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    • Birding Ohio
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • Mission and Vision Statement
    • Equality and Diversity Policy
    • BSBO Board of Directors
    • BSBO Staff
    • Visit BSBO >
      • Directions
      • Building Improvements
      • Anna Macke Mikolajczyk Window On Wildlife
      • John Gallagher Memorial Birding Trail
    • eNews
    • BSBO Blogs >
      • BSBO CONSERVATION BLOG
      • BSBO Bird Bander's Blog
      • BSBO Education and Outreach Blog
    • Contact Us
  • Support BSBO
    • 2024 Year-End Appeal
    • Donate
    • Join or Renew
    • BSBO Swamp Shop
    • Bartlett Big Sit
    • Education Center
    • Sponsor A Mist Net
    • Help BSBO while you shop
    • Birds and Business Alliance
    • Birder Tea Fundraiser
  • RESEARCH
    • Peer-Reviewed Publications
    • Songbird Research >
      • Migration Monitoring >
        • Migration Tracking
      • Prothonotary Warbler Research
      • Building Collision Study
      • Oak Openings
    • Morning Flight Count
    • Project SNOWstorm >
      • About Project SNOWstorm
      • Meet Buckeye
      • Meet Wolverine
    • Research Highlights >
      • Gray-Cheeked Thrush from Colombia, South America
      • BSBO Bird Bander's Blog
    • Past Research >
      • Colonial Wading Birds
      • Ohio Winter Bird Atlas
      • Shorebirds
    • Reports >
      • Annual Project Reports
      • Navarre Marsh Annual Banding and Survey Data
    • Research Volunteer Form
    • Research Volunteer Page
  • EDUCATION
    • Bird Migration Profiles
    • Family Activities >
      • Free Online Resources
    • Young Birders >
      • Ohio Young Birders Club
      • Youth Birding Camps
    • Teachers >
      • Songbird Banding and Migration Programs
      • Students Against Balloon Releases
    • Group Programs >
      • Presentations by Request
    • BSBO Bird Knowins
  • Conservation
    • BioBlitzes
    • Bird-safe / Birder-friendly Communities
    • Responsible Wind Energy
    • Conservation Updates
    • Position Statement on Feral and Free-Ranging Cats
    • Habitat Designations
    • Easy Ways for YOU to Support Conservation
  • EVENTS & ACTIVITIES
    • Birding with BSBO >
      • BSBO's Biggest Week In American Birding
      • Frequent Flyer Birding
      • Lake Erie Pelagics
    • Birds at Home
    • Highway Clean-up
    • Calendar of Events
  • NW OHIO BIRDING
    • Responsible Owl Viewing
    • Local Birding Hotspots
    • Local eBird Tips
    • Regional Bird Checklist
    • Timing of Spring Migration
    • Timing of Fall Migration
    • Timing of Fall Shorebird Migration
    • Spring Migration Wave Theory
    • ABA Code of Birding Ethics
    • Ohio Bird Alpha Codes
    • Birder Calling Cards
    • Birding Ohio

Wrens Troglodytidae

about wrens in nw ohio
​The Wren family ranges across the migration spectrum from near-resident, to wintering/migrant, to migrant/breeder. Small to medium-small birds with vibrant song repertoire and aggressive behavior, few Ohioans have not heard or encountered at least one of these species near home or in their travels.

While wrens can be found anywhere during migration, they are active on the ground or lower areas within the vegetation where they test even the best observers for a glimpse of these cryptic songsters. Due to identical plumages between male and female, and much overlap in size, limited sexing data are available for each of the wrens presented.
House Wren Troglodytes aedon
Alpha Code: HOWR
Spanish: Saltapared Continental
French: Troglodyte familier

Band Size: 0 ~ 0A

NW Ohio Status: Migrant, Breeding

Total Banded in Spring: 2,815
Average Banded in Spring: 94

Total Banded in Fall: 1,782
Average Banded in Fall: 61
​Song: long series of jumbled bubbling mixed with gurgles, rising and then falling

Description: Pale brown above with dark barring on wings and tail, and tannish underparts. Pale throat and pale, indistinct eyebrow. Male and female alike throughout the year 

Spring Migration Timing: Primarily second wave, with birds steadily rising through late April and the peak of total birds occurring
​May 1-13. 
​Fall Migration Timing: Prolonged, with migrants moving heavily by late August and winding down by mid-October. Peak movement of total birds occurring August 25 through September 26.  

Migration Habitat: Common in a wide variety of forested and semi-open areas, usually with dense undergrowth, including open forests, woodlots, neighborhoods, and backyards. 
Picture
Picture
HOWR Spring/Fall
HOWR Spring/Fall
Winter Wren Troglodytes hiemalis
Alpha Code: WIWR
Spanish: Saltapared Invernal
French: Troglodyte des forêts

Band Size: 0A ~ 0

NW Ohio Status: Migrant, Winter-uncommon

Total Banded in Spring: 500
Average Banded in Spring: 17

Total Banded in Fall: 1,768
Average Banded in Fall: 61
Song: rapid series of whimsical, bell-like notes​

Description: Warm brown above with dark barring on wings and tail, lighter brown underparts with paler brown barring. Pale tan-brown throat and eyebrow. Male and female alike throughout the year.

Spring Migration Timing: Some movement actually beginning in March, with activity rising by mid-April and the movement of total birds occurring April 17-27. 
​Fall Migration Timing: Late, with birds appearing around mid-September and lasting into early November. Peak movement of total birds occurring October 3-15.

Migration Habitat: Primarily dense undergrowth of forests and forests clearings, but also woodlots and brush piles in backyards. 
Picture
Picture
WIWR Spring/Fall
WIWR Spring/Fall
Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris
Alpha Code: MAWR
Spanish: Saltapared Pantanero
French: Troglodyte des marais

Band Size: 1 ~ 0

NW Ohio Status: Migrant, Breeding, Winter-extremely rare

Total Banded in Spring: 28
Average Banded in Spring: <1

Total Banded in Fall: 76
Average Banded in Fall: 3
Song: rapid series of squeaky gurgles followed by flat, buzzy trills​

Description: Rusty-brown above with dark barring on wings and tail, black and white streaks on back, and pale white-tan underparts. Whitish throat and eyebrow. Obscure, pale brown eyeline. Male and female alike throughout the year. 

Spring Migration Timing: Mostly second wave, with birds appearing by late April and the peak of total birds occurring May 4-15. 
Fall Migration Timing: Long and protracted, with birds appearing from late August into late October. Peak of total birds occurring
​September 11 through October 10. 

Migration Habitat: Wide variety of marshes but may also use dense vegetation along ponds and ditches. 

Notes: Far more prevalent in NW Ohio than numbers would suggest as MAWR tend to inhabit vegetation in the marsh, outside the range of capture. Due to the small sample size in fall, separating activity by local staging birds from true migrants is difficult. 
Picture
Picture
MAWR Spring/Fall
MAWR Spring/Fall
MAWR Spring/Fall
MAWR Spring/Fall
MAWR Spring/Fall
Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus
Alpha Code: CARW
Spanish: Saltapared Pantanero
French: Troglodyte de Caroline

Band Size: 1B ~ 1

NW Ohio Status: Present all year

Total Banded in Spring: 113
Average Banded in Spring: 4

Total Banded in Fall: 388
Average Banded in Fall: 13 
Song: loud, whistled tea-kettle tea-kettle tea-kettle or Germany Germany Germany

Description: Reddish-brown above with dark barring on wings and tail, and buffy underparts. White throat, face, and eyebrow. Thick reddish-brown eyeline. Male and female alike throughout the year. 

Spring Migration Timing: Present throughout much of spring, with peaks of activity occurring around April 17 and May 28. 
​Fall Migration Timing: Present throughout much of fall, with peak activity of total birds occurring August 22 through September 15. 

Migration Habitat: Primarily undergrowth of deciduous forests and forest edges, but also dense vegetation in neighborhoods and backyards.
 
Notes: Although generally present all year, many CARW may depart the lake shore region or NW Ohio for winter. Depending on the severity of winter, birds may begin returning in February or March.
Picture
Picture
CARW Spring/Fall
CARW Spring/Fall
CARW Spring/Fall

Gnatcatchers ​Polioptilidae

about gnatcatchers in nw ohio
​The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher is the sole representative of its family in eastern North America. With a diminutive mass, weighing in at around 4-5 grams, only the hummingbirds are lighter than the gnatcatcher. With a long tail that nearly equals the length of the body and head, this tiny bird can be found early in migration, looking for insects among the leafless shrubs and trees. Watch for a small dainty bird, flicking its tail and uttering soft cat-like calls or a musical trill reminiscent of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet. This song is often mistaken for late kinglets which should be well north by mid- to late May.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea
Alpha Code: BGGN
Spanish: Perlita Azul Gris
French: Polioptila caerulea

Band Size: 0A

NW Ohio Status: Migrant, Breeding

Total Banded in Spring: 1,379
Average Banded in Spring: 46

Total Banded in Fall: 0
Average Banded in Fall: -
Song: assortment of high-pitched, buzzy whistles, chips, and whines​

Description: A tiny bird, blue-gray above with whitish underparts. A rather long, black tail with white outer-tail feathers, appearing white from below. Distinct white eyering on a blue-gray face. Male with black “eyebrows.” Females mostly lack this feature, sometimes showing hints of black. 

Spring Migration Timing: First wave, with birds arriving by mid-April, and peak numbers occurring from April 22 through May 2. Most birds have either passed through or settled into breeding territories by mid-May. 
​Fall Migration Timing: Insufficient data to graph.

Migration Habitat: Utilizes an array of deciduous woodlands and thickets at mid- to canopy levels. 

Notes: Being at the northern edge of the BGGN breeding range and the early departure of these birds (by August) very few are encountered after July. There could also be a resistance to crossing Lake Erie in fall, further reducing migrants along the lake shore in NW Ohio. 
Picture
BGGN Male Spring/Fall
BGGN Male Spring/Fall
BGGN Female Spring/Fall
BGGN Female Spring/Fall

Kinglets ​Regulidae

​about kinglets in nw ohio
​The Kinglet family includes two of our smallest passerines migrating through the region. Though weighing less than 8 grams per individual, these are hardy little packages of energy. Both species are early short-distance migrants with many individuals wintering in Ohio.

Kinglets can be found nearly anywhere during migration, but especially where there are adequate shrub layers in the habitat. Unlike many of the other graphs presented here, aging data for kinglets is unavailable for fall. Only in the past decade have micro-ages been determined for kinglets during BSBO's banding operations and including this recent data alongside total numbers may not be truly representative of each age class' movements throughout our 30 year history.   
Golden-crowned Kinglet Regulus satrapa
Alpha Code: GCKI
Spanish: Reyezuelo de Corona Dorada
French: Roitelet à couronne dorée

Band Size: 0A

NW Ohio Status: Migrant, Winter

Total Banded in Spring: 1,832
Average Banded in Spring: 61

Total Banded in Fall: 7,267
Average Banded in Fall: 251
​Song: series of high-pitched see calls accelerating in pace, often ending with a high-pitched trill ​

Description: A tiny songbird with olive-green upperparts, light-grayish underparts, white facial markings, and one white wingbar. Wings and tail contain bold, yellow-green markings. Both sexes show a yellow crown bordered by black, but males show a streak of orange within the yellow (often concealed).

Spring Migration Timing: An early short-distance migrant, with activity actually beginning in March. Peak movements in April occurring 11-20, with most birds departing by May 1. 
​Fall Migration Timing: Late and condensed. Birds begin to appear by late September, with peak numbers occurring from October 7-17. Some movement may continue into early November.

Migration Habitat: Often found foraging mid-level in a variety of woodland areas including backyards.

Notes: Due to their short-distance migration, many GCKI pass through NW Ohio in March, before the banding season. The true peak of GCKI spring migration may actually be closer to the beginning of April or late March. 
Picture
Picture
GCKI Male Spring/Fall
GCKI Male/Female Spring/Fall
GCKI Male/Female Spring/Fall
GCKI Male (L), Female (R)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet Corthylio calendula
Alpha Code: RCKI
Spanish: Reyezuelo de Corona Roja
French: Roitelet à couronne rubis

Band Size: 0A

NW Ohio Status: Migrant, Winter-uncommon

Total Banded in Spring: 6,304
Average Banded in Spring: 210

Total Banded in Fall: 5,999
Average Banded in Fall: 207
​Song: a few high pitched whistles abruptly transitioning into a sputtering warbler of assertive phrases see see see syoo syoo syoo chifferty chifferty chifferty

Description: A small bird, olive-green above with lighter olive underparts, and a bold white eyering. Wings and tail contain bold, yellow-green markings, and a black bar sits behind a single white wingbar. Males with a tiny, ruby crown that is typically concealed unless agitated. 

Spring Migration Timing: First into second wave. Birds begin to show up by mid-April, with peak numbers reaching NW Ohio from April 22 through May 5. Most birds have left the area by mid-May.
​Fall Migration Timing: Birds begin to noticeably appear by late September, with peak numbers occurring from October 6-17. Lower numbers continue to pass through until late October into early November.

Migration Habitat: Typically found foraging mid-level in a variety of woodlands and thickets including backyards. 
Picture
Picture
RCKI Male Spring/Fall
RCKI Male/Female Spring/Fall
RCKI Male/Female Spring/Fall
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The mission of the Black Swamp Bird Observatory is to inspire the appreciation, enjoyment, 
and conservation of birds and their habitats through research, education, and outreach.


We are located at the entrance of the Magee Marsh Wildlife Area
| 13551 W. State Route 2  |  Oak Harbor, Ohio 43449  |  419.898.4070  |