BIRD PTs SEASON FEED HABITAT Record Your Feeder Birds o Northern 80 Cracked corn, mixed seed Field, Woodland Bobwhite edge BIRD PTs SEASON FEED HABITAT o Northern Cardinal 20 Mixed seed, insects, fruit Forest, edge, o American Crow 60 Cracked corn Open, forest, Farmland, urban Farmland, urban LOUISVILLE PARKS AND RECREATION o Northern Flicker 60 Insects, sunflower seed, Forest, open o America 20 Thistle seed, Open, Suet Goldfinch oil sunflower Edge o Northern 60 Suet, fruit, insects Edge, open, urban o American 60 Mixed seed Open, edge Mockingbird Tree Sparrow GUIDE TO o Orchard Oriole 100 Fruit, suet, nuts, nectar Open, edge, o Baltimore Oriole 100 Fruit, suet, Forest, woodland nuts, nectar open, edge o Pileated 100 Sunflower seed, suet, Forest o Black-capped 100 Oil sunflower, Forest, Woodpecker insects Chickadee mixed seed edge o Pine Siskin 60 Oil sunflower, thistle Edge, open o Blue Grosbeak 100 Oil sunflower, mixed seed Open, edge o Pine Warbler 100 Suet, oil sunflower, fruit, Coniferous forest o Blue Jay 20 Mixed seed, nuts, fruit Open, forest mixed seed o Brewer’s 100 Mixed seed Shortgrass field, o Purple Finch 40 Oil sunflower, thistle Forest, open Blackbird farmland o Red Crossbill 100 Mixed seed, thistle Coniferous forest, o Brown Creeper 100 Suet Forest, edge open o Brown Thrasher 80 Mixed seed, suet Woodland edge o Red-bellied 20 Mixed seed, insects, Forest, edge, urban Woodpecker suet Feeder Birds o Brown-headed 40 Mixed seed Open, Field, Cowbird farmland, urban o Red-breasted 60 Oil sunflower, insects, suet Coniferous forest o Canada Goose 100 Cracked corn Water, field Nuthatch Red-headed 80 Sunflower seed, suet, Forest, open o Carolina 20 Oil sunflower, Forest, edge o Chickadee mixed seed Woodpecker insects Red-winged 40 Mixed seed, insects Marsh, open o Carolina Wren 20 Insects, mixed seed, Forest, edge o fruit, suet Blackbird Rock Dove 60 Mixed seed, cracked corn Farmland, open, o Chipping 40 Mixed seed Woodland, open, o Sparrow urban urban of Common Grackle 40 Mixed seed, fruit Field, forest, o Rose-breasted 60 Sunflower seed, insects, Open, forest o Grosbeak fruit farmland Ruby-crowned 100 Suet, fruit, insects, Forest Edge o Common Redpoll 100 Mixed seed, thistle Edge o Kinglet o Dark-eyed Junco 20 Mixed seed, cracked corn Woodland edge o Ruby-throated 40 Nectar Open, forest, o Dickcissel 80 Mixed seed Field Hummingbird urban o Downy 40 Oil sunflower, suet, Forest, edge o Rufous 100 Nectar Open, forest, Woodpecker insects Hummingbird urban o Eastern Bluebird 100 Fruit, insects Edge, open Rusty Blackbird 60 Cracked corn, mixed seed Woodland edge, Kentucky o urban o Eastern 80 Mixed seed, insects Field Meadowlark o Savannah Sparrow 80 Mixed seed Field, marsh o Eastern Towhee 40 Mixed seed, fruit, Edge, forest o Snow Bunting 100 Mixed seed Farmland Insects o Song Sparrow 40 Mixed seed, insects Woodland edge, o Eurasian Collared 100 Mixed seed, cracked corn Farmland, urban urban Dove o Summer Tanager 80 Suet, insects, fruit Forest edge European Starling 40 Mixed seed, suet, Open, Field, urban o Swamp Sparrow 100 Mixed seed Field, marsh insects, bread o Tufted Titmouse 20 Oil sunflower, nuts, insects Forest, open, edge, Evening Grosbeak 80 Sunflower seed, fruit, Edge, open o o urban insects o Vesper Sparrow 100 Mixed seed Field, farmland o Field Sparrow 60 Mixed seed Field, edge White-breasted 20 Sunflower seed, suet, Forest, open Fox Sparrow 60 Mixed seed, insects Edge o o Nuthatch insects Golden-crowned 100 Suet, fruit, insects Coniferous forest o White-crowned 40 Mixed seed, insects, fruit Field, open, edge Kinglet edge o Sparrow Hairy 60 Sunflower seed, suet, Forest o White-throated 20 Mixed seed, insects, fruit Open, forest Woodpecker insects o Sparrow Horned Lark 100 Mixed seed, insects Farmland, o White-winged 100 Mixed seed, thistle Coniferous forest, shortgrass field o Crossbill open House Finch 20 Oil sunflower, thistle seed Field, open o o Wild Turkey 80 Cracked corn Forest, open, edge House Sparrow 40 Mixed seed, fruit, Urban, farmland o Yellow-bellied 80 Suet Forest, open insects, bread o Sapsucker Indigo Bunting 40 Mixed seed, insects, fruit Open, edge, forest o o Yellow-rumped 100 Insects, suet Forest, edge o Lincoln’s Sparrow 100 Mixed seed Field, edge Warbler Common Names • Latin Scientific Names • Descriptions • Habitats • Accidentals • Predators o Mallard Duck 100 Cracked corn Water SEASON o Mourning Dove 20 Mixed seed, cracked corn Farmland, urban Year-Round Summer Winter Spring-Fall Fall/WInter Canada Goose American Goldfinch American Kestrel Predator Branta canadensis 100 Carduelis tristis summer 20 Falco sparverius 45” 5” 9-12” Feeder Birds of Kentucky Canada Geese have had a dramatic increase This bird, often referred to as the summer Because a field guide listing every bird in North America in Kentucky after once being quite “wild canary,” flocks at tube feeders, uncommon as a breeding resident. feeder trays or on the ground with might be overwhelming, this booklet is designed to help If you feed birds near a lake or pond, other finches. Some people don’t easily identify seasonal birds likely to show up at Kentucky Canada Geese will gladly accept the realize that these bright-yellow birds bird feeders. handout. They will feed on all seed of summer molt into drab olive-yellow but are especially fond of cracked corn. feeder birds in the winter. As spring Over 360 species of birds are reported in Kentucky; of those, The sexes are similar. approaches, the male gradually 71 are considered visitors to feeding stations. Birds that don’t returns to his breeding plumage. frequent feeders, such as robins, are not included here. They are often seen by roadsides, winter in parks and suburbs. FEEDING STATIONS winter Creating attractive bird feeders can enhance the beauty of Predator Sharp-shinned Hawk your yard or garden, but feeding birds does not have to break Accipiter striatus the bank. In fact, feeding birds can be as easy as scattering 10-14” seed on the ground. Tree stumps, rocks, or platforms on chest-high poles can serve as fine feeding stations. Mallard Duck Evening Grosbeak Many species, fearing predators, are uncomfortable feeding 100 Anas platyrhynchos 80 Coccothraustes vespertinus in the open. Brushy habitats and water sources will increase 24” 8” the number of birds visiting your feeding area. Water can Mallards are one of the ducks that will visit a These large finches of the north appear in the state be provided by simply filling a flowerpot saucer or inverted feeder near water. They are especially fond during winter invasion years. The last invasions of cracked corn, but like chopped greens were during the late 1970s and garbage can lid. Water sources should be shallow with low as well. Domestic ducks and crosses early 1980s. In those years, they were rims, to prevent drowning, and they should be cleaned often between Mallards and domestic fairly numerous at feeders; since then to prevent disease. ducks may also visit they have been scarce. They are these feeders. attracted to feeders with MORE INFORMATION They are year- sunflower seed and may Predator roundresidents. be found along woodland Cooper’s Hawk If you need help identifying a bird, the naturalists at Jefferson edges and in urban areas. Accipiter cooperii Memorial Forest will be glad to help you. 14-20” 502/368-5404 • memorialforest.com • [email protected] ADDITIONAL COPIES This guide is available for download online at louisvilleky.gov/ sites/default/files/parks/new_bird_book_2018.pdf. Wild Turkey House Sparrow Meleagris gallopavo 80 Passer domesticus 40 KEY 37”-46” 6” summer The Wild Turkey may be attracted to cracked House Sparrows are native to Europe and were Each bird’s habitats, seasons, food preferences and corn scattered near a woodland edge where introduced here in the 1800s. They are not length in inches are included, plus interesting facts. they reside. Due to reintroduction projects, closely related to our native sparrows Predator Loggerhead Shrike wild turkeys have made a dramatic recovery adults but belong to the Old World Weaver Lanius ludovicianus in our state where they were nearly extirpat- Finch family. Compared to native YEAR-ROUND RESIDENT 9” ed a century ago. Females are smaller and sparrows they are bulkier, have WINTER RESIDENT; duller with a grayish-brown head. thicker bills, shorter legs and MAY MIGRATE IN SPRING OR FALL don’t sing but chirp and chatter. House Sparrows feed on seeds, SUMMER BREEDER; breadcrumbs, and grain, and MAY EXTEND INTO SPRING OR FALL will snatch a french fry near a winter fast-food restaurant or eat PRIMARILY MIGRANT; a bug off a car grill. PRESENT SPRING THROUGH FALL PRIMARILY MIGRANT; summer PRESENT FALL AND WINTER male • female Northern Bobwhite ACCIDENTAL BIRDS VARIETY NATURAL HABITAT RECORDED 80 Colinus virginianus POINT SYSTEM VARIETY NATURAL HABITAT RECORDED Clay-colored Western A few 10” Sparrow United States winter records Depending on its frequency at Kentucky’s feeding To most Kentuckians, Bobwhites are known as Green Mexico Western Kentucky Quail. If you are lucky, you might find these birds, Violet Ear in summer Harris’s Midwestern Several stations, each bird in this guide has been assigned possibly in small flocks, strolling across your yard from 20 to 100 points. The most common species feeding on grass seed. These birds mostly stay well Sparrow United States records Black-chinned Western Western Kentucky are worth 20 points, the rarest 100. So if you spot a hidden in thickets along woodland edges and fields. Hummingbird United States Oregon and Western United States, Several “100”, congratulations! Pink Sided Juncos subspecies winter records Brown-headed Northern Eastern Kentucky You can use these points for a friendly competition Lesser Southwest Elizabethtown Nuthatch United States in winter using the sheet on the back of this booklet.