Field Journal 4
Date: 3/04/2023
Start: 11 pm
End: 1:30 pm
Location: Central Park, NYC
Weather: mid-40s, partly cloudy day
Habitat: Park with many trees, ponds, open and manicured grass, shrubs, surrounded by a city
iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/151613651
11: Right at the opening I saw a group of Mallards (8-10) in the pond. Mix of male and females
11-1:30: Northern Cardinal (audible call), House Sparrows (8+ throughout the park), Dark-eyed Junco (1), Rock Pigeons (50+) and European Starling (1)
Prompt: March 20th FJ4 - Field Observation: Social Behavior and Phenology
How (specifically) are your birds interacting? What audio and/or visual cues do these birds employ to communicate, and what are they trying to “say?” Compare and contrast the plumage of two or more species you observe, considering the evolutionary advantages to the colors and/or patterns that the birds exhibit. Focusing on an individual bird, discuss what it was doing (foraging, resting, etc.), and how that behavior fits in the context of its circadian and/or circannual rhythm.
One of the main ways that the pigeons were interacting was via movement. In the city, a lot of pigeons were grouped together, spending a lot of time on the sidewalk. Due to them being on the sidewalk, any time they were disrupted whether that be by people, cars, or, most often, loud noises, they would quickly fly up altogether and land on windowsills or other areas where they could perch. I think a lot of this was a way for them to all protect themselves against danger. A quick movement by one pigeon was quickly reflected by the rest of the group, showing that pigeons do not always need to communicate verbally. I was also able to identify a Northern Cardinal by the sound. I never saw the cardinal but I did hear its song/call. These calls allow them to communicate with each other, especially over large distances, as Central Park is a pretty big area. A northern cardinal makes calls that warn off intruders, alerts when predators are near, and is used when they carry food to the nest.
Two birds that I saw that I can compare plumages were the European Starling and a Pigeon. I originally just saw the pigeon but when I later looked back on the photo, I realized that you could also see a European Starling. European Starlings are brown in the winter and covered with white spots. In the summer, they have a more greenish-purplish iridescent color to them with yellow beaks. Evolution-wise, the purplish-greenish iridescent color is great for breeding as it helps attract mates. Whereas on the other hand, having a little bit of a more brown and dull look in the winter allows them to blend into their surroundings more. Pigeons have a little bit more variety in color but they are generally a bluish-gray color and have two black bands on their wing and a black tip on their tail. Most pigeons have iridescent throat feathers and wing patterns can include dark spots, black bars, or be plain. Overall though, checker and t-checked plumage is most common in feral populations, suggesting an adaptive advantage for these plumage patterns in cities. This type of pattern allows them to blend in with their surroundings more.
While I was walking in Central Park, I saw a lot of House Sparrows. There were a lot of areas with little bushes and other foliage and often in the leaves, I could see one or two House Sparrows. You could also hear their little tweets when you walked by. While it looked like the House Sparrows were kind of hiding away in the foliage, every once in a while, they would pop out and grab food off of the sidewalk. This was a good example of foraging in an area that was pretty busy. The sparrows were able to have their own little hiding spot but also be able to gather food. Outside of Central Park, I also saw them a lot on the sidewalks with pigeons.
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