The Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) is a large cosmopolitan raptor in the family Falconidae. It is renowned for its speed during its characteristic hunting stoop (high-speed dive), making it the fastest bird in the world, as well as the fastest...
The osprey (Pandion haliaetus) is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. The osprey tolerates a wide variety of habitats, nesting in any location near a body of water providing an adequate food supply. It is found on all...
The mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa. Mallards live in wetlands, eat water plants and small animals, and prefer to congregate in flocks of...
The American robin (Turdus migratorius) is a migratory songbird that belongs to the thrush family. It is named after the European robin because of its reddish-orange breast, though the two species are not closely related. According to the Partners...
The Mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American birds. It is also one of the most popular gamebird, with more than 20 million birds (up to 70 million in some years) shot annually in the U.S.,...
The Canada goose (Branta canadensis) is a large wild goose native to the arctic and temperate regions of North America. Like most geese, the Canada goose is primarily herbivorous and normally migratory; often found on or close to fresh water. These...
The Red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is a bird of prey that breeds throughout most of North America. It is one of the most common members within the genus of Buteo in North America or worldwide. The Red-tailed hawk is one of three species...
The Turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) is the most widespread of the New World vultures. Like all New World vultures, it is not closely related to the Old World vultures of Europe, Africa, and Asia. The Turkey vulture has very few natural predators and...
The Barn owl (Tyto alba) is the most widely distributed species of owl in the world and one of the most widespread of all species of birds. It is found almost everywhere in the world except for the polar and desert regions, Asia north of the...
The Red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) is a passerine bird found in North America and Central America. Claims have been made that it is the most abundant living land bird in North America; bird-counting censuses of wintering Red-winged...
The Great blue heron (Ardea herodias) is a tall and statuesque bird when wading in the water seeking its prey, and it is graceful and swift when flying with its slow deep wing beats. It is one of the most majestic wild birds in North America. This...
The Northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) is a mockingbird commonly found in North America and has rarely been observed in Europe. The bird is known for its mimicking ability, as reflected by the meaning of its scientific name, "many-tongued...
The Bee hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae ) is a species of hummingbird that can be found only on the island of Cuba in the Caribbean. It is the world's smallest bird.
The Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) is the most widespread species of swallow in the world. In fact, it has the largest natural distribution of any of the world's passerines, ranging over 251 million square kilometers globally. In Anglophone Europe...
The American goldfinch (Spinus tristis) is a small migratory bird in the finch family. It is the only finch in its subfamily to undergo a complete molt. The American goldfinch is a granivore and adapted for the consumption of seedheads, with a...
The Baltimore oriole (Icterus galbula) is a small colorful bird that received its name from the resemblance of the male's colors to those on the coat-of-arms of Lord Baltimore. It is the state bird of Maryland. It is also the namesake and mascot for...
The killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) is a large plover found in the Americas. It was described and given its current scientific name in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae. The common name of this species comes from its...
The Common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) is a large New World blackbird found in large numbers through much of North America. It was first described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus. Thee birds have a unique adaptation in the keel within their bill and along...
The Rose-breasted grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) is a large, seed-eating bird in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae). It is colloquially called "cut-throat" due to its coloration. It is primarily a foliage gleaner and can live up to 24 years in...
The Great egret (Ardea alba) is a large, widely distributed wading bird. Like all egrets, it is a member of the heron family, Ardeidae, and its close relatieves are pelicans. The Great egret is sometimes confused with the Great white heron of the...
The Cedar waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) is a member of the family Bombycillidae or waxwing family of passerine birds. The genus name Bombycilla comes from the Ancient Greek bombux, "silk" and the Modern Latin cilla, "tail"; this is a direct...
The Red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) is a medium-sized woodpecker of the family Picidae. It breeds mainly in the eastern United States and earns its name from the pale reddish blush of its lower underside.
The Wood duck (Aix sponsa) is a species of perching duck from North America. The drake of this species is known to be one of the most colorful North American waterfowl. In 1918 the Wood duck was near extinction as a result of habitat loss and...
The Gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) is a medium-sized perching bird found in the Americs. It is the only member of the "catbird" genus Dumetella. In some areas it is known as the Slate-colored mockingbird.
The Brown thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) is a fairly large songbird that belongs to the family of New World catbirds and mockingbirds. It is noted for having over 1000 song types, and the largest song repertoire of birds.
The Black vulture (Coragyps atratus) is amongst the most abundant vultures of the New World, and out of all the members in the Cathartidae family, has the most varied diet. These are highly social birds that demonstrate fierce family loyalty. They...
The American kestrel (Falco sparverius) is the smallest and most common falcon in North America. It is a common bird used in falconry, especially by beginners. Though not as strong a flyer as many other, larger falcons, proper training and weight...
The Burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) is a small, long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. Unlike most owls, these owls are often active during the day, but like many other kinds of owls, though, they do most of...
The Purple martin (Progne subis) is the largest swallow in North America. These birds are known for their speed, agility, and their characteristic mix of rapid flapping and gliding flight pattern. When approaching their nesting site, they dive from...
The merlin (Falco columbarius) is a small but fierce falcon from the Northern Hemisphere. It is a swift flier and skilled hunter and has for centuries been well regarded as a falconry bird.
The Brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) is a sturdy blackbird with an unusual approach to parenthood. Females do not build nests but use all their energy for producing eggs, sometimes over three dozen per summer. They lay their eggs in other...
The Scarlet tanager (Piranga olivacea) is a medium-sized American songbird. Its plumage and vocalizations are similar to other members of the cardinal family, although it lacks the thick conical bill (well suited to seed and insect eating) that many...
The Common loon (Gavia immer) is a large member of the loon, or diver, family of birds. These birds eat a variety of animal prey and swallow most of their prey underwater, where it is caught. Loons form strong pair bonds and their chicks are capable...
The Dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis) is a member of a group of small, grayish New World sparrows. This bird is common across much of temperate North America and in summer ranges far into the Arctic. The name of these birds appears to derive from the...
The Ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is a tiny colorful bird found in North America. It is by far the most common hummingbird seen east of the Mississippi River in North America.
The anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) is a water bird related to cormorants and pelicans. The word anhinga comes from the Brazilian Tupi language and means "devil bird" or "snake bird". Anhingas are skillful swimmers with unique characteristics that help...
The Cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) is a cosmopolitan species of heron named for its association with cattle. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Bubulcus, although some authorities regard its two subspecies as full species, the Western cattle...
The Sharp-shinned hawk (Accipiter striatus) is a small bird of prey native to Americas. The males of this species are the smallest hawks in the United States and Canada.
The Snow goose (Anser caerulescens) is a North American species of goose whose name derives from the typically white plumage. These are birds of cold timberline that migrate more than 3,000 mi (4,800 km) from traditional wintering areas to the...
The Song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) is a medium-sized New World sparrow. Among the native sparrows in North America, it is easily one of the most abundant, variable, and adaptable species.
The Painted bunting (Passerina ciris) is a species of bird in the cardinal family, Cardinalidae. It is native to North America. The bright plumage of the male comes only in the second year of life and in the first year, the male can only be...
The Belted kingfisher( Megaceryle alcyon) is often apparent from its wild rattling call while it flies over lakes or rivers. It can be seen perched high on a snag, or hovering while it beats its wings rapidly, before plunging headfirst into the...
