Ornithology Lab 7

Just a bunch of Passeriformes

Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Cardinalidae
This bird has a black head with a contrasting bright orange breast and sides. The back is black with white streaks, and the wings are black with bold white patches. The bill is thick and conical, typical of a seed-cracking bird.

Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Cardinalidae
The male is vivid blue on the head and back, with an orange breast and white belly. The wings are dark with two white wingbars. Females are brownish with subtle blue tinges and pale undersides.

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Cardinalidae
Males are bright red all over with a black mask around the face and a large, pointed red crest. Females are tan with reddish accents on the wings, tail, and crest, and also have a black face. Both have a thick, bright orange bill.

Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Cardinalidae
Males have a bright yellow body with black wings and back, and a striking orange-red head. The wings have white bars. Females are yellow-green with duller coloring and darker wings.

Common Redpoll (Acanthis flammea)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Fringillidae
This small finch has a red cap on the crown, a black patch around the bill, and streaky brown sides and back. The breast is lightly washed with pink in males, and the belly is pale. Its bill is small and sharply pointed.

Evening Grosbeak (Coccothraustes vespertinus)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Fringillidae
This chunky bird has a massive pale bill and a yellow body with black wings. The head is dark with a thick yellow eyebrow. Females are grayish with hints of yellow and black wings with white patches.

House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Fringillidae
Males have a red forehead, chest, and rump with brown streaking along the back and flanks. Females are brown and heavily streaked without any red. Both have slightly curved beaks and relatively long tails.

Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Fringillidae
Looks same as House Finch but has a “purple cheek”. Males have a raspberry-red head and chest with a mottled red and brown back. The red extends down the flanks and onto the rump. Females are brown and white with distinct facial markings and strong streaking below.

Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Fringillidae
This small finch has a black head and back with bright yellow underparts. The wings are black with white patches, and the tail is short and dark. Some individuals have more greenish backs depending on region.

Brewer's Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Icteridae
Males are glossy black with a subtle purple-blue sheen on the head and a greenish gloss on the body. The eyes are pale and stand out against the dark face. Females are brownish-gray overall with dark eyes and a plain appearance.

Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Icteridae
A stocky, medium-sized bird with a short, thick neck and a stout, conical bill. The head is a rich, chocolate-brown, contrasting sharply with the glossy black body. The wings and tail are uniformly dark with a subtle sheen. The eyes are dark and the overall posture is upright and alert.

Hooded Oriole (Icterus cucullatus)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Icteridae
Males are bright yellow-orange with a sharply contrasting black face, bib, and back. The wings are black with two white wingbars. Females are olive-yellow with duller wings and no black facial markings.

Bullock's Oriole (Icterus bullockii)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Icteridae
Males have a bright orange (cheeto) body with a black back, throat, and line through the eye. The wings are black with large white wing patches. Females are yellowish with grayish backs and faint facial markings.

Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Icteridae
Males are jet black with bright red and yellow/orange shoulder patches. Females are brown and streaked with a pale eyebrow and a more slender, pointed bill. The male's coloration contrasts sharply when wings are spread.

Tricolored Blackbird (Agelaius tricolor)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Icteridae
Males appear similar to Red-winged Blackbirds but have red shoulder patches bordered with white instead of yellow. Their bodies are glossy black. Females are dark brown and heavily streaked, often darker than Red-winged females.

Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Icteridae
This stocky bird has a bright yellow chest marked with a bold black V. The back is streaked brown and black, and the face has white and yellow markings with a distinct pale stripe over the eye. The tail is short and rounded.

Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Icteridae
Males are black with a vivid yellow head and chest and a distinct black patch around the eyes and lower face. The wings show white patches when open. Females are duller with brown bodies and muted yellow on the head and chest.

Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Parulidae
Males have bright yellow underparts and a bold black mask across the face, bordered above by a white or gray line. The upperparts are olive. Females lack the mask and are more muted in tone with a slightly paler face and yellow throat.

Orange-crowned Warbler (Leiothlypis celata)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Parulidae
A small, uniformly olive-yellow bird with a faint eyeline and indistinct wing markings. The namesake orange crown is usually hidden but occasionally visible. Underparts are yellowish with some subtle shading and streaks.

Wilson's Warbler (Cardellina pusilla)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Parulidae
Bright yellow below and olive-green above, this small warbler is most easily recognized by the solid black cap on the male's head. Females have duller coloring and a faint or incomplete cap. The bill is small and pointed (insectivore beak).

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Parulidae
Has gray upperparts with white wingbars and black streaking. The throat and breast are yellow, and the rump is a bright yellow patch, often the most visible field mark. Some individuals show yellow on the crown and sides.

California Towhee (Melozone crissalis)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Passerellidae
Specimen in lab was very, VERY contorted. A large, plain brown bird with a slightly darker face and a rufous patch beneath the tail. The plumage is dull overall, with slight variations in shading across the body. The bill is thick and the tail is long and rounded.

Green-tailed Towhee (Pipilo chlorurus)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Passerellidae
This towhee has a gray body with olive-green wings and tail. The crown is chestnut-red and contrasts sharply with the otherwise subdued plumage. The throat is white, often bordered by darker malar lines.

Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Passerellidae
A striking bird with a black head, back, and throat, contrasting with white spots on the wings and a rufous-colored side. The belly is white. Females are similar but slightly browner. The red eye is a distinctive feature.

White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Passerellidae
Gray-bodied with a bold black and white striped crown and a pink or orange conical bill. The wings and tail are brown with some pale edging, and the underparts are light gray. Juveniles have brown and tan stripes on the head.

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Passeridae
Males have gray heads, black throats, and chestnut-colored napes with brown and black streaked backs. Females are dull brown with lighter underparts and a pale stripe behind the eye. Both have short, thick bills.

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Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Regulidae
A tiny, olive-green bird with a small, thin bill and bold white eye ring. The wings have two white wingbars, often with a dark bar between them. Males can raise a hidden, bright red crown patch, usually only visible when agitated.

American Robin (Turdus migratorius)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Turdidae
A large thrush with a gray back and bright orange-red breast. The head is darker, often nearly black in males, and the eye has a white ring. The tail is long and dark with white edges, and the belly below the red is white.

Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Turdidae
Brownish upperparts and a warm reddish tail that contrasts with the back. The underparts are pale with distinct dark spots on the chest and throat. The eye has a white ring, giving a gentle expression.

Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Turdidae
Olive-brown above with a buffy wash on the face and bold, dark spotting on the pale chest. The eye ring is buff-colored and more pronounced than in Hermit Thrush. The overall appearance is soft and muted.

Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Turdidae
Striking coloration with a blue-gray back, black breastband, and orange face, throat, and belly. The wings are dark with bold orange bars. The eye is dark with a thin black line extending behind it.

Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Turdidae
Males have deep blue heads, backs, and wings, with a rusty orange chest and sides. The belly is pale. Females are duller with grayish-blue tones and paler rusty coloring. The bill is short and straight.

Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Turdidae
Reddish-brown on the back and head, fading to white on the underparts with bold black spots across the chest and belly. The eyes are large and dark with a thin white ring. The bill is long and slightly decurved.

Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Laniidae
Gray overall with a white belly and throat, black wings with white patches, and a black facial mask that extends through the eye. The bill is hooked and black. The tail is long and edged with white.