We tend to think of fall migration as a north/south event, but some of our more common local wintering birds spend their summer breeding season in the mountains. Ornithologists term them "short-distant migrants."
What provoked me to think about them was hearing the fluting song of a Varied Thrush as I was walking in my neighborhood in the early morning. I had not heard that eerie song for a few months because these birds had been away for the breeding season.
Now they’re back to be a part of our winter bird neighbors. They are slightly smaller than a robin and look similar to robins, with thin bills, orange on their breasts and a black back (for the males) or dusty brown (for the females). Some kids call them “orange robber birds” because of the black mask the males wear.
They find their food primarily by foraging on the ground, although in winter they also seek out fruits and berries. Some tree and bush fruits, like the hawthorn, are not palatable until they have been frozen, or at least frosted. At times they also will join ‘real’ robins pecking at waste apples in or under a random tree.
Another visitor from the mountains is the Golden-crowned Sparrow. They are one of the several bird species that are sometimes categorized as LBB (little brown birds), but they are easy to identify with a bit of patience. They have plain grayish breasts and gray stubby bills, which are typical of seed-eating birds. Back and wing feathers are brownish with white tips, but the easiest identification is the yellow stripe on top of their heads.
These birds gather in small flocks that may be residual family groups. They are often seen out in the open along paths or roads looking for seeds, but they are seldom far away from thick brushy cover plants. They also will come to bird feeders, but only in small numbers.
The ranges of these two species, Varied Thrush and Golder-crowned Sparrow, are limited to the west coast. Why is this important? Birders whose home territories are back east may be anxious to see these birds. What’s common for you is rare for them and, with a little persistence, you can easily introduce your visitors to two of our “special” bird species.
Another sparrow returning from its summer in the mountains is the Fox Sparrow. This species is widespread across the United States with a number of regional variations in color and vocalization. It is a large sparrow that initially looks like a Song Sparrow, with a heavily striped breast, but with a close look, it is easily distinguished from that more common species. Our regional form of the species is called “Sooty” because its dominant color is brownish. We also sometimes see the “red” variation with a dominant color that is more foxlike and brownish red. Both forms have a large gray and yellow bill. They sometimes come to feeders.
Fox Sparrows spend most of their time in thick bushes, the same habitat as the Song Sparrows, and both species are seldom seen high in trees. Its chip note, used as a locator vocalization, is very different from the Song Sparrow, a slightly musical ‘chu’ or ‘sip.” I think of it as wet, compared to the very dry chip of the other species. Fox Sparrows often are found as pairs. They readily respond to a birder who makes “pshing” sounds and will come out of their hiding place to take a look at you.
A final species that summers in the mountains is the Hermit Thrush. These birds are close relatives of the migratory Swainson’s Thrush, that breed in lowland Thurston County. In summer, you might hear the Hermit Thrush singing a beautiful melancholy song in its mountain breeding territory. This species is found across the United States, and as short-distance migrants, they also winter widely.
A Hermit Thrush is shaped vaguely like a robin, but smaller, with a thin bill, brownish back, spots on the upper part of its light grayish breast and a reddish rump and tail. It is a ground forager, scratching for food. I have found them a few times in places that have an abundance of Evergreen Huckleberries. They like to feed on these and other fruits that remain available throughout the winter. They do not visit feeders.
Winter Hermit Thrushes are quiet, unassuming birds and can be difficult to locate. The best method is to listen for its distinctive call, a low-pitched ‘tchup.’ Even then the bird might not actually come out from its hiding place.
For birders, the coming of winter is a new season of discovery, and for many of us, the rediscovery of birds we haven’t seen for many months.
George Walter is environmental program manager at the Nisqually Indian Tribe’s natural resources department; he also has a 45+ year interest in bird watching. He may be reached at george@theJOLTnews.com
Photos for this column are provided by Liam Hutcheson, a 17-year-old Olympia area birder and an avid bird photographer.
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