Spring is in the Air

The spring migration is a highlight for many birders. With the growing daylight, we have more time to be outside and looking for avian friends. The migration gives us the greatest diversity of species as these birds head to their northern breeding ranges in NJ and beyond. Meanwhile, we also get to observe our yearlong and arriving summer residents as they setup on their territories and perform their mating displays for this year’s breeding cycle.

With all of that happening, there are about eight species that I make a mission of seeing each year. This does not include the transients, the species that are passing through on their way to more northern grounds, nor does it include any of the warblers. Warblers are their own task with 34 plus species to be seen each year. Beyond that, I am more of a visual birder and focus on observing the bird versus settling for hearing its song. I enjoy being able to observe some of the behaviors from the birds. Therefore, I tend to focus on our year-round residents and our springtime breeders more than to observe the transients. So here is a list, in no particular order, of eight springtime breeders that I set as a goal to see every year:

Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)

A species most people know, since the males are bright orange birds with a black head and back. Wings are black with white streaking. Females are olive-brown above and orange yellow below with two white wing bars. The species favors open deciduous woods and shade trees. The challenge is trying to find the nest before it revels itself when the leaves drop off the trees.

Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)

This is a threatened breeder that can use damp meadows and hayfields. It’s been called the bird with a reverse tuxedo. Males are solid black below and largely white above. They also have a yellow nape. Females and nonbreeding males have a rich buffy yellow breast with a dark striping on crown and back. Its complex song is one of the highlights of finding this bird.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are summer residents of hardwood forests and one of our largest songbirds. The male has a bold black and white pattern, with a large pink triangle on the chest, and is unmistakable from the correct angle. The female is dull streaky brown and white. Grosbeaks have a large bill for cracking open seeds and nuts. The song has been compared to a Robin that has taken voice lessons.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)

We all know that hummingbirds are tiny, and fast fliers and can be drawn to feeders. The Ruby-throated is the only species in our area and both sexes are green on the back and head and dull greenish white on the stomach. The bill is long and thin. The males have an iridescent red throat which looks dull brown to black if not caught in the right lighting. The joy comes from watching the males joust and/or finding one in a more natural habitat away from the feeders.

Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea)

Breeding adult males are unmistakably bright red with black wings and tail, and a gray bill. With all that color, I can never understand how they can hide so well in the trees. Adult females and non-breeding males (Aug.—Mar.) are a greenish yellow with dark wings. Tanagers are found in a variety of wooded habitats, especially near the tops of tall trees. For me this is the main target of my hide-and-seek game with the birds.

Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)

The males are a deep blue and will often sing from the tops of a tree. They are almost always heard before they are seen. The song is a series of repeated notes that sounds like someone is calling “Fire, Fire, Where, Where, Here, Here, See It, See It.” Female and juveniles are a light brown with paler streaks. They like brushy overgrown fields. There is a rare look-alike called a Blue Grosbeak which is a little larger and has a rusty wing bar, if you want a harder challenge.

Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus):

Our largest flycatcher has a reddish-brown wings and tail, a gray breast, and a bright yellow belly. It is sometimes overlooked and is more often heard than seen. The call sounds like a whistling “wheeep.” While found in wooded areas, it prefers to stay high among dense foliage and brush. Try looking for the yellow belly, consider it like finding a pot of leprechaun gold, when you do.

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)

This tiny little bird is blue gray above and white below with a long tail that is mostly white below and is often held upright like a wren’s tail. There is also a narrow white eye-ring. Often bouncing about in branches feeding on insects and larva it makes for a sweeter target over the classic Chickadees and Titmice when you are out on your birding adventure.

So come on out and copy my quest as you venture on the trails of Hunterdon County and look for these eight species of Spring. To assist in your quest, many of the parks will have a poster on the directory for you to review these species.

Tom Sheppard, Chief Park Naturalist