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Vireos are small, quick moving birds that can sometimes be difficult to get a look at. Most of them migrate in springtime right along with the warblers, and most have distinctive songs and calls. In Virginia, there are six vireo species that move through the state with some being very common and others being rarer. Here is everything you need to know about those six species.
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireos
Identification
The aptly named Blue-headed Vireo has a grayish-blue head, a white eye ring, an olive-colored back and wings, and with white wing bars. They have a light underside with yellowish sides.
Range
Blue-headed Vireos winter in Central America, eastern Mexico, and the southwestern United States. In spring they spread north through the eastern U.S. and into their breeding areas in the northeastern U.S. and southern Canada.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Blue-headed Vireos feed on a variety of different insects including larva such as caterpillars. They also eat spiders and some fruits. Blue-headed Vireos are fairly active hunters, usually searching out prey from near the tree trunks. They will actively chase after food items too.
Where to Find This Bird
Blue-headed Vireos inhabit many different types of forests including deciduous and coniferous. Unlike many other eastern vireo species, Blue-headed Vireos do not shy away from stands of evergreens to breed in. During migration, they make stop overs in insect rich areas such as trees and bushes lining streams and rivers.
Philadelphia Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo – Photo by Alan Schmierer
Identification
Philadelphia Vireos have a brownish gray cap, back, and wings. They have a yellow throat and underside. There is more of a contrast between their cap and the rest of the face and underside than other similar looking vireo species such as Warbling and Bell’s. They have white striping around their eye.
Range
Philadelphia Vireos winter in Central America and southern Mexico. In spring, they move north to their breeding areas all across southern Canada and in some of the most northern parts of the midwestern and northeastern United States.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Philadelphia Vireos eat a variety of insects and other small invertebrates. Some common prey items include caterpillars and spiders. They will also eat some fruits.
Where to Find This Bird
Philadelphia Vireos can be found in forested areas, near rivers, and in places with thick underbrush. For people living in the continental United States, the best time to see this species is usually during migration where hey mix in with other small birds.
Red-eyed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Identification
Red-eyed Vireos have an olive-colored back, a light underside, a grayish blue cap, and a light-colored eye stripe edged in darker blue to black. They have a namesake red eye that sets them apart from most other vireo species in United States.
Range
Red-eyed Vireos winter in northern South America, then move north into the continental United States and Canada to spend the summer. In the U.S., this species inhabits most of the midwestern and eastern states. They also summer in every state bordering Canada, even Washington.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Red-eyed Vireos have diets that vary depending on the time of year. In summer they feed primarily on insects, while other times of the year they eat more plant matter and fruit.
Where to Find This Bird
Red-eyed Vireos can be found in forested areas consisting of deciduous or mixed deciduous trees. When the trees are leafy, they are easier to hear than they are to see as they spend much of their time up in the canopy.
Warbling Vireo
Warbling Vireo – Photo by Yellowstone National Park
Identification
Warbling Vireos have a brown back, head, and wings. Their underside is a yellowish cream color, and they have a white stripe above and below their eye.
Range
Warbling Vireos spend the winter in Central America and southern Mexico. In spring they move north into most of the continental United States and western Canada where they spend the summer.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Warbling vireos are insectivores and eat a variety of beetles, flies, and caterpillars. They forage high up in trees and pick prey off of leaves and branches.
Where to Find This Bird
Warbling Vireos are most often found in deciduous woods or even just stands of deciduous trees. Since they usually forage high up in trees, the easiest way to locate one is often times to hear them singing. The song of the Warbling Vireo is very bubbly and sounds like one long run-on sentence.
White-eyed Vireo
White-eyed Vireo – Photo by Alan Schmierer
Identification
White-eyed Vireos have a gray head, an olive green back, two white wing bars on each side, and a light underside with a yellow wash. One of their most distinctive features is their white eye. They also have yellow on their face from the base of their bill over their eye.
Range
White-eyed Vireos winter in some of the northern Central American countries, Eastern Mexico, and the southeastern United States. They move north in the spring and reside in most of the northeastern states south of Wisconsin and Michigan. White-eyed Vireos are very common in the states in the southeastern U.S. and are rare visitors in northern states in the Midwest and Northeast.
Diet and Foraging Habits
White-eyed Vireos eat a wide variety of insects including moths, caterpillars, beetles, and pretty much anything small enough for them to catch and consume. Their diet also consists of some fruits as well.
Where to Find This Bird
White-eyed Vireos reside in places with thicker understories including near streams and rivers, overgrown field edges, and deciduous or mixed woods. Look for this species moving quickly through bushes and shrubs from around 6 to 12 feet off the ground.
Yellow-throated Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Identification
Yellow-throated Vireos have a yellow head, face, and of course throat. Their throat is a brighter color of yellow than the rest of their head which is darker, and they have brighter yellow around their eye as well. The back and wings of this species are gray, and they have a white underside. Overall, they are very sporty looking birds.
Range
Yellow-throated Vireos winter in northern South America, Central America, southern Mexico, and the Carribean. In spring, they move north into most of the eastern United States and some of the southeastern parts of Canada.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Yellow-throated Vireos eat insects, small invertebrates, and occasionally plant matter such as seeds and fruits. They tend to forage higher up in trees than other species.
Where to Find This Bird
Yellow-throated Vireos can be found in deciduous forests where they can be found around gaps and forest edges. Their preferred habitats tend to be larger forests as opposed to small groves of trees. Look for this species in the mid to high canopy foraging and dinging.
Summary
Vireos are small and quick moving birds that can be enjoyable to view and sometimes tricky to identify. We hope that this post has helped to answer some questions about the Vireos of Virginia.
Orioles are beautiful birds well known for their bright coloration. There are many different oriole species that live in North America and two of them are regular visitors to Connecticut. Here is everything you need to know about these two species.
Baltimore Oriole
Male Baltimore Oriole – Photo by USFWS Midwest Region
Female Baltimore Oriole – Photo by Judith Jackson
Identification
Male Baltimore Orioles have a bright orange chest, underside, tail, and patch on the shoulder. They have black wings with white wing bars and a black hood extending slightly into the upper chest. Females are slightly less colorful with a yellowish orange body and gray wings with white wing bars.
Range
Baltimore Orioles spend the winter in Northern South America, Central America, Southern Mexico and much of Florida. In spring they migrate north and summer throughout the Eastern United States and Southeastern Canada.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Baltimore Orioles eat a variety of foods and their diet varies seasonally. In spring and fall they readily feed on fruit and nectar but during summer they feed primarily on protein rich food items such as insects and other invertebrates. Baltimore Orioles are known to come to bird feeders if jelly or orange slices are placed out and may even come to hummingbird feeders.
It’s worth noting that there is debate over whether or not jelly is good for birds due to the high sugar content.
Where to Find This Bird
Look for Baltimore Orioles high up in deciduous trees. They prefer more open areas such as edge habitat and small groves of trees to thick forests. Also keep an eye out for orioles at bird feeding stations. To attract them, orange slices are often enough to entice them in.
Orchard Oriole
Male Orchard Oriole
Female Orchard Oriole – Photo by Andrew Weitzel
Identification
Adult male Orchard Orioles are a deep burnt orange color with a black head, back, wings, and tail. They have white edging on some of their wing feathers. Female Orchard Orioles are yellow with dark gray wings and look vastly different than the adult males.
Range
Orchard Orioles winter in Northern South America, Central America, and Southern Mexico. In spring, they start their migration north with their range expanding into much of the Eastern United States and a small portion of South-central Canada. Some part of the population summers in North-central Mexico.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Orchard Orioles eat many different types of foods including insects, fruit, and nectar. They have been known to dip their heads into flowers, feed at hummingbird feeders, and even priece certain types of flowers to get a meal.
Where to Find This Bird
Orchard Orioles are at home in open areas such as oak savannas, forest edges, and woodlands near prairies. They typically reside in the tree tops where it is sometimes easier to hear them than it is to see them. Listen for this species’ melodic song that sounds somewhat similar to an American Robin or Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
Summary
Orioles are bright and exciting birds to see while out birding or while watching your bird feeder. Knowing which species to expect in your region can be incredibly useful in identifying these charismatic birds. Hopefully, this article has helped to answer some of your questions about the orioles of Connecticut.
Grouse are a particular group of game birds that are medium to large in size and are chicken-like in appearance. In North America, grouse have traditionally been hunted as a source of food, but to birders, they are desirable to find because of their unique qualities and beauty. While some grouse species are numerous, they can still prove to be elusive, and it’s always an adventure to try and find them.
In Georgie, there is one species that can be found in the state (the Ruffed Grouse). Here is everything you need to know about this species.
Ruffed Grouse
Ruffed Grouse (Pat Matthews Photo)
Identification
Ruffed Grouse male and females look similar in coloration with some slight differences. Overall, both males and females have a light-colored chest and underside, with dark and light brown barring and speckling. Their backs and wings are shades of brown with some white and darker markings mixed in. Ruffed Grouse have a crest on their head and during the breeding season, males will show black neck feathers as a display in addition to fanning their tails in a similar manor to a peacock.
Range
Ruffed Grouse can be found in the northern forests of North America. Their range encompasses most of Southern and Western Canada up into Alaska. In the United States, Ruffed Grouse live in the Midwest around the Great Lakes, in the Northeast, and some of the states in the Northwest such as Montana and Idaho, among others.
Diet and Foraging Behavior
Ruffed Grouse eat mostly plant matter with just a small amount of their diet consisting of insects. Typical fare for the Ruffed Grouse is leaves, buds, ferns, grass, acorns, fruits, and twigs of birch and aspen trees.
Where to Find this Bird
Ruffed Grouse can be very difficult to see as they live in dense woodlands and move very deliberately. Some of the best times to see them is during winter when they stand out more than in months when there isn’t snow. Another way to see Ruffed Grouse is by driving forest roads where they can sometimes be seen on the edge of the tree line of walking on the road, or by visiting a lek in the spring.
In researching which species of grouse live in Indiana I was surprised to stumble upon something of a controversy. Most recent reports of Ruffed Grouse in the state are from Yellowwood State Forest where there seemed to be a lot of debate over how many individual bids actually reside in the area. It seems that with enough searching the hardwood forests of Indiana they can be turned up but are very tough to find.
Summary
Grouse can be quite difficult to find, but they are certainly fascinating to see in the wild. If you are able to spot a grouse in Georgia, it will almost certainly be a Ruffed Grouse.
Egrets are elegant looking wading birds in the same family as herons. There are a four different species of egrets that live in the United States and 3 species that can be found in Pennsylvania.
Western Cattle Egret (Uncommon)
Cattle Egret
Identification
Cattle egrets are medium sized white birds with a yellow bill, yellow legs and feet, and yellowish green coloration behind their eye. Breeding adults have peach coloration on their head, wings, and underside while nonbreeding adults are pure white.
Range
Cattle Egrets are actually native to Africa but at some point made their way over to South America and then eventually spread north into Central America, Mexico, and the United States. In the US, they can be found year round in the Gulf Coast and some of the Southwestern states. In spring, they migrate north and breed in the Southeastern United States as well as seemingly random other parts of the country. Some of these more strange breeding locations are parts of the Dakotas, Idaho, Oregon, Colorado, Wisconsin, and even parts of Southern Canada.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Cattle Egrets have a widely varied diet which includes small mammals, amphibians, lizards, and even other birds. The majority of their diet however, is comprised of insects. Cattle Egrets have a habit of spending time near heards of cattle that kick up insects such as crickets and grasshoppers as they graze. The Egrets will also forage near heavy machinery in farm fields for the same reason. This species will feed alone or in large groups.
Where to Find This Bird
Cattle Egrets can be found in open fields, typically near grazing cattle. They can also be found on the edges of marshes and swamps. Sometimes, extremely large numbers of Cattle Egrets gather together to forage or roost.
Great Egret
Great Egret
Identification
Great egrets are large heron-shaped birds with a long neck. They are pure white with black legs. a yellow bill, and green coloration from the bill to the eye. They can also have more of a yellowish color behind their eye. Out of all of the egret species that live in the state, the aptly named Great Egret is the largest.
Range
Great Egrets live in South and Central America year round. They are also year long residents of the coasts of Mexico, both the Gulf Coast and the East Coast of the United States, and parts of California. In spring, they migrate north and breed in parts of Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri along with other states in the region in addition to parts of Oregon.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Great Egrets are wading birds which means they will walk in shallow water and search for food. Their preferred food sources are small fish, frogs, small mammals, aquatic invertebrates, and essentially any living creature that they can get down their throat.
Where to Find This Bird
Great Egrets can be found in places with slow moving or even standing water. They can be readily spotted standing on the edges of ponds, in shallow marshes, and in coastal estuaries. They are also common in man-made canals and in lakes.
Snowy Egret
Snowy Egret
Identification
Snowy Egrets are relatively small wading birds that are clean white with a black bill and black legs. They have yellow behind the bill and also have distinctive and noticeable yellow feet. They are significantly smaller than Great Egrets, so if the two are in the same vicinity, they are easy to tell apart based on size.
Range
Snowy Egrets are year round residents of South America, the Carribean Islands, Cuba, the coasts of Mexico, the Southwestern United States, The Gulf Coast, and the Southeastern Coast of the United States. Some of the population migrates north into the United States, most notably farther up the Atlantic Coast, and the Southwestern states. During migration, Snowy Egrets can be found in a wide variety of places in the United States including the Midwest.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Snowy Egrets feed primarily on aquatic creatures such as fish, frogs, and crustaceans among others. They will feed in both marine and freshwater environments, and typically catch prey by wading into the water and stirring up small creatures with their feet.
Where to Find This Bird
The best places to find Snowy Egrets are along ocean coastlines with shallow water. These birds can typically be seen wading into the water and searching for food. They can also be found inland in marshes and other places with shallow water and mudflats.
Summary
Egrets are quite beautiful birds that can be fun to observe as they go about their daily lives. Knowing the species that are expected in your state can be instrumental in identifying which one you’re looking at. Hopefully, this article has helped to answer some questions about the egrets of Pennsylvania.
Bluebirds are affable members of the thrush family named for their coloration. There are three species of bluebirds native to North America, and only one species that can be found in Georgia. Here is everything you need to know about that species.
Eastern Bluebird
Male Eastern Bluebird
Identification
Male Eastern Bluebirds have a sky blue back, wings, tail, and head. They have a reddish orange chest and underside as well as a very faint eye ring. Females have a grayish colored head with blue wings and a darker orange underside with a more noticeable eye ring. Both males and females have white on their underside near their legs.
Range
Eastern Bluebirds live year-round in parts of Mexico, Central America, and the Southeastern United States. In summer, many of them move north into the Northeastern United States and Southeastern Canada.
Diet and Foraging Habits
The diet of Eastern Bluebird varies depending on the time of the year. When insects are available, they make up an extremely large part of their diet. Other times of the year this species eats an array of fruits.
Where to Find This Bird
Eastern Bluebirds can be found around open spaces near edge habitat. Prairies, fields, and pastures are all places where this species can be found regularly in addition to more forested areas as well as around ponds.
Badgerland Birding searches for Eastern Bluebirds
Summary
Bluebirds are typically birds that people are happy to see. Knowing more about the species that are expected in your area can be instrumental in finding and identifying them. Hopefully, this article has helped to answer some questions about the bluebirds of Georgia.
Vireos are small, quick moving birds that can sometimes be difficult to get a look at. Most of them migrate in springtime right along with the warblers, and most have distinctive songs and calls. In Pennsylvania, there are six vireo species that move through the state with some being very common and others being rarer. Here is everything you need to know about those six species.
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireos
Identification
The aptly named Blue-headed Vireo has a grayish-blue head, a white eye ring, an olive-colored back and wings, and with white wing bars. They have a light underside with yellowish sides.
Range
Blue-headed Vireos winter in Central America, eastern Mexico, and the southwestern United States. In spring they spread north through the eastern U.S. and into their breeding areas in the northeastern U.S. and southern Canada.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Blue-headed Vireos feed on a variety of different insects including larva such as caterpillars. They also eat spiders and some fruits. Blue-headed Vireos are fairly active hunters, usually searching out prey from near the tree trunks. They will actively chase after food items too.
Where to Find This Bird
Blue-headed Vireos inhabit many different types of forests including deciduous and coniferous. Unlike many other eastern vireo species, Blue-headed Vireos do not shy away from stands of evergreens to breed in. During migration, they make stop overs in insect rich areas such as trees and bushes lining streams and rivers.
Philadelphia Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo – Photo by Alan Schmierer
Identification
Philadelphia Vireos have a brownish gray cap, back, and wings. They have a yellow throat and underside. There is more of a contrast between their cap and the rest of the face and underside than other similar looking vireo species such as Warbling and Bell’s. They have white striping around their eye.
Range
Philadelphia Vireos winter in Central America and southern Mexico. In spring, they move north to their breeding areas all across southern Canada and in some of the most northern parts of the midwestern and northeastern United States.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Philadelphia Vireos eat a variety of insects and other small invertebrates. Some common prey items include caterpillars and spiders. They will also eat some fruits.
Where to Find This Bird
Philadelphia Vireos can be found in forested areas, near rivers, and in places with thick underbrush. For people living in the continental United States, the best time to see this species is usually during migration where hey mix in with other small birds.
Red-eyed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Identification
Red-eyed Vireos have an olive-colored back, a light underside, a grayish blue cap, and a light-colored eye stripe edged in darker blue to black. They have a namesake red eye that sets them apart from most other vireo species in United States.
Range
Red-eyed Vireos winter in northern South America, then move north into the continental United States and Canada to spend the summer. In the U.S., this species inhabits most of the midwestern and eastern states. They also summer in every state bordering Canada, even Washington.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Red-eyed Vireos have diets that vary depending on the time of year. In summer they feed primarily on insects, while other times of the year they eat more plant matter and fruit.
Where to Find This Bird
Red-eyed Vireos can be found in forested areas consisting of deciduous or mixed deciduous trees. When the trees are leafy, they are easier to hear than they are to see as they spend much of their time up in the canopy.
Warbling Vireo
Warbling Vireo – Photo by Yellowstone National Park
Identification
Warbling Vireos have a brown back, head, and wings. Their underside is a yellowish cream color, and they have a white stripe above and below their eye.
Range
Warbling Vireos spend the winter in Central America and southern Mexico. In spring they move north into most of the continental United States and western Canada where they spend the summer.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Warbling vireos are insectivores and eat a variety of beetles, flies, and caterpillars. They forage high up in trees and pick prey off of leaves and branches.
Where to Find This Bird
Warbling Vireos are most often found in deciduous woods or even just stands of deciduous trees. Since they usually forage high up in trees, the easiest way to locate one is often times to hear them singing. The song of the Warbling Vireo is very bubbly and sounds like one long run-on sentence.
White-eyed Vireo
White-eyed Vireo – Photo by Alan Schmierer
Identification
White-eyed Vireos have a gray head, an olive green back, two white wing bars on each side, and a light underside with a yellow wash. One of their most distinctive features is their white eye. They also have yellow on their face from the base of their bill over their eye.
Range
White-eyed Vireos winter in some of the northern Central American countries, Eastern Mexico, and the southeastern United States. They move north in the spring and reside in most of the northeastern states south of Wisconsin and Michigan. White-eyed Vireos are very common in the states in the southeastern U.S. and are rare visitors in northern states in the Midwest and Northeast.
Diet and Foraging Habits
White-eyed Vireos eat a wide variety of insects including moths, caterpillars, beetles, and pretty much anything small enough for them to catch and consume. Their diet also consists of some fruits as well.
Where to Find This Bird
White-eyed Vireos reside in places with thicker understories including near streams and rivers, overgrown field edges, and deciduous or mixed woods. Look for this species moving quickly through bushes and shrubs from around 6 to 12 feet off the ground.
Yellow-throated Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Identification
Yellow-throated Vireos have a yellow head, face, and of course throat. Their throat is a brighter color of yellow than the rest of their head which is darker, and they have brighter yellow around their eye as well. The back and wings of this species are gray, and they have a white underside. Overall, they are very sporty looking birds.
Range
Yellow-throated Vireos winter in northern South America, Central America, southern Mexico, and the Carribean. In spring, they move north into most of the eastern United States and some of the southeastern parts of Canada.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Yellow-throated Vireos eat insects, small invertebrates, and occasionally plant matter such as seeds and fruits. They tend to forage higher up in trees than other species.
Where to Find This Bird
Yellow-throated Vireos can be found in deciduous forests where they can be found around gaps and forest edges. Their preferred habitats tend to be larger forests as opposed to small groves of trees. Look for this species in the mid to high canopy foraging and dinging.
Summary
Vireos are small and quick moving birds that can be enjoyable to view and sometimes tricky to identify. We hope that this post has helped to answer some questions about the vireos of Pennsylvania.
Chickadees are small, likable birds known for their friendliness and curiousness. In Minnesota, there are two species that can be found in the state on an annual basis. Here is everything you need to know about those two species.
Black-capped Chickadee
Black-capped Chickadee
Identification
Black-capped Chickadees have a gray back and wings, tan wash on their sides, and black cap and throat. They have a light colored underside and white cheeks. In addition to visual identification clues, these birds make a variety of songs and notable calls including their springtime “cheeseburger” call and namesake “chickadee” call.
Range
Black-capped Chickadees are year-round residents of the Northern continental United States, southern Canada, and even parts of Alaska.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Black-capped Chickadees are fairly active feeders and eat different foods depending on the time of the year. During the warmer months when insects are more abundant, small invertebrates make up a larger part of their diet. In the winter, seeds, berries, and other plant matter make up a significantly larger portion of their diet.
Where to Find this Bird
Black-capped Chickadees are extremely common in areas with moderate to thick vegetation. This includes both deciduous and coniferous woods, parks, edge habitat, and backyards. They regularly visit bird feeders and are typically among the first species to find new feeders.
Boreal Chickadee
Boreal Chickadee – Photo by Andy Reago and Chrissy McClarren CC by 2.0
Identification
Boreal Chickadees are small, round looking birds with a brown cap, brown back, dark gray wings, and buffy colored sides. They have a light underside, a black throat, and white cheeks. They make a very raspy “chickadee” call that sounds more coarse than that on the Black-capped Chickadee.
Range
Boreal Chickadees are year-round residents of Canada and Alaska. In the continental United States, there are only a few states that harbor these birds including Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Maine among others. In these places, Boreal Chickadees only inhabit the most northern parts of the states.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Boreal Chickadees feed on both insects and seeds. They will grip onto conifer cones and use their bills to open the cones and take the seeds inside. Boreal Chickadees search for insects on tree trunks and branches meticulously searching under bark and in crevices.
Where to Find this Bird
True to their name, Boreal Chickadees can be found in Boreal forests, typically consisting of mostly coniferous trees. Often times, the best way to find them is to listen for their calls and try to triangulate their position from there.
Summary
Chickadees are always fun birds to see due to their cuteness and big personalities. We hope that this post has helped answer some questions about the chickadees of Minnesota.
Cuckoos are slender, medium sized birds, known for being difficult to find. Due to their secretive nature, they can be exciting for birders to see in the wild. In Pennsylvania, there are two species of cuckoos that can be found on an annual basis. Here’s everything you need to know about them.
Black-billed Cuckoo
Yellow-billed Cuckoo – Photo by Alan Schmierer
Identification
Black-billed Cuckoos have a brown head, back, wings, and tail with a white underside. As their name would suggest, they have a black bill and a red eye.
Range
Black-billed Cuckoos winter in the northwestern part of South America. In spring they migrate north into northeastern and northcentral United States along with southern Canada.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Black-billed Cuckoos feed primarily on insects (especially caterpillars). In nonbreeding season, they also eat fruits and other plant matter such as seeds.
Where to Find this Bird
Black-billed Cuckoos are found in forests, edge habitat, woodlands, and marshes with numerous trees. They can be extremely elusive and are difficult to get eyes on even if they are in the area.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Yellow-billed Cuckoo – Photo by Alan Schmierer
Identification
Yellow-billed Cuckoos have a brown head, back, and wings. Their long tails are black with white at the end of the feathers giving their tails a spotted appearance. These birds have a clean white underside and a yellow bill with some black on the upper mandible.
Range
Yellow-billed Cuckoos winter throughout most of South America with the exception of the most southern and western parts of the country. In spring, they move north inhabiting the Carribean, parts of Mexico, the eastern United States, southeastern Canada, and seemingly random pockets in the western United States.
Diet and Foraging Habits
A large portion of the Yellow-billed Cuckoos diet consists of caterpillars. They will often find large quantities of tent caterpillars, fall webworms, and spongy moths. Aside from caterpillars they will also eat other types of insects and small invertebrates along with some types of fruits and seeds.
Where to Find this Bird
Yellow-billed Cuckoos frequent woodlands (especially woodlands with water nearby), scrublands with thick bushes, and even stands of trees in otherwise more open areas.
Summary
Cuckoos are goofy and elusive birds that are always fun to see in the field but can sometimes be tough to identify. We hope this post has helped you learn about and identify the Cuckoos of Pennsylvania.
Grosbeaks are birds that are known for their sturdy looking build and thick bill. While they all share a similar appearance, grosbeaks are actually comprised of birds from two separate groupings. Out of five species of grosbeaks that live in the continental United States, three of them are technically in the cardinal family along with birds like tanagers, and the other two are in the finch family.
In Georgia there are three species that can be found on an annual basis with some being extremely common and others being a bit tougher to find.
Grosbeaks in the Finch Family
Evening Grosbeak
Male Evening Grosbeak
Identification
Evening Grosbeaks are an extremely bright looking species. Males have electric yellow undersides, backs, and markings on their head just above the eye. They have black wings, a black tail, clean white wing patches, and an extremely thick bill. Females and immature birds are mostly gray with a yellow nape, black wings, and a black tail with white patches on them.
Range
The Evening Grosbeak’s range is somewhat misleading. They are year-round residents of Southern Canada and some parts of the Western United States. Most maps show their wintering range covering most of Michigan, Wisconsin, and New England, but through my experience, most winters Evening Grosbeaks only inhabit the most northern parts of these areas. Evening Grosbeaks do have years in which they fly farther South during winter but in recent years they have not irrupted in the same way that records from the past show. Additionally, the range of this species seems to be receding farther north into Canada each year.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Evening Grosbeaks have different diets depending on the time of year. During summer, they feed primarily on insects and other invertebrates, most notably spruce budworm larva. Other times of the year, Evening Grosbeaks eat various types of seeds including seeds from fruits.
Where to Find This Bird
Evening Grosbeaks can be found in conifer forests. They also can be found near bird feeders in their native range.
Badgerland Birding searches for an Evening Grosbeak in Milwaukee, WI
Grosbeaks in the Cardinal Family
Blue Grosbeak
Blue Grosbeak – Photo by Alan Schmierer
Identification
As their name suggests, male Blue Grosbeaks are a deep blue color. They have a gray bill, small black mask, and two rusty wing bars. Females and immature males are orangey brown with faint wing bars still visible.
Range
Blue Grosbeaks spend the winter in Central America and Mexico. Some of them stay in Mexico year-round while others move north into the United States where they can be found in the southern states as well as the Great Plains States for the duration of the summer.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Blue Grosbeaks eat a combination of insects and seeds. They will also eat other invertebrates such as spiders and snails.
Where to Find This Bird
Blue Grosbeaks are most at home in open areas such as scrub and desert. They are also fond of edge habitats where they can hide in trees and thickets while singing.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Identification
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are dapper looking birds with a thick bill. Males have a black head, back, tail and wings with white markings also appearing on the wings. They have a white underside with their most noticeable feature appearing on their chest: A namesake bright red marking. Females have a mottled brown back with a yellowish underside and a white eyebrow stripe.
Range
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks migrate annually from Northern South America, Central America, and Southern Mexico into the Eastern United States. In summer, they end up in the Northeastern U.S. and parts of Southern Canada.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks feed on different food items depending on the time of the year. During spring and summer, insects make up a large portion of their diet. While in fall, berries and other fruits become more of a staple. They will also eat seeds and other plant matter.
Where to Find This Bird
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks live in a variety of habitats including deciduous and mixed conifer woods, forest edges, areas with streams and other water sources, and in backyards. They will also visit both seed and fruit bird feeders, so this is a species that can be attracted to parks, backyards, and nature centers.
Summary
Grosbeaks are beautiful and popular birds to both birders and backyard bird lovers. Knowing more about the species that are expected in your area can be instrumental in finding and identifying them, especially since they have such irregular migratory patterns. Hopefully, this article has helped to answer some questions about the grosbeaks of Georgia.
Cranes are among the largest and most noticeable birds in North America. These birds are always impressive to see when out birding and can turn up in some places you wouldn’t expect to see these tall, regal birds. In North America there are two crane species, and both of them can be found in Kansas. Here is everything you need to know about those two species.
Sandhill Crane
Sandhill Crane – Photo by Bill Grossmeyer
Identification
Sandhill Cranes have a mostly gray colored body with tan color mixed in. During the warmer months they typically are more tan than they are gray. They have a long neck and bill with white cheeks and red on top of their head.
Sandhill Crane chicks are a yellowish tan color and can often be seen tagging along with the adult parents.
Range
Sandhill Cranes winter in a few different areas around North America including northern Mexico, southern Texas, Florida, parts of California, parts of southern Louisiana, and other areas across the Great Plains states. In spring, they start heading north to breed in the northern United States and southern Canada. There are a few places where Sandhill Cranes stage prior to migration where they can be seen in absolutely massive numbers. Most of these areas are in the upper Midwest in states such as Minnesota and North Dakota.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Sandhill Cranes eat a wide variety of different food items. Much of their diet consists of plant matter such as tubers, berries, and seeds, but they also eat small vertebrates, insects and other invertebrates. Sandhill Cranes forage in shallow water as well as in farm fields where they eat grains from crops.
Where to Find This Bird
Sandhill Cranes can be seen in many different places. Some of the most common areas to find this species are shallow water marshes and open fields. However, Sandhill Cranes also show up on lawns in neighborhoods and even in parking lots in cities where they casually stroll around, often to the surprise of humans.
Whooping Crane (Rare)
Whooping Crane – Photo by Bill Grossmeyer
Identification
Whooping Cranes are absolutely massive, reaching heights of around five feet. They have a clean white body and red that covers their face and extends along the jaw line and on the top of the head. In flight, these cranes show black on the wing tips.
Range
The Whooping Cranes range is a bit complicated since they are actually split up into different populations. There are nonmigratory populations in Louisiana and Florida and migratory populations that winter in Florida and Texas and then migrate to Wisconsin and Canada respectively.
Diet and Foraging Habits
The large size of the Whooping Crane means they can eat many different types of animals, both vertebrates and invertebrates. They not only eat animals however, but also various plant material, both aquatic and terrestrial.
Where to Find This Bird
Whooping Cranes are most commonly found in marshland where they wade into water in search of food. Along their migratory routes they are seen in fields and wet grasslands. During their wintering times, they also reside in coastal waters and saltmarshes.
Summary
Cranes are spectacular birds to see as an avid birder or just a casual observer. Knowing where to expect them and which species are likely to be in your state and region can make it much easier to find and identify them.
