Tropical Kingbird Attends Desert Rivers Audubon’s Board Retreat

by Mike Evans
Conservation Director 
Desert Rivers Audubon Society

 

Yesterday Desert Rivers Audubon Society Board had their annual planning meeting at the Rio Salado Audubon Center.

Desert Rivers Audubon Board of Directors Retreat Saturday, July 30, 2011 at the Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center, Phoenix, AZ.

Five of the board members met at 7AM for some pre-meeting birding.Our one notable find was a probable TROPICAL KINGBIRD.  In a little over an hour of birding we had 28 species.  Other notables were a COOPER’S HAWK, three Heron species, PHAINOPEPLA, and calling COMMON YELLOWTHROAT. This morning, my son Aaron and I went back with our spotting scope to confirm the presence of the TROPICAL KINGBIRD.

After two hours of patiently working the area between the 7th Street and 7th Avenue bridges (in tropical conditions with dew points in the upper 60′s and low 70′s), on our third pass through the area immediately west of the Central Avenue bridge, we found the bird in the same general area where we had seen it Saturday morning.  It was found in habitat identical to what is described in Kaufman’s book, at the top of a tall cottonwood tree with ponds in the area.  Nice views with the scope confirmed it as a probable Tropical Kingbird.

Tropical Kingbird

Having not seen one in a couple of decades, and only having seen Couch’s Kingbird once before (when one spent the winter outside Tacna, AZ), and not hearing it’s call, we can’t definitively say it is a Tropical and not a Couch’s.  We had a very good view of the tail and back in the scope.  There was no white on the tail, and the tail had a distinctive notch.  The tail color was brown, not black.  Yesterday and today, multiple books were used for reference.  I hope someone with more experience with Tropical Kingbirds can substantiate the find.

Cow Bird Conundrums

by Joy Dingley
Education Committee
Desert Rivers Audubon 

Cowbirds at bird feeder.

When I grew up in England every child knew the call of the cuckoo and that it laid its eggs in other birds’ nests. Yet, even when I was a grown up bird watcher no one could give me a reasonable explanation of why the bird should choose such a roundabout way to produce the next generation – still less how the behavior evolved. So when I got to theU.S.and found that Cowbirds followed the same route of absentee parenting I was delighted when I was given a rational explanation. Cowbirds apparently followed the great herds of buffalo around feasting on the attendant insects. When the herd moved, the birds moved and they didn’t have time to build a nest, incubate eggs and feed the young ones.

It sounded good to me and I’ve repeated the explanation to other people. However, I’ve now got doubts about it. Right from the start I should have asked, if there are still enough insects around to feed the young chicks then why aren’t there enough for the parents as well? Many birds feed their young the protein providing insects they need to develop but make do with a much less rich diet themselves.

Secondly I noticed this summer how often Cowbirds are coming to my seed feeders. There do seem to be more of them than I’ve noticed before but this isn’t the first year they have done this. Even at the Santa Rita lodge in Madera Canyon at the end of May they were vying with Black Headed Grosbeaks for possession of the seed feeders.  So if they aren’t dependant on insects they could have stayed with their chicks for a few weeks before flying on to where the Buffalo had migrated.

So I’m back to asking the same questions I used to ask about the cuckoo, how on earth did this strategy evolve, could the bird ever revert to looking after its own eggs if the surrogate parents disappear and what mechanism ensures that the parasite bird doesn’t wipe out all the possible surrogate parents if they are too successful in a given area?  Somebody out there must know!

Desert Rivers Recognized Bird Habitat Program

Fairy Duster attracts hummingbirds

If you have a backyard, park, schoolyard, or business landscape that is planted with native and low-water use plants, you are providing a good habitat to attract birds.

Desert Rivers Audubon wants to recognize you for your efforts.  Maybe it should be lack of efforts, since we recommend that you don’t overly trim or prune your desert plants. Since grass lawns are not recommended, you also don’t have to mow.  We want you to spend more time enjoying the wildlife in your habitat, instead of tending it.

Birds look in your habitat for shelter, food and water.   Native plants such as Chuparosa and Fairy Dusters not only attract hummingbirds and butterflies, but grow into lush shrubs and bloom year-round.  Palo Verde trees produce those colorful yellow blooms in the spring, stay green year-round, and provide shade in summer.  A small gray yellow-headed bird called a Verdin loves to nest and hang out in Palo Verdes.  Woodpeckers and Peach-faced Lovebirds live in holes in the saguaro cactus.   It doesn’t hurt our special native cactus and provides an insulated abode for these colorful and interesting birds.  It produces sweet blooms that attract Hummingbirds and insects that are yummy snack for most birds.  Not only do these plants attract birds, they use less water.  This means more water is available for our native riparian areas.

To be recognized for your habitat, visit our website. For a donation of $25 or more, you will receive an attractive 8×12 metal sign and proudly display in your habitat. 

With a recognized habitat that attracts birds at your park, school or business, contact our Education Director about doing a lunchtime program for you.  We can bring loaner binoculars and educate your employees, customers, or students about the birds in your habitat.