Great Black-backed Gull
The Great Black- backed Gull was actively hunted for eggs and feathers during nineteenth century; now protected from both forms of exploitation. Exploitation all but stopped in U.S. and Canada as result of growth of conservation movement and protection of birds. The Great Black-backed Gull is the one of the largest gulls in the world.
Fox Sparrow
Fox Sparrows are dark, splotchy sparrows of dense thickets. Named for the rich red hues that many Fox Sparrows wear, this species is nevertheless one of our most variable birds, with four main groups that can range from foxy red to gray to dark brown. The picture of this pretty Fox Sparrow was taken in the Green-wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.
Double-crested Cormorant Immature
Double-crested Cormorants often stand in the sun with their wings spread out to dry. They have less preen oil than other birds, so their feathers can get soaked rather than shedding water like a duck’s. This picture of this immature Double-crested Cormorant was taken at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge on a somewhat foggy, misty day.
Cooper’s Hawk contemplating a bee
Once thought averse to towns and cities, Cooper’s Hawks are now fairly common urban and suburban birds. Some studies show their numbers are actually higher in towns than in their natural habitat, forests. Cities provide plenty of Rock Pigeon and Mourning Dove prey.
Dark-eyed Junco
Juncos are the “snowbirds” of the middle latitudes. Over most of the eastern United States, they appear as winter sets in and then retreat northward each spring. Dark-eyed Juncos are primarily seed-eaters.The photograph of this Dark-eyed Junco with a background of crab apples was taken at the New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx, New York.
White-throated Sparrow Closeup
White-throated Sparrows stay near the ground, scratching through leaves in search of food, often in flocks. White-throated Sparrows sing their distinctive songs frequently, even in winter. The picture of this White-throated Sparrow Closeup with lots of feather detail was taken at the Green-wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.
Juvenile Herring Gull in Flight
Herring Gulls are one of the most familiar gulls of the East Coast and many people just call them “seagulls.” In fact, some two dozen different species of gulls live in North America, and they present almost endless opportunities for identification.
Northern Mockingbird
Both male and female mockingbirds sing. They often mimic the sounds of birds (and frogs) around them. They go on learning new sounds throughout their lives. The song is a long series of phrases, with each phrase repeated 2-6 times before shifting to a new sound; the songs can go on for 20 seconds or more.
Greater Yellowlegs
Greater Yellowlegs is common, tall, long-legged shorebird of freshwater ponds and tidal marshes, the Greater Yellowlegs frequently announces its presence by its piercing alarm calls. The photograph of this Greater Yellowlegs was taken at the newly constructed blind on the East Pond in the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.
American Robin with Berries
Massive seasonal American Robin migrations occur across large areas of Canada, the U.S., and Mexico as individuals respond to the seasonal availability of soil invertebrates in the spring and of fruit in the fall. The picture of this American Robin was taken at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, New York.
Common Merganser
Common Mergansers are sometimes called sawbills, fish ducks, or goosanders. The word “merganser” comes from the Latin and roughly translates to “plunging goose”—a good name for this very large and often submerged duck.
Blue-headed Vireo
The Blue-headed Vireo is a common and vocal bird of northeastern forests. The Blue-headed Vireo is the latest vireo to depart in autumn; migration more prolonged than in spring. Migrants use wide variety of wooded habitats, from shrubbery to treetops, either coniferous or deciduous.
To hear the song of the Blue-headed Vireo, click on the arrow below.
Horned Lark
The only true lark native to North America, the Horned Lark is a common, widespread bird of open country. Adult Horned Larks eat primarily weed and grass seeds, but they feed insects to their young. In the open areas of western North America, Horned Larks are among the bird species most often killed by wind turbines.
Peregrine Falcon in Flight
During its spectacular hunting stoop from heights of over 1 0.62 mi, the Peregrine Falcon may reach speeds of 200 mph as it drops toward its prey.
Turkey Vulture in Flight
Not everyone sees vultures as a creepy harbinger of death—many see them as sacred for their cleanup role. Tibetan Buddhists practice “sky burials,” where animals, usually vultures, consume their dead. Similarly, Zoroastrians offer their dead to be consumed by vultures on a raised platform, called a dakhma. They regard vultures are precious animals that release the soul from the body.