Colors of Fall Birds

The colors of fall...birds that is Fall is a remarkably interesting time for bird watchers.

YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER

Photos courtesy of ebird.org.

RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH

YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER

CEDAR WAXWING L ike spring it is a time when there is the most diversity of bird species. To perhaps misapply an adage, what goes up, must come down. Of course, I am talking about all the birds which migrated north for the summer are now returning south. Luckily, our region lies in both the North American Central and Mississippi Flyways, with Kansas on the eastern edge of the Central and Missouri on the western edge of the Mississippi. There an estimated 400+ species of birds which use these flyways.

If you are an avid birder, you might go trekking to find your once in a lifetime (lifer) bird during these migrations. However, most of us might focus on seeing an unusual bird on a nature walk or at your backyard bird feeders. So, while the list is extensive, I will list a few of my favorites to keep your eyes out for. A good field guide can help you identify these birds and perhaps you could study the guide before going on your next walk or watching your feeders. My list includes, Cedar Waxwing, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and a White-throated sparrow to name a few. And of course, late in the fall, and a harbinger of winter, the Dark-eyed Junco.

A great resource to track migrations is available from the Cornel Lab of Ornithology. Use the following URL in your web browser: https://birdcast.info/live-migrationmaps/.

An interesting behavior which signals the onset of migration is flocking. While it is not fully understood why birds flock, some theories suggest that there is safety in numbers against predators and there are more eyes capable of spotting food sources. Some flocks can be as few as 20 or 30 and some have been estimated to be as large as a million. A fun bit of trivia is the variety of interesting names given to flocks of certain species. Some of my favorites, a kettle of hawks, a Vatican of Cardinals, a murder of crows, a convocation of eagles, a charm of goldfinches, a glittering of hummingbirds, a parliament of owls, a confusion of warbles, and a drumming of woodpeckers.

Did you know many birds migrate at night? There’s speculation its cooler at night thus preventing overheating and also far fewer predators at night. Birds migrate at speeds of 15 to 55 miles an hour and can cover 15 to 600 miles each day. Now while we won’t witness some of these other amazing record holders for migration, it’s fascinating to know about them. For example, Bar-headed Geese cross the Himalayas at altitudes of 23,000 feet, not to mention the cold and wind; all without oxygen like human climbers need. The annual distance record goes to the Artic Tern, which covers almost 50,000 miles each year. They migrate between their Arctic summer breeding and winter nonbreeding Antarctic grounds. The longest non-stop flight award goes to the Bar-tailed Godwit, which flies 7,000 miles non-stop.

While the above migratory behaviors are amazing and probably better known, there are some birds which migrate to different elevations during the year. Once again, not seen in our area and more common in mountainous terrain birds migrate to higher elevations in the summer and lower during the winter. And it is assumed this pattern reflects their foraging patterns for food.

If you’re out on a walk or watching your feeders and spot an unusual visitor in the weeks to come, I hope you take the time to appreciate these transient visitors. So I hope you see some new colors, birds that is, this fall.

NIK HIREMATH Birding Expert

Local birding experts Nik and Theresa Hiremath own and operate Wild Birds Unlimited of Leawood at 11711 Roe Avenue, Leawood, Kansas. Contact them at 913-491-4887.