Carolina Chickadee

Fish Crow

Black-bellied Whistling-duck

Scientific Name: Dendrocygna autumnalis

Range / Habitat: Found year-round on inland wetlands from both slopes of Mexico, through Central America and down to south-central South America. Rarely found in the southern US.

Field Notes: Distinctive duck in its region. Neck and legs long. Head grey. Neck, chest and back rufous. Belly black and prominent white patch in wings.

Personal Notes: Tend to hang out on farmland.

Northern Mockingbird

Scientific Name: Mimus polyglottos

Range / Habitat: Year-round in shrub land throughout the United States and Mexico.

Field Notes: Medium-sized grey songbird with long tail, dark wings with white wing bars, and a black eye stripe. Similar overall appearance to both the Loggerhead and Great Grey Shrike, but the shrikes have slightly different ranges and wide black mask instead of an eye stripe. Townsend's Solitaire is also similar but has a more restricted range, is the same shade of grey all over, and has a white eye ring instead of a black eye stripe.

Personal Notes: It was remarkable to watch and listen to this bird with a seemingly endless array of different melodies.

Western Osprey

Scientific Name: Pandion haliaetus

Population Estimate: 500K, Least Concern status

Range / Habitat: Migrant throughout much of the US. It winters primarily in South America and breeds in the northern US and Canada. Found around nearly any type of body of water.

Field Notes: Large raptor with black back and white chest. Wings a distinctive "M" shape in flight. Feathers cover the legs. Dark eye stripe on white head. Stick nests place conspicuously in open areas.

Personal Notes: Above photo taken in Amery, Wisconsin on a job interview. 

Blue Jay

Scientific Name: Cyanocitta cristata

Population Estimate: 22M, Least Concern status

Range / Habitat: Year-round in the eastern US and up into Canada in forest edges. They favor acorns and are frequently found near oaks.

Field Notes: Part of the crow family, this is a dramatic and conspicuous bird that is smaller than a crow but larger than a robin. Dramatic crest. The blue coloration is both unmistakable and even electric. Characteristic, high-pitched and far-traveling "jay" sound.

Personal Notes: One of our favorites, especially in winter.

American White Ibis

Scientific Name: Eudocimus albus

Population Estimate: 150K

Range / Habitat: Year-round in shallow coastal marshes, wetlands, and mangrove swamps along the Gulf Coast, Atlantic coast of US as far north as the Carolinas, throughout Florida and the Caribbean, both coasts of Mexico and Central America as far south as Columbia and Venezuela.

Field Notes: Medium-sized white wading bird with black wing tips, long decurved red bill and red legs. Unmistakable in range.

Personal Notes: Seen in Cancun and Orlando.

Great White Egret

Scientific Name: Casmerodius albus

Population Estimate: 550K - 2.2M, Least Concern status

Range / Habitat: Worldwide distribution near water.

Field Notes: Large white heron with yellow bill and black legs. White morph of Great Blue Heron has heavier, less uniformly yellow bill and pale legs. Snowy Egret is smaller with black bill and yellow feet. Cattle Egret found primarily in fields and is smaller with stockier bill.

Personal Notes: Some sources differentiate the Great Egret and Eastern Great Egret, the latter being found in SE Asia and Australia.

American Wood Duck

Scientific Name: Aix sponsa

Population Estimate: 46.8M, Least Concern status

Range / Habitat: Year-round in eastern US and along the Pacific Coast. They prefer wooded wetlands as they nest in trees. A portion of birds winter in the southeastern US into Mexico and in summer the range extends to the border of Canada. 

Field Notes: Either sex unmistakable in any plumage as above. 

Personal Notes: One of our favourite sights on a walk in the woods.