All tagged Bird Watching
European starlings are one of many non-native bird species that can be found just about everywhere in America, and they range throughout much of Canada, too. They were introduced into the United States from Europe in the 1890s, and today there are more than 200 million starlings in North America.
The American white ibis is a fairly large wading bird of the southeastern United States, and especially of the Gulf Coast. As their name implies, they are mostly white in color, although the tips of their wings are black.
Have you ever seen an Anhinga? They are a warm weather bird, so if you live in the central or northern USA you will likely never see one around home. You will need to travel to Florida or the Gulf Coast for the best chance at seeing one.
Almost everyone has seen a pigeon. People who live in the city often see them in parks or around buildings, while those living in the country can see them in and around barns and grain silos.
Some people think all seagulls are the same. A seagull is a seagull, right? Wrong. According to the book Gulls of North America by Fred Shaffer, there are actually 27 species of gulls in North America alone.
The tufted titmouse seems to be a cheerful bird – at least it sounds that way from its cheerful “peter-peter-peter” song. This small bird is mostly gray with a soft white belly. Most individuals have a light tan-colored patch on their sides, just below their wings.
There are about 29 native species of ducks in North America today, from mallards and pintails to redheads and gadwalls – just to name a few. That does not even include the various species of mergansers, grebes, loons and geese.
The Northern Flicker is a large woodpecker that lives throughout the United States and most of North America. These birds are a bit larger than an American Robin and are often seen on the ground, similar to Robins.
The Eastern Phoebe is a very accomplished flycatcher. This bird is dark brown on its back, head and wings (dark gray on some individuals), and has a white or off-white belly and breast.
American Crows are large, common birds that can be found throughout most of the United States and even much of Canada during the breeding season. One area that they really avoid is the dry, desert regions of the southwest USA.
There are many birds that are often heard but rarely seen. One of those is the elusive Red-Eyed Vireo. These birds are a dull olive-green color above with a white breast.
Gulls, or seagulls, as many people refer to them, comprise a large group of birds that are associated with water and coastlines. The Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the Gulf of Mexico, the Great Lakes – all of these host populations of different species of gulls.
