Blog Posts

White-Throated Sparrow

7/14/2015

Many of you know that the White-throated Sparrow comes in two forms: white-crowned and tan-crowned. What you might not know is why. First, the two colors rarely mate with each other. They follow the adage "opposites attract" rather than "birds of a feather". Males prefer females with white stripes, but females prefer males with tan stripes.

Second, the genetics roughly follow Mendel's infamous but simple pea plant chart (Punnett Square). In simple terms, Mendel noted that pea plants have round peas (R) or wrinkled peas (r), where R and r are two different alleles for a single trait. A heterozygous plant would carry both R and r (Rr). A homozygous plant would carry only RR or rr. If two heterozygous plants are bred, the four resulting offspring would have the following: RR, rr, Rr and Rr.

In the case of the White-throated sparrow, the tan form of the birds is homozygous (WW). The white form of the birds is heterozygous (Ww). The white stripe is inherited as a dominant trait. With this combination of genes, the way in which the different forms choose mates, and the difference in parenting behavior between the two color variations, the result is an approximate 50-50 split in the stripe color. We have approximately an equal number of tan-striped and white-striped birds ("Behavioral Characterization of a White-throated Sparrow Homozygous for the ZAL2m Chromosomal Rearrangement", Horton, et al, 2012).

An interesting side-effect of the difference in coloration is the level of aggression demonstrated by each color of sparrow. The White-throated Sparrows with white stripes are more aggressive than those with tan stripes. The white-striped birds also sing more, but the tan-striped birds are better parents ("Alternative reproductive strategies in the White-throated Sparrow: behavioral and genetic evidence", Tuttle, 2002). The birds are therefore becoming important subjects for scientists who want to determine whether behavior in organisms is tied to physical traits and if so, how and to what extent? It will be interesting to see what their studies suggest.

White-throated Sparrows have also been known to hybridize with Juncos. They look just as you might imagine: a very dark bird with some striping like a sparrow, white throat, and white belly and outer tail feathers of a Junco. One such hybrid was captured in Maryland and studied extensively ("Behavior and Parentage of a White-throated Sparrow x Dark-eyed Junco Hybrid", Jung, et al. 1994). The bird sang a mixed song of a Junco trill followed by the sparrow "peabody" notes and seemed to prefer the company of female White-throated Sparrows over female Juncos.

Next winter, when you're watching your feeders, take a close look at your White-throated Sparrows and take note of their coloration and behavior.

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

7/13/2015

I have had the pleasure of helping to band a Red-bellied Woodpecker. Their size and the length of their beak may seem fearsome, but they are far less aggressive when being extracted from the net than a Northern Cardinal. Cardinals will grab your skin with their beak and twist it!

I was in for a pleasant surprise with this bird: I got a close-up view of its tongue! It's one thing to see a Red-bellied Woodpecker use that amazing tongue at your feeder, but it's a far different thing when that tongue whips out right in front of you. The length is unbelievable: about three times the length of the bird's beak. It resembles a weapon from a fictional apocalyptic movie: a long spear with multiple barbs facing backward toward the throat (like a harpoon on steroids), ending with a sharp point on the end, and coated with a sticky substance. It is a perfectly designed tool for extracting insects from their burrows, able to reach into a narrow opening, blindly search for and locate insects, and pull the insects out using the barbs and goo. In the case of a grub, the the sharp end of the tongue may be used to skewer its prey. "En garde! Oops. Too late."

The beak itself harbors another weapon, this time used against unsuspecting nuts. The woodpecker cracks open nuts by using its beak as a hammer and a tree as an anvil. Wedging the nut into a crevice in the bark, the woodpecker pounds on the nut with its beak until the nut's shell gives way.

Nuts are one of the bird's favorite foods, but the other is insects. The Red-bellied Woodpecker is a voracious predator of some of our most harmful insects. One tree can contain 1,000 adult Emerald Ash Borer beetles. Woodpeckers have been observed consuming 95% of the larvae before they can emerge as adults, making them a natural and native biological weapon against these invasive and expensive pests ("Emerald Ash Borer in North America: a research and regulatory challenge", Cappaert, et al., 2005). A friend of mine, birder and naturalist extraordinaire Jim McCormac, wrote about the increase in the Red-bellied Woodpecker and its relationship to the Emerald Ash Borer: http://jimmccormac.blogspot.com/2013/12/woodpeckers-boom-probably-because-of.html In Ohio where Mr. McCormac resides, the CBC totals in 2012 showed a 55% increase in population of Red-bellied Woodpeckers since 2003. Indiana's 114th CBC had record numbers of Red-bellied Woodpeckers: 1929 statewide.

Red-bellied Woodpeckers are also painfully aware that it is prudent to save for a rainy (or snowy) day. They store food to sustain them during times that meals are hard to find.

Now let's discuss the elephant in the room: the misleading name. People often mistakenly call this a Red-headed Woodpecker. It does have a red head after all, but the true Red-headed Woodpecker has a far more spectacular red head, so it claims that name. But what about the "red belly"? It's not often that you can see the reddish color on the bird's stomach while in the field. If you look very closely, you might see a reddish patch with a yellowish wash on the belly that looks as if someone dropped a dollop of paint on the bird and made a poor effort of trying to wash it off.

The invasive European Starling has been a constant source of irritation for our native Red-bellied Woodpeckers, evicting the woodpeckers from their nest cavities about 50% of the time ("Nesting phenology and competition for nest sites among Red-headed and Red-bellied Woodpeckers and European Starlings", Ingold, 1989). This video of a battle between a Starling and a Red-bellied Woodpecker over a nest cavity will make you cringe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x5W9w-fxik

Peregrine Falcon

6/1/2015

The Peregrine Falcon is the fastest animal in the world, capable of traveling up to 200 mph in a “stoop” or dive. Their primary food source is birds, and they have been documented preying on over 450 species of birds in North America, including Sandhill Cranes, White-throated Swifts and hummingbirds. As fast as Peregrines are, however, they could not escape the deadly impact of humans.

Like the Bald Eagle, the Peregrine Falcon was dramatically affected by the pesticide DDT. By 1965 no Peregrines were known to be nesting east of the Mississippi, and less than 40 pairs were nesting west of the Mississippi by 1975.

Unwilling to sit idly by and watch these magnificent birds of prey go extinct in the U.S., Dr. Tom Cade created the Peregrine Fund, a captive breeding program to reintroduce Peregrines. Getting the Peregrine Fund started was not easy!

I had the honor of interviewing Mr. Cade about his work with the Peregrine Fund. This is what he had to say about the early days of the Fund:

“The main problem was to find the money necessary to do the captive breeding and the release of falcons back into outdoor environments. In 1967 I joined the faculty of Cornell University as a professor of zoology. One of the conditions of my hiring was that the university would build a breeding facility for falcons. It took the university four years to find the money to build the facility for $150,000, but we finally got started in December of 1970. Being an academic scientist all of my experience in raising money for research had relied on obtaining grants from organizations such as the National Science Foundation, Office of Naval Research, and the National Institutes for Health, and I thought I could support the falcon program that way. It never occurred to me in the beginning that I would need to establish a nonprofit organization called The Peregrine Fund. For the first four years I did receive support from NSF, but it was little more than enough to provide salaries for a couple of assistants, and it became clear that what we were trying to accomplish was too applied to attract much support from the scientific community. Then the Laboratory of Ornithology, with which the falcon program and facility were associated at Cornell, began receiving unsolicited contributions from the general public to support the falcon work. That gave me the idea to seek this source of funding actively, and I went to the university’s Development Office for advice and help. They agreed to help but advised that I would have to abide by their priorities for asking major donors for support. To make a long story short, the arrangement never worked, because every time I wanted to approach a potential donor, the Development Office had a higher priority for that person. One of the private breeders who cooperated with me in keeping and breeding birds of prey suggested that we form our own nonprofit corporation independent of the university to support our mutual interests in breeding and releasing Peregrine Falcons; that was done in 1975. Soon we were receiving funds from various conservation organizations, foundations, many private donors, and both federal and state agencies involved in endangered species work. It turned out to be the smartest thing I ever did, but I can’t claim much credit for dreaming it up. Plato, or someone back in his time, said that ‘Necessity is the mother of invention.’”

Needless to say, the Peregrine Fund was a huge success and serves as a model of conservation. Thanks to the Fund’s efforts, by 1999 there were over 1650 breeding pairs in the U.S. and the Peregrine was removed from the endangered species list. Mr. Cade was present at the bittersweet moment when his first brood of fledglings that were hatched in the wild flew away. I asked him what he felt at that moment. He said, “This was a great time in the peregrine recovery program. I will never forget climbing up into the nest tower at Brigantine National Wildlife Refuge near Atlantic City with my colleague, Jim weaver, and banding the four nestlings. Looking out over the expanse of the Brigantine marshes, I realized that we had surmounted the last hurdle...”

He also informed me of some interesting survival rate differences based on nesting sites. “At first when falcons started nesting on buildings, and particularly on bridges, it appeared that fledging success was quite a bit less than for young fledged from cliffs. On bridges quite a few young fell into the water below when they first tried to fly and drowned, but some made it out of the water. But the Peregrines have persisted in moving into urban and industrial landscapes to nest on manmade structures in a spectacular way, so that the fatalities may simply look worse than they really are in terms of population maintenance and growth.”

During his work, Mr. Cade noticed an oddity that remains a mystery. “Falcons that breed successfully in captivity lay eggs that average smaller than the eggs collected from wild birds. However, this is not an inherited trait, as the young birds that are released into the wild and become breeders lay eggs of normal size. Something about captivity reduces egg size, but we do not know what it is.”

The Peregrine Fund has expanded their focus beyond that of the Peregrine Falcon.

“The Peregrine Fund now works on a worldwide scale on many kinds of projects to do with birds of prey, so naturally there are many projects I would like to see done.” One goal is to have at least one trained raptor biologist in every country to monitor populations. Another project is the California Condor. “We have been trying to reintroduce captive-bred condors into northern Arizona and southern Utah for the past 15 years but are unable to establish a self-sustaining population because of lead poisoning from bullet fragments and bird shot in the carcasses they eat. It is easy to breed condors in captivity, relatively easy to get them re-established as independent, free-flying birds in the wild, but no condors have survived long enough to produce more than one or two young before they die of lead poisoning. We desperately need some kind of a national PR campaign to convince the shooting public to stop using lead bullets and lead shot in their ammunition. Ideally this problem should be taken care of by state and federal regulations, but political idealism is hard to come by these days.”

His advice to anyone interested in starting up a conservation program: “Start small with a well defined goal that you are totally committed to, and come hell or high water you will succeed.”

The Inaugural Indiana Dunes Birding Festival

5/14/2015

Since it was the first year for the Dunes Birding Festival, I am sure people expected a lot of hiccups, low attendance and holes in the schedule. However, Brad Bumgardner was the Festival Chair, and he had assembled a fantastic group of people to help him organize the Festival, so it was fantastic! More people than anticipated signed up for the festival, with more streaming in every day hoping to squeeze in to sold-out events.

From the moment I arrived, there was a sense of excitement. Big, beautiful banners were everywhere greeting the birders. The welcome station was staffed during the entire Festival by friendly, helpful people, and the goody bag had so many wonderful things including a really cool bird whistle. The Program Guide looked professional and contained a lot of information in a neat package.

There was a full slate of events Thursday through Sunday: field trips, talks, activities and social events. There was something for everyone from beginning birder hikes to advanced instructions on the identification of difficult birds. You would have to attend the Festival several years to see and do everything!

The night before the Festival began, I was given the job of running the Festival’s official live Twitter feed to report on interesting sightings, let people know about upcoming talks and activities, post photos of birds and the presenters, and tell people when and where events were occurring. Although I could not always stay for the entire activity (I had to drive back and forth to different events which were often scheduled at the same time, sometimes a half hour away), I had the unique opportunity to catch pieces of almost all of the Festival. It gave me a wonderful overview of the depth of activities provided. The variety was astounding, and I was impressed at the amount of thought the organizers put in to plan the Festival.

Each field trip was unique. The Dunes area has one of the most diverse collections of habitat in the country, so it attracts an incredible variety of birds from Whooping Crane to Mourning Warbler. You want warblers? We had places dripping with them! You want a Black Vulture? We’ve got that! How about ducks? No problem! No matter what field trip you went on, you were sure to see something you hadn’t seen before. Better yet, every morning before the field trip you were greeted with coffee, pastries and smiling faces.

I was lucky to both lead and attend field trips, and I was thrilled with each group! The other people leading the field trips were excellent! They were able to find rarities for the experts in the group, and help beginners feel more confident. On the tour I led, I had a mixture of beginners, experts and photographers. It was wonderful! We connected over the birds in a way that felt as though we had known each other for a long time. We spotted some good birds (Sora walking along the road, Golden-winged Warbler, Orchard Oriole, Sandhill Cranes and more), and several members of the group got lifers!

The presentations were all professionally done by some of the most respected people in birding. We heard about conservation and restoration projects, Sandhills, migrant traps, the use of radar to track bird movements, the unique geology of the area, the importance of right-of-ways to birds, big years, Brazilian flora and fauna, Gene Stratton-Porter, feeding and attracting birds, and birdscaping. We learned how to identify difficult birds like warblers and gulls. I got to combine two of my favorite subjects - birds and technology - and speak about them.

There were workshops for bird photography, wildflower photography and Flying WILD. The younger attendees had special programming sponsored by the Indiana Young Birders Club, from bilingual hikes to building Bluebird boxes.

Birds of prey were in abundance and up close thanks to several organizations, and visitors had the chance to see songbirds closely at banding programs. The Whip Walk was heart-stopping, with Whip-poor-wills flying close to our heads and landing in the walkway a few feet in front of us.

Incredibly, almost all of the talks, field trips and activities were free with a one-time reasonable admission charge. Since we had to pay so little for admission, we had plenty to spend on specially priced items from optics to bird supplies. Plus, we could bid on wonderful silent auction items including signed Peterson prints, optics, gift baskets, bird houses, sculptures, and even a refrigerator! The money raised by the auction went to a good cause: half of the proceeds were given to the Indiana Young Birders Club.

The evening social events were cleverly designed to force everyone to get to know one another in easy conversation starters. There was no way to attend the event without getting to know someone new! Plus, there were a multitude of prizes, so you gained a new friend and a gift each night.

The keynote speech was one of the best I have ever heard. James Currie, author and star of Nikon’s Birding Adventures, was an incredible story teller! He made everyone in the room alternately laugh, gasp and sigh. The food at the keynote dinner was like something from a 4-star restaurant, with prime rib cut to order and luscious, chocolate-covered strawberries.

Every venue was very nice, both inside and out. Birds surrounded each building and once you stepped inside, you were sure to learn quite a bit just by looking at the exhibits in the lobbies.

I’ve been to several birding conferences, and there is no question that the Dunes Birding Festival was one of the best. I cannot wait until next year!

Kirtland's Warbler

4/1/2015

Want to start a stampede? Turn toward a crowd of birders and yell, “Kirtland’s Warbler!”

The Kirtland’s is one of the most sought-after birds, especially in the springtime when a variety of warblers travel through Indiana, dressed in their most colorful finery, on the way to their breeding grounds. The Kirtland’s is not the most colorful of the warblers, nor is it one of most beautiful singers, but it is quite elusive, making it one of the most prized birds for listers.

The Kirtland’s Warbler’s story is one of conservation success. In 1970, they were heading toward extinction. Today, they are rebounding, but their ability to succeed rests largely in our hands. Fortunately, the Kirtland’s has captured the attention of brilliant scientists in the birding world and many studies are underway to determine the best methods of helping these birds continue to prosper.

Via email, I spoke with Dr. Nathan Cooper who is at the helm of one of the most comprehensive studies on the Kirtland’s. He and Pete Marra, director of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, obtained funding to study the life history of the Kirtland’s Warblers using geolocators and radio-tracking devices. Dr. Cooper, his assistant Tom Ryan and volunteer David Bryden, are committed to spending time in the field, both in the breeding grounds and in the wintering grounds, to learn more about the birds’ movements, survival rates and habitat use.

The first step in the study was to place geolocators on adult birds. The geolocators monitor light levels and give the scientists an indication of the latitude and longitude of the birds. This allows them to track migration patterns and identify wintering locations. In all, 60 adult males were fitted with the devices.

Next, the scientists wanted to place radio-tracking devices on 7-day old nestlings. Finding and watching the nests was challenging. Dr. Cooper explains: “If you get too close [the adults] fly away or become anxious and won’t visit the nest. And if you’re too far, you lose them in the dense vegetation.” The transmitters would help the scientists determine survival rates and the habitats used by the fledglings.

The news is both good and bad for the chicks. In his blog, Dr. Cooper notes: “Most of our nestlings survived long enough to make it out of the nest...Predation rates during the first few days out of the nest have been fairly high...Causes of death are somewhat unclear...It’s quite difficult to tell what type of animal killed a fledgling even with the carcass in hand.” I asked Dr. Cooper whether he had an educated guess regarding the number of Kirtland’s that are killed by cats. He didn’t have a specific estimate, but he sent me a paper that should be required reading for everyone: “The impact of free-ranging domestic cats on wildlife of the United States” by Loss, Will and Marra, 2012. The study found that domestic cats kill an astounding 1.4 - 3.7 billion birds in the United States every year!

The survival rates for Kirtland’s through their second year are more unclear. In response to my question, Dr. Cooper stated: “This is something we are still working on getting a good estimate for. In general it is a very difficult question to answer for most songbirds. More and more studies are investigating the post-fledgling period and finding that anywhere between 22 and 70% of birds survive until they gain independence from their parents. For Kirtland's it is looking like ~50% of fledglings survive this period, but the analyses aren't complete yet. Estimating survival after the post-fledgling period until the following breeding season is even more difficult for most species. However, recent estimates (“Using complementary approaches to estimate survival of juvenile and adult Eastern Kingbirds”, Redmond and Murphy 2012) suggest only about 20-30% of birds survive from leaving the nest until the next breeding season.”

Despite the challenges from Cowbirds, habitat loss and other obstacles, Kirtland's Warblers are making a comeback. When I asked about his prognosis for their long-term survival, Dr. Cooper was cautiously optimistic. “Kirtland's Warblers are a real success story for the Endangered Species Act. After reaching a low of only 200 males in the world, there are now over 2000 males. With continued management, I think the species has a very strong probability of long-term survival. One of the unknowns however, is how their wintering habitat will change as the Caribbean grows in population size, and as climate changes. This has driven us to want to better understand this period through the use of light-level geolocators to track birds throughout the annual cycle.”

The next stage of the study is underway. Dr. Cooper traveled to the Bahamas in early March to study the Kirtland’s in their wintering grounds. The team will travel to Cuba (another potential wintering grounds for the Kirtland’s) next year. His wish list for future studies includes a reevaluation of the Cowbird control program and the development of smaller GPS tracking devices suitable for Kirtland’s. “I am eager for this day to come because studying the same individuals on both the wintering and breeding grounds would be a dream come true.”

Be sure to follow the progress made by Dr. Cooper and his team here: http://www.nathanwcooper.com/news/. In the meantime, Dr. Cooper suggests that everyone support local and national conservation organizations like the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center and Nature Conservancy. He also asks that we all help to protect migratory stopover habitats, and that we buy Smithsonian-certified bird-friendly coffee (http://nationalzoo.si.edu/scbi/migratorybirds/coffee/). He’s encouraged by the support he has found at the local level. “I'm always surprised by how many local people in the many areas I've worked truly care about birds and the environment. Many important issues often get lost at the national level, but when you talk to people who live in these wild areas, it's clear how much they care for and respect the land.”

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

3/17/2015

“You Yellow-bellied Sapsucker!” Is that a compliment or insult? Yosemite Sam used the term “Yellow-bellied Sapsucker” to describe Bugs Bunny, and judging from the results of my research, that was a big insult! The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was once thought to be a blight and an enemy of humans.

I came across the minutes of the Indiana State Horticultural Society meeting held in January of 1871. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the best way to deal with the sapsuckers, woodpeckers and other birds that were blamed for the damage caused to fruit trees. Most of the speakers believed the best and only effective method was to shoot the birds on sight. Reading their angry comments, you could sense how deeply they hated sapsuckers! However, the group’s vice-president, J. C. Ratliff, went against the majority and spoke eloquently in favor of protecting the sapsucker and all other birds. He felt that the birds were beneficial, and eradicating them would cause more harm than good.

Ratliff stated, “No fruit grower need be told that his losses in the failure of his crops can be attributed more to the ravages of insects than from all other causes. Human agency can accomplish but little in the destruction of insects unassisted by the various means which nature has provided for that purpose. I think we can accomplish more by protecting insectivorous birds and animals than our most approved method of warfare... I will venture to advance the theory that... nature employs the sapsucker to perform an important office... I will again quote from [an unnamed natural history treatise]: ‘Of all the birds of this species none rid the apple trees of so many vermin as this, digging off the moss, and probing every crevice. His industry is unequaled and almost incessant. I consider the sapsucker my friend, consequently do neither kill him nor allow him killed on my premises.’”

Despite Ratliff’s eloquence, his fellow board members remained unconvinced but open to further study and future discussions. The Migratory Bird Act was passed in 1918, forty-five years after the heated debate of the Indiana State Horticultural Society and Mr. Ratliff’s impassioned plea.

Today, we know that Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are beneficial birds. Yes, they dine on sap, but they also consume insect pests and provide much-needed, ready-made meals for other migratory birds such as warblers.

To get to the sap for which they were named, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker will drill neat rows of horizontal holes as sap wells (shown in the photo). The sapsucker will also drill two kinds of wells: round-shaped wells for a single use, and square-shaped wells for continuous use. Other birds such as chickadees, hummingbirds, and warblers, along with many other kinds of animals, will feed from the sap that oozes from the wells. The sap will also attract insects which are eaten by several types of birds.

The sap that the sapsuckers eat is not the same sap that we use to make maple syrup. The sapsuckers drill very shallow holes to reach the phloem sap, while humans drill deeply into trees to reach the xylem sap. The watery xylem sap contains only 2-3% sugar but it is more free-flowing, allowing humans to collect more in a shorter amount of time. The sapsucker prefers the phloem sap which contains 20-30% sugar, but contains less water and is therefore more gelatinous. Because the sap is so difficult to get out of the tree, the sapsucker has evolved a fuzzy, specialized tongue that is hairy like a brush to collect the sap.

So, is it an insult to be called a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker? No! It is a compliment! The sapsucker is a hard-working, wonderful, beneficial bird that helps many other species, including humans, directly and indirectly.

James Currie, Keynote for the Indiana Dunes Birding Festival

3/17/2015

The first annual Indiana Dunes Birding Festival is fast approaching, and there is much excitement surrounding the event. With world-class birding, outstanding field trips and interesting speakers, it is easy to see why birders will be flocking to the festival. Of special interest is the keynote speaker: James Currie. His top-rated "Birding Adventures" television show is very popular, and his book, "When Eagles Roar", tells us much about him. I have had the pleasure of working with him in the Race 4 Birds Foundation. However, I still wanted to know more about this fascinating man so I asked him a series of questions. This is what I have learned from his book, from working with him and from our conversations.

At a young age James Currie developed a deep connection with nature, and his interest was inspired and encouraged by his aunt Jan. She took him birding, taught him how to observe nature, and she nurtured his curiosity and enthusiasm for the flora and fauna around him in Africa. At age ten, he witnessed a Black Eagle catch its prey right in front of him, and from that point on, he was a birder. He and his parents thought birding was a safe activity. “How much trouble could you get into with a pair of binoculars?” However, he soon learned that birding could be exhilarating and even dangerous. Watching that first eagle was harmless and thrilling; watching an eagle three decades later almost cost him his life. In between those two eagles were adventures most of us only dream about. “Many people think of birding as a passive pastime. No! That's bird watching. Birding is an active pursuit, full of unknowns and excitement. To me, there's nothing better than a healthy dose of birding on the edge.”

At age twenty-five he underwent grueling training to fulfill his life-long dream of becoming a game ranger. He worked at the Phinda Game Reserve, a model of restoration and conservation. The area was restored from agricultural fields, ranch lands and wastelands. Native plants and animals were carefully reintroduced with an emphasis on encouraging the local community’s support. Jobs were created through eco-tourism, and since local residents were benefitting from the conservation efforts, the wildlife was better protected and the program was more successful than others.

As a game ranger, Mr. Currie had many close encounters with wildlife: charging elephants, lethal snakes, enraged Cape buffalo and large angry cats. Nonetheless, he tends to remain calm. “I seldom panic. Panic is the worst enemy for someone in a crisis. I need a clear mind, keen senses and the ability to problem-solve. I become captivated by the situation and detach myself from fear and irrational thought. I place myself outside, looking in as if I'm watching from a distance." To his clients, he recites this mantra: “If anything unexpected should happen, whatever you do, do not run! Look at me and I'll tell you exactly what to do.”

In addition to dealing with danger, he learned to track animals, read their behavior and recognize warning signs. He also became a talented story teller, able to captivate his clients and pull them in to the minds of the animals they witnessed, and create a sense of awe and wonder. For example, rather than just recite facts from a field guide, this is how he describes a cheetah: “As the cheetah takes off after its intended prey, a finely tuned body kicks into gear like a high performance racing car. A flexible spine alternately concaves and convexes as the back legs are pulled between the front legs, briefly touching the ground every twenty feet. The illusion is that of an airborne missile. The cheetah opens its mouth as it runs, inhaling air into the enlarged lungs, much like a V-8 engine sucks in gas for propulsion.” He goes on from there, forming a picture in your mind so vivid, you’d think you had watched a cheetah hunt its prey in your front yard. His description of a Bateleur Eagle is likewise poetic: “Watch how the eagle uses its wings, how the bird dips and raises those wings to compensate and catch its balance, much like the outstretched arms of a bateleur, which is French for ‘tightrope walker’”.

Being a ranger was not always filled with dangers. There were touching, awe-inspiring moments as well. His favorite non-bird animal is the African elephant, and he was able to witness the interactions among elephants on many occasions. He deeply respects their complex social relationships, intelligence, emotional range, and mentoring structure. “My experiences with elephants can only be described as instructive, enlightening, and even mystical. They have taught me a lot about myself, and I will always be grateful for the time I spent with these magnificent beasts. To witness the death of a single elephant is to experience the sadness of the loss of decades of wisdom, magnified a thousandfold when reflected through the eyes, ears and voices of the herd.”

Recognized for his skills and conservation efforts, he was asked to become managing director of the Africa Foundation in Johannesburg. The foundation served as a link between the communities, tourism, wildlife and conservation. They provided education and health care with the income generated by eco-tourism.

He also began a birding tourism company in southern Africa: HoneyGuides. The tour company was designed for “birders hell bent on increasing their birding life lists at all costs”. He helped clients locate birds like Wattled Cranes, Violet Wood-Hoopoes, Dune Larks, Herero Chats, Damara Rockjumper, Hartlaub's Francolin and many more African specialties. While birding, he points out some of the other interesting flora and fauna, and he seems to attract fascinating animals into his path. He says the most surprising animal he has seen while birding was an African Serval that came within three feet of the car while he was searching for an African Pitta.

The idea of the “Birding Adventures” television show came to him in the middle of the night. He wanted to bring the world of birding to more people. What better way than through television? To decide what bird species, or “Golden Bird”, to feature on the show, it has to meet certain criteria. “It is always a bird that is unique to the area and something which traveling birders would love to see. It needs to be enigmatic in some way - either super rare, beautiful or extraordinary or a combination of these. It would be tough to make a Golden Bird out of a cisticola for example!” One example of a Golden Bird is the Sun Parakeet (aka, “Sun Conure”), which can only be found in pockets along the river in Guyana.

The rarest bird he has traveled to see was the Ridgway’s Hawk, of which there were only 200 left in the wild at the time. The most interesting birds that he has seen are Club-Winged Manakins, Western Bowerbirds or Torrent Ducks because they have “developed unique strategies to cope with life”.

To find the birds for the program, he and his two videographers are usually accompanied by a local guide familiar with the area and the specific target bird. Mr. Currie focuses on birds in interesting places, but he also presents the surrounding flora and fauna while conveying facts about them in an entertaining way. In each episode he explores the local culture, features local experts, and emphasizes conservation. His favorite place in the world to go birding is the Western Cape of South Africa because of its natural diversity. He says that what makes a good birding location is “diversity, tendency to attract rarities and proximity/access to the birds.”

His recently released book, “When Eagles Roar”, covers the first chapter of his life. “It is about experiences with birds and wildlife. There is also a strong interpersonal relationship element to the storyline and this makes the book somewhat unique when it comes to typical nature books.” He is planning a second book that will contain all of the birding adventures he has had, especially while filming the “Birding Adventures” show. “Birding has a way of grabbing you, holding you in the passion of the moment, all attention on the trees, the sky, the birds. No thought of heat or cold or pain or wind or thirst or hunger or even trespassing through someone's property.” No matter where he travels, he finds that birders are the same at heart. “The passion and love for birding is the same whenever you meet a birder from another country.”

His favorite bird is the Harpy Eagle “mainly due to its symbolism and the fact that it is both strong (arguably the most powerful raptor on earth) and fragile (its vulnerability to habitat loss) at the same time - like most of us!” Eagles hold a special place in his life. “In my life eagles roar. They roar deeper than any lion.”

He loves the excitement of birding. “I want to chase this thrill the rest of my life. To the ends of the earth”. However, he is equally passionate about fostering a new generation of young birders. Most recently, he has helped create the Race 4 Birds Foundation to encourage more young people to join the birding world. “Race 4 Birds is the single best way for us to enhance the popularity of birding amongst the youth. After all, who doesn’t like a bit of friendly competition?!” Working with him in the R4B Foundation, I have watched him put his words into action; he always goes the extra mile to encourage and support young people. He is truly passionate about the R4B mission, and he would like to see more young people become interested in the natural world.

His advice to young people: “Open your eyes and ears, get outside and unplug the electronics.”

Pied-billed Grebe

2/2/2015

The Pied-billed Grebe: a small, chunky waterfowl that behaves like an alligator and has almost as many feathers inside its body as outside! Behaving like an alligator and dining on its own feathers are both means of protection.

When startled, the Grebe often submerges, leaving only its eyes and nostrils above the surface of the water, watching the threat like a feathery, terrified alligator. Grebes can compress their feathers and squeeze out air, allowing them to submerge and remain at very specific depths for longer lengths of time.

In addition to helping with submersion, the feathers also allow the grebes to devour prey that would otherwise be harmful. To protect its stomach and intestines from the bones of its prey, the Grebe will swallow its own feathers. The feathers mix with the indigestible portions of the prey and form a pellet that the grebe regurgitates, much like raptors do. It’s not unusual for over half of the Grebe’s stomach to be filled with feathers!

The grebe possesses other interesting adaptations, such as the placement of the legs and shape of the toes. Their legs are positioned further back than most birds, acting as ideal propellers. The shape of the toes adds to the effect; the toes are lobed, not webbed, strongly resembling the blades of a propeller.

The Pied-billed is one of over twenty species of grebes. Three of the species (Columbian, Atitlan and Alaotra) have gone extinct since the 1970’s, and five more are endangered (Junin, Hooded, New Zealand, Titicaca and Madagascar). The Pied-billed populations declined somewhat from 1966 to 2010, but they are still widespread.

These small waterfowl are easy to spot once you know what to look for. During breeding season, they’ll be easy to identify with their “pied” (black banded) bill. You can find them in large, quiet ponds or small, undisturbed lakes that have a lot of cattails, water lilies and other vegetation.

The vegetation is also where you might spot a nest. If you see a circular mass of dead or dying vegetation, look closer. The Pied-billed prefers to build nests on floating plants that are rooted to the bottom of the pond or lake. Mud and additional vegetation are added to the nest throughout the season and keep the nest about 12 degrees Celsius warmer than the water. They are reclusive nesters, easily disturbed by humans. The wake from a canoe or kayak can create enough disturbance to destroy a nest or cause the eggs to fall into the water, so tread carefully! The chicks are colorful with rusty red, white and black stripes. When young, the chicks often ride on a parent’s back and may even accompany them on a dive!

I spotted this Pied-billed Grebe at Coffee Creek Park in Chesterton, Indiana. It was swimming quietly near the bank of a pond next to the road. It allowed me just enough time to take a photo before transforming into a submarine, diving into the depths and emerging on the far side of the pond some time later, almost disappearing in the vegetation.

Christmas Bird Counts

1/10/2015

I participated in five Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs) this year, and it's something that I would highly recommend to young birders in particular. I had the chance to explore different habitats, see a variety of birds, work with many experienced birders and learn from each of them while thoroughly enjoying their company.

Since each CBC is held in a different area, it only makes sense that the birding will be different in each CBC. I find it even more interesting that each CBC has its own personality. Some are more relaxed, others are more like a sporting event and others are more like a family reunion.

The Pokagon CBC has been a tradition for decades and Mr. Fred Wooley runs it like a well-oiled machine. Everyone is familiar with their routes, and they know where each species of bird is likely to be found. We tend to stick with the same teams each year, so reconnecting with your team members is a happy reunion. Plus, Mr. Wooley always makes everyone feel welcome. It's a very warm, supportive atmosphere. Birding with Holly Meyers, Brad Bumgardner (sadly unavailable this year) and the Lothamers is guaranteed to be filled with laughter. What better way to end the year than by sharing some giggles with your birding friends! The habitats in and around Pokagon are fantastic for birding, and since I volunteer there, it always feels like home to me.

The Fort Wayne CBC has also been running for decades, but it was new to me. Mr. Jim Haw, one of the state's best birders, is in charge of it, and he does a fantastic job. His organizational skills are surpassed only by his phenomenal birding skills (by sight and by ear). I was happy to be placed with people I had never met - I love meeting new birders! This CBC is the most competitive of the five; there is a contest to determine which team saw the rarest bird. During the day, the teams are secretive about their bird lists, only disclosing their most interesting birds when all of the teams have returned for dinner. The contest adds a bit of sport and mystery, with team members playfully whispering and hiding their lists.

Tippecanoe's CBC in Kosciusko County has a more relaxed atmosphere. I was on Mr. Steve Doud's team, and since he is like a grandfather to me, I always have a great time birding with him. Plus, with a variety of apples from Doud Orchards in the car, it's the tastiest birding adventure one could hope for. Even though we took more time watching and studying each species than in the other CBCs, we saw the most species and the most individuals. Sometimes slow and steady does win the race!

The Limberlost (Adams County) CBC has a wonderful mixture of professionalism and warmth. Terri Gorney, the modern-day Gene Stratton-Porter, makes every volunteer feel like a member of the family. Every route is excellent, so each team is likely to see interesting birds. The various habitats attract everything from Short-eared Owls to Common Mergansers. This year the weather wasn't ideal, but everyone still found great birds and they were treated to the utmost in hospitality.

The SW Allen County CBC is brand new for this year, and it's the brilliant idea of Cynthia and Ed Powers. It covers many birding hot spots: Eagle Marsh, Fox Island and Arrowhead Prairie. Being part of a new CBC was exciting - checking out areas via Google Earth and scoping out the territories in advance. Unfortunately, on the morning of the CBC, freezing rain caused the start time to be delayed until noon and the ice forced many volunteers to stay at home. Cold rain throughout the day hindered our ability to see and hear many birds. Nevertheless, we met new people, explored new areas and saw some good birds. Cynthia and Ed have a good idea with this CBC, and Natalie Haley of Fox Island is always a fantastic host, so I hope this one is on the books for next year, too.

Every young birder should find at least one CBC in their area and volunteer. It's a fantastic way to learn more about birds and birding from some of the best birders in the area, explore new areas, see some great birds and have a wonderful time.

Snow Bunting

1/1/2015

As I write this, it is 17 degrees Fahrenheit outside. The eggs that my chickens and ducks laid in their heated coops are near the freezing point. Can you imagine a songbird trying to incubate an egg in such frigid temperatures? Imagine no more! Meet the Snow Bunting! These tough birds will play and sing in temperatures of -22˚F, and they choose to raise their young above the Arctic Circle. Their cheerful song and demeanor despite such harsh conditions has earned the respect and admiration of generations of birders.

“In his far polar home,... the only sound that breaks the all-enveloping silence for months at a time, is the snow-bunting’s sweet vibrant song, happy and musical as the tinkle of the mountain brook. Along in August..., the snow-buntings don their warmer buff and brown plumage, and begin to assemble in considerable flocks on the grassier slopes for the journey southward. Quiet and still, as if sad to leave their northern home, they feed about the rocks, lingering even until November, when the night comes on, and the sun no longer shines even at noonday. Then the North is silent until they come again.” - The Wilson Bulletin (June 1919).

In winter, most birders look for the brightly-colored winter finches and elusive owls. However, there are several species of incredible birds that visit Indiana in winter that are often overlooked. The Snow Bunting is one of these winter birds. Its simple but elegant brown-and-white coloration makes it very difficult to spot in the snow-covered fields which they usually inhabit.

Snow Buntings are typically found in Indiana in winter. They breed in the northernmost parts of Canada and Alaska - further north than any other songbird! They are also one of only four bird species that has been spotted near the north pole (the other three are Black-legged Kittiwake, Northern Fulmar and Arctic Tern). The males will migrate north to establish their territories long before the females migrate. The females do not migrate until four to six weeks later. When the males reach their breeding grounds, the nighttime temperatures will still dip below -22˚ Fahrenheit! To help keep the clutch warm, the nest is built in deep crevices within rocks and they line the nest with fur and feathers.

The Snow Bunting only has one molt per year. They molt in late summer at which time they get the brown-and-white coloring we are accustomed to seeing in winter. Their beautiful black and white breeding plumage is hidden underneath the brown coloring. To achieve his striking breeding plumage, the male Snow Bunting will scrape the brown feather tips off by rubbing them on the snow. By the time breeding season begins he will have his immaculate black-and-white coloring.

During last year’s Christmas Bird Count (2013-2014), 1,948 Snow Buntings were reported in Indiana, with the bulk of them (1,745) found in the Pokagon State Park vicinity. Snow Buntings were the sixth most plentiful bird in Canada’s Christmas Bird Count last year, with 101,541 individuals reported.

The cheery Snow Bunting has been loved by people for many years. Theodore Roosevelt wrote of the Snow Bunting:

“One bleak March day,...a flock of snow-buntings came...Every few moments one of them would mount into the air, hovering about with quivering wings and warbling a loud, merry song with some very sweet notes. They were a most welcome little group of guests, and we were sorry when, after loitering around a day or two, they disappeared toward their breeding haunts."

To learn more about Snow Buntings, the banding and tracking efforts and other studies, check out the Canadian Snow Bunting Network on the web or Facebook via the Ruthven Park Bird Banding Station and Nature Blog.

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