Downy Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

The Downy Woodpecker is the smallest known woodpecker in all of the United States with an average length of 6-7 inches. The Latin name, Picoides Pubesces, translates to resembling hairy. The Downy Woodpecker has a similar plumage to the Hairy Woodpecker hence why it's called resembling hairy in Latin. An adult Downy Woodpecker is around an 1 ounce with a wingspan from 10-12 inches in width. The Downy is mainly black on the upper parts and wings, with a white back, throat and belly and white spotting on the wings. The male has a red nape that is used in order to attract a mate. In spring and summer, Downy Woodpeckers make lots of noise, both with their shrill whinnying call and by drumming on trees. Drumming, one of the unique characteristics of woodpeckers, is both functional and a way to defend territory. Woodpeckers have a shock-absorbing system in their heads that prevents their brains from slamming into their skull. Additionally, their skulls are heavier than most birds’ to withstand the repeated impact. While drumming is needed to create a nesting cavity or find insects under heavy bark, male woodpeckers also drum to establish a territory and maintain dominance afterwords. Downy Woodpeckers prefer open deciduous forests or and an uncultivated strip of land, although they frequent a variety of habitats including city parks and backyards. While some bird species have been negatively impacted by the fragmentation of forests or other habitat due to suburban sprawl and rural development, Downy Woodpeckers seem to be unaffected and even thrive in such areas. Downy Woodpeckers eat mainly insects, including beetle larvae that live inside wood or tree bark as well as ants and caterpillars. They eat pest insects including corn ear-worm, tent caterpillars, bark beetles, and apple borers. About a quarter of their diet consists of plant material, particularly berries, acorns, and grains. Downy Woodpeckers are common feeder birds, eating suet and black oil sunflower seeds and occasionally drinking from hummingbird feeders. Downy Woodpeckers are widespread and abundant. They are found year-round throughout North America, though, like many year-round resident birds.

Herring Gull


The Larus Argentatus which stands for decorated with silver is the Herring Gull. It is a hefty gull with a very strong body. Both sexes are very equal to size and its length is 55-65 cm. Along with the weight they are 28 - 41 oz and their wingspan is 137-146 cm. They are mostly white except for their gray back and their black feather tips. They behave very loud and competitive. When they are patrolling the shoreline or ocean they look for scraps of food. When they mate with a female they will stay together for life and the male claims the territory and they both defend it. The male does courtship feeding for his mate to have good nutrients for the babies and they will raise them for one month. Their habitat mostly consist of any open are like a ocean, rivers, parking lots and airports. They breed in Canada and Alaska and in some coastal areas. Their main food are fish, insects, smaller sea birds and even other gulls eggs. When they are on rocky shores they eat mussels, crabs and sea urchins. This bird is of least concern in North America they are very common to see on the shore.

Wild Turkey

The Meleagris gallopavo or most commonly known as, the Wild Turkey, is a very large bird. Ranging on the larger side of the scale along with geese and other large birds. Wild Turkey are large round birds with long legs, wide, rounded tails, and a small head on a long, slim neck. The females don't really differ from their male counterparts, the only difference being a much darker color of plumage and having more feathers on their necks. They average about  43.3-45.3 in. in length, 5.5-23.8 lbs in weight, and  49.2-56.7 in. in wingspan. Because these birds were widely domesticated and then recently released into the wild, they don't really migrate during the year. Usually staying where they are and foraging for food in all parts of their woodsy habitats. Usually eating nuts, berries and insects, turkeys will also resort to eating sedges, grass like flowers and very large insects and sometimes even salamanders. Despite the myth saying that turkeys can't fly, turkeys acutally can fly, just not as well or as long as other types of flying birds. They do need to fly in order to roost on tree branches. Luckily, wild turkeys are of the least concern, having a breeding population of 7.8 million.

The Blue Jay

The blue jay is a majestic but aggressive bird that can be found throughout most of the United States. It measures 9-12 inches in length, has a wingspan of 34-43 cm, and weighs between 2.5 and 3.5 oz. The bird is a shining blue with a white belly. The blue jay also possesses a crest not eh top of its head that shows how hostile or not hostile the bird is. If the crest is pointed upwards, the bird is in a hostile state. If the crest is flat, the bird is in a docile state of mind. Blue jays have the unique ability to communicate through this body language as well as having a large range of vocalizations. In addition, the blue jay snacks on mainly insects and seeds. Occasionally it finds itself wandering into another nest for other eggs, but this activity is rare. Blue jays reside on the edges of forests and can be found in both suburban and even urban areas. It prefers to build nests in oak trees and bird feeders are a huge attraction. Blue jays are able to mimic the screech of a hawk to scare other birds away from feeders, making resources easier to exploit. Due to the blue jay's ability to mimic other birds and their territorial behavior, they are not in danger. However, studies have shown a 28% population decline from 1996-2015. Scientists have their eye on this decline and are making sincere efforts to prevent any further decline.          

Northern Mockingbird

         The Northern Mockingbird is a unique animal. Its known for its ability to copy sounds and make them into a song. Its Latin name is Mimus Polyglottos which means mimic of many tongues. Mincing the sounds of other animals can fool other birds into thinking that the mockingbird is a threat.  The Northern Mockingbird is a medium-sized bird with a gray back, white underbelly, long tail, rounded wings, and curved beak. The males on average are between 22-25 cm long and weigh around 51 grams. The females on average are between 20- 23 cm long and weigh 47 grams. The difference between the two is that the male is slightly larger. These birds live in low elevated areas like hedges, shrubs, thickets, and backyards. They eat seeds, berries, and insects: ants, spiders, grasshoppers, and beetles.  The mockingbird is territorial and fearless. If you are in its territory it will not hesitate to strike you. Especially when it has a mate, the male will perch himself on a platform and sing. Singing to alert other mockingbirds that this is his land and other animals should not trespass. However, when another male mockingbird comes too close to the territory, the two face-offs in a duel. Fighting for the piece of land or even a partner. They spend most of their time south of the United States and Mexico. The mockingbird is a low concern and has a breeding population of 32 million. 

American Goldfinch

      The American Goldfinch is way different than the European Goldfinch. The American Goldfinch is the state bird for New jersey, Iowa, and Whasington. The latin name for this bird is carduelis tristis translates to Bunting seed. You can attract American Goldfinch to your backyard then just have a bird feeders out and make sure u have like a bushy like place where they can rest after they eat. To have more American Goldfinch around your house then make sure to fill up the feeders with nyjer seeds thats American Goldfinches favorite food. Besides winter time you can tell the differences between a female and a male American Goldfinch, but in the winter time they look exactly the same. The females and males grow up to be 5 inches. Feeds in flocks. Often seen foraging for seeds in weeds, shrubs, and trees. They also lay their eggs in a reachable place. The American Goldfinch is least concerned about because its population is actually growing. You can find them anywhere in the united states and southern canada. 

Northern Cardinal

The Northern Cardinal, Its Latin name is Cardinalis cardinalis which mans serving as a hinge. Its a fairly large long tailed bird with a very thick prominent crest. They often sit with a hundred over posture, and the tailed pointed straight down. The size of the bird is smaller than a robin and bigger than a sparrow. Males are brilliant red and females are pale brown all round, but they both share a black face. Length -21-23 centimeters, Weight -42-48 grams, and wingspan is 25-31 centimeters. Northern cardinals tend to sit low in shrubs and trees or forage on near the ground often in pairs. They inhabit backyard, parks, woodlots, and shrubby forest edges. They breed between March and September. Usually, they raise two broods a year, one beginning around march and the second in late May to July. For Mating system they are Monogamous which means when one male mates with one female, however they often choose a different mate each breeding season. They eat weeds, sunflower, seeds, grains, fruits, and insects to feed their children. In order to crack open the seeds they developed large strong beaks. For their status its of low concern since their was a slight increase in population from 1966-2014. Their breeding population in about 129 million with 77% in U.S, and 22% in Mexico.

Mourning Dove

The Mourning Dove is a small, but fat bird that lives all throughout North America. These birds are beige in color with long pointed wings and rounded tails. These birds are about 4.2 ounces and range from 8.9-14 inches long. The males and females are the same appearances in all seasons. These birds although called doves, which people think of as kind and friendly, are truly very aggressive and territorial. Mutual preening is an action they tend to take part in to strengthen their bond, relieve stress, and help one another remove parasites that the other bird cannot reach by itself. Mourning Doves are live in open country, scattered trees, and woodland edges. They often nest in trees and live in woodlots during the winter. 99 percent of their diet is seeds and the other one percent consists of grasses, weeds, herbs, and very rarely berries and even snails. They are of least concern even though they are often hunted by humans.

American Robin

American Robin

The American Robin are fairly large songbirds that can be found very easily around North America. Both the males and females are around the same size. they have a length of 7.9-11 inches, a weight of 2.7-3 ounces, and a wingspan of 12.2-15.8 inches. These birds are a gray-brown color that have orange bellies and a dark head. They also have a little bit of white under the tail. Females on the other hand have paler heads that show less contrast and even blend in with the gray of their body.When they are looking for food on the ground, they would usually run, but if they are in long grass they would have to hop or fly above it. During the fall and winter, Robins can usually be found in large flocks and they spend most of their time up in trees. But in the spring, males attract females by singing, raising and spreading their tails, shaking their wings and inflating their white-striped throats. Pairs might even be seen holding beaks. American Robins are fairly common across the continent. American Robins really do not have a preferred food, so they just eat a large number of both insects and fruits. Their status is currently of least concern due to their increasing population in the last decade.

Canada Goose

Canada Goose, or as its Latin name, Branta Canadensis (Branta meaning large goose, and Canadensis meaning from Canada) is a fairly common bird in the northern part of America. Canada geese are somewhat between 29.9 to 43.3 inches in length, weigh about 6.5 to 20 lbs, and their wingspan is somewhere around 50.0 to 66.9 inches. Their appearances seem to not have a difference between female and male. They all have long neck, large body, large webbed feet and a wide, flat bill. Their feather colors are relatively the same; black head with white cheeks and chinstrap, black neck, tan breast and a brown back. Canada Geese have many habitats near water, grassy fields, and grain fields. They are particularly drawn to wide open lawns for two reasons, they can digest grass, and when they are feeding with their young, manicured lawns give them a wide, unobstructed view of any approaching predators. Because of this, they tend to make a home in parks, airports, golf courses, and other areas with expansive lawns. As for food, during the spring and summer, they feed on grasses and sedges. During the fall and winter, they eat more berries and seeds (one of their favorite foods are blueberries!) Because of climate change affecting the weather in the U.S., Canada geese tend to not migrate as often as they used to. But when the occasion rises, they will migrate more down south of the U.S. for food and shelter (and to stay warm, of course!) And as of right now, and probably a long time, Canada geese are of the least concern. Even though roughly 2.6 million geese are hunted, it still doesn't affect their large population of 5.6 million (as of 2015.)

Great blue heron

The Great blue heron has the Latin name Ardea herodias. The english translation is Heron Herodins. Great Blue Herons appear blue-gray from a distance, with a wide black stripe over the eye. In flight, the upper side of the wing is two-toned: pale on the forewing and darker on the flight feathers. Length: 38.2-53.9 in.Weight: 4-6 pounds. Wingspan: 5-6 feet. These birds stalk their prey in shallow waters and strike super fast to catch the prey off guard. They usually forage by themselves. For mating Great blue herons stretch their neck up with the bill pointing skyward. Flying in circles above colony with neck extended, stretching neck forward with head and neck feathers erected and then snapping bill shut. You can find them near a body of water. Also, in your backyard if there is a pond with fish inside. They nest high above the ground on the tops of trees. The Great blue heron can eat fish, amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates, small mammals, and even other birds. These bids are of least concern and keep populating.

European Starling by: Nasir Drayton

European Starling

The European Starling is a very common bird that can be seen outside your windows. The latin translation of its name is Sturnus Vulgaris, Sturnus meaning Starling and Vulgaris meaning ordinary or usual type. These birds are short, stocky birds that are very aggressive. In the winter white spots grow on to their feathers to help them blend in with the snowy surroundings and in the summer the bird is very dark and glossy. Its aggressiveness gives the sense of pride, making it want to chase of males away from its female or chase away other birds so it can take their nests for its own use. These birds preferably live in nest cavities, holes or cracks within a tree and in lowland areas. It eats primarily grasshoppers but if not found it will eat wild berries, berries from bushes, and grains or seeds. There is a huge population of these birds, approximately 200 million from Alaska to Mexico. They’re a least concern.

Mallard Duck

The Mallard duck is the most common duck in the Northern Hemisphere. It can be 50-65 cm in length and its wingspan is 82-95 cm. They can be many different colors according to the region and they can be gray, brown, orange, and green. For ducks they are large with rounded hands and wide flat bills. They can live almost every wetland like ponds, rivers, marshes and coastal habitats. Also they live in the city like suburban parks and residential backyards. Their mating habits are unfortunately not great they gang up on female duck and which ever has the offspring has the offspring. After this the male leaves the female to other male to molt. Their preferred food are seeds, acorns, and berries, insects and shellfish. A lot of people feed them bread which is bad because it confuses them to think they have more food than they actually do. Their status is of least concern.

The Common Grackle

The Common Grackle has the Latin name of Quiscalus Quiscula, translating into Grackles Grackle. Adult Common Grackles ordinarily measure from 28 to 34 cm. long, about a foot in length. They weigh around 74 to 142 grams. With a wingspan of 36 to 46 cm. even longer than their body. The male is generally larger than the female. Although they both commonly have a dark, large bill, yellow eyes, and a long tail as adults. It's feathers are an assortment of color ranging from black, green, purple, and blue. The bottom half mostly bronze in color. They forage in flocks and have been noted to steal food from other birds and even kill in the process. They can live around humans mutually, with little to no harm coming from either side. This bird lives in majorly open areas in thick trees, areas including parks and countryside. The Common Grackle is an omnivore and will eat about anyhring it can get it's claws on, ranging from rodents to insects and seeds. It's diet consist of anything a generic bird would indulge itself in. This bird is currently of Least Concern with numbers that continue to increase on the North Eastern side of the country.

Red Tailed Hawk

The Red-tailed Hawk lives mainly in America, but it also lives in Canada and Mexico. It can be 18-25 inches in length and have a 4 feet wingspan. The color of its back and wings may be dark brown or gray. It has a cinnamon colored neck and chest. The females are larger than the males. They protect the nests aggressively. The males defend their territory by circling it. They have mates for life. They do not sing but have a raspy screeching call. They can live anywhere that is open from parks to desert. They can eat anything from 0 ounces to 5 pounds which includes birds, snakes, small mammals and even carrion. They have really sharp eyesight which allows them to see prey from the top of perches. They like breeding in high perches so they have a clear view of everything. They are really adaptable. This is the reason they are a low concern bird. It has a 2.3 million global breeding population. This bird is awesome just look at the picture on top.

Song Sparrow

The Song Sparrow is a bird that is just about everywhere. Common in areas like Alaska and New Jersey. Melospiza Melodia is the Song Sparrow's name in Latin. They are medium sized birds and bulky for sparrows. Their color varies depending on where they live but most are a mix of orange and grey. They are well known for the songs they can sing. A male has between six to twenty four songs that last two to three seconds. They are found in a variety of environments such as tidal marshes, arctic grasslands, forests, and even deserts. Sparrows usually eat insects, fruits and seeds. They are not afraid to have nests in residential areas and often come to bird feeders. Due to the fact that they live just about everywhere, their population status is of least concern with an estimated global population of 130 million.

The Turkey Vulture By KyRon Parker

The Turkey Vulture

The Turkey vulture latin name is Cathartes aura.It's about 26 to 32 inches long with a 6 feet wingspread. It has a naked bright redhead with black feathers and tail. They are very calm birds. Even though it is a big bird they get driven of by black vultures, hawks, and other species. These animals live around open areas (farmland, forest, and grasslands. This have a low concern. Also they never attack living prey. They prefer eating dead animals. They don't eat the dead animal right away they wait until it softens so they can pierce the skin. They find these dead animals because of there great sense of smell. Also they mostly eat mammals. Also they don't have a voice box. So they can't sing or call. 

Gray Catbird by Julian Tapia

                                       The Gray Catbird

    An interesting bird to learn about is the gray catbird. Gray catbird translates to Dumetella in Latin. The word Dumetella means thorn bush-dweller or small bird of the thorns. Another thing to note is a gray catbird's physical makeup. Normally, a gray catbird has a long tail and a straight bill. These birds are around 8-9 inches in length ,and its wingspan measures around 8 to 11 inches. Additionally, Gray Catbirds have a black cap on top of their heads, a little brown under their tail, and a part of their tail is colored black. Next, a Gray catbird has quite a unique way of acting and some cool habits. Gray catbirds often jump from branch to branch in dense vegetation. Also, catbirds like to hide in shrubs, hence the name it was given in Latin, thorn bush-dweller. Male gray catbirds sing on top of small trees in order to claim territory and attract female catbirds. A common habit for gray catbirds is to perch with their tails down. Lastly, gray catbirds receive their name from the mew like sound it makes at various times. Most gray catbirds live east of the rocky mountains ,and then migrate southeastern of the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean during the winter. As said before, gray catbirds live in tangles of vines and dense shrubs. A possible way to find them in your backyard is to plant lots of wild berries and try to replicate crowed vegetation or bunches of leaves. Some places gray catbirds try to avoid are open woodlands and coniferous woodlands. If talking about food, gray catbirds will eat almost all insects during the summer and spring, and switch to eating different types of berries when fall and winter come around. Lastly, the gray catbird's status is of low concern due to the large area it covers when breeding season comes along.

House Finches are common and with the exception of some areas in western North America, their populations appear to have increased between 1966 and 2015, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Partners in Flight estimates a global breeding population of 45 million with 76% in the U.S., 21% in Mexico and 3% in Canada. The species rates a 6 out of 20 on the Continental Concern Scale. House Finch is not on the 2016 State of North American's birds watch list. These birds generally benefit from human development. However, populations underwent a steep decline beginning in January 1994 owing to a disease called my coplasmal conjunctivitis. The disease causes respiratory problems and red, swollen eyes, making them susceptible to predators and adverse weather. House Finch conjunctivitis was first observed at feeders in the Washington, D.C. area. It’s not harmful to humans, but it has spread rapidly through the eastern House Finch population and into the West. 

The Red Winged Blackbird by Matthew Meles

Red Winged Blackbird

The Red-winged Blackbird is about the size of Robin with a average length of 24 centimeters or 7-9 inches. The latin name, Agelauis phoeniceus, translates to gregarious deep red. Both the male and the female blackbird are stocky and broad shouldered with slender conical bills. The male has bright red spots on their shoulders abreast of their black feathers. Females on the other hand are brown and heavily streaked overall with a yellowish was around their bills. Male blackbirds do several things to get noticed like sitting on high perch's and chanting all day long. The male erects epaulets and hunches his shoulders forward then lowers and spreader his tail in order to attract females. Females stay lower. skulking through vegetation for food and quietly weaving together nests. Both male and female become very territorial when a predator enters it's territory opting themselves to defend. Red-winged blackbirds spend the breeding season in wet places like fresh or saltwater, marshes and rice paddles. You may also find them breeding in drier places like meadows or fields. They also nest in wooded areas along waterways. In winter, you can find them at crop fields, feedlots, and pastures. Blackbirds eat mainly insects and seeds in the summer. In fall and winter they eat weedy seeds such as ragweed and cocklebur as well as sunflowers and grains. Sometimes they feed on aquatic plants. The Red-winged Blackbird is widespread and abundant. However, populations near the Pacific and Gulf coasts of North America and those of Middle America are year-round resident. They live both Northern U.S. and Canada, ranging from Yucatan Peninsula in the south to the southern part of Alaska.

Red-winged Blackbird