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American Wigeon
Longer-tailed than Mallard with thinner, pale blue bill. Breeding males have prominent white blaze on forehead and broad green slash behind eye. Look for orangey sides on females. As comfortable grazing on land as dabbling in water. Often steals food from diving ducks as they surface. |
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Barn Swallow
Recognizable even at a distance by its extremely long forked tail and dark rump. Spends a lot of time in flight, zipping over fields and ponds in search of insects. Appears dark above (iridescent navy blue in good light) and lighter below; belly color varies considerably across its extremely wide distribution, ranging from white to orange. Typically nests near people, in barns or under docks and other structures. |
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Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher
Tiny, long-tailed, with a thin bill. Soft blue-gray upperparts and slightly paler underparts. Note the thin white eyering. Males have black forehead. Forages for insects with diverse songbird flocks in a variety of wooded or brushy habitats. Active and twitchy; tail often seems loose. When separating from Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, try to confirm tail pattern from below: nearly all white, not black. |
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Blue-Winged Teal
Small duck with chalky-blue patches on the upperwing. Breeding males have a white crescent in front of eye. Females are patterned, cold brown, and show a hint of the male's white crescent on face. Black bill. Forages by dabbling and tipping-up in shallow wetlands. |
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Bonaparte's Gull
Breeding adults have a black head, thin white eye arcs, bright red legs, light gray upperparts, and black wingtips. |
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Bufflehead
Small, compact diving duck with large head and small gray bill. Breeding males are black and white with large white patch on back of head. Females and immature males are gray-brown with white patch on cheek. Much smaller than Common Goldeneye with which it often associates. |
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Canada Jay
Gray overall with a whitish face and blackish nape. Juveniles are darker, sooty-gray overall with white mustache stripe. Almost always in small family groups. Known for friendly, inquisitive behavior. Often seen around campgrounds and roadsides where they look for food handouts. Voice consists of variable soft, husky notes. |
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Canvasback
Attractive duck with distinctive triangular head; forehead slopes seamlessly into the long bill. Males are white-bodied with black chest, reddish-brown head, and red eye. Females are dull grayish-brown with unique head profile and dark brown eye. |
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Caspian Tern
Largest tern in the world. Thick, bright-red bill is distinctive. Note solid black cap in summer, which turns to black streaks in winter. |
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Cassin's Finch
Males have red concentrated on crown (brighter than throat) with pinkish wash coming into breast; flanks are pale with only a few fine streaks. Females are similar to Purple Finch but with more diffuse face pattern and finer streaks on flanks. Both sexes tend to show more peaked head and longer bill than House and Purple Finch. |
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Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Rather dark chickadee of the Pacific Northwest. Small, big-headed, and tiny-billed, much like other chickadees, but reddish-brown back and brownish sides are unique. |
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Chipping Sparrow
Small, slender sparrow with short bill and long, narrow tail. Plain grayish breast with rusty cap in breeding season. Common in suburban areas, particularly golf courses, parking lots and areas with short trees in grassy areas. In winter, beware similar Clay-colored, American Tree, and Brewer's Sparrows, but look for gray rump and dark eyeline in front of eye. |
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Cinnamon Teal
Small duck with chalky-blue patches on the upperwing. Males are rich reddish-brown overall. Females are warm brown. Black bill. Females have plainer face than very similar Blue-winged Teal. |
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Clark's Nutcracker
This relative of jays and crows is pale gray with a whitish face and black wings. Sexes are similar; juveniles are browner than adults. Feeds on pine cone seeds and stashes thousands of them in various places to eat later in the winter. Similar in color to Canada Jay, but especially note bill shape: long, slender, and sharply pointed. |
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Cliff Swallow
Compact swallow with a short tail. Looks slightly rounder winged than other swallows. Nests under bridges, overpasses, and culverts. Often sticks out among a flock of other swallows with its pale orangey rump. Cave Swallow also has a pale rump, but note Cliff's darker throat, white forehead, and different range. |
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Common Goldeneye
Adult males have a black head with circular white patch at the base of the bill and a mostly white body with limited black. Females and first-year males have gray body and chocolate brown head. Bright yellow eyes usually stand out on all but first-year females. Very similar to Barrow’s Goldeneye. Males are easiest: Common has less black on the back, lacks a dark spur on the side, and has a circular (not crescent-shaped) white patch on the face. Females can be very difficult. Common usually has a dark bill with a small yellow patch near the tip, but rarely can have an entirely dull yellowish bill like Barrow’s. Head and bill shape are important: Common has more evenly rounded head with a peak in the center of the crown, and a longer, straighter-edged bill. |
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Common Merganser
Large duck with a sleek body and thin red bill. Breeding males have a dark green head and mostly white body with peachy blush on underparts. Females and immature males have rusty brown head and gray bodies with a cleanly demarcated white throat. |
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Cooper's Hawk
Small to medium-sized hawk with relatively short rounded wings and rounded tail. Adults are gray above with pale orange barring below; immatures are browner and streaky. Very similar to Sharp-shinned Hawk, but larger with bigger head. Also note deeper, slower wingbeats. |
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Double-Crested Cormorant
Dark body with orange bare skin at the base of the bill. Breeding adults are all black. Immatures and nonbreeders have paler breast. |
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Downy Woodpecker
Tiny. Widespread and familiar woodland resident and backyard visitor. Its black-and-white plumage is nearly identical to larger Hairy Woodpecker, but note short bill (shorter than the head) and black markings on white outer tail feathers. |
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Eared Grebe
Small body with very thin bill. Head is peaked over red eye. Breeding adults have yellow whiskers on cheek for a fan-shaped patch, black back and mostly dark brown body. In winter, they have a gray body with a black cap, dusky wash across white cheek, and smudgy gray neck. |
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Eastern Kingbird
Dark brown to black above and clean white below. White tail tip. Flycatcher about the size of a robin. |
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Ferruginous Hawk
Large raptor of dry open country; light morph much more common than dark morph. Light adult distinctly rufous above with blue-gray flight feathers, white breast, and rufous barring on sides. Tail very pale with light rufous upperside. Light juvenile lacks rufous tones of adult but still shows pale tail and clean white breast. Dark morph rich brown overall with pale tail and white undersides on flight feathers. Wings show a dihedral or V-shape when soaring; wings rather long. |
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Forester's Tern
Smaller than all the gulls, with thinner and more pointed bill. Distinguished from other terns by pale whitish wings and orange-based bill in summer, and isolated black ear patch in winter. |
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Gadwall
Same size as Mallard but with a thinner bill. Males appear gray overall with a small white patch on wing; larger, puffier head than Mallard. Females similar to Mallard; note thinner bill, white wing patch (sometimes visible) and orange line along the edge of the bill. |
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Golden Eagle
Mostly dark brown. Immatures have white patch on underwing and white tail base. Lacks white mottling on belly. Often holds wings in slight V-shape when soaring. |
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Golden-crowned Sparrow
Large, long-tailed sparrow. Often looks scruffy and not as crisp as White-crowned Sparrow. Look for dark stripes bordering yellow crown. Often in flocks with White-crowned Sparrow. |
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Gray Flycatcher
Drab, pale-gray flycatcher with little plumage contrast; very similar to other flycatchers, especially Dusky and Hammond's. Often best identified by unique habit of wagging tail downward. Breeding habitat also distinctive: lower, more open habitat than other flycatchers, usually in sagebrush or open juniper forest. In migration and winter, habitat overlaps more with other flycatchers, but still tends to prefer more open areas. Other subtle differences in appearance include shorter wingtips, longer bill, and paler plumage. Song includes hoarse "chivik" phrase and higher, clearer "pseeoo." Call similar to Dusky. Without an excellent view, sometimes best left unidentified. |
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Great Blue Heron
Large and lanky with extremely long neck and long legs. Gray-blue overall with dagger-like bill. White form of south Florida and Caribbean is similar to Great Egret, but with heavier, thicker bill. White and blue form hybrids in south Florida have gray bodies and white heads. |
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Great-tailed Grackle
Large, lanky blackbird with flat crown and long tail. Males have ridiculously long tails, almost as long as their body, often held in a V-shape. Males are glossy black. Females are brown with paler eyebrow and throat. Eyes yellow to white; dusky for immatures. |
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Greater Sage Grouse
arge turkeylike bird found only in extensive areas of sagebrush. Both sexes gray overall with very fine patterning, black belly, and long pointed tail. Males have white breast and black throat. Spectacular male display involves fanning tail, inflating yellow air sacs on chest, and thrusting them forward to produce liquid popping noises. |
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| Greater White-fronted Goose |
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Hairy Woodpecker
Widespread and familiar woodland resident and backyard visitor. Its black-and-white plumage is nearly identical to the smaller Downy Woodpecker, but note longer bill (about the length of the head) and clean white outer tail feathers. |
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Hermit Thrush
Medium brown above with contrasting reddish tail. Dark spots on breast do not continue all the way down belly like Wood Thrush. Found in wooded areas; often hops on the ground or skulks in dense patches of shrubbery. Winters further north than other thrushes; many stay in the U.S. Listen for its beautiful song that is higher pitched than other thrushes with a steady introductory note; also gives low "chup" call note. |
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Hooded Merganser
Small duck; feeds by diving to catch mainly fish with thin, serrated bill. Breeding males have showy black and white crest, a couple zebra stripes on their white breast, and chestnut sides. Females and immature males are brown overall with a puffy crest and a thin orange stripe along the bottom of the bill. |
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House Finch
Males vary in shades and intensity of red. Some males are yellow or orange. Females are drab gray-brown overall with plain faces and blurry streaks on underparts. Similar to Purple and Cassin's Finch, but House Finch males are more orangey-red with color equally bright on crown, throat, and breast. Red color is mostly restricted to head and upper chest, contrasting with cold gray-brown nape, back, and wings. Pale sides show distinct brown streaks, lacking red tones. Females lack bold face pattern and have more diffuse patterning overall. |
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Lark Sparrow
Large and boldly patterned sparrow. Look for unique black, white, and rufous face pattern, brighter on adults and duller on immatures. Favors open areas with scattered trees when breeding; often forms flocks in brushy areas in winter. Usually feeds on the ground and flies up into trees when disturbed. In flight, notice long tail with broad white corners. |
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Lesser Scaup
Medium-sized duck, dives for invertebrates. Often in flocks and pairs on variety of water bodies. Head shape is best way to separate from nearly identical Greater Scaup; note peak near rear of crown. Also similar to Ring-necked Duck but grayer back and whiter flanks. Breeding males have dark head with green or purple sheen and bright white sides with some faint barring. Females are darker brown than Ring-necked Duck. |
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Marsh Wren
Habitat is the best clue for identifying this wren; rarely strays from cattail marshes and rushes for breeding. Migrants occasionally move into wet fields. Often difficult to see well as it skulks through grasses. Its plumage is rather bright rufous with darker brown cap, contrasting whitish eyebrow and throat, and black-and-white stripes on back. Overall darker and more contrasting than similar Sedge Wren. |
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Mountain Bluebird
Adult males are stunning: completely electric turquoise blue with limited white belly. Females are gray with blue wings and tail; some can show a rufous wash on breast. Also note thin bill and even longer wings compared with other bluebirds. |
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Mountain Chickadee
White stripe above the eye separates it from other chickadees. Otherwise, much like other chickadees: grayish overall with a big head, tiny bill, and black cap and throat. Tends to be in high-elevation mountainous areas with dry, coniferous forests. Active and aerobatic. Often in flocks with nuthatches and kinglets. |
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Mourning Dove
Very common, widespread dove. Almost half the size of Rock Pigeon. Chunky body, small head and pointed tail. Brown with dark spots on wings. Pinkish-beige belly is slightly paler than wings. |
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Northern Goshawk
Uncommon, bulky, forest-dwelling hawk. Adults are distinctive if seen well: overall gray, paler below, blackish crown and cheek, white eyebrow, and red eye. Immature very similar to Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Cooper's Hawk, but larger and broader-winged with a more prominent white eyebrow, heavier streaking below (Eurasian Sparrowhawk barred below), and typically streaked undertail coverts. In most suburban areas, Cooper's and Sparrowhawk are more likely; goshawk typically requires extensive mature forest. Very aggressive around nest. Feeds on large prey such as hares and grouse. |
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Northern Harrier
Medium-sized hawk with long tail and thin wings. Flies with wings held in a V-shape, low over open fields and marshes, listening for rodents lurking below. Distinctive foraging behavior and conspicuous white patch on rump in all plumages. Females and immatures are warm brown. Adult males gray above and whitish below with black wingtips. |
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Northern Pintail
Elegant, slender duck with long neck and tail. Males have a chocolate brown head with a white slash coming up the neck, white breast, and mostly gray body. Females are patterned light brown. |
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Northern Shoveler
Medium-sized duck; smaller than a Mallard. Huge, spoon-shaped bill visible at a distance and in flight. Breeding males have dark green head, white breast, and chestnut sides and belly. Females buffy-brown with large, distinctive bill. Chalky-blue upperwing. |
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Olive-sided Flycatcher
Stocky flycatcher that almost always perches conspicuously on a high bare perch with an upright posture. From the front, look for dark sides creating a vest, with a bright white stripe from throat to belly. White patches on the sides of rump are sometimes visible from behind. Most similar to pewees but larger and larger-billed, with more contrasting vest. Distinctive whistled song is often likened to "quick, three beers;" also listen for "pip" call notes. |
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Osprey
Mostly white head and underparts; dark brown back. In flight, holds wings with a kink in the wrist (shaped like an "M"). |
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Pacific Wren
Most easily recognized by its incredible voice; complex, high-pitched whistled song rings through dense, moss-covered forests. Not as impressive to see as it is to hear. Very small, dark brown, with short tail often cocked upright. Western counterpart of Winter Wren (formerly considered one species). Two species barely overlap in range. Note differences in song and darker, warmer plumage of Pacific. |
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Pied-billed Grebe
Compact, small gray-brown body and a stubby bill. Shorter, rounder body than a duck. Plain brown plumage year-round; not as black as a coot. Breeding adults have white bill with black ring around it. Black eyes. |
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Prairie Falcon
Pale brown above and white below, with dark streaks and prominent mustache. Note the dark armpits to separate from Peregrine Falcon. |
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Pygmy Nuthatch
The nuthatch of ponderosa pine forests. Plumage is nearly identical to Brown-headed Nuthatch, but no range overlap. Small size and gray cap separate from Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatches. Often in flocks, calling frequently, and high in crowns of pines. Frequently mixes with other songbirds, including chickadees and warblers. Vocal; gives variety of peeps and chips. |
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Red-breasted Nuthatch
Smaller than White-breasted Nuthatch with bold black-and-white head stripes and reddish-orange underparts (males are brighter than females). Creeps along tree trunks and branches, often upside down. Prefers coniferous forests. |
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Red-naped Sapsucker
Medium-sized woodpecker that breeds in montane forests, often in aspens or willows. Much like Yellow-bellied Sapsucker of the east, but little range overlap. Bold white slash on the wing separates from other woodpeckers; bold black, white, and red face pattern and white mottling on back separates from Red-breasted Sapsucker. |
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Red-tailed Hawk
Eastern adults have brilliant reddish-orange tail and pale underparts with obvious band of dark marks across belly. Western birds are typically darker. Immatures do not have a red tail. |
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Redhead
Slightly smaller than a Mallard with rounded, puffy head. Males have reddish-brown head, straw-yellow eye, and gray body. Females are plain brown overall; a lighter blonde color than scaup and Ring-necked Duck. Best separated from Canvasback by rounded head and the male's darker gray body. About the size of Greater Scaup, but slightly larger than Lesser Scaup and Ring-necked Duck—this can be helpful when they are together in mixed flocks. |
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Ring-necked Duck
Males are handsome with glossy black head and back; clean gray sides. Females are gray-brown, often with a pale area behind the bill and white eyering. Both sexes have a white band across the top of pale blue bill. |
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| Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) |
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Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Plain olive with uneven white eyering and white wingbars. Males have red crown patch, but it's often hidden. Breeds in tall, dense conifer forests. Found in shrubby habitats, deciduous forests, parks, and suburbs during migration and winter. Gives off an energetic vibe as it moves extremely quickly and flicks its wings. Similar in plumage to Hutton's Vireo, but note tiny bill. |
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Ruddy Duck
Small, compact duck with a long, fan-shaped tail, often held sticking up out of water. Breeding males have a chestnut body, black cap, white cheek, and baby-blue bill. Winter males have a brown body, black cap and white cheek. Females and immature males are brown overall with a dark cap and dark line through the cheek. |
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Rufous Hummingbird
Adult males are almost entirely orange with bright white chest and some green on the back (can be solid green like Allen's Hummingbird). Throat is iridescent, and depending on the light, can look anywhere from red to orange to yellow to lime green. On females and immatures, look for orange on sides and tail to separate from Anna's and Black-chinned. |
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Sage Thrasher
The smallest thrasher; crisp black streaking on underparts unlike most other western thrashers. Grayish brown with buffy wash on belly and sides and thin white wingbars. Long tail. Small, slightly downcurved bill. In flight, look for white corners on tail. True to its name, shows a strong affinity for sagebrush. Singing males perch conspicuously, otherwise furtive, running around on the ground in search of insects. Song is a long, loose series of musical chirps and whistles. |
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Savannah Sparrow
Plumage varies, but usually shows distinctive yellow patch in front of eye. Also note streaky breast and short tail, because not all individuals have yellow. Breeds in open areas including meadows and hayfields. Found in more open habitats than Song Sparrow; also smaller and shorter-tailed. |
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Snow Goose
All white with black wingtips. Pink bill and legs. Immatures have dusky smudging. “Blue Goose” is a dark morph with a blackish body and white face. |
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Song Sparrow
Look for thick brown streaks on whitish breast. Larger, longer-tailed and more rusty than Savannah Sparrow. |
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Swainson's Hawk
Longer-winged than Red-tailed Hawk, but otherwise the same size. Found in prairies and agricultural regions of western U.S. and Canada in warm months. Varies in color from rather pale with white belly to completely brown. Light morph is more common with brown breast band contrasting with white throat and belly. In flight from below, note dark primaries and secondaries contrasting with whitish forewing of light morph. Winters in South America and along Pacific coast of Central America. Extremely rare in U.S. in winter. |
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Tree Swallow
Adults are iridescent blue-green above (dark in poor light) and bright white below; immatures are duller. |
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Trumpeter Swan
Extremely similar to Tundra Swan, but never shows yellow on bill. Also, note subtle features of face: facial skin is relatively broad where it meets eye, so the eye doesn't stand out, and border between white face and black bill is straight (curved on Tundra). From head-on, the border of the bill and forehead is usually pointed (straight or curved on Tundra). |
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Tundra Swan
North American “Whistling” Tundras have a mostly black bill, with a yellow spot near the eye; Eurasian “Bewick’s” have a more evenly divided black-and-yellow bill. Immatures dusky gray-brown with pink on bill. Easily confused with Whooper and Trumpeter Swans where their ranges overlap; |
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Vesper Sparrow
Large, drab, streaky sparrow of grasslands, second growth, and bare ground. Most distinctive in flight, when it flashes white outer tail feathers. Also note the thin white eyering and rufous shoulder (often hidden). Forages mainly on the ground. Song usually starts with a couple clear introductory notes, followed by a series of trills and chips. |
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Western Bluebird
Adult males have dark blue head, back, and wings. Breast and sides are deep orange with orange sometimes bleeding onto back. Females are grayer overall with orange on breast, blue usually restricted to wings and tail. |
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Western Grebe
Large grebe with very thin, long, yellow-green bill. Very long neck. Black cap extends below red eye. Long, gray body rides low in the water. Similar to Clark's Grebe, which shows white surrounding the eye, very bright yellow-orange bill, and paler gray sides. Breeds in marshes; mostly found on saltwater bays and open ocean in winter. |
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Western Kingbird
Fairly large flycatcher, barely smaller than a robin. Favors open habitats with tall shrubs and trees. Usually seen on an obvious perch. Most similar to Cassin's Kingbird, with a gray head and yellow belly. Cassin's is not as widespread. Western is separated by paler gray head that fades to whiter throat and breast. Also note black tail with white edges (white stripe along vertical edge of outer tail feathers). |
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Western Screech Owl
Pint-sized, cryptically patterned gray owl with fine streaks of black and white; short ear tufts. Found in a variety of wooded habitats, but favors riparian and deciduous areas. Can be found in urban areas and parks. Feeds mostly on small mammals, birds, and insects. Nests in cavities. Listen for its voice at night: a series of short whistled notes that accelerates at the end. Unlike counterpart, Eastern Screech-Owl, they do not have a rufous color morph, only gray morph. |
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Western Wood Peewee
Drab grayish flycatcher found in forested areas and edges. Usually seen on a high perch as it watches for prey, then sallies out to snatch insects. After these short flights, it often (but not always) returns to the same perch. Nondescript plumage with dull wingbars. Note the song, which is a buzzy, descending "BREeerr." Looks nearly identical to Eastern Wood-Pewee. |
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White-breasted Nuthatch
Frequents backyards, parks, and suburbs; favors mature deciduous trees. White face contrasts with black cap and blue-gray upperparts; belly is slightly grayer with brown on the undertail. Creeps along tree trunks and branches, often upside down, in search of seeds and insects. Small, roughly sparrow-sized with large head, no neck, and long, slightly upturned bill. Listen for insistent nasal yammering. |
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White-crowned Sparrow
Large, long-tailed sparrow. Breast is plain gray without streaks. Bill color varies from yellow to pink, but always brighter than White-throated Sparrow. Adults have bold black-and-white head pattern and are gray from throat to belly. Immatures are browner. |
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White-headed Woodpecker
Distinctive woodpecker, unlikely to be confused with any other species. Almost entirely black with white head and small white wing patch. Males have red patch on back of crown; sexes otherwise alike. No other woodpecker shows clean white head and lack of patterning on back or belly. |
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Yellow Warbler
Typically yellow overall, but some immatures can be almost completely gray. Some have reddish-brown streaks below. Always looks uniform and plain-faced. |
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American Crow
Separated from ravens by smaller size, smaller bill, shorter tail, and shorter, broader wings. |
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Franklin's Gull
Medium-sized gull with medium-gray upperparts. Breeding plumage shows black head with thick white eye arcs, large white spots on black wingtips, and deep red bill and legs. |
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Greater Yellowlegs
Greater is larger overall with longer, thicker, more upturned bill, longer neck, blockier head, and bigger chest. Forages actively on mudflats and in shallow pools and marshes, often in loose mixed flocks with Lesser Yellowlegs. |
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Lesser Yellowlegs
Lesser is smaller overall with shorter, narrower, straighter bill, shorter neck, more rounded head, and smaller chest. |
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Ross's Goose
Cute miniature version of Snow Goose with smaller body, shorter neck, and stubbier bill. Pay special attention to the bill: short, with a straighter border where it meets the face, a much less obvious dark “grin patch,” and often bluish-gray color at the base. Also note clean white head; Snow Goose typically has yellowish staining on face. |
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Rough-legged Hawk
shaggy feathers on legs. Plumage variable; light morphs generally pale with dark belly and dark patches on "wrists." Dark morphs have brown or blackish body with finely banded tail and striking white flight feathers. |
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Sharp-shinned Hawk
Adults are gray above with pale orange barring below; immatures are browner and streaky. Very similar to Cooper's Hawk, especially in plumage, but smaller overall with smaller head, more squared-off tail, and more petite feet. |
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