Signs Of Birds

     For those who enjoy watching birds, the hobby of birding can offer people many different avenues in which to pursue. More than just identification, birding involves everything from the study of various plumages, behaviors and habits, finding and documenting rarities, photography, hawk watching and banding.

     One such facet of birding I have recently discovered has been the art of recognizing bird tracks and sign. Every so often, there comes a time in the field where a dropped feather or an interesting foot print turns out to be a complete mystery.

     Some signs are quite obvious like the drilled sap wells of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. But others can be quite tricky. When those types of signs are encountered, birders will have to analyze each situation and look for clues to come up with the best possible explanation.  The more you observe and learn about the lives of birds, the easier it will become to interpret signs.    

     My first experience with avian forensics occurred years ago along the back trails of the West Hartford Reservoir. On an early morning hike, I happened upon the dismembered body of a red phase Eastern Screech-Owl. All that was left were two partial wings and a variety of other feathers, not much else. As I picked up the pieces to examine them more closely, I noticed that three of the feathers were different. After some careful home study, I had determined that the unidentified feathers belonged to an adult accipiter, most likely a Cooper’s Hawk.

     A more familiar sign in our woodlands are those that are left behind by the industrious woodpeckers. Of all the woodpeckers, the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is the master of sign. The tell-tale sign of a sapsucker’s presence in an area is trees with multiple rows of holes drilled into the trunk. Even though I’m unable to locate their nest hole this summer, an active sap well in my Canton yard is a good indication there are sapsuckers nesting nearby.



Active Sap Well

     Another species that is frequently seen in my yard is the Pileated Woodpecker. Pileated Woodpeckers excavate large rectangular holes in mature trees as they search for grubs, beetles and ants. An enormous pile of wood chips below the hole is a sure sign of this woodpecker’s handiwork.  

     The largely nocturnal Great Horned Owl is often very hard to see. But a scattering of pellets under a stand of tall white pine trees may disclose a favored roost or hidden nest. Simply described, a pellet is a regurgitated mass of indigestible animal remains, comprised mainly of fur and small bones. People who study Great Horned Owls can often determine a bird’s present diet by the dissection of a pellet. They will also be able to gather information about the prey species itself, i.e. population size.

Weathered Great Horned Owl Pellet

     Bird tracks, or footprints, are a wonderful way to determine the presence and habits of a particular bird. The Spotted Sandpiper for example, is a common species whose track is found beside any freshwater body of water.  Before photographing its prints, I watched a hungry sandpiper delicately pick at the mud and chase insects along the banks of the Connecticut River in Wethersfield. A significant amount of track activity from this particular spot, both from the sandpiper and Killdeer, clearly shows an abundance of food here. Their occurrence in late June hints at nesting in the immediate area.

Spotted Sandpiper Tracks

     Winter is also an excellent time of year to look for bird sign. Not only is it simpler to find tracks in the snow, it is easier to discover nests from the past breeding season. The tree-top location of a Baltimore Oriole nest is unveiled as soon as every last leaf has fallen. Nearer to the ground, hard-to-find nests like that of a Chipping Sparrow and Common Yellowthroat allow birders to learn more about site locations and construction material.  

American Crow Track With Wing Impression

     One way to become familiar with track and sign is to study birds right in your own backyard. This is the place where you will know birds the best as well as the place you feel most comfortable in. Once you have achieved a close relationship with birds, it will become easier to identify their sign, even when they have long moved on.