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Common Loon

·        Also known as the Great Northern Diver

·        Breeds in parts in Canada, northern U.S, Greenland and Alaska

·        The weight can vary from 3.6 to 17.6 lbs.

·        On average a Common Loon is about 32 inches long, has a wingspan of 54 inches, and weighs about 9 lbs.

Horned Grebe

·        Also known as the Slovenian Grebe

·        On average a Horned Grebe is about 12–15 in long with a 46–55 cm wingspan.

·        Like all grebes, it nests on the water's edge, since its legs are set very far back and it cannot walk well.

·        The Horned Grebe breeds in vegetated areas of freshwater lakes across Europe and Asia.  It also breeds in remote inland parts of the United States and much of Canada. 

·        Most birds migrate in the winter to the coast.  During this time, the Horned Grebe is mainly white with a sharply defined blackl cap.  

Pied-billed Grebe

·        The Pied-billed Grebe breeds across Canada, parts of the United States, and temperate South America.

·        The most widespread of North American grebes, it is found on remote ponds, marshes, and sluggish streams.

·        The Pied-billed Grebe is small at 12"-15" in length, stocky, and short-necked. It is usually brown or gray in color. It has a short, blunt chicken-like bill, which in summer is encircled by a broad black band (hence the name). It is the only grebe that does not show a white wing patch in flight.

Double-crested Cormorant

·        The Double-crested Cormorant is a large black bird 29"–36" long, with a wingspan up to 52".

·         It has a long tail and a yellow throat-patch, and can appear to have a green sheen in certain lighting.

·        The white double head crest is seen for a short period during the breeding season in western birds; it is duller in eastern birds.

·        Once threatened by use of DDT, the numbers of this bird have increased markedly in recent years.

Great Blue Heron

·        The Great Blue Heron is common all over North and Central as well as the West Indies and the Galapagos, except in the desert where there is no water for them to wade in.

·        Great Blue Herons can be found in a range of habitats, in fresh and saltwater marshes, mangrove swamps, flooded meadows, lake edges, or shorelines, but they always live near bodies of water.

·        It’s diet consists of frogs, fish, insects, snakes, turtles, rodents, and other small birds.

Green Heron

·        The Green Heron is a relatively small bird, adult body length is 44cm.

·        Adults have a glossy, greenish-black cap, a greenish back and wings that are grey-black grading into green or blue, a chestnut neck with a white line down the front, grey under parts and short yellow legs. The bill is dark with a long, sharp point.

·         Female adults tend to be smaller than males, and have duller and lighter plumage, particularly in the breeding season.

·        Their breeding habitat is small wetlands in eastern and Midwest North America, Central America, the West Indies and the Pacific coast of Canada and the United States.

Black-crowned Night-Heron

·        Adults are 64 cm long and weigh 800 g.

·        They have a black crown and back with the remainder of the body white or grey, red eyes, and short yellow legs. Young birds are brown, flecked with white and grey.

·        The breeding habitat is fresh and salt-water wetlands throughout much of the world.

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

·        Adults are 61 cm long and weigh 625 g.

·        They have a white crown and back with the remainder of the body grayish, red eyes and short yellow legs. They also have a white stripe below the eye.

·        Their breeding habitat is swamps and marshes in the eastern United States to north-eastern South America.

·        These birds stalk their prey or stand still at the water's edge and wait to ambush prey, mainly at night. They mainly eat crustaceans, mollusks, frogs, aquatic insects and small fish.

Canadian Geese

·        This species is 30-43 in long with a 50-71 in wing span.

·        Males usually weigh 7–14 pounds, and can be very aggressive in defending territory. The female looks virtually identical but is slightly lighter at 5.5–12 pounds, and has a different honk.

·        These birds feed mainly on plant material. When feeding in water, they submerge their heads and necks to reach aquatic plants.

·        Flocks of these birds often feed on leftover cultivated grains in fields, especially during migration or in winter.

Wood Duck

·        Also known as the Carolina Duck.

·        A typical adult is about 19 inches in length with an average wingspan of 29 inches.

·        The adult male has distinctive multi-colored iridescent plumage and red eyes. The female, less colorful, has a white eye-ring and a whitish throat. Both adults have crested heads.

·        When swimming, wood ducks bob their head back and forth in a jerking motion, which makes them easy to spot.

·        Their breeding habitat is wooded swamps, shallow lakes, marshes or ponds in eastern North America, the west coast of the United States and western Mexico.

Green-winged Teal

·        It breeds in the northern areas of North America.

·        The breeding male has grey flanks and back, with a yellow rear end and a white-edged green speculum, obvious in flight or at rest. It has a chestnut head with a green eye patch.

·        The females are light brown, with plumage much like a female Mallard. They can be distinguished from most ducks on size and shape, and the speculum.

·        It is a common duck of sheltered wetlands, such as taiga bogs, and usually feeds by dabbling for plant food or grazing. It nests on the ground, near water and under cover.

American Black Duck

·        The adult male has a yellow bill, a dark body, lighter head and neck, orange legs and dark eyes. The adult female has a similar appearance.

·        Their breeding habitat is lakes, ponds, rivers, marshes and other aquatic environments in eastern Canada including the Great Lakes, and the Adirondacks in the U.S.

·        The Black Duck has long been valued as a game bird, being quite wary and fast on the wing. Although this is a species of least concern, it is slowly declining due to over hunting and habitat destruction.

Mallard

·        Also known as the Wild Duck.

·        The Mallard breeds throughout the temperate and sub-tropical areas of North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

·        Probably the best-known of all ducks, it gave rise to most domestic ducks, apart from the Muscovy Duck. Mallards also look like Call Ducks, but are larger in size.

·        The male has a green head, black rear and a blue speculum edged with white, prominent in flight or at rest.  The male also has a yellow bill with a black tip.

·        The female mallard is light brown like most female dabbling ducks.  It has a dark brown bill.

Northern Pintail

·        Breeds in the northern areas of Europe and Asia and across most of Canada, Alaska and the mid-western United States.

·        This dabbling duck is strongly migratory and winters further south than its breeding range, as far as the equator

·        The male has a pale grey body, white breast and lateral neck stripe, and dark brown head.

·        The females are light brown with a whiter throat, and their pointed tail is shorter, but they are easily identified by their shape, long neck, and long all grey bill.

Gadwall

·        The Gadwall is 46-56 cm long with a 78-90 cm wingspan.

·        The breeding male is a beautifully patterned grey, with a black rear end and a brilliant white speculum, obvious in flight or at rest. In non-breeding (eclipse) plumage, the drake looks more like the female.

·        The females are light brown, with plumage much like a female Mallard. They can be distinguished from that species by the dark orange-edged bill, smaller size, and lack of an obvious speculum.

·        The Gadwall breeds in the northern areas of Europe and Asia and central North America.

Canvasback

·        The Canvasback is a large diving duck, 48-60 cm long and weighing 1270 g.

·        The adult male has a black bill, a red head and neck, a black breast, red eyes and a whitish body.

·        The adult female has a brown head and body and a black bill.

·        Their breeding habitat is North American prairie wetlands.

·        Canvasbacks are strongly migratory and over winter on the coasts of the United States, the Great Lakes and British Columbia in saltwater bays, estuaries or lakes.

Common Goldeneye

·        Adult males ranges from 18-21 inches and from 1.9 to 3.1 lbs, while females range from 16-20 inches and from 1.1 to 2.6 lbs.

·        The species is aptly named for it's golden-yellow eye.

·        Adult males have a dark head with a greenish gloss and a circular white patch below the eye, a dark back and a white neck and belly.

·        Adult females have a brown head and a mostly grey body.

·        They are found in the lakes and rivers of boreal forests across Canada and the northern United States, Scandinavia and northern Russia .

Bufflehead

·        They range from 12.5-16 inches and  9.5 oz.-1.2 lbs, with the drakes larger than the females.

·        Adult males have a dark head with a large white cap behind the eye and a mainly white body with a black back.

·        Adult females have a brown head with a smaller white patch behind the eye and a mainly brown body.

·        The name Bufflehead is a combination of buffalo and head, referring to the oddly bulbous head shape of the species.

Hooded Merganser

·        Hooded Mergansers have a crest at the back of the head which can be expanded or contracted.

·        In adult males, this crest has a large white patch, the head is black and the sides are reddish brown.

·        The adult female has a reddish crest, with much of the rest of the head and body a grayish-brown.

·        Their breeding habitat is swamps and wooded ponds on the northern half of the United States or southern Canada.

·        They prefer to nest in tree cavities near water but will use Wood Duck nesting boxes if available and unoccupied.

Common Merganser

·        Is a large sized duck, which is distributed over Europe, North Asia and North America. It is most common on lakes and rivers.

·        Males and females are easily distinguished, since the male merganser has a dark green head, while the head of the female is reddish-brown.

·        The Common Merganser is 70 cm long with a 78-94 cm wingspan.

·        These large fish-eaters have serrated edges to their bills to help them grip their prey.

·        They also eat mussels and shrimps; young birds mainly eat aquatic insects.

Ruddy Duck

·        Adult males have a rust-red body, a blue bill, and a white face with a black cap.

·        Adult females have a grey-brown body with a grayish face with a darker bill, cap and a cheek stripe.

·        Their breeding habitat is marshy lakes and ponds throughout much of North America.

·        These birds dive and swim underwater.  They mainly eat seeds and roots of aquatic plants, aquatic insects and crustaceans.

American Black Vulture

·        These are very large birds of prey at 65cm length and with a 1.5m wingspan.

·        Their plumage is mainly glossy black; they have broad wings with white tips, a short tail and a featherless greyish head.

·        They eat mainly carrion and may scavenge at garbage dumps, but take also eggs and decomposing plant material, and can kill or injure new-born or incapacitated mammals.

Turkey Vulture

·        Is the most common vulture in the Americas.

·        The typical adult bird is an average 76 cm (30") long with a 185 cm (6 ft) wingspan, and weighing 1.4 kg (3.1 lb).

·        The sexes are similar, with the female being slightly larger.

·        Their body feathers are mostly brownish-black, but the flight feathers on the wings appear silvery-gray beneath, contrasting with the darker wing linings. The adult head is small in proportion to its body, red in color with few to no feathers, and has a relatively short, hooked, ivory-colored bill.

Osprey

·        The Osprey is 3-4.4 pounds and 20.5-24 inches long with a 5-5.9 ft wingspan.

·        It has mainly white under parts and head, apart from a dark mask through the eye, and fairly uniformly brown upperparts. Its short tail and long, narrow wings with four long "finger" feathers (and a shorter fifth) give it a very distinctive appearance.

·        In flight, Ospreys have arched wings and drooping "hands", giving them a diagnostic gull-like appearance.

Bald Eagle

·        The species was on the brink of extinction in the U.S. late in the twentieth century, but now has a stable population and is in the process of being removed from the U.S. federal government's list of endangered species.

·        The Bald Eagle was officially reclassified from "Endangered" to "Threatened" on July 12, 1995 by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

·        The Bald Eagle's natural range covers most of North America, including most of Canada, all of the continental United States, and northern Mexico.

Northern Harrier

·        In North America it is known as the Northern Harrier or Marsh Hawk.

·        It breeds throughout the northern parts of the Northern hemisphere in Canada and the northernmost USA, and northern Eurasia.

·        The male is grey above and white below, with black wingtips.

·        The female is brown above and white above with white upper tail coverts.

·        Hen Harriers hunt small mammals and birds, surprising then as they drift low fields and moors.

Sharp-shinned Hawk

·        Their breeding habitat is varied forested areas across most of North America and parts of Central America.

·        Males are 9.5 to 11 in long, have a wingspan of 20 to 23 in and weigh from 3.1 to 4 oz.

·        Females are rather larger at a length of 11.5 to 13.8 in, a wingspan of 23 to 27 in and a weight of  5.3 to 7.7 oz.

·        Adults have short broad wings and a long square-ended tail with dark bands.  Adults have short broad wings and a long square-ended tail with dark bands.

Cooper’s Hawk

·        They are permanent residents in most of the United States and their breeding range from Southern Canada to Northern Mexico.

·        The average adult male, at 11 oz, 15 in long and a wingspan of 29 in, is considerably smaller than the female, at 1.1 lb, 18 in long and a wingspan of 33 in.

·        Adults have short broad wings and a long round-ended tail with dark bands. They have a dark cap, blue-grey upperparts and white under parts with red bars. They have red eyes and yellow legs.

·        These birds capture prey from cover or while flying quickly through dense vegetation, relying almost totally on surprise.

Red-shouldered Hawk

·        Males are 17 to 23 in long, weigh about 1.2 lbs and have a wingspan of 38 in.

·        Females are slightly larger at 19 to 24 in in length, a weight of about 1.5 lbs and a wingspan of about 42 in.

·        Adults have a brownish head, a reddish chest and have a pale belly with reddish bars.

·        The red "shoulder" is visible when the bird is perched.

·        Usually, while in forested areas, these birds wait on a perch and swoop down on prey. When in clearings, they sometimes flying low in order to surprise prey.

·        Small mammals are typically the most important prey, with voles, mice and chipmunks locally favored. Other prey can include amphibians, reptiles (especially small snakes), small birds and large insects.

Red-tailed Hawk

·        It breeds almost throughout North America from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far South as Panama and the West Indies.

·        This is one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chicken hawk."

·        Males can weigh from 1.5 to 2.9 pounds and measure 18 to 22 in.

·        Females can weigh between 2 and 4.4 pounds and measure 20 to 26 inches in length.

·        Red-tailed Hawks generally prefer to wait on a certain perch and swoop down on prey; though they will also patrol open areas in flight. They mainly eat small mammals, birds and reptiles.

American Kestrel

·        American Kestrels are widely distributed across the Americas.

·        Their breeding range extends from central and western Alaska across northern Canada to Nova Scotia, and south throughout North America, into central Mexico, the Baja, and the Caribbean.

·        American Kestrels are found in a variety of habitats including parks, suburbs, open fields, forest edges and openings, alpine zones, grasslands, marshes, open areas on mountainsides, prairies, plains, deserts with giant cacti, and freeway and highway corridors.

American Coot

·        About 16 inches in length and weighing 1.4 lb, adults have a short thick white bill and white frontal shield, with a reddish-brown spot near the base of the bill between the eyes.

·        The body is grey with the head and neck darker than the rest of the body. Their legs are yellowish, with scalloped toes rather than webbed feet.

·        Their chicks have black bodies with bright red head and beak, and orange plumes around the neck.

·        Their breeding habitat is marshes from southern Quebec to the Pacific coast of North America and as far south as northern South America.

Killdeer

·        Adults have a brown back and wings, a white belly, and a white breast with two black bands. The rump is tawny orange. The face and cap are brown with a white forehead.  They have an orange-red eye ring.

·        The chicks are patterned almost identically to the adults, and are precocial — able to move around right after hatching.

·        Their breeding habitat is open fields or lawns, often quite far from water, across most of Canada, the United States, and Mexico, with isolated populations in Costa Rica and Peru. Killdeer nest on open ground, often on gravel.

·        Their name comes from their frequently heard call. These birds will frequently use the "broken-wing act" to distract predators from their nests.

Wild Turkey

·        Is native to North America

·        Adult Wild Turkeys have a small, featherless, bluish head; a red throat in males; long reddish-orange to grayish-blue legs; and a dark-brown to black body.

·        The head has fleshy growths called caruncles; in excited turkeys, a fleshy flap on the bill expands, becoming engorged with blood.

·        Males have red wattles on the throat and neck. Each foot has four toes, and males have rear spurs on their lower legs.

·        Turkeys have between 5,000 and 6,000 feathers.

American Woodcock

·        Adults have short pinkish legs and a very long straight bill with an articulated tip.

·        The body is patterned cinnamon on top and a lighter brown underneath. They have large eyes located high in the head. The wings are rounded.

·        Their breeding habitat is wet wooded areas in eastern North America. They nest on the ground in an open wooded location.

·        These birds forage by probing in soft soil in thickets, usually well-hidden from sight. They mainly eat earthworms and insects, also plant material.

Rock Pigeon

·        The bird is also known by the names of feral pigeon or domestic pigeon.

·        The Rock Pigeon has a restricted natural resident range in western and southern Europe, North Africa, and into South Asia.

·        Its habitat is natural cliffs, usually on coasts.

·        The Rock Pigeon is 32–37 cm long with a 64–72 cm wingspan.

·        The white lower back of the pure Rock Pigeon is its best identification character, but the two black bars on its pale grey wings are also distinctive.

Mourning Dove

·        The bird is also called the American Mourning Dove, and formerly was known as the Carolina Pigeon or Carolina Turtledove.

·        It ranges from Central America to southern Canada, including offshore islands.

·        Habitats include various open and semi-open environments, including agricultural and urban areas.

·        Mourning Doves are light gray and brownish and generally muted in color. Males and females are similar in appearance.

·        The Mourning Dove is a medium-sized, slender dove approximately 31 cm (12 in) in length.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

·        Adults have a long tail, brown above and black-and-white below, and a black curved bill with yellow especially on the lower mandible.

·        The head and upper parts are brown and the under parts are white. There is a yellow ring around the eye. It shows cinnamon on the wings in flight.

·        Their breeding habitat is deciduous woods from southern Canada to Mexico.

·        They nest in a tree or shrub, usually up to 2-12 feet (1-4 meters) above the ground.

Eastern Screech Owl

·        Adults have either rusty or dark grey intricately patterned plumage with streaking on the underpants.

·        Small and stocky, short-tailed and broad winged, they have a large round head with ear tufts, yellow eyes and a yellowish bill.

·        Rusty birds are more common in the southern parts of the range; pairings of the two color variants do occur.

·        A pale grey variation also exists in western Canada and the north-central United States.

·        The color variations are referred to as "red-phase" and "grey-phase" by bird watchers and ornithologists.

·        Their breeding habitat is deciduous or mixed woods in eastern North America.

Great Horned Owl

·        The breeding habitat of the Great Horned Owl extends almost throughout both North America and South America.

·        The habitats they can take up residence in include deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests, tropical rainforests, pampas, prairie, mountainous areas, deserts, sub arctic tundra, rocky coasts, mangrove swamps, and some urban areas.

·        An average Great Horned Owl is 55 cm (22 inches) long, has a wingspan of 124 cm (49 inches) and weighs about 1400 grams (3.1 lbs)

Barred Owl

·        It goes by many other names, including eight hooter, rain owl, wood owl, and striped owl, but is probably known best as the hoot owl.

·        Its breeding habitat is dense woods across Canada, the eastern United States and south to Central America; in recent years it has spread to the western United States.

·        The adult is 44 cm long with a 112 cm wingspan.

·        It has a pale face with dark rings around the eyes, a yellow bill and dark eyes. The underpants are light with brown streaks; the upper parts are mottled brown. There are brown bars on the chest. The legs and feet are covered in feathers up to the talons.

Common Nighthawk

·        The adults have dark with brown, grey and white patterning on the upperparts and breast; the long wings are black and reveal a white bar when in flight.

·        The tail is dark with white barring; the under parts are white with black bars..

·        The adult male has a white throat; the female has a light brown throat.

·        Their breeding habitat is open country across North America.

·        They catch flying insects on the wing, mainly foraging near dawn and dusk (crepuscular), sometimes at night with a full moon or near street lighting.

Chuck-Will’s-Widow

·        It is found in the southeastern United States near swamps, rocky uplands, and pine woods.

·        Its common name derives from its continuous, repetitive song that is often heard at night.

·        Generally resembling a Whip-poor-will, it has mottled brownish under parts, a buff throat, reddish-brown feathers lined with black, and brown and white patterning on head and chest, differing from the gray and black of its more common cousin.

·        It eats primarily insects, particular those active at night such as moths, beetles, and winged ants.

Whip-Poor-Will

·        The Whip-poor-will is commonly heard within its range, but less often seen.

·        Adults have mottled plumage: the upperparts are grey, black and brown; the lower parts are grey and black.  They have a very short bill and a black throat.

·        Males have a white patch below the throat and white tips on the outer tail feathers; in the female, these parts are light brown.

·        The Whip-poor-will's breeding habitat is deciduous or mixed woods across southeastern Canada, eastern and southwestern United States, and Central America.

Chimney Swift

·        In flight, this bird looks like a flying cigar with long slender curved wings. The plumage is a sooty grey-brown; the throat, breast, under wings and rump are paler. They have short tails.

·        Their breeding habitat is near towns and cities across eastern North America.

·        These birds live on the wing, foraging in flight. They eat flying insects. They usually feed in groups, flying closely together and making a high-pitched chipping noise.

·        Their population may have increased historically with the introduction of large chimneys as nesting locations.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

·        The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird is 7-9 cm long with an 8-11 cm wingspan, and weighs 2-6 g.

·        Adults are metallic green above and grayish white below, with near-black wings. Their bill is long, straight and very slender.

·        The breeding habitat is throughout most of eastern North America and the Canadian prairies, in deciduous and pine forests and forest edges, orchards, and gardens.

·        Nectar from flowers and flowering trees is its main food, but its diet also occasionally includes insects and tree sap taken from woodpecker drilling.

Belted Kingfisher

·        This bird's breeding habitat is areas near inland bodies of waters or coasts across most of Canada, Alaska and the United States.

·        It is 28–32 cm long, with deep blue or bluish-grey plumage with white markings, a shaggy crest and a broad white collar around the neck.

·        These birds nest in a horizontal tunnel made in a river bank or sand bank. The female lays 5 to 8 eggs. Both parents excavate the tunnel, incubate the eggs and feed the young.

Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker

• These birds drill holes in trees and eat the sap and insects drawn to it
• They nest in the cavities of large deciduous trees, often choosing one that has been weakened by disease
• They drum and give a cat-like call in spring to declare ownership of a territory

Downy Woodpecker

• The smallest woodpecker in North America
• They nest in tree cavities
• The downy woodpecker is known to eat not only insects, but also seeds and berries
• Virtually identical in plumage to the Hairy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

• Virtually identical in plumage to the downy woodpecker
• They nest in tree cavities
• They eat mainly insects, but also fruits, berries, nuts, and sometimes tree sap

Northern Flicker

• The only woodpecker that commonly feeds on the ground
• They have a behavior called anting, during which they use the acid from the ants to assist in preening, as it is useful in keeping them free of parasites
• Their eggs are the second largest of any North American woodpeckers, exceeded only by the Pileated Woodpecker

Pileated Woodpecker

• It was a model for the cartoon character of “Woody Woodpecker”
• They often chip out large, roughly rectangular holes in trees while searching for insects
• Usually excavate large cavities in dead trees for their nests

Eastern Wood Pewee

• They obtain food by catching insects in mid-flight and hovering to pick them off of trees and bushes
• They migrate to the Andes in South America and to Central America at the end of summer
• The females lay 3 to 4 translucent eggs which gradually turn a light cream color and develop brown spots

Acadian Flycatcher

• Their breeding habitat is most often deciduous forests near water
• They eat insects that they catch in mid-air or by picking them off of bushes while hovering
• In some areas, Brown-headed cowbirds lay their eggs in the flycatcher’s nest

Eastern Phoebe

• Often one of the first birds to return in the spring, and the last one to leave in the fall
• The bird mostly eats insects, but is known to also eat fruits and berries
• A perching bird will often “bob” its tail, which is a good way to  identify the bird

Great Crested Flycatcher

• These birds catch insects in mid-flight or pick them off of trees or bushes
• When building their nests, a snake skin is usually included although plastic wrappers have been found as a substitute
• The bird’s call is a whistled weep.

Eastern Kingbird

• These birds are known to aggressively defend their territory, even against much larger birds
• These birds are able to remove the cowbird eggs placed in their nest
• They catch insects in mid-flight or pick them off of trees or bushes

Purple Martin

• The largest North American swallow at 20 cm in length
• House Sparrows and Common Starlings are responsible for the decline of these birds across America
• Purple Martins catch insects in the air, making them aerial insectivores

Tree Swallow

• While there are young in their nests, the birds will often dive bomb intruders; even humans
• They are known to “fight” over feathers in midair, for reasons still unknown
• Their diet primarily consists of insects although they sometimes eat fruit

Barn Swallow

• It is estimated that they beat their wings fifteen times per second
• They catch insects in mid-air, they are aerial insectivores
• The barn swallow will swoop and attack intruders that come too close to their nest

Blue Jay

• The crest on its head can be used to detect its mood.  A fully raised crest means the bird is angry or agitated, while when it bristles outwards and looks brush-like, the bird is frightened.
• The jays feathers are not actually blue, the color comes from light refraction from the internal structure of the feathers
• Blue Jays can learn to mimic human speech

American Crow

• Can be distinguished by the common raven by size and by the fish crow by call and distribution
• They are an average of 18 inches in length making them smaller than the common raven
• The crow is omnivorous.  It feeds on carrion, scraps of human food, seeds, eggs, fish, and various grains
• The bird is severely affected by the west Nile virus, with their population dropping by 45% since 1999

Fish Crow

• The only apparent difference between the fish crow and the American crow is in the calls.  They can produce a nasal and hoarse “ark-ark-ark” sound and a begging “waw-waw” sound.
• The bird eats small crustaceans, stranded and live fish, eggs and nestlings, small reptiles, fruits, and sometimes human scraps
• This species is more resistant to the West Nile Virus than the American Crow, with its mortality rate close to 45% instead of zero.

Carolina Chickadee

• The birds hop along tree branches searching for insects, seeds, and berries, sometimes hovering or hanging upside down.
• They sometimes hammer seeds on trees to open them and often store them for later.
• They can intentionally lower their body temperatures so they induce hypothermia called torpor.  This helps them conserve energy in the winter.

Tufted Titmouse

• They forage actively on branches, and sometimes on the ground, eating insects, seeds, nuts, and berries, which they store for later
• Their range is expanding northward, perhaps due to an increase in food due to bird feeders
• The make their nests in natural cavities or old woodpecker nests in trees

Red-Breasted Nuthatch

• They forage on the trunk of trees, often descending headfirst to catch insects in flight
• Their call is like a tin trumpet
• These birds are often permanent residents, but they regularly migrate into the southern United States if the food supply fails.

White-Breasted Nuthatch

• The bird exhibits a weird behavior called “bill sweeping” where it it picks up a piece or fur, plant, or insect, and uses it to sweep around its nest cavity, which is believed to remove their scent
• Their principle diet consists of insects and a few seeds
• They forage on the trunk of trees, often descending headfirst to catch insects in flight

Brown-Headed Nuthatch

• This bird is frequently observed using a small piece of bark as a tool to dig for insects
• It possesses a sharp nail-like beak that it uses to pound open seeds
• This bird is bold and inquisitive

Brown Creeper

• They forage on tree trunks, creeping slowly with their bodies flattened against the bark
• They mainly eat insects, but sometimes seeds in winter
• The bird is camouflaged and resembles tree bark

Carolina Wren

• This bird is the second largest after the cactus wren
• The birds are sensitive to cold weather, so after severe winters their populations decline
• Carolina Wrens eat insects, found in leaf litter and on trees, small lizards, tree frogs, seeds, and berries

Golden-Crowned Kinglet

• The forage in trees for insects, insect eggs, and spiders
• They tend not to fear human approach
• The birds are migratory to the United States, although there are some permanent residents

Ruby-Crowned Kinglet

• The male has a red patch on his crown which is only visible when he is agitated
• There may be as many as twelve eggs in a single breeding session
• They eat mainly small insects, spiders, berries, and tree sap

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

• They eat insects, insect eggs, and spiders
• They build a cup nest similar in construction to a hummingbird’s
• These birds migrate to the Southern United States, Central America, and South America

Eastern Bluebird

• The population is steadily declining due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and nest predation by other birds
• Bluebirds build their nests in tree cavities or the female will build a grass cup-nest
• In a single brooding cycle, the female will lay two to seven blue or white eggs, although white eggs are very uncommon

Wood Thrush

• These birds are omnivorous, feeding on soil invertebrates and larvae and sometimes fruit
• They normally defend their territory without physical contact, but during high-intensity encounters or nest defense physical interactions with the feet and bill have been observed.
• Wood thrushes are monogamous, but they find a new mate each year

American Robin

• Robins are often seen running and picking earthworms up by sight.  When they stop, they are actually looking for prey, not listening
• Adult Robins make alarm calls and dive-bomb predators when their nest is threatened
• The robin’s song varies by region, and its style varies by the time of day

Gray Catbird

• The syrinx of the bird has an unusual shape that not only allows them to make mewing sounds like a cat, but also imitate other birds, frogs, and even mechanical sounds.  Their syrinx also allows them to sing in two voices
• Gray catbirds are not afraid of predators and respond to them aggressively by flashing their wings and tails and by making their signature mew sounds
• In the United States, this species receives special legal protections under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.

Northern Mockingbird

• Male mockingbirds know 50 to 200 songs, which they learn by mimicking other birds
• Mockingbirds are known to be one of the loudest and most vocal birds, often singing through the night
• When a predator is persistently bothering a nest, mockingbirds may call other mockingbirds to defend the nest; other birds may even come to watch

Brown Thrasher

• They are able to call in up to 3000 distinct songs
• This bird is omnivorous, eating insects, berries, nuts and seeds, as well as earthworms, snails and sometimes lizards
• The bird is more likely to be heard than seen, not only because of the rattling of leaves, but also because of its call, a sharp lip-smacking type sound

Cedar Waxwing

• When the end of a twig holds a supply of berries that only one bird at a time can reach, members of a flock may line up along the twig and pass berries beak to beak down the line so that each bird gets a chance to eat
• The calls of these birds include very high-pitched whistles and buzzy trills often represented as see or sree.
• Waxwings are attracted to the sound of running water, and love to bathe and drink from shallow creeks

White-Eyed Vireo

• They build a grass lined cup nest that is attached to forks in tree branches by spider webs
• The vireo eats mostly insects, but sometimes berries
• Both the males and females incubate the eggs

Blue-Headed Vireo

• This bird used to be known as the solitary vireo.
• The male helps with incubation and may sing from the nest
• Their diet consists of mainly insects occasionally supplementing their diet with berries

Red-Eyed Vireo

• This bird suffers from nest parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds and shiny cowbirds
• They most often eat insects but will supplement their diet with berries especially before migration
• This bird is more often heard than seen, because it will sing for long periods of time

Magnolia Warbler

• They feed on insects and spiders, but will eat berries when their food is scarce
• The first bird seen and documented was in a magnolia tree which gave the bird its common name
• It is a migratory bird that spends its winters in Central America

Yellow-Rumped Warbler

• These birds most often eat insects, although when food is scarce they will eat berries
• They lay four to six eggs in a cup shaped nest
• It is one of the last warblers to leave North America and one of the last to return

Yellow-Throated Warbler

• Forages by creeping along tree branches, probing into cracks, crevices, bundles of pine needles, and Spanish moss
• The breeding Range is more southerly, while the wintering range is more northerly
• Their staple diet consists of insects and spiders

Pine Warbler

• They forage slowly on tree trunks and branches, poking their bill into pine cones, also searching for food on the ground
• These birds mainly eat insects, seeds and berries.
• Their breeding habitat is open pine woods in eastern North America.

Prairie Warbler

• These birds are known to wag their tail frequently
• They are declining due to habitat loss and nest parasitism by the brown-headed cowbird
• They forage actively on tree branches, sometimes catching insects in mid-flight

Black-and-White Warbler

• Black-and-white Warblers nest on the ground
• These birds feed on insects and spiders moving up and down the tree along the branches and trunk
• This species is migratory, wintering in Florida, Central America and the West Indies down to Peru

American Redstart

• These birds feed on insects, usually caught by fly catching, sometimes by hovering to pick prey from leaves
• This species is unrelated to the Old World redstarts, but gets its name from the male's red tail, start being an old word for tail.
• American Redstarts nest low in a bush, laying 2-5 eggs in a neat cup nest

Prothonotary Warbler

• The male often builds several incomplete unused nests in his territory; the female builds the real nest
• These birds are declining in numbers due to loss of habitat. They are also parasitized by the Brown-headed Cowbird, or out competed for nest sites by the House Wren.
• They normally eat insects and snails

Worm-Eating Warbler

• Despite their name, these birds hardly ever eat earthworms
• They have disappeared from parts of their range due to habitat loss
• They may distract predators away from their nests by pretending to be injured

Ovenbird

• The nest, the "oven", is a domed structure placed on the ground, woven from vegetation and with a side entrance
• These birds mainly eat insects, spiders and snails, also seeds in winter
• The Ovenbird is vulnerable to nest parasitism by the Brown-headed Cowbird, but its numbers appear to be stable.

Louisiana Waterthrush

• These birds are terrestrial feeders, seeking insects, mollusks and crustaceans amongst the leaf litter
• Louisiana Water thrushes nest in a rock crevice or amongst tree roots, laying 4-6 eggs in a cup nest
• The breeding habitat is wet woodlands near running water

Kentucky Warbler

• Kentucky Warblers nest on the ground hidden at the base of a shrub or in a patch of weeds in an area of ample vegetation
• It is a sluggish and heavy warbler with a short tail, preferring to spend most of its time on or near the ground, except when singing
• It is very common bird with a large range

Common Yellowthroat

• There are 13 races, which differ mainly in the male's face pattern and the brightness of the yellow underparts
• These birds feed on insects, which are usually captured in dense vegetation, but sometimes caught in midair
• Females appear to prefer males with larger masks

Hooded Warbler

• The Hooded Warbler is strongly territorial on its wintering grounds. Males and females use different habitats: males in mature forest, and females in scrubbier forest and seasonally flooded areas
• It is a common bird with some populations increasing in some areas
• These birds feed on insects, often found in low vegetation or caught by fly catching

Summer Tanager

• The only entirely red bird in North America
• The Summer Tanager is considered a bee and wasp specialist
• These birds are often out of sight, foraging high in trees, sometimes flying out to catch insects in flight.

Scarlet Tanager

• These birds are declining due to forest fragmentation
• The male molts its feathers depending on the season.  In the breeding season it is scarlet and in the non-breeding season, more olive colored.
• It captures insects by gleaning and grabbing them while hovering.  It will also hawk flying insects.  It beats its prey against branches to kill it.

Northern Cardinal

• Cardinals were once popular cage birds for their bright color and rich, varied songs
• Cardinals learn their songs, and as a result the songs vary regionally
• Northern Cardinals' diet consists mainly (up to 90 percent) of weed seeds, grains, and fruits
• The state bird for North Carolina and Virginia.

Rose-Breasted Grosbeak

• The nest of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak is so thinly constructed that eggs often can be seen from below through the nest.
• The male Rose-breasted Grosbeak participates in incubation of the eggs, accounting for about 1/3 of the time during the day (the female incubates over night).
• They eat insects, seeds, fruits, and buds

Blue Grosbeak

• Large bill can handle large seeds, including corn, and insects such as mantis and grasshoppers
• Compact cup made of twigs, bark, rootlets, and other fibers and strips of material, placed low in shrubs or small trees
• They have pale blue eggs

Indigo Bunting

• The Indigo Bunting migrates at night, using the stars for guidance. It learns its orientation to the night sky from its experience as a young bird observing the stars
• The sequences of notes in Indigo Bunting songs are unique to local neighborhoods
• Experienced adult Indigo Buntings can return to their previous breeding sites when held captive during the winter and released far from their normal wintering area

Eastern Towhee

• Nests on ground at base of upright vegetation or in vine tangle or shrub
• They mainly eat insects, acorns, seeds and berries
• Populations declining throughout range, most severely in New England

Chipping Sparrow

• Instead of having simple molts like most birds and changing its body feathers once or twice a year, the Chipping Sparrow may change the feathers of its face and throat up to six times in one year
• The nest of the Chipping Sparrow is of such flimsy construction that light can be seen through it
• It eats grass and other small seeds, small fruits, and insects

Field Sparrow

• The Field Sparrow often feeds directly on fallen seeds. It may fly to the top of grass stalks, let its weight carry the stems to the ground, and then begin removing the seed
• The male Field Sparrow starts singing as soon as he gets back in the spring. He sings vigorously until he finds a mate, but after that he sings only occasionally
• It has a simple, yet distinctive song of repeated clear whistled notes on one pitch that increase in rate until they make a trill

Fox Sparrow

• The fox sparrow comes in form different forms: a red form, a sooty form, a slate-colored form, and a large-billed form
• These birds forage by scratching the ground
• They nest either in a sheltered location on the ground or low in trees or shrubs

Song Sparrow

• Males that use more learned components in their songs and that better matched their song tutors (the adult bird they learned their songs from) are preferred by females
• The Song Sparrow is found throughout most of North America, but different populations in different areas can look surprisingly different
• They nest either in a sheltered location on the ground or in trees or shrubs

Swamp Sparrow

• The Swamp Sparrow has longer legs than other members of its genus; this adaptation allows it to wade in shallow water to forage
• The Swamp Sparrow sometimes sticks its head under water to try to capture aquatic invertebrates
• The next in cattails, grasses, shrubs, or on the ground

White-Throated Sparrow

• The White-throated Sparrow comes in two color forms: white-crowned and tan-crowned
• The two color forms of the White-throated Sparrow are determined by genetic differences, and are unique among birds. Oddly, individuals almost always mate with a bird of the opposite morph
• It feeds primarily on ground by scratching in litter with both feet they also hawk insects from a perch.

White-Crowned Sparrow

• Because male White-crowned Sparrows learn the songs they grew up with and do not travel far from where they were raised, song dialects frequently form. Males on the edge of two dialects may be bilingual and able to sing both dialects
• There are five currently recognized subspecies of white-crowned sparrow, varying in migratory behavior and breeding habitat
• These birds forage on the ground or in low vegetation, but sometimes make short flights to catch flying insects

Dark-Eyed Junco

• Juncos are the "snowbirds" of the middle latitudes
• The Dark-eyed Junco includes six forms that were once considered separate species
• Some forms of birds have longer wings than others, the ones with longer wings often migrate longer differences

Red-Winged Blackbird

• Different populations and subspecies of Red-winged Blackbirds vary markedly in size and proportions. An experiment was conducted that moved nestlings between populations and found that the chicks grew up to resemble their foster parents
• The male Red-winged Blackbird fiercely defends his territory during the breeding season.  He will attack much larger animals, including horses and people.
• One male can have up to fifteen females making nests in his territory, but one quarter to one half of “his” children were sired by other males.

Eastern Meadowlark

• The Eastern Meadowlark is not a lark but belongs to the same family as blackbirds and orioles
• The nest, constructed by female alone, is built on the ground of grasses woven into surrounding vegetation. The structure varies; the nest often has an arch or roof, and sometimes has a runway leading to the opening
• There are up to 17 subspecies of eastern meadowlark

Common Grackle

• The Common Grackle commonly engages in anting, allowing ants to crawl on its body and secrete formic acid, possibly to rid the body of parasites
• They are omnivorous, eating insects, minnows, frogs, eggs, berries, seeds and grain, even small birds
• he range of this bird expanded west as forests were cleared. In some areas, they are now considered a pest by farmers because of their large numbers and fondness for grain

Brown-Headed Cowbird

• A female cowbird makes no nest of her own, but instead lays her eggs in the nests of other bird species, who then raise the young cowbirds
• Brown-headed Cowbird females can lay 36 eggs in a season
• These birds forage on the ground, often following grazing animals such as horses and cows to catch insects stirred up by the larger animals

American Goldfinch

• The American Goldfinch is one of the latest nesting birds. It usually does not start until late June or early July, when most other songbirds are finishing with breeding
• The bird eats mostly grain, but will eat insects in order to provide young chicks with protein
• The American Goldfinch changes from winter plumage to breeding plumage by a complete molt of its body feathers. It is the only member of its family to have this second molt in the spring

Northern Bobwhite

May or May Not Be Located in the Piedmont

• The Northern Bobwhite is divided into 22 different subspecies. Females show little variation among the different forms, but the males can vary dramatically
• The name derives from their characteristic call
• Habitat degradation threatens wild populations, so it is propagated in captivity in large numbers for release on hunting preserves or natural areas as required by US wildlife agencies

Red-Headed Woodpecker

May or May Not Be Located in the Piedmont

• The Red-headed Woodpecker is one of only four woodpeckers known to store food, and it is the only one known to cover the stored food with wood or bark
• The Red-headed Woodpecker benefited from the chestnut blight and Dutch elm disease. The devastating tree diseases killed many trees and provided nest sites for the woodpeckers
• In addition to attacking other birds to keep them out of its territory, the Red-headed Woodpecker is also known to remove the eggs of other species from nests and nest boxes, destroy nests, and even to enter duck-nesting boxes and puncture the duck eggs