https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zvONfOv9xCg/T0Ks6jr-iFI/AAAAAAAAAv8/_eVKB4WMrFw/w1200-h630-p-k-no-nu/BackyardBirds_Poster_E+(1800+x+2702).Jpg Common Birds of New England Let’s learn to identify birds that you can find in your own backyard! Black Capped Chickadee • Identifying features: Small size, short & thin bill, black feathers on head (a “black cap”), white feathers on side of face (white cheeks), gray back, white-tan underbelly. • Habitat: Trees or woody shrubs, weedy fields, cattail marshes, deciduous and mixed forests. • Range: They are non-migratory; their range extends from New England to the West Coast even as far south as new Mexico. • Voice: “Chick-a-dee-dee-dee.” https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/noindex/photo/68055161-480px.Jpg Link to Bird Sound: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-capped_Chickadee/sounds Tufted Titmouse • Identifying traits: Small size, gray color, tufted crest on the head, black eyes, flanks are rusty orange. • Range: eastern and central United Staes, nonmigratory. • Habitat: Thickets, brush, shade trees. • Voice: Sharp clear whistle, “peter- peter-peter-peter.” • Call: Sharp, scratchy, “tsee-day-day- day.” • Fun fact: The largest of the titmice. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/Tufted_Titmouse_%28189117409%29.Jpeg/370px- Tufted_Titmouse_%28189117409%29.Jpeg Link to Bird Sound: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Tufted_Titmouse/sounds Barn Swallow • Identifying features: Blue plumage on the back and top of the wings, and a long, deeply forked tail. • Habitat: They like open spaces and use human- made structures to nest and breed in. • Range: Several species are strongly migratory. They are found in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. • Voice: A “twitter-warble” song; also a long series of continuous warbling sounds followed by up to a dozen rapid, mechanical-sounding ”whirrs.” The song is often introduced and followed by a chirp. • Call: “Cheep” when threatened and a “churee” whistle to signal danger. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/assets/photo/68123051-480px.Jpg Link to Bird Sound: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barn_Swallow/sounds Male American Robin • Identifying traits: (Male) Brick-red breast, black back and wings, darker head with white eye crescents (Female) Less vibrant colors and a head and a tail that https://static.perkypet.com/media/articles/images/463/American_Robin.Jpg is grayer than the male robin. • Range: Throughout the continental United States. Female • Habitat: Forests, tundra; also able to live in human altered habitats such as suburban yards. • Voice: Their song is a low, clear series of whistled phrases with a distinct liquid quality. “cheerily, cheer up, cheer up, cheerily, cheer up.” • Call: A low pup, a sharp clucking, or a rapid, urgent ”kli quiquiquiqui koo.” https://imgc.allpostersimages.com/img/print/u-g-Q10FSPU0.Jpg?w=550&h=550&p=0 Link to Bird Sound: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Robin/sounds#:~:text=American%20Robins%20often%20make%20a,like%20a%20laugh%20or%20chuckle. Male Northern Cardinal • Identifying traits: (Male) Vibrant red body, wings and tail; black face mask; heavy, triangular, red-orange bill; pointed crest. (Female) https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/assets/photo/63667281-480px.Jpg Yellow-brownish colored body; wings, tail, and crest all tinted with Female red; black face mask; heavy, triangular, red-orange bill; pointed crest. • Range: The northern cardinal is a year-round resident throughout the eastern and central United States, except in the northernmost parts of Vermont and Maine. • Habitat: Cardinals can be found near the edges of forested areas as well as in thickets and suburban backyards. • Voice: The cardinal’s cheerful song is a short series of whistling notes, descending in pitch, “what-chee, cheery cheery cheery” or ”whoit whoit whoit.” • Call: A sharp ”chip!” https://mindfulpathways.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/cardinal.Jpg Link to Bird Sound: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Cardinal/sounds#:~:text=Both%20male%20and%20female%20Northern,or%20birdie%2C%20birdie%2C%20birdie. Blue Jay • Identifying traits: Blue head, body, and tail; white breast and underside; black bill; tail with white shafts at corners; black collar, and wings with white spots. • Range: Blue jays are year-round residents throughout the continental U.S. • Habitat: Blue jays live naturally in oak, pine, and scrub forests, but they also thrive in suburban areas as well. • Voice: The blue jay’s call is a loud, raucous ”jay! jay! jay!” https://i.ibb.co/WPvn0Bt/Blue-Jay-b57-4-030-l-1.Jpg Link to Bird Sound: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Blue_Jay/sounds Male White Breasted Nuthatch • Identifying traits: (Male) short, stocky body; Slate blue-gray above and white below; black cap and collar; slender, pointed black beak; short, stiff tail with small white shafts near outer edges; chestnut brown undertail feathers. (Female) short, stocky body; pale gray above and white below; grey cap and collar; slender, pointed black beak, short, stiff tail with small white shafts near outer edges. Both male and female https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/assets/photo/68039351-480px.Jpg often descend trees headfirst. Female • Range: The white-breasted nuthatch is a year-round resident throughout the United States as far south as Georgia and Alabama. • Habitat: The white-breasted nuthatch is usually found in forests, but they can live anywhere where there is sufficient tree cover, including woodlots, groves, and suburban backyards. • Voice: The nuthatch’s call is a nasal, almost wheezy ”yank” or ”yank- yank.” Its song is a rapid staccato of nasal, whistled notes of uniform pitch: ”whi, whi, whi, whi, whi.” • Fun fact: The nuthatch is sometimes spotted climbing down trees in a spiral pattern. Link to Bird Sound: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White- breasted_Nuthatch/sounds#:~:text=The%20White%2Dbreasted%20Nuthatch's%20most,females%20exchange%20a%20soft%20yink. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c5/3b/12/c53b12e2fd0bddfd098ed19612b0cdea.Jpg Female American Goldfinch • Identifying traits: (Male) bright yellow body in summer that fades to a darker green brown in winter; black cap present during the summer; short pointed bill; black wings with white wing-bars; black, slightly forked tail with traces of white around the edges;, white rump. (Female) dull, yellow- olive body; short, pale, pointed bill; black wings with white https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/assets/photo/63737391-480px.Jpg wing-bars; black, slightly forked tail with traces of white Male around the edges; white rump. • Range: The American goldfinch can be found in southern Canada and throughout the continental U.S. • Habitat: The American goldfinch makes its home in thistle patches, roadsides, open woods, edges, orchards, and gardens. It is attracted to backyard feeders. • Voice: Canarylike whistles and warbles. • Call: The call of “chik-o-ree” or ”per-chik-o-ree,” is often heard when they are flying. • Fun fact: They like eating thistle and thistle seeds. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/assets/photo/124706471-480px.Jpg Link to Bird Sound: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Goldfinch/sounds Cedar Waxwing • Identifying traits: Thin, black bill; pale brown on back and chest fading to soft gray on wings; belly is pale yellow; pointed brown crest; black face mask; short tail is gray with a bright yellow tip; wing feathers fringed with red. • Range: Year-round resident from Maine south to the Carolinas. Its breeding range extends into Canada, and it wanders as far south as the Gulf Coast in winter. • Habitat: Cedar waxwings forage for fruit and insects in wooded areas and orchards; they often visit backyards, especially in winter. • Voice: The call of a Cedar Waxwing is a high, excited lisping sound: ”tzeeeee!” https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/assets/photo/59874471-480px.Jpg Link to Bird Sound: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cedar_Waxwing/sounds American Crow • Identifying features: Glossy black feathers; dark grayish black legs and feet. • Habitat: Common pretty much any where there is available food. Commonly seen in wooded areas, farmland, suburban streets, and open fields. • Voice: Loud “Caw.” • Range: Stays year-round in the U.S. • Fun fact: Often travels in a pack known as a “murder” of crows. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/noindex/photo/70580311-480px.Jpg Link to Bird Sound: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Crow/sounds#:~:text=The%20most%20common%2C%20a%20harsh,rally%20others%20to%20mob%20predators. Female Mourning Dove • Identifying traits: (Male) medium sized bird; small head with bluish crown; pale bluish orbital eye ring; light brown body with black spots near https://encrypted- wings and tail; long, pointed tail with white tips. tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcSOVXm87uml4IJmI3NVXuV5MEOKw2XX_zkoNg&usqp=CAU (Female) Smaller and less colorful than the male; Male lacks the male’s bluish crown. • Range: The mourning dove can be found throughout the continental United States. • Habitat: Brushy, open habitats; farms and suburbs. • Voice: Its song is a hollow, mournful ”ooAAH cooo cooo cooo” and often mistaken for an owl. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/assets/og/75711541-1200px.Jpg Link to Bird Sound: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mourning_Dove/sounds Northern Mockingbird (American Nightingale) • Identifying traits: Medium-sized; light gray on top, white below; two white wing bars; long tail and thin bill; thin, dark eye-line; white outer tail feathers; large white wing patches. • Range: The northern