American Coot:

Dark grey, white beak, chunky, white undertail, white forhead patch

Call: sounds like an old man rubbing his finger on a window. Crazy old man!

Ring-billed Gull:

Olive beak with thick, black band, long olive feet, pale looking, horizontal body posture

Rock Pigeon:

Grey wings with two black bars, bright pink feet, iridescent green on neck, erect posture, white rump

Call: matt damon

Mourning Dove:

All brown, smaller than Rock Pigeon, pointed tail, head looks too small for body, big black eye, pink scaley feet, wedged-shaped tail

Call: sad, wings make high-pitched sound when taking off

Red-bellied Woodpecker:

M: red crest extending to the tip of beak; F: red only to middle top of head

Pale forehead, slight red long beak, always upright, propped against trunk, prominent beak, checkered wings

Call: raspy, quick trill (high ricardo laugh and kirr-kirr-kirr-kirr)

Downy Woodpecker:

M: red dot on back of head; F: no dot

Small, black/white checkering stripe on wings. Black back w/white stripe down center. Black/white stripe on head, short beak (only to eye)

Call: descending trill

Hairy Woodpecker:

Same as Downy (red spotted make, black back w/white stripe, checkered wings, white underside) but larger and much longer beak (way past eye)

Call: stays same peep pitch

Horned Lark:

Often on ground, upper-side is dark brown, yellow face with black bib & eye mask, ear tuft that looks like horns, yellow chin

Call: accelerating rapidly, high pitched, ascending

Black-capped Chickadee:

tiny, black capped, white cheek patch, black chin w/bib, grey colored/tan underside, acrobatic, often hangs upside down/sideways

Call: says cheeseburger, also chickadee-dee-dee-dee

Tufted Titmouse:

Larger than chickadee, upper is more grey, under is light grey, rose/tan flank (right under wing), black spot just above beak, tuft

Call: peter, peter

Red-breasted Nuthatch:

Woodpecker shaped but hangs upside down, small, common here during winter, black cap, white above eye, black eye patch, white cheek patch, rose underneath, upturned beak, hangs out w/chickadees

Call: sounds like truck backing up quickl, beep-beep-beep-beep

White-breasted Nuthatch:

2x as large as Red-breasted, hangs upsidedown, white face, black crown, beak slightly up, bluish/grey back & wings, in wooded areas

Call: nasally yank-yank

Brown Creeper:

Always upright, hugs tree closer than woodpecker, creeps up, white underside, undertail coverts: tan/rose colored, flight feathers: white/black v shaped, white eye stripe, long down-curved beak (dog nail-shaped beak)

Call: very high-pitched (like breaking quick in a traffic jam)

European Starling:

open fields/food locations, black (white tips on plumage during breeding season), iridescent green/purple plumage, brown beak (except yellow breeding color), hangs out on ground, in flight: fat ball shape w/triangle wings

Call: mimics

Cedar Waxwing:

Common in winter/shy in summer, yellow tips on tail, red waxy extensions on tips of secondary feathers, light brown/red copper color, belly is yellow/gold, feathers fade on bottom to blue, short beak, black eye mask from tip of beak to back of head, tuft, white outlining eyemask

Call: Bzeee-bzeee-bzeee-bzeee, sounds like permanent marker on a balloon

Dark-eyed Junco:

Sparrow family (so jump on ground), winter only, light pink bill with dark grey body, white belly, spread tail feathers when flying (outter tail feathers white, inner ones dark)

Call: rapid, high-pitched trill, star wars

Pine Siskin:

Winter only, pale brown, dark brown streaks all over (looks like a wet dog), yellow bars on primary flight feathers & coverts, short finch-like beak

Call: fingernail going over comb, ascending

American Goldfinch:

Feb/March change out of winter plumage. Winter: black wings w/white wingbar, buffy underneath, brown on top, heads are yellow (chin also), v-shaped tail, white undertail coverts. Summer: whole body gold/yellow, forehead black, white coverts, black wings

Call: "potato chip"

House Sparrow:

Bushes. F: drab brown, finch-like beak, buffy eyebrow stipe. M: grey/white underside & rump, black bib (size depends on dominance), white cheek patch, grey eyebrow stripe, black beak, grey top on head, red/brown back of head/eyeband. Exist near human habitation/houses.

Call: metallic chirrup and cheeps

Blue Jay:

Blue upper and white lower, crested, long tail that has black thin bands on it

Call: Jay, Jay! Happy feet

Nothern Cardinal:

<Blue Jay, conical bill, crest is distinctive

M: all red with black mask, orange bill

F: less red

Call: cheer-cheer-what-what-what-what-what?

(also purdy, purdy, purdy)

American Crow:

Only large black bird in S. WI, all black, heavy bill, fan-shaped tail

Call: cah!

American Robin:

Dark grey back and black head, orange slender beak, orange/red chest and belly

Call: Cheerily, cheeriup, cheerio, cheeriup