Red-winged Blackbird porcupine quills and sweetgrass on birch bark by Kanatiiosh
Spring Songs of Survival:
Red-winged Blackbirds and Spring Peepers
Some of the
first birds that signal spring’s return are the ring-billed gulls, robins, and
the red-winged black birds. Male
red-winged black birds are
Male red-winged blackbirds arrive a few weeks prior to the females. The male’s duty is to scout out healthy and suitable wetlands for nesting. The females generally arrive a few weeks after the males. Then, the males will begin their wetlands serenade, dancing, and displaying their red shoulder stripes in hopes of attracting a female for raising a family.
Red-winged black bird nests are made from reeds and marsh grasses. The grass cup-like nest is attached to marsh bushes or reeds. These birds will raise three different broods in a season, and they will nest for each new clutch. Red-winged black birds are beneficial to the environment, for they consume large quantities of harmful insects, especially during nesting season when they are feeding their young.
|
As the temperatures rise, the amphibians and reptiles begin to awaken from their winter’s hibernation. With the warmer days and rains, the wetlands and ponds become filled and new puddles create breeding grounds for different types of amphibians such as the spring peeper. Spring peepers (Pseudacris crucifer) are a Chorus Frog, a type of Tree Frog. Their singing is often confused with the chirping of crickets, but if you live near wet lands, it is most likely these tiny frogs that you probably hear singing at dusk or on dark rainy days. |
"Spring Peeper" watercolor on birch bark by author |
Spring peepers are tiny. They measure between 3/4 to 1 3/8 inches in length, which is smaller than a nickel. Although tiny, they have a defense mechanism that enables them to hide from danger by changing their color to blend in with their environment. As a result, Spring peepers can range in color from tan to brown to gray. These frogs are easy to identify. They have a distinctive X or cross-shaped making in their dorsum (back) along with dark markings around their eyes.
Spring peepers have sticky round toe-pads that emit an adhesive-like mucus substance that enables them to climb and cling to trees, grasses, and even smooth surfaces like glass windows. Their rear feet are webbed. The sex of these frogs can be told by looking at the underside of the throat. The female’s throat is smooth, while the male’s has folds of skin. It is these folds of skin that enable the male to sing. They sing by inflating and deflating air sacks located on their throats, which produces two clear notes, a peeeeep in and peeeeep out.
Males choose a blade of grass or brush hanging over the deeper water to sit on as they sing. His song is a serenade in hopes of attracting a female for breeding. Other males are also kept from entering his territory by a higher pitched aggressive warning call. However, after a male has gone off with a female, a new male will take his place and begin his serenade. Females will lay about 1000 eggs, smaller than a grain of rice, which will hatch in about one week.
These small frogs have the duty of controlling insects and providing food
for others in the Great Web of Life. Spring
peepers eat small invertebrates such as spiders, mosquitoes, and ants.
Predators of the Spring peeper include snakes, bullfrogs, birds like the
Great Blue Heron, and the giant water bug.
Protecting the Wet Lands with Biological Criteria
Red winged-black birds and Spring peepers are good indicator species for determining the health of a wet lands ecosystem. A decline in these species could indicate that the wet lands are in need of special protection from over development or contamination.
Setting biological criteria offers protection to species especially to those of cultural significance that may not be afforded protection with standard chemical criteria. Biological criteria is generally defined as being composed of narrative (free form statements) and numerical (quantitative indices) expressions describing the desired biological conditions of communities inhabiting the wet lands. Biological assessment is used to determine the number and types of flora and fauna inhabiting the wet lands. Ideally a combination of both numerical and narrative criteria should be used to prevent limitations that may be inherent in a single form of criteria. The purpose of the numerical and narrative biological criteria is to be able to better monitor the environment, to protect the ecosystem and work towards restoration.
Biological indicators can include such species as red-winged black birds, spring peepers, black ash, and sweetgrass. If any of these species begin to decline, it would be an indication that stricter restrictions on land use and development, or other solutions are needed to prevent the loss of these species.
Each plant and animal has a duty in retaining balance within the wet lands ecosystem. The wet lands not only provide habitat for plants and animals, it works, like the human kidneys, to filter out toxins from the environment, which provides humans with a healthy environment. The red-winged blackbird and the Spring Peepers not only fill the air with music enjoyed by the Haudenosaunee, they perform their sacred duties retaining peace. Their songs, as well as are own, are a matter of survival.
Click
on the picture of the Spring Peepers to hear him sing:
TO READ THE NEXT ARTICLE
Click on the
envelope to send us mail 
Return to the Main page by Clicking on the Home Icon Below
|
|
Counter provided by www.digits.com
