THE BIRDS OF THE UNITED STATES
THE birds constitute a large group of the animal kingdom. Their chiefdistinguishing feature is their covering of feathers. Anothercharacteristic is the production of their young enclosed in eggs.
THE VULTURES.
TURKEY BUZZARD.]
The name "vulture" is applied to a family of birds of prey. The bill ofthe vulture is large and very strong; the head and neck are almostnaked, being very lightly sprinkled with down. It is a carrion-devouringbird and does not attack living animals. It displays marvelous quicknessin discovering a dead body. Vultures are generally protected in thecountries where they are found because of their value in clearing awaythe putrid animal matter which would otherwise be injurious as well asdisagreeable. The American vultures sometimes reach a large size and arevery powerful in flight.
The Turkey Buzzard and Carrion Crow, both of which are vultures, arecommon in the temperate parts of America. The Carrion Crow is found asfar North as Carolina. The Turkey Buzzard is not a true buzzard and iswrongly so called.
THE EAGLE.
Eagles are large and powerful birds. The flight of this magnificent birdis very beautiful and imposing, but its gait when on land is ratherawkward. Its food is usually smaller birds and quadrupeds such as hares,rabbits, etc., but it does not hesitate to carry off young lambs orsometimes to destroy sickly sheep. It generally hunts in pairs, oneeagle watching at some height while the other courses along theground and scares the game from the bushes. It lays two eggs of ayellowish-white color with brownish spots on a nest composed of a greatmass of sticks, brush and grass. The young are fledged about the end ofJuly. While the young are in the nest it is very dangerous to approachit as the eagles are then extremely fierce and daring. Some instanceshave been related of children that have been carried off by an eagle,but these stories are very doubtful. Eagles have certainly been known topounce upon children and carry them a little way, but there are no trueaccounts of children having been actually taken to the eagles' nest,although there are many stories founded on such a supposition. The beakof the eagle is curved from the face, having a sharp point. Its wingsare long and large. They catch and kill their own prey, but unlike thevultures will not eat carrion. The eagle which is found in North Americais usually the golden eagle, and inhabits the Western States. TheIndians called it "the War Eagle." Its feathers are dark brown.
AMERICAN BALD EAGLE.]
THE BUZZARDS.
The family of Buzzards are distinguished by their short beaks, largerounded wings and squared tails. They live on small animals, reptilesand various insects.
COMMON BUZZARD.]
The Common Buzzard, when searching for food, rests upon some highbranch, keeping a keen watch on the ground, and waiting patiently untilsome small animal makes its appearance or some bit of carrion isscented. Its length is from twenty to twenty-two inches. In flight it israther slow and heavy. The bird popularly known as a Hen Hawk is abuzzard.
THE FALCONS.
The falcons are also birds of prey. Hawks are members of this family.The Peregrine Falcon is an inhabitant of most parts of Europe, Asia,South America and North America. It builds its nest on cliffs and laysfrom two to four eggs which are spotted with dark red. It preys on otherbirds; its strength and swiftness are very great, enabling it to strikedown its prey with great ease; indeed, it has been known to disable fivepartridges in succession. It changes the color of its plumage severaltimes before it arrives at full maturity. Its length is from fifteen toeighteen inches.
The Sparrow Hawk feeds on mice, ground squirrels, insects, small birds.It displays great pertinacity in pursuit of its prey which it will chasefor a long while, skimming along a few feet above the ground. When takenyoung it is easily tamed and will then associate with the mostincongruous companions. Its length is from twelve to fifteen feet. Itbuilds upon lofty trees.
THE OWLS.
The owls are nocturnal birds, pursuing their prey by night and sleepingby day. They have a large round head with enormous eyes looking forward.Many species possess two feathery tufts placed on the head greatlyresembling horns. In order to enable them to see their prey their eyesare enormously large, capable of taking in every ray of light. Toprotect them from the cold they are furnished with a dense covering ofdowny feathers which also prevents the movements of the wing from beingheard. The beak is short and horny, but very strong. They prey on smallanimals, fish, insects, reptiles. The cry of the owl is very peculiarand weird. This, coupled with their strange appearance, has made themobjects of superstition. The ancients adopted them as symbols of wisdom.The owls of North America that are the best known are the Horned Owl,the Grayish-barred Owl and the Mottled Owl.
AN OWL.]
The Snowy Owl also is found in North America; it is a good fisher,snatching its prey from the water by a sudden grasp of the foot; it alsopreys on small animals, chasing and striking at them with its foot. Itmakes its nest on the ground and lays three or four white eggs. Itslength is from twenty-two to twenty-seven inches. It extends its wingsfour feet. There are some species of owl found in America that burrow,living in the same hole with prairie dogs, making their nest in themouth of the prairie dog's burrow.
Cousins to the owls are the Nightjars, for example, the night hawk andwhip-poor-will. They feed on moths and insects which they catch as theyfly. Their eggs are laid on the ground without a nest.
THE SWALLOWS.
Swallows are remarkable for their great power of wing, their widemouths, their short legs and weak feet. Their wing feathers are long,stiff and pointed, and their tails are long and forked. Nine species ofswallow are found north of Mexico. They spend most of their time on thewing and live almost entirely upon insects which they capture as theyfly; their large mouths particularly adapt them for this manner offeeding. They nest frequently in colonies; they migrate in large flocksand can often be seen in great quantities at roosting places. They showskill in the construction of their nests. The purple martin belongs tothis family; it is common in the South but rare in the Northern States.The tree swallow builds its nest, of grasses and feathers in the hollowof a tree. The bank swallow nests in a sand-bank.
THE SWIFTS.
The swifts are often confused with swallows owing to the similarity oftheir flight and the manner in which they feed. A Chimney Swift,commonly but erroneously called the Chimney Swallow, in construction ismore like the humming-bird than the swallow; they nest in chimneys aboutten feet from the top.
THE KINGFISHER.
These birds are chiefly tropical, the Belted Kingfisher being the onlyone of the family that is found north of Texas. They feed on fishes andfrequent the land near the water and nest in holes which they make in abank. They perch on some limb overhanging the water and watchfully waitfor their dinner.
KINGFISHER.]
THE HUMMING-BIRD.
HUMMING-BIRD.]
Eighteen species of these have been found in the United States, but onlyone of these is found east of the Mississippi. They feed on insects andalso on the juices of flowers. The humming-bird has no song, but thebeauty of its plumage makes up for this deficiency. It darts through theair almost as quickly as thought; now it is within a yard of yourpath--in an instant gone--now it flutters from flower to flower to sipthe dew--it is now a ruby--now a topaz--now an emerald--now burnishedgold. Its tongue is almost like that of the woodpecker, being curledaround the head under the skin, and is thus capable of being darted to aconsiderable distance; like many other little creatures, it isremarkable for its assurance and impudence; it is easily tamed for thatvery reason and has been known to domesticate itself in an hour from thetime it is captured, and often when released has returned again topartake of the dainties which it has tasted during its captivity. Itseems to have no fear and will attack any bird, irrespective of size.The nest of the humming-bird is as dainty as the bird itself.
THE WRENS.
The American House Wren is larger than the European wren, being aboutfive inches long. It is of
a reddish-brown color. The nest of the wrenis built in any convenient cranny: an ivy-covered tree, the thatch of abarn or a warm scarecrow are all used by this featherless little bird.It is a good fighter and will attack bluebirds and swallows. The nest isusually of an oval shape, always covered on the outside with somematerial resembling the color of the objects around it, such as greenmoss, if built among ivy, or brown lichen, if built on a rock or in thefork of a withered branch. The eggs are six or eight in number--white,specked with reddish-brown.
The Carolina Wren frequents the undergrowth in thickets; he is the mostnervously active of all the wrens.
The Bewick's Wren is often found in the barnyard.
The Winter Wren builds its nest usually in the tree-roots and heaps ofbrush.
The Marsh Wrens build their nests of a globular shape with the entranceat the side, either attached to weeds or tall grass, near or on theground.
THE WARBLERS.
This is a very large family; they feed almost entirely upon insects.They are the first to leave upon the approach of winter and the last tocome in the spring. They migrate at night and thousands are killedannually by dashing against lighthouses.
The black and white warbler is streaked with black and white and can bereadily identified; it can be often seen creeping under branches insearch of its insect food.
The yellow warbler. What boy has not seen a "wild canary"? It likes toinspect the gardens and shrubbery around our houses, and consequentlymay be frequently noticed. There are a great many more in this numerousfamily.
THE THRUSHES.
This is another large bird family. In it are the bluebird and thefriendly robin; their song is very sweet.
The wood thrush is less shy than the veery or hermit thrush. It can bedistinguished from the others by its larger size and its ruddy color andthe large black spots covering its underparts. The veery's upper partsare cinnamon color; its dress is finely marked and its sides almostwhite; it inhabits the dense woods and does not frequent the habitationof man as does the wood thrush.
The Hermit Thrush is distinguished by its red tail, which is muchbrighter in color than its back; it comes early in the spring andlingers long in the autumn.
There are probably few boys who do not know a robin when they see one,nor does the bluebird need to be introduced.
THE BLACKBIRDS AND ORIOLES.
The Red-winged Blackbird has bright scarlet shoulders; the rest of thefeathers are mainly black; they frequent marshes.
Orchard Orioles are to be found in the orchards, the elms, the maples,and other trees of our lawns. This bird is remarkable for the completechange he makes in his plumage, from a dull yellow to a deep orange andblack, the bird in the summer presenting an entirely different aspectfrom that in the winter. He builds his nest very near the end of a talllimb where it will swing in the wind like a hammock.
The Bobolink is another one of this family that changes its clothes eachyear. It goes North as the bobolink and goes South as the reedbird orricebird.
The Purple Grackle comes to us early in the spring; its plumage is aniridescent purplish and greenish black.
The Cowbirds build no nests; they deposit their eggs in the nests ofsmaller birds. These eggs are hatched with the others in the nest andthe young birds clamor constantly for food and often starve or crowd outthe rightful bird babies.
THE THRASHERS, MOCKING-BIRDS, ETC.,
frequent the borders or the edges of the woods and have considerablesinging ability; possibly the best known of this family is the catbird,so called because his most familiar cry is similar to the plaintive"meow" of the cat. Although very few seem to know it, the catbird isalso a fine songster.
The mocking-bird is a great singer, sometimes singing throughout aparticularly bright moonlight night as well as all day long. Whilesitting on its eggs it is an exceedingly courageous bird, attackingwithout discrimination men, dogs, or any animal that may approach toonear the nest. The black snake is the special object of its vengeance.The snake, which has perhaps just arrived at the vicinity of the nest,and is contemplating a pleasant breakfast on the young or eggs, isviolently attacked by the enraged mocking-bird, which, by repeated blowson the head, generally destroys its enemy, and then, mounting on a bush,pours forth a triumphant song of victory. The nest is made generally ina bush or fruit tree, frequently close to houses, as the bird isprotected by the inhabitants. The mocking-bird is often kept tame, inwhich case, so far from its imitative powers showing any decrease, thevariety of domestic sounds heard about the house is often veryperplexing.
MOCKING-BIRD.]
The thrasher is also a vocalist of some quality; he likes to sit wherehe can be seen when he is singing, generally high up in the tree.
THE FLYCATCHERS.
The flycatchers are songless; they are found all over the United States.They remain on their perch, waiting for a passing insect; when theirprey is within sight they dart after it and then return to theirstation.
The kingbird is grayish in color and bears a crest which, when raised,reveals reddish feathers. He perches quietly at his station, but isalert to every movement near him, and rarely does a passing insectescape his keen eye.
The phoebe is very fond of building its nest under an old bridge. Hiscall is a monotonous, plaintive reiteration. It sounds as though he weresaying, "phoebe"; hence his name.
Very common flycatchers are the Arcadian Flycatcher, the Wood Peewee andthe Least Flycatcher: the latter being called the Least Flycatcher onaccount of its being the smallest in size.
THE SHRIKES.
The color of this bird is gray, black and white. It causes fright atonce among sparrows, on which it preys as well as upon mice and insects.He has a characteristic flight, flying steadily and in a straight lineclose to the ground, flapping his wings. When he gets near hisdestination he reaches it by a sudden upward movement. The shrikes areoften called "butcher birds"; they well deserve their name; theytransfix their prey upon a thorn preparatory to devouring it, havingdarted on it from some place of concealment after the same manner as theflycatchers.
THE CROWS AND JAYS.
It will probably surprise you to know that the gaily colored blue jaybelongs to the same family as the dusky crow. All of this family aregreat feeders, taking fruits, seeds, insects, eggs and refuse; all ofthem possess great intelligence. The blue jay seems to take positivepleasure in teasing other birds; he is noisy and reckless; he nestsusually in the crotch of a tree from ten to twenty feet high.
The crow's harsh voice, large size and black plumage make this bird wellknown. Every boy who lives in the country knows how fond the crow is ofcorn, and who has not seen the scarecrows flapping their empty sleevesin the winds of the cornfield.
THE FINCHES AND SPARROWS.
BLUE JAY.]
This is the largest bird family. They possess stout bills fitted tocrush the seeds on which they feed. The House, or English sparrow, wasfirst introduced into the United States in 1851. The Crossbill derivesits name from having the tips of its bill crossed. They frequent pineforests and the structure of their bills helps them in forcing thecones open to get at the seeds within.
The Goldfinches are canary-yellow and black; they travel usually insmall flocks; in song they become at times so ecstatic that it seems asif they would burst their little bodies.
The Junco is a small, plump bird. When the summer birds have left forthe South the Junco comes from the North.
The Cardinal is one of the gayest of our feathered friends; its plumageis a rosy-red with a little black patch at the throat and the crest; itnests in bushes, the nest being composed of twigs, rootlets and linedwith grasses.
The Indigo Bunting is blue as his name. You will find him in oldpastures among bushes and clearings. The female of this bird is like asparrow in marking, except for the tinge of blue which you may discoverin her plumage.
THE TANAGERS
are closely related to the finches; all of them have pretty clothes,especially the Scarlet Tanager, who is br
ight scarlet with black wingsand tail. It is well worth a day's tramp to see one.
THE WAXWINGS.
The Cedar Waxwings arrive late in the spring. They have a black linewhich runs through the eye; their upper parts are brown, their head isgreenish, their tails gray. You will often find them among fruit andshady trees; they like old orchards where they hunt for cankerworms.They have red spots on their wings that look like drops of sealing-wax.
THE VIREOS.
Small insect-eating birds; they do not catch their prey on the wing asdo the flycatchers, but search for their food on bark and leaves; theyare pleasant songsters and their nests are neat and well-rounded,suspended from the fork of a branch.
THE WOODPECKERS.
WOODPECKERS.]
The claw of the woodpecker is constructed of two toes forward and twotoes backward, which assist them in climbing the tree-trunks; their tailfeathers are pointed and stiff and serve as a prop; the bill is adaptedfor chiseling out the homes of grubs, insects, etc., in the bark.
The Downy Woodpecker. Its upper parts are black, scarlet band on theneck, the middle of the back is white, while the wing feathers arespecked with white. You can often see him in an orchard or in the treeson the lawn, picking out the grubs as he climbs the tree-trunks andbranches.
The Sapsucker has a scarlet cap; its back is black and yellow, tailblack; it feeds largely on tree juices.
Red-headed Woodpecker. Head, neck, throat and principal parts red; backblack and white; nests generally in a dead tree.
The Flicker. The top of the head gray; red band across back of the neck;back brownish with black bars; they are frequently called "high-holes."
THE PIGEONS AND DOVES.
The passenger pigeon is now practically extinct. Captain Bendire,writing twenty years ago, says: "It looks now as if their totalextermination might be accomplished within the present century. The onlything which retards their complete extinction is that it no longer paysto net these birds, they being too scarce for this now, at least in themore settled portions of the country, and also, perhaps, that fromconstant and unremitting prosecution on their breeding-grounds they havechanged their habits somewhat, the majority no longer breeding incolonies, but scattering all over the country and breeding in isolatedpairs." They used to be seen in enormous flocks, which, as theymigrated, really hid the sun, destroyed forests miles wide, breakingdown branches with their weight and wasting the crops far and wide. Thisbird moves with extraordinary speed and goes enormous distances. Manyhave been killed in New York State with their crops full of rice thatthey must have eaten in Georgia. That means that they flew three hundredmiles in six hours. In 1813, Audubon says the air was literally filledwith pigeons, and the midday sun darkened as in an eclipse, and theflocks flew over him in countless numbers for three whole days.
The Mourning Dove is similar to the Passenger Pigeon, but not as large.
GROUSE.
The Grouse are as a rule ground birds and trust to their ability to hideto escape detection, their color being such as to make them difficult todetect against a background of dead leaves. The Ruffed Grouse can easilybe detected by the drumming sound which it makes. This drumming beginsgradually and gradually dies away. The sound is made by the male birdbeating its wings in the air. The young birds run about like smallchickens. They feed on insects, berries and seeds.
QUAIL.
Who has not heard the quail call across the fields "bobwhite, poorbobwhite"? They like the fields of corn in the fall; in the winter theyjourney to the deep woods; like the grouse, they rely upon theircoloration for protection and will only take flight as a last resort.
THE PLOVERS.
In habit they are like the snipes; but their tails are shorter andthicker. The Golden Plover may be found in marshes and sand-flats; theycan run very rapidly; they may be seen as the tide goes out feeding onsand-flats or sand-bars. After running a few yards they stop suddenlyand seem to take their bearings. It is well known by its plaintive cryand the stratagems it employs to decoy intruders away from its nest, orrather eggs.
The Killdeer is so called on account of the cry which it utters; itresembles "kill-dee, kill-dee." It is found usually in flocks and nestson the ground in a hollow.
THE CRANES
frequent marshes and are fond of frogs, field mice, snakes, etc. Theyhave a loud cry. When in flight the neck is not bent like the Heron's.They nest on the ground.
THE HERONS AND BITTERNS.
HERON.]
The Herons nest in flocks; the bitterns are not as sociable. The latterinhabit grassy marshes, while Herons like the shores of lakes andrivers. The Herons fly with their neck bent in between their shoulders.The American Bittern lives in large grassy meadows; it makes a peculiarbooming sound which can be heard for a long distance. The Great WhiteHeron is found along the Gulf of Mexico and in Florida. The Great BlueHeron is found further north; its nest is usually in tall trees and ismade up of sticks and twigs. The Egrets belong to this family.
THE SPOONBILLS.
The Roseate Spoonbill is found only in the very Southern parts of theUnited States and in small quantities; their bill is large and flat,shaped at the end like a large spoon.
THE SPOONBILLS.]
THE IBISES.
The Ibises find their food on mud-flats along the shores of lakes andrivers. It consists of frogs, small fish, etc.
THE SNIPES AND SANDPIPERS.
The birds are also found near the water; they have long bills which theyforce into the mud in search of their food.
The Wilson Snipe nests in meadows and swamps. It builds its nest on theground and is a game bird popular with the sportsman. The Snipe in itshabits much resembles the Woodcock; its flight is very singular,rendering it a difficult mark.
THE AMERICAN WOODCOCK.
The presence of Woodcock can always be determined by the holes whichthey make in the earth in search of worms; these are known as woodcockborings. When the bird is found near its nest or young birds it willfeign an injury and will endeavor in this way to lead you away fromthem. The Woodcock frequents dense thickets during the day and at nightit leaves for swamps and meadows in search of worms and insects.
AVOCETS AND STILTS.
Called "The Wading Snipe"; they wade in shallow water and can swim whennecessary. The bill of this bird is curved like that of the Curlew, butthe curve is upward instead of downward.
THE RAILS, GALLINULES AND COOTS.
The Rails live in marshes. The Gallinules live on marshy banks ofrivers, lakes, etc. The Coots are still more aquatic, and are verynoisy; all of this family lay their eggs on the ground.
FLAMINGOES.]
THE FLAMINGOES.
The Flamingoes formerly visited Southern Florida every winter. Now theirappearance is rare. The singularly shaped beak of this splendid bird ispeculiarly adapted to its long and flexible neck. When the bird wishesto feed it merely stoops its head into the water; the upper mandible isthen lowest and is well fitted to receive the nutritive substances whichare entangled in a filter placed on the edges of the beak.
The color of its plumage is a deep brilliant scarlet, except the quillfeathers, which are black. When a number of these birds stand ranged ina line, according to their custom, they present the appearance of asmall and well-drilled body of soldiers.
THE SWANS.
Wild Swans are now rare birds in the United States. They feed as theyswim by putting their long necks and heads under the water. They swimwith great rapidity.
SWAN.]
GEESE.
Watch the skies in the spring and when you see a V-shaped flock of birdsflying northward, the wild geese are flying. It is said that the apex ofthe V is always an old gander. They feed on vegetable matter, both inthe water and on shore.
The White-fronted Goose is common in the Mississippi Valley and on thePacific Coast.
The Canada Goose travels many thousand miles each year in itsmigrations.
Geese nest on the ground, the nest being made of grasses an
d twigs andthickly lined with down.
DUCKS.
The Mallard is the origin of our domestic bird, and is widely spreadover the northern parts of Europe, Asia and America. In the winter itmigrates in countless flocks to the warmer States.
WILD DUCK.]
The Black Duck is sometimes called the Black Mallard. The Red-head Duckalong the Atlantic Coast feeds in salt water. The Canvasback is in greatdemand on account of the superior quality of its flesh as food. Both theRed-head and Canvasback are fond of feeding on wild celery, and it issaid that it is this that gives their flesh the fine flavor.
THE PELICANS.
These birds nest in colonies. Their flight is strong. The White Pelicanand the Brown Pelican are found in Florida. It is a very conspicuousbird, its singular membranous pouch offering a distinction perfectlyunmistakable. The pouch, when distended, holds two gallons of water, butthe bird has the power of contracting it so that it can scarcely bediscerned.
PELICAN.]
The pouch serves as a net in which to scoop up the fish on which thePelican feeds.
Another most important use of the pouch is to convey food to the young.The parent Pelican presses the pouch against its breast, in order toenable the young to obtain the fish, which action in all probabilitygave rise to the fable of the Pelican feeding its own blood. Althoughweb-footed, it can perch on trees, although it prefers sitting on rocks.
THE CORMORANTS.
Cormorants like the sea, but sometimes may be seen inland. They, too,are colony birds. Their nests are made of sticks and seaweed.
CORMORANT.]
The Cormorant is exceedingly voracious, and devours an almost incredibleamount of fish. It is an excellent diver, and chases the fish actuallyunder the water, seldom if ever returning without having secured itsprey. Like the otter, when engaged in chase, it occasionally rises totake breath, and then resumes the pursuit with renewed vigor. It has thepower of perching on trees, an accomplishment which we should hardlysuspect a web-footed bird of possessing.
The Cormorant is easily tamed, and its fishing propensities can beturned to good account. The Chinese, at the present day, employ a kindof Cormorant for that purpose, having previously placed a ring round thebird's neck to prevent it from swallowing the fish. Its length is aboutthree feet.
THE PETRELS.
The Stormy Petrel is, under the name of Mother Carey's Chicken, theterror of the sailor, who always considers the bird as the precursor ofa storm. It is the smallest of the web-footed birds. Few storms areviolent enough to keep this curious little bird from wandering over thewaves in search of the food that the disturbed water casts to thesurface.
THE ALBATROSSES.
The Albatrosses are relatives of the Petrels, but much larger birds.
The Wandering Albatross, the largest of the genus, is a well-known birdin the southern seas, following ships for many miles. The flight of thisbird is peculiarly majestic. Its extreme length of wing prevents it fromrising at once from the ground, but when once launched into the air itseems to float and direct its course without effort.
ALBATROSS.]
THE TERNS.
The Terns, or Sea Swallows, are possessed of great power and enduranceof flight, their long forked tails and pointed wings indicating strengthand swiftness.
It preys on fish, which it snatches from the surface with unerring aimas it skims over the waves with astonishing velocity.
They inhabit the seashore and, unlike gulls, make distant journeys fromthe coast.
THE GULLS.
The Gulls are larger birds than the Terns. As the vultures are thescavengers of the land, these birds are the scavengers of the sea. Theyare frequently seen at great distance from land, resting on the water.Their nests are found in colonies.
GULL.]
PUFFINS.
The Puffin is an excellent diver, plunging fearlessly from a lofty cliffinto the sea, and speedily returning with its beak full of fish, whichare secured by their heads, and lie in a row along the bill of thePuffin, forming a kind of piscatorial fringe. Its enormous andsharp-edged bill renders it a formidable antagonist to intruders. It isoften called the "Sea Parrot."
LOONS.
Inhabit fresh water lakes during the summer and the sea during thewinter. They can swim considerable distances under water. Their nest isnear the shore.
GREBES.
The foot of the Grebes is not webbed like that of most water birds, buteach toe is separated and flattened, so as to serve as a separatepaddle.
COMMON RED BIRDS.
Scarlet Tanager. Cardinal. Rose-breasted Grossbeak. Redstart.
COMMON BLUE BIRDS.
Blue Jay. Bluebird.
COMMON YELLOW AND ORANGE BIRDS.
Yellow Warbler. Flicker. Baltimore Oriole.
COMMON BLACK BIRDS.
Crow. Purple Grackle. Red-winged Blackbird. Cowbird.
COMMON BLACK AND WHITE BIRDS.
Black and White Warbler. Bobolink. Downy Woodpecker.
COMMON BROWN BIRDS.
Thrushes. Sparrows.