Franklin's Grouse

Scientific Name: Falcipennis canadensis

Range / Habitat: Year-round in boreal forests and taiga throughout Canada and Alaska.

Field Notes: Medium-sized fowl with heavily barred back and breast. Breeding males nearly black, as above, females lighter brown, as below. Males with white-boardered black throat and red eye combs. Ruffed Grouse larger with a crest and no red eye comb.

Personal Notes: First seen in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. These birds were not shy, often found right on the side of the road, not moving even when we stopped to photograph them. We later found the male on route to Wapta Falls in Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada.

Northern Hawk Owl

Scientific Name: Surnia ulula

Population Estimate: 130K

Range / Habitat: The Northern Hawk-Owl (Surnia ulula), or Northern Hawk Owl in North America, is a non-migratory owl that usually stays within its breeding range, though it sometimes irrupts southward.Three subspecies exist across the northern holarctic.The North American subspecies S.u.caparoch spans from eastern Alaska through to Newfoundland and in some areas extends south into northern United States. The other two subspecies are found in Eurasia: S. u. tianschanica breeds in central Asia reaching Xinjiang (China) and S. u. ulula resides across Eurasia reaching Siberia at its most eastern range. Occasionally, S.u.caparoch can extend its territory as far south as northern Minnesota and many other states in the northern United States including more central states such as West Virginia, New York, and South Dakota.

Field Notes: The Northern Hawk-Owl plumage is relatively dark brown with an off white spotting pattern on all dorsal parts of the body with the exception of the back of the neck which boasts a black v-shaped pattern. The underbelly is generally white or off-white which continues to the toes with brown bands on the breast and stomach. It also boasts a long tail with brown banding. The Northern Hawk-Owl has a smokey white face with a black border, a flat head, yellow eyes and a yellow curved beak.

Personal Notes: First seen in an irruptive year in Sax-Zim Bog, northern Minnesota. Later seen in Yoho National Park, British Columbia. 

Pileated Woodpecker

Scientific Name: Dryocopus pileatus

Population Estimate: 930K, Least Concern status

Range and Habitat: Year-round in old forests of eastern US, southern Canada, and the west coast of the US. 

Field Notes: Large, black and white woodpeckers with a prominent head with red crest. White line down the sides of the throat. They show white on the wings in flight. Adult males have a red line from the bill to the throat, in adult females these are black.

Personal Notes: A majestic bird.

Trumpeter Swan

Scientific Name: Cygnus columbianus

Population Estimate: 34K

Range / Habitat: Summer / breeding areas in interior Alaska, parts of Canada, Minnesota. Winters on Pacific coast of Canada.

Field Notes: Large, all-white swan with black bill. Loud, frequent, trumpet-like chatter back and forth between birds. Tundra Swan may have yellow area near the eye but not always. Voice is the most reliable distinction.

Personal Notes:

Grey Jay

Scientific Name: Perisoreus canadensis

Population Estimate: 16M

Range / Habitat: Year-round in boreal and sub-alpine forests throughout Canada and Alaska with some forays into the Great North Woods of Minnesota and Wisconsin, into Maine, and in the mountainous regions of the American West.

Field Notes: Large, grey bird with long tail and fuzzy black hood. Quite friendly. Only comparison bird is Clark's Nutcracker, which has a much more restricted range with flashy black (and white) on wings and tail.

Personal Notes: This bird is a hallmark of the Great North Woods for us. Richard even got one to land on his hand.