Field guide · Species directory
Birds
Acorn Woodpecker
Melanerpes formicivorus
A boldly black-white-and-red woodpecker famous for "granary trees" — drilling thousands of holes in dead oaks to store acorns. Lives in coop…
American White Pelican
Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
A massive white seabird that hunts in cooperative groups, herding fish to shallow water. Among the largest US birds — wingspan exceeds 2.5 m…
Aplomado Falcon
Falco femoralis
A medium falcon historically much more common in southern Texas; populations crashed.
Arctic Tern
Sterna paradisaea
Migrates from Arctic to Antarctic — among the longest migrations of any animal.
Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
A bird of prey with a wingspan up to 7.5 feet, the bald eagle is the national bird of the United States and a conservation success story aft…
Baltimore Oriole
Icterus galbula
Vivid orange-and-black icons of eastern summers. Their woven hanging nests are architectural marvels — some last for years after abandonment…
Barn Owl
Tyto alba
A heart-faced specialist of catching rodents in total darkness using only sound. A single family of barn owls can take 3,000+ rodents from a…
Bicknell's Thrush
Catharus bicknelli
A medium thrush of northeastern mountain forests. Restricted to specific habitats.
Black-capped Vireo
Vireo atricapilla
A small vireo with distinctive black cap and white spectacles. Federally endangered until recently delisted.
Black-footed Albatross
Phoebastria nigripes
A massive seabird with wingspan exceeding 2 m. Nests on remote Hawaiian Islands. Spectacular gliding flight across waves; rarely flaps wings…
Brown Pelican
Pelecanus occidentalis
A large dark seabird with massive bill pouch for catching fish. Plunge-dives from heights up to 20 m. Recovered after DDT-era declines.
Burrowing Owl
Athene cunicularia
A small ground-dwelling owl that hunts during the day and lives in repurposed prairie dog or ground squirrel burrows. Charismatic, vocal, an…
Cactus Wren
Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
Largest US wren. Specialized for desert cactus habitats.
California Condor
Gymnogyps californianus
The largest land bird in North America with a 9.5-foot wingspan, the California condor was reduced to just 22 birds in 1987 before captive-b…
Calliope Hummingbird
Selasphorus calliope
Smallest bird in North America; males have streaked magenta-purple gorget. Among the longest migration distances for body size of any bird.
Canada Warbler
Cardellina canadensis
A small gray-and-yellow warbler with distinctive black necklace. Declining 65%+ since 1966 due to boreal forest disturbance.
Cassia Crossbill
Loxia sinesciuris
A rare crossbill endemic to a tiny area of Idaho. Among the most range-restricted US bird species.
Cedar Waxwing
Bombycilla cedrorum
An elegant social bird named for the waxy red tips on their secondary feathers. They form tight flocks that roam following berry crops, some…
Cerulean Warbler
Setophaga cerulea
A sky-blue warbler that nests almost entirely in the highest treetops of mature eastern forests. Population has crashed by over 70% since th…
Clark's Nutcracker
Nucifraga columbiana
A medium-sized gray-and-black corvid critical to whitebark pine forest regeneration. Caches thousands of pine seeds per year; memory drives …
Common Loon
Gavia immer
The mournful tremolo call of the common loon defines northern wilderness lakes. They're excellent swimmers — bones are denser than most bird…
Common Raven
Corvus corax
A massive intelligent crow relative — one of the smartest non-human animals known. Solves complex puzzles, uses tools, and remembers human f…
Eastern Bluebird
Sialia sialis
A vivid blue-and-rust thrush that nearly vanished from the eastern US in the mid-1900s due to nest competition with introduced starlings and…
Eastern Meadowlark
Sturnella magna
A grassland songbird with a brilliant yellow chest and a flute-like song. Populations have declined 75% since 1970 — one of the steepest los…
Eastern Screech-Owl
Megascops asio
A small (8–9 in) owl with conspicuous ear tufts, found in rufous (red) and gray color morphs. Common but rarely seen — neighbors of countles…
Evening Grosbeak
Coccothraustes vespertinus
A massive thick-billed finch with bright yellow body and bold white wing patches. Once common at northeastern feeders; declined 90%+ since 1…
Florida Scrub-Jay
Aphelocoma coerulescens
Endemic Florida jay. Found nowhere else in the world. Federally threatened.
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
A powerful raptor with a 7-foot wingspan, the golden eagle hunts large prey from rabbits and ground squirrels to deer fawns. Native cultures…
Golden-cheeked Warbler
Setophaga chrysoparia
A federally endangered warbler endemic to Texas Hill Country.
Golden-winged Warbler
Vermivora chrysoptera
A small warbler with bright yellow wing patches.
Grasshopper Sparrow
Ammodramus savannarum
A small flat-headed buffy sparrow named for its grasshopper-like buzzy song. Among the steepest-declining grassland birds — populations down…
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
North America's largest heron at 4 feet tall with a 6-foot wingspan, instantly recognizable as it stalks shallow water with patient, deliber…
Great Egret
Ardea alba
A massive pure white heron with a yellow bill, black legs, and elegant breeding plumes. Once nearly hunted to extinction in the 1890s for ha…
Greater Prairie-Chicken
Tympanuchus cupido
A medium-sized grouse that once boomed across vast Great Plains. Males "boom" on leks each spring — inflating orange air sacs to produce hol…
Greater Roadrunner
Geococcyx californianus
The iconic ground cuckoo of the American Southwest — long-legged, long-tailed, fast on foot. They're fierce predators of rattlesnakes, lizar…
Greater Sage-Grouse
Centrocercus urophasianus
A large grouse iconic to western sagebrush country. Males perform spectacular spring displays on traditional "leks" — inflating air sacs and…
Green Jay
Cyanocorax yncas
A jaw-dropping tropical jay — emerald-green back, lemon-yellow underparts, blue-and-black head pattern. The northernmost member of an otherw…
Harris's Hawk
Parabuteo unicinctus
A medium-sized hawk that hunts cooperatively in family groups — unique among US raptors.
Henslow's Sparrow
Centronyx henslowii
A small sparrow with olive-yellow face. Critically declined with prairie conversion. Specialized prairie species.
Ivory-billed Woodpecker (likely extinct)
Campephilus principalis
Largest woodpecker historically native to North America. Almost certainly extinct since 1944 (last confirmed sighting). USFWS declared extin…
Kirtland's Warbler
Setophaga kirtlandii
A federally endangered warbler that's recovered through habitat management.
Lark Bunting
Calamospiza melanocorys
A medium sparrow-relative with distinctive sexually dimorphic plumage. State bird of Colorado.
Least Bell's Vireo
Vireo bellii pusillus
A small Bell's vireo subspecies endangered. Restricted to coastal southern California riparian habitats.
Long-billed Curlew
Numenius americanus
North America's largest shorebird — boldly cinnamon-buff with an absurdly long down-curved bill that can exceed 8 inches. Specialized prairi…
Magnificent Frigatebird
Fregata magnificens
A massive seabird with the largest wingspan-to-body-weight ratio of any bird. Males display brilliant red throat sac in breeding season.
McKay's Bunting
Plectrophenax hyperboreus
An extremely range-restricted Arctic bunting. Endemic to a few small Bering Sea islands. Population estimated at 6,000 individuals.
Mountain Plover
Charadrius montanus
A small pale plover endemic to North American shortgrass prairie. Among the most prairie-dependent shorebirds.
Northern Bobwhite
Colinus virginianus
A small chunky game bird whose male whistled "bob-WHITE!" call once filled summer eastern fields. Populations have crashed ~85% since the 19…
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Contopus cooperi
A medium-sized flycatcher of high-elevation coniferous forests. Populations declining 70%+ since 1966.
Painted Bunting
Passerina ciris
Adult males look like flying jewels: blue head, red breast, green back. Most colorful North American songbird. Females and immature males ar…
Piping Plover
Charadrius melodus
A pale sand-colored shorebird with a single black breast band and bright orange legs. Their melodic "peep-lo" calls give them their name. Fe…
Prothonotary Warbler
Protonotaria citrea
A blazing golden warbler of southern swamps — one of only two North American warblers to nest in tree cavities. Their bright yellow heads co…
Purple Martin
Progne subis
The largest North American swallow — males a deep iridescent purple-blue. Eastern populations now depend almost entirely on human-supplied h…
Red Knot
Calidris canutus rufa
A medium shorebird that turns brick-red in breeding plumage. The rufa subspecies undertakes one of the longest migrations of any bird — 30,0…
Red-cockaded Woodpecker
Picoides borealis
A small black-and-white woodpecker endemic to mature longleaf pine forests of the southeastern US. Federally endangered until 2024 when it w…
Red-headed Woodpecker
Melanerpes erythrocephalus
A stunning woodpecker with a brilliantly red head, black back, and white belly. Populations have declined 60% since 1966 due to habitat chan…
Roseate Spoonbill
Platalea ajaja
A flamingo-pink wading bird with a flat spoon-shaped bill, swept side-to-side through shallow water to catch shrimp and small fish — the car…
Roseate Tern
Sterna dougallii
A medium-sized tern with elongated tail streamers and rose-tinted breast in breeding plumage. Federally endangered; populations crashed from…
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Archilochus colubris
The only hummingbird that breeds east of the Great Plains. Each fall they fly 500+ miles non-stop across the Gulf of Mexico — an 18-hour jou…
Rufous Hummingbird
Selasphorus rufus
A small fiercely territorial hummingbird; males brilliant rusty-red. Among the most aggressive of US hummingbirds.
Saltmarsh Sparrow
Ammospiza caudacuta
A small streaky sparrow restricted to Atlantic coastal salt marshes. Critically declining due to sea-level rise. Highly specialized — couldn…
Sandhill Crane
Antigone canadensis
Tall (4 ft), gray, and ancient — sandhill cranes are among the oldest living bird species on Earth, with a fossil record stretching back 2.5…
Scarlet Tanager
Piranga olivacea
A flame-red bird with jet-black wings — males look almost unreal against summer green leaves. They migrate across the Gulf of Mexico twice a…
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Tyrannus forficatus
A spectacular pale gray-and-pink flycatcher with extraordinarily long forked tail in males. The state bird of Oklahoma.
Spectacled Eider
Somateria fischeri
A medium Arctic eider with distinctive "spectacles" pattern around eyes. Wintering populations concentrated in narrow Bering Sea region.
Steller's Eider
Polysticta stelleri
A rare Arctic eider with vivid blue head and orange-rust breast. Among the rarest of US sea ducks.
Swallow-tailed Kite
Elanoides forficatus
A spectacular long-deeply-forked-tailed raptor — boldly white with black wings and tail. Catches insects in flight and drinks by skimming wa…
Vermilion Flycatcher
Pyrocephalus rubinus
A small dazzling flycatcher — males vivid crimson red with dark wings, females pale gray with peach tones. One of the most striking small bi…
Western Tanager
Piranga ludoviciana
A stunning medium songbird — males have bright yellow body, brilliant red head, black wings and back. Females duller yellow-green.
Whooping Crane
Grus americana
North America's tallest bird at nearly 5 feet, whooping cranes were down to 21 individuals in 1941 and have rebounded to over 800 today.
Willow Flycatcher
Empidonax traillii
A small olive-tan flycatcher of moist willow thickets. Southwestern subspecies endangered. Distinctive "fitz-bew" song.
Wood Duck
Aix sponsa
Arguably North America's most strikingly colored duck, the wood duck is one of the only ducks that nests in tree cavities — and the species …
Wood Thrush
Hylocichla mustelina
The flute-voiced "ee-oh-lay" of eastern summer woods. A rusty-brown thrush with black-spotted white breast, wood thrushes are a major indica…
Yellow-billed Loon
Gavia adamsii
A massive loon — largest of the loon species.
Yellow-billed Magpie
Pica nuttalli
A medium black-and-white magpie with yellow bill. Endemic to California Central Valley.
Allen's Hummingbird
Selasphorus sasin
A small hummingbird endemic to Pacific Coast in California and Oregon. Closely related to Rufous Hummingbird; difficult to distinguish in fi…
American Avocet
Recurvirostra americana
A striking long-legged shorebird with a sharply upturned bill and bold black-and-white plumage. Breeding adults add a peach-colored neck and…
American Coot
Fulica americana
A black duck-like waterbird with white bill and lobed toes (vs. webbed). Despite swimming with ducks, coots are actually rails. Highly terri…
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
A common all-black bird that's among the most adaptable and intelligent of North American birds. Forms loose roosts of thousands in autumn.
American Golden-Plover
Pluvialis dominica
A medium-sized shorebird with brilliant golden-spangled back in breeding plumage. Migrates 25,000+ km annually between Arctic and southern S…
American Goldfinch
Spinus tristis
A small bright finch — males in breeding plumage are brilliant yellow with black cap and wings. State bird of New Jersey, Iowa, and Washingt…
American Herring Gull
Larus smithsonianus
The classic large gray-and-white gull of beaches and harbors. Pink legs, yellow bill with a red spot, gray wings tipped in black with white …
American Kestrel
Falco sparverius
North America's smallest and most colorful falcon — and despite its "least concern" listing, populations have crashed 50% since the 1960s. R…
American Oystercatcher
Haematopus palliatus
A striking shorebird with a long thick orange-red bill, bold black-and-white plumage, and yellow eyes. Specialized predators of bivalves — t…
American Redstart
Setophaga ruticilla
A small flashy warbler — adult males black with orange wing and tail patches; "American restart" if you mishear. Males fan their tails to st…
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
The familiar red-breasted thrush whose dawn chorus is the unofficial soundtrack of the North American suburbs. Despite the name, robins are …
American Three-toed Woodpecker
Picoides dorsalis
A medium-sized woodpecker with only three toes (vs. four in most). Specialized for excavating beetle larvae from spruce trees.
American White Ibis
Eudocimus albus
A medium-sized white wading bird with a long down-curved red-orange bill and black wingtips visible in flight. State bird of the University …
American Woodcock
Scolopax minor
A chunky long-billed shorebird that lives in forests. Famous spring "courtship dance" — males spiral down from sky in elaborate display.
Anhinga
Anhinga anhinga
A long slender water bird often called the "snake bird" — when swimming with only the head and neck above water, they look exactly like a sl…
Anna's Hummingbird
Calypte anna
A glittering magenta-headed hummingbird that has expanded its range dramatically northward over the last 50 years, partly thanks to backyard…
Atlantic Puffin
Fratercula arctica
Charismatic "sea parrots" with brightly colored bills only during breeding season. They can hold up to 30 small fish in their beak at once.
Audubon's Oriole
Icterus graduacauda
A yellow and black oriole of southern Texas.
Bank Swallow
Riparia riparia
A small brown swallow that nests in burrows in river banks.
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica
The deep-forked, steel-blue swallow that nests under bridges and inside barns worldwide. Their cup-shaped mud nests stuck under eaves are a …
Barred Owl
Strix varia
A medium-sized owl with vertical brown bars on the chest and a distinctive "Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?" call. They've expande…
Bay-breasted Warbler
Setophaga castanea
A medium boreal warbler.
Belted Kingfisher
Megaceryle alcyon
A stocky, big-headed bird with a rattling call that signals their presence long before sight. They dive headfirst into water to catch small …
Berylline Hummingbird
Saucerottia beryllina
A rare hummingbird in US range. Restricted to limited sky island habitats.
Bewick's Wren
Thryomanes bewickii
A medium-sized wren with distinctive white eyebrow stripe.
Black Phoebe
Sayornis nigricans
A small black-bodied flycatcher with white belly. Lives near water everywhere — including suburban pools and fountains.
Black Skimmer
Rynchops niger
A boldly black-above, white-below tern relative with a distinctive bill — the lower mandible is significantly longer than the upper. They fe…
Black-and-white Warbler
Mniotilta varia
A small warbler with distinctive zebra-stripe pattern. Climbs tree trunks like a nuthatch.
Black-backed Woodpecker
Picoides arcticus
A medium-sized black woodpecker specialized for burned forests. Reaches highest densities just after major forest fires.
Black-bellied Plover
Pluvialis squatarola
A stocky shorebird with distinctive black belly patch in breeding plumage. Solitary forager; alarm calls warn other birds of predators.
Black-billed Cuckoo
Coccyzus erythropthalmus
A medium-sized cuckoo closely related to yellow-billed.
Black-capped Chickadee
Poecile atricapillus
A tiny acrobatic songbird that's a winter staple at northern feeders. Their familiar "chick-a-dee" call is one of the most complex animal co…
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Archilochus alexandri
A small hummingbird; males have iridescent purple gorget below black chin. Western counterpart to ruby-throated hummingbird.
Black-necked Stilt
Himantopus mexicanus
A black-and-white wader with absurdly long thin pink legs — proportionally longer than almost any other bird. Their high-pitched "yip-yip-yi…
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Setophaga caerulescens
A small warbler with striking sexual dimorphism — males deep blue-gray with black throat and face; females olive-gray. Studies of these bird…
Black-throated Green Warbler
Setophaga virens
A small warbler with bright yellow face, black throat, and olive-green back. One of the easier warblers to identify and one of the more comm…
Black-throated Sparrow
Amphispiza bilineata
A small sparrow with distinctive black-and-white face pattern.
Black-whiskered Vireo
Vireo altiloquus
A medium vireo with distinctive "black whiskers" on face.
Blackburnian Warbler
Setophaga fusca
A breathtaking warbler — adult males have a flame-orange throat that glows against black cheeks. Forages at the very top of mature conifers,…
Blackpoll Warbler
Setophaga striata
A small boreal warbler famous for transoceanic migration.
Blue Grosbeak
Passerina caerulea
A bright blue songbird with chestnut wing bars and a massive silver bill. Sometimes confused with smaller indigo buntings but distinctly lar…
Blue Jay
Cyanocitta cristata
Bold, intelligent corvids with a love of acorns — they cache thousands per individual each fall, and forgotten ones become next year's oak s…
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Polioptila caerulea
A tiny long-tailed songbird, blue-gray above, white below, with a long thin tail held cocked. Frantically active — never seems to stop movin…
Blue-throated Mountain-gem
Lampornis clemenciae
A large hummingbird with blue throat in males. Restricted to specific mountain riparian habitats.
Blue-winged Warbler
Vermivora cyanoptera
A small yellow warbler with blue-gray wings.
Bobolink
Dolichonyx oryzivorus
A grassland bird with one of the longest migrations of any songbird in the Americas — 12,500 miles round trip. Males have one of the most di…
Bohemian Waxwing
Bombycilla garrulus
Larger northern cousin to cedar waxwing. Gray-brown body, yellow tail tip, prominent crest, white wing markings.
Boreal Chickadee
Poecile hudsonicus
A brown-capped chickadee of northern boreal forests. Among the few birds adapted to cold extremes of -40°F.
Boreal Owl
Aegolius funereus
A small owl of high-elevation and northern coniferous forests. Distinctive yellow eyes; nocturnal predator of small mammals.
Brant
Branta bernicla
A small dark goose specialized for marine eelgrass. Atlantic and Pacific subspecies migrate over 5,000 km annually between Arctic breeding g…
Brewer's Blackbird
Euphagus cyanocephalus
A medium-sized blackbird with iridescent purple-blue head in males.
Brewer's Sparrow
Spizella breweri
A small sparrow of western sage habitats. Among the most common sage-steppe songbirds.
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Selasphorus platycercus
A medium hummingbird of western mountains. Males produce distinctive trilling sound with wings during flight.
Broad-winged Hawk
Buteo platypterus
A small compact buteo famous for its spectacular fall migration in "kettles" of thousands swirling on thermals down the Appalachians to Cent…
Brown Thrasher
Toxostoma rufum
A reddish-brown mimic with the largest song repertoire of any North American bird — over 1,000 distinct song types documented in some indivi…
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Sitta pusilla
A small chestnut-capped nuthatch endemic to southern pine forests. Among the few cavity-nesting birds that uses tools (pine bark for prying)…
Bullock's Oriole
Icterus bullockii
Western counterpart to Baltimore Oriole.
Bushtit
Psaltriparus minimus
A tiny grayish-brown songbird that travels in chattering flocks of 30+ individuals. Builds spectacular hanging gourd-shaped nests of plant f…
Cackling Goose
Branta hutchinsii
Smaller cousin of Canada Goose, splits in 2004. Looks nearly identical but smaller body, shorter neck, and higher-pitched honk.
California Gull
Larus californicus
A medium-sized gull common in western US.
California Thrasher
Toxostoma redivivum
A medium thrasher endemic to California habitats.
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
The most familiar goose in North America — and the species whose recovery from near-extinction in the early 1900s was such a success that th…
Canada Jay
Perisoreus canadensis
A medium-sized jay famous for boldness around humans. Often steals food from campers; will fly directly to outstretched hands.
Canvasback
Aythya valisineria
A large diving duck with a distinctive sloping forehead and long bill. Males have a rich chestnut head, black chest, and gleaming white back…
Canyon Wren
Catherpes mexicanus
A small canyon-dwelling wren with extraordinarily long bill.
Carolina Chickadee
Poecile carolinensis
A small chickadee very similar to black-capped chickadee but slightly smaller. Hybridizes with black-capped where ranges overlap.
Carolina Wren
Thryothorus ludovicianus
A loud territorial wren common in eastern forests and yards.
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
The largest tern in the world — wingspan over 1.4 m. Massive bright red bill; black cap. Highly vocal.
Cassin's Finch
Haemorhous cassinii
A medium-sized finch — males raspberry-red with brown streaking. One of three closely related "rosy finches" of the western US (with House F…
Cassin's Vireo
Vireo cassinii
A medium gray vireo of western forest habitats.
Cattle Egret
Bubulcus ibis
A small white egret with shorter neck and yellow bill. Most non-aquatic of egrets — follows cattle and tractors to catch insects flushed up.
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Poecile rufescens
A small chickadee with distinctive chestnut-rust back. Endemic to Pacific Northwest coniferous forests.
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Setophaga pensylvanica
A bright warbler whose "pleased pleased pleased to MEETcha" song echoes through young eastern forests. The species expanded dramatically aft…
Chimney Swift
Chaetura pelagica
A "flying cigar" that spends nearly its entire life on the wing — eating, drinking, bathing, and even mating in flight. North American popul…
Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina
A small clean-marked sparrow with a rusty cap and white eyebrow — the most familiar sparrow of suburban yards and parks across the continent…
Chuck-will's-widow
Antrostomus carolinensis
The largest North American nightjar, named for its loud nocturnal "chuck-will's-widow" call. Bigger but less common than its cousin the whip…
Clark's Grebe
Aechmophorus clarkii
A long-necked black-and-white waterbird famous for synchronized courtship "rushing" displays — pairs run in unison across the water surface …
Clay-colored Sparrow
Spizella pallida
A small pale sparrow of northern grasslands.
Cliff Swallow
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
A short-tailed colonial swallow that builds gourd-shaped mud nests in dense clusters under bridges and on cliffs. Famous for the "swallows r…
Common Eider
Somateria mollissima
A massive sea duck that breeds in dense colonies on offshore islands. Males are boldly black-and-white with a green patch on the nape; femal…
Common Gallinule
Gallinula galeata
A medium-sized water bird with slate-gray body, white side stripe, and bright red bill with yellow tip. Long yellow legs (no webs or lobes).…
Common Grackle
Quiscalus quiscula
A large iridescent black bird with a long V-shaped tail and pale yellow eyes. Despite "common" in the name, populations have declined ~58% s…
Common Ground Dove
Columbina passerina
A very small dove (smaller than a robin) with distinctive scaled appearance.
Common Merganser
Mergus merganser
A large fish-eating diving duck with a long sharp serrated bill ("sawbill"). Males have a dark glossy green head and bright red bill; female…
Common Murre
Uria aalge
A medium seabird that nests in dense colonies on cliffs.
Common Nighthawk
Chordeiles minor
A nightjar of dusk and dawn, famous for the booming "voom" sound males produce by pulling out of a courtship dive. Catches insects on the wi…
Common Pauraque
Nyctidromus albicollis
A nightjar of tropical southern US habitats.
Common Poorwill
Phalaenoptilus nuttallii
A small nightjar related to whippoorwills and chuck-will's-widows. Among the very few US birds known to enter torpor (hibernation-like state…
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammea
A small streaky brown finch with a red forehead patch. Irrupts south some winters when boreal seed crops fail — joining feeder flocks alongs…
Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
A slender graceful gull-like bird with a black cap, deeply forked tail, and orange-red bill tipped in black. Dives into water from height to…
Common Yellowthroat
Geothlypis trichas
A small wood-warbler with a distinctive black "Lone Ranger" mask on bright yellow underparts. Their "wichity-wichity-wichity" song fills Nor…
Connecticut Warbler
Oporornis agilis
A small warbler of boreal bog habitats. Among the most difficult US warblers to find.
Cooper's Hawk
Accipiter cooperii
A medium-sized accipiter with short rounded wings and a long banded tail, built for explosive ambush attacks on songbirds at backyard feeder…
Cordilleran Flycatcher
Empidonax occidentalis
A small olive-green flycatcher of western mountains. Recently separated from Pacific-slope flycatcher.
Costa's Hummingbird
Calypte costae
A small desert hummingbird; males have distinctive purple gorget extending below chin like a beard.
Crested Caracara
Caracara plancus
A large dark falcon-relative with a flat red face, distinctive crested head, and white throat. Often called the "Mexican eagle." Walks on th…
Curve-billed Thrasher
Toxostoma curvirostre
A medium-sized thrasher with distinctive curved bill.
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
A small sparrow that flashes white outer tail feathers in flight. Multiple distinct subspecies once considered separate species: "Slate-colo…
Double-crested Cormorant
Nannopterum auritum
A black goose-sized diving bird with hooked orange bill. Their feathers aren't waterproof — they perch wings-spread to dry, a familiar pose …
Downy Woodpecker
Dryobates pubescens
The smallest woodpecker in North America (6 inches), and one of the most familiar at backyard suet feeders. Often confused with the larger h…
Dunlin
Calidris alpina
A small shorebird with distinctive long downward-curved bill and black belly patch in breeding plumage. Among the most abundant shorebirds.
Dusky Grouse
Dendragapus obscurus
A medium-sized grouse of western mountain forests. Males perform "thumping" courtship displays from prominent perches.
Eared Grebe
Podiceps nigricollis
Smallest North American grebe. Famous for spectacular nuptial dances on saline lakes (especially Great Salt Lake, where millions stage in au…
Eastern Kingbird
Tyrannus tyrannus
A bold black-and-white flycatcher with an attitude — kingbirds will attack much larger hawks, crows, and even humans to defend their nesting…
Eastern Phoebe
Sayornis phoebe
A small flycatcher that wags its tail. Builds nests of moss and mud on rocky ledges, under bridges, on buildings — comfortable around humans…
Eastern Towhee
Pipilo erythrophthalmus
A large sparrow-relative — males are black above, white below, rust on the flanks; females the same pattern but warm brown. Distinctive "dri…
Eastern Whip-poor-will
Antrostomus vociferus
A nocturnal nightjar whose "whip-poor-WILL" call rings through summer woodlands. Population has declined ~70% since 1970 from forest changes…
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Contopus virens
A small flycatcher whose plaintive "pee-a-wee, pee-oh" whistle is THE summer voice of eastern woods. Subtle gray-olive plumage makes them mo…
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Streptopelia decaocto
A medium-sized pale dove with distinctive black neck "collar." Introduced to the US in 1980s; now widespread.
European Starling
Sturnus vulgaris
A medium-sized iridescent black bird introduced to New York's Central Park in 1890 — about 100 birds released spawned the now 200+ million b…
Ferruginous Hawk
Buteo regalis
A large pale hawk with rusty-red shoulders and legs.
Field Sparrow
Spizella pusilla
A small pinkish-buff sparrow with a clear pink bill and white eye-ring. Their accelerating "bouncing ball" song is one of the iconic sounds …
Flammulated Owl
Psiloscops flammeolus
A tiny owl (~7 in) with dark eyes (vs. yellow in most owls) and exquisite "flame" markings of orange-rufous on a gray base. Feeds almost ent…
Forster's Tern
Sterna forsteri
A medium tern with black cap (breeding) and white "earphones" (winter). Distinguished from Common Tern by white wing trailing edge.
Gambel's Quail
Callipepla gambelii
A medium-sized desert quail with distinctive forward-curving plume. Adapted to arid southwestern habitats.
Gilded Flicker
Colaptes chrysoides
A medium-sized flicker specialized for nesting in saguaro cacti. Key cavity-nester in southwestern deserts.
Glaucous Gull
Larus hyperboreus
Among the palest large gulls — adults nearly white.
Glaucous-winged Gull
Larus glaucescens
A large gull common on Pacific Coast.
Gray Catbird
Dumetella carolinensis
A slate-gray songbird with a black cap and rusty undertail — named for its squeaky mewing call. Catbirds are skilled mimics, weaving snippet…
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Catharus minimus
A medium-sized thrush of high-elevation boreal forests. Difficult to distinguish from Swainson's and Bicknell's thrushes; identification req…
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinus
The largest gull in the world; aggressive predator and scavenger.
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carbo
A large black cormorant with white throat patch in breeding plumage. Less common than double-crested. Holds wings out to dry after diving.
Great Crested Flycatcher
Myiarchus crinitus
A bold lemon-bellied flycatcher of the high canopy with a rolling "wheep!" call. Often the only North American flycatcher to nest in tree ca…
Great Gray Owl
Strix nebulosa
A massive gray owl with the largest facial disk of any North American owl. Lives in remote boreal forests; hunts by hovering over snow to de…
Great Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
The most widely distributed owl in the Americas and a fierce generalist predator capable of taking prey larger than itself — including skunk…
Greater Shearwater
Ardenna gravis
A medium seabird that nests on remote South Atlantic islands and migrates to feed in northern Atlantic waters. Skims wave surfaces in distin…
Greater White-fronted Goose
Anser albifrons
A medium-large goose — brown body with distinctive white "front" face patch. Migrates in flocks alongside Canada Geese.
Greater Yellowlegs
Tringa melanoleuca
A slender medium-sized shorebird with bright yellow legs and a long slightly upturned bill. Often hunts by running through shallows snatchin…
Green-tailed Towhee
Pipilo chlorurus
A medium towhee with greenish back and rusty cap.
Green-winged Teal
Anas crecca
North America's smallest dabbling duck. Males display chestnut head with iridescent green ear patch and a vertical white shoulder bar. Despi…
Groove-billed Ani
Crotophaga sulcirostris
A medium black bird closely related to smooth-billed ani.
Gull-billed Tern
Gelochelidon nilotica
A medium tern with thicker bill than most terns (looks gull-like). Often hunts insects and small lizards over land rather than diving for fi…
Hairy Woodpecker
Leuconotopicus villosus
A medium-sized black-and-white woodpecker that's essentially a larger, longer-billed version of the downy. Pairs maintain large permanent te…
Hermit Thrush
Catharus guttatus
A shy thrush of the boreal forest whose ethereal flute-like song spirals upward through evening woods. Among the last migrants south in fall…
Hermit Warbler
Setophaga occidentalis
A small Pacific Northwest warbler with yellow face. Closely related to Townsend's Warbler.
Hoary Redpoll
Acanthis hornemanni
A pale Arctic finch closely related to common redpoll. The "frosty" version of the common redpoll.
Hooded Merganser
Lophodytes cucullatus
A small diving duck. Males display dramatic black-and-white head crest. Cavity nesters; ducklings leap from tree holes within 24 hours of ha…
Hooded Oriole
Icterus cucullatus
A bright orange oriole with distinctive black throat. Specialized for palm habitats.
Hooded Warbler
Setophaga citrina
A striking warbler — males have a black hood enclosing a bright yellow face. Singers of dense understory whose ringing "weeta-weeta-wee-tee-…
Horned Grebe
Podiceps auritus
A small grebe with distinctive horn-like tufts in breeding plumage.
Horned Lark
Eremophila alpestris
A small ground-dwelling songbird with black "horn" tufts on the head, yellow face, and black throat patch. The most widespread North America…
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
A small grayish-brown finch — males have variable red plumage depending on diet. Originally only in western US but introduced to NYC in 1939…
House Sparrow
Passer domesticus
A small chunky brown-and-gray sparrow introduced to New York in 1851. Adapted spectacularly to human settlements — they're among the most su…
House Wren
Troglodytes aedon
A small brown wren common in suburban areas.
Hudsonian Godwit
Limosa haemastica
A medium-sized cinnamon-buff shorebird that performs one of the longest migrations of any bird — 25,000+ km annually across the Western Hemi…
Hutton's Vireo
Vireo huttoni
A small western vireo. Often mistaken for kinglets due to size and coloration.
Iceland Gull
Larus glaucoides
A pale gull similar to glaucous gull but smaller.
Inca Dove
Columbina inca
A small dove with distinctive scaled appearance. Native to southwestern US; expanding northward.
Indigo Bunting
Passerina cyanea
A breeding-season miracle: males are bright cobalt blue (actually a structural color, not a pigment — feathers are technically brown). Indig…
Juniper Titmouse
Baeolophus ridgwayi
A small grayish titmouse with prominent crest. Endemic to pinyon-juniper woodlands.
Kentucky Warbler
Geothlypis formosa
A small olive-yellow warbler with bold black "sideburns." Forages low in dense forest understory.
Killdeer
Charadrius vociferus
A medium-sized plover famous for its "broken-wing display" — adults flop around feigning injury to lure predators away from the nest. Their …
King Eider
Somateria spectabilis
A magnificent Arctic sea duck — males have spectacular orange-yellow knob on bill. Wintering populations sometimes reach US Northeast.
King Rail
Rallus elegans
Largest North American rail. Heavy-bodied, cinnamon-brown. Difficult to spot — secretive among marsh vegetation. Populations declining 80%+ …
Lapland Longspur
Calcarius lapponicus
A small Arctic sparrow that winters across the US Great Plains in massive flocks. Males in breeding plumage are striking — black face and br…
Lark Sparrow
Chondestes grammacus
A bold-patterned sparrow with distinctive chestnut-and-white face markings. Larger than most sparrows; long tail with white outer corners.
Lazuli Bunting
Passerina amoena
A stunning small bunting — males turquoise-blue with rust breast band. Western counterpart to Indigo Bunting; they hybridize where ranges ov…
Le Conte's Sparrow
Ammospiza leconteii
A small reclusive sparrow of wet sedge meadows. Even more secretive than most sparrows. Distinctive insect-like song.
Least Flycatcher
Empidonax minimus
A small flycatcher with distinctive eye ring. Common in eastern deciduous forests.
Least Grebe
Tachybaptus dominicus
The smallest grebe in the Americas. Limited to southern US.
Least Tern
Sternula antillarum
North America's smallest tern — under 6 inches long with bright yellow bill and black cap. Interior populations along the Mississippi/Missou…
Lesser Nighthawk
Chordeiles acutipennis
A medium nightjar with distinctive wing pattern.
Lewis's Woodpecker
Melanerpes lewis
A spectacular medium-sized woodpecker with metallic-green back, pink belly, and silver-gray collar. Catches insects in midair like flycatche…
Limpkin
Aramus guarauna
A large brown-and-white bird that resembles a heron but is more closely related to cranes. Specialist on apple snails. Famous wailing noctur…
Little Blue Heron
Egretta caerulea
A small slate-blue heron with maroon-purple neck (adults). Juveniles are pure white. Stalks prey slowly through shallow water.
Loggerhead Shrike
Lanius ludovicianus
A smaller cousin of northern shrike with the same impaling habit. Populations have crashed ~75% since 1966; reasons unclear.
Long-eared Owl
Asio otus
A medium-sized slim owl with tall ear tufts. Roosts communally in conifers during winter — a single tree may hide 12+ birds.
Long-tailed Duck
Clangula hyemalis
A medium sea duck with extraordinarily long tail streamers in breeding males. Highly aquatic.
Louisiana Waterthrush
Parkesia motacilla
A small warbler that walks along streamsides like a sandpiper. Excellent indicator of clean cool stream health.
Lucifer Hummingbird
Calothorax lucifer
A small hummingbird with distinctive long down-curved bill. Restricted to a tiny range in southwestern US.
MacGillivray's Warbler
Geothlypis tolmiei
A western counterpart to Mourning Warbler.
Magnificent Hummingbird
Eugenes fulgens
A large hummingbird with iridescent green throat. Restricted to southwestern sky island habitats.
Magnolia Warbler
Setophaga magnolia
A small black-and-yellow warbler with distinctive white "underwear" tail pattern. Named for the magnolia tree where the type specimen was co…
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
The most abundant and recognizable duck in the world — and the wild ancestor of most domestic duck breeds. Adaptable to almost any wetland, …
Marbled Godwit
Limosa fedoa
A large cinnamon-buff shorebird with upturned bill. Among the largest shorebirds in North America. Spectacular wing patterns visible in flig…
Marsh Wren
Cistothorus palustris
A small wren of marshes. Males build multiple "dummy" nests as part of courtship.
Merlin
Falco columbarius
A small fierce falcon — like a smaller, darker peregrine — that catches songbirds and dragonflies in level pursuit. Population has rebounded…
Mexican Jay
Aphelocoma wollweberi
A medium blue-gray jay endemic to southwestern sky islands.
Mississippi Kite
Ictinia mississippiensis
A graceful gray-and-white falcon-like raptor that catches insects in flight. Increasingly common in suburban parks across Texas and Oklahoma…
Mountain Bluebird
Sialia currucoides
A stunning western bluebird — males pure sky-blue, females blue-gray. Hovers more than other bluebirds while hunting insects.
Mountain Chickadee
Poecile gambeli
A small black-capped chickadee with distinctive white eyebrow stripe. Western counterpart to black-capped chickadee.
Mountain Quail
Oreortyx pictus
A medium-sized quail with long straight plume on head. Largest US quail.
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
A slender tan dove with pointed tail, gray-brown body, and soft "coo-AHH-coo, coo-coo" mournful call. Among the most abundant landbirds in N…
Mourning Warbler
Geothlypis philadelphia
A small warbler with distinctive blackish "mourning" cap and breast in males.
Mute Swan
Cygnus olor
A large white swan with orange bill and prominent black knob. Introduced to North America in the 1800s as ornamentals. Now considered invasi…
Nashville Warbler
Leiothlypis ruficapilla
A small warbler with gray head, white eye ring, and yellow throat. Named for Nashville like its cousin.
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
A year-round bright-red icon of the eastern US, the cardinal is the state bird of seven states and one of the few species in which both sexe…
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
A large woodpecker that's unusually terrestrial — often seen on lawns foraging for ants, their primary food. Eastern "yellow-shafted" and we…
Northern Fulmar
Fulmarus glacialis
A medium gull-sized seabird that nests on cliffs and feeds offshore. Among the longest-lived seabirds — verified individuals over 40 years.
Northern Gannet
Morus bassanus
A large white seabird with black wingtips.
Northern Harrier
Circus hudsonius
The owl-faced hawk — northern harriers have a flattened facial disk like an owl's to help locate rodents by sound while coursing low over fi…
Northern Hawk Owl
Surnia ulula
A medium-sized owl that hunts by day from prominent perches like a hawk — unusual for owls. Long tail, falcon-like profile.
Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
A vocal virtuoso that learns and mimics the songs of dozens of other species — plus car alarms, cell phone rings, and creaky gates. State bi…
Northern Parula
Setophaga americana
A small blue-and-yellow warbler that nests almost exclusively inside hanging moss clumps — Spanish moss in southern swamps, Usnea lichen in …
Northern Pintail
Anas acuta
A long, slender dabbling duck with an elegantly tapered tail. Males in breeding plumage are unmistakable — chocolate-brown head, white breas…
Northern Pygmy-Owl
Glaucidium gnoma
A tiny diurnal owl. Despite small size, kills prey larger than itself.
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Stelgidopteryx serripennis
A medium-sized brown swallow that nests in burrows in river banks.
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Aegolius acadicus
A tiny secretive owl, only 7–8 inches tall. Their high-pitched repeated "toot-toot-toot" calls in winter sound like a saw being whetted, hen…
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeata
A medium-sized duck with a distinctive oversized spatula-shaped bill. Males have a green head, white chest, and chestnut flanks. Their bills…
Northern Shrike
Lanius borealis
A robin-sized predatory songbird that impales small mammals, birds, and large insects on thorns and barbed wire to store food. Sometimes cal…
Northern Waterthrush
Parkesia noveboracensis
A small streaky warbler that walks along wetlands. Northern cousin to Louisiana Waterthrush — both walk rather than hop, unusual for warbler…
Oak Titmouse
Baeolophus inornatus
A small grayish-brown titmouse with prominent crest. Endemic to California oak woodlands.
Orchard Oriole
Icterus spurius
A medium oriole — males chestnut-red below with black above; females yellow-olive. Migration overlaps Baltimore Orioles.
Osprey
Pandion haliaetus
A specialized fish-hunting raptor with reversible outer toes and barbed footpads, ospreys recovered dramatically from near-extinction caused…
Ovenbird
Seiurus aurocapilla
A medium-sized warbler that walks on the forest floor (vs. perching in foliage). Bold "teacher-teacher-teacher" song carries through eastern…
Pacific Loon
Gavia pacifica
A medium-sized loon. Pacific counterpart to Common Loon.
Pacific Wren
Troglodytes pacificus
A small wren of Pacific coastal forests.
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Empidonax difficilis
A small olive-green flycatcher. Endemic to Pacific Coast forests.
Palm Warbler
Setophaga palmarum
A small warbler with bobbing tail. Despite the name, prefers bogs over palms. Most southerly-wintering of North American warblers.
Pectoral Sandpiper
Calidris melanotos
A medium sandpiper named for breeding males' inflated chest sac during courtship. Migrates from Arctic to southern South America.
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
The fastest animal on Earth, peregrine falcons reach speeds over 240 mph (390 km/h) during their hunting stoops.
Philadelphia Vireo
Vireo philadelphicus
A small vireo with yellow throat.
Pied-billed Grebe
Podilymbus podiceps
A small chunky brown diver with a pale chicken-like bill ringed in black in summer. Famously secretive — dives at first sight of danger and …
Pileated Woodpecker
Dryocopus pileatus
A crow-sized woodpecker with a flaming red crest, the pileated is North America's largest extant woodpecker and a keystone forest engineer —…
Pine Grosbeak
Pinicola enucleator
A large plump finch — males rosy-red, females and immatures gray with yellow-olive wash. Slow and tame near humans — they often allow close …
Pine Siskin
Spinus pinus
A small streaky brown finch with yellow flashes on wings. Often confused for sparrows. Forms large nomadic flocks following conifer seed cro…
Pine Warbler
Setophaga pinus
A small yellow warbler specialized for pine forests. Among the few warblers that doesn't migrate to tropical America.
Plumbeous Vireo
Vireo plumbeus
A medium gray vireo of southwestern habitats.
Prairie Falcon
Falco mexicanus
A pale buff falcon of the western open country, distinguished by dark "armpits" visible in flight. Specialized predator of ground squirrels …
Prairie Warbler
Setophaga discolor
A small bright yellow warbler with distinctive face pattern of two black stripes. Despite the name, prefers shrubby habitat over true prairi…
Purple Finch
Haemorhous purpureus
A medium-sized finch — males raspberry-red and brown. Closely related to but smaller than the better-known house finch.
Pygmy Nuthatch
Sitta pygmaea
A tiny gray-brown nuthatch with white throat. Endemic to ponderosa pine forests of western mountains.
Pyrrhuloxia
Cardinalis sinuatus
A close relative of the cardinal with similar shape but gray body and red highlights. Native to southwestern deserts.
Razorbill
Alca torda
A medium black-and-white seabird with distinctive razor-like bill.
Red Crossbill
Loxia curvirostra
A specialized finch with crossed mandibles for prying open conifer cones. Several genetic "call types" that may represent cryptic species — …
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Melanerpes carolinus
A common medium-sized woodpecker named for the subtle reddish wash on its belly — most people see only the bright red cap and black-and-whit…
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Sitta canadensis
A small nuthatch with distinct rusty-red underparts. Highly migratory; irrupts southward in winter when northern food fails.
Red-necked Grebe
Podiceps grisegena
A medium grebe with rusty red neck in breeding plumage.
Red-shouldered Hawk
Buteo lineatus
A medium-sized hawk with rusty-red shoulders and a striking black-and-white banded tail. Its keening "kee-aah" call rings through eastern wo…
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
The most common large hawk in North America, identified by its rust-red tail and piercing scream — the iconic "eagle cry" used in countless …
Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellata
A small loon. Found across the Arctic.
Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
A medium-sized blackbird; males glossy black with brilliant red-and-yellow shoulder patches displayed in flight. Among the most abundant lan…
Reddish Egret
Egretta rufescens
A spectacular medium-sized heron — adults have reddish neck and dark body (or dark phase: all gray). Known for "dancing" while hunting — run…
Ring-billed Gull
Larus delawarensis
A medium-sized gull with a yellow bill ringed in black, pale gray wings, and yellow legs. The "parking lot gull" — the most common gull at M…
Rock Pigeon
Columba livia
The familiar city pigeon — descended from cliff-dwelling Eurasian wild rock doves. Introduced to North America in the 1600s. Highly variable…
Rock Wren
Salpinctes obsoletus
A small grayish-brown wren of dry rocky habitats. Doesn't need to drink — extracts water from food. Builds nests in rock crevices.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Pheucticus ludovicianus
A striking finch — males are crisp black-and-white with a brilliant rose-red triangle on the breast. Females are streaky brown and easily mi…
Rough-legged Hawk
Buteo lagopus
A large buteo with feathered legs (an Arctic adaptation rare in hawks) often seen hovering on broad wings over open winter fields hunting vo…
Royal Tern
Thalasseus maximus
A large orange-billed tern common on Atlantic coasts.
Ruddy Duck
Oxyura jamaicensis
A small stiff-tailed duck. Males in breeding plumage: vivid rufous body, bright blue bill, white cheeks, dark cap. Famously aggressive — mal…
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpres
A short-legged shorebird with bold orange-rust, black, and white "calico" breeding plumage. They forage by flipping over stones, seaweed, an…
Ruffed Grouse
Bonasa umbellus
A medium-sized chicken-like upland gamebird with a black-banded fan-shaped tail. Males "drum" by rapidly beating wings on logs in spring — t…
Sage Grouse (Greater)
Centrocercus urophasianus
Large iconic sage-steppe grouse with elaborate breeding displays.
Sage Sparrow (Bell's)
Artemisiospiza belli
A small gray-brown sparrow specialized for sagebrush habitats.
Sage Thrasher
Oreoscoptes montanus
A medium-sized thrasher of sagebrush habitats. Among the most habitat-restricted songbirds.
Sagebrush Sparrow
Artemisiospiza nevadensis
A small gray-brown sparrow specialized for Great Basin sagebrush.
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensis
A medium-sized tern with distinctive black bill with yellow tip.
Savannah Sparrow
Passerculus sandwichensis
A streaky brown sparrow of open country with a distinctive yellow eyebrow stripe and short notched tail. One of the most abundant grassland …
Say's Phoebe
Sayornis saya
A small flycatcher with peach-colored belly. Common in suburban yards across the western US.
Scott's Oriole
Icterus parisorum
A bright yellow and black oriole of southwestern deserts.
Seaside Sparrow
Ammospiza maritima
A medium sparrow restricted to coastal salt marshes. Multiple subspecies; the dusky seaside sparrow extinct since 1987.
Sedge Wren
Cistothorus stellaris
A small wren of sedge meadow habitats.
Semipalmated Plover
Charadrius semipalmatus
A small brown-and-white shorebird with a single black breast band, named for the partial webbing between its toes. Among the most abundant m…
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Accipiter striatus
North America's smallest accipiter — about jay-sized, with the same long tail and short wings as a Cooper's hawk. Tiny size and ferocity mak…
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Tympanuchus phasianellus
A medium prairie grouse with distinctive pointed tail. Males perform elaborate spring "dance" on leks — rapidly stomping while inflating pur…
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeus
A medium-sized owl of open country — one of the few that hunts during the day, particularly at dawn and dusk. Floppy moth-like flight low ov…
Smooth-billed Ani
Crotophaga ani
A medium black bird with distinctive smooth black bill.
Snow Bunting
Plectrophenax nivalis
A boldly white-and-rufous Arctic sparrow whose winter flocks swirl across snow-covered fields like flying snowflakes.
Snow Goose
Anser caerulescens
A medium goose with two color phases: white (typical) and blue (dark gray-brown). Massive migration flocks number tens of thousands.
Snowy Egret
Egretta thula
A small white egret with golden "slippers" (yellow feet) used to stir up prey in shallow water. Plume hunting in the late 1800s nearly drove…
Snowy Owl
Bubo scandiacus
Massive white owls that hunt by day and rely on rodent populations to determine breeding success and migration patterns.
Snowy Plover
Charadrius nivosus
A tiny pale shorebird, even smaller and paler than piping plover. Pacific coast populations are federally threatened due to beach developmen…
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
A streaky brown sparrow whose musical "maids maids maids put on your tea kettle kettle kettle" rings from yard hedges and marsh edges across…
Sooty Grouse
Dendragapus fuliginosus
A medium-sized grouse of Pacific Northwest mountains. Pacific counterpart to Dusky Grouse.
Sora
Porzana carolina
A small chunky rail with grayish body and yellow bill. Most-common rail in North America. Their descending whistled call is heard far more o…
Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis macularius
A small sandpiper with distinctive teetering gait. Among the most widespread shorebirds. Females have the unusual mating system of polyandry…
Spotted Towhee
Pipilo maculatus
A western counterpart to Eastern Towhee.
Spruce Grouse
Falcipennis canadensis
A medium grouse of boreal coniferous forests. Famously tame — sometimes approached within arm's reach by humans.
Steller's Jay
Cyanocitta stelleri
A stunning dark blue jay with a black crest and head — western counterpart to the blue jay. Bold and curious; frequent at campsites and high…
Summer Tanager
Piranga rubra
A stunning small songbird — males entirely brilliant rose-red, females yellow-olive. The only entirely red North American bird (vs. Cardinal…
Swainson's Hawk
Buteo swainsoni
A slender medium hawk with dark flight feathers and pale chest.
Swainson's Thrush
Catharus ustulatus
A medium-sized brown thrush with spotted breast. Sings spiraling flute-like song. Migrates 8,000+ km between Canada and South America.
Tennessee Warbler
Leiothlypis peregrina
A small olive-green warbler. Despite the name, doesn't live in Tennessee year-round — Alexander Wilson collected the type specimen there dur…
Thick-billed Murre
Uria lomvia
A medium Arctic seabird closely related to common murre.
Townsend's Solitaire
Myadestes townsendi
A medium-sized gray thrush with white eye ring and white outer tail feathers. Sings beautiful flute-like song from high mountain perches.
Townsend's Warbler
Setophaga townsendi
A small western warbler with bright yellow face and black mask. Pacific Northwest specialty species.
Tree Sparrow (American)
Spizelloides arborea
A small sparrow with distinctive rusty cap and central breast spot.
Tree Swallow
Tachycineta bicolor
An iridescent blue-green swallow that nests in tree cavities and nest boxes. Among the first migrants to return north in spring, and the onl…
Tricolored Heron
Egretta tricolor
A slender medium-sized heron with blue-purple body, white belly and rump. Active hunter — often dashes through shallows after fish.
Trumpeter Swan
Cygnus buccinator
North America's heaviest native bird at up to 30 pounds, the trumpeter swan was nearly extinct in 1933 with only 70 known birds — today the …
Tufted Titmouse
Baeolophus bicolor
A small gray-and-white songbird with prominent crest and bold dark eye. Common at feeders.
Tundra Swan
Cygnus columbianus
A medium-sized white swan with black bill (usually with yellow spot). Migrates 6,000+ km between Arctic breeding grounds and US wintering gr…
Upland Sandpiper
Bartramia longicauda
A unique upland-loving sandpiper that doesn't live on shorelines. Forms loose breeding colonies in tallgrass prairies. Eerie haunting whistl…
Varied Thrush
Ixoreus naevius
A medium-sized thrush with distinctive orange band across breast.
Veery
Catharus fuscescens
A medium-sized thrush with rusty-buff back and spotted breast. One of the most beautiful songsters — voice flows like spiraling water.
Verdin
Auriparus flaviceps
A tiny gray songbird with bright yellow head and rusty shoulder patches. The only North American member of an otherwise Old World family.
Vesper Sparrow
Pooecetes gramineus
A streaky brown grassland sparrow with white outer tail feathers visible in flight and a distinctive chestnut shoulder patch. Beloved by far…
Virginia Rail
Rallus limicola
A small slender brown rail with reddish bill. Famously secretive — easier to hear than see. Quick to swim and dive.
Warbling Vireo
Vireo gilvus
A medium-sized vireo with subtle gray-olive coloration.
Western Bluebird
Sialia mexicana
Small thrush — males deep blue with rusty breast and flanks, females grayer. Cavity-nester in old woodpecker holes.
Western Grebe
Aechmophorus occidentalis
A long-necked black-and-white waterbird famous for synchronized courtship "rushing" displays.
Western Gull
Larus occidentalis
A large dark-mantled gull of Pacific Coast.
Western Kingbird
Tyrannus verticalis
A medium flycatcher with yellow belly, gray head, and red crown patch (rarely visible). Bold defender of nest sites.
Western Screech-Owl
Megascops kennicottii
Western counterpart to the eastern screech-owl — similar size and ear tufts, but only gray morph. Calls differ critically between species: a…
Whiskered Screech-Owl
Megascops trichopsis
A small owl restricted to specific mountain habitats.
White-breasted Nuthatch
Sitta carolinensis
A small bird famous for walking head-first DOWN tree trunks (most birds can only go up). They wedge nuts into bark crevices and "hatchet" th…
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
A handsome large sparrow with bold black-and-white striped crown, gray face, and pink-orange bill. One of the most-studied songbirds in Nort…
White-eared Hummingbird
Basilinna leucotis
A small hummingbird with distinctive white "ears" (face markings). Restricted to specific southwestern habitats.
White-headed Woodpecker
Dryobates albolarvatus
A small black-and-white woodpecker with distinctive completely white head. Endemic to specific Pacific mountain pine forests.
White-rumped Sandpiper
Calidris fuscicollis
A small sandpiper with conspicuous white rump patch visible in flight. Migrates the longest distance of any small US shorebird — Arctic to s…
White-tailed Kite
Elanus leucurus
A gleaming white-and-gray raptor that hovers stationary in mid-air ("kiting") to spot small mammals below. Recolonized California from near-…
White-tailed Ptarmigan
Lagopus leucura
A small alpine grouse that turns completely white in winter. Found in highest alpine zones of western mountains.
White-throated Sparrow
Zonotrichia albicollis
A handsome sparrow with a crisp white throat, striped crown, and yellow lores. Their plaintive "Oh-sweet-Canada-Canada" song is one of the i…
White-winged Crossbill
Loxia leucoptera
A small finch with crossed mandibles for prying open conifer cones. Distinct white wing bars.
White-winged Dove
Zenaida asiatica
A medium-sized dove with bright white wing patches. Native to southwestern US; expanding range eastward and northward.
Wild Turkey
Meleagris gallopavo
The continent's largest gallinaceous bird — once nearly extirpated by 1900 (down to ~30,000), now thriving at over 7 million thanks to a mod…
Willet
Tringa semipalmata
A medium gray-brown shorebird with bold black-and-white wing pattern revealed in flight. Loud "will-WILLET" call gives it the name.
Williamson's Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus thyroideus
A western counterpart to the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.
Willow Ptarmigan
Lagopus lagopus
A medium-sized grouse that turns white in winter and brown in summer. State bird of Alaska.
Wilson's Phalarope
Phalaropus tricolor
A small phalarope famous for two unusual traits: females are more colorful than males (females also do the territory defense), and they swim…
Wilson's Plover
Charadrius wilsonia
A small plover with relatively long thick bill. Restricted to coastal habitats. Distinguished from Killdeer by single neck band.
Wilson's Snipe
Gallinago delicata
A medium chunky shorebird with extraordinarily long bill. Famous "winnowing" courtship flight produces eerie whirring sound from tail feathe…
Wilson's Storm-Petrel
Oceanites oceanicus
A small dark seabird that patters across the water surface chasing prey. Among the most abundant seabirds in the world.
Wilson's Warbler
Cardellina pusilla
A small bright yellow warbler with distinctive black cap on males. Active feeder; flycatches insects mid-air.
Winter Wren
Troglodytes hiemalis
A small dark wren of eastern forests.
Worm-eating Warbler
Helmitheros vermivorum
A small olive-brown warbler with bold black stripes on the head. Despite the name, doesn't eat earthworms — eats caterpillars from rolled le…
Yellow Warbler
Setophaga petechia
A pure-yellow songbird whose sweet "sweet sweet sweet I'm so sweet" song is among the most easily learned. They have a clever defense agains…
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Empidonax flaviventris
A small flycatcher with bright yellow belly. Boreal forest specialist.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus varius
A medium-sized woodpecker that drills horizontal lines of small sap wells in trees, returning to harvest both sap and trapped insects. Other…
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Coccyzus americanus
A medium-sized cuckoo. Subject of recovery efforts in western US.
Yellow-breasted Chat
Icteria virens
A large yellow-and-olive bird with white spectacles. Long classified as a warbler; recently moved to its own family. Famously bizarre song r…
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Nyctanassa violacea
A stocky medium-sized heron with gray body, black-and-white face, and bright yellow crown plume. Specialist crab predator.
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus
A medium blackbird with distinctive bright yellow head.
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
A medium-sized warbler with distinctive bright yellow rump patch. Most adaptable warbler — can digest waxy berries other birds can't.
Yellow-throated Vireo
Vireo flavifrons
A small vireo with bright yellow throat and chest. Forages high in canopy.
Yellow-throated Warbler
Setophaga dominica
A small warbler with bright yellow throat. Often forages on Spanish moss in southern coastal forests.
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