Harvey County Parks added 2 new photos.

20 hours ago

This weeks critter is the:
Carolina Wren
Scientific name: Thryothorus ludovicianus
Length: 4.7 – 5.5 in. (12 – 14 cm.)
Weight: 0.6 – 0.8 oz. (18-22g)
Wingspan: 11.4 in. (29 cm.)

The Carolina wren is a small, chunky and round – shaped bird. The species is smaller than a sparrow and larger than a house wren. Both male and female adults are Reddish – brown or chestnut colored on the topside of their body with light cinnamon colored underparts. This bird has a bold white stripe above its eye, extending to the base of its head. The bill is long, thin and slightly down curved. The chin and throat of the bird is white. The tail of this bird is about the size of its body, and is often times cocked up. The wings and tail have bold dark barring. Individuals will perch bent over, holding their tails up which emphasizes the black barring. These birds are usually found in dense woodland and shrubby habitats. Individuals visit neighborhood areas and will visit feeders, especially during colder months. The Carolina wren is the state bird of South Carolina, and individuals have been known to live up to ten years.
Look and listen for Carolina wrens singing and calling in wooded areas. They like to creep around vegetation, looking for insects and fruit. It is considered to be a weak flyer, and tends to make brief, quick aerial forays over short distances. They like to move low through a tangled understory of vines and bushes. These birds are rarely stationary and avoid being out in the open for extended periods of time. In neighborhoods, this bird explores yard and wood, sometimes nesting there. This wren usually forages with its tail up. While singing, the tail is down. These birds defend their territories with constant singing and calling. They may use loud calls to defend against predators and intruders.
The Carolina wren is a common species of wren that lives in the eastern half of the United States, the southern part of Ontario, Canada and the extreme northeastern part of Mexico. They do not migrate and are somewhat limited by winter conditions. Severe winters restrict the northern limit of their range, while a mild winter will lead to northward extension of their breeding range. There are seven recognized subspecies of Carolina wren, each having a slightly different song and appearance. Individuals from southern Texas and northeastern Mexico are more boldly barred on the wings and tail and also are barred faintly on the flanks and back. Individuals from southern Mexico and central America are dingy white below with brown upper-parts. The Florida population has individuals that are larger and darker in color.
The loud and cheerful song is often times heard before the bird is seen. Both sexes use alarm calls, but only the males sing to advertise territory. Males sing a series of quick whistled notes. These are usually repeated in three parts, “tea – kettle – tea – kettle,” or “Germany – Germany.”
The Carolina wren’s diet mostly consists of insects and spiders. They climb and hop up branches, foraging for insects. They use their curved bills to turn over decaying vegetation and hammer larger bugs. Other food items for this bird include: caterpillars, moths, stick bugs, beetles, grasshoppers, crickets and cockroaches. On occasion, these wrens will eat lizards, frogs, or snakes. They also eat a small amount of plant matter, such as fruit pulp and seeds from bayberry, sweetgum or poison ivy.
Female Caroling wrens can begin laying eggs as early as March in southern populations and as early as April in northern populations. A pair may bond at any time of the year and will remain together for life. Individuals nesting in the northern part of the range usually raise two broods per year, while pairs in the southern region can raise up to three per year. Pairs stay bonded year- round and do not take a break from defending their territory. Carolina wrens nest in open cavities 3-6 feet off the ground, in trees or other more versatile areas. They may make use of flower pots and mailboxes. Carolina wrens nests have even been found in coat pockets and boots. Both males and females build their nests together. One may stay at the nest site while the other gathers materials. The nest is loosely constructed with a wide variety of materials being used (bark, dried grass, dead leaves, pine needles, hair, paper, string, shed snake skin, plastic). The first nest may take a week or longer to build, while later nests may take only 4 days. Multiple nests may be built before one is selected. The nest is cup-shaped and usually domed having a side entrance. Many times the nest has a woven extension similar to an entry-way or porch. Nests may vary in size, ranging from 3-9 inches long and 3-6 inches wide.
The clutch size of the Carolina wren is between 3 and 7 eggs. Egg length is about 0.7 inches long and 0.6 inches wide, and are white/cream or pinkish white with fine rusty-brown spots. Chicks emerge after a 10-16 day incubation period and are covered in pale grayish down. After fledging the nest, family groups will search for food together.
Carolina wrens will visit suet-filled feeders and in cold northern winters they will take shelter in nest boxes containing dried grasses. They particularly like boxes with slots rather than holes. During breeding season these wrens may nest in boxes, but are just as likely to choose a hanging plant or brush pile for a nesting site. Consider putting up a nest box to attract a breeding p air. Put the box up well before breeding season and attach a guard to keep out predators. Learn about offering shelter to backyard birds at www.allaboutbirds.org/how-to-provide-seeds-and-shelter-for-backyard-birds/. Keeping a brush pile in your yard is a great way to encourage wrens to take up residence there.

Sources
Dunne, P. (2006). Pete Dunne’s essential field guide companion. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, New York, USA. ... See moreSee less

Harvey County Parks added 3 new photos.

1 week ago

Critter of the week!
Tufted Titmouse
Scientific name: Baeolophus bicolor
Genus: Baeolophus
Family: Paridae
Length: 5.5 – 6.3 in. (14 – 16 cm)
Weight: 0.6 – 0.9 oz. (18 – 26 g)
Wingspan: 7.9 – 10.2 in. (20 – 26 cm)

The Tufted titmouse is a small North American songbird that is common is the eastern United States. This species is typically found in areas with dense canopy and many tree species. They are a very vocal bird that sings a clear “peter- peter,” during spring and summer. Individuals forage acrobatically flitting between branches. Most Tufted titmice live their entire lives within a few miles of their birthplace. According to Cherokee legend, this bird is known as a messenger. Also, a group of titmice is called a banditry or a dissimulation of titmice.
The Tufted Titmouse is a stocky little bird that is sparrow-sized or smaller, and is larger than a chickadee. This bird is about six inches long, and has a gray tuft on its head that can be raised or lowered. This bird has a large black eye and a black forehead. The bill is black and stout. The face is a pale grey with a white eye ring. This species has gray upperparts with peach coloring on its sides just below the wings. The underparts of the bird are white. The legs and feet of the Tufted titmouse are gray.
The Tufted Titmouse is a resident species, and does not migrate. The species lives and breeds from eastern Nebraska south to the Gulf coast of Texas and across the eastern states from Florida north to southern Maine. The Tufted titmouse range also extends to the extreme southern parts of Ontario and Quebec. You can find this species in swampy or moist woodlands and urban environments. These birds only live in areas where rainfall is greater than 24 inches per year, and are more likely to be found where rainfall exceeds 32 inches per year. They are present in most eastern woodland areas below 2,000 feet elevation. They can be found in backyards, parks, orchards, and like to visit bird feeders.
The Tufted titmouse is an acrobatic forager. They are a bit slower and more methodical than the chickadee. This bird can be seen flocking with chickadees, kinglets, nuthatches, and woodpeckers. These birds can benefit from the chickadees habit of calling out when a good food source is found. Also, these small birds can notify each other of a threat more easily while in a flock. The flight of the Tufted titmouse tends to be level and fluttery. Titmice like to scout out a food source from the cover of trees before retrieving the food and retreating back to their hiding spot. The song of this species is usually described as a whistled “peter-peter-peter,” but can vary in about 20 different ways. The average lifespan of a Tufted titmouse in the wild is 2 years. However, individuals have been documented that lived over 10 years.
The Tufted titmouse eats many insects including: caterpillars, beetles, wasps, ants, stink bugs, snails, and spiders. They also eat nuts, berries, and seeds. Experiments have shown that they prefer to take the largest seeds they can find while foraging. When they find something like a sunflower seed, they will hold it with their feet and hammer it open with their beak. In the fall and winter, they will store extra shelled seeds in bark crevices. These birds forage acrobatically sometimes hanging upside-down or sideways to investigate branches, cones and other materials. At times, they go all the way to the ground to hop around and look for fallen seeds and insects.
This species usually builds their nests in a hole in a tree or in a nesting box. They are not able to excavate their own area, and rely on natural cavities or ones that have already been hollowed out by other species (Pileated woodpecker, Northern flicker, other woodpecker species). This bird may also choose to build a nest in a fence post or a pipe. Moss, grasses and other materials are used in construction of the nest. Softer materials are used for the lining of the nest (fur, wool, hair, cotton). The nest is complete in 6-11 days. The female titmouse will lay between 3 and 9 eggs. The average clutch size is between 5 and 7. The eggs are white/cream in color and have chestnut red, brown or purple spots. The eggs are about 0.7 inches long and 0.6 inches wide. These eggs take 12-14 days to hatch. Chicks emerge from their shells almost entirely naked except for a few down feathers on their head and back. Their eyes are closed when they first hatch. These nestlings will remain in their nests for about 15 days. Unlike many birds, the young will usually stay with their parents during the winter, and even after they are one year of age. Sometimes these young birds will aid their parents in the raising of their siblings in the next brood.
The Tufted titmouse is a regular visitor at backyard bird feeders, especially in the winter. They love sunflower seeds and will also eat peanuts, suet, and other items. Since they rely on already formed cavities, placing a nesting box in your yard is a good way to attract a breeding pair to your area.

Sources
Sibley, D.A. (2014). The Sibley guide to birds, second edition. Alfred A. Knopt, New York, USA.

Donne, P. (2006). Pete Dunne’s essential field guide companion. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, New York, USA.

Partners in flight (2017). Avian Conservation Assessment Database. 2017. ... See moreSee less