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February 2001
My neighbor saw this year's first flock of robins in the trees across our lane on January 30. I had been hearing the call of a male titmouse, a loud "peter, peter" from his perch at the very top of the tallest maple in our yard. With snow deep and branches encrusted in ice, Nature was already making promises about and pronouncements on the vitality of life.
In late February, some of our resident bird species begin their courtship songs and behaviors. They stake out their breeding territories which they defend against others of their species, although nest-building will take place later.
Male black-capped chickadees have been making their territorial call, a clear whistled "fee-bee, fee-bee." This late winter sound is not to be confused with the eastern phoebes' hoarse-spoken "fee-bee" that we hear in early spring when they return from migration. As the winter flock of chickadees breaks up, pairs begin to feed and fly about their territory together. Later, the male, and sometimes the pair, chase or are aggressive toward other members of their winter flock trespassing on their territory of about ten acres.
Tufted titmice, like black-capped chickadees, maintain their pair bond all year. In late winter, yearling birds disperse to form their own pair bonds and to establish their own breeding territories. In many areas, titmice are the first birds to be heard as the new breeding season approaches.
Hairy and downy woodpeckers have already begun territorial behaviors, mainly drumming. This loud continuous pecking on a hard surface serves the same purpose as song does in other species. Males and females both drum, to renew a pair bond or establish a new one. The drumming may also be between two birds on neighboring territories. In April, they will excavate cavities in trees for nesting.
White-breasted nuthatches are becoming more vocal now, as they renew or establish the pair bonds and start territorial behaviors. This species maintain a year-round pair bond and stay on their home range, usually twenty-five to forty-five acres.
From late October, some cardinals exhibit flock behavior until the end of February, when they disperse into territories and begin to sing. Cardinals that stayed on their breeding grounds all winter also start singing at this time of year. If you have a bird feeder and a resident cardinal pair, you may have noticed that, during the winter, the male cardinal was aggressive toward the female while feeding. As their courtship begins, you will see them feed together amicably.
Male and female cardinals, both, are excellent songsters. Their song is a melodic, clear whistle, "whacheer, whacheer, whacheer" that may vary day to day, among different birds, and in different geographic areas. The male cardinal begins early to sing fragments of his courtship song. You may hear a reply. This is countersinging, when one bird sings and the other answers, often repeating the same phrase as the first bird. If the first bird changes its phrase, the second bird will match it. Countersinging occurs in courtship, but is also a territorial interaction. Two males will countersing, perhaps rivals in adjacent territories. On occasion two females will countersing in territorial rivalry, but males are most active in defending and proclaiming their territories.
I will be watching for more signs of courtship and territorial behaviors. Mate-feeding, where the male feeds the female, is one such behavior in titmice and cardinals, for example. This urge to life, to survive, and to continue the species is even more admirable and touching given the struggles of winter survival. The learning for me is that of the glad heart: it is good to be alive.
By Nancy Coverstone (ncstone@umext.maine.edu), University of Maine Extension Educator in Androscoggin and Sagadahoc Counties
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