FJ2: Field Observation: ID and Flight Physiology

Today I visited East Woods UVM Natural Area with my dad. He's here at UVM this week to teach NR 002 students about E.O. Wilson's Half-Earth Project in the hopes of spreading his conservation message/methods across the country. Suffice it to say he was very excited to get out and go birding with me! We spent majority of our morning watching the movement of downy woodpeckers. As I watched, I noticed that downy's like to hitch upward, laterally on, or along tree surfaces using the stiff retrices of their squared tail feathers to support their bodies and provide a spring to aid in momentum. I observed one individual flexing its tail ventrally while it looked for a sturdier grip on the tree/branches it was scurrying on. There were several individuals (some of different species) all in close proximity, and whenever there was a quarrel or the birds were surprised, at least one individual would take off and land on one of the trees a little farther away. Their flight pattern is intermittent, showing the characteristic undulating flight pattern typical of many woodpecker species, alternating quick wingbeats with folding the wings against the body. Compared to a larger woodpecker species, downy's tend to perform more wingbeats between bounds and have bounds of longer duration. The individual I was observing seemed fairly acrobatic, balancing on tiny branches as it foraged. I saw a female and what I believe to be a young juvenile male because he wasn't quite as big as an adult but he had a red tuft of feathers on his head.

Bird flight is the primary mode of locomotion used by most bird species in which birds use their muscles, skeletal structures, and organ systems to assist in propelling them off of the ground. Flight assists birds with feeding, breeding, avoiding predators, and migration. Each facet of this type of motion, including hovering, taking off, and landing, involves many complex movements. As different bird species adapted over millions of years through evolution for specific environments (habitat niches), prey, predators, an other needs, they have developed specializations in their wings, acquiring varied forms of flight. For example, Herring Gulls have high aspect ratio wings, meaning the length of the wing is much greater than the width. This helps them glide which is an important adaptation for a bird that spends most of its life out over open water. Downy woodpeckers have elliptical wings, which allow a high degree of control and maneuverability in confined spaces, minimizing drag and allowing for rapid ascent and descent. This helps downy's avoid predators and efficiently forage in dense forest. If you are not sure what type of bird you are seeing, flight can be a really helpful identifier. Once you see the birds flight pattern and wing shape, you can guess what type of habitat they live in (aka where you would be most likely to find them). This helps narrow down the possible species you would be seeing and brings you much closer to identifying.

I saw a lot of birds this morning and I think this may be because it was earlier in the morning, when many birds especially songbirds tend to be more active. It was also one of the first sunny days in a while and when we walked into the forest, you could feel that there was a lot of energy and commotion. It was still pretty cold (25 degrees) but the sun was reaching through the canopy and felt very warm and nice. The farther we got from the road, the more birds we found. This is partially because it’s hard to hear the birds over the sound of traffic, but also many birds may try to get deeper into the forest to avoid the noise pollution. Another reason I saw these little guys is because they like woodlands, particularly deciduous woods and long streams. This makes East Woods the perfect habitat for them! I really enjoyed this first birding experience however next time I definitely need to bring binoculars, not only to get better identification but also so that I can take better pictures of the birds. I'm excited to go out on more excursions and find different species!

Publicado el febrero 17, 2020 09:11 TARDE por olivialiu