Bird Identification, with Common & Family Names

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Canada goose

Anatidae

• black head, white chinstrap, large-bodied

• found in flocks, families, pairs

• grazes and dives for aquatic vegetation

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mute swan

Anatidae

• large-bodied, white, red-orange bill, black face

• young are precocial and have fluffy grey bodies

• aggressive

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mallard

anatidae

• FEMALES: brown head, dark brown stripe through eye, body like a pinecone

• MALES: green head, yellow bill, white ring on neck, brown breast, gray body

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ring-necked duck

Anatidae

• black-tipped bill w/ white ring, gray wingstripe in flight

• FEMALE: light brown head, dark brown wings, chestnut body, brown eyes

• MALE: black body, yellow eyes, white side (spur), faint chestnut collar

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common mergancer

Anatidae

• flat red bills with slight overbite, sleek body shape

• dive for food

• FEMALE: brown head with alice-cullen-like featherdo, white chin, grey body

• MALE: dark green head (looks black), white body, dark grey wings

wild turkey

Phasianidae

• large-bodied, long-legged

• FEMALE: brown bodied, sleek body

• MALE: red gobble on neck, hanging skin from above beak, blue head, brown body

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rock pigeon

Columbidae

• grey head, purple and green iridescence on neck, light grey body with pink feet

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mourning dove

Columbidae

• long pointed tail, light brown with dark spots on wings

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chimney swift

Apodidae

• ‘flying cigar’ blunt head, squared tail, long rounded wings

• brown all over

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ruby-throated hummingbird

Trochilidae

• FEMALE: light grey throat and breast, iridescent green crown and back

• MALE: brown head with red throat, grey breast with iridescent green body

American coot

Rallidae

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killdeer

Charadriidae

piping plover

Charadriidae

American woodcock

Scolopacidae

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ring-billed gull

Laridae

• smallest of the three

• bill has black ring

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herring gull

Laridae

• medium gull

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great black-backed gull

Laridae

• largest gull in the world

• black back… white tail and head

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common loon

Gaviidae

• flat looking

• Females: brown-grey body and head with white chin, and throat

• Male: black head, iridescent green black, stripe patterns

double-crested cormorant

Phalacrocoracidae

• dark body

• skin around bill

• perch and dry

great blue heron

Ardeidae

• very long neck and legs

• grey-blue with ‘dagger-like’ bill

green heron

Ardeidae

• blue-green back, rust-colored neck, dark cap

• looks like a caterpillar cocoon

• usually crouched

turkey vulture

Cathartidae

• no feathers on head

• fang’esk beak

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osprey

Pandionidae

• brown back and tail, white underbody

• faint breastband (looks like collar)

• flys with big hair (wings are very high away from head)

• white body, black swoop from eye to back

Cooper’s hawk

Accipitridae

• pale orange breast, brown above and head

bald eagle

Accipitridae

red-tailed hawk

Accipitridae

• red/brown tail, similar browns to Cooper’s hawk, brown band around breast

eastern screech-owl

Strigidae - Specimen!

• red and gray morphs

• yellow eyes

• small, stocky with large head and no neck

• pointed ear tufts often raised

• look angry, like a badger with raised eyebrows

great horned owl

Strigidae

• large, with ear tufts (longer than the eastern screech-owl)

• dark brown overall

• also looks angry, like a pikachu or a koala with big eyebrows

barred owl

Strigidae - Specimen!!

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palm warbler, Parulidae

• pale eyebrow

• brown streaks on breast

• red-brown crown, grey-brown body

• pencil lead like beak

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yellow-rumped warbler, Parulidae

• yellow rump and sides

• three sub species:

  • Audoban’s - yellow throat

  • Myrtle - whitish throat

  • Goldman’s - onigiri shaped with yellow throat, crown, and sides (not sure of rump color)

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northern cardinal, Cardinalidae