All Birds

Canada Geese\*

Large, black neck, white chin strap, black tail tips, brown wings. Males and females similar.

Trumpeter Swan

White, incredibly large. Black bill base, black wing tips. Males and females similar

Wood Duck

Medium-size, clawed

Males: blackish back, white throat “bridle” and belly, drooping green crest

Females: white eye ring, speckled grey underwing, all-dark above

American Widgeon

Orange sides, white underwing center, pointed tail, white shorter bill

Male: bright green eye stripe

Female: grey-brown head

Green-winged Teal

Incredibly small, longer black bill

Males: dark head, green eye stripe, grey sides

Females: darker head, mottled brown

Pintail

Long necks, pale wings, pointed tails, white/grey bill

Males: very long pointed tail, brown head, white neck

Female: mottled tan

Mallard\*

Large, Whitish Tail

Males: Green head, pale body, white ring on neck

Females: pale mottled brown

Northern Shoveler

Large, flattened bill, grey/white wings

Males: green head, white breast with rusty belly

Females: broader feather edges, pale mottled brown

Common Merganser

Hooked bill, long and slender, orange bill, sharper “teeth”

Male: green head, mostly white bellu

Female: grey body, orange/red crested head

Gadwell

White underwing

Females: grey-brown mottled, paler than a mallard, barring on chest

Males: puffy head, black tail, grey sides

Redhead

Rounded head, steep forehead, blue-gray bill

Male: bright red head, darker grey body

Females: pale warm brown overall

Canvasback

Large diver, long tapered black bill, gradual forehead slope, dark red head

Males: white/grey body

Females: lighter red/tan head, pale grey-brown body

Ring-necked duck

Tall head with tall rear, white-lined bill

Males: black back, navy/black head, white bar side

Females: white eye ring, darker body, grey cheeks

Cinnamon Teal

Larger/longer bill, long and flat

Male: red head, rusty belly

Female: pale, mottled body

Lesser Scaup

Dark head, completely light underwing, stripe on wing feathers, taller head, lighter bill color

Males: Dark head/chest/tail, white/grey center

Females: brown, center slightly less brown

Common Goldeneye

White at base of wings, dark head, dark underwing

Males: mostly white, white patch at bill base

Females: white/yellow bill tip

Hooded Merganser

Small, long, lifts tail in water, narrow wings

Males: white back of head, outlined in black

Females: dark grey-brown, brown crest

Ruddy Duck

Light blue bill, very pointy tail, dark top, light underwings

Males: fully white cheeks

Females: white cheeks with dark line through

Bufflehead

Small

Males: mostly white w/ black back, white back of head without black outline

Females: pale brown-grey, oval white cheek patch

California Quail

Very small, large dark forehead plume, scale chest and neck, mostly grey

Males: very grey, white chin strip and forehead stripe

Females: grey-brown, pale forehead

Ring-Necked Pheasant\*

Very long, pointy tail, chicken-sized, barred wings in flight

Males: red around eye, green head, white band around neck, red/brown body

Females: buffy brown, heavily barred wings, pale head

Gray Partridge

chunky, medium sized, **red outer tail feathers, orange side barring, grey chest**

Males: **dark brown belly patch, bright orange face**

Females: lighter yellow face

White-tailed Ptarmigan

**Winter white**, summer mottled, **feathers down to toes**

Males: speckled black on white, red eyebrow

Females: yellowish speckled

Ruffed Grouse\*

Slender, relatively long tail, **black tail band, dark side barring**

Males: reddish or grey, **crested, display black ruff**

Female: mottled

Dusky Grouse

**Paler tail tip**, grey chest and brown top

Male: orange eyebrow, light mottling, **display red shoulder patch**

Female: grey-brown mottled

Spruce Grouse

**black and white barring on chest**

Male: display red eyebrow, browner with white spots

Female: grey-brown with very speckled belly

Greater Sage Grouse\*

**Very large, long pointed tail feathers.** Dark grey-brown speckled. Pale breast, **black belly**.

Male: black throat, greyer than female

Female: speckled and more brown

Wild Turkey

**Huge, dark/tan striped colors. Small head relative to body.**

Male: **large gobble** and tailed tail feathers, more colorful

Female: smaller, thinner, no gobble, pale front of neck

Pie Billed Grebe

**Very short, stout bill, uniformly brown w/o contrasting elements**. Males and females similar

Western Grebe

**Largest of the group, long neck with white front/dark hind, long narrow yellow bill.** Males and females similar

Rock Pidgeon

Grey with white rump, **extremely variable plumage, pink legs.** Males and females similar.

Eurasian Collared Dove

Slate grey, long broad tail, darker wing tips. **black at the back of the neck, blunt tail**. Males and females look similar.

Mourning Dove\*

**Slender, long pointed tail, buffy color, black spots near back of wings**. Males and females look similar.

Great Horned Owl* Order: Strigiformes, Family: Strigidae

Very large, appears angry, large ear tufts, slight facial disc. Males and females similar.

Snowy Owl Order: Strigiformes, Family: Strigidae

White plumage, hairy legs. Males and females similar.

Northern Pygmy-Owl* Order: Strigiformes, Family: Strigidae

Small, long tail, speckled head and back, streaked belly. Males and females similar.

Great Gray Owl Order: Strigiformes, Family: Strigidae

Dramatic facial disc, grey coloration with barring. Males and females similar.

Short-eared Owl Order: Strigiformes, Family: Strigidae

Tiny head, dark eye marks. Males and females similar.

Northern Saw-whet Owl Order: Strigiformes, Family: Strigidae

Lightish face, fewer speckles, short tail, reddish/brown. Males and females similar.

Belted Kingfisher* Order: Coraciiformes, Family: Alcedinidae

Blue/white plumage, mohawk crest, females banded belly.

Red-naped Sapsucker Order: Piciformes, Family: Picidae

Red forehead and chest, wedge-shaped forehead, black/white checkered and barring. Males and females similar.

Lewis’s Woodpecker Order: Piciformes, Family: Picidae

Tweedy breast, grey fading down to pink. Males and females similar.

Downy Woodpecker Order: Piciformes, Family: Picidae

Smallest of type, white banded wings, speckled, fluffy white breast. Males and females similar.

Pileated Woodpecker Order: Piciformes, Family: Picidae

Pointed red crest, black body, forked tail. Males and females similar.

Northern Flicker* Order: Piciformes, Family: Picidae

Black, white spotted chest, colored cheek patch, red feather shafts. Males and females similar.

American Kestrel* Order: Falconiformes, Family: Falconidae

Verticle eye stripes, red back **Two visuals to know* Male: dark grey wing, yellow chest Female: Belly/wing not distinct colored

Merlin Order: Falconiformes, Family: Falconidae

Gray wings, messy chest/belly, dark tail with thin bands. Males and females similar.

Prairie Falcon Order: Falconiformes, Family: Falconidae

Long rounded tail, mostly white underside, light brown top, light tear streaks. Males and females similar.

Western Wood-Pewee Order: Passeriformes, Family: Tyrannidae

Grey-brown, darker tail/wings, 2 faint wing bars. Males and females similar.

Cordilleran Flycatcher Order: Passeriformes, Family: Tyrannidae

Green/yellow belly, olive top, slight eye ring. Males and females similar.

Western Kingbird Order: Passeriformes, Family: Tyrannidae

Yellow chest, brown back. Males and females similar.

Say’s Phoebe Order: Passeriformes, Family: Tyrannidae

Lighter grey head, darker tail, pink/rusty belly, thinner bill. Males and females similar.

Eastern Kingbird Order: Passeriformes, Family: Tyrannidae

White belly, white-tipped tail, black back. Males and females similar.

Northern Shrike Order: Passeriformes, Family: Laniidae

Thick horizontal eye band, hooked beak, grey, dark wings/tail. Males and females similar.

Warbling Vireo Order: Passeriformes, Family: Vireonidae

Small, no wing bars, pale yellow belly, light eyebrow. Males and females similar.

Canada Jay Order: Passeriformes, Family: Corvidae

Long tail, white forehead with black head, pale grey. Males and females similar.

Steller’s Jay Order: Passeriformes, Family: Corvidae

Blue lower belly, black barring, puffy head. Males and females similar.

Black-billed Magpie* Order: Passeriformes, Family: Corvidae

Very long tail, black, white patches on body and wings. Males and females similar.

Clark’s Nutcracker Order: Passeriformes, Family: Corvidae

Gray back, black wings, white trailing edge on wings, white tail with some black feathers. Males and females similar.

American Crow* Order: Passeriformes, Family: Corvidae

Smaller, shorter feathers. Males and females similar.

Common Raven* Order: Passeriformes, Family: Corvidae

Thick and long bill, long throat feathers. Males and females similar.

Black-capped Chickadee* Order: Passeriformes, Family: Paridae

Black cap and throat, yellow underside. Males and females similar.

Mountain Chickadee Order: Passeriformes, Family: Paridae

Striped black/white forehead, grayer color. Males and females similar.

Horned Lark Order: Passeriformes, Family: Alaudidae

Yellow chin, dark eye mask, black “horns”, brown top, white under. Males and females similar.

Common Nighthawk* Order: Caprimulgiformes, Family: Caprimulgidae

Long, pointed wings, white bar across primaries, tiny beak. Males and females similar

White-throated Swift* Order: Apodiformes, Family: Apodidae

Long wings, pointed thin tail, white throat/belly, tiny beak. Males and females similar

Vaux’s Swift Order: Apodiformes, Family: Apodidae

Smaller, shorter tail, paler rump. Ambiguously gray. Rounded wing fronts. Males and females similar

Rufous Hummingbird* Order: Apodiformes, Family: Trochilidae

Red colored, white throat, small, fast moving Males: Mostly orange/red Females: greener backs with red concentrated on throat

Calliope Hummingbird Order: Apodiformes, Family: Trochilidae

Long pink/purple throat feathers, very small, shorter bill and tail Male: really obvious throat feathers Female: very short tail, green with speckled throat

Sora* Order: Gruiformes, Family: Rallidae

Bright yellow bill and legs, stocky and small. Males and females similar

American Coot Order: Gruiformes, Family: Rallidae

Lobed feet, black with stark white bill, bright yellow feet, white tipped secondaries. Males and females similar

Sandhill Crane* Order: Gruiformes, Family: Gruidae

Huge, red facial patch, long legs, brown/grey body. Males and females similar

Black-necked Stilt Order: Charadriiformes, Family: Recurvirostridae

Needle-like bill, longest legs in local area, bright red/pink legs, slender, black/white plumage, white eyebrow. Males and females similar

American Avocet Order: Charadriiformes, Family: Recurvirostridae

Recurved bill, rusty head, light blue long legs, white/black body with slender neck. Males and females similar.

Killdeer* Order: Charadriiformes, Family: Charadriidae

Rings on breast, hidden color in tail feathers, small but tall, relatively long tail. Males and females similar

Long-billed Curlew Order: Charadriiformes, Family: Scolopacidae

Very long downturned bill, light blue colored long legs, speckled buffy back. Males and females similar

Marbled Godwit Order: Charadriiformes, Family: Scolopacidae

Slightly upturned bill, dark legs, bright orange underwings, speckled back. Males and females similar

Wilson’s Snipe* Order: Charadriiformes, Family: Scolopacidae

Straight, strong bill, eyes set slightly back, smaller, shorter, short wings, white belly, orange tail, striped head. Males and females similar

Wilson’s Phalarope Order: Charadriiformes, Family: Scolopacidae

Typically pale grey, white face, long yellow legs Female: brighter than the males, dark eye stripe, ruddy chest/neck

Spotted Sandpiper Order: Charadriiformes, Family: Scolopacidae

Speckled brown belly, subtle eye ring, shorter legs and neck. Short wings and wing stripe. Largely brown. Males and females similar.

Bonaparte’s Gull Order: Charadriiformes, Family: Laridae

Partial eye ring, black head w/ white body or black ear spot, black bill, pink legs. Males and females similar.

Ring-billed Gull Order: Charadriiformes, Family: Laridae

Pale iris, yellow legs, broad black ring on bill, almost all white/grey. Males and females similar.

Black Tern Order: Charadriiformes, Family: Laridae

Black body with distinct grey wings, long wings, white under-butt. Males and females similar.

Common Loon* Order: Gaviiformes, Family: Gaviidae

Specked body, striped chest, black head. Males and females similar.

Double-crested Cormorant Order: Suliformes, Family: Phalacrocoracidae

Hooked bill, red/orange chin. Stands with wings raised to dry. Black body. Males and females similar.

American-White Pelican Order: Pelecaniformes, Family: Pelecanidae

Very large, white, large bill, black wing tips. Growth on bill during mating. Males and females similar.

Great Blue Heron Order: Pelecaniformes, Family: Ardidae

Long breast feathers, long legs, blue/grey color, crested. Males and females similar.

Turkey Vulture Order: Accipitriformes, Family: Cathartidae

Long primaries that splay, bald/red wrinkled head, brownish coloring. Males and females similar.

Osprey Order: Accipitriformes, Family: Pandionidae

Striped underside of wings and tail, pointed wrists in flight, grey feet, long wings, black eye stripe. Males and females similar.

Golden Eagle Order: Accipitriformes, Family: Accipitridae

Huge, long straight wings, dark coloration, feathered legs. Males and females similar

Northern Harrier Order: Accipitriformes, Family: Accipitridae

Black wing tips, dark head, banded tail, slender with long tail, white underwings, speckled chest. Males grey, females brown.

Bald Eagle* Order: Accipitriformes, Family: Accipitridae

White head and tail, dark body. Quite large and yellow bill. Males and females similar.

Northern Goshawk Order: Accipitriformes, Family: Accipitridae

Shorter wings, squared tail. Dark mask on eyes, white above eyes. White chest and grey back/wings. Males and females similar.

Sharp-shinned Hawk Order: Accipitriformes, Family: Accipitridae

Quite small, red eye ring, red/white banded chest, black cap. Coarse brown chest streaks/spots and yellow eye in adolescence. Small head and wings. Males and females similar. **Two plumages to know* *

Swainson’s Hawk Order: Accipitriformes, Family: Accipitridae

Banded under tail, black wing tips and white wrist, dark belly and lighter chin. Males and females similar.

Ferruginous Hawk Order: Accipitriformes, Family: Accipitridae

Feathered legs, longest wingspan, lighter underwing edges than some, primarily white body with red speckling. Males and females similar.

Red-tailed Hawk* Order: Accipitriformes, Family: Accipitridae

Very apparent red on tail, broad wings and tail, streaked band on chest/belly, dark head. Males and females similar.

Rough-legged Hawk Order: Accipitriformes, Family: Accipitridae

Lighter head, VERY feathered legs, dark wrist patches, dark brown/white speckled. Males and females similar.

Northern Rough-winged Swallow Family: Hirundinidae

Bland brown with white belly

Tree Swallow Family: Hirundinidae

Eye mask, iridescent blue