Back in the 1980s, the New York Mets had some very good baseball teams (these days, not so much).  In the outfield of those teams was a tall, lanky lad with incredible baseball playing abilities.  This lad…a player who always seemed to shine a bit brighter than any of his teammates, perhaps brighter than anyone else in the game, was Darryl Strawberry.

It wasn’t long before the New York sportswriters dubbed young Darryl Strawberry:

The Straw That Stirs the Drink

(Darryl Strawberry. Courtesy of the world-wide-web.)

Here was a player around which his fellow Met teammates could gather, basking in his glow.  As Darryl went, so went the team.  One might say, in a baseball sense, Darryl Strawberry was the center of attention.

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But Greg…you are probably thinking right now…that’s all well and good but isn’t this a website dedicated to birds, birding, Costa Rica and tropical nature stuff?

You’re right; don’t worry, I’m on it.  First, thank you for staying with me.  I am about to make a case for this baseball-birding analogy.  And secondly, do some reading about Darryl Strawberry…what a life (and not all good).

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What a pleasure it is when you’re out birding and you come across a mixed flock.  A mixed flock of birds is to birders what an open buffet is to a hungry guest at their nephew’s wedding.  

Generally, a mixed flock is made up of small to mid-sized passerine (songbirds) species, all searching for sources of food…fruits, insects and the like.

I’ll wager most of you have experienced a mixed flock of birds here in Costa Rica; tanagers, honeycreepers, flycatchers, antbirds, etc.  This behavior is not limited to Costa Rica or the neo-tropics, by the way.  Mixed flocks of birds can occur most anywhere.

The reason why birds form into mixed flocks is fairly well known.

• There is greater safety in numbers; more eyes to be on the lookout.
• When feeding, a group is more likely to flush out hidden insects or other small invertebrates that an individual might miss.

Okay, great…but what the hell was that whole Darryl Strawberry dealio?

There is one family of birds, the Furnariidae (or Woodcreepers), who always seem to be the CENTER OF ATTENTION when a mixed flock is around.  

(Streak-headed Woodcreeper, common around San Vito. Courtesy of eBird.)

The Woodcreepers, you might say, are the straw that stirs the drink of a mixed flock.  And why is that?  Why are the Woodcreepers so suited to that role?

• Woodcreepers primarily do their thing in the middle zone of a forested area; not up in the canopy, not down on the ground.  This orientation is perfect for a mixed flock to muster about, both ABOVE and BELOW.
• Woodcreepers are quite deliberate in their activity.  They find their meals by scrupulously searching under tree bark for insects.  Ergo, they tend to remain within a small radius of the forest for a considerable amount of time.  This gives the mixed flock time to form around them.
• Almost all Woodcreepers are very vocal…loud.  Again, another queue around which a flock can gather and mix.

Finally, Darryl Strawberry’s Mother’s name was…Ruby Strawberry.  Perhaps the best name ever.