Term
Black-tailed Gnatcather BTGN
Family: Polioptilidae
Very small
Gray upperparts w/ paler underparts
Long black graduated tail, underside mostly black
Outer two retrices w/white outer webs & white tips
Narrow witish tertial edges
White eye ring
Males have black cap in alternate plumage, and black streak over eye in basic plumage
Females have no cap or streaks, brownish overall
Habitat: Desert Scrub
Life History: Non-migratory
Often defends breeding territories year-round
Both males & females aggresively exclude much larger birds from nest area |
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Definition
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Term
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Poplioptilidae
Small (catches gnats)
Gray upperparts with paler underparts
Long, black graduated tail, underside mostly white
Outer retrices w/extensive white patches
Broad white tertial edges
Obvious white eye ring
Maleshave balck forehead in alternate plumage, distinct blue tone, no black on head in basic plumage
Female has no black head, washed out brown
Habitat: Riparian & oak woodlands
Neotropical migrant
Populations increased past 25 Yrs extending N to Canada & NE US |
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Definition
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Term
California Gnatcatcher
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Polioptilidae
Small, Gray-brown plumage overall
Long, black graduated tail w/ very little white
Outer 2 retrices w/ narrow white edging & tips
Gray-brown tertial edges
Indisticnt white eye ring
Males have black cap in alternate plumage & black streak over eye in basic plumage
Females have no caps or streaks, brownish overall
Habitat: Coastal sage scrub (Nor Cal)
Life History: Non-migratory
Conservation: Federal Endangered
Coastal subspecies CA only
Loss of habitat & urban developmen |
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Definition
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Term
| Poplioptilidae: Gnatcatchers |
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Definition
Field Marks: Drab gray, white, & black plumage
Slender pointed bill w/ rictal bristles
Long Tail
Seasonally changing head patters
Sex: Differ in head pattern seasonally
Habitat: Woodlands, riparian areas, desert scrub & sagebush
Life History: Most non-migratory
Primarily insectivorous, foilage-gleaning, or capturing them in flight
Constatnly flick, fan, and raise tails, possibly scaring insects into flight
DistributionL Families occur in New World
3 species in CA |
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Term
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Paridae - Chickadees and Titmice
Field Marks:
Small, rotund
Short, conical, pointed bills
Strong legs and feet
Black or brown cap (chikadees) or crests (titmice)
Sex: Monomorphic
Habitat: Wide range of wooded & suburban areas
Life History:
Most species are non-migratory
Omnivrous; mainly insects but also seeds in winter
Specialized leg muscles allow hanging upside down when feeding, enabling access to tips of branches
Often found leading mixed-species flocks in searching for food (outside of breeding season)
Capable of regulated hypothermia in winter
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Definition
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Term
Oak Titmouse OATI
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Paridae
Field Marks: Plain brownish-gray (oak) upperparts & underparts
Pointed crest
Sex: Monomorphic
Habitat: Oak Woodlands
Life History: Nonmigratory, occurs year round
Generally do no form winter flocks
Song: Repeated series of distinct whistle notes alternating from high to low frequency
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Definition
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Term
Black-capped Chickadee BCCH
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Paridae
Fields Marks: Small
Solid black cap & throat w/white cheeks
Gray back, wings & tail
Conspicuous pale edging on wing coverts & flight feathers
Sex: Monomorphic
Habitat: In CA: Riparian woodland
Life History: Nonmigratory, occurs year round
Range extends only to extreme NW CA
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Definition
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Term
Mountain Chickadee MOCH
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Paridae
Field Marks: Black cap & throat w/ white cheeks
White supercilium (eyebrow), but white feather tips may ear off
Gray back, wings & tail
Less conspicuous edging on wing coverts & flight feathers
Sex: Monomorhpic
Habitat: Montane coniferous forests
Life History: Resident year-round, but may relocate in response to food shortage
Form territorial groups to defend dispersed supply of conifer seeds
Group members consistently mate w/in these social groups each year, forming monogamous territorial pairs for breeding season
Call: CHEESEBURGER |
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Definition
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Term
Chestnut-backed Chickadee CBCH
Order: Passeriformes
FamilyL Paridae
Fields Marks: Solid dark brown to blackish cap & throat, narrower white cheeks
Back, rump & flanks rufous or chestnut (flanks may be gray)
Whitish edging on inner secondaries and greater coverts
Sex: Monomorphic
Habitat: Coniferous forests, riparian woodlands
Life History: Resident year-round
For unknown reasons, in the past 50 yrs range has exntended to Central Sierra Nevada (overlapping Chickadee range) and suburban areas in East SF Bay |
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Definition
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Term
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Remizidae
Penduline Tits and Verdin
Fields Marks: Very small, with short, conical, pointed bill
Gray with yellow yead
Sex: Monomorhpic
Life History: Mostly insevtivorous, but also easts berries and nectar
Also capable of acrobatic foraging in vegetation, hanging upside down
Distribution: Family occurs mostly in Euarasia & Africa
1 species recorded in CA
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Definition
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Term
Verdin VERD
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Remizidae
Field marks: Very small
Brownish-gray upperparts w/pale to white underparts
Rufous lesser wing coverts, forming shoulder patch
Yellow forehead, chin & throat
"VERDE"
Sex: Monomorhphic
Habitat: Desert scrub
Life History: Resident year-round
The only New World representative of family
Build several nests throughout year for roosting as well as 1-2 nests with mate for breeding |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Aegithalidae
Bushtit
Field Marks:
•Pale gray breast and head with less contrasting white chin
•Yellow abdomen
•Black tail with white edges on outermost feathers
•No pale edging on wing coverts
Sex: Monomorphic
Habitat: Grasslands, desert scrub, agricultural fields
Life History:
Neotropical migrant |
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Term
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Definition
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sittidae
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Field Marks:
•Bluish-gray upperparts with rufous underparts
•Dark crown with white supercilium (eyebrow) and dark eye-line
Sex:
•Males with black crown and wider black eye-line
•Females with dark gray-blue crown and narrower black eye-line
Habitat: Coniferous forest
Life History:
•Resident year-round, but with regular irruptions driven by food shortage
•Excavate their own nest cavities in snags, and smear conifer resin around the entrance, possibly to deter predators and competitors |
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Term
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Definition
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sittidae
White-breasted Nuthatch WBNU
Field Marks:
•Dark gray to black crown with white face and breast
•Bluish-gray back
•Rusty undertail coverts and sides
•Short tail with white corners
•Large bill, nearly as long as head, and slightly upturned
Sex:
Females generally duller and grayer, especially the crown
Habitat: Woodlands, especially edges
Life History:
•Resident year-round
•Generally live in pairs on permanent territories throughout the year |
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Term
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Definition
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sittidae
Pygmy Nuthatch PYNU
Field Marks:
•Bluish-gray upperparts with buff to whitish underparts
•Gray-brown crown with dark eye line and white cheeks
•Base of central rectrices white
Sex: Monomorphic
Habitat:
Coniferous forest, especially long-needled pine forests (e.g. ponderosa and Jeffrey pines)
Life History:
•Resident year-round
•One of the few cooperatively breeding passerines in North America
•One third of breeding pairs have 1-3 male helpers that help defend nest site and feed incubating female and nestlings
•Capable of regulated hypothermia, and groups of birds will roost together in piles in a single cavity to help stay warm |
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Term
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Definition
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Certhiidae
Brown Creeper BRCR
Field Marks:
•Dark brown upperparts streaked with white
•White underparts
•Whitish supercilium (eyebrow)
•Long stiff tail
•Thin curved bill
•Buffy band on wings seen in flight
Sex: Monomorphic
Habitat: Coniferous forests
Life History:
•Occurs year round
•Gleans insects from bark, always climbing up from the base of a tree trunk, using stiff tail as a prop, before flying to the base of the next tree |
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Term
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Definition
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Troglodytidae
Cactus Wren CACW
Field Marks:
•Brownish upperparts with white streaks on back
•Whitish to cinnamon underparts with black spots
•White supercilium
•Barred wings and tail
Sex: Monomorphic
Habitat: Desert scrub
Life History:
•Resident year-round
•Usually able to obtain all the water it needs from its diet
Conservation:
•CA Species of Special Concern – San Diego subspecies sandiegensis only (San Diego and Orange Co.)
•Causes likely include urban development and fire in coastal sage scrub
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Term
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Definition
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Troglodytidae
Rock Wren ROWR
Field Marks:
•Grayish-brown upperparts, finely speckled with black and white
•Whitish underparts, streaked with gray on throat and breast
•Cinnamon rump
•Barred tail with dark terminal band and buffy tips
Sex: Monomorphic
Habitat: Rock outcrops, especially in arid regions
Life History:
•Occurs year round
•Usually build a walkway of small flat stones or pebbles leading up to the nest cavity, but its function is unknown
•Poorly studied overall |
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Term
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Definition
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Troglodytidae
Canyon Wren CANW
Field Marks:
•Rusty brown upperparts and abdomen with black and white speckles
•Grayish head and back
•White throat and breast
•Rufous tail with black barring, and no terminal band
Sex: Monomorphic
Habitat: Inland cliffs, especially in arid regions
Life History:
•Occurs year round
•Poorly studied
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Term
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Definition
Class: Aves
Order: Paseriformes
Family: Troglodytidae
Bewick's Wren BEWR
Field Marks:
•Brown to grayish-brown upperparts with whitish underparts
•Conspicuous white supercilium
•Long tail with central rectrices barred, others tipped white
Sex: Monomorphic
Habitat: Scrub and woodland habitats
Life History:
•Resident year-round
•Constantly flips and wags tail sideways
Conservation:
•No federal or CA special status, endangered in some states
•Causes likely include competition with European Starling, House Sparrow, and the nest-destroying House Wren |
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Term
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Definition
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Troglodytidae
House Wren HOWR
Field Marks:
•Brownish-gray upperparts with light gray underparts
•Faint supercilium
•Barring on flanks, tail, wings, sometimes extending to back
•Distinguished by lack of bold markings
Sex: Monomorphic
Habitat: Riparian and oak woodlands
Life History:
•Occurs year round
•Very tolerant of human disturbance, and common in suburban neighborhoods and parks
•Readily accepts birdhouses
•One of the most thoroughly studied passerines
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Term
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Definition
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Troglodytidae
Pacific Wren PAWR
Field Marks:
•Brownish-gray upperparts with light gray underparts
•Faint supercilium
•Barring on flanks, tail, wings, sometimes extending to back
•Distinguished by lack of bold markings
Sex: Monomorphic
Habitat: Riparian and oak woodlands
Life History:
•Occurs year round
•Very tolerant of human disturbance, and common in suburban neighborhoods and parks
•Readily accepts birdhouses
•One of the most thoroughly studied passerines |
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Term
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Definition
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Troglodytidae
Marsh Wren MAWR
Field Marks:
•Upperparts cinnamon brown with whitish underparts
•Black triangle on back with white stripes
•Brown to black crown
•Bold whitish supercilium (eyebrow)
•Tail and wings barred
Sex: Monomorphic, although males are larger
Habitat: Fresh or saltwater marshes.
Life History:
•Occurs year-round
•Polygynous mating system
•Intense competition between males leads to lengthy singing duels, and excessive nest building (6 dummy nests to each 1 actually used)
•Also known to destroy eggs and nestlings of neighboring birds |
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Term
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Definition
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cinclidae
American Dipper AMDI
Field Marks:
•Dark gray overall
•Short wings and tail
•White eyelid obvious when blinking
•Stocky, with long legs
Sex: Monomorphic
Habitat: Rivers and streams
Life History:
•Occurs year round
•Eats almost exclusively aquatic insects
•Adapted to cold water with thick coat of feathers, low metabolic rate, and extra oxygen-carrying capacity in its blood
•Name comes from its repetitive up-down bobbing motion |
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Term
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Definition
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Regulidae
Golden-crowned Kinglet GCKI
Field Marks:
•Olive upperparts with paler underparts
•Two white wing bars
•Yellow crown patch, bordered by black stripes
•White supercilium
Sex:
•Males have concealed orange feathers in crown
•Females have yellow crown feathers only
Habitat: Subalpine coniferous forests
Life History:
•Partially migratory, but some winter throughout breeding range
•Often hangs upside down from small twigs when foraging |
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Term
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Definition
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Regulidae
Ruby-crowned Kinglet RCKI
Field Marks:
•Olive green-gray upperparts with paler underparts
•Two white wing bars, with dark area below second wing bar
•Broken white eye ring
Sex: Males have concealed red crown patch
Habitat: Coniferous forests, but more varied in winter
Life History:
•Nearctic migrant
•Crown patch may be raised and spread in aggressive displays |
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Term
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Definition
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Slyviidae
Wrentit WREN
•Field Marks:
•Grayish-brown upperparts with paler pinkish-brown underparts
•Faint supercilium (eyebrow)
•Throat and breast may be lightly streaked
•Long graduated tail often held tilted up
•Iris color varies from gray to maroon depending on age
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•Sex: Monomorphic
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•Habitat: Chaparral
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•Life History:
•Nonmigratory, occurs year-round
•Only North American member of the family
•Form lifelong, monogamous pair bonds, defending territorial year-round
•Both males and females incubate eggs in the nest |
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Term
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Definition
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Turdidae
Hermit Thrush HETH
•Field Marks:
•Olive-brown upperparts with contrasting rufous rump and tail
•White underparts
•Large, rounded brownish-black spotting on breast and throat
•Thin whitish eye ring
•Sex: Monomorphic
•Habitat:
•Forests and woodlands, with brushy understory
•Life History:
•Present mainly in winter, but some populations may be resident
•Often seen on forest floor, flicking wings and quickly raising and lowering tail |
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Term
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Definition
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Turdidae
Swainson's Thrush SWTH
•Field Marks:
•Uniformly olive-brown upperparts, sometimes tinged rufous
•White underparts
•Triangular brownish-black spotting on breast and throat
•Buffy eye ring
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•Sex: Monomorphic
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•Habitat:
•Riparian woodlands in CA (but coniferous forests elsewhere)
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•Life History:
•Long-distance neotropical migrant
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•Conservation:
•No official conservation status yet, but populations declining
•Causes may include loss of riparian habitat and possibly wintering habitat in Central and South America |
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Term
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Definition
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Turdidae
Mountain Bluebird MOBL
•Field Marks:
•Sky blue to blue-brown upperparts and underparts
•No chestnut coloration on breast or scapulars
•Thin, dark bill
•Relatively long wings and tail
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•Sex:
•Male is sky blue overall with whitish abdomen and dusky wingtips
•Female is blue-brown with sky blue remiges and rectrices
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•Habitat: Oak woodlands and grasslands
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•Life History:
•Highly migratory; present in winter
•Unusual among thrushes in that it nests in cavities, has a high degree of dimorphism, eats more insects, and frequently hovers while foraging
•May occur in large flocks in winter, mixed with Western Bluebird |
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Term
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Definition
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Turdidae
Western Bluebird WEBL
•Field Marks:
•Deep blue to blue-brown upperparts and underparts
•Chestnut breast, and possibly scapulars
•Yellow gape
•Relatively short wings and tail
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•Sex:
•Males deep blue on head, back, wings, and tail with chestnut breast and scapulars, and blue-gray adomen
•Female blue-brown to gray with deep blue on wings and tail, paler chestnut breast, and grayish abdomen
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•Habitat:
•Woodlands and forests, grasslands, agricultural fields
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•Life History:
•Short-distance to partial migrant; occurs year-round in CA |
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Term
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Definition
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Turdidae
Townsend's Solitaire TOSO
Field Marks:
•Plain gray overall
•White eye ring
•Dark gray remiges with wide buffy band at the base
•White on outer rectrices
•Short, wide bill
•Relatively long tail
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•Sex: Monomorphic
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•Habitat: Coniferous forests
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•Life History:
•Occurs year-round in CA, migrating altitudinally
•“one of the most glorious and beautiful of bird songs”
•Little studied, and often overlooked• |
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Term
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Definition
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Turdidae
American Robin AMRO
•Field Marks:
•Brown to dark gray upperparts with orange to dark red underparts
•White eye arcs
•Yellow bill
•Large and long-legged
•Sex:
•Females paler overall, especially on head
•Males more richly colored, with blackish head
•Habitat:
•Forests and woodlands, grassy lawns and parks
•Life History:
•Occurs year-round in CA
•Largest, most abundant, and most widespread N. American thrush
•In colonial times, considered a food delicacy |
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Term
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Definition
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Turdidae
Varied Thrush VATH
•Field Marks:
•Gray-blue upperparts with orange underparts
•Bright orange supercilium and wing markings
•Gray breastband
•Large and “pot-bellied”
•Sex:
•Female is paler overall, with grayer back and breastband
•Male is more richly colored with very dark breastband
•Habitat: Coastal coniferous forests
•Life History:
•Nearctic migrant; occurs in CA in winter, except extreme NW CA where it occurs year-round
•Often found in loose flocks in winter |
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Term
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Definition
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Mimidae
Sage Thrasher SATH
•Field Marks:
•Brownish-gray upperparts with off-white underparts streaked with brown
•White wing bars and tips of outer rectrices
•Whitish supercilium and malar, with black border at sides of throat
•Relatively short bill, only slightly curved
•Pale iris
•Sex: Monomorphic
•Habitat: Sagebrush shrub-steppe
•Life History:
•Short-distance migrant
Smallest of the thrashers |
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Term
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Definition
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Mimidae
Northern Mockingbird NOMO
•Field Marks:
•Gray to gray-brown upperparts with whitish underparts
•Long tail and legs
•Bill slightly decurved
•White wing bars, and a large white wing-patch visible in flight
•White outer rectrices
•Thin, dark eye line
•Sex: Monomorphic
•Habitat:
•Parklands and surburban areas with short grass
•Life History:
•Occurs year-round
•Historically sold as caged birds for their singing ability
•Both males and females sing, and may have up to 150 song types |
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Term
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Definition
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Mimidae
California Thrasher CATH
•Field Marks:
•Plain brown upperparts with buffy underparts
•Orange undertail coverts
•No wing bars
•Buffy supercilium and strong, dark eye line and cheek
•Long, decurved, blackish bill
•Dark iris
•Sex: Monomorphic
•Habitat: Chaparral
•Life History:
•Non-migratory
•Endemic to CA and northwestern Baja |
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Term
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Definition
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Mimidae
Le Conte's Thrasher LCTH
•Order: Passereiformes
•Family: Mimidae
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•Field Marks:
•Plain sandy-gray upperparts and underparts without streaks
•Tawny undertail coverts
•No wing bars
•Dark lores, but otherwise little head pattern
•Long, decurved blackish bill
•Dark iris
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•Sex: Monomorphic
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•Habitat: Desert scrub
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•Life History:
•Non-migratory
•Rarely drinks water
•Runs between shrubs like a Greater Roadrunner
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•Conservation:
•CA Species of Special Concern
•Threats include habitat disturbance from off-road vehicles and development |
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