Medium Birds

American Robin Turdus migratorius (Turdidae)

Cool Fact- Robins are the largest members of the thrush family in North America. Although most of their diet is fruit they can often be seen playing tug-of-war trying to get earthworms out of the ground. They find these earthworms by sight.
Field Marks- Adult Robins show orangey coloring over the whole breast, a slate-grey back, and an almost black head.
Occurrence Status- Resident (rarer in winter)

Eastern Towhee Pipilo erythrophthalmus (Emberizidae)

Cool Fact- Though they look more closely related to thrushes such as the American Robin, Towhees are actually giant sparrows (see other, more typical sparrows below). Usually found on the ground they are most often noticed for the energetic scratching they do to move leaf litter when feeding.
Field Marks- This bird has a black upper body and white on the front of the breast and the under parts. The most distinguishing characteristic are the birds side patches, found just below the wing, which are a chestnut color.
Occurrence Status- Breeding bird, over winters on mild years

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Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos (Mimidae)

Cool Fact- Northern Mockingbirds can sing a variety of songs, often imitating other birds, insects, and other noises such as a door hinge or a dog. Mockingbirds defend their territories with dive bombing attacks on intruders such as other mockingbirds, hawks, as well as people and pets.
Field Marks- This bird is mostly gray with a long tail and legs. The wings and tail have white patches on them. While perched these patches are subtle, but are very conspicuous in flight.
Occurrence Status- Resident

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Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis (Cardinalidae)

Cool Fact- Cardinals were once popular as cage birds in the 19th century. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act was passed in 1918, which prevented any sort of collection of migratory birds or their nests and eggs. These birds are named Cardinals because the male's all red coloring reminded people of the all red garb of Catholic Cardinals.
Field Marks- Males are distinctly deep red. Females are a light brown, but still show red in the bill and some parts of the body. Both males and females have a crest (elevated head feathers) and a black facial "mask."
Occurrence Status- Resident

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Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata (Corvidae)

Cool Fact- Blue Jays are members of the corvid family and are related to crows and ravens. This family of birds is known as highly intelligent. Blue Jays are fierce and noisy birds, infamous for raiding nests and eating the eggs of other birds. This is not a major part of the Blue Jay's diet however. Because it is so commonly seen in our area we often forget that it is one of the most gaudily colored birds in North America. A Blue Jay who wanders out of its range is a big event for western birdwatchers.
Field Marks- A noisy and conspicuous bird, it has very distinctive blue and white coloring. Other features include a crest and a black "necklace."
Occurrence Status- Resident

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European Starling (alien) Sturnus vulgaris (Sturnidae)

Cool Fact- European Starlings are not native to North America and did not exist here until the 1890s. During the 1890s a flock of 100 of these birds was released into Central Park. A society attempting to introduce into America all of the birds mentioned in the works of Shakespeare was responsible for this release. Today there are hundreds of millions of Starlings in North America. Their explosive population has caused environmental problems for other bird species. The Eastern Bluebird for example has been greatly depleted due to competition with Starlings for nesting spaces.
Field Marks- A common urban bird, they often appear overall dark colored. When examined closely, however, these birds show marks of iridescent green and purple. They also show a speckling of white marks over much of the body, especially in winter. Often congregate into large groups.
Occurrence Status- Resident

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Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus (Picidae)

Cool Fact- Northern Flickers are an oddity in the world of woodpeckers in that they do not have the ability to drill into hard wood. They can still burrow into rotten wood to nest but they do not feed like other woodpeckers. They prefer to hunt for insects (especially ants ) on the ground instead of drilling into standing trees for insects. The eastern variety of the Northern Flicker has yellow shafts on its feathers, the western variety has red shafts. These different populations evolved during the ice age when the common ancestor of these birds was split into two populations by the ice sheet that made central North America inhospitable to them.
Field Marks- While perched these birds are most easily recognized by their brown backs which are streaked with black. They also show a patch of red on the nape of the neck and a black "necklace" across the neck (not seen in picture). In flight they display a prominent white patch on the rump (where the tail meets the body) and the undersides of the wings are tinged yellow.
Occurrence Status- Resident

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Red-Bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus (Picidae)

Cool Fact- The red belly that gives this bird its name is only a small amount of pinkish feathers that are only seen under close examination. Male Red-Bellied Woodpeckers (along with makes of other woodpecker species) will drum to attract mates. To make their drumming more impressive they will find trees that resound loudly. For this same reason they will often hammer on metal man-made structures. NASA has even developed a "woodpecker balloon" to deter woodpeckers from banging on the hulls of space shuttles.
Field Marks- The back of this bird is a zebra-like black and white. Similar in body type to the Northern Flicker (see above) it is most easily determined by the overall black and white color scheme, compared to the Flicker's browner tones. The flicker also has less red of the neck and crown of the head.
Occurrence Status- Resident

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Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius (Picidae)

Cool Fact- Sapsuckers drill small sap holes in tree trunks. They then drink the sugary sap that flows from these drillings. They will also eat the soft inner bark of the trees hey drill. A sapsucker's drillings are easily recognized in their field because they are evenly spaced in rows and columns, looking almost man-made. Drillings of other woodpeckers will appear random.
Field Marks- The red forehead patch is found in both males and females. Only the males have the red throat. The back is dark as opposed to light in Downy Woodpecker (see below). The white patch running along the wing is another key determining characteristic.
Occurrence Status- Winter Visitor

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Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater (Icteridae)

Cool Fact- Brown-headed Cowbirds are nest parasites. They do not care for their own eggs but instead deposit them in the nests of other birds. The other nestlings are usually smaller than the cowbird chicks and are usually outcompeted and starved. To prevent this some larger birds like blue jays are able to cast out the cowbird eggs, other birds will abandon the nests with a parasitic egg in it. Nevertheless about 150 species of bird have been observed as successful foster parents to cowbirds chicks.
Field Marks- Males show a deep black body with a dark brown head (sometimes coloring is hard to see). The female is all grayish-brown, often recognizable simply by lack of other markings. The short bill distinguishes this bird from other blackbirds and similar species.
Occurrence Status- Resident

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Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus (Icteridae)

Cool Fact- While most birds pair together and are monogamous, the Red-winged blackbird is one of the most polygynous birds in the world. Males establish territories and have been observed to have up to 15 females in one territory (usually only 2 or 3). These birds are most common in marshes where they nest in cattails.
Field Marks- The male is all black except for the red and yellow shoulder patches (called epaulets). The bill is slightly longer and pointier than that of the Cowbird. Females are highly streaked and show a distinct white line above the eye.
Occurrence Status- Resident (rare in winter)

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Common Grackle Quiscalus quiscula (Icteridae)

Cool Fact- The Common Grackle will eat a variety of foods. They have even been seen wading into rivers to catch fish or killing and eating other birds at bird feeders. They also benefit from human presence, especially farming, and have been shown to follow plows to catch mice and invertebrates as well as feed off leftover seeds.
Field Marks- This bird is all black with glossy purple and bluish iridescence. The bill and tail are much longer than any of the other local blackbirds. They are often found in large and loud flocks emitting their metallic squawks.
Occurrence Status- Resident (rare in winter)

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Mourning Dove Zenaida macrocoura (Columbidae)

Cool Fact- Mourning Doves feed their young a liquid called "crop milk" which has more protein and fats than cow milk. Crop milk is regurgitated by both adults. Calling Mourning Doves are often mistaken for owls because of their sad hooting. It is this sad sounding call which gives the dove its name.
Field Marks- Overall brown, smaller and thinner than rock doves (pigeons). The tail is especially long and pointed, and when fanned out is jagged and triangular.
Occurrence Status- Resident

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Rock Dove (alien) Columba livia (Columbidae)

Cool Fact- The Rock Dove was the first bird to be domesticated dating back to 4500 B.C. They using the sun or the earth's magnetic field to return to their home lofts, which is why they have been long used to deliver messages. Pigeon messages were used during the times of Caesar and Napoleon. Rock Doves are another bird that is not native to the United States, but causes less ecological issues than other due to their habit of staying close to urbanized areas.
Field Marks- This bird is the well known "pigeon." The ancestral plumage is shown in the picture here, but coloring varies widely. Thicker shape and shorter tail (as well as color scheme) distinguish it from the Mourning Dove.
Occurrence Status- Resident

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