Bird Encyclopedia
Search and identify 1,000+ birds — with size, habitat, diet, voice, behavior, and the field marks that tell them apart.
Cooper's Hawk
A medium-sized woodland hawk that has become a common backyard predator at bird feeders, agile enough to chase prey through dense cover.
raptor
Black Scoter
A small, entirely black sea duck; males have a simple bright yellow-orange knob at the base of the bill, the plainest but most vocal of the scoters.
waterfowl
Red-winged Blackbird
A glossy black marsh bird whose males display bold red-and-yellow shoulder patches while perched and singing atop cattails.
songbird
Island Scrub-Jay
A large, deep-blue scrub-jay found only on Santa Cruz Island off the California coast, the most range-restricted bird in the continental United States.
songbird
Black-capped Chickadee
A small, energetic bird with a black cap and bib, white cheeks, and gray back, known for its cheerful "chick-a-dee-dee" call.
songbird
Grasshopper Sparrow
A small, flat-headed, short-tailed sparrow of grasslands whose thin insect-like song resembles a grasshopper's buzz.
songbird
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
A tall, long-legged, gregarious duck with a bright pink-red bill, gray face, chestnut body, and a bold black belly, often seen perching in trees.
waterfowl
White-throated Sparrow
A large, boldly patterned sparrow with a crisp white throat patch and yellow lores, famous for its whistled "Oh-sweet-Canada" song.
songbird
California Scrub-Jay
A crestless, bold blue-and-gray jay of West Coast oak woodlands and suburban yards, closely tied to acorn crops.
songbird
White-headed Woodpecker
An unmistakable pine-forest woodpecker with an all-white head set against a glossy black body.
woodpecker
Common Black Hawk
A broad-winged, all-black hawk tightly tied to desert rivers, where it wades and forages for crabs and other aquatic prey.
raptor
Black-crested Titmouse
A gray titmouse of Texas woodlands, distinguished by a jaunty black crest and pale forehead.
songbird
White-tailed Hawk
A striking pale-headed hawk of coastal Texas prairies, sometimes seen gathering at grass fires to catch fleeing prey.
raptor
Steller's Jay
A bold, crested jay of western conifer forests with a striking black head and deep blue body.
songbird
Green-tailed Towhee
A shy, olive-green towhee with a rufous cap and white throat, the smallest and most colorful of the towhees.
songbird
White-winged Crossbill
A boreal finch with a crossed bill and two bold white wing bars, specialized for feeding on spruce cones.
songbird
Red Crossbill
A stocky finch with uniquely crossed mandibles specially adapted to pry seeds from conifer cones.
songbird
Pacific Wren
A tiny, dark, round-bodied wren of humid Pacific coast forests with a fast, buzzy, high-pitched song.
songbird
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
A small, richly colored chickadee of Pacific coastal forests, with a warm chestnut back and flanks.
songbird
Wood Thrush
A richly colored, round-spotted thrush of eastern forests famed for its beautiful, flute-like song.
songbird
Swamp Sparrow
A rusty-winged, gray-breasted sparrow closely tied to marshes and wetlands, with a slow, musical trill.
songbird
Purple Finch
A stocky finch with a raspberry-red wash over the head, back, and breast in males, often confused with the House Finch.
songbird
Blue Jay
A bold, crested songbird in vivid blue, white, and black, known for its loud calls and habit of caching acorns.
songbird
Eastern Meadowlark
A grassland songbird with a bright yellow breast crossed by a bold black V and a rich, flute-like whistled song.
songbird