OBJECTIVE

Winter in Winona is a difficult time for birds, but many species are year-round residents. The diversity of habitats within the city and the variety of foods available insure that many birds remain in the city during the cold winter months. Trees, shrubs, and dead flowers provide good "natural" cover and food resources, and spilled grain and bird feeders are attractive resources for many birds. This exercise will familiarize you with the different species of birds that remain in Winona during the winter, as well as emphasizing the relative abundance of non-native (introduced) bird species in the area.


HYPOTHESIS

Introduced (non-native) birds are relatively more abundant than native birds within the City of Winona.


METHODOLOGY

As many birds as possible will be counted and identified within various sections of the city during a single morning lab period. Birds will be counted and identified to species with the aid of binoculars as we survey designated sections of the city in small groups. Males and females of each species will be tallied together. The instructor will provide you with a data sheet to facilitate collection of your group's data.


ANALYSIS

After data are collected by individual groups and combined, display the species and numbers of birds observed (totalled across all sections) in table form, with native and non-native birds in separate sections. Consult your field guide for appropriate names (common and scientific). Compare the relative abundances (each species as % of all birds observed) of different species observed. Which species were most abundant overall (most common 2 or 3 species)? Which birds were very rare (least common 1 or 2 species)? Were any species found in every section or nearly every section surveyed? Compare the total abundances of native versus non-native birds within the various sections of the city with the aid of a paired t test (Ecology lab manual or see instructor).


EQUIPMENT

Bird field guide
Binoculars
Data sheet
Ecology lab manual


BIRDS MOST LIKELY TO BE ENCOUNTERED

Mallard
Mallard X introduced domestic species hybrid - introduced
Canada goose
Canada goose X Greylag goose hybrid - introduced
Red-tailed Hawk
American Coot
Ring-billed Gull
Mourning Dove
Rock Dove/Pigeon - introduced
Hairy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Pileated Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Blue Jay
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
White-breasted Nuthatch
Red-breasted Nuthatch
American Robin
European Starling - introduced
White-throated Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Dark-eyed Junco
House Sparrow - introduced
American Goldfinch
House Finch
___________________________________________________
Neal D. Mundahl
Department of Biology
Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota

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