BROWN THRASHER Toxostoma rufum
Common. The only thrasher east of the Rockies and central Texas. It is heavily streaked below and rich rufous brown above. Most often confused with Wood Thrush, which has shorter tail and dark eyes. Most phrases of the song are given twice rather than once (catbird) or many times (mockingbird), 25–42/min.
LONG-BILLED THRASHER Toxostoma longirostre
Absence of rufous on head and back separates this common resident of southern Texas from the Brown Thrasher in the limited area of range overlap. Bill is longer and blacker. Song more like catbird’s than Brown Thrasher’s.
SAGE THRASHER Oreoscoptes montanus
A common short-tailed thrasher of sagebrush habitats. Note the short bill, yellow eye, and white corners on the tail. No streaked thrush nests in the arid country where it occurs, but in winter compare it with other thrashers. Song, given from conspicuous perch or in flight, resembles Brown Thrasher’s, but is more melodious and lacks the pauses between phrases.
Northern Mockingbird
UNSTREAKED THRASHERS require extreme caution in identification, especially in Arizona, where three or four species may occur together at water holes. These comparatively plain-breasted thrashers of the Southwest are similar in appearance and song. They feed mostly on the ground, nest in mesquite or cacti. Only Bendire’s migrates.
BENDIRE’S THRASHER Toxostoma bendirei
The best field mark of this small thrasher is the short bill, which is nearly straight. Also note the indistinct breast streaks and the lemon-yellow eye. Often nests in cacti. Song is more varied than those of most thrashers, and phrases are not separated.
CURVE-BILLED THRASHER Toxostoma curvirostre
Common in sparse desert brush. Told from Bendire’s by the orange or red-orange eye of adult and by the tail, which is blacker than the back. Juvenile has yellow eye and straighter bill, much like Bendire’s. The other thrashers in its range have plain breasts. Song is less varied than those of other thrashers, and phrases are not separated; call, a loud whistled whit-wheet, is more distinctive.
CALIFORNIA THRASHER Toxostoma redivivum
Common in chaparral and other brushy habitats. Note the eye stripe and dark brown body, pale rusty below. Only Le Conte’s and Crissal overlap any part of this bird’s U.S. range. The California flies less and runs more than other thrashers. When feeding on the ground, this species and the next two hold their tail more erect than the two above. Digs with curved beak rather than scratching with its feet. Song includes a great variety of phrases, many repeated; also is a good imitator. Sonagram below.
LE CONTE’S THRASHER Toxostoma lecontei
Common in saltbush and very open cactus deserts. The dark bill, black eye line, and dark tail contrasting with the pale gray body distinguish it from the darker California and Crissal Thrashers. Song is irregular; phrases not repeated as much as by other thrashers.
CRISSAL THRASHER Toxostoma dorsale
In fertile valleys and densely vegetated canyons. The only other thrasher with rusty undertail coverts, the California, has a buffy eye stripe. Flies little. Call, pitchoorip.
THRUSHES, SOLITAIRES, AND BLUEBIRDS (Family Turdidae) are a varied group of fine singers. They feed primarily on insects and fruit. All except bluebirds and solitaires are often seen standing or running on the ground. Typical thrushes migrate at night, except robins and bluebirds, which migrate in flocks by day. Bluebirds nest in cavities; other thrushes build nests in crotches of shrubs or trees, or on the ground. Eggs, 3–6, usually greenish-blue, plain or lightly spotted. All fledgling thrushes have spotted breasts.
AMERICAN ROBIN Turdus migratorius
A common well-known bird often seen on lawns searching for insects and earthworms. In cold weather prefers moist woods or fruit-bearing trees. Adult is orange-breasted (head of female is paler than male’s); breast of juvenile is spotted. Builds a nest of grass and mud in orchard trees or shrubs or on buildings. Song is a series of 6–10 whistled phrases of 3 or 4 notes, 5–20/min.
FIELDFARE Turdus pilaris
Casual (Alaska to Delaware) from Eurasia. Chestnut back and wings separate gray rump from gray head and nape. Breast dull reddish brown, heavily streaked. Wing linings white. Call, loud, nasal shahk, shahk.
REDWING Turdus iliacus
Casual in Greenland and New York from northern Europe. Found in deciduous woods, gardens, fields. Note prominent white eye stripe, streaked underparts, reddish flank, and chestnut wing lining. Call, a high zee-up.
RUFOUS-BACKED ROBIN Turdus rufopalliatus
Casual in fruit-bearing deciduous trees in southern Arizona and southern Texas. Resembles Fieldfare in upper coloring, American Robin in lower. No eye stripe. Juvenile has underparts boldly spotted with black. Call, meoo.
CLAY-COLORED ROBIN Turdus grayi
Casual, all seasons, in woodland and edge habitats in southern Texas. Very plain, dull robin with uniform tawny olive breast, buffy olive belly. Calls, whee-oo-weet and a low pitched pup-up-up.
EURASIAN BLACKBIRD Turdus merula
Accidental in Greenland and Quebec. This common European replacement of the American Robin is recognized by its uniform dark color (black in male, brown in female), yellow bill, and robin-like behavior, and calls.
EYE-BROWED THRUSH Turdus obscurus
Rare spring migrant in western Aleutians. Casual elsewhere in western and northern Alaska. Note white eye stripe, pale, plain olive-brown body. Male’s white chin contrasts with gray hood. Call, harsh seee.
DUSKY THRUSH Turdus naumanni
Casual in western and northern Alaska in spring. Prominent white eye stripe and heavy black speckling on breast, flanks, and back of male are diagnostic. Black breast markings often form one or two bands, contrasting with white throat. Note white half collar; also rusty areas on rump and both wing surfaces. Call similar to Fieldfare’s.
VARIED THRUSH Ixoreus naevius
Common in moist coniferous woods in the Northwest. The only similar species are the robins, which it resembles in appearance and habits. Note the orange wing bars and eye stripe and the black (male) or gray (female) breastband. Song is an un-robin-like series of long musical notes on different pitches, each note loudest in the middle. Call, a descending whistled hum.
TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRE Myadestes townsendi
Uncommon; in coniferous forests in summer, woods or brush in winter. Like an erect, short-billed mockingbird, but with a white eye ring, notched tail, and darker gray breast. Unlike typical thrushes, it flycatches from a conspicuous perch in the open and nests on the ground. At a distance it resembles a robin. Song is a loud long warble. Call, a single piping note.
SIBERIAN RUBYTHROAT Luscinia calliope
Rare spring and fall migrant in western Aleutians. Male is unmistakable. Female is similar to Bluethroat but tail is plain, necklace lacking. Song suggests Gray Catbird.
BLUETHROAT Luscinia svecica
Rare breeder in upland and foothill areas of northwestern and northern Alaska; winters in Asia. Throat of male is unique. On female, note bright rusty patches at base of tail, white eye stripe, black necklace. Tail is often jerked and spread. Song is high gentle warbling suggesting Winter Wren.
NORTHERN WHEATEAR Oenanthe oenanthe
Common from northern Alaska to Greenland, rare elsewhere; most winter in Africa. Note the long wings, short tail, thin bill, white rump, black face mask, flashy tail pattern, and upright posture.
Varied Thrush
SPOTTED-BREASTED THRUSHES are typically slightly smaller than robins. Their dark eyes, shorter tails, and spotted breasts distinguish them from thrashers. They prefer the forest understory; eat insects and berries. All are fine singers.
WOOD THRUSH Hylocichla mustelina
The common nesting thrush in eastern deciduous forests and suburbs. Told from Brown Thrasher by round breast spots, dark eyes, and short tail; from other thrushes by the large breast spots and rusty head. Song is a series of loud flutelike phrases, each followed by a softer guttural trill, 11–19/min.
HERMIT THRUSH Catharus guttatus
Common and widespread in northern woodlands. Our only thrush with the habit of slowly raising its tail several times a minute. Note contrast of rusty tail and olive-brown back. Nearly all spotted-breasted thrushes seen in U.S. in winter are of this species. Song (seldom heard except on breeding ground) is a single high flutelike note followed by a rapid series of rising and falling notes, this pattern repeated in other pitches, 9–16/min.
SWAINSON’S THRUSH Catharus ustulatus
The best field marks for this common thrush are the buffy face and eye ring; compare carefully with the other thrushes on this page. Breeds like Gray-cheeked Thrush in evergreen forests. Song is a rolling series of rapid flutelike notes, rising up the scale, 8–14/min.
GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH Catharus minimus
Fairly common. Told from Swainson’s Thrush by gray face and absence of a distinctive eye ring, from Veery by back color, and from Hermit Thrush by olive tail, which is the same color as its back. Song is like Veery’s but softer, more nasal, with a rising inflection at end. The Bicknell’s Thrush (Catharus bicknelli), once considered the same species, is nearly identical to the Gray-cheeked. Its restricted breeding range encompasses the high mountain peaks of the Northeast and Canadian Maritime provinces.
VEERY Catharus fuscescens
Common. Typical plumage is entirely rusty above. Spots on breast are less distinct and more restricted than in the other thrushes. Summers in deciduous forests; prefers wetter habitats than other thrushes. Nests on or very near the ground. The loud song is a rolling series of rapid flutelike notes, dropping down the scale, 8–14/min.
Swainson’s Veery
BLUEBIRDS are found in orchards, farmyards, roadsides, and open woodlands, often in family groups or small flocks. When perched, note the hunched shoulders; the bill often points slightly downward. They sit on conspicuous perches, from which they drop to the ground for insects. They also catch insects on the wing. In fall and winter bluebirds add berries to their diet. Nests are in natural cavities or bird boxes. Calls are given frequently in flight.
EASTERN BLUEBIRD Sialia sialis
Only bluebird east of the Great Plains, fairly common along roadsides and in farmyards and abandoned orchards. The male has a bright, entirely blue back and rusty throat and breast. The much larger Blue Jay is always crested and lacks the rusty breast. The Indigo Bunting and Blue Grosbeak are all-blue below; the Lazuli Bunting has wing bars. Recognize female and young as bluebirds by the hunched posture, eye ring, and the blue in wings and tail. Juvenile is spotted like a typical thrush; compare with juvenile Western and Mountain. Song and call are a melodious whistling, 30–40/min.
WESTERN BLUEBIRD Sialia mexicana
Fairly common. Adult male can be confused only with the Eastern Bluebird. The blue throat and rusty upper back are characteristic of the Western. The female and juvenile Westerns are browner above than the Eastern and have a grayer throat. Like other bluebirds, this species migrates by day, and generally is found in small flocks outside the nesting season. The usual song is a 3-fold or double whistle; a simple call note is typical. A more varied song is heard at dawn.
MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD Sialia currucoides
Fairly common. The sky-blue plumage of the male is diagnostic; neither sex has a rusty breast. The female can be recognized by its gray breast, and both sexes have a less hunched posture than the Eastern and Western Bluebirds. The juvenile is told from other bluebirds by its posture and by the paler blue of wings and tail. More than other bluebirds, this species hovers low over the ground hunting for insects. As its name implies, it is typical of high elevations in summer, being most common above 5,000′ and wandering in late summer up to 12,000′ and in winter to sea level. Generally silent except at dawn; song is a soft warbling whistle.
GNATCATCHERS (Family Sylviidae) are part of a large group of Old World warblers unrelated to our warblers. Small, drab, and thin-billed, they are active insectivorous birds. Lay 3–6 bluish-white speckled eggs.
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER Polioptila caerulea
Common in the canopy of moist forests; recognized by its small size, blue-gray back, bold eye ring, and sideways twitching of its long tail. Very active forager; occasionally fly-catches. Also inhabits thickets and scrub in winter range and in Southwest, where it occurs with other gnatcatchers. Blue-gray is best distinguished by combination of pale head and mostly white underside of tail. Persistent call is a high-pitched, nasal whine zsheee, 65–85/min.
BLACK-CAPPED GNATCATCHER Polioptila nigriceps
Rare and local breeder in southern Arizona (Sonoita Creek). Adult male in spring and summer is told by black cap and lack of eye ring. Winter male has a bluish cap and partial eye ring. Female is nondescript with bluish cap, no eye ring, and dark lores.
BLACK-TAILED GNATCATCHER Polioptila melanura
Common in desert scrub, washes, and ravines. Male is easily recognized in spring and summer by its black cap. Female, young, and winter male are told by call and by black on underside of the tail. The California Gnatcatcher (P. californica), formerly considered the same species, is darker gray. It is an endangered resident in coastal sage scrub of southwest California and Mexico.
KINGLETS (Family Regulidae) are some of the smallest songbirds. Very active, often flicking wings as they hunt for insects in trees. Lay 5–11 buff eggs spotted with gray.
GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET Regulus satrapa
Common; prefers conifers. Told from other tiny woodland birds by its brightly striped head. Female has a yellow crown. Song of 4 to 8 high notes, followed by a series of rapid, descending, chickadee-like notes, 4–8/min. Common call is 3–5 very high creeper-like notes.
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET Regulus calendula
Common; prefers conifers. Told from Golden-crowned by eye ring, from vireos and fall warblers by small size, short tail, and habit of flicking wings. Often hovers briefly. Ruby crown of male may be concealed. Gives low-pitched, short 2-note scolding call chi-dit. Song is high and weak at beginning and end, but has loud ascending triplets in middle.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
ARCTIC WARBLER Phylloscopus borealis
This drab Old World warbler breeds in Alaska and winters in Asia. Resembles our wood warblers in size and actions, and looks like an olive Tennessee Warbler. Note the prominent pale eye stripe and the single wing bar. Sexes are alike. Song is a short high trill.
OLD WORLD FLYCATCHERS (Family Muscicapidae) are small, slender-billed, short-legged birds. Sit erect in the open and fly out after insects, often returning to the same perch. Lay 4–9 blue or spotted eggs.
GRAY-SPOTTED FLYCATCHER Muscicapa griseisticta
Spring vagrant in western Alaska. Note the prominent white eye ring, single faint wing bar, the distinct dark gray streaks on the white underparts, and plain dark tail.
WAGTAILS AND PIPITS (Family Motacillidae) are sparrow-sized insectivorous birds with slender warbler-like bills and distinctive calls; they have dark tails with white outer feathers. They feed on the ground, walk leisurely, and wag their tails continually. They do not hop. They lay 4–7 eggs in a nest on the ground.
WHITE WAGTAIL Motacilla alba
Rare local breeder in coastal western Alaska and Greenland; winters in Asia and Africa. Adult is told by its black cap, bib, and central tail feathers, and its white face, wing patch, and outer tail feathers. Immature is known by the black necklace, white breast and belly. Bobs head like a dove when walking. Call, tschizzik. The Black-backed Wagtail (Motacilla lugens, L 6″) from Asian is accidental in the Aleutians.
GRAY WAGTAIL Motacilla cinerea
Spring vagrant in western Alaska. Note the very long tail and gray back. Male’s throat is white in winter. Immature told from immature Yellow Wagtail by gray back, from White Wagtail by yellow rump and undertail coverts. Call, stit-it, like White Wagtail’s but higher and shorter.
YELLOW WAGTAIL Motacilla flava
Locally common; breeds in arctic willow thickets and on tundra. Adult Yellow Wagtail is told from other arctic ground-walking birds by the long tail with white outer feathers, the white eye stripe, greenish back, and bright yellow underparts. Immature Yellow is buffy below. All wagtails have an undulating flight. Call, tsweep.
Arctic Warbler
Accidental in western Alaska. Breeds in open woods in Eurasia, winters from Africa to India. Unstreaked rump, pink legs, yellowish wash on breast, and short, curved hind claw are diagnostic. Call, a coarse teezee.
OLIVE-BACKED PIPIT Anthus hodgsoni
Spring vagrant to western Alaska and Nevada from southern Siberia. Told by coarse breast spots, broad buffy eye stripe, unstreaked rump, very finely streaked greenish back, pinkish brown legs. Call, tseep.
PECHORA PIPIT Anthus gustavi
Spring vagrant to western Alaska from Siberia. Told by pair of pale stripes down the dark back, heavily streaked nape and rump, buffy outer tail feathers, brownish flesh legs, and long hind claw. Call, pwit, given 3 times.
MEADOW PIPIT Anthus pratensis
Breeds on eastern Greenland tundra, winters in Old World. Has whiter breast than pipits above; rump is less streaked than back, legs are brown. Call, thin zeep.
RED-THROATED PIPIT Anthus cervinus
Uncommon tundra breeder on coastal mountains in Bering Strait area. In summer, male has rosy throat; duller in female. Told in winter by heavily streaked back and rump, heavily streaked breast contrasting with white background, and straw-colored legs. Call, a high, thin tzeez.
AMERICAN PIPIT Anthus rubescens
Common in flocks during migration and in winter on muddy shores and plowed fields; nests on tundra and in alpine meadows. Bobs white-edged tail rapidly. Told from sparrows and longspurs by its slender bill, from Sprague’s by unstreaked back, dark legs, and voice. Rarely perches on trees or posts. Call, pippit, is given often in flight.
SPRAGUE’S PIPIT Anthus spragueii
Unlike American Pipit, stays hidden in tall grass. When flushed, it flies a few hundred feet, then drops into heavy cover. Told from American Pipit by streaked back and flesh-colored legs. Nests on northern plains, where its weird hissing flight song is given high overhead, 5–6/min. Its sharp, squeaky, single-syllable call is distinctive.
WAXWINGS (Family Bombycillidae), crested, gregarious birds with black masks and yellow tips to their short tails, are named for the red wax-like spots on the wings of adult. They eat fruits and berries; also catch insects as flycatchers do. In flight their silhouettes and flock formations resemble those of Starlings. They lay 3–5 spotted eggs in a bulky shallow nest in late summer.
BOHEMIAN WAXWING Bombycilla garrulus
Abundant vagrant in large flocks except during the breeding season. Distribution is irregular, especially in eastern portion of winter range; may follow food supply. Recognized as a waxwing by the black mask, long crest, and yellow fringe to the tail. The cinnamon undertail coverts and distinctive yellow, black, and white wing markings identify it as the Bohemian. Females are similar to males. Young can be told by the tinge of cinnamon under the tail. Calls are similar to those of Cedar Waxwing, but recognizable with practice.
CEDAR WAXWING Bombycilla cedrorum
Irregular in its wanderings, but at times abundant in compact flocks in berry-bearing trees and shrubs. Told from the grayer Bohemian Waxwing by the white undertail coverts, yellowish belly, and lack of conspicuous yellow and white markings on the wings. Sexes are similar. Young are grayer, with indistinct streaking below. Seldom seen alone except when nesting. Call is a very high thin monotone, generally with a slight quaver that distinguishes it from the Brown Creeper’s.
SILKY FLYCATCHERS (Family Ptilogonatidae) are slim, dark, fly-catching birds with long, pointed, erect crests and long tails. Gregarious, they often travel in small flocks. Thickly speckled eggs (2–3) are laid in a shallow loose nest.
PHAINOPEPLA Phainopepla nitens
Common; in arid scrub, especially near streams. Recognized by its uniform dark color, tall crest, and long tail. In flight the male is best told by the white wing patch contrasting with the all-black body and tail. Female and immature are gray, with paler gray wing patches. Males generally outnumber females. Seen singly or in small flocks (15-20) eating berries (especially elderberries) or making short flights from a conspicuous perch after insects. Flight is slow and graceful. Call, a soft, short whistle.
SHRIKES (Family Laniidae) are recognized by their heavy hooked beaks, black masks, large white wing patches contrasting with dark wings, and habit or pursuing insects, small birds, and rodents, which they impale on thorn trees or barbed wire. Shrikes perch alone, with tail held nearly horizontal, on treetops or telephone wires in open country. Their flight is low and undulating. Bulky nests with 4–6 eggs are in thorny shrubs or well hidden in small trees.
NORTHERN SHRIKE Lanius excubitor
An uncommon robin-sized bird that preys on small birds and mammals. Irregular winter visitor to northern states, where usually seen in brown immature plumage; immature Loggerhead Shrikes are gray after Aug. Told from Loggerhead by larger, heavier hooked bill, light base to lower mandible, pale body, faintly barred sides, and forward end of mask stopping at the bill. May hover over prey or pounce rapidly. Usually silent in winter, but has shrill cries and rattles.
LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE Lanius ludovicianus
Declining and endangered in areas of the Northeast, uncommon elsewhere. Gray above and white below; often confused with mockingbird, but note its blacker wings, facial mask, heavy hooked bill, and undulating flight with wingbeats too fast to count. Song is a slow chatlike series of calls and trills, often unmusical, 20/min.
STARLINGS (Family Sturnidae), introduced and widespread in North America, are short-tailed, dark, and fat-bodied. Gregarious and aggressive, they are especially abundant at roosting sites. Diets are varied. Blue eggs (4–6) are laid in nest hole.
EUROPEAN STARLING Sturnus vulgaris
Told from true blackbirds by its short tail and, in flight, by its browner wings. The yellow bill is diagnostic in spring and summer; winter plumage is heavily speckled. Spends the night in large communal roosts from late summer until spring. Often an abundant pest in city parks, suburbs, and farms. Song is largely of squeaky notes, but it imitates many bird calls.
CRESTED MYNA Acridotheres cristatellus
Introduced at Vancouver, British Columbia. Recognized by white wing patches contrasting with black wings and body and by short crest. Habits and song are like Starling’s, but Crested Myna is much better imitator.
BANANAQUITS (Family Coerebidae) are nectar eaters with long, pointed, generally downcurved bills and short tails.
BANANAQUIT Coereba flaveola
Casual in southeast Florida. Tame; probes blossoms in gardens. Told by face pattern, bright yellow rump and breast, white flash on wings and tail.
VIREOS (Family Vireonidae) are plain-colored sluggish birds that pick crawling insects from the foliage of shade and forest trees. Some vireos have spectacles (eye rings with a connecting band) and wing bars; the others have eye stripes and no wing bars. Vireo bills are heavier than those of warblers and have a tiny hook at the end. Vireos are persistent singers. Eggs, 3–5, are laid in nests suspended from crotches of thin branches.
BLACK-CAPPED VIREO Vireo atricapillus
Locally common in cedar-oak thickets of central and west Texas. No other North American bird has white spectacles on a jet-black head. The female is told by the spectacles, the red eye, the buffy body, and the whitish wing bars. This tiny vireo is barely larger than a kinglet. Song is harsh but varied, suggestive of White-eyed Vireo’s.
GRAY VIREO Vireo vicinior
Rare in pinyon-juniper and other arid scrub habitats. Drabbest of the vireos with wing bars and spectacles; its single wing bar and narrow eye ring are faint. Easily confused with Bell’s Vireo, but rump and back are gray, tail is much longer, and Gray inhabits drier areas. This and Bell’s are the only vireos that nervously twitch their tails as a gnatcatcher does. Song is slurred like Blue-headed’s, but more rapid.
BLUE-HEADED VIREO Vireo solitarius
Common in mixed northern hardwood-coniferous forests. Its large size, blue-gray head, yellow-green flanks, and prominent white spectacles are diagnostic. Rather sluggish and tame. Song consists of slow, slurred, robin-like phrases, like Red-eyed Vireo’s song, but sweeter, with only 2 or 3 notes per phrase, 15–30/min. The Cassin’s Vireo (Vireo cassinii, L4″), formerly considered a subspecies of the Blue-headed, is found in mixed woodlands of the far West. It is slightly duller, with less contrast between the head and back.
PLUMBEOUS VIREO Vireo plumbeus
Common in mixed pine woodlands. formerly considered one species with Blue-headed and Cassin’s. Told from similar Gray and Bell’s Vireos by its bold white spectacles and double wing bars. Song is similar to Blue-headed’s, but hoarser and more like Yellow-throated in tonal quality.
WHITE-EYED VIREO Vireo griseus
Common in dense moist deciduous thickets, wood margins, and hedgerows. The only vireo with a white iris (adult only). The bright yellowish sides distinguish it from all wing-barred vireos except the Blue-headed and Black-capped, both of which show sharp contrast between head and throat. The dark-eyed immature resembles Bell’s Vireo, but has more yellow on the flanks and spectacles. Empidonax flycatchers have dark eyes and light eye rings but no spectacles. The White-eyed Vireo is much easier to hear than see. Song is typically 5–7 loud notes slurred together, including an emphatic chip at the beginning and end, 6–12/min.
BELL’S VIREO Vireo beillii
Local and declining in the Midwest and California; common in the Southwest; inhabits moist thickets, wood margins, and mesquite. Note wing bars and narrow eye ring. Sexes are alike. Western Bell’s are pale gray. Also similar to Gray, which is darker gray with a longer tail, and Hutton’s, which has broad wing bars and dull gray throat and breast. Easily told from both by its rapid warbling song, which ends alternately with rising and falling inflection, 10–15/min.
HUTTON’S VIREO Vireo huttoni
Common in evergreen oaks; also found in pines and firs. Note the two distinct wing bars. Told from other vireos by incomplete spectacles that do not join above the eye; from Ruby-crowned Kinglet by its calls and its heavier bill, by having spectacles rather than an eye ring, and by its paler wing and sluggish actions; also by its distinctive song, which is a monotonous repetition of a 2-note phrase accented on the higher note, 60–75/min.
YELLOW-THROATED VIREO Vireo flavifrons
Fairly common; in deciduous forests near water or in clearings; also in shade trees and mixed pine-deciduous woods. The only spectacled vireo with a distinct yellow throat and breast. Female and immature are similar to male. The heavy vireo bill and yellow spectacles distinguish it from the Pine Warbler, which it most closely resembles in plumage. Yellow-throated Vireo has much larger nesting territories than most vireos do. Song is hoarse, a repetition of 4–5 slurred phrases given again and again in about the same order, 19–35/min.
BLACK-WHISKERED VIREO Vireo altiloquus
Common and easily found in its limited U.S. range in the Florida Keys and south Florida mainland, where it lives in mangroves and hammocks from Tampa to Everglades National Park. It is more easily recognized by its monotonous song than by its dark “whisker” marks. Song resembles Red-eyed Vireo’s but with paired phrases and less variable pitch, 20–32/min.
RED-EYED VIREO Vireo olivaceus
Abundant in eastern deciduous forests, but not often seen because it forages in treetops. Red iris, prominent eye stripe, and blue-gray cap distinguish this vireo from all others, except in coastal Florida, where Black-whiskered Vireo nests. Immature has brown iris and buffy undertail coverts. Song is robin-like, but phrases are separated by brief pauses; the song typically continues for many minutes without a long break, 35–70/min. The tropical Yellow-green Vireo (Vireo flavoviridis, L5″), rare in woodlands along the Rio Grande in southern Texas, is a casual vagrant elsewhere near the Mexican border. It is told by its bright yellow sides and undertail coverts, and less distinct eye stripe.
PHILADELPHIA VIREO Vireo philadelphicus
Uncommon; in wood margins and deciduous scrub. This small, elusive species is often mistaken for a Red-eyed Vireo when heard and for a warbler when seen. Its yellowish breast, unmarked wings, and distinctive short-tailed, bull-headed shape help distinguish it from other vireos. The vireo bill should separate it from all warblers, but may be confused in fall with Tennessee Warbler, which has a greener back, and the Orange-crowned Warbler, which has obscure head markings and yellow coverts under its tail. Song is like a Red-eyed’s, but higher pitched and slower.
WARBLING VIREO Vireo gilvus
This drab summer resident of tall deciduous shade trees is more easily detected by its song than by sight. Look for the vireo bill and broad white eye stripe, which is not outlined in black. This vireo is so well concealed by foliage that the male may sing from the nest. Immature has greener back, yellow flanks. Song is long and warbling, like a hoarse Purple Finch, 6–11/min.
WOOD WARBLERS (Family Parulidae) are small, very active, brightly colored songsters with slender, straight, pointed bills. Because males do the singing, the great majority of warblers seen in spring and early summer (through July) are males in their breeding plumage. They are fairly easy to recognize if you can get a good look. Watch for wing bars and characteristic head markings. Also note the song patterns, which are diagnostic for most species.
Fall birds and spring females are difficult to tell at first. Most female plumage patterns bear some resemblance to those of spring males, but are duller colored. For comparisons of fall plumages.
North American warblers are currently classified into 15 genera. (The distinctive Olive Warbler has recently been placed in its own separate family, the Peucedramidae.) Those in the same genus have a similar structure, such as the shape and size of their bill, and similar plumage. Often, they also have similar habits. For example, the genus Seiurus (Ovenbird and waterthrushes) includes birds that teeter like a Spotted Sandpiper when they walk on the ground. Members of the genus Wilsonia catch insects on the wing. The genus Oporornis is composed of relatively sluggish warblers that feed on the ground.
During the nesting season, warblers remain in or close to their preferred habitats. During migration they gather in mixed flocks, frequently in company with chickadees or titmice. Then nearly all species occur in wood margins, hedgerows, orchards, and wooded swamps, along streams, or even in desert oases. Warblers migrate mainly at night, but watch for them flying within 500′ of the treetops in early morning. Most winter in Mexico, Central America, or the West Indies.
The experienced observer can tell more than half the warblers just by their call notes. Learn the most distinctive chips first (such as those of Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-rumped, and Hooded); then study the chips of the common birds in your area. Some will be impossible to recognize, but awareness of a chip that is different will aid you in fall by drawing attention to the less common species in a mixed flock.
Warblers are almost entirely insectivorous. Most warblers nest on or within 10′ of the ground, but some, especially the parulas and some of the genus Dendroica, nest high in trees. Eggs, usually 4–5.
WOOD WARBLERS WITHOUT WING BARS – SPRING MALES
WOOD WARBLERS WITH WING BARS – SPRING MALES
WOOD WARBLERS do not warble, but nearly all species have distinctive songs. Many species have 2 or more characteristic song patterns: frequently a longer song with a distinctive ending and a shorter one (heard more in late summer) that is harder to recognize. In general the more distinctive one is illustrated in Sonagrams. Many eastern species occur on the Pacific Coast in fall.
BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER Mniotilla varia
Common in deciduous woods. This, the Blackpoll Warbler, and the western Black-throated Gray are the only warblers that are black and white. Neither of the others has the white streak through the crown, nor do they share the Black-and-white’s habit of feeding primarily along the trunks and larger branches. In this behavior it is more like a nuthatch, though its posture is different. The crown is striped in all plumages, but female and immature lack the black cheeks. Nests on the ground. Song is a series of high, thin weesee weesee weesee notes, similar to the sound made by squeaky wheel; 4/min.
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER Protonotaria citrea
Common in wooded swamps and along streams. Golden head and plain blue-gray wings distinguish this brilliant bird in all plumages. Note also the long dark bill and white in and under the tail. Seldom seen far from water. Nests in tree cavity low over water. Song is loud and clear, of slurred ascending note, 6–8/min.
SWAINSON’S WARBLER Limnothlypis swainsonii
Uncommon; in wooded swamps and canebrakes; rare and very local in rhododendron thickets in mountains. The plain brown back and wings, solid rusty cap, and plain underparts are diagnostic. Compare with Worm-eating and female Black-throated Blue; other brown-backed warblers are heavily streaked below. Note large bill. Sexes and immature are similar. Inactive and hard to see. Song of about 5 clear slurred notes is suggestive of Louisiana Waterthrush’s, 5–8/min.
WORM-EATING WARBLER Helmitheros vermivorus
Uncommon; inconspicuous on deciduous slopes. Prominently streaked head, plain brown back and wings, and plain buffy underparts separate Worm-eating in all plumages from other warblers. Except for its slender bill, it resembles a sparrow. Often walks along limbs. Nests on ground. Song is much like Chipping Sparrow’s, but higher and generally more rapid, 4–6/min.
GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER Vermivora chrysoptera
Uncommon; in gray birch and other young deciduous growth and in abandoned pastures. Male looks like a chickadee, but has a yellow crown and yellow wing patch. Females and immatures always have enough of the male’s pattern to identify them. No other warbler has the combination of black or gray throat and yellow wing bars. Song, which is given from a conspicuous perch, is buzzy: typically 1 note followed by 3 to 5 on a lower pitch, 6–10/ min. Alternate song, zi-zi-zi-zi-zeee.
BLUE WINGED WARBLER Vermivora pinus
Fairly common; in old pastures overgrown with scattered saplings more than 10′ tall. The narrow black eye line and white wing bars are diagnostic. Most of the other bright yellow warblers with unstreaked breasts have no wing bars. Female and immature Yellow Warbler, which are common in migration at the same time as the Blue-winged, have much less contrast on the wing and have yellow tail spots. Song typically two buzzy, insectlike notes bee-bzzz. First note is like the Golden-winged’s, while the second note is lower pitched and has a more vibrant quality; 5–8/min.
HYBRIDS occur locally where ranges of the above two species overlap. Several different plumages occur. The typical hybirds are known as “Brewster’s” and “Lawrence’s Warblers.” Brewster’s, which is more frequently seen, is mostly white below with yellow (or occasionally white) wing bars. Lawrence’s, with a black throat and yellow underparts, is extremely rare. Female Golden-wing can be mistaken for Brewster’s, male Hooded for Lawrence’s. Brewster’s, may have a pure white breast. Songs of the hybrids may be the same as either parent’s or may be a combination of the two songs.
BACHMAN’S WARBLER Vermivora bachmanii
Rarest North American warbler; probably extinct. Formerly very local in swampy deciduous forests and thickets. The yellow forehead and face separate adult male’s black crown from the black throat; its eye ring is yellow. There is no white in the tail. In the other plumages yellow or yellowish forehead, gray crown, and white undertail coverts will rule out similar species. Hooded Warbler, which frequents the same habitat, has entirely different song and call notes. Bachman’s sings from 20–40′ up in the forest understory, giving distinct notes in a monotone, but with the quality of the alternate song of the Golden-winged Warbler.
TENNESSEE WARBLER Vermivora peregrina
Common in aspen and spruce woods. The only warbler except Ludy’s with completely white underparts in spring. Its slender bill and bright greenish back separate it from sparrows. Similar to vireos, but is slimmer and has a very slender bill. Female is washed with olive-green on the crown and yellowish on underparts. In fall the bright greenish back, white undertail coverts, and indistinct wing bar and eye stripe are diagnostic. Stays high in trees in spring. Song, of loud unevenly spaced chips, is more rapid at the end, 6–9 songs/min.
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER Vermivora celata
A nondescript warbler, common in West; rare in East except along Gulf Coast in winter. Often forages in low trees and brush. Subspecies vary from greenish-yellow to grayish, but note absence of white in all plumages. Crown patch seldom visible. Faint streaking on sides of breast and pale yellowish coverts under tail help separate this bird from the very similar Tennessee Warbler (which has white under tail), especially in fall. Most immatures are tinged yellow-green, like immature Tennessee. Song, a weak trill, similar to Chipping Sparrow.
NASHVILLE WARBLER Vermivora ruficapilla
Common in open second-growth deciduous woods and spruce bogs. Only North American warbler with the combination of bluish-gray head, white eye ring, bright yellow throat, and no wing bars. In fall it may be confused with dull Connecticut, Mourning, and MacGillivray’s Warblers, but these never have the bright yellow chin and throat. Reddish cap of male is often concealed. Song is in two parts: first half suggests Black-and-white’s, but notes are separate; the rest (sometimes omitted) is a lower-pitched, slow trill, 4–6/min.
OLIVE WARBLER Peucedramus taeniatus
A distinctive warbler-like songbird, recently classified in its own separate family, Peucedramidae. Uncommon; nests high up in mountain pine and fir forests, above 7,000′. Buffy brown head and black mask of male are diagnostic. Female is the only western warbler with broad white wing bars and unstreaked yellowish breast; note also her yellow face and dusky eye patch. Song is short; 2 to 5 pairs of loud, low-pitched slurred notes, similar to Tufted Titmouse.
VIRGINIA’S WARBLER Vermivora virginiae
The unmarked gray back and wings distinguish this species and the two below from all except the gray-plumaged Orange-crowned Warbler, which has an eye stripe rather than a white eye ring. Virginia’s is told from Lucy’s and the large Colima by its greenish-yellow rump and undertail coverts. Common in dense scrub at 6,000–9,000′. Song suggests Yellow Warbler’s.
COLIMA WARBLER Vermivora crissalis
Rare and local in young deciduous oaks and maples at Boot Spring (6,500′), in the Chisos Mountains of western Texas, and in adjacent Mexico. Very similar to Virgina’s, but is larger, more robust, and heavier billed. The spring male can be told from Virginia’s by the breast, which is mostly gray in Colima. Female and immature Colimas have more orange-yellow rump and undertail coverts, not greenish-yellow as in Virginia’s. Song suggests Chipping Sparrow’s, but is much more musical and ends with 1 or 2 separate, slightly lower notes.
LUCY’S WARBLER Vermivora luciae
Common in mesquite, generally nesting in cavities. Similar to the two species above, but can be told in all plumages by the white undertail coverts. The only warbler with a chestnut rump; immature has at least a trace of this color. Song is a series of musical chips (like Colima’s) followed by 4–8 slower, slurred notes.
NORTHERN PARULA Parula americana
Common at all heights in mature deciduous and coniferous woods, especially river swamps in the Southeast. The only eastern warbler with yellow throat and blue back. Note also the greenish-yellow patch on the back, small size, narrow eye ring, and broad white wing bars. Builds its nest of Spanish moss when available. Song is a rising buzzy trill, dropping abruptly at the end; 6–7/min.
TROPICAL PARULA Panda pitiayumi
This southern counterpart of the Northern Parula is an uncommon summer resident in the lower Rio Grande Valley. Resembles Northern in plumage, song, and habits. Male is told by its distinct black mask and very faint rusty breastband. Wing bars of female are smaller than Northern’s, and the eye ring is lacking.
GENUS DENDROICA, a large group, includes primarily arboreal warblers with wing bars and tail spots.
YELLOW WARBLER Dendroica petechia
Common in willow thickets, orchards, and suburban shrubbery. The only yellow-breasted warbler with yellow tail spots; no white in plumage. Note the rusty streaks on the male. Female and young are told from the similar Hooded and Wilson’s by the yellow tail spots. Song has about 7 clear sweet notes, second half slightly faster, typically with the final note slurred upward, 4–10/min.
MAGNOLIA WARBLER Dendroica magnolia
Common in hemlock and spruce forests. The only yellow-throated warbler with a broad white tailband. Other similar warblers have white spots on fewer tail feathers. Note the bright yellow rump and conspicuous wing bars. Immatures have a distinctive narrow gray breastband. Song is the quality of Yellow Warbler’s, but softer and limited to about 5 notes, 5–8/min. Sonagram below.
CAPE MAY WARBLER Dendroica tigrina
Uncommon. Nests in spruce and fir. Yellow rump, chestnut cheeks, and large white wing patch of the male are diagnostic. The female has a yellow patch back of the ear and a yellow rump. In fall note the finely streaked breast, white belly and undertail coverts, olive-green rump, and small yellowish ear patch (usually visible). Song is a series of very high, thin, separate, slurred notes; 8–12/min.
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER Dendroica coronata
Common. Nests in mixed coniferous forests; winters in coastal thickets. In late fall and winter this is often the most abundant land bird in thickets bordering tidewater along the Atlantic Coast. Bright yellow rump and yellowish side patches are diagnostic. The northern and eastern subspecies (“Myrtle Warbler”) have a white throat. Western breeding subspecies (“Audubon’s Warbler”) have a yellow throat and more extensive white in the tail and wings. Eats bayberries and poison ivy in cold weather when flying insects are not available. Song is a soft warble, 7–11/min.; call a low-pitched chuck. Sonagram below.
GOLDEN-HEADED WARBLERS Males of these four are easily recognized by the head patterns and black color. Breeding ranges are separate except in Washington. Females and especially immatures in fall pose identification problems in Southwest during migration.
TOWNSEND’S WARBLER Dendroica townsendi
Common townsedin coniferous forests. The dark cheek patch outlined in yellow should tell it in all plumages from all other warblers except female Blackburnian, which is primarily eastern. The fall Black-throated Green and Golden-cheeked Warblers have only a suggestion of the dark cheek patch; their throats are white or pale yellow, not bright yellow. Song is slightly wheezy, often with 1 or 2 high clear notes at the end.
BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER Dendroica virens
Common; nests high in northern coniferous and mixed deciduous forests (in cypress and cedar along the Southeast Coast). No other eastern warbler has a bright yellow face. Also note the black throat and white wing bars and bright greenish back. Female is similar, but duller, with darkly mottled throat. Immatures lack the black throat, but have a bold yellow facial triangle, and a distinctive small yellow smudge on the lower flank. Typical song is a relaxed, wheezy whistle, zoo zee zoozoo zee; also sings zee zee zee zoo zee.
GOLDEN-CHEEKED WARBLER Dendroica chrysoparia
Uncommon and local; in virgin stands of mountain cedar, 25–40′ high, on the Edwards Plateau, Texas. Only North American warbler with golden cheeks outlined in black (male). The similar Black-throated Green has olive-green crown and back. In fall, in the narrow zone of overlap with Black-throated Green and Townsend’s, note that the males’ face patterns are faintly present in all immatures. Song is similar to Black-throated Green’s, but lower pitched, all notes wheezy.
HERMIT WARBLER Dendroica occidentalis
The unique male has an unmarked golden head and a small black bib. Female and immature have the entire face yellow, which distinguishes them from Townsend’s; they are told from female and young Black-throated Green by their gray back. Common in tall conifers. Song is like Yellow Warbler’s, but is higher.
BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER Dendroica caerulescens
Common in mixed deciduous and coniferous woodlands; typically forages in undergrowth. Adult and immature males are unique with their black cheeks and throat and blue-gray back. Wing patch on female is frequently small, but usually present. Note female’s eye stripe, very dark face, lack of streaking, and junco-like chip. Typical song is a slow, wheezy, ascending zur zreee zreee zreee; or zur zur zur zreee.
BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER Dendroica nigrescens
Common in dry western deciduous or coniferous scrub. The combination of dark cheek patches and very faintly streaked back distinguishes it in all plumages from the Black-and-white Warbler and Blackpoll. The tiny yellow facial spot is hard to see, but diagnostic. Song is of slightly wheezy notes; pattern suggests Yellow rumped’s.
CERULEAN WARBLER Dendroica cerulea
Locally common in deciduous woods in river bottoms and near streams. This is our only blue-backed, white-throated warbler. Note the thin black throat band of adult male. Female and young have a dull bluish-gray crown; this, together with a greenish tinge on the back and light buffy underparts, aids in identification. Song is typically of 6–8 buzzy notes, the middle ones rapid.
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER Dendroica dominica
Common in swampy bottomland forests, pine woods, oaks, and streamside sycamores. Also seen in palms during winter. Forages high in treetops, creeping along branches. Note yellow throat, white belly, and distinctive head pattern. Southeastern subspecies (not shown) has yellow on front half of the eyebrow. One of the first warblers to return north in early spring. Song is loud and clear, 4–6/min.
GRACE’S WARBLER Dendroica graciae
Locally common in pine-oak forests above 7,000′. The only western warbler with a yellow eye stripe and a yellow throat contrasting with the white lower breast and belly. Adults and immatures are similar. Compare head pattern with Yellow-throated, Townsend’s, and Blackburnian. Song, a series of musical chips on the same pitch, slightly faster at the end.
Yellow-throated Grace’s
BLACKBURIAN WARBLER Dendroica fusca
A treetop warbler, common in Northern conifers and in mixed forests of the Appalachian highlands. The bright orange throat and head markings of the male are distinctive. Female and young have similar but paler markings; the only other eastern warblers with this face pattern are the Black-throated Green and yellow-throated. In West compare with female and immature Townsend’s. Song is very high and thin, often with an exceedingly high-pitched ending, 4–6/min.
CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER Dendroica pensylvanica
Common in deciduous brush and second growth. The yellowish crown and distinct chestnut sides identify both sexes in spring. The only other warbler with chestnut sides is the Bay-breasted. Immature females are without chestnut, but can be told by their bright unstreaked green back, yellow wing bars, white underparts, and narrow eye ring. Song is very similar to Yellow Warbler’s, but typically the next to last note is accented and final note slurred downward, 5–8/min. Another song lacks this ending.
BAY-BREASTED WARBLER Dendroica castanea
Fairly common in northern coniferous forests. Chestnut sides and crown, and buffy patch on back of head are diagnostic for spring male. Female is much duller colored. Immatures in fall often lack all traces of chestnut and look very similar to fall Blackpolls; the Bay-breasted is more buff colored below, especially on the undertail coverts, has no faint streaking on the sides of the breast, and has black legs and feet. Song is very high and weak, like Cape May’s, but notes are more often run together rather than distinct.
BLACKPOLL WARBLER Dendroica striata
Abundant in coniferous forests. Spring male has distinct black crown, white cheeks, and white throat, which distinguish it from the Black-and-white and Black-throated Gray. Streaked back, buffy yellow feet and leg (legs sometimes dark), white undertail coverts, and prominent white wing bars on the olive wings are good field marks of the female and all fall birds. An abundant migrant in the Atlantic states, often seen on low branches. Song is series of high, thin, and separate notes, sit sit sit sit sit sit; either fast or slow, often loud in the middle and soft at both ends, 4–7/min.
Locally common in mature pine woods; during migration also in orchards and deciduous woodlands. This large plain-backed warbler is highly variable in the amount of yellow on the underparts. Some immatures are drab, with just a trace of yellow, and may be hard to recognize. Pine can be told in all plumages by the combination of large bill, white wing bars, unstreaked back, white belly, faint eye stripe, and white tail spots. Immature Blackpoll and Bay-breasted are similar, but streaked on back. Yellow-throated Vireo has prominent spectacles. Song is a musical trill, slower than Chipping Sparrow’s, 4–7/min.
KIRTLAND’S WARBLER Dendroica kirtlandii
Rare and local, occurring only in large tracts of jack-pines, about 6–18′ tall. Known to nest only in north-central Michigan. Believed to winter in Bahamas; almost never seen in migration. No other eastern tail-wagging warbler has a gray back. Note distinct black streaks on the gray back and along the yellow sides; also the black lores and white eye ring. Females are similar but duller. Compare with Magnolia Warbler. Nests on ground. Very tame. Song is low, loud, 6–9/min.
PRAIRIE WARBLER Dendroica discolor
Not found on prairies, but common in deciduous saplings (in heavily logged or burned areas), in young stands of pine (10–30′ tall), wood margins, and mangroves. This is the only tail-wagging warbler with an olive back. The chestnut streaks on the male’s back are sometimes concealed. Note the eye and cheek markings, yellow and black in adult, gray and whitish in the immature. Streaking of underparts is restricted to the sides. Song, which may be fast (Sonagram) or slow, consists of buzzy notes ascending in a chromatic scale, 4–7/min.
PALM WARBLER Dendroica palmarum
Fairly common, nesting on the ground in bogs; in winter found at field edges. Bright yellow undertail coverts, bright olive rump, and tail-wagging habit identify this ground-feeding warbler. The rusty cap should be looked for in spring. Color of breast and belly varies geographically and seasonally from yellow to gray. Song is a rapid, slightly buzzy, junco-like trill.
Common in deciduous woods. Plain olive upperparts, the heavily streaked breast, and black stripes on the crown separate this common ground-walking species from all other warblers. Builds domed nest on ground. Sings from an exposed perch in the understory, a loud and clear tea-cher repeated about 10 times, louder and louder, 3–4/min. Flight song is given at dusk.
NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH Seiurus noveboracensis
Common in northern bogs. Waterthrushes walk with a bobbing motion like Spotted Sandpipers. Note the horizontal posture. Told from Ovenbird by head pattern; told from Louisiana by its creamy yellow underparts (no tawny color on flanks), and buff eye stripe that tapers behind the eye. Louisiana’s is whiter and widens posteriorly. Also note Northern’s smaller bill and finely spotted throat. Feeds on ground near water. Song is loud and ringing, 3–8/min.
LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH Seiurus motacilla
Fairly common along woodland streams and swamps. Note its broad white eye stripe, white throat, and cinnamon flank patch (see Northern). Song is loud and resonant; usually 3 slow, slurred notes, followed by a rapid jumble in descending pitch, 4–12/min.
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT Geothlypis trichas
Abundant in moist grassy areas and thickets. Black mask distinguishes the male. Female is brightest yellow on the throat and undertail coverts. Young are similar, but dingier. Forages low, near the ground. Song, wichity or wichy, is repeated several times, 4–6/min. The Gray-crowned Yellowthroat (G. poliocephala, L 5″), a casual visitor to extreme southern Texas, is intermediate in size and color between the Common Yellowthroat and Yellow-breasted Chat. Underparts are all yellow, bill is chatlike, with pale lower mandible. Male has gray cowl, black lores.
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT Icteria virens
Fairly common in deciduous thickets, but shy. Note large size, heavy bill, white spectacles, plain olive upperparts, and bright yellow breast. Song is an amazing alternation of caws, whistles, grunts, and rattles, frequently given in flight or even at night. 12–28/min. Sonagram below.
Yellow-Breasted Chat
OPORORNIS WARBLERS are sluggish heavy warblers with rather short tails. They stay close to the ground except when singing. All are generally hard to see except the Kentucky, which often sings from an exposed understory perch.
KENTUCKY WARBLER Oporornis formosus
Common; nests on ground in moist deciduous woods with ample ground vegetation. The black mustache and yellow spectacles are diagnostic, but the black is largely concealed in immature. The male Common Yellowthroat has a black mask but its belly is white. Song, a loud churree repeated 7–10 times, is often mistaken for Carolina Wren’s; 4–5/min.
MACGILLIVRAY’S WARBLER Oporornis tolmiei
Fairly common in dense thickets. The gray hood and broken eye ring are diagnostic except in fall, when it is impossible to separate this species from the immature and female Mourning Warbler in the limited area where both occur. The larger heavier Connecticut has a conspicuous complete eye ring in all plumages, and in spring the Mourning has no eye ring at all. Song is similar to Mourning’s, 8–10/min.
MOURNING WARBLER Oporornis philadelphia
Uncommon; in heavy underbrush. This eastern equivalent to MacGillivray’s Warbler has the same gray hood and black throat on male, but lacks eye ring in spring. A broken eye ring in fall confuses the female and immature with the larger, duller colored Connecticut in East and with MacGillivray’s in West. Song is a rolling, two-parted, cheery cheery, chorry chorry, the second pair of notes at lower pitch, 5–8/min.
CONNECTICUT WARBLER Oporornis agilis
Uncommon and local; in moist woodlands with dense understory; often on ground. Gray hood and conspicuous eye ring are best field marks in spring. Long yellow undertail coverts make tail look shorter than other warbler’s. Nashville Warbler has a yellow throat and short undertail coverts. In fall immature Connecticut has a buffy eye ring and more olive hood. The loud single chip resembles the softer double chip of the Magnolia. Song is very loud, clear, and jerky; suggests Common Yellowthroat’s but is accented on last syllable, 5–7/min.
HOODED WARBLER Wilsonia citrina
Common in moist deciduous woods with abundant undergrowth. Male is recognized by the yellow face and black hood; female by the yellow face pattern and white tail spots, which it displays as it often spreads its tail. Wilson’s Warbler lacks tail spots. Nests close to ground. The loud musical chip is distinctive. Song is loud, clear, usually with an accented, slurred ending, 5–9/min.
WILSON’S WARBLER Wilsonia pusilla
Fairly common in willows and streamside thickets, especially in West. Male is recognized by glossy black cap, female by plain bright yellow underparts, lack of tail spots, and yellow forehead. Song is 15–20 musical chips, dropping slightly in pitch toward end, 5–10/min.
CANADA WARBLER Wilsonia canadensis
Common in northern forest underbrush. Black necklace, usually present at least faintly, is best field mark; if this is lacking in fall, note yellow spectacles and plain gray back, wings, tail (with greenish cast). Song, rapid and varied, starting with low chip, 6–8/min. Sonagram below.
RED-FACED WARBLER Cardellina rubrifrons
Locally common in summer in pine and spruce forests above 6,500′ in southeast Arizona and southwest New Mexico. Unmistakable; immature and female are like male. Jerks tail sideways. Song like Yellow Warbler’s, but thinner.
AMERICAN REDSTART Setophaga ruticilla
Common in deciduous forest understory, especially near water. An extremely active fly-catching warbler with prominent salmon or yellow patches in its long fanned tail; no other warbler has this wing and tail pattern. Song is a series of similar high notes, with a characteristic accent on the last note, see see see see sew! 6–13/min.
PAINTED REDSTART Myioborus pictus
Common at 5,000–8,000′ in oak canyons. Adults and immatures alike with red breast, black head and throat, and large white patches on wings and tail. Catches flying insects as Redstart does. Song suggests Yellow-rumped Warbler’s, but is more varied in pitch, 5–7/min.
Wilson’s Canada Painted
FALL WARBLERS Immature warblers in dull plumages generally outnumber adults in fall. Most adults are less brilliantly colored than in spring, but adult males (except the Blackpoll and Bay-breasted Warblers) retain distinctive patterns. Immatures, especially females, require careful study.
Below are immature females (and a few immature males) of an warblers except: (1) those restricted to the Southwest, (2) those on that look much like the adults, and (3) American Redstart and the bluish-backed Northern Parula and Cerulean. Note the faint wing bars of the Palm and Tennessee.
OLIVE OR YELLOW IMMATURES WITHOUT WING BARS
WITH WING BARS AND TAIL SPOTS
OLD WORLD SPARROWS (Family Passeridae) are a large family represented in North America by two introduced species. They are nonmigratory. They nest in bird boxes or on buildings or make bulky, woven grass nests in trees; lay 4–7 eggs.
HOUSE SPARROW Passer domesticus
Abundant on farms and in cities and suburbs. The male is recognized by his black bib and bill and white cheeks. The female often is confused with other sparrows or female buntings; the unstreaked dingy breast, the bold buffy eye line, and the streaked back are the best field marks. Often seen in flocks. Song is a long series of monotonous musical chirps, 30–120/min.
EURASIAN TREE SPARROW Passer montanus
Locally common around St. Louis, Missouri, and nearby Illinois. Told in all plumages by bright chestnut crown, black ear and throat patches. Calls like House Sparrow’s.
BLACKBIRDS AND ORIOLES (Family Icteridae) are medium-sized to large, heavy-billed birds, mainly iridescent black or black with yellow or orange. Strong fliers; usually found in open habitats. Eggs, 3–6.
BOBOLINK Dolichonyx oryzivorus
Locally common in hayfields and in fall migration in large flocks near marshes. Spring male is only North American land bird dark below, light above. Female and fall male resemble large sparrows, but have buffy crown stripes, buffy breast, and narrow pointed tail feathers. Song is long, loud, and bubbling, 5–15/min.
EASTERN MEADOWLARK Sturnella magna
Common in fields and on fences. Adults and immatures known by black V on bright yellow breast, and white outer tail feathers. Gregarious. In flight it alternately flaps and sails. Song is a clear, slurred whistle, tee-ya, tee-yeer, 5–11/min.
WESTERN MEADOWLARK Sturnella neglecta
Common, and similar to Eastern Meadowlark in plumage, habits, and habitat, but yellow of throat extends farther onto cheek. Where both occur together in winter flocks, Western can be told by its paler back and tail. Song is loud and flutelike, 4–8/min.
Eastern Meadowlark Western Meadowlark
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD Xanthoceplialus xanthocephalus
Locally common to abundant in cattail and tule marshes. No other North American bird has yellow head and black body. White wing patch is lacking in females and first-year males. The brownish females are easily overlooked in large flocks of blackbirds. Look for the unstreaked yellowish throat. Song of low rasping notes ends in a long descending buzz, 3–5/min. Call is a distinctive low hoarse croak.
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD Agelaius phoeniceus
Abundant in marshes and fields. The red-shouldered male can be confused only with the western Tricolored Blackbird. Females and immature males resemble large sparrows, but are longer-billed and more heavily streaked, often with a tinge of red on shoulder or throat. Feed, fly, and roost in huge flocks. Song, a squeaky kong-ka-ree, 4–9/min.
TRICOLORED BLACKBIRD Agelaius tricolor
Common in flocks in cattails or tules. Male is told from Red-winged by the darker red of the shoulders and the white border; female by the solid dark belly and lower back (obscuring the streaking). Song, quite different from Red-winged’s, is harsh and unmusical.
RUSTY BLACKBIRD Euphagus carolinus
Fairly common in wooded swamps; rare in fields with other blackbirds. Size and shape of Red-winged, but has a slightly longer tail. Adult is told from cowbird, Red-winged, and female Brewer’s by its light eyes, rusty edges to undertail coverts, and lack of iridescence. Bill is more slender at base than in other blackbirds. Brown eye of young Rusty is yellowish by October. Song is high, squeaky.
BREWER’S BLACKBIRD Euphagus cyanocephalus
Common around farms, fields, and roadsides, especially in West. Spring male can be told in good light by light eye, purplish sheen on head, and greenish tint on body. Note similarity to both cowbirds and to Common Grackle. Female is told from female Rusty by dark brown eye and in winter by absence of rusty wash. Starling is much shorter-tailed. Song is soft hoarse whistle. Chack note resembles Rusty’s.
GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE Quiscalus mexicanus
Common in southwestern towns, mesquite, and arid farmlands. Male (16″), much larger than female (12″), is about length of Fish Crow. Its very long slender V-shaped tail widens at the end. A distant flock can be recognized by the contrast in size and color between sexes. Both sexes have the bright yellow iris and the male has unbarred purple iridescence. Female is browner than female Common Grackle. Song of stick-breaking noises, whistles, and rattles is long, loud, and varied.
BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE Quiscalus major
Common on shores and in coastal marshes, and (in Florida) along inland waters. Best told from Great-tailed by locality and song, but Gulf Coast males have dull yellow or brown eyes, iridescence tends to be mainly blue, and neck more puffy when displaying. Song is a distinctive mixture of ascending squeaky calls and guttural gurgles.
COMMON GRACKLE Quiscalus quiscula
Abundant on farmland, in parks, and suburbs; nests in evergreens, if present. Long keel-shaped tail is broader at the end. Head iridescence may appear green, blue, or violet. Inland and northern males have unbarred bronzy backs; southeastern ones have iridescent bars. Female is smaller, but has the long keel-shaped tail. Young have brown eyes until October. Often flocks with cowbirds, blackbirds, and starlings. Song is a loud ascending squeak.
BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD Molothrus ater
Common on farmland, but extending range and now widespread in parks and suburbs. Often seen with blackbirds or grackles; note its shorter, more conical bill, slighter build, and uptilted tail when it walks. A brood parasite, the plain, mouse-gray female lays its speckled egg in the nest of another songbird species. The juveniles, which resemble the female but have faint breast streaks, beg noisily for food from their foster parents. Cowbird’s song is a high, squeaky gurgle.
BRONZED COWBIRD Molothrus aeneus
Locally common on farms, where it flocks with other blackbirds. Larger and much longer-billed than Brown-headed Cowbird, it is more like Brewer’s Blackbird, but told from it by red eye and shorter bill. In poor light both sexes appear uniformly dark. Both sexes have an inflatable ruff on the hind neck. Song is similar to Brown-headed’s, but notes are shorter and wheezier.
ORIOLES are colorful arboreal icterids, quite different in habits, appearance, habitat preference, and nest structure from their ground-feeding relatives. All North American orioles have the same basic pattern. Adult males and most first-year males are strikingly marked with brilliant breasts, bellies, and rump patches that contrast with black wings, black throats or heads, and in many species black, rounded tails. Most females are similar to one another and pose a real problem in the Southwest, where several species occur. All have conspicuous wing bars and very sharply pointed beaks. Female tanagers (inset) have heavier, lighter-colored beaks and notched tails. Orioles migrate primarily by night, but loose bands of 5–10 may sometimes be seen just above the treetops in the early morning.
ORCHARD ORIOLE Icterus spurius
Locally common in unsprayed orchards, wood margins, shade trees. Adult male is our only brick-red oriole and (except in south Florida) the only oriole east of the Mississippi River with a solid black tail. First-year male has a well-defined black bib. Female is the only eastern oriole with greenish-yellow rather than orange-yellow breast. Migrates south early (July-Aug.). Song is a medley of melodious whistles and flutelike notes, quite different from short phrases of Northern, 4–8/min. Call, a soft low chuck, is distinctive.
AUDUBON’S ORIOLE Icterus graduacauda
Uncommon; in dense woods and thickets. The only North American oriole with combination of black head and yellow (male) or olive-green (female and young) back. All our other adult male orioles have black or black-streaked upper back. Young of both sexes get the black head in Aug.; black wings and tail appear the second fall. In spite of its large size, it often goes undetected because of its retiring nature, preference for heavy cover, and infrequent singing. Song is a soft low whistle.
SCOTT’S ORIOLE Icterus parisorum
Common in Joshua trees, yuccas, pinyons, and jumpers of Southwest. No other adult male oriole in its range is black and yellow. Note the inverted black T on the tail. Black throat of first-year male is poorly defined in contrast to similar Orchard’s or Hooded’s. Female closely resembles these two species, but can be identified by its straight heavy bill and prominently streaked back. Scott’s Oriole is 1″ longer than Orchard. Song is suggestive of Western Meadowlark’s.
HOODED ORIOLE Icterus cucullatus
Common in palms where present, otherwise in cottonwoods and other tall trees with shrubby undergrowth, often in residential areas. Golden crown and solid black tail separate the adult male from all but the much larger Altamira. The bill is more decurved than in our other orioles. Compare first-year male with Scott’s and Orchard Orioles. Female Hooded is greener than female and young Baltimore and has a more rounded tail. Song is soft and warbling, interrupted by harsh metallic trills. Call, an ascending sweep.
BALTIMORE ORIOLE Icterus galbula
Common in tall deciduous shade trees, where its deep pendant nest is a familiar sight after the leaves have fallen. Adult male is told by its brilliant plumage, black hood, and black T on the tail. Females and young are orange-yellow below, and streaked brownish olive above. Adult females may have blackish mottling on the throat and head. Until recently, considered a single species with the Bullock’s. They sometimes interbreed on the Western Great Plains. Song consists of clear flutelike whistles, either singly or in varied series of 4–15. Call, a rapid chatter.
BULLOCK’S ORIOLE Icterus bullockii
Common and widespread in tall shade trees. Male has distinctive orange eye stripe, broad white panel on the wing, and inverted black T on the tail. Female is paler than female Baltimore, unstreaked grayish on the back, with a grayish-white belly. Song is a mix of clear whistles and harsh notes. Call, a harsh chatter.
ALTAMIRA ORIOLE Icterus gularis
Rare resident near Brownsville, Texas. Adult is told from the male Hooded by larger size, heavier bill, and broad yellow upper wing patch. Females and young males (after their Aug. molt) are duller, with dark grayish-brown wings and yellowish-olive back. Song is 1 or more separate whistles interrupted by harsh notes.
STREAK-BACKED ORIOLE Icterus pustulatus
Casual in southern California and Arizona (all seasons). Similar to Altamira but smaller, and upper back streaked with black, heavily so in adult male. Calls like Baltimore but slightly higher and faster.
SPOT-BREASTED ORIOLE Icterus pectoralis
Introduced resident in eastern Dade County, Florida. Native to Central America. Female is duller than male, but both are recognized by the black spots on the side of the breast and by the black tail and the large amount of white on the wing. Song is loud, varied, and more continuous than those of most orioles.
TANAGERS (Family Thraupidae) are brilliant thrush-sized forest birds whose bills are thicker than the slender pointed bills of orioles and longer than the conical beaks of grosbeaks. Males often sing from the tops of trees. Feed on fruit. Eggs, 3–5.
WESTERN TANAGER Piranga ludoviciana
Fairly common in Douglas fir, spruce, pine, and aspen forests. Note the male’s red head or face, yellow body, and black wings and tail. Head is yellow-green in fall, but wings and tail remain black. Female and young are told by their wing bars, pale tanager beak, and notched tail. Song is robin-like, but hoarse with a pause after each phrase. Call, an ascending pit-ik or pit-er-ik.
SCARLET TANAGER Piranga olivacea
Common in deciduous and pine-oak woods. No other North American bird has red body with black wings and tail. First-year males occasionally are orange instead of red. In July–Aug. greenish feathers gradually replace red ones, but black wings are retained. Females are told from female Summer Tanager by yellow-green plumage and smaller darker bills. Song of 6 or 7 hoarse continuous robin-like phrases; 4–7/min. Call is a distinctive chip-burr.
SUMMER TANAGER Piranga rubra
Common in southern oak-pine woods; in the Southwest in willows and cottonwoods along streams at low elevations. Adult male remains red all winter. Young male resembles female. Female is orange-yellow in contrast to yellow-green of Scarlet, and has longer yellowish bill. Song is robin-like, not hoarse, as in other tanagers, 3–5/min. Call is a low, rapid, descending chicky-tucky-tuck.
HEPATIC TANAGER Piranga flava
Uncommon; in pines and oaks of mountain canyons at 5,000–7,000′. The dark bill and dark cheek distinguish the brick-red male from the Summer Tanager. Female and young are told from Western and orioles by lack of white wing bars; from Summer by the dark bill, dark cheek patch, and call, chuck, repeated several times. Song is like Scarlet’s, but slightly lower.
WESTERN SPINDALIS Spindalis zena
Vagrant from West Indies to s. Florida. Note head stripes and parula pattern of male. Plain-bodied female has same wing pattern. Song of paired high notes.
Scarlet Summer
CARDINALS, SPARROWS, AND FINCHES Three families of seed-eating songbirds are so alike in appearance and so easy to confuse, they are treated here as one group to make identification easier. The common names reflect this confusion. For example, birds called buntings or grosbeaks appear in more than one family. Recent studies have confirmed that there are valid genetic differences between the families:
Cardinals (Family Cardinalidae) include grosbeaks except for the Pine and Evening Grosbeaks, buntings, except for the Snow and McKay’s, and the Dickcissel.
Sparrows (Family Emberizidae), also known as Emberizids, include sparrows, juncos, towhees, longspurs, and Snow and McKay’s Buntings.
Finches (Family Fringillidae), include rosy-finches and redpolls, goldfinches and siskins, crossbills, and Pine Grosbeak and red finches, and Evening Grosbeak.
The most unifying characteristic among these groups is the conical beak, used for cracking hard seeds. Only the Old World Sparrows, Bobolinks, and Cowbirds have similarly shaped beaks.
NORTHERN CARDINAL Cardinalis cardinalis
Common in hedgerows, wood margins, suburbs, and desert washes. Our only crested bird with a conical beak except in the Southwest, where it is replaced in part by the Pyrrhuloxia. Bright red male with black throat is unmistakable. Both male and female have pointed crests and thick red (or dusky in immature) beaks. Song is a repetition of loud slurred whistles, 5–10/min.
PYRRHULOXIA Cardinalis sinuatus
Fairly common in Southwest. Nests to 3,500′. The male is gray above except for its red crest. The female is told by its stubby yellow beak with an abruptly curved upper mandible, and by its gray back and tail. Usually feeds on the ground and remains near cover. Song and calls similar to Northern Cardinal’s.
ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK Pheucticus ludovicianus
Common in northern deciduous woods, suburbs, and old orchards. Rose bib of adult male is diagnostic. In flight note the rose wing linings and white wing patch. Female resembles Purple Finch, but is much larger, with proportionately heavier beak and broad white or buffy midline through the crown; orange-yellow wing linings are conspicuous in flight. Compare with female Black-headed, which is buff colored below, with less streaking on the breast. Song is a long, continuous robin-like whistle, 4–9/min. (See Sonagram at bottom of page.) Call, a single loud, sharp peek, is easily recognized.
BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK Pheucticus melanocephalus
Common in open woodlands, especially deciduous. Male is easily recognized by its orange underparts, black head, and white wing patches. Female is best told from female Rose-breasted by the fine streaking on her sides, mostly unstreaked tawny breast, and bright lemon yellow wing linings. Towhees lack head streaks and forage primarily on ground. Song and call are similar to those of Rose-breasted, with which the Black-headed hybridizes.
EVENING GROSBEAK Coccothraustes vespertinus
Locally abundant in conifers. Irregular (sometimes common) in much of its winter range. Partial to sunflower seeds at feeding stations. Male is told by its huge beak, yellow plumage, and large white wing patches. Female is much larger than a goldfinch, grayish, with tints of yellow on the nape and sides. Bill varies from chalky white in winter to pale green in spring. Usually flies in loose flocks; note undulating flight and short tail. Typical call is a loud House Sparrow–like chirp (at right in Sonagram).
BLUE GROSBEAK Guiraca caerulea
Fairly common, especially in hedgerows. Our only other blue bird with a conical beak is the little Indigo Bunting. Both are commonly seen on roadside wires. Note the much heavier beak, broad rusty wing bars and, in the male, the deeper, almost violet blue of Blue Grosbeak. In poor light either sex could be mistaken for Brown-headed Cowbird if wing bars are not noticed. Seen singly or in family groups; watch for occasional tail-flicking. Song is long, rich, and warbling, more like Purple Finch’s than Indigo Bunting’s, 4–7/min. Call is a sharp metallic pink.
INDIGO BUNTING Passerina cyanea
Common in hedgerows and wood margins; perches on wires during nesting season. Male resembles Blue Grosbeak, but is much smaller, more brilliant, almost iridescent blue, and darker on the crown, with a sparrow-like beak and no wing bars. The plain brown female and immature have a tinge of blue on the tail and shoulder. The unstreaked back separates them from all sparrows. Note the very fine blurred streaking on sides. Young have faint wing bars. Seen in flocks during migration. A persistent singer, even at midday. Song is loud and sweet, with most phrases paired, 5–9/min.
LAZULI BUNTING Passerina amoena
The common western counterpart of Indigo Bunting, which it resembles in its habits. Found in scattered deciduous or scrub growth, especially near water. The pattern of the male suggests a bluebird except for the wing bars, but the short conical beak and sparrow-sized body are diagnostic. Female and young are told from all sparrows by the plain, unstreaked, brown back; from Indigo Buntings by the broad whitish wing bars and the rich, buffy wash on the breast. Song, faster than Indigo’s, has a few scratchy notes, 4–8/min.
VARIED BUNTING Passerina versicolor
Uncommon and local along the Mexican border in thickets, generally near water. Male looks uniformly dark in poor light, but its purple body, bluish rump, and the bright red head spot leave no doubt when it is well seen. Female and young are similar to Indigo Bunting, but are grayer above and have no trace of faint streaking on the sides. Because of variation in Indigo’s plumages, the female Varied is not safely separable in the field outside its normal range. Song resembles Indigo’s.
PAINTED BUNTING Passerina ciris
Locally common in thickets, but is hard to see except when the colorful male sings from an exposed perch. No other bird has red underparts and a blue head. The red breast and rump may suggest a Purple Finch, but note the difference in color. Female Painted is a brilliant yellow-green, quite unlike the color of any other North American bird except escaped cage birds. Note its yellowish belly, sparrow-like beak, narrow eye ring, and lack of wing bars. Song is a rather soft warble.
VAGRANTS FROM EURASIA AND THE TROPICS
BLACK-FACED GRASSQUIT Tiaris bicolor
Casual visitor to southern Florida from the Bahamas. The male of this tiny greenish-backed finch is recognized by its black head and underparts. On the nondescript female and immature, look for the uniform dull green underparts, rounded tail, and pale ear patch. Prefers brushy habitats; eats grass seeds. Song is a weak buzzing chip-chip-zeee.
MELODIOUS GRASSQUIT Tiaris canora
Casual visitor to south Florida. Bred in N. Miami in 1960s. Told from Black-faced Grassquit by yellow markings. The Yellow-faced Grassquit (Tiaris olivacea), similar but with a yellow throat and eyebrow, has been recorded in southern Florida and southern Texas. Habits and habitat of both are similar to Black-faced.
BRAMBLING Fringilla montifringilla
Rare migrant in the Aleutians, casual elsewhere in Alaska and Northwest. White rump, white and orange wing bars, and orange breast are diagnostic. Song is a slow nasal tweeee; flight call, a nasal chek, chek.
HAWFINCH Coccothraustes coccothraustes
Rare spring vagrant in the Aleutian and Pribilof islands. Wary, but recognized at a distance by its huge beak and very broad white wing bar. The beak, steel-blue in spring, pale horn in winter, is outlined in black. In flight, heavy body and short tail suggest Evening Grosbeak, but white-tipped tail is not notched. Call is a metallic tpik.
EURASIAN BULLFINCH Pyrrhula pyrrhula
Rare vagrant, all seasons, in western Alaska. Easily recognized by black cap, chinstrip, wings, and tail. Note the broad wing bar and broad white rump. Song is a low-pitched piping warble; call, a soft peu, peu.
COMMON ROSEFINCH Carpodacus erythrinus
Rare spring vagrant, western Aleutians and St. Lawrence Island; casual elsewhere in western Alaska. Male is told from male Purple Finch by narrow dark eye line, dark bill, and lack of prominent streaks on back. Female closely resembles female House Finch, but has unstreaked white lower belly and undertail coverts and a trace of the dark eye line; breast streaking may be very faint. Call is a soft repeated screet.
ORIENTAL GREENFINCH Carduelis sinica
Rare spring vagrant in the outer Aleutians. Green cheeks, forehead, and breast, brown back and flanks, and prominent yellow on wings, tail, and abdomen are diagnostic. Also note the heavy pinkish beak. Song, a long nasal dweee; call, a distinctive, twittering kyrr, kyrr.
PURPLE FINCH Carpodacus purpureus
Common in open woodlands and suburbs, often at feeding stations. The wine-colored male is more uniformly colored than other red finches. West of the Great Plains, compare with the brighter-crowned Cassin’s. The heavily streaked female and immature resemble a sparrow except for the heavier beak, deeper tail notch, and undulating flight. Female is told from female House Finch by the board white line back of the eye and the larger beak. The dull tink call note of the Purple, often given in flight, is distinctive. Song is a long, loud, rich warbling, 4–6/min.
CASSIN’S FINCH Carpodacus cassinii
Fairly common in western conifers. Where its range overlaps Purple or House Finch, Cassin’s is often recognized by its call note or song before plumage differences can be studied. Best mark of male Cassin’s is the brilliant crown, contrasting with browner hind neck. Female has narrower streaks below than Purple and stronger head markings than House. Bill profile of Cassin’s is straight and wing tips extend halfway out the tail. Song is more varied than Purple’s.
HOUSE FINCH Carpodacus mexicanus
Abundant in bottomlands, canyons, suburbs, and ranches in the West; becoming common and spreading in East, especially at feeders. Nests to 7,000′. Red of male is much more restricted than in Cassin’s or Purple Finch, and sides are streaked with brown. Female is plain-headed, without an eye stripe or dark mustache, and with a smaller bill than Purple or Cassin’s. Tail is less notched than in other finches. Call suggests House Sparrow’s. The warbling song has a few harsh notes.
PINE GROSBEAK Pinicola enucleator
These tame birds are locally common in northern forests of spruce and fir. Male is like a large Purple Finch, but has white wing bars contrasting with dark wings. White-winged Crossbill) is much smaller and has shorter tail. Female in poor light looks plain gray except for wing bars; olive on head and rump are characteristic. In flight Pine Grosbeak is told from Evening Grosbeak by its long tail. Feeds on seeds and fruits. Song like low Purple Finch’s. Call, 3 high weak whistles suggesting Greater Yellowlegs’.
Cassin’s
ROSY-FINCHES nest above timberline in the western U.S. and Canada. They forage on the ground in flocks, gleaning frozen seeds and insects from snowbanks. The rosy wings and rumps of males show both at rest and in flight. Pink of female is visible at close range. No other reddish finch has an unmarked dark breast.
GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCH Leucosticte tephrocotis
Most widespread rosy-finch. Locally common. Nests above 7,000′ and winters in lowlands. Can be told from the Black by its brown back and breast, and from Brown-capped by its well-marked gray headband. Some female Gray-crowns closely resemble the Brown-capped, but have a browner body. Nests in niche among boulders or under a rock; 3–6 eggs. Call is a high chirp.
BLACK ROSY-FINCH Leucosticte atrata
Uncommon; distinguished from other rosy-finches by its dark blackish-brown breast and back. Found during summer around snow fields in the high mountains from northeastern Nevada to southwestern Montana, in winter it ventures down into the open country of the high valleys. Nest located in a crevice or hole in a rock cliff; 3–5 eggs.
BROWN-CAPPED ROSY-FINCH Leucosticte australis
Locally common, breeding above timberline in the central and northern Rockies. Winters in nearby lowlands, often in flocks. Male is a rich brown, female drabber. All plumages lack the gray headband, as do some female Gray-crowns. Nest similar to Gray-crowns; 3–5 eggs. Call is low and hoarse, or high sharp chips.
REDPOLLS wander south irregularly in winter, sometimes in huge flocks. They feed on weed seeds in snow-covered fields; also eat alder and birch catkins. They are sparrow-like but have a black chin spot, red crown, deeply notched tail, and undulating flight.
HOARY REDPOLL Carduelis hornemanni
Uncommon in Far North; rare near Canadian border. Occurs in flocks of Common Redpolls, but identification of a Hoary risky except under ideal conditions. Examine flock for pale-backed birds with shorter stubby bills. Look for the unstreaked rump and undertail coverts, which are the Hoary’s only reliable field marks. Calls are like Common Redpoll’s.
COMMON REDPOLL Carduelis flammea
Irregularly common in woodland edges, weedy fields, and brush where it feeds much like goldfinches. The black chin and red cap are diagnostic. The Common’s call, a hoarse chit-chit-chit, is given frequently in flight and suggests a White-winged Crossbill’s, but is more rapid.
Irregularly common in large flocks, especially in conifers. Amount of yellow at the base of the tail and in the wings varies greatly. Note the heavily streaked underparts, deeply notched tail, and slender sharp bill. Siskins, smaller and slimmer than female Purple Finches, are more finely streaked below, and lack the dark patch at the side of the throat. In form and actions they resemble goldfinches, with which they often flock. Tame. Wheezy voice is diagnostic.
AMERICAN GOLDFINCH Carduelis tristis
Common in flocks in weedy fields, bushes, and roadsides, and in seed-bearing trees. Fond of thistles, sunflowers, and dandelions. Our only other bright-yellow bird with black cap and wings is the much larger Evening Grosbeak. Female and young can be told by the unstreaked back and breast, stubby finch bill, wing bars, notched tail, whitish rump, and roller-coaster flight. Male in winter and immature resemble female. Song is long, high, and sweet. Call, per-chik-o-ree, is diagnostic of this species. Both are given in flight.
LESSER GOLDFINCH Carduelis psaltria
Common in flocks in same or drier habitats than American Goldfinch. Breeds up to 7,500′. Both a black-backed and a green-backed race occur. Males of both races are easily told from American by the dark rump and, in flight, by the large white wing patch. Females are told by lack of contrast between back and rump. Song is more scratchy than American’s; call, a descending whistle.
LAWRENCE’S GOLDFINCH Carduelis lawrencei
Locally common, but erratic. They flock at times with other goldfinches but prefer drier habitats. The flesh-colored bill of the male contrasts with his black face and throat at all seasons. Head and back of female are grayer than in other goldfinches, wing bars are yellower, and the song is lower pitched, with distinctive harsh notes. Flight call is high and bell-like.
EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH Carduelis carduelis
Once established on Long Island, now very rare everywhere in North America. Kept as cage bird and sometimes escapes. In all plumages the wing pattern is distinctive. Face pattern of adult is unmistakable. Song suggests American Goldfinch’s.
CROSSBILLS are nomadic finches partial to conifers. In some winters there are irruptions of these birds, and they wander southward in large flocks. They are especially fond of salt and are seen feeding on roadsides. Only when they are close can one notice the crossed bill, which is used to extract seeds from cones. Like other northern finches, they call frequently in flight.
RED CROSSBILL Loxia curvirostra
Unpredictable but common at times in pine woods. The brick-red plumage of the adult male is distinctive; immature is more orange-red. All plumages lack wing bars on their blackish wings. The female, heavier billed and distinctly larger than a goldfinch, has a yellow rump like some subadult Purple Finches’ but lacks the heavily streaked breast. They cling to pine cones, from which they noisily extract seeds with their peculiar bills. Call, kip-kip-kip, is frequently given in flight.
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL Loxia leucoptera
Less common and more irregular than Red Crossbill. Prefers spruces, pines, and larches. Distinctive pinkish color and broad white wing bars identify the adult male. Similar wing bars are best mark of female and young male. Note also bright rump and fine streaking on flanks. In flight, has 3- or 4-note call suggesting redpolls’. Song is long and canary-like, 5–10/min.
DICKCISSEL Spiza americana
Abundant in grainfields and weed patches, but variable from year to year. The black-ribbed male sings from a conspicuous perch; the sparrow-like female is seldom noticed. The chestnut wing patch, narrow streak at side of throat, and trace of yellow separate winter Dickcissel from House Sparrow. Migrates in enormous flocks. Stray birds regularly reach the Atlantic Coast in fall, and may winter with sparrows at feeders. Song is 1 or 2 dicks followed by a guttural trill; in flight a low br-r-r-r-rt.
WHITE-COLLARED SEEDEATER Sporophila terqueola
Rare and local in flocks in weed patches in Rio Grande Delta. This tiny Mexican finch is much smaller than the sparrows with which it flocks. The stubby bill is the best field mark. Seedeaters are slimmer bodied, longer tailed, and much buffier than goldfinches, and lack the notched tail. Most birds seen are females or immatures. The loud song has 4 or 5 upward slurred notes followed by fewer notes on a lower pitch.
TOWHEES, large ground-feeding sparrows with long rounded tails, are often seen scratching for insects and seeds under shrubbery or brush. They hop and kick with both feet together; usually fly close to the ground, pumping their tail. Young are finely streaked below.
GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE Pipilo chlorurus
Fairly common in underbrush or chaparral. The clear white chin and greenish tinge of the underparts separate it from all other towhees. Call is a soft mew.
EASTERN TOWHEE Pipilo erythrophthalmus
Common in brush, heavy undergrowth, wood margins, and pine barrens. Note rufous sides, white belly, and long rounded tail with conspicuous white spots on corners. On female, the black is replaced by brown. Juvenile loses its streaking early in fall. Call is a slurred cherwink. Song, drink-your-tea, 7–12/min., with the last note trilled.
SPOTTED TOWHEE Pipilo maculatus
Common in brush and chaparral. Similar to Eastern Towhee, except for its white wing bars and white spots on its back. Formerly considered races of the same species, the two occasionally interbreed in areas of the Great Plains. Call is a nasal wheee, song is more variable and harsher than Eastern’s.
CANYON TOWHEE Pipilo fuscus
Common in dry canyons and foothills. Male and female are colored much like desert thrashers, but distinguished by conical beak and shorter tail. Also note rusty cap and, on some birds, a dark central breast spot. Juvenile is streaked and sparrow-like. Call a two-note ched-up; song more musical, less metallic than California’s.
CALIFORNIA TOWHEE Pipilo crissalis
Common near dense shrubbery, chaparral, and streamside thickets. Male and female are alike. Call is a loud, metallic chink; song, an escalating series of chinks; both very different from the Canyon Towhee, once considered the same species.
ABERT’S TOWHEE Pipilo aberti
Common in brush and streamside thickets of the arid Southwest. More secretive than the Canyon, from which it is told by its black face and buff underparts. Call note is sharp, metallic peek; song, a series of calls.
OLIVE SPARROW Arremonops rufivirgatus
Locally common in southern Texas in bushy areas. The unstreaked body, olive underparts, and rounded tail make this bird look more like a Green-tailed Towhee than a sparrow. Note median stripe through crown and lack of a white chin patch. Song is a series of musical chips.
SPARROWS are small brown-bodied birds with streaked backs and short conical beaks. Their food, mostly seeds except during the nesting season, is obtained on or near the ground. When not nesting, most are seen in flocks. Each species has its own habitat preferences; these may be diagnostic. Head and breast patterns are most helpful for identification; note also the length and shape of the tail. In most species females are very similar to males. Heads of adult males of most species are shown on this spread. The juncos and longspurs are represented by one head each; the striking Lark Bunting, the Snow Bunting, the towhees, and the Olive Sparrow are omitted. Immatures of some species are much duller, especially those species with black or rufous on the head. Songs and chips of sparrows are often more easily distinguished than are their plumages for further details.
UNSTREAKED BREASTS
SAVANNAH SPARROW Passerculus sandwichensis
Common in large fields with short or sparse grass or weeds. The heavily streaked breast without a central spot and the short notched tail are characteristic of most populations, but some western races have a central breast spot. The yellow lores, when present, are also a good field mark. Extremes of geographic variation are illustrated. When flushed, it flies for a short distance and usually returns to the ground. The rare Ipswich race, formerly considered a separate species, is of special interest because of its limited geographical range. It nests only on Sable Island, Nova Scotia; winters in coastal dunes from Massachusetts to Georgia. Larger and paler than other eastern races of Savannah, Ipswich race walks or runs, rarely hops; other races typically run or hop. Savannah’s song consists of 2–6 faint musical chips followed by 1 or 2 thin trills, 4–8/min.
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW Ammodramus savannarum
Common in hayfields and weedy fallow fields. The unstreaked buffy breast is characteristic of adult. At close range note the yellow at bend of the wing, the yellow lores, and the unique back color. The tail is very short and narrow. Sings from a tall weed or utility line. When flushed, the Grasshopper flies a short distance, then descends suddenly to the ground and disappears. The relatively large flat-topped head is thrown far back when singing. The song is grasshopper-like: 2 or 3 ticks, then an insect-like trill, 4–8/min.
BAIRD’S SPARROW Ammodramus bairdii
Uncommon on the high plains. The broad orange-brown median stripe through the crown separates this bird from the solid-capped Nelson’s Sharp-tailed, the white-striped Le Conte’s, and the faintly striped Savannah. Note also the finely streaked breastband. Song is 3 short ticks followed by a musical trill, 5–9/min.
HENSLOW’S SPARROW Ammodramus henslowii
Rare and local in broomsedge fields east of the Appalachians; more common in the Mississippi valley. No other sparrow has an olive head that contrasts strongly with a brown back. This large-headed short-tailed bird sings its insignificant song from such a low perch that often it is not visible. Song is ventriloqual, an unmusical ssllick.
LE CONTE’S SPARROW Ammodramus leconteii
Locally common in tall marsh grass, but easily overlooked. Purplish-gray collar with rusty streaks, orange-buff breast and eye stripe, and narrow white crown stripe distinguish it from all other sparrows. The contrasting gray cheek and dark streaks on the sides of the breast and flanks help rule out Grasshopper. Both Sharptaileds have an unstreaked dark crown; Henslow’s), an olive head. Song is faint and insect-like, tickity-tshshshsh-tick, 6–9/min. Often sings at night.
SALTMARSH SHARP-TAILED SPARROW Ammodramus caudacutus
Common in short grass salt marshes along the East Coast north to Maine. When flushed, flies weakly for a short distance then drops back into the grass. Rich orange-buff face, contrasting gray cheek, and dark, unstreaked crown indicate a sharp-tailed sparrow. In flight they appear smaller and browner than Seaside Sparrow, which shares the same habitat. Best told from the nearly identical Nelson’s Sharp-tailed, by their breeding range. In coastal Maine, where both occur, look for the Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed’s longer bill and brighter plumage. Song is a high faint trill, preceded by almost inaudible chips, 6–10/min.
NELSON’S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW Ammodramus nelsoni
Closely related to Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed and, until recently, considered one species. Locally common in freshwater marshes of the northern Great Plains and salt marshes bordering Hudson and James Bays, and along the north Atlantic Coast south to Maine. Nelson’s plumage varies geographically: inland races are bright, like Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed; coastal subspecies is duller and grayer. Song is buzzy, insect-like.
SEASIDE SPARROW Ammodramus maritimus
Common in grassy tidal marshes with scattered shrubs. Recognized by its dark gray plumage, long bill, and yellow line before the eye. Its tail is proportionately short and narrow. When flushed it flies a short distance and drops back into the marsh. Eats more insects and crustaceans than other sparrows. A distinctive subspecies, the “Cape Sable” Seaside Sparrow of southern Florida, is endangered by loss of habitat. The “Dusky” Seaside Sparrow, once found in salt marshes near Merritt Island, Florida, became extinct in 1987. Seaside’s buzzy song suggests a distant Red-winged Blackbird; call is a low chuck.
Cape Sable
LARK BUNTING Calamospiza melanocorys
Common on or near the ground in short grass prairie; irregular near margins of its range. Spring and summer male can be confused only with Bobolink. Heads of female and winter male resemble female Purple Finch’s. Note broad white wing bars, rounded tail, white tips to tail feathers, crisp streaking of underparts. Gregarious. Song, often given in flight, is long and varied, with trills and repeated single notes, 2–6/min.
VESPER SPARROW Pooecetes gramineus
Fairly common in meadows, pastures, hay and grain fields. Told from all other brown sparrows by white outer feathers of notched tail. Note narrow eye ring and chestnut shoulder. Lark Sparrow has white around tip of its rounded tail. Pipits have white outer tail feathers but warbler-like bills, and are more often seen in dense flocks. Song suggests Song Sparrow’s, but is recognized by 2 longer, slurred, introductory notes.
LARK SPARROW Chondestes grammacus
Fairly common in West (local east of Mississippi River) in dry fields near brush or trees. Told by the rounded white-tipped tail, black breast spot, and chestnut head markings. Immature lacks breast spot but has white tail margin and full face pattern. Song is melodious notes and trills, interrupted by unmusical buzzes, 4–10/min.
BLACK-THROATED SPARROW Amphispiza bilineata
Common desert bird of cactus, sage, and mesquite. Gray with white underparts; other black-bibbed sparrows have streaked backs. Immature is told by the finely streaked breast, face pattern, dark rounded tail with white on outer feather, lack of wing bars. Song is high, sweet, and trilled, much like Bewick’s Wren’s.
SAGE SPARROW Amphispiza belli
Fairly common in sagebrush plains and chaparral. Recognized by its gray head with white spot in front of the eye, dark whisker streak, and light breast with single breast spot. Interior races are paler above than the coastal bird shown. Often seen running on ground; typically flicks its tail when perched. Streak-breasted juvenile suggests a Lark Sparrow, but has dark head, a plain crown, and much less white on its tail. Song of 4–7 high thin notes, third note highest.
Lark Sparrow
JUNCOS are unstreaked sparrows with gray or black hoods, pink bills, and white outer tail feathers. Common, widespread, and rather tame, Juncos are often seen in large flocks. They hop on the ground and pick up small seeds, but seldom scratch with their feet. Streaked juveniles are identified as Juncos by their tail and call notes.
DARK-EYED JUNCO Junco hyemalis
The Slate-colored, White-winged, Oregon, and Gray-headed Juncos are now classified as geographic races of one widely distributed species, but populations readily identifiable in the field are discussed separately here. Flocks seen in winter and during migration may be mixed.
The widespread “Slate-colored” Junco nests in brushy clearings and margins of coniferous forests; in winter they gather in large flocks in weedy fields, thickets, wood margins, parks, and backyards. Head, back, and breast are uniformly slate-gray. Immatures, especially females in or from the far Northwest, often have pinkish sides and may be confused with Oregon Juncos.
The large “White-winged” Junco is common only in pine forests of the Black Hills, South Dakota; there are no records east of the Great Plains. It is identified by the two white wing bars and has more white on the tail than other juncos (at least 3 feathers on each side are all white).
“Oregon” Juncos are abundant in western conifers, and during winter in suburbs, farmyards, and fields. Typical Oregon has black hood, contrasting with rusty back and sides. “Pink-sided” variant has a pale gray hood, brown back, and pinkish-buff sides.
“Gray-headed” Juncos are common in coniferous forests of the southern Rockies. Told from other races by the overall pale gray plumage with contrasting rusty back and dark lores. A Southwest race of Gray-headed has a dark upper mandible, similar to the Yellow-eyed Junco, but Gray-headed always has a dark eye.
Song of all forms similar, a simple trill, more musical than Chipping Sparrow’s, 5–12/min. Calls varied, mostly sharp chips and twitters. Sonagram below.
White-winged junco
Slate-colored junco
Oregon junco
Gray-headed Junco
YELLOW-EYED JUNCO Junco phaeonotus
Locally common in coniferous and pine-oak forests above 5,000′. Bright yellow eye of adult is best field mark. The entire underparts are whitish; the lores are black. Generally walks instead of hopping. Tame. Song is varied for a junco; call is like Chipping Sparrow’s.
Dark-eyed Junco
FIVE-STRIPED SPARROW Amphispiza quinquestriata
Local in southern Arizona in thick bushes on steep hillsides, 3500–4000′, especially in canyons that flow into the Rio Magdalena in Mexico. Note white and black throat stripes, black spot on gray breast.
RUFOUS-WINGED SPARROW Aimophila carpalis
Rare and local in tall grass amid thorny desert shrubs. Looks like a large dusky Field Sparrow with a gray stripe through the crown. Unlike Field and Chipping, it has a black whisker mark and a rounded tail. Small rusty shoulder patch can be seen (except in juvenile) at close range. Song, towhee-like, about 2 notes, and a trill.
RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW Aimophila ruficeps
Locally common on steep slopes with scattered bushes. Told by its unstreaked deep rufous crown, black whisker mark, lack of wing bars, obscure back streakings, dusky breast, and rounded tail. Compare with other rusty-capped sparrows on and Canyon Towhee. Call is a jumble of short, rapid notes, like a House Wren.
CASSIN’S SPARROW Aimophila cassinii
Fairly common on dry plains with short grass and scattered low brush. Recognized by its plain breast, finely streaked crown, gray-brown back, and dark gray tail. Compare with Grasshopper, Brewer’s, and Botteri’s Sparrows. Cassin’s often sings in flight, a high musical trill preceded and followed by 1 or 2 short notes.
BOTTERI’S SPARROW Aimophila botterii
Rare and local summer resident in the tall grass of brushy coastal prairies of Texas and in portions of southeast Arizona deserts. Similar to Cassin’s, it occurs with it in Arizona. Note at close range the rusty tinge of the wings and tail, the pale buffy breast and sides, and the heavier black streaking on the back. The song, always given from a perch, is 2 to 4 notes followed by a trill.
BACHMAN’S SPARROW Aimophila aestivalis
Uncommon and local; declining in northern part of range. Found in abandoned fields with scattered shrubs, pines, or oaks, usually with dense ground cover. Shy and elusive. Told from Field Sparrow, which often occurs with it, by its larger size, darker crown with streaks, darker tail, and larger bill with dark upper mandible. Song is beautiful and varied, 4–10/min.
Bachman’s Sparrow
AMERICAN TREE SPARROW Spizella arborea
Common in willow thickets, weedy fields, and hedgerows. This brightest and largest of the rusty-capped sparrows is seen in large flocks in winter. It is the only one with a large central breast spot. Note also 2-tone bill and dark legs. Immature is like adult. Song has pattern of Fox Sparrow’s, but is higher, thinner, and softer. A musical 2-note twitter is diagnostic in winter.
CHIPPING SPARROW Spizella passerina
Common on lawns or sparse grass under scattered trees. In winter it flocks with other sparrows in hedgerows and weedy fields. Black bill and very white eye stripe separate spring adults from other rusty-capped sparrows. Immatures and winter adults, with lighter bills and dull streaked crowns, are told by contrast between gray rump and brown back. Song is of rapid chips, 5–9/min.
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW Spizella pallida
Locally common in open brushland. Brown cheek patch and light median streak through crown are distinctive. In fall often hard to tell from Chipping Sparrow; note the pale lores (eye line does not extend in front of eye), more pronounced whisker streak and browner rump. Song is a distinctive series of 2–5 identical, slow, low-pitched buzzes, 5–10/min.
BREWER’S SPARROW Spizella breweri
Common; in sage and desert scrub. The pale brown crown, finely streaked with black, lacks a median line. Note the small size, slim build, eye ring, and clear breast. Song is a varied series of rapid trills (Sonagram above).
Brewer’s Sparrow
FIELD SPARROW Spizella pusilla
Common in abandoned fields with tall grass or scattered saplings. Told by its slender build, bright pink bill and legs, unstreaked rusty crown, and lack of dark eye line. Song is a series of slurred whistles in increasing tempo, 4–6/min.
BLACK-CHINNED SPARROW Spizella atrogularis
Uncommon; in chaparral and sage. Pink bill with gray head and breast make it appear junco-like, but is easily told by streaked back and absence of white on tail. Song suggests Field Sparrow’s, but higher and more rapid.
HARRIS’S SPARROW Zonotrichia querula
Fairly common. Breeds at timberline; in winter it prefers hedgerows, wood margins, and brush. Our largest sparrow; recognized by the combination of the pink bill, black or blotched bib, black crown, and streaked sides. No other pink-billed sparrow has streaked sides. The sexes are alike. Song consists of 2–4 identical high whistles; repeated on a different pitch.
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW Zonotrichia leucophrys
Abundant in West, in thickets, hedgerows, or wood margins adjacent to fields or open areas. Recognized by its pink or yellowish bill, erect posture, gray throat and breast, and prominently streaked crown. Adult and immature are told from White-throated Sparrow by posture, bill color, and lores. Geographic races show minor differences in head pattern and bill color. Gambel’s race breeds in Alaska and northwestern Canada. The White-crowned shuns the woodland thickets so favored by the White-throated Sparrow. Song is of clear whistles and buzzy trills; it varies geographically.
GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW Zonotrichia atricapilla
Fairly common, breeding at high elevations near timberline and at openings in stunted spruce forests. Often seen in winter with the White-crowned Sparrow, which it most closely resembles. Golden-crowned is best told by the crown pattern and dusky bill. Immature and fall adult can be mistaken for immature White-throated except for the plain throat, larger size, and lack of a buffy median crown stripe. Song consists of 3–5 clear whistles, descending scale Oh dear me.
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW Zonotrichia albicollis
Abundant in dense undergrowth and brush; seldom found far from dense cover. Occurs in two color morphs; on both, the well-defined white throat is the best field mark. The yellow lores are diagnostic, but are inconspicuous on tan-striped birds and immatures. The dark bill and short-necked posture separate it from the White-crowned in all plumages. The similar immature Swamp Sparrow has a white throat and dingy breast, but is smaller and has rufous wings and a rounded tail. White-throated usually feeds on the ground. Song is a clear high whistle, “old Sam Peabody Peabody Peabody.”
White-throated Sparrow
FOX SPARROW Passerella iliaca
Common in dense coniferous thickets and deciduous brush, Fox Sparrows feed by scratching, towhee-fashion, with both feet. Recognized by its large size, heavily streaked underparts, and in the East by its bright orange-brown rump and tail. Often has a central breast spot and a bicolored bill. Numerous western races vary from gray-brown in the Rockies, to heavily marked, dark chocolate-brown in the Pacific Northwest. Most are unstreaked above and may be confused with the Hermit Thrush, which has a thin bill and small spots on its breast, or with large northwestern races of the Song Sparrow, which are streaked on the head and back, and have a rounded tail. Song is loud and clear, starting with characteristic slurred whistles.
LINCOLN’S SPARROW Melospiza lincolnii
Fairly common in thickets along bogs and streams; uncommon in East. In migration and winter it prefers brush piles and wood margins. Note the fine neat streakings on the buffy breastband and the semblance of a tiny eye ring. Its gray face and longer rounded tail separate Lincoln’s from grass and marsh sparrows. Secretive. Seldom sings in winter or migration. Note junco-like chip. Song suggests House Wren’s, 3–6/min.
SWAMP SPARROW Melospiza georgiana
Common in bogs and marshes but not heavily wooded swamps; in migration it is also seen in weedy fields. Adult is told by its red cap, gray eye stripe and gray face, white throat, and solid dark bill. Immature is grayer breasted than Lincoln’s and lacks the clear-cut breast streakings. Also note the rusty wings in all plumages. Feeds on or near the ground. Song is a slow trill of similar slurred liquid notes, suggestive of a Chipping Sparrow’s but much more musical and slower, 4–6/min.
SONG SPARROW Melospiza melodia
Abundant in East, locally in West in moist areas with bushes, hedgerows, and wood margins. Told by the heavily streaked breast with a central spot, by lack of yellow or buffy color, and by long slightly rounded tail which it “pumps” in flight. Geographic races vary from rusty to gray and light to dark. Short-tailed juvenile, which lacks central breast spot, can be mistaken for Savannah. Song is lively and varied, of many short notes and a trill near the end, 4–6/min. Call is a flat nasal tship.
LONGSPURS AND SNOW BUNTINGS are gregarious sparrow-like ground birds of open fields, tundra, and dunes. Adult male plumage seldom is seen outside the nesting ground. Watch for distinctive patterns on the rather short tails.
McCOWN’S LONGSPUR Calcarius mccownii
Less common than Chestnut-collared on arid plains. The tail is mostly white, with only narrow median and terminal bands. The only longspur with rusty bend of wing (often concealed). Note the gray hind neck. Flight song is a long twittering warble; call, a dry rattle.
CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR Calcarius ornatus
Common in fallow plains and short grass prairies. Told in all plumages by the dark triangle on the white tail and by lack of a well-defined ear patch. Song is like a faint Western Meadowlark’s, 3–8/min. Call is finchlike, 2 syllables; also a faint rattle in flight.
LAPLAND LONGSPUR Calcarius lapponicus
Abundant in Arctic and locally in interior; uncommon in East. Flocks with Horned Larks, Snow Buntings, or other longspurs. Winter male is told by chestnut hind neck and gray throat blotch. Tail with white outer feathers is like pipit’s or Vesper Sparrow’s. Flight calls, a dry rattle and a short, clear whistled pew.
SMITH’S LONGSPUR Calcarius pictus
Uncommon and local; winters on short grass plains and airports. Told from other longspurs by the buffy body and flesh-colored legs and male’s broad white wing bar (shared by Chestnut-collared). Rapid clicking in flight.
SNOW BUNTING Plectrophenax nivalis
Common on tundra; local on beaches, dunes, and in short grass; often seen with Horned Larks or longspurs. Most readily identified in flight by large white wing patches; no other flocking songbird in its range has these. Flight call is a short descending whistle.
McKAY’S BUNTING Plectrophenax hyperboreus
Common breeder on Bering Sea islands. Winters in coastal western Alaska. Female is told by pure white head and male by white head and back. Song is like American Goldfinch’s.
Chestnut-collared
