Tiny tyrants
We find ourselves visiting Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge’s Black Point Drive once again. Over the course of our 4 months here in the Sunshine State, we generally y try to get down to this fabulous birding spot at least once every two weeks. The population of birds is ever changing as birds fly in from the north in the early months and are displaced by birds returning north later during our stay. Today we had a total of 50 species including several very photogenic “tiny tyrants”. What these three small birds lack in size they certainly make up for in terms of attitude and ability. Our first bird on today’s photo list is a true tyrant… a member go the family “Tyrant flycatchers”. The Eastern phoebe is a winter visitor here in Florida. Their numbers will dwindle quickly in the near future, however, as they are one of the earliest migrants to head back to the north country. These birds are omnivores and will eat fruits and berries during the cooler winter months. They are remarkable aerialists. Their main diet consists of wasps, bees, flies and other insects which they can snag in mid-air.
Our second “tyrant” of the skies today is the American kestrel. A beautiful little falcon, about the size of a Robin, this diminutive hunter normally specializes in large insects such as grasshoppers and dragonflies. This little guy is a dynamo and is not afraid to tackle larger prey like voles, mice, bats or small birds equal in size to themselves. They are a joy to watch hovering above fields in search of prey or sitting on a high perch (often telephone lines) waiting to swoop down upon their unsuspecting quarry. Those razor sharp talons and that small but powerful bill are made for hunting and this mighty-mite is another real tyrant in its realm.
Our last but certainly not least “tough guy” was found at the Chain-of-Lakes Park in Titusville just north of the causeway into Merritt Island NWR. Tyrant? Just look at this bird’s nickname… “Butcher Bird”! With a hooked bill like the kestrel we just discussed and powerful little talons, the Loggerhead shrike is well known to take down it’s prey and then stick it onto barbed wire fencing or a nearby thorny tree for later consumption. Small birds, rodents, and large insects are all fair game. The shrike will sit on a low perch (often in plain sight) and pounce down on its prey quickly dispatching it with its sharp bill. The shrike is not that particular as to what it dines upon and are known to feed on snails, frogs, lizards, snakes and well….whatever!
While birders are often most excited about seeing “charismatic megafauna” like eagles, hawks, Great blue herons and the like, it is often rewarding to take time to look for and study the little guys like we saw today…these tiny tyrants. For a short but informative closer look at shrike behavior, watch the YouTube video found by clicking on the button found below.
