Ornithology/Bird List
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This page contains a list of the birds on the National Bird List, with pictures and identification tips. Before learning ID, it is highly recommended to have basic understanding of topographic terms to better utilize the ID tips. Please refer to the guidelines for help using this page, or if you plan to contribute. If you already know basic ID and are looking for a condensed list of commonly-missed birds and their ID, see the ID tips section of the main page. Note that this page is mainly for learning ID and taxonomy. For information about each bird, see Species of Birds section of the main page. For ID tips and audio files of list birdsongs, see Bird Calls.
| Order and family | Common name | Genus and species | Image | ID tips |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anseriformes, Anatidae | Black-bellied Whistling-Duck | Dendrocygna autumnalis |  |
carrot beak, cinnamon chest, wings have a white stripe and are edged in black |
| Anseriformes, Anatidae | Snow Goose | Anser caerulescens |  |
white goose with a shorter neck than trumpeter swan, grin patch on beak; blue morph has a black-gray body with white head and belly |
| Anseriformes, Anatidae | Canada Goose | Branta canadensis |  |
brown body, white belly, black head and neck, white chinstrap |
| Anseriformes, Anatidae | Trumpeter Swan | Cygnus buccinators |  |
white swan with longer neck than snow goose, juveniles have orange on the beak and look ashy, breeding individuals have rusty head |
| Anseriformes, Anatidae | Wood Duck | Aix sponsa |  |
male has splendid plumage and a slicked-back crest, female has a white ring and teardrop around the eye, male in eclipse plumage is dull, lacks the crest, and has a white stripe on the cheek |
| Anseriformes, Anatidae | Mallard | Anas platyrhynchos |  |
your typical duck, male has green head, yellow bill, and brown chest, females are streakier than green-winged teals, both sexes have powder-blue speculums on the wing (note: any bird's speculum may not be visible unless in flight) |
| Anseriformes, Anatidae | Northern Shoveler | Spatula clypeata |  |
distinctive wide flat bill used to feed from the top of the water, males have green head like mallard but white chest (not brown), females have wide orange bills unlike green-winged and mallard (who have normally-shaped black ones), both sexes have powder-blue speculums |
| Anseriformes, Anatidae | Green-winged Teal | Anas crecca |  |
males have green crescent running from the eye toward the back of the head, females have softer, more rounded patterns than streaky mallards, both sexes have bright green speculums |
| Anseriformes, Anatidae | Canvasback | Aythya valisineria |  |
distinctively long sloping forehead on both sexes, males have cinnamon head, black chest, white body, females have brown instead of cinnamon and black |
| Anseriformes, Anatidae | Hooded Merganser | Lophodytes cucullatus |  |
males have big puffy crest that may be flattened or raised, head is black with white sections on both sides of the crest, females/juveniles have brown heads and cinnamon crests, both sexes have slender bills |
| Galliformes, Phasianidae | Ring-necked Pheasant | Phasianus colchicus |  |
males look like fancy chickens with green head, red wattle, white collar, and streaming tail, females are dull brown with much longer necks and tails than northern bobwhite or ruffed grouse |
| Galliformes, Phasianidae | Ruffed Grouse | Bonasa umbellus |  |
chunky, short, both sexes have small scruffy crest and mottled barring on the belly, male displays by fanning tail, exposing black ruff, and drumming with its wings |
| Galliformes, Phasianidae | Wild Turkey | Meleagris gallopavo |  |
bald head, brown iridescent feathers, female looks like a short, tiny emu with a bald blue head, male has red wattles |
| Galliformes, Odontophoridae | Northern Bobwhite | Colinus virginianus |  |
small, has more black in its plumage than both ring-necked pheasant and ruffed grouse, has stripes on its head from eyes to neck (black and white on males, buffy and brown on females) |
| Gaviiformes, Gaviidae | Red-throated Loon | Gavia stellata |  |
breeding adult has red throat and gray back, nonbreeding is black/gray/white, red eyes, thinner beak than common loon, and tilts its head up slightly |
| Gaviiformes, Gaviidae | Common Loon | Gavia immer |  |
breeding adult has all-black head and green collar, nonbreeding tends to have pale collar or spur of white on neck, heftier beak than red-throated loon |
| Podicipediformes, Podicipedidae | Pied-billed Grebe | Podilymbus podiceps |  |
very spherical head and short bill, gray-brown, note that the ring on the bill is only present in breeding season |
| Podicipediformes, Podicipedidae | Red-necked Grebe | Podiceps grisegena |  |
breeding adult has cinnamon neck, brown cap, white chin, and brown body, lacks the neck stripes of red-throated loon, nonbreeding has yellow bill, triangular head, and long neck, unlike loons |
| Procellariiformes, Diomedeidae | Laysan Albatross | Phoebastria immutabilis |  |
distinctive black "eyeliner," white body and black back, chick looks like a fuzzy kiwi |
| Procellariiformes, Procellariidae | Northern Fulmar | Fulmarus glacialis |  |
distinctive nostril tubules, note that it has many color morphs on a spectrum of white to dark gray |
| Pelecaniformes, Pelecanidae | American White Pelican | Pelecanus erythrorhynchos |  |
white body, yellow beak with big flappy pouch, black primaries |
| Pelecaniformes, Ardeidae | American Bittern | Botaurus lentiginosus |  |
wide bands of white and brown streaking on neck, often has neck extended and beak pointing up |
| Pelecaniformes, Ardeidae | Great Blue Heron | Ardea herodias |  |
tall, powder-blue or gray, whitish head with black stripe, white morph is all white but has yellow bill (unlike snowy egrets' black bill) |
| Pelecaniformes, Ardeidae | Snowy Egret | Egretta thula |  |
pure white, black legs and golden feet, lores turn red and plumes show in breeding season, black bill |
| Pelecaniformes, Ardeidae | Green Heron | Butorides virescens |  |
small for a heron, dark green/blue cap and wings, cinnamon throat |
| Pelecaniformes, Ardeidae | Black-crowned Night-Heron | Nycticorax nycticorax |  |
white body, gray wings, black cap |
| Pelecaniformes, Threskiornithidae | Roseate Spoonbill | Platalea ajaja |  |
it's pink! (note the gray bill that narrows in the middle and ends in a circular shape) |
| Suliformes, Phalacrocoracidae | Double-crested Cormorant | Phalacrocorax auritus |  |
hooked bill, short neck, and thicker head distinguish it from anhinga, lacks anhinga's s-shaped neck, in breeding season has red lores and two head tufts |
| Suliformes, Anhingidae | Anhinga | Anhinga anhinga |  |
longer and more slender than double-crested cormorant, straight thin beak and long neck, has white streaks and spots on backs of wings unlike double-crested cormorant, females and juveniles have pale head/neck |
| Suliformes, Fregatidae | Magnificent Frigatebird | Fregata magnificens |  |
displaying male has inflated red gular sac, thin hooked beak, wings are distinctively long but thing, tail is long and forked, female has white chest but black head, juvenile has white chest and head |
| Ciconiiformes, Ciconiidae | Wood Stork | Mycteria americana |  |
white with a bald wrinkled head and a long curved bill |
| Falconiformes, Falconidae | Crested Caracara | Caracara cheriway |  |
red face and black cap/crest, cream neck and black body |
| Falconiformes, Falconidae | American Kestrel | Falco sparverius |  |
small orange-blue raptor with vertical black and white bars on its face, both sexes have rusty backs, males have powder-blue secondaries while females have all rusty primaries |
| Falconiformes, Falconidae | Peregrine Falcon | Falco peregrinus |  |
black helmet and white eyering, black back/wings with white underside, wings are pointy and swept-back |
| Accipitriformes, Pandionidae | Osprey | Pandion haliaetus |  |
white head/crest with a black/brown line through the eyes, black back and white undersides |
| Accipitriformes, Accipitridae | Bald Eagle | Haliaeetus leucocephalus | brown body, adult has white head and tail, juvenile looks like golden eagle but has more white streaking | |
| Accipitriformes, Accipitridae | Northern Harrier | Circus hudsonius |  |
distinctive owl-like dish on face, females are brown and males are gray |
| Accipitriformes, Accipitridae | Cooper’s Hawk | Accipiter cooperii |  |
small, broad light and dark gray bands on tail, adult has copper and white bars on chest while juveniles have brown streaks, gray back and cap |
| Accipitriformes, Accipitridae | Red-tailed Hawk | Buteo jamaicensis |  |
unlike cooper's hawk, has mostly white belly with a brown belly band (cooper's has uniform copper barring), dark brown wings and back, note that tail may not be red, especially when seen from below |
| Accipitriformes, Accipitridae | Golden Eagle | Aquila chrysaetos |  |
all-brown eagle with slightly lighter neck feathers |
| Cathartiformes, Cathartidae | Turkey Vulture | Cathartes aura |  |
unlike CA condor, bald head is red, not orange, and wings in flight have black "arms," not white |
| Cathartiformes, Cathartidae | California Condor | Gymnogyps californianus |  |
unlike turkey vulture, bald head is orange, not red, and wings in flight are white, not black, neck has a ruff of feathers that turkey vulture lacks, often seen with a tag on the wing due to conservation efforts |
| Gruiformes, Rallidae | Clapper Rail | Rallus longirostris |  |
looks like a chicken with a long bill, chest is cinnamon but belly is brown with white bars |
| Gruiformes, Rallidae | Sora | Porzana carolina |  |
short bright yellow beak, gray face and belly with brown cap and back, juveniles are brown above and buffy below but can be differentiated from clapper rail by their short beak |
| Gruiformes, Rallidae | Purple Gallinule | Porphyrio martinica |  |
looks like a chicken with really long toes, wings are green, beak is red with a yellow tip and a blue shield on the forehead, adult has iridescent purple body while juvenile is brown |
| Gruiformes, Rallidae | American Coot | Fulica americana |  |
black-gray waterbird with a white beak and red eyes, white shield on forehead with a small purple dot at the top, lobate feet |
| Gruiformes, Gruidae | Whooping Crane | Grus americana |  |
all-white bird with long legs and red face, beak is orange-black, black wingtips are only seen in flight |
| Charadriiformes, Charadriidae | American Golden-Plover | Pluvialis dominica |  |
breeding adults have black undersides, a gold-speckled back, and a white eyebrow that runs down to the shoulder, while juveniles and nonbreeding adults are dull brown but share the short bill, small head, and white eyebrow |
| Charadriiformes, Charadriidae | Killdeer | Charadrius vociferus |  |
brown and white shorebird with two black "necklaces" at the throat |
| Charadriiformes, Haematopodidae | American Oystercatcher | Haematopus palliatus |  |
black oversides and white undersides, carrot-orange bill and eye ring, yellow eyes, bill is long and shaped like needle-nose pliers |
| Charadriiformes, Recurvirostridae | Black-necked Stilt | Himantopus mexicanus |  |
frail bird with long pink legs and white belly, top side is black including namesake long neck, white fluffy eyebrow |
| Charadriiformes, Recurvirostridae | American Avocet | Recurvirostra americana |  |
long-legged, white body, black wings with white stripe, bill is slightly curved up, head is rusty only in breeding season |
| Charadriiformes, Scolopacidae | Spotted Sandpiper | Actitis macularius |  |
brown drab bird with darker eyestripe and yellow legs, spots only in breeding season |
| Charadriiformes, Scolopacidae | Ruddy Turnstone | Arenaria interpres |  |
short bill, orange legs, black "W" shape on chest, brown top side that turn rust and black in breeding season |
| Charadriiformes, Scolopacidae | Dunlin | Calidris alpina |  |
long bill, black legs, breeding adult has rust cap and back with black belly, nonbreeding has brown top side and head |
| Charadriiformes, Scolopacidae | Wilson’s Snipe | Gallinago delicata |  |
longer legs and more forward-placed eyes than american woodcock, white and brown bars and streaks with three buffy strips from the head to the back |
| Charadriiformes, Scolopacidae | American Woodcock | Scolopax minor |  |
shorter legs and eyes closer to back of head than wilson's snipe, rusty underside and gray-blue wings |
| Charadriiformes, Laridae | Laughing Gull | Leucophaeus atricilla |  |
white "eyelashes," breeding adult has black head and red beak, nonbreeding has white head and black beak |
| Charadriiformes, Laridae | Ring-billed Gull | Larus delawarensis |  |
ring on bill, breeding adult has pure white body and gray wings, juvenile has brown spotting, note herring gull juvenile has ring on bill as well |
| Charadriiformes, Laridae | Herring Gull | Larus argentatus |  |
breeding adults have red spot on bill, nonbreeding/juvenile has ring on bill but is bigger and longer-necked than ring-billed gull, brown is in longer streaks than the ring-billed gulls's spots |
| Charadriiformes, Laridae | Least Tern | Sternula antillarum |  |
long swept back pointed wings like all terns, yellow bill, white body, helmet fades to a small black smudge outside of breeding season |
| Charadriiformes, Laridae | Caspian Tern | Hydroprogne caspia |  |
carrot-red bill, black cap |
| Charadriiformes, Laridae | Black Tern | Chlidonias niger |  |
black bill, only has all-black plumage in breeding season, nonbreeding looks like least tern but keeps black bill color |
| Charadriiformes, Laridae | Black Skimmer | Rynchops niger |  |
distinct from american oystercatcher by white face and black half of bill, bottom is longer than top |
| Charadriiformes, Alcidae | Common Murre | Uria aalge |  |
smooth waterbird, black on top and white on bottom, breeding adult lacks the intricate stripes and spots of common loon, brindled morph has white eyering and line, nonbreeding/juvenile has white cheeks and a black line where the white eyering/line is on brindled morph (distinguishing it from the loons) |
| Charadriiformes, Alcidae | Tufted Puffin | Fratercula cirrhata |  |
black body with a thick scaly orange bill, long yellow tufts and white face only found in breeding season |
| Columbiformes, Columbidae | Mourning Dove | Zenaida macroura |  |
buffy-gray body, gray wings with black spots, blue eyering, long tail |
| Columbiformes, Columbidae | Common Ground-Dove | Columbina passerina |  |
scalier head and shorter tail than mourning dove |
| Columbiformes, Columbidae | Rock Pigeon | Columba livia |  |
usually gray with iridescent neck, gray body, and two black bars on the wing, can be rusty or all-white, tiny head and bill compared to body |
| Cuculiformes, Cuculidae | Black-billed Cuckoo | Coccyzus erythropthalmus |  |
long body/tail, brown top and white undersides, red ring around eyes, namesake black bill |
| Cuculiformes, Cuculidae | Greater Roadrunner | Geococcyx californianus |  |
crest, long tail bent up slightly, brown and white streaks, blue and red on face during breeding season |
| Strigiformes, Tytonidae | Barn Owl | Tyto alba |  |
heart-shaped white facial disk, brown with speckles above and white below, females tend to be darker |
| Strigiformes, Strigidae | Great Horned Owl | Bubo virginianus |  |
bigger ear tufts and much taller than screech owl, juvenile looks like a fuzzy branch segment |
| Strigiformes, Strigidae | Snowy Owl | Bubo scandiacus |  |
white owl with round head and yellow eyes, female has more brown barring than male |
| Strigiformes, Strigidae | Barred Owl | Strix varia |  |
white with brown bars on head and tail, brown streaks on chest |
| Strigiformes, Strigidae | Screech Owl | Megascops asio (Eastern) |  |
smaller owl with shorter ear tufts and head almost as big as its body, note "screech owl" covers multiple species and rules do not specify which |
| Caprimulgiformes, Caprimulgidae | Chuck-will's-widow | Antrostomus carolinensis |  |
feathers like leaves or bark, flat head, wide mouth. lacks common nighthawk's white wing slashes or chinstrap and has a bigger head, more nocturnal |
| Caprimulgiformes, Caprimulgidae | Common Nighthawk | Chordeiles minor |  |
slightly paler/more finely barred patterning, smaller/more forward-leaning head, white wing slashes and white chinstrap |
| Apodiformes, Apodidae | Chimney Swift | Chaetura pelagica |  |
in flight, looks like a brown cigar taped to a boomerang, when not flying clings vertically to surfaces with white chin and long wings |
| Apodiformes, Trochilidae | Ruby-throated Hummingbird | Archilochus colubris |  |
the only hummingbird on national list, small with thin beak, SoCal state list only: distinguished from Anna's by males lacking Anna's red crown and females having a whiter belly |
| Coraciiformes, Alcedinidae | Belted Kingfisher | Megaceryle alcyon |  |
white belly and collar, metallic blue crest/back/wings/tail, rusty belt found only in females |
| Piciformes, Picidae | Red-headed Woodpecker | Melanerpes erythrocephalus |  |
black and white body, namesake red head, juveniles have black instead of red but lack the white facial stripes of other woodpeckers |
| Piciformes, Picidae | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | Sphyrapicus varius |  |
belly not always visibly yellow, red forehead unlike downy woodpecker's red on back of head, white stripe on wing unlike downy's white stripe on back, only males have red throat |
| Piciformes, Picidae | Downy Woodpecker | Dryobates pubescens |  |
white stripe on back, not on wing like yellow-bellied sapsucker, only males have red patch on back of head |
| Piciformes, Picidae | Northern Flicker | Colaptes auratus |  |
only woodpecker on the list that isn't black-white-red, black crescent on chest and spotted belly, two morphs: red-shafted (west) and yellow-shafted (east), red-shafted has rusty face while yellow-shafted has gray face, only males have whisker/mustache |
| Piciformes, Picidae | Pileated Woodpecker | Dryocopus pileatus |  |
both sexes and juveniles have red crest, but female's forehead is black while male's forehead is red like the crest, male also has red cheek stripe |
| Passeriformes, Tyrannidae | Olive-sided Flycatcher | Contopus cooperi |  |
all flycatchers have thin beaks and perch mostly upright, olive-sided can be distinguished by its olive sides that look like a vest |
| Passeriformes, Tyrannidae | Eastern Phoebe | Sayornis phoebe |  |
belly is all-white, lacks olive-sided flycatcher's vest |
| Passeriformes, Tyrannidae | Vermilion Flycatcher | Pyrocephalus rubinus |  |
males are bright red with black eyestripe(which scarlet tanager lacks), females have fiery bellies, juveniles have the thin beak and rictal bristals of all flycatchers but have pale-ish face, black eyestripe, and peach/yellow belly |
| Passeriformes, Tyrannidae | Great Crested Flycatcher | Myiarchus crinitus |  |
brown top, namesake crest, highlighter yellow belly, cinnamon tail |
| Passeriformes, Tyrannidae | Eastern Kingbird | Tyrannus tyrannus |  |
darker top than eastern phoebe, sharper outline, white band on tail tip, more banana-shaped |
| Passeriformes, Tyrannidae | Scissor-tailed Flycatcher | Tyrannus forficatus |  |
only flycatcher on the list with white head, adults have salmon belly and long forked tails that juveniles lack |
| Passeriformes, Laniidae | Loggerhead Shrike | Lanius ludovicianus |  |
big head, thick hooked beak, black mask |
| Passeriformes, Vireonidae | Warbling Vireo | Vireo gilvus |  |
vireos longer and more slender than warblers, more smudged edges than warblers and lacks streaking of juvenile vermillion flycatcher |
| Passeriformes, Vireonidae | Red-eyed Vireo | Vireo olivaceus |  |
unlike warbling vireo, has two black lines on face, note that red eye is only visible up close |
| Passeriformes, Corvidae | Steller's Jay | Cyanocitta stelleri |  |
black in front and blue behind, same crest as blue jay, note the name is spelled "steller's," not "stellar's" (important with many autograded questions) |
| Passeriformes, Corvidae | Blue Jay | Cyanocitta cristata |  |
unlike steller's jay, has white belly and face |
| Passeriformes, Corvidae | Black-billed Magpie | Pica hudsonia |  |
black head/chest and tail with white belly, clean/sharp boundaries between colors, black is iridescent and shines blue in some lights |
| Passeriformes, Corvidae | American Crow | Corvus brachyrhynchos |  |
smaller than raven, less feathers on nose, lacks scruffy neck, square tail tip |
| Passeriformes, Corvidae | Common Raven | Corvus corax |  |
bigger than crow, more feathers on nose, scruffy neck feathers, wedge-shaped tail |
| Passeriformes, Alaudidae | Horned Lark | Eremophila alpestris |  |
brown above with black mask and neck line, only breeding males have yellow mask and horns |
| Passeriformes, Hirundinidae | Purple Martin | Progne subis |  |
swallows/martins have long body/wings and wings swept back/curved, males are all purple-black, females look like barn/cliff swallow without crimson/yellow and with darker bellies |
| Passeriformes, Hirundinidae | Cliff Swallow | Petrochelidon pyrrhonota |  |
crimson throat, yellow/white forehead, tail is more squared off |
| Passeriformes, Hirundinidae | Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica |  |
crimson throat, crimson forehead, tail is more forked |
| Passeriformes, Paridae | Black-capped Chickadee | Poecile atricapillus |  |
big head, thin beak, black cap and bib, white cheeks, gray wings, buffy sides |
| Passeriformes, Paridae | Tufted Titmouse | Baeolophus bicolor |  |
gray above with crest, black forehead, peach sides |
| Passeriformes, Sittidae | Red-breasted Nuthatch | Sitta canadensis |  |
thin beak, no neck, namesake red brest, black and white face stripes, blue back |
| Passeriformes, Sittidae | White-breasted Nuthatch | Sitta carolinensis |  |
thin beak, no neck, white face/cheeks/breast, blue back and black top of head, very "clean" look |
| Passeriformes, Certhiidae | Brown Creeper | Certhia americana |  |
mottled fuzzy brown blob, thin curved beak, almost always on a tree trunk |
| Passeriformes, Troglodytidae | Cactus Wren | Campylorhychus brunneicapillus |  |
all wrens in the list are brown with white eyebrows and black spots on wing and short upward-angled tails, cactus wren has black speckles all over and peach belly |
| Passeriformes, Troglodytidae | Marsh Wren | Cistothorus palustris |  |
eyebrows, wings, and especially back all have black-and-white "barcode" stripes |
| Passeriformes, Troglodytidae | Carolina Wren | Thryothorus ludovicianus |  |
mostly brown, a bit of black barring/spotting on wing edges and tail, not as much as marsh wren |
| Passeriformes, Cinclidae | American Dipper | Cinclus mexicanus |  |
chunky and smooth with thin bill, blue-gray with head slightly more brown, juveniles have pale underparts, almost always found near water |
| Passeriformes, Regulidae | Golden-crowned Kinglet | Regulus satrapa |  |
kinglets are tiny fuzzballs whose heads look like part of their bodies, have thin beaks and toothpick legs, and are gray-green on top with white wingbars; golden-crowned has white eyestripes unlike ruby-crowned eyering, also has black lines outside yellow lines on the head (males flash an orange crown usually concealed) |
| Passeriformes, Regulidae | Ruby-crowned Kinglet | Regulus calendula |  |
white eyering, not eyestripes, lacks black/yellow headstripes |
| Passeriformes, Polioptilidae | Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | Polioptila caerulea |  |
tiny fuzzball blue-gray above, white below, black tail and white eyering, only breeding male has black monobrow |
| Passeriformes, Turdidae | Eastern Bluebird | Sialia sialis |  |
thinner beak than indigo bunting, blue back, white belly, orange chest, females more washed out, juveniles spotted with white but with blueish wings/tail |
| Passeriformes, Turdidae | Wood Thrush | Hylocichla mustelina |  |
robin-shaped with big belly, brown above and white below with large black spots, unlike ovenbird has gray cheeks, unlike brown thrasher has black eyes |
| Passeriformes, Turdidae | American Robin | Turdus migratorius |  |
black head, gray back, orange brest, has white eyelashes and yellow beak that spotted towhee lacks, female/juvenile paler |
| Passeriformes, Mimidae | Gray Catbird | Dumetella carolinensis |  |
blue-gray all over, black cap and crimson undertail coverts, longer tail and less chunky than american dipper |
| Passeriformes, Mimidae | Northern Mockingbird | Mimus polyglottos |  |
thin beak, light gray above and pale below, thinner eyestripe than loggerhead shrike, dark wings and tail, yellow eyes |
| Passeriformes, Mimidae | Brown Thrasher | Toxostoma rufum |  |
yellow eyes unlike ovenbird and wood thrush, brown above and white below, black streaks on chest |
| Passeriformes, Bombycillidae | Cedar Waxwing | Bombycilla cedrorum |  |
sleek and plump, body is brown fading to yellow, black mask, crest, yellow tail tip, juveniles are streaked and have smaller crests, red sealing-wax-like feather tips on wing not always visible |
| Passeriformes, Parulidae | Yellow Warbler | Setophaga petechia |  |
all warblers have thin bills and chunky overall shape, males have orange streaks on throat, females/juveniles can be ID-ed by yellow cheeks and yellow lining on wing feathers (unlike magnolia warbler and common yellowthroat) |
| Passeriformes, Parulidae | Magnolia Warbler | Dendroica magnolia |  |
males have black mask (unlike black-throated green warbler), black neck streaks, and yellow chest(unlike yellow-rumped warbler), females are gray (not brown) on top and have white eyerings and white wingbars (unlike yellow warbler and common yellowthroat) |
| Passeriformes, Parulidae | Yellow-rumped Warbler | Setophaga coronata |  |
black-and-white streaky overall, white chest (unlike magnolia warbler), lacks black-throated green warbler's yellow face, both sexes have yellow patches on wing and rump, females have less throat streaking |
| Passeriformes, Parulidae | Black-throated Green Warbler | Setophaga virens |  |
unlike magnolia and yellow-rumped, has yellow face without mask but with ashy eyestripe/ear patch, greenish back, females have less throat streaking |
| Passeriformes, Parulidae | Black-and-white Warbler | Mniotilta varia |  |
black and white only, pretty much a living barcode |
| Passeriformes, Parulidae | American Redstart | Setophaga ruticilla |  |
yellow/orange patches on the wings, tail, and armpits, dark head/back/wings but white below, females/juveniles washed out version of male, more uniform coloring/less streaking than yellow-rumped warbler |
| Passeriformes, Parulidae | Ovenbird | Seiurus aurocapilla |  |
brown above and white with black streaks below, distinctive black stripes on head, orange stripes on head not always visible, brown cheeks (unlike wood thrush), black eyes (unlike brown thrasher) |
| Passeriformes, Parulidae | Kentucky Warbler | Geothlypis formosa |  |
yellow upside-down checkmark on an olive head, black cheeks only on male |
| Passeriformes, Parulidae | Common Yellowthroat | Geothlypis trichas |  |
males have black mask that goes above their eyes and lack throat streaking, females are brown above with brown cheeks, all-brown wing, and no eyering(unlike yellow warbler or magnolia warbler) |
| Passeriformes, Passerellidae | Spotted Towhee | Pipilo maculatus |  |
all sparrows have thick conical bills, unlike american robin has red eyes, black bill, and no white eyelashes, females have gray top instead of black, both sexes have rusty sides, juvenile is streaky and dull brown, still has conical bill and darker than other sparrow juveniles |
| Passeriformes, Passerellidae | Black-chinned Sparrow | Spizella atrogularis |  |
pink beak, gray head/body, only breeding male has black chin, unlike harris's sparrow lacks white/streaky breast, unlike dark-eyed junco has brown wings and gray sides |
| Passeriformes, Passerellidae | Lark Sparrow | Chondestes grammacus |  |
white distinctly patterned head, three black stripes from beak to neck, chestnut eyebrow and cheek, juveniles have buff instead of chestnut patches |
| Passeriformes, Passerellidae | Harris's Sparrow | Zonotrichia querula |  |
only sparrow on the list with white streaked breast and unstreaked head, all ages and sexes have scaly black crown, only breeding adults have black chin, nonbreeding adults have brown instead of gray head |
| Passeriformes, Passerellidae | White-crowned Sparrow | Zonotrichia leucophrys |  |
head looks like a skunk's stripes, juvenile has buff and brown instead of white and black stripes as well as orange beak |
| Passeriformes, Passerellidae | Chipping Sparrow | Spizella passerina |  |
rusty cap and thin black eyestripe, nonbreeding is more washed out and brown, nonbreeding/juvenile may have pink beak but not carrot orange like white-crowned juvenile |
| Passeriformes, Passerellidae | Dark-eyed Junco | Junco hyemalis |  |
many different regional color morphs, always has pink beak and white outer tail feathers, easiest way to ID is note the sparrow-shaped bill and use process of elimination from the other pink-beaked sparrows |
| Passeriformes, Calcariidae | Lapland Longspur | Calcarius lapponicus |  |
breeding male has black face and bib, unlike harris's/black-chinned has white unstreaked breast and rusty back of head, female/juvenile has brown head and black outline of cheek |
| Passeriformes, Calcariidae | Snow Bunting | Plectrophenax nivalis |  |
snow white with black wings, bill is shorter and thicker than scissor-tailed flycatcher, nonbreeding has rusty patches on white head |
| Passeriformes, Cardinalidae | Northern Cardinal | Cardinalis cardinalis |  |
bright red with crest, female is same shape as male but brown with red spots |
| Passeriformes, Cardinalidae | Indigo Bunting | Passerina cyanea |  |
unlike eastern bluebird, has thick bill and blue belly, nonbreeding/female/immature is brown with black thick conical bill, few streaks, and unstreaked head, sometimes with patches of blue |
| Passeriformes, Cardinalidae | Painted Bunting | Passerina ciris |  |
male is a walking rainbow, female is green but has thicker bill and green wings unlike female scarlet tanager |
| Passeriformes, Cardinalidae | Scarlet Tanager | Piranga olivacea |  |
lacks black mask of vermillion flycatcher, female has thinner bill and black wings unlike painted bunting |
| Passeriformes, Icteridae | Bobolink | Dolichonyx oryzivorus |  |
all blackbirds are somewhat long and have thin but conical bills, male bobolink is black below and white above with a "bald" look from yellow back of head, female/juvenile is yellow but streaked and has buffy eyestripe sandwiched between two black stripes, unlike female house sparrow has yellow undersides, lacks western meadowlark's dark V on neck and white flanks |
| Passeriformes, Icteridae | Red-winged Blackbird | Agelaius phoeniceus |  |
male has bright red wing patches edged in yellow (may be partially covered), female has buffy eyestripe but darker and streakier than female house/nonbreeding chipping/juvenile white-crowned sparrow, spotted towhee juvenile lacks the eyestripe |
| Passeriformes, Icteridae | Western Meadowlark | Sturnella neglecta |  |
brown and white-streaked above, bright yellow below, unlike female bobolink has black V on neck and white flanks, nonbreeding are paler and more washed-out |
| Passeriformes, Icteridae | Yellow-headed Blackbird | Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus |  |
male has yellow front of head, not back, female/juvenile still has yellow face and black body but less extensive |
| Passeriformes, Icteridae | Common Grackle | Quiscalus quiscula |  |
all-dark with eerie pale eye, long tail, males iridescent, juvenile has dark eye but longer tail than brown-headed cowbird, darker than female brown-headed cowbird but lacking male brown-headed cowbird's brown head |
| Passeriformes, Icteridae | Brown-headed Cowbird | Molothrus ater |  |
dark not eye, pale eye like grackle, unique short chunky silhouette, male's appearance is in the name, females uniform dull brown and juvenile more scaly than streaky |
| Passeriformes, Icteridae | Baltimore Oriole | Icterus galbula |  |
males have a striking orange breast and black head/back, lack white eyelashes of american robin, females a duller dirty orange breast and head, juveniles yellow-green but have two white wingbars unlike scarlet tanager or painted bunting females, dark shoulders unlike nonbreeding american goldfinch |
| Passeriformes, Fringillidae | Red Crossbill | Loxia curvirostra |  |
all finches are chunky with very thick conical bills, crossbill bill is hooked and crossed over (on some tests, you may need to zoom in!), juvenile plumage close to house finch(look for bill) |
| Passeriformes, Fringillidae | American Goldfinch | Spinus tristis |  |
breeding male is a flying highlighter, nonbreeding is brown-yellow with wings and tail like barcodes, yellow shoulders (not dark like baltimore oriole) |
| Passeriformes, Fringillidae | Evening Grosbeak | Coccothraustes vespertinus |  |
thick, jade-green beak (may appear bone-white), males have yellow eyebrow |
| Passeriformes, Fringillidae | House Finch | Haemorhous mexicanus |  |
female/juvenile is uniformed streaked with the general shape of a finch, male may have red or yellow wash on the face and chest but is still streaked |
| Passeriformes, Fringillidae | Pine Siskin | Spinus pinus |  |
plumage like female house finch, slightly thinner bill and yellow/buffy wings/tail |
| Passeriformes, Passeridae | House Sparrow | Passer domesticus |  |
male has thick cinnamon eyestripe, female has buffy eyestripe edged in brown, lacks western meadowlark's V shape, lacks bobolink's yellow chest |
| Passeriformes, Sturnidae | European Starling | Sturnus vulgaris |  |
breeding is iridescent with yellow bill and dark eyes (unlike common grackle), nonbreeding is spotted with white, juvenile is uniformly brown and paler than common grackle juvenile |
2010 Bird List (Incomplete)
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