WESTERN KINGBIRD
Tyrannus verticalis
Tyran de l’ouest
The Western Kingbird is a species of western North America whose nesting range extends from southern B.C. to western Minnesota and south to Texas. A few migrate regularly in autumn through the Great Lakes region (AOU 1998, Godfrey 1986). James (1991) considered the species to be a rare migrant in southern Ontario. Quilliam (1973) and Weir (1989) wrote of only one record for our area viz. 31 Aug 69 P.E.Pt., Cooke, Hughes, Quilliam, Stewart et al. This stray was found within a large flock of several hundred Eastern Kingbirds.
Subsequently, there have been five sightings, all singles found during three autumns, one spring, and one early summer. The autumn sightings are dated 6 Sep 92 P.E.Pt. Weir, Ellis, Good et al.; 19 Sep 93 Point Peninsula, N.Y., Prosser; 29-30 Sep 2000 near Morven, S. & A. Treganza et al. The fall occurrences define an average arrival of 3 Sep (2 yrs) and departure 25 Sep (2 yrs). The single late spring record is dated 10 Jun 94 Mountain View Prince Edward, Richardson, and the early summer record is dated 9 Jul 96 Selby, Norris.
SUMMARY: Very rare autumn migrant. Accidental in late spring or early summer.
EASTERN KINGBIRD
Tyrannus tyrannus
Tyran tritri
Another species in our area to benefit from the opening of the forests during the 18th century is the Eastern Kingbird. Hadfield (1859) found this species to be common here in 1858, as did Young (Macoun and Macoun 1909) at the turn of that century. During the past 27 years for which we have quantitative data, the Eastern Kingbird remains the most common breeding flycatcher in the Kingston region.
It perches conspicuously on telephone wires and fences, from which it sallies forth to capture insects from the air and then returns to its perch. During the nesting season, this relatively small bird, so aptly named, becomes pugnacious in defending its nest against any feathered passer by. It aggressively pursues and attacks birds many times its size that include crows, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk and even the Great Blue Heron, none of which may have any interest in the nest of the Kingbird.
Based on the results of the roadside Breeding Bird Surveys, the Eastern Kingbird continued to increase its numbers throughout southern Ontario from 1965-69 (Robbins et al. 1986) and in the Kingston area from 1968-87 (Quilliam 1987). The nesting study 1981-85 revealed about 7,700 pairs in the Kingston region thereby ranking it as our most common breeding flycatcher. The total of 5,800 quoted by Helleiner (in Cadman et al. 1987) refers to a smaller area than that covered by Weir (1989). The repeat study 2001-05 involved an even larger area with the result of (7,000±700) breeding pairs annually and the breeding density and distribution are similar for the two studies. The population appears to be stable and the Eastern Kingbird remains as our most common breeding flycatcher.
Kingbird nests are relatively easy to find and inspect because the species makes a minimum effort to conceal them, perhaps relying on its tyrannical and pugnacious attacking behaviour to deter anything approaching the nest. Egg dates for 69 nests range from 23 May to 9 July and brood dates for 29 nests are 13 June to 30 July. For another 19 nests, young birds were seen either leaving the nest itself or were perched adjacent to the nest.
This species is a nocturnal migrant, but only four were killed among the thousands at the chimneys of the Lennox Generating Station. Autumn migrants are easily found at P.E.Pt., where the birds accumulate prior to a night flight south across L. Ontario. Typical flocks include the 400 on 17 Aug 75; 300 on 21 Aug 95; 250 on 30 Aug 81; 200 on three occasions 20 Aug 77, 7 Aug 91, 28 Aug 97, all KFN.
Average arrival in spring is 2 May (58 yrs), earliest 14 Apr 63 Kingston, M. Brown and autumn departure 13 Sep (53 yrs), latest 19 Oct 75 Collins Bay, M. Brown. Extant specimens in the National Museum are listed by Weir (1989).
SUMMARY: Very common summer resident.
GRAY KINGBIRD
Tyrannus dominicencis
Tyran gris
The Gray Kingbird is a species of the neotropical and southeast nearctic regions breeding along the Atlantic coast from South Carolina (formerly) to the Florida Keys, west to southern Alabama, throughout the West Indies, and locally in northern Columbia and Venezuela. Its numbers are rising as a nesting species within the peninsula of Florida (AOU 1998). It is considered as a very rare vagrant to adjacent New York State (Levine 1998) and as a vagrant and an accidental visitor to southern Ontario (James 1991, AOU 1998), respectively.
Two records are known for the Kingston area. The first was discovered by M.
C. Edwards and Hughes along the south shore of Hay Bay on 29 Oct 1970 at a pig farm (Hughes 1971). They saw the bird at close range and noted its distinctive kingbird shape, notched tail without a white tip, thick and heavy bill and the brownish grey head, back and wings. The bird was feeding on the abundant supply of flies around the piggery.
The second appeared on 26 July 2003 at the Amherstview Sewage Lagoons and was seen by Owen Weir, Teresa Weir and H. Bridger. The record was accepted by the Ontario Bird Records Committee (Crins 2004).
SUMMARY: Accidental. Two sight records.
SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER
Tyrannus forficatus
Tyran à longue queue
The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is a spectacular bird as it sports its very long tail streamers and it is easily found throughout its normal range of south central U.S.A. (AOU 1998, Godfrey 1986). The AOU (1998) ranks the species as casual throughout the rest of North America and James (1991) considered it a rare straggler in southern Ontario.
Only one has ever been seen in the Kingston region and that bird was found on 25 Apr 1981 near Dorland, Reynolds. He was able to approach it to within 8 paces, flushing it from the top of thistle to thistle, from which it sailed upwards intermittently to capture insects. Among the field marks seen in detail by Reynolds were its pink lower abdomen, grey head, neck and back, and the long tail with its distinctive black tip. The tail length was about double the length of its body.
SUMMARY: Accidental. One spring record.
FORK-TAILED FLYCATCHER
Tyrannus savana
Tyran des savanes
The Fork-tailed Flycatcher is another distinctive showy bird that is neotropical in range. It breeds locally within Middle America, but also throughout northern South America as far south to include Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay (AOU 1998). While patterns of migration and local movement throughout the breeding range are poorly understood, some wander into North America where it is considered casual. James (1991) lists only one record for Ontario and that bird appeared on 28-30 Oct 1977 at Dorion (Goodwin 1977).
One sighting is known for the Kingston area. The bird was found on 29 Oct 1996 along the South Shore Road, Hay Bay by Gingrich, Davis, & Brownell. At close range, they viewed the long black deeply forked tail, all white under parts, and black cap.
SUMMARY: Accidental. One autumn record.
LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE
Lanius ludovicianus
Pie-grièche migratrice
The Loggerhead Shrike is the breeding shrike of the Kingston region. It is a relative newcomer to our area and, most recently, its numbers have been declining through the north eastern parts of the range (AOU 1998).
When the European settlers arrived in north eastern North America, this species was not among the original bird residents. It expanded north and east as the forests were cleared for agriculture. The first Ontario record occurred near Hamilton in 1860 (Cadman et al. 1987). By the turn of the 19th to 20th centuries, the Loggerhead had become common along the St. Lawrence R. and was nesting on Wolfe I. and adjacent Kingston (Macoun and Macoun 1909). This expansion peaked during the 1940s, after which its range has contracted gradually in eastern Canada. In Ontario, it has declined based on the data from the roadside Breeding Bird Surveys for the period 1965-79 (Robbins et al. 1986). In adjacent New York State, a progressive decline has taken place since the 1940s (Bull 1974) and there have been no confirmed nesting or nesting attempts since 1988 (Novak 1989, Levine 1998).
Quilliam (1973) considered the Loggerhead to be a fairly common summer resident in the Kingston area, but its numbers began dropping subsequently (Weir and Quilliam 1980). The local roadside Breeding Bird Surveys from 1968-87 show a maximum count of 12 in 1968 that declined to 9 in 1970. None was found on the local surveys in 1979, 1980, 1983-86. An intensive effort was made to find all the nesting Loggerheads during the nesting study 1981-85 Only 34 pairs over the five years were located. During another intensive search in summer 1987, 30 birds were found at 17 sites and a few nests were seen (Weir 1987c). Subsequent intensive surveys of the local habitat by the KFN, Grooms & Hennige, and later as part of the Eastern Loggerhead Recovery Team, revealed the following numbers of pairs in the Napanee plain.
Average spring arrival is 30 Mar (54 yrs) earliest 9 Mar 69 Kingston, Stewart. Egg dates are 14 Apr to 8 July (16 nests). Average last date 14 Sep (40 yrs) latest 1 Dec 1955 Kingston, K.F. Edwards.
SUMMARY: Uncommon summer resident.
NORTHERN SHRIKE
Lanius excubitor
Pie-grièche grise
The discoveries by the early ornithologists in the Kingston region during the 19th century with respect to the Northern Shrike are equally applicable today. Hadfield (1859) found this species during March 1858, while Young (Macoun and Macoun 1909) found it to be not common through autumn and winter from October to April. He specifically wrote of its preying upon the English Sparrow (House Sparrow).
The Northern Shrike is most often seen as a lone bird perched atop a leafless tree during winter, scanning the surrounding open country in search of small songbirds on which it feeds. Occasionally, small rodents are taken. Average arrival from northern Canada occurs by 28 Oct (54 yrs), earliest 10 Oct 88 Godfrey, Weir. Its numbers vary annually, probably dependent upon the species’ breeding success in the previous summer and the abundance of the local food supply.
The results of the Christmas Counts provide a useful index for its frequency and abundance during early winter. Over the 42 years of Christmas Counts 1965-2006, the Northern Shrike was missed only once at Napanee in 1992 and once at Kingston in 1980. The high tallies on the Kingston Christmas Count are the 26 on 19 Dec 76 and 23 on 17 Dec 95, on the Amherst I. Count 18 on 17 Dec 95, and on the P.E.Pt. Count 14 on 14 Dec 91, KFN. Most Northern Shrikes have gone north by the 3rd week of March with the average last sighting during spring is 23 Mar (50 yrs) latest 27 Apr 96 P.E.Pt., Mackenzie.
Extreme caution must be exercised during March and April, since at this time a few Northern Shrikes have yet to leave for the north and our resident Loggerheads are beginning to return. While the chances of overlap are less during spring than autumn, the two are known to have been present simultaneously. Two examples are excerpted from Quilliam (1973):
“..K.F. Edwards on 30 Nov 1955, watched two shrikes fighting near Elevator Bay (Kingston). At the time, he thought one was smaller than the other and it occurred to him that one might be a Loggerhead Shrike, but the light was poor. On a second visit 1 Dec 55, he found the smaller of the two shrikes and was able to identify it as a Loggerhead Shrike (Blue Bill 2 (4): 37). On 20 Mar 71, Weir saw a similar encounter between two species when the larger of the two chased the smaller and forced the latter to the ground and stood on its belly. The Northern and Loggerhead Shrikes were positively identified as the combatants.”
Three specimens in the National Museum are the males of 29 Oct 77 P.E.Pt., 65917 and in February 86 Delta, 85739. The third found during spring 1979 at P.E.Pt. was long dead, and is now a skeleton in the museum collection.
SUMMARY: Uncommon winter visitor.
WHITE-EYED VIREO
Vireo griseus
Viréo aux yeux blancs
The White-eyed Vireo is a newcomer to the Kingston area, whose appearance here is part of its range expansion northward that has been evident since the 1950s. Nesting has been confirmed in extreme southern Ontario (James 1991, Godfrey 1986) as well as in adjacent New York State along the Great Lakes Plain near Buffalo and Rochester (Levine 1998). The species’ breeding distribution extends from southern Wisconsin to eastern Massachusetts to include southern Ontario and south to Texas, Gulf Coast and Florida (AOU 1998).
The first Kingston record is dated 9-10 May 1964 Little Cataraqui Creek, Kingston, K.F., M.C. Edwards & M. Good. It was followed by another on 10 May 1968 Kingston, M.C. Edwards & Peruniak. Our first autumn bird appeared on 11 Oct 1969 Kingston, K.F. & M.C Edwards. Subsequently, the species has appeared fairly regularly during spring with 56 birds during 28 springs and 9 birds during 8 autumns. The summary follows:
Sightings of White-eyed Vireo
The locations for these records break down as 49 at P.E.Pt., 10 in Kingston, 3 on Amherst I., 1 at Chaffey’s Locks, 1 at Dorland. The easiest way to detect the presence of the White-eyed Vireo is by its unusual song, which begins and ends with an emphatic ‘chick’ and ‘chuck’. To my ears, the song is best represented as an unmusical ‘pic chick-o-ree chuck’, ‘chick-o-perwee-oo-chick’.
The average spring arrival date is 9 May (21 yrs), earliest 30 Apr 91 Cataraqui Cemetery, Kingston, R.K. Edwards, and spring departure is 22 May (21 yrs), latest 30 May 96 Kingston, R.K. Edwards. Reappearance in autumn occurs on average 8 Sep (4 yrs), earliest 29 Aug 93 Dorland, Hennige, and departure 29 Oct (5 yrs), latest 14 Dec 02 P.E.Pt., Mackenzie & Rowe. No specimen is known for the Kingston area, but photographs are on the KFN files of netted and banded White-eyed Vireos.
SUMMARY: Fairly regular rare spring visitor. Very rare autumn visitor.
YELLOW-THROATED VIREO
Vireo flavifrons
Viréo à gorge jaune
The range of the Yellow-throated Vireo covers much of eastern North America as far north as southern Ontario and south western Quebec (AOU 1998, Godfrey 1986), where it frequents the upper parts of the tall trees in riparian woodland, but occasionally mixed deciduous-coniferous forest. The first satisfactory record for the Kingston region is that dated 3 Jul 1919 at Seeley’s Bay (Saunders 1920). Beaupre’s only sighting occurred on 25 Jun 1925 and during the early years of the KFN from 1948, sightings were few. Once visits were made into the Shield habitat of our area when the H.R. Quilliam Sanctuary property of the KFN was acquired by the mid-1960s, the species was discovered in numbers.
Spring migrants arrive by 10 May (50 yrs), earliest 19 Apr 2002, which was one netted at banded at P.E.Pt., Machell. Away from the local breeding areas, the species is scarce. At P.E.Pt., between 1 to 6 migrant birds are found each spring. The nesting study 1981-85 revealed about 600 pairs breeding annually in our area. The repeat study 2001-05, which involved a larger area than that covered during 1981-85, resulted in (975±125) nesting pairs each year. For both studies, the nesting density and breeding distribution are similar. The nesting areas are first met about 20-30 km north of the L. Ontario shoreline, although the species penetrates the Thousand Islands along the Frontenac Axis. Brood dates extend from 12 June to 25 July (28 nests) and young were found just fledged from 7 other nests during the period from 10 July to 2 August.
By early September, migrants are seen passing through P.E.Pt., and the average last date is 14 Sep (28 yrs), latest 16 Oct 83 P.E.Pt., Maybank. Sight records during the autumn passage are fewer than in spring and lie mainly within the period 16 Aug to 28 Sep. Ten extant specimens are documented by Weir (1989).
SUMMARY: Fairly common summer resident.
BLUE-HEADED VIREO
Vireo solitarius
Viréo à tête bleue
The Vireo solitarius, formerly the Solitary Vireo, was divided into three species by the AOU (1997) viz. V. solitarius Blue-headed Vireo, V. cassinii Cassin’s Vireo, and the V. plumbeus Plumbeous Vireo. The Blue-headed Vireo is the species that migrates through and breeds in the Kingston region. However, its main nesting area lies to the north of Kingston and the species is known to us primarily as a spring and autumn migrant. Spring arrival is 2 May (56 yrs), earliest 17 Apr 04 P.E.Pt., KFN, and most have passed through by late May, but a number remain to nest, especially through the northerly sections within our Shield habitat.
Among the early ornithologists in our area, Beaupre found this species only twice, Merriman once and Young never found it. The peak of its spring migration of recent decades is mid-May, and most woodlots, especially those with evergreens along the L. Ontario shoreline, host a few during May. The greatest numbers are found at P.E.Pt., where the geographical features of the peninsula concentrate the migrants. Daily maxima at the Point are 30 on 20 May 84, 29 on 16 May 72, KFN, and 130 on 18 Sep 05, 40 each on 16 Sep 03 & 5 Oct 04 fide Sprague, respectively. Another 30 were found on 1 May 97 Kingston, R.K. Edwards.
The nesting study of 1981-85 revealed (10±4) pairs annually and during the repeat study 2001-05, which sought out habitat not covered previously, found (45 ±10) pairs each year. Dates for young in 4 nests are 5 July to 24 July and one nest contained 3 eggs from the Brown-headed Cowbird. At another 6 nests, young were found in the nest tree during the period 10 July to 10 August.
Autumn migrants return in numbers by early September and 75% of their numbers pass through by 30 September. The average last date is 16 Oct (51 yrs), latest 12 Nov 72 Howe I. mainland ferry dock, KFN. Nine extant specimens are listed by Weir (1989).
SUMMARY: Fairly common spring and autumn migrant. Uncommon summer resident.
WARBLING VIREO
Vireo gilvus
Viréo mélodieux
The Warbling Vireo is a plain gray and white bird without distinctive field marks whose breeding range includes much of western Canada, southern Ontario and the U.S.A (AOU 1998, Godfrey 1986). Its song, which is a continuous musical warble, is the best way by which to detect its presence high in the trees. Once its song is learned, the species is located wherever mature deciduous trees are present, including those along town and city streets, parks and highways.
For most of its time during the nesting season, the Warbling Vireo remains within the leafy canopy of the tall trees, where the nest is well concealed and virtually inaccessible to the observer. However, confirmation of nesting is relatively easy, since both parents carry food into the nest for the young and the male sings right at the nest. Egg dates for two nests are 23 May to 13 June. Dates for young in the nest extend from 26 May to 19 July (41 nests).
Young (Macoun and Macoun 1909) found this species to be common throughout eastern Ontario in the latter part of the 19th century, by which time it had expanded its range from farther south as the forests were opened by settlers. James (in Cadman et al. 1987) noted that the continental Breeding Bird Surveys from 1967-83 showed a significant increase in numbers of Warbling Vireos in southern Ontario. Those roadside Breeding Bird Surveys (BBS) from 1967-87 in our area show the numbers of breeding Warbling Vireos to be about half the numbers of the Red-eyed Vireo. This ratio is borne out independently by the nesting studies of 1981-85 with 27,500 pairs annually and 2001-05 with (32,000±4,500) pairs each year. The latter study involved a slightly larger area of coverage, although the nesting density is similar between the two studies as is the distribution. The Warbling Vireo is the 13th most common nesting songbird in our area. The analysis by Sauer et al. (2005) of the results of the BBS for Ontario 1980-2005 shows a significant rise in breeding numbers. Francis and Hussell (1998) noted significant increases for spring and fall mist-net captures at Long Pt., Ontario. See also Gardali et al. (2000).
Average spring arrival is 3 May (55 yrs), earliest 24 Apr 2002 Kingston, G. Paul. The species continues to arrive here throughout the month of May and daily maxima at P.E.Pt. are significant with up to 30 birds identified easily, which represent a small fraction of the number passing through. Autumn passage is underway during August and some males continue to sing throughout that month. Most have gone by early September and the average last date is 16 Sep (49 yrs) latest 23 Nov 2001 Kingston, H. Evans. The Lennox chimneys have claimed 42 Warbling vireos. Three extant specimens in the National Museum are documented by Weir (1979).
SUMMARY: Abundant summer resident.
PHILADELPHIA VIREO
Vireo philadelphicus
Viréo de Philadelphie
The breeding range of the Philadelphia Vireo extends across Canada from B.C. to Newfoundland, where it prefers open woodland and is especially partial to areas that contain Trembling Aspen Populus tremuloides (AOU 1998, Godfrey 1986). Its Ontario range coincides with the Canadian Shield, on which it becomes more common farther north. The southern edge of its breeding range lies through the northerly sections of the Kingston region.
Reliable sight records, prior to the formation of the KFN, include only one on 6 Aug 1933 at Kingston, Merriman. A brood record during July 1932 at Buckshot L. Lennox & Addington, Clarke (Baillie and Harrington 1937), was well north of highway 7. Because of the difficulty in identifying this species, only a few records are on file for the early years of the KFN. As observers gained more experience with better field guides and optical equipment, the average number increased as follows:
Average Annual Number of Sight Records of Philadelphia Vireo
Excluded from the table are the 253 banded by the KFN at P.E.Pt. from 1976-81 and the 189 killed at the Lennox chimneys 1972-73, .
The average arrival date in spring is 13 May (47 yrs), earliest 29 Apr 90 P.E.Pt., KFN. Their peak spring passage occurs during the last 10 days of May. At P.E.Pt., their daily maxima include the 67 on 19 May 96; 62 on 24 May 97; 35 on 21 May 95, KFN.
The first confirmed nesting since the 1932 record at Buckshot L. originated from the nesting study 1981-85. Young birds were found being fed by their parents on 25 Jul 82 near Madoc by Weir, and during July 1983 at Salem, near Westport by Parsons. These nesting records are well south of that in 1932. Others found on territory during that study were in 1984 near Newboro, Stewart, and in 1985 near Parham, Weir. About 10 pairs were found and all occurred in the northerly section of our area. The repeat study 2001-05 resulted in (30±10) pairs each year and the rise is due to knowing where to look and covering sections not visited during the 1981-85 study. Dates for young still in the nest are 4 July to 25 July (5 nests) and young were found just outside their nest 23 June to 24 July (2 nests).
Obvious autumn migrants reappear on average by 24 Aug (37 yrs) and their peak flight occurs between late August and early September. The average last date is 23 Sep (43 yrs) latest 6 Nov 77 P.E.Pt., KFN. Concentrations at P.E.Pt. include the 30 on 5 Sep 76; 12 on 24 Aug 74; 10 each on 3 Sep 89 an 16 Sep 2003, KFN. Weir (1989) has documented 83 specimens in the National Museum and another 22 in the New Brunswick Museum, all killed at the Lennox chimneys.
SUMMARY: Uncommon spring and uncommon to fairly common autumn transient. Rare summer resident.
RED-EYED VIREO
Vireo olivaceous
Viréo aux yeux rouges
The nesting range of the Red-eyed Vireo extends across Canada (AOU 1998, Godfrey 1986) and this species is among the commonest forest songbirds that nest in eastern North America. Like all the vireos, which depend on insects for food, the Red-eyed Vireo winters in or near Tropical America. Among the ornithologists in the Kingston area during the 19th and 20th centuries, Young, Merriman and Beaupre found this species to be common during summer. Our first arrivals in spring appear by 11 May (58 yrs), earliest 29 Apr 1990 P.E.Pt., K.F & M.C. Edwards. However, not until the last week of May does the species become common. Their passage continues through the first week of June, which presumably involves migrants moving well north of our area.
The roadside Breeding Bird Surveys for the period 1967-87 for our area, better for detecting change in populations rather than absolute numbers, showed a steady rise in numbers of the Red-eyed Vireo. The species recovered from the drop noted in 1977 (Quilliam 1984). The Perth Road BBS and Canoe Lake BBS consistently provide high numbers of singing Red-eyed Vireos, e.g. 112 on 11 Jun 08 (Perth road) and 74 on 12 Jul 08 (Canoe L.). For Ontario as a whole from these surveys for 1967-83, James (in Cadman et al 1987) has suggested declining numbers in southern Ontario perhaps as a result of habitat destruction. However, Sauer et al. (2005) do not agree that a decline has occurred in Ontario. Their analysis of the BBS show a gentle increase in number of singing males for the period 1966-1979, again for 1980-2005 with an overall rise for the entire period 1966-2005 based on 139 routes.
The nesting study 1981-85 in the Kingston region revealed about 51,800 breeding pairs annually that were distributed widely wherever broad-leafed woods were present. The repeat study that covered a wider area concluded that (64,000±8,500) pairs nested each year (0.093 pairs per hectare on average), which place the species as our seventh most common breeding songbird with stable numbers of breeding birds. The highest densities in our prime hardwood habitat of the Shield reach 1.0 pair per hectare, which is lower than those reported elsewhere (Cimprich et al. 2000). Throughout the long hot summer, the monotonous persistent song of the Red-eyed is heard. Egg dates are 6 June to 3 July (9 nests) and brood dates extend from 10 June to 20 July (39 nests). The nests are more easily found during autumn after the trees have shed their leaves.
Autumn migration is underway by early August, although the peak is not reached until late in that month and in early September. A measure of the huge numbers that move through our area by night is provided by the gruesome kills that formerly occurred at the Lennox chimneys, where 2,182 Red-eyed Vireos are known to have been killed from 1972-82. The one night maxima are 216, 559, and 570 on 2, 5, and 6 Sep 1981, respectively. Most Red-eyed Vireos have left by 3 Oct (52 yrs) latest 16 Nov 1980 Amherst I., R.K. Edwards. Extant specimens for Kingston total at least 589 now deposited in the National Museum.
SUMMARY: Abundant summer resident
GRAY JAY
Perisoreus canadensis
Mésangeai du Canada
The Gray Jay, sometimes called the Canada Jay, is a familiar sight to outdoor enthusiasts of the north woods by its tameness and willingness to take food from the human hand. The species breeds from the tree limit in Alaska, east to Labrador, Maritime Canada, and south in the mountains to northern California and Arizona. Within Ontario, its nesting range extends from near Hudson and James Bays south to Algonquin P.P., and does not include the Kingston region (AOU 1998, Godfrey 1986). The species is normally sedentary within the breeding range, but it does wander southwards at irregular intervals during autumn and winter (Bent 1946, Godfrey 1986). It is this irregular wandering that brings the species to Kingston rarely. Todd (1963) and Campbell (1965) suggested the frequency of flight years to occur about one in every 20 along the north shores of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, but whether birds from Quebec make their way into Kingston is not known.
The first mention of the Gray Jay here is by Klugh (1905), who wrote of an invasion into southern Ontario during the winter of 1904-05 when the Gray Jay was seen at Madoc, Napanee, Kingston, and in Prince Edward. Other known sightings prior to the formation of the KFN include birds in 1921-22 at Kingston and Prince Edward, 1925-26 in Prince Edward (Sprague and Weir 1984), and 3 in 1941-42 at Kingston. Those from 1941-42 are specimens in the Queen’s Biological Museum, having been taken on 9 & 16 Nov 41 at Kingston Mills and on 16 Nov 41 just east of the City.
During the 59 years since KFN records began in 1948, the Gray Jay has been found here during 24 autumns-winters with the breakdown as follows.
Summary of irruption years with numbers of Gray Jays into the Kingston region 1948-2007
The 56 birds are distributed by month as 1 in September, 8 in October, 12 in November, 12 in December, 14 in January, 7 in February and 2 in March. The average arrival date in those irruption years is 6 Nov (15 yrs) earliest 1 Oct 91 Burke Settlement, M. Saunders. Average last date is 3 Feb (15 yrs) latest 15 Mar 1971 Picton, Wagar. The February departure date is consistent with its extremely early breeding season (James 1991, Strickland in Cadman et al. 1987). Excluded from the 56 birds is the juvenile seen outside our traditional area on 18 June 1989 in Bon Echo P.P., Worona.
Only 5 of the 55 sightings have appeared at P.E.Pt., the jumping-off point for migrants heading farther south. The remaining 50 birds are about equally divided between sites located through the Shield habitat north of Gananoque, Kingston and Napanee and the shores of L. Ontario and the St. Lawrence R.
SUMMARY: Irregular rare autumn and winter visitor.
BLUE JAY
Cyanocitta cristata
Geai bleu
The Blue Jay is the more familiar jay in our region, well known by its bright blue colour as it visits feeding trays, and by its raucous calls when pestering squirrels or owls. Hadfield (1864) considered it common, a status unchanged nearly 150 years later. Records are on file for every month of the year and, although the species is a permanent resident, migration does occur each autumn and spring. Migrating jays during autumn are very obvious and are most frequently seen during September and October as they fly southwest along the St. Lawrence R. and the L. Ontario shoreline anywhere from Ivy Lea to P.E.Pt. and Pt. Petre Prince Edward. Beaupre noted jay migration at Kingston 27-28 Sep 1927 and 4-7 Oct 1929, which are times that coincide with the flights today.
It is at P.E.Pt., where the concentrations are the greatest, as the tube-shaped flocks pour in at the end of the peninsula from over the land to the west, especially on days when the winds are from the west or northwest. The flocks merge and the numbers increase at the tip, where the birds balk at crossing the water obstacle of L. Ontario. The Jays swirl upwards, screaming all the while, often harried by migrant Sharp-shinned or Cooper’s Hawks which snatch the occasional jay that strays from the main pack. Most flocks return to the west over land to avoid crossing the lake towards the Ducks Islands. Some do attempt to cross the open water but do so at an altitude much higher than the height of the Lennox chimneys, which are 200 m. Blue Jays banded during autumn along the north shore of L. Ontario have been recovered from sites along L. Erie, in Detroit, Kentucky and Louisiana, which suggest the fall movement is southwest towards the Mississippi Valley (Speirs 1985).
After mid-October at P.E.Pt., numbers of Blue Jays are greatly reduced. The following is a sampling of flock size there with the many flocks of 500 not included, all credited to KFN.
Migrant Blue Jays pass the Point during spring when our local jays are incubating their nests. These flocks arrive by early May and are seen almost daily to the end of the month and often into mid-June. In 1984, the passage continued up to 20 June and in 1985 to 5 July, Mountjoy. Even later were the 5 seen migrating northeast from the Point, heading over Swetman I., on 15 Jul 1973, Weir, but these could have been non-breeders. Flock sizes in spring are smaller than occur during autumn with a sampling as follows. It is noteworthy that 31 were netted and banded at the Point on 10 May 04, Okines. Their destination in spring is unknown as there are no direct recoveries from among the jays banded at the Point. Based on one indirect recovery of a jay, banded there on 15 Oct 77, that was found during May 1979 in Chicoutimi, it is not unreasonable to assume that some among the spring flocks move into Quebec.
Once the Blue Jay begins to nest, it becomes inconspicuous by remaining within leaf cover and by remaining fairly quiet. The roadside Breeding Bird Surveys done in the Kingston area from 1968-2006 indicate that the species occurs on every route each year, but it has never made its way into the top 20 most common breeders. Its frequency is high but its abundance is low and numbers have remained remarkably stable. The nesting study 1981-85 revealed about 3,500 breeding pairs annually and the repeat study with an expanded area showed some (4,200±650) breeders each year. The density and distribution were similar for the two studies. These numbers place it on a par with the abundance of the Downy Woodpecker. Egg dates are 26 April to 14 May (5 nests) and brood dates range from 4 May to 22 Jun (7 nests). Specimen evidence is documented by Quilliam (1973) and Weir (1989).
SUMMARY: Common permanent resident. Very common spring and very abundant autumn migrant.
BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE
Pica hudsonia
Pie d’Amérique
The identification of this noisy, black and white coloured magpie with its very long tail is easy. This unmistakable species is a year round resident of western North America as far east as Nebraska, Manitoba and extreme western Ontario at Rainy River (AOU 1998, James 1991, Godfrey 1986). Its breeding range has expanded eastwards since the 1950s and occurrences during winter have become more regular to the east and north of the traditional breeding range (Godfrey 1986). These wanderings led to the Kingston’s first occurrence on 12 May 1898 when Clarke saw one near Odessa and, within a short time of this sighting, two were shot and sent to the taxidermist (Clarke 1898). Whether these birds were offspring from a release of magpies noted by Saunders (Quilliam 1973) at Quebec City 24 years previously in 1874 will never be known.
Our next sighting occurred on 24 Oct 1976 along the eastern edge of Kingston City, P.& R. Good. This bird was well described in their field report. Another appeared at a feeder on 1 Feb 1982 Green Pt., Prince Edward, Cole (Sprague and Weir 1984), which may have been the same individual seen between Rice L. and Peterborough two weeks previously (Sadler 1983). Both of these birds were wary and without leg bands. The next sighting was of a single that appeared 12 May 1992 at the Kingston airport, Fletcher, followed by another on 6 May 1996 at P.E.Pt., Machell.
Because of the fact that this species is sometimes kept in captivity, it is difficult to evaluate whether these sightings involve wild or escaped magpies. It is useful to consider the comments by Levine (1998) about this magpie for adjacent New York State. ‘There have been too many observations of this species for them all to have been escapes. A gradual extension of their range eastward is a possibility (Beardslee and Mitchell 1965), and a cluster of records from OH, TN, and NC as well as NY from 1959 to 1961 may well have been examples of this extension (Veit and Peterson 1993)’.
SUMMARY: Accidental
AMERICAN CROW
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Corneille d’Amérique
In spite of persistent persecution, the American Crow is as well known today as was the case during the 19th century when Young considered it to be very common in eastern Ontario with some remaining all winter along the St. Lawrence R. (Macoun and Macoun 1909). The species is highly adaptable and nests throughout our area in the uninhabited sections of the Shield, the agricultural lands, islands, villages, towns and cities. The results from the roadside Breeding Bird Surveys in Kingston 1968-2007 show the crow to rank among the top ten most common species.
The nesting study 1981-85 revealed about 5,150 pairs nesting each year and it was distributed everywhere with a nesting density of about 1 pair per sq km. The repeat study 2001-05 (larger area) found a similar distribution with (9,000±1,000) pairs annually and a nesting density of 1.2 pairs per sq km. The species is found in all months of the year, but there is a significant reduction in numbers during winter. Those returning in spring to augment the wintering population appear by 17 Feb (57 yrs). The migrants are easily detected at two widely separated sites within our area viz. Ivy Lea as the birds enter Canada from along the eastern shore of L. Ontario through New York State and at P.E.Pt. as many fly in from over L. Ontario after stopping to rest or feed on the ice as far out as binocular vision allows. These migrants continue to pass throughout April and up to mid-May even after local crows have young in their nests. One very late flock of 75 appeared at P.E.Pt. on 19 May 72, Brown & Little, but typical flock sizes there are the 200 each on 1 Apr 84 & 2 Apr 95; 150 each on 24 Mar 96 & 26 Mar 00; 100 on many occasions, KFN.
Nesting activity starts in March when the birds either construct a new nest or refurbish an old one. Crow nests are often placed high within a conifer and are often not easily accessible. Egg dates for local nests are 25 March to 11 May (7 nests), which compare with Ontario as a whole (James 1991) of 5 March to 20 June (320 nests). Brood dates for local nests are 4 April to 12 June (36 nests).
Autumn passage becomes evident during October. Migrant flocks include the 600 on 31 Oct 04 Wolfe I.; 300 each 25 Sep 91 Newboro and 8 Oct 95 Collins Bay Penitentiary, Kingston; 250 each on 18 Sep 91 Chaffeys Lock, 30 Sep 87 Elgin, 12 Oct 85, P.E.Pt., 10 Oct 87 P.E.Pt., KFN, NLB. The migrants are gone by 27 Nov (53 yrs) leaving some crows to spend the winter here. Local cornfields are favoured during autumn and early winter before snow covers the ground. The 2,000 on 24 Nov 77 Wolfe I. by Little had declined to 800 birds by 2 Dec 77. Crows have been found on every Christmas Count in Kingston, Napanee, 1000 Islands, Delta, and Rideau Ferry with peak tallies of 470 at Kingston in 2001 and 408 at Napanee in 2000.
SUMMARY: Very common summer resident. Uncommon to fairly common winter resident.
COMMON RAVEN
Corvus corax
Grand Corbeau
The range of the Raven in southern Ontario has changed significantly since the early years of the 1800s when Alexander Wilson found the species abundant along the Niagara R. and saw it daily along the shores of Lakes Erie and Ontario during August and September (Quilliam 1973). Hadfield made no mention of the Raven when he first visited Kingston in 1857 and 1858, nor did any of our other early ornithologists. The use of poison bait and trapping to destroy wolves and coyotes contributed indirectly to the decline in numbers of Ravens. Persecution by humans had also taken its toll in extirpating the Raven from our area.
The first mention of the Raven in the Kingston area during the 20th century is of one flying over the St. Lawrence R. near Gananoque on 3 Feb 1938 (Toner et al. 1942). The next one appeared on 29 Oct 1961, but it was found dead on Howe I. by Hughes. The third lingered at a farm from 27 Feb 63 to 5 Mar 63 near Camden East, Hartman et al. This was followed by another on 18 Oct 65 Glenora, Hicks. As a group of sightings, they signalled a change in status here. The rise in numbers has been real, steady, and dramatic in all seasons and appears to be originating from areas to the north. Occurrences on most of our Christmas Counts are regular and these numbers show a steady increase. Visits to traditional sites surveyed regularly since 1948 show a rise in numbers and these sites include dumps and sanitary land fills. The following table contains the summary of sightings by season for our area.
Numbers of Common Raven by season in the Kingston region 1961-2005
The nesting study 1981-85 brought great surprise when about 20 breeding pairs were discovered, all of which lay within the Canadian Shield. These few nesters were associated with rocky faces and outcroppings in mature, undisturbed conifer forest. This study provided our first confirmed nesting in May 1982 near Elzevir Hastings, Weir, followed by another in June 1983 Puzzle L. Frontenac, Mackenzie, and in May 1985 near Kaladar Lennox & Addington, Biro. The repeat study 2001-05 continued with more surprises as (75±15) breeding pairs each year were discovered. The breeding areas of the first study were again occupied, but the species has spread significantly southwards with a current nesting density about 1 pair per 100 sq km. New nest sites included power pylons and man made structures. The raven has been confirmed as a breeder within the City of Kingston with nests at Kingston Mills and within the Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation land north of King Street. Since 1995, it has bred annually on the same cliff face within the Quilliam Sanctuary of the KFN. Egg dates are not on file due the difficulty in accessing the nests. However, young in the nest are more easily viewed by telescope from a distance and as a result brood dates on file are 7 Apr to 26 May (16 nests). In addition, freshly fledged broods have been found between the dates 20 April and 15 June (18 nests).
The historical picture for this species in Kingston is similar to that in adjacent New York State, where the species has expanded its range during the 1970s and 1980s (Levine 1998). Bishop (1980) suggested that several reasons may be responsible viz. reforestation, maturation of existing forests, increasing numbers of deer with associated increase in road kills, a rise in coyote numbers with coyote predation as a food source and finally, changes in public attitudes. He speculates that further range expansion is expected.
The best locations in the Kingston area to see concentrations regularly are dump sites such as that at Wilmer, where 40 were present 20 Feb 2000, A. & S. Treganza, and at Richmond west of Napanee. A roost along Canoe L. held 20 birds during January 2001, Briggs-Jude. The seven found on the Kingston Christmas Count 17 Dec 06 are a record high.
SUMMARY: Formerly extirpated, now uncommon to fairly common permanent resident.
HORNED LARK
Eremophila alpestris
Alouette hausse-col
Judging by the historical record of the Horned Lark in Ontario, it seems that prior to European settlement the species was likely absent from most of the province, except for the treeless areas along the coasts of Hudson and James Bays where the northern subspecies E.a. alpestris breeds today, and where it has probably done so for hundreds of years. The Prairie Horned Lark E.a. praticola entered Ontario about 1868 (McIlwraith 1894). This subspecies probably arrived from Michigan (Bent 1942). It has subsequently spread throughout southern Ontario as the forests were progressively cleared, advancing north to farming areas of the Clay Belt from Georgian Bay to Ottawa (James 1991).
Horned Lark colonisation of the Kingston area occurred in the late 19th century. Hadfield (1858, 1864) obtained some specimens here, but did not meet the species frequently or ever as a nesting bird. While he did not indicate which subspecies he shot, it seems probable it was the northern race. By the turn of the 19th to 20th centuries, the species had begun to nest here and Young (Macoun and Macoun 1909) confirmed its breeding. Today, the two subspecies occur regularly. The breeding Prairie Horned Lark, which lacks the yellow on the forehead, arrives by 8 Feb (56 yrs) and migrants of this subspecies continue to pour in during March. The local birds pair immediately on their return, and are easily seen along the roadside in pairs until snow melts from the open fields where they retreat to build their nests. At the same time during February and March, flocks containing up to several hundred birds of the northern subspecies arrive and are easily identified by the yellow on the forehead. These birds move on to the north and are not seen again until November. The largest flocks of this subspecies on record contained 1000 birds on 6 Dec 92 Wolfe I., Yaki, and 600 on 19 Jan 04 Wolfe I., R. Sachs.
The nesting study of 1981-85 showed there were about 800 pairs nesting each year. Not surprisingly, most were concentrated within the agricultural sections of our area and very few were located in the Shield section. The repeat study showed similar results with (900±150) nesting pairs annually. The species nests in very early spring with the earliest egg date 8 March, a time when snow often continues to lie on the ground. Egg dates extend from 8 Mar to 29 May (29 nests). Young have been recorded in the nests from 9 Apr to 20 July (11 broods) and young were being fed by parents near the nest from 10 May to 23 July for an additional 30 nests.
Our breeding population departs by 9 Dec (54 yrs) leaving behind large numbers of the northern race. Amherst and Wolfe Islands are the most reliable places to find the species especially during winter.
SUMMARY: Fairly common summer and winter resident. Common spring and autumn transient.
PURPLE MARTIN
Progne subis
Hirondelle noire
During the summers of the 19th century, the Purple Martin was distributed throughout southern Ontario, but was abundant nowhere (McIlwraith 1894). Hadfield (1859) discovered nesting beneath the eaves of houses in the Kingston area and it is evident that this species has adapted to human dwellings soon after European settlement. The early years of the 1900s, following the introduction of the House Sparrow Passer domesticus, brought declines in numbers of Purple Martin in our area, as well as in other parts of southern Ontario (Macoun and Macoun 1909), presumably as a result of competition for a limited number of nest holes. Subsequently, the Purple Martin expanded its Ontario range and increased its numbers, thanks in part to colonial bird houses especially built for the species. The species is an aerial insectivore, and it is not surprising that its local breeding population fluctuates whenever repeated wet and cold nesting seasons occur or when a sustained cold snap strikes during May.
The vanguard appears in spring by 13 Apr (57 yrs), earliest 28 March 1954 Kingston, Lamb, but the main group arrives during late April and early May. Migrants seen passing P.E.Pt. include the 150 on 12 May 84; 100 on 12 May 91; 75 on 14 May 83; and 50 each 2 May 92 & 5 May 96, KFN. Nesting activity intensifies during early June as the days become warmer. The nesting study 1981-85 showed about 2,600 pairs breeding annually on average given the fluctuation noted above. The repeat study 2001-05 found some (2,200±350) pairs nesting each year. The species prefers nest sites along watercourses and our greatest breeding density occurs along L. Ontario, St. Lawrence R., Rideau Canal system, and the many lakes that dot our region. None was found in the heavily forested sections that were without human dwellings. Egg dates are restricted to June, and the earliest hatch date on file is 6 Jun 2001, which implies the eggs were laid approximately 22 May 01. Most young fledge the martin houses during July, although one very late brood left its house 1 Sep 76 Elmwood, R.K. Edwards.
Prior to migration from our area, the martins congregate and assemble into larger flocks. Weseloh discovered Purple Martins roosting on the navigational buoys between Wolfe I., Amherst I., and Kingston City. See Appendix S. The assembly of 300 on 12 Aug 97 Amherst I., A. Scott, was another pre-migration group. Southward migration can be seen at P.E.Pt., and examples are the 296 on 18 Aug 1974 of which 202 were immature birds, Weir; 200 on 16 Aug 75; 173 on 1 Sep 74, KFN. In the swallow roost among the cattails of the Great Cataraqui R. marsh (Weir and Weseloh 1986), Purple Martins numbered at least 600 on 27 Jul 86 and 2,420 two weeks later on 10 Aug 86. The average date of last sighting is 1 Sep (44 yrs), latest 2 Oct 72 Great Cataraqui R., G. Woods. Specimen evidence in the National Museum is listed by Weir (1989).
SUMMARY: Common summer resident.
TREE SWALLOW
Tachycineta bicolor
Hirondelle bicolore
The Tree Swallow is the most common breeding swallow of the six species that nest in the Kingston region, which is unchanged over the past 150 years since Hadfield (1859) carried out his first field studies. In addition, among the six swallow species here, it is the earliest to arrive in spring and latest to leave us during autumn. Spring appearance occurs by 26 Mar (58 yrs), earliest 4 Mar 99 Kingston, K.F. & M.C. Edwards. These very early arrivals are often greeted by snow lying on the ground, when the swallows are forced to seek their insect food from atop the snow as the birds skim low over the ground. The main influx of migrants occurs during April and impressive congregations include the 15,000 & 4,000 & 2,000 on 17 Apr 2000 & 16 Apr 80 & 16 Apr 03, all Amherst I., K.F. & R.K. Edwards; NLB, respectively and the 3,000 on 17 Apr 95 Camden East, P. Good.
The nesting study of 1981-85 determined that about 51,400 pairs nested each year and the repeat study confirmed these numbers at (60,000±7,500) pairs annually. The slight increase is due to an expanded area of coverage, but the nesting density is similar between the two studies. The Tree Swallow is the 8th most common nesting songbird. The species is distributed widely in our region with very high densities recorded among the many beaver swamps where woodpecker holes abound in the dead or dying trees. Egg dates from nests in tall trees in the flooded swamps are sparse, but the study plots at the Queen’s University Biology Station at L. Opinicon have assembled substantial data. The species is very adaptable in choosing nesting sites and several broods are raised successfully each year from nests constructed on the local ferry plying from Millhaven to Amherst I., and on the ferry that connects Glenora to Adolphustown. The adults fly with the ferries as both make the repeated crossing of the channels, the adults feeding their young as moving target.
Post breeding congregations appear during July and involve local nesters most easily seen on Amherst I. and Wolfe I., where the birds gather on the utility wires and trees, especially adjacent to marshes where the species roosts at night. At times, their numbers become so great that the lines appear to sag under the weight of the birds. One early group contained 3,800 on 11 Jul 90 Wolfe I., NLB, but by late July such concentrations are common. Many of these early flocks vanish during August only to be replaced by successive flocks arriving and then departing as the month of September progresses, most easily discerned along the L. Ontario shoreline and offshore islands. Typical examples are the 15,000 each on 22 Aug 93 & 4 Sep 99 and 10,000 each on 5 Aug 77 & 2 Sep 95 Amherst I.; the 20,000 on 13 Sep 98 and 10,000 each on 8 Oct 94 & 1 Oct 95 Wolfe I.; 10,000 each on 21 Sep 75 ; 19 Oct 76; 26 Sep 82; 13 Sep 89, P.E.Pt., KFN.
The 10,000 noted above on 19 Oct 76 at P.E.Pt. were grounded by a cold front with heavy rain and the swallows were perched on low bushes, grass and the road near Pt. Traverse. The whole area was blanketed in blue colour. There was ample time for M.H. Edwards and this author to count the birds. The average last date is 25 Oct (53 yrs), latest 2 Dec 92 Hay Bay, Hennige.
The exciting discovery in 1985 by Weseloh (1985) of a major swallow roost in the marshes of the Great Cataraqui R. led to a count and census of the roost during the summer of 1986. Huge numbers of swallows, mainly Tree, were using this roost. For the historical record, the KFN files show entries that Quilliam, from her home overlooking the Cataraqui R., had seen clouds of swallows over the marshes from 21 to 28 Aug 1957 and again on 5 Sep 1958, but there was no suspicion that the birds were roosting in those cattails until Weseloh’s curiosity was aroused and satisfied.
That 1986 summer census of the roost (Weir and Weseloh 1986) showed at least 125,000 swallows by 31 Jul 86 had increased to 221,000 by 10 Aug 86. These numbers declined to 49,000 by 16 Aug 86 and only 462 on 24 Aug 86. The massive exodus coincided with a passage of a cold front. In the previous year, most had left the roost by 23 Aug 85, which is a consistent date. Tree Swallows using the roost during 1986 made up 80% to 90% of the birds present. The KFN files show the roost was filled during August 1989, Mackenzie, but only one other census statistic appears in the KFN file and that shows 75,000 swallows on 6 Aug 92, Weir.
SUMMARY: Abundant summer resident. Abundant spring and very abundant autumn transient.
NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW
Stelgidopteryx serripennis
Hirondelle à ailes hérissées
The Rough-winged Swallow is an inconspicuous brown-coloured bird that is easily overlooked among the large flocks that contain several swallow species. Its characteristic ‘brrit-brrit-brrit’ call uttered regularly during the nesting season helps to locate the species. Hadfield did not find it in our area during the 19th century nor did Young at the beginning of the 20th century. Merriman also missed the species during the 1920s and 1930s, but Beaupre is the first to have recorded it here when he located two pairs on 26 May 1925 ready to build nests in a mud bank on Bell’s I. in the Great Cataraqui R. The N. Rough-winged, together with some of our other swallow species, has expanded its range northwards and increased its numbers since European settlement in eastern North America.
The results of the roadside Breeding Bird Surveys from 1966-79 show the continuing continent-wide increase of the N. Rough-winged population throughout North America (Robbins et al. 1986). Its numbers tallied on the 24-hour Kingston Spring Round-up during May remained steady at 68 birds per Round-up during the 20 year period 1961-80, but rose to 135 per Round-up during 1981-90, 469 per Round-up 1991-2000 and settled back to 182 for the period 2001-08.
Following their spending the winter farther south, the species returns to Kingston by 20 Apr (56 yrs), earliest 1 Apr 2000 Jackson’s Mills, Weir. Migrants continue to arrive until mid-May, and the largest groups seen in spring include the 100 each on 8 May 88 & 12 May 96, P.E.Pt., KFN. The 55 birds on 22 Apr 92 at RMC, Kingston, Weir, were a large number for the early date and many more than the 10 pairs that traditionally nest in the drain holes along the foundations of the buildings.
The nesting study 1981-85 showed that about 785 pairs bred annually and the repeat study 2001-05 resulted in locating (850±100) nesting pairs annually. These numbers place the species as the least common as a nester of the six swallow species in the Kingston area. The greatest density during both studies occurred along areas of water that included streams, lakes and rivers where they used drainage holes or open pipes within bridges, culverts, and embankment walls; holes in sand banks, cliff and rock faces especially those of exposed layered limestone, and occasionally nest boxes. Sometimes the N. Rough-winged was found sharing the sand face of a quarry with nesting Bank Swallows. Incubating dates for the N. Rough-winged are 15 May to 10 June (19 nests), but the number of eggs involved is unknown due to the inaccessibility of the nests within the tunnel. Dates for the adults feeding young in the nest range from 15 June to 24 July (24 nests).
Southward migration begins by late July as evidenced by sight records of birds winging their way southwards well out over L. Ontario. Some accumulate during late July in the swallow roost within the Great Cataraqui R. marshes (Weir and Weseloh 1986) and it is impossible to know how many Rough-wingeds are with the tens of thousands of Tree Swallows that arrive in the roost in the fading light of dusk. Away from this roost, maximum autumn concentrations include the 75 on 28 Sep 98 Amherstview Sewage Lagoons, Mackenzie, and 60 on 6 Oct 03 Amherst I., Hennige. The average last date is 20 Sep (45 yrs), latest 8 Nov 2002 Dupont Lagoon, Kingston, R. Sachs.
SUMMARY: Fairly common summer resident.
BANK SWALLOW
Riparia riparia
Hirondelle de rivage
The Bank Swallow is another species that has benefited from the activities of mankind. The opening of the forests, construction of railways and roads, and the excavation of quarries have provided substantial new habitat for this species that places its nest at the end of a narrow tunnel excavated by the birds in soft earthen or sandy embankments. The nature of its nest sites has led to the Bank Swallow being highly opportunistic and colonial. In the Kingston area, it exploits newly excavated earthen faces almost immediately, and often continues nesting activities at these sites even while machinery extracts material from the face below its nesting burrows. The number of local nests appears dependent on the level of activity of the construction industry.
Hadfield never saw the Bank Swallow in our area during the mid-1800s, but at the turn of the 19th to 20th centuries Young (Macoun and Macoun 1909) found it to be very common. Beaupre visited a colony on 15 Jun 1896 Simcoe I. from which he took eggs. His first sighting of spring on 28 Apr 1898 compares closely with our average arrival date of 29 Apr (50 yrs), earliest 9 Apr 2001 Kingston, R. Sachs.
The largest flock observed during spring contained 1,000 birds on 14 May 78 Wolfe I., Bell & Little. These birds were probably migrants because there were no large colonies of Bank Swallows on the island. Since the mid-1970s on Wolfe I., there have been several small colonies that contain fewer than 25 pairs and those include the colony in the quarry of the Pyke’s farm.
The nesting study 1981-85 resulted in our finding about 5,500 breeding pairs annually distributed among 200+ colonies. The repeat study 2001-05 revealed fewer breeding pairs each year at (4,000±400) shared among about 150 colonies. The Bank Swallow is the 3rd most common swallow nester in our area. Many of the sites active during 1981-85 were abandoned both by the construction industry and by the swallows, a result of a downturn in construction activity in the Kingston region. Incubating dates for the Bank Swallow are 18 May to 9 June (14 nests), and, like the preceding species, the number of eggs involved is unknown due to the inaccessibility of the nests within the tunnel. Dates for the adults feeding young in the nest range from 10 June to 15 August (34 nests).
By late July, most young have left their nest burrows and migration begins immediately for some individuals. At this time, birds are seen from the Amherst I. shore heading southwards over the wide open lake, 20 were seen flying south past Pigeon I. on 17 Jul 77, Weir, and large numbers appear near the lighthouse at P.E.Pt. The largest concentrations during autumn have occurred on Amherst I. where 1,000 appeared on 15 Aug 69, Cooke & Hughes; 1,000 on 15 Aug 04, Ellis & Weir; 500 on 20 Aug 95, Ellis & Weir. It is probable that many of these birds were summer residents from the long standing colony along the southwest corner of the island.
The swallow roost in the Great Cataraqui R. marshes contained at least 300 Bank Swallows during the evening of 27 Jul 86, B.A. & R.D. Weir. A smaller roost located in the Little Cataraqui marsh south of Kingston’s rail station contained 400 Bank Swallows during the evening of 28 Jul 86, Weir. Most have left us by 1 Sep (45 yrs) latest 15 Oct 05 Amherstview Sewage Lagoon, Ripley.
SUMMARY: Very common summer resident.
CLIFF SWALLOW
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
Hirondelle à front blanc
Hadfield (1859) found only one Cliff Swallow in the Kingston region, but 50 years later Young (Macoun and Macoun 1909) considered it to be common. During the 1930s, Merriman wrote in his diary of Cliff Swallows being forced out of their nests by House Sparrows, a struggle that continues today. The species was formerly fairly common in Leeds, but by the 1930s the numbers had declined and the species was considered to be uncommon (Toner et al. 1942). Subsequently, its numbers in the Kingston area have ebbed and flowed and they are marked by years of scarcity and years of abundance. Population fluctuations are known for others areas within North America (Brown and Brown 1986).
Spring arrivals appear by 27 Apr (52 yrs), earliest 4 Apr 1980 P.E.Pt., R.K. Edwards. The breeding study 1981-85 revealed about 1,300 pairs nesting annually. The repeat study 2001-05 found some (1,200±150) nesting pairs each year. For both studies, their distribution was uneven throughout our region with low density in Leeds and the species was absent from parts of Frontenac, Lennox & Addington, and Prince Edward. Virtually all the nests found were associated with human settlement. Their jug-shaped nests were located beneath the eaves of various buildings, barns, underneath bridges, and even the former police headquarters building on Ontario Street in downtown Kingston from where the young peer out of the nest as they watch the heavy traffic flow along the street below. Our data show that this species will desert a nest site completely for a few years and then return or rediscover it. Local sites where this species has nested faithfully since the mid-1970s are the lighthouse at P.E.Pt., the road bridge at Millhaven, and some downtown Kingston locations.
Egg dates range from 24 May to 21 July (68 nests) and brood dates are 15 June to 22 August (107 nests). Migrants begin leaving our area during August and average last date is 8 Sep (33 yrs), latest 21 Nov 2004 Wolfe I., KFN. The Cliff Swallow migrates to the southern parts of South America by way of Columbia and Venezuela, the most distant route followed by the six swallow species of the Kingston region.
SUMMARY: Fairly common summer resident, but numbers subject to fluctuation.
BARN SWALLOW
Hirundo rustica
Hirondelle rustique
The Barn Swallow is cosmopolitan and may be found throughout most of the world, but the North American breeding population winters in tropical America (AOU 1998, Godfrey 1986). Hadfield (1858) found the Barn Swallow in the Kingston area to be the second most common swallow after the Tree Swallow, a ranking that continues to this day based on the two nesting studies 1981-85 and 2001-05. When the results for the Kingston region of only the roadside Breeding Bird Surveys 1967-2007 are considered (Quilliam 1987, KFN record files), the Barn Swallow outnumbers the Tree Swallow.
This contradiction reflects the greater dependence of the Barn Swallow nesting on buildings. Virtually every farm in our region has one or more pairs nesting within a shed, barn or porch. Like the other swallows here, the Barn Swallow has increased its numbers since European settlement started. The continent wide roadside Breeding Bird Surveys from 1966-79 showed a continuing rise in its population (Robbins et al. 1986), but a decline 1980-2005 (Sauer et al. 2005).
Their spring arrival is 11 Apr (54 yrs), earliest 28 Mar 1998 P.E.Pt., Weir, but the main group of migrants does not appear until May. Their peak flight, which may contain flocks of 100+ birds, passes P.E.Pt. between 7 May and 27 May. Given the egg dates for local nests, it is probable that many of these later migrants passing the Point are heading well to the north of the Kingston region. The largest single flock on record contained 1,000 Barn Swallows on 30 Apr 1978 Amherst I., Hughes & Gray.
The nesting study of 1981-85 showed about 31,200 nesting pairs annually and the repeat work 2001-05 revealed (38,000±5,000) pairs nesting each year. The rise is due entirely to the increased area of survey. The Barn Swallow is the most common nesting swallow and the 11th most common nesting songbird in the Kingston region. In spite of the decline noted by Sauer et al. (2005) for the period 1980-2005 for Ontario as a whole, the local population appears to be stable. The species is distributed throughout the area, but their breeding density is greater within the settled parts. Nesting is underway in May and egg dates vary from 17 May to 27 July (75 nests). Brood dates are 6 June to 19 August (62 nests). Virtually all of these 137 nests have been associated with man-made structures.
Post-breeding Barn Swallows congregate in night roosts within our local cattail marshes. Counts from the Greater Cataraqui R. marshes include the 6,000 on 27 Jul 86; the 4,000 on 4 Aug 87; the 25,000 on 6 Aug 92, B.A. & R.D. Weir and from the Little Cataraqui Creek marshes 5,600 on 28 Jul 86, Weir. On other occasions, large groups have been seen in these marshes, but accurate counts could not be obtained. Away from these established roosts, flocks numbered 1,500 on 7 Aug 72 P.E.Pt., Weir; 1,000 each on 5 Aug 77 & 20 Aug 95 Amherst I., Ellis & Weir.
Average departure for the south is 21 Sep (51 yrs), latest 9 Dec 2005 Kingston, Mackenzie. Since 1968, there are October records in 11 of the years since 1968 and November records in two of the years. Twelve specimens in the National Museum are listed by Weir (1989).
SUMMARY: Abundant summer resident. Abundant spring and autumn transient.
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE
Poecile atricapillus
Mésange à tête noire
The Black-capped Chickadee continues to be a familiar energetic winter visitor to feeding stations and its distinctive ‘fee-bee’ whistled call is heard throughout our region during spring. All our early ornithologists found the species here and its status seems to have changed little over the past 200 years. On the one hand, some forest has been lost to agriculture and to expanding towns and cities thereby eliminating potential nest sites, but on the other hand, nest boxes and feeding stations have provided significant compensation.
About 6,000 pairs were found nesting annually in our area during the 1981-85 nesting study. The repeat study 2001-05 determined that (7,500±800) pairs nested each year with the same nesting density in both studies, but the increased numbers arise from an expanded study area. Nesting density was greatest within forested sections of our area where suitable tree stubs are abundant for excavating their nest holes, but nesting is common within towns and cities as well as farming sections. Egg dates range from 21 April to 7 June (7 nests) and brood dates extend from 31 May to 29 July (22 nests).
The species is sedentary as a permanent resident and regular migration does not occur. However, irruptions do occur during some autumn seasons at irregular intervals and the strength of these appearances varies. The irruptions are easily detected as that of 6-20 Oct 1968 indicates. Hundreds were tallied along the east and west ends of Amherst I. at the same time as flocks were seen within Kingston City. Mackenzie counted 200+ moving along the waterfront in front of Kingston City Hall as the birds headed towards the northeast. It is at P.E.Pt. where the incursions are most spectacular and interesting to watch. Irruptions occurred there during the autumns of 1969, 1972, 1975, 1981, 1983, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, and 2005. Sometimes during the following spring during April and May, smaller flocks are observed passing through. That its sister species the Boreal Chickadee has also irrupted through the Point during the autumn of 1972, 1975, 1981, 1983, 1986, and 1993 suggests that the origins of the irruption of the Black-capped Chickadees are also probably well to the north of Kingston.
The numbers found daily at the Point during these irruptions have been spectacular as the birds pass through in waves on their determined mission. The following data provide the timings and peak numbers for irruptions during autumn since the early 1970s.
Irruptions of the Black-capped Chickadee into the Kingston area 1970-2006
A total of 857 Black-cappeds was banded at P.E.Pt. from 1975 to 1981, most of these during autumns of the irruptions. On 10 Oct 1975, there were 300 netted within a few hours and nets had to be closed to avoid the large waves of passing chickadees. The chickadee is one of most difficult songbirds to remove from the mist nests. Previously during the 1960s, Quilliam had banded a number at her home along the Greater Cataraqui R. in Kingston and one ringed there in 1961 during autumn was still present in winter 1964.
Numbers tallied on the Christmas Counts vary and are probably related to the autumn irruptions. The maxima and minima for our area Counts are as follows; Kingston 1,064 in 2006 and 184 in 1984, Napanee 521 in 2005 and 29 in 1969, Thousand Islands 895 in 1983 and 161 in 1977. Specimen evidence is documented by Weir (1989).
SUMMARY: Very common permanent resident. Irrupts at irregular intervals to become a very abundant autumn transient.
BOREAL CHICKADEE
Poecile hudsonicus
Mésange à tête brune
This brown-capped chickadee is a permanent resident of the northern spruce forests of Canada whose breeding range in Ontario extends south to reach Algonquin P.P. (AOU 1998, Godfrey 1986). Like the Black-capped, the Boreal Chickadee irrupts irregularly after the breeding season and moves south in variable numbers.
The first mention of the Boreal Chickadee in the Kingston area is by Toner et al. (1942), who noted a small flock on 22 Mar 1922 in a conifer grove near the international bridge at Ivy Lea. This group may have been on its way back to its northerly nesting haunts. Nine years were to pass until the species was found next, which coincided with a major invasion into southern Ontario as a whole during autumn and winter 1951-52. There were 18 in one flock 18 Nov 51, Kingston, Lamb, and the last ones in that incursion were seen 20 Jan 1952, Westbrook, Stewart.
The Boreal Chickadee has been found in our area during 21 of the 56 winters since 1950. However during 15 of these 21 winters, fewer than five Boreals were found. The six invasion years are 1972-73 (233 records), 1975-76 (23), 1981-82 (31), 1983-84 (15), 1986-87 (6) and 1993-94 (5). That of 1972-73 was unprecedented and the birds remained from 15 Oct 72 to 7 Apr 73. The birds arrived at P.E.Pt. mixed in with the flocks of Black-capped Chickadees that were also irrupting. The largest single groups contained 17 birds on 28 Oct 72 P.E.Pt., Hughes & Weir, 23 on 7 Nov 72 Kingston City, Norman. The 1972 Christmas Count resulted in locating four at Westport and 28 at Kingston.
Specimen evidence includes a male and female in the Royal Ontario Museum that date from 20 Jan 1952, Stewart & Stirrett plus one male killed 15 Oct 1972 at a window in Kingston, now 58217 in the National Museum. The latter bird is of the nominate race Poecile hudsonicus hudsonicus (Godfrey 1985).
Average autumn arrival is 4 Nov (21 yrs), earliest 29 Sep 93 Kingston, K.F. Edwards and average departure 17 Feb (10 yrs), latest 1 May 76 P.E.Pt., Evans & Weir and Quilliam Sanctuary, Hughes.
SUMMARY: Sporadic rare autumn and winter visitor.
TUFTED TITMOUSE
Baeolophus bicolor
Mésange bicolore
This chickadee-like active and noisy bird is a relative newcomer to Ontario and even more recently to the Kingston region. This is a New World species confined to eastern U.S.A south to Mexico (AOU 1998). It was first observed in Canada at Point Pelee during spring of 1914 and its subsequent increase in Ontario has been slow. James (1991) considered it to be a locally rare permanent resident in southern Ontario that wanders when the breeding season is completed.
The trend during the past 25 years to less severe winters and increased numbers of feeding stations have helped this species to become more firmly established in this province. Elder (1985) noted that among the banded titmice in the U.S.A., less than 1% travel more than 30 km from their location of banding. The high degree of sedentary behaviour accounts for the slow expansion of range. In adjacent New York State, the species has expanded its range steadily north into the central areas of the state (Levine 1998) and this vanguard may be providing the source of occurrences in the Kingston area.
Until 1984, only six individual Tufted Titmouse occurrences were known for our area, and five were winter visitors to feeding stations. The first bird appeared on 1 Nov 1961 and remained until 14 Jan 1962, Kingston, R. & W. Lamb et al. followed by one during July 1969 Wellington Prince Edward, C. & A. Barrett (Sprague and Weir 1984). The next came 6 Nov 73 to 20 Feb 74 Rockport, R. Smith et al. and the 4th from 8 Jan to 31 Mar 1980 Milton Subdivision, Kingston, Holman et al. The 5th and 6th sightings occurred 5 Jan to 21 Feb 1982 Kingston, Pick & Weir, and 22 Dec 82 to 24 Mar 83 Collins Bay, Edwards family. Subsequently, its increased frequency is documented by the sightings in each of the 27 of the 28 years starting in 1981 with regular occurrences during autumn, winter and spring.
The first confirmed nesting came from the American side of our area at Henderson, N.Y., Chamberlaine, where four young were brought to a feeder and fed by the two parents 26 Jun 84. The event was repeated with four more young there during summer of 1986 and in subsequent summers. Summer sightings on the Canadian side occurred in 1988, 1990, 1996, 1998, 2002 and 2004 with the birds faithful to locations on Howe I. and Cartwright’s Point, Kingston. While nesting is suspected on the Canadian side, it has not been confirmed.
Other locations where the Tufted Titmouse occurs include Lansdowne, Battersea, Verona, Lyndhurst, Westport, other Kingston City sites and P.E.Pt. Average arrival is calculated as 30 Oct (20 yrs) and average departure 20 Mar (19 yrs).
SUMMARY: Fairly regular rare autumn, winter and spring visitor. Recent summer records and confirmed nesting.
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH
Sitta canadensis
Sittelle à poitrine rousse
The Red-breasted Nuthatch is the more northerly of the two nuthatch species that occurs in the Kingston area. It breeds within coniferous or mixed forests of Ontario and normally winters within the breeding range. However, many birds migrate south at irregular intervals, sometimes in irruptive numbers. Hadfield (1859) found it during spring of 1858. Young, near the turn of the 19th to the 20th centuries (Macoun and Macoun 1909) considered it uncommon during spring. At least one decade of observations throughout all four seasons is required to assess the status of this species, so the six decades of study by the KFN provide substantial statistics to paint a fairly complete picture.
Significant southward flights during autumn have been documented here in 26 of the 57 years since 1950, viz. 1951, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1962, 1963, 1969, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2005. Because P.E.Pt. is such a sensitive barometer for detecting migration, the absence of the Red-breasted Nuthatch there during autumn is strongly indicative of their failure to migrate. Some of the daily maxima at the Point include the 100+ on 15 Sep 1962, KFN; 45 & 40 on 13 & 19 Sep 81, KFN; 75 & 100 on 6 & 14 Sep 86; 50 each on 30 Sep 89, 11 Sep & 9 Oct 93, Ellis & Weir. On small Yorkshire I., offshore P.E.Pt., a flock of 30 was tallied 7 Sep 80, R.K. Edwards & Moller. An analysis of their irruptions over North America as a whole has been published by Bock and Lepthian (1972, 1976).
Not surprisingly, a return spring flight normally follows a strong irruption during the previous autumn. Big count days at P.E.Pt. include the 200 on 8 May 82 and 50 on 6 May 86, KFN, both of which correlate with heavy flights during the preceding autumns. One exception is the group of 75 on 21 May 78, Stewart & Weir, which followed only a moderate irruption during fall 1977. The average return date for those that have migrated is 23 Apr (50 yrs) and departure for those leaving us is exactly six months later on 23 Oct (52 yrs).
The nesting study 1981-85 determined that about 188 pairs nest annually in our area. The repeat study 2001-05 revealed a real growth to (275±30) nesting annually. Our local nesting is confined mainly to coniferous woods that usually contain some deciduous trees. Stands of Eastern White Pine Pinus strobus and Red Pine Pinus resinosa are especially favoured, from which the birds obtain the pitch needed that they place around the nest hole. The Red-breasted Nuthatch is outnumbered as a nester by the White-breasted Nuthatch by about 10 to 1.
Coniferous stands are limited in our region and it is not unreasonable to suggest that these restricted numbers may be the factor that limits this species expansion as a breeder here. Egg dates for two nests are 2 May to 8 June, the low number due to inaccessible nest sites. Broods are more easily seen as young peer out of the nest hole and brood dates range from 30 May to 14 July (26 nests). At another 11 nests, young were found leaving the nest hole between the dates 26 June to 25 July. Twelve extant specimens are listed by Weir (1989).
SUMMARY: Uncommon to fairly common summer and winter resident. Irregular common spring and autumn transient.
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH
Sitta carolinensis
Sittelle à poitrine blanche
The White-breasted Nuthatch, unlike the Red-breasted, frequents the hardwood forests from southern Canada, south through the U.S.A. to the Gulf States and the mountains of Mexico, but is absent from the Great Plains. The species is found in the shade trees of cities and towns and is a regular visitor to winter feeding trays from which it takes sunflower seeds one by one, often hiding them in drain pipes, beneath roofing tiles or some other place for later use. Both Hadfield (1864) and Young (Macoun and Macoun 1909) found this species to be common here and both found it present all winter. Quilliam (1973) described it as fairly common resident.
The nesting study 1981-85 found about 1,950 pairs nesting each year from which Weir (1989) ranked it as a common resident. The repeat study 2001-05 found (2,550±250) nesting annually. The increased number results from a combination of additional areas covered compared with the study 1981-85 and a real, but modest, rise in the breeding numbers. The species nests in tree holes or cavities that are usually not accessible to count eggs. Our egg dates for four nests are 2 May to 7 June. However, brood dates are more easily determined by hearing the young calling from the nest or seeing them peering out into their new world. These dates range from 12 May to 14 July (26 nests). Flightless young birds out of the nest from 30 other broods have been seen fed by their parents from 14 June to 29 July.
Records are on file for every month of the year for the White-breasted Nuthatch with numbers and consistency that define the species as a permanent resident. There are fluctuations in their numbers best measured by the Christmas Counts and their appearance at P.E.Pt. The peaks tallies for the Kingston Christmas Count occurred in 2005 (163), 1993 (145) and 1994 (123) with the low numbers in 1992 (26), 1968 (21) and 1962 (18). The maxima at Thousand Islands occurred in 1974 (127), 1993 (114) and 1983 (11) with a minimum of zero in 1982. The maxima at Westport were found in 1987 (85) and 1983 (79) and the minimum in 1976 was one bird. The steady research work from 1970 to 2007 by the KFN at P.E.Pt. reveals some regular migratory movement through there during spring and autumn, although the numbers are relatively low. Average spring arrival at the Point is 5 Apr (25 yrs) and departure 10 May (24 yrs). Autumn arrival is 6 Sep (22 yrs) and departure 11 Oct (29 yrs). The maximum daily tallies of migrants at the Point vary between 10 and 25. Among the thousands of migrants killed at the Lennox Generating Station chimneys, not a single White-breasted Nuthatch was found.
SUMMARY: Common permanent resident.
