Trip Report: Female Bird Walk

by Joel Tilley

RCAS held a Female Bird Walk at the West Rutland Marsh on a sunny (if windy) Saturday, May 13. Six people participated. We began by talking about the visual, audible, and behavioral clues to identifying female birds of many species, as well as the need for more research into female bird behavior (especially on their wintering grounds).

american redstart

A male American Redstart sings to attract or impress his female partner.

We listened to some recorded songs of female birds: some are very similar to the male songs (Baltimore Oriole, Northern Cardinal) while some are distinct to the females (Mallard, Red-winged Blackbird). Out of 54 species observed, we were able to positively identify females in nine:

• Mallard (brown overall, quacks, while male sort of grumbles)
• Northern Harrier (reddish brown, compared to gray males)
• American Kestrel (reddish wing coverts, vs blue-gray on males)
• American Goldfinch (greenish-yellow, lacks black cap of male)
• Red-winged Blackbird (brown striped, sings distinctive clattering song)
• Brown-headed Cowbird (overall brown)
• Common Grackle (smaller body, shorter tail than male - best seen when the two are together)
• Yellow Warbler (lacks reddish stripes on breast)
• Northern Cardinal (buffy brown tinged with red)

As the breeding season progresses, more females should become visible as they gather food for hungry chicks. Then in the late summer and fall, it gets more confusing, as many immature birds have the same plumage as adult females, and some adult males molt to more subdued plumage. Have a great summer of birding!

RCAS's First Female Bird Walk trip report

Marsh Wren, sex unknownFollowing Bird Diva Bridget Butler's October 1 talk on Female Birds & The Founding Mothers of Ornithology, RCAS held a Female Bird Walk, open to everyone, at the West Rutland Marsh on Sunday, October 17. Five people participated.

We began by talking about the visual, audible, and behavioral clues to identifying female birds of many species as well as the need for more research into female bird behavior (especially on their wintering grounds).

Out of 20 species observed including a very cooperative Marsh Wren, we were able to positively identify females in only two - a Northern Cardinal and a small flock of Red-winged Blackbirds. Fall is not the best time to do this, as immature males of many species resemble adult females as do some adult males. This event was a warm-up for a Spring Female Bird Walk next year, when it will be much easier to differentiate the sexes. Have a great winter of birding!

2019 Warbler Talks and Walks

Ruby-crowned KingletI had several goals in mind when I first proposed to do the Spring Warbler talk and the bird (and wildflowers!) walks last May. I wanted to share with others my love of birds and their habitats. Birding with others also improves my own sight and sound identification skills. Finally, I wanted to foster links between Rutland County Audubon and Slate Valley Trails—to get birders and bikers and hikers together to appreciate the shared recreational resources of the Poultney area. The Spring events were well received, so we scheduled a Fall Warbler talk and another series of walks.

On all counts the talks and walks were a great success. Thirty-seven people attended the spring talk at the Poultney Public Library, and sixteen came to the Fall talk. The walks covered all 7 of the SVT trails (counting Fairgrounds East and West as two separate areas). The number of participants for each walk ranged from 4 to 11 (total 53, 25 individuals) in the spring, and 1 to 10 (total 33, 18 individuals) in the fall; many of the participants were new to SVT and Audubon. We observed 91 bird species (891 individual birds) in the spring, and 55 species (523 individuals) in the fall, as well as red efts, dragonflies, and Monarch butterflies galore. Everyone shared their knowledge of wildflowers, insects, and trees, as well as the history of the various trails.

I’d like to thank Slate Valley Trails and Rutland County Audubon for enthusiastically promoting these events, and all the participants for sharing their love of birds and their habitats with me. See you on the trails!

To see what we saw on the Fairgrounds West and Fairgrounds East Trail, click here.