Ryan Sallmann has been involved with tennis for nine years as a player, coach, and writer. Ryan starting playing tennis at the age of 16 in high school in Wisconsin. He then went on to play for Wisconsin Lutheran College in route to helping them win their conference and secure a bid to the NCAA tournament. Ryan coached at Waukesha West High School, Waukesha Tennis Association, Milwaukee Tennis and Education Foundation, and Wisconsin Lutheran College. Ryan also writes for Stripe Hype and Brew Sports.
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 Iowa, 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 Iowa.
Owls are extremely charismatic species beloved by both birders and non-birders alike. Nocturnal, mysterious, and secretive, these birds play important roles in our culture.
There are 12 species of owls that can be found in Iowa on any given year with some being found quite frequently and others being rare visitors. Here are the owl species to be on the lookout for if you are in Iowa.
Barn Owl (Rare)
Barn Owl – Photo by Many Wonderful Artists
Identification
Barn Owls have are a thin looking owl species with an orangey tan and gray back, head, and wings. They have a light underside and pale heart shaped face.
The call of the Barn Owl is a violent sounding scream. It’s possible that legends of creatures like banshees and screaming ghosts derived from people hearing the haunting calls of Barn Owls at night.
Range
Barn Owls reside in most of Mexico and the United States year round with the exception of some of the states in the Northern part of the country. Even in the Northern states where their range either does not extend or does not extend very far into, a few individuals of this species can still be found.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Barn Owls hunt almost exclusively at night. Due to this, they eat mostly other nocturnal animals, especially rodents. Voles, mice, shrews, and rats are all creatures that are common prey items for Barn Owls. In addition to small mammals, Barn Owls will also eat small to medium sized birds.
Where to Find This Bird
Barn Owls live in open areas with plenty of space to hunt. Some common places to find them are agricultural fields, grasslands, deserts, and even more urban environments such as cities. As their name suggests, they can be found roosting in barns as well as tree cavities and other structures.
Barred Owl
Barred Owl
Identification
Barred Owls are bulky with round heads, white undersides with brown stripes, and brown backs. They also have white striping on their backs, and dark eyes typically looking uniform in color. Like many owl species, Barred Owls have a flat face known as a facial disk.
Barred Owls have a very distinctive call as they make a “who cooks for you” call. They are known to call even when it’s light out.
Range
Barred Owls are non-migratory and can be found year round in the Eastern United States, Southern Canada, and the Pacific Northwestern states of the US. Many of the Western states do not have resident Barred Owls in the wild.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Barred Owls eat many different types of small and medium sized creatures including mammals, other birds, amphibians, and reptiles. They have even been cited going into the water to catch fish and crustaceans. Barred Owls typically find a good vantage point and watch for potential prey items, they will then swoop down from above to catch their meal.
Where to Find This Bird
Badgerland Birding searches for a Barred Owl in an old growth forest
Look for Barred Owls in forests (conifer or deciduous) where there are plenty of tall trees to perch in and cavities to roost in. Older forests with taller trees are typically preferable. Swamps are also good places to find this species, especially in the Southeastern states.
Barred Owls are a species that will call during the daytime so listen for their classic “who cooks for you” call even when it’s light out.
Boreal Owl (Rare)
Boreal Owl – Photo by Lorri Howski
Identification
Boreal Owls are small and compact with a light underside with brown vertical striping, a brown back and wings with white spots, and a brown to black head with white speckling. They have a gray face with black outlining the top of the facial disk and black “teardrop” markings below the eyes. Unlike some other owl species that have solid black looking eyes, Boreal Owls have bright yellow eyes.
Range
Boreal Owls are non-migratory and are a species of the northern half of North America. They can be found as for north as Alaska and as far east as Canada’s Atlantic Coast. In the United Staes, Boreal Owls live in some of the mountains states of the Western US including Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, and Washington among others. They also turn up as rare visitors in some of the Midwestern and Northeastern states bordering Canada, but not on an annual basis.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Boreal Owls eat small rodents, birds, and insects with mammals being the primary staple of their diet. They will stake out places with mice, shrews, and voles around places like bird feeders and wait for the opportune time to attack. It is not uncommon for this species to return to the same hunting site regularly.
Where to Find This Bird
Boreal Owls can be found most frequently in Boreal Forests of conifers and birches. They can be incredibly difficult to find during the day as they roost in different places each day. However, they can sometimes be seen staking out bird feeders. Often times, the best way to locate this species is by listening for their calls during the late winter and early spring.
Burrowing Owl
Burrowing owl (Photo by Jennifer Soos)
Identification
Burrowing Owls are small, round-headed birds with bright yellow eyes. They have a brown back and wings with white spots. Their underside is white with brown scalloping.
Range
Burrowing Owls are year-round residents of most of South America (with the exception of the Amazon Rainforest), Florida, parts of Mexico, and the southwestern United States. In winter they move farther south into Mexico and Central America. In summer they move north, inhabiting most of the western United States and even some parts of southwestern Canada.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Burrowing Owls eat a wide variety of small creatures. Some vertebrate prey items include rodents, songbirds, bats, lizards, and amphibians. Unlike most other owl species, Burrowing Owls actually eat a lot of insects in addition to vertebrates. The types of insects are widely varied and include both terrestrial and flying.
Where to Find This Bird
Burrowing owls can be found in flat, open areas such as grasslands, and deserts. They also show up in a variety of areas impacted by humans such as agricultural fields, airports, and even golf courses. They are often seen around burrowing mammals such as prairie dogs. Finding prairie dog towns is typically a good way to also find these owls.
Eastern Screech Owl
Red morph Eastern Screech Owl
Identification
Eastern Screech Owls are small, round looking birds with pointed ear tufts. They come in two different colors or “morphs,” with one being gray and the other being orange. Gray morph birds are very well camouflaged as they look almost exactly like bark with a light gray base color and darker patterns on the back, head, and underside. The orange version of the Eastern Screech Owl is known as a “red morph” bird and have a deep reddish orange base color with darker grayish black patterning on their back, head, and chest. Red morph birds have white coloration on their underside going from the throat down toward their legs.
Range
The aptly named Eastern Screech Owl can be found year-round throughout the Eastern half of the United States and Northeastern Mexico. They also make it into some parts of Southeastern Canada as well. The range of this species expands as far west as Montana, Texas, and Eastern Colorado.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Eastern Screech Owls eat a wide variety of small prey items including mammals, insects, crustaceans, amphibians, and reptiles.
Where to Find This Bird
Eastern Screech Owls are not at all picky about where they live. They can be found in all different types of forests including deciduous and coniferous, residential areas such as city parks, areas near rivers and streams, and edge habitat. They live almost anywhere with adequate tree cover. Often times, Eastern Screech Owls use the same roosting sites repeatedly, meaning that they are easy to find if you know where they are roosting. Look for them peaking out of tree cavities or nest boxes sunning themselves, or watch these same places and wait for them to pop out just before dusk when they usually stick their faces out of their roosting site and wait for the right time to take flight for a night of hunting.
Great Gray Owl (Rare)
Great Gray Owl
Identification
The Great Gray Owl is among the tallest owl species in the world, but it is actually surprisingly lightweight. They have a light gray base color with darker gray mottling, making them look very similar to a lichen covered tree. They are darker on their back and wings than they are on their underside. Great Gray Owls have a very large facial disk outlined with darker gray and black and white markings just below their bill.
Range
Great Gray Owls are year-round residents of Alaska and most of Canada with the most Northeastern parts of the country being outside of their range. In the United States, Great Gray Owls can be found in some of the states in the Northwest such as Washington, California, Montana, Idaho, and Oregon. In winter, they have a light migration, moving south into Utah and Wyoming as well as some of the Great Lakes states and Northeastern states. The movement of this species depends on the availability of food in their normal range.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Great Gray Owls hunt at night as well as during the day. Their preferred food source is small mammals such as lemmings, voles, and mice among others. Great Gray Owls will typically hunt by perching high off the ground and scanning the landscape for food. When they spot a prey item they will fly above it and then dive down (often into snow drifts) to catch the animal.
Where to Find This Bird
Great Gray Owls can be found in conifer forests typically in places where there are openings such as bogs. Look for them along forest edges with perches that they can use to survey the surrounding area.
Great Horned Owl
Great Horned Owl
Identification
Out of all of the Owl species in North America, the Great Horned Owl is probably the one that people encounter the most. They are quite large with very noticeable ear tufts and have varying shades of brown covering their back, head, and wings. the Underside of the Great Horned Owl is lighter with a brown wash and darker brown to black horizontal barring.
Great Horned Owls of the arctic population are much more pale and even sometimes look white in color with the same barring and patterns as their southern counterparts.
Range
The Great Horned Owl is extremely widespread across North America as their range encompasses most of Alaska and Canada, the entire continental United States, and the majority of Mexico. They also live in various parts of South America too. This species is non-migratory.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Great Horned Owls eat an extremely wide variety of different animals ranging from small rodents to significantly larger mammals such as skunks and porcupines. They will also eat fairly large bird species such as ducks and even other raptor species. One interesting and gruesome habit of Great Horned Owls is to decapitate their larger prey.
Where to Find This Bird
Great Horned Owls can be found in a variety of different habitats including coniferous forests, deciduous forests, swamps, and residential neighborhoods. The easiest way to find this species is to listen for them making their call: a low “hoo hoo.” During breeding season owls can often be heard calling to one another, a practice known as “dueting.”
Long-eared Owl
Long-eared Owl
Identification
Long-eared Owls are medium sized owl species with very large ear tufts. They are brown on the back, wings, and head with orange, tan, and darker brown colors mixed in. Their underside is brown, white, and orange, giving them the appearance of the bark of a pine tree. Long-eared owls have orange facial disks outlined by dark brown.
Range
Long-eared Owls winter in Mexico and the Southern United States. In spring they move into the Northern United States and Southern Canada. There are many states in which Long-eared Owls are year-round residents such as Utah, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, and many more.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Long-eared owls eat a variety of small rodents. They have also been known to consume birds as well. This species hunts for food in open areas where they typically capture prey on the ground.
Where to Find This Bird
Long-eared Owls are secretive birds that roost in thick tangles of brush and vegetation. They often roost in groups so if you happen to find one of these well camouflaged owls, others are most likely around. Some of their favorite trees to nest in are willows, cottonwoods, and tamaracks. Long-eared Owls can also be found by listening for their deep “hoo” calls often repeated in quick succession.
In the birding community, there is a lot of debate over whether or not the location of Long-eared Owls should be listed anywhere. There have been well documented issues with birders and photographers (mostly photographers) getting too close to roosting Long-eared Owls and scaring them away. As a result, the locations of this sensitive species is not listed on eBird and reports of them are almost never shared.
Northern Hawk Owl (Rare)
Northern Hawk Owl
Identification
The Northern Hawk Owl has a brown back, wings, and tail with white spots. They have a light colored chest and underside with brown horizontal barring and a dark brown to black head with white speckling. Northern Hawk Owls have a light gray colored face outlined in black. One interesting physical trait of this species is fake eye spots on the back of the head.
Range
Northern Hawk Owls inhabit most of Alaska and Canada (in particular the Southern half). Some individuals come south in the winter and end up in the US states bordering Canada.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Northern Hawk Owls primarily feed on small rodents but also eat small to medium sized birds as well. This species hunts during the day as well as during the night.
Where to Find This Bird
Northern Hawk Owls typically reside in mixed conifer forests and can be seen hunting during the day. They will typically sit up on a high perch, scanning for prey and can be quite active. Some of the best places to see this species is edge habitat near open spaces such as bogs and meadows.
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Northern Saw-whet Owl – Photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region
Identification
Northern Saw-whet Owls are a very small species with a large, round head. They have a brown back and head with white spots, a white underside, and light brown vertical stripes. They have a white facial disk and piercing yellow eyes.
Range
Northern Saw-whet Owls live year round throughout different parts of North America including Southern Canada, the Northeastern, Northwestern, and Midwestern United States in addition to select areas of Mexico. During winter, they end up filling in the other parts of the United States that they don’t inhabit the rest of the year, moving as far south as Texas and Louisiana some years.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Northern Saw-whet Owls eat small prey items such as mice. They also eat other small mammals and small birds.
Where to Find This Bird
Northern Saw-whet Owls can be found in forests ranging from deciduous to coniferous. They are notoriously difficult to find as they don’t usually use the same roost. To try and locate one, search pine stands (this bird seems to prefer roosting in conifers) and look for white washed branches. Another way to find Saw-whet Owls is to listen for their call between late winter and spring which sounds like a drawn out “toot toot” repeated in succession.
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl
Identification
Snowy Owls are iconic and recognizable birds. Adult males range from pure white to white with a few dark brown markings. Female and immature birds are white with much more dark barring. These birds always have a white face regardless of the age of the bird.
Range
Snowy Owls breed on the tundra of the high arctic. During fall and winter they descend into Southern Canada, Alaska, and much of the continental United States. Just how far these majestic birds will go is dependent on food sources in the north. While this can be somewhat complicated, it generally boils down to the more food availability during breeding season, the more owls are successfully raised in a given year. The more owls that are raised in the north, the more they spread out, thus leading to what’s known as an irruption in which many owls spread out farther south into the United States than usual. The typical southern range for these birds encompases the states bordering Canada.
Learn about the patterns of Snowy Owl migration and irruptions
Diet and Foraging Habits
Snowy Owls feed primarily on small rodents. In particular, they are fond of the lemmings that live in their breeding areas. This species will also eat birds as well with waterfowl being a usual menu item.
Snowy Owls hunt on open landscapes and often times sit for hours surveying their surroundings and watching for small rodents.
Where to Find This Bird
Badgerland Birding searches for Snowy Owls along the Lake Michigan coast
Snowy Owls vary in numbers depending on how good the prior year’s nesting season was. In their normal range they can be found in open areas such as farm fields, tundras, and grasslands. The best time to look for Snowy Owls is during an irruption year when many more birds are coming down from the north and flooding into the United States. During these times, Snowy Owls can actually be quite easy to find and end up in slightly more eclectic places such as lake shores and airports.
Short-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Identification
Short-eared Owls are colored the same as the prairies and grasslands in which they reside. They have a light sandy colored back, wings, and tail with dark brown mottling. They have a cream colored underside with vertical stripes. This species has a white facial disk with both dark and sandy coloration just below their bright yellow eyes.
Short-eared Owls are highly maneuverable and acrobatic in flight, flying with rapid wingbeats that make them look moth-like. When flying, their flat faces are quite evident and help in separating them from other species such as Northern Harriers.
Range
Short-eared Owls are a species found across the globe in almost every continent. In North America, they winter in Northern Mexico and the Southern United States then move into the Northern Great Lakes states, Canada, and Alaska to breed in the summer.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Short-eared Owls eat small mammals such a slice, lemmings, shrews, and voles. They will also eat small to medium sized birds. Short-eared Owls are specialized hunters that acrobatically fly over open prairies keeping an eye out for ground dwelling mammals. They spend much more time in the air hunting compared to most other owl species.
Where to Find This Bird
Badgerland Birding scours a frozen marsh to find Short-eared owls
Short-eared Owls can be found in open prairies and grasslands flying low over the landscape. The timing can be important when looking for Short-eared owls as they are crepuscular, meaning they are out most at dawn and dusk. However, there are times when they have been documented flying during the day as well.
Summary
Owls are enigmatic and beautiful birds that are always a treat to see when out in the field. Knowing the species that are expected in your state can be instrumental in identifying which one you’re looking at and understanding their behaviors. Hopefully, this article has helped to answer some questions about the owls of Iowa.
Falcons are the stealth fighter jets of the bird world. Recording some of the fastest speeds of all winged animals, these dynamic flyers are captivating to watch.
There are three species of falcons that can be found in South Carolina on an annual basis. Here is everything you need to know about those three species.
American Kestrel
American Kestrel
Identification
The American Kestrel is a small and colorful bird. Males have a rusty colored back as well as a lighter rusty colored underside. They have blue on their wings and the top of their head as well as black markings near their eye. Females are lighter overall with rusty orange barring on their wings, back, and tail.
Range
American Kestrels live in both South America and North America. In North America, Kestrels are migratory and reside in Mexico in winter, then move into Canada during the breeding season. Throughout much of the United States, American Kestrels can be found year round.
Diet and Foraging Habits
American Kestrels eat small creatures including insects, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and rodents. In terms of the insects they eat, some of the most commonly consumed are grasshoppers, dragonflies, and cicadas.
Where to Find this Bird
American Kestrels are a common sight along roadsides and in open fields. They can be seen on telephone poles and wires in addition to perched on dead trees and other structures in areas with few trees. Other places Kestrels can be found are urban parks, pastures, and farm fields.
Merlin
Merlin (Bill Thompson photo)
Identification
Merlins are very small members of the falcon family looking similar in size to a Mourning Dove. They have a blueish gray to black back, wings, and head, and a buffy to brown streaked underside. Merlins can differ in color based on region but always maintain a somewhat similar appearance. Most of the time they will have a white eyebrow stripe.
Range
Merlins winter in Northern South America, Central America, Mexico, the Southeastern United States, and most of the Western United States. In spring they migrate north ending up in only the most Northern parts of the U.S. and much of Canada and Alaska. There is an area from the Northwestern part of the United States to the Southwestern part of Alaska where Merlins live year round. Some individuals stay all winter in Northern states as well.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Merlins primarily eat small birds such as waxwings, sparrows, and even shorebirds. In addition to birds, they also eat insects and rodents.
Where to Find this Bird
Merlins can be tricky to find as encountering one typically seems like a matter of luck. They can be found in wooded areas as well as in open areas where they will be surveying for food. Sometimes the easiest way to see them is in flight when they will be moving at high speeds.
Personal Experience: It seems like if I ever go out intentionally trying to find Merlins there aren’t any around. Each year I typically find one by chance while out birding. It seems that even though they aren’t necessarily supposed to winter in the northern U.S. that is when I see them most.
Peregrine Falcon
Peregrine Falcon (Betsy Matsubara Photo – CC by 2.0)
Identification
Peregrine Falcons are iconic birds with a dark back, wings, head, and neck. They have a light underside with dark barring and noticeable bright yellow legs. This species has interesting facial markings that some people refer to as “sideburns” but is essentially dark coloration coming down below the eye onto the cheeks of the bird.
Range
The Peregrine Falcon’s range in North America is complicated with a general pattern of wintering in the Southeastern United States and Mexico, summering in Northern Canada, and migrating throughout the rest of the continent. However, there are many places in the continental United States that Peregrine Falcons breed in during summer (such as along Lake Superior) and live year round (such as most of the Pacific Coast, and around the Great Lakes).
This species not only lives in North America, but every other continent as well with the exception of Antarctica.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Peregrine Falcons are the fastest fliers in the entire animal kingdom reaching normal speeds of around 70 miles per hour and a diving speed of around 200 miles per hour. They use this incredible speed to hunt medium sized birds such as doves and ducks, but they have been observed taking on an extremely wide array of different bird species. Peregrine Falcons will also eat fish, and mammals.
Where to Find this Bird
Peregrine Falcons have adapted well to human habitation and use skyscrapers as nesting sites. In more wild areas they will use cliffs as nest sites. Peregrine Falcons can be reliable sights in places where people have placed nest boxes specifically for the species to breed in. Often times these places have corresponding nest cams.
Summary
Falcons are always entertaining to see, and knowing which ones to expect in your state can be a key part of correctly identifying the bird you are seeing. If you enjoyed this post, please give it a like and a comment. Also be sure to check out the Badgerland Birding YouTube Channel.
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 South Carolina, 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 (Rare)
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 South Carolina.
Finches are a group of relatively small passerine birds that travel in flocks. Many finch species visit bird feeders and are very familiar to people while others are a bit rarer to see.
In South Carolina, there are five finch species that show up on an annual basis that are certainly worth getting to know in order to maximize your experience with them at your bird feeder or out in the field.
American Goldfinch
Male breeding plumage American Goldfinch
Nonbreeding plumage American Goldfinch
Identification
During the breeding months, American Goldfinches are extremely colorful with males having bright yellow covering most of their bodies, a black cap on their head, black wings, and a black partially forked tail. In nonbreeding plumage, these birds are duller with brownish bodies, a yellowish head, and black wings with white wing bars. Females in breeding plumage are still bright yellow but not to the same degree as the males. Females also have less black on the top of their head.
Range
American Goldfinches can be found throughout most of the United States with the species following a typical migration path of traveling south in winter and north into Canada to breed in summer. They are also found year-round in many of the Midwestern, Northeastern, and Northwestern states.
Diet and Foraging Habits
American Goldfinches have a diet consisting of seeds. Some of their preferred seeds are sunflower and nyjer. American Goldfinches typically feed in flocks (with some flocks becoming quite large) and will also feed alongside other finch species such as Common Redpolls, and Pine Siskins.
Where to Find This Bird
In their native range, American Goldfinches are plentiful and easy to find. Search for this species in fields with tall weeds and grass, both deciduous and coniferous forests, parks, and of course backyards. Finch feeders with nyjer, thistle, or sunflower seeds are great attractants for this species.
House Finch
Male House Finch
Identification
Male House Finches have brown backs and wings with a bright red head, throat, and chest. They have streaking on their sides and a brown stripe on their face. Female House Finches look the same as the males but without the bright red.
House Finches look very similar to Purple Finches. For tips on differentiating between the two, click here to read about it or watch the video below.
Learn the differences between the House Finch and the Purple Finch
Range
House Finches have a very interesting range. They were originally native to the Western half of the United States and Mexico, but were brought over to the Eastern half of the US and now inhabit both the East and the West, but not parts of the Central US. House Finches are generally nonmigratory and stick to the same areas year-round.
Diet and Foraging Habits
House Finches eat seeds and other plant materials such as buds and fruits. They are common around urban backyard bird feeders where they will consume millet and sunflower seeds among other things.
Where to Find This Bird
House Finches are accustomed to spending time near humans, often being found in parks and backyards with bird feeders. This species can also be found in many different natural habitats as well including but not limited to oak and conifer forests.
Pine Siskin
Pine Siskin
Identification
Pine Siskins are an overall brownish tan color with cream colored wing bars and a lighter colored underside. They have heavy streaking on the sides and a lighter colored eyebrow stripe. Pine Siskins have bright yellow edging on their wing and tail feathers.
Range
Pine Siskins have an extremely expansive range across the US and Canada. They live year-round in Southern Canada, the Northern United States, and parts of the Western United States and Mexico. In summer, the breeding range of Pine Siskins extends up into Canada and Southwestern Alaska. In winter, Pine Siskins southern movements vary wildly from year to year with the species sometimes making it well into Mexico and the Southeastern US.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Pine Siskins eat a wide variety of food items including insects, buds, and seeds. The majority of their diet during the colder months is seeds ranging from seeds of deciduous trees to those of conifers. As their name would suggest, they are particularly fond of the seeds of pine trees. Pine Siskins are often found feeding in flocks flying from tree to tree and making their distinctive, buzzy call.
Where to Find This Bird
Pine Siskins live in a variety of habitats including deciduous and coniferous woods, parks, and backyards. If it’s the right time of year for them, exploring pine and other conifer forests will often times lead to an encounter. Another great place to find these lively birds is at home bird feeders where they will eat alongside other finch species such as American Goldfinches and House Finches.
Finding Pine Siskins during an irruption year
Purple Finch
Purple Finch
Identification
Male Purple Finches are stunning birds with a rosy-pink wine-stained color on their back, head, and chest. They have dark brown wings and a brown colored tail. Male Purple Finches also have lighter and darker variations of pink on their face giving them the look of having an eye stripe. Females completely lack the rosy-pink color of the males and have brown wings with cream-colored undersides and a noticeable cream-colored eyebrow stripe. They also have streaking on their chest and sides.
Sometime Purple Finches can be hard to tell apart from House Finches. To find out how to differentiate between the two, click here to read our article about it or check out the video below.
Learn the differences between the House Finch and the Purple Finch
Range
Purple Finches live year-round in the Northeastern states, Northern Great Lakes states, and West Coast states of the US as well as Southeastern Canada. Their summer range expands farther north into Canada, and they move south in the winter (mostly in the Eastern United States).
Diet and Foraging Habits
Purple Finches eat many different types of seeds and berries. They will also eat soft buds from plants and feed on nectar from flowers.
Where to Find This Bird
Purple Finches can be found in forested areas with conifer forests seeming to be the preferred habitat. In winter, look for these birds near feeding stations where the males will stand out.
Badgerland Birding searches for Purple Finches
Red Crossbill (Uncommon)
Male Red Crossbill – Photo by U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region
Identification
Male Red Crossbills are orangish red with brownish black wings and a brownish black tail. They have a marking that goes over their eye and is not terribly noticeable unless seen at close range. Females are yellowish in color with brownish gray wings. Red Crossbills get their name for their interesting bill structure. The mandibles are crossed, making it easy for this species to open up pinecones to extract seeds.
Range
The range of Red Crossbills is complicated. They are extremely nomadic and will simply travel to where the food is. In general, this species is a year-round resident of Western and Southern Canada, the Western and Northern forests of the United States, and parts of Mexico. During winter, they move into the rest of the United States in search of fruitful cone crops. In any given year they may stay relatively far north or make it as far south as Texas and Mexico.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Red Crossbills are specialized to feed on conifer cones and do so by placing their crossed mandibles in-between the scales of the cones. They then open up the cone and eat the seed out of it. These birds typically feed in flocks and will descend on a tree together, feasting in what looks and sounds like a frenzy.
Where to Find This Bird
Red Crossbills can certainly be a tough species to get a read on. The best time to find them is to during an irruption year when many of them flood into the continental US. During these times, keep an eye out for conifer trees with healthy cone crops. Another good way to find this species is by listening for their “jip jip” flight call.
It’s worth noting that Red Crossbills have several different “types.” Each of these types has a slightly different call and habitat preference. It’s possible that at some point these birds could be split into multiple species.
Summary
Finches are energetic and exciting birds to be able to find or have around your yard. 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 finches of South Carolina.
Cormorants are slender diving waterbirds with a distinctive shape and set of habits. While there are many cormorant species that live in North America, there are only two that can typically be found in Iowa, with one being extremely abundant and the other being quite rare. Here is everything you need to know about these two species.
Double-crested Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Identification
Adult Double-crested Cormorants have a dark brown to black head, neck, back, underside and wings. Juveniles will be lighter brown in color with a lighter throat and underside. Both adults and juveniles have orange by the eyes and base of the bill as well as a turquoise colored eye. Breeding adult birds have two tufts on their head that can sometimes be hard to see, but these crests are what this species is named for.
Range
Double-crested Cormorants live year round along the Pacific Coast of North America from Northwestern Mexico all the way up to the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. They also live year round in parts of Florida. This species winters in in the Southeastern United States and Northeastern Mexico. In spring, they move into the Northern United States and Southern Canada where they can be seen migrating in large flocks.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Double-crested Cormorants primarily eat fish which they catch by hunting them underwater. They will also eat other aquatic creature such as crustaceans and amphibians.
Where to Find This Bird
Double-crested Cormorants can be found in a variety of places with all of them usually being near bodies of water. Look for this species in trees lining lakes and ponds as well as in marshes. Often times, Double-crested Cormorants will congregate in large groups on islands or other places with adequate perches as they dry their wings and survey for prey.
Neotropic Cormorant (Rare)
Neotropic Cormorant – Photo by Alan Schmierer
Identification
Neotropic Cormorants are small members of the cormorant family. Adult birds are a shiny black color with white feathers on their head, back, and wings. They have a white triangle on the base of the bill known as a gular. Neotropic Cormorants have yellowish orange on the base of the bill and a turquoise colored eye. Juveniles are lighter in color overall, sporting brown coloration instead of black.
Range
Neotropic Cormorants live year-round in South America, Central America, much of Mexico, and the Gulf Coast of the United States. While much of the population is not migratory, some birds move north in spring and have a habit of turning up north of their normal range.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Neotropic Cormorants eat mostly fish, but will also consume insects, crustaceans, and amphibians. These birds are sight feeders and search for prey underwater where their streamlined bodies make them adept swimmers.
Where to Find This Bird
Neotropic Cormorants live in a wide variety of places including inland lakes, saltmarshes, and along ocean coastlines. They can often be seen perched in branches and other structures near water keeping watch for food.
For information on how to differentiate a Double-crested Cormorant from a Neotropic Cormorant click here to read an article on the subject or check out the video below.
Neotropic vs. Double-crested Cormorant
Birds that are Similar to Cormorants
There is one North American bird species that technically is not a cormorant, but is similar enough to include it on the list.
Anhinga (Rare)
Anhinga
Identification
Anhingas look extremely similar to cormorants with a long snake-like neck and a long pointed bill. They have longer tails than most cormorant species and show white on their wings. Overall, Anhingas are dark colored with dark brown to black bodies and lighter colored necks.
Range
Anhingas are year-round residents of the northern half of South America, the coasts of Central America and Mexico, and the southeastern coast of the continental United States. In summer, they move farther north and have a tendency to move pretty far north into the eastern United States.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Anhingas primarily feed on fish which they actively hunt for underwater and spear with their sharp, pointed bill. They will also eat crustaceans and other small invertebrates.
Where to Find This Bird
Anhingas can be found in areas with slow moving freshwater such as marshes, bayous, and general wetlands. Look for them drying their wings on perches or swimming in the water, sitting low mostly with just their head and neck above the waters surface.
Summary
Cormorants are unique, lanky birds that are a common sight near the water. Knowing the habits, range, and key identification features of each of these species can be incredibly useful in knowing what to look for in the field.
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 South Carolina there are two species that can be found on an annual basis. Here is everything you need to know about them.
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 South Carolina.
In the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas lives one of the most beautiful and charismatic bird species in the entire continent: the Green Jay. Green Jays are extremely distinctive in their appearance. They have a dark green back with a light green underside. Their tail starts out greenish at the base and fades to blue at the end of the feathers. The most striking feature of this species is the royal blue and black patterning on their face. The black stretches from the top of the chest, up the neck and near the eyes while the blue starts at the back of the neck and comes around to the front of the face, curling around to the cheeks. Green Jays also gave a small blue spot on each side of their head where their eyebrows would be. It’s worth noting that there are actually two different populations of green jays with one living in South America and the other living in central America, Mexico and the United States. The population in South America is known as the Inca subspecies and looks slightly different with a whitish to yellow top of their head.
When looking at the green Jays range map, it’s clear to see these two different populations of green jays with the more southern population forming something of “c” shape around the northwestern part of South America. The more northern population resides in some of the Central American countries such as Honduras and Guatemala all the way north through the southwestern and complete eastern coast of Mexico. In the United States, the only state to find this species in is Texas where they inhabit the most southern tip of the state.
Part of the appeal of the green jay as a species is certainly partially due to its coloration and rarity in the United States, but another thing about them that people love is their charismatic personality. The word charismatic is thrown out a lot with animals. Essentially it means the creature in question is endearing in some way due to intelligence or goofiness or sometimes because they display qualities that make them easy to anthropomorphize such as living in family groups. Green Jays certainly display a lot of intelligence and are actually one of the few North American bird species that have been observed using tools. Oftentimes this action comes in the form of a bird using sticks to pry open crevices in tree bark to search for insects. They will also imitate the sounds of birds of prey in an attempt to scare away other birds from food sources they wish to gain access to.
Speaking of food, Green Jays have an incredibly varied diet. They eat insects, nuts, seeds, fruit, eggs of other birds, and small vertebrates. When foraging, Green Jays are very systematic in their approach. They will move together in groups and scour every inch of plants and trees. They will also dig through the leaf litter as they investigate the ground for anything tasty
Video version of the article
Another interesting thing about these birds is the way that they flock together. Green Jays form family groupings consisting of a breeding pair of birds, that pairs nonbreeding nestlings from the prior year and the chicks of the current year. The nonbreeding birds that were hatched the prior year assist in defending the territory and assisting the breeding pair, something like older siblings looking after the younger ones.
Green Jays live in different habitats depending on the continent they inhabit. In South America they live in woodlands in both high and low elevation areas as well as rainforests and plantations. In North America, this species also inhabits woodlands, but they can also be found in scrub and dry forests.
Seeing Green Jays in the wild they are certainly entertaining and intelligent. They move like I imagine small dinosaurs moved with a lot of calculated motions and looking naturally inquisitive. Sometimes when you look at bird species you can tell how intelligent they are simply by how they move, and act and green jays certainly fall into that category. Much like other jay species such as Blue Jays, the green jays we encountered made a lot of different calls as they went about their business of foraging and communicating with each other. As I mentioned they are mimics and can copy the sounds of other birds, so it wasn’t uncommon to hear them make new noises.
In South Texas, Green Jays are common if you know where to look and I would highly recommend taking a trip to see this amazing bird species at least once. Did you enjoy this video? Let us know in the comments below and as always, thanks for reading, we’ll see you next time, on Badgerland Birding.
Orioles are beautiful birds well known for their bright coloration. There are many different oriole species that live in North America and three of them are visitors to South Dakota. Here is everything you need to know about these three 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.
Bullock’s Oriole
Bullock’s Oriole – Photo by Alan Schmierer
Identification
Adult Male Bullock’s Orioles are a yellowish orange with black markings under the bill to the chin, a black stripe through the eye, and a black stripe on the head. They have black wings with a large white patch on them and black on the tail. Females have orange on the head, chest, and tail with gray wings and a light underside.
Range
Bullock’s Orioles winter throughout most of Mexico, moving north during migration. In summer, this specie scan be found throughout the western half of the United States from Montana, and Colorado, all the way to California and Washington. Bullock’s Orioles can also be found in Southwestern Canada.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Bullock’s Orioles feed on Insects, spiders, nectar, and fruit. They readily forage for insects on trees such as caterpillars and other invertebrates. They have also been known to pierce fruits and flowers with their bills and then drink the juice and nectar that spill out.
Where to Find This Bird
Bullock’s Orioles can be found in thin woodlands near open areas as well as riparian habitats. They often live and nest in tall trees such as cottonwoods. This species is generally found in the more arid parts of the Western United States.
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 South Dakota.
Kingfishers are fascinating birds that specialize in catching and eating fish. There are a handful of different kingfisher species in North America, but only one species that can be found in Pennsylvania. Here is everything you need to know about that species.
Belted Kingfisher
Male Belted Kingfisher (Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Southwest Region)
Female Belted Kingfisher (Photo by USFWS Midwest Region)
Identification
Belted Kingfishers are short, compact birds with large pointed bills. Males are grayish blue with a large crest, a white underside, and a grayish blue band across their chest. Females look similar to the males but have rust on their sides and a second band (rust colored) underneath the blue chest band. Both males and females have a white spot near their eye on each side of the head.
Range
Belted Kingfishers winter in Northern South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Southern United States. In spring they migrate north throughout most on the United States, Canada, and Alaska where they spend the summer. Some Belted Kingfishers stay in the Northern United States year round provided there is open water.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Belted Kingfishers are primarily fish-eaters, choosing to eat fish that are on the medium to small side such as sticklebacks and various minnows. They find and catch prey by sitting high on a perch and scanning for fish by sight. Once they spot something they want, they dive in head first and use their bill to grab onto the food item. In addition to fish, Belted Kingfishers will also eat amphibians, reptiles, crustaceans, and small mammals.
Where to Find This Bird
Belted Kingfishers can be found near water including rivers, ponds, streams, and lakes. Clear water is most optimal for kingfishers as they need to be able to see prey in order to catch it. Listen for this species rattling call and look for them swooping low as they fly from perch to perch.
Summary
Kingfishers are unique birds that occupy a very specific niche in the ecosystem. With just one species living in Pennsylvania any encounter with one of these vibrant and energetic birds is sure to be a Belted Kingfisher. Hopefully this post has helped answer some of your questions about the Kingfishers of Pennsylvania.
