Re: [cayugabirds-l] Killdeer Courtship at Myers
One recent good description of poses, etc. is the Stokes Nature Guides, Guide to Bird Behavior, vol. 2.The original Saunders source is Saunders, Aretas Andrews, The Summer Birds of Central New York Marshes Roosevelt Wild Life Bulletin. vol. 3 , pp. 335-475. 1926Also A. C. Bent's Life Histories of North American Shorebirds part two. Originally from the Smithsonian in 1927, Dover Publications did a reprint in 1962. Steve On Thursday, March 26, 2015 9:47 PM, Marie P. Read m...@cornell.edu wrote: I've seen Killdeer doing this and similar behaviors a number of times early in the breeding season. Sometimes in pairs, sometimes several birds together. My impression is that it has both territorial and courtship components. Pairs do something similar during a nest scrape display...the male bows, spreading his tail and trills constantly when the pair is at one of the nest scrapes the male makes when the two are deciding on a nest site. Here are a couple of photos of this behavior: http://marieread.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Killdeer/Gu7AkHC8sfg8/IALsXWhF3uvM/CzQU3lDkq6SE http://marieread.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Killdeer/Gu7AkHC8sfg8/I6rJaalHoVTk/CzQU3lDkq6SE Cool observation! Marie Marie Read Wildlife Photography 452 Ringwood Road Freeville NY 13068 USA Phone 607-539-6608 e-mail m...@cornell.edu http://www.marieread.com Author of Sierra Wings: Birds of the Mono Lake Basin Available here: http://marieread.photoshelter.com/gallery/Sierra-Wings-Birds-of-the-Mono-Lake-Basin/GNlCxX37uTzE/CBPFGij6nLfE From: bounce-118984747-5851...@list.cornell.edu [bounce-118984747-5851...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Lauren Flesher [superduperw...@aim.com] Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2015 11:38 AM To: CAYUGABIRDS-L Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Killdeer Courtship at Myers This morning at Myers Point, the group I was with observed two Killdeer engaging in what we assumed was a courtship ritual. They stood on the log at the end of the gravel parking lot, back to back, with tails raised high, and backed into each other until tails were close to touching. They then began imitating each other, with flicks and dips. The whole time they were calling constantly, so that it sounds like one continuous trill. No one in our group had ever seen the likes of it before, or heard of it. Unfortunately we had to leave before seeing the end of this display, but my curiosity was piqued. I came home and checked on Birds of North America for more information, and found nothing except a small reference to the 1967 paper Prenuptial courtship in wintering shorebirds by J.B. Funderburg. Google searching this paper lead me to a website describing the ground courtship displays of Killdeer. I find it quite interesting, so I thought I'd share it with you all! Found on the website birdsbybent.com. A 1929 bulletin - 146 (part 2: 202-217) - written by Arthur Cleveland Bent for the Smithsonian National Museum. The most noticeable courtship performances of the killdeer are those that take place in the air--the nuptial flight--but those that occur on the ground, although less often seen, are also spectacular. Aretas Saunders (1926) thus describes the display: Two birds would crouch side by side but facing in opposite directions. Then they would droop the tips of the wings so that they exposed the ochraceous patch of the lower back, spread the tail, and tip the breast forward, slowly lifting the wing tips till the came way above the back, but never covered it from view. All the while they kept up a continual call, the long-trilled note 't-r-r-r-r-r.' The displaying birds would often begin the performance or end it with a little fighting. Try as I might, I couldn't find the original Saunders source. Have any of you witnessed this behavior before? Happy birding! Lauren -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basicshttp://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME Rules and Informationhttp://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES Subscribe, Configuration and Leavehttp://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm Archives: The Mail Archivehttp://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html Surfbirdshttp://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds BirdingOnThe.Nethttp://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBirdhttp://ebird.org/content/ebird/! -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- --
RE: [cayugabirds-l] Killdeer Courtship at Myers
Hi Lauren, As Marie noted sometimes this behavior is by small groups. I watched a group of four Killdeer doing this display on a visit to Myer’s several years ago. It was the most unusual thing to see these birds do what amounted to a Killdeer version of a square dance calling like crazy. Very competitive for them probably and amazing for me. Killdeer are really starting to peak now. I had 11 birds at one stationary count last night and I seem to hear them at every stop. Thanks for posting your observation and reminding me of the thrill I had seeing this behavior. Gary From: bounce-118987670-3493...@list.cornell.edu [mailto:bounce-118987670-3493...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Susan Fast Sent: Friday, March 27, 2015 5:45 AM To: Marie P. Read; superduperw...@aim.com; CAYUGABIRDS-L Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Killdeer Courtship at Myers One recent good description of poses, etc. is the Stokes Nature Guides, Guide to Bird Behavior, vol. 2. The original Saunders source is Saunders, Aretas Andrews, The Summer Birds of Central New York Marshes Roosevelt Wild Life Bulletin. vol. 3 , pp. 335-475. 1926 Also A. C. Bent's Life Histories of North American Shorebirds part two. Originally from the Smithsonian in 1927, Dover Publications did a reprint in 1962. Steve On Thursday, March 26, 2015 9:47 PM, Marie P. Read m...@cornell.edumailto:m...@cornell.edu wrote: I've seen Killdeer doing this and similar behaviors a number of times early in the breeding season. Sometimes in pairs, sometimes several birds together. My impression is that it has both territorial and courtship components. Pairs do something similar during a nest scrape display...the male bows, spreading his tail and trills constantly when the pair is at one of the nest scrapes the male makes when the two are deciding on a nest site. Here are a couple of photos of this behavior: http://marieread.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Killdeer/Gu7AkHC8sfg8/IALsXWhF3uvM/CzQU3lDkq6SE http://marieread.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Killdeer/Gu7AkHC8sfg8/I6rJaalHoVTk/CzQU3lDkq6SE Cool observation! Marie Marie Read Wildlife Photography 452 Ringwood Road Freeville NY 13068 USA Phone 607-539-6608 e-mail m...@cornell.edumailto:m...@cornell.edu http://www.marieread.comhttp://www.marieread.com/ Author of Sierra Wings: Birds of the Mono Lake BasinAvailable here: http://marieread.photoshelter.com/gallery/Sierra-Wings-Birds-of-the-Mono-Lake-Basin/GNlCxX37uTzE/CBPFGij6nLfE From: bounce-118984747-5851...@list.cornell.edumailto:bounce-118984747-5851...@list.cornell.edu [bounce-118984747-5851...@list.cornell.edumailto:bounce-118984747-5851...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Lauren Flesher [superduperw...@aim.commailto:superduperw...@aim.com] Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2015 11:38 AM To: CAYUGABIRDS-L Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Killdeer Courtship at Myers This morning at Myers Point, the group I was with observed two Killdeer engaging in what we assumed was a courtship ritual. They stood on the log at the end of the gravel parking lot, back to back, with tails raised high, and backed into each other until tails were close to touching. They then began imitating each other, with flicks and dips. The whole time they were calling constantly, so that it sounds like one continuous trill. No one in our group had ever seen the likes of it before, or heard of it. Unfortunately we had to leave before seeing the end of this display, but my curiosity was piqued. I came home and checked on Birds of North America for more information, and found nothing except a small reference to the 1967 paper Prenuptial courtship in wintering shorebirds by J.B. Funderburg. Google searching this paper lead me to a website describing the ground courtship displays of Killdeer. I find it quite interesting, so I thought I'd share it with you all! Found on the website birdsbybent.com. A 1929 bulletin - 146 (part 2: 202-217) - written by Arthur Cleveland Bent for the Smithsonian National Museum. The most noticeable courtship performances of the killdeer are those that take place in the air--the nuptial flight--but those that occur on the ground, although less often seen, are also spectacular. Aretas Saunders (1926) thus describes the display: Two birds would crouch side by side but facing in opposite directions. Then they would droop the tips of the wings so that they exposed the ochraceous patch of the lower back, spread the tail, and tip the breast forward, slowly lifting the wing tips till the came way above the back, but never covered it from view. All the while they kept up a continual call, the long-trilled note 't-r-r-r-r-r.' The displaying birds would often begin the performance or end it with a little fighting. Try as I might, I couldn't find the original Saunders source. Have any of you witnessed this behavior before
RE: [cayugabirds-l] Killdeer Courtship at Myers
I've seen Killdeer doing this and similar behaviors a number of times early in the breeding season. Sometimes in pairs, sometimes several birds together. My impression is that it has both territorial and courtship components. Pairs do something similar during a nest scrape display...the male bows, spreading his tail and trills constantly when the pair is at one of the nest scrapes the male makes when the two are deciding on a nest site. Here are a couple of photos of this behavior: http://marieread.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Killdeer/Gu7AkHC8sfg8/IALsXWhF3uvM/CzQU3lDkq6SE http://marieread.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Killdeer/Gu7AkHC8sfg8/I6rJaalHoVTk/CzQU3lDkq6SE Cool observation! Marie Marie Read Wildlife Photography 452 Ringwood Road Freeville NY 13068 USA Phone 607-539-6608 e-mail m...@cornell.edu http://www.marieread.com Author of Sierra Wings: Birds of the Mono Lake BasinAvailable here: http://marieread.photoshelter.com/gallery/Sierra-Wings-Birds-of-the-Mono-Lake-Basin/GNlCxX37uTzE/CBPFGij6nLfE From: bounce-118984747-5851...@list.cornell.edu [bounce-118984747-5851...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Lauren Flesher [superduperw...@aim.com] Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2015 11:38 AM To: CAYUGABIRDS-L Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Killdeer Courtship at Myers This morning at Myers Point, the group I was with observed two Killdeer engaging in what we assumed was a courtship ritual. They stood on the log at the end of the gravel parking lot, back to back, with tails raised high, and backed into each other until tails were close to touching. They then began imitating each other, with flicks and dips. The whole time they were calling constantly, so that it sounds like one continuous trill. No one in our group had ever seen the likes of it before, or heard of it. Unfortunately we had to leave before seeing the end of this display, but my curiosity was piqued. I came home and checked on Birds of North America for more information, and found nothing except a small reference to the 1967 paper Prenuptial courtship in wintering shorebirds by J.B. Funderburg. Google searching this paper lead me to a website describing the ground courtship displays of Killdeer. I find it quite interesting, so I thought I'd share it with you all! Found on the website birdsbybent.com. A 1929 bulletin - 146 (part 2: 202-217) - written by Arthur Cleveland Bent for the Smithsonian National Museum. The most noticeable courtship performances of the killdeer are those that take place in the air--the nuptial flight--but those that occur on the ground, although less often seen, are also spectacular. Aretas Saunders (1926) thus describes the display: Two birds would crouch side by side but facing in opposite directions. Then they would droop the tips of the wings so that they exposed the ochraceous patch of the lower back, spread the tail, and tip the breast forward, slowly lifting the wing tips till the came way above the back, but never covered it from view. All the while they kept up a continual call, the long-trilled note 't-r-r-r-r-r.' The displaying birds would often begin the performance or end it with a little fighting. Try as I might, I couldn't find the original Saunders source. Have any of you witnessed this behavior before? Happy birding! Lauren -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basicshttp://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME Rules and Informationhttp://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES Subscribe, Configuration and Leavehttp://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm Archives: The Mail Archivehttp://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html Surfbirdshttp://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds BirdingOnThe.Nethttp://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBirdhttp://ebird.org/content/ebird/! -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
