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WHO AM I ? ROCKY SHORE BIRDS
PUT ON YOUR BIRD DETECTIVE GLASSES TO IDENTIFY THESE COASTAL BIRDS

THERE WILL BE CLUES ALONG THE WAY

THE BEST PART IS THAT ALL THESE BIRDS ARE LOCAL

ONCE YOU KNOW HOW TO RECOGNIZE THEM YOU CAN ENJOY THEM ON OUR ROCKY SHORES

HAVE FUN Birds rule

I AM A HIGH-STRUNG, JACK OF ALL HERONS

MY BILL IS BLACK, MY FEET ARE YELLOW

I HUNT ENERGETICALLY WITH ABRUPT JERKY MOVES

I SHUFFLE MY FEET TO FLUSH PREY Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)

I HAVE A CHUNKY, FOOTBALL-SHAPED BODY

MY BACK IS BLUISH WITH GREEN HIGHLIGHTS

MY BREAST AND NECK ARE CHESTNUT-COLORED

I HUNT FROM A LIMB, STUMP OR ROCK CLOSE TO THE SHORE Green Heron (Butorides virescens)

I USUALLY AM DARK, BUT IN BRIGHT LIGHT I CAN BE SPECTACULARLY COLORFUL

I HAVE A LONG, DECURVED BILL

I PREFER SHALLOW WETLANDS, BUT SOMETIMES CAN BE FOUND ON ROCKS

I EAT AQUATIC AND MOIST-SOIL INVERTEBRATES

White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi)

I AM A BROWN SHOREBIRD WITH A WHITE BELLY

I FORAGE AT THE WATER’S EDGE

I WALK WITH A BOBBING AND TEETERING MOTION

IN BREEDING SEASON MY CHEST AND BELLY LOOK LIKE A DALMATION

Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)

I AM A MEDIUM-SIZED SHOREBIRD WITH A HARLEQUIN-LIKE APPEARANCE

MY LEGS ARE SHORT AND ORANGE

I FORAGE ON THE ROCKY SHORE AND IN BEACH WRACK

I TURN OVER SMALL ROCKS AND FLOATSAM AT THE BEACH Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)

I HAVE DARK RAGGED-EDGED PLUMAGE ABOVE, A WHITE BELLY BELOW

I HAVE A SMALL NECKLESS HEAD AND POINTY BILL

I AM AN INDUSTRIOUS “ROCK-PIPER” THAT LIKES HIGH ENERGY COASTLINES

I FLIP OVER SHELLS AND ROCKS

Black Turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala)

I AM A LONG-WINGED, SHORT-LEGGED SHOREBIRD

MY UPPER PARTS ARE GRAY, MY UNDER- PARTS CAN BE STRONGLY BARRED

I OFTEN BOB MY TAIL

I AM SOLITARY

I FORAGE IN HIGH-ENERGY SURF Wandering Tattler (Heteroscelus incanus)

I AM A DULL GREY SHORE BIRD

MY WINGS EXPLODE BLACK-AND-WHITE WHEN I FLY

MY BILL IS MEDIUM-SIZED AND STRAIGHT

I LOVE SHORELINES AND MUDFLATS

Willet (Tringa semipalmata)

I AM A LARGE, MOTTLED SHOREBIRD

MY HEAD HAS BOLD STRIPES

I HAVE A LONG DOWNWARD- CURVED BILL

I HUNT ON SAND, MUD OR IN-BETWEEN ROCKS

I CAN BE QUITE INTOLERANT OF OTHER BIRDS

I AM A ROBUSTLY PLUMP “ROCK-PIPER”

MY SHORT LEGS ARE YELLOW

I CAN BE COARSELY MARBLED ON TOP AND COARSELY SPOTTED BELOW

I LOVE TO ROOST ABOVE THE SPLASH ZONE

Surfbird (Aphriza virgata)

I LOOK LIKE A CHUNK OF BLACK ROCK WITH A BRIGHT RED BILL

I HAVE YELOW EYES WITH RED EYE-RINGS

I HAVE LONG PINK LEGS AND FEET

I CHISEL AWAY AT MOLLUSKS IN THE INTERTIDAL ZONE Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmanii)

I AM A VERY LARGE SEA BIRD

I HAVE AN ENORMOUS BILL

I LOVE TO WARM UP ON ROCKS, PRESSING MY BILL AGAINST MY NECK

ON LAND I HAVE A ROLLING SAILOR’S GATE Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)

I AM THE COLOR OF BLACK LICORICE

I HAVE BARE-ORANGE SKIN PATCHES

I CAN HAVE TWO WHITE CREST-PLUMES THAT LOOK LIKE SHAGGY HORNS

I LOVE TO DRY MY WINGS BY STRETCHING THEM OUT

I HAVE A BULKY, BLACK BODY WITH A FAINT PURPLE GLOSS

I HAVE A LONG, STRAIGHT, BLACK BILL

I HAVE A BUFF CHIN PATCH

I RIDE LOW IN THE WATER

I OFTEN FEED IN LARGE FLOCKS

Brandt’s Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus)

I AM THE SMALLEST OF MY KIND IN OUR AREA

I HAVE A SLENDER, ALL BLACK BODY WITH A GREEN AND PURPLE SHEEN

MY HEAD IS SMALL, MY BILL POPSICLE-STICK-THIN

I AM THE LEAST SOCIAL OF MY KIND Pelagic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pelagicus)

FROM WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED ABOUT US

CAN YOU TELL WHO IS WHO?

Double-crested Cormorant YOU GOT IT!
Brandt’s Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant

 
  
 

I AM A LARGE COASTAL GULL WITH A SLATE-GRAY BACK

I HAVE A SWOLLEN-TIPPED YELLOW BILL WITH A RED SPOT

MY LEGS AND FEET ARE PINK

I LOVE TO LOAF ON BEACHES OR FLOAT IN THE OCEAN

I AM A FOOD GENERALIST

Western Gull (Larus occidentalis)

I AM A COMMON WINTER GULL ON CALIFORNIA COASTLINES

I HAVE A NARROW, STRAIGHT BILL WITH RED AND BLACK MARKS

I HAVE RED ORBITAL RINGS AND A DARK IRIS

I HAVE YELLOW LEGS AND FEET

I AM A FOOD GENERALIST

California Gull (Larus californicus)

I AM A STRIKING DARK-GRAY GULL WITH A BLACK TAIL

I HAVE AN OVERSIZED, LIPSTICK-RED BILL WITH A BLACK TIP

I LIVE ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY IN COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS

I AM TRULY A SEA-GULL

Heermann’s Gull (Larus heermanni)

I AM AN ELEGANT, BLACK-AND-WHITE FLYCATCHER

I HAVE A LARGE HEAD

I OFTEN WAG MY TAIL NERVOUSLY

I AM AN ACTIVE AERIALIST, HUNTING MOSTLY ON THE WING

I SOMETIMES FORAGE ALONG THE SHORELINE

Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans)

I AM A FLYCATCHER THE COLOR OF DRY BARE SOIL

I HAVE RUSTY-ORANGE UNDERPARTS

I FLARE MY TAIL AS I PUMP IT

I LIKE DRY OPEN AREAS

I SOMETIMES FORAGE ALONG THE SHORELINE Say’s Phoebe (Sayornis saya)

I AM THE MOST COMMON WINTER WARBLER IN OUR AREA

I HAVE A LEAN BODY AND LONG TAIL

I CAN HAVE BRIGHT YELLOW PATCHES ON MY RUMP, THROAT AND FLANKS

I FORAGE FOR INSECTS FROM A PERCH OR ROCK

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata)

I AM A SASSY, ROCK-FROLICKING BIRD

I AM SPECKLED GRAY-BROWN ABOVE, PALE BUFFY BELOW

I AM NIMBLE AND HYPERACTIVE

I FORAGE ON CLIFFS AND ROCKY SLOPES

I LEAP FOR INSECTS Rock Wren (Salpinctes obsoletus)