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.
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.
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.
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