European Starling

     European Starling in North America started from 100 birds set loose in New York's Central Park in the early 1890s. That's history, now they are one of the most popular birds in the states. The Latin name is Sturnus Vulgaris meaning common starling. You can tell if your looking at a male of female with couple pointers. First, the males are a bit more oily and have brighter colors then the female. This is used for matting because the brighter they are the more females it attracts. Which is not a problem because European Starlings are great nest makers. And eat nearly anything but they mostly go for insects or fruits because they are such lowland birds. This means they do not like to fly high and rather stay closer to the land.

House Finch

The House Finch is a very fascinating bird in fact. Its binomial nomenclature is Haemorhous Mexicanus meaning bird from the West. House Finches came from Mexico and were brought to the Western United States because they were going to be sold as cage birds. When this failed, they were released and bred rapidly and soon spread to the East in the next 50 years. They are sexually dimorphic being that the male has the bright red color on its head and upper breast. The female is generally brown having streaks going down its belly. They are very sociable birds and during mating season they will perform a flight song display to attract mates. They also will defend their territories by fighting other birds. They live on both coasts of the United States and you may catch them in cities, suburbs and even the countryside. House Finches will tend to eat anything. They like seeds, buds, and fruits. You may find they in orchards eating on peaches, pears, blueberries and more. This is a very common bird so the status of the House Finch is a low concern. If you ever see one, they are very beautiful, take a picture.

Downy Woodpecker

They are sexually dimorphic. The female is duller and does not have a red nape.They move very quickly over trees branches and stems They move faster than other woodpeckers.They have courtship dances and when they have a dispute they raise their head feathers and jerk their beaks side to side. They eat Beetle larvae,Ants,Caterpillars,Plants and seeds,Berries, Acorns,Grains, and Seeds from feeders.

Red tailed hawk

The red tailed hawk is a bird of prey. It lives around the United States and can be found in different parts of Canada. It lives around high mountains and grass lands and can be found in city’s and even your fence post. They have excellent eye sight and are birds that soar in the sky until they find their prey. They like to eat rodents such as mice , rats,,snakes and even birds. They have sharp talons and they use them to latch onto their prey. There nice birds to look at but don’t get close to them their dangerous

Common Grackle

The Common Grackle also known by its Latin name Quiscalus Quiscula, which translates to "Grackles Grackle". 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 colors ranging from black, green, purple, and blue. Though it looks black from a distance the rest of its body  is bronze. These gregarious birds have been known to to devastate corn stock and when they're not ruining a farmers day they are stealing from other birds. In other cases Common Grackles have been known to eat other adult birds along with insects as well, which makes an omnivore. Though having its population in the millions its population has seen a decrease of 2% every year from 1966-2014. They still stay on the list of least concern even though this decline accounted for 58% of their population. Right now they are most common in Northern America thriving in the eastern side of the U.S..

American Goldfinch

Alexander Cruz
American Goldfinch

The American Goldfinch is the state bird of Washington, New Jersey and Iowa. It was adopted by the state of Washington in 1951. The American Goldfinch is also called wild-canary because of the sounds it makes. Goldfinches have a bounce to them when they fly because they tighten their wings close to their bodies for about a second or two. They do this so they can rest while they're flying. The American Goldfinch eats thistle seed which is their favorite seed to eat. Lastly the American Goldfinch is least concerned and their population is growing and they are sexually dimorphic.

Red-Winged Blackbird

Red Winged Blackbird is a sexually dimorphic bird species. The males can identified as having glossy black feathers with a red and yellow patch on its shoulders. The females are brown with black spots. Blackbirds are extremely aggressive and are extremely polygynous, which means that one male can have up to 15 different mates. They are also of lest concern because they are one of the most abundant bird species in North America. But over the past couple of years their population has been on an decrease because of habitat lost. They are also closely related to brown headed-cowbirds and flock with them.

The House Sparrow

The House Sparrow, also known as Passer domesticus (passer is latin for 'sparrow' and domesticus is latin for 'house'), is famously known for living comfortably among humans. Though they are not officially domesticated, they will eat from the hand of a human and have come to depend on humans for nesting. House Sparrows are about 15 to 17 centimeters tall, weigh about 27-30 grams, and their wingspan is about 19-25 centimeters wide. House sparrows are sexually dimorphic which means that the male and female look different. The male has a chestnut colored back with black and white streaks. They also have a grey cap on their heads. Finally, they have a very noticeable black mark on their chests that indicates that they are a dominant breeding male. Females have brown backs with black stripes. They also have grayish brown underbellies. House sparrows can be found anywhere that humans are which pretty much means they are all over the world. They are in every continent except for Antarctica. They live in both rural and urban areas. Their status is low concern even though their population has decreased. House Sparrows hop around urban areas in flocks looking for food. Males will be more dominant in the winter and fall while the females will be more dominant in the spring and summer. House Sparrows both water and dust bathe. They eat seeds,  crops, and anything else that they can find in terms of discarded human foods. To attract a female, they will fluff up their feathers, hop up and down towards her and bow up and down before her. House sparrows are considered an invasive species because the kill other birds to take their nests. This is a reason why many people don't like them in their backyards, because they kill off native species.

The American Crow

The American Crow is one of the most intelligent animals in the world. They have a teamwork type of mindset, they solve problems and situations as a team. One behavior they are popular for is mobbing different animals or different species of birds. They do this to protect themselves, defend their territories and to teach their young about the dangers that surround the area. American Crows are not sexually dimorphic the male and female both have dark black feathers on their body the only difference is that the male is a little bigger. American Crows are omnivores so they will eat anything which is a problem for citizens in suburban areas since they trash peoples trash cans and yards. American Crows will lay their eggs in a nest but they prefer to make their nest in evergreens if available. During the breeding season, they will migrate to North American and Southern Canada but year-long they will stay throughout the United States. At this moment American Crows are at a low concern and are learning to adapt to suburban areas.

Rock Pigeon

The Rock Pigeon a.k.a the rock dove is a relatively medium-sized birds. Rock pigeons usually have  different colors and pattern but the majority of birds are bluish gray with black bands on the wing and iridescent throat feathers. Also they are not sexually dimorphic. Rock Pigeons often operate in flocks, so help each other point out food and alarm others when there is danger. Because these birds are foragers you will usually see a flock of rock pigeons eating seeds, grain, and anything they find on the ground. Also they live all over North America and Southern Canada year-round, so you can actually see in most places, especially urban areas. Something special about these birds is that they can find their way home, even if released from a distant location blindfolded. They do this by sensing the earth’s magnetic fields, and perhaps also by using sound and smell. They can also use cues based on the position of the sun. 

For their bird song please see:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Rock_Pigeon/sounds

Canada Goose

The Canada Goose also known as Branta Canadensis (Branta meaning wild geese, and Canadensis meaning of canada) is one of the most common birds in North America. Canada Geese are big water birds with a long neck, large body, webbed feet, and wide, flat bill. They're somewhat between 30 and 43 inches in length, weigh around 6 to 20 pounds, and have a wingspan of 50 to 70 inches. Canada Geese are not sexually dimorphic, meaning there are no distinctive traits to distinguish between the male and female. Canada Geese feed by dabbling in the water or grazing fields and large lawns. Usually females select and build nests. The male guards the nest while the female incubates the eggs. Canada Geese are often seen in flight moving in a V formation. This arrangement is called a "wedge." In this "wedge," there's a leading position in which is rotated because it is very tiring. This is one of the reasons why Canada Geese are able to travel 2,400 km in one day. They live in many habitats near water, grassy fields, and grain fields. They are drawn to lawns for two reasons, so they can digest grass, and because lawns give them a wide view of any approaching predators. When it comes to food, they should not be eat bread, because bread does not have much nutritional value for these birds. Although during the spring and summer, geese concentrate their feeding on grasses and sedges, including skunk cabbage leaves and eel grass. During fall and winter, they tend to rely more on berries and seeds. Their status seems to be a low concern mainly because their numbers are high, and they keep on increasing. Roughly around 2.6 million Canada Geese are harvested by hunters in North America but somehow this doesn't seem to affect its numbers. 

Brown-Headed Cowbird

Male Brown-Headed Cowbird

The adult male cowbird is shiny black in color with a brown head. The adult female is slightly smaller and is dull grey with a pale throat and very fine streaking on the underbelly meaning they are sexually dimorphic. Brown-headed Cowbirds live in grasslands with short trees as well as woodland edges, brush thickets, and residential areas. Insects such as grasshoppers and beetles make up about a quarter of a cowbird’s diet. Female cowbirds have a large calcium requirement from laying so many eggs. To satisfy it, they eat snail shells and sometimes eggs taken from nests they’ve visited. Brown-headed Cowbirds do not build their own nest. Experiments done with artificial nests suggest that Brown-headed Cowbirds tend to choose nests containing eggs of smaller volume than their own. They get their name from their close association with cows which flush up insects for the birds to eat. When males sing, they often raise their back and chest feathers, lift their wings and spread their tail feathers, and then bow forward. The males might also do this to impress females for mating. Female Brown-headed Cowbirds find nests by watching for signs of other birds building nests, or they flutter through vegetation trying to scare birds from their nests. Their process of using others bird's nest for there own eggs have endangered some bird species across America.

Mallard duck

The Mallard duck, or the Anas- Platyrhynchos, is a bird with a broad snout and webbed feet, which are used to help them swim. Mallard ducks are sexually dimorphic, meaning both genders appear different. The male mallards are colorful in appearance, with a green head, chestnut colored chest and gray body. On the other hand, female mallards are dull in color due to their brown body, but they make up for it with their purplish- blue patch on their feather wings. Mallard ducks are monogamous meaning they stay with one mate until the end of breeding season, where they breed in the north, or until the egg is hatched. Mallard ducks are also known for their unusual way of feeding, compared to other birds. They are what you called, "dabbling" ducks, meaning they swim around on the surface of the water and tip their whole body into the water to feed on the plants there. Mallards are omnivores, so during breeding season, they feed on animals such as larvae, worms, snails, and shrimp. During migration, they feed on seeds and grains. Their status currently is least concerned, but their population is actually decreasing, due to the fact that they are one of the most hunted animals in the country.

Ruby-Throated Hummingbbird

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

 The Ruby-Throated Humming bird or the Archilochus colubris is a  eastern North America’s sole breeding hummingbird. These tiny, precision-flying creatures glitter like jewels in the full sun, then vanish with a zip toward the next nectar source. Feeders and flower gardens are great ways to attract these birds, and some people turn their yards into buzzing clouds of hummingbirds each summer. Enjoy them while they’re around; by early fall they’re bound for Central America, with many crossing the Gulf of Mexico in a single flight. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are eastern North America’s only breeding hummingbird. To accomplish this, individuals often double their body mass by fattening on nectar and insects prior to departure. The proportion of this species' population that uses trans-Gulf versus circum-Gulf routes is largely unknown, as is regional connectivity in migration routes and overwintering areas.

Herring Gull

The Herring Gull or Larus argentatus are large gulls with hefty bills. Their length is 22-26 inches, they weigh 28-44 ounces, and their wingspan is 53-57 inches. They have light-gray backs, white heads, and underparts. Both the males and females look alike which means they are not sexually dimorphic. The Herring Gull is a loud and competitive bird, and patrol shorelines and pick food scrapes off the surface. Males establish breeding territories and make threatening postures and calls. Herring Gulls can be found along near rivers, coasts, large reservoirs, and lakes. They eat fish, insects, crayfish, crabs, eggs, and other small seabirds. Herring Gulls are least concerned, but they are declining due to being hunted for their eggs and fur. A fun fact is that they prefer freshwater, but will drink salt water if they must. Their eyes allow them to excrete salt.

The Wild Turkey

The Wild Turkey

The Wild Turkey, or Meleagris Gallopavo, is one of the most iconic birds for many people in the world. As you probably could tell, they’re iconic because of how good they taste during Thanksgiving. The size of this bird is no joke, ranging between 36-44 inches. Male Wild turkeys, also known as Gobblers,  have a featherless, colorful head with a feathers shaped as a fan in the back. Female Wild turkeys, also known as Hens, don’t quiet look like the males. Wild turkeys are sexually dimorphic, so the females look different from the males. Typically, these birds don’t migrate, they are mainly found in the U.S. and Northern Mexico. Wild turkeys are omnivores, so it’s diet consists of leaves, fruits, small reptiles, big insects. Surprisingly enough, Wild Turkeys can fly! Although not very high or fast because they have a low AR, they can still move around a little. For everyone who wonders if turkeys aren’t endanger of extinction, they aren’t not. They are least concern as of right now, and their population is actually increasing

American Robin

The American Robin is a common bird I’m most of North America as said in its name. It’s a migratory song bird true to the truth genus. This bird is named after its European ancestor the European robin. This bird breeds in the Canada and Northern America is yearly seen in the United States, and during the winter is seen in Canada. The American robin who’s Latin binomial name is Turdus Migratorius. This bird is sexually dimorphic. The male bird is more vibrant with colors and black head, and the female just has a much more dull color pallet with a grey head. This birds length  is 7.9-11 in, weight 2.7-3.0 oz, and wingspan at 12.2 - 15.8 in. This bird is a very territorial bird with it attacking anything even humans that get into its territory. During the day this bird is usually alone but it flocks at night. The American robins main food source is berries fruit and earth worms. This birds population is least concern with the population still rising. 

Blue Jay Bird

             

 There are a lot of interesting facts about the Blue Jay Bird. First of which, the binomial name is "cyanocitta cristata," which means a blue, chattering bird. The name Blue Jay may fit in with the bird because of the sound he makes, "jay." People may think that the bird's actual color is blue, but that's incorrect. Its actual color is black. We see a blue color because of pigmentation or light reflection to the feathers. We can tell what the bird is feeling by the top of their head, the crest. When its crest is down, the lower the aggression of the bird but when the crest is facing up, the aggression is at a high level. Believe it or not, blue jays are good at mimicking human speech and also cat's meowing. So there are several interesting facts about the Blue Jay Bird. Mostly blue jays exist is the eastern and central part of the United States and southern Canada. They live in urban and suburban areas, they can be seen at the park and in the forest, especially in oak trees. Their preferred food are a variety such as seeds, nuts, acorns, insects, and grains. Though, there can be an extreme eating habit that bird may feel, so when that happens they eat snails, small rodents, frogs and spiders. As of now, their status is least concerned meaning that they are not in danger and least likely to be extinct anytime soon. 

Black Capped Chickadee

                  The black capped chickadee is a bird primarily found in the center through north region of the USA and southern Canada. The bird's binomial nomenclature is Poecile atricapillus, which means colonnade of black head hair. A flock of black capped chickadees is known as a banditry due to their mask wearing face. The bird also has the appearance of having a black cap. They live in deciduous forests and can be spotted in your backyard (if you live in northern New Jersey). They are not sexually dimorphic, they live in alder or birch trees and use a combination of wood chips, grass, moss, and previous molts. They do not migrate for the winter. The black capped chickadee females can lay from one to thirteen eggs. Both the male and female are the same size, from 4.7 in to 5.9 in. They are a perching bird and enjoy to fly low and high off the ground (5ft-20ft). Yes, they like to dive in front of cars for no reason! Related to carolina chickadee, mountain chickadee, boreal chickadee, mexican chickadee, etc. They rely on seeds, berries and small insects during warmer seasons, and mostly berries in the winter. They have also been spotted eating the fat remains of dead animals. Non monogamous, and will use feet in combat although their tarsus reaches only one inch. Males live within one year and eight months and the females live withinone year and five months, so go find one, they're fun to watch!

Eric Duarte

Northern MockingBird

This medium-sized bird has gray
upperparts and grayish, whitish underparts. The wings are gray-black with two white bars and large white patches, visible when spread. It has a long, gray tail edged with white, yellow eyes and black legs and feet. Feeds on fruit and insects. These birds are not sexual dimorphemic and both genders look similar. Except for the male looking slightly larger. They breed from northern California, southern Nebraska, southern Ontario, and Maritime Canada southward to southern Mexico and the West Indies. Spends winters in the southern parts of its range. Found in residential areas, city parks, farmlands, open country with thickets, and desert brush. A male mockingbird can learn up to 200 different songs. A mockingbird sings all throughout the day and into the night.The male sings different songs in the fall than in the spring. Northern mockingbirds tend to imitate other birds and sounds they hear.The mockingbird is the state bird of Texas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Florida, and Arkansas. This species was often captured for sale as a pet from the late 1700s to the early 1900s, and probably as a result it became scarce along much of the northern edge of its range. After the cage bird trade was stopped, the Mockingbird again became common in many areas.

Mourning Dove

Male

Female

The Mourning Dove is a member of the pigeon family that can be found all across the Americas except for Northern Canada. Because they are such a populous species, they are frequently used as game for hunters and are a low concern bird in regards to protection. Because they are so common in the U.S, you have most likely heard its call which sounds like a mournful sob. To hear this iconic song visit https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mourning_Dove/media-browser-overview/479700 They are mainly different shades of grey with black dots on their neck and long tails. they are also sexually Dimorphic which means there are differences in the male and females appearance, males are typically the bigger of the two and have a pinkish tint on their necks, while females are shades of grey all throughout. Mourning Doves are perching birds because they are able to dive very fast from wherever they are perched to the ground to get food. They eat mostly different types of grain and seeds but when food is sparse, they do eat small insects. Mourning doves are able to greatly expand their crop which means they are are able to gather a lot of food before returning back to a tree to digest it, this helps because Mourning Doves are very active and fast flyers which means they need to consume a lot of food.