Vultures are large birds of prey that normally have a head or neck that is often devoid of feathers. Due to their habits of feeding on carrion, they have gotten a bad reputation, however their ecological niche is valuable, and they are quite interesting birds. There are two different vulture species that can be found in Delaware. Here is everything you need to know about those two species.
Turkey Vulture
Turkey Vulture (Cape Hatteras National Seashore Photo)
Turkey Vulture in flight (Brad Sutton Photo)
Identification
The Turkey Vulture is a large brown bird with a pinkish head that is featherless. In flight, the trailing edge of the wings will show white feathers, with the rest of the underside of the bird being brown. Turkey Vulture will often be seen soaring overhead, or perched on cliffs or other tall structures. They can also be seen near roadsides feeding on carrion.
Range
In North America, Turkey Vultures can be seen in southern states and central America year-round. They move into northern states and Southern Canada during the summer. The Turkey Vulture can normally be seen in Delaware during the spring, summer, and fall.
Diet and Foraging Behavior
Turkey Vultures feed mostly on dead prey such as roadkill or carrion. It is said that Turkey Vultures will never attack live prey. They serve as a valuable “clean-up crew” in the ecosystems they inhabit.
Where to Find this Bird
Look for Turkey Vultures soaring overhead or perching up on high structures such as signs, power lines, cliffs, or tall trees. They will often roost or feed in groups. Also keep an eye out for these birds feeding in open areas or roadsides.
Black Vulture in flight (cuatrok77 photo – CC by 2.0)
Identification
Black Vultures look similar to turkey vultures except they have an all black head and appear to have white/gray wingtips when viewed from below, as opposed to white on the trailing wing edge, among other features.
Range
The Black Vulture can be found in many southern and southeastern states in the U.S. as well as in Central America. They are often seen as vagrants in more northern states in the U.S.
Diet and Foraging Behavior
Much like the Turkey Vulture, Black Vultures will feed on roadkill and carrion, often large mammals. However, unlike the Turkey Vulture, they have also been known to eat weak, or dying live prey.
Where to Find this Bird
Black Vultures can be seen soaring overhead, or perched on powerlines, snags, cliffs, or on other tall structures. They can also sometimes be seen in mixed groups of other raptors such as Turkey Vultures.
Which of these species have you seen? Leave a comment below and thanks for reading!
Around the world there is a large community of people who share a fascination for birds. In fact, there are entire subcultures around the various hobbies that stem from this fascination. Words such as twitching, lifers, foys, birders, and bird watchers are all terms that are firmly integrated into the bird community. However, two of these terms are intriguing, because to those that aren’t terribly familiar with them, they appear to be the same thing. The two in question are birder and bird watcher. A quandary posed by many is whether or not they are actually the same thing or if they are in fact different. If they are different, than in what ways are they separate from one another? While this can certainly be debated, we’re here to help answer the question, what is the difference between a bird watcher and a birder?
To those not indoctrinated into the bird world, the common term for describing someone who has an interest in birds would be “bird watcher.” It is the term most known by the general public, but what does that actually describe? And is it accurate as a broad term to describe anyone interested in birds? To answer this, we turn to the Merriam Webster dictionary. This dictionary describes a bird watcher as…well “a birder.” And it describes a birder as “a person who observes or identifies wild birds in their natural habitat.” So it would seem that according to the dictionary, the terms could be used interchangeably, case closed, right? Not quite.
White-breasted Nuthatch
For the whole answer we must look inward to the bird community. One of the first mentions in pop culture of a difference between the terms comes from the movie “The Big Year,” in which a character refers to the hobby of searching out birds in their natural habitat as “bird watching” only to be met with a stern retort from one of the main characters named Stu (played by Steve Martin) that it is in fact called Birding. This is the first evidence that indicates there is a difference between a birder and a bird watcher, even though the dictionary doesn’t seem to think so. So, there may in fact be a difference, but what is it?
Based on discussions with others in the bird community the definitions could be as follows.
A bird watcher is someone who has a fascination for birds and typically views and notices them but does not actively search for them
Whereas a birder is sometone who actively seeks out birds.
In general, a birder would be a more specialized stage of bird watching in which more knowledge is gained and the hobby becomes more focused and driven. Birders may take vacations specifically to see birds and keep tallies of all of the birds they’ve seen in a competitive manner.
Spotted Towhee
A good comparison would be the hobby of cave exploring. Spelunking and caving are two terms that both describe the same activity, but caving has more of an emphasis on exploring for sport whereas spelunking in considered to be exploring as a light hobby.
In sum, both bird watching and birding are very similar, and the terms generally describe the same hobby, but there are some subtle differences with birders being more active in their pursuit of seeing birds. In the end, does it really matter? Probably not, but as the hobby of birding continues to grow, there will undoubtedly be more subgroups that pop up, and maybe someday people will even petition the Merriam Webster dictionary to more distinctly define the two terms. Until then, thanks for watching we’ll see you next time, on Badgerland Birding.
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 Delaware, here is everything you need to know about these two species.
Great Cormorant
Great Cormorant – Caroline Jones Photo
Identification
Great Cormorants are larger than other Eastern Cormorant species. They look different depending on the region with some subspecies having more white on their head and neck. The birds in Eastern North America are glossy dark brown to black with white on their flanks and throat. They also have an orangey colored gular patch. Birds in nonbreeding plumage are a chocolatey brown color.
Range
Great Cormorants are extremely wide spread with the species being found in North America, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Australia. In North America they reside on the East Coast from Southeastern Canada all the way south to Florida and even the Gulf Coast.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Great Cormorants are specialists at hunting for and eating fish. They are known to specialize in bottom dwelling fish that they pull from crevices in rocks. They typically forage in shallower water under 50 feet in depth.
Where to Find This Bird
In the United States, look for Great Cormorants on rocky coasts in the states along the Atlantic Ocean. In particular, the more Northern States in New England are some of the places this species is most common.
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.
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.
Wrens are goofy and fast-moving little birds that are absolutely loaded with attitude. Due to their small size and quickness, they can be very difficult to identify. Luckily, many of them have differences in habitat as well as some key features to keep an eye out for that can be used to help differentiate them.
In Illinois, there are four common wren species and one that visits annually but can be a bit more difficult to find. Here is everything that you need to know about these five species.
Carolina Wren
Carolina wren
Identification
Carolina Wrens are on the larger side among wrens. They have a reddish brown back, head, and wings with a peach colored underside. They have a white throat and a very well defined white eye stripe.
Range
Carolina Wrens are not migratory and live throughout the Eastern United States with the exception of some of the states in the Northeast and the Midwest. They can be found as far west as Texas and as far south as Mexico and even some Central American Countries. The Carolina Wren’s range is actually believed to be expanding as they are showing up farther and farther north each year.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Carolina Wrens eat many different varieties of invertebrates including spiders, moths, and crickets among others. They also eat pulp and seeds from fruit in addition to small vertebrates on occasion.
Where to Find This Bird
Carolina Wrens live in a variety of habitats ranging from woodlands, to scrubland, to backyards. Typically, anywhere that has some sort of cover will serve as a good home for this species. Carolina Wrens are often heard before they are seen, making a call that some say sounds like a tea kettle.
House Wren
House Wren
Identification
House Wrens are a small, grayish brown species that is fairly uniform in color with darker brown barring on the wings and tail. They will vary slightly in color and pattern depending on region.
Range
House Wrens are widespread across North America and South America with South America being a year-round home for this species. In winter, House Wren’s reside in the Southern US and Mexico. They make their way north in spring, eventually ending up covering most of the Continental United States and parts of Southern Canada.
Diet and Foraging Habits
House Wrens are insectivorous, eating mostly insects and other invertebrates that move along the ground such as beetles and spiders. They have also been known to eat flying insects such as dragonflies and moths as well.
Where to Find This Bird
House Wrens can be found in many different habitats. Essentially, as long as there is some vegetation to hide in, House Wrens will probably be around. They are common in back yards where they can be heard making their chattering call.
Marsh Wren
Marsh Wren – Photo by USFWS Mountain-Prairie
Identification
Marsh Wrens have a reddish brow back with dark barring on their wings and tail. They have white stripes on their upper back and a buffy to white colored eye stripe. Marsh Wrens have a light underside and often times have buffy sides.
Range
Marsh Wrens winter in Mexico and the Southern United States. In spring, they move north and spend the summer in the Northern United States and parts of Southern Canada. Interestingly, Marsh Wrens are year-round residents in some parts of the US including along the east and west coasts, as well as states such as Colorado and Utah among others.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Marsh Wrens consume Insects and and other invertebrates. They often feed close to the base of vegetation in swampy habitats.
Where to Find This Bird
As their name suggests, Marsh Wrens can be found in marshy habitats with lots of vegetation and standing water. They occupy both freshwater wetlands and coastal salt marshes.
Sedge Wren
Sedge Wren
Identification
Sedge Wrens are a sandy to brownish color with lighter coloration on their sides. Their back, wings, tail, and head are darker tan to brown with light head striping, and darker barring on the wings and tail. They have a white throat, a white underside, and a tan eyebrow stripe.
Range
Sedge Wrens winter in Northeastern Mexico and the Southeastern United States. In spring, they move north into many of the Midwestern states, Great Lakes area, and South-central Canada.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Sedge Wrens eat insects and other invertebrates that they pick from dense vegetation. They may also eat small amounts of seeds.
Where to Find This Bird
Sedge Wrens reside in thick vegetation such as grasses, and of course sedges. Look for damp fields with tall grass or other plants, and Sedge Wrens will most likely be around.
Winter Wren
Winter Wren – Photo by Alan Schmierer
Identification
Winter Wrens are reddish brown with a lighter shade of color on their throat and underside. They have barring and speckling on their sides, tail, back, and wings. This species has a lighter colored eye stripe and has a very short stiff looking tail.
Range
Winter Wrens spend the winter in the Southeastern United States with the exception of Southern Florida. In spring, they move north into many of the Great Lakes states and much of Southeastern Canada. Winter Wrens can also be found in parts of Western Canada in summer. There are also some areas in the Northeastern United States where this species can be found year round.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Winter Wrens eat Insects and other invertebrates. During the winter, they have also been known to eat berries. They typically forage along the ground, searching logs and vegetation for small creatures to eat.
Where to Find This Bird
Winter Wrens can be found in forested habitats as well as shrubby areas with thick underbrush. They seem to enjoy spending time in tangled branches, often making them difficult to get a clear look at. In lowland areas with dense understory, keep an eye out for this small, quick moving species.
Summary
Wrens are fun birds to find due to their energetic personalities and feisty attitudes. Knowing the species that are expected in your state can be instrumental in identifying which one you are looking at in the field. Hopefully, this article has helped in answering some questions about the Wrens of Illinois.
One of the key elements of birding is the process of identifying individual birds to the correct species. Some species are extremely distinctive looking and easy to differentiate, but then there are some that are quite similar to the point where even seasoned birders have some trouble making a positive ID. Whether you’re a beginner just learning the basics, or a veteran birder who wants to brush up on some tricky IDs, here are 3 tools that can help you correctly identify birds.
Merlin Bird ID and Other Apps
There are numerous apps out there specifically for identifying birds such as the Audobon and Sibley bird guide apps that allow users access to ID info on their phone. There are also many apps that walk users through the process of identification and end up giving the user suggestions for what the bird most likely is
One of the most popular of these apps is Merlin. Merlin has a ton of different features to help users easily figure out what bird they are looking at or hearing. With a step-by-step wizard that askes the user questions about the birds size, shape, and color, visual recognition from photos, and even call recognition, the merlin birding app is currently unmatched in terms of leading the user to an accurate identification.
While these apps can be instrumental in learning about identifying birds and even arriving at the correct conclusion about which species an individual belongs to, they are not without their shortcomings. The suggested birds aren’t accurate 100 percent of the time and it’s worth double checking any ID given from any of these apps.
Facebook Groups
Facebook groups are a fantastic resource for identifying birds. With tons of experienced birders in state or regional birding groups, there will almost certainly be someone in the group that can help you arrive at a correct ID. Additionally there are birding groups on Facebook specifically made for people to get answers on their identification questions. Some of the ones I use most often are What’s this Bird? American birding association and the bird identification group of the world. Similarly to the ID apps, sometimes people will make incorrect ID suggestions on Facebook groups as well, but most of the time the right conclusion will eventually be reached.
Bird Guide Books
Sometimes the old school way of doing things can also be the best. Hard copy bird guides are still incredibly useful when it comes to identifications. With many to choose from including Sibley, Stokes, Peterson and Kaufman just to name a few, there is a lot of variety in terms of how the information in these books is presented and plenty of debate over which one is the best. Additionally, there are field guides available for specific states, countries, and provinces as well that are great for learning the birds in your own backyards, or the species you are likely to encounter on a vacation.
Mountain Bluebird
Many of these bird guides offer side by side comparisons and note the field markings of the bird and how to differentiate between similar species. Overall, sometimes it’s just helpful to crack open a book and do some research to figure out what a bird is on your own.
All three of these tools can be incredibly useful in understanding which species you’re looking at in the field. While individually each one is of great help, using all three is even better as you can thoroughly explore all of the possibilities. Which one of these tools do you prefer using? Let us know in the comments below.
Hummingbirds are captivating creatures that buzz around backyards and flowers at a frenetic pace. While they are quite small, they sometimes travel extreme distances during migration, leading to many species showing up in places outside of their normal range.
While Ohio has records of many different rare hummingbirds showing up in the state over the years, there are really only two species that can be found in the state on a regular basis. Here is everything you need to know about those two species.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Ruby-throated Hummingbird Male – Photo by USFWS Midwest Region
Ruby-throated Hummingbird Female – Photo by Susan Young
Identification
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds look different depending on the lighting. Sometimes they can appear dark olive color, but when the sun hits them, they shine with a bright emerald green on the back, wings, head, and tail. Female Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have a white throat and underside while males have a bright shining red throat. Again, if the lighting is dark, the throat will be dark red to black looking in color.
Range
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird spends the winter in Central America and Southern Mexico. In spring, they head north and breed throughout the Eastern United States as well as some parts of Southern Canada. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the only naturally occurring hummingbird species that breeds in the Eastern US.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds consume nectar from flowers, particularly from red or orange flowers. They will also eat small insects that they find near flowers or even catch them out of mid air.
Where to Find This Bird
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds can be found in forested areas, around fields, and in backyards. They frequent ornamental flowers as well as hummingbird feeders and are common in their normal range. To find them, either stake out flower beds, or keep your eyes peeled for something that looks like a very large insect buzzing through the air.
Rufous Hummingbird (Uncommon)
Rufous Hummingbird Adult Male – Photo by Alan Schmierer
Rufous Hummingbird – Photo by Bill Grossmeyer
Identification
Adult male Rufous Hummingbirds have a golden orange color on their head, back, and tail with darker colored wings. They have dark tips of the tail feathers with the exception of the outer tail feathers that are white-tipped. Adult males have a reddish pink iridescent throat and a white bib. Females and immature males are much more pale overall with a light underside and a green back, head, and tail. They still have hints of the rusty orange coloration that adult males possess but it looks like more of a light wash.
Range
Rufous Hummingbirds live in the Western half of North America. They winter in Southwestern Mexico and have a fairly lengthy migration to the Pacific Northwest and Southwestern Canada where they spend the breeding months.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Rufous Hummingbirds feed from flowers where they use their long bills to get nectar. They also eat small insects such as flies and aphids. They will catch them on the wing or pick them off of flowers and vegetation.
Where to Find This Bird
Rufous Hummingbirds live in a wide variety of habitats including forests, meadows, and backyards. This species is known to visit hummingbird feeders and can sometimes be a bully to other hummingbirds trying to get nectar.
In Ohio, Rufous Hummingbirds are rare visitors but do make an appearance on an annual basis. They are typically found during fall migration and usually by a homeowner who notices them at their hummingbird feeder. Look for a large hummingbird from November to January and leave feeders up well into late fall if you’d like to attract one.
Summary
Hummingbirds are beloved by many birders and backyard bird watchers alike. 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. Keep in mind, Ohio has had an assortment of rare hummingbirds that show up very occasionally, so it’s possible that a bird you are trying to identify could be a vagrant species, so do not rule any of them out if your bird doesn’t fit with either of the two expected species.
Retzer Nature Center has its own parking lot with plenty of space, even on busier days. They have a wide variety of trails ranging from a paved loop trail to boardwalks, to grass, to woodchips. Most of these trails do not have steep grades so walking is pretty easy.
Habitat
There are a many different habitats at Retzer Nature center that draw in a variety of bird species. Near the visitor center there is mixed deciduous and coniferous woods with regular coniferous woods being other places on the property. There is a stream that flows through the lower elevation parts of the center and a small pond. The most notable habitat is the prairie at the top of the large hill. This is where the best birding typically is. There is also a trail that goes through a fen. Altogether, the variety of habitat in a relatively small area is quite impressive.
Seasonal Differences in Species
As with most places in the northern United States, time of the year is going to be a major factor in the birds you find at Retzer Nature Center. In fall and winter, year-round residents such as Northern Cardinals, White-breasted Nuthatches and Downy Woodpeckers are common here as well as winter visitors such as Dark-eyed Juncos and occasionally irruptive species such as Pine Siskins and Red-breasted Nuthatches.
Spring and summer are generally the best seasons to go birding at Retzer Nature center due to the birds that breed on the property. Bobolinks and Henslow’s Sparrows are two signature species that arrive in spring and then spend most of the summer along with other grassland species. If you’re looking for warblers, Retzer isn’t going to necessarily be at the top of the list. On any given day in spring some species can be moving through especially Yellow-rumped Warblers, Common Yellowthroats and Palm Warblers. Blackpoll Warblers, Chestnut-sided Warblers, Golden-winged Warblers, and Blue-winged Warblers are all species I have found at Retzer before but not with regularity.
Personal Experiences
Retzer Nature Center is a place I have visited ever since I’ve been a little kid. I find it to be a very relaxing and peaceful place to spend time in and at this point I know the birds there in every season like the back of my hand. The multitude of habitats along with the beautiful scenery is top notch for the area and there are some pretty solid bird species that are reliable on an annual basis. It’s definitely my go-to spot to get my first of year Bobolinks and Henslow’s Sparrows each year.
One of the few downsides to Retzer Nature Center is that it’s a very popular place for photographers to take family portraits; so sometimes the trails near the visitor center can be a little crowded. If that’s the case, venturing out on the other trails usually solves the problem.
Video of a Birding Tournament Held at Retzer Nature Center
Other Things to See and Do
Retzer Nature actually has a lot of festivals and other things that occur on the grounds. There is an annual apple harvest festival which is a great family event as well as several clubs and organizations that meet there. One organization is the Ben Goss Bird Club that hosts weekly meetings. Another unique feature is the planetarium in the same building as the visitor center.
Review
Retzer Nature Center is an excellent place for a relaxing day of birding, hiking, and exploring. It’s a fantastic place for families to explore nature together and while it’s not a place to get crazy rarities or an outrageous species total, the birding is solid and there are some nice species to find.
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 eight species of owls that can be found in Illinois 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 the land of Lincoln.
Barn Owl (Uncommon)
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 yea- 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 yea- 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.
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 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.
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 encompasses 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, tundra, 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 Illinois.
Out of all of the different varieties of birds, some of the most captivating are owls. These majestic and charismatic animals have long since been held in high regard by many different cultures all across the globe, and even today hold special importance to many people.
For birders, owls are often a coveted bird to find and photograph. However, due to the nocturnal nature of most species, owls are often secretive and difficult to find. Thankfully, there are some things you can do to make finding owls easier.
Before we get into our tips, we want to stress how important it is to be respectful of owls as they can be sensitive to human disturbance. While viewing them, stay a significant distance away, don’t stay too long, and look for signs of stress such as fluffing, trying to appear thin, wide eyes, or flushing. If you notice any of these signs, back away slowly and leave the area. With that in mind, here are our seven tips.
Know the Habitat
One extremely important thing to recognize about owls, is that while they fall into one large category, each species is unique with its own set of behaviors and places they prefer to live. For example, Barred Owls generally prefer to live in old growth forest and swampland while short eared owls prefer open prairies and marshes with few trees. Snowy Owls can be found in areas with wide open spaces like farmland and even airports, while Great Gray owls can be found near conifer bogs and boreal forests. Looking for a species of owl in a habitat they typically aren’t found in will generally not yield positive results, but understanding what type of biome each individual species prefers, will greatly increase your chances of having a run-in with an owl.
Brush up on Behaviors
Not only does each owl species prefer a different habitat, but they also go about their lives in different ways, including different hunting habits and flight patterns. One important thing to note is when each species will be most active and when they will be roosting. For example, Snowy Owls can often be seen during the day and will be visible for long periods of time while they survey the landscape for prey. Great horned Owls are mostly nocturnal and will be active during the night and roosting during the day. Short eared owls are crepuscular, meaning they are most active at dawn and dusk. Knowing what an owl will be doing at a particular time of day is vital, in order to make sure you are timing your efforts correctly and looking in the right places.
Barred Owl
Know the Range of the Bird You are Looking For
Range is an incredibly important thing to take note of for all bird species and owls are no exception. Get to know which owls are in the area you plan to look in and even more than that, know the time of year they are most common in the area. Many owl species have annual migrations and may only be in a particular area for a season, meaning timing can be everything. Knowing that the birds range overlaps with the places you’re looking in will help maximize your efforts.
Keep an Eye out for Roosting Sites
Most owls have specific places they return to when they aren’t active. These sites can be a particular grove of trees, a certain cavity in a tree, or even a specific branch that they seem to like. Taking some extra time to check out holes in trees or looking for roosting branches can sometimes be just what you need to find one of these secretive birds.
Look for Evidence
Sometimes the best way to find an owl is to look for clues that they leave behind. Owl pellets and droppings (known as whitewash) underneath a roosting site is a great sign that you are hot on the trail of an owl. Search the surrounding area to see if you can find a roosting owl in the vicinity. Some species will repeatedly use the same nesting sites and can be found once you know the general area to look.
Eastern Screech Owl
Let the Other Birds Help You
Sometimes all you have to do to find an owl is to listen to other birds. Crows have a habit of harassing owls when they find them in their territory, and a mob of crows making noise can mean there’s an owl in the area. Other species such as chickadees and titmice will also try to drive off smaller owls, and listening for chatter from them can also lead you to an owl sighting. Keep an eye and ear out for these mobbing events and search the area carefully to see if you can locate the reason why the other birds are upset. Note that hawks and other predatory birds also get mobbed so it may not always be an owl that they are chasing away.
Get Connected with Other Birders
Often times the best way to find an owl is to get connected with other birders who already know of the best spots to look for them. Facebook groups and reaching out to local birders can be a great way to obtain information, although some groups restrict the posting of certain species or specific locations. Another useful tool is eBird in which sightings of many different birds are recorded along with the location they were found in. Do note however that some sensitive species such as Long-eared owls may not show up on eBird reports as their locations are hidden to protect them from getting overstressed by people wanting to see them.
Owls are certainly a special type of bird and are very enchanting to see in the wild. It’s worth noting one more time that while these birds are extremely cool to see, they can be easily stressed out by humans so please be respectful and keep plenty of distance between you and the owl. We hope these tips were helpful to you and as always, thanks for watching, we’ll see you next time, on Badgerland Birding.
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 eight species of owls that can be found in Ohio 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 this state.
Barn Owl (Uncommon)
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 yea- 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 yea- 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.
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 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.
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 encompasses 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, tundra, 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 Ohio.
