Subject: Re: TOSO behavior
Date: Mar 29 14:25:36 1997
From: Michael Price - mprice at mindlink.bc.ca


Hi Tweets,

Hans Krauss writes, about Townsend's Solitaire (TOSO):
(snip)
> The questions: Could it possibly be settling down here?

Unlikely; this species usually breeds higher up. More likely is that it's a
staging migrant waiting for the end to winter before moving higher. Quoting
Christopher Healy's excellent 'Birdwatcher's Companion':

"Solitaires are notably short-billed, long-tailed somberly colored, arboreal
thrushes. They feed mainly on insects--sometimes "flycatching" on the
wing--and berries, but often sit with uncanny stillness in the shadows--all
but invisible, though in plain view."

In Vancouver BC, TOSO is occasionally a wintering bird as well as uncommon
northbound transient. Nearly totally absent as a southbound transient.

TOSO northbound migration begins late March and peters out in early to
mid-May, peaking about mid-April. Typically the birds are singletons, but
occasionally there's a small group (2-4). Equally typically, they seem to
ghost into an area in late Winter (Hey, is it Spring yet? Only by the
calendar, pal, says this persistent December-style cold, wet weather),
perhaps from further south, stay in a location such as yours for a few days
to a couple of weeks, then move on and, presumably, up. I'd guess the
migrant seabird equivalent is moving in from the open water to river mouths
and forming staging flocks before moving inland to the migration corridors
and breeding territories.

There doesn't seem to be a corresponding southbound migration through the
same lowlands in which one can regularly see northbound birds; perhaps they
stay high up on the mountains (where at this time of the year locally
there's few birders and virtually no coverage) when heading south to
winter...where? Just a few observations in September or October. Since in
March--May most sightings are made by people seeing these birds in their
yards, the lack of southbound observations can't be attributed to observer
distribution--the birds really don't seem to be there when heading in the
opposite direction to wintering territories.

>Will the robins
>that frequent my yard drive it away?

Possibly, if you have nesting, therefore intolerant, robins there. If not,
solitaires are so laid-back that local robins and other nesters may see no
challenge.

>If it is a ground nester it will not
>have a chance with all the cats around?

What ground nester or -feeder below the size of a Wild Turkey does?

>What is it feeding on?

Again, from the 'Companion':

"The native solitaire (he's referring to TOSO--m) nests in the coniferous
forests (or sometimes above the treeline) of the western mountains,
especially where there are rocky slopes. It descends to cedar canyons in the
winter."

>Don't they
>like to bathe?

(stifling various possible droll answers) I've seen a migrant (mid-April)
TOSO bathing in a puddle on a trail in Stanley Park, our large city park.
I'd say yes, but you just haven't seen it do so yet.

>How unusual is this sighting and behavior?

Right time of the year for TOSO coming back from wherever they winter. My
hunch is that they don't go up until the snow's mostly gone, which is why
they'll hang around lowlands directly adjacent to the mountains until mid-to
late Apil, ealy May.

>Will it stick
>around if there is no mate?

If it's a male, it will establish or reassert claim to a territory and begin
advertising for a female (lovely song, BTW); if female, if I can generalise
from the behavior of robins, it'll wait a week or so for the males to
establish territories before heading up and checking out the market for a
good mate.

>(It may be gone tomorrow for all I know!!)

Or a week or two. Enjoy!

M

Michael Price
Vancouver BC Canada
mprice at mindlink.net