THAYER’S GULL Larus thayeri
Common along Pacific Coast, very rare in Northeast in winter. Resembles Herring Gull closely but is slightly smaller with relatively smaller bill. The adult averages slightly darker gray on the mantle; black areas at wing tips are less extensive and paler and with larger white spots. Iris is brown rather than yellow and eyelids are purple in summer (yellow in Herring). The legs are deeper pinkish brown. Immatures are generally slightly paler than immature Herrings, but not as pale as immature Iceland or Glaucous-winged Gulls. There is less contrast between the color of the mantle and the primaries. From below, the wing tips are whitish in both adult and immature, not dark as in Herring. The broad brown tailband is the darkest part of the immature in flight. Call is deeper than Herring’s.
CALIFORNIA GULL Larus californicus
Common along the Pacific Coast in winter and inland in the breeding season, nesting in large colonies on the prairies. Slightly smaller than the Herring Gull, but resembles it in all plumages. Adults have reddish eyelids in summer, as well as very yellow bill with red and black spots near tip of the lower mandible; the eyes are dark and the mantle is darker than on the Herring or Ring-billed. The bill of the first-year bird is largely pinkish (not all black), and the legs begin to turn greenish by the second year (pink in Herring). Common call is a descending kiarr, repeated.
RING-BILLED GULL Larus delawarensis
Common, especially inland. Complete black ring on yellow bill of adult is diagnostic. Adult has greenish-yellow legs. The other large eastern gulls have flesh-colored or black legs. Adult resembles California Gull, which has a small red bill spot as well as a black one. Wing tip has larger dark area below than Herring Gull’s. Immature is told from Herring and California by the narrow black tailband, from Mew by larger bill and whiter body. Calls are similar to Herring’s.
MEW GULL Larus canus
Common West Coast in winter, inland in breeding season. Adult is told from other gulls, except kittiwakes, by its unmarked, short, thin, yellow bill. Has less black in wing tips than Ring-billed and California Gulls. Immature resembles Ring-billed but tailband less distinct, small bill dark. Calls higher than Herring’s.
HEERMANN’S GULL Larus heermanni
Common along West Coast except in spring, when confined to Mexican breeding islands. Rare inland; often found offshore. The darkest gull, it is the only species that is uniformly dark below. The adult’s white head is mottled in winter. In flight the black tail and red bill of the adult are diagnostic, as are the narrow white terminal band and blackish underparts of the immature.
BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE Rissa tridactyla
Abundant on breeding cliffs, wintering well offshore. The adult is recognized by its sharply defined triangular black wing tips (no trace of white spot). The more commonly seen immature resembles several of the dark-headed gulls, but is told by the combination of dark neck band, short black legs, and black wing tips, and very slightly forked tail. Often flies low over water.
RED-LEGGED KITTIWAKE Rissa brevirostris
Common breeder on Pribilof Islands, winters to Aleutians. Bright red legs; shorter bill, darker underwing and mantle than Black-legged. Immature like adult, but has dark bill, nape line, and fore wing.
ROSS’S GULL Rhodostethia rosea
Very rare breeder at Churchill, Manitoba; regular fall migrant at Pt. Barrow, Alaska. The only gull with a wedge-shaped tail. Adult is rosy at all seasons; no neck band in winter. Flight is pigeon-like.
A very common coastal species; seldom found far from salt water, though it feeds on insects and earthworms in plowed fields. Adult is told from adult Franklin’s Gull by solid dark wing tips. First-winter bird is very dark above; it is told from immature Franklin’s by the dark breast, dark head, and complete tailband. One-year-old bird is like immature Franklin’s. This is the largest and darkest of the black-headed gulls. Winter adult has a mottled head and darker bill. Calls, a variety of low chuckles.
FRANKLIN’S GULL Larus pipixcan
The common gull of the prairies, wintering mostly south of U.S. Adult is told from adult Laughing Gull by the white spots on the primaries. Immature is told from Laughing by all-white outer tail feather. Feeds largely on insects, following the plow, hawking in the air, and fishing in ponds. Call is higher pitched than Laughing’s.
BONAPARTE’S GULL Larus philadelphia
This small gull is common inland in the breeding season, on the coasts and larger lakes in winter. The flashy white wing tips are shared only by the rare Black-headed Gull. The black bill and the dark spot behind the eye are good field marks in winter. Flies buoyantly and ternlike, with the bill held down. Call, a low quacking.
SABINE’S GULL Xema sabini
Common on breeding grounds, elsewhere alone or in small flocks. Probably winters at sea. Casual in early fall and late spring along East Coast and inland. Note the forked tail and the bold pattern of triangles on the wings of both adult and young. Compare wing and tail pattern with immature kittiwake’s. Very ternlike in flight.
BLACK-HEADED GULL Larus ridibundus
Rare but regular European straggler on East Coast; now breeding on Newfoundland. Usually with Bonaparte’s. Similar but larger; bill larger and dark red. Primaries are conspicuously dark below. Call, kwuririp.
LITTLE GULL Larus minutus
European straggler and rare breeder. This smallest gull is ternlike in flight, but has rounded wings. Note dark underwing of adult and black tailband of immature. Hood more extensive than on Bonaparte’s Gull, with which it usually flocks. Call, kek-kek-kek.
IMMATURE GULLS are very difficult to identify. Only typical plumages are shown here. The time it takes to acquire adult plumage differs among species. In general, small gulls take two years, larger ones four. For example, Bonaparte’s Gull acquires adult plumage the second winter, after partial molts in the fall and spring. The larger Herring Gull acquires adult plumage in the fourth autumn, after two partial molts the first year and one complete and one partial each following year. This sequence of molt is important in understanding the intermediate plumages, not shown here.
TERNS (Family Laridae, Subfamily Sterninae) are slender birds with long narrow wings, forked tails, and pointed bills. Flight is buoyant, with bill pointed downward as they search for small fish or insects. Dive from the air. Eggs, 1–4.
LEAST TERN Sterna antillarum
Uncommon along eastern sandy beaches, rare inland. Note the rapid wingbeat, white forehead, yellow bill (spring), and yellow or yellowish (fall) legs. Immature has contrasting wing pattern. Call, a rapid series of paired notes.
ARCTIC TERN Sterna paradisaea
Abundant, but migrates far offshore. Adult is told from Common Tern by the white streak below the black cap, the longer tail (extending to wing tips), short legs, short blood-red bill (no black tip), round head, short neck, and translucent spot near the wing tip. Immature has white upper wing coverts (gray on immature Common). Calls more nasal and rasping than Common’s.
COMMON TERN Sterna hirundo
Abundant coastally and over large inland lakes; the commonest U.S. tern. Flocks with Arctic, Roseate, or Forster’s. Wing tips noticeably darker than in Roseate and Forster’s, tail shorter, and bill bright red-orange (black tip varies in extent). Fall and immature head has pattern of Arctic’s; also compare with Forster’s. Upper wing coverts of immature are gray. Call, a harsh kee-urr.
ROSEATE TERN Sterna dougallii
Local and uncommon along the Northeast Coast. Paler above than Common and Arctic terns. Tail whiter, longer, more deeply forked, wing tips paler and bill black (red only at base). Note also its rapid, shallow wingbeat and distinctive calls: a soft chivy and a less frequent rasping z-a-a-p.
FORSTER’S TERN Sterna forsten
Common in fresh and salt marshes, rare on coastal beaches. Strongly resembles Common Tern, but primaries are lighter than rest of wing, tail is pale gray with white outer margin (reversed in the Common), bill and legs are more orange, and wing stroke is faster and more shallow. Winter birds are best told from the others on this page by the narrow black eye patch. Feeds on insects as well as fish. Call, a low toneless zrurrr.
SANDWICH TERN Sterna sandvicensis
Uncommon; on sandy beaches, often with Royal Terns. No other North American tern has a black bill tipped with yellow. Note also the long slender bill, the black legs, and the slight crest. Forehead of immature is mostly black, but adult has white on forehead and crown in winter. Fishes far offshore. Call, a loud grating kirrik.
GULL-BILLED TERN Sterna nilotica
Uncommon; over salt marshes. This whitest of North American terns is larger-bodied than the Common Tern. Recognized in all plumages by the short, thick, black, gull-like bill and the broad, very white wings. The tail is less forked than in most terns and the legs are black and long. The flight is more gull-like than other terns’. Rarely dives, but hawks for insects over marshes. The nasal 2- or 3-syllable call is characteristic.
ELEGANT TERN Sterna elegans
Regular visitor along southern California coast in fall from breeding grounds in Mexico. Similar to the larger Royal Tern, but has a slimmer bill and a longer crest. Bill of immature, blackish. Call, karr-reek.
ROYAL TERN Sterna maxima
This large tern is quite common but is strictly limited to salt water. The Royal Tern has a crest in all plumages, can be told at a distance from the smaller terns by the thick orange bill and slower wingbeat. Told from Caspian by the white forehead (solid black cap is of very short duration in breeding season), orange bill, lighter wing tips from beneath, shorter legs (obvious when standing together), more deeply forked tail of adult in spring, and voice. It feeds almost entirely on fish. Usually fishes in inlets or offshore. Call, chirrip.
CASPIAN TERN Sterna caspia
Rather common both coastally and inland. The Caspian Tern closely resembles the Royal, but can always be told by its blood-red bill, loud raucous call, and other comparisons noted above. The wider wings give it a more gull-like appearance than most terns, and its behavior also is more gull-like. It alights on the water, occasionally soars, robs other seabirds, and eats eggs. Fish is its chief diet. Call, a very loud harsh kraaa.
Caspian Tern
Locally common breeder on lakes and fresh marshes. Adult is unmistakable. Fall birds are told from young Least Terns by very plain wings; underparts may be blotched with black. Black Terns dive little; eat mostly insects. Flight is erratic. Call is nasal. White-winged Tern (Chlidonias leucopterus, L 9″), casual Old World visitor, has white tail and fore wings, black back and wing linings, red legs; fall birds lack Black Tern’s dark shoulder spot.
SOOTY TERN Sterna fuscata
Breeds abundantly on Dry Tortugas, Florida. Seen on Atlantic and Gulf coasts only during hurricanes. No other tern is jet black above. Immature is dark brown with white undertail coverts; its all-dark head and forked tail distinguish it from noddies. Does not dive; catches surface fish in flight. Call, a nasal wide-a-wake.
ALEUTIAN TERN Sterna aleutica
Breeds very locally in coastal Alaska from Norton Sound to Yakutat. The pale Arctic is the only other tern in its U.S. range.
BRIDLED TERN Sterna anaethetus
Pelagic; casual on East Coast during hurricanes. Compare face-neck-back-tail pattern with Sooty’s. Note pale neck ring, pale underwing tips.
BROWN NODDY Anous stolidus
Common breeder at Dry Tortugas, Florida; accidental elsewhere in U.S. In all plumages, shows pattern opposite of other terns—dark body, white cap, and wedge-shaped rather than forked tail. Highly pelagic, feeds without diving. Call, soft low-pitched k-a-a-a.
BLACK NODDY Anous minutus
In U.S. seen only at Dry Tortugas, Florida, where it is rare but regular. Told from Brown by small size, black color, and slender bill.
SKIMMERS (Family Laridae, Subfamily Rynchopinae) are the only birds with the lower mandible longer than the upper. They fly low over the water, the lower mandible cutting the surface. On contact with food, they quickly snap their head down and close the bill.
BLACK SKIMMER Rynchops niger
Locally common in flocks in coastal bays. The large red bill is distinctive. Young are brown above, speckled with white. Call is a loud, low-pitched, resonant auw.
Sooty Tern Black Skimmer
ALCIDS (Auks and relatives, Family Alcidae), black and white pelagic birds with short tails and rapid wingbeats, are usually silent. They come ashore only to breed. Swim underwater, using wings. Immatures are usually like adults. Eggs, 1–3.
RAZORBILL Alca torda
Locally common, breeding on offshore cliffs. Winters at sea; sometimes is seen singly off rocky coasts. When swimming, its thick bill and tail are usually uptilted. In flight the back is more arched than in murres.
COMMON MURRE Uria aalge
Very common in large breeding colonies on cliffs. Winters at sea (East) or just offshore (West). Murres are told in all plumages from other alcids by the combination of long slender bills and white sides. The bill is longer than, but rarely half as thick as, the Thick-billed Murre’s; at close range the narrow black streak back from the eye in winter plumage is diagnostic.
THICK-BILLED MURRE Uria lomvia
Strongly resembles Common Murre and is about equally common. Note the shorter thicker bill, evenly decurved above, sharply angled midway below, and the narrow white streak usually present at base of mouth. In winter there is no white above the black eye line.
DOVEKIE Alle alle
This smallest East Coast alcid is abundant at nesting sites in summer and locally common far offshore in the North Atlantic in winter. Appears along coast but rarely inland during Nov. storms. The short body, whirring wingbeats, and very small bill are distinctive.
BLACK GUILLEMOT Cepphus grylle
Rare and local in winter within sight of land. Not as gregarious as other alcids nor as pelagic. The very large white wing patch of adult is diagnostic. In the immature the wing patch is usually mottled. Compare the adult with White-winged Scoter. Wingbeats fast.
PIGEON GUILLEMOT Cepphus columba
Common. Resembles Black Guillemot in plumage and behavior. Usually distinguished from it by the black bars on the white wing patch, but immature Black Guillemot sometimes has black on the white wing patch.
ATLANTIC PUFFIN Fratercula arctica
Locally common in nesting colonies. Winters at sea. Outer layers of the bill are shed in late summer, so winter adults and especially the immatures have small bills (rectangular at base). Although the face is largely dark in winter, the characteristic facial pattern is still present. No other puffin occurs in North Atlantic.
HORNED PUFFIN Fratercula corniculata
Common; similar to the Atlantic Puffin, but ranges do not overlap. The tiny erectile horn over the eye is seen only at close range. Winter puffins are told from other western alcids by the heavy rectangular (immature) or triangular (adult) bills and large chunky bodies.
TUFTED PUFFIN Fratercula cirrhata
Common, but very local in southern part of its range. The summer adult with its white face and jet-black body is unique. Winter birds can be told from the Horned Puffin by their dusky rather than pure white sides and at close range by the light line over the eye.
RHINOCEROS AUKLET Cerorhinca monocerata
Auklets are small, short-billed, dark-backed, western alcids that nest in burrows or rock slides. Rhinoceros, the largest, is common along the Pacific Coast in winter. It is nearly puffin size but much more slender-billed. It is twice as large as the short-billed Cassin’s, the only other dark-breasted alcid within its range.
CRESTED AUKLET Aethia cristatella
Common resident in southwest Alaska (Aleutian, Pribilof, and Shumagin islands). Often nests under rocks with Parakeet Auklets. The quail-like crest is shared only with the small rare Whiskered, which has 3, not 1, white facial plumes all year. The immature is separable from immature Whiskered and Cassin’s only by direct comparison of size and face pattern at close range; the belly is sooty in Crested, whitish in Whiskered.
WHISKERED AUKLET Aethia pygmaea
Uncommon and local. Seldom wanders far from its limited range in the Aleutians (Kiska to Akutan). Adult always has the quail-like crest and three facial plumes. Compare immature with Cassin’s.
CASSIN’S AUKLET Ptychoramphus aleuticus
Common, especially offshore. This is the only small alcid south of Alaska that is dark to the water line. Compare with the much larger Rhinoceros Auklet and Tufted Puffin, both of which have much heavier bills.
LEAST AUKLET Aethia pusilla
Locally common in Bering Sea and Aleutians. White throat patch diagnostic. In winter compare head pattern and bill with next two species. These three are only alcids with the white scapulars. Neck short; flight rapid.
MARBLED MURRELET Brachyramphus marmoratus
Locally fairly common offshore, singly or in small groups. In summer identified by plain brown back and long slender bill. In winter the only alcid south of Alaska with white scapulars. Usually nests high up on a tree branch in old-growth forest, often miles inland.
KITTLITZ’S MURRELET Brachyramphus brevirostris
Locally common breeder near glacial waters on west and south coasts of Alaskan mainland. Winters in Asia. In summer, paler and grayer-backed than other alcids. In winter entire face is white. Bill half as long as Marbled’s.
XANTUS’S MURRELET Synthliboramphus hypoleucus
Uncommon. Looks like a miniature murre, but floats lower than shown, hiding white sides. The slender bill, all-dark back, and white underparts clinch identification. Craveri’s Murrelet (S. craveri, L 8″), a rare fall visitor north to Monterey, California, is similar but has dark underwing coverts.
ANCIENT MURRELET Synthliboramphus antiquus
Uncommon within sight of land, but stragglers occur far inland. Note the pale bill, the contrast between black throat and white neck and between black head and gray back. The white plume is present in summer.
PARAKEET AUKLET Aethia psittacula
Fairly common offshore; seldom seen from land except when nesting. The almost circular red bill is best field mark, but bill of Rhinoceros can look reddish. Bill of immature is dark. Winters s. to Oregon, far offshore.
PIGEONS AND DOVES (Order Columbiformes, Family Columbidae) are small-headed, short-legged, swift-flying birds with pointed wings and fanned or tapered tails. Females are duller than males. All species coo; bob heads when walking. Eat grains, small seeds, acorns (Bandtailed Pigeon), and fruit. Nests are generally in trees; eggs, usually 2, are white except olive-buff for White-tipped Dove.
BAND-TAILED PIGEON Columba fasciata
Locally common in western oak and pine woods, especially in summer. The large size and the broad gray tip on the fanned tail distinguish this bird from all others. Note the yellow bill and white neck band. Frequents waterholes and salt licks in large numbers. The call is a low-pitched, owl-like coo-coo.
ROCK DOVE (domestic pigeon) Columba livia
This common introduced pigeon of farmyards and city parks has a white rump and (except in white birds) a dark terminal tailband. Wing tips collide on takeoff. Glides with wings raised at an angle. Nests on buildings.
WHITE-WINGED DOVE Zenaida asiatica
Locally abundant; our only dove with large white wing patches. In flight note the large, white corners of the tail. Nests in colonies in citrus groves, mesquite, and open woods. Call, a low hhhooo-hoooo-hoo-hoooo. Sonagram below.
MOURNING DOVE Zenaida macroura
At all seasons the commonest native dove in suburbs and farmlands. Note the slim body and long tapered tail. Flight is swift and direct, without coasting; the whistling of the wings is diagnostic. Nests singly, feeds in flocks. Call, ooah-ooo-oo-oo, 4–6/min. Sonagram below.
WHITE-CROWNED PIGEON Columba leucocephala
Common in its limited range in the Florida Keys, where the only other doves are the Mourning Dove and Common Ground-Dove. Adult’s white crown contrasts sharply with dark body. Immature lacks white crown. Call is very low-pitched co-woo (about 5 times).
RED-BILLED PIGEON Columba flavirostris
Uncommon in summer (rare in midwinter); in woodlands and brush along the lower Rio Grande River (west to Falcon Reservoir) in southern Texas. A large all-dark bird, the size and shape of a Rock Dove; note its red bill. Call, hoo-hoohoohoohooo.
White-winged Dove Mourning Dove
SPOTTED DOVE Streptopelia chinensis
Introduced. Locally common resident in Los Angeles County, California; occurs from Santa Barbara to San Diego. Heavier-bodied than Mourning Dove; its tail is rounded and more broadly tipped with white. No other dove has the “lace-neck” pattern, present only in the adult. Found in agricultural lands, parks, and suburbs. Call is a low, harsh whistle: hoo-hoooo-hoo.
EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE Streptopelia decaocto
Native to the Middle East; rapidly spreading north out of Florida. Found in residential or farm areas. Feeds on ground; often in flocks. Pale gray or buff with black collar. The smaller, paler Ringed Turtle-Dove (Streptopelia risoria), shown here, is a domestic escapee that does less well in the wild. Established in a few locations.
RUDDY GROUND-DOVE Columbina talpacoti
Rare winter visitor to southern Texas. Rufous with gray crown. Female is less rufous, more gray, without scales.
COMMON GROUND-DOVE Columbina passerina
Common in brush and farmlands in the Far South. Wings flash bright rufous in flight. On the ground it looks like a miniature Mourning Dove. Nests usually on ground. Call, a series of identical low soft whistles, each with a rising inflection: hooah, 40–60/min.
INCA DOVE Columbina inca
A tiny-bodied, long-tailed dove resident in suburban areas, irrigated fields, and pastures in the arid Southwest. The body is distinctly gray, without a brownish cast; the rufous area in primaries may show only in flight. Scaly back is diagnostic when on the ground. In flight note the white margin to the long gray tail. Call is a monotonous repetition suggesting that of Common Ground-Dove, but the coos are in pairs, 25–30/min.
WHITE-TIPPED DOVE Leptotila verreauxi
An uncommon resident of the lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas. Similar in size and shape to White-winged Dove, but white is restricted to forehead, belly, and tip of the tail. Wings are uniform brown above with bright chestnut linings below. Feeds on the ground near brush or wooded areas. Call is 2 soft, very low-pitched hoos, dropping in pitch at the end (like distant foghorn).
PARROTS (Order Psittaciformes, Family Psittacidae) are brightly colored tropical birds with short, heavy, strongly hooked beaks and short legs; 2 toes in front, 2 behind. All originate from escapees. Most lay 3–5 white eggs in a tree cavity.
BUDGERIGAR Melopsittacus undulatus
Abundant in the St. Petersburg, Fla., area; local elsewhere in s. Fla. and s. Calif. Note the small size, fine barring. From Australia.
GREEN PARAKEET Aratinga holochlora
Rare in s. Tex. and Fla.; recognized by yellow-green body, solid green wings. From Mexico. Hispaniolan Parakeet (A. chloroptera, L 11″), rare near Miami, is similar but has red underwing coverts contrasting with gold underwings and tail. From West Indies. (Not illustrated.)
ORANGE-FRONTED PARAKEET Aratinga canicularis
Casual in N. Mex., local s.e. Fla. to N.Y.; told by orange forehead, blue on wing, yellow underparts. From Mexico.
BLACK-HOODED PARAKEET Nandayus nenday
Rare in Loma Linda, Calif.; also several records from the Northeast. Told by its black head and red “pant legs.” From South America.
MONK PARAKEET Myiopsitta monachus
Nearly became widely established in e. U.S.; builds huge colonial stick nests. Gray breast and hood are diagnostic. From South America.
WHITE-WINGED PARAKEET Brotogeris versicolurus
Well established in s.e. Fla. and in San Pedro, Calif.; local in Northeast. Recognized by yellow, white, blue, and green wing pattern. From South America. More local in s.e. Fla. is the Orange-chinned Parakeet (B. jugularis, L 5″), with its orange chin, yellow-lined green wings, and short tail. From South and Middle America. (Not illustrated.)
YELLOW-HEADED PARROT Amazona oratrix
Presumably escaped; found occasionally from Fla. to s. Calif. Adult is recognized by all yellow head, large red wing patch, and red at base of short tail; young are all green. From Mexico.
RED-CROWNED PARROT Amazona viridigenalis
Rare in Los Angeles area and s. Tex., established in s.e. Fla. Has entire red cap, red wing patch, gold under its short tail. From Mexico.
ROSE-RINGED PARAKEET Psittacula krameri
Rare in s. Calif. and Miami areas; local in Northeast. Has green head, red bill, and pale greenish tail. From Asia.
BLOSSOM-HEADED PARAKEET Psittacula roseata
Rare and local in Northeast. Told by rose head, orange bill, and (on male) black neck band; young are all green with yellow bill. From Asia.
CUCKOOS, ANIS, AND ROADRUNNERS (Order Cuculiformes, Family Cuculidae) are slender birds with rounded wings, curved upper mandibles, and long “graduated” tails, the outer tail feathers shortest. Sexes are alike. Cuckoos are sluggish birds of forest and brush; they eat hairy caterpillars. The coal-black anis resemble large grackles except for their weak flight, thick bills, and heavy tails. Roadrunners are large, crested ground birds of the arid Southwest. Eggs, 2–12.
MANGROVE CUCKOO Coccyzus minor
Rare and local resident in mangroves and hammocks of Florida Keys and southwest coast of Florida north to Tampa Bay. Usually outnumbered by Yellow-billed Cuckoos. Note the bright buffy underparts and black mask. Call is harsher and slower than Yellow-billed’s.
YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO Coccyzus americanus
The commonest nesting cuckoo south of the Missouri and Ohio rivers and the only one west of the Rockies. Told from Black-billed by large white spots contrasting with black undertail surface, also by the bright rufous flash in the open wing and by the yellow lower mandible. Found in woods and brush, especially during outbreaks of tent caterpillars. Song, guttural and toneless in comparison with Black-billed’s, is never in series of 3 or 4.
BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO Coccyzus erythropthalmus
Common in eastern North America. Tail spots are indistinct and the bill is all black. Has little or no rufous in spread wing. Bare skin around eye of adult is red. Like Yellow-billed Cuckoo, most common at caterpillar outbreaks. Typical song is 3 or 4 coos, 35–52 series/min.
SMOOTH-BILLED ANI Crotophaga ani
Local resident in southern Florida (Belleglade south into Keys). Feeds in small flocks on the ground in brush and farmland. Likely to be overlooked because of resemblance to grackles. Groove-billed Ani (Crotophaga sulcirostris, L 14″), resident in southern Texas, has smoother bill-forehead profile; grooves on bill are visible at close range.
GREATER ROADRUNNER Geococcyx californianus
Large, crested, terrestrial bird of arid Southwest. Wings are short and rounded. Runs rapidly, trailing its long white-tipped tail. Seldom flies. Eats lizards, snakes, insects. Song, dove-like, each note lower pitched.
Smooth-billed Ani
OWLS (Order Strigiformes, Families Tytonidae—the Barn Owls—and Strigidae—all other owls), large-headed, short-necked birds of prey, are mostly nocturnal and best seen and more frequently heard at dusk. The large eyes are fixed in their sockets, so the entire head moves as owls shift their gaze. The flat, round or heart-shaped “facial disk” conceals the large external ear flaps. All owls on this page, and some on have erect ear tufts. All fly silently, hunting for rodents and other mammals. Females are like males, but larger; immatures resemble adults. Calls are distinctive hoots, wails, or whistles. Most small owls and some large ones are cavity nesters. Eggs, 2–8.
EASTERN SCREECH-OWL Otus asio
This is the common small “eared” owl of towns, orchards, and small woodlots. Its plumage is bright rusty or gray. All other eastern “eared” owls are distinctly larger. Nests in cavities and even in flicker boxes. Song is quavering whistle (monotone or descending).
WESTERN SCREECH-OWL Otus kennicottii
Similar to Eastern Screech-Owl but plumage is brown. Flammulated and Whiskered Screech-Owls are similar, but Western’s facial disk is the same color as the head. Call, 4–10 short low-pitched whistles.
GREAT HORNED OWL Bubo virginianus
This common large “eared” owl is twice the size of the crows that often harass it. Color pattern is similar to the smaller slimmer Long-eared Owl’s; Horned Owl’s ear tufts are larger and farther apart; its belly is finely barred horizontally, whereas the Long-eared is more boldly streaked lengthwise. Call is typically 4–7 low hoots.
LONG-EARED OWL Asio otus
Locally common in woods near open country. All similar species, especially the Great Horned Owl, are on this page. Looks large in flight because of its very long wings. Generally silent except near its nest, where it makes a variety of low hoots, whistles, and shrieks.
SHORT-EARED OWL Asio flammeus
Locally common in open country over plains, sloughs, and marshes. The “ears” are hard to see. Note the black patch near bend of the underwing and the large buffy area on upper wing surface. Active before dark; flight is irregular. Wings are tilted upward like a harrier’s. Barks during breeding season; otherwise silent.
Great Horned Owl Long-eared Owl
This large light-colored uncommon owl is known by its heart-shaped face, small dark eyes, and long legs. All other owls except the Snowy are heavily marked below. It is strictly nocturnal; hunts rats and mice in farmyards, marshes, and fields. It has a peculiar habit of lowering its head and moving it back and forth. It nests in barns, abandoned buildings, and tree cavities. Does not hoot, but has a soft ascending wheezy cry. At the nest it gives a toneless hiss.
SNOWY OWL Nyctea scandiaca
A diurnal arctic owl that winters irregularly in the U.S. Most adult birds are almost pure white. Immatures, which are darker, go farther south than adults in winter. The large size, pale plumage, and lack of ear tufts are diagnostic. It perches near the ground in open country and often allows birders to approach closely. Feeds on lemmings and other rodents and hares. Silent south of its breeding grounds.
BARRED OWL Strix varia
Common in southern swamps and river bottoms; less common, but widespread, in northern woods. Has dark eyes; the only other eastern owl with dark eyes is the unstreaked heart-faced Barn Owl. In flight the Barred Owl resembles the Great Horned. Usually nests in cavities. Typically hoots 8 times; 4–7 series/min.
SPOTTED OWL Strix occidentalis
Rare and declining in deep, old-growth forest of the Pacific Coast; uncommon resident in wooded canyons of the Southwest. Distinguished from the similar Barred Owl, which has been expanding its range in the Northwest, by the horizontal barring of its underparts. Typical call is suggestive of Barred Owl’s, but consists of only 3 or 4 hoots.
GREAT GRAY OWL Strix nebulosa
Rare and local at high elevations in north and central Sierra Nevada and Rockies, where it is found in pine and spruce forests. Common only in the Far North. Note the long tail and the prominent gray concentric circles on the facial disk. The only other large owl with yellow eyes and no ear tufts is the Snowy. Voice is a deep, booming series of whoos, each lower in pitch.
Barn Owl Barred Owl
NORTHERN HAWK OWL Surnia ulula
A tame diurnal owl of the muskegs of northern Canada, rarely moving south in winter into northern U.S. No other owls except the little pygmies have the long slender tail that gives this bird a falcon-like appearance. Told from Boreal and Northern Saw-whet Owls by the fine horizontal barring of its underparts. Perches in the open on treetops, where it raises its tail and slowly lowers it. Sometimes sits with its tail cocked up at an angle. Flight is straight and swift, usually very low, with alternate flapping and gliding. It also hovers, as does the American Kestrel. Calls are series of whistles, 10–15 groups/min.
BURROWING OWL Athene cunicularia
A small long-legged diurnal owl of the plains, locally common, usually nesting in prairie dog “towns.” The permanent residents in Florida inhabit prairies and airports. Frequently bobs up and down. Perches on the ground or on a fencepost. Hovers when hunting. Distinguished from all other owls except the Barn Owl by sandy color and long legs. Nests in burrows. Calls are a cackling alarm note and, at night, a 2-note coo-c-o-o.
BOREAL OWL Aegolius funereus
A very tame, nocturnal, “earless” owl of coniferous forests in the Far North, irregular in northern U.S. in winter. Told from Saw-whet Owl by its light bill, black facial border, and chocolate streaking of its underparts. Told from Screech-Owls by the lack of ear tufts and from Northern Hawk Owl by streaked underparts, short tail, and more erect posture. Only during the arctic summer does it feed by day. Call is a fast series of 7–8 whistles like the sound of water dripping; 12–15 groups/min.
NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL Aegolius acadicus
The only tiny tuftless owl likely to be seen in the central and eastern states. Commoner than generally believed, but nocturnal and seldom seen unless found roosting in dense young evergreens or in thickets. In the West it overlaps the range of the Flammulated Owl, which has dark eyes and ear tufts, and the Northern Pygmy-Owl, which is slender and long-tailed with dark brown streaks on flanks. Common call is a long series of short whistles.
WHISKERED SCREECH-OWL Otus trichopsis
Common in Southwest canyons. Closely resembles the Western Screech-Owl, whose range it overlaps; can be distinguished only at exceedingly close range. Watch for long whiskers and large white spots on scapulars. Generally found in dense oak or oak-pine woods. Distinctive call, 4–9 high-pitched boos slowing at the end, is best means of identification.
FLAMMULATED OWL Otus flammeolus
Rare and local. The only small owl with dark eyes. Like the Screech-Owls, it occurs in gray and rusty phases, but the facial disk of Flammulated is redder than the rest of its head. Only in southeast Arizona do Flammulated and Western and Whiskered Screech-Owls occur together. Prefers pine-oak woods. Call is a single or double low-pitched hoot, repeated for long periods, 40–60/min.
NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL Glaucidium gnoma
A small, common, tame, long-tailed owl of coniferous and deciduous woods. Partly diurnal. No other small “earless” owl has blackish-streaked flanks. Entire tail extends beyond the wing tips and is usually cocked at an angle. Flight is undulating like a shrike’s, with rapid wingbeats. Black patch at the side of its hind neck separates it from all owls but the rust-colored Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl. Song is an accelerating short series like Wrentit’s followed by 2 or 3 singles.
ELF OWL Micrathene whitneyi
A nocturnal owl common in southwestern deserts. The underparts are buffy with indistinct streaking. No ear tufts. This tiny slim owl has a short tail that separates it from Northern and Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls. Best seen at dusk in saguaro deserts, as it roosts by day in holes in the giant cactus. Common call is a descending whistled tu-tu-tu, tu-tu-tu-tu.
FERRUGINOUS PYGMY-OWL Glaucidium brasilianum
This small, uncommon, rusty relative of the Northern Pygmy-Owl is typical of wooded river bottoms and saguaro deserts near the Mexican border. Told from Northern Pygmy-Owl by its plain rusty back, rusty streaks on the sides, and a tail faintly barred with black on rust. Call is a long series of single notes.
NIGHTHAWKS and NIGHTJARS (Order Caprimulgiformes, Family Caprimulgidae) are nocturnal insect eaters with large flat heads, small bills, enormous mouths, and distinctive white patches in wings or tail. Many are named for their call. Eggs (2) are usually laid on ground.
CHUCK-WILL’S-WIDOW Caprimulgus carolinensis
Common in Southeast pine woods. Told from nighthawks by lack of white in wing, from Whip-poor-will by much larger size, more buffy body, and by the call. Narrow throat band is buffy in female. Song, 25–40/min.
WHIP-POOR-WILL Caprimulgus vociferus
This common round-winged nightjar is seen only at dusk unless flushed from nest or ground roost in woods. Its eyes glow red in a light beam. Prefers woods near fields. Female has buffy throat band, no white on tail. Song, 50–65/min. Buff-collared Nightjar (Caprimulgus ridgwayi, L 8½″), of southeastern Arizona, is told from the Whip-poor-will by the buff collar across back of neck. Song, co-co-co-co-cookachea.
COMMON POORWILL Phalaenoptilus nuttallii
This small relative replaces the Whip-poor-will in the West. White in tail of both sexes is quite limited; young have buffy collar. Song is repeated 30–40/min.
COMMON PAURAQUE. Nyctidromus albicollis
This large species of southern Texas brush country has white patches in its wings and tail. Call, 10–12/min.
COMMON NIGHTHAWK Chordeiles minor
Nighthawks differ from other nightjars in their long pointed wings, slightly forked tails, and white wing patches. They become active before dark, flying above treetops and houses. They sit lengthwise on limbs, diagonally on wires. In cities it nests on flat-topped buildings. In courtship dive, the wings produce a peculiar musical hum. Call is a nasal peent like woodcock’s, 25–35/min.
ANTILLEAN NIGHTHAWK Chordeiles gundlachii
Breeds on Florida keys. Told by pit-a-pit call.
LESSER NIGHTHAWK Chordeiles acutipennis
Told from Common Nighthawk by its smaller size, position of white in wings, browner color, habit of flying very low, and low trilling call. Young in late summer are buffy.
SWIFTS (Order Apodiformes, Family Apodidae), like nightjars, feed almost exclusively on flying insects caught on the wing with their wide mouths. Swifts fly continuously all day except in heavy rain. Their wings, built for speed, are long, stiff, slender, and slightly decurved. In contrast to swallows, with which they are often found, swifts appear to beat their wings alternately. Sexes are alike. Swifts nest on cliffs, in chimneys, and in hollow trees. Eggs are white, 3–6 (1 by Black Swift).
BLACK SWIFT Cypseloides niger
This uncommon swift has solid black underparts and a slightly forked tail. When seen with Vaux’s Swift, its larger size is obvious. The adult male Purple Martin is similar, but has broad wings bent at the wrist. The Black Swift’s wrist is so close to the body that the wing angle is barely visible. Cruises many miles from its high-altitude and coastal nesting cliffs. Unlike Vaux’s and Chimney Swifts, is seldom heard away from the nest.
CHIMNEY SWIFT Chaetura pelagica
Normally the only swift east of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Common, usually in flocks of flittering dark birds. Tail is stiff, slightly rounded, and never forked or fanned; bristles that support the tail when clinging to a vertical surface are not visible in the field. Noisy chatter of chipping notes generally discloses Chimney Swifts overhead. During migration they roost by the hundreds in tall chimneys, entering in a huge funnel formation at dusk. Call, rapid short chips.
VAUX’S SWIFT Chaetura vauxi
Replaces Chimney Swift west of Rockies. Told from swallows by typical body shape, from White-throated Swift by slightly rounded tail and uniformly pale underparts. Smaller, browner, and paler below than the very similar Chimney Swift. It nests in hollow trees in dense forests; rarely in chimneys. Voice is like Chimney’s.
WHITE-THROATED SWIFT Aeronautes saxatalis
Common. Only North American swift with bold black and white pattern. Most likely to be confused with Violet-green Swallow, with which it associates. Violet-green also has white flank patches, visible from above and below, but its entire underparts are white. White-throated is found near cliffs and canyons. Call, shrill twitter.
HUMMINGBIRDS (Order Apodiformes, Family Trochilidae) are the smallest of North American birds, all with long slender bills adapted for reaching deep into tubular flowers. Wingbeat is so rapid it produces a humming sound. All species feed while hovering and can also fly backward. Throat feathers look black when light does not reflect the brilliant iridescent colors. Young birds resemble females; some are difficult to identify. All are fearless and pugnacious. Males have a “pendulum” courting flight, with distinctive patterns for some species. Migrate by day, flying low. Eggs, 2, are small, white.
RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD Archilochus colubris
Common; the only hummingbird breeding east of the Great Plains. Only the adult male has the bright red throat. Often detected by the rapid squeaky chipping call, or by the hum of wings. Feeds at tubular flowers and feeders in gardens and woods. Most Ruby-throateds winter south of the U.S. Rufous and Black-chinned are rare in fall and winter along the Gulf Coast, and casual elsewhere in the Southeast. Note that female Black-chinned and Ruby-throated are nearly indistinguishable.
BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD Selasphorus platycercus
This is the common breeding hummer of the Rockies. Adult male is readily told from Ruby-throated by its distinctive shrill metallic wing whistling. First-year male does not whistle; look for wider rounded tail and rose-colored throat. No other western hummer has a green crown and tail and a solid red throat. Females are similar to several other hummers. Calliope is much smaller, with wings extending beyond the tail. Broad-tailed female cannot safely be separated from Rufous and Allen’s.
CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD Stellula calliope
Smallest U.S. hummer; uncommon in western mountains. Male is only hummer whose colored throat feathers form streaks against a white background. The red feathers can be distended. Female is much smaller than Broad-tailed; smaller, slimmer, and shorter-tailed than Rufous and Allen’s, with less rufous on sides and tail.
ANNA’S HUMMINGBIRD Calypte anna
Common resident west of Sierras. Forehead and throat red. Female’s green tail broadly tipped with white; throat usually has a few red feathers. Female is larger and stouter than Black-chinned, and grayer breasted; larger and darker below than Costa’s. Male is only California hummer with a real song (from perch).
BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD Archilochus alexandri
Common in western mountains, this is our only hummer with a truly black throat; throats of other species may look black in poor light. White below the purple stripe confirms this species. Often captures insects flycatcher-fashion. Female has no rufous on sides and tail and is not safely separable from Costa’s. Female Anna’s, which is restricted to California and southern Arizona, is larger and plumper. Call, a slurred thew.
COSTA’S HUMMINGBIRD Calypte costae
Common in Southwest deserts. Male is unmistakable with violet cap and throat, the latter with long side feathers. Female is not safely told from Black-chinned. Female Anna’s is larger and slightly darker below and often has red flecks on throat. Immature Calliope and other species commonly found in Costa’s range have rufous sides and tail base. Call is rapid ticking.
RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD Selasphorus rufus
Abundant migrant in West; the common breeding hummer of western Oregon, Washington, and western Canada. Adult male has unmistakable solid rufous back. Female and immature are similar to Allen’s, the larger Broad-tailed, and smaller Calliope (folded wings of Calliope extend beyond tail). Female Allen’s is separable only at very close range by its narrow outer tail feather. In normal flight the male produces a subdued humming, but his aerial display is a rapid dive to within inches of female, accompanied by a loud whine.
ALLEN’S HUMMINGBIRD Selasphorus sasin
Common only in coastal California. The male is our only red-throated hummer with a solid rufous tail and a green cap and back. The female and immature are so similar to Rufous they can be told only in breeding season when Rufous is absent. Even the call notes of the two species are the same: a sharp bzee. The courtship pendulum flight of the male (a 25′ arc) is followed by a dive from about 100′.
CUBAN EMERALD Chlorostilbon ricordii
Casual, all seasons, on Florida east coast and Keys. Male is told by bright green underparts and black forked tail, female by forked tail and dingy underparts.
SOUTHWEST HUMMINGBIRDS include species found in summer along U.S.-Mexican border. Those that breed in U.S. are mapped below. Four species have bright red or orange bills with black tips.
LUCIFER HUMMINGBIRD Calothorax lucifer
Male is only violet-throated hummingbird with green crown; tail deeply forked. Female is the only one with a buff throat and decurved bill. Very rare breeder in Chisos Mountains, Texas, and s.e. Arizona.
MAGNIFICENT HUMMINGBIRD Eugenes fulgens
Male is told by its large size, green throat, and violet-blue crown; female is recognized by its large size, dark bill, and narrow grayish tail edging. Breeds from southeastern Arizona mountains to Chisos Mountains, Texas.
BLUE-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD Lampornis clemenciae
Recognized by its large size, the very broad white tip to its long black tail, and double white line on the face. Blue throat of male is obvious at close range.
VIOLET-CROWNED HUMMINGBIRD Amazilia violiceps
No other North American hummingbird has violet crown and white throat. Female and immature have lighter and greener crowns. Breeds in Guadalupe Canyon, Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona; recorded in Huachucas.
BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD Amazilia yucatanensis
Bright orange bill, large size, and green throat separate this species from other Texas hummers. Sexes are alike. Breeds and in small numbers winters in the lower Rio Grande Valley, in wood margins and thickets.
BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD Cynanthus latirostris
Male is told by its dark body, long orange bill, and forked tail; female by its orange bill and sooty underparts. Compare carefully with the paler-breasted White-eared. Breeds from south central Arizona and southwest New Mexico southward, rarely in western Texas.
WHITE-EARED HUMMINGBIRD Hylocharis leucotis
Only small hummingbird with long “ear” stripe. Male may appear all dark, like Broad-billed, but tail is square-tipped. Note green flanks, spotted throat of female. Casual in s.e. Arizona mountains in summer.
TROGONS (Order Trogoniformes, Family Trogonidae) are short-billed, long-tailed, tropical fruit eaters represented in extreme southwestern U.S. by one regular breeder and one accidental species. Habit of sitting still makes them hard to find despite brilliant coloration. Posture is erect, tail hanging straight down. Nest in cavities. Eggs 2–4.
ELEGANT TROGON Trogon elegans
Rare summer resident in mountains of southeast Arizona; casual in lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas. Iridescent male is unmistakable; all plumages have black band at tip of long square-cut tail, rose on belly, and yellow bill. Call, 4–6 low croaks. Eared Trogon (Euptilotis neoxenus, L 11″), accidental in Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona, has black bill, no barring on white undertail, no white chest band.
KINGFISHERS (Order Coraciiformes, Family Alcedinidae) are large-headed, short-tailed birds that dive for fish, which they catch with their long sharp beaks. They perch motionless in the open, over water. Their legs are very short. Usually lay 3–8 white eggs in a deep burrow in a steep bank.
RINGED KINGFISHER Ceryle torquata
Rare permanent resident along Rio Grande River, Texas, especially below Falcon Dam. Told from Belted Kingfisher in all plumages by much larger size and bright rusty belly. Female has a broad blue neck band set off from the rusty breast by a white ring. Both sexes have the shaggy crest. Calls, a harsh keerek and a rattle louder than that of the Belted Kingfisher.
BELTED KINGFISHER Ceryle alcyon
The most common kingfisher in North America and the only one north of Texas and Arizona. Seen singly or in pairs along streams and ponds. Except for terns, kingfishers are the only small birds that dive headlong from air into water. Recognized in flight by its deep, irregular wingbeats, its big-headed appearance, and its loud rattling call. Often hovers before diving.
GREEN KINGFISHER Chloroceryle americana
Rare in southeast Arizona and lower Rio Grande Valley. Its small size, green back, and lack of a crest distinguish it immediately from the other kingfishers. Rattle is higher-pitched and less harsh than Belted Kingfisher’s. Female has greenish breast bands; male has a rusty one.
WOODPECKERS (Order Piciformes, Family Picinae) have a strong bill, sharply pointed for chipping and digging into tree trunks or branches for wood-boring insects. The stiff tail is used as a prop. Most species “drum” on resonant limbs, poles, or drainpipes. Flight is usually undulating, with wings folded against the body after each series of flaps. Nest is in a cavity chiseled deep into a large branch or trunk. Eggs, 4–8, are white.
NORTHERN FLICKER Colaptes auratus
Common in parks, suburbs, and woodland edges. Flickers are jay-sized woodpeckers with brown back, no white on wings, and a black breast crescent. In flight note white rump, yellow or salmon under wings and tail. Often seen on ground eating ants and displaying. In north and east the yellow-shafted subspecies is recognized by its red nape, gray cap, black mustache (absent in adult female), and golden under-surface of its wings and tail. In the west the red-shafted subspecies is identified by its salmon wing and tail linings, and the brown cap, gray face, and red mustache it has in common with the Gilded Flicker. Red-shafted hybridize with yellow-shafted and Gilded, producing intermediate plumages. Call is loud repeated flick or flicker; series repeated 2–7/min. Also a shrill descending kee-oo.
Yellow-shafted
GILDED FLICKER Colaptes chrysoides
Found in the desert Southwest, Gilded Flickers have golden wing and tail linings like the Yellow-shafted, but their ranges do not overlap. Its brown cap, gray face, and red mustache are similar to the Red-shafted. Gilded often nest in saguaro cactuses. Where their ranges overlap, Gilded and Red-shafted produce hybrids.
Red-shafted
PILEATED WOODPECKER Dryocopus pileatus
A fairly common but wary bird of extensive deciduous or mixed forests. Solid black back distinguishes it from other large birds except crows and some hawks. It is conspicuously crested in all plumages. Flight is strong with irregular flaps of wings. Drumming is distinctive: loud, slow, softer at end. Call is a series, never single.
Pileated Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER Campephilus principalis
Thought to be extinct, but recently reported seen in deep, bottomland forests of eastern Louisiana. Formally lived in dense pine forests ranging from Ohio and Indiana to Caribbean islands, but disappeared as forests were cut down. Extensive white on wings and white bill are diagnostic. Also note black chin. Male has red crest, female black. Call is a high-pitched single note.
LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKERS fall into two groups: medium-sized birds with light rumps, colored or pale napes, and white wing patches that show in flight; and small birds with dark rumps, black napes, and spotted sides. All are nonmigratory. Juvenile is like adult, but juvenile heads are browner in Melanerpes.
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER Melanerpes carolinus
Common in southeastern woodlands. Red-headed Woodpecker is same size and has a similar call, but note the ladder back and red cap and hind neck (not head) of the Red-bellied. Immature has brown head. May occur with Red-cockaded in longleaf pine woods. Calls are low, short, and hoarse; also a rattle.
GOLDEN-FRONTED WOODPECKER Melanerpes aurifrons
Common in deciduous woodlands. Note the large gold spot on hind neck (duller in immature) and yellow above bill in adult. Voice is like Red-bellied’s.
GILA WOODPECKER Melanerpes uropygialis
Common around giant cactus. Note that only the male has a red cap. White wing patches, as in Red-bellied, tell it from all ladder-backed woodpeckers in its range. Compare with immature sapsuckers.
LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKER Picoides Scalaris
Fairly common in deciduous woods and mesquite, less common in cactus. Note distinct black and white on side of head. Told from Gila and Golden-fronted Woodpeckers by dark rump, finely spotted sides, and lack of white wing patch in flight. Call is like a hoarse Downy’s.
RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER Picoides borealis
Rare and local in longleaf pine woods. Told from Red-bellied by solid black nape and cap; from Hairy and Downy by ladder back and large white cheek patches. Nest hole, in pine trunk, is recognized by oozing gum.
NUTTALL’S WOODPECKER Picoides nuttallii
Common, especially in live oak forest and chaparral west of the Sierras. Face is blacker than Ladder-backed Woodpecker’s. See also Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers. Call is like Ladder-backed’s, but rapidly doubled: an abrupt pa-teek.
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER Melanerpes erythrocephalus
Uncommon in much of its range; prefers open deciduous woods. Adult head is entirely red. Large white area on wings separates it from other species. The similar Red-breasted Sapsucker occurs only in the Pacific Coast states. Call is raucous kwrrk.
ACORN WOODPECKER Melanerpes formicivorus
Common, especially in oaks, and gregarious. Its black chin, white rump, and small but conspicuous white wing patch separate it from all other dark-backed woodpeckers except sapsuckers. Call is a series of raucous laughs.
LEWIS’S WOODPECKER Melanerpes lewis
Locally common in large trees in open country. Red face and light collar and underparts contrast with the rest of its dark-greenish plumage. The rump is black. Flight is slow, with even, crowlike flappings. Gregarious. Catches flying insects. Call is of soft short notes.
WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKER Picoides albolarvatus
Locally common in pines and firs. The only white-headed woodpecker. Also note white wing patch. May land sideways or upside down. Call suggestive of Hairy’s.
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER Sphyrapicus varius
Common, but retiring, in woodlands. Red crown and throat (males), black chest mark, and white stripe on closed wing. Underparts pale yellow. The Red-naped Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis) of West is similar, but has red on back of head. Sapsuckers tap in distinctive rhythms (2 or 3 series/min.), but do not drum. Call a weak keeer.
Red naped Yellow bellied
RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER Sphyrapicus ruber
Resembles Red-naped, but with red head and breast; the only red-headed woodpecker in its range. Birds in northwest coastal forests are brighter than those to south.
WILLIAMSON’S SAPSUCKER Sphyrapicus thyroideus
Uncommon; in pine forests, at higher elevations in summer. Sexes are entirely different. Male has two white stripes on solid black head and a solid black breast. Female has a more uniformly brown head and more black on the breast than female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
ARIZONA WOODPECKER Picoides arizonae
Fairly common resident in its limited range on pine-oak slopes, 4,500–7,000′. No other brown-backed woodpecker has a dark rump, unbarred back, or white on the face. Female lacks red on the back of the neck. Call, beep, similar to Downy’s, but longer and louder. Formerly called Strickland’s Woodpecker.
HAIRY WOODPECKER Picoides villosus
Fairly common, especially in mature deciduous or mixed woods. Medium-sized with vertical white stripe on back and long bill. Sexes similar, but female does not have red patch on back of head. Easily confused with smaller Downy, which has smaller bill, and Three-toed, which has barred sides and narrower white eye stripe. Pacific Northwest Hairys are much darker with few white spots on wings. In the Rockies some have even fewer wing spots. Call is loud peek; also loud rattle.
DOWNY WOODPECKER Picoides pubescens
Commonest eastern woodpecker; also common in parts of West. Seen in suburbs, orchards, shade trees, and woods. Looks like a miniature Hairy Woodpecker; is best told by its short slender bill and by its calls. Barred outer tail feathers when visible are diagnostic (they are rarely unbarred like Hairy’s). May be mistaken for a sapsucker, whose white stripe is on the wing, not the back. Call, pik, is much softer than Hairy’s; whinny call descends in pitch toward end.
BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER Picoides arctus
Uncommon even in its preferred habitat—dead conifers, from which it peels bark. Note barred sides and black back. In East, only this and the much larger Pileated have solid black backs. In West only Lewis’ and White-headed have black back and rump. Only the male has yellow crown. Call, a sharp pik.
THREE-TOED WOODPECKER Picoides tridactylus
Locally common in western coniferous forests; rare in the East. Note the black wings, rump, and tail, the barred sides and back, and the yellow cap. No other woodpecker except the Black-backed (and, very rarely, the Hairy) has a yellow crown. Female has barred sides, no crown patch. Calls are similar to preceding species.
PERCHING BIRDS (Order Passeriformes) are medium to small land birds. All have feet well adapted for perching: 3 toes in front and 1 long one behind. Most are fine singers. Bill shape, feather colors, and habits are most useful for family identification. Most insectivorous species and some fruit and seed eaters are highly migratory.
1. FLYCATCHERS have broad flat bills; plumage mostly olive or gray; catch flying insects with a loud snap of the beak.
2. LARKS walk; they are generally in flocks in large open fields, never in trees.
3. SWALLOWS have long pointed wings, often notched or forked tails. They catch insects in flight; most nest in colonies.
4. JAYS AND CROWS are large, noisy, omnivorous birds, mostly blue or green (jays and magpies) or all black (crows); gregarious.
5. CHICKADEES AND TITMICE are small friendly long-tailed birds, mostly gray, white, and black; stubby bill; in small flocks.
6. WRENTITS are long-tailed dark brown birds of dense thickets; West Coast only.
7. BULBULS have long tails and crests.
8. DIPPERS are plump gray birds of western mountain streams; short tails.
9. NUTHATCHES are slender-billed short-tailed birds that crawl over trunks and branches, often in small flocks.
10. CREEPERS creep up tree trunks, then fly to base of another; use tail as prop.
11. WRENS are brown, generally solitary, with finely barred tails cocked upward, and slender bills; loud songs, scolding rattles.
12. MOCKINGBIRDS AND THRASHERS are long-tailed brush-loving birds, either brown or gray, with loud repetitious songs.
13. THRUSHES, medium-sized birds, typically are brown with spotted breasts; bills shaped like robin’s; eat worms, fruit; fine singers.
14. GNATCATCHERS AND KINGLETS are tiny, very active gray or olive birds with eye ring or line over eye; body unstreaked.
15. PIPITS walk; slender-billed, sparrow-like birds; in flocks in large fields.
16. WAXWINGS are crested flocking birds with yellow fringe at tip of tail.
17. PHAINOPEPLAS are slender, crested birds of Southwest deserts; black or dark gray.
18. SHRIKES have heavy hooked bill, black mask, black wing with white patch.
19. STARLINGS look like short-tailed blackbirds; noisy, in large flocks.
20. VIREOS glean insects from leaves of deciduous trees and brush with their slightly hooked bills; plain olive backs.
21. WARBLERS are mostly brightly colored insect eaters of woods and brush; slender bills; very active; many have white tail spots and wing bars.
22. OLD WORLD SPARROWS are represented in N.A. by two introduced species.
23. BLACKBIRDS AND ORIOLES represent a large family of robin-sized birds, some all black, others with bright orange or yellow.
24. TANAGERS are brilliant arboreal robin-sized insect and fruit eaters; heavy bills; unstreaked plumage; most with no wing bars.
25. GROSBEAKS, FINCHES, AND SPARROWS have heavy conical seed-cracking bills. Mostly brown, red, yellow, or blue, seldom olive.
TYRANT FLYCATCHERS (Family Tyrannidae) are large-headed, broad-billed, short-legged birds that perch on bare branches or wires, waiting for flying insects. Many of the small species flip their tails. Sexes similar (except becard and Vermilion); young are only slightly different. Most nest in trees or shrubs. Eggs, 2–6.
ROSE-THROATED BECARD Pachyramphus aglaiae
Rare and local along U.S.-Mexican border in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Male has distinctive rose throat; female and young are brown with broad buffy neck band and black crown. This is the only North American representative of the large neotropical subfamily of becards. These large-headed treetop birds with large beaks often hover. Nests are bulky. Eggs, 3–6. Call is a thin sputtering whistle.
SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER Tyrannus forficatus
Common in open country. Note long streaming tail of adult. Young similar to the Western Kingbird, but have pink sides and a whiter tail. Calls suggest Western Kingbird’s. Fork-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus savana, L 15″) is similar, with long streaming tail, but underparts are white and crown is black. Immature is brownish. A casual visitor in eastern U.S.
GREAT KISKADEE Pitangus sulphuratus
Locally common in lower Rio Grande Valley. Easily recognized by its bold black and white face pattern. In flight notice the rufous wings. Named for its call.
VERMILION FLYCATCHER Pyrocephalus rubinus
Common near streams in arid Southwest. Decidedly smaller than cardinal and tanagers, it is readily recognized by its small bill and flycatching habit. Male is unmistakable. Finely streaked sides and strawberry wash on flanks identify the female. Say’s Phoebe has longer tail and no streaks. Song, rapid, high, sputtering.
SULPHUR-BELLIED FLYCATCHER Myiodynastes luteiventris
Fairly common locally in canyons at 5,000–7,500′. Noisy, but hard to see high in foliage. Only North American flycatcher with bold streaking below. Call resembles Western Flycatcher’s, but is much louder.
KINGBIRDS are aggressive, open-country flycatchers with almost horizontal posture. Crown patches are generally concealed.
EASTERN KINGBIRD Tyrannus tyrannus
Common east of the Great Plains. No other songbird has a complete, broad, white terminal band on the tail (see shrikes). Waxwings, which often act like flycatchers, have a yellow tailband. Call is emphatic, rasping; 13–15/min. (at dawn).
WESTERN KINGBIRD Tyrannus verticalis
Common about farms and along streams where scattered trees provide nesting sites. White outer tail feather when visible will identify this species. If white is lacking (as in some immatures) or not visible, Western Kingbird can be confused with Cassin’s, which has small, more definite white throat patch and dark head. Black tail separates Western from Myiarchus flycatchers. Calls, very different from Eastern’s, are less rasping.
CASSIN’S KINGBIRD Tyrannus vociferans
Fairly common, but less widespread than Western Kingbird; prefers higher land near bushy or wooded areas. White chin contrasts with darker gray head and breast. Tail is narrowly tipped with gray or white, and lacks the Western’s white outer tail feathers. Call is loud, low-pitched che-queer.
TROPICAL KINGBIRD Tyrannus melancholicus
Common in chaparral near Mexican border. Fall vagrant along California coast. The breast, as well as the belly, is bright yellow; back is olive. There is no white on the pale notched tail. Call is a series of high-pitched kittik notes. Couch’s Kingbird (Tyrannus couchii, L 7″) is nearly identical to Tropical, but call is a loud chi-queer.
Tropical Couch’s
GRAY KINGBIRD Tyrannus dominicensis
Common on utility wires in Florida Keys; local elsewhere near the coast. Note huge bill, pale upper parts, and lack of white on the notched tail. Call, pe-cheerrry.
THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD Tyrannus crassirostris
Rare; in southern Arizona and New Mexico. Brownish upper parts and pale underparts suggest Myiarchus flycatchers, but facial mask, white throat, dark tail, lack of wing bars, and actions identify this as a kingbird. Note the heavy bill. Immatures are entirely yellow below.
Western Kingbird Gray Kingbird
MYIARCHUS FLYCATCHERS are mostly large and slightly crested. Their plumage is olive, with grayish breast, yellowish belly, wing bars, and rusty flashes in the wings or tail. They are woodland flycatchers, for the most part, and nest in tree cavities or in birdhouses. Often easiest way to tell them apart is by their call.
GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER Myiarchus crinitus
Common in deciduous and mixed woods. This is the only Myiarchus to be expected east of the Rockies and central Texas. Identified as a flycatcher by its broad bill, large head, and flycatching habits. No other eastern flycatcher has a long rust tail. Note similarity to Western Kingbird, which is rare but regular along the Atlantic Coast in Sept. and Oct. Western Kingbird has black tail with white outer tail feathers; lacks rusty flashes in wings. Call is a harsh ascending wheep, 30–45/min.
BROWN-CRESTED FLYCATCHER Myiarchus tyrannulus
Fairly common in deciduous woods and desert saguaros in the Southwest. Larger and yellower below, with a longer brighter tail, than the similar Ash-throated and Dusky-capped Flycatchers. Migrants in southern Texas can be distinguished from the Great Crested Flycatcher by their heavy solid black bill and much paler throat and breast. Call, a loud ke-woow.
ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER Myiarchus cinerascens
Common in western deciduous woods, mesquite, and saguaros. Palest of the Myiarchus group, it is much smaller than Great Crested and Brown-crested, and has a more slender bill. Pale ashy-gray throat is a good field mark. Ash-throated is the only Myiarchus north of s. Nevada and s.w. New Mexico. Call, pee-reer; also short sharp notes with quality of Western Kingbird.
DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER Myiarchus tuberculifer
Fairly common, especially below 6,000′ in scrub-oak thickets. Adult shows little if any rusty color in the tail. Barely larger than the phoebe, it is not likely to be confused with Brown-crested Flycatcher and lacks throat contrast of Ash-throated. Unlike other birds on this page, it often picks insects from foliage while hovering. The other Myiarchus flycatchers eat flying insects almost exclusively. Call is a long, mournful, slightly descending whistle; imitating sound will often bring the bird into view.
PHOEBES are medium-sized flycatchers that differ from the others in their habit of leisurely jerking their longish tail downward. Phoebes do not have an eye ring. Adults lack conspicuous wing bars, but young may have quite conspicuous ones. Typically they are found near water, although all species, especially Say’s, occur and even nest far from water. Also, unlike other flycatchers, phoebes nest under overhanging cliffs or banks, under bridges and eaves, or inside farm buildings. Quite tame and easily seen as they perch in the open, usually less than 20′ off the ground. Eggs, 4–5, are usually plain white.
EASTERN PHOEBE Sayornis phoebe
Common near farm buildings and bridges. The dark head, solid black bill, and tail-wagging habit provide the best identification in all plumages. Although adult phoebes lack wing bars, immatures have conspicuous buffy ones and can be mistaken for pewees; pewees as well as the small Empidonax flycatchers always have wing bars and usually a pale lower mandible. Head of Eastern Phoebe is darker than back; head of pewee is same shade as back. Phoebes do not whistle, but say fee-be and fee-blee, 20–40 times/min.
BLACK PHOEBE Sayornis nigricans
Common about western farmyards and along streams, generally below 6,000′. This is our only black-breasted flycatcher, and also the only flycatcher with a sharp color break between breast and belly. Its color pattern suggests a junco, but the erect posture, tail-wagging, and fly-catching habits do not. As in other phoebes, the head is darker than the body. A solitary species; usually perches in shady places. Food is almost entirely flying insects. Song is high thin ti-wee, ti-wee; alternate calls descend gradually at the end, 20–30 pairs/min.
SAY’S PHOEBE Sayornis saya
Common on the plains in the vicinity of ranch buildings, bluffs, and cliffs; prefers dry sunny locations more than the other phoebes. From the front it is recognized by the rusty belly and undertail coverts, from behind by the contrast between the pale back and the black tail, which it frequently wags. The female Vermilion Flycatcher is much the same color, but is decidedly smaller, with a white throat and finely streaked sides. Say’s song is a slurred chu-weer (30–40/min.) and pippety-chee. Call, a single descending whistle.
Fiistern Phoebe
EMPIDONAX FLYCATCHERS are small, short-tailed flycatchers that are notoriously difficult to tell apart. Often simply identified as “empids,” all have an eye ring and two whitish wing bars. They are best distinguished by habitat and voice, especially during the breeding season. Most species have distinctive call notes. Most flip their tails rapidly up then down.
YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER
Empidonax flaviventris Common on its breeding ground in spruce-fir forests, but rarely seen on migration. The only eastern Empidonax with a yellow throat. Acadian Flycatcher has yellow on flanks, especially in the immature, but its throat is white. No other eastern Empidonax has a whistled song—an ascending per-wee suggestive of Semipalmated Plover’s; also a single leisurely che-bunk similar to the oft-repeated che-bek’ of the Least Flycatcher.
ACADIAN FLYCATCHER Empidonax virescens
Common in moist woodlands, especially deciduous flood-plain forests, where it usually stays below the canopy. During migration, Acadian and Yellow-bellied Flycatchers can be seen in the same habitat; Acadian can be told by its white throat. Acadian is larger and heavier billed than Least, slightly greener above than Willow, but not safely distinguishable except by its calls. Song is an explosive peet-suh, 2–4 times/min.
WILLOW FLYCATCHER Empidonax traillii
Common on brushy slopes. Browner-backed than the two species above and the western species. Larger than Least Flycatcher, with more contrast between throat and breast. Eye ring faint. Song, fitz’bew, a whistle superimposed on a buzz; 16–28/min. See Alder, below.
ALDER FLYCATCHER Empidonax alnorum
Common, primarily in alder swamps. Plumage not separable from Willow Flycatcher’s. Some overlap in breeding range. Song, fee-bee’o, similar in quality to Willow’s, but accented on second of 3 syllables; 12–24/min.
LEAST FLYCATCHER Empidonax minimus
Common in scrub growth, wood margins, and unsprayed orchards. This smallest eastern Empidonax has less contrast between throat and side of breast than Alder and Willow, and little or no greenish on back. Told by its song, a dry che-bek’, repeated 50–70/min.
Willow Least
HAMMOND’S FLYCATCHER Empidonax hammondii
Common in firs, spruces, and pines; nests up to 11,000′. Likes solid coniferous forest. Flicks wings and tail constantly. Often impossible to tell from Dusky Flycatcher by sight or songs. Note olive-brown back, gray breast, and pale yellow belly. Song very low-pitched, often of 3 parts: seput, a burry pzrrrt, and treeip. Call, a sharp pic.
DUSKY FLYCATCHER Empidonax oberholseri
Common on brushy slopes below 2,000′ in Washington, but at 7,000–9,000′ in New Mexico. Similar to Hammond’s, but has less contrast between breast and belly; tail is slightly longer, back is grayer, underparts less yellow. Few tail or wing flicks. Song is low pitched, no particular sequence: cheepit, chuwee, cheepit, pseet. Call, a soft whit.
GRAY FLYCATCHER Empidonax wrightii
Fairly common in sagebrush and junipers of the Great Basin. Slightly larger than Hammond’s. Distinctly grayer crown, back, and underparts than Hammond’s or Dusky’s. Little or no yellow on underparts. Only Empidonax to pump tail down first. Song is typically of 2 elements: a vigorous rapid low churweeoo, and a faint higher cheeip.
PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER Empidonax difficilis
Common in moist woods or on mixed slopes with tall trees, it seeks an inconspicuous perch. Yellower below than other western empids, with a yellow throat. Song is high pchip, ee, pcheewee; call, whee-ee. Cordilleran Flycatcher (E. occidentalis), once thought to be same species, is nearly identical, but its call is distinctive: pit-peet.
BUFF-BREASTED FLYCATCHER Empidonax fulvifrons
Rare and local on steep canyon slopes with scattered tall pines, small oaks, and shrubby undergrowth, 5,000–8,500′. May be recognized by its small size and bright buff-colored breast, flanks, and belly.
NORTHERN BEARDLESS-TYRANNULET Camptostoma imberbe
Rare; in dense low deciduous growth, 0–4,000′. Told from kinglets by buffy wing bars and by lack of bold eye ring. A leaf-gleaner; behavior and call notes resemble Verdin’s. Told from Empidonax by tiny bill, dusky throat and breast. Call, shrill descending pier pier pier.
Dusky Gray
GREATER PEWEE Contopus pertinax
Fairly common at 7,000–10,000′ on steep pine-oak slopes. This large tropical pewee is separated from other pewees and the Empidonax species by its lack of wing bars and its larger size. Its large head and large bill resemble the Olive-sided Flycatcher’s, which, however, always has a vertical white streak separating the olive sides. Note that Greater has a grayer cast on the sides and breast and a yellow lower mandible. A slight crest gives it a different head shape from other pewees’. It differs also in giving short jerks of its tail. Call is a sad, whistled ho-say mari-a.
EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE Contopus virens
Common in deciduous and mixed woods. Told from Eastern Phoebe by light lower mandible, prominent wing bars, and the lack of contrast between head and back. Told from all Empidonax species by lack of eye ring (see Willow), shorter legs, more deeply notched tail, and longer wings (extending nearly halfway down the tail). Pewees usually do not wag their tails. Immature Eastern Phoebes have buffy wing bars in fall, but their breasts are lemon yellow. Song is a plaintive, whistled pee-oo-wee, pee-oo (6–1/min.). Twilight song (25–33/min.) also includes a third call, pee-widdi.
WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE Contopus sordidulus
Common in deciduous and coniferous woods and in tall trees along streams. Seldom separable in the field from Eastern Wood-Pewee except by song. The western species tends to be darker on the sides, breast, lower mandible, and underwing surface. The nasal song (9–12/min.), a descending burry call, is entirely different from Eastern Wood-Pewee’s and is occasionally given even during fall migration.
OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER Contopus cooperi
Fairly common in northern coniferous woods, locally in aspens, birch, maple, and eucalyptus. Resembles Eastern Phoebe, but the head and bill are much larger and the tail is shorter. The white throat and breast streak contrast with the dark olive sides. White tufts under wings often protrude. Habitually returns to the same perch at the top of a dead snag. Song is a loud melodious whistle, whip-three-beers, 6–10/min.; call, pip-pip-pip.
Eastern Wood-Pewee
LARKS (Family Alaudidae), slender-billed birds of large fields with sparse or low vegetation, usually walk; seldom alight in trees or shrubs. If flushed, they return to the ground. They sing in flight, high above the ground; outside the breeding season are seen in loose flocks. Eat insects and small seeds. Nest on the ground; eggs, 3–5.
SKY LARK Alauda arvensis
Casual in western Aleutians; introduced on Vancouver Island, B.C. Told from sparrows by slender bill, from pipits by shorter tail and heavier build, from Horned Lark by streaked breast. Long aerial song, sweet liquid notes.
HORNED LARK Eremophila alpestris
Common in large fields, at the shore, and in other open places. Recognize adults by the black breast mark and facial design; immature shows these marks less distinctly. In normal flight, low and slightly undulating, notice the black tail feathers. Feeds in winter in freshly manured fields. Song, weak, high pitched, is repeated many times (9–13/min.) in a single flight high overhead. Winter call, faint tinkling notes.
SWALLOWS (Family Hirundinidae) have long pointed wings, and most species have notched or deeply forked tails. All are strong, elegant fliers. Legs and bills are short, but mouths are wide for capturing flying insects. Commonly perch on wires. Often seen in large mixed flocks. Most nest in colonies. Eggs, 4–7, are white or spotted.
BARN SWALLOW Hirundo rustica
Common near farms, where it builds a mud nest on timbers of barns and other buildings. The only common swallow with a deeply forked tail; others with rusty underparts have orange rumps. Song, long and twittering.
CLIFF SWALLOW Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
Locally common. Note the orange rump, square tail, broad martin-like wings, and buffy forehead. Soars more than other swallows. The bulb-shaped nests are built under eaves or in the shelter of cliffs, dams, or bridges. Call is a single melodious note. Sonagram below.
CAVE SWALLOW Petrochelidon fulva
Very local in summer in Carlsbad Caverns area, New Mexico, and in south-central Texas. Told from Cliff Swallow by buffy throat, translucent wings. Nests in caves and culverts.
Cliff Swallow
VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW Tachycineta thalassina
Common in mountains and locally in towns. Best told by large white flank patches, which nearly meet over the tail. Adult is confused only with the Tree Swallow or White-throated Swift. Violet-green Swallow flaps more rapidly than Tree, glides less, has translucent wings and a shorter tail. Young are brown above and have a less conspicuous eye patch. Song is a rapid twitter.
TREE SWALLOW Tachycineta bicolor
Common nester in tree cavities or nest boxes, especially near water. It is the only green-backed swallow regularly seen in the East. Brown-backed young may be confused in fall and winter with Rough-winged or Bank Swallows, but white of flanks extends slightly above tail, throat is always white, and breast band is not clean-cut. Flocks of thousands gather along the Atlantic Coast in fall. In cold weather they eat bayberries. Song is of separate liquid notes. Bahama Swallow (T. cyaneoviridis, L 5½″), casual in Florida, is similar but with tail deeply forked like Barn. (See upper right bird, on wire.)
BANK SWALLOW Riparia riparia
Locally common near steep riverbanks and gravel pits. Told from all other swallows by narrow brown breast band contrasting with white throat. Nests in colonies, burrowing into banks. Call is a low unmusical buzz.
NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW Stelgidopteryx serripennis
Fairly common, especially near water. Brown back and brown throat and breast separate it from all but the much larger martins, which show a purplish tinge on the back and head. Nests, usually single, are in burrows in banks or in small drainpipes at highway bridges. Call is like Bank Swallow’s, but separable with practice.
PURPLE MARTIN Progne subis
Locally common where proper multicelled nesting boxes or gourds are provided. No other North American swallow is dark all over. Females, young, and first-year males are light-bellied and could be confused with smaller swallows. Watch for purple iridescence on head and top of wings. Note the broad wings and more soaring flight of martins. Song and calls are a distinctive, low-pitched, liquid, rolling twitter.
Bank Swallow Violet-green
JAYS, MAGPIES, AND CROWS (Family Corvidae) are medium to large, gregarious, omnivorous birds with heavy bills. Wings of jays and magpies are short and rounded, reaching only to the base of the long rounded tail when closed. Wings of crows and ravens are long and broad, extending nearly to the tail tip. Sexes are similar. Songs are poor, mostly raucous. Eggs, 3–6 (magpies, 5–9), are colored and speckled.
BLUE JAY Cyanocitta cristata
Common in oak and pine woods. The only eastern jay with conspicuous crest, and the only blue-winged jay with white on its wings and tail. Migrates by day in loose flocks of 5–50. Common call is loud jay, jay, 10–20 times a minute.
STELLER’S JAY Cyanocitta stelleri
Common crested jay of the West; prefers coniferous forests, mountain slopes, and pine-oak woods. Easily told by its dark crest. Tame and inquisitive at parks and campsites. Calls are low pitched and varied, commonly shook shook shook! Also imitates hawk calls.
WESTERN SCRUB-JAY Aphelocoma californica
Common in brushy areas, this crestless jay is best told by its white throat and the contrast between its blue crown and olive-gray back. Flights are short, ending in a sweeping glide. Calls vary, often a harsh, kresh, kresh! and a rising weeek-weeek. The larger Island Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma insularis) is found only on Santa Cruz Island.
FLORIDA SCRUB-JAY Aphelocoma coerulescens
Very similar to Western Scrub-Jay, but now considered a separate species. Found only in Florida scrub region, often in family groups. Offspring help parents feed young. Loss of habitat has reduced its numbers significantly.
Western Florida
MEXICAN JAY Aphelocoma ultramarina
Common in oak and oak-pine forest, 2,000–8,000′. Looks like a faded Scrub-Jay with a dark mask and uniformly gray throat and breast. Calls, less raucous than other jays’, are slurred upward; frequently repeated.
PINYON JAY Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus
Short-tailed, crowlike in flight and habits; common in arid regions. Nests in pinyon pines and junipers; often seen on ground around sagebrush. In winter huge flocks wander erratically to farmlands. Told from other jays by its uniform steel-blue color and short tail. Has high mewing call in flight; when perched, a queh, queh, queh.
GRAY JAY Perisoreus canadensis
Locally common in northern coniferous woods; often becomes tame around campgrounds. Adult is recognized by black and white pattern of head and nape; lacks black and white wing and tail pattern of Clark’s Nutcracker. A Blue Jay flying overhead, with its blue feathers appearing gray against the sky, may be mistaken for a Gray Jay. The dusky juvenile is told by its short rounded wings, long rounded tail, and lack of a crest. Call is a whistled wheeoo; also many other jaylike sounds.
GREEN JAY Cyanocorax yncas
Locally common resident in woods along lower Rio Grande west to Laredo, Texas. Normally the only jay in that area, it is unmistakable, with brilliant green body and golden outer tail feathers. Has various jaylike calls, especially a long call followed by 3 short ones, 10–14/min.
BROWN JAY Cyanocorax morio
Rare, shy, and local along lower Rio Grande. Told by large size, plain brown plumage; immature has yellow bill.
BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE Pica hudsonia
Common in open country near heavy brush or occasional trees that support its huge nest. Long streaming tail and white wing patches characterize magpies. No other North American land birds except Scissor-tailed and Fork-tailed Flycatchers have tails longer than the body. Ranges of this and Yellow-billed Magpie do not overlap. Black-billed Magpie wanders erratically in winter. Call is an ascending whine or a rapid series of loud harsh cries.
YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIE Pica nuttalli
Common in farming areas of California valleys and nearby hills. Easily recognized in all plumages by its typical magpie form and its bright yellow bill. Calls are similar to those of Black-billed Magpie.
CLARK’S NUTCRACKER Nucifraga columbiana
Locally common in conifers near timberline. Flashy white wing and tail patches and the even gray body suggest a stub-tailed mockingbird, but mockingbirds are not found at high elevations. Long sharply pointed bill and white face confirm the identification. Flight and general body form are crowlike. It wanders irregularly to low country. Call is a drawn-out grating kr-a-a-a.
Clarks
RAVENS AND CROWS are large flocking birds told by solid black plumage, cawing or croaking calls, and fondness for open country. They post a sentinel while feeding and walk rather than hop. Fly in long lines to and from their communal roosts.
COMMON RAVEN Counts corax
Common in the Far North and in the West, especially near heavy timber. Local but spreading in the East. It can be mistaken only for a hawk or for other birds on this page. The heavy bill and wedge shape of tail are diagnostic. It flaps less and soars more than crows, and it is more of a carrion feeder. Call, a low hoarse croak.
CHIHUAHUAN RAVEN Corvus cryptoleucus
Common in arid open farmland near the Mexican border. The white neck is seldom visible, so in the narrow zone of overlap with the American Crow one must rely on the voice. Note that this raven glides more in flight and has a slightly wedge-shaped tail. The raven-like croak is higher pitched than Common Raven’s.
AMERICAN CROW Corvus brachyrhynchos
Well known, easily recognized. Abundant in East and locally in West, except in arid regions. Told from distant hawk by its steady flapping. Seldom glides more than 2 or 3 seconds except in strong updrafts or when descending. Sociable except during nesting; sometimes roosts in large flocks at night. Call is distinctive caw.
NORTHWESTERN CROW Corvus caurinus
Common near tidewater. Slightly smaller than American Crow; can generally be recognized by voice, which typically is lower pitched and a bit hoarser. Feeds sometimes in croplands, but more easily recognized when scavenging along shorelines; most northwest Washington birds are hybrids.
FISH CROW Corvus ossifragus
Locally common. Scavenges on shore; inland feeds with American Crows. It is slightly smaller and thinner-billed. Identified best by its voice, a short nasal car, which may be confused with the caw of a young American Crow; also a more distinctive cuh-cuh. Tamaulipas Crow (Corvus imparatus, L 14¼″) visits the Brownsville, Texas, dump in flocks in fall and winter. Told by voice, a froglike gurrr.
American Crow
CHICKADEES (Family Paridae, part) are black-bibbed, dark-capped acrobats, tame and friendly. Sexes are similar and young are like adults. Chickadees nest in cavities in trees and nest boxes, and most are easily attracted to feeders. Eggs, 5–8.
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE Poecile atricapilla
This common species is best told from the Carolina, whose range it may invade in winter, by its voice. Also note its rustier flanks and white feather edges on the wing coverts. It is tamer than the Carolina. Whistled song is easily imitated; second note full tone lower, 16–23/min.
CAROLINA CHICKADEE Poecile carolinensis
Fairly common. Smaller than Black-capped Chickadee, sides paler. Has narrow gray edging on wing feathers, smaller neat bib, shorter tail. Nonmigratory. Calls are faster than corresponding calls of Black-capped; whistled song is an octave higher, of 4 or 5 notes, 8–12/min.
MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE Poecile gambeli
Common in conifers. The only chickadee with a white eye stripe (missing during late summer molt). Nests in mountains, may wander to valleys in winter. Call hoarser; song nearly same as Black-capped’s, 8–10/min.
MEXICAN CHICKADEE Poecile sclateri
Note the large black throat patch and gray sides. This is the only chickadee found in its limited range in southern Arizona and New Mexico. Call is low and rasping.
BOREAL CHICKADEE Poecile hudsonica
Fairly common in northern coniferous forests. Only chickadee with brown cap, back, and sides. No whistled song; chick-a-dee call is slow and hoarse.
CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE Poecile rufescens
Common in Pacific lowlands, local in mountains; prefers conifers. Note the bright chestnut back and sides, sooty cap. Has no whistled song; calls are hoarse, rapid.
GRAY-HEADED CHICKADEE Poecile cincta
Larger and paler than Boreal and lacks brown sides. Found in spruce, aspen, and willow at edge of Alaskan and west Canadian tundra. Call resembles Boreal’s.
Carolina Boreal
TITMICE (Family Paridae, part) are crested birds that act like chickadees, but are larger. Only the Bridled Titmouse has a bib. Other birds with conspicuous crests are larger, crests usually longer. Sexes are similar. Often flock with chickadees, warblers, and kinglets except in nesting season. Do not migrate. Nest in natural cavities, occasionally in nest boxes: 5–8 eggs.
TUFTED TITMOUSE Baeolophus bicolor
Common in deciduous woodlands of the East. Told from chickadees (with which it usually associates) by its larger size, crest, and lack of a black bib. No other titmouse occurs east of Texas. Often seen in flocks of 3 to 8 birds. Visits feeders near woods. Whistled song is a two-note peter (or one slurred note), repeated 2 to 4 times, 14–22/min. Other calls are chickadee-like, but distinctive. The “Black-crested Titmouse” (formerly considered a separate species) is common in deciduous woods, scrub oaks, and shade trees in Texas and northeastern Mexico. Adults are easily recognized by the black crest; young are told from typical Tufteds by the whitish rather than gray forehead, and from Juniper Titmice by the rusty tinge on their flanks. Songs and calls of the Black-crested subspecies are like those of other Tufted Titmice.
OAK TITMOUSE Baeolophus inornatus
This is the common plain gray titmouse of the Pacific Coast, mostly in oak woodlands. It can be told from chickadees by its pale throat and crest. The Plain Titmouse repeats a whistled 2-note song, accented on the first note (similar to Tufted Titmouse’s). It also has a chick-a-dee-dee call that sounds like the calls of some chickadees. The slightly larger Juniper Titmouse (Baeolophus griseus, L 5″) was considered the same species until recently. It is found in pinyon-juniper woodlands east of the Sierras, from southern Idaho to northern Mexico. Juniper’s call is a rough chick-a-dee.
BRIDLED TITMOUSE Baeolophus wollweberi
This distinctively marked titmouse is common in stands of scrub oak and junipers in Southwest mountains at elevations of 5,000–7,000′ (occasionally to 8,500′). It can be confused only with the uncrested Mountain Chickadee, whose range it overlaps. Young Bridled Titmice always show enough face pattern to separate them from other titmice and chickadees.
VERDINS (Family Remizidae) AND BUSHTITS (Family Aegithalidae) are small, slim, long-tailed birds that resemble chickadees in habits.
VERDIN Auriparus flaviceps
Common in mesquite and other desert scrub. Note yellow head and throat, gray body, and chestnut shoulders. Juveniles resemble young Bushtits until late Aug., but are told by their shorter tails and high thin whistles.
BUSHTIT Psaltriparus minimus
Abundant in large flocks in scrub, open woodlands, and suburbs. Told by its nondescript plumage, lack of wing bars, long tail, and short bill. Call, high, thin, fussing notes. Rocky Mt. race has gray cap and brown lores. The rare Black-eared morph is found above 5,000′ in the mountains of southern New Mexico and western Texas. Male has the black face. Female and immature are told from typical Bushtits by the whiter throat, darker flanks, and grayer face.
WRENTITS (Family Timaliidae) are small, nonmigratory wrenlike birds. Weak fliers, they prefer to hop through vegetation.
WRENTIT Chamaea fasciata
Common in dense chaparral, but usually stays out of sight. Told from wrens by the pale yellow eye, longer unbarred tail, and short bill. Song is a loud, clear accelerating series of notes (often likened to a bouncing ball), which in the male end in a trill.
BULBULS (Family Pycnonotidae) are Old World birds with a patch of hairlike feathers on the nape. They lay 2–5 eggs.
RED-WHISKERED BULBUL Pycnonotus jocosus
Formerly kept as a cage bird; introduced in south Miami, Florida, in 1960, and now locally common. Told by black crest, red ear patch, and undertail coverts. Sexes alike.
DIPPERS (Family Cinclidae), with their strong legs and special oil glands, are uniquely adapted to a watery habitat. Solitary birds, they build large moss nests near running water; lay 3–6 eggs.
AMERICAN DIPPER Cinclus mexicanus
Fairly common along the larger, rapid mountain streams. Told by sooty plumage, short cocked tail, white eyelids. Bobs up and down. Walks under water. Flight low and direct. Song long, melodious, with trills and repetitions.
Bushtit Wrentit
NUTHATCHES (Family Sittidae) are large-headed, short-tailed, short-legged, tree-climbing birds that glean insects from the bark of trunks and limbs. Acrobatic, equally at home climbing up, around, or down a trunk head first. Often flock with chickadees and titmice. Wings extend nearly to tip of tail. Sexes differ only slightly. Those that migrate do so by day. Flight is jerky. Lay 4–9 eggs in cavities.
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH Sitta carolinensis
Common in deciduous woodlands. Except for the white throat, resembles chickadee in plumage, though not in shape and actions. Note the white face and solid black cap of male (gray in female). Call, a low yank-yank. Song, 5–15 low rapid notes, given 6–15/min.
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH Sitta canadensis
Common in conifers within its wide range. This is our only nuthatch with white stripe above and black stripe through the eye. Migrates irregularly, often in alternate years. The call is more nasal and less loud than the White-breasted’s.
BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH Sitta pusilla
Occurs in large flocks with chickadees and warblers. This small nuthatch is the only eastern one with a brown cap. Feeds along outer branches and cones of southern pines. Its calls are soft and twittering, with no resemblance to the calls of other eastern nuthatches.
PYGMY NUTHATCH Sitta pygmaea
Western counterpart of Brown-headed Nuthatch, which it resembles in plumage and habits. Pygmy’s cap is grayer. Partial to pines, especially Yellow Pines, at 3,500–10,000′; leaves high elevations in winter. Calls are similar to Brown-headed’s.
CREEPERS (Family Certhiidae) are short-legged, small, brown-backed birds that creep spirally up tree trunks searching for insects. Bill is decurved. Solitary. Lay 6–7 eggs in oval nest behind loose bark.
BROWN CREEPER Certhia americana
A common but inconspicuous small woodland bird. The stiff points on its long tail feathers are used as props as it works up and around a trunk. Song is high, faint, rarely heard outside its breeding grounds, 6–12/min. Call is a single very high note.
Red-breasted Brown-headed
WRENS (Family Troglodytidae) are small, restless, brownish birds with finely barred, narrow, rounded tails that are usually cocked upward. Females and immatures resemble males. With their long slender bills they feed mainly on insects. Eggs, 4–9, are laid in a cavity or globular nest, usually within 12′ of the ground. Wrens have loud songs and dry scolding rattles.
HOUSE WREN Troglodytes aedon
Common in shrubbery and brush. The plainest wren and the commonest one in the East. Told from Marsh and Sedge Wrens by its unstreaked back, from other wrens by the indistinct eye stripe and lack of a dark belly. It is aggressive, driving other birds from nest boxes. Also nests in natural cavities. The Brown-throated race, T. a. brunneicollis, is an uncommon resident at 7,000–8,000′ in southeast Arizona mountains. Note its buffy eye stripe, buffy throat and breast. Song is loud and bubbling.
WINTER WREN Troglodytes troglodytes
Uncommon; in brush piles or thick undergrowth in moist forests. A very short tail, bobbing action, and dark brown barring on the belly separate this bird from the larger House Wren, which it barely overlaps in breeding range and migration dates. Note the inconspicuous eye stripe. Song is a rapid succession of very high clear notes and trills; it lasts about 5 sec. and is repeated 4–6/min. Low double call note, tick-tick, is distinctive. Sonagram
BEWICK’S WREN Thryomanes bewickii
Common and widespread in the West; decreasing and becoming rare and local in the Appalachians. Found in farmyards, brush, and fencerows. Distinguished from other wrens by its eye stripe, white underparts, and unstreaked brown back. Note also the characteristic sideways jerking of its long white-fringed tail. The song is higher and thinner than House Wren’s, 2–5 notes followed by a trill, 6–12/min.
CAROLINA WREN Thryothorus ludovicianus
Common in the thick underbrush of woodlands, parks, and backyards in the Southeast. Fairly common in the North, except after severe winters. This largest eastern wren is identified by its broad white eye stripe, rufous back, and bright buffy underparts. Prefers moist areas. Song consists of very loud triplets repeated 4–6 times, 8–13/min.
House Wren
CACTUS WREN Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
This common giant wren of the deserts is recognized by its broad white eye stripe and densely spotted breast. The tail is barred and white-tipped, usually not cocked upward. Flies low over the ground. Sage Thrasher is similar but has no white on its back. Generally found below 4,000′ among thorny shrubs or large cacti. The song, one of the most familiar sounds of the desert, is an unmusical monotone of low-pitched notes.
ROCK WREN Salpinctes obsoletus
Fairly common in rocky barrens. Best recognized by the light buffy tips on all but the central tail feathers, contrasting with the black subterminal band. Its buffy rump also contrasts with its gray back. No other wren, including the rather similar Bewick’s, has light streaking on the breast. Frequently bobs its body when pausing between hops. Song is a remarkable variety of trills and buzzes, 8–20/min.
CANYON WREN Catherpes mexicanus
Fairly common in canyons. A clear white throat and breast contrasting with its chestnut-brown belly distinguish this bird at a distance from other cliff-dwelling canyon species. The Rock Wren, similar in size, is grayer and has a much lighter belly. The song is of loud clear descending whistles, slowing at the end.
MARSH WREN Cistothorus palustris
Abundant in its limited habitat. Marsh and Sedge Wrens are quickly told from other small wrens by their streaked backs. This species also has a solid rusty cap and a distinct white line over the eye. It is seldom found far from cattails, rushes, sedges, or tall marsh grasses. Song is 1–3 musical rattles on different pitches, often preceded by a faint nighthawk-like buzz, 10–16/min.
SEDGE WREN Cistothorus platensis
Scarce and local in sedge meadows. Streaked crown and back, buffy underparts, short slim bill, cocked tail, and obscure buffy stripe over the eye identify this shy wren. It may even sing in hay fields during migration. An irregular migrant, it may arrive in some nesting areas as late as Aug. Song is soft, almost insect-like: about 3 introductory chips followed by an unmusical trill, 5–15/min.
MOCKINGBIRDS AND THRASHERS (Family Mimidae) are long-tailed, short-winged, slender-billed birds that sing loudly from conspicuous perches. Mockingbirds are known for their excellent imitations. Thrashers repeat phrases fewer times, mimic less. All prefer brushy habitats, wood margins, or residential areas. Eggs, 3–6.
NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD Mimus polyglottos
Common and conspicuous throughout southern U.S. At a distance it is best told in flight; white wing patches show clearly, and wingbeats are slow enough to be counted (see shrikes). At rest the slender bill and white on wings and tail will clinch identification. Flicks tail from side to side. An expert mimic; it repeats most song phrases many times. Sings both while perched and in flight, and more at night than do other mimids.
GRAY CATBIRD Dumetella carolinensis
Common near dense cover. No other bird is plain dark gray with rusty undertail coverts. Note the distinct black cap. Gray Catbird, named for its mewing call, often flicks its long tail. Song is of squeaky quality, with little or no repetition; it is a poor imitator.
