THE THE NEWSLETTER OF THE GOLDEN GATE AUDUBON SOCIETY // VOL 100 NO. 5 WINTER 2016 MAKING BAY AREA BUILDINGS SAFER FOR BIRDS BY ILANA DEBARE N oreen Weeden stood before a eonferenee room of two dozen arehiteets and pointed to a slide of a Peregrine Faleon on a downtown San Franeiseo window ledge. '‘Over 300 million birds are killed in building eollisions eaeh year in the United States/' she said quietly. "More birds are killed by building eollisions than any single souree other than eats." CONTINUED on page 5 Anna's Hummingbirds are among the birds at risk from window collisions. Bob Gunderson Jiayi Chong CHAMPIONING BIRD SAFETY CAN BE A REAL BLAST BY CINDY MARGULIS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Surf Scoters, winter visitors to San Francisco Bay. O ur San Francisco Bay is a site of great importance for migratory birds including waterfowl. In fact, large percent- ages of entire species’ populations spend at least a portion of every year on the Bay. A major challenge for Golden Gate Audu- bon is figuring out how to keep these wild creatures safe in the heart of our bustling metropolis. With energy developments like the wind facilities in the Altamont, we’ve battled continuously to ensure that “green energy’’ production will truly sustain (not destroy) our wildlife. The danger to birds was recog- nized far too late by the first generation of wind farms, so the effort to convince indus- try to evolve responsibly has been uphill and taken many agonizingly long years. Yet improving bird safety needn’t be so arduous. Recognizing that professional arbor- ists and municipal tree care workers were amenable to learning how to avoid harming nesting species, we pioneered our Flealthy Trees, Healthy Birds campaign last year. Earlier — as you can read in our cover story — we prevailed on the cities of both San Francisco and Oakland to adopt first- in-the-nation bird-safe building ordinances. Sometimes public agencies recognize how much sweeter success can be when they eonsult proactively with environmental stakeholders. That’s what happened with the recent Bay Bridge pier implosion project, part of removal of the old bridge’s columns. Months beforehand, GalTrans realized that this high-profile project would affect the Bay and its abundant wildlife. They convened a council of experts including resource agencies (U.S. Fish and Wild- life Service, and Galifornia Department of Fish and Game) and important nonprofit ecological stakeholders; Golden Gate Audu- bon, Save the Bay, Point Blue Gonservation Science, Sierra Glub, and others. They dis- closed plans for speedy removal of the old span’s Pier E3: an ingenious six-second implosion that would precisely collapse the pier into itself, entombing debris down in its own hollow core. GalTrans invited us to voice our concerns and propose mitigations for foreseeable impacts. We urged particular protection of rafting birds (including flocks of diving ducks, grebes, and cormorants) likely to be in that vicinity in November. We recom- mended a set of acoustic and visual hazing techniques to move birds well out of the blast zone. We also urged maximum reduction of noise transmission, especially through the water, so as not to deafen marine life. GalTrans not only listened, they heeded our advice ! The pier implosion was a real blast — and went off without a hitch. It was a prime example of how public projects are improved when agencies take the time to proactively engage the conservation community. NEWS BRIEFS Master Birder Class GGAS will co-sponsor its fourth annual Master Birder class with the Galifornia Academy of Sciences, starting in February 2016. This year-long class includes monthly classes at Gal Academy, field trips, research projects, and community service. Info at goldengateaudubon. org/education/classes. Protecting Alameda's Plovers GGAS persuaded the East Bay Regional Park District to install educational signage and symbolic fencing to protect Western Snowy Plovers that roost at busy Grown Beach in Alameda. The payoff? As many as 32 of these threatened birds have been documented on the beach this winter! Do You Get Our Emails? Subscribe to our free monthly e-Gull and Field Trip e-newsletters to get news about upcoming bird walks, birding festivals, family nature events, volunteer opportunities, and other happenings. If you don’t currently get our e-newsletters, send your name and contact info to ggas@goldengateaudubon.org. Birdathon 2016 Is Coming! April is our annual Birdathon month, with extra-exciting field trips and behind-the-scenes tours. Gheck your mailbox and our website in February to learn this year’s special destinations! Then ask friends to sponsor you. . .and help us make our biggest fundraiser of the year a success. 2 THE GULL WINTER 2016 BAY AREA HOTSPOT GLEN CANYON: BAY AREA HOTSPOT BY DOMINIK MOSUR LOCATION 70 Elk Street San Francisco Glen Canyon offers some of the last riparian habitat in San Francisco. D uring the most significant drought in California in a millennium, a trickle of water continues to wind its way down Glen Canyon in south central San Fran- cisco. These headwaters of Islais Creek — thought to be the largest creek in pre-settlement San Francisco — eventually empty into the Bay below Flighway 280. Riparian habitats — areas along rivers and other water courses — are scarce in San Francisco. Virtually all the creeks and streams once weaving their way down the hills and through the canyons on which the city was built have long been subjugated to human will through underground channelization. With year-round water and high-quality habitat, Glen Canyon remains a prime spot to seek out locally- scarce riparian nesters and the gleaner flocks that also favor this location during migration and winter. The steeper, upper section of the canyon where wil- lows mix with scrub offers a unique plant community blend, where one can encounter locally rare resident Wrentit and Bewick’s Wren. In sum, close to thirty spe- (Left) Glen Canyon Park; (above) Great Horned Owl and owlet in park, 2009. cies of birds can be expected to at least attempt nesting in Glen Canyon each spring and summer, depending on the conditions. In the past decade, under the management of San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department’s Natural Areas Program, restoration efforts along the creek have improved the habitat, resulting in nesting success by Pacihc-slope Flycatcher and probable nesting attempts by Swanson’s Thrush and Bullock’s Oriole. All three of these species are medium- to long-range migrants that spend their winters in the tropics. For seekers of rarities, the canyon over the years has hosted unusual migrants like Red-eyed Vireo, Rock Wren, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Northern Parula, Indigo Bunting, Summer Tanager, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak, among others. Additionally, the canyon is home to some of the longest continuous resident Great Horned Owls and coyotes in San Francisco. These subsist in part on the introduced Eurasian brown rats that abound in the City, but their diet is also bolstered by meadow voles, a key- stone rodent species that can be observed throughout the park. Other locally rare plants and animals that may spark the interest of birdwatchers expanding their biological horizons include; Columbine and Seep Monkey Flower, which grow in restored areas near the boardwalk. Ter- restrial Garter Snakes, Northern Alligator Lizards, Arboreal Salamanders, and one of the largest popula- tions of Vivid Dancer damselflies within city limits. Read a longer version of this article on goldengate auduhon.org/hlog, where you can also find reviews of other local Birding Hotspots. Have a favorite birding site you'd like to share? Contact idebare@goldengateaudubon.org. WINTER 2016 THE GULL 3 Eddie Bartley FEATURES GGAS’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS: VARIED BACKGROUNDS, COMMON PASSION BY ILANA DEBARE F ield trip leaders. Birding instruetors. Shoreline doeents... Those are some of the best-known publie faees of Golden Gate Audubon Soeiety’s many volunteers. But there’s another group of behind-the-scenes volunteers who are just as important — the Board of Directors. What exactly does the board do? As at other nonprohts, the GGAS board’s mission is primarily one of oversight. Board members don’t run day-to-day operations. They set strategic priorities, approve the budget, and help raise the money that GGAS needs to accomplish its goals. Many board members also volunteer in GGAS’s programs. Board Vice President Linda Garloni, for instance, works with kids in the Eco-Education program, recruits corporate sponsors for Birdathon, and co-teaches a Waterbirds class for GGAS. Why do they do it? Each board member has a unique story, but underlying them all is a passion for Bay Area wildlife and for GGAS. Garloni, a retired attorney, joined the board to repay some of the knowledge and pleasure she’d gained from GGAS birding classes over the years. “GGAS is special because it protects the environment by connecting people better to nature, so they want to protect it,’’ Garloni said. “That’s different from a lot of environment groups.” Jack Dumbacher, chairman of mammalogy and ornithology at Galifornia Academy of Sciences, got involved because of GGAS’s sterling reputation in the birding world. But, even as a professional ornithologist, he’s learned things from his work on the board and as chair of GGAS’s S.E. Gonservation Gommittee. “I’ve learned so much on the board about politics, conservation, and birds,” he said. “I’ve grown a lot from interacting with other board members.” During 2016, the biggest single issue facing the board will be plan- ning for GGAS’s upcoming centennial: The organization was founded in 1917 as the hrst Audubon chapter on the West Goast. (Stay tuned for more information on the centennial in upcoming Gullsl) Other issues for 2016 include maintaining the organization’s Some GGAS board members at a planning retreat in September 2015. gradual hnancial recovery from the recession, and recruiting new board members to replace those with expiring terms. Unlike some nonprohts, you don’t have to be a big donor to be on the GGAS board, although all board members commit to support- ing the organization at a level that is meaningful for them. GGAS looks for people with passion, a willingness to work hard, and a variety of skills. The board currently includes lawyers, scientists, businesspeople, naturalists, and wildlife photographers. “The most important thing is someone who groks what the orga- nization does, how to support it, and is complimentary to other members’ strengths,” said Board President Alan Harper. “You don’t have to be the best birder in the world, or the most well-connected person, or the most strategic thinker. . .but it’s nice to have one of each of those.” For a roster of current GGAS hoard members, please visit goldengateauduhon.org/hoard. UPCOMING EVENTS MLK Day Habitat Restoration Martin Luther King Jr. Shoreline Monday, January 18 Honor Dr. King’s legacy by restoring habitat for wildlife in the Oakland shoreline park that bears his name, 9 a.m. to noon. Or join one of our many other habitat restoration days each month on both sides of the Bay! Details at goldengateaudubon.org/volunteer. Bird Count for Kids Lake Merritt, Oakland Sunday, February 14 Bring your kids for a morning of bird fun and exploration! No experience needed. We ll submit the findings of our young citizen-scientists to National Audubon’s Great Backyard Bird Count, held this weekend. Details to come in our monthly e-newsletter, or email adecicco@goldengateaudubon.org. Birding on the Bay and Delta With Dolphin Charters Various dates Experience the birds of S.F. Bay and adjacent waterways on a GGAS boat trip with Dolphin Charters. Full-day Delta boat trip on February 13, or half-day trips up the Napa Biver (March 13) or Petaluma Biver (April 15). Advance registration required. See goldengateaudubon.org/fieldtrips. 4 THE GULL WINTER 2016 liana DeBare BUILDINGS CONTINUED from page 1 Weeden, conservation project manager for Golden Gate Audubon Society, was speaking at a professional-development class for architects on bird-safe building design. The training sessions — co-sponsored by GGAS and the American Bird Gon- servancy — are the latest initiative in a long-running campaign by Golden Gate Audubon to address the deadly hazard of bird-building collisions. The root of the problem lies in birds’ inability to detect clear glass, which has become increasingly popular as a building facade in urban areas. Many birds see a glass wall as open air, especially if it is reflecting trees, sky, or water. Urban nighttime light intensifies the problem by attracting migratory birds — which often navigate by the stars — into tight downtown corridors where collisions are likely. But there are a variety of ways to reduce these hazards, from technological hxes such as textured glass that is visible to birds, to behavioral hxes like dimming office build- ing lights at night. Golden Gate Audubon is drawing on all these approaches in one of the coun- try’s most comprehensive local campaigns against bird-building collisions. GGAS started in 2009 with a Lights Out for Birds public education campaign, col- laborating with Gity of San Francisco staff, PG&E, and commercial building owners Bird-safe building guidelines can save the lives of songbirds like Townsend's Warblers. American Kestrel with San Francisco office buildings. GGAS has started offering training in bird-safe building design to Bay Area architects. and managers. The message? Turn out lights or draw shades at night during spring and fall migration. From there, GGAS worked with San Francisco planners to pass Standards for Bird-Safe Buildings in 2011. These stan- dards — which are mandatory for new construction in areas next to parks, water, or other open space — require design measures that will reduce collisions. GGAS collabo- rated with Oakland city planners to enact similar building guidelines there in 2012. Volunteers with GGAS’s conservation committees continually monitor new devel- opment proposals in San Francisco and the East Bay, submitting comments to improve bird safety. Becently, GGAS members met with architects for Uber to give input on its proposed new headquarters at Mission Bay. “Uber’s concept was transparency, and they initially wanted the building to be completely transparent,” Weeden said. “Now they are looking at innovative ways to apply fritting [texture] to the glass, which would make it both safer for birds and more energy-efficient.” GGAS’s newest initiative is training for architects. The hour-long seminar was developed by American Bird Gonservancy, and is certihed by the American Institute of Architects for continuing-education credit. GGAS adapted the curriculum to reflect West Goast buildings, materials, and landscapes and now offers the training free to local architectural hrms. “The goal is for architects to recognize hazards to birds in the built environment, and apply the best practices to prevent building collisions,” Weeden said. “Archi- tects are creative problem solvers. We present the problem, show them some ways it’s been addressed, and provide an opening for them to hnd other ideas that will work for their new buildings.” HOW YOU CAN HELP During spring and fall migration, turn off lights or draw shades at night. Tell friends, co-workers, and building managers about our Lights Out for Birds campaign. This year’s spring campaign starts on February 15; Info at goldengateaudubon.org/lightsout. Know any architects? Let them know about our free bird-friendly design class! To schedule a class (minimum 20 people), please email nweeden@goldengateaudubon. org. Tell your U.S. Senator and Congress- person to support H.R. 2280, which would make federal buildings less hazardous to birds. Find more info at www. audubonaction.org/bird-safe-buildings-fact- sheet. WINTER 2016 THE GULL 5 How many heron species can you find in this photo? BETTER BIRDING BRIAN L. SULLIVAN LOCATION /DATE San Francisco Thursday, January 21 6:30 p.m. refreshments 7:00 p.m. program Learn tips, tools, and techniques to become a better birder! In his new hook Better Birding, Brian L. Sullivan reveals techniques used by expert birders to identify species in the held quickly and easily. He goes beyond traditional identibcation elements like plumage to create a context around each bird that includes habitat, behavior, and taxonomy — things that are integral to bird ID but often glossed over by typical held guides. This “wide-angle” approach to held birding simplibes identibcation with strategies tailored to different groupings of birds. Brian L. Sullivan has conducted beldwork on birds through- out North America for the past 25 years. He is currently project leader for eBird and photographic editor for Birds of North America Online at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. He also served as photographic editor for the American Birding Association’s journal North American Birds from 2005-2013. He is co-author of books including Better Birding and the forthcoming Princeton Guide to North American Birds. San Francisco: First Unitarian Universalist Church and Center, 1187 Franklin Street (at Geary). Public transit, street parking, and parking in a lot for a fee are available. Directions: Visit www.uusforg/visitors_faq. html, and use the Map It! link on the left. Berkeley: Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda (between Solano and Marin). Directions: www.northbrae.org/directions.html. DON'T MISS OUR NEW START TIMES Note new earlier start time for our speaker programs: 6:30 p.m. refreshments, 7 p.m. program! PROTECTING SF BAY WATERBIRDS KERRY WILCOX LOCATION /DATE Berkeley Thursday, February 18 6:30 p.m. refreshments 7:00 p.m. program Thousands of migrating ducks, grebes, coots, and loons arrive in California each winter. While they seem plentiful, nearly one-third of waterbird populations are declining, including Surf Scoters and Lesser Scaups. Audubon California recently launched a Waterbird Program at its Richardson Bay center in Tiburon. Learn how Audu- bon is using Richardson Bay to protect waterbirds, and how it plans to scale up these conservation actions to S.F. Bay and the Pacibc X ly way. Kerry Wilcox is Water- bird Program Manager at the Richardson Bay Audu- bon Center in Tiburon. Previously he was a biolo- gist with the Institute for Bird Populations in Point Reyes Station. GREAT GRAY OWLS OF THE PACIFIC STATES HARRY FULLER LOCATION /DATE San Francisco Thursday, March 17 6:30 p.m. refreshments 7:00 p.m. program The tallest owl in North America, the Great Gray remains elusive, mysterious, and a highly-prized sight- ing among birders. Learn about this bird’s actual breeding range (which is different from the maps in held guides), its annual life cycle, and the challenges it faces with climate change. Harry Fuller is co-author of the new book. Great Gray Owl in Galifornia, Oregon and Washington. A former Bay Area resident now living in Oregon, he is co-founder of the Ashland Mountain Bird Festival, featuring the area’s nesting Great Gray Owls. He leads an annual birding trip in Oregon for Golden Gate Audubon. 6 THE GULL WINTER 2016 DONATIONS ROSTER Thank you for your generous gifts supporting our many conservation, education, and habitat restoration activities! Donations from September 1 to November 30, 2015 GOLDEN EAGLE ($1,000 and above) Diane &Tom Bennett, Andrea Burhoe, Linda & Bob Carloni, Alan Harper & Carol Baird, Pat Kirkpatrick & Sid Wolinsky, Jay & Lisa Pierrepont PEREGRINE FALCON ($500 to $999) Jane Freeman, International Woman's Foundation- No. Calif, Diane Ross-Leech LEAST TERN ($250 to $499) Cindy Cobb, Robert & Hanno Lewis, Audre & Roger Newman RIDGWAY’S RAIL ($100 to $249) Linda Agerter, Karim Al-Khafaji, Ken Berniker, Janet Daly, Linda De Lucchi, Frances Dupont, Andrew Folta, Linda & Pearce Hurley, William Jones, Kay Loughman, Karen McLellan, Robert Middlekantt, Dick Nagle, Amanda Nelson, Laurel Przybylski, Laura Russell, Susan Schnack, Olivia Sears, Alice Sgourakis, Mitchell Sollod, Chris Tarp, Stephanie Woods, Ellen Yamamoto, Sandra Zrnic GIFTS (To $99) Marcheta Allen Mines, Michele Amirkhas, Sharon Anderson, Luella Anderson-Findlay, Clara Arakaki, Catherine Ayers, Judith Baldwn, Beverly Barletta, Kristen Beckus-Baker, Valerie Behrendt, Gordon Benner, Jane Bergen, Nancy Berry, Paul Bloom, Frances Bonner, Emma Brown, Melody Burns, Karen Butterfield, Katherine Cameron, Delma Campbell, Elaine Caret, Andrea & Michael Cassidy, Mike Chase, Cheri Collins, John Davenport, Vicki Derdivanis, Sue Dickey, Susan Diridoni, Natalee Ernstrom, Leora Feeney, Lewis Feldman, Anne Marie Fleming, Erica Ford, Kevin Franklin, Lee Friedman, Freya Fuchs, Mary Gerber, William Giddens, Paul Greenberg, Janet Griffiths, Judith Ann Gurbaxani, Robert Hall, Hugh Harvey, Diane Henry, Jo Ann Herr, Diane Hie, Marian Hopping, Bill & Michele Hunnewell, William Jackson, Christine Johnson, Rebecca Keller, Gwynne Kimurafong, Corinne Lambden, llyana Landes, Karen Lawrence, Susan Lawrence, Thomas Lee, Bethellen Levitan, Rick Lewis, J. Lindquist, Elizabeth Littell, Leon Lord, Yvette MacDonald, Ron Mallory, Janet Mangini, Jerri Mariott, Margaret McGarrahan, Helen McKinley, Janet Merrick, Philip Mertz, Danae Michael, Barbara Moffat, Richard Moore, Steve Napoli, Jennifer O'Brien, Terri O'Connor, Lavinia Oppenheim, Miriam Osborne, Manjot Pannu, Margaret Pauletich, Tamara Poole, Sandra Prusiner, Kathleen Ramos, Nancy Ream, Katherine Reisinger, Daniel Richman, Jeanne- Marie Rosenmeier, Kathryn Rothrock, Grace Ruth, Christina Schneck, Steve Scholl, Pamela Shandrick, Joanne Sidwell, Joseph Small, Patricia Smiley, Christine Steck, Royce Stone, Nancy Szymanski, Lucile Taber, Dave Thompson, Linda Tiffany, Liz Varnhagen, Susan Watson, Janet Alter Wessel, Jane Whitley, Bright Winn, Holly Zebzda GIFTS IN HONOR OF Jan Boichel, in honor of Johnny Pax GIFTS IN MEMORY OF Barbara & Carlo Alesandrini, in memory of Ann Berry Bettina Leong & William Weindorf in memory of llene Holmgren Donald & Rita Regel, in memory of Delores Kaller James Steuckert, in memory of Elmer Highly BEQUESTS Estate of Helen L. Knopp Estate of Jean Albrecht Lucken IN-KIND GIFTS James Clarke, Jacqueline Craig, FarWest Sanitation & Storage, Maureen Lahiff Recology, Port of San Francisco EMPLOYEE GIFT MATCHES Chevron (Robert Lewis) Gap Inc. (Claire Lash) Macy's Foundation (Suzanne Murillo) David and Lucile Packard Foundation (Juli Chamberlin) PG&E GRANTS Barrios Trust Maynard P. and Katherine Z. Buehler Fund at the East Bay Community Foundation California Natural Resources Agency City & County of S. F., Dept, of the Environment Clorox Company Foundation Meyers Fund at the East Bay Community Foundation J.W. and H.M. Goodman Family Charitable Foundation Salesforce Foundation Wells Fargo Foundation BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Alan Harper Vice President and Secretary Linda Carloni Treasurer Bill Hudson Karim Al-Khafaji, Clayton Anderson, Sarah Peterman Bell, Diane Bennett, Jack Dumbacher, Allen Hirsch, Bob Lewis, Jill O'Brien, Jay Pierrepont, Pam Young STAFF Executive Director Cindy Margulis, 510.843.9912 cmargulis@goldengateaudubon.org Education Director Anthony DeCicco, 510.843.2222 adecicco@goldengateaudubon.org Volunteer Coordinator Noreen Weeden, 510.301.0570 nweeden@goldengateaudubon.org Communications Director liana DeBare, 510.301.5573 idebare@goldengateaudubon.org Eco-Education Program Coordinator Marissa Ortega-Welch, 510.843.2222 mortegawelch@goldengateaudubon.org Office Manager Monica Moore, 510.843.2222 mmoore@goldengateaudubon.org THE GULL AND WEBSITE Gull and Web Editor liana DeBare, idebare@goldengateaudubon.org Observations Bruce Mast, observe@goldengateaudubon.org NORTHERN CALIFORNIA BIRD BOX Report your unusual bird sightings: 415.681 .7422 The Golden Gate Audubon Society was founded January 25, 1917, and became a chapter of National Audubon in 1948. Golden Gate Audubon Supporting Membership is $35 per year. Renewals should be sent to the Golden Gate Audubon office. The board of directors meets six times per year (schedule can be obtained from the office). The Gull is published four times per year. Special third-class postage paid in Oakland, CA. Send address changes to the office promptly. The post office does not forward The Gull. Golden Gate Audubon Society 2530 San Pablo Avenue, Suite G Berkeley, CA 94702 Office hours: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 9 a.m. - noon, and other hours by appointment Te/ 510.843.2222 www.goldengateaudubon.org ggas@goldengateaudubon.org Nature Store Visit our online store at goldengateaudubon.org/ store. This issue of The Gull was published in January 2016. Design by e.g. communications/www.egcommunications.com JOIN GOLDEN GATE AUDUBON FOR 2016! If you haven’t yet joined or renewed your Golden Gate Audubon Society membership for 2016, now is the time! Members enjoy discounts on birding classes, speaker events, pelagic trips, and merchandise, as well as subscriptions to The Gull and our e-newsletters. Although GGAS is a chapter of National Audubon, we are an independent nonprofit that must raise all its own funds. We rely on member support to continue our vital conservation and environmental education work. Don’t miss out! Support bird conservation in the Bay Area by renewing or joining today. Renew securely online at goldengateaudubon.org/join or call (510) 843-2222. WINTER 2016 THE GULL 7 Miya Lucas Golden Gate Audubon Society 2530 San Pablo Avenue, Suite G Berkeley, CA 94702 Return service requested Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Oakland, CA Permit No.1702 www.goldengateaudubon.org o The Gull is printed with soy-based inks on chlorine-free paper, 30% postconsumer waste content. 3 Bay Area Hotspot: Glen Canyon Park The headwaters of Islais Creek are one of the last riparian habitats left in San Francisco. 4 Inside the GGAS Board The GGAS Board of Directors has a wide variety of backgrounds but a shared passion for wildlife and for Audubon. 6 Speaker Series Brian Sullivan from eBird reveals Better Birding techniques in January, plus waterbirds and owls in February and March. BACKYARD BIRDER Cedar Waxwing. CEDAR WAXWINGS BY MIYA LUCAS I t’s a winter day in the Bay Area and you’re walking home from work, when you hear soft, high-pitched hissy whistles. You look up and notice a flock of birds perched in a tight-knit group — Cedar Waxwings, some of the Bay Area’s most distinctive winter visitors. Cedar Waxwings fly in large flocks and are considered nomads, wandering everywhere together. Even nesting, they remain in close quarters with one another. Barely do you ever see just one Cedar Waxwing! Other than those high-pitched hissy calls. Cedar Waxwings do not sing. It’s theorized they’ve evolved not needing to sing. As nomads, they don’t need to defend a territory. The male attracts a mate with a hopping dance in which he passes a piece of fruit, berry, or insect back and forth with his desired female. Cedar Waxwings mostly eat fleshy fruits and pick insects off of vegetation. However, they also catch meals on the wing via “hawk- ing” — when a bird watches for flying insects from a branch, then flies out to catch them in mid-air. When eating fruits or berries, they digest the entire fruit, unlike other fruit-eating birds that regurgitate the seeds. Their excretion of the seeds plays an important role in seed dispersal for many plants. Up close. Cedar Waxwings resemble bandits with a black mask. Like the black smudge applied under the eyes by football players, this blackened area reduces the sun’s glare. It can be hard to tell males from females, but the males have more black on the chin extending to the throat, while females have a dull or brownish-black chin. Juveniles have a streaky breast with white chin and bold malar stripe. The tip of the tail is yellow and broader in adult males, and narrowest in immature females. Some individuals have an orange tail tip, which has been attributed to eat- ing a non-native species of honeysuckle during molting. Cedar Waxwings have a lifespan of about seven years. Fortu- nately, their population is not considered endangered, although climate change will likely affect their range. I hope you’ll get a chance to see them before they leave in late spring to breed in Hum- boldt County, Del Norte County, and spots further north. 8 THE GULL WINTER 2016