Final Product

Avian Project Ford McClure

Avian Data Sheet Species number: 3

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Common name: Common Crow Scientific name: Corvus brachyrhynchos Order: Passeriformes Family: Corvidae Description: * Size: 40-53 cm (16-21 in) * Wingspan: 85-100 cm (33-39 in) * Weight: 316-620 g (11.15-21.89 ounces) * Eyes dark brown. * Legs black. * All feathers black glossed with violet. Conservation Status: Populations slightly, but significantly increasing over last half of 20th century. Severe susceptibility to West Nile virus may cause population decreases in near future. Male:

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Female: Alike, male is slightly larger Young: Juvenile similar to adult, but head feathers not glossy and more fluffy, inside of mouth red. Immature wing and tail feathers becoming brownish over the course of the first year. Nest: Large open cup of sticks, filled with mud and grass. Lined with thick inner bowl of grapevine bark, hair, and other soft material. Usually placed high in tree. Eggs: Pale bluish green with brown markings. Habitat: Variety of habitats. Requires open ground for feeding and scattered trees for roosting, nesting, and refuge. Food: Omnivorous. Waste grain, earthworms, insects, carrion, garbage, seeds, amphibians, reptiles, mice, fruit, bird eggs and nestlings. Breeding range: Canada, slight small parts of America Non-breeding range: None

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Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/American_Crow1.html Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YByXFPtJ8GI Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/American_Crow_dtl.html#sound

Avian Data Sheet

Species number: 02 Book: Kingbird Highway

Chapter: 1

Page: 4

Common name: American Kestrel Scientific name: Falco sparverius Order: Falconiformes Family: Falconidae Description: * Small hawk. * Rufous back and tail. * Two dark mustache marks on face. * Size: 22-31 cm (9-12 in) * Wingspan: 51-61 cm (20-24 in) * Weight: 80-165 g (2.82-5.82 ounces) Conservation Status: Increased greatly with historical deforestation of North America. No significant trend across North America, but some local increases and decreases. Male:

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Female: Male has blue-gray wings and a lightly spotted chest and belly. The larger female has rufous wings barred with black, and streaking on the chest. Young: Juveniles similar to adults. Nest: Nests in cavities in trees, in buildings, and in nest boxes. No material added to nest hole. Eggs: White to yellowish with scattered small dark spots. Habitat: Breeds in a variety of open habitats, including meadows, grasslands, deserts, parkland, agricultural fields, urban and suburban areas.

Food: Large insects, small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: Parts of Central America Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/American_Kestrel.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/American_Kestrel_dtl.html

Avian Data Sheet

Species number: 6

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Common name: American Robin Scientific name: Turdus migratorius Order: Passeriformes Family: Turdidae Description: * Size: 20-28 cm (8-11 in) * Wingspan: 31-40 cm (12-16 in) * Weight: 77 g (2.72 ounces) * large thrush. * Back and wings gray. * Underparts red. * Dark head with white eye crescents. * Throat white with black streaks. * Lower belly and under tail white. * Gray tail moderately long with white spots at corners of outer tail feathers. * Bill yellow. * Occasionally show pale eyestripes on pale individuals. Conservation Status: Populations appear stable or increasing throughout its range. Because the robin forages largely on lawns, it is vulnerable to pesticide poisoning and can be an important indicator of chemical pollution Male:

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Female:

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Young: Juvenile looks somewhat similar to adult, but has black spotting on underparts, pale spotting on upperparts, white throat, and paler head. Nest: An open cup of grass and twigs held together with a thick layer of mud. Lined with fine dry grass. Nest is usually relatively low in a tree on a firm branch with dense foliage, but can be placed from ground to treetop. Eggs: Color: Robin's egg blue. Size: 28.4-30.3 mm x 20.5-21.4mm. (1.12-1.19 in x 0.81-0.84 in) Incubation: 12-14 days. Habitat: * Found in forests, woodlands, and gardens, especially where short-grass areas are interspersed with shrubs and trees. * Common in urban and suburban areas. Food: Invertebrates, especially earthworms, and fruit. Breeding range: Canada (except for very north east), Canada, Small parts of NorthCentral U.S. Non-breeding range: Parts of Texas, Florida, Louisiana, California, Arizona, Costa Rica, and Mexico Call: Invertebrates, especially earthworms, and fruit. Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/American_Robin_dtl.html#sound

Avian Data Sheet Species number: 14 Book: Kingbird Highway

Chapter: 4

Page: 27

Common name: American White Pelican Scientific name: Pelecanus erythrohynchos Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Pelecanidae Description: * Large, white waterbird. * Long bill with extensible pouch. * Legs short. * Body large and heavy. * Feet webbed. * Wings long and broad, with black trailing edge. * Tail short. * Size: 127-165 cm (50-65 in) * Wingspan: 244-290 cm (96-114 in) * Weight: 4500-9000 g (158.85-317.7 ounces) Conservation Status: A long-term decline stopped in the 1960s, and populations have increased since then. Male:

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Female: Sexes look alike Young: Juvenile similar to adult, but with dirty grayish markings on head and back. Nest: (No information provided) Eggs: (No information provided) Habitat: (No information provided) Food: Fish Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: Southern US, Central America

Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/_dtl.html

Avian Data Sheet Species number: 18 Book: Kingbird Highway

Chapter: 4

Page: 27

Common name: Baird’s Sandpiper Scientific name: Calidris bairdii Order: Charadriiformes Family: Scolopacidae Description: Small to medium-sized sandpiper. Short neck. Moderately long, slightly drooping bill. Moderately long legs. Long wings extend past end of tail on resting bird. Dark center of rump and tail. Fairly distinct chest markings. Back scaly, with whitish edges to dark back feathers in some plumages. * Size: 14-18 cm (6-7 in) * Wingspan: 35-38 cm (14-15 in) * Weight: 27-63 g (0.95-2.22 ounces) Conservation Status: No evidence of significant population trends. Male:

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Female: Sexes look alike. Young: Juvenile similar to adult, but with more scaly pattern on back. Nest: (No information provided) Eggs: (No information provided) Habitat: Breeds in dry coastal and alpine tundra. Migrates and winters along mudflats, estuaries, grassy marshes, and dry grassy areas near lakes and ponds, rarely dry pastures and prairies away from water. Food: (No information provided) Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: Parts of South America Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Bairds_Sandpiper.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Bairds_Sandpiper_dtl.html

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Common name: Barn Swallow Scientific name: Hirundo rustica Order: Passeriformes Family: Hirundinidae Description: * Small slender songbird. * Tail long and forked. * Upperparts steely iridescent blue. * Underparts rufous. * Size: 15-19 cm (6-7 in) * Wingspan: 29-32 cm (11-13 in) * Weight: 17-20 g (0.6-0.71 ounces) Conservation Status: The Barn Swallow has benefited greatly from human activity. Artificial structures have allowed it to move into new areas and nest in higher densities than ever before. As a result, populations are much greater than they were before European settlement of North America. Male:

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Female: Similar to male Young: Similar to adults Nest: An open cup of mud and grass. Lined with fine grass stems, hair, and feathers. Nest is fastened to a vertical wall under an overhang or placed on a ledge. Eggs: Creamy white with small dark spots. Habitat: Found in many habitats with open areas for foraging and structures for nesting, including agricultural areas, cities, and along highways. Needs mud for nest building. Food: Flying insects. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: All of South/Central America Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Barn_Swallow.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Barn_Swallow_dtl.html

Avian Data Sheet Species number: 20 Book: Kingbird Highway Common name: Black-capped Vireo

Chapter: 4

Page: 28

Scientific name: Vireo atricapilla Order: Passeriformes Family: Vireonidae Description: * Size: 11 cm (4 in) * Wingspan: 18 cm (7 in) * Weight: 8-10 g (0.28-0.35 ounces) * Small songbird. * Black or dark gray head. * Red eyes surrounded by white spectacles. * Back olive. * Underparts white. * Two pale wingbars. Conservation Status: Endangered. Largely extirpated from traditional breeding range in the United States. Cowbird parasitism is a major threat; cowbird removal efforts have evidently led to local increases in Black-capped Vireo populations. Destruction of suitable habitat through urban and suburban development and livestock grazing also have significantly contributed to the species' decline. Habitat maintenance and creation through prescribed burning and other manipulation are a high management priority. Male:

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Female: Similar to male, but slightly duller. Cap gray instead of black. Young: Immature similar to adult female, but with dark brown eyes instead of red. Yearling male with gray on nape and back of crown. Nest: Open hanging cup, made of leaves, grasses, plant fiber, and animal silk, lined with fine grass.

Eggs: Smooth and white. Habitat: Low scrub, often on poor or eroded soils, or in areas at an early stage of succession. Food: Adult insects, insect larvae, and spiders. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: Western Central America Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/black-capped_vireo.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Blackcapped_vireo_dtl.html

Avian Data Sheet Species number: 1

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Common name: Blue Jay Scientific name: Cyanocitta cristata Order: Passeriformes Family: Corvidae Description: Large Songbird; crest on head; upperparts various shades of blue; 25-30 cm size; 34-43 cm wingspan; 70-100 g weight Conservation Status: Slight but evident decline in population has occurred Male:

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Female: Similar to male Young: Naked and helpless at birth Nest: Nest an open cup of twigs, grass, and sometimes mud, lined with rootlets. Typically located in crotch or outer branches of decidious or coniferous trees, 5-50 feet above ground, most commonly 10-25 feet. Eggs: Color: Bluish or light brown with brownish spots concentrated near large end. Egg size: 25.2-32.8 mm x 18.8-22.4 mm. (1.0-1.3 in x 0.7-0.9 in); Incubation period: 17-18 days. Habitat: Found in deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests and woodlands; Found more

along forest edges than in deep forest; Common in urban and suburban areas, especially where large oaks are present. Food: Arthropods, acorns and nuts, fruits, seeds, small vertebrates. Breeding range: Eastern U.S, southeastern-central Canada Non-breeding range: Small portion of Texas

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Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Blue_Jay.html Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ykc0_A7lOao&feature=related Source(s):

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Blue_Jay_dtl.html#sound

Avian Data Sheet Species number: 7

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Common name: Brown Thrasher Scientific name: Toxostoma rufum Order: Passeriformes Family: Mimidae Description: A large, skulking bird of thickets and hedgerows, the Brown Thrasher has one of the largest song repertoires of any North American bird. Boldly patterned, it is conspicuous when singing on its territory, but is hardly discernable during the rest of year Conservation Status: Populations declining slowly throughout range, perhaps because of the maturation of shrublands in the East and the elimination of fencerows and shelter belts in the Great Plains. Male:

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Female: Similar to male Young: Juvenile looks similar to adult, but upperparts with indistinct buff spotting, wingbars buff, and eyes gray. Nest: A bulky cup made of twigs, lined with leaves, then with an inner lining of rootlets. Nest in dense shrubs, especially with thorns, up to 14 feet above ground (average 2-7 feet). Often placed on ground.

Eggs: Color: Pale blue or white, minutely and heavily speckled with dingy brown markings.Egg size: 25.4-27.9mm x 19.3-19.8mm.(1.0-1.1 in x 0.76-0.78 in)Incubation period: 11-14 days. Habitat: Breeds in brushy open country, thickets, shelter belts, riparian areas, and suburbs. Winters in hedgerows, gardens, thickets, and brushy woodland edges. Food: Insects (especially beetles), other arthopods, fruits, and nuts. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: Texas Call:

Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Brown_Thrasher_dtl.html#sound Avian Data Sheet Species number:

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Common name: Canada Warbler Scientific name: Wilsonia canadensis Order: Passeriformes Family: Parulidae Description: * Small songbird. * Throat, chest, and belly yellow. * Back dark gray. * Necklace of dark streaks across chest. * Undertail white. * White eyering. * Yellow line in front of eyes. * No wingbars or tail spots. * Size: 12-15 cm (5-6 in) * Wingspan: 17-22 cm (7-9 in) * Weight: 9-13 g (0.32-0.46 ounces) Conservation Status: Declining across much of range Male:

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Female: Sexes similar, but female duller, with less distinct black marking on head and breast. Male with black necklace, sides of face, and forehead.

Young: Immature similar to adult, but duller and with less distinct breast streaking and facial pattern. Nest: (no provided information) Eggs: (no provided information) Habitat: (no provided information) Food: (no provided information) Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: Northern South America

Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Canada_Warbler.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Canada_Warbler_dtl.html

Avian Data Sheet Species number: 8

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Common name: Canadian Goose Scientific name: Branta canadensis Order: Anseriformes Family: Anatidae Description: The most familiar and widespread goose in North America, the Canada Goose can be found in all kinds of water all across the continent, from the tundra to the Gulf Coast. Some populations have become resident in urban areas, and are now coming into conflict with people. Conservation Status: Populations generally increasing over last half-century. Resident and urban populations are becoming a nuisance in some areas. Male:

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Female: Similar to male Young: Similar to adult

Nest: Nest a large open cup, made of dry grasses, lichens, and mosses, lined with down and some body feathers. Usually placed on slightly elevated sites near water, such as pond edge or muskrat mound. Eggs: Creamy white. Incubation period 25-28 days. Habitat: Breeds in a broad range of habitats from low Arctic tundra to prairies and parklands, including lakes, meadows, golf courses, and city parks. Food: Entirely herbivorous. Eats variety of plant species and parts, especially grasses, sedges, grain, and berries. Breeding range:

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Canada

Non-breeding range: Southern USA Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Canada_Goose_dtl.html#m ap Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPjTbgNIwkk Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Canada_Goose_dtl.html#m ap Avian Data Sheet Species number: 9

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Common name: Cardinal Scientific name: Cardinalis cardinalis Order: Passeriformes Family: Cardinalidae Description: The brilliantly colored Northern Cardinal has the record for popularity as a state bird: in the United States, it holds that title in seven states. This common bird is a winter fixture at snow-covered bird feeders throughout the Northeast, but it only spread to New York and New England in the mid-20th century. Conservation Status: Population density and range increased over the last 200 years, largely as a response to habitat changes made by people. The cardinal benefits from park-like urban habitats and the presence of bird feeders. However, it is listed as a species of special concern in California and may disappear there because of habitat loss. Male:

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Female:

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Young:

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Nest: An open bowl of weed stems and twigs, filled with leaves and grapevine bark. Lined with grass. Often contains paper or plastic in outer layer. Placed in thick tangle of vines or twigs in a shrub or small tree, 3-20 feet above ground, usually below 10 feet. Eggs: Color: Buffy white with medium brown spots. Size: 22.4-27.9 mm x 16.9-19.6 mm. (0.88-1.1 in x 0.67-0.77 in) Incubation period: 11-13 days. Habitat: Areas with shrubs and small trees, including forest edges, hedgerows, and suburbs. Food: Seeds, fruits, buds, and insects. Breeding range:

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Middle-eastern, southern USA, south Baja California, east Central America Non-breeding range: Nowhere Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Northern_Cardinal1.html Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usi42bjt8Q0 Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Northern_Cardinal_dtl.htm l#sound

Avian Data Sheet Species number: 2

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Common name: Carolina Wren Scientific name: Thryothorus ludovicianus Order: Passeriformes Family: Troglodytidae Description: * Small buffy songbird. * Tail often held upward. * Rusty underparts. * White eyestripe. * Loud. * Size: 12-14 cm (5-6 in) * Wingspan: 29 cm (11 in) * Weight: 18-22 g (0.64-0.78 ounces) Conservation Status: Abundant; populations stable or increasing. Significant range expansion in early 1900s. Male:

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Female: Similar to male, male possibly larger Young: Juvenile similar to adult, but paler and with unbarred undertail coverts. Nest: Nest a domed cup with a side entrance. Nest bulky and made of bark strips, dried grasses, dead leaves, hair, feathers, paper, plastic, or string. Placed in tree cavity, vine tangle, dense branches, or artificial site such as a mailbox, up to 10 feet above ground, rarely higher.

Eggs: Color: Creamy white with fine brown spots. Size: 18.2-19.8 mm x 13.9-15.5 mm. (0.72-0.78 in x 0.55-0.61 in) Incubation period: 12-16 days. Habitat: Found in a wide range of habitats, from swamps to forest to residential area. Requires moderately dense shrub or brushy cover. Food: Insects and spiders. Breeding range: Central and Eastern US, parts of Central America Non-breeding range: None

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Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Carolina_Wren.html

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOJcHN-7Jpg Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Carolina_Wren_dtl.html#sound

Avian Data Sheet Species number: 11 Book:

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Common name: Chickadee Scientific name: Carolina Chickadee Order: Poecile carolinensis Family: Passeriformes Description: Paridae Conservation Status: Shows slight, but significant population decreases across range. Male:

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Female: Similar to male Young: Similar to adult Nest: Nest in holes, typically in dead trees or rotten branches. Will use nest boxes. Nest within hole made of coarse materials such as moss, lined with softer material

like fur. Eggs: Rather round. White marked with fine spots of reddish brown, often concentrated around larger end. Habitat: Deciduous and mixed deciduous/coniferous woodlands, swamps, riparian areas, open woods and parks. Also in suburban and urban areas. Food: Insects, spiders, seeds, and fruits. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: None Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Carolina_Chickadee.html

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEP0Dph8JMI&feature=related Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Carolina_Chickadee_dtl.ht ml#sound

Avian Data Sheet Species number: 4

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Common name: Eastern Bluebird Scientific name: Sialia sialis Order: Passeriformes Family: Turdidae Description: * Medium-sized songbird; small thrush. * Head large and round. * Wings and tail blue. * Chest reddish-orange. * Size: 16-21 cm (6-8 in) * Wingspan: 25-32 cm (10-13 in) * Weight: 28-32 g (0.99-1.13 ounces) Conservation Status: Populations declined in 1960s and 1970s, but increased thereafter. Increased popularity of nest box campaigns probably responsible for increases. Vulnerable to competition from introduced nest-hole competitors, such as European Starlings and House Sparrows. Common and increasing in eastern North America. Male:

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Female:

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Young: Juvenile with spotted chest and back, blue in wings and tail. Immature similar to adults, but duller. Nest: Woven of grasses or pine needles. Lined with fine grass, hair, or feathers. Placed in tree cavities and snags, and frequently in nest boxes. Eggs: Color: Pale blue and unmarked, occasionally white. Egg size: 18.0-24.4 mm x 14.7-19.3mm (0.71-0.96 in x 0.58-0.76 in) Incubation period: 11-19 days.

Habitat: Open habitat with little or no understory and sparse groundcover, such as orchards, clear-cuts, parks, and large lawns in suburban and urban areas. Food: Insects and small fruits. Breeding range: Northeast U.S. Non-breeding range: Small parts of Texas, Mexico, and New Mexico Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Eastern_Bluebird1.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Eastern_Bluebird_dtl.html#sound

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Common name: Eastern Phoebe Scientific name: Sayornis Phoebe Order: Passeriformes Family: Tyrannidae Description: * Small songbird. * Dark grayish brown back and head. * Lighter underparts. * No eyering or conspicuous wingbars. * Wags tail. * Size: 14-17 cm (6-7 in) * Wingspan: 26-28 cm (10-11 in) * Weight: 16-21 g (0.56-0.74 ounces) Conservation Status: Populations stable or slightly increasing. Male:

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Female: Similar to male Young: Immature like adult, but with more yellow on belly and noticeable faint wingbars. Nest: Nest an open cup, cemented with mud to a wall close to a ceiling. Nest made of mud mixed with green moss and some leaves, lined with fine grass stems and hair. Placed under bridge, cliff, or eave of building. Eggs: Color: White, occasionally with a few reddish brown dots. Size: 18.8-20.6 mm x 14.0-17.0 mm. (0.73-0.81 in x 0.55-0.67 in) Incubation period: 16 days. Habitat: Found in woodlands and along forest edges, often near water. Food: Flying insects. Occasional small fruits. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: Southern US, parts of Central America Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Eastern_Phoebe.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Eastern_Phoebe_dtl.html

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Common name: Eastern Towhee Scientific name: Pipilo erythrophthalmus Order: Passeriformes Family: Emberizidae

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Description: * Medium-sized songbird. * Dark head and back (black in male, dark brown in female). * White chest and belly. * Rufous sides and flanks. * Size: 17-21 cm (7-8 in) * Wingspan: 20-28 cm (8-11 in) * Weight: 32-52 g (1.13-1.84 ounces) Conservation Status: Populations declining throughout range, most severely in New England. Male:

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Female:

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Young:

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Nest: Nests on ground at base of upright vegetation or in vine tangle or shrub. Nest made of bark strips, dead leaves, grass, plant stems, small twigs, and other material; lined with fine grass and rootlets, and sometimes hair. Eggs: Off-white or grayish, speckled with dark spots. Habitat: * Breeds in shrub habitats, often in dry environments and open ground. Old fields and forest edges, dune scrub, oak scrub, riparian thickets, and pine flatwoods with saw palmetto. * Winters in similar areas and in residential areas. Food: Seeds, fruits, spiders, insects, and other invertebrates. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: Eastern Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Eastern_Towhee.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Eastern_Towhee_dtl.html

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Common name: European Starling Scientific name: Sturnus vulgaris Order: Passeriformes Family: Sturnidae Description: * Stocky, black bird. * Short, square-tipped tail. * Pointed, triangular wings. * Long pointed bill, yellow in breeding season. * Shimmering green and purple feathers in spring. * Size: 20-23 cm (8-9 in) * Wingspan: 31-40 cm (12-16 in) * Weight: 60-96 g (2.12-3.39 ounces) Conservation Status: Introduced into North America in the 1890s, the European Starling quickly spread across the continent. It is a fierce competitor for nest cavities, and frequently expels native bird species. It is believed to be responsible for a decline in native cavity-nesting bird populations, but a study in 2003 found few actual effects on populations of 27 native species. Only sapsuckers showed declines because of starlings, and other species appeared to be holding their own against the invaders. Male:

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Female: Similar to male Young:

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Nest: Nests in cavity; cavity filled with grass or pine needles and other things, such as feathers, paper, plastic, string, and rootlets. Nests located 2-60 feet above ground, average 10-25 feet. Eggs: Color: Bluish or greenish white, unmarked. Size: 26.9-31.8 mm x 19.1-22.9 mm. (1.06-1.25 in x 0.75-0.90 in) Incubation period: 12 days. Habitat: Uses a variety of habitats with open country, fields, and trees for nesting; especially near people in agricultural and urban areas.

Food: Broad diet of many kinds of invertebrates, fruits, grains, seeds, and garbage. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: Parts of the Carribean, Nicaragua Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/European_starling.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/European_Starling_dtl.html

Avian Data Sheet Species number: 19 Book: Kingbird Highway

Chapter: 4

Page: 28

Common name: Golden-cheeked Warbler Scientific name: Dendroica chrysoparia Order: Passeriformes Family: Parulidae Description: * Small songbird. * Black throat, extending as stripes down sides of chest. * Yellow face. * Black line through eyes. * Crown and back black. * Two white wingbars. * Belly white. * Size: 12-13 cm (5-5 in) * Wingspan: 20 cm (8 in) * Weight: 7-15 g (0.25-0.53 ounces) Conservation Status: Endangered species. Restricted breeding habitat shrinking and becoming more fragmented. Old-growth and mature second-growth juniper-oak woodlands used for breeding are climax communities in breeding range, and may take decades to recover from disturbance. Some areas may never regenerate after disturbance. Wintering areas are being cut down for timber. Male:

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Female: Sexes similar, but female generally duller, with olive-green upperparts spotted with black, chin and upper throat yellowish, and yellow mixed with black in throat. Young: Similar to adult female. Nest: Open cup woven of strips of juniper bark and insect silk, lined with fine grass, hair, or down. Placed in small tree. Eggs: White with dark speckles concentrated around the large end. Habitat: Breeds in oak-cedar association. Found in migration in a variety of open woodland, scrub and thicket habitats. In winter known only from montane pine-oak association. Food: Insects and spiders. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: Small parts of Central America Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Golden-cheeked_warbler.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Goldencheekd_Warbler_dtl.html

Avian Data Sheet Species number:13 Book: Common name: Goldfinch Scientific name: Carduelis tristis

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Order: Passeriformes Family: Fringillidae Description: A familiar and abundant small colorful bird, the American Goldfinch is frequently found in weedy fields and visiting feeders. It shows a particular fondness for thistles, eating the seeds and using the down to line its nest. Conservation Status: Abundant and widespread. Populations appear stable. Male:

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Female:

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Young: Juvenile brown above and pale yellow below. Wing and tail feathers blackish brown; male darker than female. Wingbars and feather tips buff. Nest: Nest an open cup of rootlets and plant fibers, lined with plant down. Placed in small shrub and lashed to branches with spider silk. Eggs: Color: Pale bluish white, sometimes with small faint brown spots around large

end. Egg size: 16.2-16.9 mm x 12.2-12.8 mm. (0.64-0.67 in x 0.48-0.50 in) Incubation period: 12-14 days. Habitat: Breeds in weedy fields, roadsides, orchards, and gardens. Winters in weedy, open areas, and moves into urban and suburban areas to eat at feeders. Food: Seeds, especially of composite flowers. Few insects. Breeding range:

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Southern side of Canada Non-breeding range:

Southern side of America Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/American_Goldfinch.html Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9_ea1yXwfQ Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/American_Goldfinch_dtl.ht ml#sound

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Common name: Gray Catbird Scientific name: Dumetella carolinensis Order: Passeriformes Family: Mimidae Description: A secretive, but curious skulker of dense thickets, the Gray Catbird is heard more than it is seen. Its rambling song contains imitations of other bird songs, but the characteristic "mew" that gives it its name is not an imitation and sounds only vaguely cat-like. Conservation Status: Widespread and common, but number in Southeast declining. Male:

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Female: Similar to male Young: Similar to adult Nest: Nest in dense shrubs, small trees, and vines. Nest a bulky cup made of twigs, bark, straw, mud, and sometimes paper and plastic. Lined with rootlets, fine grass, or hair. Eggs: Color: Uniform turquoise green. Size: 22.3 -26.0 mm x 12.3-16.0 mm (0.9-1.0 in x 0.5-0.6 in) Incubation period: 12-14 days. Habitat: Found in dense, shrubby habitats, such as abandoned farmland, fencerows, roadsides, streamsides, forest edges, and some residential areas. Food: Insects and small fruits. Breeding range:

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Most eastern and central US, southern Canada Non-breeding range: All along coast of Gulf of Mexico, Carribean Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Gray_Catbird.html Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsWslvFPz8g Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Gray_Catbird_dtl.html#sou nd

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Common name: Great Blue Heron Scientific name: Ardea Herodias Order: Ciconiiformes Family: Ardeidae Description: The largest and most widespread heron in North America, the Great Blue Heron can be found along the ocean shore or the edge of a small inland pond. An all white form is found from southern Florida into the Caribbean, and used to be considered a separate species, the "Great White Heron." Conservation Status: The Great Blue Heron suffered less from plume hunters and pesticides than other herons, and its numbers have remained strong. Male:

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Female: Similar to male Young:

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Nest: Nests in colonies, sometimes as lone pair. Nest a large platform of sticks, lined with pine needles, moss, reeds, dry grass, or twigs. Placed high in trees, occasionally on ground. Eggs: Dull pale blue. Habitat: Found along calm freshwater and seacoasts. Usually nests in trees near water, but colonies can be found away from water. Great White Heron found almost exclusively in shallow marine habitats. Food: Fish, invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and small mammals. Breeding range:

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South central and eastern Canada Non-breeding range: Central America Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Great_Blue_Heron.html Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_VqpS55mYA Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Great_Blue_Heron.html

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Common name: Great horned owl Scientific name: Bubo virginianus Order: Stringiformes Family: Strigidae Description: Found from the Arctic tundra to the tropical rainforest, from the desert to suburban backyards, the Great Horned Owl is one of the most widespread and common owls in North America. Conservation Status: Not endangered; populations robust. Individuals may be threats to endangered species. Male:

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Female: Similar to male Young: Immature like adult. Fledges from nest while still downy around the head and without noticeable ear tufts Nest: Uses a variety of nest sites, including trees, cliffs, buildings, and the ground. Does not make its own nest. Typically takes over nests in trees made by other bird species. Often puts nest in hollows or broken-off snags in trees. Eggs: White, close to spherical. Habitat: * Found in a wide variety of habitats, but prefers open and secondarygrowth woodlands and agricultural areas. * Also in boreal forest, desert, and suburban and urban areas. Food: Broad diet of animals, from small mammals to rabbits, geese, and herons. Some birds, amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates, but mostly mammals. Breeding range:

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All of North America, some of south (brazil, uraguay, Paraguay, peru) Non-breeding range: Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Great_Horned_Owl.html Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJNRFxL3moM Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Great_Horned_Owl_dtl.ht ml#sound

Avian Data Sheet Species number: 11 Book: Kingbird Highway

Chapter: 3

Page: 17

Common name: Henslow’s Sparrow Scientific name: Ammodramus henslowii Order: Passeriformes Family: Emberizidae Description: * Size: 11-13 cm (4-5 in) * Wingspan: 20 cm (8 in) * Weight: 10-15 g (0.35-0.53 ounces) * Small songbird. * Mostly brownish, with sparsely streaked breast. * Large head. * Short tail. * Relatively large head and bill. * Olive-green head and nape, with pattern of dark lines on face. * Thin white eyering, broken at back of eye. * Chestnut back and wings streaked with black. * Buffy breast and flanks with narrow black streaks. * Bill brown with paler lower mandible. * Legs light brown or light flesh color. * Eyes dark brown. Conservation Status: Declining in the northeastern portion of its range, and apparently increasing in some other parts, the Henslow's Sparrow has been identified as the highest priority for grassland bird conservation in eastern and midwestern North America Male:

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Female: Sexes alike Young: Juvenile similar to adult, but with more indistinct markings on head and without streaking across chest. Nest: An open bowl of loosely woven dry grasses, placed in layer of grass litter just off the ground. Eggs: Glossy white, with speckles and blotches. Habitat: Large, flat fields with no woody plants, and with tall, dense grass, a dense litter layer, and standing dead vegetation. Food: Insects, mostly grasshoppers and beetles. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: Southeast US Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Henslows_Sparrow.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Henslows_Sparrow_dtl.html

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Common name: Hooded Warbler Scientific name: Wilsonia citrina

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Order: Passeriformes Family: Parulidae Description: * Size: 13 cm (5 in) * Weight: 9-12 g (0.32-0.42 ounces) * Small songbird. * Underparts entirely yellow. * Back olive green. * Face yellow. * Male with black hood and bib. * Large white spots in tail. Conservation Status: Common and increasing in some areas. Male:

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Female:

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Young: Like adult, with less black Nest: (No information given) Eggs: (No information given)

Habitat: (No information given) Food: (No information given) Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: Caribbean, eastern coast of Central America Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Hooded_Warbler.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Hooded_Warbler_dtl.html

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Common name: House Finch Scientific name: Carpodacus mexicanus Order: Passeriformes Family: Fringillidae Description: * Medium-sized finch. * Male bright red on head, chest, and rump; female brown and striped. * Bill short and thick, with rounded top edge. * Two thin white wingbars. * Size: 13-14 cm (5-6 in) * Wingspan: 20-25 cm (8-10 in) * Weight: 16-27 g (0.56-0.95 ounces) Conservation Status: Common and benefiting from human development. Eastern populations cut in half by eye disease in the last decade. Male:

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Female:

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Young: Juvenile similar to female, but with more fluffy feathers and more distinct wingbars. Nest: Nest an open cup of fine grass stems, leaves, rootlets, thin twigs, string, wool, and feathers, lined with similar but finer material. Placed in tree cavities, birdboxes, building ledges. Eggs: Color: Pale blue with fine dark speckling, usually around larger end. Size: 16.5-21.3 mm x 13.0-15.2 mm. (0.65-0.84 in x 0.51-0.60 in) Incubation period: 13-14 days. Habitat: In the East, found almost exclusively in urban and suburban habitats, especially in areas with buildings, lawn, and small conifers. In West, found around people, but also in desert, chaparral, oak savanna, riparian areas, and open coniferous forests. Food: Buds, seeds, and fruits. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: Nowhere Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/House_Finch.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/House_Finch_dtl.html#fig1

Avian Data Sheet Species number: 5

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Common name: House Sparrow Scientific name: Passer domesticus Order: Passeriformes Family: Passeridae Description: * Size: 14-16 cm (6-6 in) * Wingspan: 19-25 cm (7-10 in) * Weight: 26-32 g (0.92-1.13 ounces) * Small, stocky songbird. * Bill thick. * Legs short. * Chest unstreaked. * Wingbars. * Male with black throat and white cheeks. * Back brown with black streaking. Conservation Status: Competition from the House Sparrow for cavity nests can cause decline of some native species. House Sparrow populations declining across most of range. Male: \/ Breeding \/

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\/ Non-Breeding \/

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Female:

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Young: Juvenile similar to adult female. Nest: Nest a ball of dried vegetation, feathers, string, and paper, with opening on side. Placed in cavity, on building, or in tree. Nests in small colonies. Eggs: Color: Whitish with gray or brown spots. Egg size: 21.3-21.6 mm x 15.2-15.5 mm. (0.84-0.85 in x 0.61-0.60 in) Incubation period: 11 days. Habitat: Found in human modified habitats: farms, residential, and urban areas. Food: Seeds, especially waste grain and livestock feed. Also weed seeds and insects. Breeding range: All of the U.S., Central America, South Canada, East and South South America Non-breeding range: None

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Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/House_Sparrow.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/House_Sparrow_dtl.html#sound

Avian Data Sheet Species number: 17 Book: Kingbird Highway

Chapter: 4

Page: 27

Common name: King Penguin Scientific name: Aptenodytes patagonicus Order: Sphenisciformes Family: Spheniscidae Description: The King Penguin is the second largest species of penguin at about 90 cm (3 ft) tall and weighing 11 to 16 kg (24 to 35 lb), second only to the Emperor Penguin. Like all penguin species, it has a streamlined body to minimize drag while swimming, and wings that have become stiff, flat flippers Conservation Status: 2,000,000 breeding pairs—little concern Male:

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Female: There is little difference in plumage between the male and female, although the latter are slightly smaller

Young:

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Nest: No nest kept Eggs: Large and white, kept with penguin on feet until hatched Habitat: Arctic tundra Food: Fish Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: None

Call: None found Source(s): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_penguin Avian Data Sheet Species number: 21 Book: Kingbird Highway

Chapter: 4

Page: 28

Common name: Kirtland’s Warbler Scientific name: Dendroica kirtlandii Order: Passeriformes Family: Parulidae Description: * Small songbird; large warbler. * Bluish gray face and back. * Yellow throat, chest, and belly. * Black stripes down sides. * White crescents above and below eyes. * Constantly pumps its tail. * Two white wingbars. * Size: 14-15 cm (6-6 in) * Weight: 14 g (0.49 ounces) Conservation Status: Endangered species. Fire suppression led to decline in suitable habitat for nesting. Nest parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbird caused further decline in species. Extensive measures currently taken to provide adequate nesting habitat and to control cowbird numbers. Male:

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Female: Sexes similar, female paler and lacks black in front of eyes present on male. Young: Similar to adult female, but duller, and with black spotting across chest. Nest: Open cup of grass, sedges, pine needles, and pieces of leaves, lined with rootlets, plant fibers, and hair. Placed in depression in ground, often with overhanging tuft of grass. Eggs: White or buff, with varying amounts of fine brown spots concentrated around large end. Habitat: Breeds in scrubby jack pine. Winters in low scrub, thickets, and (rarely) deciduous woodland. Food: Insects and small fruits. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: Small parts of the Florida Keyes Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Kirtlands_warbler.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Kirtlands_Warbler_dtl.html

Avian Data Sheet Species number: 03 Book: Kingbird Highway Common name: Lark Sparrow Scientific name: Chondestes grammacus

Chapter: 1

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Order: Passeriforme Family: Emberizidae Description: * Size: 15-17 cm (6-7 in) * Wingspan: 28 cm (11 in) * Weight: 24-33 g (0.85-1.16 ounces) * Large sparrow. * Long, rounded tail with white corners. * Plain whitish underparts with large dark spot in center of breast. * Striking face pattern. * Chestnut ear patches. * Chestnut crown stripe divided by central white stripe. * Black malar stripes, with white stripe above. * Buffy and white stripe above eye. * Black line through eye. * White ring around eye. * Flanks buffy. * Buffy wingbars. * Black stripes on back. Conservation Status: Breeding Bird Survey data show a nationwide decrease in populations, especially in the eastern portion of its range. Male:

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Female: Same as Male Young:

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Nest: Nest a thick-walled cup of grass, twigs, or weedy stems lined with finer grass or horse hair. Placed on ground or in a shrub or small tree. Eggs: Creamy white with dark spots and scrawls. Habitat: Breeds in open habitats, where grass adjoins scattered trees and shrubs, especially in poor or sandy soils. Park-like woodlands, mesquite grasslands, fallow fields with brushy edges, sagebrush. Food: Insects and seeds. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: Some parts of Central America Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Lark_Sparrow.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Lark_Sparrow _dtl.html

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Common name: Least Flycatcher Scientific name: Empidonax minimus Order: Passeriformes Family: Tyrannidae Description: * Small flycatcher. * Prominent eyering. * Two white wingbars. * Back brownish olive to gray. * Underparts whitish. * Size: 12-14 cm (5-6 in) * Wingspan: 20 cm (8 in) * Weight: 8-13 g (0.28-0.46 ounces) Conservation Status: Common. Some populations may be slightly declining. Male:

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Female: Similar to male Young: Immatures slightly browner above, slightly yellower below, and wingbars more buffy. Nest: Neat open cup woven of bark strips, grass, caterpillar webs, lichens, hair, feathers,

rootlets, mosses, and other bits of vegetation; lined with fine grasses, feathers, hair, down, and plant stems; placed in crotch or fork of small tree. Eggs: Yellowish or creamy white, unmarked. Habitat: Breeds in semi-open woodlands, orchards, and shrubby fields. Winters along wooded ravines, woodland edge, and brushland. Food: Mostly insects, some fruit in winter. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: Outer mexico Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Least_Flycatcher.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Least_Flycatcher_dtl.html#fig1

Avian Data Sheet Species number: 22 Book: Kingbird Highway

Chapter: 5

Page: 38

Common name: Magnolia Warbler Scientific name: Dendroica magnolia Order: Passeriformes Family: Parulidae Description: * Small songbird. * Yellow chest and throat. * Black necklace and black stripes down sides. * White wingbars or large white patch on wings. * Gray crown. * Yellow rump. * Large white patch in black-tipped tail. * Size: 11-13 cm (4-5 in) * Wingspan: 16-20 cm (6-8 in) * Weight: 6-15 g (0.21-0.53 ounces) Conservation Status: Populations increasing slightly throughout most of range. Male:

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Female:

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Young: Similar to nonbreeding adult, but without black streaking on chest. Olive-gray crown and upperparts. Throat, breast and belly yellow, with pale gray band across upper chest. Narrow white wingbars. Nest: A loose cup of grasses on a foundation of twigs, lined with black rootlets. Usually located on a horizontal tree branch near trunk, less than 3 m (10 ft) from the ground. Eggs: White, with variable speckles or spots. Habitat: Breeds in small conifers, especially young spruces, in purely coniferous stands or mixed forest. Food: Insect larvae, adult insects, and spiders. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: South Central America Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Magnolia_Warbler.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Magnolia_Warbler_dtl.html

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Common name: Mallard Scientific name: Anas platyrhynchos Order: Passeriformes Family: Anatidae Description: * Large dabbling duck. * Male with iridescent green head, rusty chest, and gray body. * Female mottled brown. * Size: 50-65 cm (20-26 in) * Wingspan: 82-95 cm (32-37 in) * Weight: 1000-1300 g (35.3-45.89 ounces) Conservation Status: Most widespread and abundant duck in North America, and the most heavily hunted Male:

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Female:

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Young: Juvenile similar to female. Nest: Depression scraped in ground. Lined with vegetation and down from female's breast. Eggs: Creamy to greenish buff. Incubation period 23-30 days. Habitat: Found in all wetland habitats. Food: Insects and larvae, aquatic invertebrates, seeds, acorns, aquatic vegetation, grain. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: South east US Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Mallard.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Mallard_dtl.html

Avian Data Sheet Species number: 10 Book: Kingbird Highway

Chapter: 1

Common name: Mexican Jay Scientific name: Aphelocoma ultramarina Order: Passeriformes Family: Corvidae Description: * Large songbird. * Blue head, wings, and tail. * Grayish blue back. * Dingy white underparts. * Long tail. * Size: 29 cm (11 in) * Weight: 120-135 g (4.24-4.77 ounces) Conservation Status: Populations restricted, but appear stable. Male:

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Female: Sexes alike Young: Juvenile all dull gray, with pale bill. Immature similar to adult, but may retain pale patches at base of bill and gape for several years. Nest: Nest an open cup of twigs with an inner layer of rootlets, lined with plant fibers. Nest placed in tree. Eggs: Greenish, with or without dark markings. Habitat: Found in pine, oak, and juniper woodland. Food: Acorns, pinyon nuts, arthropods, lizards. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: None Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Mexican_Jay.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Mexican_Jay_dtl.html

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Common name: Mourning Dove

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Scientific name: Zenaida Macroura Order: Columbiformes Family: Columbidae Description: * Medium-sized bird. * Small head. * Long, pointed tail. * Light brown body. * Tail with white outer edges. * Size: 23-34 cm (9-13 in) * Wingspan: 37-45 cm (15-18 in) * Weight: 86-170 g (3.04-6.0 ounces) Conservation Status: Widespread and abundant. Hunted throughout its range. Possibly declining in West. Male:

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Female:

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Young:

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Nest: Flimsy platform of twigs, pine needles, or grass stems. In trees, tangles of shrubs, or vines up to 50 feet. Rarely on the ground. Sometimes in hanging flower pots or other man-made structures. Eggs: Color: White Size: 25.7-29.6 mm x 20.6-23.0 mm. (1.1-1.2 in x 0.8-0.9 in) Incubation period: 14 days. Habitat: Breeds in variety of open habitats, including agricultural areas, open woods, deserts, forest edges, cities and suburbs. Food: Seeds.

Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: Central America Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Mourning_Dove.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Mourning_Dove_dtl.html

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Common name: Northern Flicker Scientific name: Colaptes auratus Order: Piciformes Family: Picidae Description: A common ant-eating woodpecker of open areas, the Northern Flicker has two color forms found in different regions. The yellow-shafted form is common across the eastern and northern parts of North America, while the red-shafted form is the one found in the West. Conservation Status: Widespread and common, but populations declining. Male:

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Female:

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Young: Juvenile resembles adult, but colors duller. Both sexes of juvenile yellowshafted form have black mustache; only male Red-shafted Flickers have red mustache. Nest: Digs hole in tree, usually dead tree. Cavity unlined. Eggs: White. Habitat: Found in open woodlands and forest edge, including cities and suburbs. Food: Insects, primarily ants. Also fruits and seeds. Breeding range:

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Canada Non-breeding range: Texas, California Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Northern_Flicker1.html Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VDwIMtgFQ8 Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Northern_Flicker_dtl.html# sound

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Common name: Northern Mockingbird Scientific name: Mimus Polyglottos Order: Passeriformes Family: Mimidae Description: * Medium-sized songbird. * Long tail. * Pale gray above, whitish below. * Bill thin. * Two white wingbars. * Large white patches show in wings in flight. * White outer tail feathers. * Size: 21-26 cm (8-10 in) * Wingspan: 31-35 cm (12-14 in) * Weight: 45-58 g (1.59-2.05 ounces) Conservation Status: Common and widespread. Populations may be declining in heart of the range, but range is expanding northward. Male:

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Female: Similar to male Young: Similar to adult Nest: Open cup of dead twigs lined with grasses, rootlets, and dead leaves. Placed low in

shrubs and trees, usually 3-10 feet high. Eggs: Color: Pale blue or greenish white heavily marked with reddish spots and blotches. Egg size:16.0-20.3 mm x 20.1-29.0 mm. (0.63-0.80 in x 0.79-1.14 in) Incubation period 12-13 days. Habitat: Found in areas with open ground and shrubby vegetation, such as in parkland, cultivated land, and suburbs. Food: Fruits and insects. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: Thin strips of western central America Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Northern_Mockingbird.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Northern_Mockingbird_dtl.html

Avian Data Sheet Species number: 04 Book: Kingbird Highway

Chapter: 1

Page: 5

Common name: Orchard Oriole Scientific name: Icterus spurius Order: Passeriformes Family: Icteridae Description: * Small oriole, medium-sized songbird. * Long tail. * Thin, pointed bill. * Wingbars. * Adult male deep brick red with all-black head, back, and tail. * Female and yearling male yellow-green, male with black bib. * Size: 15-18 cm (6-7 in) * Wingspan: 25 cm (10 in) * Weight: 16-28 g (0.56-0.99 ounces) Conservation Status: Generally common, but may be declining in some areas. Male:

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Female:

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Young:

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Nest: An open cup of woven grass, lined with fine grass, plant down, wool, and feathers, suspended from fork of tree branch far out on limb. Eggs: Light blue with blackish markings. Habitat: Nests in gardens, orchards, suburban areas, along streams and lakes, and in large planted trees near houses. In winter found in tropical forests. Food: Insects, spiders, nectar, and fruit.

Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: South Central America, Northern parts of South America Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Orchard_Oriole.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Orchard_Oriole_dtl.html

Avian Data Sheet Species number: 09 Book: Kingbird Highway

Chapter: 1

Page: 6

Common name: Painted Redstart Scientific name: Myioborus pictus Order: Passeriformes Family: Parulidae Description: * Small songbird. * Black above. * Large white patches on wings. * Red lower breast and belly. * White outer tail feathers. * Size: 13-15 cm (5-6 in) * Wingspan: 21 cm (8 in) * Weight: 8-11 g (0.28-0.39 ounces) Conservation Status: The Painted Redstart is considered to be a relatively low conservation priority. Male:

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Female: Sexes alike Young: Similar to adult, but belly entirely black, not red. Nest: A cup of coarse grasses and pine needles, located on the ground, on slopes, or rock walls. Eggs: White with brown speckles, especially at the larger end.

Habitat: Riparian and arid woodlands, especially in mountains. Food: Mostly insects; also some tree sap, as well as sugar water, peanut butter, and suet from feeders in winter. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: None Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Painted_Redstart.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Painted_Redstart_dtl.html

Avian Data Sheet Species number: 24 Book: Kingbird Highway

Chapter: 5

Page: 40

Common name: Pectoral Sandpiper Scientific name: Calidris melanotos Order: Charadriiformes Family: Scolopacidae Description: Medium-sized sandpiper. Moderately long neck. Moderately long, slightly drooping bill. Moderately long, yellowish or greenish legs. Dark, densely streaked chest showing sharp border with white belly. Dark center of rump and tail. Back reddish brown with two thin white lines extending it length. * Size: 22 cm (9 in) * Wingspan: 43 cm (17 in) * Weight: 41-105 g (1.45-3.71 ounces) Conservation Status: Formerly abundant in 19th century, but were much reduced by market hunting. Little information on current population trends, but appears to be relatively stable. Male:

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Female: Sexes look alike, male slightly larger. Young: Juvenile similar to adult, but with more scaly pattern on back and finer streaks on chest. Nest: (No information provided)

Eggs: Usually 3-4 eggs, active and covered with down at birth. Habitat: Breeds in wet coastal tundra. Migrates and winters in wet meadows, mudflats, flooded fields, and shores of ponds and pools. Food: (No information provided) Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: Majority of South America Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Pectoral_Sandpiper.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Pectoral_Sandpiper_dtl.html

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Common name: Red-Headed Woodpecker Scientific name: Melanerpes Erythrocephalus Order: Piciformes Family: Picidae Description: * Size: 19-23 cm (7-9 in) * Wingspan: 42 cm (17 in) * Weight: 56-91 g (1.98-3.21 ounces) * Medium-sized woodpecker. * Bright red hood. * White chest. * Black wings with large white panels (the secondaries). * White in wings obvious at rest and in flight. * Rump white. * Tail black with white outermost feathers. * Bill bluish gray with black tip. * Eye dark. Conservation Status: Breeding Bird Survey data show the species is declining over much of its breeding range. An edge species, it declines where forests mature. It is increasing in areas where beavers are increasing and creating more flooded beaver meadows with dead snags. Male:

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Female: Similar to male Young:

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Nest: Nests in holes in dead trees or in dead branches, preferring snags with little bark remaining. Eggs: White. Habitat: * Breeds in deciduous woodlands, especially beech or oak, river bottoms, open woods, groves of dead and dying trees, orchards, parks, open country with scattered trees, forest edges, and open wooded swamps with dead trees and stumps. Attracted to burns and recent clearings. * Winters in mature stands of forest, especially those with oaks. Food: Most omnivorous woodpecker. Beech and oak mast, seeds, nuts, berries, fruit, insects, bird eggs, nestlings, mice. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: None Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Red-Headed_Woodpecker.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Redheaded_Woodpecker_dtl.html

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Common name: Red-Tailed Hawk Scientific name: Buteo Jamaicensis Order: Falconiformes Family: Accipitridae Description: * Large hawk. * Wings long and broad. * Tail broad and red. * Most commonly with pale chest and dark band across belly. * Size: 45-65 cm (18-26 in) * Wingspan: 114-133 cm (45-52 in) * Weight: 690-1460 g (24.36-51.54 ounces) Conservation Status: Populations increasing in much of North America, apparently in response to the widespread establishment of open, wooded parkland in place of grassland or dense forest. Male:

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Female: Similar to female Young:

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Nest: Large bowl of sticks in tall tree or on cliff ledge. Lined with bark, green twigs, and other items. Eggs: White, marked with brown blotches. Habitat: Found in open areas with scattered elevated perches, including agricultural areas, fields, pasture, parkland, broken woodland, and scrub desert. Food: Small and medium-sized mammals, birds, reptiles.

Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: Some parts of Central America Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Red-tailed_Hawk.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Redtailed_Hawk_dtl.html

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Common name: Rock Pidgeon Scientific name: Columba Livia Order: Columbiformes Family: Columbidae Description: * Size: 29-36 cm (11-14 in) * Wingspan: 50-67 cm (20-26 in) * Weight: 265-380 g (9.35-13.41 ounces) * Large pigeon. * Color variable, but wild birds are gray. * White rump. * Rounded tail, usually with dark tip. * Pale gray wings have two black bars. * Wings broad with moderately pointed wingtips. Conservation Status: Common and widespread. Populations stable. Periodic trapping and poisoning efforts are made to reduce populations in some areas. Because of its use of urban and human-modified environments, it probably has not had a significant negative impact on many native species Male:

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Female: Sexes look alike, but male averages larger and has more iridescence on neck. Young: Juvenile similar to adult, but duller and with less iridescence. Nest: Flimsy platform of straw and sticks, put on ledge, under cover. Often window ledges of buildings. Eggs: White. Incubation period 18.5 days. Habitat: Found around rocky cliffs, urban areas, and agricultural areas. Food: Seeds, fruits, rarely invertebrates. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: None Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Rock_Pidgeon.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Rock_Pidgeon_dtl.html

Avian Data Sheet Species number: 13 Book: Kingbird Highway

Chapter: 4

Page: 24

Common name: Royal Tern Scientific name: Sterna Maxima Order: Caradiiformes Family: Laridae Description: * Large tern. * Slender orange bill (from yellow to reddish). * Short, forked tail. * Black in a narrow, shaggy band around back of head; forehead white. (Complete black cap held only briefly during breeding.) * Mostly white all over, with some dark in wingtips. * Size: 45-50 cm (18-20 in) * Wingspan: 125-135 cm (49-53 in) * Weight: 350-450 g (12.36-15.89 ounces) Conservation Status: United States population appears stable. Male:

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Female: Sexes look alike Young: Juvenile similar to nonbreeding adult, but bill smaller and pale yellow, back with variable amounts of dark spotting, and wingtips darker. Nest: A scrape in ground. Nesting colonies occur on island beaches. Eggs: Whitish to brown, heavily spotted around large end. Habitat: Coastal bird Food: Fish and shrimp. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: US and Central American coasts Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/_dtl.html

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Common name: Ruby-Crowned Kinglet

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Scientific name: Regulus Calendula Order: Passeriformes Family: Regulidae Description: * Tiny bird. * Dull, olive-green. * Wingbars. * Eyering. * Short tail. * In constant motion, continually flicking its wings. * Male with red crown (usually hidden). * Size: 9-11 cm (4-4 in) * Wingspan: 16-18 cm (6-7 in) * Weight: 5-10 g (0.18-0.35 ounces) Conservation Status: Common. May be declining in some areas. Male:

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Female:

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Young: Immature similar to adult. Nest: Open cup of moss, feathers, lichen, spider web, bark, twigs, rootlegs, grasses, and conifer needles, lined with feathers, fine grasses, plant down, lichens, and fur. Hanging

from, or on tree branch. Eggs: Drab white spotted with brown around large end. Habitat: (No information provided) Food: Small insects and their eggs. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: Southern US, Northern Central America Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Ruby-Crowned_Kingley.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/RubyCrowned_Kinglet_dtl.html

Avian Data Sheet Species number: 08 Book: Kingbird Highway

Chapter: 1

Page: 6

Common name: Snail Kite Scientific name: Rostrhamus sociabilis Order: Falconiformes Family: Accipitridae Description: * Size: 36-40 cm (14-16 in) * Weight: 360-570 g (12.71-20.12 ounces) * Medium-sized hawk. * Narrow, strongly down-curved bill. * Broad wings. * Short, square tail. * White at base of tail. * Male all sooty gray. * Female striped. Conservation Status: Listed as Federal and State endangered species because of its small population in the United States and its extreme habitat specialization. Widespread and common in Latin America. Male:

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Female: Male all dark, female brown striped and slightly larger.

Young:

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Nest: (No information provided) Eggs: (No information provided) Habitat: (No information provided) Food: Primarily apple snails Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: None Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Snail_Kite.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Snail_Kite_dtl.html

Avian Data Sheet Species number: 07 Book: Kingbird Highway

Chapter: 1

Page: 5

Common name: Solitary Sandpiper Scientific name: Tringa solitaria Order: Charadriiformes Family: Scolopacidae Description: Medium-sized shorebird. Legs moderately long. Neck moderately long. Bill medium-sized. Back dark olive with scattered small white spots. Bold white eyering. Tail distinctly barred. Rump and center tail feathers dark. Frequently bobs its head. * Size: 19-23 cm (7-9 in) * Weight: 31-65 g (1.09-2.29 ounces) Conservation Status: Common. No significant population trends. Male:

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Female: Similar to male Young: Similar to adult Nest: Rare; confusable with nests of Spotted Sandpiper Eggs: Off-white with spots and blotches Habitat: Breeds in taiga, nesting in trees in deserted songbird nests. In migration and

winter found along freshwater ponds, stream edges, temporary pools, flooded ditches and fields, more commonly in wooded regions, less frequently on mudflats and open marshes. Food: Aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: Central and South America Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Solitary_Sandpiper.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Solitary_Sandpiper_dtl.html

Avian Data Sheet Species number: 06 Book: Kingbird Highway

Chapter: 1

Page: 5

Common name: Swainson’s Hawk Scientific name: Buteo swainsoni Order: Falconiformes Family:Accipitridae Description: * Medium-sized hawk. * Body stout. * Wings broad. * Rounded tail medium-long. * Dark flight feathers contrast with pale inner wing. * Dark chest band. * Tail light with multiple thin dark bands, one darker and broader near tail tip. * Face white. * Size: 48-56 cm (19-22 in) * Weight: 693-1367 g (24.46-48.26 ounces) Conservation Status: Declining throughout much of its range. Vulnerable to pesticide poisoning, especially on its wintering grounds. The use of pesticides in Argentina was responsible for the deaths of nearly 6,000 Swainson's Hawks in 1995 and 1996. Male:

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Female: Similar to male Young:

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Nest: A mass of sticks. Lined with leafy twigs, grass, green weeds, and wool. Placed in solitary tree in small grove. Eggs: Plain or sparsely marked with dark blotches around large end. Habitat: Found in open country such as grassland, shrubland, and agricultural areas. Food: During breeding season, eats mammals, birds, and reptiles. The rest of the year it eats insects, especially grasshoppers and dragonflies. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: Central Argentina Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Swainsons_Hawk.html

Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Swainsons_Hawk_dtl.html

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Common name: Turkey Vulture Scientific name: Cathartes aura Order: Ciconiiformes Family: Cathartidae Description: * Large soaring bird. * Long wings and tail. * Body feathers entirely blackish-brown. * Red head mostly unfeathered. * Size: 64-81 cm (25-32 in) * Wingspan: 170-178 cm (67-70 in) * Weight: 2000 g (70.6 ounces) Conservation Status: Overall North American populations have increased over the last few decades and the breeding range has expanded northward. Male:

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Female: Similar to male; larger Young: Gray head with black tip Nest: No nest structure. Puts eggs directly on ground in caves, crevices, mammal burrows, hollow logs, under fallen trees, or in abandoned buildings. Eggs: Creamy-white with dark blotches around large end. Habitat: * Prefers rangeland and areas of mixed farmland and forest. * Roosts in large trees or on large urban buildings. Food: Wide variety of carrion, from small mammals to dead cows. Also some insects, other invertebrates, and some fruit. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: None Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Turkey_Vulture.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Turkey_Vulture_dtl.html

Avian Data Sheet Species number: 15 Book: Kingbird Highway

Chapter: 4

Page: 27

Common name: Upland Plover Scientific name: Bartramia longicauda Order: Charadriiformes Family: Scolopacidae Description: * Medium-sized sandpiper. * Small head. * Long neck. * Straight bill. * Long legs. * Large eyes. * Size: 28-32 cm (11-13 in) * Wingspan: 47 cm (19 in) * Weight: 97-226 g (3.42-7.98 ounces) Conservation Status: Once very abundant and widespread within its range, the Upland Sandpiper is now uncommon, and continues to show alarming population declines. The species was once prized as a delicacy, both for its flesh and its eggs; hunting continued until well after the passage of the Migratory Bird Treaty in 1918. Hunting in the West Indies remains a conservation concern. Conversion of native grasslands to croplands in both North and South America has also caused populations to fall. Male:

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Female: Sexes alike Young: Juvenile similar to adult, but with pale edges to back feathers.

Nest: Scrape in the ground; may be completely unlined, or built up with leaves and twigs. Eggs: Buff with dark spotting. Habitat: Native prairie and other dry grasslands, including airports and some croplands. Food: Mostly insects, including weevils and other beetles, grasshoppers, and crickets. Also some weed seeds. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: Parts of South America Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Upland_Sandpiper.html Source(s):

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Upland_Sandpiper_dtl.html Avian Data Sheet Species number: 05 Book: Kingbird Highway

Chapter: 1

Page: 5

Common name: Warbling Vireo Scientific name: Vireo gilvus Order: Passeriformes Family: Vireonidae Description: * Size: 12-13 cm (5-5 in) * Wingspan: 22 cm (9 in) * Weight: 10-16 g (0.35-0.56 ounces) * Small drab songbird. * Back grayish green. * Underparts whitish, may have yellowish tinge to flanks. * Eyebrow dull white. * Grayish line through eye. * No wingbars, tail spots, or eyering. Conservation Status: Populations generally stable or slightly increasing, but may be decreasing in some areas, e.g., California. Male:

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Female: Similar to male Young: Similar to adult, but duller and more brownish. Nest: (No information provided)

Eggs: (No information provided) Habitat: (No information provided) Food: (No information provided) Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: Parts of Central America Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Warbling_Vireos.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Warbling_Vireos_dtl.html

Avian Data Sheet Species number: 16 Book: Kingbird Highway Common name: Western Grebe Scientific name: Aechmorphus occidentalis Order: Podicipediformes Family: Podicipedidae Description: * Medium-sized waterbird. * Black back and face. * White neck and underside. * Long neck. * Long, thin bill. * Size: 55-75 cm (22-30 in) * Wingspan: 79-86 cm (31-34 in) * Weight: 800-180 g (28.24-6.35 ounces) Conservation Status: (No information provided) Male:

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Female: Sexes alike. Young: (No information provided) Nest: (No information provided) Eggs: (No information provided) Habitat: (No information provided)

Chapter: 4

Page: 27

Food: (No information provided) Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: Aquatic areas Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Western_Grebe.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Western_Grebe_dtl.html

Avian Data Sheet Species number: 01 Book: Kingbird Highway

Chapter: 1

Page: 5

Common name: Western Kingbird Scientific name: Tyrannus verticalis Order: Passeriformes Family: Tyrannidae Description: * Size: 20-24 cm (8-9 in) * Wingspan: 37-40 cm (15-16 in) * Weight: 37-46 g (1.31-1.62 ounces) * Medium-sized songbird. * Head and chest gray. * Belly yellow. * Black square-tipped tail with white outer feathers. * Head and breast pale gray, with darker gray mask from bill to ear region. * Chin white. * Eye dark. * Wings brownish black. * Bill black. * Small orange-red patch on crown, usually hidden. Conservation Status: Widespread and common. No significant nationwide trend, but some local increases and decreases. Male:

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Female: Sexes alike Young: Juvenile similar to adult, but paler, wings edged with buff, crown without orange feathers. Nest: Nest an open cup of grass stems, rootlets, fine twigs, bark and plant fibers, lined with fine material such as wool, cotton, hair, feathers, and cloth. Built in trees or on human-made structures, such as utility poles and fence posts. Eggs: Creamy white with heavy dark spots, concentrated around large end. Habitat: Prefers open habitats with trees, shrubs, or tall man-made structures. Habitats include grassland, desert shrub, pasture, savanna, and urban areas. Food: Flying insects and some fruit. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: Parts of central America and Florida Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Western_Kingbird.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Western_Kingbird_dtl.html

Avian Data Sheet Species number: 23 Book: Kingbird Highway Common name: Western Sandpiper Scientific name: Calidris Mauri

Chapter: 5

Page: 40

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Scolopacidae Description: Small sandpiper. Short neck. Moderately long bill, with slight droop. Moderately long legs. Black center of rump and tail. Legs black. Back gray-brown with some reddish. Chest usually only lightly marked. In breeding plumage has chestnut on back, crown, and back of face. Short webbing between toes (hard to see). * Size: 14-17 cm (6-7 in) * Wingspan: 26-37 cm (10-15 in) * Weight: 22-35 g (0.78-1.24 ounces) Conservation Status: Common. Male:

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Female: Sexes look alike, female slightly larger and with longer bill. Young: Juvenile similar to adult, but with more scaly pattern on back. Nest: (No information provided) Eggs: Usually 4 eggs. Range: 3-5. Habitat: Breeds in coastal sedge-dwarf tundra. Migrates and winters along mudflats, beaches, shores or lakes and ponds, and flooded fields. Food: Worms Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: Southern US, northern rim of South America Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Western_Sandpiper.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Western_Sandpiper_dtl.html

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Common name: White-Breasted Nuthatch Scientific name: Sitta carolinensis Order: Passeriformes Family: Sittidae Description: * Large nuthatch; creeps headfirst down tree trunks. * Dark gray or black cap. * Bright white face and underparts. * Blue-gray upper parts. * Long bill either straight or slightly upturned. * Size: 13-14 cm (5-6 in) * Wingspan: 20-27 cm (8-11 in) * Weight: 18-30 g (0.64-1.06 ounces) Conservation Status: Common and widespread. Populations increasing over most of range. Male:

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Female:

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Young: Juvenile similar to adult but markings slightly paler. Nest: Builds in cavities in trees. Cavity lined with fur, fine grass, and shredded bark. Eggs: Color: Creamy white speckled with reddish brown. Size: 18.20-20.22 mm x 13.0-15.2 mm (.72-.80 in x .51-.60 in) Incubation period: 13-14 days. Habitat: Found in mature deciduous forests, especially near openings and edges. Also parks and suburbs with large trees. Food: Insects, nuts, and seeds. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: None Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/White-breasted_Nuthatch.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Whitebreasted_Nuthatch_dtl.html

Avian Data Sheet Species number: 12 Book: Kingbird Highway

Chapter: 3

Page: 18

Common name: Yellow-Billed Loon Scientific name: Gavia immer Order: Gaviiformes Family: Gaviidae Description: * Size: 66-91 cm (26-36 in) * Wingspan: 104-131 cm (41-52 in) * Weight: 2500-6100 g (88.25-215.33 ounces) * Large waterbird. * Long pointed bill. * Long body slopes to rear. * Sits low on water. Yellow-billed Loon has ivory-yellow bill with dark only at the base of the upper edge. In winter, neck is paler with dark ear patch. Conservation Status: Numbers decreased across the south part of the range in the early to mid-20th century, but increased in the last third of the century. Poisoning by mercury in aquatic ecosystems and by lead from fishing sinkers can be significant caues of death.The North American Loon Fund is a nonprofit conservation organization that sponsors research, management, and educational programs throughout North America in an effort to check the population decline of the Common Loon and other loon species. Male:

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Female: Sexes alike in plumage, male larger. Young: Juvenile similar to nonbreeding adult, but head more uniformly dark with more

distinct edge between light underparts and dark upperparts. Back feathers edged with light, giving a scaled appearance. Bill paler, but still with dark upper edge. Nest: A large wet mass of plant material near the surface of the lake, sometimes on top of muskrat mound. Placed along shoreline or on floating island. Eggs: Brown with dark splotches. Habitat: * Breeds on clear freshwater lakes with rocky shorelines surrounded by forest; also on subarctic tundra lakes. * Stages for migration on large lakes and rivers. * Winters primarily in coastal marine areas near shore; also in large freshwater lakes. Food: Fish; some other aquatic vertebrates and invertebrates. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: Waters of all sorts Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Common_Loon.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Common_Loon_dtl.html

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Common name: Yellow-throated Warbler Scientific name: Dendroica dominica Order: Passeriformes Family: Parulidae Description: * Small songbird. * Yellow throat and chest. * Gray back. * Black face connecting to stripes down sides. * White eyestripe. * White earpatch. * Two white wingbars. * Size: 13-14 cm (5-6 in) * Wingspan: 21 cm (8 in) * Weight: 9-11 g (0.32-0.39 ounces) Conservation Status: Populations appear stable; appears to be expanding breeding range northward. Male:

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Female: Similar to male Young: Similar to adults Nest: Often a cup-shaped pocket in Spanish moss, lined with grasses, weeds, feathers, and strands of moss woven into the nest. Open nests are made of bark strips, grasses, and weed stems, lined with plant down and feathers. Placed high in tree. Eggs: Pale greenish with dark speckles. Habitat: Breeds in pine forest, sycamore-baldcypress swamp and riparian woodland. Found in migration and winter in a variety of woodland, scrub, brush and thicket situations but most frequently in pine woodland if such habitat is available. Food: Insects and spiders. Breeding range:

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Non-breeding range: Caribbean, South Florida, Eastern coast of Central America Call: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/audio/Yellow-Thorated_Warbler.html Source(s): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Yellowthroated_Warbler_dtl.html

Ford McClure November 23, 2008 Kyle Vermillion

Kingbird Highway Review Kingbird Highway is a personal memoir by one of the most famous ornithological scientists of the time, Kenn Kaufman. The book goes through Kaufman’s life, starting at age 8 and continuing on as he sets out at the young age of 19 to tackle the record for most bird species spotted in North America in just one year. As the story continues, you hear tales of him hitchhiking around the country, surviving off of nothing but dry cat food, and hiking through landfills just to see a species of bird. All in all, it is a great narrative that appropriately and accurately demonstrates his love for animals. The book begins with our narrator, Kenn Kaufman, explaining how he came to be a birder. It talks of how he started noticing birds at a very young age, and his interest only intensified over time. He would take his bike around town, keeping a list of all the different species he saw. As a child, his dream was met: 100 different species of birds in just one day. It was here that his love for encountering large scores of avian creatures began, a feeling that would shape the rest of his life. A young Kenn Kaufman decided at the tender age of 15 that academic life was not for him:

State law dictated that I had to stay in school until I was sixteen. As my sixteenth birthday approached, I began to dream of how

much I could learn about birds by leaving school as soon as it was legal and heading out of the state. The fact that I would miss two and a half years of high school didn’t bother me.

The school attempted to talk him out of it. “’Think about how that sounds,’ said the counselor. ‘Think about the word “dropout.” Giving up. Dropping out. Do you want to be a loser?’” Kenny stayed persistent, however, and by the end of that semester, he was a 16-year-old high school dropout about to embark upon nation-wide ornithological travels. Kingbird Highway is a book based largely on his methods of getting around the country and cultural events that were occurring at the time of his travels—the early seventies. Mr. Kauffman was able to travel to 49 of the 50 US states using nothing but hitchhiking. Much of his stories are those from the road rather than those of birds. Stories of drivers who are far too drunk to be driving anyone—not even a drifting teenage birder with little more than 5 dollars to his name at any given moment. He goes into detail about the different truck stops around the nation that sell cheap coffee with free refills and what flavor of cat food is the best to throw in your backpack as a meal. Kauffman finally decides to go for a “big year”—a year in which he sees more than 600 bird species, shattering the previous record and bringing the birding community to a new height. His efforts, however, are over before they’ve even begun. At only 19 years old, a college student named Ted Parker had broken the record and gotten 626 species spotted in North America over only one year (we later find out that he didn’t even get to Alaska). Hearing this, Kauffman abandons hope. He drops back to a college resembling life, though it was far from such. Kenn lived with 4 of his friends at college in

Tucson, Arizona. The other 4 were students. Our hero birder was not. Ironically enough, Ted Parker was amongst these students, and the two became friends. Two years later, Kauffman decides to go back out for the record—and that he did. The majority of the book deals with his different travels around the US and Canada in search for a list the likes of which the world had not yet seen. From this moment, focus shifts to birding and its true meaning. As said by a friend of Kauffman’s, Rich Stallcup: …I decided to ask him about something that was puzzling me: “Rich, I don’t understand. Nobody around here seems to be very competitive. You’re not into competing. So how come you’re working so hard on this year list?” / Rich smiled. “that’s worth thinking about,” he said. “But look, the list itself doesn’t matter. The record doesn’t matter. It’s like when a bunch of friends are playing football in the back yard, you go all out to win, but afterwards it doesn’t matter who won. Here’s what’s different about it, though,” he said, turning serious. “The list total isn’t important, but the birds themselves are important. Every bird you see.” More and more, the novel focuses on the actions of the birds. Their beauty. Their majesty. Their undeniable presence. You can see a shift in style after this moment, as if saying that this single monologue is the focal point of the novel. The list isn’t what matters, it’s just a glorified version of what birders did to remember what birds they saw. This sport isn’t about beating anybody, or proving anything, but about admiring and observing all of the most amazing animals on the planet.

The story continues through the conclusion, in which Kauffman, with no car, job, nor virtually money, shatters the previous birding record with 673 species. His 1973 record has since been somewhat disqualified because of species found in Baja California, a region not technically in North America by modern standards, but it is still an amazing feat for a 19-year-old boy to hold the world record in a sport that cares not about age nor speed, but simply love and luck. Kingbird Highway truly explains the origins and meanings of birding. Kauffman effectively inserts the common feelings about the sport—a contest in which birds are simply points—then explains his transformation of beliefs as he learns more and more about the natural world. Kauffman is the author of several focus guides, all focusing on North America, and has since written another novel that will be released soon entitled Flights Against The Sunset: Stories That Reunited a Mother and Son. He is truly an inspiration, not only to both budding as well as experienced birders, but also to the rest of us. He effectively chases his goals in the face of what would stop any other person in their tracks, and completes what he set out to do.

Name: Outer Banks

Location: Coastal North Carolina Type: Extensive coastline Stewards: No official stewards, various parks exist along the banks Habitat(s): Sand, wetlands, coast Birds of note: Large number of hawks, mainly migratory birds, water birds (ducks, geese, swan) Other wildlife: Fox, deer, rabbits, aquatic life Activities: Music showcases, Waterfowl observation, extensive cultural opportunities (Outer Banks is an extensive coastline on which many own houses and the like) Special Events: Graveyard of the Atlantic Photo:

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Source: www.outerbanks.com http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_Banks

Name: Monterey Bay

Location: Southern California Type: Marine bay Stewards: Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Habitat(s): Coastal shores of the Pacific Ocean Birds of note: Golden Eagle, White-tailed Kite, Peregrine Falcon, Wilson's Snipe, Virginia Rail, Sora, Cinnamon Teal, Northern Shoveler, Snowy Plover, California Thrasher, Wrentit Other wildlife: Vast arrays of marine life, including sea otters, harbor seals, and bottlenose dolphins Activities: Aquarium, underwater caverns, diving Special Events: Monterey Bay Birding Festival Photo:

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Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monterey_Bay http://www.montereybaybirding.org/birds.html

Name: Yukon Territory Location: Northwest Canada, next to Alaska Type: Frozen tundra Stewards: (No official ecological protectors) Habitat(s): Mountains, glaciers, rivers, frozen land Birds of note: Rock Ptarmigan, Golden Eagle, Bald Eagle Other wildlife: Vast array of mammals, birds, and fish Activities: Mountain climbing, fishing, boat tours Special Events: Aurora Borealis, Photo:

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Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukon_territory

Name: Florida Keys Location: Islands southeast of Florida Type: National Wildlife Refuge Stewards: USGS Habitat(s): Upland forests, inland wetlands and shoreline zones Birds of note: Great white herons, antillean nighthawk, gray kingbird, black-whiskered vireo, white-crowned pigeon and the elusive mangrove cuckoo Other wildlife: Deer Activities: Tourism, ecotourism, fishing, birding Special Events: Keys Birding Festival Photo:

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Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Florida_Keys_2007.jpg http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/chekbird/r4/flkeys.htm http://www.floridakeysbest.com/audubon/birding_florida_keys.htm

Name: Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge Location: North Carolina Type: National Wildlife refuge Stewards: USFWS Habitat(s): Coastal land, farthest away from shore is only 1 mile Birds of note: “Concentrations of ducks, geese, swans, wading birds, shore birds, raptors, neotropical migrants are seasonally abundant on refuge.” Other wildlife: Loggerhead sea turtles, Alligators Activities: Fishing, Birding Special Events: (None specified) Photo:

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Source: http://www.fws.gov/peaisland/

Name: Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge Location: 7 miles south of Alamo, Texas Type: National Wildlife Refuge Stewards: USFWS Habitat(s): Thorn forest, wetlands, lakes Birds of note: Black-bellied and fulvous whistling duck, mottled, duck, blue-winged, green-winged, and cinnamon teal Other wildlife: Several species of butterflies Activities: Trails, wildlife drives, interpretive teams, bicycle Special Events: Birding events of many sorts Photo:

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Source: http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas/santana.html

Name: Anahuac Location: Texas Type: National Wildlife Refuge Stewards: USFWS Habitat(s): Wetland, dry planes, large number of willow trees Birds of note: Nesting mottled duck, fulvous whistling duck, Other wildlife: Alligators, fish Activities: Fishing, waterfowl hunting, wildlife watching Special Events: Shoveler Pond auto tour Photo:

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Source: http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas/anahuac/index.html

Name: Dry Tortugas National Park Location: Western Florida Keys Type: National Park Stewards: USNPS Habitat(s): Beaches Birds of note: Sooty terns, brown noddies, roseate terns, double-crested cormorants, brown pelicans Other wildlife: Main other life is coral Activities: Fishing, birding, hiking Special Events: None listed Photo:

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Source: http://www.nps.gov/drto/faqs.htm#CP_JUMP_121102

Kingbird Highway, “Not Quite the West” India-Kansas Kansas-Arizona

Kingbird Highway, “There’s a Birder on the Road” Arizona-Alabama (along route 10)

Kingbird Highway, “Time of a Rival” Florida Keys-New York, all around New England

Kingbird Highway, “Dry Tortugas” Washington-Florida, Dry Tortugas National Reserve

Kingbird Highway, “Full Summer” New England-Virginia-Texas-Montana-Yukon-Alaska

Kingbird Highway, “Tucson 5” Arizona-Florida-Texas-Michigan-Montana-Alaska

Kingbird Highway, “Truckers’ March” Nevada-Lake Michigan

Kingbird Highway, “Springtime Fades Away” California-Texas, back to New Mexico

Eiders-collect worms from the muddy botton Now collect into groups of thousands around in ice, they create such warmth that the water doesn’t freeze and they can fish it Emperor penguin-breed during the worst weather, men carry eggs on feet, do not feed for 4 months, females then return and males can go eat Oil birds-related to night jars and have large eyes that help them fly by moon and stars, in caves that doesn’t even matter, use sonar Black Vultures-settle in towns with skyscrapers and whatnot on various perches created by buildings, sift through garbage collections. Only they can do such because of their strong stomachs. White swins-eat blueberries, come in groups of thousands to feed upon them Crows-Will drop nuts into traffic so that they get run over and they can eat the insidey parts. That’s pretty sick. Have to avoid getting run over retrieving, though, so they station themselves above pedestrian crossings then wait for the stop lights and go and get it oh my god that’s so cool. Starlings-Formation fly for half an hour over the darkened city. We don’t know why. Purple Martins: go to oil rigs at 6:05 every evening for no apparent reason. They don’t feed there and they don’t need heat. Sometimes migrate up to the US and live in organized bird houses. Purple Martins are now totally dependent upon human beings, as they don’t nest anymore. Penguins-observed in Melbourne by freaking thousands of people, very not cool. Cacas-eat honeydew under the bark to yeah. European wasps decided they like it too, though, so the cacas are getting raped Orange bellied parrot-saved by this one family who puts out food for them. They started to die out because of foreign animals and deforestation. Kestrel-saved by mankind Pink pidgen-Thought to be extinct, then found in the wild (only 9). They were captured and reared by scientists and are numerous Echo Parakeet-once world’s rarest parrot, now 80 in wild and 20 in scientists

Birds of prey • South African sparrows o Eat insects, fruit, seeds • Falcon o Kills birds and whatnot, only needs one kill a day • Parrots kia o Special kind will go into burrows and kill chicks o Will even dig in ground to make hole large enough to enter o SADDEST THING EVER o Only recently meat eaters • Grey owl o Listens for victims o Special disks make hearing very selective in directions • Scops owl o Eyes are HUGE o Sees “soot and whitewash world” o No color, detects prey by movement o Eats spiders too o Very silent flight like all owls o Night time hunter • Buzzards o Day-time hunter o Amazing eyes in proper light o Eat mainly rabbits during summer • Kestrel o Eats voles o Sees in UV  Helps see urine left by voles • Vultures o Scavengers o Intricate system and sense of comradery • Turkey vultures o Red head o Always on scene first o Smell well o Can locate based off of smell o Wide open nostrils o Beaks are good for pulling off scraps of flesh • African Crowned eagle

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o 3 feet long o Can kill prey over 4 times its own weight o Hunt in forests o Hunts MONKEYS o Very defensive of territories Sea eagle o Fight apparently o Eats flamingos but can’t pick them up, have to eat them in shallow water African Harrier hawk o Good at snatching pray from burrows o Long legged o Double jointed to bend backwards Amerguire o Eats bones o Doesn’t have the beak nor talons to do such o Flys up with bone and drops it on its favorite patches of bare rock o Bad aim

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Episode 2—The Mastery of Flight o Japanese shearwaters  Climb trees to begin flying  Spend most of their lives in the air • Only come down to nest  Nest on cliffs o Pigeon  Begins by jumping  Opens wings and throws wind down as hard as possible  Second swing must be just as hard o Albatross  Runs while holding wings open to take off • We use the same method in our machines  Have very rounded wings in the front that dies down and tapers into super thin  So big they can glide most of the way  Pretty much fall to land o Mallard  Flies at 40 mph  Streamlines so perfectly no ruffles in feathers occur o Osprey  Dives in water, grabs fish, must flap as hard as it can  Takes talons and positions fish to streamline o Pelicans  Fly in formation to draft off each other  Glide about 20%  Aerodynamically, it is better to synchronize flapping with bird ahead

o Griffin vultures  Use heat that’s beaten off of rocks to fly upwards because of the rising heat  Gliders follow methods established by griffin vultures and other birds that read thermals o Swans  Very heavy—land on water and use feet as breaks o Eagles  To land, they aim for a point below point needed to land at, then swoop upwards to stop at place. o Weight of birds  Beaks • Lightweight • Can’t chew  Bones • Fewer bones than mammals • Hollow bones  Feathers • Quill o Hollow • Filaments o Have hooks to link together and create continuous surface o Can be “zipped up” o Birds take baths daily?  Some can’t find water to bathe in, so they use dust to get parasites, ticks, and the like off of them o Cockatoo  Has powder on head that when released helps aid wings (waterproofing and parasite removal) o Crows, jays  Land on ants nest  Ants cover bird and release formic acid over wings  Not sure why? o Paragrim  Fastest bird in the world  Can exceed 200 mph  Tucks back wings for speed, accelerates by beating them downwards o Barn owl  Flies very slow, which is an advantage  Rounded and broad wings  Have very silent wings to not distort hunting

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Bird after owl  faces gentle breeze and remains stationary  flaps when air speed lowers  Turns into wind and drops to follow prey, turns back in to remain stationary again, continues Humming birds  Only birds that can fly with no wind assistance  Wings create down drafts which is like a helicopter  Wings are equal on both sides  Moves by changing direction of wings  Can’t eat at night—eats glucose from flowers  Sleeps by going all but comatose Giant humming bird  Largest possible humming bird Purple collared wood star  Flaps 2-inch wings all the time. Sandpipers  In water, looking for worms  Eat forever and double weight for migration  Fly Canada to Mexico, eat in Mexico, land in Panama Digsissels  Eat plants, mall and brown, relatives of sparrows, yellow streak above eye  Eat insects as well, provide protein  Fly in huge flocks  Feed on grain in Venezuela  6 birds per stem roosting on sugar canes at night Hawks  In Canada as well, eat voles and other small animals, cutest babies ever Hawks and vultures migrate as well—can only leave on a good hot day so that thermals are strong. Go up to 10,000 feet or more to prepare. Snow Geese rely on just muscle power through day and night to get where they’re going  Travel at night  Internal clocks so they can follow son  Families travel together, calling to each other as they go Raptors stop overnight because their thermals are gone  Can’t leave land because of thermals  Arrive in Panama together in flocks  Some travel all the way to Argentina Humming birds fly over gulf of Mexico  27 mph

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Very risky 18 hours if perfect Much nectar awaits at the other end Travel even as far as Panama

Parenthood • Brown Pelican o First job after the birth is to find food • Zebra finches • Rosella parrots o Make sure every chick gets the same amount of food, though the oldest is always fed first o Oldest chick sometimes share food with youngest and smallest • Brent geese o Very protective of their young o Lay eggs during summer months of the arctic places • Magpie Geese o 3 adults escort the young (2 female one male) • Arabian Babbler o Great parent o Do everything together

Episode 7-finding a partner • Mccaw-different colours • Malzonian parrots-mixture of species, differing in head colour • Parmigans-feathers and plumage matches snow and rock colour o Pure white during winter o Changes to completely brown in 10 days

Fishing for a living Rightbill-New Zealand bird, beak bends to the side so that it can get under boulders easily Kingfishers-Harpoon, bird, goes underwater for but one second. Tries to fly straight down into the water from perches, most at least. One, the African Pied Fisher or something, is the biggest in the world to hover and can fly straight down from a non-perch to do such. Reddish Egret-jumps around to get fish out of hiding

Black heron-Shades eyes with feathers severely. Looks like a head of hair, to be honest. Spoonbill-eats beetles and other things that come out of the water, scares away other fish, other birds hang around for that Skimmers-long lower mandible that shuts shut when skimming Mallards-Dabblers, LOL Magenza-webbed feet way back on the body, actually swims Shoebill Stalk-Massive murderous beak, acute eyes, infinite patience, eats lungfish Godwits- long beaks to get into sand Dauwitch- collect same things as godwits but from the surface Sandlings- pick up bits and pieces recently washed ashore Aversettes-out for shrimp and others Boobies-Live on the coast, fish way out on the ocean, Burulette-spends majority of its time on ocean

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Episode 9 o Little birds  Leave eggs on bare branches  If they fall, others eat the yolk o Swifts  Put eggs behind the curtain of water in a waterfall  Able to put them there because they can fly where animals can’t

walk o Parrots  Nest on the coast of Argentina  Use holes in the sides of cliffs • Made by digging into sandstone with beaks o Woodpeckers  Can put eggs in the middle of an ant colony o Hornbills  Can’t use beak to dig, have to find natural holes  Pairs do house choosing together  Picky  Like big nests with small entrances  Narrows hole with wood, droppings and whatnot o Boobies  Settle and pick up materials  Other birds steal the materials mid-flight o Apostle birds  Build nests together fast o Weaver birds  Nests can be over 100 years old  Hundreds live in the same nests  Nests take up pretty much entire tree  Large nests I the desert are all cool and whatnot o Golden parrot  Spots on the egg camouflage it o Kimi  Biggest egg of any bird  Has so much yolk, the chick will be fully developed  Only lays one egg o Red breasted toucan o Kurowong  Prime egg thief in Australia o Yellow wrapped horn bill  Two parts of the nest  Top is empty and looks robbed  Other part is beneath nest, burrows into and lays egg o Wren  Tries to build nest within a yard of a wasp nest o Patagonian birds lead carnivores away from eggs o by looking injured and like an easy meal o Malio  Put eggs in hot sand so they’ll hatch on themselves o Canvas-back duck

Sometimes the duck will try to give their egg to a nest that’s already owned by a duck  Duck pushes other duck aside and lays egg along with batch o Cuckoos  Lay eggs indiscreetly in other nests  Larger egg will eventually kill the other two o COWBIRD  Plays the same ninja game  Birds who see this will deconstruct nest that cowbird egg is in  Construct another nest nearby o Weaver birds  Create long tubular entrances to nest to keep cuckoos away  adorable 