What to watch for in February: Spring is in the Air

Compiled by Jane Tillman for KXAN

Purple Martins, North America’s largest swallows, have been spotted along the Texas coast very recently. They have just flown in from South America where they wintered.  While these early birds are colloquially referred to as “scouts” they don’t fly back to South America a second time to give the “all clear” signal, as you might imagine. Instead they are risking their lives to get back to the best breeding territories, betting that they can survive any inclement weather that nature has in store through February and March. The oldest members of the population, both adult males and females, can be scouts. Sometimes they bet right and other times they perish.  But the quest to pass on their genes trumps all. You can check out the “Scout Arrival Study” at the Purple Martin Conservation Association website. Will you be the first to report arrivals in Austin? Purple Martin colony sites like those at Mills Pond and Hornsby Bend CER are good places to monitor.

“Teakettle, Teakettle, Teakettle, Tea”

Because Carolina Wrens are so abundant with a large geographic range, they have been well-studied. They are monogamous, and defend a territory year-round. In the east a territory ranges from 5 acres to 20 acres, depending on the habitat. In our Austin neighborhoods it seems like territories are smaller, though. Their preference is for brushy undercover and moist areas, such as bottomlands rather than dry upland forests. Carolina Wrens are non-migratory, but do wander, and their range has expanded northward. Very cold winters cause their range to shrink due to starvation but the populations appear to bounce back in a few years.

Carolina Wrens mainly eat insects and spiders, foraging along the ground turning leaves over, investigating tree trunks, tree roots and shrubby tangles, and probing bark for eggs and caterpillars. Pairs often forage within 1 to 1.5 feet of each other. An analysis of the stomach contents of 219 wrens revealed their diet is 94% animal and 6% vegetable matter (mostly berries and seeds).

Carolina Wrens are known for choosing novel places to build their nests. They love hanging plants where they often create a tunnel to the nest. This leaves the homeowner to figure out how to keep the plant alive during the incubation and nestling phases amounting to 22-28 days total. Only the female incubates, and she is what’s called a tight sitter, not flushing until the threat is almost touching the nest. Some homeowners manage to give the plant a little water while not getting the eggs or nestlings wet while others choose to let the plant die. Mailboxes, flowerpots, old shoes, and garage shelving are some of the artificial nesting sites used. Natural sites include nests built in tree stumps, vine tangles, on the ground in dense vegetation and under tree roots. The male often makes extra nests and the female chooses. If you’d like to provide a nest box for a Carolina Wren check out Cornell Lab’s NestWatch to download the plan for a simple one to construct.

Carolina Wren Fun Facts

A mated pair may have three broods a year in Texas, with egg laying starting in mid-March and continuing through mid-July.

Wrens often sunbathe, remaining motionless for several minutes. It is thought this behavior helps rid them of lice.

Resources: All About Birds, Birds of the World and NestWatch