Nature Notes | Mass Audubon – Your Great Outdoors

December brought another month of amazing bird sightings to Massachusetts. Here are a few interesting observations as suggested by our experts.

Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides)

This is a bird of wide open spaces in the west, where it breeds at higher elevations but overwinters on the grasslands and plains. It often forages by hovering above a field and looking down for insect prey. Whereas our familiar eastern bluebird has a rusty breast, the mountain bluebird is blue-grey to powdery blue, almost like a pair of faded old jeans. An individual seen at the Crane Wildlife Management Area in Falmouth was one of only a few records for Massachusetts.

Mountain bluebird in Falmouth © Tom Murray

Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis)

A relative of the Canada goose, the barnacle goose has silvery-grey wings and a largely white face. It’s found in north-western Europe and Asia. Because this bird “disappears” to remote parts of the Arctic during the warm months, some Europeans developed a folk belief that it spent the summer developing underwater in the form of a barnacle. Various religious groups held that the barnacle goose’s supposed unusual life cycle meant that it wasn’t made of real animal meat—so it was O.K. to eat during fasts. Two barnacle geese (in goose form!) were seen in Agawam among a flock of Canada geese.

Barnacle goose in Longmeadow © Justin Lawson

Barnacle goose in a flock of Canada Geese, Longmeadow © Justin Lawson

Cave Swallow (Petrochelidon fulva)

In recent years, birders have increasingly observed an odd avian phenomenon along our coast. Swallows have been spotted flying over the chilly landscape long after our local swallow species have migrated south. Even more remarkable is the fact that they belong to a species that is normally found as far away as Texas, Mexico, and the Caribbean. These are cave swallows, and it’s not yet clear why they now visit us every year! Cave swallows were spotted last month in Lynn and Salisbury.

Cave swallow in Salisbury back in 2010 (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) nebirdsplus

Cave swallow in Salisbury in 2010 (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) nebirdsplus

Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)

An adaptable species, the black-chinned hummingbird can be found in both remote wild lands and urban areas in the west. Its breeding range encompasses much of the western US, dipping into northern Mexico and north as far as western Canada. Most black-chinned hummingbirds spend the winter in Mexico and along the Gulf Coast. The male has a dark chin with iridescent purple at the base; the female is often difficult to identify in the field, but the task is made is easier when the bird is in hand—as was the case with an individual that was banded last month in Harwich. There have only been about five recorded occurrences of this species in Massachusetts!

Black-chinned hummingbird © Sean Williams

Black-chinned hummingbird in Harwich © Sean Williams

Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni)

The Swainson’s hawk is a bird of the Great Plains. While it’s raising young, it eats the typical hawk diet of small mammals, birds, and reptiles, but outside of the breeding season this species is mainly an insect eater; it’s adept at catching insects stirred up by agricultural activities. A Swainson’s hawk was seen at Bear Creek Park in Saugus. This was one of very few winter occurrences for this species in our region.

Swainson’s hawk in Saugus © Andrew Hrycyna

Every month we feature some the past month’s bird sightings as suggested by our experts. Here are five remarkable observations from November.

MacGillivray’s Warbler (Geothlypis tolmiei)

If you’re a fan of warblers, you probably know the mourning warbler, an uncommon bird of the eastern US that looks like it’s wearing a gray and black veil of mourning. There’s a closely related species in the western US: the MacGillivray’s warbler. It has a similar appearance but has bold white crescents above and below its eyes. The ranges of these two species don’t typically overlap; nonetheless, a wandering MacGillivray’s warbler was seen last month in Lexington.

MacGillivray’s warbler in Lexington © James P. Smith

American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)

With a wingspan of nine feet, the American white pelican is one of North America’s largest birds. It breeds in central and western parts of North America and winters in the southern US and Mexico. If you’ve visited to the southern coastal US you’ve probably seen the brown pelican, a species known for making spectacular aerial dives to catch fish. The American white pelican doesn’t take such plunges; instead, it feeds by floating on the surface of the water and scooping up fish into its enormous bill. Last month, at least one white pelican was observed on a pond in Gloucester and later at Plum Island.

American white pelican in Michigan (CC BY 2.0) Andrew C

Common Ground-dove (Columbina passerina)

This is a tiny dove—it’s just 1/4 the weight of a mourning dove. Native to southern North America and northern South America, the common ground-dove does not typically migrate, so it’s not clear why a bird made its way to Lexington last month. This species feeds and typically nests in dense vegetation close to the ground, which tends to make it vulnerable to many predators. Fortunately its feather pattern keeps it well-camouflaged against the dusty ground. When startled into flight, it flashes bright chestnut wing patches and its wings make a soft whirring sound.

Common ground-dove in Lexington © Ryan Schain

Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus)

A true northern bird and a rarity in North America, the pink-footed goose breeds in chilly places: Greenland, Iceland, and Svalbard. It overwinters in northwestern Europe. Pink-footed goose populations are increasing, partly because of greater protection from hunting in areas where they breed. Accordingly, it seems, individuals are showing up on the eastern coast of North America with increased frequency. The species is gregarious, and in Massachusetts it’s usually seen in the company of Canada geese. A single pink-footed goose was observed last month in a flock of Canada geese at Turner’s Falls along the Connecticut River.

Townsend’s Solitaire (Myadestes townsendi)

This uncommonly seen species nests in western mountain forests and usually winters at lower elevations. In winter, this bird eats berries, especially juniper berries, and fiercely defends food-rich territories. The Townsend’s solitaire looks a little like a miniature mockingbird, though it has a striking white eye ring and it’s actually a member of the thrush family. A Townsend’s solitaire seen last month at Halibut Point State park in Rockport was actually one of several reported this fall.

Townsend's solitaire at Halibut Point State Park © Ted Bardford

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Last Month in Birding: December 2015