BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 19, 2024
There are nearly 300 breeding birds in Maine, and they’re all about to have sex. That means the woods are about to get loud with song, as the birds go about the business of attracting mates and defending territories. These 300 birds do not settle down randomly. Each one has a specific habitat preference. Once they’re done moving around during migration, you can safely assume that if you hear a bird on territory, the territory contains the habitat the bird prefers. Your yard, your neighborhood, up-ta-camp — each one has its own unique sound. In about three weeks, my own yard will start telling me that I have tall pines (pine warblers), mature trees (black-throated green warblers, northern parula, red-eyed vireos), mixed hardwood and softwood (both white-breasted and red-breasted nuthatches, plus blue-headed vireos), plenty of woodpecker cavities (great-crested flycatcher) and lots of open edges (chipping sparrows). What will your yard tell you? ~ Bob Duchesne