Rocking in the Tree Top All Day Long

Four special species of birds unique to the North Country

Story by Max Galanty

Living near the Adirondacks can be advantageous if you are an avid bird watcher. The boreal forest within the Adirondacks is home to some very special birds. The spruce grouse, boreal chickadee, black backed woodpecker, and the grey jay inhabit this land and make it unique.

Spruce grouse

The spruce grouse is on New York's endangered species list because they are close to extinction. According to Milt Adams, the environmental educator at Adirondack Park, the small population number is mostly due to lack of a suitable habitat.

"They [spruce grouse] need an exact forest type and through natural succession the habitat is changing," Adams said.

The habitat they need is the boreal forests of the Northern Adirondack region. Boreal forests consist of spruce, pine, and fir trees which best suit the diet needs of the spruce grouse since they eat the tree's needles.

The spruce grouse inhabits the Adirondack's boreal forest year-round, foraging in trees and on the ground. A depression in the ground, most of the time by the base of a tree, is where the spruce grouse places conifer needles and feathers to make its nest.

Boreal chickadee

Sharing the boreal forest in the Adirondacks with the spruce grouse is the boreal chickadee. This species' population is abundant across Canada but in the United States they stay in the most northern boreal habitats. The boreal chickadee is unique in that it is one of the few birds living completely within Canada and only in small areas of the United States. These birds prefer this area for its dense spruce and fir tree populations.

"Chickadees just do chickadee things."

The boreal chickadee is between five and six inches in length and weighs less than a half of an ounce. Its brown and white colors combined with its size and tiny beak make the boreal chickadee distinguishable.

Kevin McGowan is a member of the Department of Natural Resources at Cornell University and he has seen the boreal chickadee in its habitat before.

"Chickadees just do chickadee things," McGowan said.

Black backed woodpecker

Also in the North Country is a woodpecker with three toes, which is rare in the United States.

"Most woodpeckers have four toes, but here in the Adirondacks we could see a woodpecker that has three," Adams said.

It has loud call which closely resembles the laughing cartoon character Woody Woodpecker. This species is called the black backed woodpecker.

The black backed woodpecker lives in boreal habitats, preferably boreal forests with fire damage. They like the decaying wood because it is a good place to peck away for insects. They may be hard to spot because their glossy-black backs blend in with the charred trees.

Gray jay

The gray jay is another bird found in the boreal forest of the Adirondacks. The gray jay doesn't blend in with its surroundings. It may actually land on a human's hand for food. It may also take food which is not being offered to them, earning the gray jay the nickname "camp robber."

"These four species occur in New York, but the Adirondacks are the only place you can go to find them."

As a juvenile, the gray jay is completely black with a pale bill. In their adult lives they will change into a large gray bird with a dark bill.

"These four species occur in New York, but the Adirondacks are the only place you can go to find them," said New York Department of Conservation Wildlife Biologist, Kimberly Corwin. "You can go for a hike and encounter all four of these species at once. They are each unique and enjoyable."

"All four of these birds are there all of the time," McGowan said. "It can be good to go in the middle of winter. If you go in July you may regret [it] because of the insects."

What's your favorite New York bird?

Eastern bluebird: New York's state bird.

In 1970, the bluebird was adopted as the official state bird by Governor Nelson Rockefeller. It took over 40 years for the bluebird to take the reigns from the previous state bird, the robin.

In 1978, the North American Bluebird Society helped to preserve the bluebird population by placing nesting boxes across the country.

Bluebirds are found east of the Rocky Mountains from Canada to South America. They inhabit backyards, forests, and parks. They migrate, like most birds, to warmer climates in the fall. They have short life spans, with 10 years being a long life for a bluebird.

They are small in size and have vibrant blue feathers. Their songs sound like murmured notes and slurred whistles. Bluebirds eat mostly insects, but they also snack on wild fruits.

The bluebird is one of the first birds to return north each spring.