Our scientists research marine mammals and Atlantic groundfish, and their habitats. On all cruises, oceanographic as well as meteorological data are collected. To join the seabirds, a species needs more than a liking for the beach.
They mostly forage for insects on the ground, occasionally catching flying bugs on the wing. As the weather gets colder, many bluebirds flock together for migration. Those that remain in Massachusetts dine primarily on soft fruits, and a pair of bluebirds may remain on or near their breeding territory all through the winter. Forestlands, salt marshes, and tidepools can be found throughout the park. The overgrown bunkers and an ocean jetty adds more variety to the park, as do the rare species of birds that you’ll find throughout.
Sightings of these birds are extremely rare, despite their bright plumage. This is because they’re usually only found in the highest portion of trees. Here, they will spend most of their time moving from tree to tree in search of food.
Their soft plumage is cryptically colored to resemble bark or leaves. Found along the Atlantic flyway, the southern tributary of Lake Champlain is known for its population of snow geese that migrate here every year. This place is home to a number of migrant shorebirds and waterfowl.
Ducks, geese, and waterfowl
Rocky areas around the shoreline are good places to look for American Oystercatcher in summer. Views over mudflats and marsh allow spotting of wading birds and shorebirds. In fall, the park often holds visitor education programs on bird migration.
An iridescent blue or purple sheen may be seen on the wings. Though more common in rural and open areas, crows are becoming more populous in urban and suburban settings as well. The bold red breast, gray back and wings, and striped throat of the American robin are easily recognizable in yards, parks, and forests around the country. Western populations are generally lighter, and juvenile birds are heavily spotted for camouflage.
Yellow-rumped Warbler: Animated Abundance Map from State of North America’s Birds 2016
Common Ravens are one of the most widespread and naturally occurring birds in the world. They are rather large birds, measuring around 69 cm (27.2 in.) in length. Generally speaking, seabirds are birds that are adapted for life in a marine environment. While these adaptations can be exhibited in a variety of different ways, they’re often attributed to their behavior and physiology. The most familiar grosbeak is one we don’t usually think of, although its heavy bill says otherwise.
We can only imagine the spectacle of migration in 1492, before we took our toll on birds and their habitats. Bobolinks also depart southbound over the Atlantic Ocean from the northeast U.S., but this species skips the Caribbean islands and flies 2,000 miles directly to Venezuela and Colombia. From there, they proceed another 2,500 miles to the grasslands of southern Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina to spend the remainder of the winter. We now know from recent tracking studies of individual birds that Connecticut warblers and bobolinks indeed take an overwater route across Bermudan airspace. Bermuda offered migration detectives some critical clues, because any birds appearing there were either lost, swept off course by weather, or intentionally migrating through the airspace above the island. The big news came in 2015 when Bill DeLuca and colleagues confirmed the long-suspected overwater route of blackpoll warblers.
Blue Jays have been known to vocalize before dawn and can be heard throughout the day. There has not really been a lot of studies done on their vocalizations as they are so incredibly varied. The Black-capped Chickadee is one of the most familiar and widespread birds in North America. Barred Owls will vocalize during the day and at night, though they will be more vocal during the night. The Bald Eagle is unmistakable with its brilliant white head and tail feathers.
But by connecting dots on the many maps that these birds are now giving us, at least we now know where to begin. The deforestation of Haiti causes big problems for people too. It exacerbates flooding, increases the potential for landslides, and erodes soil fertility. As the Arctic warms, birds are less likely to encounter strong westerly winds that could cause them to delay their departure, use more energy while flying or, if things get bad enough, perish. Lights, buildings and habitat loss all stack the odds against a successful migration.
Churches, C.E., Wampler, P.J., Sun, W., & Smith, A.J. Evaluation of forest cover estimates for Haiti using supervised classification of Landsat data. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, https://www.mydatingadvisor.com 30, 203–216. The strength of the fall westerly winds depends on the temperature differential between the Arctic and regions to the south. A warmer Arctic means less of a temperature difference and weakened winds.
They concluded that winds may actually become more favorable for migration. These are terrestrial species, variable in size but generally plump with broad relatively short wings. Many species are gamebirds or have been domesticated as a food source for humans. Turkeys have a distinctive fleshy wattle that hangs from the underside of the beak and a fleshy protuberance that hangs from the top of its beak called a snood. As with many galliform species, the female is smaller than the male and much less colorful.