Birding Lunch & Learn Wed Jan. 28th @ Schupf Center Lobby 11:30 am-1 pm

[Diane Weinstein]

Waterville Area Birding Enthusiasts and Friends

We are meeting on Wednesdays from 11:30 am - 1 pm in the lobby of the Schupf Center in downtown Waterville probably through March at the Schupf Center in downtown Waterville.  This is the building with the large glass windows bordering Castonguay Square and also the location of the Maine Film Center.  We meet on the west side of the lobby where you can see Main Street.  When the weather is accomodating, we may at noon or after our gathering head out to a nearby outside location to do a little birding, so you may want to have handy  binoculars & boots.   

BIRDING MOVIES AT THE MAINE FILM CENTER

H IS FOR HAWK
Ending this Thursday January 29th  tickets about $13

Showtimes:  2:15 PM   &   6:50 PM.    Runtime: 1 hour 54 minutes.   MPA Rating: PG-13
H Is for Hawk follows Helen (Emmy-winner Claire Foy), who, after the sudden death of her father (Oscar-nominee Brendan Gleeson), loses herself in the memories of their time birding and exploring the natural world together, and turns to the ancient art of falconry, training a wild goshawk named Mabel to help her indirectly to navigate her profound loss. But as she teaches Mabel to hunt and fly free, Helen discovers how deeply she has neglected her own emotions and life. What begins as an act of endurance transforms into an intimate journey of resilience and healing.  YOU CAN GO ONLINE & ORDER TICKETS OR BUY THEM THERE

*SOME FOLKS ARE PLANNING TO SEE  H IS FOR HAWK''s 2:15 PM SHOWING  AFTER THIS WED'S JAN 28TH  LUNCH & LEARN 

LISTERS

1 day and time only AND FREE!

Thursday, February 19th at 6:00pm.     Runtime:  1 hour 59 minutes

Listers is an irreverent romp of a docu-comedy about two brothers who decide to do a Big Year with no prior birding experience.  The audience may delight in, wince at, and envy their bird-journey all at once!   Ashton Wesner PhD, a Colby College professor and birder, has arranged for this special screening designed to bring our central Maine birders, including some Colby birders too, together for a fun evening reprieve during the dark winter!  We aim to have some brief time for discussion/reactions in the cinema afterward.  This event is sponsored by the Center for Arts and Humanities and the "Thinking With Animals" Public Humanistic Inquiry Lab.

Discussion at January 21st Lunch & Learn

Eight of us were present and as usual, there were several topics discussed including how birds are associated with niche habitats, differentiating House Finch from Purplle Finch and practicing anatomically correct language to help with bird ID. 

Niche Habitat:  The research of Robert MacArthur, Population Ecology of Some Warblers of Northeastern Coniferous Forests was referenced and that it was completed in Acadia National Park.  Below are two articles about a more recent study done to determine whether climate change has altered MacArthur's original findings and a schemata how various species are habitat specialists.

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.26.505503v1.full

Re-assessing niche partitioning in MacArthur’s Warblers: foraging behavior, morphology, and diet metabarcoding in a phylogenetic context
Eliot T. Miller, Andrew Wood, Marcella D. Baiz, Andreanna J. Welch, Robert C. Fleischer, Adrienne S. Dale, David P. L. Toews
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.08.26.505503

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/spruce-woods-warblers-revisited-60-years-later-the-cast-of-characters-has-changed/

Spruce-Woods Warblers Revisited: 60 Years Later, The Cast Of Characters Has Changed
By Irby Lovette
The famous spruce-woods study site of Robert MacArthur is behind an iconic landmark—the Bass Harbor Lighthouse at Maine’s Acadia National Park.
July 6, 2016

BIRD HABITAT

House versus Purple Finches:  Distinguishing House versus Purple Finches can be tricky and we watched a helpful LycoBirds video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9b21ftcPl38.    David and Bobby Brown from Lycoming County PA developed the LycoBirds website:  https://www.lycobirds.com/about   which has numerous videos long and short, articles and quizzes to improve bird identification .  Several of us start our day with their daily ID quizzes received by email which you can do using this inserted link: Sign up here. 

Identification House versus Purple Finches

Below is an AI overview from an internet search:

Purple Finches are slightly larger, stockier, and "raspberry" red, whereas House Finches are smaller with orange-red heads and brown-streaked bellies. Purple Finches have unstreaked, clean breasts and a distinct white eyebrow. House Finches show a rounded head and curved bill, while Purple Finches have a notched tail and straight, pointed beak. 

This video provides a visual comparison of the key differences between the two species:

Badgerland Birding

YouTube • Dec 30, 2020

Key Differences in Coloration and Appearance

• Male Color: Male Purple Finches are often described as having been "dipped in raspberry juice," with color extending to their back and sides. Male House Finches are generally lighter, with a more orange or rusty red restricted to the head and breast, and heavy brown streaks on their flanks.
• Female Appearance: Female Purple Finches have a prominent, bold white stripe over their eye (eyebrow) and a cleaner, more contrasted facial pattern compared to the dull, uniform, and blurry brown streaks of a female House Finch.
• Structure: Purple Finches appear "barrel-chested" or front-heavy, while House Finches are more slender. The tail of a Purple Finch is shorter and more deeply notched. 

This video demonstrates the structural differences between the two species:

Absorbed In Nature

YouTube • Aug 3, 2025

Key Differences in Behavior and Song

• Song: The Purple Finch has a fast, warbling song, often described as more melodic than the House Finch. The House Finch song is a long, disjointed, and cheery, high-pitched jumble of notes, often ending in a descending, sharp whistle.
• Habitat/Behavior: Purple Finches are often seen in more wooded, cooler areas and are more common at feeders in northern, coniferous forest regions, while House Finches are common urban/suburban birds. 

This video explains the differences in behavior and song, and how to identify them:

Birds Walking Down

YouTube • Dec 26, 2020

• Bill Shape: The Purple Finch has a more pointed, conical, and straight-edged bill (culmen). The House Finch has a shorter, more stubby, and rounded upper bill.
• Wings: Male Purple Finches often show a slight purplish/red wash on their wings, which is absent in House Finches. 

Bird Field Marks:  Below is another schemata to help with bird identification.  It is also in the attached document with others included in previous emails, that you can print for easy use.