Hello to all Journey North Participants!
We are Ms. Flores-Ward's seventh grade class at McKenney Middle School in Canton, New York. We are friends with two biology professors (Marnie and Kenneth Crowell) at nearby St. Lawrence University. Last year, they founded a computer network called MISTNET which tracks neotropical migratory birds. The birds chosen to follow were the easiest ones to recognize and the Journey North/MISTNET bird is the Northern Oriole. So, we're here to tell you about the Northern Oriole.
This bird has also been known as the Baltimore oriole and its scientific name is Icterus galbula. It is slightly smaller than a robin, 7-8 1/2 inches long (or 18-21 cm.). The males have a black head, back, wings, and tail with fiery orange breast, rump, and shoulder patches. The female and young are olive above, and yellow below with two wingbars. The song is a series of rich, piping whistling notes.
The Northern oriole winters from southern Mexico to Central America. It breeds from Nova Scotia, Ontario to northern Georgia, Louisiana, and northern Mexico. That's why we think it is headed back our way soon and we especially hope the southern states will tell us of some sightings. Its habitat is in deciduous trees and it prefers elms, although there aren't too many elms left. The nest is really neat -- it is a bag woven out of plant fibers, bark and string suspended from the tip of a branch. There are usually 4-6 grayish eggs which are spotted with dark brown and black.
Maybe you are wondering where the name "MISTNET" comes from. Mistnetting is a method that researchers use to collect information about birds. Mistnets are made of a fine, black nylon and birds can't see them very well. A researcher usually sets nets between two poles in a shady area, opens them at sunrise and leaves them open until noon. The nets are left alone for about a half hour and then checked periodically for captured birds. The birds are then banded and information about them is recorded( such as species, sex, health, weight, age, and molt stage). The birds are released.
Remember to report your orioles to:
All orioles reported to Journey North will be relayed to MISTNET, and we will also let you know other MISTNET news.
We are looking forward to hearing from you. It's pretty amazing that the birds outside your house will be by us in the Adirondacks in just a matter of weeks.
Ms. Flores-Ward's Seventh Grade Class
McKenney Middle School
Canton, New York
michele_w@server.greatlakes.k12.mi.us