Waxwing

Waxwing by Sergey Yeliseev

The waxwings form the genus Bombycilla of passerine birds. According to most authorities, this is the only genus placed in the family Bombycillidae.

Waxwings are characterised by soft silky plumage. (Bombycilla, the genus name, is Vieillot's attempt at Latin for "silktail", translating the German name Seidenschwänze.) They have unique red tips to some of the wing feathers where the shafts extend beyond the barbs; in the Bohemian and Cedar Waxwings, these tips look like sealing wax, and give the group its name (Holloway 2003). The legs are short and strong, and the wings are pointed. The male and female have the same plumage. All three species have mainly brown plumage, a black line through the eye and black under the chin, a square-ended tail with a red or yellow tip, and a pointed crest. The bill, eyes, and feet are dark. Calls are high-pitched, buzzing or trilling monosyllables (Sibley 2000, MacKinnon and Phillipps 2000).

Bluethroat

Bluethroat by Sergey Yeliseev

The Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica), is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. It, and similar small European species, are often called chats.

It is a migratory insectivorous species breeding in wet birch wood or bushy swamp in Europe and Asia with a foothold in western Alaska. It nests in tussocks or low in dense bushes. It winters in north Africa and India.

The Bluethroat is similar in size to the European Robin at 13-14 cm. It is plain brown above except for the distinctive black tail with red side patches. It has a strong white supercilium. The male has a blue bib edged below with successive black, white and rust coloured borders. Some races, such as L. svecica svecica (Red-spotted Bluethroat) of northern Eurasia, have a red spot in the centre of the blue bib.

Others, such as L. svecica cyanecula (White-spotted Bluethroat) of southern and central Europe, have a white spot in the centre of the blue bib. L. svecica magna in Turkey has no central spot.

Females of all races usually have just a blackish crescent on an otherwise cream throat and breast. Newly fledged juveniles are freckled and spotted dark brown above.

Despite the distinctive appearance of the males, recent genetic studies show only limited variation between the forms, and confirm that this is a single species.

The male has a loud, varied, and sometimes imitative song reminiscent of its relative, the Nightingale. Its call is a typical chat “chack” noise.

European Starling

European Starling by simonglinn

The European Starling, Common Starling or just Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) is a passerine bird in the family Sturnidae.

This species of starling is native to most of temperate Europe and western Asia. It is resident in southern and western Europe and southwestern Asia, while northeastern populations migrate south and west in winter to these regions, and also further south to areas where it does not breed in Iberia and north Africa. It has also been introduced to Australia, New Zealand, North America, and South Africa.

European Starling by Marty Jones

Cattle Egret

Cattle Egret by Marty Jones

The Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) is a cosmopolitan species of heron (family Ardeidae) found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Bubulcus, although some authorities regard its two subspecies as full species. Despite the similarities in plumage to the egrets of the genus Egretta, it is more closely related to the herons of Ardea. Originally native to parts of Asia, Africa and Europe, it has undergone a rapid expansion in its distribution and successfully colonised much of the rest of the world.

It is a stocky white bird adorned with buff plumes in the breeding season which nests in colonies, usually near bodies of water and often with other wading birds. The nest is a platform of sticks in trees or shrubs. Unlike most other herons, it feeds in relatively dry grassy habitats, often accompanying cattle or other large mammals, since it catches insect and small vertebrate prey disturbed by these animals. Some populations of the Cattle Egret are migratory and others show post-breeding dispersal.

The adult Cattle Egret has few predators, but birds or mammals may raid its nests, and chicks may be lost to starvation, calcium deficiency or disturbance from other large birds. This species removes ticks and flies from cattle, but it can be a safety hazard at airfields, and has been implicated in the spread of tick-borne animal diseases.

American Three-toed Woodpecker

American Three-toed Woodpecker by Chris Conard

The American Three-toed woodpecker, Picoides dorsalis is a medium-sized woodpecker (family Picidae).

This woodpecker has a length of 21 cm (8¾ inches) and a wingspan of 38 cm (15 inches) and closely resembles the Black-backed Woodpecker, which is also three-toed. Until recently, it was considered to be the same species as the Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker, (P. tridactylus). Adults are black on the head, wings and rump, and white from the throat to the belly; the flanks are white with black bars. The back is white with black bars and the tail is black with the white outer feathers barred with black. The adult male has a yellow cap.

The breeding habitat is coniferous forests across western Canada, Alaska and the midwestern United States.

The female lays 3 to 7 but most often 4 eggs in a nest cavity in a dead conifer or sometimes a live tree or pole. The pair excavates a new nest each year.

This bird is normally a permanent resident, but northern birds may move south and birds at high elevations may move to lower levels in winter.

Three-toed Woodpeckers forage on conifers in search of wood-boring beetle larvae or other insects. They may also eat fruit and tree sap.

These birds often move into areas with large numbers of insect-infested trees, often following a forest fire or flooding. This bird is likely to give way to the Black-backed Woodpecker where the two species compete for habitat.

Barn Owl

Barn Owl by That Pyro Is A Spy

The Barn Owl (Tyto alba) is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. It is also referred to as Common Barn Owl, to distinguish it from other species in the barn-owl family Tytonidae. These form one of the two living main lineages groups of owls, the other being the typical owls (Strigidae). T. alba is found almost anywhere in the world outside polar and desert regions, as well as all of Asia north of the Alpide belt, most of Indonesia and the Pacific islands.

Barn Owl by pm1220

It is known by many other vernacular names, some of them rather ambiguous. They often refer to the appearance, habitat or the eerie, silent flight: White Owl, Silver Owl, Demon Owl, Ghost Owl, Death Owl, Night Owl, Rat Owl, Monkey-faced Owl, Church Owl, Cave Owl or Stone Owl. Golden Owl might also refer to the related Golden Masked-owl (T. aurantia). Hissing Owl and – particularly in the USA – "screech owl" refer to the piercing calls of these birds, but the latter term usually refers to typical owls of the genus Megascops.

The Ashy-faced Owl (T. glaucops) was for some time included in T. alba, and by some authors its Lesser Antilles populations insularis and nigrescens still are. The Barn Owls from the Indopacific region are sometimes separated as Eastern Barn-owl, Australian Barn-owl or Delicate Barn-owl (T. delicatula). While this may be warranted, it is not clear between which races to draw the line between the two species. Also, some island subspecies are occasionally treated as distinct species. While all this may be warranted, such a move is generally eschewed pending further information on Barn Owl phylogeography.

Altamira Oriole

Altamira Oriole by D.L. Lindsey

The Altamira Oriole, Icterus gularis, is a New World oriole. The bird is widespread in subtropical lowlands of the Mexican Gulf Coast and northern Central America, the Pacific coast and inland. It also can be found in the extreme south of Texas, (locally called the Rio Grande Valley).

At 25 cm and 56 grams, this is the largest oriole of the Icterus genus. This bird nests in open woodlands. The nest is a very long woven pouch, attached to the end of a horizontal tree branch, sometimes to telephone wires.

Altamira Oriole by Glen Tepke

This bird forages high in trees, sometimes in the undergrowth. They mainly eat insects and berries.

These birds are permanent residents, and unlike the migratory orioles that breed in the US, the species is "sexually monomorphic" -- both the males and the females have elaborate coloration and patterning.

American Avocet

American Avocet by mikebaird

The American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) is a large wader in the avocet and stilt family, Recurvirostridae.

This avocet has long, thin, gray legs, giving it its colloquial name, "blue shanks". The plumage is black and white on the back with white on the underbelly. The neck and head are cinnamon colored in the summer and gray in the winter. The long, thin bill is upturned at the end. The adult is about 45 cm (18 inches) tall.

American Avocet by Robinsegg

The breeding habitat is marshes, beaches, prairie ponds, and shallow lakes in the mid-west and on the Pacific coast of North America. The American Avocet nests on open ground, often in small groups, sometimes with other waders. A pair will rear one brood per season, with both male and female providing parental care for the young.

This species is migratory, and mostly winters on the southern Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Mexico and the United States.
Winter plumage

The American Avocet forages in shallow water or on mud flats, often sweeping its bill from side to side in water as it seeks its crustacean and insect prey.

Acorn Woodpecker

Acorn Woodpecker by Deep Orbit

The Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) is a medium-sized woodpecker, 21 cm long with an average weight of 85 g.

The adult has a black head, back, wings and tail, white forehead, throat, belly and rump. The eyes are white. The adult male has a red cap starting at the forehead, whereas females have a black area between the forehead and the cap. The white neck, throat and forehead patches are distinctive identifiers.

Acorn Woodpecker by cosmicsailor

The breeding habitat is forested areas with oaks in the hills of coastal California and the southwestern United States south to Colombia. This species may occur at low elevations in the north of its range, but rarely below 1000m in Central America, and it breeds up to the timberline. The breeding pair excavate a nest in a large cavity in a dead tree or a dead part of a tree. A group of adults may participate in nesting activities: Field studies have shown that breeding groups range from monogamous pairs to breeding collectives of seven males and three females, plus up to 10 nonbreeding helpers. Young have been found with multiple paternity.

Acorn Woodpecker by graspnext

Acorn Woodpeckers, as their name implies, depend heavily on acorns for food. In some parts of their range (e.g., California), humans create granaries or "acorn trees" by drilling holes in dead trees, dead branches, and wooden buildings. The woodpeckers then collect acorns and find a hole that is just the right size for the acorn. As acorns dry out, they are moved to smaller holes and granary maintenance requires a significant amount of the bird's time.

The acorns are visible, and the group defends the tree against potential cache robbers like Steller's Jays and Western Scrub Jays. Acorns are such an important resource to the California populations that Acorn Woodpeckers may nest in the fall to take advantage of the fall acorn crop, a rare behavior in birds Acorn Woodpeckers are not storing the acorns in order to eat the insect larvae that ultimately form in the acorn, but for the acorn themselves. Acorn Woodpeckers can also be seen sallying from tree limbs to catch insects, eating fruit and seeds, and drilling holes to drink sap.

This bird is a permanent resident throughout its range. They may relocate to another area if acorns are not readily available. It is sedentary and very sociable.

American Kestrel

American Kestrel by damiand

The American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) is a small falcon. This bird was (and sometimes still is) colloquially known in North America as the "Sparrow Hawk". This name is misleading because it implies a connection with the Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus, which is unrelated; the latter is an accipiter rather than a falcon. Though both are diurnal raptors, they are only distantly related.

American Kestrels are widely distributed across the Americas. Their breeding range extends from central and western Alaska across northern Canada to Nova Scotia, and south throughout North America, into central Mexico, the Baja, and the Caribbean. They are local breeders in Central America and are widely distributed throughout South America.

Most of the birds breeding in Canada and the northern United States migrate south in the winter, although some males stay as year-round residents. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe.

Common Ground Dove

Common Ground Dove by barloventomagico

The Common Ground Dove (Columbina passerina) is a small New World tropical dove. It is a resident breeder from Aruba, Bermuda, through the southmost United States, Mexico and the Caribbean, to South America, and is found as far south as northern Brazil.

The Common Ground Dove inhabits scrub and other open country. It builds a flimsy stick nest in a tree and lays two white eggs. Its flight is fast and direct, with regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings that are characteristic of pigeons in general.

Common Ground Doves are one of the world's smallest pigeons, with a length of 17 centimeters (6.5 inches), wingspan of 7.5 cm (10.5 in) and mass of 31 grams (1.1 ounces). Adult birds have grey-brown back and upperwing plumage, with black spotting on their wing coverts. They have a scaly appearance to the breast and head. The tail is brown centrally, with black edges and white corners. The bill is orange, tipped black. In flight, the underwings show extensive chestnut colouration.

The adult male has a pink head, neck and breast, and a pink unscaled belly. The nape is blue. The female and juvenile are light grey where the male is pink, and have grey napes.

Common Ground Doves feed mainly on seeds, but do eat some insects. Their call is a soft cooing wha-up.

Band-tailed Pigeon

Band Tailed Pigeon by bison_bill_c

The Band-tailed Pigeon, Patagioenas fasciata, is a medium-sized bird of the Americas. Its closest relatives are the Chilean Pigeon and the Ring-tailed Pigeon, which form a clade of Patagioenas with a terminal tail band and iridescent plumage on their necks.(Johnson et al., 2001)

It ranges from British Columbia, Utah, and Colorado south in higher elevations through Mexico and Central America to northern Argentina. In autumn it migrates out of the part of its range north of California, New Mexico, and west Texas. Populations from Costa Rica south are sometimes considered a separate species, the White-naped Pigeon, P. albilinea. It is found at altitudes from 900 m to 3600 m, generally in oak, pine-oak, and coniferous forests. It feeds on seeds, notably acorns.

Western Bluebird

Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) by cosmicsailor

The Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) is a medium-sized thrush.

Adults have a grey belly. Adult males are bright blue on top and on the throat with a red breast; they have a brown patch on their back. Adult females have duller blue wings and tail, a brownish breast and a grey crown, throat and back.

These birds wait on a perch and fly down to catch insects, sometimes catching them in midair. They mainly eat insects and berries.

Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) by cosmicsailor

Northern birds migrate to the southern parts of the range; southern birds are often permanent residents.

Western Bluebird m. by teddy llovet

These birds wait on a perch and fly down to catch insects, sometimes catching them in midair. They mainly eat insects and berries.

Eastern Towhee

Eastern Towhee by dave.lipper

The Eastern Towhee, Pipilo erythrophthalmus, is a large New World sparrow. The taxonomy of the towhees has been under debate in recent decades, and formerly this bird and the Spotted Towhee were considered a single species, the Rufous-sided Towhee.

Adults have rufous sides, a white belly and a long dark tail with white edges. The eyes are red, white for birds in the southeast. Males have a dark head, upper body and tail; these parts are brown in the female.

Their breeding habitat is brushy areas across eastern North America. They nest either low in bushes or on the ground under shrubs.

Northern birds migrate to the southern United States.

There has been one record of this species as a vagrant to western Europe; a single bird in Great Britain in 1966.

These birds forage on the ground or in low vegetation. They mainly eat insects, acorns, seeds and berries.

The call is Drink your teeeee; the word "towhee" imitates this call.

Eastern Towhee by J.F.Robinson

Atlantic Puffin

Atlantic Puffin by gdraskoy

The Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica) is a seabird species in the auk family. It is a pelagic bird that feeds primarily by diving for fish, but also eats other sea creatures, such as squid and crustaceans. Its most obvious characteristic is its brightly coloured beak during the breeding seasons. Also known as the Common Puffin, it is the only puffin species which is found in the Atlantic Ocean. The curious appearance of the bird, with its colourful huge bill and its striking piebald plumage, has given rise to nicknames such as "clown of the ocean" and "sea parrot".

Atlantic Puffin by diddý

Atlantic Puffin by Knutur

The Atlantic Puffin is 28–34 cm (11-13.5 in) in length, with a 50–60 cm (20-24 in) wingspan. The male is generally slightly larger than the female, but they are coloured alike. This bird is mainly black above and white below, with gray to white cheeks and red-orange legs. The bill is large and triangular, and during the breeding season is bright orange with a patch of blue bordered by yellow at the rear. The characteristic bright orange bill plates grow before the breeding season and are shed after breeding. The bills are used in courtship rituals, such as the pair tapping their bills together. During flight, it appears to have grey round underwings and a white body; it has a direct flight low over the water. The related Horned Puffin (Fratercula corniculata) from the North Pacific looks very similar but has slightly different head ornaments.

The Atlantic Puffin is typically silent at sea, except for soft purring sounds it sometimes makes in flight. At the breeding colonies the birds make a deep growl

Atlantic Puffin by diddý

American White Pelican

American White Pelican by .bobby

The American White Pelican or Rough-billed Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) is a large aquatic bird from the order Pelecaniformes. It breeds in interior North America, moving south and to the coasts, up to Central America, in winter.

The scientific name means "red-billed pelican", from the Latin term for a pelican, Pelecanus, and erythrorhynchos, derived from the Ancient Greek words erythros (ἐρυθρός, "red") + rhynchos (ῥύγχος, "bill").

American White Pelican by ...Random Images from The Heartland...

It is a very large and plump bird; its overall length is about 50–67 inches (130–170 cm), courtesy of the huge beak which measures 13–14.4 inches (330–370 mm) in males and 10.4–13 in (260–330 mm) in females. It has a wingspan of about 95–120 in (240–300 cm) and weighs between 11 and 20 lb (5.0 and 9.1 kg). The plumage is almost entirely bright white, except the black primary and secondary remiges, which are hardly visible except in flight however. From early spring until after breeding has finished in mid-late summer, the breast feathers have a yellowish hue. After moulting into the eclipse plumage, the upper head often has a grey hue, as blackish feathers grow between the small wispy white crest.

The bill is long and flat, with a large throat sac, and in the breeding season vivid orange like the iris, the bare skin around the eye, and the feet. In the breeding season, there is a laterally flattened "horn" on the upper bill, about one-third the bill's length behind the tip. This is shed off after the birds have mated and laid their eggs, and outside the breeding season the bare parts become duller in color, with the nakes facial skin yellow and the bill, pouch and feet an orangy-flesh color.

Apart from the difference in size, males and females look exactly alike. Immature birds have light grey plumage with darker brownish nape and remiges. Their bare parts are dull grey. Hatchlings are naked at first, then grow white down feathers all over, before moulting to the immature plumage.

Brewer's Blackbird

Male Brewer's Blackbird by _SMadsen

The Brewer's Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) is a medium-sized blackbird.

Adults have a pointed bill. Adult males have black plumage; the female is dark grey. The male has a bright yellow eye; the female's is dark. They resemble the eastern member of the same genus, the Rusty Blackbird; however, this bird has a shorter bill and the male's head is iridescent purple. This bird is often mistaken for the Common Grackle but has a shorter tail. The call is a sharp check which is also distinguishable. This bird is unrelated to the Eurasian Blackbird.
E. cyanocephalus female . The iridescent purple head of the male is a distinguishing feature

Their breeding habitat is open and semi-open areas, often near water, across central and western North America. The cup nest can be located in various locations: in a tree, in tall grass or on a cliff. They often nest in colonies.

These birds are often permanent residents in the west. Other birds migrate to the southeastern United States and Mexico.

They forage in shallow water or in fields, mainly eating seeds and insects, some berries. They sometimes catch insects in flight. They feed in flocks outside of the breeding season, sometimes with other blackbirds.

The range of this bird has been expanding east in the Great Lakes region.

This bird is named after the ornithologist Thomas Mayo Brewer.

Female Brewer's Blackbird by cosmicsailor

Anna's Hummingbird

Anna's Hummingbird by birdie1925

The Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna) is a medium-sized hummingbird native to the west coast of North America. This bird was named after Anna Massena, Duchess of Rivoli.

Anna's Hummingbird is 9-10 cm (3.5"-4") long. It has a bronze-green back, a pale grey chest and belly, and green flanks. Its bill is long, straight and slender. The adult male has an iridescent crimson-red crown and throat, and a dark, slightly forked tail. Anna's is the only North American hummingbird species with a red crown. Females and juveniles have a green crown, a grey throat with some red marking, a grey chest and belly, and a dark, rounded tail with white tips on the outer feathers.

These birds feed on nectar from flowers using a long extendable tongue. They also consume small spiders and insects which they catch in flight. While collecting nectar, they also assist in plant pollination. They sometimes eat tree sap.

American Dipper

American Dipper by hlp6952

The American Dipper (Cinclus mexicanus), also known as a Water Ouzel, is a stocky dark grey bird with a head sometimes tinged with brown, and white feathers on the eyelids cause the eyes to flash white as the bird blinks. It is 16.5 cm long and weighs on average 46 g. It has long legs, and bobs its whole body up and down during pauses as it feeds on the bottom of fast-moving, rocky streams. It inhabits the mountainous regions of Central America and western North America from Panama to Alaska.

This species, like other dippers, is equipped with an extra eyelid called a "nictitating membrane" that allows it to see underwater, and scales that close its nostrils when submerged. Dippers also produce more oil than most birds, which may help keep them warmer when seeking food underwater.

In most of its habits, it closely resembles its European counterpart, the White-throated Dipper, Cinclus cinclus, which is also sometimes known as a Water Ouzel. It feeds on aquatic insects and their larvae, including dragonfly nymphs and caddisfly larvae. It may also take tiny fish or tadpoles.

The song consists of high whistles or trills peee peee pijur pijur repeated a few times. Both sexes of this bird sing year round. It defends a linear territory along streams.

Its habit of diving and walking along the bottom of streams in search of food sometimes makes it the occasional prey of large salmon or other anadromous fish.

The American Dipper's nest is a globe-shaped structure with a side entrance, close to water, on a rock ledge, river bank, behind a waterfall or under a bridge. The normal clutch is 2-4 white eggs, incubated solely by the female, which hatch after about 15–17 days, with another 20–25 days to fledging. The male helps to feed the young.

It is usually a permanent resident, moving slightly south or to lower elevations if necessary to find food or unfrozen water. The presence of this indicator species shows good water quality; it has vanished from some locations due to pollution or increased silt load in streams. They even swim up-side-down.

Chipping Sparrow

Chipping Sparrow by MarshCreek

The Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) is a species of American sparrow in the family Emberizidae. It is widespread, fairly tame, and common across most of its North American range.

Throughout the year, adults are gray below and an orangish-rust color above. Adults in alternate (breeding) plumage have a persimmon-red cap, a nearly white supercilium, and a black trans-ocular line (running through the eye). Adults in basic (nonbreeding) plumage are less prominently marked, with a brownish cap, a dusky eyebrow, and a dark eye-line.

Juvenile Chipping Sparrows are prominently streaked below. Like nonbreeding adults, they show a dark eye-line, extending both in front of and behind the eye. The brownish cap and dusky eyebrow are variable but generally obscure in juveniles.

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglet by jcassady

The Golden-crowned Kinglet, Regulus satrapa, is a very small songbird.

Adults are olive-gray on the upperparts with white underparts, with thin bills and short tails. They have white wing bars, a black stripe through the eyes and a yellow crown surrounded by black. The adult male has an orange patch in the middle of the yellow crown.

Their breeding habitat is coniferous forests across Canada, the northeastern and western United States, Mexico and Central America. They nest in a well-concealed hanging cup suspended from a conifer branch.

These birds migrate to the United States. Some birds are permanent residents in coastal regions and in the southern parts of their range. Northern birds remain further north in winter than the Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

They forage actively in trees or shrubs, mainly eating insects, insect eggs and spiders.

They give a series of high-pitched calls on a single note, and tend not to fear human approach.

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Chestnut-backed Chickadee by Vesuvianite

The Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens, formerly Parus rufescens) is a small passerine bird in the tit family Paridae.

It is found in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and western Canada, from southern Alaska to southwestern California. It is a permanent resident within its range, but they sometimes fly short distances in winter when their food supply gets low. They usually move to lower elevations in the same area when winter starts and move back up to higher elevations in late summer.

It is a small chickadee, 11.5–12.5 cm (4.5"-4.9") long with a weight of 8.5–12.6 g. The head is dark blackish-brown with white cheeks, the mantle is bright rufous-brown, the wing feathers are dark gray with paler fringes. The underparts are white to pale grayish-white, with rufous or pale gray flanks. They travel in mixed flocks. They are often seen in large groups with bushtits and warblers.

Boreal Chickadee

Boreal Chickadee by Chad Gustafson

The Boreal Chickadee (Poecile hudsonicus, formerly Parus hudsonicus) is a small passerine bird in the tit family Paridae.

Adults are 12.5–14.5 cm long with a weight of 7–12.4 g. They have grey-brown upperparts with a brown cap and greyish wings and tail; their face is mainly grey with white on the sides. Their underparts are white with brown on the flanks and a black throat. They have a short dark bill, short wings and a long notched tail.

Their breeding habitat is coniferous woods in Canada, Alaska and the northern edges of the United States. They nest in a hole in a tree; the pair excavates the nest, using a natural cavity or sometimes an old woodpecker nest. The pair remains together year round and may mate for life.

They are permanent residents, but sometimes move south in winter. They often forage with small flocks including other small birds in winter.

These birds forage on conifer branches or probe into the bark. They mainly eat insects and seeds. They will store food for later use.

The call is a husky tsik-a-dee-dee, a variant on the call which gives chickadees their name. They live in forests.

Often, it is still placed in the genus Parus with most other tits, but mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data and morphology suggest that separating Poecile more adequately expresses these birds' relationships (Gill et al., 2005). The American Ornithologists' Union has been treating Poecile as a distinct genus for some time already. The genus name Poecile has often been treated as feminine (giving the species name ending hudsonica); however, this was not specified by the original genus author Johann Jakob Kaup, and under the ICZN the genus name must therefore be treated by default as masculine, giving the name ending hudsonicus (del Hoyo et al. 2007).

Yellow-breasted Chat

Yellow-Breasted Chat by tomyris95

The Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens) is a large songbird, formerly considered the most atypical member of the New World warbler family, though the long-standing suspicion is that it does not actually belong there. Its placement is not definitely resolved. It is the only member of the genus Icteria. Found throughout North America, from southern-plains Canada to central Mexico during the summer, these birds mainly migrate to Mexico and Central America, although some of their number may overwinter in coastal areas.

Yellow-breasted Chats are noticeably larger than all other warblers, reaching a length of 7.5 inches and a wingspan of 9.75 inches. These birds have olive upperparts with white bellies and yellow throats and breasts; they also have long tails, thick heavy bills, large white eye-rings, and dark legs.

The breeding habitats of this species are dense, brushy areas and hedgerows. The nests of these birds are cup-shaped, and are placed in thick shrubs. These birds eat insects and berries, and will forage in dense vegetation, occasionally gripping food with their feet.

The song of this bird is an odd, variable mixture of cackles, clucks, whistles and hoots. Their calls are harsh chak's. Unlike most warblers, this species has been known to mimic the calls of other birds. This bird is somewhat secretive, but will usually sing from exposed locations.

Yellow-breasted Chats are declining in eastern North America due to habitat loss, which is caused primarily from deforestation and urban development. This species is particularly vulnerable to brood parasitism from Brown-headed Cowbirds that have taken advantage of the fragmentation of Eastern forests to expand their range in the last century.

Vermilion Flycatcher

Vermilion Flycatcher by barloventomagico

The Vermilion Flycatcher, Pyrocephalus rubinus, is a small passerine bird that can be found in the southwestern United States, Central America, and northern and central South America, and southwards to central Argentina. This is the only species in the genus Pyrocephalus.

The species grows to about seven inches in length, and is strongly dimorphic; males are bright red in color, with dark brown plumage. Females have a peach-colored belly with a dark grey upperside, and are somewhat similar to Say's Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe).

These tyrant flycatchers feed mostly on insects such as flies, grasshoppers and beetles. These are usually taken from mid-air, after a short sally flight from a perch.

The Vermilion Flycatcher is a favorite among birders, but not generally kept by aviculturalists, as males tend to lose their bright colors when taken from the wild and kept in cages. Most flycatchers are rather drab in color, but the Vermilion Flycatcher is an exception and is very striking. They are 6 inches long.

They lay 2 - 3 whitish eggs in a nest made out of twigs, stems and roots lined with hair. The eggs are incubated for around 2 weeks by the female bird and the young are ready to leave the nest after 15 days of hatching.

Cassin's Kingbird

Cassin’s Kingbird (Tyrranus vociferans) by almiyi

The Cassin's Kingbird, Tyrannus vociferans, is a large Tyrant flycatcher.

Adults have a gray head with slightly darker cheeks; a dark unforked tail with a buffy fringe and gray-olive underparts. They have a pale throat and deep yellow lower breast.

Juveniles are duller and have pale edges on their wings.

They build a bulky nest on a horizontal tree limb in mid-story or the canopy of trees. The three to five spotted white eggs have an incubation period of 18 to 19 days.

In the summer these birds can be found in California and from Montana to Utah, along the eastern Rocky Mountains. Their habitat includes rangelands and savannas.

These birds migrate to their winter quarters between Southern California and northern Central America. They are permanent residents in south-central Mexico, and their main wintering ranges are west of the Sea of Cortez on Baja California Sur, and east of the sea on the mainland of western Mexico.

Lawrence's Goldfinch

Lawrence's Goldfinch by Bill Bouton

Lawrence's Goldfinch, Carduelis lawrencei, is a small songbird that ranges erratically in southwestern North America.

Hepatic Tanager

Hepatic Tanager by Flávio Cruvinel Brandão

The Hepatic Tanager, Piranga flava, is a medium-sized American songbird. Its genus, Piranga, was traditionally placed in the tanager family (Thraupidae) but some now place it in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae).

The habits of the Hepatic Tanager are similar to those of the Western Tanager.

It ranges from the southwestern United States (Arizona, New Mexico, and locally in southern California and Colorado) to northern Argentina. There are three subspecies groups, which may be separate species: hepatica, breeding from Nicaragua north in pine and pine-oak forests and partially migratory; lutea, resident from Costa Rica to northern and western South America in highland forest edges; and flava, resident in open woods elsewhere in South America.

The northern form is larger and stockier than other Piranga tanagers and has a relatively short tail and a stout bill. Its brightest color is always on its forehead and throat. In all plumages, it has grey flanks, dusky cheeks, and a dark eye streak. The female is yellow, and the male is red. Its average weight is 1.3 oz (38 g). Its average wingspan is 12.5 in (31.8 cm) and length 8 inches (20.3 cm).

Its call is a low, dry chup like the Hermit Thrush. Its song is clearer than Thraupidae tanagers and far more similar to the song of the Black-headed Grosbeak, another member of the Cardinalidae. The flight call is a husky and rising weet.

It looks for food in the foliage of trees, moving slowly and methodically; different individuals use different strategies. In summer, the northern form eats largely insects and spiders, with some fruit. In Mexico it has been observed to eat nectar. From Oaxaca south it follows swarms of army ants.

Even the northern population's behavior and life history are remarkably little known.

Hoary Redpoll

Hoary Redpoll by prairiedog

The Arctic Redpoll, Carduelis hornemanni, is a species of the finch family, Fringillidae. It breeds in tundra birch forest. It has two subspecies, C. h. hornemanni (Greenland Arctic Redpoll) of Greenland and neighbouring parts of Canada, and C. h. exilipes, which breeds in the tundra of northern North America (where it is known as the Hoary Redpoll) and Eurasia. Many birds remain in the far north; some birds migrate short distances south in winter, sometimes travelling with Common Redpolls.

The Greenland race is a very large and pale bird, with the male sometimes described as a "snowball", but both forms are pale with small beaks, white rumps and often more yellow than grey-brown tones in their plumage. The females are more streaked on their breasts, sides and rumps, but are still pale.

Rock Pigeon

Rock Pigeon 01 by TexasEagle

The Rock Pigeon (Columba livia), or Rock Dove, is a member of the bird family Columbidae (doves and pigeons). In common usage, this bird is often simply referred to as the "pigeon". The species includes the domestic pigeon, and escaped domestic pigeons have given rise to the feral pigeon.

Wild Rock Pigeons are pale grey with two black bars on each wing, although domestic and feral pigeons are very variable in colour and pattern. There are few visible differences between males and females. The species is generally monogamous, with two squabs (young) per brood. Both parents care for the young for a time.

Habitats include various open and semi-open environments, including agricultural and urban areas. Cliffs and rock ledges are used for roosting and breeding in the wild. Originally found wild in Europe, North Africa, and western Asia, feral Rock Pigeons have become established in cities around the world. The species is abundant, with an estimated population of 17 to 28 million feral and wild birds in Europe.

Lucifer Hummingbird

Lucifer Hummingbird by davidcreebirder

The Lucifer Hummingbird, Calothorax lucifer is a medium-sized, up to 10cm long, green hummingbird with long decurved bill, small wings and white streak behind eye. The male has an iridescent plumage, forked dark tail, green crown, long magenta gorget and white underparts. The female is larger than male with duller plumage, pale throat and buff below.

The Lucifer Hummingbird is distributed to deserts and arid areas with agave plants in the southwestern United States, from southwest Texas, extreme southwestern New Mexico to extreme southeastern Arizona, and in central and north Mexico. It is also found in the Madrean sky islands of the northern end of the Sierra Madre Occidental, Mexico.

The diet consists mainly of nectar, spiders and small insects. The female lays two white eggs in the small cup-like nest.

A locally common species in its range, the Lucifer Hummingbird is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Summer Tanager

Summer Tanager (Male) by tomyris95

The Summer Tanager, Piranga rubra, is a medium-sized songbird. It was usually considered a fairly typical kind of tanager and placed in the Thraupidae, but is more likely a relative of the cardinals (Cardinalidae).

Their breeding habitat is open wooded areas, especially with oaks, across the southern United States. These birds migrate to Mexico, Central America and northern South America. This tanager is an extremely rare vagrant to western Europe.

Adults have stout pointed bills. Adult males are rose red; females are orangish on the underparts and olive on top, with olive-brown wings and tail.

These birds are often out of sight, foraging high in trees, sometimes flying out to catch insects in flight. They mainly eat insects, especially bees and wasps, and berries. Notably, fruit of Cymbopetalum mayanum (Annonaceae) are a well-liked food in the winter quarters, and birds will forage in human-altered habitat[1]. Consequently, these trees can be planted to entice them to residential areas, and they may well be attracted to bird feeders. Summer Tanagers build a cup nest on a horizontal tree branch.

Male Summer Tanager by huz001

Female Summer Tanager by Marty Jones

The Summer Tanager has an American Robin-like song, similar enough that novices sometimes mistake this bird for that species. The song consists of melodic units, repeated in a constant stream. The Summer Tanager's song, however, is much more monotonous than that of T. migratorius, often consisting of as few as 3 or 4 distinct units. It is clearer and less nasal than the song of the Scarlet Tanager.

Gilded Barbet (Capito auratus)

Gilded Barbet (Capito auratus) by stolmstead

The Gilded Barbet (Capito auratus) is a species of bird in the Capitonidae family, the barbets, and are close relatives of the toucans. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela, in the Orinoco River Basin and western Amazon Basin. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the Black-spotted Barbet from north-eastern South America.

Velvet-purple Coronet

Velvet-purple Coronet by brodmann's 17

The Velvet-purple Coronet (Boissonneaua jardini) is a species of hummingbird in the Trochilidae family. It is found in humid foothill forest on the West Andean slope in western Colombia and north-western Ecuador. Its highly iridescent plumage is striking, being largely bluish-purple below and on the crown, greenish-blue on the back, green on the upperwing coverts, and rufous on the underwing coverts. In poor light it may appear all black, except for the strongly contrasting white outer rectrices.