Feathers – if it has feathers, it’s a birdFeathers are really just modified scalesBirds are also known for their beaks (they

lack teeth but have a beak), most fly, have hollow bones.

Birds

American Robin Turdus migratorius

-10-11 inches-likes to eat fruits and berries along with a variety of inverts including earthworms and insects-year round resident of the SMESL-female tends to be duller than the male

Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis

-smaller than a robin-eats seeds, insects, fruits and berries-year round resident of the SMESL-sexual dimorphism as seen in the picture to the right (male is bright red)

Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura-large bird-primarily eat carrion-summer resident of Kansas-females are slightly larger than males

Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos

-about same size as a robin-eat insects, berries and seeds-found in SMESL year round except for winter-distinct white bars on wings seen while in flight-males tend to be slightly larger than females

American Goldfinch Carduelis tristis

femalemale

-smaller than a robin-loves to eat seeds – especially thistle-year round SMESL resident, male plumage become dull (like female) outside of breeding season-

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos

-Omnivore, eats a wide variety of food-male is shown on the right, female on the left-can be found year round in the SMESL but most commonly seen in the Spring around the pond

Red Winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus

-slightly smaller than a robin-omnivorous-besides the obvious sexual dimorphism, male is larger than the female-Can be found in the SMESL year round but most often found in the Spring around the pond

Black Capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus

-smaller than a robin-loves to eat insects and seeds-year round resident of the SMESL-males are slightly larger than females

Brown Thrasher Toxostoma rufum

-slightly bibber than a robin-eats insects, berries, seeds, earthworms, snails and even small lizards-summer resident of the SMESL

Red Tail Hawk Buteo jamaicensis

-likes to eat a variety of small mammals but will also eat birds, and reptiles-”gets” it’s red tail at age 2 when it reaches sexual maturity-visits the SMESL year round-males are smaller than females

Cooper’s Hawk -much smaller than the red tail hawk-likes to eat birds, especially song birds-visits the SMESL year round

Barred Owl Strix varia -likes to eat small mammals xush as mice and voles but will eat a wide variety of vertebrates and even insects and slugs-visitor to the SMESL year round

American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos

-omnivorous, eating a wide variety of food. They even will use tools to acquire food-larger than a robin-year round resident of the SMESL

Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura

-about the size of a robin-mostly eats seeds-found year round in the SMESL-wings make a whistling as they take to flight

Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus

-about the same size as a robin-year round resident of the SMESL-as far as woodpeckers go it feeds on the ground very often – mostly eating insects (especially likes to eat ants) but will also eat fruits, berries, seeds and nuts-yellow shafted (most often found in the SMESL) and red shafted varieties occur in U.S.

Red Bellied Woodpecker

-about the same size as a robin-eats large numbers of wood boring beetles as well as other insects. Also eats acorns, beechnuts and wild fruits-year round resident of the SMESL

Downy Woodpecker-smaller than a robin-resembles the less common and slightly larger Hairy Woodpecker-Year round resident of the SMESL

TurkeySeries 1

Series 2

Series 3

-easy bird to distinguish-not found in the SMESL from the at least the 1970’s-2000. We now have turkey sightings every year in the SMESL

Grackle

-slightly larger than a robin-often passes through the SMESL in large, noisy groups in the fall and spring but individuals can be found year round