March 18th
Date: 3/18/2023
Start time: 2:30pm
End time: 3:30pm
Location: Prospect Park, Brooklyn NY
Weather: 53˚F, 9mph E, 37% humidity
Habitat(s): Groomed landscape, residential area, young trees
On Saturday, I went to Prospect Park in order to see a different variety of species than I typically do in Vermont. My neighborhood of Brooklyn is an especially good place to go birding because of how quiet and green it is compared to the rest of the city. Prospect Park is essentially the Brooklyn version of Central Park. It is complete with rolling hills of trees, a small lake, and a few hiking trails where birds can be more isolated. I was able to explore all these environments with left me with a long list of observations.
The observations started on my way to the park. In a tall bare tree surrounded by houses were two cardinals. The entrance of the park closest to my house goes straight to the lake, so my first stop was waterfowl. There were about three Mute Swans, dozens of Canada Geese, dozens of Mallards, and one visible Wood Duck. In a bush by the lake there were dozens og House Sparrows. After walking past the lake, I made my way to one of the nature trails, and on the way, I saw plenty more House Sparrows. On the trail in the trees resided two Mourning Doves and a few Blue Jays. After leaving the trail, I made my way back to the edge of the lake, where I saw more Canada Geese, Tufted Titmice, dozens of Common Grackles, and a Red-winged Blackbird. In trees on a hill opposite the lake were Northern Cardinals and Blue Jays. The number of them could not be identified as I could only hear their calls. On the walk back from the park on different black from the first observation, I observed a Northern Mockingbird in a shrub. It was by itself and let me approach it very closely as it was making its calls.
It was interesting to see which birds were more social and which were more isolated. The waterfowl tended to remain in a flock, with birds of all species keeping close together. The reason for this could have been that parkgoers were feeding the birds which encouraged them all to travel to the edges of the lake. The Canada Geese tended to travel completely to land and interact with humans, while the Mute Swans kept the furthest toward the center of the lake. The Northern Cardinals and Mourning Doves generally remained in pairs and were quieter. The Tufted Titmice were also in pairs but were calling to each other while they were in the tree. The Red-winged Blackbird was difficult to see at first because it was within a cluster of Common Grackles, which also appear to be primarily black. Red-winged Blackbirds seem to have the advantage of being both neutrally colored and brightly colored. The red and yellow tops of the male wings can attract females, while the rest of their body can help conceal them. This male was perched on a branch making calls. This is a diurnal species, which fits with its behavior.
There was so much human noise in Prospect Park that I do not believe the House Sparrows heard my “pshhh” calls. They could also just simply be well adjusted to humans as they live in a human area. In general, it is likely that this noise works to alter bird behavior because it imitates the sound of a predator or prey. It is also possible that this is an atypical noise and since birds are curious organisms, they will attempt to explore it in a safe way. This noise sounds a bit like a small bird call, so it is possible that the birds believe that this is a call for another species, or even from a young bird.
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