This past winter Elaine and I spent time frequenting a small section of Elliston Park at the east end of Calgary. A variety of trees including poplar, jack pine, spruce, paper birch, Ohio buckeye, elm, and oak dot an area adjacent to the dog park parking lot. Well-worn paths guide visitors through the stands of trees, leading to the storm pond where wildfowl enjoy the safety while they forage for food on the pond bottom.
In our photography journeys over the fall and through the winter, a noticeable pattern of the species we saw became evident. Five species including the golden-crowned kinglet, downy woodpecker, black-capped chickadee, brown creeper, and the red-breasted nuthatch were usually foraging within a relatively small area.
Kinglets and chickadees were at times in the same tree. Creepers would flit over and land at the bottom of the tree working upwards in a spiral-like fashion. The red-breasted nuthatch would emit its nasal call from a nearby spruce tree, probing the crannies in the bark, while either a male or female downy woodpecker explored dead branches on a poplar tree.
Once we located one of the five species, we were consistently able to find the other four. We found that the fabulous five had three small areas within the park to congregate and cooperate. Wondering why these species would be together more or less over a number of months provided our next birding mystery.
Not doubting the intelligence of birds, we first considered the size of each species. The downy woodpecker is gigantic when compared to the other four smaller birds. Researchers for the Audubon Society note that it is common for small birds to associate for the fall and winter months. Data indicates that up to a dozen species and groups exceeding 50 birds “work together.”
With more eyes available, watching for predators might be more effective. This allows birds more time to feed and intensify the search. With more birds searching for food, the likelihood of finding some tasty morsel increases. Black-capped chickadees seem to lead such groups, sounding the alarm should a hawk, falcon, or owl be in the area.
Each species forages in different ways, minimizing the competition for winter nourishment. Creepers and woodpeckers tend to work up a tree while nuthatches will search for the morsels they missed. As it is non-breeding season, these species are not territorial when working in cooperation increases the chances of survival.
Elaine and I now know when we enter new birding areas in the colder months to take time to listen and observe the activity of one bird, hoping that the black-capped chickadees “take the lead.” Indeed, at Bebo Grove in Fish Creek Provincial Park we have had nuthatches, chickadees, and downy woodpeckers in close proximity in one location.
Lesson learned? Birds of a different feather sometimes do stick together.
