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Band tails – flying left at eleven o’clock! – is the usual exclamation when birding along the ridges of the Tehachapis. Most are often seen as a dark, good sized, broad-tailed bird streaking in typical dove family flight style over the treetops and out of sight. By far, it is the most handsome of the three local doves (pigeons) - Rock, Mourning and Band-tailed.
It was dead. Cause of death unknown. West Nile Virus? With February snow on the ground here and there, probably not. Life span peaked out? Could be. Predation? No, carcass in fine shape. Probably an unfortunate collision with an object. It had a twig still clasped in its (his) beak. A bit early for nest building, yet not too soon for displaying.
The Bird
Thus being about as close to this species as one is going to get, it was time to examine the bird. At 15 inches, 13 ounces (heavy in the hand) and with a wingspan of 26 inches, Band-tailed Pigeons are big birds (compare Mourning Doves in Sibley).
Checking the bare parts: its thin adult iris is dark red, the rather small bill is yellow with a black tip, and the sturdy legs and feet are yellow – good for walking about both in trees and on the ground while foraging for berries, nuts, seeds, fruits, buds, acorns (the latter a major part of their diet).
Just below the white crescent on its nape there is a patch of greenish-bronze iridescence. The head and breast have a purplish hue, while overall the plumage is a brownish-gray with a subtle wash of lavender. More noticeable when stacked, the primaries and secondaries are dark. Since its long square tail terminates with a wide, light gray band - it is a well-named bird.
The male brings sticks, while the female builds the nest (“I told him to bring a twig, and he brings a log!”). Although flimsy, it needs only to support one, rarely two, eggs. The sexes share incubating and brooding, with the female on night duty and the male taking turns during the day. The pair may complete three nesting cycles in a single season!
Population
Large flocks are seen many times a day wheeling over the Tehachapi Mountains high country. These flights are not mentioned in the new Birds of North America collection, nor in the old Bent series. However, observers report that early on in the season these birds establish “feeding grounds.” These flights then seem to be daily, even hourly, “nomadic” gathering visits to forage and drink at their chosen sites.
With no snow and better observer coverage along with a plentiful fall acorn crop, the combined TMBC CBC’s produced 494 Band-tails, well above historical averages. Noting these CBC result postings, folks from the U.S. Geodetic Survey asked the TMBC to assist in locating local Band-tailed Pigeon populations.
Trapping
Over a week’s time, Cory and Blake set bait (cracked corn and brown millet) and large plastic netting covered wooden framed traps at locations where we assured the biologist there would be Band-tails. Though birding usually doesn’t work this way, they found 400 birds at each location. They were pleased and encouraged. Surely trapping would be easy.
High in Mountain Park, just off the trail to Tehachapi Peak, hundreds of Band-tails spent the days foraging successfully for seeds in the tall Sugar Pines. Their feeding grounds had been established, and there was no way these birds were coming to the ground to eat old, dry cracked corn and millet. No success!
In Bear Valley, on the side of the mountain well below the summit, two traps were set over water sources. On the previous day hundreds had been seen on the ground drinking and working on Black Oak acorns. An established feeding ground. Should be a snap.
Ambush
It was the day it would begin to snow in the early afternoon and the day before the scheduled TMBC Kern/Pixley field trip. For the AM though it was sunny and pleasant, and well, yes, cold. From the time we arrived on site, a Red-tailed Hawk was perched sixty feet above us in a Jeffrey Pine already in a Band-tail Pigeon ambush pose.
So as to not disrupt the trapping, banding and transmitter attaching sequence, I placed myself behind a tree perhaps fifty yards up a hill over looking the shallow valley. Blake sent the hawk flying with well-placed thrown pinecones. All so reminiscent of Jean and I flushing young condors away from houses they were vandalizing.
From where I sat, the on-going three participant – Buteo jamaicensis, Columba fasciata, and Homo sapiens - contest of wits was in plain viewing. The first-winter Red-tail was back within minutes. From the kill site piles of feathers noted on my hill, it was plain this was his (he was small) hunting ground enhanced with a water source.
Being a Cooper’s Hawk want-a-be, young “Freddy” had adapted to maneuvering on the hunt in the forest, flying low, quickly, and silent from perch to perch. With every attempt to persuade him to leave the site, Freddy would find a new perch, always with a hawk-eye on the trapping site.
I could hear the birds deep “hu-whooo hu-whooo hu-whooo” as they moved about in the trees and their explosive wing flapping when some would fly off. By now Freddy had settled down perched unseen directly above Blake and out of sight of Cory. Off to the east, perhaps a half mile away, we could hear an adult Red-tail. Freddy did not respond.
Freddy would not leave, the pigeons would not come to the ground, and it began to snow.
Two Populations
Literature refers to this species as nomadic (migratory), yet they are recorded year round and we have judged them to be resident. It appears now, yes, they are, however, the population swells in winter with the arrival of migratory Band-tails. Do the Mountain Park “400” mix or not with the Bear Mountain “400?” Are there 400 or 800 birds?
They’re Broadcasting!
On the day six inches of snow at the site, Cory and Blake were successful! Six birds were banded and two were fitted with transmitters! Soon then we may know a great deal more about the local behavior of our Band-tail Pigeon population(s), as well as their statewide activity. Let us know if you see or find a Band-tail with a leg band. Very important.
Good birding, gone birding.
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