Birds in Profile: Black-billed Cuckoo

Black-billed Cuckoo

Some birds really ruffle my feathers.  Starlings will devour my suet before my woodpeckers even have a chance to get some grub.  Cowbirds lay their eggs in other birds' nests, threatening the survival of the host bird's brood.  The birds that really make me crazy, however, are the ones that I can not find.  They really tick me off.

For a while my nemesis bird was the Blue Grosbeak.  Thanks Greg Miller I was able to add that beauty to the Big List.  My current challenge: The Black-billed Cuckoo.

Many of you, mainly my friends who care little about birds, may be thinking, "He's totally making this up.  There aren't any Cuckoo birds in Northwest Ohio."  On the contrary, there are two species of Cuckoo that reside in the area during the summer months.  The more chatty and less elusive Yellow-billed Cuckoo is already on the list.  The Black-billed differs with the Yellow-billed in that it has a black bill (duh!), a red eye ring surrounding a black eye, a smooth monochromatic brown on the back of the head, neck and back, and has noticeably less white on the underside of the tail.  Yellow-billed's have a rufous colored patch on the wings in place of that smooth solid brown.

Cuckoos are a group of birds that are often heard but not seen.  They're very elusive creatures who move methodically from branch to branch.  I often hear Yellow-billed Cuckoos at Oak Openings, but have yet to hear the Black-billed.  Here's a short clip from YouTube that shows a Black-billed Cuckoo half-heartedly calling out.  When they really get going these birds can seem like they don't require oxygen to breath.  They go on and on and on...



When I've done these little bird vignettes in the past I always visit the Cornell Lab's All About Birds page.  It's a great place to get some very useful information about birds.  My favorite thing from this resource is the "Cool Facts" section.  Here they are for the Black-billed Cuckoo:

• Cuckoos eat many spiny caterpillars and the spines stick in the lining of the stomach.  The stomach lining periodically sheds to remove the spines.

• The apparent tendency to call more frequently before rain explains why both Black-billed and Yellow-billed Cuckoos are called "Rain Crows."

• The Black-billed Cuckoo is known occasionally to lay eggs in the nest of other bird species.

• The time from egg laying to young leaving the nest is, at 17 days, among the shortest for any bird.  Despite this speed, most pairs raise only one brood a year.

On that last point, Kenn Kaufman points out in Lives of North American Birds, that Black-billed Cuckoos may lay more eggs in a season depending on the abundance of caterpillars.

Speaking of Kenn Kaufman, I enlisted his expertise for this post.  For you non-birders who don't know Mr. Kaufman, he is an authority on birds in general.  He has been a bird brain for decades.  The Kaufman Field Guides are arguably the most useful quick reference material a birder can have.  He writes in various publications including Birds and Bloom.  He also happens to be married to Kimberly Kaufman, the unbelievably hard working executive director of the Black Swamp Bird Observatory.  Together, the Kaufman's have done wonders for birding in our area and around the world.  And like everyone else I have mentioned throughout the year, they happen to be really nice people.

Since I have been having such a tough time finding a Black-billed Cuckoo, I asked the expert a few key questions.  Is their a particular time of the day (or night) when they are most likely to call?  Do they usually sit at a particular height?  In Northwest Ohio, where are you most likely to see them?

Kenn gave me some great, but slightly depressing news in that it seems very possible that Black-billed Cuckoo might be one bird that might slip by me this year.  He stated that Black-billed Cuckoos are really tough to find in the summer.  Yellow-billed's will continue to call throughout the summer, but Black-billed's seem to quiet down after the spring migration and the early summer period.  He also said that they have a tendency to sit quietly at mid-levels in trees, especially in dense willows near marshes.  Magee Marsh should be a good spot for them, but Mr. Kaufman said that he has never found a single one there in summer.  Based on his response, the Oak Openings area seems to still be my best bet for a Black-billed Cuckoo.  

Kenn said that you really need to have precise locations to find a Black-billed Cuckoo in the summer.  He suggested that I try to catch them as a fall migrant.  There is a three week window in August and September that might afford me the opportunity to get one of these buggers before they fly south for the winter.

I'd like to thank Kenn Kaufman for graciously fielding my questions for this post.  Kenn has a few blogs of his own, and I'd like to highlight one before I go.  This post on his Crane Creek-Magee Birding blog is a very timely article because shorebirding is really going to get hot here in August.  Dad, I know shorebirds aren't your thing.  "They're too hard to identify."  Anything worth while isn't easy pops.  Happy birding everybody!

Information in this post was gleaned from:

Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Black-billed Cuckoo (website). Retrieved from http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-billed_Cuckoo/lifehistory

Kaufman, K. (1996). Lives of North American Birds. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Books

Birding is My Escape

A favorite spot at Oak Openings

Since I graduated in 2007, I have applied at every major school district in Northwest Ohio.  I have had countless interviews.  Many times I get called back for second and third interviews.  The result at the end of this process is always the same.  Someone with more experience is chosen.  They wanted a hometown person for the position.  A few times I've found out that a board member's son was hired over me.  Many times a district will post an opening, you'll do all the paperwork for the application, and they will fill the job internally.  When you find out that any of these things happen, you can't help but feel a little depressed, angry, and hopeless.

Birding has become my escape from constantly thinking about my professional failures.  When I'm out looking for and listening to birds, I am able to forget about these frustrations at least for a little bit.

My wife is always positive no matter how low I get.  I feel very fortunate to have someone like her in my life.  Here she is nearly 9 months pregnant and she's the one talking me up.  She's one tough cookie.  Although I am anxious and apprehensive about what life will be like with two crazy kids, I am so happy that I am married to such a special woman.  With her by my side, I know things are going to work out.

Last week I found out that I was passed over for two jobs.  I was so confident about the prospect of getting one of those positions that I even thought about how my Big Year would have to be set aside for a more important purpose.  Bad news: I didn't get either job.  Good news: I get to keep birding.  What can I say?  It makes me happy when I otherwise would feel pretty crappy.

Tomorrow (or today since it is now after midnight), my dad, my aunt and I will be heading out to Ottawa County to see what's flying around.  Stops will probably include Maumee Bay State Park, Camp Perry, Magee, Metzgers, and Pearson Park.  I haven't added a bird since July 11th, so I'm chomping at the bit to get a new one.  We'll see what happens.  Happy birding!

Target Birding with Greg Miller

Greg Miller and yours truly!

I know what you must be thinking.  The answer to your question is yes.  I only go target birding with guys named Greg.

For crazy birders, no introduction is needed for Greg Miller.  For my non-birder friends who may be reading this, Greg Miller is a bit of a birding celebrity.  One year of his life is documented in the book The Big Year.  In 2011, that book was made into a feature film of the same name in which Jack Black plays Brad Harris (the fictional Greg Miller), a computer analyst who decides to make 1998 his Big Year.  The movie is good, but the real story is better.  I highly recommend the read.

Although Greg has received quite a bit of attention due to his amazing story, he is a very grounded individual.  Elissa and I spent about 5 hours birding with Greg Miller, and I was very impressed with how positive a person he was.  Although Greg helped me get Blue Grosbeak and Barn Owl checked off my list, my favorite part of the whole experience was listening to his stories, knowledge, and philosophy.

Elissa and I drove down to Millersburg, Ohio Tuesday night.  We stayed at the Hotel Millersburg.  When we arrived there at 10pm, we found that our key had been left for us in the foyer.  Nobody was at the front desk.  We got up at 5am.  I dropped the key in a drop box on our way out the door.  Nobody was at the front desk.  Great service!

We picked up Greg at his place around 6am.  Less than an hour later, Blue Grosebeak went from target bird to bird #249 on my list.  An hour or so later, Greg took us to a local farm to look for bird #250.  Sitting up inside the top of a grain silo were two adult Barn Owls.  Why I didn't take a picture of these guys I have no idea.  Two Barn Owl butts would have been a funny image to pass along.

Dickcissel

Although we struck out on Kentucky Warbler, Prarie Warbler, and Lousiana Waterthrush, I found the trip down to Amish country well worth it.  I hope we get the opportunity to bird with Greg Miller again.  If you would like a custom birding tour from Greg Miller I encourage you to visit his blog at Greg Miller Birding.

On our way back from Millersburg, Elissa and I stopped at Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area.  We didn't spend a lot time there, and I didn't add any birds there, but Elissa did got her lifer Dickcissel.  I know the last part of that sentence might be difficult for some of my friends to leave alone.  I can't help what people name these silly birds.

In other news, I added Broad-winged Hawk yesterday at Oak Openings.  My goal of 300 species feels very reachable now.  I'm excited to see how many I can get before my trip to Texas at the end of the year.  Now that Blue Grosebeak is out of the way, my new nemesis bird is the Black-billed Cuckoo.  They're pretty sneaky birds so there's a good chance this one might not make the list.  We'll see!  Happy birding everybody!

Helping Baby Birds: Do it the Right Way!

Baby Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Secor Metropark)

When I started this blog at the beginning of the year, I told myself to keep things interesting and educational.  I didn't want it to simply be me telling about my birding adventures.  That would not only be boring for you, but I actually believe I would get bored with that too.  Taking that mind set into account, today I would like to talk about what one can do if they come across a baby bird that has fallen out of the nest.  For this kind of post, however, it is always necessary to turn to someone more knowledgeable that myself.

Kate Zimmerman is the Education Director at Black Swamp Bird Observatory.  She previously helped me with a post about the Ohio Young Birders Club.  I took Ruby to a bird banding event at BSBO a while back, and it was Kate that was kind enough to let Ruby release an Ovenbird back into the wild.  It made her day.  I emailed Kate about the baby bird topic, and after consulting with her colleagues, she got back to me with a step-by-step process for caring for a baby bird.  

What to do with a baby bird who has fallen from it's nest?

1. Check to see if the baby bird is alive.

2. If you can find the nest that it fell out of and are able to safely return the baby to the correct nest, then do so.  It is a myth about touching a baby bird, and the mother not caring for it because it has human scent on it.  Birds have a very limited sense of smell except for Vultures, who have an excellent sense of smell.

3. If you are unable to find the nest, the next option is to contact a wildlife rehab center in your area.  Most wildlife rehab centers will need you to transport the bird to their location.  The best way to transport a baby bird is to gently place it in a container lined with soft material (ex: a washcloth works well).  A small box or container with vent holes will do.  Some baby birds will try to "hop" around depending on it's age, so be sure to have a box or container with high enough sides so it doesn't accidentally escape the box.

4. A very important note: The rehab center will know the correct type of food for the baby bird.  Do not try to feed the bird yourself.  For example, baby birds cannot eat seeds like adult birds.  Also, do not try to pour water into the baby birds beak.  It is very easy to get water into their lungs by mistake.  The best thing for the baby bird would be to safely transport it to the rehab center as fast as possible.

There are two wildlife rehab centers in Northwest Ohio:

Back to the Wild in Castalia, OH (419-684-9539) (email: mona@backtothewild.com)

Nature's Nursery in Whitehouse, OH (419-877-0060)

Many people have an immediate need to try and do something for such a helpless creature.  There's nothing wrong with having such an impulse.  Just make sure you keep the bird's health and welfare in mind when trying to help.  Follow Kate's advice and perhaps you could save a tiny little life.  

Target Birding with Greg Links

Mrs. Mallard

“Just saw your hit list.  I think I could get you at least 3 or 4 of those in the Oak Openings without too much luck needed.”  This was a message I got from super birder Greg Links a couple days after posting a list of birds I am still missing for the year.  I have birded with Greg a couple times before, so I already knew taking him up on his offer was a necessity.  Normally I ask Elissa if she would mind if I go out birding early in the morning, but this time I simply told her I couldn’t pass up getting out there with Greg.

I consider myself to be an intermediate level birder.  I know a fair amount, but all of the knowledge I have in my noggin represents just a small piece of what Greg Links knows about birds.  Going birding with such a person is a real treat.  Greg knows bird calls.  He’s amazing.  And he can do bird calls.  His Barred Owl is something else, and his Screech Owl gets all the little birds in a tizzy.  We were standing off of Wilkins Road near the bike trail when Greg started in with his Screech Owl.  Amazingly the birds came out of nowhere looking for an owl to pester.  Titmice, Chickadees, and Scarlet Tanagers came right to us.  I was impressed to say the least.

Indigo Bunting

Greg nearly guaranteed me that we would see Yellow-throated Vireos and Vesper Sparrows.  He also said that other possibilities might include Dickcissel, Black-billed Cuckoo, Yellow-breasted Chat, Alder Flycatcher, and Blue Grosebeak.

After meeting him at Irwin Prairie at 6am, Greg and I headed over to Degenfelder Road.  He told me this was the best spot for Vesper Sparrows.  He was right.  Greg of course heard them before we saw them.  I told him on the way there that I listened to the song of the Vesper Sparrow, and that it sort of sounded Song Sparrowish to me.  Greg went even further and said that, to him, the Vesper Sparrow starts off with a couple notes borrowed from a Field Sparrow and then it slides into a Song Sparrow tune.  After listening to them for a few minutes I could hear what he was talking about.  Great analysis!

Yellow-throated Vireo

After that quick stop for Vesper Sparrow, we made our way down to Oak Openings.  Our first stop was on Sager Road near Wilkins.  We were after Yellow-breasted Chat and Alder Flycatcher.  I have been to this spot multiple times for the Chat, but have had no luck.  Of course now I had Greg Links with me.  Surprisingly though, I got on the bird before he did.  I couldn’t say for sure what it was.  I thought female Common Yellowthroat at first, but it was a bigger bird with a lot of yellow.  Greg finally got on it and immediately confirmed that it was a Chat.  That’s two!

We hit several other spots throughout the park, but came up empty on Black-billed Cuckoo, Blue Grosebeak, and the nearly guaranteed (Can’t miss Greg!) Yellow-throated Vireo.

Our last stop on the day was a field off of Waterville-Neapolis Road near the Blue Creek Conservation Area.  Greg had heard from a fellow birder that there were a few Dickcissels hanging out there.  We ended up seeing one, but heard several others.  Greg, not surprisingly, delivered 3 more species for my Big Year.

Red-bellied Woodpeckers...Parent and Child

Although I didn’t get the Vireo with Greg yesterday, I did luck out today.  I drove slowly down Sager Road playing the call on my phone until I heard a reply.  I got out and was able to get a few photos.  Super cool!

I can’t thank Greg Links enough for offering to help me get a few more birds.  You are a very generous person Greg, and I have learned a lot from you in the short time that we’ve known each other.  Thanks again and good luck on your various bird related projects.  Happy birding everybody!