This year there is one bird that I hear everywhere, but I don’t
see it. Not once have I seen this bird! As soon as I hear it I start looking
everywhere! I probably look like a
crazy person, but I don’t care.
In my defense,
every time that I hear this elusive bird I am caught without my
binoculars. I’m usually at work
with the World Bird Sanctuary show and display at Grant’s Farm, holding an
eagle for the family photo opportunity that we are a part of this year. Often times I’m busy getting the display
area all spiffed up for the day or getting ready for show time.
The Northern Parula (photo: wikipedia)
But, I digress. The
point is that I hear these birds singing all day long and by golly I would love
to see one! They have such a sweet
little song and they’re such dapper little gals/guys. Even with binoculars,
though, they would be pretty difficult to find unless you know where and what
to look for.
Northern Parulas, Setophaga americana, are warblers that have a blue head
and wings, a yellow chest, a white belly, and a green back. You would think that they would be
pretty easy to find with all those pretty colors, but the blue and yellow are
great colors for camouflage. The
colors help to break up the outline of the bird’s body so that it might look
like a leaf blowing in the breeze while the sun shines on it. It’s helpful if you can zero in on its
location while it’s singing. Their
vocalization sounds kind of like an ascending buzz. Personally, I think it sounds like a zipper.
The reason I have such a hard time finding them, next to lack of
binoculars, is that they prefer to sing in the upper canopy where all those
moving leaves block my view from the ground. In mature forests near streams and swamps they can choose
from the many insects that also rely on a water source to survive. When insects are sparse they will feed
on available seeds and berries. It
would really be a treat to view an active nest made from hanging moss and
lichen, which are especially helpful for nesting.
I feel confident that I will eventually see one this summer, but
let my mistakes be a lesson for birding.
Never leave the house without your binoculars.
Submitted by Leigh French, World Bird Sanctuary Grant’s Farm
Naturalist/Trainer
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