Ornithology BIrds

Snow Goose

arctic tundra, vocal, nasal honks, large flocks, herbivores

Greater white fronted goose

cackle, social, grazers, long migration, mate for life, nothern alaska

Cackling goose

cackles, large flocks, grasses, migrates for winter

Canada goose *

herbivores, strong fliers, near freshwater, very social

Wood duck *

wooded wetlands, cavity nesters, perch in trees, omnivores, whistle

Blue-winged teal

fast fliers, tight flocks, omnivores, shallow waters

Northern shoveler

skim water with bill shallow wetlands, strong fast fliers, social groups

Gadwall

herbivores, nest on ground, prairie marshes

American wigeon *

grazers, whistle, highly social, freshwater, shy, nest far from water

Mallard *

not divers, large flocks, loud quacks, ponds, omnivores

Northern pintail

fast and agile, herbivore, large flocks, noisy, breed in prairies

Green-winged teal

large fast flocks, shallow ponds, seed eaters

Canvasback

divers, highly social, powerful fliers, open water, nest over water

Redhead

divers, highly social, good swimmers, fast fliers, cat like meow

Ring-necked duck

fast fliers, mostly veggies, skilled divers, nest over water, large flocks

Lesser scaup

highly social, divers, omnivores, later migration

Bufflehead

specialized divers, good fliers, mate for life, cavity nesters, eat water bugs

Common goldeneye

divers, eat fish and bugs, fast fliers, whistle noise, boreal forest lakes

Hooded merganser

expert divers, freshwater, cavity nesters, carnivores

Common merganser

eats fish, dive in groups, cavity nesters, fast flowing rivers, quiet

Red-breasted merganser

eat fish, divers, high speed fliers, very social

Ruddy duck

shallow marshes, good swimmers, diving ducks, eat at night, bugs and plants

Northern bobwhite *

bushes, small groups, explosive flight, seeds and insects

Ring-necked pheasant *

prefer running, nonmigratory, social, feed in groups, seeds berries insects, loud

Greater prairie-chicken *

herbivores, native, “boom” to attract mates

Lesser prairie-chicken

insects, native sand, short distance flight

Wild turkey *

omnivores, gobble, short burst fliers, sleep in trees

Common loon *

eerie call, migrate during winter, eat fish

Pied-billed grebe

freshwater, solitary, rarely fly, expert divers, lobed feet

Horned Grebe

dramatic seasonal color changes, dives to catch fish, freshwater

Eared Grebe

aquatic insects, migratory, frog like call

Western grebe

fish eaters, divers, dancing displays, large inland lakes

Double-crested cormorant

divers, deep grunts, very social, wings outstretched for drying

American white pelican

massive, not divers, soars with flock, almost silent

American bittern *

booming mating call, nocturnal, feed on fish, standing or swaying

Least Bittern

carnivore, short rapid flight, freshwater marshes

Great blue heron *

freshwater or saltwater, strike quickly, carnivore, nest with colonies

Great egret

wetlands, stalks prey, solitary hunters, social nesters,

Cattle egret

friends with cows, insectivores, social, generally quiet, open areas

Green heron

carnivores, patient, nest in trees, good climbers

Black-crowned night-heron

hunkered position, marshes, opportunistic feeders, eat anything

Yellow-crowned night-heron

crustaceans, stealthy, crepuscular/nocturnal

White-faced Ibis

wetlands, social birds, carnivores to small prey, large colonies, generally quiet

Turkey vulture

soar high, vomit to deter predators, eat carrion, good smell, bald head, pee on they own legs?

Osprey

fish hunters, divers, mate for life, females larger, highly migratory

Mississippi kite

soaring, insectivores, highly social, mature woodlands, migratory

Bald eagle *

females larger, opportunistic stealers, hind toe extra strong, mate for life

Northern harrier

fly low, eat small mammals, open country, migratory, ground nesters

Sharp-shinned hawk

eat songbirds and small mammals, females larger, common in forests

Copper’s hawk

acrobatic, crow sized, bird hunters and small mammals, forests

Red-shouldered hawk

vocal, carnivorous, solitary, not migratory, forests

Swainson’s hawk

long migration, insectivorous, forage on ground, highly social, monogamous

Red-tailed hawk *

Soars, famous screech, open country, small mammals

Rough-legged hawk

breeds in the arctic, feeds on small rodents, arctic raptors

Golden eagle

feed on small mammals, fast fliers, open landscapes, mate for life

American kestrel *

eat insects, hover in place, can see ultraviolet light, open areas

Merlin

extremely fast, use abandon nests, open forests, hunt other birds

Peregrine falcon

fastest animal on earth, bird eaters, nest on tall structures, found everywhere but antarctica, open areas

Virginia Rail

freshwater, carnivores, loud, long toes

Sora *

secretive, strong runners, loud, freshwater marshes, omnivores, monogamous

American coot *

lobed toes, very social, freshwater, herbivores

Sandhill crane *

dancing, mate for life, loud, wet marshes, omnivores, trombone trachea

Whooping crane

loud whoop call, long neck, omnivores, shallow wetlands, dancing courtship

Black-necked stilt

vocal, long legs, forage for small fish, marshes, monogamous

American avocet

upturned bill, shallow water, social birds, noisy, broken wing display

Black-bellied plover

loud calls, powerful fliers, migratory, breed in arctic tundra, eat invertebrates

Snowy plover

foragers, barren areas, eat invertebrates

Piping plover

forage for crustaceans, sad whistle, nest in pairs, dry sand beaches

Kildeer *

active, nest on the ground, very loud, common in fields

Upland sandpiper *

grassland, perching, strong fliers, insectivourous, ground nesters, highly migratory

Long-billed curlew *

probe into mud, loud call, breed in meadows, migratory

Hudsonian godwit

forage, probe into mud, loud, long migrations, nest on wet locations in the arctic

Baird’s sandpiper

dry grassy areas, migrate, walk quickly and pick up food

Least sandpiper

yellow legs, forage in small groups, hunched posture, probe for invertebrates, breed in arctic, ground nesters

Pectoral sandpiper

streaked breast, wet muddy areas, probe in the mud, long distance migrations

Semi-palmated sandpiper

active surface probers, long distance migrations, rapid motion when feeding

Western sandpiper

very social, insectivores and carnivores, migratory, shorter bill

long-billed dowitcher

forage in tight groups, freshwater, tactile receptors on bill

American woodcock *

sky dance courtship display, slow rocking walk, forage in moist ground, abandoned fields, upside down brains

Wilson’s snipe

large pectoral muscles, bill is flexible, shallow marshes, feed on bugs, crepuscular

Spotted sandpiper

feeds on insects, polyandrous, low flights over water, nest on ground, nest on ground

Solitary sandpiper

solitary, bob its head, nest in trees, muddy edges of ponds, eat insects

Lesser yellowlegs

shallow water, scything motion to forage, breed in forests and nest in mossy grounds, migratory

WIllet

very loud, probe for crabs, nest on ground, territorial

Greater yellowlegs *

bill long, highly active, swimmers, long call, breed in canada, eat small fish and crustaceans

Bonaparte’s gull

breeding adults with dark head, opportunistic feeders, foragers, breed in alaska, noisy flocks

Franklin’s gull

breeding adults with dark head, graceful flight, eat worms and bugs, floating nests on marshes

Ring-billed gull

highly social, adults have white heads, inland lakes, strong fliers, ground nesters

Herring gull *

opportunistic eaters, very smart, loud, social, coastal, monogamous

Black tern

breedings adults have dark heads, agile fliers, breed in marshes, nest on floating marshes, very social

Forester’s tern *

breeding adults with dark cap, foragers, fly slowly and dive for fish, nest in colonies

Rock Pigeon *

common in cities, dip their bills to drink, gregarious

Eurasion Collared-Dove

common in cities, highly vocal, eat seeds and grains

Mourning Dove *

ground foragers, open woodlands

Yellow-billed Cuckoo *

caterpillar eaters, flimsy nests, open woodlands and in high canopy

Black-billed Cuckoo

caterpillar eaters, prefer thickets, night time migrations

Greater Roadrunner

reduced body temperature, opportunistic feeders, open arid brushy areas

Barn Owl

hissing shriek, nocturnal, small mammals, inhabit buildings and trees

Eastern Screech-Owl *

horse noise, nocturnal cavity nesters, carnivores

Great Horned Owl *

opportunistic, carnivore, monogamous, deep hoos