Finches feud at feeders

Q: All of a sudden the goldfinches are inundating my finch feeders, so much so that I counted 14 males in a feeding frenzy recently. I'm wondering why there are so many and why they fight each other so much.

A: After the long winter, goldfinches turn up at feeders in droves. Some of the little birds were in our area all winter (but their drab winter coats make them look like another bird entirely), roaming around like nomads in search of natural seeds or the ones we supply.

And some of the birds we're seeing now have recently returned from a sojourn in Iowa or farther south, where they spent the winter. Now that they're stacking up at feeders they're squabbling over feeding rights.

It's amazing so see their battles, with two males almost entwined as they spiral in unison skyward. Each is trying to assert mastery over your feeder or a feeding port on the feeder. Some of this behavior may continue until their breeding season commences, later in the summer.

Q: I saw a killdeer standing on one leg near our pond, but later he was running around on two legs. What was he up to?

A: In wintertime birds often tuck one leg into their feathers to warm it up, but this isn't necessary in springtime. Sounds like the killdeer was perching on one leg, something seen frequently in shorebirds and other birds with long legs, according to Chris Marsh, a South Carolina ornithologist.

"The thing to realize is that people do the same thing — we just don't notice it," Marsh said. "If people stand in one place for a long time, they tend to shift their weight and stand on one leg. If birds are standing in one place for a long time, the biomechanics are such that standing on one leg is simpler to do."

A: I think some people feel negatively about providing calcium in the form of crushed eggshells due to the potential for passing chicken diseases to songbirds. But if the shells are sterilized, this won't be a problem. And female songbirds need a great deal of calcium during nesting season, because producing eggs drains their systems of this vital nutrient.

Just be sure to rinse the shells, and then bake in a 250-degree oven for 20 minutes to sterilize them. Crush into small bits and put out in a pan or add to the bird feeder.

Q: The grackles have just taken over my feeder and the finches, chickadees and cardinals can't get in to eat. Is there any way to discourage these birds?

A: Sorry to hear you're being inundated by these big, greedy birds. You'll begin seeing fewer of them soon as they move off into breeding territories. But the best way to discourage them from hogging your birdseed is to invest in a feeder with a movable dome. You can lower the dome to exclude large birds but allow smaller ones, up to cardinal size, to feed freely.

Q: I noticed a tiny bird in my dogwood shrub in late April and was surprised by its long, loud song. I've never noticed the bird before, and all I can say is that it was olive-colored and might have had red on its head.

Q: I admire crows and appreciate their intelligence and social/family structure. For the past several weeks, I've been seeing a crow that seems to have been injured because it hops on only one leg. This bird is always alone and I'm wondering why this is so.

A: Good for you for keeping an eye on this crow. As you noted, crows are a very social species and most spend their lives in a group. You seldom see a solitary crow, unless it's a youngster out prospecting for a new territory. In your crow's case, either its family is nearby or they've moved off, leaving him to fend for himself during the day. Since he can fly, he probably joins others of his kind at a crow roost for the night. He's got great survival skills, indicated by the fact that he's been able to evade any and all predators even while impaired. I've read of cases of lame crows siring families, so this may not be a major handicap in the crow world.

St. Paul resident Val Cunningham, who volunteers with the St. Paul Audubon Society and writes about nature for local, regional and national newspapers and magazines, can be reached at valwrites@comcast.net.