Blue Jay,Cyanocitta cristata.
Common permanent resident. Migratory flocks pass through the region during spring
and fall when hundreds of birds may pass a single location in a matter of minutes.
Winter populations sometimes show considerable fluctuation. As many as 300 jays are
sometimes tallied on the Fayetteville Christmas Bird Count, but only 17 were found in
1979. This phenomenon has also been noted for other species of birds in the Ozarks
(Smith 1986).
Horned Lark, Eremophila alpestris.
Permanent resident. Local ly common in small numbers during the
nesting season on large open flat plowed fields. During winter,
flocks are locally common in similar habitat, also flat grassy
areas with sparse vegetation. Especially large flocks, sometimes
numbering 100 individuals, are found at midwinter during periods
of severe cold when the ground is covered with snow. In the
Fayetteville area, the birds have been found throughout the year
with regularity at the University of Arkansas Main Experimental
Farm, in Springdale on the grounds and near environs of Southwest
Junior High, and at Bentonville in the plowed fields west of the
airport, and elsewhere.