Thirty Common Birds of Loudoun County

Downy Woodpecker

                                                                          

Smallest Va. wodpecker. Shorter beak then similar Hairy woodpecker

Northern Flicker

(Yellow-shafted Flicker)

                                                      

Large bill and a black mustache. When flying it exhibits a white rump patch. Often hops across ground eating grubs and ants.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

                                                                                 

Red belly is often obscured against tree trunk. Head not completely red. Common.

Carolina Wren

                                                                                 

Upright tail. White eyebrow. Curved beak. Small often seen around wood piles and sheds. Builds nest in boxes and over turned cans in garages and outbuildings.

White-breasted Nuthatch

                                                      

Grey, black and white. Walks down trees upside down. Chiseled beak

Tufted Titmouse

                                                 

Carolina Chickadee

Very small. “Chick a dee dee dee”

White-throated Sparrow

                                                                                 

White chin. Black and white stripped head with yellow lores.

Song Sparrow

                                                                                 

Sings a lot. Black tie pin on chest. Streaked breast.

Dark-eyed Junco

                                                                                 

Slate grey above. White to cream below. Outer tail feathers are white.

American Goldfinch

                                                                                 

Mourning Dove

                                                      

American Robin

                                                                                 

Eastern Towhee

                                                                                 

Chestnut sides. Black back. Sings “Drink your tea, Drink your tea”

Indigo Bunting

                                                      

Iridescent Blue with a black beak

Eastern Phoebe

                           

Pumps its tail as it perches. Builds nests under the eves of a house or a cave. Flies out from conspicuous perches to catch insects.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

                                                                                 

Year round resident. Yellow rump patch and yellow side patch. Thin insect beak.

Northern Mockingbird

                                                                                 

Thin. Long tail and a curved beak. White patch in wings are used to scare up insects.

Northern Cardinal

European Starling

Nonindigenous. Black with small white dots. Yellow beak. Nest in holes and has caused decline in Blue-bird populations. Hangs out near fast-food joints.

Red-winged Blackbird

                                                                                 

Nests in cattails and reeds near wetlands.

Belted Kingfisher

                                                                                 

Perches over water and dives for small fish and minnows.

Barn Swallow

                                                                                 

Blue Jay

                                                                                 

Member of the crow family.

American Crow

                                                                                 

Solid black. Smaller then a raven and unlike the raven it cannot soar. Has a square tail, not wedge shaped. Protected.

Chimney SwiftFlying cigars. Each bird eats hundreds of insects per night. Roosts in chimneys.

Ring-billed Gull

                                                                                 

Common in winter in parking lots and at garbage dumps.

Killdeer

                                                                                 

Nest often in gravel driveways. Mother does a “broken wing” routine to draw away predators. Cries “killdeer, killdeer”

Mallard

                                                                                 

Great Blue Heron