Field Observation 3: Social Behavior & Phenology
On the 13th of March I walked along a trail around Puerto Villamil. It was very sunny and humid. During the morning (10:15am-12pm) I was on a boat that journeyed around the port and I saw multiple bird species. Before getting on the boat, there was a Brown Pelican just wading in the ocean. It was not moving a lot and seemed like it was just enjoying the sun. The area was swarming with people, but the bird did not seem to mind. There were also a couple of Blue-footed Boobies that were standing on a rock. Some individuals were interacting with each other by bumping into others, but for the most part the birds were enjoying their personal space. Additionally, there were a group of penguins swimming around in the open water. They were hunting for fish and were working as a group to herd the fish into the center. It makes sense that the penguins were foraging in the morning because they are active during the day. In addition, the sun had not yet reached its highest point, which would expose the birds to intense sunlight.
During the evening (5:15-7:30pm) I saw several birds along the path. A single Whimbrel was running along the beach. It was not eager to interact with people and kept running away. The bird continuously paid attention to my movements and it was not the best model for photos. There were a couple verbal calls whenever someone got too close to it. The call did not seem threatening, but it did seem like it was warning others to keep their distance. The Common Cactus Finch originally was flittering around a cactus, however, it eventually flew in front of me on the ground. The finch appeared to be curious, but it was also cautious. Once it deemed me non-threatening and boring, the bird started hopping around the trail. The White-cheeked Pintail remained stationary in the water. There were some Flamingos around it, but both birds were not paying attention to each other. I was slightly surprised to see a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron active during the day since they are nocturnal. Despite its darker plumage, it was still difficult to spot the bird in the grass because it was so still and not making noise.
Both the Flamingo and the Blue-footed Booby have distinctive coloring. The bright colors can easily attract predators. However, the bright coloring also helps attract mates. The pigmentation is determined by their diets and the brighter color signals that they are healthy and can take care of offspring. Unlike the Flamingo, the Blue-footed Booby only has colorful feet and its plumage allows it to blend in with the environment. The bright pink of the Flamingo is apparent all over the body.
Due to the lack of chickadees on the island, I waited until I returned to Vermont to attempt "pishing." The Flamingos did not seem amused by the various noises that I was making. I went out to Centennial Woods around 5pm (March 24th). Once I was able to make a similar noise around some birds, I noticed that a couple curious individuals flew closer to the sound. One individual did not appear to be pleased with me and made a warning call. I was worried that it would recruit others to attack me. I suppose that pishing attracts individuals because they are curious. It may also serve as a warning sign to other individuals to gather together to ward off an intruder.
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