What’s that bird?
Here are some of the birds we see frequently in our area and some quick tips for identifying them.
American Goldfinch
Small bird
Notched tail
short conical bill
males: bright yellow, black forehead, black wings
Females: duller yellow and olive
Killdeer
Large round head
Large eye
Long legs
Robin sized, more slender
Brown upper, white lower
2 black neck bands
Orange rump
Red-breasted nuthatch
Compact bird
Walks up & down trunks/branches
Short tail
Sharp pointy bill
Blue-grey back
Black cap, white eyebrow, black eyeline
Rusty belly
White-breasted nuthatch
Compact bird
Walks up and down trunks and branches
Short tail
Sharp pointy bill
Blue-grey back
White cheeks, a black/grey cap
White belly, rusty patches near rear
Black-capped chickadee
Listen for:
Chick-a-dee-dee-dee and Hey-sweetie
Small bird
Black cap
Short pointy bill
Grey upper with white and rusty under parts
Boldly interacts with people
Crow
Smoother beak feathers
Fan shaped tail
Usually in groups
Caws and purrs
More common than ravens in our area.
Raven
Bristly beak feathers
Wedge shaped tail
Usually in pairs
hops and skips on the ground
Listen for low croaks
Northern Cardinal
Listen for
What-cheer-cheer-cheer OR Purty-purty-purty-purty OR Metallic Chips
Male: Bright red
Female: Olive Brown
European Starling
Listen for:
Whistles, squeals, trills, and mimicking of other sounds
Medium sized bird
Dark colouring with white spots (breeding adults)
Usually in groups
Orange beak (breeding adults), pink legs
Red-winged black bird
Medium sized
Pointy cone shaped bill
Males: Black with red & yellow shoulder blazes
Females: Brown streaked with pale breast and white eye brown
American Robin
Medium sized
Grey brown upper
Orange chest, white patch under lower belly
Males: Darker head
Females: Lighter head, similar to wings
Cup nest of grasses, twigs and mug
Tree Swallow
Small sized
Long pointed wings
Short square or notched tail
Short flat bills
Males:blue green above, white below, grayish flight feathers
Females: duller colouring
Juveniles: Brown