Bird Descriptions

These are some of the birds that may be seen at the Living Lab. Some may nest here while others may be passing through, during spring or fall migration. Most of the pictures are of males. The female of the species may be larger and have more muted or drab coloring.

American Goldfinch Brown-Headed Cowbird Least Flycatcher Tree Swallow A common bird in most of the This bird is most noted as a nest This bird belongs to a group of Swallows are characterized by United States, the American parasite. This means they lay their flycatchers called the Empidonax their slender bodies with long, goldfinch is a mostly yellow bird eggs in nests of other songbirds Flycatchers or known to pointed wings. They are very with black wings, tail, and cap. Its leaving the host species to raise birdwatchers as “empids”. acrobatic, feeding with dart-like rump and undertail are white. their young. Combined with the Empidonax flycatchers are difficult movements almost exclusively in Listen for its distinctive flight call more important fact of habitat to identify by sight alone, often mid-air. Tree swallows who are of “per-pe-po-pip” or “potato loss and fragmentation this nest only identified by sound, as most dark iridescent blue above and chip”. Often found at bird feeders parasitism has resulted in the species look very similar. Least white below can be found flying it also can be seen flying among decline of some songbird species. flycatchers are the smallest higher over the river. Also, look for the treed areas. They are identified by their all flycatcher found in North Dakota. them in their nest holes in the dead

David Walsh black bodies and all brown head. Identified by its gray back, white trees on the riverbank. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Look for them perched almost under parts, cream-colored Peder Stenslie anywhere at the Living Lab. wingbars and small pale bill. Look Kristian Stenslie for it perched in low branches along the riverbank or “fluttering” in the air as it picks insects “flycatching”, from midair.

American Redstart Chipping Sparrow Red-Winged Blackbird Wood Duck Another bright species of warbler, This sparrow is easily identified by This blackbird is easily recognized This multicolored duck can be the American redstart is its chestnut crown, white by its song of a gurgling “konk-la- identified by its glossy plumage, characterized by its all black body eyestripe, and black line that ree” ending in a trill. It also has red eye and greenish crest. Its call and patches of orange on its side, extends from its bill to back of very distinctive plumage, of an all is a rising oo-eek. It is a common wings and tail. It is a common head. Also of note is its pale belly. black body with bright red breeder in the Red River Valley. woodland bird in the eastern and Listen for its rapid trill song of shoulder patches tipped with Another interpretive sign here at “chip” notes. Look for them in and yellow. They are a common bird an the Living Lab provides more northern United States. Look for it N.D. Game & Fish Dept. frequently moving (as with most around the evergreens by the any area that is close to water. information on this duck. There warblers) through the shrub layer Living Lab Conference Center. While found primarily in marshes are wood duck nesting boxes and trees along the river. and sloughs, they do frequent located on trees throughout the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service areas around rivers. Look for them Living Lab. Wood ducks can often U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the more open areas of the be seen swimming near the bank or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Living Lab. sitting in trees along the river.

Baltimore Oriole Coopers Hawk Rose-Breasted Grosbeak Yellow Warbler A striking songbird of the eastern This bird belongs to a group of A large songbird of the northern One of the most common warblers United States, the Baltimore oriole hawks called Accipiters. Accipiters forest, the rose-breasted grosbeak in the United States is the yellow has an all black head and black on are characterized from other has very distinctive plumage. It warbler. It is an all yellow bird with its upper part of its back with a hawks by their relatively long tails has a pink or rose-colored breast reddish/brown streaks on its contrasting bright orange rump and short rounded wings. They contrasting with white below and a breast. It also has a dark eye that and underside. It also has a line of hunt songbirds on the wing in back of mostly black with the contrasts with its yellow body. As white on its wing. It is noted for its forests and in towns at bird exception of a white rump. Also of with all warblers it is a good very musical song. Look for it in feeders. A Coopers hawk has a note is its large heavy bill, vocalist. Listen for its distinctive any of the wooded areas. It may rufous streaked breast and a dark characteristic of all grosbeaks. song of “sweet, sweet, sweet, I’m so Kelly Krabbenhoft visit hummingbird feeders. Tim Driscoll blue-gray overall back. Look for Look for it in the wooded areas sweet”. It prefers riparian habitat them gliding from the residential along the river so look for it among the mature neighborhoods to the west or David Walsh deciduous trees along the river. perched in the denser stands of David Walsh trees along the river.

Belted Kingfisher Gray Catbird Song Sparrow White-Breasted Nuthatch This distinctive bird is A very distinctive songbird of the Another common sparrow in the Another common year-round characterized by its large bill and eastern and west-central United area, the song sparrow has a brown resident of the Living Lab this head, short legs, crest and blue States is the grey catbird. and black streaked back and black/ nuthatch has black on their head plumage that contrast with its Characterized by their gray brown and white streaked breast. that extends down their neck belly and chin of white which bodies, tail and cap of black, and It has a spot of dark color in the giving the appearance of a hood. forms a “belt” along its chest. The under-rump of brown, they can be middle of its breast. Look for the They also have an all white breast kingfisher hunts for fish along found flittering and feeding in the song sparrow in the treed areas, as their name suggests. They feed rivers and lakes. Look for them underbrush and shrub layer of along the river, usually foraging on on insects found in tree bark. They flying along the riverbank or forested and riparian areas. the ground or in low-level shrubs. are distinctive in their frequent perched in low hanging branches. Catbirds are in a group of birds head down search for insects.

Also, listen for their distinctive known as mimics, although not as U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Kelly Krabbenhoft Listen for their repeated nasal Alaska Maritime National Wild “rattle” call. They dive like an David Walsh well known for it as their cousins “yank” call. Look for them flying in arrow, head first with folded wings mockingbirds, they will imitate quick darting flights from tree to when they locate prey. other bird’s songs. However, they Downy and Hairy tree, climbing and descending are most likely to make their Woodpeckers trees and at the feeders. customary catlike “mew” notes. These two woodpeckers are very similar in plumage and behavior. Black-Capped Chickadee Spotted Sandpiper Some experience and perhaps a guidebook, is needed to separate One of the most common and The Sandpiper is a common and these two species in the field. They hardiest of songbirds, the black- widespread shorebird throughout are best identified by vocalization. capped chickadee is a year-round most of the United States. It is The downy call is a higher pitched resident of the Living Lab. They brown barred above and white with “pic” and the hairy has a loud, are a common feeder bird as well brown spots below. It has an sharp “peek”. Both plumages are as a common woodland species. orange bill. Its characteristic very similar. The downy is They are characterized by their stance is body tilted forward, head generally smaller with a short bill black cap, black on chin and most held low. It bobs the tail up and not as long as its head and the importantly, at least some white down almost continuously. Look U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hairy is larger with a bill that is on the wings. Look for them at the for it, usually alone, actively almost as long as its head. They feeders or in any of the treed feeding and making quick flights Ideas for some of the descriptions David Walsh are a year-round resident of the areas. along the riverbank. came from the National Geographic Living Lab. Look for them pecking David Walsh Field Guide to the Birds of North on trees along the river or at the America-5th addition. feeders.