Entry One: Birds of the Same Feather Stick Together
One of the observations that I made was that some birds flock together and some don’t. It seemed like those that usually ate bugs/ small animals were mostly alone while those that eat seeds and fruit were found in large flocks. A prime example would be the Black Phoebe and House Sparrow. Black Phoebes would be exclusively alone while House Sparrows would always be in a group. Additionally, many of the birds that would be considered as secondary or tertiary consumers also hunt and travel alone.
While there’s advantageous to traveling in a flock, there’s also reasons to travel alone, but I ultimately think if a bird travels in a flock or not is determined by their diet.
House Sparrows mainly eat seeds and since it’s easier to find in large quantities than insects, House Sparrows can afford to travel in packs. Their large numbers can also mean better protection from predators. During a trip to Almansor park, I noticed a bush that was filled with the noisy House Sparrow. I heard many inside the thick of the bush but I also saw many posted on the outside the branches. There was one particular House Sparrow that I thought was sizing me up, its chest was puffed and it even looked a little bigger than the rest. After a little research, I came to the conclusion that it was a male House Sparrow ready to breed because of how dark the mask around its face was and its dark beak. The large flock also means warmth during the night and a more likely chance to find a mate. (Mayntz, 2017)
Black Phobes are mainly bug eaters. I was fortunate to catch a glimpse of how they hunt because there’s one that almost always perches near my window. (However, I haven’t seen it lately and I suspect a Yellow-Rumped Warbler may have taken the Phobes’ spot.) For what I’ve observed, they would perch up high, scan the area and swoop in when they see an insect. I don’t see an insect in their beak most of the time but when they do get one they fly to another perch and eat it, probably to ensure it doesn’t get stolen. It’s just more difficult to catch a bug than to eat seeds, and it would take more energy. They hunt and travel alone to prevent competition and stay hidden longer.
The only bird I’ve seen that doesn’t fit this mold would be Mockingbirds. They eat bugs and fruits, but they also hunt alone. I suspect this is due to their ability to mimic multiple bird calls, thus effectively confusing predators nearby. As a result, they don’t need the protection of a flock and they get to consume all of what they find.
Although I mainly focused on House Sparrows and Black Phobes, it can be applied to many different birds. Hawks catch prey by searching the sky and swooping in for the kill, it’s an action that requires a lot of energy, so it would just make sense that their kill would help replenish for what was used. In short, birds that don’t use a lot of energy to hunt stick together while birds that use more energy are solitary.
Work Cited
“Black Phoebe.” , Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology, www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black_Phoebe/id.
Mayntz, Melissa. “Why Birds Flock and Why It Matters.” The Spruce, 4 Apr. 2017, www.thespruce.com/what-does-a-flock-of-birds-mean-386452.
“Northern Mockingbird.” , Life History, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology, www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Mockingbird/lifehistory.
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