January 6, 2009
Starting my 2009 Iowa bird list
What I look forward to most about a new year is the start of a new Iowa “year” list of birds.
The Iowa bird checklist shows that 420 species of birds have been seen in the state. However, that’s 420 bird species over a number of years, not 420 bird species every year. Of those 420 species, the Iowa Ornithologists Union splits the species into 3 main categories:
Regular = seen every year or nearly every year, at least 8 of last 10 years (306 species)
Casual = seen many years but not all, at least 3 and less than 9 of last 10 years (26 species)
Accidental = seen once to several times, but less than 4 of last 10 years (84 species)
In theory, this means that if you go out birding a lot and cover all corners of the state, you have a good chance of seeing 306 species each year (the “regulars”) and maybe more if you can find some “casuals” or “accidentals”.
Dedicated birders in the state set 300 as the goal to reach each year, but very few actually make it to 300. It takes a lot of time to bird the entire state each year. My highest so far was 297, but that was an exceptional year for me. Generally I find between 250-275 bird species each year.
So I began my quest for 300 this year by doing a little bit of local birding on Jan. 1 and Jan. 2. After 2 days of birding, my 2009 Iowa list is 36 species — I have a long way to go to reach 300 but lots of fun birding ahead!
A few of the birds I most enjoyed seeing at the start of this year are listed below:
Rough-legged Hawk
The Rough-legged Hawk is my favorite of all the hawks. It comes south from the Arctic and other northern climes during the winter. Since most of Iowa’s summer birds flee the state during the fall for warmer climates, I am very partial to a bird that actually thinks Iowa is the place to be during the winter.
The Rough-legged Hawk can easily be identified by the large black “wrist patches”, shown in this photo from the Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter.
It is less common in Iowa in the winter than the more familiar Red-tailed Hawk.
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Another winter treat that I saw on Jan. 2 was the tiny Northern Saw-Whet Owl. This little owl is very cute, but don’t be mistaken by its cuteness quotient. It’s a hunter through and through.
Finding an owl takes patience and some knowledge of the particular habitat that species of owl likes. Once you’re in the correct habitat, look under the trees for owl droppings and regurgitated pellets.
The little Saw-whet that I saw on Friday had a good-sized area of droppings directly underneath it. After I saw the droppings, I knew just where in the tree to look for the owl, and sure enough, there it sat on a high branch, calmly watching me with those big owl eyes in that small owl body.
Saw-whets are not particularly spooky owls and usually will stay put on a tree branch and allow you to observe them. Most owls fly out of a tree long before you have a chance to approach them.
Northern shrike
Another beautiful bird that winters in Iowa is the Northern Shrike. Birds with black and white feather patterns are particularly pretty, I think. Shrikes are known for their behavior of storing prey on thorns or other sharp items.
I usually find shrikes perching on top of small trees, although once or twice I’ve seen them on telephone wires. They move around their territory and are sometimes hard to find in the same location a second time, although they may be in the general vicinity still. I always feel lucky when I come across one.
What have you seen so far this year? What are your favorite winter birds? Please share in the comments section.
October 28, 2008
Remember to look up
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- White-throated Sparrow
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- Dark-eyed Junco
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- Bald Eagle
Autumn is my favorite time of year. I love the cool weather and the colors of the leaves as they change. But mostly, I love to watch the bird migration taking place all around us.
I’ve been hearing the singing of White-throated Sparrows in my yard just after dawn each morning for the past few weeks. These little birds are common in Iowa during spring and fall migration. In spring they head north to breed and in the fall they move south for the winter. Their song is very distinctive. You can listen to it here: http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/Infocenter/i5580id.html and click on the Song link on left side of page.
The “snowbirds” – the Dark-eyed Juncos – have arrived in Iowa to spend the winter. I can’t help but enjoy a bird that thinks Iowa is a great place to spend the winter. How bad does winter have to be where this bird came from!
My favorite bird of the autumn skies is the raptor. Raptors are on the move in the fall. Many of them, such as the Broad-winged Hawks, leave the U.S. to winter in Central and South America. Others, such as Rough-legged Hawks, may find Iowa is as far south as they need to go.
Have you ever noticed how many Bald Eagles you see along the open rivers in Iowa in the winter? Those eagles move north in the summer to raise their families (although a few do stay and breed here in Iowa), then move south again in the winter following the open water. Fish are a primary food source for the Bald Eagle.
So while you’re out enjoying the fall weather, listen for the chips and tweets of the small migrants as they pass through Iowa on their way south. Watch your trees and bushes for the frenetic movement of the tiny Ruby-crowned Kinglets, check under your feeders for the Dark-eyed Juncos and White-throated Sparrows scrounging seed off the ground, and most importantly, remember to look up and watch the skies for the magnificent raptors moving overhead.
Upcoming opportunities to learn about birds:
You’re also welcome to participate in the Iowa City Bird Club outing on Saturday 11-1-08. The website is http://icbirds.org/ — you can find more information here. Saturday’s outing begins at 7:30 a.m. Meet at the Dodge Street Hy-Vee in Iowa City, southwest corner of the parking lot near the recycling bins. You do not need to belong to the bird club to participate in the outing.
