Flocking Together Written by Colin Bartlett

It is a fun time of year to watch the bird happenings about the backyard and the bird feeders with the second broods now flitting about. In my backyard it has been the young towhees, chickadees and flickers who have been entertaining everyone in the last week. What you may also have noticed are the birds moving around in groups now, most of which are this year’s young and families together. Now with nesting season basically finished the birds will begin to flock together until nesting season begins next year.

Birds flock together to increase their chances of survival and to find a food source easily. It is usually after the nesting season that birds begin to flock, middle of August, and the size of a flock can range from a few birds to hundreds.

There are a few possible reasons as to why birds flock together at certain times and one of those reasons is safety. Being in amongst a flock of birds will increase a bird’s chance of survival from a predator than if alone. An individual bird is vulnerable to predation as it tries to feed and watch fro predators at the same time. Now if two birds are feeding together the risk is less, as they both will watch for predators. Now if there are fifteen birds in a flock, a predator can be sighted quicker and the flock warned. One problem with a very large flock is they become more noticeable and draw the attention of predators. Birds in these larger flocks have a great chance of predation compared to that of a medium size flock, but still have a far greater chance of survival than if alone. In some flocks, birds such as sea and shore birds are always moving and pushing to the middle of the flock. It’s not necessarily that the food is better in the middle just that it is safer in the middle of the pack compared to the outer edge.

 If a single bird spends time watching for predators it leaves them less time to search for food and valuable energy that is used to survive a cold night. In a flock of birds there is better protection from predators and also more eyes to scan for food saving precious energy, especially in the colder winter months. A flock can move quickly finding food, moving from site to site building up energy to survive the cold nights. At times you may see flocks of different species moving together such as the Northern Flickers and European Starlings. These two species can be seen wandering around the lawn feeding on insects such as Crane Fly larvae. Other species may move around in a mixed flock but do not feed on the same food source, but the food source has something in common for the different species. A common mixed flock of birds to watch for in the backyard is chickadees and nuthatches coming together feeding on suet and sunflower seeds. Another I see in my backyard is the Song Sparrows and Fox Sparrows always arrive together.

Other species that can be seen in flocks around the backyard are Bushtits, California Quail, Dark-eyed Juncos, House Finch and Pine Siskins, if they stay this winter. One species that does not flock is the smallest of the winter birds Anna’s Hummingbird. These birds always seem to be defending territory and appear one at a time to the feeders, with the exception of a really cold winter day when two may appear together.

It is a changing time in the seasons of birds as they flock together and begin to ready for the coming months. It is a sight to watch as thirty California Quail or twenty Bushtits move into the backyard to feed and create an abundance of activity, keeping our backyards alive all year long.

Happy birding!!