All about Feeding Wild Birds

Bird Identification Chart

Bird

Picture

Description

American Robin

Throat white with black streaks, lower belly and under tail white, gray tail moderately long with white spots at corners of outer tail feathers, bill yellow, occasionally show pale eyestripes on pale individuals. Wingspan 12-16 inches, weight 2.72 ozs. Sexes look similar; female paler, especially on head.

Barn Swallow

Size:6-7 inches. Small slender songbird, tail long and forked, upperparts steely iridescent blue, underparts rufous. Wingspan 11-13 inches, weight 0.6-0.71 ozs. Sexes look similar but males are deeper chestnut on underparts and have longer tail streamers.

Barred Owl

Size: 17-20 inches. Large owl, head is round with no ear tufts, dark eyes, underparts whitish with dark streaks. Wingspan 39-43 inches, weight 16.59-37.07 ozs. Sexes alike in plumage, female larger.

Baltimore Oriole

Size:7 inches. Medium-sized songbird. Male brilliant orange with black head. Bill rather long and pointed, two wingbars, body yellow to deep orange. Wingspan 9-12 inches. Single white wingbar; orange shoulder makes a second wingbar. Bill pointed and silvery. Female-Variable in appearance. May be similar to male but head more dark brownish olive than black and body paler orange. Usually face, throat and underparts orange. Tail brownish olive with black. White in shoulder gives it two white wingbars.

Black & White Warbler

Size: 10-12 inches. Large songbird, crest on head, upperparts various shades of blue. Wingspan 13-17 inches. Sexes alike. Food preferences include sunflowers, corn, safflower and suet but diet includes spiders, etc.

Black Cap Chickadee

Size: 5-6 inches. Small, short-billed bird. Black cap, black bib, white cheeks. Wingspan 6-8 inches, weight .0.32-0.49 ozs. Sexes look alike.

Blue Jay

Bobolink

Size: 6-8 inches. Medium-sized songbird. Short, pointed tail and short conical bill. Breeding male black below, white on back. Female and nonbreeding male yellowish brown with bold black stripes on head and back. Wingspan 11 inches, weight 1/02-1.98 ozs. Breeding male with black front and white back. Female and nonbreeding male drab, striped, and straw-colored.

Brown-Headed Cowbird

Size:7-9 inches. Medium-sized songbird, medium-long bail, bill stout and pointed, male shiny black with brown head and neck, female dull gray-brown. Wingspan 11-14 inches.

Brown Thrasher

Size: 9-12 inches. Upperparts bright rufous, underparts white or buff with black streaking. Wingspan 11-13 inches, weight 2.15-3.14 ozs. Sexes look alike.

Cedar Waxwings

Size: 6-7 inches. Medium-sized songbird, gray-brown overall, crest on top of head, black mask edged in white. Yellow tip to tail; may be orange. Wingspan 9-12 inches, weight 1.13 ozs. Sexes nearly alike.

Common Flicker

Size: 11-12 inches. Medium to large woodpecker, grayish brown. Barred on top, spotted below. Black crescent on chest. Rump white, conspicuous in flight. Yellow or red patches in wings obvious in flight. Wingspan 17-20 inches, weight 3.88-5.65 ozs. Sex differences – male with black or red mustache stripe. Female without mustache stripe or with brown one.

Common Redpoll

Size: 5-6 inches. A very small finch, bill small and conical, chin black, forehead red. Wingspan 7-9 inches, weight 0.39-071 ozs. Male pink on chest and less streaked, female without pink and heavily streaked.

Crow

Size: 16-21 inches. Eyes dark brown, legs black, all feathers black glossed with violet. Wingspan 33-39 inches. Sexes alike in plumage but male averages slightly larger.

Dark-Eyed Junco

Size:6 inches. Medium-sized sparrow, unstreaked gray or brown and usually no wingbars. Gray to black hood, belly white, white outer tail feather, eyes dark and legs pink. Wingspan 7-10 inches. Sexes similar but females average paler and browner.

Downy Woodpecker

Size: 6-7 inches. Black and white plumage, plain white back. Small, pointed bill. Wingspan 10-12 inches, weight 0.74-0.99 ozs. Sex differences – male with red patch on back of head, female with black patch.

Eastern Meadowlark

Size: 7-10 inches. Throat, chest and belly yellow. Black “V” across chest, back brown and streaked, outer tail feathers white. Wingspan 14-16 inches, weight 3.18-5.3 ozs. Sexes similar; females smaller with shorter wings.

Evening Grosbeak

Size: 6-7 inches. Large robust finch, tail relatively short, heavy conical bill pale greenish yellow, large white patch in wing obvious in flight. Wingspan 12-14 inches. Male bright, female duller.

Gold Finch

Size:4-5 inches. Small bird. Bill small, pointed, conical and pink. Body bright yellow to dull brown, wings dark with large white wingbars, tail short and notched, breeding male bright yellow with black cap and wings. Wingspan 7-9 inches. Summer male is bright yellow with a black cap whereas female is drab olive. Sexes similar and drab in winter.

Hairy Woodpecker

Size: 7-10 inches. Medium-sized woodpecker, black and white plumage, plain white back, bill is thick and rather long. Wingspan 13-16 inches, weight 1.41-3.35 ozs. Sex differences – male with red patch on back of head, female with black patch.

House Finch

Size:5-6 inches. Medium-sized finch. Male bright red on head, chest and rump; female brown and striped. Bill short and thick with rounded top edge, two think white wingbars. Wingspan 8-10 inches.

House Wren

Size:4-5 inches. Small brown songbird, moderately short tail often held cocked over back, thin pointed bill. Wingspan 7 inches.

Grackle

Size: 11-13 inches. Large blackbird, iridescent black all over, long tail keel-shaped in flight, eyes yellow. Wingspan 14-18 inches. Female slightly smaller and less glossy.

Great-Crested Flycatcher

Length:7-8 inches. Medium-sized songbird; large flycatcher. Bright yellow belly, cinnamon rufous in wings and tail, wingbars. Wingspan 13 inches. Sexes alike in plumage; male slightly larger.

Indigo Bunting

Size: 5 inches. Small songbird. Short, thick bill. Male brilliant dark blue all over, female dull brown. Wingspan 7-9 inches, weight 0.42-0.64 ozs.

Mourning Dove

Size:9-13 inches. Medium-sized bird, small head, long pointed tail, light brown body, tail with white outer edges. Wingspan 15-18 inches. Sexes similar, but males slightly larger and slightly more colorful, with bluish crown and pink chest.

Northern Cardinal

Size:8-9 inches. Medium-sized songbird, large crest on head. Heavy, conical red bill. Face surrounded by black, male entirely brilliant red, female grayish-tan with red tail and wings. Wingspan 10-12 inches.

Northern Mockingbird

Size:8-10 inches. Medium-sized songbird, long tail, pale gray above and whitish below, bill thin, two white wingbars, large white patches show in wings in flight, white outer tail feathers. Wingspan 12-14 inches. Sexes look alike.

Northern Oriole

A medium sized songbird of 7 inches, it has a long tail, bill is rather long and pointed. Body color is yellow to deep orange. Male brightly orange in color with black hood, female duller and without black hood. Baltimore Orioles eat caterpillars, fruits, insects, spiders and nectar.

Orchard Oriole

Size: 6-7 inches. Small oriole, medium-sized songbird. Long tail. Thin, pointed bill. Wingbars. Adult male deep brick red with all-black head, back and tail. Female and yearling male yellow-green, male with black bib. Wingspan 10 inches, weight 0.56-0.99 ozs. Sex differences – adult male deep brick red with black head. Female all greenish yellow. Yearling male yellow with black bib.

Pileated Woodpecker

Length:16-19 inches. Large woodpecker, red crest on head, black body. Wingspan 26-30 inches. Sexes similar, male has red crown and forehead and red in black mustache stripe. Female has gray to yellow-brown forehead and no red in mustache stripe.

Pine Grosbeak

Size:8-10 inches. Large finch; medium-sized songbird. Plump, heavy-chested. Dark wings with two white wingbars, large stubby curved bill, male red. Blackish-brown tail and wings, tail long and slightly forked, eyes black, bill dark, legs dark. Male-Pinkish-red head, breast, back and rump. Streaked back. White undertail coverts. Blackish brown wings and tai. White wingbars and tertial edges. Female-Yellowish olive head and rump. Gray underparts and back. Blackish brown wings and tail. White wingbars and tertial edges.

Purple Finch

Size:5-6 inches. Medium-sized finch. Male raspberry-red on head and chest; female brown and striped. Bill relatively thick and pointed. Tail notched. Wingspan 9-10 inches.

Purple Martin

Size: 7-8 inches. Large swallow; medium-sized songbird. Large head, thick chest, broad pointed wings, male entirely bluish-black. Wingspan 15-16 inches. Male all dark, female dingy below. Purple Martin is the largest and heaviest of the 9 swallow species that breed in North America

Red-Breasted Nuthatch

Size: 4 inches. Small nuthatch, eyebrow white with black stripe through eye, top of head black, back gray, underparts reddish, climbs down trees headfirst. Wingspan 7-8 inches. Top of male’s head black, female’s blue-gray. Female is paler underneath and has a narrower eyestripe.

Rose-Breasted Grosbeak

Size:7-8 inches. Medium-sized, stocky songbird. Large, thick, pale, done-shaped bill. White flash in wings in flight. Male distinctive with black hood, red chest and white belly. Bill pink-white to slate gray, eyes dark brown, legs and feet grayish blue with soles lighter. Male strikingly colored with black back and hood, red chest, white rump and belly. Female streaked brown and white.

Ruby Throated Hummingbird

Size:3-4 inches. Tiny bird, back iridescent green, hovers at flowers, male with brilliant iridescent red throat. Wingspan 3-4 inches, weight 0/07-0.21 ozs. Male with red throat, female with white. Female with white tips to tail feathers. Female larger.

Scarlet Tanager

Size: 6-7 inches. Medium-sized songbird. Male distinctive: bright red bird with black wings and tail. Wingspan 10-11 inches, weight 0.81-1.34 ozs. Sex differences – breeding male bright scarlet with black wings and tail. Female and nonbreeding male olive-green with black wings and tail.

Song Sparrow

Size: 5-7 inches. Chest streaked with spot in center. Two thick brown stripes on sides of whitish throat (malar stripes). Long, rounded tail. Grayish or whitish eyebrow. Wingspan 7-9 inches, weight 0.42 -1.87 ozs. Sexes look alike.

Snow Bunting

Size:6 inches. Small songbird, lots of white in the plumage, underside white, large white patches in wings, brownish on back and face, black tail with white outer feathers. Wingspan 12 inches. Breeding male clean black-and-white, female streaked with gray and rufous. Similar in nonbreeding plumage but female with darker wings.

Tufted Titmouse

Size:6 inches. Small gray songbird, short tuft on head, eye black and prominent in pale gray face. Wingspan 8-10 inches, weight 0.64-0.92 ozs. Sexes alike.

White Breasted Nuthatch

Size: 5-7 inches. Large sparrow, small songbird. Top of head with two broad black stripes, separated by a broad white crown stripe. Eyebrow stripe white, bordered in front by black crown stripe. Wingspan 8-9 inches, weight 0.88-0.99 ozs. Sexes alike in plumage, males slightly larger.

Yellow Warbler

Size: 5 inches. Small songbird. Think pointed bill. Yellow overall. Chestnut streaks on chest of male. Wingspan 6-8 inches, weight 0.32-0.39 ozs. Sex differences – male bright yellow with reddish streaks on chest, female duller with red streaks absent or reduced.