Powdermill Bird Banding

July is also the month for baby birds. Juveniles are easily distinguished from adults by a number of characteristics. One sign is the "pouty mouth," the fleshy bright-colored gape, a nestling trait that is often retained for several weeks after fledging. This characteristic was very evident on this "Local," i.e., barely flighted, Red-eyed Vireo, one of the youngest we have ever seen in our nets!

On July 8th, we banded an HY Barn Swallow and an HY Tree Swallow; the BARS had a much more obvious fleshy gape.

Another definitive characteristic of juvenal plumage is loosely textured feathers. Juvenal feathers have many fewer interlocking barbules and, therefore, looser barbs, giving them a very fuzzy appearance. This is especially noticeable on nape and back feathers, and also on undertail coverts, as pictured below. Can you guess to which bird species each of these fuzzy bottoms belongs? Hint: the photos are not to scale! Check the bottom of this page for the answers.

Eye color is another useful criterion for ageing certain species, especially those with dark or brightly colored eyes as adults. In these species the eye color of the juveniles usually is duller, browner, or grayer than that of adults. For instance, this characteristic is useful (often into the fall) for ageing Mimids (catbirds, mockingbirds, and thrashers), vireos (look again at the brown-eyed juvenile Red-eyed Vireo pictured above), and many other species.
This Brown Thrasher banded on 7/22 had a milky gray iris characteristic of juveniles, compared to the bright yellow eye of adults.
The juvenile Eastern Towhee (HY male) has a brown eye compared to the dark red eye of adults.

Just some gratuitous "baby" portraits:

Tufted Titmouse HY U (7/26)

Downy Woodpecker HY M (7/08)

Northern Cardinal HY U (7/05)

During the first couple weeks of July, baby thrushes were all over the place. We caught mostly Wood Thrushes (bottom), but there were also many American Robin (top) and Veery (middle) fledglings. Again, note their "pouty" appearance!

An adult female Ruby-throated Hummingbird banded on July 24th had heavy greenish-white pollen residue on her crown and also on her throat. It is not the pollen signature left by cardinal flower or spotted jewelweed--we're familar with those. If you have an idea what kind of flower would leave pollen of this color in these spots, please let us know!