The enchanting, spiraling notes of a Veery's liquid song recall long golden twilights in summer forests, shaded streams lined with ferns and wildflowers, and quiet woodland paths. A quick glimpse of this superlative singer reveals a plain, unassuming brown and white bird, a bit smaller than a Wood Thrush.    Like the Wood Thrush, the Veery … Read More>>

The Seaside Sparrow is a large, long-billed, dark sparrow, well-named for its preferred habitats of salt and brackish marshes. Although it shares habitat with other shoreline-loving sparrows such as the Saltmarsh and Nelson's Sparrows, it is noticeably bigger and darker. Sometimes called the “Goldilocks Bird,” this sparrow needs a combination of environmental factors that are … Read More>>

The Whimbrel is a large shorebird, about the size of an American Crow. Like many members of its family, this bird has drab-looking brownish plumage; its most distinctive features are a long, down-curved bill, reminiscent of the closely-related Long-billed Curlew, and a brown-striped crown. Its genus name, Numenius, is Greek for “new moon,” and refers to … Read More>>

Persistent scratching sounds amid thick shrubbery and a shrill call, “towhee!” reveal the presence of this striking New World sparrow. The dapper Eastern Towhee and its western relative, the Spotted Towhee, were once considered one species — the Rufous-sided Towhee — but were split into distinct species in 1995. The two species sometimes hybridize in … Read More>>

The handsome “Hudwit” — the smallest of the world's four godwit species — is an uncommon sight, spending most of its life at the extreme ends of the Americas. Its English name is a reference to this bird's remote breeding grounds in Alaska and the Hudson Bay in northeastern Canada, a region explored by Henry … Read More>>

The Black-headed Grosbeak is a chunky, distinctive songbird found throughout western North America. The male's black head and contrasting black and white wings set off a bright cinnamon nape, back, and underside. The center of his belly shades to lemon yellow, then becomes white on the lower belly and undertail. The female Black-headed Grosbeak lacks … Read More>>

The beautiful Yellow Cardinal is the only member of its genus, Gubernatrix (governess), a name based on the Latin word gubernare, which means to command or direct. This title is a nod to the Yellow Cardinal's striking crest, which reminded taxonomists of the feathered and plumed hats worn by military commanders of that day. Both … Read More>>

The handsome Red-crested Cardinal is well-named, with a bright red crest that the bird can raise and lower and a red head and chest. It's white underneath, with a gray back, wings, and tail and a conical, light-colored bill. Juvenile Red-crested Cardinals are similar to the adults, but are brownish-orange where the adults are red. … Read More>>

The handsome male Phainopepla is clad in sleek black plumage that inspired its name, a composite of the Greek words phainos (shining) and peplos (robe). The male also has striking white wing patches that are visible as he flies. Female and juvenile Phainopeplas are a more subtle ash-gray, with white edging on their wing feathers … Read More>>

The Florida Scrub-Jay is an uncommon member of the wide-ranging Corvid family, found only along the ancient, shrubby sand ridges and dunes which run through the central part of the U.S. state of Florida. This jay is more subtle in appearance than flashier family members such as the Blue Jay and Green Jay, with understated … Read More>>