Week 6: Advanced Mid Elevation
Scroll down to study the birds by sight and sound, and then take the quiz.
Week 6 Birds
American Robin, Black-headed Grosbeak, Western Tanager, House Finch, Warbling Vireo
BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK
Bird Code: BHGR
Identify this bird by…
Hefty songbird with large head
Large, conical bill that’s thick at its base
Short tail gives it a compact look
Tell males and females apart by…
Males: Deep orange breast, collar, and underparts. Black head and upperparts. White under the tail, and white spots on their black tail. Also has white wing bars and wing patches
Females: Black and white crown stripes. Buffy underparts with streaking at the sides. Dark grey upperparts
Look for…
Behavior - Often hidden as they hop about in dense foliage gleaning insects and seeds
Listen for…
Song: Song rises and falls like an AMRO’s, but it’s longer, sweeter, more varied, and less choppy in its phrases
Call: Typical call is a sharp spik uttered frequently to keep contact with mates while foraging. They utter an upslurring wheet upon taking flight.
Resources:
AMERICAN ROBIN
Bird Code: AMRO
Identify this bird by…
Fairly large songbird with round body and long legs
Gray-brown on their back with rusty orange underparts
White eyering and yellow bill
In flight, a white patch on the lower belly and under the tail
Tell males and females apart by…
Males: Dark, almost black head. With bolder colors, they have black streaks on the throat and a rusty orange belly
Females: Often paler, lacking a dark head. They often have more white on their belly and throat
Note! - some individuals are not easily distinguishable by sex
Look for …
Behavior - Often seen on lawns searching for earthworms or eating berries and insects
Listen for…
Song: A series of ~10 whistles that rise and fall in pitch and are delivered at a steady rhythm. Described as “cheerily, cheer up, cheer up, cheerily, cheer up”
Call: A mumbled cuck or tuk to communicate with each other or a sharp yeep or peek as an alarm call. They also make a repeated chirr that rises in volume and can sound like a laugh
Resources:
WESTERN TANAGER
Bird Code: WETA
Identify this bird by…
Stocky and heavier-bodied than other warblers
Short-thick based bills
Medium length tails
Tell males and females apart by…
Males: Yellow with black wings and a flaming orange-red head.The wings have two bold wingbars; the upper one yellow and the lower white. The back and tail are black
Females: Red restricted to the front of the face, with subdued yellow-green plumage on the body
Look for…
Forage slowly and methodically along branches and among leaves or needles of trees
Listen for…
Song: Similar to the AMRO’s song, but shorter and raspier. It lasts about 2.5 seconds and consists of a few short, burry up-and-down phrases
Call: 2-3 note chuckling or rattling call
Fun fact!
The amount of red on the heads of adult males is perhaps due to the amount of food consumed containing carotenoids - the pigment that helps produce red feathers
Resources:
HOUSE FINCH
Bird Code: HOFI
Identify this bird by…
Small finch with a conical seed-eating bill
Shallow notched tail
Tell males and females apart by…
Males: Rosy red around the face and upper breast, with streaky brown back, belly, and tail
Females: Not at all red, but plain grayish-brown with thick, blurry streaks and an indistinctly marked face
Interesting note…
Male house finches’ plumage coloration can vary greatly from one another. They can range from yellow to bright red depending on the amount of carotenoid rich foods they eat!
Listen for…
Song: A long, jumbled warbling composed of short notes. The song often ends with an upward or downward slur, and lasts about 3 seconds. The phrasing is similar to an American Robins, but is quicker and more excited
Call: Their characteristic call sounds like the squeak of shoes on the gym floor
Resources:
WARBLING VIREO
Bird Code: WAVI
Identify this bird by…
Small songbird with a thicker bill
Brownish upperparts that lack wing bars
Subdued face pattern with brownish line through the eye (strongest behind the eye)
Pale line over the eye
Males and females look alike!
Regional differences…
Individuals in the Rocky Mountains and west have darker gray-brown heads and sing a different song than those in the east
Look for…
Behavior - They forage “sluggishly,” intently peering at leaf surfaces from a single perch before pouncing or moving on
Listen for…
Song: a rapid, undulating song that usually concludes with an accented high note. It might sound like “higglety-pigglety- pigglety-pigglety-PIK!”
Call: Many calls, but particularly a raspy, descending, scold call
Resources:
Feeling ready? Take the quiz!