A little visit from the south

Wednesday May 1, 2024: 91 new birds of 15 species, 11 recaps. New species: Least Flycatcher, Ovenbird, Louisiana Waterthrush, and Black-throated Blue Warbler. Bird of the day was Yellow-rumped Warbler with 26 new bands, bumping Ruby-crowned Kinglet to second place with 19 new bands.

A few days ago, we told you a bit about the Northern Waterthrush. Actually members of the warbler family, these brown birds scurry around the ground near standing water foraging for food. We catch them in good numbers every season. There is a closely related bird – the Louisiana Waterthrush – that we do NOT catch in good numbers. In fact, we’ve only caught four since we began banding in 1986 even though they breed just south of us in Letchworth State Park. But . . . today we caught one!!!

Compared to the Northern Waterthrush, the Louisiana has an unstreaked throat, a whitish supercilium (eyebrow) that is wider and sort of flares at the end, and bubblegum-colored legs. Their name in French is Paruline hochequeue, which means “Wagtail Warbler” – an apt name, because they bob their tail as they walk along the ground.

Louisiana Waterthrush prefer forested moving water, and they can often be found picking their way among the rocks in the shallows of bubbling brooks and flowing streams looking for aquatic insects, molluscs and crustaceans. Because they feed on aquatic invertebrates, they are sensitive to water quality and may serve as indicators of the health of a stream. Streams that are acidified by mining runoff, for example, support fewer breeding pairs of Louisiana Waterthrush. The birds also lay fewer eggs, lay their eggs later, and fledge young that are smaller. Their habitat is threatened not only by poor water quality, but also by forest loss caused by logging and pests such as the Wooly Hemlock Adelgid.

Overall a really neat bird, and a joy for us today! Many thanks to our Wednesday crew: Ryan, Abbey B, Gabby, Leah, Ann, Alice, Sue S, Dan F, and Irene.

–Andrea Patterson