Songbirds

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

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

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 flycatching, 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 outcompeted for nest sites by the House Wren.
They normally eat insects and snails

Worm-Eating Warbler

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 divebomb predators when their nest is threatened
The robin’s song varies by region, and its style varies by the time of day

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 underparts 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.

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 flycatching

Eastern Bluebird

The population is steadly 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