Bird BlitzBird BlitzTHE HIGH FLY ER SYou might spot these birds soaring high above your head! Listen for their calls or observe the shape they make in the sky to help you identify them!

Turkey Vulture Red heads (no feathers) and soar way up (no flapping)

Great Blue Heron Large rookery (nesting area) in Akron in Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Sea Gull Lots of species; mostly white; steal French fries on the beach

Bald Eagle White head and tail; National bird

Hawk Lots of species in Ohio; Beak and talons are for eating meat

Canada Goose or Duck Honks and quacks; often fly together in “V” shape

THE NIGHT OW LSThese birds stay up late and are most active after dark! You might only hear their hoots or buzzes!

Eastern Screech Owl Very common in urban areas; sounds like a horse whinny

Barred Owl Says “who cooks for you all”

Great Horned Owl Says “Hoo hoo”; largest owl in Ohio; big pointy ear tufts

American Woodcock Says “Peent!” Males do a fun sky dance; eats worms

Nighthawk Sounds like a woodcock; nests on gravel roofs

THE R A INBOW BR IGHTSThese birds are the bomb in terms of color! They add a bit of dazzle to any habitat!

Northern Cardinal State bird of Ohio; Sound like laser beams

Blue Jay So loud!

Eastern Bluebird Cavity nester; likes a cozy box or tree; eggs are light blue, too

Ruby-throated hummingbird Males have a red breast; can fly backwards

Baltimore Oriole Loves to eat grape jelly (really!)

Did you know that you can explore nature in your own neighborhood? See how many birds you can spot from your roost!

BACK YARD BIODIVERSIT Y

THE HOMEBODIESThese LBBs (Little Brown/Black Birds) all have the word “house” in their name or actually live in our houses!

House sparrow Introduced to US from Europe; found around homes

House Wren Imitates a rattlesnake if you get close to their nest; Upright tail

House Finch Pretty reddish head; often at backyard feeders

ChimneySwift Often seen above houses at dusk; roost in chimneys

THE HE A DBA NGER SOtherwise known as the woodpeckers, these birds really know how to drum up the fun!

Hairy Woodpecker Larger and bigger bill than the Downy woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker Smallest Ohio woodpecker

Red-bellied Woodpecker Red mohawk (belly is really pink)

THE ROCK STA R SThese birds have sweet songs or are just super rad in their own way.

Rock Pigeon Very urban bird; lots of color variation

Mourning Dove Makes beautiful cooing noises; often perch on wires

American Robin Is the early singer that wakes you up before dawn; eats worms

Black-capped Chickadee Says its name: “Chickadee-dee-dee”; Spunky

American Crow Loud “Caw Caw”; often chased by little birds

European Starling Noisy birds with lots of funny mechanical calls; Iridescent

SPECI A L TH A NK S TO:Bath Community Fund,

Greater Akron Audubon Society, Bath Township Parks,

John and Alexander Landis

The University of Akron is an Equal Education and Employment Institution - uakron.edu/eeo © 2020 by The University of Akron / P-0420-34979

@UAKRON_FIELDSTATION #BACKYARDBIODIVERSITY #ZIPSBIOLOGY #BIRDBLITZ

T U R K E Y V U L T U R E

THE high flyers

B A L D E A G L E

R E D T A I L E D H A W K

C A N A D A G E E S E

G R E A T B L U E H E R O N

S E A G U L L S

All images by John Landis

The Night Owls

E A S T E R N S C R E E C H O W LG R E A T H O R N E D O W L

A M E R I C A N W O O D C O C K

B A R R E D O W LN I G H T H A W K

All images by John Landis except Great Horned Owl by Lara Roketenetz and American Woodcock illustration by Alexander Landis

THE Rainbow Brights

N O R T H E R N C A R D I N A L

B L U E J A Y

R U B Y T H R O A T E D H U M M I N G B I R D

E A S T E R N B L U E B I R D S

B A L T I M O R E O R I O L EAll images by John Landis

The Homebodies (aka LBBs)

H O U S E S P A R R O W H O U S E F I N C H

C H I M N E Y S W I F TH O U S E W R E N

All images by John Landis except Chimney Swift by Lara Roketenetz

The Headbangers

H A I R Y W O O D P E C K E R D O W N Y W O O D P E C K E R

R E D B E L L I E D W O O D P E C K E R

All images by John Landis

The Rock Stars

R O C K P I G E O N

M O U R N I N G D O V E

A M E R I C A N R O B I N E U R O P E A N S T A R L I N G

B L A C K - C A P P E D C H I C K A D E E

A M E R I C A N C R O W

All images by John Landis