Happy Father's Day from the Backyard Birder

                   Black Phoebes are monomorphic, so it's tough to say which adult is the male. 

    In some bird species, such as hummingbirds, females are solely responsible for nesting and caring for the young. In other species, males share equally in the tasks. Various species that work hard for the family include house finches, bluebirds, Nuttall's woodpeckers, Canada geese, bald eagles and brown pelicans. Read more about Daddy Birds and see a slideshow in The Orange County Register.
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Happy Birding!
J.J.

When a bird flies into your home

Here's my latest column, scheduled to run Saturday, March 13, 2021 in the Southern California News Group newspapers including the Orange County Register, Los Angeles Daily News, Long Beach Press-Telegram, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Pasadena Star-News, The Daily Breeze,Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, and the Riverside Press-Enterprise

Interior designers have popularized the notion of bringing the outside in. Folding and disappearing doors can create a seamless transition to the great outdoors. The connection to nature adds a sense of calm and serenity to the home, they say.

But what happens when the connection gets a little too close and nature actually comes inside?

Tony Capparelli recalled the day nature flew in. He and his wife, Pam, had enjoyed a warm day in the backyard of their Lake Forest home. The family room doors had been open for several hours. When it got close to sunset, they went inside. That’s when Pam heard a noise in their second-story master bedroom. She discovered a hummingbird frantically flying around the room. Neither of them had seen it fly in, so they were unsure how long it had been in the house.

“The poor thing was bouncing off the walls and ceiling,” he said. “We were afraid it was going to hurt itself.”

When it finally landed on the ceiling fan, he could see it was a juvenile Anna’s hummingbird and decided to name it Wrongway.

They opened the door to the balcony, hoping the little bird would go out on its own. When it stubbornly stayed put, they attempted to coax it out of the house by hanging a hummingbird feeder on the curtain rod over the door.

“But the bird was having none of it and it was getting way too dark,” he said. “It was clear, Wrongway was going to have to stay the night in the Capparelli B&B for wayward hummingbirds.”

The couple found it necessary to keep the room completely dark until morning. Even the smallest light from a cell phone would agitate the bird, he said. Early the next morning, he opened the door. Wrongway flew to the feeder and drank without lifting its head for minutes not seconds, he said. Then it buzzed out the door.

“Just like that. Poof! No Wrongway,” he said.

Not all situations like this have a happy ending for the bird.

“Often people panic,” said Starlyn Howard, a volunteer with the International Bird Rescue in San Pedro and the Songbird Care and Education Center in Fountain Valley. When people scream, flail their arms and chase the bird around, it stresses the bird, she said.

“And birds can die from stress.”

When a bird gets into the house, the easiest solution is to lower window shades and close the curtains. Then open a door to the outside. “Birds will naturally go to the light,” she said.

Sometimes it helps to hold up a sheet with another person to create a wall to the rest of the home. Walking together toward an open door with the sheet held high, can help coax the bird out.

Without food, a trapped hummingbird can end up on the floor or windowsill completely exhausted. If a bird is injured or exhausted to the point where it can no longer fly, it needs to be taken to a rehabilitator. Call the nearest wildlife rehabilitation center or animal control services for instructions.

“Keep the bird warm, dark and quiet,” she said. A small box or paper bag with ventilation works to contain it. Use paper towels, instead of cloth, as a liner. Little toes can get caught on terrycloth loops, she said.

Rescuing birds of prey requires the assistance of animal control. “They’re not the easiest thing to catch,” said John Welsh, spokesman for Riverside County Animal Services. “And people will get hurt by their sharp talons.”

He recalled an incident where officers were called out to assist homeowners who heard pecking on the glass fireplace doors in their living room. Using a flashlight, they had discovered the wide eyes of a great-horned owl looking back at them. It had been pecking on the glass like an SOS. Animal services were able to rescue the owl. It was taken to a rehabilitation facility and later released.

Calls about birds getting trapped in chimneys is common, he said. It’s completely preventable by having a chimney cap installed.

As for Wrongway, the little bird may be gone, but he’s not forgotten.

“I sort of miss the little guy,” said Capparelli.

Get ready for the orioles!

Migrant hooded orioles generally start arriving in Southern California in early March to breed during spring and summer.

Hooded and Bullock’s orioles are the two most common species of orioles found in Orange County, although there have been rare sightings of Scott’s and orchard orioles in previous years.

Orioles are medium-size songbirds about 8 inches long with slender bodies and long legs and tails. They are coveted among backyard birders mostly because of their bright colors. Hooded and Bullock’s orioles are sexually dimorphic, with males being more brightly colored than females.

Hooded orioles are named for the orange hood of the male’s breeding plumage. Males have an entirely orange or orange-yellow head, nape, rump and underparts with a distinctive black bib and narrow mask. The tail is black. And wings are black with with two white wingbars. Females are mostly olive yellow with dusky gray wings and white wingbars. These birds have long, slightly curved bills.

Adult male Bullock’s are flame-orange with a neat line through the eye and a white wing patch; females are washed in gray and yellow. They have straight, pointed bills.

Oriole feeders are often orange because manufacturers know the birds are attracted to the color. Nectar feeders made especially for orioles can better accommodate the larger birds by providing longer perches and bigger feeding ports than are typically seen on hummingbird feeders.

Orioles have a sweet tooth with an affinity for grape jelly and cut oranges.

Insects are also an important part of their diet. Attract orioles by planting native shrubs with berries or flowering plants that invite caterpillars, one of their favorite foods. And encourage nesting by delaying trimming dead palm fronds until fall.

Salmonellosis outbreak may be spreading to Southern California

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is asking the public’s help to stop the spread of salmonellosis among songbirds by removing seed feeders until after spring migration. Pine siskins, which are winter visitors to Southern California, are most affected by the disease followed by a smaller number of lesser and American goldfinches.

The disease was first reported in California’s Central Coast, the San Francisco Bay Area and Sierra Nevada communities.

“We have been receiving reports of suspected Salmonellosis recently from Southern California,” said CDFW’s Krysta Rogers, Senior Environmental Scientist and Avian Specialist, via email. “Sick birds often act lethargic with ruffled or puffed-up feathers and die relatively quickly once infected.”

“These outbreaks typically last until March or April,” she says, “when pine siskins usually start migrating north, back to their breeding grounds.

Infected birds can transfer the illness, caused by the Salmonella bacteria, through their droppings at feeders. Therefore, the agency recommends bird feeders/baths be removed to help reduce mortality. After the outbreak has subsided, it’s generally recommended that bird feeders and bird baths are thoroughly cleaned and sterilized with bleach at least once a week, and more often if there is heavy use by birds.

Report dead birds to CDFW’s Wildlife Investigations Laboratory using the mortality reporting form, which helps biologists monitor the outbreak at: https://wildlife.ca.gov/conservation/laboratories/wildlife-investigations/monitoring/mortality-report

The agency suggests using disposable gloves and wash hands thoroughly after disposing of dead birds or handling of bird feeders and bird baths.

The agency has not reported the outbreak affecting hummingbirds, therefore, it appears safe to keep nectars feeders up as long as they are kept clean.

Salmonellosis outbreak reported in Northern California

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has reported a salmonellosis outbreak among pine siskins and a smaller number of lesser and American goldfinches in California's central coast, the San Francisco Bay area and Sierra Nevada communities. Pine siskins are small songbirds from the finch family. They are gregarious birds that tend to flock with goldfinches. They are migrants, or winter visitors, to Southern California.

At this time, the department has not reported any cases in Southern California. Though bird enthusiastics should remain vigilant in cleaning bird feeders. Infected birds can transfer the illness, caused by the Salmonella bacteria, through their droppings at feeders.

Sick birds often appear weak, have labored breathing, and may sit for prolonged periods with fluffed or ruffled feathers.

Residents can report dead birds to CDFW’s Wildlife Investigations Laboratory using the mortality reporting form, found on the agency's website, which helps biologists monitor the outbreak. Disposable gloves should be worn and hands should be thoroughly washed after disposing of dead birds, and handling of bird feeders and bird baths. If sick birds are found, please contact your local wildlife rehabilitation center for advice.

Keeping bird feeders clean is an important responsibility of bird feeding. Clean and disinfect feeders regularly using one part liquid chlorine household bleach in nine parts of tepid water (a 10 percent solution). Make enough solution to immerse an empty, cleaned feeder completely for two to three minutes. Allow to air dry. Once or twice a month is generally recommended, though weekly or more often is imperative if you notice sick birds at your feeders. Having a second feeder is a wise investment so that one feeder can be in use while the other is being cleaned.

Mourning dove's coo coo signals the start of nesting season

I heard the advertising call of a mourning dove on Feb. 1. It seems a little early, but a male was perched on the peak of the neighbor's roof cooing in his mournful sounding way. A female flew up to meet him and he humped over to her with his neck flared out. She immediately flew away. Spring isn't far away. Watch for nesting behaviors this month. Happy Birding! J.J.

Hummingbirds nest in chilly weather

 Breeding season has already begun for some of Southern California’s tiniest year-round avian residents —Anna’s and Allen’s hummingbirds. The nesting season for our non-migratory hummingbirds runs from late October through early June.

“This year, the males have been quite active in their courtship displays,” says Anne Stratton, a licensed hummingbird rehabilitator affiliated with the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach. Our unseasonably warm weather last month might be influencing this behavior, she says.

The males of both non-migratory species are known for their stunning aerobatics. Male Anna’s hummingbirds fly straight up into the air at about 130 feet, then dive at a speed that can reach 60 miles per hour while making its characteristic shrill whistle as the wind whips through their tail feathers. The male Allen’s hummingbird courtship display consists of swooping in a U-shaped pendulum. At the peak of the arch, he may make a prolonged buzz sound. All these acts are performed to impress a particular female.

“Hummingbirds are fierce for their size,” she says. “And they’re very territorial. Males will fight to the death. We often get the losers in these battles, which can be pecked, forced into windows and knocked down on the ground.”

Once a pair has mated, the male’s responsibility for breeding is over. Female hummingbirds build the nest, incubate the eggs and care for the chicks without assistance from the male. She has four or five clutches a year and typically lays two eggs per clutch. The eggs hatch 16-18 days after they’re laid, and babies fledge in about three weeks. Mothers will continue to feed the fledglings up to a month after they leave the nest.

“Mother hummingbirds commonly build their nests close to humans,” Stratton says. “They’re urbanized, so they’ve adjusted.”

They often choose yards with feeders, native flowers and compost piles, she says. In addition to nectar, they eat gnats, fruit flies, baby spiders and mosquitoes.

Hummingbird nests are an engineering feat. The mother collects plant material such as moss, lichens, and bits of leaves and then binds it with silky spider webs. This gives the nest the ability to expand as the babies grow. She instinctively builds the nest thinner on the sunny side and thicker on the shady side. As a final touch, she adds bits of green, which can sometimes be paint chips, to camouflage the nest. These hard-working mothers will reuse nests, so it’s generally best not to remove old ones.

Unfortunately, they sometimes feed from flowers and nest in bushes close to the ground, where cats can easily grab them. “It’s important to keep cats indoors,” she says. “It’s better for the cats and better for wildlife. I love cats, but I’ve seen the devastating injuries they cause.” Missing eyes, broken beaks, and torn and missing feathers are among the cat-related injuries inflicted on hummingbirds. In addition, cat saliva can cause deadly infections, so the birds need to be washed and given antibiotics as part of their rehabilitation.

“Babies can be blown out of the nest in high winds,” Stratton says. “If you must touch a baby hummingbird to re-nest it, the mother will not reject it. That’s an old wives’ tale.”

Babies can also be cut out of a tree during trimming. It’s best to perform tree trimming when birds are less likely to be nesting in the late summer and early fall. But always inspect a tree for bird activity before cutting, she says.

Fledglings can end up on the ground as they’re learning to fly. And not every hummingbird needs to be rescued, so it’s best to reach out for instructions prior to bringing in a bird for rehabilitation. “This advice often makes the difference between life and death for these little jewels of nature,” she says.

A list of wildlife centers and hummingbird rehabilitators located throughout Southern California can be found on Stratton’s website at: ifoundahummingbird.com.

“These little birds have a lot of personality,” Stratton says. “And they’re really smart.”

Contact the writer: Jennifer J. Meyer is a freelance writer from Mission Viejo. Write to her at jjthebackyardbirder@gmail.com or visit her blog at jjthebackyardbirder.com.