In spring American Goldfinch definitely deserve their nickname: wild canary. The male is bright lemon yellow with a black cap, wings, and tail. Females are olive-yellow with dusky wings…

At nine inches the American Kestrel is our smallest falcon. It has been also called a sparrow hawk. This common year-round resident can be seen hovering over fields or perched on telephone poles along roadways…

In some Native American cultures, the hummingbird represents joy. On cold winter mornings, hearing this 4.5 inch bird that weighs less than 4.5 grams, singing its heart out in iridescent pink…

In 1782 the Bald Eagle was chosen as our national symbol for its strength, fierce demeanor, and loyalty. Others, including Ben Franklin, mumbled that they are pirates who steal fish from Ospreys and are scavengers that feed on carrion…

I usually hear the strong, flapping wings of Band-tailed Pigeons as the flock takes off from its perch at the tip of a tree. At fifteen inches, the Band-tailed pigeon is the largest of the pigeon-dove family…

The association between Barn Swallows and people allows many of us to enjoy watching their nestlings grow right outside our doors. They are easily recognized by their deep-blue backs, long pointed wings, and deeply forked tails…

Barn Owls are the owls we are most familiar with because of their close connection with humans. They live in and around towns, above which their eerie hisses, screeches, and clicks can be heard late at night…

"Who cooks for you, who cooks for you-all" is the vocalization of the Barred Owl. It is very similar to our Spotted Owl but larger and more aggressive…

Belted Kingfishers are easy to spot along waterways, perched on conspicuous branches or wires, ready to dive headfirst for their meal. Their call is a loud, dry rattle.

An odd but not uncommon sound in the night is the flat, barking ‘quork’ of the Black-crowned Night Herons as they fly to their nighttime hunting grounds along ponds, salt-water marshes and slow-moving streams.

The Black-Necked Stilt is a slender wading bird with long red legs. It forages along the edges of fresh and saltwater marshes, ponds, and tidal mudflats.

The Black Phoebe is a year-round resident and is often seen on a fence post or low branch. From there, it sallies up to snatch an insect from the air and returns to the same perch. This seven-inch flycatcher is all black except for its white belly and thin white lines down the outside of its tail…