Great Basin

Scroll down to study the most common birds in your survey region by sight and sound.

Surveys in the Great Basin region include:

Promontory, Salt Springs, Notch Peak, Goshen, Stock Res, Lynn, Johnson Canyon, Gold Hill, Fairfield, Fish Springs, Delta, Wah Wah, Beryl, Bear River, Vernon, Callao, Peplin Mountain, Goose Creek Mountain, Snowville, Grantsville, Jericho Junction, Pine Creek, Oak City, Grouse Creek, Leamington, Indian Peak, Hardware Ranch, Clive, Gandy, Tule Valley, & Newcastle.

Eurasian collared-Dove

Bird Code: EUCD

Identify this bird by…

Large bird with square tail
The black “collar” around the back of its neck

Tell it apart by…

Larger and heavier than the Mourning Dove
Lacks spotting on side of body, instead this bird is overall a paler overall grey
Squared tail (rather than pointed/tapered)

Listen for…

A rhythmic, repeated, three-syllable hooting: “coo-COO-coo!” With three syllables (instead of five) and an emphasized middle note, the song is rhythmically different from the mourning dove. Also: a very harsh and nasal sound during flights.

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Mourning Dove

Bird Code: MODO

Identify this bird by…

Plump body, small head and bill, long-tail
Wings make an airy whinny, or whistle as they take off

Tell it apart by…

Darker and smaller than Eurasian-collared Dove
Tail is long and pointed (or tapered) in flight
Black spots on lower wings and rump
Dark smudge or dot on cheek

Listen for…

A mournful and slow hooting, five-syllable hooting: “oo-AAHH-hoo-hoo-hoo.” Listen also to the light, airy whistle of the wings when they fly.

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Breeding Adult

Non Breeding Adult/Immature

Nonbreeding / Immature

Breeding Adult

Adult Male

Note the black and white coloring on the wings and tail.

Breeding female

Note that the female is a duller yellow on the belly and a more olive color on the back / head.

Breeding male

Bright yellow body, dark cap on forehead, dark wings with white markings, and white undertail.

Nonbreeding male

Drab, unsteaked brown, blackish wings with two pale wingbars

American Avocet

Bird Code: AMAV

Identify this bird by…

Its oval body sits atop long legs
Large, slender shorebird with a long, upturned bill, a long neck, and a round head

Tell it apart by…

Rusty head and neck that turns grayish white after breeding
A black patch on the back and black-and-white wings mark its largely white body
The legs are bluish gray

Look for…

Behavior - Wades through shallow water sweeping its bill side to side for aquatic invertebrates. Often shakes its foot with each step to remove mud from its foot

Listen for…

Call: Generally silent, but a repeated, high-pitched kleet

American Goldfinch

Bird Code: AGOL

Identify this bird by…

Short, cone-like bill and short, notched tail
Yellow body, black (or grey) cap on forehead

Tell it apart by…

Larger size compared to Lesser Goldfinch
White undertail

Listen for…

Call: 4-5 sweet notes is sometimes thought of as “potato chip” or “per-chick-o-ree.”

Song: long series of twitters and warbles. Listen closely for the “per-chick-o-ree”

Resources:

Male (Red-Shafted)

Northern Flickers look slightly different in different parts of the county. Here in Utah, we see Northern Flickers with red streaks on their flight and tail feathers.

Female (Red-shafted)

Note the white rump in flight! Both males and females have this.

Male (Yellow-shafted)

Northern Flickers look slightly different in different parts of the county. In the eastern US, Northern Flickers have yellow streaks on their flight and tail feathers.

Male (Integrade)

Some have markings of both Red-shafted and Yellow-shafted NOFA.

Adult

Juvenile

American Coot

Bird Code: AMCO

Identify this bird by…

A strange member of the Rail family that acts like a duck: a plump bird with a relatively thick neck, rounded head, and sloping bill
Adults are dark gray/black with a white bill. Juveniles are dull gray-brown.
They often bob their head while swimming.

Listen for…

Call: a variety of grunting and croaking noises. They commonly give a short single note “krrp” or “prik” call

Northern Flicker

Bird Code: NOFL

Identify this bird by…

Undersides of the wing and tail feathers are bright yellow, for eastern birds (yellow-shafted), or red, in western birds (red-shafted)
White rump patch, seen in flight
Males have a black “moustache,” females do not

Listen for…

Call: a high and piercing “Clear!” or “Kyeer!” Also, a quieter, rhythmic and repeated “woik-a, woik-a, woik-a”. NOFA have a territorial call, too. This is a loud, rolling rattle that lasts for 7 or 8 seconds: “wik-wik-wik-wik-wik-wik.”

Resources:

Female

Male

American Kestrel

Bird Code: AMKE

Identify this bird by…

Roughly the size/shape of a MODO, but it has a larger head, longer and more narrow wings
Long, square-tipped tail
In flight, the wings are often bent and the wingtips are swept back
Males: Slate-blue wings
Females: Reddish-brown wings
Sideburns: black vertical slashes on the sides of the face is seen in both male and females

Listen for…

Call: made up of repeated two-syllable notes “killy-killy-killy!” Cooper’s Hawk and Northern Flicker only have one note calls. American Kestrel also have a much higher, thinner tone to their call than Cooper’s Hawk and Northern Flicker.

Resources:

KILLDEER

Bird Code: KILL

Identify this bird by…

Slender bird with long wings and tail
2 black breast bands
Rusty tail in flight
Males and females look the same (not dimorphic)

Look for…

Behavior - Walking along the ground or running ahead a few steps, stopping to look around, and running on again. When disturbed they break into flight and circle overhead, calling repeatedly. Their flight is rapid, with stiff, intermittent wingbeats

Listen for…

Call: Calls are a high and thin tone, although they may do a variety of phrases- sometimes they even say their name: “kill-deer-kill-deer”

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