first field observation was near the meadow in Centennial Woods. I went on February 17th and arrived at Centennial around 3:30pm and was on the field until 5 pm. It was cloudy and the temperature was 37°F. The ground was covered in a thick layer of snow from last weeks snow storm and it was windy.

As I approached the meadow, I made my first observation. Right above the open canopy there was a flock of American Crows flying around the area, I heard their cawing call before observing them. There were about 15-20 of them making it easier to observe their flight patterns. While they were in flight, I noticed that only 2 of the crows flapped their wings in a rowing motion 10-15 times before gliding for a couple of seconds. I didn't observe many of the other crows in the flock gliding during flight. After flying around, many of them perched up on branches towards the canopy and rested there for a couple of minutes before going into flight again. I was able to identify this bird as the American crow mainly because of the call and their black plumage. I could use flight patterns to identify the American crow because they incorporate little to no gliding when in flight and are constituently flapping their wings in a a rowing motion. On my way to the meadow I also spotted a Brown creeper climbing up a tree. I was able to identify it because of its bill length and shape and its long tail. I wasn't able to observe its flight patterns but it observed its behavioral patterns, like the way it spirals up the tree trunk using its tail for support. Knowing this information helped me identify the species.

After arriving at a trail close to the meadow, I had a view of the open canopy above the meadow and the northern hardwood forest the began on the other side of the trail. I began to hear the calls of the Black-capped Chickadee but they were not easily visible because of their small size. I stayed in the area for a while to observe the forest midstory and canopy layer for the chickadee(s). I eventually caught a glance of one and was able to confirm that it was a black capped chickadee because of their plumage and distinctive black capped head. Once I spotted one, I observed it fly from branch to branch. The chickadee made very quick movements, hops and limited wing flaps when it moved in between branches. In contrast to the American crow, the chickadee moves relatively quickly and consistently moved between branches. The American crow didn't move their wings as rapidly or move between branches as much.

If I were to visit this site again I would go at a different time of day like early in the morning, which could increase the number and types of species I found. I would also make sure to visit various other habitat types like areas with high snag densities, edge habitats, or areas with factors that may be appealing to birds.

Posted on February 19, 2020 08:59 PM by jsuquila