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President's Message
Ellen Harmon
I am a very visual person and am always excited to see a new species or rare colored bird. So… I decided to do some research on bird coloration and share it with our readers. Birds, as you know, come in virtually every color of the rainbow and can see color. Coloration and bright plumage are key to attracting mates when breeding. Generally, the closer you are to the Equator, the more colorful the feathers. I recently wrote about the unusual yellow cardinal that, coincidentally, happened to land in the yard of the St. Louis Cardinal’s photographer. The World Bird Sanctuary reported treating a red-tailed hawk with rare color aberration. Additionally, one of our members, Kim Biggs Orf, sent in a picture she took of a leucistic robin (see above) while she was at the Missouri Botanical Gardens. Leucism is a genetic mutation that causes white patches or faded color by preventing melanin from being sent to some of the bird's feathers. This is different from albinism when birds don't produce any melanin and have white feathers, pink or red eyes, and poor vision.
The colors in feathers are formed either by pigments or light refraction caused by the structure of the feather. Structural color comes from the way light bounces off different arrangements of cell structures. Iridescence, the rainbow shimmer that changes depending on how light hits an object, is an example of structural color. Blue and iridescent colors in birds are never produced by pigments. Blue feathers are produced by minute particles in the feather that are smaller in diameter than the wavelength of red light. These particles are able to influence only shorter wavelengths, which appear blue, and are "scattered" -- reflected in all directions. [1] Pigments come from carotenoids, melanins, and porphyrines. [2] Carotenoids are produced by plants and birds acquire them by eating plants or by eating something that has eaten a plant. Carotenoids are responsible for the bright yellows seen in goldfinches and Yellow Warblers as well as the brilliant orangish yellow of the male Blackburnian Warbler. Carotenoids can interact with melanins to produce colors like the olive-green of the female Scarlet Tanager. Flamingos get their vibrant pink coloring from a diet of brine shrimp and other flora and fauna found in the shallow, brackish water they inhabit. Brine shrimp eat microscopic algae containing carotenoids. When flamingos eat algae, brine shrimp, and brine fly larvae, their bodies metabolize the carotenoids, which makes their feathers look pink. Without that key ingredient with the right pigment, flamingos would appear grayish.
If you are really interested in this subject, there is a great scientific article on how carotenoid metabolism affects feather coloration. [3] Melanins can produce colors ranging from the darkest black to reddish browns and pale yellows. Melanin provides more than just coloration. Feathers that contain melanin are stronger and more resistant to wear than feathers without melanin. Feathers without any pigmentation are the weakest of all. Many otherwise all-white birds have black feathers on their wings or black wingtips. These flight feathers are the ones most subject to wear and tear. The melanin causing the tips to appear black also provides extra strength.
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Porphyrins, the third pigment group, are produced by modifying amino acids. Although the exact chemical structure of each porphyrin differs, they all share a common trait. They fluoresce a bright red when exposed to ultraviolet light, much the way certain rocks and minerals are known to do. Porphyrins produce a range of colors, including pink, browns, reds, and greens. Porphyrins are found in some owls, pigeons, and gallinaceous species. They can also produce the brilliant greens and reds of turacos.
Color aberrations occur occasionally, but fairly frequently. Some such abnormalities are related to lower-than-normal levels of melanin pigments resulting in lighter, or white, feathers.
Spring is on the way (finally) – so get out there and see some beautiful birds and native plants as they begin to bloom.
Upcoming Event:
Don’t miss St. Louis Audubon Society’s Annual Meeting which will feature a presentation by Noppadol Paothong, “In Focus: 25 Years of Grassland Conservation Through the Lens.” Noppadol is a nature/conservation photographer and an associate fellow with the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP). The iLCP is an elite group of world’s top wildlife, nature, and culture photographers around the globe. He is also a staff wildlife photographer with the Missouri Department of Conservation. He will share the stories behind his most iconic images, revealing the challenges, triumphs, and moments of inspiration that have defined his career. Gain insight into his creative process, the philosophy that guides his work, and the profound connection between photography and conservation. Discover how powerful imagery can inspire change and learn practical ways we can all contribute to preserving our fragile ecosystems through our own actions and storytelling.
Date: April 29, 2025
Business Meeting: 6:15 - 6:45 PM
Social Time: 6:45 - 7:15 PM
Speaker Presentation: 7:15 - 8:15 PM
Location: Webster University; Browning Hall Auditorium
[1] https://web.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/Color_of_Birds.html
[2] https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/how-birds-make-colorful-feathers/#:~:text=Melanins,-Great Horned Owl&text=Melanins occur as tiny granules,black also provides extra strength.
[3] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-017-02649-z
Photo credit: Leucistic Robin, Kim Biggs Orf
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Ornithological Forecast
March 2025
Bill Rowe
March is a month of transition for birds, starting with many lingerers from winter and moving into a vanguard of early spring arrivals that accelerates through the
month. Among the early arrivals are some shorebirds that are typically around in at least small numbers before the main migration in April-May. These may include Least, Pectoral, and Baird’s Sandpipers, Dunlin, Long-billed Dowitchers, both yellowlegs, and (especially) American Golden-Plovers, which can sometimes be seen in scores or even hundreds in the latter part of March, still in their
nonbreeding plumage at this point. The migration of waterfowl, by contrast, is going strong throughout March, with the passage of northbound geese already winding down but that of many ducks at its peak right now. Among the migrant passerines, this is a fine month to see sparrows, some of them wintering species like White-throated, White-crowned, and Swamp, others more common on migration, like Fox, Vesper, and LeConte’s, and still others arriving later in the month, the first of the summer breeding population, like Field and Chipping. Other early passerines include the first swallows like Tree and Barn, American Pipits, Brown Thrashers, Eastern Phoebes, and even a few warblers, notably the Louisiana Waterthrush and Yellow-throated Warbler along our creeks. And all of the nesting birds that do show up in March will be singing, and will be easier to observe than later when the foliage is full.
Photo above: American Golden Plover
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At Home Ecology, Curated Conservation
March 2025
Shannon Callahan
With the recent thaw, you’d be forgiven for assuming that spring has sprung! However, with night-time lows still dropping to near or below freezing, I urge you to hold off on the garden cleanup for the sake of our slumbering pollinator friends. It’s best to wait until temperatures are constantly above 50 F before starting the season anew with a fresh cut. If you look closely, many trees, like our native maples (Acer spp.), are getting ready to pop, meaning some much-needed color is just around the corner! Keep an eye out for the first signs of wildflowers from our spring ephemeral species, such as Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica), Spring Beauties (Claytonia virginica), and Wild Sweet William (Phlox divaricata). March is an exciting time of transition and renewal, the last push to another vibrant growing season.
Photo above: Wild Sweet William
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PARTNERS FOR NATIVE LANDSCAPING WEBINAR SERIES-
REGISTRATION IS FREE!
- March 5 at 2 pm- Native Garden Design Panel
- March 19 at 2 pm- Monarchs and Mosquitoes: Control the Pests, Protect the Pollinators
- And, more!
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Birding tour of Belize, Feb. 3-13, 2025: a joint venture of St. Louis Audubon and Naturalist Journeys
Bill Rowe
Belize is a delightful small country with a landscape that varies from agricultural fields to wetlands to pine savanna to rainforest, with one small mountain range. Like other tropical areas, it harbors plants and animals in greater diversity than our temperate regions; it has, for example, a bird list of 606 species within a land area that is about one-eighth that of Missouri. With tourism now its number one business, the country is happy to welcome Americans and show them not only its wildlife but also its Mayan archeology and other cultural features. Naturalist Journeys, which runs 9-10 tours per year to this popular destination, shared one of those time slots with St. Louis Audubon for a private tour of the type they call “Three Great Lodges”—the latest in our new program of birding tours and the first outside the States. Eleven of us, with myself as coordinator, went from the airport in Belize City to three lodges in succession, transported throughout the trip by our friendly drivers from each lodge, who easily navigated the sometimes-problematic roads while serving as highly-skilled birding guides, leading every field trip and able to identify every song and call-note in the forest and every distant raptor in the sky. At each lodge, the accommodations were outstandingly comfortable, the food excellent, and the weather good (occasional rain but mostly overnight, temperature range 70-85). For more details and our full list of 250+ birds, along with other animals, click on “Read More.” Information about future trips will be coming soon; meanwhile, we do have one room open for our June trip to Alaska (contact Amy at amy@stlouisaudubon.org).
[Read More]
Photo above: Keel-billed Toucan
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LEARNING TO LISTEN
Connecting with Birds Through Sound
Would you like to learn to understand bird songs?
Join us on March 6th at 6:00 pm as Kristi Dranginis, founder of Bird Mentor and the annual Learning Bird Song course (an immersive, mentor-supported 6-week adventure), shares 5 practical tools to train your ears and body to learn and remember bird songs. She’ll also reveal advanced tips to learn the holy grail of bird vocalizations; chip notes.
Join her for stories of the Cape May Warbler, Red-shouldered Hawk, and more as we deepen our instinctive and intimate connection with birds through sound.
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O’Fallon Park Cleanup
Join St. Louis Audubon Society and the Missouri Department of Conservation for a cleanup day at O'Fallon Park Lake on March 13 from 9 to 11 am.
The lake and its island support a large rookery of herons and egrets, as seen in the above picture. By cleaning the lake and the surrounding space, we hope to reduce hazards as the birds return in 2025!
If you'd like to learn more or get involved, please follow the link below.
Information & Sign Up Form
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BirdSafe Spring 2025
Would you like to help improve bird safety in St. Louis during migration? Are you interested in citizen science? If so, volunteer this spring with St. Louis Audubon Society’s BirdSafeSTL program!
Surveys will be conducted in the St. Louis area to determine dangerous locations for migrating birds and we will use that data to make recommendations for improvements. An informational session will be held on March 16 at 6 pm to discuss the project details and goals. No bird ID experience is required to participate, all skill levels are welcome!
If you would like to learn more and get involved, please follow the link below:
https://forms.gle/vp1XVpiKS7RPN5mz6
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MISSOURI INVASIVE PLANT HOUSE BILL 60
HB 60 -- NON NATIVE INVASIVE PLANTS SPONSOR: Sassmann This bill requires that all nurseries and nursery dealers in the State submit to the Department of Agriculture an affidavit that they will not knowingly or intentionally import, export, buy, sell, transport, distribute, or propagate any plant or seeds of Coloratus variety of Wintercreeper, any variety of Japanese Honeysuckle, or any variety of Sericea Lespedeza beginning January 1, 2027, or the Compactus variety of Burning Bush or any variety of Callery Pear beginning January 1, 2029.
CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES PUBLIC HEARING
Date: Monday, March 3, 2025
Time: 12:00 PM
Location: House Hearing Room 7
Please consider contacting the members of the committee and urge them to approve HB 60. Email addresses for members of the Conservation and Natural Resources Committee include:
Jeff.Farnan@house.mo.gov -- Committee Chair
Bruce.Sassmann@house.mo.gov -- Committee Vice Chair and House Bill 60 sponsor
Michael.Burton@house.mo.gov; Mitch.Boggs@house.mo.gov; Anthony.Ealy@house.mo.gov; Steve.Jordan@house.mo.gov;
Doyle.Justus@house.mo.gov; Scott.Miller@house.mo.gov
Adrian.Plank@house.mo.gov; Tim.Taylor@house.mo.gov
Brenda.Shields@house.mo.gov; Bill.Lucas@house.mo.gov
Colin.Wellenkamp@house.mo.gov; Bridget.Walshmoore@house.mo.gov
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ST. LOUIS AUDUBON SOCIETY BOARD MEETINGS
Next meeting: Tuesday, April 8
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Please Note: Most Board meetings will be held by Zoom. If you have an interest in joining our volunteer Board, please contact one of the officers or staff members. | |
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Officers & Staff
Ellen Harmon, President
president@stlouisaudubon.org
Michael Meredith, VP of Conservation
Stephanie Schroeder, VP Education
Gail Saxton, Secretary
Nick Eaton, Treasurer
Amy Weeks, Executive Director
amy@stlouisaudubon.org
Dan Pearson, Director, BCH
dan@stlouisaudubon.org
Shannon Callahan, Outreach Specialist, BCH
shannon@stlouisaudubon.org
Matt Barton, Urban Conservation Specialist
matt@stlouisaudubon.org
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