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BIRDS

War is being waged by farmers against all birds, except a few popular songsters, and most boys

are taught that birds and bird’s nests are their rightful prey. These little creatures do some

damage it must be admitted. They will pick up seed that has not been well covered, but that

ought to teach the farmer to sow his seeds more carefully. They will feast upon ripe grain, and

sometimes destroy more than they eat; but the farmer seldom considers that he might not have

had any grain to harvest were it not for these same feathered intruders. Every farmer should

teach his children to cherish and protect their feathered friends. Encourage the birds, and children too, by building bird houses about the farm and buildings. Big Rapids Pioneer Weekly,

May 29, 1894.

Two hundred fifty-four (245 in the original book) species of birds have been recorded in Mecosta County

during the period 1967-2012. One species, the Northern Parula Warbler, is based on a heard-only basis by

one observer (Douglas McWhirter) familiar with its song, and is not added into the total. (The Northern

Parula has since been seen numerous times in spring migration and has been added to the list.) Three

historical species are noted from the literature: the Passenger Pigeon, known to have nested in Wheatland

Township near the end of the 1800s, is now extinct; the Greater Prairie-Chicken had a presence in Colfax

Township into the early 1950s; and there is anecdotal evidence of the Black-backed Woodpecker being in

the county in the late 1800s after the fires following the lumber era. See each species for further detail.

Since the original publication of this Natural History (2001), bird nomenclature has changed drastically. Many name changes have occurred as well as the order in which the birds appear have been revised. This

revision makes those changes. Comparing with the 2001 version may take some searching.

During the years 1998-2001 such unlikely species as all three scoters, Long-tailed Duck, Greater Scaup,

Red-necked Phalarope, White Pelican, Forster’s and Common terns, several shorebird species, and Double-

crested Cormorant were seen numerous times in the county (see accounts), but have rarely if ever seen

since. The best explanation I received is that during these years drought conditions prevailed in the prairie

pothole region of the Great Plains, causing a number of species normally found there to move eastward for

several years. American Coots also increased considerably in numbers during those years, but have since

been present only in small flocks or absent.

Collections

The two main bird collections in the state are the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology (UMMZ)

and Michigan State University (MSU) collections. Neither is particularly extensive for this county, and a

number of county-record species have been added since 1996 to the UMMZ by the author. All were

collected from disease, road, and window kills. A listing of the birds donated to the UMMZ can be found

by using the UMMZ’s Ornis database (http://www.lsa.umich.edu/ummz/, http://www.ornisnet.org/). This

does not seem to have of the specimens I have sent to the UMMZ listed. Central Michigan University has

several species originating from Mecosta County, but most are preserved as study skins for student

instruction, and thus may periodically be replaced due to damage. When the bird collection at Ferris State

University was examined in 1998, there were no specimens for the county. A few specimens may be in the

Albion College study-skin collection, and several bird specimens have been given to the Kalamazoo Nature Center, but their current status is unknown. The Collection Notes in the species accounts are from printed

records of birds in the collections in the various universities, and the specimens have not been examined;

therefore accuracy is not guaranteed.

Sources

Observation is the main source of bird records in this species account. George Vogel, Mark Wilson, and the

author are the main observers, but many others have also contributed useful observations (listed in the

Preface). For a number of the species, a Historical Note is included, taken from the earlier bird lists of the

state that either point out a collection of that species, its nesting in the county, an observation, or some

aspect of its biology that is of interest.

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Suggested References

The amount of available information on birds is staggering. There are dozens of popular field

guides available. Only a few of the most popular and useful are listed below. Other state-specific books that

are of interest are listed also.

Brewer, R., G. McPeek, and R. Adams. 1991. The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Michigan.

McPeek, G., R. Adams, and J. Granlund, eds. 1994. The Birds of Michigan.

Coe, James. 1994. Eastern Birds. A good beginner’s guide.

National Geographic Society. 1999. Field Guide to the Birds of North America, Third Edition.

Peterson, Roger Tory. 1980. Eastern Birds. Fourth edition. Peterson Field Guides Series.

National Audubon Society. 1994. Field Guide to Birds: Eastern Birds.

Stokes, D. and L. Stokes. 1996. Stokes Field Guide to Birds: Eastern Region.

Tikiela, Stan. 1999. Birds of Michigan: Field Guide.

References of historical interest are:

Barrows, Walter. 1912. Michigan Bird Life.

Wood, Norman A. 1951. Birds of Michigan.

Web Sites

There are thousands of birding web sites. These are chosen because of the information and links

provided.

<www.birder.com>. A large site with many links and access to nationwide rare bird alerts.

<www.birdsource.org> The site of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.

Breeding categories

Nests: A confirmed nest or other direct evidence (i.e., egg shells, recently fledged young) has been

found in the county.

Probable Nester: A confirmed nest has not been found, but evidence of nesting activity has been

observed according to the guidelines used by the “Atlas of Breeding Birds of Michigan” (Brewer et al. 1991).

Possible Nester: A species is present during the nesting season but there is no direct evidence of

breeding.

DUCKS, SWANS, AND GEESE ORDER ANSERIFORMES

By far, the most important lake in the county for migrant ducks is Chippewa Lake. Both spring and fall,

this lake hosts hundreds of ducks during migration, and all the following species have been recorded on the

lake. Vagrants such as the three scoters and Long-tailed Duck (see account) have been recorded only here.

In the spring, Lost Lake, Big Evans, and to a lesser extent, Boom Lake in the Martiny Lakes complex also

host many ducks, but many fewer in the fall. During the fall migration large flocks of Canada Geese use Clear and Chippewa lakes. Round Lake is the only other lake to host an appreciable number of migrants.

The Martiny Lakes system, Haymarsh/Pickerel Lake, and the Featherbed and Littlejohn floodings have all

been created to support the summer breeding ducks. Don’t forget to watch any casual water in spring and

summer after rains for “puddle ducks” as well as shorebirds.

Duck Family Anatidae

SNOW GOOSE Chen caerulescens. Rare passage migrant. Flights of Snow Geese cross the county

about the same time as Tundra Swans and the main movements of migrant Canada Geese. They are

occasionally encountered in small numbers on land or lakes mixed with Canada Geese, mostly in the fall.

Both of the color phases appear, with the blue phase the less common. Look for Snow Geese anywhere

Canada Geese are found. Date Range. Spring, three sightings, 17 March 1991, 6 April 1989, and 17 April 1997. Fall, 7 October (1995) to 3 December (1998). Early Fall Date. 4 September 1994 (MW). HRT. 60

on 29 November 1994 overhead, 14 on the ice of Chippewa Lake on 1 December 1993.

ROSS’ GOOSE Chen Rossii. Vagrant. The Ross’ Goose has been reported several times in the county.

Reports were made in the early 2000’s on the Muskegon River near Paris but could not be confirmed. One

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observation was made on Chippewa Lake in the fall of about 2005 but the bird had moved on by

the time a confirming observer arrived. One confirmed and photographed Ross’ Goose spent six days, 16-

22 December 2007, on a pond in Section 16 of Chippewa Township.

CANADA GOOSE Branta canadensis. Common to abundant in spring through early summer, less

common mid- to late summer, uncommon to rare in winter. Nests. By far the most abundant and visible of the waterfowl in the county during the breeding season, Canada Geese arrive before the ice leaves the

lakes and even during late February thaws. There are two populations of Canada Geese found in the county,

the locally dubbed “nuisance” population, and the migrant population that largely passes over the county on

its way to and from the Ungava Peninsula and Hudson/James Bay areas of Canada (banding records from

the USFWS). Varying numbers of the resident geese now remain on the Muskegon River north of Paris

through the winter.

During the spring, the “nuisance” population nests in large numbers in every township in the county,

mostly in Grant, Martiny, Morton, and Colfax, least in Green and Aetna. Nesting starts very early, even

before the ice is completely thawed, and young have been seen as early as 4 May (1997). By the end of

May, groups of adults are seen flying around, having left the young in the care of a few adults. By late July,

when the adults are flightless due to molt, they seem to have all but disappeared. In late August, Canada Geese become more visible again and increase as the fall-migrant flights from the north pass through.

During October and early November, flocks approaching a thousand can be found in cornfields, and several

flocks of hundreds can be found in a day.

An early goose hunting season established about 2004 has significantly reduced the population of

“nuisance” geese and their subsequent problems. Changes in farming practices have also reduced the

amount of waste grain that used to attract large flocks to fields in the fall. Large numbers of Canada Geese

congregate on Chippewa and Clear lakes and to a lesser extent Round Lake in the fall.

The best place to find the large flocks is in corn stubble. Farming practices, crop rotations, and yearly crop

choice makes no given farm field a certainty from one year the next. During the breeding season of 2000, a Canada Goose x Graylag Goose (Anser anser) pairing was noted in Hemlock Park, Big Rapids, that

produced 6 young. Date Range. Present all year, but least common in January and February. HRT. Single,

1,600+ on 8 November 1998, (total in four locations); 1,800+ on 3 November 1994.

Historical Note: Barrows (1912) makes these notes: that most people in the state only glimpse the Canada

Goose in migration though it probably nests sparingly throughout. Pirnie (1935): “It is claimed that years

ago the Canada Goose nested here, but I find no authentic, recent records of wild migrants nesting in this

state.” Van Tyne (1938) notes the Canada Goose as “Common transient. No reliable modern nesting

records; all records now confused by presence of strays from domesticated flocks.” In the 1920s and 1930s,

numerous successful attempts were made that introduced the giant form of the Canada Goose to Michigan.

Zimmerman and Van Tyne (1959) note: “Formerly nested and again has become established, at least partly

through restocking...” (Most of our Michigan breeding Canadas are offspring from these introductions.)

CACKLING GOOSE Branta hutchinsi. Rare Passage Migrant. This smaller version of the Canada

Goose was split from the Canada Goose by the AOU. They move throught he county in small numbers with

the first and last wave of migrant Canada Geese, late March and late November-early December. Observed

by Joe Lipar during the Christmas Bird Count, 16 December 2006. Also seen in November 2012 on

Chippewa Lake mixed with Canada Geese.

MUTE SWAN Cygnus olor. Uncommon year-round resident, absent when lakes are frozen. Nests. An

introduced species, believed to have come from one pair released in Charlevoix County in 1919 (Granlund

1994b). Nest on the Tri-Lakes (Round, Mecosta, and Blue), some of the Canadian Lakes in Morton

Township, Morley Pond, Hills Lake, and the Martiny Lakes. While many county residents like the birds on the lakes during the summer, their presence should be discouraged, due to their habit of chasing away other

birds. There is some evidence that they are detrimental to the nesting success of the Common Loon

(Granlund 1994b). The Mute Swan has expanded significantly in the county since 2001 and now nests on

many smaller lakes and marshy areas.

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These swans remain in the county as long as there is open water on the lakes or Muskegon River,

then move out only as far south as the next open water. The Tri-Lakes have the largest population of Mute

Swans, but a pair or two are on almost any large lake during the summer. Date Range. Present all months

if open water is available; three January dates, two February dates. HRT. 25 on 18 December 1999.

TRUMPETER SWAN Cygnus buccinator. Passage migrant, spring and fall. Possible nester. State

Threatened. Although technically not yet considered a viable breeding population in the state at this

writing, the Trumpeter Swan is added because it is only a matter of time before it receives wild status. Now

a regular spring and fall migrant and they stay for several weeks in the fall, only leaving at freeze up. Most

hang out on Chippewa Lake, but have also been observed on Round and Tubbs lakes. There have been

reports of their breeding in the Martiny chain. A family stayed much of the spring and summer of 2012 on

Bisel Lake in Newaygo County (Dan deRegnier), but the adults had large young with them on arrival. The

swans breeding in this state have come from captive breeding programs in the Midwest; our visitors most

likely originated from the Seney National Wildlife Refuge stock. Jim Granlund (pers. comm.) believes

them to have been breeding widely in the state outside the breeding programs by 1997. They have been

observed in the county only on Chippewa and Round lakes. Date Range. Spring dates in March. Fall dates

late October through freeze up. Possibly nests. HRT. 12 on Round Lake on 7 November 1997 (Bev Brezina); 9 on 16 November 1997. 14 on 14 December 2012, Chippewa Lake (SR).

TUNDRA SWAN Cygnus columbianus. Uncommon passage migrant. Flocks of several hundred of these

birds pass through the county in late March and early April, usually in a northwesterly direction. They

seldom land on the local lakes: the rare few that do are most often found on Chippewa, Jehnsen, and the

Martiny lakes, and often with Canada Geese in cornfields. In the fall, there may be only a few on Chippewa

and Round lakes. On several occasions, individual birds have been seen on small farm ponds. The

migration pattern of these swans may have changed somewhat. They are not as commonly seen in their

spring fly-overs nor are they observed as often on local lakes as earlier. Date Range. Spring, 16 March

(2001) to 5 April (1996). Fall, 25 October (1981) to 28 November (1992). Unusual Date. One lone adult,

29 June 1997 on a small farm pond east of Hoover Rd. at 60th Ave. Late Date. 28 December 1999, roosting on ice on Chippewa Lake. HRT. Single location, about 500 on 30 March 1989. About 425 on 13

April 1996 (total in 5 locations).

WOOD DUCK Aix sponsa. Common spring through fall. Nests. Next to the Mallard, our most abundant

duck, found in marshes, small wooded lakes, casual waters left by rain, and riparian areas, where they nest

in cavities in the large deciduous trees along the banks, and nest boxes. One Big Rapids resident relates

having seen a female Wood Duck leading a group of ducklings down a city sidewalk a distance of at least

four city blocks from the Muskegon River (MR). Evening arrivals in the Featherbed Flooding and Martiny

Lakes during fall migration can be impressive. Date Range. 9 March (1997) to 26 October (1997), though

most are gone by mid-September. Late Dates. 22 on 3 November 1999; 2 on 13 November 1998. 18

December 2010. HRT. About 150 on 2 October 1995. Collection Note: One specimen preserved as a study

skin in the CMUZC (74-9, Acc. # 73.226) from a shot bird collected in Sheridan Township. along 18 Mile Rd. on 17 October 1973. A second specimen (74-17, Acc. # 73.227) from a shot bird on 17 October 1973,

location listed only as M-66, prepared as a study skin.

GADWALL Anas strepera. Rare passage migrant. May not occur each year and when they do, only a

few at a time. Gadwalls are a duck of the prairie pothole region of the upper Great Plains. Like the

shoveler, they nest sporadically in the Lower Peninsula, but there is insufficient suitable habitat to support

either as nesters in this county. They can be seen on the larger lakes and Morley Pond in migration. Date

Range. Spring, 29 March (1998) to 10 May (2000). Fall, 18 September (1996) to 21 October (1995). Late

Dates. 2 on 26 November 1998; 11 on 19 December 1998. HRT. 32 on 23 April 1994.

AMERICAN WIGEON Anas americana. Uncommon passage migrant. American Wigeons, like Northern Shovelers, Gadwalls, and Redheads, are never common, remaining only a few days when

migrating through the county. Wigeons occur on the marshy areas of the larger lakes and are occasionally

encountered in flocks of other ducks on open water. Date Range. Spring, 18 March (1995) to 8 May

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(1999). Fall, 2 September (1995) to 13 October (1994, MW; 1996, SR). Early Date. 12 March

2000 (by virtue of exceptionally early ice-free conditions). Late Date. 19 Dec (1998). HRT. 30

on 6 April 1996.

AMERICAN BLACK DUCK Anas rubripes. Rare passage migrant. Nesting questionable. Black

Ducks may be overlooked and under-recorded in the county. Careful attention should be given to any group of Mallards, particularly in migration, for the darker American Black Ducks. There is no record in Mecosta

County from the ABBM survey for nesting, but several surrounding counties have records, and it remains a

remote possibility that some may nest, and almost certainly have in the past. A female Mallard x American

Black Duck hybrid taken by a hunter (1994) at Lower Evans Lake is known from the county. Black Ducks

are found in a wide variety of wetland habitats here from forested streams to the open water of the largest

lakes. Date Range. Spring, 22 March (1997) to 29 April (1998). Fall, 19 September (1996) to 21

December (1998). Early Date. 28 February 1999. HRT. 8 on 23 November 1994 (individual count), 13 on

16 December 1995 (combined CBC).

Historical Note: Pirnie (1935) and Van Tyne (1938) both note the abundance of the black duck and that it

nests in large numbers. It is now by far outnumbered by the Mallard. Historically, black ducks may have

nested in the county. The ABBM states their numbers have declined by about 3% per year for about thirty years since the 1950s. Possible reasons for decline are given as wetland loss, habitat degradation,

acidification, habitat loss in wintering areas, genetic swamping by interbreeding with the Mallard, and land-

use changes, yet their prime breeding habitat in Beaver ponds has actually increased in recent years.

MALLARD Anas platyrhynchos. Abundant to common, spring through fall, locally common in

winter. Common nester. Encountered almost anywhere there is water enough to get their feet wet. In

several areas of the county, Mallards seem to have hybridized with local “barnyard” Mallards, creating

numerous strange color combinations. Semi-wild groups are found on the more populated lakes; Hillview

and Round Lakes are two examples. By late May, male Mallards are found in bachelor flocks of up to 40

individuals, and by mid-June, male Mallards are difficult to find, leaving the rearing of the ducklings to the

female.

Mallards are also encountered deep in the woods of the Haymarsh SGA, where they may be completely

hemmed in by tall trees, as well as in wide-open marshes and wooded streams throughout the county. Date

Range. Present year-round as long as open water is available, although much reduced in numbers in winter.

Flocks of 200-300 winter along the upper reaches of the Muskegon River in northern Mecosta and southern

Osceola counties. HRT. About 300 on 1 January 1998 (PC), 190 on 1 December 1996. Collection Note:

One specimen collected on 16 October 1973 from a shot bird in Fork Township., preserved as a study skin

(CMUZC 74-104, Acc. # 73.223).

BLUE-WINGED TEAL Anas discors. Common, spring through fall. Uncommon to common nester.

One of our more common ducks, but more difficult to locate because they tend to hide in the marshes more

than Mallards and Wood Ducks. On arrival in spring, they can be seen on almost any size pond and temporary water, but as soon as the plants get high, they disappear into the cover. Blue-winged Teal nest in

good numbers in the Martiny Lakes, and on many of the larger ponds and marshes with abundant marshy

edge and emergent vegetation, and are occasionally found on the larger streams. Date Range. 23 March

(1995) to 15 October (1995). HRT. About 100 on 2 October 1995.

NORTHERN SHOVELER Anas clypeata. Rare passage migrant. Briefly present during spring and fall

each year. The weedy areas of Lower Evans, Lost, Hillview, and Chippewa lakes are good places to locate

these attractive ducks. Date Range. Spring, 14 April (1994) to 4 May (1996). Fall, 25 September (1995) to

27 September (1995). HRT. 10 on 18 April 1997 (DM).

NORTHERN PINTAIL Anas acuta. Rare passage migrant. Probably occur each year, but due to their small numbers may go unrecorded. Although usually noted on the larger lakes like Chippewa, Lost, and

Round, pintails may also be present on the open marshes in the Martiny Lakes. Date Range. Spring, 3

April (1996) to 22 April (1997). Fall, 4 October (1993) to 2 December (1994).

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GREEN-WINGED TEAL Anas crecca. Uncommon passage migrant and summer resident.

Rare nester. These teal stay only a short time each spring and fall as they pass through the county,

though a few seem to remain through the breeding season each year. On 22 July 1994, an eclipse-plumaged

male and two females or near-adult-sized young were seen on the marsh on 5 Mile Rd. between 50th and

60th Ave. Courtship displays were seen on 11 May 1996 in Section 22 of Millbrook Township. The only

confirmed nesting was noted on a farm pond at the northwest corner of 7 Mile Rd. at 140th Ave., during the summer of 1996; a female with five young was observed numerous times in July and August. These teal

can be seen in migration almost anywhere from the largest lakes to smallest ponds, and in weedy marshes

and permanent roadside wetlands during the breeding season. Date Range. 27 March (1997) to 24 October

(1999), but no September dates; seldom seen in summer. Late Dates. 4 November 1993 and 1996. HRT.

14 on 8 April 1996.

CANVASBACK Aythya valisineria. Uncommon passage migrant. Present in the county longer than the

Redhead, Gadwall, and Northern Shoveler. A duck of the larger lakes, Canvasbacks are seldom seen near

shore when here. They are most common on Round, Jehnsen, and Chippewa lakes. Date Range. Spring, 12

March (2000) to 20 May (1998). Fall, 15 October (1994) to 8 December (1997); most often recorded in

spring. Early Dates. One in eclipse plumage on 1 March 1998 on Morley Pond, 3 on 12 March 2000. Late

Date. 2 on 19 December 1998. HRT. 60 on 19 April 1996 and 7 April 1997 (SR, GV).

REDHEAD Aythya americana. Uncommon to rare passage migrant. Often mixed with flocks of scaup

and Canvasbacks, they move through in such a narrow window of time that they may easily be missed. It is

possible they do not occur here each year, but have seemed to be more prevalent since 1997. Look for them

on the larger lakes, often well out from shore. Date Range. Spring, 28 March (1999) to 10 May (1997).

Fall, 23 September (1994) to 17 December (1999). HRT. 84 on 4 April 1998. About 75 on 17 April 1997

(GV).

RING-NECKED DUCK Aythya collaris. Abundant to common passage migrant. Rare nester. The

most common and visible of the diving ducks in the county. A confirmed nesting of two pairs occurred in

the summer of 1995 and 1996 in the Featherbed Flooding. Flocks of 300 or more have been observed on numerous occasions on Lost, Jehnsen, and Chippewa lakes in the spring; during fall migration they are less

numerous. Their stay in the county is the longest of the diving ducks, from shortly after the ice breaks up to

mid-May; their stay in the fall is also lengthy. Ring-necks can be found on surprisingly small lakes; on

woodland and Beaver ponds in heavily wooded areas like the Haymarsh SGA, that are usually frequented

only by the dabbling ducks; and most commonly on Lost Lake. Date Range. Spring, 12 March (2000) to

20 May (1995). Fall, 4 September (1994) to 28 November (1998); more common in the spring. Late Dates.

Several December dates for a pair in 1997, 18 December 1999. HRT. About 625 on 12 March 2000.

GREATER SCAUP Aythya marila. Uncommon to rare passage

migrant, may be briefly common. Greater Scaup can be abundant

here for a brief time in the spring; the more common of the two

scaups here, and in April, can significantly outnumber Lesser Scaups. They are most common on Chippewa Lake, though also recorded in

small numbers on the other larger lakes. Has not been recorded in the

county since about 2000. Date Range. Spring, 12 March (2000) to

16 May (1996). Fall, 7 October (1998) to 3 November (1997). HRT.

About 300 on 16 April 1997 (GV).

LESSER SCAUP Aythya affinis. Uncommon passage migrant.

Greater Scaup are more frequently seen than Lesser Scaup, but in

smaller flocks than the Lesser. Smaller inland lakes and

marshes are the preferred habitat of these ducks, but they are

generally confined to the larger lakes in the county during migration and have occasionally found on the Muskegon River. A melanistic

female was recorded on Chippewa Lake in November of 1994 and 1995, and remained for several weeks

each time. Date Range. Spring, 28 March (1995) to 10 May (1995). Fall, 11 September (1995) to 11

December (1995). HRT. About 600 on 17 April 1997 (GV).

Greater and Lesser Scaup and Buf-flehead feed largely on mollusks and

crustaceans. It will be interesting to

see if the migrant population

increases in the coming years with

the discovery of Zebra Mussels

(Dreissena polymorpha) in the Tri-

Lakes (Mecosta, Blue, and Round)

in 1997 (Michigan Sea Grant 2000).

With the amount of boat traffic in

the county, the Zebra Mussel will undoubtedly soon be in all the larger

lakes.

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SURF SCOTER Melanitta perspicillata. Vagrant. These ducks are coastal birds along the Atlantic Ocean

and an uncommon migrant on the Great Lakes, although inland sightings on larger lakes are not particularly

uncommon (Granlund 1994c). There have been four observations of the Surf Scoter here, all on Chippewa

Lake: a male from 16 to 30 May 1996 (GV, SR, MW, Ron Weeks, and others), an immature female on 9

May 1998 during the NAMC (GV, PC, and Mike and Sara Ladenberger); a female on 30 October 1998 and a female on 21 April 2001. None of the three scoters has been recorded in the county since 2001, 1997 and

1997 respectively.

WHITE-WINGED SCOTER Melanitta fusca. Vagrant. White-winged Scoters are usually associated

with the Great Lakes in winter. One was pair recorded on Chippewa Lake on 13 May 1994; a lone male

was observed on Chippewa Lake from 16 October to 3 November 1997, and with a female on 25 October

and 3 November 1997 (SR, GV).

BLACK SCOTER Melanitta americana (M. nigra). Vagrant. One female Black Scoter was observed on

25 October 1997 on Chippewa Lake (GV, MW, Jeff Junker, and SR).

LONG-TAILED DUCK (OLDSQUAW) Clangula hyemalis. Vagrant. One male Oldsquaw was observed as a fly-by over the west shore of Chippewa Lake on 25 October 1997 (GV, MW). One observed

on Rogers Pond on the south part of the 12 Mile Rd/185th Ave loop very close to shore, a most unusual

location (SR), undated, about fall of 2003.

BUFFLEHEAD Bucephala albeola. Common passage migrant. Buffleheads are our smallest duck and

are a welcome sign of coming spring, often arriving before the lakes are free of ice. Found on deep ponds

to the open waters of the larger lakes. Date Range. Spring, 12 March (2000) to 24 May (1999). Fall, 9

October (1994) to 21 December (1998). HRT. About 400 on 17 April 1997 (GV). Seldom seen in flocks

greater than sixty.

COMMON GOLDENEYE Bucephala clangula. Common passage migrant, rare but present in winter

each year. These ducks arrive in moderate numbers shortly after the ice is off the lakes in spring. A few

winter along the Muskegon River in open waters around the Paris Park rapids and other areas of the river

that remain open, the Baldwin Street Bridge in Big Rapids, and Morley Pond. During fall migration, they

can be seen in impressive numbers on the larger lakes, particularly Chippewa Lake. Goldeneyes are fall-to-

spring ducks on the larger lakes and the Muskegon River. Date Range. Spring, 6 March (2000) to 26 May

(1996). Fall, 24 October (1993) to 28 December (1994), a few winter on Muskegon River. Unusual Date.

One female was recorded on 7 July 1996 on Lake Mecosta; it was not wounded and was able to fly. HRT.

About 600 on 4 December 1994; seldom seen in flocks greater than 75.

HOODED MERGANSER Lophodytes cucullatus. Common passage migrant and rare summer

resident. Nests in small numbers yearly. Common fall migrants on the larger lakes, sometimes in large

numbers. In spring they are uncommon and usually remain on smaller secluded ponds, so are seldom seen. Nesting is confirmed on Lower Evans Lake, on a small pond northeast of 17 Mile Rd. at 90th Ave., and

along both the Muskegon and Little Muskegon Rivers. Date Range. Spring, 26 March (1998) to 25 April

(1995). Breeds in small numbers but is seldom seen. Fall, 16 October (1997) to 20 December (1993). Early

Dates. 28 February 2000, 7 March 1998, 12 March 2000. HRT. About 200 on 21 November 1996. About

250 19 November 2012.

RED-BREASTED MERGANSER Mergus serrator. Rare passage migrant, rare winter visitor. Occur

in small numbers on our larger lakes in fall almost to freeze-up; fewer observations have been recorded in

the spring. They have been observed in winter at the overflow of Winchester Dam, on the Muskegon River

northward from the Hoover Road bridge, and the Baldwin Street Bridge rapids in Big Rapids, as well as on

other open waters of the Muskegon River. The most reliable place to find them is Chippewa Lake. Date

Range. Spring, 28 March (1995) to 16 May (1995). Fall, 1 November (1999) to 17 December (1999).

Several December dates on the Muskegon River. HRT. About 80 on 13 November 1996.

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COMMON MERGANSER Mergus merganser. Common passage migrant, more common in fall. Rare

but regular in winter. Arrive in small numbers as soon as the lakes begin to open; they may be those that

wintered on the Muskegon, or recent arrivals from the nearest open waters to the south. Spring numbers

seldom reach 100, usually in small groups of less than thirty. In fall migration, they arrive in early October

and the numbers build slowly as the season progresses. Generally only a few are observed at a time, but

flocks of up to 350-400 birds may be seen as the lakes begin to freeze over. Locally, they are often confused with the Common Loon in early spring, when “loons” are reported much too early. One injured

Common Merganser was observed on 3 August 1999 and again on 18 August 2000 on the Muskegon River

north of Paris Park in apparent good health otherwise. These ducks are much more scattered on the

county’s waters in spring than in the fall when Jehnsen, Chippewa, and Big Evans lakes are the most

favored, with smaller numbers on Clear and Round Lakes. Date Range. Spring, 1 March (1998) to 2 May

(1995). Fall, 2 October (1994) to 23 December (1993), or lake freeze-up. A few winter along the

Muskegon River. HRT. About 800 on 4 December 1994 (SR) and about 700 on 30 November 1997 (GV),

both on Chippewa Lake Collection Note: R. G. Fortney collected a male specimen of the Common

Merganser, americanus subspecies, on 1 April 1939 in Paris, preserved as a skeleton in the UMMZ (99454)

collection.

RUDDY DUCK Oxyura jamaicensis. Uncommon passage migrant. Usually only a few of these little stiff-tailed ducks appear each year on the larger lakes, but they may reach flocks of over 150 at the peak of

migration, often well out in the lake. Brewer et al. (1991) lists them as a probable nester on Chippewa

Lake, which seems improbable, as they are not a confirmed nester anywhere in the state except in the

Saginaw Bay area. However, Jack Reinhoel found eight on Pretty Lake on 27 June 1987. A lone female

Ruddy Duck was found on Lower Evans Lake on 15 and 18 June 1994 (SR, MW); one was reported on 19

June 1997, as was a male on 11 July 1998 (GV), both on Chippewa Lake. There has been no evidence of

young. Whether any ruddys are nesting on these lakes; whether they are early, late, or lost migrants, or just

unattached individuals is unknown. Chippewa Lake is the best location to observe ruddys. Date Range.

Spring, 2 April (1995) to 16 May (1996). Fall, 1 October (1996) to 24 November (1999). Unusual Dates.

three June dates; 2 July dates as noted above; Late Dates. 2 females, 20 November to 20 December 1997.

HRT. 165 on 18 April 1998, 106 on 21 April 1996.

PHEASANTS, GROUSE, TURKEY, AND QUAIL ORDER GALLIFORMES

The pheasant, bobwhite, and the Wild Turkey are from introduced stock. All the birds in this group suffer

losses mostly due to climatic factors, changing farm practices and the rising population of Raccoons,

opossum, and feral cats. Coyotes and Red Fox are not nearly the threat they are made out to be.

Quail Family Ondontophoridae

NORTHERN BOBWHITE Colinus virginianus. Rare year-round resident, extirpated as a wild

population. Nests. Some recent sightings and calls of the bobwhite indicate that they are not completely

gone from the county, but they do not seem to fare well in the wild here. All birds presently in the county

are probably game-breeder releases; a true wild population is doubtful. The breeding range of the bobwhite,

noted in Brewer et al. (1991), realistically ends in southern Mecosta County, although isolated areas exist farther north. There has been very little evidence of this bird for a number of years since the original

publication (2001). Cold winters and wet springs affect their numbers greatly, as do deep winter snows,

lack of thick cover in hedgerows, and Raccoons, skunks, opossums, and probably feral cats. Other reasons

may be the regeneration of forest in the county as farmland reverts to woodland, and farming practices that

are eliminating hedgerows by plowing up to the edge of county roads. Bobwhites are heard most often in

weedy farmland; the most reliable place has been about 0.5mile west of M-66 on 17 Mile Rd. Date Range.

Year-round resident.

Historical Note: Cook (1893): “Very common; throughout the Southern Peninsula; all seasons of the year;

Large flocks; very tame; frequents lawns and barnyards in winter.”

Pheasant and Grouse Family Phasianidae

RING-NECKED PHEASANT Phasianus colchicus. Uncommon year-round resident. Nests. This

species seems to be diminishing here despite the efforts of Pheasants Forever, Farming practices that

eliminate hedgerow habitat may partly be to blame. It is likely most birds encountered are game farm

9

losses. Two varieties are found in the county: the white-necked variety has been

present for decades, while the black-necked Szechwan pheasants were introduced in

the latter half of the 1980s as a hardier stock. Both are found throughout the county.

One male was observed on 5 January 2000 in a restaurant parking lot at State and Spring Streets

in Big Rapids. Another was observed on 25 December 2000 in an ornamental cherry tree next to a house at

the corner of Locust and Winter streets in the residential area of Big Rapids (SR, BR, MR, Sally McCafferty), both well away from the nearest typical pheasant habitat. Flocks of 10 to 20 can occasionally

be seen during winter in fields, hedgerows, and along roadsides in farm country, both varieties are most

often observed as individuals or pairs. Date Range. Year-round resident. HRT. 29 on 17 December 1995;

20 on 24 December 1994 and 20 December 1997.

RUFFED GROUSE Bonasa umbellus. Uncommon year-round resident. Nests. Most common in aspen

stands and regenerating hardwood cuts, uplands, and stream bottoms during the breeding season, where

their nests are often located at the base of a tree or against a fallen log; in winter, they are found along

marsh edges and stream bottoms. On occasion, they may be found at bird feeders in more wooded

locations. Population appears to vary widely from year to year. Date Range. Year-round resident.

Collection Note: Three specimens are in the CMUZC collection as study skins.

GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKEN Tympanuchus cupido. Extirpated. Barrows (1912): “Formerly the

Prairie Chicken seems to have been abundant over a large part of the southern half of the state, and if it

were afforded good protection from the so-called sportsmen during the fall, no doubt it would still be a

common bird. It is well known that this species is not necessarily driven out by civilization...” Van Tyne

(1938): “Permanent resident in Lower Peninsula.” Zimmerman and Van Tyne (1959) note: “Local

permanent resident, now much reduced in numbers....rare in central Mecosta [County]...” The last

population of the Greater Prairie-Chicken in the state, a managed population that had hung on for a number

of years north of Marion in Missaukee County, died out in 1982. Ammann (1957) places prairie-chicken

dancing grounds in Mecosta County in Austin and Fork townships as late as 1953 after which they rapidly

declined over much of the state.

WILD TURKEY Meleagris gallopavo. Common and increasing year-round resident. Nests. The Wild

Turkey’s ancestral range barely reached Mecosta County, but through introduction programs sponsored by

sportsmen’s groups and the DNR, they are thriving in many areas of Michigan, including this county.

Turkeys nest in all the townships by now, and have become so numerous in some areas as to be a traffic

hazard. They are becoming more common at bird-feeding stations, where they clean up spilled bird seed,

and are also deliberately fed by some homeowners. Where fed, if they interact with White-tailed Deer,

turkeys are quite capable of driving away the much larger deer. One strange incident was observed on 31

May 1996 when a female turkey ran across 16 Mile Rd., just east of 130th Ave., with a punctured egg in its

beak.

Turkeys can be abundant in prime oak and beech habitat near fields, but they are most often seen on the

edges of roads and in fields with their families of dependent chicks during summer and as large mixed-sex flocks during winter. Date Range. Year-round resident. HRT. 261 on 23 December 1997. Collection Note:

One specimen from a road kill on Jackson Rd. in Millbrook Township, Section 15 on 21 September 1997

(CMUZC Acc. #97.085).

Historical Note: Barrows (1912): “Formerly an abundant bird at least as far north as the Saginaw Valley,

there is every reason to believe that at present the species is extinct in Michigan. Up to 1875 it was fairly

common over a large part of the state, but during the next five years it decreased with extraordinary

rapidity, and before 1890 had become so uncommon as to be considered a very rare bird almost

everywhere.” “Mr. J. Foster, of Pompeii, informs me that the turkey was formerly found in some numbers

in Isabella County.”

LOONS ORDER GAVIIFORMES

10

Loon Family Gaviidae

Although loons did nest throughout Michigan in earlier years, habitat degradation has largely

eliminated them as a nesting species south of Mecosta County. The Michigan Loon Preservation

Association (MLPA) is active in the county monitoring nesting on the various lakes.

COMMON LOON Gavia immer. Uncommon summer resident, uncommon passage migrant. State

Threatened. Nests. Common Loons are sometimes confused with Common Mergansers, which migrate

through the county in fair numbers a little earlier in spring and a little later in fall than loons. Common

Loons reach the southern limit of their nesting range in Mecosta, northern Montcalm, and southern

Newaygo counties.

Nest predation by Raccoons, Snapping Turtles, and Bald Eagles (observed), nest swamping by boat and

personal watercraft wakes, and malicious disturbance have been recorded as threats to the continued

success of loons in the county.

Resident loons can be observed on the larger lakes in the county; during migration they are most common

in April and early May, and late October into early November. They can be observed feeding on Chippewa,

Jehnsen, Townline, Merrill, Haymarsh, and the Martiny Lakes and Tri-Lakes in the summer. Date Range. 23 March (2000) to 22 November (1993). Early Date. 11 March 1982. HRT. Eleven on 26 October 1996

and 16 April 1996. The Common Loon is actively monitored by the Michigan Loon Preservation

Association and its Loon Rangers. Some 11-13 nests are found yearly on various lakes and five to eight

young are produced yearly.

Historical Note: Barrows (1912) describes the loon: “Formerly it nested abundantly on most of the ponds

and lakes of the state, even to the southernmost border, but of late years it is much less common in summer

in the more thickly settled parts of the state, although it probably nests occasionally in every county.

Toward the north it nests in undiminished numbers and

during migration is so abundant in some places as to be

a serious annoyance to the fishermen in whose nets it is often entangled and drowned.” Pirnie (1935): “The

Loons…are quite unlike any of the game waterfowl, yet

some hunters persist in blazing away at them.”

GREBES ORDER PODICIPEDIFORMES

Grebe Family Podicipedidae

PIED-BILLED GREBE Podilymbus podiceps.

Uncommon summer resident, uncommon passage

migrant. Nests. Most often encountered in spring and

fall as they migrate through the county. Known nesting

areas are among emergent vegetation of the Martiny Lakes, the Featherbed Flooding, and in several secluded

small marshy lakes and ponds. During migration, the

grebes usually can be found, in early morning and evenings, quietly swimming near the weedy edges of

Hillview, the Martiny, Pretty, Chippewa, and Haymarsh lakes. Two confirmed nestings are the

observations of an adult and six young on the Featherbed Flooding, 3 July 1995, and two young birds on a

wetland northeast of 17 Mile Rd. at 90th Ave. in early August 1996. Date Range. 27 March (1995) to 12

November (1995). Early Date. 12 March 2000. Late Dates. 25 November 1998, 1999, 10 to 13 December

1996. HRT. 20 on 21 April 1996.

EARED GREBE Podiceps nigricollis Vagrant. Two Eared Grebes were reported by Pat and Mike Cady

on 9 May 2003 on a small pond on the northeast corner of the Muskegon river and Hoover Road. Another sighting was made the following year on a small pond northeast of Wilson Road at 130th Ave. by Barbara

Ross (date was apparently not recorded).

In 1998, one unhatched egg from a nest on Hodges Lake in Section 4 of Chippewa

Township was analyzed by the DNR at the

Rose Lake Wildlife Research Center. The egg

was found to contain trace amounts of aldrin,

DDT, and heptachlor; DDE at 49.4 ppm,

Dieldrin at 11.7 ppm, Nonachlor at 6.25 ppm,

and polychlorinated biphenyls at 34.2 ppm (analysis report, used with permission). All

these compounds have been banned since the

early 1970s. Lead poisoning from shot and

fishing sinkers is also known from the

county’s loons. (Data used by permission.)

11

RED-NECKED GREBE Podiceps grisegena. Vagrant. This species has been reported twice

by Joe Lipar, once in the spring of 2012 and again on 28 October 2012. Both sightings on

Chippewa Lake.

HORNED GREBE Podiceps auritus. Uncommon passage migrant. Seldom encountered during their

brief stay in the county in spring and fall, and numbers are generally small. Most often encountered well out on Chippewa and Round lakes, and occasionally on the Muskegon River. Most common from late

March to mid-May, and October and November during migration, but recorded in all months except June

and July. Date Range. Spring, 27 March (1970) to 13 May (1996). Fall, 26 September (1999) to 17

November (1993). Early Dates. 27 January 1997, 2 and 28 February 1999. Unusual Date. 9 August 2000.

Early Fall Dates. 21 August and 8 September 1998. Late Dates. 3, 12, and 14 December 1997. HRT.

About 200 on 16 April 1997.

PELICANS AND CORMORANTS ORDER PELICANIFORMES

Cormorant Family Phalacrocoracidae

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT Phalacrocorax auritus. Uncommon to rare in spring and fall,

rare in summer. Nearly extirpated from the state in the 1960s due to pesticides entering the Great Lakes food chain, they have made a dramatic comeback in the 1990s to the point of being a nuisance bird in many

areas, though not yet here. Singles to small flocks of 15 or more have been found from mid-April to mid-

May and October and early November on Lower Evans, Hillview, Big Evans and Chippewa lakes and other

open bodies of water. Several have been observed on the Muskegon River from Big Rapids to north of

Paris. There have been very few reports of this species since about 2003, and only singles or pairs that stay

only a short time before moving on. Date Range. Spring, 10 April (1995) to 27 May (1995). Summer,

Chippewa Lake, 4 July and 5 August 1994 and 25 June 1995. Late summer to fall, 16 August (1994) to 29

October (1994 SR, MW). HRT. About 35 over Chippewa Lake, 4 July 1998; 33 on Chippewa Lake.

Historical Note: Barrows (1912) notes the cormorants as a rare migrant with no known nesting. By the

1930s they had a significant presence but nearly disappeared by 1960 due to hunting, commercial fishing and pesticides. By the 1980s the population began to surge again and by the 1990s cormorants were nesting

widely in the Great Lakes and becoming a pest species to fishermen (Brewer et al. 1991).

Pelican Family Pelecanidae

AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN Pelecanus erythrorynchos. Vagrant. Two were seen on Chippewa

Lake 18, 19, and 21 April 1994, and also reported from Lost Lake about the same time by several

observers. A second observation was made on 15 June 1998 on Jehnsen Lake; observed for most of the

morning by Jack and Jan Pagel, lake residents, and accepted from a good description of this unmistakable

bird. No reports since these.

BITTERNS, HERONS, EGRETS, AND NEW WORLD VULTURES ORDER CICONIIFORMES

The extermination of whole colonies of these large and beautiful herons for their breeding plumes, much in demand for ladies’ fashion in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, nearly brought about the

extinction of several species. Most species have now recovered to nearly their former numbers. The

American and Least Bitterns are faring poorly in many locations, as the loss of wetlands to farming, real-

estate developments and drainage projects for insect control has depleted their habitat drastically.

Heron Family Ardeidae

AMERICAN BITTERN Botaurus lentiginosus. Rare passage migrant and summer resident. State

Special Concern. Possible occasional nester. Displaying males have been heard or observed in the

Martiny Lakes, Featherbed Flooding, and about 0.5 mile north of Wilson Rd. at 120th Ave. Attempts to

locate a nesting area or young have been fruitless although there is much suitable habitat in the county.

Finding American Bitterns is best attempted soon after their arrival in the spring in the larger marshes in the county; otherwise, it is largely up to chance. Date Range. 23 April (1995) to 5 July (1995) and

probably somewhat later. HRT. 5 on 14 May 1994 (total in five locations), 4 on 13 May 1995. Collection

Note: One specimen preserved as a skeleton in the UMMZ (107422) collection, taken at Paris State Fish

Hatchery by R. G. Fortney 1 August 1941. One American Bittern in the CMUZC (61-69) collected 26

12

April 1960 as a road kill, preserved as a study skin, no location data. A second (89-71)

collected in Sheridan Township, Section 16, as a road kill on 8 May 1989, preserved as a

mount.

Historical Note: Both Cook (1893) and Barrows (1912) note the American Bittern to be a very common

bird of the marshes “large enough to tempt most juvenile shooters, and so thousands of these harmless and picturesque birds are killed every year for no useful purpose whatever” (Barrows 1912).

LEAST BITTERN Ixobrychus exilis. Rare passage migrant, summer resident and probable nester.

State Threatened. Even more secretive and reclusive than the American Bittern, staying well hidden in the

tallest cat-tail vegetation. This species is found in the large cat-tail stands of the Martiny Lakes: in Manake

Lake; the channel between Lost and Big Evans lakes; in Dogfish Lake; and in the southeast corner of

Lower Evans Lake, where they appear to be present all summer. Although scattered populations occur

north of Mecosta County, this area is the northern extent of nesting in Michigan (Brewer et al. 1991).

Probably no more than three to five pair are present in the Martiny system. They have also been found in

the cat-tails of the swamp north of Lake Mecosta to Blue Lake channel in Morton Township, and may also

nest there. Date Range. 18 May (1995) to 24 August (1994).

Historical Note: Barrows (1912): “In suitable places Least Bitterns are extraordinarily abundant, but

numbers vary much in the same locality from year to year.” “...[W]e have known two collectors working

together to find more than 20 nests containing eggs, and nearly as many empty ones, during a day’s

search.”

GREAT BLUE HERON Ardea herodias. Common summer resident, rare in winter. Nests. Several

rookeries known. Easily seen on almost any size body of water, from roadside ditches to the largest lakes

and any stream or river. During late summer, they might be seen feeding in open fields well away from

water, where they pursue larger insects, snakes, and frogs.

These herons are sometimes incorrectly referred to as “blue cranes” or “blue herrings.” An occasional bird will winter in the county if open water is available, usually on the Muskegon River near Paris Park. Date

Range. 12 March (1994, 2000) to 19 November (1995), excluding a few over-wintering birds. Late Dates.

Numerous November, a few December, one January, and four February (Bev Brezina, MW) sightings. The

winter of 1997-1998 was the first winter that a Great Blue Heron was known to have wintered the entire

season. One observed on 6 February 2011 flying over Big Rapids. Collection Note: Five Great Blue Herons

were taken from the Paris State Fish Hatchery, June through August 1941 by R. G. Fortney. UMMZ

collection (107061, 107062, 107423-425), preserved as skeletons. One Great Blue Heron collected near

Remus was “found dead by a private lake” on 12 April 1984 (CMUZC acc. # 84.015).

GREAT EGRET Ardea alba. Rare to vagrant in spring; uncommon but regular, late summer and

fall. Becoming a yearly visitor in the county as young

birds and adults from the south wander after nesting. Most sightings are in the late summer and fall, but a few

have been observed in spring since 1994. Adults in

breeding plumage have been seen in the Featherbed

Flooding and in the shallows of Chippewa Lake.

Sightings have been widely spaced, but most have been

in the northern half of the county. The possibility that

they may nest here in Great Blue Heron colonies does

exist, but as yet has not been observed in the county.

Very few Great Egrets have been observed in the

county since 2004. Has been reported in western

Mecosta Township in 2011 and in eastern Newaygo County in 2012, but the observer did not know the

species, but it can be presumed to be a Great Egret. The

Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) has not been found in the

county; however, one was brought into the county from

Nesting colonies are visible from the roadsides: in Section 21 of Chippewa

Township southeast of 21 Mile Rd. at 80th

Ave. (apparently abandoned in 2000); north

of M-20 just inside the eastern Mecosta

County border (abandoned by about 2008); a

hidden colony in Section 17 of Colfax

Township containing two separate nesting

groups; from the US-131 Expressway just into Osceola County; a new colony began

about 2002 northeast of 2 Mi Rd at 60th Ave.

To the best of my knowledge, these are the

only colonies in or near the county; total

number of nests in the known colonies

exceeds 150.

13

Missaukee County on 11 May 1991 as an injured bird, and survived for several days (Wildlife Rescue

rehabilitation records). Haymarsh Lake, Featherbed Flooding, and Martiny lakes are good places to find

this egret in late August into September. Date Range. 12 April (1995) to 31 October (1994); most from

August to October. HRT. 6 on 18 August 1996 (GV).

SNOWY EGRET Egretta thula. Vagrant. One observed in 2005 by Joe Lipar flying over the East Campus apartments on the Ferris State University campus (Damascus Rd at Ives Ave).

LITTLE BLUE HERON Egretta caerulea. Vagrant. One adult Little Blue Heron was observed on a

small private pond in Section 29 of Green Township from 28 April to 2 May 1998. The bird was first

observed by Eileen Heuvelhorst and confirmed by George and Judy Vogel.

GREEN HERON Butorides viresens (V. striatus). Common summer resident. Nests. Because of their

size and coloration, Green Herons are often overlooked, though common. They nest singly or in loose

colonies, with no apparent site preference from year to year. During drought years they congregate along

the banks of the Muskegon and Little Muskegon rivers, thus appearing much more visible and numerous

than usual. Young have been observed wandering in upland fields well away from water in summer. Their

preferred haunts are smaller wooded lakes, streams, duckweed-covered ponds, and roadside drainage ditches, but are sometimes found around the larger lakes. Date Range. 22 April (2000) to 1 October

(2000); most gone by early September. Early Date. 17 April 1977. HRT. In one place: 8 on 1 August

1998, 22 on 1 August 1998 along the Muskegon River from Hemlock Park in Big Rapids to the public

access in Section 36 of Big Rapids Township.

Collection Note: Two Green Heron specimens in the CMUZC (62-7) collected on 31 May 1953 and

preserved as study skins. A second specimen (80-131, acc. # 80.119) from a bird that “flew into a power

line 2 miles south of M-20 and 1 mile west of Costabella Road,” with no collection date but prepared on 3

February 1980 as a study skin.

BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON Nycticorax nycticorax. Vagrant. State Special Concern. One immature night-heron was observed along the edge of the Muskegon River near the end of Arthur Road on

6 July 1996, and 4 others were observed along the Muskegon River north of Big Rapids on 1 September

1997 (Jim Krellwitz). Doug McWhirter notes seeing one on the Chippewa River on 3 September 1965.

New World Vulture Family Cathartidae

TURKEY VULTURE Cathartes aura. Common summer resident and passage migrant. Nests. Most

visible as the large, black, soaring bird during summer. The advent of the automobile and the resultant

increase in the quantity of road kill, particularly deer, may be a major influence in the increase of the

Turkey Vulture in the state by the end of the twentieth century. Their migration through the county in mid-

September to mid-October is the only prominent movement of large migrant birds other than waterfowl.

There is one known communal roost where vultures congregate in the evening to pass the night, northeast

of 16 Mile Rd. at 160th Ave. The roost appears to be seasonal, being used during the spring and fall

migration only, and not during the breeding season after the vultures have paired and begun nesting. At the

time of this writing, this site was occupied in 1996-1999. Roosts in other locations in the county are likely.

One pair of Turkey Vultures has been nesting in Section 12 of Colfax Township in the 1996 through 2000

nesting seasons, and may have been for several years previously. Turkey Vultures are found throughout the

county and are most often seen soaring over the countryside or near road kills. Date Range. 16 March

(2000) to 19 October (1994). Early Date. 4 March 1998 (MW). 7 March 2010 (Kathy Stolaruk). HRT. 35

on 15 May 1996. Collection Note: A nearly complete skeleton of an adult male vulture was found on 2

December 1997 a few hundred feet from a Colfax Township nest location, and donated to the UMMZ. (J. Hinshaw, UMMZ, pers. comm.)

Historical Note: Cook (1893) comments the vulture as common to rare but seldom seen, while Barrows

(1912) notes that it is mostly confined to the two southernmost tiers of counties and wanders sparingly

14

northward. Van Tyne (1938) notes, “Summer resident north to Kent County (very few actual

nest records).” The ABBM (Brewer et al. 1991) discussion of the Turkey Vulture, states it is

now widespread through the entire state to the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula, and regularly

crosses in small numbers into Canada from Whitefish Point.

HAWKS, BUTEOS, EAGLES, AND FALCONS ORDER FALCONIFORMES

The occurrence of hawks in the county varies considerably from year to year, being mostly dependent on

the food supply. There are no prominent migrations of any hawk species through the area, though small

kettles (groups of soaring hawks) of Red-tailed Hawks can occasionally be seen in April. Kestrels can also

be found in family groups or larger in late August, before they migrate from the county. Single Sharp-

shinned and Cooper’s Hawks, Merlins, and Peregrines can be seen flying cross-country at times, matching

the general statewide migration of these hawks and falcons.

Osprey Family Pandionidae

OSPREY Pandion haliaetus. Uncommon summer resident. State Threatened. Most often seen

searching over the larger lakes and river courses for fish. Mecosta County is graced with seven known

nesting pairs of the Osprey. They nest in five of the townships, sometimes producing three young per nest. Nests visible to the public are at Pickerel Lake, Jehnsen Lake, and on the Muskegon River at Rogers Pond.

Late migrants have been seen to the end of September, but they are usually gone by mid- to late August.

Found throughout the county over the lakes and rivers, but are most often observed in the northern half and

are often mistaken for Bald Eagles locally. In the early 2000’s an Osprey began nesting on the large lamp

fixtures on the FSU campus and by 2004 had established a permanent nest on the lamp post in parking lot

south of the Swan Building along Ives Street. A web camera was set up at the nest in 2009. The web cam is

linked on the Ferris State University web site (www.ferris.edu) home page during the nesting season. Date

Range. 30 March (1998) to 31 August (1994). Late Dates. 24 September 1995, 26 September 1983, 4

October 1993, 8 October 1998.

Accipiter Family Accipitridae BALD EAGLE Haliaeetus leucocephalus. Uncommon year-round resident. rare but increasing in

winter. Nests (also in Osceola and Newaygo counties). State Threatened (in the process of being

delisted from Federally Endangered). Most often seen flying along the Muskegon River valley and over

Chippewa Lake and the Martiny Lakes. During the winter, eagles can occasionally be seen dining on fish

left on the ice by ice fishermen – possibly a major reason for their remaining year-round – and have been

observed feeding on deer carcasses during the winter.

They have been known to nest in several of the townships, and seem to be holding their own or increasing

here. A nest was built in the fall of 1993 on the Martiny Lakes (Section 12) and was reported to have

produced young each year from 1995-1999 (unused in 2000). The nest noted in Brewer et al. (1991) as

confirmed in Martiny Township predates this nest, and the location of the Brewer et al. (1991) nest is not

known. In April of 1999, a new nest was found in Section 28 of Green Township, northeast of 19 Mile Rd. at 220th Ave., but it blew down in the winter of 1999-2000. Presently active nests are located in Section 30

of Chippewa Township in December 2000 and is suspected to have been in use for a few years; in Green

Township south of Hoover Rd. and a third active nest was located in the early spring of 2001 in Section 34

of Hinton Township. These nests are some of the southernmost nests in the state, most of them being north

of the Manistee-to-Iosco counties tier.

Bald Eagles can be found throughout the county, but are most often encountered in the northern half,

particularly around Chippewa Lake. Numbers seem to be increasing. Date Range. Throughout the year.

HRT. Five on 24 April 1996 and 12 December 1997 (GV). Four on Chippewa Lake 14 December 2012.

Five on 26 December 2012 at Brower Park, Mecosta Township (Joe Lipar).

Historical Note: In Barrows (1912): “It was formerly much more abundant, and probably a few pairs nested

in every county in the state, but the birds are followed relentlessly by hunters who shoot them for

specimens or for mere sport, and the nests have been robbed year after year by egg collectors, so that one

by one the nests have been deserted...”

15

NORTHERN HARRIER Circus cyaneus. Uncommon spring through fall; rare in winter.

State Special Concern. Rare nester. Harriers have been recorded here in the winter if the

ground is free of snow, their presence at any time apparently determined by the number of mice and voles

available to them. Harriers may be nearly absent in low food years and almost common when there is a

high population of prey. Late winter-early spring and fall Harriers can be confused with Rough-legged Hawks that are present only from October to early April.

Two nests have been confirmed: one on 9 June 1989 in Section 14, Grant Township (GV), and in Section

18 of Sheridan Township in June 2000. Courtship activity was seen at two locations in Colfax Township,

and also reported by other observers elsewhere in the county. Brewer et al. (1991) lists possible nests in

Fork, Millbrook, Aetna, and Austin townships. Look for these hawks throughout the county from March

through November as they soar low over open fields and marshes. Date Range. 6 March (1994) to 27

November (1994). Late Dates. six December dates; 1, 6 January 2012; and 1, 16 February 1998. HRT. 7

on 21 October 1993.

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK Accipiter striatus. Uncommon year-round resident, less common in

winter. Probable nester. Smallest of the Accipiters in the county, Sharp-shinneds are hawks of the woodlands. During the winter, the “Sharpie” and Cooper’s often raise the ire of persons with bird-feeding

stations, as both have the habit of picking off birds during lightning-fast strikes across the yard.

Sharp-shinned Hawks nest in dense coniferous and mixed coniferous/deciduous woodlands. Several nests

are probable in the county each year, but the closest confirmation of nesting was one adult carrying a vole

while flying across Townline Lake in Colfax Township on 2 July 1996. Sharpies are most often seen near

bird feeders or flying cross-country. Date Range. Present throughout the year, though rare in winter.

Oddly, only one June record, 13 June 1991. Collection Note: A skeletal specimen of the velox subspecies is

pre-served in the UMMZ (203139), collected near Mecosta on 3-4 December 1929 by Gerald Huller.

COOPER’S HAWK Accipiter cooperii. Uncommon year-round resident. State Special Concern.

Probable nester. Habits are like those of Sharp-shinned Hawks. They are also hawks of the woods,

hunting mostly songbirds for food, occasionally soaring over the countryside between woodlots. Cooper’s

Hawks are more often seen during winter than Sharpies, and like the Sharp-shinned, are most often

encountered flying cross-country or at bird feeders. Date Range. Uncommon year-round.

Historical Note: Barrows (1912) refers to Cooper’s Hawks as our most abundant hawks, is found

throughout the state except during the coldest months, and probably nests in every county section.

Collection Note: In Wood (1951) there is this note: “At Big Rapids, Mecosta County, C. Karshner collected

egg sets (UMMZ), 1 on April 23, 1899, and 1 on April 28, 1901.” (UMMZ 36142 and 36143). One

specimen was prepared as a study skin from a shot bird (CMUZC 61-10) collected on 25 September1960;

no county location data.

NORTHERN GOSHAWK Accipiter gentilis. Rare year-round resident. State Special Concern.

Several confirmed nests. The population in the county and surrounding area may be on the increase, as

goshawks are being sighted more and more often. Known recent nests have been found in Grant, Mecosta,

and Austin townships. One active nest, found in Section 33 of Grant Township on 22 May 1998, could not

be relocated after a severe windstorm on 31 May. Like the other two Accipiters, goshawks dine mainly on

birds, but also take mammals up to the size of hares. Observations are most often in open country and

woodland edge. Date Range. Year-round resident, but no January, February, June, or September sightings

here; only one for March (5 March 1988) and one for April (1 April 1997, DW). Collection Note: One bird

was found dead in a yard near 5 Mile Rd. at 80th Ave. in Hinton Township on 19 August 1985, and

preserved as a study skin in the CMUZC (85-49, Acc. # 85.067).

RED-SHOULDERED HAWK Buteo lineatus. Rare summer resident. State Threatened. Probable

nester. Generally encountered only in late winter and early spring as they migrate north over the county; a

few individuals are reported each year, usually in late February or early March. Soaring Buteo hawks seen

from February to the end of April should not be assumed to be red-tails (though they most often are). There

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was evidence of the Red-shouldered Hawk nesting in Section 8 of Aetna Township in 1993 and

1994, based on agitated adults circling overhead while observers were bird watching from the

roadside. This species has also been observed on rare occasions around the Haymarsh SGA.

Most often seen soaring over woodlands, they require large areas of woods for nesting. As the county

recovers its woodlands, this hawk may increase in numbers. Date Range. 8 February (1998) to 22 May

(1998); Unusual Dates 24 August (1998) to 25 October (1997); and two winter records, 1 December 1990 and 16 December 2000. Collection Note: In Wood, 1951:“The northernmost nests recorded were found in

Newaygo County (Ford, 1935: 18-19) and Mecosta County (4 eggs, April; 26. 1896, UMMZ) but others

may occur considerably farther north.” UMMZ 36139, location is given only as Mecosta.

Historical Note: Cook (1893) and Barrows (1912) both list red-shouldereds as abundant nesters throughout

the state in all seasons.

BROAD-WINGED HAWK Buteo platypterus. Rare summer resident. Nests. Our smallest Buteo,

Broad-wings are mainly woodland hawks. Broad-wings are common migrants in Michigan, with kettles of

several thousand regularly seen over Whitefish Point in the spring, and tens of thousands at Erie Metro

Park near Detroit in the fall; however, in this county one is hard-pressed to find even a few soaring high

above the countryside. Brewer et al. (1991) notes possible nestings in four northern townships, and confirmed in Martiny Township. A confirmed nesting was observed in Grant Township in 1994, 1996, and

again in 1998 (an abandoned nest), all within an area of what may be one territory. Found in all the

townships and may be more regular nesters than noted, as their nest-building dates are after the leaves are

out. Date Range. 22 April (1995) to 13 August (1998 GV). Late Date. 6 October 1992.

RED-TAILED HAWK Buteo jamaicensis. Uncommon to common year-round resident. Nests. Our

most abundant hawk; found in all townships flying over the countryside, eyeing a field from a utility pole,

or roosting in the middle branches of trees. The winter population is northern hawks that have moved south

into our area, while “our” summer birds may winter farther south. Red-tails most certainly nest in all the

townships and their population, as well as their nesting success, varies yearly with the small mammal

supply. Date Range. Year-round residents, though the winter birds may not be the same as the summer birds. HRT. 10 on 17 April 1994.

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK Buteo lagopus. Rare to common winter visitor depending on food supply.

During winter, Rough-legged Hawks join us in small numbers from the far north; they are highly variable

in pattern and color, from pale to nearly all black. Look for them circling over fields, particularly in the

southern townships, or perched on utility poles, fence posts, and snags, as the Red-tailed Hawk with which

it can be easily confused without careful observation. Date Range. Fall to mid-spring only; 4 October

(1993) to 4 May (1981). Late Date. 15 May 2000. HRT. 21 on CBC, 18 December 1999.

GOLDEN EAGLE Aquila chrysaetos. Vagrant. On 20 December 1997, three observers had stunning

view of one adult Golden Eagle as the bird circled overhead near the corner of 12 Mile Rd. at 175th Ave.

(SR, Kathy Stolaruk, and Martha Walter). Additional observations, over Chippewa Lake October 2007, 1 on 4 April 2012 over section 12 Colfax Township, 1 on 26 December 2012 with 5 Bald Eagles over Brower

Park in Mecosta Township (Joe Lipar)..

RAILS AND CRANES ORDER GRUIFORMES

Rail Family Rallidae

VIRGINIA RAIL Rallus limicola. Common summer resident in wetlands. Nests. Difficult to find

unless tape-recorded songs are used to draw a response, but their cackling call can be heard on summer

evenings and during the night without resorting to recordings. There are so many reports of probable

nesting in the marshes that nests are a must in Colfax, Martiny, Millbrook, and Grant townships, if not all others, too. Confirmed nestings have been noted in the Featherbed Flooding, and about 0.25 mile south of

the curve of Madison Rd. at 65th Ave. Found in a wide variety of marshes where cat-tails, tall grasses or

Water Willow are dominant: the Martiny Lakes, the Blue Lake-Lake Mecosta channel, and the Featherbed

Flooding are prime locations, and other smaller wetlands of an acre or more throughout the county have

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also been found to have Virginias and Soras; most common in the Martiny Lakes

chain. Date Range. 1 April (1999) to 10 October (1994). HRT. 10 on 26 July 1994

on Manake Lake only, and 17 on the whole Martiny Lakes chain.

SORA Porzana carolina. Uncommon to common summer resident. Nests. Our smallest rail, probably

common, but difficult to find due to their secretive nature. Soras remain well hidden in the vegetation, so knowing the various vocalizations of this bird is very useful for identification.

Nesting evidence is from an adult with seven young crossing the road at Wilson Rd. at 120th Ave. on 14

June 1991. They are reliably found at the corner of Bullhead Lake Road at West Chippewa Lake Road at

the northwest corner of Chippewa Lake; on Lower Evans and Big Evans lakes, and the Featherbed

Flooding. Our experience in the county has been to find Soras in drier, habitats than the Virginia Rail. Date

Range. 15 April (1998) to 28 September (1995).

COMMON MOORHEN Gallinula galeata (G. chloropus). Rare to uncommon summer resident. State

Special Concern. Nests. Common Moorhens are more often heard than seen during the breeding season, as

they remain well hidden among the emergent clumps of vegetation, becoming visible only if moving across

open water between clumps. However, after the young are old enough to venture into the open in mid-summer, it is fairly common to observe small family groups along the edges of open water near vegetation

at Lower Evans and Lost lakes.

Brewer et al. (1991) indicates the moorhen as a possible nester in Mecosta Township, and probable in

Millbrook Township. Of the latter location, one observation of a moorhen was made in the marsh at 5 Mile

Rd. at 60th Ave. on 13 May 1995. Observations during the period 1993-2000 have not found moorhens to

occur in the county, except south of the public access site for Lower Evans Lake, in the Lost Lake marsh,

and in the Featherbed Flooding. Only one or two pairs are known to nest in these locations. A nest with 11

eggs was located on 22 May 1998 in Lost Lake near the northern end of the boat channel in a thick clump

of rushes (Juncus effusus). The invasion of Purple Loosestrife may be pushing them out of the Lower

Evans location. The most reliable location for the moorhen is in the Martiny Lakes marshes. No reports since about 2003. Date Range. 6 April (2000) to 6 October (1992). HRT. 11 on 1 August 1993: adults and

young of two families.

AMERICAN COOT Fulica americana. Rare to common passage migrant. Probable nester. Coots

arrive in early to mid-April, and may be common for a few days or until mid-May. Most occur on

Chippewa Lake, where flocks of up to 450 or more have been recorded regularly in the fall. In 1997, a

group of over 700 was noted on 23 October, with about 400 remaining from early October to late

November. During fall migration, coots are found in much larger numbers and remain longer than during

the spring. They arrive in late September or early October, are most common to mid-November, then

decline from late November into early December. Scattered individuals to groups of 30 to 60 or more have

been seen on Round, Hillview, Lower Evans, and lost Lakes, and a few scattered pairs or individuals

occasionally show up on some of the smaller bodies of water.

The bulk of their breeding range is south of us, but a few breed as far north as the Upper Peninsula,

(Brewer et al. 1991). They are very secretive nesters, keeping well hidden in thick wetland vegetation, so it

is difficult to prove nesting. On 20 May 1998, four individuals (one appearing to be building or on a nest)

were observed on Lost Lake, and a group of 14 was observed on Lower Evans Lake on the same date. On 3

June 1998, two coots were observed in the Lower Evans Lake marsh. Gerald Pelham, a resident on Lost

Lake, has noted a few coots regularly during the summer on Lost Lake for several years. Since 2001, there

have been few coots noted in the county. Most observations are of small numbers along the west side of

Chippewa Lake. Those seen do not longer long. About 150 on 25 October 2012 is probably ht ehighest

count since the early 2000’s. Date Range. Spring, 28 March (1999) to 16 May (1996). Occasional summer

observations. Fall, 19 September (2000) to 12 December (1998). HRT. About 700 on 23 October 1997. Collection Note: One specimen collected on 31 May 1953 and preserved as a study skin, with no other

data, in the CMUZC (62-41).

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Crane Family Gruidae

SANDHILL CRANE Grus canadensis. Uncommon but regular summer resident and passage

migrant. Nests. Most often observed during the spring and fall migration in corn-stubble fields singly, in

pairs, or small flocks – often with flocks of Canada Geese – or in the air in fair-sized flocks. The Sandhill

Crane is one of the conservation success stories. Quite locally distributed by 2001, they are now found in

all the townships and likely nest in the larger marshes, and some smaller marshes, in most. Flocks of fifty to one hundred are not uncommon during migration and parents with colts are often seen in fields in

summer.

During the nesting season, the few cranes remaining in the county are seldom seen but often heard. Some

probable nesting locations are the Haymarsh SGA in Grant Township and the Martiny Lakes, and there is

some evidence that nesting may occur in some of the more remote shallow marshes on private land in

Millbrook and Colfax townships. Sandy VanAlstine (SV), a resident in Grant Township, reports seeing

young with parents in the shallow lake and fields near her house by mid-July. The first confirmation of

cranes with young unable to fly was noted on 26 June 2000, in a swale about 0.25 mile north of 16 Mile

Rd. at 160th Ave. Brewer et al. (1991) notes a confirmed nesting in Grant Township during the ABBM

survey period.

The fall migration occurs from late September to the early part of October, when flights of fifty to sixty

may be seen. Except for a report of 75 cranes on the ground northeast of 22 Mile Rd. at 150th Ave. on 2

October 1998 (JV, SV), large autumnal flocks have only been observed passing overhead. Date Range. 4

March (1998) to 16 October (1989). Early Date. 26 February 2000. Late Dates. 28 October 1998 (SR) and

2000 (Bud Wise), 30 October 1994 (MW), 4 November 1995. From 21 November to 12 December 1998, 2

healthy adults with a wounded young that could not fly were seen by several observers. HRT. 75 on 2

October 1998, highest individual sighting from JV and SV. Single day accumulated, 232 on 2 October 1998

in four flights – 33 over Chippewa Lake (GV); 75 north of Grant Center (JV), 52 over Canadian Lakes

(Bud Wise), 72, over Big Rapids (PC).

Historical Note: Cook (1893): “They are prized by some people for table use.” Walkinshaw and Hoffman (1974): “Even up to 1900, a Jackson, Michigan, hotel had Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis) on its menu.”

Breeding in Montcalm County southwest of Greenville was known from a record of two chicks on 30 June

1894; by the 1930s these cranes were nearly extirpated from Michigan (Walkinshaw and Hoffman 1974).

SHOREBIRDS, GULLS, AND TERNS ORDER CHARADRIFORMES

In general, Mecosta County misses out on shorebirds for two reasons: it is an inland county with no large

shallow-water shoreline and, within the county, there is very little suitable habitat for those that do arrive.

During the Great Plains drought in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s such species as dowitchers, Bairds,

Semipalmated, White-rumped, and Pectoral Sandpipers, Dunlin, and Semipalmated, Black-bellied and

American Golden Plovers were recorded in the county. There have been few if any observations since the

original publication in 2001.

Plover Family Charadriidae

BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER Pluvialis squatarola. Vagrant passage migrant. Watch for Black-bellied

Plovers in recently plowed fields in spring and late summer into fall, or along the edges of small bare-edged

farm ponds and casual water. This habitat changes yearly so there is no regular place to look. Date Range.

7 August (1994) to 13 September (1994), one in 1979; five in 1994. HRT. 14 on 13 September 1994.

AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER Pluvialis dominica. Vagrant passage migrant. Seen on the flats of

Morley Pond during the 1994 draw-down. Date Range. 4 on 26 September and 1 on 9 October 1994 (SR,

GV), these two observations only.

SEMIPALMATED PLOVER Charadrius semipalmatus. Vagrant passage migrant. Semipalmated Plovers have been seen on the mud of Lower Evans Lake, the backwater of Morley Pond during draw-

down, the Featherbed Flooding, and casual pools of farm fields. Date Range. Spring, 14 May (2000) to 25

May (1995). Fall, 6 August (1994) to 25 August (1994). HRT. 6 on 24 August 1994 and 25 August 1995.

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KILLDEER Charadrius vociferus. Common summer resident and passage

migrant. Common nester. Our most common shorebird, these birds cannot be missed

as they fly about the county over almost any bare open place arriving, on average,

about mid-March. They have nested in some rather absurd places for their safety, like the middle of two-

track roads and in the decorative stones of parking-lot dividers (one instance: Ferris State University Allied

Health Building parking lot 1994 and 1995; successful both years). By late July, Killdeer become even more obvious, forming large loose flocks in almost any recently plowed field or around casual pools, then

may be almost absent by mid-August. Killdeer numbers again increase in September as the early migrants

arrive, but the flocks quickly leave with each passing cold front, and are present in dwindling numbers into

early October. Common in open fields with little or no vegetation, especially after plowing, and as noted

above. Date Range. 7 March (1977) to 29 October (1996, 1999). Early Date. 26 February 2000 (very

warm spell; this early is unlikely in future). HRT. About 200 on 25 August 1994. Collection Note: Four

eggs (UMMZ 36144) were collected at the Mecosta County Fairgrounds on 27 April 1899 by Clyde

Karshner. One specimen prepared as a study skin, collected on 15 November 1953 near Rodney (CMUCZ

62-50). This is a record late date also (see above).

Sandpiper Family Scolopacidae

SPOTTED SANDPIPER Actitis macularius. Uncommon summer resident. Nests. Shortly after the removal of the Consumers Energy Dam in Big Rapids in 1966, Spotted Sandpipers were common along the

newly formed sandy edges of the riverbanks and islands in the Muskegon River. As these areas became

grassy, then overgrown with willows, spotties all but disappeared along the river from Big Rapids to

Rogers Dam. They seem to be increasing here again in recent years. They are still common north of Big

Rapids along the river where sandy and rocky shores still exist, and may well nest there. There was a

probable nesting in Section 17 of Chippewa Township in 1994, and a confirmed nesting was observed by

the presence of one young at the edge of a farm pond 0.5 mile south of Buchanan Rd. at 20th Ave., 6 July

1997. Look for the spotty along muddy and sandy shorelines of lakes, stream edges, rocky islands in the

Muskegon River above the Baldwin Street Bridge, and on dense patches of lily pads that can support their

weight in the Martiny Lakes and Featherbed Flooding. Date Range. 24 April (1994) to 15 September

(1994 MW, 1996). Late Date. 9 October 1996. HRT. 7 on 8 May 1996, 14 May 1997 (GV). Collection Note: Wood (1951): “...a set of four eggs (UMMZ) was collected in Mecosta County by Lewis Brackett on

May 23, 1896...” (UMMZ 36121).

Historical Note: Cook (1893): “Exceedingly abundant; ‘throughout the state’ (A. H. Boies).... breeds

abundantly, nests in April, on ground, in garden, field or woodland.”

SOLITARY SANDPIPER Tringa solitaria. Rare to uncommon passage migrant. Late north-bound

migrants may be passed by the early south-bound migrants, giving the appearance that they remain in the

county all summer (J. Granlund, pers. comm.). Solitaries are present longer than all the other migrant

shorebirds, almost making it through the summer on occasion. A pair of Solitary Sandpipers spent mid-July

through August 1967 on a small pond at the end of Linden Street in Big Rapids. Solitaries are usually

found in short, grassy, wet areas and farm fields. Date Range. Spring, 25 April (1994) to 14 May (1996, 1998). Late summer, 1 July (1997) to 14 September (1994). HRT. 10 on 19 July 1996.

GREATER YELLOWLEGS Tringa melanoleuca. Rare but regular passage migrant. Present as early

as the first week of April, but do not always occur each year in both spring and fall. The most reliable place

for these birds is a farm pond northwest of 7 Mile Rd. at 140th Ave. Also look in grassy areas with casual

water, muddy fields, and the edges of farm ponds. Date Range. Spring, 4 April (1995) to 13 May (1995).

Fall, 1 August (1999) to 25 October (1994). Unusual Dates. 4 July 1998, 16 July 1996, Late Date. 3

November 1999. HRT. 9 on 23 April 1995.

LESSER YELLOWLEGS Tringa flavipes. Rare but regular passage migrant. More regular in

occurrence, in larger numbers, in a wider array of wet areas, and remaining longer than Greater Yellowlegs. They appear annually and are generally found in small numbers spring and fall. One bird with a broken

right wing lasted on a farm pond from spring into the fall, when it is assumed to have succumbed to the

cold. Lesser Yellowlegs are found in open fields, grassy casual water ponds, and the exposed edges of farm

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ponds and lakes. Date Range. Spring, 15 April (2000) to 4 June (1995). Late summer-fall, 4 July

(1998) to 15 October (1994). HRT. 11 on 12 September 1994 and 7 September 1996.

UPLAND SANDPIPER Bartramia longicauda. Rare summer resident. Nests. Large shorebirds of the

open, short-grass, that benefited from the lumbering and settlement era of the late 1800s and early 1900s

due to the opening up of the forested land. Presently, their numbers are decreasing due to development, habitat destruction, increasing reforestation, and farm practices. In the mid-1950s, Upland Sandpipers were

common enough that they nested in what is now the Osburn Circle area of Big Rapids. They are listed as a

possible and probable nester in seven townships, according to Brewer et al. (1991). A pair of adults with

four young was observed on 30 June 1996 at the corner of 10th Ave. at Hoover Rd. There is no reliable

location to find Upland Sandpipers in the county, but the Big Rapids Airport land and the large field

southwest of 9 Mile Rd. at 70th Ave. have been productive in the past. Date Range. 29 April (1982) to 25

July (1996). HRT. 6 on 30 June 1996.

SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER Calidris pusilla. Vagrant. Observed only a few times in the county,

these sandpipers can be easily confused with the Least and Baird’s. Date Range. The only certain

observations are August 1994 on a muddy field northeast of the corner of 17 Mile Rd. at 100th Ave.; 14

May 2000; 24 and 25 May 1995 (SR, GV, MW); 31 May 1997; and 31 May 1998 at the northwest corner of 7 Mile Rd. at 140th Ave. HRT. 7 on 31 May 1997.

LEAST SANDPIPER Calidris minutilla. Uncommon but regular passage migrant. Several sightings of

this smallest of the Calidris genus are made in the county each year. During the draw-down of Morley

Pond in the fall of 1994, it was the most common sandpiper, observed on numerous occasions from mid-

August to mid-October. Least Sandpipers have been observed on the muddy patches of Lower Evans and

Jehnsen lakes, on numerous small farm ponds, and other muddy areas in spring and fall. The most reliable

location has been a farm pond northwest of 7 Mile Rd. at 140th Ave. Of the “peep” sandpipers, this is the

only one that is regularly observed in the county. Just about any moderately sized casual water in spring

and more permanent farm ponds is a likely place to find this species as it migrates through in the spring.

Date Range. Spring, 23 April (1995) to 24 May (1995). Late summer-fall, 1 July (1995) to 13 October (1994). HRT. 10 on 11 September 1994.

WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER Calidris fuscicollis. Vagrant. George and Judy Vogel with Robert and

Kay Lookingbill observed the only record of this sandpiper on the eastern shore of Chippewa Lake at the

public access, on 17 May 1999 when four were seen. There apparently had been an unusual number of

inland sightings reported elsewhere in the state near this date (J. Granlund, pers. comm.).

BAIRD’S SANDPIPER Calidris bairdii. Vagrant. A group of six was observed on 9 October and five on

19 October 1994 on the Morley Pond by GV and SR during draw-down of the Deyo dam, and two on 2

September 1995, also at Morley Pond. The only other observation is from a farm pond at 7 Mile Rd. at

140th Ave. on 19 and 25 May 1995. HRT. 6 on 9 October 1994.

PECTORAL SANDPIPER Calidris melanotos. Rare passage migrant. Found in small numbers during

spring and fall migration on small ponds and temporary water in fields, but not yearly. Some observations

are: Morley area on 23 October 1982 (David Powell); 7 Mile Rd. at 140th Ave. on 11 May 1994; 100th

Ave. at 17 Mile Rd. on 6 to 10 August 1994; and Morley Pond on a number of occasions from 25 August to

9 October 1994, during draw-down of the Deyo (Morley) Dam. Date Range. Spring, 11 May 1994. Late

summer-fall, 29 July (1996) to 19 October (1996). They have not been found every year. HRT. 7 on 7

August 1994.

DUNLIN Calidris alpina. Rare passage migrant. Observed only a few times on the exposed edges of

small ponds and peeled-up peat chunks in the Martiny Lakes and Featherbed Flooding, though they may be

more regular. David Powell observed them on 18 April 1981 (records in Kalamazoo Nature Center, Kalamazoo) near Morley; Lower Evans Lake in spring 1994, 100th Ave. at 17 Mile Rd. 6 to 7 August

1994, and 13 October 1994 at Morley Pond. Date Range. Spring, 1 May (1995) to 27 May (1995). Fall, 2

September (1995) to 13 October (1994). Early Spring Date. 18 April 1981. Early Summer Date. 8

August 1994 (MW). HRT. 6 on 16 May 1995.

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SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER Limnodromus griseus. Vagrant. Four were seen on a farm

pond in Austin Township on 11 May 1994, and on Lower Evans Lake on 13 May 1994 (possibly

the same birds). In both cases, they were identified by their call, separating them from the very similar

Long-billed Dowitcher. Another sighting was made by Norma Harrison at Morley Pond on 17 September

1994. There was a possible sighting of a Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus) in the county on 6 November 1976. Date Range. Spring, 4 May (1994) to 19 May (1996). Late summer, 21 August

1995. HRT. 11 on 16 May 1996.

WILSON’S (COMMON) SNIPE Gallinago delicata (G. gallinago). Common summer resident into

fall, passage migrant. Nests. Common Snipe are most often detected during their April and May courtship

flights over marshy areas and fields. These flights take place even in broad daylight, then snipe become

silent after their courtship season ends. They nest in widely scattered wetlands throughout the county; look

for them in such areas as roadside weedy ditches, farm-pond edges, and the Martiny Lakes wetlands, where

they are most prevalent. They can be seen in good numbers on muddy areas of Lower Evans Lake and

Featherbed Flooding near dying vegetation during fall. Date Range. 23 March (1995) to 24 October

(1992). Early Date. 12 March 2000. HRT. 21 on 22 October 1993.

AMERICAN WOODCOCK Scolopax minor. Common spring to fall and as a passage migrant. Nests.

American Woodcock are the earliest shorebirds to arrive, reaching the county in the first third of March,

and some years before the snow has melted. Woodcock, like snipe, are most often encountered in spring

during courtship, which may occur while snow is still on the ground. One woodcock, observed during an

April (1996) freeze, had no difficulty finding nightcrawlers in a roadside ditch that was otherwise full of

snow. During nesting season, woodcock remain in young upland aspen stands and fields to nest and along

stream bottoms, ponds, and marsh edges to feed. Date Range. 4 March (1998) to 25 October (1995). Early

Dates. 26 February 1996, 28 February 2000. Late Date. 4 November 1978. HRT. 42 on 28 September

1993. Collection Note: Two specimens in the CMUZC, both prepared as study skins (67-506 and 507), and

collected south of Barryton on 15 June 1967. One specimen in the MSU Museum collection (OR.3377)

collected 8 miles west of Barryton on 15 October 1961.

RED-NECKED PHALAROPE Phalaropus lobatus. Vagrant. On 9 May 1995, five Red-necked

Phalaropes were observed on Chippewa Lake (SR, MW) flitting about over the water among over a

thousand Tree Swallows.

WILSON’S PHALAROPE Phalaropus tricolor. Vagrant. One observed during the North American

Migration Count on 14 May 2005 on a farm pond northwest of 7 Mi Rd at 140th Ave.

Gull and Tern Family Laridae

BONAPARTE’S GULL Chriococephalus philidelphia (Larus philadelphia). Rare passage migrant.

These pretty little gulls pass through the county in small numbers, but have occasionally been found in

flocks above 100 individuals. One flock of twenty was seen in Colfax Township on 17 April 1989, flying barely above the field at the corner of Wilson Rd. at 125th Ave.; this is the only record away from water.

Most often observed over Chippewa Lake, but have also been seen at the Martiny Lakes and Hillview

Lake. Date Range. Spring, 19 April (1998 GV) to 16 May (1995). Fall, 29 September (1997) to 25

October (1996). Late Date. One immature, 16 November 1997. HRT. 181 on 2 May 1995.

RING-BILLED GULL Larus delawarensis. Uncommon in spring, common summer and fall resident

and passage migrant, rare in winter. A few Ring-billed Gulls frequent the county in early spring as they

pass through on the way to their nesting colonies elsewhere. They arrive just as the ice begins to melt and,

with the Herring Gull, take advantage of dead fish found on the melting ice. Ring-bills are found in only

small numbers until mid-June to late July, when their nesting (elsewhere in the state) is complete. When

farmers plow under the stubble of winter wheat and other crops, these gulls move into the county, taking advantage of the food turned up in the freshly plowed fields. They roost for the night only on Chippewa

Lake, where more than 600 can be counted regularly near dusk; this appears to be their only night roost in

the county. From October to freeze-up, the numbers slowly decrease until they all leave for the winter. A

22

rare few individuals can be found during the winter on the Muskegon River north of the Paris Park area

(PC).

On a few occasions, one to a few gulls have been observed on the top of the lampposts in the center of Big

Rapids. They also have been observed on several occasions over the west end of Chippewa Lake hawking

insects, an unusual activity for such a large bird. They may be becoming a problem for nesting Common Nighthawks around the Ferris campus, as the gulls have been seen numerous times roosting on the roofs of

the dorm buildings, and may consume the nighthawk eggs or young.

During the day, from mid-July into September, these gulls roost and feed in freshly plowed fields and on

smaller lakes, mainly in Chippewa, Martiny and Colfax townships, and also frequent mall parking lots in

Big Rapids and the athletic practice fields on the west side of the Ferris State University campus. Scattered

small numbers can be found in the rest of the county. Date Range. 3 March (1998) to 27 December (1998).

A few remain on the Muskegon River north of Paris in winter. HRT. 1,000+ on 15 October 1997 and 950+

on 12 September 1997.

HERRING GULL Larus argentatus. Rare passage migrant and irregular summer visitor. A few are

seen in spring just as the ice leaves the lakes, and for a short period afterward. Both the Ring-billed and Herring Gulls have been found during every month of the year, but only as a few wandering individuals

during winter. In spring, Morley Pond, Chippewa, and the Martiny lakes are reliable places to locate these

gulls. One observed on the ice at Chippewa Lake on 15 December 2012 is the only Herring Gull record for

many years. Date Range. Spring, 31 March (1994) to 13 May (1996). Fall, 4 October (1995) to 20

December (1993). Early Dates. 6 January 1998, 16 February to 19 March 1998. Early Fall Dates. 11

September 1996, 19 September 1994. HRT. 14 on 7 December 1993.

CASPIAN TERN Hydroprogne caspia (Sterna caspia). Rare visitor. State Threatened. Several sightings

per year from 1994 through 2000 (excluding 1998-1999) have been made on Chippewa Lake, and twice on

Hillview Lake These birds have stayed only a few days at each visit and so are a chance occurrence to see.

Date Range. Spring, 22 April (1995) to 16 May (1995). Summer, 11 July 1997 (GV), 11 August 2000, 17 August 1994 (MW) and one fall date, 14 September 1997 (GV). HRT. 5 on 1 May 1996 and 14 September

1997 (both GV).

COMMON TERN Sterna hirundo. Rare to vagrant. State Threatened. Less often observed here than

the Forster’s, and are generally seen singly. They are present in the spring and fall in small numbers as

migrants, and not each year or in each migration season. Most sightings have been on Chippewa Lake.

Date Range. Spring, 9 May (1995) to 19 June (1996). One on 27 June 1987 (Martiny Lakes, Jack

Reinhoel). Fall, 19 September (1994) to 9 October (1996). HRT. 8 on 19 June 1996.

FORSTER’S TERN Sterna forsteri. Regular spring visitor, less often in fall. State Threatened. Most

often seen wheeling over Chippewa Lake, but have been seen over Hillview, Jehnsen, and the Martiny

lakes, as well as Lake Mecosta. Most often observed in groups, rather than singly. Date Range. Spring, 12 April (1995) to 24 May (1997). Fall, three dates: 3 September 1998, 10 and 11 September (1997). Unusual

Dates. 9 June 1999, 11 August 1994. HRT. 40 on 16 May 1996.

BLACK TERN Chlidonias niger. Uncommon local summer resident. State Special Concern. Nests.

Easily found in small numbers in the Martiny Lakes system, being regular nesters on Lower Evans Lake.

Since 1997, they have established a colony on Lost Lake, and by 2000 were nesting on Dogfish and Boom

lakes, when water levels were low enough to expose the patches of vegetation on which they nest. Upon

spring arrival, and occasionally during the summer, they may be seen feeding over Chippewa Lake;

otherwise they are rarely recorded outside the Martiny Lakes, even though several of the other lakes

probably offer usable habitat for feeding. The traditional Lower Evans Lake site, where six to eight pair

nest, may be becoming too overgrown with Water Willow and Purple Loosestrife to be a viable nesting colony site in the near future. Date Range. 6 May (1995) to 22 August (1999). HRT. 36 on 15 May 1995.

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DOVES ORDER COLUMBIFORMES

Several racing pigeons (carrier pigeons) and Ringed Turtle-Doves (Streptopelia

‘risoria’) have been recorded in the county, but both of these species are

escapees. Eurasian Collared-Doves (Streptopelia decaocto) are rapidly expanding their range northward

from populations in the southern states, and may reach Michigan sometime in the next decade.

Pigeon and Dove Family Columbidae

ROCK PIGEON (DOVE) Columba livia. Common to uncommon year-round resident. Nests. Not as

common as might be expected, and may be diminishing in numbers due to changes in farming practices and

cleaner cities. Rock Doves were once common in Big Rapids, but since the 1970s, the absence of waste

food on the sidewalks of downtown has greatly reduced their presence. A regular band of about 40 to 60

birds is often seen flying over the Big Rapids business district, often roosting atop the Nisbett Building.

Around Big Rapids, they generally remain around the grain elevator on the east side of the Muskegon

River. Outside towns, Rock Doves are found throughout the county, most often around farms with

livestock and at the other county grain elevators. Date Range. The population seems to remain constant

throughout the year. HRT. 110 on 31 October 1998.

MOURNING DOVE Zenaida macroura. Year-round resident, abundant spring to fall, uncommon in

winter. Common nester. One of our most common birds, having benefited greatly from man’s disturbance

of the countryside. Although they largely vacate the county during the winter, many doves will congregate

around preferred feeding stations and remain for the season, while fewer remain in the countryside feeding

on waste grain and roadside weed seeds. Migrants begin to return in numbers in mid-March. Doves

engaging in early courtship posturing and gathering nesting materials can be seen as early as late February.

Eggshells were found on the ground on 10 April 1990 and fledged young noted on 30 April. The Eurasian

Collared-Dove has been spreading northward for a number of years and may reach this area by 2010. Look

for Mourning Doves in farm yards and cut fields as well as park and city lawns feeding on waste grains and

seeds. Date Range. Throughout the year in varying numbers. HRT. 100 on 25 September 1995 (total for

several locations).

PASSENGER PIGEON Ectopistes migratorius. Extinct. The Passenger Pigeon has long been the “poster

bird” for the excesses of the early exploitation and extinction of America’s wildlife. Originally the most

abundant bird (and likely vertebrate) in North America, it was all but gone by the late 1880s. The quotes

below from the earlier accounts of Michigan bird life give an indication of its presence.

Cook remarks in 1893:

“Once very common, now equally rare; as a boy I saw immense flocks in Shiawassee Co., so

large as to nearly cloud the sky; we used to catch them by use of a net, hundreds at a time; ‘my

father tells me that they were once so common here, Port Sanilac, that they were killed by poles

and carried home in wheel barrows’… Now very rare. I killed one in 1889 and saw one in

1890.”

Barrows, in 1912 adds: “Estimates of the number of pigeons nesting in any

one place are extremely variable. Not a few writers

claim that from a billion to a billion and a half

assembled at one place to nest. Other writers believe

that not more than five to ten millions were found

together, while still others are doubtful if more than

one or two millions have ever nested at one time in

the same region. Apparently the largest nesting of

which we have definite knowledge was that which

was located near Petoskey, Emmet County, in 1878,

which has been frequently described as from twenty-eight to forty miles in length by three to ten

miles in width. Within this region one writer states

that at least 15,000 acres were included and that the nesting actually covered at least 100,000

Both cuckoos will lay eggs in each other’s nests and those of other species on occasion. Both stay here only a short

time during the nesting season, not usually appearing

until mid-May and departing by the last of July. Both are

known for consuming hairy caterpillars in their diet. The

spraying program for Gypsy Moths (Lymantria dispar),

begun here in the early 1990s, may be having an effect on

the native Eastern Tent Caterpillars (Malacosoma

americanum) on which the cuckoos feed, possibly

reducing their numbers. Since the beginning of the

spraying program with Bacillus thuringiensis, there have been none of the periodic outbreaks of the tent caterpillar,

and the caterpillars are seldom seen each spring now.

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acres. Since almost every tree had some nests, and as many as 110 nests have been

counted in a single tree, it is possible to form some conception of the numbers of pigeons

which reared their young in this place.”

And Wood in 1951 notes:

“…Nesting was reported near Grand Rapids in 1858 or 1859, and near Stanton, Montcalm

County, in 1874.…and in Newaygo, Oceana, and Grand Traverse counties in 1876... ...nesting near Manistee in 1868.…and near Mount Pleasant, Isabella County in 1869. In 1886, Stevens

saw about 600 pairs nesting near Lake City, Missaukee County.”

There are two references to the Passenger Pigeon in Mecosta County. In the July 15, 1955 Centennial

Edition of the Big Rapids Pioneer (Section C, page 1) there is this account: “In the spring of 1857 the wild

pigeons made their nests in a grove near the Davenport farm [22 Mile Rd. at 230th Ave. NE] and we had

plenty of pigeons. We could pick a basket of squabs at anytime.” In Fancher’s 1911 volume, The Past and

Present of Isabella County, Michigan, he says of the Passenger Pigeon: “In the early day the woods were

full of the wild pigeon, and about 1870 they appeared here for the last time. Their roost was in the east part

of Mecosta County... All day the air was full of the faithful pigeons on their pilgrimage for food. This roost

was the last in this section and substantially the last of the wild pigeon.”

CUCKOOS ORDER CUCULIFORMES Both species appear to be diminishing in numbers, the Yellow-billed Cuckoo is the rarer.

Cuckoo Family Cuculidae

YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO Coccyzus americanus. Uncommon summer resident. Nests. Less

common than Black-billed Cuckoos, Yellow-bills share much the same habits. A nest is known from

Section 32 of Colfax Township on 17 June 1979 in a small grove of White Pines; the nest contained four

eggs, three of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo and a smaller similarly colored egg, possibly that of a Black-billed

Cuckoo. They both prefer brushy habitat, but this species is more common along stream margins with

brushy edges and in hedgerows near shrubby fields Date Range. 20 May (1998) to 16 July (1996).

BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO Coccyzus erythropthalmus. Uncommon summer resident. Nests. Black-bills are the more common of our two cuckoos; they prefer drier upland habitats in shrubby and open

woodlands. Date Range. 7 May (1978) to 13 August (1983). Late Date. 22 August 2000. Collection Note:

Three sets of eggs were collected and listed only as Mecosta (county or town?) in the UMMZ collection:

UMMZ 36112, 23 May 1896 by John Ward, two eggs; UMMZ 36113, 4 June 1896, and UMMZ 36114, 14

June 1896, three eggs each, by Clyde Karshner. Two specimens are in the CMUZC (74-37, Acc. # 73-227

and 92-142, Acc. # 92.042).

OWLS ORDER STRIGIFORMES

Owl Family Strigidae

EASTERN SCREECH-OWL Megascops asio (Otus asio). Uncommon year-round resident. Nests.

Both red and gray color morphs of the Eastern Screech-owl can be found in the county. These owls are

most often encountered in late winter when calling. One nest with two adults and three young was reported

by Eileen Heuvelhorst in Section 29 of Green Township in 1995 (no exact date). One of the more unusual

finds for this owl was a dead specimen on the tarmac of a car wash near the corner of Third and Maple in

Big Rapids. Areas with large old trees having natural cavities, aging city trees, and abandoned buildings

near open areas are favored. Investigating an agitated mixed flock of birds may lead you to this owl, or

several other owl species, nestled into a thick bit of shrubbery or conifers. Screech-owls will use

appropriately sized nest boxes for both nesting and roosting. Still a common owl but not many have been

heard in recent years, possibly due to the number of Great Horned and Barred Owls. Date Range. Year-

round; most sightings/hearings noted August to October and late winter. Collection Note: There are four

specimens in the CMUZC, all prepared as study skins.

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GREAT HORNED OWL Bubo virginianus. Uncommon year-round resident. Nests. Our

largest and most common owl, weighing up to 4.5 pounds. Look for them perched on dead tree

stubs near open areas in the evening or early morning. Territorial hooting can be heard from mid-December

into April. They are on the nest by mid-February, with young out of the nest by mid-April, long before they

can fly; it is not unusual to find owlets on the ground or in the lower branches of a tree in mid-April. These

young should be left as they are, for they are not abandoned; the parent may leave the young unattended for several hours or most of the day while roosting. Several nests have been observed in the county: in Section

10 of Chippewa Township which was occupied for two years (1994 and 1995); Section 14 of Grant

Township (19 April 1986, with two young; GV); and Section 3 of Chippewa Township and Section 20 of

Wheatland Township. Observations should be made of old hawk nests in late winter for these owls. The

Haymarsh SGA, Martiny Lakes, Featherbed Flooding, and the field edges in Hinton Township are good

places to look. Date Range. Year-round resident. Collection Note: One Great Horned Owl is in the

CMUZC (87-159, Acc. # 77.041) collected on 28 March 1977 in Wheatland Township near Remus,

preserved as a study skin.

SNOWY OWL Nyctea scandiacus. Winter vagrant. These owls probably visit the county at least once

every few winters, and generally do not seem to stay long when present. As we do not generally have

favorable habitat for these owls, our visitors may arrive from other Michigan areas where the food supply is poor, reaching Mecosta County as a last resort. They may succumb to starvation during their stay here or

move on in search of food. All reports have been checked as well as possible; most of the sightings turn out

to be a viewing of the white underside of Red-tailed and Rough-legged Hawks. The farmlands of Hinton,

Deerfield, Morton, and Millbrook townships are good places to search for this owl.

Confirmed sightings for Snowy Owls are: one received by Wildlife Rescue for rehabilitation on 25

February 1992 in very weak and emaciated condition from near 13 Mile Rd. at Northland Drive; one seen

on a lamp post on Perry Street in Big Rapids on 17 April 1992; one photographed roosting on an antenna in

the Parkview Village apartment complex in Big Rapids and published in the Pioneer newspaper in the late

1970s or early 1980s (could not locate the issue); and one observed on a center-pivot irrigation apparatus

northeast of 7 Mile Rd at 80th Ave on 31 December 1994 and 1 January 1995, the last confirmed observation in the county. During the past twelve years (2001-2013), there have been a few creditable

sightings and a photograph taken of one on a US 131 expressway sign near the Big Rapids exit (about

2006). During the winter of 2011-2012 there was a large invasion of Snowy Owls into Michigan. Despite

some looking, none were recorded in the county. One was reported on the Big Rapids water tower on Perry

Street in early May 2012, but could not be confirmed, although a creditable sighting. One Snowy Owl was

observed over several days and photographed (22 June 2012) in Norwich Township of Newaygo County

during June of 2012! Date Range. Only observations on the dates above.

BARRED OWL Strix varia. Uncommon year-round resident. Nests. Although uncommon, this is the

most likely encountered owl in the county. Great-horned owls are likely more common but less often

encountered because they tend to fly before an observer finds them. Favors mature woodlands with some

swampy wetland. The limited amount of mature woodlands, lack of large trees with natural cavities, and pulpwood lumbering operations may be limiting factors in Mecosta County. There is no evidence for the

Barn Owl (Tyto alba) having occurred in the county historically, although the Barred Owl is often called

such locally. They are most often encountered in the Haymarsh SGA, Martiny Lakes area, and the western

townships, where larger woodlots are more common. Date Range. Year-round resident.

LONG-EARED OWL Asio otus. Status uncertain; rare to vagrant (?). State Threatened. May occur

more often than indicated, but finding them is difficult. There are only two records: 18 February 1995 in

the Martiny Lakes between Lower Evans and Saddlebag lakes, roosting in an Arbor vitae tree (MW); and

in a thick tangle of willow branches north of Wilson Rd. at 125th Ave. on 11 November 1999. As these

owls are somewhat migratory, both probably were only passing through. Date Range. Two dates as above.

SHORT-EARED OWL Asio flammeus. Status uncertain, rare to vagrant as a passage migrant. State

Endangered. Migrate through our area in late March and early April, and later about mid-November, but

their full status here is not known. The county generally lacks the large undisturbed areas of grassland

favored by these birds, but they have been observed in Sections 13 and 14 of Hinton Township, where there

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are extensive areas of open cultivated and fallow lands. George Vogel reported five on 15 November, and

one on 18 and 24 November 1994 in Grant Township, in mixed woodland of regenerating pines and open

farmland.

During the winter of 1994-1995, Short-eared Owls were widespread in the state, and regularly reported in

several locations in Osceola County. The nearest site to us was 3 Mile Rd. at 80th Ave. (24 January to 21 April 1995, MW, SR), just north of the county line, and at Evergreen Rd. at 80th Ave. in Mecosta County

on 25 January 1995 (MW, SR). There is only one spring date, 5 April 1994. There is a historical possibility

for nesting in the county. Areas frequented by the Northern Harrier are good locations to look for this owl

in the evening and early morning, and they may be found flying during the day. Date Range. Migration in

April, May, and November, with rare winter appearances as above. HRT. 5 on 15 November 1994 (GV).

NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL Aegolius acadicus. Status uncertain, probably a rare passage

migrant, but could be more common. Our smallest owl, easily approached and viewed in the rare few

times they can be found. They are migratory and may be more common at that time than the records

indicate. The best means to find them is to listen for its monotonous repetitive “took-took” or “toot-toot”

call, or to investigate any noisy flock of agitated small birds such as chickadees or nuthatches. These owls

are partial to thick conifers for roosting, but searching suitable habitat in the county during spring and winter has not been productive. Date Range. 7 May 1977, 3 and 5 May 1978, 22 March 1979, 11 May

1991, 7 March 1994 (MW), 12 October 1995 (photographed in Big Rapids Township, Section 29 by

Richard Lovett), and 5 March 1998 (MW). One reported calling by Joe Lipar on 22 March 2011 at the

corner of Wilson Rd at 175th Ave. during a snow storm. Only known record since 2001.

NIGHTJARS ORDER CAPRIMULGIFORMES

Nightjar Family Caprimulgidae

COMMON NIGHTHAWK Chordeiles minor. Uncommon summer resident. Nests. Although they

undoubtedly still nest in natural habitats, nighthawks are now rarely found far from manmade structures,

and seldom encountered outside towns because they nest almost exclusively on the flat roofs of buildings with gravel ballast. In the countryside, nighthawks use such open places as fields, pine woods, cut-over

areas, and similar places with a good layer of leaf litter for nests. The only confirmed nesting record known

in the county is in Big Rapids Township, Brewer et al. (1991) where nighthawks are active on summer

evenings around the county hospital, Ferris State University buildings, and the downtown area of Big

Rapids. They likely nest in other towns in the county. Nighthawks are less common over the last 12 years

(2001-2013). Changes in city lighting over the last 20 years or so to lights that do not attract as many night-

flying insects and the continued reduction of stone-ballast roofing has likely contributed to their decline.

The Common Nighthawk’s association with manmade structures has been noted for over a century. The

addition of city lighting to the landscape has greatly extended the period of time nighthawks can feed by

attracting insects to a localized source. Their adaptation to nesting on flat roofs may have its hazards,

though, as the increasing population of city crows may be finding many a nighthawk nest an easy target for predation. Ring-billed Gulls, roosting and bathing on the rooftops of Ferris State University buildings and

in their increased numbers around mall and parking lots, may also be a source of predation on nighthawk

nests (Salzman 1998 and personal observations). Many flat-roofed buildings in Big Rapids have also been

changed from gravel ballast roofs to heat-enhancing black rubber roofing materials, which may be

responsible for a noticeable decline in the birds in Big Rapids over the last decade.

Loose flights of nighthawks can be seen about a half-hour before sunset on late August and early

September evenings as they migrate through the county. Date Range. 9 May (1979, Margaret Ross) to 4

September (1994, MW; 1997). Late Date. 12 September 1997. HRT. 31 on 30 August 1996.

Historical Note: Barrows (1912) refers to the Common Nighthawk as so abundant that in the 1890s that “in late August, great flocks appeared in the afternoon, and sometimes for an hour or two the air would be alive

with them, all feeding more or less, but steadily working southward.” They then appear to have

precipitously declined to the point that the “complete extermination of the species might be at hand.” A

good migratory flight today might be twenty birds over several minutes.

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WHIP-POOR-WILL Caprimulgus vociferus. Uncommon summer resident. Nests. Even

though these birds have a loud and obvious “song,” it is not often heard unless one is in the

woods at dusk and early dark coupled with the fact that they are difficult to observe unless flying, Whip-

poor-wills may be more common than indicated. Their camouflage coloration and unwillingness to leave

the nest until nearly stepped upon make them exceptionally difficult to find. Like too many other birds, their population is declining, mostly due to habitat destruction. One nest with two eggs was found in an

aspen stand in Section 32 of Colfax Township on 27 June 1978, but the nest was abandoned and the eggs

gone on 3 July 1978. A variety of open deciduous and mixed woodland habitats are used; the southern

Haymarsh SGA and the access road into Pickerel Lake along 19 Mile Rd. have been reliable places to find

them. Date Range. 22 April (1985) to 16 September (1985). Early Date. 7 April 1994 (MW).

SWIFTS ORDER APODIFORMES

Swift Family Apodidae

CHIMNEY SWIFT Chaetura pelagica. Common summer resident over towns, but rare in the

countryside. Nests. Chimney Swifts are easily recognized by their “flying cigar” shape and almost con-

stant chatter while in flight over towns at any daylight hour. With some patience, an observer can watch a number of swifts dive into chimneys at dusk as they come into roost for the night. Two of the best places to

try this are the chimneys at Fourth and Maple Streets and along the alley on Maple Street between

Michigan and Warren Streets in Big Rapids. They are seldom seen outside the city areas of the county, but

it is possible that some old hollow tree stubs may be used in the woodland areas for roosting and nesting.

Swifts are common during the summer months over Big Rapids, Morley, and Barryton. They have an

interesting habit of flying before storms, presumably picking off insects disturbed by the wind.

Chimney Swifts easily made the change from use of hollow trees to chimneys as the forests of America

were cut; however, their population may be declining due to further changes in the environment. As we

become more energy efficient, large old brick-and-mortar chimneys are being eliminated and replaced by

narrower tile- or metal-lined structures that offer no foothold. Many chimneys are also being capped with screens to keep out Raccoons and squirrels.

Known nesting sites in Big Rapids are in the chimneys northeast of Maple at Fourth Street, Maple at the

alley between Michigan and North Warren Streets (chimney no longer standing, 2006), the “Old Jail”

chimney, and several smaller chimneys in the business district. Swifts have been seen entering chimneys of

several houses at the corner of Woodward and State Streets; and doubtless nest in other old chimneys in the

Big Rapids area and other towns in the county. In Morley, they have been observed entering the chimney at

the pavilion in Latimer Park. One injured adult with a brood patch was found in Big Rapids on 1 August

1990. Date Range. 29 April (1991) to 27 August (1994). Late Date. 11 September 1996. HRT. 64 on 12

August 1995. Collection Note: Wood (1951): “C. F. Karshner collected a set of 4 eggs (U.M.M.Z.) in

Mecosta County on June 30, 1896” (UMMZ 36128).

Hummingbird Family Trochilidae

RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD Archilochus colubris. Common summer resident. Nests.

Hummingbirds are encountered in the field more often than might be expected, although they are generally

associated with hummingbird feeders set up around houses. Ruby-throats are also active at sap wells

created by Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, where the “hummers” pick off small insects that make up the bulk of

their diet, especially when nesting. While watching other birds on your walks, watch for hummingbirds

zooming by. Their nests are usually found in association with water; however, the only one recorded in the

county was in a subdivision well away from any water on 29 July 1992 in Golf View Estates subdivision in

Big Rapids Township.

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The state has recently had a number of reports of other hummingbird species – Green Violet-

ear (Colibri thalassinus) and Rufous Hummingbirds (Selasphorus rufus) for example – and

there have been several unconfirmed reports of non-Ruby-throat-like hummingbirds from

around the county. One unconfirmed, but accurately described, Rufous Hummingbird was reported in the

Pine Ridge subdivision, Section 20, Colfax Township, on 4 November 2000 and remained until 19

November. Ruby-throats are found throughout the county in open woodlands, edge habitats, hedgerows, and gardens. Date Range. 6 May (1999) to 21 September (1998, MR). Late Dates. 28 September 1996, 1

October 2000, 5 October 1999, 4 on 1 November 2000 (Ruth Topping).

KINGFISHERS ORDER CORACIFORMES

Kingfisher Family Alcedinidae

BELTED KINGFISHER Megaceryle alcyon.(Ceryle alcyon). Uncommon to common summer

resident, rare in winter. Nests. Recorded every month of the year, but rare in winter, with only a few

birds remaining around open water of the rivers, particularly below the Rogers Dam. Kingfishers nest in

banks of gravel pits, stream cuts, and other areas where steep banks of soft earth occur, often well away

from water and sometimes below ground level in manmade cuts. They are found around all the lakes and

larger streams of the county during the summer. Date Range. 11 March (1995) to 26 October (1993). Winter Dates. Numerous November, several December, three January, and five February dates. Collection

Note: Two specimens preserved as skeletons (UMMZ 107313, 107314), collected by R. G. Fortney on 18

July and 1 August 1941 at the Paris Fish Hatchery.

WOODPECKERS ORDER PICIFORMES

Woodpecker Family Picidae

RED-HEADED WOODPECKER Melanerpes erythrocephalus. Uncommon to rare spring and

summer resident. Nests. Not often encountered here, and although there are records for every winter

month, it is doubtful that any survive a full winter here. Their population has declined due to loss of mature

woodlands due to human activities, and the arrival of the European Starling, which is more aggressive, taking over most of the nesting holes available (Ingold 1994). Several residents in the Canadian Lakes

development claim Red-heads are frequent there. Nesting is noted in five townships in the county in

Brewer et al. (1991), and a few immature birds have been recorded. Woodlands bordering open land and

farmland edges associated with mature oaks are the places to look for this woodpecker. They have been

recorded several times on the oak wooded island in Tubbs Lake several times and in the oak woods around

St Ives golf course in Morton Township and other oak wooded areas of Canadian Lakes. They are also

occasionally recorded at suet feeders. Date Range. 11 May (1994) to 25 September (1995); 5 July 2012

(Jane Waldo) Have been recorded numerous times during the North American Migratory Count. There is at

least one record for each month. Early Dates. 17 January 1978 west of Remus, 28 February 1999, 26

February 1998, 21 March 1995, 28 April 1998. Late Dates. 16 October 1993, 2 November 1991 (in

immature plumage), 23 November 1999, 6 to 27 December 1998. HRT. 6, 14 May 1994).

Historical Note: Cook (1893): “Exceedingly abundant; summer resident; occasional in winter; throughout

the state;... often destroys much fruit, especially cherries; eats grain, especially corn, yet is our friend....

Bred in parks at Bay City before advent of English Sparrow....I have seen this bird destroy the eggs of

Bluebird and Phoebe.” Collection Note: There is one specimen from 17 Mile Rd. collected 0.25 mile west

of M-16 (typo error for M-66 in collection data) on 15 July 1972 in the CMUZC (73.105.2), prepared as a

study skin.

RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER Melanerpes carolinus. Uncommon year-round resident. Nests. The

first overwintering Red-bellieds were noted in 1995, and are now well established as year-round residents.

They are near the northern limit of their nesting range in the county (Brewer et al. 1991), but seem to be

expanding their range northward in recent years, perhaps from rising population pressures in southern areas, the regeneration of woodlands after the logging era, bird feeding, and possibly from global warming.

Like the Red-headed Woodpecker, Red-bellieds also are often driven off by starlings, and by Red-heads as

well. The starling has more of an impact on the Red-bellied because their nesting timing is more

29

synchronized. At the same time, Red-bellieds may also force Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers

from their holes (Ingold 1994). Red-bellied Woodpeckers prefer the larger wooded areas with

mature trees, and are associated with damp to wet woodlands. Date Range. Becoming more

common as a year-round resident, but difficult to determine accurate dates for movements.

YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER Sphyrapicus varius. Uncommon summer resident and passage

migrant. Nests. Of all our woodpeckers, these are the noisiest when it comes to choosing places to drum

for announcing their territory. Their drumming on eaves troughs, downspouts, television antennas, metal oil

drums, and the sides of houses does not endear them to many homeowners during the mating season. When

nesting, the same tree may be used year after year, but a new nest is built each year, leaving a string of nest

holes in the trunk. Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers reach the southern end of their breeding range in the county,

(Brewer et al. 1991). They prefer aspen stands in the county and have benefited greatly from the

regeneration of our woodlands. Date Range. 4 April (1995) to 10 October (1990); very few after mid-

September.

DOWNY WOODPECKER Picoides pubescens. Common year-round resident. Nests. Our smallest and

most common woodpecker, a favorite at winter bird feeders, and most often encountered hammering away

at rotting, dead, or dying trunks of shrubs and tall trees, anywhere from the base to the top. During the winter, they can be found pecking apart goldenrod galls and the large paper nests of the Bald-faced Hornet

(Vespula maculata). On 15 October 1998, a Downy Woodpecker was observed hovering at clusters of Gray

Dogwood berries while plucking them off. Nests are found in rotted wood of small broken stubs of trees or

the underside of dead branches. Found throughout the county in every wooded habitat from the densest

woods to hedgerows, roadsides, and shrubby edges of marshes. Date Range. Throughout the year. HRT.

12 on 29 January 2000 at a feeder. Collection Note: One Downy Woodpecker specimen is in the CMUZC

(91-88, Acc. # 90.053), collected on 14 February 1990 and prepared as a study skin.

HAIRY WOODPECKER Picoides villosus. Uncommon to common year-round resident. Nests.

During the breeding season, Hairy Woodpeckers stick to the thicker deciduous and mixed woodlands.

Being heavier than Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers feed on the trunk and larger branches of trees, and are less often seen near the ground. In the countryside, hairys can be seen in equally open and

exposed places as the downy, though less often and, occasionally, working the trunk of a lone tree well out

into a field. Hairy Woodpeckers are less common than the Downy Woodpeckers, preferring more wooded

locations; in winter, they are a regular at feeders, but in fewer in numbers than the downy. Date Range.

Throughout the year. Collection Note: One specimen is in the CMUZC (68-218) collected in Section 17 of

Wheatland Township on 24 February 1968, prepared as a study skin. One specimen from a window kill in

Section 12 of Colfax Township on 8 June 1998 was donated to the UMMZ (October 1998).

(BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER Picoides arcticus.) Extirpated, no direct evidence of its being in

the county. Gibbs in his 1879 list of birds of Michigan states: “a specimen secured by Mr. Jas. H. Dewing,

Lat. 44 degree N.; rare.” (Mecosta County is just below 43 degrees 50 minutes north.) However, according

to Cook in 1893, citing Morris Gibbs, “have seen twenty in one trip through woods at Howard City and Cadillac...; found common in pineries by N. A. Eddy and taken at Bay City.” The likely difference in

abundance noted above is that the Black-backed Woodpecker is a rapid colonizer of burned-over areas, and

probably came rapidly southward following the forest fires associated with the lumbering era of the

northern half of the Lower Peninsula in the late 1800s. As the whole area of Mecosta and surrounding

counties was lumbered during this time, the Black-backed is certainly likely to have occurred, and retreated

as the woodlands regenerated or became farms. On 13 May 1998, Judy Vogel, presenting convincing field

notes, reported a Black-backed at a feeder on the east side of Chippewa Lake. The record was not accepted

by the Michigan Bird Records Committee; however, another record from Lake County was accepted the

same year.

NORTHERN FLICKER Colaptes auratus. Common summer resident and passage migrant, rare in

winter. Nests. Flickers use a wide variety of habitats from fields, open woods, woodlots, and hedgerows, to

city lawns and roadsides, where they search for ants and other small invertebrate food. They nest in both

diseased live trees and dead stubs, but competition with starlings for nesting cavities, the cutting of dead

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trees, lawn and agricultural pesticides, and cold winters seem to be reducing the flicker

population statewide over the past few decades (Ingold 1994, Brewer et al. 1991).

A few Northern Flickers may remain in the county year-round, based on findings during the Mecosta

County Christmas Bird Counts, and other counties’ counts at this latitude. However, only two individuals

have been followed through a winter, one in Big Rapids (John and Ebba Ladd), even surviving as low as -

27 F, during the winter of 1995-1996 and the winter of 200-2001 near 8 Mile Rd. at 170th Ave. Since 2005

there have been sporadic wintering flickers in the county and are regularly present through winter after 2010 in small numbers. Flickers are found throughout the county in woodlands and wooded suburban and

city environments. Date Range. 25 March (1989) to 23 October (1999). Unusual Dates. Numerous

November-to-February dates of individuals; becoming regular on Christmas Bird Counts. HRT. 9 on 14

July 1996. Collection Note: Wood (1951): “Two large sets of eggs (U.M.M.Z.) were taken by C. Karshner

in Mecosta County on May 10 (8 eggs) and May 11 (12 eggs), 1896.” (UMMZ 36122, 36124).

PILEATED WOODPECKER Dryocopus pileatus. Uncommon year-round resident. Nests. Making a

comeback here over the last 10 to 15 years, and are most often encountered flying between woodlots. Long

rectangular holes in many trees in the county tell of their presence. There has been confirmed breeding in

Mecosta and Martiny townships, according to Brewer et al. (1991). One nest was found being excavated on

15 April 1998, and later observed active in Section 27 of Grant Township. Several observers have reported having the Pileated at their suet feeders. By 2010, they are a common sight throughout the wooded areas of

the county and are common at suet feeders during the winter. One of the success stories of the comeback of

maturing forests. Found in the Martiny Lakes and Haymarsh SGA with some regularity, and most often in

wooded habitats with large old trees. Date Range. Throughout the year.

Historical Note: Cook (1893): “…quite common at Palmer, Marquette Co. where it is eaten and relished

by the miners who call it ‘woodcock.’”

FALCONS ORDER FALCONIFORMES

Falcon Family Falconidae

AMERICAN KESTREL Falco sparverius. Uncommon to common year-round resident, rarer in

winter. Nests. At home along roadsides and fields throughout the county, but are most often encountered in

the southern half. Most frequently seen on utility wires or poles viewing the field below, or hovering over

open country. By August, kestrel numbers peak as the young join the parents and small flocks may be seen

by mid-August as family groups prepare to migrate. A rare few remain all winter during harsh winters like

the cold 1993-1994 winter, while in mild winters, they may be relatively common if the food supply is

adequate.

Like other cavity-nesting birds, they are declining due to the lack of nest holes from the felling of dead

trees and from competition with starlings. Kestrels respond well to nest-box programs that supply the

needed cavities, and also use barn lofts, abandoned buildings, and natural cavities. In 1995, two nests were

recorded in Section 12 of Colfax Township. These were in nest boxes about 0.25 mile apart, and were possibly occupied by the same pair or a male with two females. Kestrels are found throughout the county in

open agricultural and fallow country with a minimum of trees and shrubs. Kestrels are declining and are

seen less often in the last three to four years (2012). Date Range. Year-round resident in variable numbers.

HRT. 9 on 8 August 1994.

MERLIN Falco columbarius. Rare to Vagrant. State Threatened. As with the Peregrine, it takes sheer

luck to locate the Merlin in the county. Because of their similar size and appearance to the immature and

female kestrels, especially when seen from a distance, Merlins may occasionally be overlooked, although

they were observed in the county during the breeding bird survey (Brewer et al. 1991). They do not occur

in the county every year, and with such a narrow window of time when they migrate, may be easily missed.

Date Range. Spring, 9 March (1994) to 29 April (1997). 25 March 2012 near the Roger’s Heights public

access. Fall, 5 September (1997) to 21 December (1995); most in fall.

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PEREGRINE FALCON Falco peregrinus. Vagrant. State Endangered. Over the last twenty

years, Peregrines have been recorded only a few times during spring and fall migration; all have

been observed in flight over open country. Doug McWhirter lists a Peregrine in his county list on

11 July 1964. Date Range. 22 April 1978, 27 October 1984, 11 April 1994, 10 May 1996, and 29

May 1997 (GV). Not observed since publishing the book in 2001.

SONGBIRDS ORDER PASSSERIFORMES

Tyrant Flycatcher Family Tyrannidae

OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER Contopus cooperi (C. borealis). Vagrant; passage migrant. As birds of

the boreal bogs and muskeg, Olive-sided Flycatchers are found only on passage through the county. Very

little habitat for these flycatchers exists in the county that is accessible to bird watchers. Observations were

recorded during the ABBM survey (Brewer et al. 1991) and 24 May 1981 in a bog near the southeast

corner of 160th Ave. at Coolidge Rd.; 19 August 1998, and 27 and 30 May 2000, in a small cedar swamp in

Section 14 of Grant Township by SR, GV, and Robert Lookingbill; and 6 June 1999 in the large bog in

Section 12 of Martiny Township. Other possible locations to find the olive-sided are the Hughes Swamp,

the spruce stands in the Featherbed Flooding, and the muskeg-like area in Section 18 of Sheridan

Township. Date Range. Five records as above, plus an ABBM record that could not be located. One on 12 May 2012 at a small roadside swamp on 1 Mi Rd half a mile west of the Us 131 expressway.

EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE Contopus virens. Common to uncommon summer resident and passage

migrant. Nests. Pewees have adapted well to the deciduous woodlands created by regeneration after

human disturbance. Pewees stay later than any other flycatcher except the Eastern Phoebe. They are found

in moist or dry open deciduous woodlands, and woodland borders near streams and fields. Date Range. 10

May (1997) to 21 September (2000). Early Dates. 2 April 2000 (Walter Lueke), 8 April 1998 (BR). HRT.

7 on 22 May 1994.

YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER Empidonax flaviventris. Vagrant passage migrant. Like the

olive-sided, Yellow-bellied Flycatchers are birds of the boreal bogs and forests, of which little habitat in the county is accessible to birdwatchers; they have been observed in passage in open deciduous woods.

Observed on 19 August 1981, 2 June 1989 (questionable), and 14 May 1994 (GV).

ACADIAN FLYCATCHER Empidonax virescens. Rare to vagrant. Possible nester in Mecosta

Township. Mecosta County is just north of the limit of the Acadians’ nesting range in Michigan. Their

preferred habitat of deep mature woods exists in the county in patches large enough to support them. Jim

Granlund recorded this flycatcher in Big Rapids Township on 12 June 1992, and another was recorded on 8

June 1996 (SR); both observations were from just south and east of the corner of Hayes Rd. at 220th Ave.

Southwestern Big Rapids, western Mecosta, and northwestern Aetna townships need more investigation for

this species. One on 21 July 2011 on Betts Creek a few hundred feet upstream from Elder Road; 1 on 12

May 2012, 11 Mi Rd at 220th Ave at the stream crossing to the south. Also along the Little Muskegon River

between 130th and 155th Ave bridges in June of 2009. Possibly beginning to expand its range due to climatic changes. Date Range. Five observations as above.

ALDER FLYCATCHER Empidonax alnorum. Uncommon local summer resident and passage

migrant. Nests. Found in alder thickets along roadsides, streams, and marshes; not often found in the same

location from one year to the next. Reliable places to find them have been 0.25 mile west of the corner of

Wilson Rd. at 120th Ave., and on 23 Mile Rd. west of Northland Drive, where Buckhorn Creek crosses in

Green Township. Date Range. 18 May (1995) to 6 August (1994, 2000).

WILLOW FLYCATCHER Empidonax traillii. Uncommon local summer resident and passage

migrant. Nests. Found in willow thickets along roadsides, lakes, streams and marshes and in dry upland

fields with shrubbery; they are more common than the Alder Flycatcher. Both birds have a short breeding season and are gone by the end of July, except for a few stragglers into early August. Two reliable places

have been 0.4 mile north of Wilson Rd at 120th Ave., and on the White Pine Trail where it crosses 6 Mile

Rd.; otherwise this species and the Alder Flycatcher are not very site-reliable. Date Range. 17 May (1999)

to 21 August (1998). HRT. 10 on 2 June 1997.

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LEAST FLYCATCHER Empidonax minimus. Uncommon to common summer resident and

passage migrant. Nests. The most common of the Empidonax flycatchers in the county. Found

in open wooded habitat, which helps separate them from the similar Alder and Willow

Flycatchers of open shrubby habitats. They appear to be declining in numbers in the county

though there is plenty of suitable habitat. The best place to view these flycatchers is on the western side of Haymarsh Lake, south of the north boat launch, in mid-May; otherwise they are found in

many damp-to-dry deciduous and mixed coniferous woodland habitats, generally near edges of aspen

stands. Date Range. 28 April (1990) to 25 August (1989). Late Dates. 3 September 1994, 4 September

2000. HRT. 15 on 18 and 20 May 1997.

EASTERN PHOEBE Sayornis phoebe. Common summer resident and passage migrant. Nests.

Phoebes are our most familiar flycatcher because of their association with man-made structures. They

readily nest on any small, flat, covered surface, such as the underside of bridges, under eaves, on barn

ledges, electrical boxes, and many other similar structures, often inside garages, sheds, and abandoned

buildings. No nests on natural structures have been found here. Their southward migration seems to begin

around late August, with stragglers lasting into early October. Until the breakup of family groups in mid-

summer, phoebes are usually found hawking insects in human altered areas like suburbs, rural locations, and farmland, but afterward are often found around lakes, marshes, hedgerows, and the general

countryside. Date Range. 21 March (1997) to 29 October (1989). Early Dates. 10 February 1984, 21

February 1983, 6 March 1981. HRT. 8 on 2 April 1997. Collection Note: Wood, 1951: “A nest with 5

eggs was taken near Big Rapids, in Mecosta County, by C. F. Karshner on June 26, 1895...” The corrected

list of specimens in the UMMZ collection indicates the nest was taken six miles east of Big Rapids and

contained four eggs (collection #36135).

GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER Myiarchus crinitus. Common summer resident and passage

migrant. Nests. Our largest flycatcher, these birds are found in a variety of deciduous woods and stream-

edge habitats throughout the county. Though some linger into mid-September, the majority are gone by

mid-August. As noted below, there are several early April dates, but these dates are followed by two to three weeks before the main population arrives around the 10th of May. This regular wide disparity of dates

seems to appear only in this species. Date Range. 30 April (1983) to 15 September (1993). Early Dates.

10 to 11 April 1998, 12 April 1995, 19 April 1987. HRT. 18 on 27 May 1995 along Little Muskegon River,

from Altona to Rustford.

EASTERN KINGBIRD Tyrannus tyrannus. Common summer resident. Nests. Roadside utility wires,

fences, and shrubbery are favorite perches for these pugnacious flycatchers that do not hesitate to chase

after crows and hawks entering their territories. On several occasions kingbirds have been observed riding

the backs of Red-tailed Hawks and crows for as long as ten seconds, all the while severely pecking the back

and neck. Eastern Kingbirds are common in a wide variety of open habitats from dry upland farms to

marshes, where they may be seen occasionally well out over water catching insects; their numbers appear

to vary widely from year to year. Date Range. 29 April (1997) to 17 September (1998). HRT. 18 on 28 July 1996, White Pine Trail, Big Rapids to 11 Mile Rd. Collection Note: A nest (UMMZ 36107) with three

eggs was collected in Big Rapids by Clyde Karshner on 1 July 1895. A penciled note on the list provided

by the museum says “near depot.” There were several rail depots in Big Rapids at this time: in the area of

the current Mitchell Creek Park, between Pine and Hemlock Streets along State Street, and on East Maple

Street.

Shrike Family Laniidae

NORTHERN SHRIKE Lanius excubitor. Uncommon to rare winter visitor, seems to be becoming

more regular. This is the winter shrike in the county, arriving for the season from the north; one or two per

year, and in a good year about ten. They do not seem to remain in one locality more than a day or two, so

determining a reliable count or location is difficult. Northern Shrikes may also be present at the beginning and end of the winter season, but not the middle if the food supply is low or there is deep snow. Look for

these shrikes in open country and hedgerows, where they perch at the very pinnacle of a tree or shrub. Date

Range. 5 October (1978) to 11 April (1995).

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LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE Lanius ludovicianus. Vagrant, rare. State Endangered. The

presence of this bird in the county from 1967 to 2000 is somewhat tenuous, and has been

included in this list largely on the ABBM note as “observed” in the county (Brewer et al. 1991).

Loggerhead Shrikes have declined drastically in Michigan in the last twenty years or so to only a

few breeding pairs, possibly partly due to the loss of the heavy, overgrown hedgerow-type habitat that they

prefer. The last confirmed sighting in the county was in 1987 at the corner of 160th Ave. and Garfield Rd., when a singing male was heard and seen (exact date not

recorded). An unconfirmed sighting in 1994 in Canadian

Lakes was made in May (date unrecorded by observer) and

is, due to the date, too late to have been a Northern Shrike.

On 4 April 1996, Linn Schimmels located a Loggerhead

Shrike northwest of Hersey and south of US-10 in Osceola

County. This bird stayed about a week and offered him and

the author a very good and lengthy viewing of its field

marks and it sang numerous times. Collection Note: Lewis

Brackett collected a nest with seven eggs (UMMZ 36138)

on 27 May 1896, location listed as Big Rapids. However, this specimen could not be verified (December 1997) by

Janet Hinshaw of the UMMZ.

Historical Note: Cook, (1893), notes the bird as common throughout the state and breeding all the way to

Keweenaw County. Barrows, (1912): “Being generally considered a ‘Butcher Bird’ and destructive of other

birds, it is held to be legitimate prey and is often shot on sight and its nest destroyed whenever opportunity

offers” It was already a by scarce bird then.

Vireo Family Vireonidae

WHITE-EYED VIREO Vireo griseus. Vagrant. One known sighting of this vireo, in Section 12 of

Colfax Township, 3 May 1990. This bird was in the area about five days and singing regularly before disappearing, and was well north of its range limit in Michigan.

BLUE-HEADED (SOLITARY) VIREO Vireo solitarius. Rare passage migrant and probable nester.

The ABBM (Brewer et al. 1991) survey lists the Blue-headed Vireo as a possible nester in Mecosta

Township. A pair was found in 1999 and 2000 through the nesting season in Aetna Township near the

corner of Jefferson Road at 230th Ave. They are found in coniferous and mixed coniferous/deciduous

woods, with Mecosta and Aetna townships having the most sightings. Date Range. Spring, 3 March (1978)

to 13 May (1995). Fall, 3 August (1978) to 3 October (1982, 1998). Breeding season dates, 4 July 1995

(GV), 25 July 1999, 6 June and 5 August 2000.

YELLOW-THROATED VIREO Vireo flavifrons. Uncommon summer resident. Nests. Found

principally in dry mature oak woodlands, they also inhabit streamside and damp mature woodlands in the county. They are possible nesters in most of the townships. They are most common in oak woodlands in

Mecosta and Aetna townships, and central island of the Martiny Lakes, as well as along the western edge of

Manake Lake, and edges of Bullhead Lake. Date Range. 4 May (1997) to 18 September (1994, MW).

WARBLING VIREO Vireo gilvus. Common summer resident. Nests. Like the Yellow-throated Vireo,

this species is common in the Martiny Lakes, in a variety of open deciduous and mixed decid-

uous/coniferous woodlands, and also in the open mature trees around cities and farmland. Most easily

recognized by its warbling song. Date Range. 2 May (2000) to 11 September (1993, 1994). HRT. 8 on 26

June 1996.

PHILADELPHIA VIREO Vireo philadelphicus. Rare passage migrant. Generally found in mature woodlands as they pass through the state, Philadelphia Vireos move through rapidly in small numbers,

being present probably no more than two to three days at any location. They are also usually silent, so one

is not drawn to an unfamiliar song to locate this drab yellowish bird. Date Range. Spring, 5 May (1979) to

17 May (1994, MW). Fall, 6 August (1993) to 17 September (1978, 1979).

Known colloquially as “butcher birds,” our two shrikes are difficult to tell apart. The

name derives from the habit of impaling

their prey on a thorn or barbed wire spike to

aid holding it for eating, or to store it until

later. Seasonality is the easiest way to tell

the two apart, as their presence in the

county seldom, if ever, overlaps. Blue Jays

look very similar from a distance but very

seldom perch at the very top of a tree,

preferring to be a few branches farther

down.

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RED-EYED VIREO Vireo olivaceus. Common summer resident and passage migrant.

Nests. Our most common vireo, and one of our more common summer residents. Red-eyed

Vireos prefer older, larger, dry-to-moist deciduous woodlands, older regenerating second-

growth woods, and trees in residential areas. Date Range. 8 May (1988) to 22 September

(1997). Late Date. 9 October 1977. HRT. 18 on 31 May 1997 from Altona to Morley on the Little Muskegon River (SR,GV). Collection Note: Wood, 1951: “Lewis Brackett collected a set of three eggs

(U.M.M.Z.) on June 14, 1896, in Mecosta County” (UMMZ 36116). Clyde Karshner collected two eggs

(UMMZ 36100) on 16 June 1896.

Crow and Jay Family Corvidae

BLUE JAY Cyanocitta cristata. Common year-round resident. Nests. A distinct migration occurs during

late September into early October as waves of small loose flocks pass through the county; those wintering

in the county may not be the birds that were present in the summer. The northward migration in spring

occurs in late April into early May, and is less pronounced. Blue Jays can do a very credible imitation of

the calls of the Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks; it is worth checking out any Red-shouldered Hawk

call that sounds slightly off-key or out of habitat, as those hawks are rare here. Blue Jays are widespread in

virtually all habitats in the county except open agricultural lands. Date Range. Common year-round. HTR.

75 on 30 September 1995; 46 on 13 April 1994. Collection Note: Josselyn Van Tyne collected one in Grant

Township 3 miles west of Pogy on 14 August 1939; preserved as a skin (UMMZ 104841). Three specimens

are in the CMUZC.

AMERICAN CROW Corvus brachyrhynchos. Common year-round resident and passage migrant.

Most common spring to fall, becoming more common in winter. Nests. Flocks of several hundred may

occur in summer and fall; smaller flocks are found in the winter, although a roost of nearly 2000 has been

observed (see HRT below). Crows roost in large numbers in the evening, and may be seen wheeling over

several areas before settling in at one location for the night. Their numbers have been increasing in the last

few years; probably due to mild winters, increased road-kill animals, and some having become “citified”–

eating from dumpsters. A migration occurs in late October and early November when loose flocks of several hundred that string out for miles can be seen heading south; their passage over one spot may take a

half-hour or more. The return spring migration is less pronounced, and begins as early as late February or

early March. On 24 June 2000, one crow was observed near Arthur Road at Northland Drive flying away

with a full-grown European Starling in its beak while being pursued by a small mob of starlings. Crows are

widespread over the whole county and have been observed in all habitats, wherever there is the opportunity

for food. For about twelve years (1998-2010), during the winter, crows roosted by the thousands in the

trees southwest of Perry Street at State Street in Big Rapids. The roost did not form up in the winter of

2011 or after, the reason is unknown but possibly the construction of the Michigan Optometry Building

nearby may have been disruptive enough. Date Range. Present throughout the year. HRT. About 6000 by

Joe Lipar as the crows came into roost on the FSU campus during the winter of 2010. About 1800 at a roost

southwest of the corner of Perry at Division Streets in Big Rapids, late December 2000 to late March 2001

when the crows dispersed; 399 on 26 October 1994, migrating. Collection Note: Two sets of five eggs each were collected in the county by Clyde Karshner, both on 26 April 1896 (UMMZ 36145, UMMZ 36146).

Four specimens are in the CMUZC, all prepared as study skins.

COMMON RAVEN Corvus corax. Rare. Probable nester in Aetna Township. Nests. Common Ravens

have been confined to the Upper Peninsula since the logging boom stripped the Lower Peninsula of trees.

But with the reforestation of the Lower Peninsula by natural regeneration and plantation plantings, ravens

have begun to extend their range southward, commencing in the late 1960s (Pettingill 1974; Brewer et al.

1991). The raven was historically a common bird in the Michigan woodlands all the way to the Ohio line.

Though ravens have been known to be present and even nesting in Clare County and Lake County since the

early 1990s, the first modern-day sighting of a Common Raven in Mecosta County was not discovered until

16 December 1995 (MW, PC) in Sheridan Township. Except for 1997, ravens have been recorded each year since, and in 2000 were present through the breeding season in the area of Jefferson Rd. at 230th Ave.

in Aetna Township. In the spring of 2000, they could also be reliably located in Section 33 of Grant

Township where they have been confined to large stands of plantation pines in both cases. The first known

raven nest in the county in “modern” times was located in a row of red pine trees in Section 12 northwest of

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Colfax Township in the summer of 2008. It is quite likely that the species nests yearly in small

numbers in the county. Date Range. 1 April (1997) to 24 September (2000). Two winter dates,

16 and 17 December 1996. The number of recent sightings indicate ravens may soon be

reaching the county as a permanent resident again. HRT. 7 on 13 May 2000.

Historical Note: Cook (1893) remarks that the raven was common in the Greenville area in the 1860s. Barrows (1912) states that it was common throughout in the state’s early history and as common as the

crow, “nevertheless the Raven must be considered a vanishing bird and its extinction doubtless will be

complete within a very few years.” But Wood (1951) notes “By the middle 1800s, was uncommon at all

seasons in Michigan...”

Lark Family Alaudidae

HORNED LARK Eremophila alpestris. Common passage migrant, regular year-round resident in

small numbers, rare but present each year in winter. Nests. These are the tawny-brown birds that flush

from the roadside in winter. Snow cover seems to be the determining factor in how many will winter in the

county; they are largely absent if snow covers the fields, but quickly return in small numbers when the

fields are blown free of snow. Small numbers will also congregate on freshly spread manure on winter

fields, and on gravel scrapes after the passing of the snowplow. They are the first birds to show a noticeable northward migration in the county, arriving as early as mid- to late February. Their main migration is in

March, and again in October into November.

Breeding is known from a nest found in the playground of Riverview School in the mid-1950s, before the

area was heavily developed and from four young birds observed foraging in a field near the corner of 140th

Ave. and 7 Mi. Rd. on 24 June 1995. Horned Larks are found along roadsides, particularly in migration and

winter, on bare areas, gravelly places, over grazed fields, fields with very short grass and in corn stubble.

Date Range. Found throughout the year but most common in spring and fall migration. Fewest sightings

are in December. HRT. 600+ on 9 October 1994.

Swallow Family Hirundinidae

All the swallows are nomadic feeders. They take advantage of insect hatches over lakes, streams, and

fields, and will also glean insects disturbed during farming activities, particularly haying. Hundreds may be

found in a location for an afternoon, then not seen again there for the rest of the season.

PURPLE MARTIN Progne subis. Rare to uncommon summer resident and passage migrant. Nests

locally around several lakes. The nesting of Purple Martins is now exclusively in man-made “martin

houses” near water. Purple Martins do not compete well with Tree Swallows and House Sparrows if the

houses are not well maintained to keep out those two species. Hence, martins may be common around the

area of a martin house but totally absent throughout the rest of the county in otherwise suitable habitat. On

rare occasions, martins can be seen passing over farm fields, but generally this is after the breeding season.

Chippewa, Tubbs, Boom, Pretty, and Burgess lakes, among others, and the Morley Dam backwater are sites

where Purple Martins have been recorded nesting and are most often encountered. Many poorly-placed martin houses can be found throughout the county and because they are not near water, will never be

occupied. Date Range. 8 April (2001) to 30 August (1995). HRT. 50 on 12 August 2000.

Historical Note: Cook (1893): “Common throughout summer, or was so, prior to the reign of the English

Sparrows;...nests commonly at Alma, Gratiot Co., in the false fronts of stores where it successfully combats

the European Sparrow...will oppose the European Sparrow successfully for a time but will finally yield the

fort; nests in Hillsdale in the hoods of electric lights.” Barrows (1912) notes the Purple Martin present “in

nearly every city and village of the state, nesting about the cornices of city blocks, in boxes or bird houses

especially provided for it, or less commonly in woodpeckers’ holes or other cavities in dead trees. It has

constant quarrels with the English Sparrow...”

TREE SWALLOW Tachycineta bicolor. Abundant passage migrant and spring and summer resident,

uncommon in late summer and fall. Common nester. They are the most common spring and summer

resident swallows. In spring, Tree Swallows return early and may be seen picking insects off the still frozen

lakes as the insects come up through pores in the decaying ice. During hatches of insects in May, upwards

36

of a thousand or more Tree Swallows can be observed in low-level foraging flights over

Chippewa Lake, and presumably others; they also hawk insects over a wide variety of open

habitat like lakes, streams, and pastures. From mid- to late July until September they are almost

absent until individuals and small flocks pass through on their way south. The large number of

bird houses set up for the Eastern Bluebird has significantly added to the success of Tree Swallows. Date

Range. 26 March (2000) to 4 October (1993), generally absent between mid-August and early September during which time only a few scattered individuals and small groups may wander through. Late Date. 4 on

21 November 1999 (GV). HRT. 1000+ on 9 May 1995.

NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW Stelgidopteryx serripennis. Uncommon summer res-

ident. Nests. Rough-winged swallows do not nest in large colonies as do Bank Swallows, but prefer

nesting in small groups or just a single pair. Man-made items like spill pipes on buildings, undersides of

bridges, culverts, and natural cavities in banks are used for nest sites. Nesting activity has been seen in Big

Rapids in pipes sticking out of the United Parcel Service building, and the alley side of the Judson

Building. In June 1997, a pair began building inside a garage on the east side of Chippewa Lake, where a

chunk of fiberglass insulation hung down from the ceiling; nesting material was recovered from the site,

but a nest was never finalized. Found in any open area in the county, with a preference for the backwaters

of dams, and no particular logic to their movements. Date Range. 24 April (1990) to 26 August (1999). Late Date. 1 on 5 September 1994 (MW). HRT. 20 on 4 June 1994 and 14 August 1994.

BANK SWALLOW Riparia riparia. Uncommon summer resident. Nests. Quite variable in their pres-

ence in the county. They make cavities in soft banks for their nests at gravel pits, road cuts, and riverbanks,

often in large colonies, and rapidly colonize new cuts. Bank Swallows are more dependent on banks and

natural sites for nesting than rough-wingeds, with favored sites being used for many years. The largest

Bank Swallow colony known in the county is along M-66 (30th Ave.) 0.25 mile north of 22 Mile Rd. On 5

July 1998, there were over 200 holes with hundreds of swallows wheeling around the site. For the most

part, both Bank and rough-winged swallows are gone by mid- to late July, shortly after the breeding season.

They are found over a wide variety of open habitat in small numbers with other swallows. Date Range. 20

April (1982) to 12 August (1995, 2000). Late Dates. 26 August 1982, 3 September 1998, 29 September 1999. HRT. Several hundred on 5 July 1998, 105 on 13 July 1994. Collection Note: A nest with five eggs

(UMMZ 36136) was collected by Clyde Karshner on 16 June 1895. Location noted only as Big Rapids, and

original specimen label not found (J. Hinshaw, pers. comm.).

CLIFF SWALLOW Petrochiledon pyhrronota (Hirundo pyrrhonota). Rare to uncommon summer

resident. Nests. Locally common around certain farms, where they nest under the eaves of barns in their

elaborate gourd-shaped mud structures. Changes in farm buildings, where traditional barns are being

replaced by pole buildings, may be partly responsible for the reduction in their numbers in the county over

the years. They may be reported less often than are actually present as they forage much higher in the air

than the other swallows. A few nests have been found on the Allied Health Building on the Ferris State

University campus, which were used in the 1997 and 1998 nesting season. After the breeding season, Cliff

Swallows are often associated with flocks of Barn Swallows until after the young are fully fledged, at which time they disperse more widely. Date Range. 30 April (1996) to 4 September (1996). Early Date.

14 April 1995. HRT. About 30 on 1 September 1997.

Historical Note: Cook (1893) remarks that they, too, compete unsuccessfully with the English Sparrow.

BARN SWALLOW Hirundo rustica. Abundant to common summer resident and passage migrant.

Nests. Found through spring and summer into fall, but their numbers vary throughout the summer, being

most common in July; at that time, large numbers can be seen foraging over lakes, rivers, golf courses, and

fields throughout the county. They nest almost exclusively on manmade structures, such as on rafters in

barns, on ledges under bridges, in culverts and the like, individually or in small colonies. Most of the

breeders leave by mid-August, but are still common into the first third of September. Date Range. 14 April

(1996) to 10 September (1994 SR, MW). HRT. About 60 on 24 August 1994.

Titmouse Family Paridae

BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE Poecile atricapillus. Abundant year-round resident. Common

nester. Found throughout the county, but appear to be absent or greatly diminished in number during the

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summer and fall, when they are in the woods. Chickadees will nest in bird houses in wooded

areas of towns and the countryside, but prefer natural cavities in woodlands. They are early

nesters, raising only one brood per year. On 11 May 1997 a chickadee with an all-white tail was

observed near 18 Mile Rd. at 110th Ave., and another on 6 December 1999 at 15 Mile Rd. at

215th Ave. The Boreal Chickadee (Poecile hudsonicus) is a possible historical bird for the county, as it is

noted in Barrows (1912) as occurring as far south as St. Clair and Lapeer counties. A wide variety of habitats is frequented by the Black-capped Chickadees: deciduous and coniferous woodlands, hedgerows,

marsh borders, suburban yards, and open fields, where they may be seen at work opening goldenrod galls

in the autumn. Date Range. Throughout the year. HRT. About 30 on 13 April 1993 and 22 November

1995, both at feeders. Collection Note: One specimen in the CMUZC (75-316, Acc. # 72.141) collected at

721 Osceola St. in Remus on 3 July 1972, preserved as a study skin. Two specimens collected by Doug

McWhirter on 5 September 1976 and preserved as skeletons. are in the MSU Museum collection (OR.7145

and OR.7146).

TUFTED TITMOUSE Baeolophus bicolor. Uncommon year-round resident. Nests. Tufted Titmice are

southern birds that have gradually extended their range northward in Michigan during the twentieth

century, and by 1965 this range expansion had stalled for the most part (Brewer et al. 1991). They largely

reach the northern limit of their nesting range here, although they do nest farther north (Brewer et al. 1991). Tufted Titmice are more confined to woodlands and are less often found working their way along

hedgerows and shrubbery in the open than chickadees. Deciduous woodlands and more heavily wooded

areas of cities are their preferred habitat, and they are common along stream edges during the summer.

Date Range. Throughout the year. HRT. 56 on CBC, 16 December 2000.

Historical note: They were first recorded in Michigan as an “accidental” visitor by Gibbs (1879), most of

these sightings being in the winter. By 1912, Barrows lists it as uncommon. Zimmerman and Van Tyne

(1959) note the titmouse as breeding in Newaygo County by 1937. The Tufted Titmouse has expanded its

range over the last 150 or so years due to several factors, among them bird feeding, habitat changes,

availability of birdhouses, and possibly climatic warming.

Nuthatch Family Sittidae

RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH Sitta canadensis. Uncommon year-round resident. An irruptive

species: may be present several years in a row, then absent for a year or more. Nests occasionally.

They may be present in small numbers all year, especially in the large pine plantations in Mecosta and

Aetna townships but their population varies considerably from year to year. They are much more dependent

on conifer seeds in their diet than are white-breasts. Red-breasts reach the southern limit of their normal

nesting range in Mecosta County, but have been recorded nesting in a few widely scattered locales south of

here. They are most often found at bird feeders in winter, but are present in small numbers in coniferous

areas during summer, particularly Aetna and Mecosta townships. Date Range. Sporadic in all months, but

August through winter are the most likely; nests irregularly in the county. HRT. 28 on CBC, 16 December

1996; 11 on 4 February 2001 in one location west of the Muskegon River public access below the US-131

expressway.

WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH Sitta carolinensis. Uncommon to common year-round resident.

Nests. White-breasts often join mixed flocks of Downy Woodpeckers, chickadees, and titmice during the

winter to help all avoid predators and find food, and have been observed feeding in deer carcasses during

winter. White-breasts nest in natural cavities in trees; one nest site in a maple tree in Section 12 of Colfax

Township was used in the 1994 and 1995 seasons. Although a common bird of open deciduous and mixed

woodlands and edge habitats, White-breasted Nuthatches are most often found at winter feeders. Date

Range. Throughout the year. HRT. 12 on 18 September 1994, 10 on 20 August 1995, though seldom

found as more than one or two.

Creeper Family Certhiidae

BROWN CREEPER Certhia americana. Rare to uncommon year-round resident. Probable nester.

Never high in numbers and variable in occurrence from year to year, Brown Creepers are often missed

because of their quiet demeanor and cryptic coloration. They are most often seen from fall to spring when

the trees and shrubs are bare of leaves; winter birds are most often found near bird feeders. Listed in the

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ABBM (Brewer et al. 1991) as a probable nester in Mecosta, Colfax, and Martiny townships,

they almost certainly nest in the cedar swamp in Section 9 of Green Township. Other potential

areas of breeding are in the Hughes Swamp, and along the Little Muskegon River below Altona.

On 4 July 1996, one creeper was heard singing in the Buckhorn Creek swamp south of 23 Mi.

Rd.; seven were heard along the Little Muskegon River on 16 June 1996 from Altona to the

155th Ave. bridge. Most often found in swampy woodlands during summer, but also in upland deciduous habitats in fall and winter. The creeper has become regularly observed through the winter since 2005. Date

Range. Present year-round, but most often recorded October to January. HRT. 7 on 16 June 1996.

Wren Family Troglodytidae

CAROLINA WREN Thryothorus ludovicianus. Rare to vagrant. There are occasional, probably reliable,

sightings of Carolina Wrens in the county, usually in late fall and winter and most often at bird feeders.

Unfortunately, these reports are often received long after the bird is gone and the observer did not record

the date. It is unlikely that these wrens survive the winter here, as they frequently suffer large die-offs in

severe weather in more southern parts of their range (Brewer et al. 1991). Has been regularly reported in

the county since about 2005. (in Big Rapids, Section 11 Colfax Township on 29 January 2013, Jeff Greene;

for several years in a row in Section 16 of Colfax in the late 2000s, Bob King.; and other reports) Date

Range. Two confirmed observations: 1 June 1967 (SR) and one reported at corner of Elm and River Streets in Big Rapids on 25 January 1996 (observer unknown; reported to state birding hot-line). One unconfirmed

report on 25 January 1999 with a good description, and at least two others, but no exact dates recorded by

the observer.

HOUSE WREN Troglodytes aedon. Uncommon summer resident and passage migrant. Nests.

Common summer resident throughout the county in gardens, suburban and city yards, farmyards, and

orchards, damp woods-edge and a wide variety of similar habitats. They are usually thought of as wren-

house nesters exclusively, but they have been observed using natural cavity nests in less populated rural

areas. Males will stuff cavities of many sorts with sticks, like newspaper tubes, vacant electric meter boxes,

bluebird boxes and old hats, during the nesting season and have been known to occasionally nest in such.

After the last brood leaves the nest around mid-July, they are more secretive, or generally absent, though well scattered. Individuals may be flushed from the undergrowth until October. This species has declined

significantly since the original publication (2001) and is no longer common, and possibly reaching rare in

occurrence. Date Range. 22 April (1978) to 2 October (1994). HRT. 9, (two adults, seven young) on 28

July 1993.

WINTER WREN Troglodytes hyemalis (T. troglodytes). Rare but regular passage migrant and occa-

sional summer resident. Probable nester. Easily overlooked in the underbrush and the forested swampy

areas they frequent as they pass through the county in early spring and in fall. Nesting habitat for these

wrens does exist here, but Mecosta County is at the very southern limit of their breeding range.

Winter Wrens have been heard singing in swampy areas to the southwest of 21 Mi. Rd. at East Chippewa

Lake Rd. on the north end of Chippewa Lake during the summer and about a half-mile south of 21 Mile Rd. at West Chippewa Lake Rd.; both have potential nesting habitat. Other possible nesting locations

where singing males have been heard within breeding season include Shiffer’s Acres west of Remus

(Section 20 of Wheatland Township), in the Buckhorn Creek swamp south of 23 Mi. Rd., the Hughes

Swamp, and along the Little Muskegon River south of Altona. Found in mixed woods and tangles, usually

near water when migrating, and in cool damp evergreen woods with many fallen trees in the summer. Date

Range. Spring, 6 April (1998) to 19 May (1998). Fall, 22 September (1998) to 8 October (1970, 1982).

Numerous breeding season records, no August dates, and few fall records. Early Date. 30 March 1985.

Late Date. 31 October 1982.

SEDGE WREN Cistothorus platensis. Uncommon local summer resident. Probable nester. Small

secretive birds found in small colonies scattered around the county in the breeding season. During the 1996 nesting season, singing males were found in 14 locations; of these locations, four were occupied long

enough to have had nests, and another five were prime locations that were not discovered until late in the

season. As yet, no nests or young have been seen. Sedge Wrens seem to leave en masse in early August

from all areas of the county, and may possibly fly south to nest again (D. Kroodsma, pers. com.). The most

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reliable location to find these wrens has been 0.5 mile north of Wilson Rd. on 120th Ave. in

eastern Colfax Township. Found in wet grassy meadows in a number of locations in the

county, which vary considerably from year to year as one place dries up and another becomes

wet. Areas of Reed Canary Grass of an acre or more almost always have at least one singing

male, yet singing birds have been noted in numerous upland sites in active or abandoned hay

fields. Date Range. 7 May (1996, 2000) to 9 August (2000).

MARSH WREN Cistothorus palustris. Uncommon and local summer resident. State Special Concern.

Nests. Prefer much wetter habitat than Sedge Wrens, they nest regularly in the tall cat-tails at the west end

of Big Evans Lake, the southeastern corner of Lower Evans Lake, and the Big Evans-Lost Lake channel of

the Martiny Lakes system. Marsh Wrens may nest in several of the other larger cat-tail areas of the county

(possibly the Blue Lake-Lake Mecosta channel and a marsh at 5 Mi. Rd. at 200th Ave.). Marsh Wrens are

found only in larger cat-tail stands in the larger lake systems. Date Range. 10 May (1995) to 18 September

(1994). Late Date. 13 October 1993. HRT. 12 on 13 July 1997.

Gnatcatcher Family Sylviidae

BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER Polioptila caerulea. Rare summer resident and passage migrant.

Nests. Mecosta County is at the northern limit of the breeding range of these gnatcatchers, although they have been regularly recorded as far north as Whitefish Point in Chippewa County. Largely a chance find, as

they are not common at any time; they have been observed in Hinton, Sheridan, Chippewa, Martiny, Aetna,

and Mecosta townships, but probably occur in all the townships.

They may be a regular but rare breeder here; only two confirmed nestings have been located. The first was

at the Brockway Lake public access in Hinton Township, 30 May 1993, and the second on a peninsula of

land between Dogfish and Lost Lakes in the Martiny Lakes system on 7 June 1998; when two parent birds

were observed feeding three downy fledglings (SR, GV). Two other observations of Blue-gray

Gnatcatchers during the breeding season were made in 1998. Most often observed in oak woodland

habitats. Date Range. 3 May (2000) to 5 September (1992), most observations are in May. Early Date. 24

April 1999.

Kinglet Family Regulidae

GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET Regulus satrapa. Uncommon passage migrant. Rare winter

resident. Groups of wintering golden-crowns have been found during mild winters in larger evergreen

bottomlands and swamps (during the winters of 1982-83 [5 December to 18 February] and 1992-93); they

may overwinter regularly in the large Consumers Energy pine plantations in Aetna and Mecosta townships,

but this needs further study. Found throughout the county when migrating, usually in coniferous areas, but

also in shrubby lake margins and deciduous woods. Date Range. Spring, 2 April (1989, 1991) to 23 April

(1995). Fall, 22 September (1984, 1990) to 23 November (1999). Over half the sightings occur in October.

RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET Regulus calendula. Uncommon passage migrant. Ruby-crowned

Kinglets stay longer, and are more common and noticeable than golden-crowns when passing through on migration, often in mixed flocks with nuthatches, chickadees, sparrows, and Yellow-rumped Warblers.

Look for them in a wide range of deciduous and coniferous habitats and roadside thickets. Date Range.

Spring, 2 April (1981) to 21 May (2000). Fall, 19 September (1998) to 16 November (1997). Over half the

sightings are in October. Early Fall Date. 1 September 1996. Reported on Christmas Bird Count 16

December 2000, 17 December 2005, 16 December 2006, 17 December 2011.

Thrush Family Turdidae

Historical Note: “Yet, notwithstanding this, the markets here [Washington, DC] are literally overstocked

with strings of robins, thrushes, cedar-birds, and even bluebirds, which are brought in and sold for food.

Until this public sale of small birds is prohibited, as with game birds at certain seasons, our little harmless

songsters will rapidly disappear from the neighborhoods of large cities.” (USDA, 1866.)

EASTERN BLUEBIRD Sialia sialis. Uncommon to common summer resident and passage migrant.

Becoming regular in winter. Nests. Once very common to abundant in the state, bluebirds are barely

hanging on in some areas, though their population has improved in the last ten years or so. Competition

40

with more aggressive Tree Swallows, House Wrens, starlings, and House Sparrows for nest sites;

climatic factors; agricultural pesticides; and loss of wooden fence posts and hedgerows have been

main factors in the population decline. Originally, Eastern Bluebirds depended on natural openings

and edge habitats created by fire from natural causes and by Native Americans. Expansion of this

species into our county, and much of the whole of eastern North America, was facilitated by the

cutting of the great eastern forests, and by provision of nesting sites in millions of wooden fence posts and stump fences. Peak numbers were probably reached by the 1880s in much of the East, and here probably

about the turn of the twentieth century. The introduction of the starling and House Sparrow diminished the

bluebirds’ numbers substantially, but they remained common until the mid-1900s. Changing farm practices,

pesticides, increased use of metal fence posts, the expansion of cities, continued competition with the

starling and House Sparrow, and several severe winters at the end of the 1970s have drastically reduced

bluebird numbers, from which they have yet to recover (Read 1998).

Although they overwinter in Michigan in the southern tiers of counties, the winter of 1997-1998 was the

first year it was certain that they survived a full winter season here, and they appear to have wintered here

regularly in small numbers since then. Flocks of around twenty individuals are not uncommon during the

fall migration in September and October. Bluebirds can be locally common in orchards, fields, and other

open areas near hedgerows and woods. Some bluebirds wintered here much if not all of the winter of 2011-2012. Date Range. 3 March (1983) to 9 November (1996). Early Date 22 February 2000. HRT. 28 on 14

October 1998, 25 on 12 October 1996; 93 on 25 September 1995 (total in five locations). 25 on 7 January

2012. Collection Note: Four egg specimens were collected in Mecosta County by Clyde Karshner on 14

May 1896 (UMMZ 36102).

Historical Note: Barrows (1912) notes that bluebirds were common summer residents throughout the state

and one of the most familiar “nesting in hollow stumps, deserted woodpeckers’ holes, or bird-boxes

provided for its use, and frequenting almost every orchard and grove in the settled districts, often nesting in

the shade trees of city streets and parks. With the advance of the English Sparrow the Bluebird was driven

from its nesting places and compelled to take refuge at a distance from the settlements.’’

VEERY Catharus fuscescens. Common to uncommon summer resident and passage migrant. Nests.

More often heard than seen, the Veery’s downward-spiraling song is a good one to learn, for these birds are

difficult to find among the trees and brush where they raise their young. The Haymarsh SGA and wooded

areas around the Martiny Lakes complex are good places to look and listen. Veeries feed near the ground,

and are common in moist woodlands, forest and brushy thickets, and regenerating disturbed areas after fire

or lumbering. Date Range. 2 May (1994) to 31 August (1993). HRT. 10 on 6 June 1994. Collection Note:

One Veery has been collected in the county, MSU Museum OR.7114, as a skeleton. It was collected by

Doug McWhirter on 5 September 1976, 3 miles north-northeast of Barryton.

GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH Catharus minimus. Rare passage migrant. Gray-cheeked Thrushes are

only migrants through our area, and are so unobtrusive that they may be more common than noted during

their brief passage. Look for them in larger woodlands. Date Range. Spring, 14 May (1996) to 21 May (1997, GV). Fall, 12 September (1983) to 10 October (1997).

SWAINSON’S THRUSH Catharus ustulatus. Uncommon to rare passage migrant. Like Gray-

cheekeds, Swainson’s Thrushes are easily missed as they pass through the county. Look for this thrush in

wooded areas like the Haymarsh SGA. For a few days they may be common near the ground in moist

woodlands and swampy areas. Date Range. Spring, 12 May (1979) to 29 May (1984; 1989, MR). Fall, 5

September (1992) to 24 September (1999). HRT. 6 on 25 May 1996. Collection Note: Two Swainson’s

Thrush specimens are in the MSU Museum collection (OR.6986 and OR.7149 as skeletons). The first was

collected on 30 September 1973, 3 miles north-northeast of Barryton; the second on 6 September 1976, 3

miles northeast of Barryton, both by Doug McWhirter.

HERMIT THRUSH Catharus guttatus. Uncommon passage migrant. Possible nester. Hermit Thrushes

reach the very southern limit of their nesting range in the county, but there is no evidence, so far, of actual

nesting here. Three summer sightings in 1995 and 1996 indicate potential nesting; listed as a possible nester

in Mecosta Township in Brewer et al. (1991). Preferred nesting habitat exists in the county. The extensive

41

swamp area of the Hughes Swamp may provide the best chance for finding them nesting; look

in coniferous and mixed woodlands near the ground. Date Range. Spring, 4 April (1982) to

21 May (1994). Fall, 29 September (1996) to 25 October (1987). Unusual Dates. Several

breeding season dates are known with no other evidence of nesting: 3 June 1996, 5 June 1995,

17 July 1995, 25 August 1983.

Historical Note: Barrows (1912): “Dr. Gibbs found the species in Montcalm County, near Howard City,

where he took a nest June 10, 1882, and was satisfied that they nested there in abundance.”

WOOD THRUSH Hylocichla mustelina. Uncommon to common summer resident and passage

migrant. Nests. Most often encountered during spring migration, but their song is heard regularly in May

and June; quite variable in abundance from year to year. The Pickerel Lake area of the Haymarsh SGA is

one of the best places to observe these thrushes. A nest was noted along Garfield Rd. in Section 32 of

Colfax Township on 16 June 1983, and fledglings seen on 18 June; and an adult carrying nesting material

was seen on 5 July 1996 in the Consumers Energy land south of Hayes Rd. in Mecosta Township. These

thrushes favor thick moist woodlands wherever they are in the county, and generally shun regenerating

woodlands. Date Range. 4 May (1998) to 29 July (1994). Early Date. 22 April 2000. Late Dates. 21

August 1993, 7 September 1992. HRT. 23, along the Little Muskegon River from Altona to Morley Pond on 31 May 1997. Collection Note: Two specimens have been collected in the county, both by Doug

McWhirter, from 3 miles northeast of Barryton and preserved as skeletons, MSU Museum (OR.7141 and

OR.7147).

AMERICAN ROBIN Turdus migratorius. Abundant summer resident and passage migrant, rare

winter resident, but becoming more frequent. Nests. One of our most abundant and wide-ranging birds

in the county, and are the most widely distributed bird in the state (Brewer et al. 1991). They arrive early in

the spring, just after the snow melts, and are one of the first migrants to nest. Their willingness to cohabit

with man in farmyards, woodlots, suburban and city woods and lots makes them one of our most

recognized birds. By mid-July they are not as common, and in some years become almost absent until mid-

to late September into October, when large flocks cross the county on their way south. They may roost in large numbers in pine stands and swamps full of Gray Dogwood and various Viburnums during fall

migration. Becoming regular winter residents; the winter of 1990-1991 seems to be the first winter in which

a full winter season was passed by wintering robins rather than wanderers.

On 1 April 1997, a partially albino robin was observed on property south of Townline Lake in Section 6,

Colfax Township where it remained until well into July; its nest was sought on several occasions, but never

found. Though the exact date went unrecorded, a robin with a white head was observed in May 1985 at the

corner of M-66 and 19 Mile Rd. south of Barryton. One full albino robin was photographed and video-

taped by Edward Galloup in the Reed City area on 21 and 22 July 1997. Robins are found throughout the

county in all habitats, though they are most partial to deciduous woodlands. Date Range. 2 March (1979)

to 8 November (1993). They have been wintering regularly in small numbers since 1996. HRT. 282 on 14

October 1993. Collection Note: A clutch of 3 eggs was collected on 9 May 1896 by Clyde Karshner (UMMZ 36103). One specimen preserved as a skin is in the MSU Museum collection (OR.7444), collected

in Morley.

VARIED THRUSH Ixoreus naevius. Vagrant. The only recorded occurrences of Varied Thrushes have

been in winter at bird feeders. One in Section 19, Green Township, 10 March 1981 and other dates; and

two in Chippewa Township in January and February 1994. One visited several feeder stations on the north

side of Chippewa Lake, and the other frequented feeders in the northern part of the township (Section 10,

MW). There was a possibility of a third bird in the county in 1994, but this could not be confirmed. Date

Range. One dead specimen from winter 1977 was donated to Ferris State University (specimen not located

when collection was examined). In the winter 1993-1994, from Christmas 1993 to 21 March 1994, two or

three birds were seen in Chippewa Township. There was at least one other unverified and unrecorded report in the 1980s.

42

Mimic Thrush Family Mimidae

GRAY CATBIRD Dumetella carolinensis. Common summer resident and passage

migrant. Nests. Found throughout the county in shrubby edge habitats, stream and lake

margins, thickets and roadsides, often near man; fond of berries like honeysuckle, mulberry,

and dogwood. Date Range. 6 May (1986) to 5 October (1993). Early Dates. 11 April 1981, 14

April 1994 (MW), 23 April 1996, 28 April 2000. Late Dates. 19 October 1997, 26 October 1982. Collection Note: There are three egg specimens in the UMMZ collection (36105, 36133, 36134): 24 May

1896, four eggs, Clyde Karshner; 22 May 1896, five eggs, Lewis Brackett; 26 May 1895, four eggs, Clyde

Karshner, respectively.

NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD Mimus polyglottos. Vagrant. Possible resident in early 1970s. Has

nested in the past. Observations of “mockers” in the county have been few and widely spread. One was

known to have spent the winter 1977 (22 January to 6 March, MR) in the vicinity of Mecosta County

General Hospital in Big Rapids. There was an unconfirmed sighting (but reliably described) in July 1994 in

the Arthur Rd. area near the Muskegon River, and one was reported in the area of Woodward and Green

Streets in Big Rapids by John and Ebba Ladd on 9 July 1994 and another on 7 May 1996. Other reports of

mockingbirds are: by Norma Harrison near 16 Mile Rd. at 140th Ave. in May 1996, near 21 Mile Rd. at

140th Ave. on 1 November 1996 (GV), on 26 June 1998 and 25 May 2000 in Rogers Heights, 12 December 1999 near 18 Mile Rd. at 10th Ave. (GV) and 21 April 2001 near 18 Mile Rd. at 120th Ave., 25

April 2011 (Jane Waldo). At least one record nearly yearly since 2001.

Dee LaBatt reports seeing mockingbird nests for several years, at Camp Brethren Heights at the

northwestern end of Jehnsen Lake in the 1970s. Adams et al. (1988), notes: “As a group, the winters of

1976-77, 1977-78 and 1978-79 probably had the greatest overall impact on some of Michigan’s bird

populations. In areas where the Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) had become established in the

early 1970s only a few individuals remained.” Though this is referring to the more southern Michigan

counties, these winters may also have put an end to the mockingbirds that nested near Jehnsen Lake. The

mockingbird is listed as a possible nester in Big Rapids Township in the ABBM (Brewer et al. 1991). Their

habitat preference is around human habitation and regenerating woodlands. Dates of confirmed

observations. As noted above.

BROWN THRASHER Toxostoma rufum. Uncommon summer resident and passage migrant. Nests.

Appear to be declining in the county, as well as the state, and are becoming increasingly difficult to locate.

Loss of prime habitat, preferred food sources, and possible competition with Gray Catbirds for nesting sites

may be partially to blame for the decline (Brewer et al. 1991). Brown Thrashers are most often seen half

running, half flying across roads between forest edge, hedgerows and thickets. Date Range. 4 April (1982,

1984) to 28 September (2000). Outside dates: One 19 December 2009. One on 14 February 2012.

Historical Note: Cook (1893): “...Very common at Iron Mountain, where with many other song birds they

suffer seriously at the hands of the Italians, who kill them for stews”.

Starling Family Sturnidae

EUROPEAN STARLING Sturnus vulgaris. Abundant year-round resident and passage migrant, less

common in winter. Common nester. A year-round scourge throughout our county and the state. Seeing

two hundred on a birding trip, and sometimes many more in one place, is not uncommon. On occasion,

starlings can be seen catching insects over fields in swallow-like fashion.

They nest anywhere there is a hole of suitable size, and it seems not to matter in what object, from under

eaves, store-front signs, in drainpipes, cracks in block walls and vents, to natural cavities and bird houses.

Starlings will evict or out-compete more beneficial birds such as Northern Flicker, Red-headed

Woodpecker, Great Crested Flycatcher, Purple Martin (see historical note under that species), and Eastern

Bluebird. Starlings that leave for the winter return to the county with the first spell of warm weather in late February or March. They can be seen searching out nest cavities by late February. Though less common in

the winter, they are still found anywhere in the county in open land, brushy fields, hedgerows, grain

elevators, feedlots, farms, cities, dumpsters, bird feeders, and other disturbed habitat and, to a lesser extent

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around marshes. Date Range. Year-round resident. HRT. About 2,000 on 22 October 1993,

1,000+ on 13 October 1993. Observations of over 500, numerous times.

Historical Note: Wood (1951): “Following its first appearance in Michigan (in the southeast

during the spring of 1924), the Starling spread throughout most of the Lower Peninsula before

1928; and by 1931, had been recorded at widely separated points in the Upper Peninsula.”

Pipit Family Motacillidae

AMERICAN PIPIT Anthus rubescens. Rare but regular passage migrant in spring and fall. Their

cryptic coloration makes pipits difficult to find in stubble fields and grazed pastures, where they are most

often located. They often migrate with flocks of Horned Larks, and will land on utility wires while Horned

Larks seldom do. Flocks are generally small, usually twenty or less, often only three or four. Look for them

in open areas of Hinton (1 Mile Rd. at 160th Ave.), Morton (area of 7 Mile Rd. at 80th Ave.) and Austin (7

Mile Rd. at 140th Ave.) townships. Pipits, like Horned Larks, prefer very short-grass areas, like over-

grazed or bare fields, and shoreline. Date Range. Spring, 3 May (1998) to 18 May (1994). Fall, 25

September (1995) to 25 October (1994). Unusual Date. 8 July 1995. HRT. 158 on 12 October 1997 at five

locations: about 70 on 4 October 1998; about 75 on 11 October 1998.

Waxwing Family Bombycillidae

CEDAR WAXWING Bombycilla cedrorum. Common spring and summer, less so in fall; common in

early winter, less so to absent in late winter. Regular nester. May be present year-round, although they

are most often absent in the dead of winter and most common in late July and August, when raising their

young. Known to get “drunk” when feeding on fermenting berries, if there are a few warm days following

an extended freeze in the winter, causing the yeast to begin fermenting the berry sugars. On hot summer

afternoons, they can be seen hawking insects over the Muskegon and Little Muskegon rivers and some of

the lakes. Look for them anywhere in the county along hedgerows, over fields, marshes, and lakes, city

ornamental trees, and the bare trees of winter – particularly around berry bushes like Michigan Holly. Date

Range. Quite variable. Reported in all months, most commonly from May through September in small flocks and family groups. In larger roving flocks from October through mid-January. Several February and

March sightings have been made of groups of less than fifty to nearly 100. HRT. 695 on 18 December

1999, combined CBC data; 200 on 20 January 1994 (MW). Collection Note: Four eggs (UMMZ 36129)

were collected by Clyde Karshner on 12 July 1896, no location given other than Mecosta.

Historical Note: Barrows (1912) refers to the demand for adorning women’s hats and that their gregarious

nature allows for many “to be killed with a single shot.” They were also popular as a food delicacy during

market hunting days and often appeared in pies.

BOHEMIAN WAXWING Bombycilla garrulus. Overall, a rare winter visitor. An irruptive species

from the northwest, Bohemian Waxwings are present only in winters when the food crop to the west fails.

The largest incursion into the county occurred during the winter of 1993-1994, when flocks of over 100 could be found, though less than twenty were more usual. The most reliable places during winter are in

various locations on the Ferris State University campus where there are fruited ornamental plantings. They

are also occasionally encountered in the countryside where a supply of berries is available, but Bohemians

are a chance find throughout the county when present. Not seen for many years until a flock around the

FSU campus starting on 20 November 2012 (Joe Lipar) and seen variously through December. Date

Range. Quite variable; recorded from 3 December (1995) to 19 February (1996) and a few in winter of

1998 to 2 March. One bird known on 29 November 1989. None reported in 1997 or 1999. HRT. 280 on 3

December 1995 (GV) on FSU campus. 139 on 16 December 1995.

Bunting Family Calcaridae

LAPLAND LONGSPUR Calcarius lapponicus. Rare passage migrant, probably not annually. Observing flocks of migrant Horned Larks and Snow Buntings is a good way to locate this species. Small

flocks have been found in November, February, and March mixed with those two species in the area of 7

Mile Rd. and 80th Ave., and in the open fields around 1 Mile Rd. at 160th Ave. These birds are possibly

more common than indicated during migration, and may be of yearly occurrence, but just not observed. All

44

three species may be easily seen on roadside gravel or tarmac, but are more often out in the fields

among the corn stubble or potato-field mud. Date Range. 25 February 1995, 15 October 2000, 3 to

9 November 1995 and 6 January 1998 in Morton Township; 11 March 1996 in Colfax Township; 12

Nov 1996 in Hinton Township. HRT. About 30 on 25 February 1995 and 23 November 1999 (GV).

SNOW BUNTING Plectrophenax nivalis. Uncommon to rare winter resident and passage migrant. Numbers vary greatly from year to year, and the birds move about so much while here that it is difficult to

be sure of their true status. At times, flocks of several hundred may roam the southern tier of townships,

gleaning seeds from the open fields and roadsides, then seem to disappear to show up again days or weeks

later. Their presence does seem to be related to the amount of snow cover. When fields are open, the Snow

Bunting can generally be found, but not if fields are deeply covered. A few individuals can occasionally be

found in mid-winter where manure has been spread by farmers. At other times, small flocks may be

irregularly seen throughout winter. They often collect in county roads to peck seeds and road salt (?) from

the surface. Look for Snow Buntings almost anywhere there are bare open fields, corn stubble, recently

spread manure, and along roadsides. Date Range. 26 October (1996) to 7 March (1996). Late Date. 7

April 1996. HRT. About 1,200 on 14 November 1994 (MW), about 500 on 9 November 1995 (GV), and

about 500 on 19 January 1997.

New World Warbler Family Parulidae

OVENBIRD Seiurus aurocapilla. Common summer resident and passage migrant. Nests. More often

heard than seen, but by the end of summer they are easily observed in the lower branches of trees. Several

nests have been located in Colfax Township, and Ovenbirds are possible and probable nesters in all the

other townships (Brewer et al. 1991). Common throughout the county in open, drier upland woods, but

difficult to locate in the leafy ground litter, where they build their well-hidden nests and forage for

invertebrates. Date Range. 28 April (1990) to 23 September (1978). Most are gone by late July. HRT. 60

on 8 May 2000, countywide during NAMC. Collection Note: Wood (1951): “The species has been found

nesting in many other regions of the peninsula: Lewis Brackett collected a set of four eggs (U.M.M.Z.) in Mecosta County, on June 9, 1896...” (UMMZ 36108).

LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH Parkesia motachlla (Seiurus motacilla). Rare to vagrant. State Special

Concern. Probable nester. Mecosta County is very close to the northern limit of their breeding range now;

but Louisiana Waterthrushes may have been more common in the county before the lumbering era. Dates

into June and July seem to indicate the probability of breeding, but pinning this down is difficult, as the

male may sing at a given location only very early in the season and not be heard there again that year.

These warblers are possible nesters in these locations in Mecosta Township: the Muskegon River in the

Hess Bend tract of Consumers Energy lands (Section 16), the stream crossing 0.5 mile mile south of Hayes

Rd. on 220th Ave. (Section 9), at Betts Creek (Section 20), along Cold Spring Creek (Section 3), and the

crossing of a small stream near the corner of Old State Road at Polk Road (Section 33, Ron Weeks). The only sighting outside Mecosta Township was one on Winters Creek in Section 25 of Big Rapids Township.

Preferred habitat is the faster moving, small, wooded streams rather than in the stagnant swamp habitat of

the Northern Waterthrush. Date Range. 20 April (2001) to 8 June (1996). Unusual Date. 18 July 1987

(MR).

NORTHERN WATERTHUSH Parkesia noveborasensis (Seiurus noveboracensis). Uncommon summer

resident. Possible nester. Possible nesters in six townships (Brewer et al. 1991), and likely nest in all, as

they are present during the nesting season each year; however, finding a nest among the tangles of swamp

vegetation would be exceedingly difficult. They are near the southern limit of their nesting range here.

Northwestern Chippewa Lake along West Chippewa Lake Drive, the eastern path along the south edge of

Pickerel Lake, and the swamp east of the public access at Big Evans Lake are three reliable places to find this difficult-to-see waterthrush. Preferred habitat is areas of stagnant water in ponds and swamps, where

there is much undergrowth along the banks and a broken forest overhead, most often with many dead tree

stubs. Date Range. 29 April (2000) to 29 July (1995). Late Dates. 18 August 1998, 22 August 1983.

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GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER Vermivora chrysoptera. Uncommon to common

summer resident. Nests. Very similar to blue-wings in habitat preference, but take to

younger and damper environments; young sapling stands of aspen, willow, and alder near

water are good places to look. The habitats where golden-wings (as well as blue-wings) nest

may last only a few years before becoming too grown-up to suit them.

The Golden-winged and Blue-winged Warblers will occasionally hybridize to produce the “Lawrence’s”

and “Brewster’s” hybrids. In a list of the birds occurring in Mecosta County during the ABBM survey

(supplied by Ray Adams), a “Brewster’s” hybrid is listed with no subsequent data other than, “This hybrid

was observed in 27 Atlas blocks.” The Haymarsh SGA is a good place to find both species several years

after a cut, and in areas of streams and small wetlands with bordering regenerating woods. Date Range. 7

May (2000) to 5 July (1996). The majority are gone by the first week in July. Fall migrants are rarely

observed; only two dates: 29 August 1997, 11 September 1993. HRT. 8 on 14 May 1994 (total at two

locations).

BLUE-WINGED WARBLER Vermivora cyanoptera (V. pinus). Common to uncommon summer

resident. Nests. Reaches the northern edge of its nesting range only slightly north of Mecosta County. It is a probable nester in eight townships (and likely in all) according Brewer et al. (1991); the first confirmed

nest was found in Mecosta Township on 14 July 1996. A pair of adults with two young was observed on

the White Pine Trail south of 8 Mile Rd. on 11 August

1997, and several other parents with young have since

been located. Found in regenerating second-growth

woodland openings, when the trees are about 6 feet

high; or in brushy meadows, shrubby stream edges,

powerline rights-of-way, orchards, and similar habitats,

generally where damp. The shrubby edges of the White

Pine Trail are good places to find this warbler. Date

Range. 6 May (2000) to 9 September (1995). HRT. 12 on 31 May 1997, Altona to Morley on Little Muskegon

River.

Historical Note: Wood (1951) lists the Blue-winged

Warbler as a “rare summer resident north to Livingston

County.” Zimmerman and Van Tyne (1959) note the

Blue-winged Warbler reaching the northern limit of its

range in “southwestern Newaygo County.” By the end

of the ABBM study in 1988, this warbler reached the

northern line of Mason to Iosco Counties, with outliers

in Benzie and Alpena Counties.

BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER Mniotilta varia.

Uncommon summer resident and passage migrant.

Nests. Most often seen during both migrations working

their way, in nuthatch-like fashion, around tree trunks

and larger limbs. One confirmed nest was found in

Section 12 of Colfax Township in 1993. Preferred

habitat is mature and second-growth deciduous/mixed

conifer woodlands. Date Range. Spring, 3 May (1996) to 4 June (1983). Fall, 14 August (1998) to 20

September (2000, Walter Lueke).

PROTHONOTARY WARBLER Protonotaria citrea. Vagrant. State Special Concern. There are only three observations of this warbler in the county: June 1968 at River Street Park in Big Rapids; though

several are said to have been recorded in the Haymarsh SGA by Ferris State University students on class

field trips, only one was dated (May 5 - no year given); and 8 May 2000 on the west side of Chippewa Lake

(GV). Mecosta County is just above this warbler’s northern breeding limit. Not much preferred wooded

Migrant warblers often do not occur in their “field guide” habitats during migration, and

may appear in places well out of character

when seen here. The movement of warblers

through the county is quite variable and often

not reliable. In 1994 and 1999, there were

virtually no passage migrant warblers during

spring migration due to weather fronts that

kept them in southern Michigan. A sudden break in the weather and a southerly wind

sent almost the whole migratory wave across

central Michigan to northern Michigan with

only a very few reported sightings in the

county, despite careful searching. By contrast,

in the spring of 1996, the “fallout” of

warblers was one of the best in memory. In

cooperative weather it is possible to see

twenty species of warblers in a day. The best

viewing of the most varied assemblage of

migrant warblers each year occurs around the 15th to 22nd of May. By far, the best place to

be to see the warbler migration in the county

is the west side of Haymarsh Lake around the

above dates. The fall migration occurs from

mid-July into October, with the passage of

warblers generally being very subtle.

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bottomland habitat occurs in the county, though the Little Muskegon River corridor

would seem nearly ideal. Date Range. Three observations recorded above.

TENNESSEE WARBLER Oreothlypis peregrina (Vermivora peregrina). Common

passage migrant. Common for about a week as they pass through the area in spring and fall; if

one knows their song, they are easily found. Quite similar in appearance to both Warbling and Red-eyed Vireos but are more active. Most common in mature deciduous city trees and in woodlands. Date Range.

Spring, 3 May (1999) to 29 May (1997). Fall, 23 August (1983, 1998) to 28 September (1996). Late Date.

6 October 2000 HRT. 12 on 23 may 1996.

ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER Oreothlypis celata (Vermivora celata). Rare to vagrant passage

migrant. These drab and very nondescript warblers stay well hidden in shrubbery when they pass through

on migration; therefore, they may be more common than reported. Most of our records are from fall, but

watch for them during May in shrubby thickets and along stream banks with lush growth of vegetation.

Date Range. Spring, 9 May (1979) to 19 May (1997). Fall, 26 September (1976) to 22 October (1998).

One singing male recorded during Breeding Bird Survey in Newaygo County at 13 Mile Rd. at Cottonwood

Rd. on 12 June 1993 (SR).

NASHVILLE WARBLER Oreothlypis ruficalilla (Vermivora ruficapilla). Common passage migrant.

Nests. One of our earliest

and most common warbler migrants and near the southern limit of their nesting range here. Listed in the

ABBM as a probable nester in Grant Township, where it has now been confirmed (28 May 1997, GV) and

several other observations of probable nesting have been made during the breeding season in the county.

When passing through, Nashvilles are easily found in yards with older trees and in second-growth

woodlands. When nesting, their preference is for coniferous and mixed woodlands. Date Range. Spring, 2

May (1977, SR; 1992, MR) to 14 June (1977). A few scattered breeding season records. Fall, 9 August

(1995) to 25 September (1999). Late Dates. 3 October 1998, 8 October 1996, 5-24 October 1982. HRT. 8

on 11 September 1993.

CONNECTICUT WARBLER Oporornis agilis. Rare passage migrant. There are only five records

known in the county: Section 32, Colfax Township on 13 September 1981; Section 11 of Fork Township

on 26 May 1996 (Douglas McWhirter); Section 29 of Chippewa Township on 16 September 1997 (GV);

and Section 9 of Big Rapids Township on 14 September 2000 (Walter Lueke). Norma Harrison reported

seeing Connecticut Warblers on rare occasions here, but recorded no dates of observation.

MOURNING WARBLER Geothlypis philadelphia (Oporornis Philadelphia). Uncommon to rare

summer resident and passage migrant. Possible nester. The Mourning Warbler’s presence here seems to

vary widely from year to year, as their preferred habitat changes rapidly, and depends on the opening of

new areas for them to colonize. Five townships show possible breeding status in Brewer et al. (1991), but

they have been observed in breeding season in all the townships but Aetna. Preferred habitat is in heavy

undergrowth of regenerating aspen stands before they reach about 8 feet in height, and shrubby streamside edge or tangled swampy areas backed by woodland (especially along the Little Muskegon River). Date

Range. 11 May (1992) to 14 July (1998). Late Dates. 20 August 1983, 17 September 2000 (Walter

Lueke). HRT. 16 on 16 June 1996 along the Little Muskegon River from 130th Ave. bridge to Morley

Pond.

COMMON YELLOWTHROAT Geothlypis trichas. Abundant summer resident and passage migrant.

Common nester. These are one of our most common summer resident birds, although somewhat difficult

to see at times. Their preferred habitat is almost any brushy, wet, roadside thicket, swale, stream, or marsh

edge with rank vegetation. This is similar to the habitat of the Yellow Warbler, but yellowthroats seem to

require more water and sedge nearby. Date Range. 28 April (1990) to 6 October (1996). Collection Note:

One Common Yellowthroat, collected along US-131 (presumably present Northland Drive) near Stanwood (location information is a bit ambiguous) on 22 May 1980, is in the CMUZC (80-131, Acc. # 80.119),

preserved as a study skin.

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HOODED WARBLER Setophaga citrina. Rare vagrant. One singing male was observed on a

pipeline right of way northeast of Newcosta Rd at Eisenhower Ave in far southwestern Aetna

Township on 12 May 2007 (SR and Joe Lipar) and for several dates after. 12 May 2012 one

singing male recorded at 10 Mi Rd at 230th

Ave responding to a taped palyback (SR and Joe

Lipar).

AMERICAN REDSTART Setophaga ruticilla. Common summer resident and passage migrant.

Nests. Because they prefer thick regenerating woodlands, redstarts may be common in one place for a few

years, then move to similar locations elsewhere when the trees become too tall. Redstarts are often found

here in shrubby stream edges, near woodlots, in second-growth aspen stands and older aspen woodlots near

the same habitats; in migration they also appear in cities and gardens. Date Range. 3 May (2000) to 1

October (1983, 1995), though the majority are gone by early August. HRT. 20 on 31 May 1997, Rustford

to 155th Ave. Bridge on the Little Muskegon River.

CAPE MAY WARBLER Setophaga tigrina (Dendroica tigrina). Uncommon passage migrant. As with

most of the passage migrants, seeing Cape May Warblers depends largely upon being in the right place at

the right time, as their passage in the spring is limited to only a few days in mid- to late May, and in the

fall. Date Range. Spring, 8 May (1993) to 22 May (1997). Fall, 30 August (1977) to 20 September (1998). HRT. About 20 on 22 May 1997.

CERULEAN WARBLER Setophaga cerulean (Dendroica cerulean). Vagrant. State Special Concern.

Possible nester. Noted in the ABBM (Brewer et al. 1991) as possible nesters in Austin Township, but

much searching in the county during the 1990s turned up no sightings. These birds favor mature damp

woodlands, of which there are not a great deal in the county, but can also be found in drier open upland

woods, as are the ceruleans noted below in Newaygo County. Possible areas to look for them are the

mature deciduous areas of the Consumers Energy lands in Mecosta Township south of Hayes Rd., in

northeastern Section 15 in Mecosta Township, Section 30 of Big Rapids Township, and some of the low

woodlands in the southern tier of townships. Mecosta County is the northern breeding limit of these

warblers, and may lack extensive enough woodlands for them. The only Cerulean Warbler observed by the author in the county was seen at River Street Park in Big Rapids in spring of 1967 (exact date not

recorded).

Cerulean Warblers are known to nest in Newaygo County (1996-2000) at a site 2 miles west of Mecosta

County near the corner of Cottonwood and Jackson Roads, in an oak-aspen-Red Maple woodland. They

have also been heard singing in the oak woodland at the roadside rest on M-37 south of White Cloud. The

Cerulean Warbler seemed to be of regular occurrence in Newaygo County, according to Wood (1951), and

still appears to be locally common there.

NORTHERN PARULA Setopahga americana (Parula americana). Vagrant but may be more common.

Despite a range from boreal habitats to woods in the deep south, the parula has been recorded only once in

the county, by Doug McWhirter, who heard one on 20 May 1996 at Lower Evans Lake. This record is accepted parenthetically due to lack of a sight record and will not be counted in the final county total of

bird species until one is seen. 10 May 2003 by GV and Mike Ladenberger. In 2007 and several times since

during spring migration.

MAGNOLIA WARBLER Setophaga magnolia (Dendroica magnolia). Uncommon passage migrant.

Possible nester in Grant Township. Found only for a few days in mid- to late May, and again in the

autumn as a less colorful fall migrant. They are listed as possible nesters in Grant Township (29 June 1987,

Jack Reinhoel) near the corner of 130th Ave. and 21 Mile Rd. (Brewer et al. 1991). A singing male was

observed on 24 and 27 June 1997 in Section 12 of Colfax Township. Most often seen in deciduous and

mixed woodlands. Date Range. Spring, 12 May (1994) to 31 May (1993). Fall, 17 August (1977) to 23

September (1994, MW; 1997, GV). Late Date. 30 September 2000.

BAY-BREASTED WARBLER Setophaga castanea (Dendroica castanea). Uncommon passage

migrant. Only a few are seen as they pass through each spring, and fewer in the fall. Confusing similarity

to the Pine and Blackpoll Warblers, when in their fall plumage, may be partially to blame for the small

48

number of fall records. Date Range. Spring, 12 May (1990) to 25 May (1997). Fall, 23 August (1998) to

16 September (1997, GV).

BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER Setophaga fusca (Dendroica fusca). Uncommon passage migrant.

Present for only a few days in spring and fall. Found in open woodlands and yards during passage though

often high up, they are easily identified by their bright orange throats, a reasonable vestige of which is maintained in the fall plumage. Date Range. Spring, 8 May (1993) to 25 May (1997). Fall, 29 Aug (1993)

to 9 September (2000, Walter Lueke). Late Date. 1 October 1983.

YELLOW WARBLER Setophaga petechia (Dendroica petechia). Abundant summer resident and

passage migrant. Common nester. Active, vocal, and easily seen during the nesting season, but falling

silent by early July; by mid-July, they are difficult to find, although still present. Occasionally seen

hawking insects along the margins of larger ponds and lakes and open shrubby streams. Almost any

roadside ditch to large marsh in the county with enough thick shrubbery will have a pair of Yellow

Warblers. Date Range. 30 April (1995) to 27 September (1997). HRT. 25 on 7 May 1997 (GV). Collection

Note: Clyde Karshner collected five eggs (UMMZ 36151), noted as Big Rapids, on 26 May 1895, and five

eggs (UMMZ 36152) near the Muskegon River on 17 May 1896. Lewis Brackett collected five eggs

(UMMZ 36153) 23 May 1896, noted only as Mecosta.

CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER Setophaga pensylvanica (Dendroica pensylvanica). Uncommon

summer resident and passage migrant. Nests. Appear to have declined significantly in the county from

1993-2000. Widespread in regenerating second-growth woodlands of the county with thick underbrush and

open canopy, but the location changes every few years as the stands outgrow what the birds will accept.

They are less common in edge communities like wood-field edge and powerline rights-of-ways; look in

aspen stands of about 5 to 10 feet in height for these birds. Prefer drier habitats than the Blue-winged and

Golden-winged Warblers. Date Range. Spring, 9 May (1979) to 9 July (1995). Fall, 9 August (1995) to 16

September (1997, GV). Seldom seen during summer, as the few breeders are gone by early July.

BLACKPOLL WARBLER Setophaga striata (Dendroica striata). Uncommon to rare passage migrant. A late May and fall migrant, and seem more common in the autumn movement, though quite difficult to

distinguish from the Pine and Bay-breasted Warblers; thus may be underrepresented. Generally found in

hedgerows and deciduous trees during migration. Date Range. Spring, 19 May (1996) to 22 May (1984,

1997). Fall, 23 August (1998) to 22 September (2000, Walter Lueke).

BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER Setophaga caerulescens (Dendroica caerulescens). Rare

passage migrant. Possible nester. This species should be more often seen than the few available records

indicate. Mid-May migrants often remain in deep woodlands as they pass through the county. Listed in the

ABBM as a possible nester in Green and Big Rapids townships, where they prefer the nearly pure stands of

Sugar Maple in the more forested areas. Date Range. Spring, 9 May (1990) to 3 June (1992). Late summer

and fall, 25 August (2000) to 20 October (1980), but based on fewer than 15 records.

PALM WARBLER Setophaga palmarum (Dendroica palmarum). Uncommon passage migrant. Most

often seen migrating with the common Yellow-rumped Warblers. Palms are generally observed feeding

from ground level to about 10 feet in similar habitats to the yellow-rumps. Look for Palm Warblers when

the main movement of yellow-rumps occurs in spring and fall, in a wide variety of habitats including

hedgerows, weedy fields, and shrubby lake margins. Date Range. Spring, 29 April (1998, 2000) to 18 May

(1996). Fall, 23 September (1996) to 15 October (2000).

PINE WARBLER Setophaga pinus (Dendroica pinus). Rare to uncommon summer resident and

regular passage migrant. Probable nester. May be more common in migration than realized, due to the

similarity of their song to the Chipping Sparrow’s, and because they use the same habitat. In the fall,

identification is complicated, as Blackpoll, Bay-breasted, and Pine Warblers are very similar in appearance. Great care must be taken to properly identify each at this time. This may account for the lack of many

autumnal records for this species.

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Although Brewer et al. (1991) lists Pine Warblers as possible nesters in the pine plantations of

Big Rapids and Mecosta townships, they almost certainly nest in the large Consumers Energy

pine plantations in southern Big Rapids Township, in Mecosta and Aetna townships, and on

the west side of Haymarsh Lake in Grant Township. There have also been several observations

of Pine Warblers singing during the breeding season in the pine woods near Paris Park in Green Township.

These warblers seem to be confined to the western four townships and Grant Township, but could be found in others where there are large tracts of pine trees. One observed taking sunflower seeds at a feeder on 4

and 6 April 2011 after a snowstorm on 5 April. (SR) Date Range. Spring, 19 April (1998) to 31 May

(1997). Numerous breeding-season dates. Fall, 27 August (1977) to 30 September (2000).

YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER Setophaga coronata (Dendroica coronata). Abundant to common

passage migrant. Possible nester. One wintering record. When migrating, very common for several days

to several weeks in spring and fall, in a variety of habitats. In the autumn, they are more commonly

encountered in fields, shrubby borders, and hedgerows. These are the first warblers to return in spring,

often as early as mid-April; Palm Warblers are often associated with yellow-rumps during both migrations.

One singing male was seen in suitable nesting habitat on 9 June 1998 on the White Pine Trail just north of

the Paris Park headquarters building, and several breeding-season yellow-rumps were observed in Sections

15 and 16 in Mecosta Township during the summer of 2000. In fall, these are by far the most common warbler to pass through the county; they are found gleaning insects from the tops of trees to near ground

level, in deep woods, hedgerows, lake edges, and along waterways in migration. Date Range. Spring, 14

April (1977) to 29 May (1995). Fall, 31 August (2000) to 29 October (1989, 1995). Unusual Dates. One

over-winter record, winter of 1995-1996 at a feeder on 157th Ave., Colfax Township. Four were observed

on 16 December 2000 (GV, Mike and Sara Ladenburger) at the north end of Horsehead Lake. Early Date.

29 March 1998. Late Date. 7 November 1991. HRT. About 50 on 18 and 20 May 1997 (SR, GV).

PRAIRIE WARBLER Setophaga discolor (Dendroica discolor). Rare. Nested in 2007 and 2008. One

Prairie Warbler with food in its mouth was observed in June 2007 in section 24 of Chippewa Township in a

shrubby field. Nesting there was assumed due to several observations during that month, but a pair was not

seen. Also observed at the same location in June of 2008 but the species has not been seen there or elsewhere in the county since. A very unexpected pair of observations for this bird in the county.

BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER Setophaga virens (Dendroica virens). Uncommon to

common passage migrant and rare summer resident. Nests. The ABBM (Brewer et al. 1991) lists them

as a probable nester in Mecosta Township, and there is enough evidence to conclude that they do nest in

Sections 10 and 15 in Mecosta Township and in Section 20 of Wheatland Township west of Remus. There

are probably numerous locations here in mature mixed woodlots with hemlock, White Pine, and maples

where these warblers are nesting. One of our more common passage migrants, generally found in open

woodland and edge habitats; less commonly in the autumn, but are one of the more easily recognized of the

fall-plumaged warblers. Date Range. Spring, 2 May (2000) to 25 May (1996). Numerous breeding season

dates. Fall, 19 August (1998) to 28 September (1980; 1997, GV). Early Date. 27 April 1991.

CANADA WARBLER Cardellina canadensis (Wilsonia canadensis). Rare to uncommon passage

migrant. Possible nester. Regular but rapid migrants through the county in spring and fall. Noted in the ABBM (Brewer et al. 1991)

as a possible nester in Grant Township, and one breeding-plumage male (late migrant?) found on 9 June

2000 in the township in a swale east of the crossing of 21 Mile. Rd at Haymarsh Creek (Section 14). They

generally are easily seen in deciduous trees and are usually in the company of several other species in a

migration wave. Date Range. Spring, 16 May (1977, 1979) to 29 May (1997). One breeding season date, 9

June 2000. Fall, 23 August (1983) to 19 September (1981).

WILSON’S WARBLER Cardellina pusilla (Wilsonia pusilla). Rare to uncommon passage migrant.

These small, dark-capped warblers tend to remain truer to their habitat type during migration than some other warblers; they are inconspicuous, and generally do not sing while migrating through the county so

may be easily missed. Some years, several will be seen during their brief stay, and in other years they go by

unseen. Look for them in brushy riparian and roadside thickets. Date Range. Spring, 3 May (1979) to 27

May (2000). Fall, 23 August (1983) to 18 September (1997, GV). Late Date. 13 October 1992.

50

YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT Icteria virens. Vagrant. This southern species reaches its

northern breeding limit in the first three tiers of counties in Michigan, but occasionally strays a bit

farther northward. Jack Reinhoel notes one heard-only chat on 20 June 1988 in the extreme north

of Grant Township, but could not give an exact location (pers. comm.). Brewer et al. (1991) lists it as a possible nester in Millbrook Township, and there have been a few unconfirmed sightings during the period

of this book, with no dates provided. One singing male was noted in July 2000 in the park southwest of US-

10 at Northland Drive in Osceola County just north of Reed City. Prefers heavily vegetated hedgerow

habitat, which is no longer present in the county in any large amount.

Sparrow Family Emberizidae

Sparrows, while a common and important component of our avian fauna, are often overlooked due to their

drab brown coloration, or are mentally lumped with the House (English) Sparrow by the general public.

All the grassland species of sparrows seem to leave almost overnight when breeding is done; this often

corresponds to shortly after the second haying here, though particular species photoperiod actually has

more to do with this. In many of the species, after the nesting season, there is a period of several weeks to a month when few or none are found until the fall migration begins. At migration, numerous loose, pure, as

well as mixed-species flocks can be found in various habitats. The noticeable fall migration of sparrows

begins here about mid-to late August and continues through the first two weeks of October. Look in weedy

fields, especially those with ragweed, mullein, pigweed, and dock, and in swampy roadside thickets,

swamps, and marshes with Gray Dogwood, willow, grasses, and sedges.

Many of our sparrow species are experiencing precipitous declines in numbers, particularly in the last ten

years. Numerous reasons have been put forward for this, from habitat lost to farming practices, crop

rotations, time of haying, habitat loss in their wintering grounds and migration routes, and reforestation of

old pastures through natural succession. Another possible factor is the invasion of fields by Autumn Olive

and Spotted Knapweed. Autumn Olive was touted as great for wildlife food in the 1970s, and it was, but it is also easily disseminated through bird droppings, and takes root almost anywhere there is enough light

and dry soil. A number of fields in the county are showing signs that in the next ten or so years they may be

substantially crowded with this shrub. Knapweed has been taking over fields with light dry soils that have

not been plowed for several years; it now covers many acres.

EASTERN TOWHEE Pipilo erythrophthalmus. Uncommon summer resident. Nests. Although the

ABBM (Brewer et al. 1991) states that the towhee seems to be holding its own in the rural areas of the

state, the species appears to be declining here, possibly due to increasing maturity of the local forests.

Several nests have been found in the county in Section 32 of Colfax Township (7 July 1977, 14 July 1978,

28 May 1987), and towhees are a possible or probable breeder in all townships. One record of an

overwintering male occurred in 2001 at a feeder southeast of 7 Mile Rd. at 170th Ave, observed almost

daily from 1 January to 4 April. They prefer to remain in dense cover along the ground of mature forest edges and openings, second-growth and Jack Pines; oak and aspen seem to be the preferred mix in dry

upland habitat and cut-overs. Date Range. 28 March (1998) to 15 October (1995). Early Date. 15 March

1977. Late Dates. 4 November 1997, 10 and 11 November 1995, 19 December 1998 (GV, Mike and Sara

Ladenbarger), 1 January to 26 February 2001 (Jane Waldo). Collection Note: There is one specimen

collected by Doug McWhirter in the MSU Museum collection (OR.7148), and preserved as a skeleton;

collected on 6 September 1976, 3 miles northeast of Barryton.

Historical Note: Barrows (1912): “The bird is well known everywhere as a constant inhabitant of brush

and open woods, being especially abundant along the margins of woodlands adjoining recently cleared

areas. It is one of the commonest birds and one can hardly drive a mile along a country road anywhere in

the Lower Peninsula without seeing several.” By the late 1990s, it has become uncommon in the county. Cutting of the forests greatly increased the habitat for towhees, but as the forests regenerate here, less

habitat is available. Seeing only a few towhees a season is more the norm today.

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AMERICAN TREE SPARROW Spizella arborea. Common winter resident. Tree sparrows are

a common sight at winter feeders in the county. On arrival in early November, they tend to remain

in weedy fields, hedgerows, and shrubby lowland swales, eating natural food until it is snow

covered, before coming to feeders. They are not an uncommon sight in small flocks along

roadsides with shrubby cover during the winter and, by late winter, are regularly found there, particularly as

they begin to flock for migration. In late March to early April, there is a noticeable increase in their numbers as they migrate northward, their movement often being held up by weather fronts. Date Range. 26

October (2000) to 27 April (1997). Early Dates. 8 October 1989, 15 October 1998, 19 October 1997.

HRT. 70+ on 28 February 1997 at feeders in Section 12, Colfax Township. Collection Note: One road-kill

specimen preserved as a study skin (CMUZC 75-320, Acc. #74.387). A second specimen is prepared as a

mount from a window kill near Barryton on 5 April 1987 (CMUZC 87-87, Acc. # 87.026).

CHIPPING SPARROW Spizella passerina. Abundant to common summer resident and passage

migrant. Nests. One of our most common sparrows and the only one common in residential areas.

Chipping Sparrows are one of the few bird species frequenting the dry pine plantations planted by

Consumers Energy, private landowners, and the commercial Christmas tree farms around the county. They

can be found throughout the county in dry upland habitats dominated by pines and in “savannas where the

herb layer is short or sparse” (Brewer et al. 1991). They are common around farms, the Ferris State University campus, and houses in the more open areas of cities, towns, and rural areas, as long as a few

evergreens are available for nesting. Date Range. 16 April (1993, MW) to 13 October (1996), most are

gone by mid-July. Early Date. 29 March 1998. HRT. 70+ on 29 September 1996. Collection Note: five

eggs were collected by Clyde Karshner on 24 May 1896. Location is listed only as the county (UMMZ

36117).

CLAY-COLORED SPARROW Spizella pallida. Rare, possibly beginning to colonize. Nests. Mecosta

County is well out of the nesting range of these sparrows, so they are rarely encountered here and there are

only a few sightings. However, during the breeding seasons 1998-2000, at least two pairs were suspected of

nesting in a Christmas tree plantation just north of 20 Mile Rd. at 10th Ave. No young were found, but the

adults reacted vigorously when a tape of their song was played, and territorial songs were also heard. Other sightings include: 6 June 1991 in Green Township along 19 Mile Road a half mile east of the Newaygo

County line, and five migrants observed feeding along the roadside of 65th Ave. at Taft Road on 20

September 1998. These sparrows prefer dry upland field interspersed with small conifers and shrubby

deciduous trees. Several have been regularly observed in the grassy field along the WPT about halfway

between 23 Mi Rd and Meceola Road, 2008-2011 (Joe Lipar and FSU classes).

FIELD SPARROW Spizella pusilla. Uncommon summer resident and passage migrant. Nests. Field

Sparrows appear to be declining in the county. They are confirmed nesters in Colfax and Grant townships

and possible to probable in all others (Brewer et al. 1991). Observations of Field Sparrows have been made

in several wooded areas of regenerating cut-over land, well away from their usual habitat. They prefer dry,

open, old fields with some shrubbery, powerline rights-of-way, young Christmas tree plantations, and other

such habitat throughout. Date Range. 30 March (1982) to 19 October (1980, 1996), only a few remain after mid-July. Late Date. 6 November 1981. Collection Note: Two are preserved as skeletons in the MSU

Museum collection (OR.7143 and OR.7144), both collected on 5 September 1976 by Doug McWhirter, 3

miles northeast of Barryton.

VESPER SPARROW Pooecetes gramineus. Common summer resident and passage migrant. Nests. In

some locations Song, Chipping, Field, Vesper, Grasshopper, and Savannah Sparrows can be heard in one

general location. An observation of note was the sighting of a Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel (Gopher)

with a naked Vesper Sparrow chick in its mouth in Section 32 of Colfax Township (see note under that

species in the Mammals chapter). Preferred habitat is very similar to Field Sparrows: dry, short-grass,

upland fields with some small shrubbery, but they can also be found throughout the county in more

established drier hay fields, and meadows without shrubbery or only sparsely occurring shrubs. Date

Range. Spring and summer, 30 March (1998) to 22 July (1994). Numbers are significantly fewer after mid-

July. Fall, 27 August (1995) to 29 October (1995). Late Date. 18 December 1992. Collection Note: four

eggs were collected by G. W. Hallibaugh on 16 May 1896, location listed only as the county (UMMZ

36150).

52

SAVANNAH SPARROW Passerculus sandwichensis. Abundant to common summer resident

and passage migrant. Nests. The population of Savannah Sparrows changes from year to year in the

county; this seems to be due to changes in agricultural crops and land usage. Many Savannah

Sparrows here sing a typical “tse, tse, tse, tsaaay,” but end it with a distinct “tslick,” very similar to the

much less-common Henslow’s Sparrow. Immature Savannahs are known to sit in fields on fence posts, utility wires, or near the top of saplings and shrubs singing only the “tslick” part of the song; Henslow’s

Sparrows are skulkers and are seldom seen at a height higher than a tall grass stem from which they sing.

By late July, Savannah Sparrows are nearly absent, and may disappear entirely after the late July-early

August hay cutting until the fall migrants pass through from September into October. During September

Savannahs will flock in small numbers and can be seen on utility wires over fields as they prepare to

migrate. Savannah Sparrows are birds of open, drier, grassy marshes, pastures, hay fields, fields in the

freeway exits, and grassy agricultural areas without shrubbery. Moderately tall- to tall-grass hayfields are

preferred over the short-grass areas favored by Grasshopper Sparrows. Date Range. Spring and summer,

14 April (1994) to 13 August (1994); few remain after late July. Fall, 7 September (1996) to 21 October

(1996). HRT. 35 on 29 September 1996, 86 on 6 October 1996 (total at five locations).

GRASSHOPPER SPARROW Ammodramus savannarum. Local. Summer resident. State Special

Concern. Nests. Grasshopper Sparrow locations change with agricultural usage. Though they may inhabit

the same fields as Savannah Sparrows, they prefer even drier habitats. They must be sought, as these

sparrows are not often found near roads, but can be heard in the distance out in a field. A confirmed nesting

was noted by Kathy Stolaruk on 5 August 2000 west of 9 Mile Rd. at 70th Ave. when adults with numerous

young were noted.

Three reliable places to find this sparrow are: to the west of 9 Mile Rd. at 70th Ave., about 0.5 mile east of

the School Section Lake County Park entrance on 9 Mile Rd., and west of 7 Mile Rd. at 160th Ave. The

Grasshopper Sparrow’s habitat preference is for old fields and pastures with short- to medium-height grass

and no shrubbery; they do seem to tolerate a high percentage of knapweed. Date Range. 8 May (1993) to

17 August (1996); few after early to mid-July. Early Date. 19 April 1977. This record is well out of line even with the ABBM (Brewer et al. 1991) seasonal occurrence dates.

HENSLOW’S SPARROW Ammodramus henslowii. Rare summer resident, often absent for several

years. State Threatened. Probable nester. Of sporadic occurrence in the county; easily found some years

in proper habitat, but absent the next year for no apparent reason, nor do they seem to have any long-term

allegiance to any particular location. The most reliable location has been northwest of Wilson Rd. at 125th

Ave., but even this location is not used yearly and is declining in usefulness due to Autumn Olive invasion.

Another prime location, found in 1999, is northwest of 18 Mile Rd. at 135th Ave., in the large open field.

New locations for singing males are recorded each summer, and they are often not heard there in following

years. Wood (1951) states: ‘“The species is apparently rather unstable in its abundance ‘even in suitable

habitat.’” This species may be present in some of its noted locations in June, while not occurring in other

known locations until August.

Their song is only a quick “tslick,” (see notes under Savannah Sparrow) and they remain well hidden in the

vegetation, seldom visible. Henslow’s Sparrows prefer damp open fields with tall, dense grass, usually with

a few small shrubs present. Date Range. 27 May (1993) to 17 August (1997). Though some Henslow’s

Sparrows have been noted in May (8 to 29 May 1998), they most often occur in mid-July to mid-August.

HRT. Six on 9 August 1996.

FOX SPARROW Passerella iliaca. Uncommon passage migrant. Our largest sparrow, an uncommon

migrant in spring, and less so in the fall. Their passage in the spring occurs during the time feeders are still

up, which draws them to yards where they are more visible. During the fall migration, their passage goes

largely unnoticed, probably because the abundance of natural food keeps them from using bird feeders. Occasionally seen on roadsides and in hedgerow shrubbery along fields in both seasons. Date Range.

Spring, 6 March (1993) to 25 April (1981). Fall, 9 October (1992) to 26 November (1998). Late Dates. 20

December 1992, 4 to 9 January 2000 at a feeder in Section 12 of Colfax Township.

53

SONG SPARROW Melospiza melodia. Abundant summer resident and passage

migrant. Common nester. Our most common resident sparrow; the first to arrive in

spring, as early as the first week of March, and last to leave in the fall. They nest

throughout the county in a variety of habitats that contain tangles of woody vegetation

near open areas, in any moist habitat along roadsides, fields, hedgerows, marsh and lake edges

and around rural homes, occasionally in shrubby areas of cities, often close to a source of water. It is doubtful that any Song Sparrows survive the winter in the countryside, though several have survived

around bird-feeding stations. There are two such records: in the winter of 1980-1981, and the winter of

1996-1997. Date Range. 1 March (1998) to 30 October (1994), excluding dates for those known to over-

winter. Unusual Dates. One on 31 December 1988 and two on 1 January 1989. HRT. 28 on 6 October

1996, 63 on 13 May (1995 total at 22 locations during the NAMC). Collection Note: Clyde Karshner

collected a set of five eggs (UMMZ 36101) on 16 June 1896, no location information.

LINCOLN’S SPARROW Melospiza lincolnii. Uncommon to rare passage migrant. Because of their

close resemblance to Song Sparrows, these seldom-seen or heard sparrows may be more common in

passage through the county than sightings have indicated. On rare occasions, they have been found at

feeders (9 May 1982, 15 and 21 May 1997). These birds favor muskegs, bogs, and tamarack when nesting,

but during migration “they are often found in moist areas, tangles, brushy edges of ponds, dense weedy fields with ragweed, frostweed, etc.” (Rising 1996). Date Range. Spring, 9 May (1982) to 27 May (1997).

Fall, 6 August (1996) to 14 October (2000). One on 4 October 2012, Section 12 Colfax Township. Early

Date. 22 April 1998 (GV).

SWAMP SPARROW Melospiza georgiana. Common summer resident and passage migrant. Nests.

Though somewhat confined to habitat of marshy wetlands like the Martiny Lakes and Haymarsh SGA,

Swamp Sparrows can also be found in larger open or shrubby roadside wet areas with grasses, sedges and

cat-tails; they may even rival Song Sparrow numbers in these places. Swamp Sparrows remain almost to

the first snows of fall before completely vacating the county. It is possible that the incursion of Purple

Loosestrife into our marshes may be causing a reduction in their population here, while at the same time the

existence of the state game area marshes has greatly increased habitat for them. Date Range. 6 April (1994, 1997) to 19 October (1997). Early Dates. 28 March 1982, 29 March 1998. One Swamp Sparrow at a

feeder on the Ferris State University campus behind Helen Ferris Hall on 16 December 1995. HRT. About

25 on 16 May 1995. Collection Note: Wood (1951): “Clyde Karshner collected a set of 5 eggs (U.M.M.Z.)

near Big Rapids, Mecosta County, on April 30, 1896.” (UMMZ 36125). Also in the UMMZ collection is a

set of five eggs (UMMZ 36123) collected by Lewis Brackett on 1 May 1896, with the location listed only

as the county, and another set of four eggs (UMMZ 36147) collected by Clyde Karshner on 3 May 1896

near a marshy edge of the Muskegon River.

WHITE-THROATED SPARROW Zonotrichia albicollis. Uncommon passage migrant. Probable

nester. Like the Fox and White-Crowned Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows pass through on their

northward migration and are more often seen here in spring than during the fall. Two phases of the White-

throated Sparrow are easily recognized in the county: the tan-striped and the white-striped.

Brewer et al. (1991) notes the white-throat as a possible nester in Martiny and Austin townships. Other

observed breeding-season locations are: in the Hughes Swamp from 13 Mile Rd. on 24 May 1995 (Martiny

Township); three on 4 July 1996, three on 25 May 1997, and one on 23 June 1997 singing in the Buckhorn

Creek swamp south of 23 Mile Rd. in Green Township, where they almost surely nest. One sparrow spent

much of the 1994 winter at a feeder on the east side of Chippewa Lake, but did not survive to spring.

During the winter of 1996-97, one toughed out the whole season at a feeder in Section 12 Colfax

Township, and another wintered at a feeder in Section 10 of Chippewa Township in the 1997-1998 (MW).

They have been reported several times in mid-December Christmas Bird Counts. These sparrows frequent

bird feeders, shrubby fields, hedgerows, woodland and marsh margins during passage. Date Range. Spring,

15 April (1998) to 24 May (1995). Fall, 13 September (1977) to 6 November (1991). HRT. About 20 on 10 October 1997. Late Date. One on 15 and 21 November 2012 (same bird).

54

Historical Note: Cook (1893): “Abundant; throughout the entire state;...summer resident as far south as

Grand Rapids.” In Brewer et al. (1991), the white-throat is now listed only as a sporadic summer resident

south of the Manistee-to-Iosco county line, and reaches its southern limit in Mecosta County.

WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW Zonotrichia leucophrys. Uncommon to rare passage migrant. Most

often encountered at feeders in the spring, less commonly than the white-throat. The habitat and time of migration of both species are similar, though the white-crowned is usually a little later. Most often

encountered along hedgerows and shrubby marsh margins when not at feeders. Date Range. Spring, 23

April (1994, MW) to 22 May (1997). Fall, 19 September (1997) to 6 November (1991).

DARK-EYED JUNCO Junco hyemalis. Common winter resident. Common feeder birds throughout the

winter; often seen flying up from roadsides, or near pines and open areas by thickets. Most of the birds

wintering here are males, as they winter farther north than the females. On arrival in the fall, juncos come

to feeders sooner than American Tree Sparrows and Common Redpolls, which may be in the area for

several weeks before being present at feeders. In late March to early April, there is a noticeable increase in

junco numbers as they migrate northward, their movement often being held up by weather fronts; a few

may linger into May. Juncos may be as numerous along roadside thickets and woods as they are at winter

feeders throughout their stay. Date Range. 13 September (1977) to 19 May (1990). HRT. 39 on 1 April 1993 at a feeder. 146 on CBC, 16 December 2000.

Historical Note: Cook (1893) notes the junco as a summer resident south to Montcalm County.

Cardinal, Grosbeak, and Bunting Family Cardinalidae

SCARLET TANAGER Piranga olivacea. Uncommon to common summer resident and passage

migrant. Nests. The sight of a sunlit Scarlet Tanager high in the top of an oak tree, against a clear blue sky,

is a memorable one. Much of the Haymarsh SGA, oak woodlands in Mecosta and Big Rapids Townships,

and woodlands surrounding the Martiny Lakes system provide the most accessible habitat for viewing

them. As the woodlands of the county mature, Scarlet Tanagers may well benefit. They can be found in all

the townships and probably nest in many of the larger private deciduous woodland holdings. Prefer larger tracts (minimum of 25 acres but fifty acres better, [Brewer et al. 1991]) of oak, maple and beech, but they

can also be found in drier maturing hardwoods mixed with aspen. Date Range. 9 May (2000) to 18

September (1994); most are gone by end of July. Late Dates. One immature, 28 September 1996, one

immature on 5 October 2000 (Ruth Topping).

SUMMERTANAGER Pringa rubra. Vagrant. One on 14 May 2005, Bob Kreuger.. Observed by Pat and

Mike Cady, 120th Ave at 16 Mi Rd on 14 May 2011.

NORTHERN CARDINAL Cardinalis cardinalis. Common year-round resident. Nests. During the

summer, cardinals are most common in woodland edge, woodlots, stream margins, and similar habitat

throughout the county, but in winter are more often found at bird feeders than in the countryside. Date

Range. Year-round resident, numbers probably constant. HRT. 26 on 23 January 1996 and 21 on 23 January 1992 at a feeder in Section 12 of Colfax Township.

Historical Note: The Northern Cardinal has greatly extended its range northward in the state during this

century. Gibbs (1879) lists the cardinal as an “accidental visitor” in the state. In Cook (1893), the cardinal

is noted as “very rare; ‘never seen at Ann Arbor’ ... ‘have taken a few specimens in Hillsdale and Lenawee

Counties’.” Barrows (1912) describes its range as rare in the southern half of the state and most common

only in the bottom three tiers of counties. The bird now is reported all the way to Sault Ste. Marie, and is

common throughout the southern two-thirds of the state.

ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK Pheucticus ludovicianus. Common summer resident and passage

migrant. Common nester. Arrive in late April to early May, and are as eagerly greeted as the robin by those who know it. They are easily attracted to feeders during the summer, often bringing their insistent

young to be fed. During May migration, rose-breasts may be seen in groups of up to a dozen. Open

deciduous woodlands, parks, and taller shrubby areas are ideal habitat. Date Range. 20 April (1976, MR)

to 11 October (1980), though most adults are gone by late August. Early Dates. 13 April 1979, 4 April

55

1982. HRT. 12 on 14 May 1994 in one location; 36 on 14 May 1994 (total in ten locations during

NAMC). Collection Note: Three eggs were collected by Clyde Karshner on 16 June 1896

(UMMZ 36127); location noted only as the county. One collected in Section 25 of Sheridan

Township on 10 May 1990, preserved as a study skin (CMUZC 91-12, Acc. # 90.040). One

preserved as a skeleton on 5 September 1976 (MSU Museum OR.7140).

INDIGO BUNTING Passerina cyanea. Common to uncommon summer resident. Nests. The brilliant

male indigos are most often encountered at edges of fields and open woodlands, singing from utility wires;

the female is a drab olive greenish.After breeding, they will be found in fields eating weed seeds and

insects and by late summer, have a preference for cornfields. They will build their tightly woven nests in

the crotch of a Bracken Fern if the fern stand is substantial enough to supply support. They are widely

distributed in the county in many edge-type habitats along roads, lakes, and streams during the nesting

season. Date Range. 5 May (2000) to 29 August (1994), few remain after mid-July. Late Dates. 5

September 1978 and 14 September 1996. Collection Note: Wood (1951): “..at Big Rapids, Mecosta County

(June 16, 1896, 4-egg set, U.M.M.Z.)...” in reference to its breeding in the county, the collection made by

Clyde Karshner (UMMZ 36149). There are two specimens in the CMUZC, both prepared as study skins:

(79-26, Acc. # 79.076) collected on 20 May 1978, and 1984 as the only date information (89-78, Acc. #

82.082.2).

DICKCISSEL Spiza americana. Casual. State Special Concern. Nested in 2000. Dickcissels were

reported during 1988 in Austin, Hinton, and Millbrook townships during the ABBM study. Dickcissels may

be very common one year and absent for many years thereafter. During the drought year of 1988 in

Michigan, they were common in our area and were confirmed nesting in Newaygo County. One

observation in 1988, and one on 13 June 1995, just south of M-20 at 10th Ave. in Wheatland Township.

Known to have bred in 2000 southeast of the corner of 9 Mile Rd. at 70th Ave. (5 August 2000, Kathy

Stolaruk; adults with young). They prefer old pastures with thick grassy vegetation. Date Range. As above.

Blackbird Family Icteridae

BOBOLINK Dolichonyx oryzivorus. Abundant to common summer resident and passage migrant.

Nests. Arriving in early May, the adults go about nesting and are all but gone by 10 July, making them the

breeder with the shortest stay in the county. Only a rare few adults linger after 20 July, possibly migrant

northern birds, that mix with the many recently fledged young. Hay cutting before 4 July has had a

devastating effect on the birds nesting in the cropped fields, while the birds in uncropped fields are far safer

and more successful (Rodenhouse et al. 1995). The adults may be seen in large flocks just before migrating

south, and seem to disappear en masse overnight. Juveniles seem to be abandoned and are present in

modest numbers to late August. Bobolinks are common in large lush grassy fields and pastures. Date

Range. 5 May (1993) to 17 July (1996) for adults, immatures to 23 August (1997).

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD Agelaius phoeniceus. Abundant summer resident and passage migrant.

Common nester. One of our few truly abundant and conspicuous summer birds, though they appear to be

declining. Males arrive in late February to early March; there may be a time gap of several days to a week or more between these early arrivals and the main push of migrants, if inclement weather intervenes.

Females arrive four to six weeks later. They nest in almost any small to large cat-tail marsh, and accept

damp fields or lake- and pond-margin shrubbery when prime habitat is unavailable. By mid-July, they

abandon the nesting areas and form roving flocks of up to several hundred birds, though usually as only a

few tens of birds. They can appear almost absent from the county for several days until a flock is

encountered flying up from a cornfield along a rural roadside. The flocks linger but become smaller until

the last birds leave around the first third of November. Redwings are found in all moist open habitats from

open meadow to open marsh or wood-field edges, but generally not in shrubby fields. They may

occasionally be found in woods when migrating. Date Range. 22 February (1998) to 11 November (1989),

though uncommon after August. Late Date. One immature male at a feeder near Chippewa Lake 20

December 1997. HRT. 2,000 estimated on 1 November 1998, 1,000 estimated on 25 October 1994. Collection Note: One specimen collected on 23 June 1977 (CMUZC, T-166, Acc. # 93.003), preserved as

a study skin.

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EASTERN MEADOWLARK Sturnella magna. Common summer resident and passage

migrant. Nests. Commonly seen perched on utility wires, fence posts, or on sturdy mullein stalks

during breeding season. By late July, they are uncommon to absent until migrants appear in

September and October. During fall migration, small flocks can be encountered in short-grass

fields; an exceptionally early flock of 15 was observed on 2 July 1998, possibly due to very dry conditions

that summer. Common in fields and pastures and less so around open wetlands, where they seem out of place when seen. Date Range. 7 March (1977, 1987, 1992) to 25 October (1994). Early Date. 1 March

1998. Late Dates. 8 November 1991, 30 January and 1 February 1995 at 3 Mile Rd. at 80th Ave. in

Osceola County – 3 miles north of Mecosta County line (MW). 16 Dec 2006 and 14 December 2008 during

Christmas Bird Count. HRT. 21 on 6 October 1995.

WESTERN MEADOWLARK Sturnella neglecta. Casual. State Special Concern. It is safe to assume

that a meadowlark seen in the county is the Eastern Meadowlark, but listening for the western’s song may

find you this rarity around the end of May or early June. It is listed in the ABBM (Brewer et al. 1991) as a

possible nester in Fork and Sheridan townships. One lost individual spent much of the summer of 1971 in

Big Rapids in the area of Mecosta Ave. and Cedar Street in a residential area, singing for a mate (MR).

Other observations have been: one on 17 and 21 May 1972 in Section 28 of Grant Township (John and

Ebba Ladd); 25 June 1987 south of Barryton (Jack Reinhoel); 7 June 1989 at 12 Mile Rd. at 150th Ave.; 31 May 1995 northwest of the corner of 7 Mile Rd. at 140th Ave.; and 13 May 1999 (MW) on Eisenhower Rd.

east of 40th Ave. Several have been recorded in Newaygo County during Breeding Bird Survey route

coverage. Western Meadowlarks prefer drier short-grass uplands. Date Range. As above.

YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus. Accidental. State Special

Concern. The first sighting in the county came from Virginia Bement in Green Township on 14 April

1992, at her feeder with several Red-winged Blackbirds. Another similar report came in 1993 in Big Rapids

Township. This feeder activity is apparently not that unusual for migrating yellow-heads, though wholly

out of character for an otherwise strictly marsh bird (J. Granlund, pers. comm.). There have been several

other reports from the Martiny Lakes in spring, but no reports since 1994. These would be difficult birds to

misidentify in breeding plumage, so the species has been added to the list on the strength of these reports.

RUSTY BLACKBIRD Euphagus carolinus. Common to uncommon passage migrant. An uncommon

spring migrant; a much more common but variable fall migrant. When migrating in single-species flocks,

they prefer damp wooded swamps such as those in the Haymarsh SGA, but are more commonly seen along

wet roadside areas where they forage near the ground and lower branches. When in large roving mixed

flocks with Red-winged Blackbirds, Brewer’s Blackbirds, Brown-headed Cowbirds, grackles, and starlings,

they may be found in the open in corn-stubble fields. Rustys are characteristic birds of woodland swamps

and low ground when passing through here. Date Range. Spring, 6 April (1998) to 24 April (1995). Fall,

26 September (1998) to 13 November (1994). Early Date. 25 March 1982. HRT. About 2,000 in a mixed

flock with Red-winged Blackbirds on 1 November 1998, mixed flock of about 1,000 of mostly Rusty

Blackbirds on 2 November 1996, about 375 in a pure flock on 10 November 1997 (SR, GV).

BREWER’S BLACKBIRD Euphagus cyanocephalus. Uncommon passage migrant. Probably present in

small numbers every year, and suitable habitat does exist in the county. This species should be watched for

here, and careful observation of blackbirds should be made rather than passing all off as the usual redwings,

grackles and cowbirds.

Confirmed nestings are noted in Brewer et al. (1991) for Isabella and Osceola counties, probable in

Missaukee County, and a recent confirmed nesting in Newaygo County (Ross 1999). On 13 June 1998, a

pair of Brewer’s Blackbirds was observed in Section 27 of Home Township in Newaygo County; a

confirmed nest was observed the following day only 25 feet from the fence line in a well-grazed pasture

along a busy road (13 Mile Rd. at Poplar).

An exceptional year for finding Brewer’s Blackbirds here was 1996; they generally migrate before Rusty

Blackbirds in spring and after them in the fall, though there is some overlap in the fall (consult a good field

guide for finer details of identification). Habitat preference is helpful: the Brewer’s is seldom found in

wooded situations, while the rusty is found in fields as well as woodland swamps. Brewer’s are birds of

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open country and are not found in the same habitat as the Rusty Blackbird (see Rusty Blackbird

above). Date Range. Spring, 3 March (1997) to 12 April (1997). Fall, 27 October (1997) to 9

November (1995, 1996). HRT. 43 on 6 April 1997.

COMMON GRACKLE Quiscalus quiscula. Common to uncommon summer resident and passage

migrant. Nests in loose colonies. Of all the birds in this listing, the Common Grackle has made the most noticeable decline during the period of this study. In the 1960s and 1970s, grackles were an abundant,

annoying nuisance throughout the county, and even became common nesters in evergreens in yards in Big

Rapids. From the late 1970s to the present, they nest less often in towns, but still remain common in the

countryside. In 1994, they were hard to find anywhere, and only in small numbers when located. Brewer et

al. (1991) attributes their decline in the state to, “..hard winters in the late 1970s and bird-control efforts at

large roosts in the Southeast.” Occasional individuals are reported in winter at feeding stations in the

county, but it has not been shown that any survive through the season. Grackles nest in loose colonies in

thick stands of spruce trees that are scattered around the county at heights to about 6 to 9 feet tall. Grackles

have been observed entirely entering holes in trees on several occasions, but have not been seen to exit with

any other bird’s eggs, or remain inside long enough to eat one. Nor has there been any indication of a

grackle nesting in a cavity. However, one nest has been found on a broken-off stub of a tree in a wooded

marsh, such that the nest was covered by a section of trunk above the nest while the parent sat crosswise on the trunk (SR).

The same time-lag between the earliest arrivals and later arrivals occurs with Common Grackles as noted

for red-wings (see Red-winged Blackbird). Grackles are variable in numbers, though found throughout the

county in open and shrubby areas, particularly with small evergreens, lake and pond margins, and edge

habitats. Date Range. 26 February (2000) to 17 November (1994). Winter Dates. 30 November 1993,

winter dates, 26 December 1977 to 9 January 1978, 10 December 1983, 20 February 1984, 25 November

1992 to 30 January 1993, 6 to 30 January 1993 at a feeder in Section 12 of Colfax Township, 16 December

1998. HRT. 10,000+ on 7 November 1998 (highest recorded total for any species in the county). About

4,000 on 9 August 1997. About 3000 on 3 October 1995. Collection Note: A set of four eggs (UMMZ

36104) was collected on 14 June 1896 by Clyde Karshner from an old stub in the river (presumably the Muskegon).

BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD Molothrus ater. Common summer resident and passage migrant.

Nests. Found in nearly all habitats while searching for some hapless foster parent, in whose nest the female

will lay her egg, leaving the other bird to raise the young. When the nesting season is done, cowbirds

largely vacate the county by late July, with occasional individuals and small groups found to early

November. In spring and fall, they often migrate in mixed flocks with other blackbirds. These brood

parasites can be found in almost any habitat in the county except open marsh. Date Range. 3 March (1983)

to 17 August (1994). Most gone by mid-July. Late Date. 15 October 2000. 4 on 19 December 2009, Joe

Lipar.

Historical Note: Brown-headed Cowbirds were originally confined to the Great Plains, but as the woodlands were cut and opened up to agriculture, cowbirds expanded widely throughout the eastern states.

In Michigan, they may have been restricted to the southern counties until settlement began here. Cowbirds

now lay their eggs in the nests of some forty other species of birds in the state (over 200 nationwide).

Presently, it appears the cowbird is declining in the state possibly due to changes in agriculture (Brewer et

al. 1991).

ORCHARD ORIOLE Icterus spurius. Accidental. Has nested. Jim Granlund recorded an Orchard Oriole

at the corner of Buchanan Road at 90th Avenue on 30 June 1988. It is listed in the Brewer et al. (1991) as a

confirmed nester in Mecosta Township and a possible in Austin and Morton townships. Mecosta County is

well north of its normal nesting limit of the southern three tiers of counties, though there are a number of

sporadic nestings even north of our county. As far as is known, Orchard Orioles have not been observed in the county since the end of the ABBM survey in 1988 (Brewer et al. 1991). One male on 9-10 May 2011

Madison Rd at 230th Ave by Walt Leucke. One on 18 June M-20 at 15 Mi Rd on 18 June 2011 by Joe

Lipar.

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BALTIMORE ORIOLE Icterus galbula. Common summer resident and passage migrant.

Common nester. Quite vocal on arrival in early May, orioles become quiet after beginning to nest.

Their hanging-sack nests are easily spotted swaying from bare trees in the winter. Over the last ten

years or so, their numbers appear to be increasing. Found throughout the county in partially open

habitat sparsely populated with tall trees. Date Range. 28 April (1990, MR; 1994) to 1 September (1996,

2000), though seldom seen after late July. Late Date. 4 November 2000. HRT. 10 on 19 May 1996. Collection Note: Two specimens in the CMUZC, both window kills from Sheridan Township in spring of

1985 (89-43, Acc. # 85.082.1 and Acc. # 85.082.1).

Finch Family Fringillidae

PINE GROSBEAK Pinicola enucleator. Irruptive. Casual. Pine Grosbeaks arrive in our area only during

years when food in their normal range to the north of us becomes scarce. They are winter visitors in small

flocks and are quite tame, allowing close approach for viewing. Winters of past sightings include 1972-

1973, 1977-1978, 1980-1981, 1994-1995 and 1995-1996. The largest numbers of Pine Grosbeaks occurred

during the 1995-1996 winter, and were found widely in the county in small groups to more than thirty. The

most reliable location was the area between 172nd and 175th Avenues on M-20 in Colfax Township. When

they are in the area, look for them in spruce, fir, and other conifer stands, and around fruiting ornamental

trees such as those on the Ferris State University campus. One very late observation was made on 13 May 2000 at 15 Mile Rd. at 220th Ave. (PC). Date Range. An irruptive species found only in winter, with many

years between visits. 7 March 1972, 17 and 29 December 1977 (MR), 17 January 1978 (MR), 14

November 1980, 7 February to 3 March 1994 (MW, SR), 7 to 28 January 1995, 16 December 1995 to 19

February 1996. HRT. 37 on 8 January 1996. Collection Note: R. F. Judson collected a Pine Grosbeak on 24

February 1896 in Big Rapids (UMMZ 106325). Four on 3 and 10 February 2012 on spruce trees souoth of

the Meijer’s parking lot (SR). notes,

PURPLE FINCH Carpodacus purpureus. Uncommon to rare year-round resident. Nests. Have not

been common in the county during the years of this study, possibly due to our being near the southern end

of their range. They are most often observed in small flocks at feeders early and late in winter and are

missing during mid-winter. Summer nesting, when it occurs, is in the coniferous woods of the county, and they may also be found in open aspen stands, where they may go unobserved unless sought out.

They are listed as confirmed breeders in Martiny, Mecosta, and Big Rapids townships, and possible to pro-

able in seven others (Brewer et al. 1991). A noticeable drop in Purple Finch numbers has occurred since the

arrival of the House Finch in 1985, but it is not known if the House Finch is the cause. They appear to be

lasting longer into the winter season, but only rarely lasting through the winter in small numbers since

about 2009. Date Range. Rather sporadic in numbers and presence throughout the year. HRT. 37 on 8

January 1996. Collection Note: One specimen preserved as a skeleton in the MSU Museum collection

(OR.7142), by Doug McWhirter on 5 September 1976.

HOUSE FINCH Carpodacus mexicanus. Common year-round resident, less common in winter. Nests.

House Finches are native to the western states. Since their introduction to Long Island, New York, in 1940, they quickly spread westward, reaching Michigan at Berrien Springs on 13 February 1972 and reaching

Mecosta County about 1985 (first record in Big Rapids from 9 June 1985, MR; also noted as nesting).

Brewer et al. (1991) show their occurrence in only four townships; however, by 1994, they had been

observed in all townships, and undoubtedly bred in all, judging by their numbers.

They nest almost anywhere; in vines, ledges, in pots of flowers, under awnings, and most often in

evergreens. One of the more interesting nesting sites was a nest on 10 April 1995 in a plastic evergreen-

type tree on the front porch of a house in the 500 block of Rust Avenue in Big Rapids. The largest

concentrations during the breeding season are found around farms, where they seem to act in much the

same way as the House (English) Sparrow.

An eye disease called conjunctivitis caused by the microorganism Mycoplasma gallisepticum has been

found in House Finches throughout much of the eastern United States since 1994, and was first observed

here in April 1996. This disease seems to be fairly common now and during the summer of 1998, two pairs

of House Finches with the disease successfully nested in Section 12 of Colfax Township. By 2009, this

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disease seems to have run its course in the area. There was a significant drop in numbers of this

species after that has been slowly rebuilding since 2009. An albino (except for black eyes) House

Finch was seen at a feeder on 10 January 1998 and also on 2 March 1998 at the same location,

northwest of 14 Mile Rd. at 205th Ave. (Cindi Konrad and photograph). Another (possibly the same

bird) was observed about 0.5 mile northeast of this location by Janice Webster and Malinda McCain at their

bird feeders on 30 June 1998. Although common bird feeder visitors, and recorded in all months of the year, they are least common in mid-winter. Most birds in the county are of the pinkish-red coloration, but a

few may vary toward orange and even yellowish; this is due to diet. A wide variety of habitat is used by

House Finches in areas of human disturbance, such as cities, suburban yards, campuses and around farms;

and they are found throughout the county in open and edge habitats. Date Range. Year-round; but variable

and sporadic in numbers. HRT. 80 on 23 December 1995.

RED CROSSBILL Loxia curvirostra. Accidental. We see Red Crossbills only as an irruptive winter

visitor. Only two recorded sightings: 19 January 1973, and a flock of 18 to 20 from 17 March to 18 June

1973 (?, very late observation but reliable observer, MR); other recorded sighting of six birds, 26

November 1981.

WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL Loxia leucoptera. Casual. Like Pine Grosbeaks, Red Crossbills, and the two redpolls, White-winged Crossbills are seen only as an irruptive winter visitor, and only when the

evergreen cone crop here is plentiful. There were two observations in 1994: one at a feeder near Fillmore

Rd. at 190th Ave. in January, and one on 24 March. The winter of 1995-1996 was the best year on record,

with these crossbills being found in the Featherbed Flooding, the Ferris State University campus, regularly

in a large spruce plantation along 60th Ave. south of Roosevelt Road in Sheridan Township, and in Big

Rapids, as well as several other locations. Often found in large stands of spruce and pines, as well as

individual urban trees when well “fruited.” Date Range. 28 March 1974 (MR), 20 April 1977 (MR), 11

January 1995, 16 December 1995 to 13 January 1996, 14 November (JV), and 24 November 1997 at

feeders. One report of a pair from a feeder near Madison Rd. at 220th Ave. much of the 1999-2000 winter,

only reported sighting that winter. Observations made December 2009-January 2009. Also a few during the

2010-2011 winter. HRT. 24 on 18 December 1995. 45 at Chippewa Lake public access on 14 and 16 December 2008. Collection note: One specimen collected by Penny Cushway in 2011 and sent to UMMZ.

COMMON REDPOLL Acanthis flammea (Carduelis flammea). Rare in occurrence, but when present,

may be in large roving flocks. At least a few Common Redpolls appear in the county yearly, but only

during an irruption year, such as the winters of 1993-1994 and 1997-1998, do they reach large enough

numbers to be considered common. During these winters, flocks of several hundred can be encountered,

often with a few Hoary Redpolls; however, in other winters, like the winter of 1994-1995, there may be few

to report. (The “invasion” years seem to be the winters ending in an even number, i.e., 1997-1998.) Two

subspecies of the Common Redpoll are identifiable here, the nominate race (C. flammea flammea), and the

greater race (C. flammea rostrata) (Granlund 1994).

During the winter of 1997-1998, Common Redpolls suffered heavy losses due to an outbreak of Salmonella in their population (DNR; numerous newspaper articles). Deaths were also observed in a few chickadees,

American Tree Sparrows, and goldfinches. The condition was first seen here in December but became most

pronounced in late February. When here, they may be found in the countryside feeding in weedy fields,

long before they become common at bird feeders, where they move after snow covers the ground. These

finches are also a common sight in roads pecking at seeds and roadside grit turned up by snowplows.

Reported in small numbers to minor irruptions almost yearly, but none reported during winters of 2008-

2010. The large irruptions that were reported during the 1990s seem to have be a thing of the past, possibly

due to global warming. Date Range. 3 November (1993) to 25 April (1994), Prevalent every other winter

(winters ending in an even year number) and absent, or nearly so, in the intervening winter, no reports

during winter of 2000-2001. HRT. About 600 on 25 January 1998 at one location; 2,363 on 20 December

1997 during the CBC, numerous observers and locations. Collection Note: One preserved as a study skin in the CMUZC (74-171, Acc. #72.038), 7 March 1972.

HOARY REDPOLL Acanthis hornemanni (Carduelis hornemanni). Casual. Irruptive and much less

common than the Common Redpoll, when present. This far-northern species is seldom seen in the

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county except during the irruption years, and then it must be picked out carefully from the flocks of

Common Redpolls with which it associates; note particularly the bill size and rump patch (Granlund

1994). There may only be one or two hoarys among a flock of several hundred Common Redpolls.

The 1997-1998 invasion of redpolls was probably the best year recorded in the county for both

species. Date Range. 3 November (1993) to 20 March (1994), 21 February 1982, 2 March (1977); no

January dates. HRT. Five on 31 March 1994 (MW). Four reported by Walt Leucke among Common Redpolls at his feeders in January 2013. This is the only confirmed observation in many years.

PINE SISKIN Spinus pinus (Carduelis pinus). Uncommon to rare, most often seen in winter. Rare

summer records. Rare nester. Most sightings are in the winter at feeding stations, though there are

numerous April and May dates. Seldom stay in one place for long, and their numbers are generally small,

under twenty individuals, when found. Records by MR in Big Rapids show the siskin to have been a yearly

feeder bird until about 1990, after which they appear to have become quite sporadic – often missing a year

or two. Brewer et al. (1991) lists the Pine Siskin as having nested in Big Rapids Township, and as a

possible nester in Sheridan and Green townships. Margaret Ross notes nesting in Big Rapids, having

parents with fledglings in the yard near the hospital (Locust at Winter) in 1987. Notes by George Vogel

during 1996 (22 June and 2 July) indicate a strong possibility of nesting in Chippewa Township, on the east

side of Chippewa Lake. Pine Siskins occur widely in the county and, when found in the countryside, use mixed coniferous/deciduous and deciduous woodlands. During the winter of 2008-2009 there as a large

irruption into the county with reports of 70-100 siskins at bird feeders. A few siskins are reported yearly. A

large irruption again occurred in the winter of 2011-2012 with 50-60 siskins at feeders. In 2012 both

Margaret Ross and Jane Waldo reported siskins into July indicating likely nesting in the county. Date

Range. 10 October (1993) to 28 May (1992, MR). Only three June-to-September dates. HRT. 26 on 17

October 1993.

AMERICAN GOLDFINCH Spinus tristis (Carduelis tristis). Abundant to common year-round

resident, variable numbers in winter and spring. Nests. Reach their greatest abundance in the county

during mid-July and August, when they nest, and the numbers swell even more in late August and early

September when the young join the flock; but by mid-September the numbers quickly diminish as the birds spread out and some migrate southward. During fall through spring, their numbers are variable; at winter

feeders they may be common, with flocks of over 100 birds, yet absent at another feeder not far away. A

partially albino (all white but black-eyed) goldfinch was observed on 21 September 1997 at a feeder about

0.5 mile north of 9 Mile Rd. at 150th Ave. (on a videotape by the land owner, observed by SR and GV).

Goldfinches are abundant along roadsides, ditches, fields, farms, bird feeders, and residential areas. Date

Range. Year-round resident, but variable in numbers. HRT. 100 + on 17 September 1993. Collection Note:

Clyde Karshner collected a set of five eggs on 19 July 1896 (UMMZ 36137).

EVENING GROSBEAK Coccothraustes vespertinus. Rare to casual, irruptive, can be abundant. The

first records for the Evening Grosbeak in the area come from the winter of 1955-1956 when large numbers

of them were known in Big Rapids for several weeks prior to the first dated record of 25 January 1956

(MR). They were recorded in 1958 from 7 January to the end of March, about 30 to 35, at feeders in the Osburn Circle area of Big Rapids (MR). Generally of yearly occurrence in small numbers at some feeding

stations (at least to 1998), these grosbeaks can also be present in large numbers at others. In the last two

decades, they appeared yearly in small numbers up to 1998, but became irruptive occasionally and arrived,

in huge numbers; 1986 was the last big invasion year noted for this county. Their winter migration route is

east-west rather than north-south. Mark Wilson reports they nested in 1995 in northern Osceola County. A

feeder in Newaygo County east of Elm Rd. at Pierce Rd. has hosted these grosbeaks in numbers of over

100 most years of the 1990s. When in the area, they are seldom far from bird feeders. Four males reported

by Walt Leucke at his feeders on 25 October 2012, the first record in years. Date Range. 10 October (1985,

MR) to 24 May (1978,) but quite irregular during this range. HRT. About 100 on 1 November 1977.

Old World Sparrow Family Passeridae

HOUSE SPARROW Passer domesticus. Common to uncommon year-round resident. Nests. Brought

to Michigan in 1879, House Sparrows rapidly spread throughout the state, as it already had over much of

the East. Once abundant in the county, they have significantly diminished in numbers recently; changes in

farming practices, better urban sanitation, replacement of barns with tighter-fitted pole buildings, harsh

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winters, and the arrival of House Finches seem to be the main reasons. They nest in holes in buildings,

behind store signs, in ornamental plantings with dense foliage, bluebird nest boxes if located too close to

human activities, martin houses, and virtually any other hole they can fit through located in or near man-

made structures. One favorite nesting site from 1993-2001 has been the mercury-vapor streetlight over the

corner of Woodward and State Streets in Big Rapids; this site has alternated in use between a pair of House

Sparrows and House Finches. These birds are now most common around farms with livestock, at grain elevators and dumpsters; a few are still seen in the county’s cities. Date Range. Common to uncommon

year-round resident. HRT. About 150 on 3 September 1995. Collection Note: Four sets of eggs were

collected by Clyde Karshner in Mecosta County: 1) five eggs (UMMZ 36106) in the tower of the Fireman’s

Hall, Big Rapids, 16 May 1896; 2) seven eggs (UMMZ 36120), 22 May 1896; 3) five eggs (UMMZ 36131)

in Big Rapids on 19 May 1895; 4) five eggs (UMMZ 36148) on 22 May 1896.

Historical Note: Cook (1893) notes that House Sparrows were introduced in New York in 1850, though,

there are a number of dates given for its introduction in the literature. He also notes “a three-cent bounty is

thinning its ranks, and often, through incorrect determination, the ranks of other Sparrows, etc... the poor

effect on populations that the bounty laws have particularly to the injuries caused by persons discharging

firearms inside city limits, and the general filthy habits of the birds in general.....” Barrows (1912)

comments that this species first brought to Michigan in Jackson and Owosso between 1874 and 1876 and through out the state by 1912, in any size town unless far from the main routes of transportation. Barrows’

account goes on for several more pages covering the danger and disadvantages of the bird. These problems

center around the spread of farmyard diseases; the nests plugging eaves, causing water emptying into

cisterns to become polluted; and their effect on the nesting success of bluebirds, wrens, phoebes, Tree

Swallows, Purple Martins (see martin account in this book), robins, Song Sparrows, chickadees,

flycatchers, thrushes and tanagers. House Sparrows probably reached Mecosta County before 1885. While

growing up in Big Rapids in the 1950s and 1960s, this author remembers the House Sparrow being a very

common bird on the city’s sidewalks. Now it is very seldom seen in the town proper, and has not been

since the early 1970s.