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[Phyl]

Common Grackle
Continued

Status in Tennessee: The Common Grackle is one of the most numerous and widespread birds nesting in Tennessee, and is a locally common winter resident. Wintering flocks, sometimes with hundreds of thousands of birds, are most common in the western two-thirds of the state. Common Grackles in the state, as well as rangewide, are declining.


Conservation: Common Grackles are one of the most significant agricultural pests today, causing millions of dollars in damage to sprouting corn. Lethal control measures are used in some areas to control numbers. Regardless, Common Grackles are still one of the most successful and widespread species in North America, with an estimated total population of 73,000,000 individuals. Because of a long-term declining population, they are a National Audubon Society Watch List Species

[Phyl]

Common Grackle
Continued

Fun Facts:

Male Common Grackles may abandon their mate before the young have fledged to pair and re-nest with another female.
The oldest recorded Common Grackle was 23 years, one month old, although most don't live nearly that long. Only about half of all Common Grackles reach adulthood.
Common Grackles eat other birds' eggs and nestlings, and occasionally kill and eat other adult birds, particularly adult House Sparrows.
Common Grackles are very gregarious, even during the breeding season. Grackles that are not incubating often congregate at night in roosts that may contain thousands of individuals. Other species, including Red-winged Blackbirds, European Starlings, and Brown-headed Cowbirds can be found in these roosts.
The Common Grackle commonly engages in anting, allowing ants to crawl on its body and secrete formic acid, possibly to rid the body of parasites. In addition to ants, it has been seen using walnut juice, lemons and limes, marigold blossoms, choke cherries, and mothballs in a similar fashion.
Obsolete English Names: blackbird, bronzed blackbird, purple crow blackbird, crow blackbird, bronzed grackle, purple grackle

Best places to see in Tennessee: Common Grackles are found nesting in every county in Tennessee. Winter populations are largest in the western two-thirds of the state.










Sources:

Nicholson, C. P. 1997. Atlas of Breeding Birds of Tennessee. Univ. of TN Press, Knoxville.

Peer, B. D. and E. K. Bollinger. 1997. Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula), The Birds of North America, No. 271 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.

Sibley, D. A. 2000. The Sibley Guide to Birds. A. A. Knopf, New York, NY.

[Phyl]

Brown-headed Cowbird
Molothrus ater



The Brown-headed Cowbird is a brood parasite, meaning it lays its eggs in the nests of other species and builds no nest of its own.  This strategy was very effective when this bird was limited to the short-grass plains and followed herds of buffalo eating the insects they would stir up by their movements. A cowbird couldn't afford to stay in one location long enough to nest and raise its own young.

Now, however, the Brown-headed Cowbird range has expanded across most of North America as European settlement opened forests for agriculture and pastures.  It now parasitizes the nests of many new species that had no previous exposure to nest parasitism.  Most native birds cannot distinguish their own eggs and nestlings from that of a cowbird and will raise the cowbird nestling at the expense of their own young.

Outside of breeding season, the Brown-headed Cowbird forages in large flocks with other blackbirds primarily in agricultural areas in the southern portion of the breeding range. This species was not found in Tennessee until the late 1800s and is now a year round resident.

Description: The Brown-headed Cowbird is a medium-sized songbird with a stout pointed bill. The male is shiny black with a brown head and neck; the female is a dull gray-brown all over. The juvenile (June-September) is similar to the female, but has brown streaking on the breast.

Length: 7.5"
Wingspan: 12"
Weight: 1.5 oz

Voice: The song is a variety of chatters, high pitched liquid notes, and a frequent two-note tee deewhistle given in flight.

Similar Species:

Female and juvenile Brown-headed Cowbirds resemble sparrows, but are larger, completely dull gray-brown, and have unstreaked backs.
Female Red-winged Blackbirds are more heavily streaked.
Habitat: Breeds in areas with grassland and low or scattered trees, such as woodland edges, brushy thickets, fields, prairies, pastures, orchards, and residential areas. Fragmentation of forests has greatly increased potential breeding habitat.

Diet: Brown-headed Cowbirds forage on the ground on insects and seeds, often in association with cows or horses. They will frequently feed on the ground below backyard feeders.

[Phyl]

Brown-headed Cowbird
continued

Nesting and reproduction: Brown-headed Cowbirds do not defend a territory and males and females will mate with several individuals within a season. Females lay eggs in Tennessee from mid-April through mid-June.

Clutch Size: A female can lay as many as 40 eggs in the nests of different species within one breeding season, usually one egg per nest. Many of these eggs are not successful.

Incubation: The host incubates the eggs, which hatch in 10 to 12 days (shorter than most songbirds)

Fledging: Cowbird young fledge in 10 to 11 days.

Nest: None.

Status in Tennessee: The Brown-headed Cowbird is a common permanent resident in the state. The first reports of nesting of the species in Tennessee were from Roane County in 1886, Reelfoot Lake in 1895, Nashville in 1918, Shelby County in 1921, and East Tennessee in 1932. The population is declining in the state for unknown reasons.

[Phyl]

Brown-headed Cowbird
continued

Fun Facts:

Brown-headed Cowbirds are known to have parasitized 44 different species in Tennessee (as of 1991), and 220 species rangewide.
Female cowbirds have no territories and wander widely. They may lay as many as 40 eggs per season!
While some female cowbirds will lay their eggs in the nests of a number of different species, most females specialize on one particular host species.
Recent research has found that female cowbirds will monitor nests where they have laid eggs. If their egg(s) is removed, they may destroy the host's eggs! Scientists originally thought that there was no parental investment after laying the eggs. Watch NOVA video about this study.
Obsolete English Names: cowbird, cow-pen-bird, buffalo-bird

Best places to see in Tennessee: Brown-headed cowbirds are common in open country and agricultural lands and rare in heavily forested areas. In winter, they are found in flocks with other blackbirds primarily in agricultural areas.







Sources:

Lowther, P. E. 1993. Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater), The Birds of North America, No. 47 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.

Nicholson, C. P. 1997. Atlas of Breeding Birds of Tennessee. Univ. of TN Press, Knoxville.

Sibley, D. A. 2000. The Sibley Guide to Birds. A. A. Knopf, New York, NY.

[Phyl]

Orchard Oriole,
Icterus spurius




The Orchard Oriole is the smallest North American oriole and might even be mistaken for a warbler at first glance.  The male is a rich chestnut-brown and black, but in poor light can appear almost all black.

This bird breeds in open country with scattered trees such as orchards, parks, residential areas, and has a preference for areas along lakes and streams. The Orchard Oriole arrives in Tennessee in mid-April and is among the first migrants to depart at the end of the breeding season in July.

The breeding range extends across most of the eastern United States east of the Rocky Mountains, and the winter range reaches from southern Mexico to northwestern South America.

Description: The male and female look very different. The adult male is a rich chestnut-brown with a black hood, back and tail, and black wings with one thin white wingbar. The female is olive-yellow above, and brighter below with duller wings that have two white wingbars.

First-year males (February-August) are yellow like the female, but have a black throat patch and occasionally some chestnut feathers on the body. Males do not reach adult plumage until their second fall.

Length: 7.25"
Wingspan: 9.5"
Weight: 0.67 oz

Voice: The song is a lively series of sliding warbled notes, often ending with slurred zheer or whee. Call note is a soft chuck or a dry chatter.

Similar Species:

The Baltimore Oriole male is similarly patterned, but is bright orange and has an orange tail. The female and immature male are light orange, not olive-yellow.
Habitat: The Orchard Oriole nests in gardens, orchards, scattered trees in pastures, and residential areas, often near streams and lakes.

Diet: Insects, spiders, nectar, and fruit.
Nesting and reproduction: Egg laying peaks in late May in Tennessee and only one brood is raised per season. Adults and young begin to migrate south in early July.

Clutch Size: The range is from 3 to 7 eggs, with 4 to 5 eggs most common.

Incubation: The female alone incubates the eggs for 12 to 15 days.

Fledging: Both adults feed the young, which leave the nest in 11 to14 days.

Nest: The female weaves the open cup-nest from grasses, and lines it with fine grass, plant down, and feathers. It is usually suspended in the fork of a tree branch far out from the trunk. Tennessee nests range in height from 6 to 49 feet above the ground. The average nest height is 19 feet.

[Phyl]

Orchard Oriole,
continued

Status in Tennessee: The Orchard Oriole is a fairly common summer resident across Tennessee. It is present in the state from mid-April and departs from early July to late August. The population in Tennessee, as well as rangewide, is declining.



Fun Facts:

Orchard Orioles are known to nest in the same tree with Eastern Kingbirds. This pattern has frequently been observed in Tennessee. They may do this to benefit from the Eastern Kingbird's legendary aggressiveness toward potential predators.
Young male Orchard Orioles do not achieve adult plumage until the fall of their second year. However, some first-year males with female-like plumage succeed in attracting a mate and nesting successfully.
Only loosely territorial, the Orchard Oriole is often described as "semicolonial" in areas of prime habitat, but it is generally solitary in most habitats. More than one nest may be found in the same tree in areas of dense numbers of nesting Orchard Orioles.
Southeastern Louisiana seems to be the heart of this oriole's nesting range since the highest densities have been recorded there. At one locality there were nearly 20 nests in a single live oak, and at another locality 114 nests were found on a seven-acre tract with 80 in oaks.
The Orchard Oriole regularly eats nectar and pollen from flowers, and is an important pollinator for some tropical tree species. It transfers the pollen from flower to flower on its head.
Obsolete English Names: ochre oriole

Best places to see in Tennessee: Orchard Orioles nest in every county in the state in open areas with large shade trees. The best time to find one is when the males are singing from mid-April until early June.

[Phyl]

Orchard Oriole,
continued

For more information:
https://animaldiversity.org/site/accounts/information/Icterus_spurius.html











Sources:

Nicholson, C. P. 1997. Atlas of Breeding Birds of Tennessee. Univ. of TN Press, Knoxville.

Scharf, W. C. and J. Kren. 1996. Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius), The Birds of North America, No. 255 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.

Sibley, D. A. 2000. The Sibley Guide to Birds. A. A. Knopf, New York, NY.

[Phyl]

Baltimore Oriole
Icterus galbula



The male Baltimore Oriole is a brilliant orange-and-black bird. Mark Catesby first described it in 1731, naming it for Lord Baltimore, the colonial proprietor of the Maryland colony, whose family coat-of-arms was orange and black.

It is no surprise that this oriole is the state bird of Maryland today.  This species can be found in Tennessee from late April through early September. It is fairly common during migration, but only breeds in scattered locations across the state.

Its breeding range extends from central Canada eastward across the United States, and in winter it migrates in flocks to southern Mexico, Central America, and northern South America, with some birds wintering in Florida and the Caribbean.

Description: Adult males have a black head and back, and a bright orange breast and underparts. The wings are black with orange and white wingbars, and the tail is black with orange corners.

The female is variable but similar to the male; she is often brownish where the male is black, a duller orange below, and has dark wings with two white wingbars. First-year males and females (August-March) resemble the adult female but are paler. Males do not reach adult plumage until their second fall.

Length: 8.75"
Wingspan: 11.5"
Weight: 1.2 oz

Voice: The song is a variable series of rich, clear, whistled notes. The call is a dry, harsh chatter.

Similar Species:

The Orchard Oriole male also has a black head but is smaller and a deep chestnut color, not bright orange. The female is greenish-yellow, not orange-yellow.
Habitat: Baltimore Orioles breed in woodland edges and open areas with scattered deciduous trees, also parks and suburban areas. They winter in humid forests and second growth.

Diet: Caterpillars, fruits, insects, spiders, and nectar.

Nesting and reproduction: Egg laying peaks in mid-May in Tennessee, and only one brood is raised per season. Baltimore Orioles only rarely nest at the same site in consecutive years.

Clutch Size: 3 to 5 eggs, with 4 eggs most common.

Incubation: The female incubates the eggs for 12 to 14 days.

Fledging: Both adults feed the young, which fledge in 12 to 14 days.

Nest: The female weaves the distinctive deep pouch nest from long strips of milkweed and other plant fibers, occasionally using string, hair, bits of rags, or fishing line. The nest is attached by its rim to the fork of a tree branch near the outer edge of the canopy. Sycamore trees are the trees most frequently used in Tennessee. Nest height averages 28 feet above the ground, with a range of 12 to 75 feet.

[Phyl]

Baltimore Oriole. continued







Sources:

Nicholson, C. P. 1997. Atlas of Breeding Birds of Tennessee. Univ. of TN Press, Knoxville.

Rising, J. D. and N. J. Flood. 1998. Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula), The Birds of North America, No. 384. (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.

Sibley, D. A. 2000. The Sibley Guide to Birds. A. A. Knopf, New Yor

[Phyl]

Purple Finch,
Haemorhous purpureus


The Purple Finch is a bird of the northern coniferous forests that visits Tennessee only in the winter.  It usually arrives by mid-October and departs in late April, but their numbers vary from year to year.

It is an "irruptive" species and the variation in the number of wintering birds is thought to be associated with annual variations in the production of northern conifer cones. Purple Finches breed in the coniferous and mixed forests across Canada and the northeastern United States, south into the Appalachian Mountains and along the Pacific coast. Birds nesting in Canada migrate to the United States in winter.

Description: The male is a raspberry-red with browner wings and back, and a white belly. The female and first-year male are streaked brown and white with a bold face pattern, and a white line above the eye. The bill is stout, and the tail is notched in both male and female.

Length: 6"
Wingspan: 10"
Weight: 0.88 oz

Similar Species:

The House Finch is slimmer with an un-notched tail. The red of the male is more orange-red than raspberry-red, and is brightest on the forehead, chest, and rump. The female House Finch is more finely streaked and lacks a distinct facial pattern. House Finches are found in Tennessee year round; where as Purple Finches only occur in winter.
Habitat: Purple Finches breed primarily in cool coniferous forests. They winter in areas where food is available in woodlands or residential areas, and frequently visit bird feeders.

Diet: Seeds, buds, blossoms, nectar, fruit of trees, and occasionally insects

Status in Tennessee: The Purple Finch is a common migrant and winter resident throughout the state. It arrives by mid-October and departs by late April. It is an "irruptive" species and is more abundant some winters than others. While Purple Finches have been observed on Roan Mountain in Tennessee during the breeding season, the closest nesting birds are in West Virginia. Rangewide the population is declining.

Map of Purple Finch eBird observations in Tennessee

[Phyl]

Purple Finch,
Haemorhous purpureus

Fun Facts:

The decline of the Purple Finch in the East may be partly explained by competition with the introduced House Finch. In aggressive interactions, the House Finch nearly always wins. A population decline was also noted 100 years earlier when the House Sparrow was first introduced.
Best places to see in Tennessee: Purple Finches frequently visit bird feeders rangewide, but can be found in forests statewide in winter.









Sources:

Robinson J. C. 1990. An Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Tennessee. Univ. of TN Press, Knoxville.

Sibley, D. A. 2000. The Sibley Guide to Birds. A. A. Knopf, New York, NY.

Wootton, J. T. 1996. Purple Finch (Carpodacus purpureus), The Birds of North America, No. 208 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.

[Phyl]

House Finch,
Haemorhous mexicanus



The first record of a House Finch in Tennessee was in 1972, and the first nesting records were in 1980.  It is now a locally abundant year round resident in many parts of the state.

This species is native to the western United States, and the Tennessee birds are part of the population that originated from a small number of birds liberated on Long Island in 1940.

House Finches are attracted to bird feeders, are rarely found far from urban or suburban areas and now range across most of North America. Eastern populations have recently declined because of an infectious eye disease that started impacting this species in the late 1990s.

Description: The male is orange-red on the forehead, throat, chest, and rump; the back, wings, and tail are brown, sometimes lightly washed with red, and the belly is whitish with streaking on the sides. The female is grayish-brown overall, with blurry streaks on the chest and sides. The tail is only slightly notched in both male and female.

Length: 6"
Wingspan: 9.5"
Weight: 0.74 oz

Voice: The song is a mixture of sweet and harsh notes, ending in a very harsh wheer note. The call is a series of four or five quickly repeated notes, commonly heard at bird feeders.

Similar Species:

The Purple Finch is stockier and has an obviously notched tail. The male is raspberry-red, not orange-red, and has more red on the head, back and sides of the body than the House Finch. The female has a bold face pattern with an obvious white stripe over the eye, and more boldly streaked underparts.
Habitat: In the east, House Finches are found almost exclusively in urban and suburban habitats, especially in areas with buildings, lawns, and small conifers. In the west, they are found in desert grassland, oak savannah, riparian forests, and open coniferous forests at lower elevations, as well as urban and suburban habitats

Diet: Buds, seeds, and fruits. Frequently visit bird feeders.

Nesting and reproduction: Nest building begins in early March, and House Finches will frequently raise two or more broods in a season.

Clutch Size: Usually 4 to 5 eggs, with a range of 3 to 6 eggs.

Incubation: The female incubates the eggs for 12 to 14 days, and is often fed by her mate while she incubates.

Fledging: Both parents feed the young, which leave the nest in 14 to 16 days.

Nest: The female builds the open cup-nest of fine grass stems, leaves, rootlets, and it almost always contains something white such as string or cigarette butts. It is placed in a variety of sites around buildings or in shrubs. In Tennessee, the most frequently reported nest site is in dense ornamental conifers such as arborvitae. They will also nest in hanging potted plants on porches.

Status in Tennessee: House Finch numbers in Tennessee are still increasing after their initial appearance as a state breeder in 1980. Most, or all, House Finches appear to be year round residents and have become locally abundant in many parts of the state. They prefer suburban-like settings.

[Phyl]

House Finch,
continued

Map of House Finch eBird observations in Tennessee



un Facts:

The first documented nesting of the House Finches in Tennessee occurred in 1980 in both Sullivan and Knox Counties. By 1986 they had spread across the state to Shelby County. House Finches are now locally abundant in suburban areas in many parts of the state.
The entire eastern North American population of House Finches is descended from a small number of birds liberated on Long Island, New York in 1940. At that time, House Finches were being sold illegally as caged birds, known as Hollywood Finches. Pet traders presumably released the birds to avoid prosecution under the auspices of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. Those few released birds thrived and spread across the entire eastern United States and southern Canada within the next 50 years.
An eye disease epidemic (mycoplasmal conjunctivitis) has stopped the rapid increase of House Finch in the East, and in many areas, finch numbers are now decreasing. This disease is a bacterial infection that was first documented near Washington, D.C. in the winter of 1993 and seems to be restricted mostly to House Finches. It results in red, swollen, crusty eyelids and the birds often die from starvation, predation, or exposure. The disease continues to be prevalent in the eastern House Finch population. (To learn more, see "Links" below)
The orange-red color of a male House Finch comes from pigments (carotenoids) that it gets from the food it consumes while molting. The amount of red is quite variable. The more carotenoids in the food, the redder the male. Studies have shown that females prefer to mate with the reddest male they can find, perhaps assuring that they get a capable male who can find enough food to feed the nestlings.
Obsolete English Names: burrion, rose-breasted finch, crimson-fronted finch

Best places to see in Tennessee: House Finches have become established in many urban and suburban areas across the state. They frequently visit bird feeders.

[Phyl]

House Finch,
continued

For more information:
https://feederwatch.org/learn/house-finch-eye-disease/













Sources:
Hill, G. E. 1993. House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus), The Birds of North America, No. 46 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.

Nicholson, C. P. 1997. Atlas of Breeding Birds of Tennessee. Univ. of TN Press, Knoxville.

Sibley, D. A. 2000. The Sibley Guide to Birds. A. A. Knopf, New York, NY.