Tag Archives: Songbirds

House finch origin story in region has unusual twist

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Photo by GeorgiaLens/Pizabay • A male house finch visits a feeder. Flocks of these small finches can become regular feeder visitors. Credit: GEORGIALENS/PIXABAY

I received an email from Unicoi residents Judy and Bill Beckman asking for a reason to explain a sudden absence in house finches at their feeders.

“For a number of weeks now, our house finches have disappeared from our feeders,” they wrote in the email. “They are usually the dominant number of birds. We do not recall this happening before. Any thoughts?”

I answered, explaining that the birds will probably return. Exactly when the finches decide to return to the couple’s yard is more problematic.

In fall and spring, even birds that don’t normally migrate get a bit restless. I suggested that the house finches could just be exploring somewhere else nearby.

My best guess is the finches they will return. As I explained in my answer, the Beckmans have probably provided a generous buffet for the birds. They will remember where the best free lunch is served.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A male house finch perched on a cable. These finches are native to the western United States but became established in the eastern states thanks to the illicit pet trade.

The house finch is an interesting species. Until the 1980s, this species was not present in Northeast Tennessee. Although this finch is a native North American bird, it is not truly native to the Eastern half of the continent. All the house finches in the Eastern United States are descended from captive birds released into the wild by dealers in the exotic bird trade.

About 1940, the house finch became established in the eastern United States. In violation of federal law, these small finches were being sold in New York City as pet birds described as “Hollywood Finches.” To avoid trouble with authorities, vendors and even some owners released their “Hollywood Finches” into the wild. Finding the area around New York City to their liking, house finches thrived spread. Within a few decades, they were common birds throughout the eastern United States, including Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina. The house finch had also been introduced into Hawaii about 1870, and is still present today, along with many other species of birds not native to the islands.

As the house finch claimed a new range, the species inevitably encountered the related purple finch. During the winter, both finches are often present at feeders in the region. When both are available for observation, bird enthusiasts should take advantage of the opportunity to compare and contrast these birds.

Personally, I have never had any difficulty distinguishing a purple finch from a house finch. The two species, at least in my eyes, are easily recognized. I can understand why some people might have trouble separating the two birds. The late Roger Tory Peterson once described the purple finch as a bird “dipped in raspberry juice.” Think about that imagery for a moment and you’ve got a good start to distinguishing a male purple finch from a male house finch.

Photo by Ray Shrewsberry • A male house finch perches on a branch. This bird species has been introduced into locations nature never meant for the bird to live.

The females of both species are a different matter. However, purple finch females have a more distinctive facial pattern and a heavier bill than do female house finches. With a little practice, it’s not difficult to identity these two species in the field. In Northeast Tennessee, house finches and purple finches are usually only present together during the winter months when purple finches occasionally flock to our feeders.

In their native range in the western United States, house finches have adapted to a range of habitats, including deserts, grassland, chaparral and open woods. Another related species in the Western United States is Cassin’s finch, which is a species found mostly in high-elevation regions dominated by tall evergreen or coniferous forests.

The house finch is an abundant bird. According to the Partners in Flight, there are an estimated 40 million house finches ranging across North America.

They have also proven resilient. House finches are susceptible to some contagious diseases, including Mycoplasma gallisepticum, a bacterium that causes chronic respiratory disease in chickens and infectious sinusitis in turkeys, chickens, game birds, pigeons and passerine birds. House finch populations in the Eastern United States crashed in the 1990s due to the epidemic prevalence of the bacteria. Their numbers have since stabilized, although the species remains vulnerable to infection from the bacteria. Infection with the bacteria often leads to conjunctivitis characterized by swollen, encrusted, nasal discharges, impaired vision and weight loss. Infected birds usually succumb to slow starvation or predation. House finch conjunctivitis is most frequent during colder months when birds congregate and flock to bird feeders. Anyone who fed birds during the 1990s likely witnessed the disease at their feeders.

They also proved to be a songbird susceptible to West Nile virus, but most house finches and other songbirds recover from this mosquito-borne disease. Crows, ravens and jays, however, are vulnerable to the disease.

Overall, although a strange twist of fate brought the house finch into Tennessee and other parts of the Eastern half of the nation, this bird has become a welcome visitor. Males have a cheery song and bright plumage. By all accounts, it’s also here to stay.

I’m going to have to keep a closer watch over my own feeders. I had a pair that visited regularly at the start of the summer season. It’s time to see if they’re back with a new generation of house finches.

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Bryan Stevens has written about birds, birding and birders since 1995. Email him at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

These migratory birds are true champions

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ANNE AND SATURNINO MIRANDA/PIXABAY • The common crane holds a record achieved by the feat of flying over the Himalayans at a height of 37,000 feet. However, this is not a typical flight. They usually fly below 3,280 feet.

As it does every year, September’s arrival puts fall migration into sharp focus. The birds that returned this past spring — the warblers, vireos, tanagers, grosbeaks, flycatchers, hawks, hummingbirds and many more — have begun or are beginning to make their way back to the locations where they will spend the winter months far from the cold, bleak conditions over most of North America.

On recent mornings as I leave for work I have heard the buzz of hummingbird wings, as well as the scolding calls of red-eyed vireos from the woodlands around my home.

Some of these birds migrate out of the tropics every spring to avoid competition. Others find North America a land of abundant, albeit temporary, resources. This land of plenty offers a wealth of insects, seeds, fruit and other nourishing, nutritious food to help parent birds keep their strength while they work to ensure their young thrive. Of course, once the bountiful period concludes, they return to the tropics of Central and South America to winter. Those that do so successfully will make the journey back to the United States and Canada in the spring. It’s an ongoing cycle, repeating year after year, season after season.

The phenomenon of migration isn’t exclusive to the neotropical migrants of the New World. Birds in other parts of the world migrate, too. Waterfowl, shorebirds and raptors are among some of the families of birds that stage impressive migrations.

Here are some migration achievements of some of our feathered friends:

Elevation Champ
The Himalayas represent a mountainous challenge for many migratory birds. Some birds, however, shrug off the astonishing heights of the world’s tallest mountains. The common crane holds a record achieved by the feat of flying over the Himalayans at a height of 37,000 feet. However, this is not a typical flight for these cranes. In fact, they usually avoid flying over mountains. They usually fly below 3,280 feet. The regular migrant that does fly at loft heights is the bar-headed goose, recording reaching 29,000 feet. These geese regularly fly over the peaks of the Himalayas when migrating.

Long-distance Champ
The Arctic tern truly takes migration to extremes. This small seabird travels each year from its Arctic nesting grounds to the Antarctic region, where it spends the winter months. Put into terms of mileage, the Arctic tern can travel about 50,000 miles in a single year. For a bird with a body length of about 15 inches and a wingspan of about 28 inches, this incredible migration is an astonishing feat. These statistics permit the Arctic tern to easily lay claim to the title of champion migrant among our feathered friends.

Tiny Champ
The ruby-throated hummingbird, a favorite of many bird enthusiasts living in the eastern United States, makes an impressive migration each year. Just to reach the United States, these tiny birds undertake a strenuous journey. They leave their wintering grounds in Central America to return to the United States and Canada for the nesting season. Most of these tiny birds, which are barely four inches long, make a non-stop flight of more than 500 miles across the Gulf of Mexico. The journey can take almost an entire day. With the end of summer, the entire population of ruby-throated hummingbirds, increased by a new generation of young birds, makes the Gulf crossing for a second time in a year to return to the American tropics for the winter months.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A ruby-throated hummingbird perches at a feeder for a sip of sugar water.

Dedicated Champ
Among North America’s buteo hawks, which includes raptors such as red-shouldered hawk and red-tailed hawk, the broad-winged hawk stands out as a dedicated migrant. These hawks form flocks that at times number in the hundreds or thousands as they sail and glide on thermals rising over various mountain ranges. These hawks and other raptors are well-known in the region for migrating past the Mendota Fire Tower in Southwest Virginia every September and early October. The broad-winged hawk’s counterpart in the western United States is Swainson’s hawk, which shares the broad-winged hawk’s inclination for migrating in large flocks. Swainson’s hawk is named for William Swainson, the famous 19th century English naturalist for which Swainson’s thrush is also named.

Warbler Champs
My favorite family of birds, the warblers, are seasonal migrants. The Northern parula, a warbler species that regular spends the spring and summer months in the woods around my home, winters in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and southern Florida. The Northern parula breeds across the eastern half of the United States and southeastern Canada. It’s not a migration of an incredible distance, but it’s still quite an accomplishment for a bird less than five inches long and weighing less than half an ounce.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • The Northern parula, like most warblers, is a medium- to long-distance migrant.

Another warbler is a true migratory champion. Few warblers make as great a journey as the blackpoll warbler. Instead of migrating over land, this five-inch-long warbler undertakes a two-stage migration. The first half of the migration is a non-stop flight of about 1,500 miles. Every fall, these tiny birds fly over the Atlantic Ocean during this part of their migration, departing from Canada or the northern United States and not stopping until they reach various locations in the Caribbean. There they will spend some time recovering from the exhausting first half of their journey before they continue their way to such South American countries as Colombia and Venezuela. Once again, during the time they spend flying over open ocean, these tiny warblers do not feed.

Fall’s a great time to witness the variety of avian life. Look for some of these migrants passing through your yards, gardens or favorite birding spots.

For those wanting suggestions for seeking out migrating birds, the linear trail in Erwin, Rocky Fork State Park in Flag Pond and Limestone Cove Recreation Area are some good bets.

Make an effort to win over gray catbirds

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Veronika Andrews from Pixabay • If all else fails, bribery works well on gray catbirds. Provide these birds with a treat and their confidence is more quickly given.

The gray catbird is a baffling bird with a personality that runs the gamut from introverted to extroverted, sometimes depending on the season and at other times seemingly just on a whim. With some gentle persuasion, however, people can gain a catbird’s trust and develop a fun friendship with these clever songbirds.

Bribery also works. One summer, I only needed to offer some less-than-perfect strawberries and blueberries. A few blemishes on the fruit didn’t bother the resident catbirds at all, and they soon became accustomed to receiving such treats.

Your first introduction to the catbird is likely going to occur when you hear what sounds like an irritable feline hiding in a hedge, thicket or dense shrub. Upon closer examination, you may get a glimpse of a charcoal gray bird roughly the shape of a Northern mockingbird but smaller. A black cap and a patch of rusty-red feathers under the tail are the only exceptions to this bird’s overall gray plumage.

Photo by Bryan Stevens A curious Gray Catbird peeks from dense cover. Attendees at the fall rally can look for catbirds and other species at any of the offered bird hikes.

I’m pleased to note that catbirds are doing well. A profile on the website All About Birds confirms that the species is common and has benefitted from stable populations from 1966 to 2019, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. An estimate from Partners in Flight gives the species a breeding population of 29 million individuals spread out across North America. In a time when many bird species are declining, this is welcome news.

Catbirds are experts at concealing themselves from prying eyes. The gray plumage blends into the shadowy sections of the tangles and thickets where the bird likes to hide itself. However, even when gray catbirds are reluctant to be seen, they’re almost eager to be heard. The catbird is extremely vocal, with several calls and songs in its repertoire, including the rather faithful rendering of a fussy cat’s meow that provides this bird its common name.

They’re part of a family related to thrushes that are known as “mimic thrushes.” Besides its surprisingly accurate rendition of a feline, the catbird has several other common vocalizations. Despite their shy nature, they’re extremely curious. Imitating their calls or simply producing a squeaky sound will usually persuade the bird to move out of cover and search for the source of the noise.

Catbirds are part of the parade of returning birds each spring that includes species like rose-breasted grosbeaks, scarlet tanagers, Baltimore orioles and indigo buntings, but because they lack the brilliant plumages of these other birds their arrival would probably go unnoticed if not for the fact they are extremely noisy for the first few weeks they are back. Then they go silent again and remain quieter as they take up the serious business of raising young.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A gray catbird hides within the branches of a dense shrub.

However, in a mood that appears to swing with the seasons, gray catbirds emerge again in late summer and early fall when they feast on such fruit as elderberries and wild cherries while making their whiny cacophony of calls from any tangle or thicket where they happen to be.

The catbird belongs to the genus Dumetella. The name is based upon the Latin term dūmus, which roughly translated means “thorny thicket.” Dumetella, in turn, means “dweller in the thornbushes” or “small bird of the thornbushes.” It’s a rather apt description for a bird fond of habitats often dominated by thorny vegetation. Older common names for the gray catbird included cat thrush and slate-colored mockingbird.

They are related to thrashers and mockingbirds, but scientists find them just different enough to warrant placing the gray catbird in its own genus. A relative known as the black catbird, which ranges throughout the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, as well as northern Guatemala and northern Belize, also belongs to a genus of its own. Both catbirds are classified as “mimic thrushes,” or Mimidae, of which there are about 30 species in the New World. There is a totally unrelated family of catbirds that ranges through Australia, Asia and parts of Africa.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • Gray catbird have a rusty-red patch beneath their tail, occasionally seen as they dive for cover.

The gray catbird is not as an accomplished mimic as some of its relatives, such as the Northern mockingbird. Males have motivation to constantly expand their repertoire, however, as doing so increases the likelihood of attracting a mate. They imitate other birds, but some have been recorded imitating frogs and other non-avian singers.

While not generally considered a bird to visit feeders, people have succeeded in attracting catbirds to feeders designed to offer grape jelly or orange slices. Planting fruit-bearing shrubs and trees is the best means of attracting these fascinating birds to your yard and garden. Leave a few untidy edges to your yard. Gray catbirds will thank you.

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Email me at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com to ask a question, make a comment or share a sighting.

Calling cuckoo brings back some birding memories

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Photo by Peter Pearsall/USFWS • A yellow-billed cuckoo perches horizontally along a bare tree branch. The species feeds prodigiously on a variety of caterpillars.

I heard the low, gulping call of a yellow-billed cuckoo concealed by a dense curtain of green on the ridge behind my home on Sunday, July 26.

The hidden caller reminded me that this bird has acquired the nickname “rain crow” for consistently calling prior to summer downpours.

The yellow-billed cuckoo migrates a great distance to spend the summer months hidden in the dense green canopy of our local woodlands. Cuckoos spend the summer months in southern Canada and across most of the United States, but the bird’s winter range extends as far south as Venezuela and Argentina. They make a roundtrip journey of about 5,000 miles every spring and fall.

In pursuit of their favorite food – caterpillars – the yellow-billed cuckoo provides a public service, removing hairy tent caterpillars and their unsightly silk tents from the branches of various trees. I certainly applaud these efforts. Only a handful of birds feed on these caterpillars, with the yellow-billed cuckoo being the first and foremost consumer of these pests. The cuckoo has a voracious appetite for these caterpillars.

Photo by USFWS • A yellow-billed cuckoo selects a surprising open perch for a bird known for its reclusive nature.

Staking out tent caterpillar nests would seem a good way to increase the chances of seeing these elusive birds. Personally, it’s never quite worked out that way. My best – and first – sighting of a yellow-billed cuckoo is now buried 30 years back among my birding memories. I saw the bird perched in a gnarled peach tree that once stood only a few yards from my home.

Another memorable sighting took place on Fripp Island, South Carolina. That bird, observed from a golf cart, shared a tree with a scolding blue-gray gnatcatcher. The discrepancy in the sizes of the tiny gnatcatcher and the large cuckoo was striking. I genuinely feared that the cuckoo might attempt to snack on the smaller bird.
Other sightings have taken place at Roan Mountain State Park, Winged Deer Park in Johnson City, Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park in Elizabethton and Douglas Lake in Cocke County.

In addition to sightings of live birds, some readers have reported window strikes to me, usually because they’re unable to identify the bird that suffered a sad demise after impacting a window.

The yellow-billed cuckoo is a large bird, which an observation in close quarters emphasizes. This bird can reach a length of nearly 12 inches, but much of that length is composed of its long tail. It easily matches the size of such familiar birds as blue jay and American robins.

The yellow-billed cuckoo has a long, streamlined body and a brown and white plumage. The underside of the tail features large white dots and the wings show some rusty-red feathers. The bird also has a large, curved beak that gives the species its common name.

I hear these birds every summer, but my sightings amount to perhaps a couple every decade. I’m sure I could see more cuckoos with extra effort, but this bird would still present a challenge.

Europe’s common cuckoo is famous in folklore and fairy tales for slipping its eggs into the nests of other birds. While the yellow-billed cuckoo does this on occasion, it is not in the same league as nest parasites such as brown-headed cowbirds.

Two other cuckoos spend time in the United States. The black-billed cuckoo is also found in Northeast Tennessee, but this species is even more difficult to locate than its yellow-billed cousin.

I’ve only seen black-billed cuckoos on a few occasions. My best and first sighting involved a bird that briefly perched on a snag along a hiking trail at Johnson City’s Winged Deer Park. I managed to get my binoculars on the bird long enough for a memorable look. I’ve also seen this species at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park and at Hampton Creek Cove in Roan Mountain.

Another species is the mangrove cuckoo, a bird that in the United States resides only in southern Florida while also ranging the Caribbean, both coasts of Mexico and Central America, and the Atlantic coast of South America as far south as the mouth of the Amazon River. It’s no surprise that this specialist species is found primarily in mangrove swamps.

The yellow-billed cuckoo is known by the scientific name, Coccyzus americanus. Other cuckoos in the genus Coccyzus, which includes about a dozen species, are pearly breasted cuckoo, dark-billed cuckoo, chestnut-bellied cuckoo, grey-capped cuckoo, bay-breasted cuckoo and the great lizard cuckoo.

Although I haven’t seen one for a few years, I’m still glad to know that the yellow-billed cuckoo remains a lurker in the woodlands around my home. If you manage to lay eyes on this elusive bird, consider yourself fortunate.

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Bryan Stevens has written about birds, birding and birders since 1995. To share a sighing, ask a question or make a comment, email him at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

Scarlet tanagers bring brilliance of tropics to local Mountains

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Photo Courtesy of Jean Potter
A male scarlet tanager brightens shadowy woodlands with a flash of tropical colors yet remains mostly inconspicuous in the forest canopy.

The berries on the mulberry trees at home ripened slightly ahead of the recent Fourth of July holiday. As the berries ripened, various birds descended on the trees. Among the visitors were American robins, cedar waxwings, gray catbird, wood thrushes and, almost without a doubt, scarlet tanagers.

The male scarlet tanager is a breathtaking bird that makes the mountains of northeast Tennessee, western North Carolina and southwest Virginia their summer home. The extraordinary appearance of the male scarlet tanager is certainly one that sets it apart from most other songbirds.

This tanager is not typically a feeder visitor, but bird enthusiasts have had varying degrees of success trying to lure these birds with fruit, such as orange slices placed in special feeders or simply spiked onto the branches of backyard trees. As an added bonus, orange slices can also attract birds such as brown thrashers, Baltimore orioles and gray catbirds.

The scarlet tanager indulges its fondness for fruit by incorporating various berries into its diet, Blueberry, mulberry, elderberry, serviceberry and wild cherry are all sure to attract scarlet tanagers and other fruit-eating birds. Plant some of these trees and shrubs to make your yard or garden more inviting to a range of our fine feathered friends.

Bryan Stevens • A male scarlet tanager stands out from other summer birds.

I usually have a few scarlet tanagers in residence around my home during the summer months, but I haven’t seen one in 2026. As usual, I have heard them. But listening to the male sing is not quite the same as observing this beautiful bird with its brilliant plumage of crimson red paired with black wings and tail.

Of course, like many other birds, the female scarlet tanager makes no real claim to the common name with her comparatively drab greenish plumage. However, the scientific name, Piranga olivacea, gives a nod to the olive-green plumage of females, young males and even adult males when they’re molting their feathers.

I began hearing a male scarlet tanager singing deep in the woods at about the time the mulberries ripped. I’m speculating that he got lured close enough to overhear by the mulberries.

So, why is it so difficult to lay eyes on such a brightly colored bird? The answer rests with this bird’s daily routine, which is usually conducted among the upper woodland canopy in such tall trees as oaks and poplars.

The male tanager does produce a distinctive song. Upon first hearing it, listeners might mistake the hidden singer for an American robin. Listen a little closer, however, and the song sounds as if it is being delivered by a hoarse robin with a sore throat. The male tanager also makes a vocalization described as “chip-burr” that is also easily heard.

Photo by Bryan Stevens
A scarlet tanager feeds on wild cherries. By late summer and early fall, even male tanagers have lost most of their vibrant plumage. 

If we were to see a scarlet tanager in a rain forest in South America, we might not be so surprised by vibrant plumage that has come to be associated with many tropical birds. The scarlet tanager is certainly better attired than most birds to provide observers a glimpse of a creature that would indeed look more at home in the jungle.

Worldwide, there have traditionally been about 390 species of tanagers. Experts have changed some of the ways they classify tanagers, so that figure has fluctuated in recent years.

Tanagers are a New World family of birds, concentrated mainly in the tropics of Central and South America. Some of the world’s other tanagers are known by extremely descriptive names, including bay-headed tanager, blue-and-black tanager, seven-coloured tanager, gilt-edged tanager, green-naped tanager, beryl-spangled tanager, opal-rumped tanager flame-faced tanager and blue-gray tanager.

The scarlet tanager ranges in North America with a couple of other relatives: Western tanager and summer tanager.

I am hoping I might still see a male scarlet tanager this summer, but it needs to be soon. The males molt their feathers in late summer and lose their vibrant red appearance. They usually remain in the region’s mountains through late September and early October. Tanagers are common migrants offering a chance to see them as they pass through to return to the tropics. They’re just not going to look as good in the fall as they do in spring and early summer.

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Bryan Stevens is celebrating 30 years of writing about birds, birders and birding. Email him at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com to share a sighting, ask a question or make a comment.

Eastern kingbirds deserve their billing as tyrant flycatchers

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Photo by Bryan Stevens • An Eastern kingbird perches on a chain-link fence on the campus of East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee.

On Saturday, June 27, I spotted two Eastern kingbirds perched on utility lines that extend over the fish pond at my home.

Eastern kingbirds are fairly common summer residents in the region, but they’ve not been at all common birds at my home. In fact, this recent sighting is only the second I’ve ever made of the species at my home in 30 years of birding. As best I can recall, the first time I saw this species at home was in the late 1990s. I’ve seen Eastern kingbirds in many other areas in the region, as well as on trips to Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia.

It didn’t take long to discover what had attracted the kingbirds to the fish pond. Using the utility lines as convenient perches, the birds continually swooped down over the waterlily-choked pond and returned to the lines with their catches. They were hunting dragonflies, an abundant insect at my fish pond. Based on my observations, they were quite skilled at capturing the dragonflies.

Kingbirds belong to an extensive family of birds known as tyrant flycatchers, or Tyrannidae. The family’s members are exclusively found in the New World. It is the world’s largest family of birds, with more than 400 species.

Tanagers, with 384 species, and hummingbirds, with 363 species, are close rival families when it comes to number of species. So are the pigeons and doves with 353 species, and Old World flycatchers with 345 species.

The Eastern kingbird is easy to recognize and identify. The bird’s plumage is a study in contrast, being black above and white below. In addition, there’s a noticeable white edge to the tip of the bird’s otherwise all-black tail. There is a red patch of feathers on top of the bird’s head, which gives this pint-sized tyrant a “crown,” but most birders, myself included, will tell you that this colorful patch is rarely seen and is instead kept concealed at most times.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • An Eastern kingbird perches on a fence post in the Limestone Cove community of Unicoi, Tennessee.

The scientific name of the Eastern kingbird is Tyrannus tyrannus, a good clue to the bird’s militant nature. Kingbirds, which are about the size of an American robin, are famous for displaying aggressive behavior against much larger birds such as crows and hawks, as well as vultures and herons.

While some birds are all bluff, the Eastern kingbird often follows through with its attacks. According to the website All About Birds, kingbirds have been known to knock blue jays right out of a tree.

I’ve observed kingbirds tormenting such large birds as red-tailed hawks and turkey vultures. I once watched a kingbird get so close to a red-tailed hawk that it almost looked like the smaller bird was hitching a ride on the hawk’s back. I suspect the hawk lost a feather or two in the encounter, not to mention suffering a blow to its dignity.

Other North American kingbirds include Western kingbird, tropical kingbird, Couch’s kingbird, Cassin’s kingbird and the thick-billed kingbird. On a trip to Salt Lake City in Utah many years back, I got the chance to see a Western kingbird, the counterpart to the Eastern kingbird in that part of the country.

Look for the Eastern kingbird in open terrain that offers plenty of perches. These birds spend most of their time chasing and catching flying insects, which provide the bulk of the bird’s food during the summer months.

While the kingbird is probably to be lauded for helping control populations of insect pests, they are not discriminating in their choice of prey. As a result, kingbirds feed on beneficial insects, such as dragonflies and bees, as well as pests like flies.

Photo by Bryan Stevens
A glimpse through the vegetation reveals one of the pond’s most voracious predators. Dragonflies consume many other species of insects, including some that are considered pests. Pictured is a female Blue Dasher. In turn, many birds, including Eastern kingbirds, feed on dragonflies. Kingbirds are skilled at snatching winged insects right out of the air.

Other flycatchers that are relatively common in the region include Eastern phoebe and Eastern wood-pewee. The region is also home to some pint-sized flycatchers during the warmer months, including least flycatcher, Acadian flycatcher, willow flycatcher and alder flycatcher.

Don’t judge the tyrannical kingbird too harshly. These birds are motivated to show aggression to other species due to an inordinate need to protect mates, young and territory. It’s not their fault that they are quite masterful at fulfilling this task.

Kingbirds are not the only birds to exhibit bold, brash behavior. Mockingbirds, brown thrashers and red-winged blackbirds are also quite pugnacious. At home, the male red-winged blackbirds have made numerous attacks on the resident red-shouldered hawks whenever these larger raptors venture too close to the cattail domain of the blackbirds.

Although the species faces potential habitat loss in both its summer range and tropical wintering grounds, the Eastern kingbird remains a prevalent bird across much of North America. It’s just not a common bird at my house, but perhaps my recent sighing of two kingbirds is a signal that’s about to change. Or it could mean that it will be another couple of decades before I see this species again at my home.

To share a sighting, ask a question or make a comment, send me an email at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

Unicoi County Summer Bird Count tallies 102 species

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Jake Bonello/USFWS • An Eastern meadowlark sings from a perch on a barb wire fence. Count participants found 10 meadowlarks in Unicoi County.

Members and friends of the Elizabethton Bird Club conducted its 13th Unicoi County Summer Count on Saturday, June 13, with 16 observers. Participants tallied 102 species, which is slightly below the average of 108 species. The all-time high was 112 species in 2016.

I counted in the Limestone Cove community to the Iron Mountain Gap along Highway 107. My count partners Brookie and Jean Potter covered Sciota Road during the early morning hours and got many great nocturnal species. Some of my best birds included blue grosbeak, yellow warbler, common nighthawk, yellow-bellied sapsucker and a singing dark-eyed junco.

Taking part in this count is almost like counting in my backyard since I can drive from my home to Limestone Cove in under 10 minutes.

The list:

Canada goose, 33; mallard, 33; and wild turkey 11

Mourning dove, 40; rock pigeon, 18; common nighthawk, 1; chuck-will’s-widow, 1; Eastern whip-poor-will, 14; chimney swift, 35; and ruby-throated hummingbird, 4

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A total of 10 killdeer made the count tally.

Killdeer, 10; double-crested cormorant, 2; great blue heron, 6;
black vulture, 7; turkey vulture, 19; red-shouldered hawk, 2; broad-winged hawk, 8; red-tailed hawk, 3; Eastern screech owl, 5; barred owl, 3; and Northern saw-whet owl, 1

Belted kingfisher, 5; red-bellied woodpecker, 14; yellow-bellied sapsucker, 6; downy woodpecker, 15; hairy woodpecker, 8; Northern flicker, 3; and pileated woodpecker, 12

Great crested flycatcher, 2; Eastern kingbird, 8; Eastern wood-pewee, 12; Acadian flycatcher, 51; least flycatcher, 3; and Eastern phoebe, 35

White-eyed vireo, 2; blue-headed vireo, 39; warbling vireo, 2; red-eyed vireo, 128; blue jay, 61; American crow, 130; fish crow, 3; and common raven, 5

Carolina chickadee, 69; tufted titmouse, 72; tree swallow, 27; Northern rough-winged swallow, 12; purple martin, 6; barn swallow, 40; and cliff swallow, 226.

Cedar waxwing, 22; red-breasted nuthatch, 9; white-breasted nuthatch, 20; brown creeper, 1; blue-gray gnatcatcher, 21; Carolina wren, 65; house wren, 15; and winter wren, 1

Gray catbird, 22; brown thrasher, 8; Northern mockingbird, 13; European starling, 162; Eastern bluebird, 23; veery 22; wood thrush, 38; and American robin, 162

Photo by Bryan Stevens • An American robin scans for prey in the grass and clover of a lawn. Robins were numerous on the count, represented by 162 individuals.

House sparrow, 16; house finch, 29; American goldfinch, 51; chipping sparrow, 32; field sparrow, 2; dark-eyed junco, 19; song sparrow, 88; Eastern towhee, 33; and yellow-breasted chat, 2

Eastern meadowlark, 10; orchard oriole, 1; Baltimore oriole, 1; red-winged blackbird, 28; brown-headed cowbird, 8; and common grackle, 42

Ovenbird, 42; worm-eating warbler, 18; Louisiana waterthrush, 14; black-and-white warbler, 25; Swainson’s warbler, 18; Kentucky warbler, 1; common yellowthroat, 3; hooded warbler, 78; Northern parula, 36; magnolia warbler, 1; Blackburnian warbler, 2; yellow warbler, 2; chestnut-sided warbler, 5; black-throated blue warbler, 32; yellow-throated warbler, 27; black-throated green warbler, 58; and Canada warbler, 11

Scarlet tanager, 26; Northern cardinal, 77; rose-breasted grosbeak, 6; blue grosbeak, 1; and indigo bunting, 56

Rick Knight, longtime compiler for the count, noted some missed species.

“As always, a few species are missed on count day, usually because they occur in low densities or are very locally distributed,” Knight said. “Not anyone’s fault, just something that happens.”

Missed in Unicoi County were wood duck, ruffed grouse, yellow-billed cuckoo, green heron, Cooper’s Hawk, great horned owl, American kestrel, yellow-throated vireo, golden-crowned kinglet, hermit thrush and American redstart.

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I noted in last week’s column that the Carter County Summer Bird Count found 119 species. That number rose to 120 species when Jean Potter turned in a photo to compiler Rick Knight. He agreed with her that the bird in the photo was a American black duck, which added an additional species to the count.

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To share a sighting, ask a question or make a comment, email ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

Photo by Jean Potter • A male hooded warbler flits through the foliage of a rhododendron thicket. A total of 78 hooded warblers made this year’s Unicoi County Summer Bird Count.

 

 

33rd Carter County Summer Bird Count tallies 119 species

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Hans Toom/Pixabay • A male chestnut-sided warbler peeks from the foliage of a tree., A total of 31 chestnut-sided warblers were found by counters during the 2026 Carter County Summer Bird Count.

Members and friends of the Elizabethton Bird Club conducted the 33rd Carter County Summer Count on Saturday, June 6, with 21 observers. Participants tallied 119 species, which is slightly above the average of 114.

According to count compiler Rick Knight, the all-time high of 123 species was achieved in 2017. Some of the more abundant birds on this year’s count included European starling with 900 individuals counted, and American robin with 343 individuals found. A total of 21 different species of warblers were found.

I counted in Elizabethton along the Watauga River along with Chris Soto and Rex Whitfield and Rob Armistead. Our group also consisted of Jean and Brookie Potter, who covered Wilbur Lake; and Connie and Dave Irick, who made their survey on Holston Mountain. We also had a single feeder watcher, Dianna Lynne of Stoney Creek.

The list:
Canada goose, 181; wood duck, 21; mallard, 60; and common merganser, 18

Wild turkey, 20; ruffed grouse, 3; mourning dove, 107; rock pigeon, 22; yellow-billed cuckoo, 1; common nighthawk, 15; chuck-will’s-widow, 2; Eastern whip-poor-will, 12; chimney swift, 76; and ruby-throated hummingbird, 16

Lynn Wilson/Pixabay • A male blue grosbeak perches in the branches of a shrub. Five of these birds were found on the Carter County Summer Bird Count.

Killdeer, 3; double-crested cormorant, 29; green heron, 3; great blue heron, 29; black vulture, 11; turkey vulture, 70; osprey, 2; sharp-shinned hawk, 1; Cooper’s hawk, 1; red-shouldered hawk, 4; broad-winged hawk, 8; and red-tailed hawk, 8

Eastern screech owl, 2; barred owl, 1; belted kingfisher, 4; red-bellied woodpecker, 22; yellow-bellied sapsucker, 1; downy woodpecker, 29; hairy woodpecker, 7; Northern flicker, 17; and pileated woodpecker, 16

American kestrel, 1; great crested flycatcher, 5; Eastern kingbird, 21; Eastern wood-pewee, 50; Acadian flycatcher, 45; alder flycatcher, 1; least flycatcher, 12; and Eastern phoebe, 70

White-eyed vireo, 6; blue-headed vireo, 53; warbling vireo, 6; red-eyed vireo, 183; blue jay, 117; American crow, 255; fish crow, 5; and common raven, 10

Carolina chickadee, 83; tufted titmouse, 74; tree swallow, 67; Northern rough-winged swallow, 44; purple martin, 18; barn swallow, 75; and cliff swallow, 288

Golden-crowned kinglet, 3; cedar waxwing, 20; red-breasted nuthatch, 5; white-breasted nuthatch, 24; brown creeper, 5; blue-gray gnatcatcher, 30; Carolina wren, 125; house wren, 31; and winter wren, 5

Gray catbird, 37; brown thrasher, 32; Northern mockingbird, 87; European starling, 900; Eastern bluebird, 84; veery, 14; hermit thrush, 1; wood thrush, 84; and American robin, 343

House sparrow, 36; house finch, 152; red crossbill, 1; American goldfinch, 141; grasshopper sparrow, 1; chipping sparrow, 80; field sparrow, 40; dark-eyed junco, 61; song sparrow, 210; Eastern towhee, 108; and yellow-breasted chat, 1

Eastern meadowlark, 17; orchard oriole, 7; Baltimore oriole, 3; red-winged blackbird, 107; brown-headed cowbird, 51; and common grackle, 75

Ovenbird, 86; worm-eating warbler 17; Louisiana waterthrush, 10; golden-winged warbler 5; black and white warbler, 40; Swainson’s warbler, 12; common yellowthroat, 26; hooded warbler, 140; American redstart, 26; Northern parula, 58; magnolia warbler, 1; Blackburnian warbler, 5; yellow warbler, 13; chestnut-sided warbler, 31; black-throated blue warbler, 65; pine warbler, 6; yellow-rumped warbler, 5; yellow-throated warbler, 30; prairie warbler, 1; black-throated green warbler, 49; and Canada warbler, 6

Photo by Bryan Stevens A Yellow-throated warbler perches in a cluster of dead branches.

Scarlet tanager, 45; Northern cardinal, 154; rose-breasted grosbeak, 12; blue grosbeak, 5; and indigo bunting, 144.

I’ll discuss the results of the Unicoi County Summer Bird Count, which was held June 13, in an upcoming column.

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To ask a question, make a comment or share a sighting, email me at ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

Miles Moody/Pixabay • A male American goldfinch looks his best during the spring and summer seasons.

Bullock’s oriole stands out among birds seen during 2006 Utah visit

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Photo by Dave Menke/USFWS • A Bullock’s oriole perches on a branch. This species is found in the western United States.

I’m celebrating 30 years of writing “Feathered Friends” by looking back at some older columns. This week I’ve combined columns first written in 2006 and 2016 into a new feature focused on orioles.

In May of 2006, I made my second trip to the Utah, also known as the “Beehive State.” I’d made my first visit in October of 2003. The contrast between the two visits could not have been more extreme. My 2003 visit took place when Salt Lake City and the surrounding area had been in the grip of an extensive drought. Mountainsides looked dull brown and gray and reservoirs had almost dried up. When I returned in the spring of 2006, green greeted me everywhere I looked. The drought had broken and Salt Lake City didn’t look quite so bleak.

I saw many species of blackbirds and their close kin, including Brewer’s blackbird, Western meadowlark, yellow-headed blackbird, red-winged blackbird, common grackle and Bullock’s oriole. Most of these birds were extremely abundant and surprisingly tame. I didn’t know it at the time, but birds in the western United States are generally tamer and more approachable than birds in the eastern half of the country. There are various factors to explain this difference in behavior, including the rugged terrain and the fact that many western areas have only been settled for a couple of centuries compared to nearly 500 years of settlement in the eastern United States.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A Bullock’s oriole forages in shrubbery along a walking trail near the Jordan River in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Bullock’s oriole proved one of the tamest of all the new birds that I saw on my trip. Trees and shrubs bordering walking and biking trails along the Jordan River popped with small flocks of these colorful, noisy orioles. As my visit took place in May, it’s quite possible these orioles comprised a “fallout” of migrants so occupied with feeding after a long flight that my presence didn’t rank high in their priorities.

Regardless, I found the Bullock’s orioles gregarious and sometimes comical as they chirped from willows and other shrubs close to the river. Close to home, I count myself lucky to see a single Baltimore oriole at a time. Even when I do succeed in sighting one, the Baltimore oriole is often high in the treetops and not easily observed. Such fleeting and infrequent observations of Baltimore orioles are a sharp contrast to seeing flocks of the equally colorful Bullock’s oriole in Utah.

The bird is named for William Bullock, an English traveler, collector of natural history specimens and a bit of a showman. In 1822 and 1827, he visited Mexico, which is perhaps where he first encountered the oriole named for him. He also visited the United States in 1827. He established some museums, including one he called Piccadilly Egyptian Hall, that featured some unusual artifacts. Among the collections was Napoleon’s carriage that had been captured at the Battle of Waterloo.

Photo by Jake Bonello/USFWS • A Bullock’s oriole’s bright coloration is broken up by foliage.

Bullock’s oriole and Baltimore oriole were, for a time, considered a single species. The American Ornithologists’ Union lumped the two birds together from 1973 to 1995 as a species known as the “Northern oriole.” It’s easy to see similarities. Both the Bullock’s oriole and the Baltimore oriole sport vibrant orange plumage accented by white and black in the case of Bullock’s oriole and black in the case of the Baltimore oriole.

Despite their bright plumage , they are related to blackbirds such as red-winged blackbird and common grackles. Icterids, or New World blackbirds, make up a family known as the icteridae that consists of small to medium-sized songbirds. In his book titled “Birds of Forest, Yard, and Thicket,” John Eastman notes that there are 26 species in the genus, eight of which nest in the United States. In the eastern United States, there are only two orioles — the Baltimore oriole and its smaller relative, the orchard oriole. The western half of the nation is home to a half dozen orioles, including Bullock’s oriole, Scott’s oriole, Audubon’s oriole, hooded oriole and Altamira oriole.

In Northeast Tennessee, tall trees are an essential part of the Baltimore oriole’s favored habitat. Baltimore orioles are well-known for their colorful appearance, but their fame also rests with a sack-like nest that Eastman describes as a “durable marvel of tight-woven plant fibers” in his informational book. The Bullock’s oriole is also known for building these impressive sack nests.

Orioles are present in the United States from April to October, generally retreating to the American tropics for the cold months of winter. There they may live on plantations that produce such much-coveted crops as bananas, coffee and cacao, which is the essential ingredient for chocolate.

A painting by John James Audubon depcits the intricate nest crafted by Baltimore orioles.

Those who are fortunate enough to have a Bullock’s oriole or a Baltimore oriole as a neighbor should know that it isn’t only the bright coloration and elaborate nest building that recommend these birds. They’re also some of the few birds willing to eat the hairy tent caterpillars that are often a blight on the landscape. Back in the late 1990s, I observed a male Baltimore oriole visiting a large caterpillar tent in the branches of a cherry tree. The bird methodically plucked the caterpillars from the silken tent, eating them one after the other. While many birds avoid some of the spiny and hairy caterpillars, these two orioles actively seek them out and do a great service of reducing the damage these hungry caterpillars can inflict on the environment. They will also apparently eat Gypsy moth caterpillars and fall webworms.

On a handful of occasions, Bullock’s orioles have strayed into the Volunteer State. Some documented recent vagrant Bullock’s oriole visits have occurred near Nashville and Chattanooga.

I will always count myself fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time to enjoy my “fallout” of Bullock’s oriole near the Jordan River in 2003 during my Utah trip. The moment remains one of my most memorable birding experiences.

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To ask a question, make a comment or share a sighting, email ahoodedwarbler@aol.com.

Region’s 83rd Spring Bird Count tallies 155 species

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Hans Toom • A yellow warbler perches on a tree branch.

The 83rd consecutive Elizabethton Spring Bird Count was held Saturday, May 9, with 44 observers in 16 parties. The counters tallied 155 species, which is slightly above the average of 152 species in the most recent 20 years of this annual survey. The all-time high on this count took place in 2016 with 166 species tallied.

Although the day began on a slightly chilly note, temperatures soon warmed and skies remained clear and sunny most of the day. I counted near Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park and along the Watauga River in Elizabethton with Mary Anna Wheat and Chris Soto. We counted ourselves lucky to get some good birds on our list, including Northern waterthrush, blackpoll warbler and Kentucky warbler.

A total of 28 species of warblers made the list, as well as good sightings such as Northern saw-whet owl, sora, blue grosbeak, summer tanager and dickcissel.

Compiler Rick Knight noted that, as always, a few species got missed on count day, notably ruffed grouse, great horned owl, Virginia rail and prairie warbler.

The count group’s total list follows:

Canada goose, 391; wood duck, 71; American wigeon, 13; mallard, 69; common merganser, 11; red-breasted merganser, 1; and wild turkey, 25.

Mourning dove, 181; Eurasian collared-dove, 2; rock pigeon, 78; yellow-billed cuckoo, 2; common nighthawk, 2; chuck-will’s-widow, 8; Eastern whip-poor-will, 19; chimney swift, 101; and ruby-throated hummingbird, 15.

Sora, 1; killdeer, 32; semipalmated plover, 24; least sandpiper, 37; semipalmated sandpiper, 5; spotted sandpiper, 71; solitary sandpiper, 22; lesser yellowlegs, 8; greater yellowlegs, 5; common tern, 2; and Forster’s tern, 3.

Photo by Bryan Stevens • A tree swallow checks out a nesting box soon after making its spring return. 

Double-crested cormorant, 136; yellow-crowned night-heron, 6; green heron, 8; great egret, 1; great blue heron, 61; black vulture, 86; and turkey vulture, 94.

Osprey, 16; sharp-shinned hawk, 1; Cooper’s hawk, 3; bald eagle, 8; red-shouldered hawk, 8; broad-winged hawk, 4; red-tailed hawk, 20; American barn owl, 1; Eastern screech owl, 7; barred owl, 3; and Northern saw-whet owl, 1.

Belted kingfisher, 17; Red-headed woodpecker, 6; Red-bellied woodpecker, 66; yellow-bellied sapsucker, 2; downy woodpecker, 39; hairy woodpecker, 8; Northern flicker, 35; and pileated woodpecker, 31.

American kestrel, 9; great crested flycatcher, 27; Eastern kingbird, 112; Eastern wood-pewee, 30; Acadian flycatcher, 47; willow flycatcher, 2; least flycatcher, 15; and Eastern phoebe, 59.

White-eyed vireo, 15; yellow-throated vireo, 6; blue-headed vireo, 72; Eastern warbling vireo, 19; red-eyed vireo, 310; and loggerhead shrike, 1.

Blue jay, 167; American crow, 291; fish crow, 15; common raven, 15; Carolina chickadee, 136; and tufted titmouse, 154.

Bank swallow, 4; tree swallow, 124; Northern rough-winged swallow, 90; purple martin, 42; barn swallow, 165; and cliff swallow, 785.

Ruby-crowned kinglet, 1; Golden-crowned kinglet, 1; cedar waxwing, 225; red-breasted nuthatch, 10; white-breasted nuthatch, 25; brown creeper, 3; and blue-gray gnatcatcher, 63.

Carolina Wren, 187; Northern House Wren, 35; Winter Wren, 5; Gray Catbird, 78; Brown Thrasher, 46, Northern Mockingbird, 131; Eurasian Starling, 630; and Eastern Bluebird 140

Veery, 18; Swainson’s thrush, 8; hermit thrush, 2; wood thrush, 70; and American robin, 717.

House sparrow, 55; house finch, 129; pine siskin, 2; and American goldfinch, 226.

Bryan Stevens • A male American goldfinch visits a thistle seed feeder.

Grasshopper sparrow, 4; chipping sparrow, 101; field sparrow, 41; dark-eyed junco, 45; white-crowned sparrow 1; white-throated sparrow, 5; Savannah sparrow, 1; song sparrow, 268; swamp sparrow, 1; and Eastern towhee, 142.

Yellow-breasted chat, 5; Eastern meadowlark, 48; orchard oriole, 43; Baltimore oriole, 28; red-winged blackbird, 272; brown-headed cowbird, 64; and common grackle, 280.

Ovenbird, 132; worm-eating warbler, 27; Louisiana waterthrush, 29; Northern waterthrush, 6; golden-winged warbler, 5; blue-winged warbler, 1; black-and-white warbler, 58; Swainson’s warbler, 23; Tennessee warbler, 10; Kentucky warbler, 11; common yellowthroat, 45; hooded warbler, 198; American redstart, 26; Cape May warbler, 12; Northern parula, 73; magnolia warbler, 4; bay-breasted warbler, 11; Blackburnian warbler, 12; yellow warbler, 19; chestnut-sided warbler, 40; blackpoll warbler, 12; black-throated blue warbler, 76; palm warbler, 2; pine warbler, 14; yellow-rumped warbler, 26; yellow-throated warbler, 42; black-throated green warbler, 104; and Canada warbler, 32.

Summer tanager, 1; scarlet tanager, 81; Northern cardinal, 239; rose-breasted grosbeak, 35; blue grosbeak, 9; indigo bunting, 152; and dickcissel, 2.