The Passerines

Joe Meche is president of the North Cascades Audubon Society and also serves the chapter as newsletter editor and birding programs coordinator. He has been watching birds for over 50 years and photographing birds and landscapes for more than 30 years.

As another winter fades slowly into our selective memories, a new wave of birds is on the way. During the colder months, from November through February, it seems that we tend to focus more of our attention on larger birds. The largest birds — trumpeter and tundra swans and bald eagles — head the list of winter visitors that occupy much of our time, along with other raptors and thousands of waterfowl of a number of species. At times the sheer numbers of wintering birds can be quite impressive and always provide a great opportunity for us to hone our field identification skills.

Few wildlife encounters can compare to large flocks of snow geese and other waterfowl and shorebirds lifting as one when predators come too close for comfort. The feeding frenzies and the interaction between birds in these large flocks keep birdwatchers busy trying to isolate uncommon or rare birds. These birds are always a joy to observe and they even provide a bit of psychological warmth on frigid winter days. But, have no fear, the seasonal shift is underway. Our backyards and woodlots will soon be filled with bird song as the smaller birds of winter are joined by their compatriots who spent the winter in warmer climes. Get ready for the passerines!

Passerines are the perching birds that brighten spring and early summer days with their melodious songs, vivid colors, and the bustle of activity that accompanies courtship, nest building, and raising the young of the year. They range from the common birds that we see throughout the year to the warblers, swallows and other migrants that winter farther south and spend their breeding season with us. Varying in size from ravens to kinglets, passerines are members of the largest order of birds, Passeriformes. Passerines are the predominant land birds and account for about 5,100 of the planet’s bird species —about three-fifths of the world’s birds.

As well as being the most dominant order of birds, passerines are also considered to be the most highly evolved, in both intelligence and physical adaptations. The feet of all passerines have three toes facing forward and one facing backward, enabling them to perch on the slenderest twigs and branches to feed or to rest. One of the most interesting adaptations in passerines is the arrangement of the muscles and flexor tendons of their legs. As a bird relaxes on a perch and bends its legs, its grip tightens. This is a handy adaptation for sleeping in trees.

Because of their size and quick movements, not to mention their propensity to live and work in treetops and in thick brush, passerines can pose challenges even for the dedicated birder. One adaptation that really sets the passerines apart and facilitates field identification is their instinctual urge to sing, especially during the breeding season. Bird song not only adds to the beauty of a spring morning, but it also serves the primary function of communication among birds.

The variety of songs among passerines is staggering and provides one of the more stimulating aspects of birding—birding by ear. Just as you might learn to read and hear musical tones, you might also learn to identify birds by their songs. Some of the more common birds are easily identified by ear, but hearing and understanding the subtle nuances between similar species takes a little more effort. For those with hearing loss in the higher frequency ranges, it can be extremely taxing. I have first-hand experience with this one.

One of my favorite bird-related anecdotes involves a pair of old friends who regularly participated in the annual Christmas Bird Count, and what a pair they were! From what I recall, one of the individuals had suffered some hearing loss but remained sharp-eyed, while his partner was legally blind but had extremely keen hearing and a vast knowledge of bird song. I like to think of these two old friends out birding together. I always think of them as a variation on two of the three parts that make up the ideal animal—the eyes of an eagle and the ears of a deer.

Among the passerines are the large families of sparrows and finches. These two groups of birds often pose challenges in the field, especially when it comes to differentiating between similar species, especially when they’re frequenting dense brushy areas. If you can’t see the bird quite well enough to make an ID, listen to its song. A good birding ear will turn an LBJ (little brown job) into a white-crowned sparrow. Those who are adept at birding by ear can even detect regional dialects within a species. Just like learning to play the violin, practice is the key to tuning your ear to the songs of passerines. With practice, Brahms becomes Bach and that white-crowned sparrow hidden in the bushes is really a Bewick’s wren.

Notable among the passerines that spend the summer with us are the swallows and the warblers. Feeding flocks of tree and violet-green swallows are already being observed at local lakes and ponds that usually have an early hatch of their preferred food—flying insects. Vireos, wrens, and nuthatches serenade us in spring, along with the iconic wetlands singer, the red-winged blackbird. When the singing really gets started, listen for the subtle difference between the songs of American robins and black-headed grosbeaks. And then throw in a western tanager for practice!

What passerines lack in size, they more than compensate for with their songs and active behavior. We are fortunate to have a full complement of these smaller bundles of life around throughout the year. Spring bird song is an important yet often overlooked part of the annual cycle of life. What would our world be like without it? As Rachel Carson intimated in her seminal work, imagine a “Silent Spring.” Canadian author Farley Mowat paints a similar portrait of a world devastated by the carnage of war in his memoir, “And No Birds Sang.”

As you turn the soil and weed your gardens and flowerbeds in the coming weeks, keep an ear out for the passerines. Like many other groups of birds, these small wonders are essential barometers of the health of the planet. As we go, so go the birds. And vice versa. §

Beloved of children, bards and spring,
O birds, your perfect virtues bring,
Your song, your forms, your rhythmic flight,
Your manners for the heart’s delight;
Nestle in hedge, or barn, or roof;
Here weave your chamber weather-proof.
Forgive our harms and condescend
To man, as a lubber friend,
And, generous, reach his awkward race,
Courage and probity and grace!

Birds, 1867