Field Sparrow
This Field Sparrow is one of the fall migrating sparrows that come through the New York City area this time of year. The Field Sparrow has a simple, yet distinctive song of repeated clear whistled notes on one pitch that increase in rate until they make a trill.
Golden-crowned Kinglet
To hear the song of the Golden-crowned Kinglet, click arrow below
Bald Eagle in Flight
The Bald Eagle dwarfs most other raptors, including the Turkey Vulture and Red-tailed Hawk. These regal birds aren’t really bald, but their white-feathered heads gleam in contrast to their chocolate-brown body and wings. The picture of this Bald Eagle in flight was taken at the State Line Lookout on the Palisades in New Jersey.
Black-throated Blue Warbler Male
The Black-throated Blue Warbler is a bird of the deep forest. the Black-throated Blue Warbler breeds in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. On migration to its Caribbean wintering grounds it can be seen in a variety of habitats, including parks and gardens.
To hear the song of the Black-throated Blue Warbler click on the arrow below two times.
American Goldfinch
Goldfinches are among the strictest vegetarians in the bird world, selecting an entirely vegetable diet and only inadvertently swallowing an occasional insect. The American Goldfinches had a grand buffet at the Native Garden in the New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx which is absolutely stunning this time of year with lots of seed eating birds.
To hear the song of the American Goldfinch click below.
Mute Swan Closeup
The picture of this Mute Swan was photographed from the parking lot just after the Cross Bay Blvd bridge before the entrance to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge when coming from Manhattan. This is a favorite place of mine to photograph water birds close up.
Chestnut-sided Warbler Male Nonbreeding
On the wintering grounds in Central America the Chestnut-sided Warbler joins in mixed-species foraging flocks with the resident antwrens and tropical warblers. An individual warbler will return to the same area in subsequent years, joining back up with the same foraging flock it associated with the year before.
To hear the song of the Chestnut-sided Warbler click below
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are eastern North America’s only breeding hummingbird. But in terms of area, this species occupies the largest breeding range of any North American hummingbird. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird beats its wings about 53 times a second.
To hear the call of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, click on arrow below
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
A common, but slow-moving and secretive denizen of woodlands, the Yellow-billed Cuckoo eats large quantities of hairy caterpillars. Its loud call is heard far more frequently than the bird is actually seen.
Click below to hear the sounds of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Common Yellowthroat Warbler Immature Male
Common Yellowthroats live in thick, tangled vegetation in a wide range of habitats—from wetlands to prairies to pine forests—across North America.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglets are restless, acrobatic birds that move quickly through foliage, typically at lower and middle levels. They flick their wings almost constantly as they go.
To hear the sound of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet, click below.
Belted Kingfisher
Belted Kingfishers need access to bodies of water for feeding, and vertical earthen banks for nesting. They hunt in unclouded water that allows them to see prey below the surface, with perches nearby but minimal vegetation obstructing the water.
To hear the rattle sound of the Belted Kingfisher click below.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher is the northernmost-occurring species of gnatcatcher, and the only truly migratory one. Most members of its genus are resident in the Neotropics. The soft, rambling song of the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher usually contains some mimicked songs of other bird species.
Blackpoll Warbler
The song of the male Blackpoll Warbler is one of the highest-pitched of all birds.
Click below to hear the song of the Blackpoll Warbler
Snowy Egrets Sparring
Snowy Egret hostile displays involve crest-raising and rasping calls . Upright posture and moderate plume erection proceeds in low-intensity displays (Snap, Stretch) to full attacks with inclined body and fully erected feathers.
Click below to hear the hostile display sounds of the Snowy Egret