Distinguishing Features – Primarily black; rump, secondary wing feathers, and underbody, white; Complete head, neck and upper breast, red. Male and female are indistinguishable but the female is slightly smaller. Size – 22 – 25 cm (8.75 – 10 in) Habitat Large, mature trees in open woodlands. Nesting Excavates a cavity in the dead wood … Read more
Distinguishing Features – Primarily black; white stripe on side of the head, down the neck, and as accents on wings. Crest red. Male and female are similar in coloration but the male displays red on the forehead and at the base of the bill. Size – 40.5 – 49.5 cm (16.25 – 19.75 in) Habitat … Read more
Distinguishing Features – The tree Swallow is a bird with its back and head, shiny steel blue with greenish reflections. underparts and throat, white. Bill, black. Tail, forked. Female slightly smaller and somewhat duller in coloration. Size – 12.5 – 15.7 cm (5 – 6.25 in) Habitat Around waterways, marshes, and beaver ponds. Nesting In a … Read more
Distinguishing Features – Song Sparrow is short, with rounded wings; tail, long with rounded tips. Back, brown with gray feather edging; head, brown with black streaking and a narrow gray center stripe; rump, olive brown with dusky streaks; tail, brown with two central feathers bearing a dusky central line; white to the grayish line above … Read more
Distinguishing Features – Back; olive-gray; wings and tail, black with white or light gray margins; throat, black; crown, back of head and throat, black; belly, white; sides lightly buff-tinged; bill, black; legs, bluish slate. Male and female are indistinguishable. Size – 12.3 – 14.5 cm (4.75 – 5.75 in) Habitat A year-round resident of Northwestern … Read more
Distinguishing Features: MALE – Dull pinkish-red general colouration; feathers greyish; wings and tail blackish with white margins on tertials and secondaries; sides, lower abdomen and under tail gray; bill and legs, black. FEMALE – more or less the same patterning as the male but plain grey in general colouration; crown and rump yellowy-olive to russet. … Read more
Distinguishing Features – Cedar Waxwing is a crested bird of brownish tones on upper side graduating to greyish toward tail which is marked with a broad yellow tip. A narrow dark band or mask runs across forehead and around eyes. Under beak, blackish graduating to brown on the throat; wings, slate coloured, sometimes with reddish … Read more
Distinguishing Features – Ovenbird is a large warbler. Olive-green upper parts – back, wings, and tail. Under parts whitish, breast heavily streaked with black. Crown, dull orange bordered by two black stripes; legs, flesh-colored; eye, ringed in white. Male and female are indistinguishable but the female is slightly smaller. Size – 14 – 16.5 cm … Read more
Distinguishing Features – Common grackle is completely black with highly iridescent greenish blue or purplish reflections. Beak and legs, black; eye, whitish; tail, long and wedge-shaped. The colouring of the female is somewhat duller. Size – 28 – 34 cm (11.25 – 13.5 in) Habitat Prefers open areas and lightly treed woods. Nesting In trees … Read more
Distinguishing Features: MALE (pictured) – Completely black with the exception of a characteristic red shoulder patch. FEMALE – Very different from the male. Top parts, dark brown with greyish, rusty edges; light streak over eye and middle of the crown; underneath lighter, with blackish streaks; throat often pinkish or buff color. Size – 19 – … Read more