Spring 2017 Update

The Spring 2017 BirdSafe Pittsburgh monitoring season has now come to an end and as we tally up our birds and look at the data, we always think it’s worthwhile to point out the interesting and new species that were found downtown this spring. As always this project could not be done without the help of our volunteers.

Many birders have noted the bizarre nature of this springs migration, with only slow, small movements of birds week after week. We noticed the same things while walking routes throughout Pittsburgh, looking for birds that had struck windows. Thanks to the tireless efforts of our volunteers we managed to find 66 birds this season (See table 1). That is slightly less than past spring seasons (43 – 2014, 81 – 2015, and 85 – 2016). 16 of the 66 found were alive and taken to the Humane Animal Rescue Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Verona. 36 species of birds were found throughout the spring including four first time species for BirdSafe Pittsburgh; Alder Flycatcher, Bobolink, Louisiana Waterthrush, and Eastern Meadowlark.

Table 1.) Total birds found during the Spring 2017 downtown monitoring season

Species	Number of Birds Found
Alder Flycatcher	1
American Robin	2
American Woodcock	2
Bay-breasted Warbler	1
Black-billed Cuckoo	2
Black-capped Chickadee	1
Black-throated Green Warbler	1
Blue Jay	1
Bobolink	1
Brown Creeper	1
Carolina Wren	1
Cedar Waxwing	4
Common Yellowthroat	1
Eastern Meadowlark	1
European Starling	2
Fox Sparrow	1
Gray Catbird	4
Hermit Thrush	1
Hooded Warbler	2
House Sparrow	3
Louisiana Waterthrush	1
Mourning Dove	4
Northern Cardinal	1
Northern Flicker	2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow	1
Ovenbird	6
Rock Pigeon	4
Song Sparrow	3
Unknown Chickadee	1
Unknown Species	2
White-throated Sparrow	3
Wood Thrush	1
Yellow billed Cuckoo	1
Yellow Warbler	1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	1
Yellow-billed Cukoo	1
Grand total	66

In the off season between the Fall of 2016 and the spring of 2017, eight birds were found (see table 2.) throughout the city, including Northern Cardinal, an unknown Chickadee species, two live American Woodcocks, Rock Pigeon, two Song Sparrows, and an unknown Species. These were found between November 9^th and March 30^th. This is a reminder that even though we only monitor during the migration season, birds strike windows all year round.

Table 2.) Birds found during the off season between Fall 2016 and Spring 2017

Species	Number of Birds Found
American Woodcock	2
Northern Cardinal	1
Rock Pigeon	1
Song Sparrow	2
Unknown Chickadee	1
Unknown Species	1
Grand total	8

In our first month of the monitoring season (April) we found 19 birds (see table 3). The only warblers we found in April were a Black-throated Green Warbler and a Louisiana Waterthrush. Unfortunately, only five of the birds were found alive.

Table 3.) Total birds found during April of 2017

Species	Number of Birds Found
Black-capped Chickadee	1
Black-throated Green Warbler	1
Blue Jay	1
Brown Creeper	1
Carolina Wren	1
Eastern Meadowlark	1
Fox Sparrow	1
Gray Catbird	2
Hermit Thrush	1
Louisiana Waterthrush	1
Northern Flicker	2
Rock Pigeon	2
Song Sparrow	1
White-throated Sparrow	2
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	1
Grand total	19

In our Second month of the season (May) we found a whopping 38 birds (see figure 4). 20 different species were found in May including some interesting species such as Alder Flycatcher, Bobolink, Black-billed and Yellow-billed Cuckoos, and Northern Rough-winged Swallow. Among these 38 birds only seven were found alive, one of which had to be one of the strangest calls we have received at BirdSafe Pittsburgh. An individual had ridden her bike into town and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo had struck a window and landed on her bike handlebars! Fortunately, the woman was more than willing to help, and she kept the bird safe until it was transported to the Humane Animal Rescue Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.

(Yellow-billed Cuckoo. This bird struck a window in downtown Pittsburgh and then landed on a bicyclists handlebars.)

Table 1.) Total birds found during May of monitoring season

Species	Number of Birds Found
Alder Flycatcher	1
American Robin	2
Bay-breasted Warbler	1
Black-billed Cuckoo	2
Bobolink	1
Cedar Waxwing	4
Common Yellowthroat	1
European Starling	2
Gray Catbird	2
Hooded Warbler	2
House Sparrow	3
Mourning Dove	4
Northern Rough-winged Swallow	1
Ovenbird	6
Rock Pigeon	1
Unknown Species	1
White-throated Sparrow	1
Wood Thrush	1
Yellow Warbler	1
Yellow-billed Cukoo	1
Grand total	38

Now those of you with keen math skills might have noticed that those numbers only add up to 65 when we have 66 birds listed as our total. That’s because we had one incidental find, a stunned Yellow-Billed Cuckoo, after our spring season ended. Fortunately, our volunteers managed to get the bird safely to the wildlife center.

Thanks to all of our volunteers for helping to make this slow migration season a successful one.