Performing Songbirds

You are now standing with the pond behind you; a wooded area with picnic benches is in front of you. Performing Songbirds: Songbirds are abundant throughout the Park and can be found in the meadows, woodlands, and wetlands. Songbirds belong to the order passerines. They can control a specialized vocal organ called a syrinx to produce a succession of musical notes. Some songbirds, like the bluebird, prefer wide-open spaces around their nests, while others require dense vegetation such as thickets, swamps, or forests. Pause and listen for birdsongs you might hear, like the brown thrasher, golden crowned kinglet, or American crow. A brown thrasher is a large, slender bird. It has long legs, a bill with a slight down curve, and a tail that is directed upward. It grows about a foot long with a matching wingspan. It is red-brown with a white underbelly that has dark streaks. The wings have two black and white bars at the tips. The thrasher has yellow eyes. The golden crowned kinglet has a black eyebrow stripe and flashy lemon yellow tuft of feathers on the top of its head. This resembles a crown. This small songbird is only 4 inches in length with a rounded body, short wings, and skinny tail. Its wingspan can measure up to seven inches. These kinglets are a pale olive color and have a gray belly. If you would like, reach out and touch images of the birds on the right half of the sign. The image of the brown thrasher is positioned above of the image of the golden crowned kinglet. Both birds sit on branches. Continue to the last stop of the Eco Trail by going 280 feet around the pond.