M.B. Johnson Park – Birds

Birds at MB Johnson Park Characteristics of our Winged Friends

Tree swallow Swallows are characterized by their slender bodies with long, pointed wings. Brown-headed cowbirdwbird They are truly acrobatic, feeding with dart-likee Best noted as a parasite;te; they movements in mid-air. Look for them in their nestst lay their eggs in nests of other holes in dead trees alongong the riverbank. songbirds, leaving the hosthost Chipping sparrow species to raise their young.oung. Red-wingedRe blackbird This sparrow is easily identifed by its This blackbird is easily recognized by its Combined with the morere importantimportant chestnut crown, white eyestripe black gurgling and trill song. It has an all black fact of habitat loss, this sspeciespecies hashas line that extends from its bill to the body with bright red shoulderer patches resulted in the decline of other back of its head. Listen for its rapid trill tipped with yellow. Common in anyany area Coopers hawk songbirds.They are identifiedntified by their This bird belongs to a group of hawks called caalled Accipiters. Accipiters “chip” notes. near water, theyhey are primarily found in black bodies and brownn heads. Accipiters are characterized from other hawks by their long marsheses and sloughs.sloughs. Look for them byby the tails and short rounded wings. They prey on songbirds in wetlawetlandnd and in MB Johnson Park. forests, while sticking to bird feeders in town. A coopers hawk has a rufous-streaked breast and a dark blue-grey overall American goldfinchdfinch Yellow warbler back. Look for them perched in dense trees along the river. A common bird in most of the United States, One of the most common warblers in the the American goldfinch is a yellow bird with UnitedU States is the yellow warbler. All Downy & Hairy woodpeckers black wings, tall and cap. Its rump and American redstart yyellowe with reddish/brown streaks on its A bright species of warbler, it is These two woodpeckers are very similar undertail are white. Its distinctive flight brbreast,e it also has a dark eye. A good vocalist, characterized by its all black body and in plumage and behavior. Some call of “per-pe-po-pip”, so make sure as all warblers are, listen for its “sweet” song. patches of orange on its side, wings and experience and perhaps a guidebook is to listen. They can often be found It pprefersr riparian habitat, so look for it among tail. A common woodland bird in the needed to separate the two species in the at bird feeders and be seen the mature decidous trees along the river. eastern and northern United States, it field. They are best identified with flying among the trees. can be seen moving through shrub vocalization; the downy call is layers and trees along the river. higher-pitched “pic” while the hairy has a loud sharp “peak”. Both plumages are similar; the downy is Baltimore oriole generally smaller with a short billl. The A striking songbird of the eastern United States, the hairy is larger with a bill that is nearly as Baltimore oriole has an all black head and black Black-cappedpped chickadeechickaddee long as its head. Look for them pecking on on the upper part of its back with a contrasting One of the hardiestardiestdi and d momostst common songbirds, thee black-cappedd chickadeechickadee is a trees along the river. Rose-breastedRos grosbeak bright orange rump and underside. It also has a line of white on its wing. It is noted for year-round resident.sident. They area known asa A largela songbird of the northern forest, feeder birds as wellwell asas woodlandwoodlanddl Least flycatcher thethey have a very unique plumage. The its musical song. Look for it in the This bird belongs to a group of wooded areas. species. They arere most mo knownown for ppink breast contrasts with the white the black cap and black chin.n. flycatchers called the Empidonax,ax, and black. Note its large heavy bill, it’s Look for them at the or known to birdwatchers as characteristic of all grosbeaks. Look for feeders of in the trees! “empids”. They are difficult to it in the wooded areas along the river. identify by sight alone; often they are identified by sound. Its gray back, white under parts and White-breasted nuthatch cream-colored wingbars are its most Another common year-round distinctive features. Look for it Song sparrow resident. The black on their head perched in low branches along A common sparrow in the area, the extends down their neck giving the the riverbank or fluttering song sparrow has a brown and black appearance of a hood. They feed on in the air as it picks Belted kingfisher This distinctive bird is characterizedrized streaked back and black/brown and insects found in tree bark and are insects from by its large bill and head, short legs, white streaked breast. It has a spot of defined by their frequent head down midair. crest and blue plumage that contrastsontrasts dark color in the middle of its breast. search for them. Listen for repeated with its belly and chin of white , whichwhich Look for this sparrow in treed areas nasal “yank” calls. Look for their forms a “belt” along its chest. The along the river; it will be foraging on darting flights from tree to tree. kingfisher hunts for fish along rivers and the ground or in low-lying shrubs. lakes. Listen for their “rattle” call.all. They dive like an arrow, head first when hunting prey. Look for them flying along the riverbanksbanks oror perchedperched inin Grey catbird low hanging branches. A very distinctive songbird of the eastern Spotted sandpiper The sandpiper is a and west-central part of the United States, widespread shorebird the grey catbird is characterized by their gray throughout most of the U.S. bodies, tall and cap of black. They can be found It is brown barred above and fluttering and feeding in the underbrush and white with brown spots below shrub layer of forested and riparian areas. DID YOU KNOW? and orange billl. Look for it, Catbirds are in a group of birds known as usually alone, actively feeding and The Red River riparian area provides food, shelter, water and mimics. Not as well known as their making quick flights along the space which are the four basic needs of wildlife. mockingbird cousins, they will imitate other riverbank. bird’s songs. However, they are most likely to make their customary catlike “meow” notes.