[TN-Bird] a bird puzzle for the week-end birder
- From: "Stephen Stedman" <SStedman@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "tn bird" <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 25 Jun 2010 11:34:52 -0500
While beginning the task of analyzing the data from the Cumberland
County Foray (May 29-4 June), I came across a somewhat unexpected
result for the Northern Mockingbird (NOMO).
During the Tennessee breeding bird atlas project in Cumberland County
(1986-1991) NOMOs were found in 5 of 11 priority blocks located in the
county and in 16 of 75 blocks overall (though only 52 blocks in the
county were actually surveyed to a greater or lesser degree during the
atlas project).
During the 2010 foray NOMOs were found in 9 of the same 11 priority
blocks and in 60 of 75 blocks overall, all blocks receiving minimal
coverage.
It appears that the state bird has become considerably more widely
distributed in Cumberland County since the time of the atlas project,
and I am inclined to think that climate change may account for most of
this increase, but I would welcome other explanations if you have them.
One participant in the Cumberland County Foray took me up on this
request and suggested that an increase in the amount of suburban habitat
in the county might account for the increase in NOMOs, but NOMOs tend to
be pretty common in rural and urban, as well as suburban habitats, so an
increase in the amount of suburban habitat (and corresponding reduction
in either rural or urban habitats, or both) should not have unduly
affected the distribution of NOMOs in the county. Another participant
suggested that an increase in the amount of Multiflora rose in the
county might account for the increase in NOMO distribution, but
Multiflora rose has been around TN, including the Cumberland Plateau,
for decades, so unless the observer can document an actual increase in
Multiflora rose since 1991, that explanation won't fly (and besides,
clean farming practices during the past couple of decades have seen the
eradication of a lot of hedgerows where the rose occurred; it is
doubtful that the rose is more common now than it was two decades ago).
If you can think of a plausible reason for the much increased
distribution of NOMOs in Cumberland County since 1991, please send it
along for consideration, either to me personally or to the group.
Good bird counting, Steve Stedman
Cookeville, Putnam County
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