Wild About Utah

January 3, 2013January 31, 2026

Winter Song Birds

A Black-capped Chickadee, Bridgerland Audubon Society — A Black-capped Chickadee
Bridgerland Audubon Society

In the icy, short days of winter, you may think that Nature itself has curled up to hibernate. Our gardens are drab and deciduous trees are stripped down to bare limbs and twigs. Many songbirds have bid us farewell and flown south. In truth, what remains to be seen and heard of nature here in winter is more subtle and less boisterous. Now is the time to learn calls and songs of birds that reside here year-round, to hear them in solo performances, before the confusing springtime symphonies of birdsong.

This first bird calls its own name [sound: “Chick-a-dee-dee-dee” #9 Songbirds of the Rocky Mountain Foothills]. Black-capped Chickadees take sunflower seeds one at a time from our feeders. When out snowshoeing or skiing in our forests, inquisitive chickadees are welcome companions. They bring joy to a wintry day.

Frequently, a winter chickadee flock includes other birds. [Sound: “annk-annk” #48 Songbirds of Yellowstone] This bird sounds like a child’s squeak toy, but that nasal call belongs to the Red-breasted Nuthatch. Look for this chunky small bird at your suet feeder, or cruising up and down tree trunks in its search for insects.

We also have a minimalist in our winter bird repertoire [Sound: “tew” #62 Songbirds of Yellowstone]. That single note belongs to the Townsend’s Solitaire, which looks like a lean robin, colored the somber gray of an overcast sky. In winter, solitaires dine predominately on juniper berries. Their call stakes out their winter feeding territory. They are regulars at our heated birdbath, perhaps washing down all those puckery berries. If you are lucky, you may also hear their musical warbling, which is more common in warmer months. (Kevin Colver: Songbirds of Yellowstone)

You often hear chickadees, nuthatches and solitaires before you see them, as their plumage is neither colorful nor splashy. If you notice these calls on a winter’s day, it is because you are quiet and focused on the nature around you, leaving civilization’s hubbub behind. Thank-you to Kevin Colver for his wonderful bird recordings.

Credits:

Bird Sounds: Courtesy and Copyright 2008 Dr. Kevin Colver, Songbirds of the Rocky Mountain Foothills and Songbirds of Yellowstone and the High Rockies https://wildstore.wildsanctuary.com/collections/special-collections

Text: Jim Cane, Bridgerland Audubon Society https://www.bridgerlandaudubon.org

Additional Reading:

Black-capped Chickadee, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, https://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Black-capped_Chickadee.html

Red-breasted Nuthatch, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, https://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Red-breasted_Nuthatch.html

Townsend’s Solitaire, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, https://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Townsends_Solitaire.html

December 20, 2012March 4, 2026

Kissing Under the Dung Twig

Click for additional information on Juniper Mistletoe. Courtesy Wikimedia, Stan Shebs, Photographer — Juniper Mistletoe
*Phoradendron juniperinum*
in Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
Courtesy Stan Shebs, Photographer
This file is licensed under the
Creative Commons
Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.

Close-up of Juniper Mistletoe
*Phoradendron juniperinum*
in Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
Courtesy Stan Shebs, Photographer
This file is licensed under the
Creative Commons
Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.

Holly: Hi, I’m Holly Strand.

Together with poinsettia and holly, mistletoe is an iconic Christmas plant. The term mistletoe doesn’t refer to a single species or even a single lineage of plants. Instead there are over 1300 species belonging to 5 different plant families. All mistletoes are partially or mostly parasitic –they obtain water and minerals from a host tree, shrub or cactus via specialized stems. Sometimes mistletoe stems may branch into tangled masses called witches brooms. These gnarled structures offer nesting habitat for songbirds, raptors, and squirrels and can provide forage for deer and elk.

In Utah, Juniper mistletoe is the most common species. You’ll find it across the Colorado Plateau and along the Wasatch Front. Acacia mistletoe is much rarer and found only in the Beaver Dam Mountains west of St. George. Both of these species are leafless and spiky looking but many types of mistletoe have green leaves to support photosynthesis.

Most mistletoes reproduce with the help of birds that eat their fruit. Mistletoe seeds pass through the bird’s digestive system and are deposited on new branches where they stick and germinate. This explains the mistletoe’s strange name which is Anglo Saxon for “dung twig”.

Considering its humble origins in bird poop, mistletoe has made quite a name for itself. Like a botanical Forest Gump, it keeps cropping up throughout history in myths, cultural traditions and even medicines.

In Norse mythology, the overprotective Goddess Frigg went to all the living creatures on earth, making them pledge not to harm her beloved son Baldur. But she overlooked the mistletoe. When mischievous Loki discovered this, he arranged that Balder’s brother would throw an arrow made of mistletoe to strike Balder—killing him, of course.

In Virgil’s epic poem the Aeneid, mistletoe was the “Golden Bough” which allowed Aeneas to pass into the Underworld.

The ancient Druids revered both oak trees and the mistletoe that grew in them. They believed that a potion prepared from mistletoe would make barren animals reproduce. And they used mistletoe as an antidote to all kinds of poisons.

Throughout the ages, mistletoe was used to treat many medicinal conditions such as epilepsy, infertility, hypertension and arthritis. Today, many claim that mistletoe stimulates the immune system, helping the body fight more efficiently against cancer and other diseases.

While it was originally hung in doorways to attract good health and good fortune, by the 18th century mistletoe morphed into a Christmas decoration. We don’t know exactly how the custom of kissing under the mistletoe –or dung twig—evolved, but I’m certainly glad it did!

For pictures and sources for this program and archives of past programs, go to www.wildaboututah.org For Wild About Utah, I’m Holly Strand.

For Wild About Utah, I’m Holly Strand.

Credits:

Image: Courtesy Wikipedia, Stan Shebs, Photographer
Text: Holly Strand

Sources & Additional Reading:

Drury, Susan. 1987. “Customs and Beliefs Associated with Christmas Evergreens: A Preliminary Survey” Folklore 98.2 pp. 194-199., Abstract

Fertig, Walter. 2006 “Utah Plant Families: The Mistletoes (Viscaceae)” Volume 29 No. 6 Sego Lily (Newsletter of the Utah Native Plant Society) Utah Native Plant Society

Horneber MA, Bueschel G, Huber R, Linde K, Rostock M. 2008. “Mistletoe therapy in oncology.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18425885 Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008 Apr 16;(2):CD003297. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD003297.pub2. PMID: 18425885 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]

Milius, Susan. 2002. Science News. “Mistletoe, of all things, helps juniper trees.” Web edition: January 2, 2002. Print edition: January 5, 2002; Vol.161 #1 (p. 6) https://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/2334/description/Mistletoe,_of_all_things,_helps_juniper_trees

Watson, David. M. “Mistletoe—A Keystone Resource in Forests and Woodlands Worldwide.” 2001. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 2001. 32:219–491, https://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2012/07/03/rspb.2012.0856.full

December 13, 2012March 4, 2026

Ruffed Grouse and the Christmas Bird Count

I set out this week to investigate why so many gifts in ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’ are birds. You know the song: there are swans a swimming, geese a laying, calling birds, French hens, turtle doves, and that partridge in the pear tree. Well, I never did find the answer. But what I did find was some interesting information about a native bird often incorrectly referred to as a partridge –a bird that is supremely well adapted to life in winter. Ruffed Grouse and the Christmas Bird Count

Ruffed grouse resemble partridges in that they are ground-dwelling game birds of similar size and stature. Their name comes from a collar of long feathers surrounding the necks of males who fluff them out when seeking mates in spring. The birds come in two color phases, differentiated mainly by their tail feathers, which can be either gray or chestnut brown. While not well understood, a grouse’s color phase seems to be linked to climate. Grouse with gray tails are more prevalent in areas defined by cold winters, while brown grouse are more common in warmer climates.

Now that snow is blanketing the landscape across much of their territory, the ruffed grouse is in its element. Harsh winters that adversely affect populations of other ground-dwelling game birds such as quail, pheasant, and turkeys, don’t seem to faze ruffed grouse. Their ability to survive is dictated by a number of special adaptations. The first is on their feet, where each winter nubby feathers called pectinations grow on the sides of the birds’ toes. Looking like strange combs, the bristles act as snowshoes, allowing the grouse to walk on top of even the softest snow. More special feathers grow on grouse legs like personal leg-warmers, and also near the bird’s beak, covering its nostrils. Scientists believe the feathered mustache enables grouse to breathe in warmer air than they otherwise would, thus keeping their internal temperature more stable.

Changes in weather bring about some changes in behavior as well. Warmer months find the birds resting in evergreens or thick brush. But in winter, when a foot or more snow covers the ground, grouse roost in the snow. The birds create small burrows which hide them from predators, offer protection from frigid winter winds, and keep them surprisingly snug and warm. Many a backcountry skier or snowshoer has been startled by a hidden grouse bursting noisily from its snowy lair.

The birds’ diet also changes seasonally from a summer sampling of green foliage, seeds, berries and insects, to the protein-rich dormant flower buds of trees such as aspen and birch. Grouse also won’t hesitate to eat the sweet flower buds of domestic trees like apples, and were at one time considered a pest in New England orchards. And so it’s actually not out of the question that within ruffed grouse territory, you might wake up one Christmas morning to find a ‘partridge’ in your pear tree.

Speaking of birds and the holiday season, it’s nearly time for the Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count. Over the next few weeks, tens of thousands of volunteers around the country will join in this 113-year-old tradition, collecting data on the types and numbers of birds living in their area. This data allows scientists to monitor and track populations over time and space. Participants can be seasoned birders, first timers, or anything in-between. In Logan, Ogden, Salt Lake, and Zion National Park, the count takes place Saturday, December 15th. Other locations around the state will host their events between now and January 5th. To find a count near you, visit birds.audubon.org and click on Christmas Bird Count. For the Stokes Nature Center and Wild About Utah, this is Andrea Liberatore.

For the Stokes Nature Center and Wild About Utah, this is Andrea Liberatore.

Ruffed Grouse and the Christmas Bird Count-Credits:

Theme: Courtesy & Copyright Don Anderson Leaping Lulu
Images: Courtesy Utah Division of Natural Resources

Text & Voice: Andrea Liberatore,
Stokes Nature Center in Logan Canyon.

Ruffed Grouse and the Christmas Bird Count-Additional Reading:

Furtman, Michael. ( 1999) Ruffed Grouse: Woodland Drummer. Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA.
https://www.amazon.com/Ruffed-Grouse-Woodland-Michael-Furtman/dp/0811731227

Ruffled Grouse, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Utah Department of Natural Resources, https://fieldguide.wildlife.utah.gov/?species=bonasa%20umbellus [Link updated January 2024]

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (2012) Ruffed Grouse. Available online at: https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/45436.html

National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count:
https://birds.audubon.org/get-involved-christmas-bird-count-find-count-near-you

Utah Christmas Bird Counts:
https://utahbirds.org/cbc/cbc.html

Logan Christmas Bird Count:
Bridgerland Audubon Society Logan Christmas Bird Count 15 Dec 2012

December 6, 2012March 4, 2018

From Flood to Fire, Utah’s evolving role in mending rangelands

Restoring degraded plant communities has a long history on Utah’s public lands. The problem began with the transcontinental railroad, which enabled transport of livestock from Western rangelands to Eastern cities. By the late 1800s, vast flocks of ravenous sheep roved Utah’s unregulated wildlands. Montane summer pastures were stripped bare, so snow melt and summer rainfall washed across the ground unchecked, carving deep gullies. Downstream settlements, such as Logan and Manti, incurred ruinous floods and mud flows. Teddy Roosevelt responded to local pleas for federal control by designating our first national forests in Utah.

Soon thereafter, the fledgling Forest Service created the Great Basin Research Station east of Ephraim Utah. It was charged with discovering the cause of the floods. Within two years, large grazing exclosures were built in nearby mountain meadows by the Agency’s first range ecologist, Arthur Sampson. His research quickly linked overgrazing with denuded meadows, eroding soil and the floods. By 1914, Sampson advocated for rest rotational grazing. To then restore the impacted plant communities, there followed a landmark program at the Station to evaluate plants that could revegetate the degraded watersheds, and later, restore big-game winter range. Led by Perry Plummer, the Station evaluated the performance of 1000 species of shrubs, grasses and wildflowers, some tested in most of Utah’s plant communities. Methods to better collect, store, plant and germinate seeds underpinned the restoration of plant communities that, along with the 1934 Taylor Grazing Act, ended Utah’s frequent canyon floods.

That public research continues with the Great Basin Native Seed Selection and Increase Project. Today’s goal is to restore plant communities after rangeland fire, stalling and eventually reversing the invasion of flammable exotic grasses and weeds in the Intermountain West. Dedicated warehouses in Ephraim, Ely and Boise can store up to 3 million pounds of seed, a testimony to further progress in farming and collecting desirable seed. The seed is spread by aircraft over rocky places, while on gentler slopes, versatile rangeland seeders can place each kind of seed at the right depth, from tiny sagebrush to big grass seeds, all in a single pass over uneven ground. For every planting that takes hold, another weedy legacy of hundred-year-old overgrazing is finally repaired.

This is Linda Kervin for Bridgerland Audubon Society.

Credits:

Images: Courtesy & Copyright Jim Cane
Text: Jim Cane, Bridgerland Audubon Society

Additional Reading:

https://wildfiretoday.com/page/2/

https://www.fs.fed.us/rm/boise/research/shrub/greatbasin.shtml

https://www.fs.fed.us/rm/boise/research/shrub/projects/plant_guides.html