Educate Yourself About Birds and Their Territories
Birds and their territories
For many birds to be able to breed and survive they need their own territory, it will take a lot of effort and energy to defend one, but it is definitely worth their time. A territory to a bird does not only represent their own food supply and breeding spot, but will in the long run also prove to be a survival ground to a territorial bird, against predators. This is because when birds have large territories and their nests will be far apart from one another, it will be harder for predators such as the grackle to raid the nests without stirring up to much racket and will therefore soon be chased away.
Territories held by many of our garden bird’s tend to be quite large in area, and the reason for this is that birds need to maintain adequate food supplies for the upcoming breading season when much more food is needed to feed the young ones with. Birds like the wrens, titmice, and thrushes can be watching over territories that covers several suburban backyards. Other bird species that holds smaller pieces of territory has to venture away from it to be able to collect a sufficient amount of food supply.
Some birds like the hole-nesting Purple Martin and gulls which nest together in large groups will defend just a small area around the immediate nesting area, and these areas will be chosen where there are an abundance of food resources to maintain all the nesting birds and their offspring.
The size of a territory will also depend on the abundance of food for that particular year, for example if there is lots of food one year, bird’s territories has a tendency to be smaller in size, and if there is a short supply of food one year their territory will be much larger, so fewer pairs are able to breed, make sense!!
When male migrating birds come back from their winter spots they will quickly try to pick out a nesting territory, and will fight quite fiercely for it once they have decided on one. The female which arrives a bit later will help with some of the defending of the new nesting area, but for most it will be the male’s job. He will do so by showing aggressive displays of any kind even fighting, but he will also take the friendlier approach by singing to announce his presence.
Non-migrating male birds will start picking out a breeding territory as soon as the weather allows, and the snow is not covering the ground as much. They will be just as aggressive in defending their breeding areas, but this behavior will only last for a short time, and as soon as neighboring birds will start recognizing one another a simple warning call will be sufficient.
The way for you to discover where a birds boundaries are within your backyard, is to find out where different birds song-posts on your property are located, and they are usually located where that particular birds boundaries are. Then if you watch carefully, and see some birds having a dispute either over a patch of land or a bird feeding station, should give you some indication of their different boundaries You will soon find out that sometimes the boundaries between several neighboring birds are kind of difficult to tell apart, and the reason for this is that birds become some what friendlier towards each other after sharing boundaries for some time.
However most territories are only held on to, for the duration of the nesting season, but there are birds like the owls that will stay and defend one territory throughout much of its life. There are also non-breeding birds, and they will defend their territories just as fiercely as a breeding male will, even on its wintering grounds.
Most birds will not only defend their boundaries, but also a large food source like a fruit producing tree or shrub. Especially the mockingbirds and the robins will eagerly fight for it, but if a large flock of birds descends, they will both soon give up. Other birds like the starling will defend its roosting spot, and a small space immediately around it, while they are sleeping. Birds like swallows, as well as pigeons will defend their little space while sitting on a utility wire or hanging out on a side of a building.
Usually the size of territories between the same species is roughly the same size, but depending on the years food supply they can change considerably.
Barred Owls will hold their large territories consisting of 25-30ha (65-75acres) throughout the year, and become so familiar to the area they can easily move about the terrain in darkness.
American Robins has an area consisting of around 1-1/2 acres (1/2 – 1ha) and will defend it fiercely during nesting season, but will leave it during the regular season.
Eastern Bluebirds has a territory consisting of around 2 1/2-3 1/2 acres (1-1 1/2ha) and they will have separate areas during the winter time, but will establish a mutual breeding territory in the spring.
Tufted Titmice have a territory consisting of around 1 1/4sq.yd. (1 sq.m.) and will defend the immediate area around the nest, but will be sociable when feeding together in large flocks.
Pairs of Chimney Swifts do not defend any territory; they will only defend a very small area around the nesting cavity, but will defend a “feeding” territory from the air.
