Migratory Bird Information

Listento the birds song	My bird is the Greater Yellowlegs. The scientific name for this bird is Tringa Melanoleuca. A similar species to this bird is the solitary sandpiper. There are a few things to look for to find this bird in the wild. Look for a streaked and checkered black, gray and white wading bird with bright yellow legs and a long thin dark bill. The bird will most likely be found in marsh lands, mudflats, and flooded fields. Their diet includes fish and aquatic invertebrates. A baby Greater Yellowlegs has a clutch size of 4 eggs and takes 23 days to hatch. It takes the bird 18 to 20 days to leave the nest on its own power. In the summer it lives in southern Alaska and in the winter it lives on the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts. An interesting fact about this bird is that it runs around quickly bobbing its head, and tail. Like a good watchdog.
	The Northern Shoveler has brown eyes. This bird has an orange bill with dark patches. This kind of bird has spots of brown and orange on its head, neck, and back. In the summer the Northern Shoveler goes to Alaska and East to Canada. In the winter the Northern Shoveler goes to the southern regions of the United States. The bird has a wingspan of 31 inches and a length of 14 inches. The Northern Shoveler eats green plant matter and seeds. The Northern Shoveler builds its nest on dry land near fresh water. The Northern Shoveler’s breeding habitat is in wetlands. The Northern Shoveler lays about 9 to 12 olive or greenish colored eggs. They are incubated from 40 to 45 days. It takes 38 – 66 days for the birds to leave the nest. An interesting fact about the Northern Shoveler that it makes a sound like took took. Isn’t that a funny sound?
Listento the birds song	My birds name is the Common Grackle. The scientific name is Ouiscalus Quiscula. A similar species is the Black bird. The juvenile Grackle has dark eyes, and dark brown plumage. The adult male and female are entirely black with pale eyes, and a very long tail. It is 10-12 inches in length. Its nest is an open cup shape. It eats insects, fruits, worms, reptiles or amphibians, and eggs. Its diet is mostly seeds. They nest in urban communities. In the summer it flies to the northern part of the United States. In winter it flies to the southern United States. The Common Grackles egg is 1.2 inches in diameter. It has a clutch size of 3-6 eggs. The length of incubation is 13-14 days. It takes 16 – 20 days to fledge. An interesting fact is a that the common Grackle is now one of the most abundant breeding birds in North America.
	My bird is the Northern Pintail. The Northern Pintail lives in the United States and north. Its scientific name is Anas Acuta. It is 18.5 inches tall. Its wingspan is 35 inches wide. The male has brownish-blackish feathers with a white stripe down the middle. The birds neck is pure white. Its bill is pure black, along with its tail. It also has a brownish –blackish head, too. The female has a white stripe down middle , but the female has yellowish feathers. It also orangish-yellowish head. The female also has a black bill and tail. Just like the male does. The immature birds upper parts are brown and black, and it has white stripes on its back. The Northern Pintails habitat is near any kind of salt water. Like the ocean, sea or anything like that. It nests in a grassy area near salt water and its nest is a bowl of flat grass. It is a vegetarian with a diet of vegetables, grass, and seeds. The Northern Pintail breeds in the central United States. It lays 6 to 9 olive eggs, in its bowl of flat grass. It takes the eggs 22 to 25 days to hatch into the new world. When the immature bird hatches from the egg, it takes 36 to 57 days to leave their parents and their nest. An interesting fact about my bird is that it burps to attract a female. Another interesting fact about my bird is that it got its name by because it breeds in the north and it is a pintail. That’s why they call it the Northern Pintail.
	The bird I am going to tell you about is the American Coot. The American Coot is slate gray, has a black head with a white bill and its neck is black just like it's head. The American Coot’s toes are separate rather than webbed. The American Coot is 12 inches long. Its size in wingspan is 25 inches long. It weighs 1.4 pounds. The American Coot’s scientific name is Fulica Americana. The American Coot’s habitat is in water marshes and ponds. It lives mostly in the United States and Canada. It eats aquatic animals and plants. The American Coot’s nesting area is over water in a tree 1 to 4 feet deep into vegetation tall enough to conceal it. The American Coot breeds in the boreal forest, rocky mountains, foothills, parkland, and grasslands. The American coot has a clutch size of 2 – 22 eggs and incubates them for 21 – 25 days. Once they have hatched it takes them 49 – 56 days to fledge. The Coot winters in the southern United States and summers in the northern United States and Canada. One interesting fact about my bird is that it is plump and has difficulty taking flight. I hope you enjoyed reading my report about the American Coot and I hope you learned some interesting about my bird.
Listento the birds song	The American Crow is black from beak to toe and has a squared off tail and a plunged back so you can notice it better. The birds wing span is 17 inches. The American Crows diet is insects, carrion, fruit, nuts, eggs. It is a short distant migrator. The American Crow has a clutch size of 3-8 eggs. The length of incubation is 18 days. It takes 28 - 35 days to fledge. An interesting fact is that the Crow forms communal roosts with 10’s, 100’s, or 1000’s of birds during the summer and winter.
	The Black-Throated Green Warbler’s (Dendroica Virens) upper parts are olive green. The throat and sides of the breast is black. The face is yellow. It has greenish cheeks. The female and immature bird has no black on the throat or upper breast. The throat of the female and the immature bird sometimes has black spots on it. It stands about 4 and a half inches tall. It has dark legs and a thin pointed beak. Some birds that resemble my bird are the Hermit Warbler, Golden-cheeked Warbler, Black Burnian Warbler, Townsend Warbler, Cap May Warbler, the Palm Warbler and the Magnolia Warbler. They resemble mine because they all have yellow faces with black on them. It lives in the pine forests of central and southeastern Canada, and open stands of hemlock. They are found in the United States near the Great Lakes, throughout New England and down through the Appalachian Mountains, south to Georgia. It has been seen from Florida to Texas, south to northern South America and in the West Indies. In the summer the Black –Throated Green Warbler lives in the Northwest Territories, Ontario, Newfoundland, south to northern New Jersey, Long Island, Ohio, Minnesota, Alberta and in the mountains of Georgia. Its nest is made out of grass, moss, plant fibers, hair, and feathers. My bird normally eats insects and berries. It lays about 5 eggs that have speckled brown dots on them. It takes the baby warblers 12 days to hatch. It takes of on flight 9 days after they are hatched. An interesting fact about the Black-Throated Green Warbler is that it is the commonest warbler in migration. Another interesting fact is that its distinctive song is easy to learn. ( zee- zee- zee-zoo-zee )
	My bird is the Common Merganser. It’s scientific name is Mergus Merganser. It has a wingspan of 37 inches and a length of 18 inches. The male has a green head, which often looks black, and a white breast, flanks, and belly. It has white sides and a red long pointed bill with serrated edges to help catch slippery fish. The female has a gray body and brownish crested head with a white throat and a well-defined white chin. It also has a sleek tapered crest, which is more obvious on females than it is males. The Common Merganser eats mostly fish but it eats smaller quantities of aquatic invertebrates. It nests in tree cavities or on the ground near water. It sometimes will nest in an abandoned hawk’s nest. The Common Merganser lives near wooded rivers and ponds. The Common Merganser is found in Southeastern Alaska, Manitoba, and Newfoundland, South to Northern New England, Michigan, and California. In the winter they are found in southern to northern Mexico and sometimes in the Gulf coast. The Common Merganser breeds in wetlands and open water. It’s clutch size ranges from 6 to 17 eggs. The length of incubation goes from 28 to 35 days. It takes 65 to 85 days to fledge. An interesting fact is that many Common Mergansers were shot because it was thought that they destroyed valuable game fish. We now understand that the Common Merganser is beneficial by helping to prevent overpopulation of fish, which helps the surviving fish become greater in size.
Listento the birds song	My bird is the Common Yellowthroat. Its scientific name is the geothlypis trichas. This bird’s length is five to six inches. The male has a blackish face mask with a white line above it. His throat and chest are bright yellow. His under parts are green and brown. The female has no black mask. It has a yellow throat and breast and brownish flanks. It also has a whitish belly, olive colored under parts and pink legs. The Yellowthroat’s habitat is wooded swamps and grassy marshes, throughout North America. In the summer it lives in the northern United States and Canada while in the winter it travels to the southern United States and Mexico. It nesting materials are weed stems, grass, bark, ferns, and is lined with fine materials. Its nest is also bulky and loose. It builds its nest from zero to three feet off the ground. It eats spiders, seeds, and insects. The Yellowthroat lays three to five eggs. She takes care of her eggs for ten days. Her eggs are white and creamy, marked with brown and black spots. They are eighteen millimeters in diameter. That is a very small egg. The Yellowthroat takes two to three weeks to fledge. I think that something very interesting about the Yellowthroat is that it is the most common kind of warbler throughout its range, wherever its diet is found.
Listento the birds song	I would like to tell you about the Double-crested Cormorant it’s scientific name is Phalacrocorax Auritus. The length of the Double-Crested Cormorant is 27 in. and has a wing span of 50 in. The male and female are large dark water birds that both have a long hooked bill, long thin neck and a long tail. Also they both often perch their wings spread out to dry them. The adult is entirely black, has an orange bill, but has plumes on its head during breeding season. The baby cormorant has a pale throat and chest darkening below and is brownish black on the wings. The Double-Crested Cormorant’s habitat is in lakes, rivers, swamps, and coastal waterways. It nesting grounds are along coasts, cliffs, trees, and rocky islands. Its diet is fish. The breeding habitat is in lakes, rivers, swaps and coasts. The clutch size is 3-5 eggs .The length of incubation is a month. It takes 5-6 weeks to fledge. An interesting fact about the Double-Crested Cormorant is that fishermen used them in the past to fish with. Another interesting fact about them is that they are water birds, but they are not water proof.
Listento the birds song	The bird your about to hear about is the Rose-Breasted Grosbeak. Its scientific name is Pheucticus Ludovicianus. The song of the Rose-Breasted Grosbeak. sounds like a whistling noise. Its wingspan is 7.25 inches long. It has a large pale blue breast with a rosy-red patch. The adult Rose-Breasted Grosbeak. has a rosy-red triangular breast patch, black head, white under parts, white patches on its wings, white spots on a black tail, and rosy-red wing linings. The immature Rose-Breasted Grosbeak. is similar to the adult but duller. A similar species is the Plumaged Black Headed Grosbeak. the Plumaged Black Headed Grosbeak is different because it has a buffier breast patch. The food source of the Rose-Breasted Grosbeak. is mainly insects, fruit, seeds, and flowers. Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks live in woodland areas. They build their nests in mid-story or canopy. The Rose-Breasted Grosbeak. has an open-cut nest. The Rose-Breasted Grosbeak. builds its nest in the mid-story. The Rose-Breasted Grosbeak. Can lay up to 3 to 6 eggs at one time. It takes the Rose-Breasted Grosbeak. 13 to 14 days for the eggs to hatch. It takes 9 to 12 days for the babies to leave the nest. The Rose-Breasted Grosbeak migrates to Central America and northern South America in the winter and returns to the northern United States and Canada in the summer. An interesting fact about the Rose-Breasted Grosbeak is that it is very beneficial to farmers by consuming many potato beetles.
	The bird I’m going to tell you about is very fascinating and interesting, it is the Herring Gull (Larus Argentatus). To identify my bird this is what to look for, the adult Herring is about 61 cm long from the tip of its beak to the end of its tail. The head, body, and tail are white its bill is yellow with a red spot and the lower legs are flesh or pink colored. In the winter the heads of the adult are streaked with brown. Immature birds are mottled brown and take four [4] years to develop full plumage. Herring Gulls are a very populous species; in fact they are the most widespread species! Their main winter range includes the Pacific and Atlantic coast, Southern U.S. the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. In the lower Great Lakes area the can be found year round. The nest is made of grass, moss, debris, lined with fine grass, and feathers. They nest in a variety of places, but always by water. They tend to nest on cliffs, probably to avoid predatory mammals. The nest is circular. They are very social birds and prefer to nest in groups. On cliffs Herring Gulls tend to nest on turf covered ledges. The Herring Gull has a clutch size of 2 – 3 eggs and incubates them for a period of 24 – 28 days. It takes the new birds 35 days to leave the nest. Another important fact is their food/diet. The Herring Gull a scavenger, it will eat anything from garbage to berries. It is an opportunistic predator on adult birds, eggs, and young of other Gulls. It will also eat clams, small fish, floating dead animals, young of other nesting birds, bread, french fries, and so on.
	The name of my bird that I am researching is the Mallard duck. The scientific name of this bird is Anas Platyrhynchos . It’s green head usually gives it away. The male Mallard has a gray back, chestnut breast, yellow bill, green head, gray flanks, and a white ring around it’s neck. The habitat of the bird is marshes, swamps, ponds, lakes, and bays. It has a clucth size is 6-15 eggs, the length of incubation is 24-30 days and time until the babies leave the nest is usually 42-60 days. It eats roots, wild flowers, reeds, cat tails, duck weed, seeds, millet, rice, smart weed, plants, and insects. It breeds on open water. It breeds in the Northeastern United States. It flies from Texas to New York just to mate. It is related to a bird that burps. It also nests in a tree while only few ducks do.
Listento the birds song	The Baltimore Oriole (Icterus Gabula) stands about 6.5 inches high. Also the Baltimore Oriole has a quite sharply pointed bill. The male has a black head, back, and wings. The tail is also black on the Baltimore Oriole. It has orange underpants, tips, and rump. The Baltimore Oriole male has a white wing bar and edges. The female Baltimore Oriole is totally different though, because the female has brownish-gray and dull yellow upper- parts. The female has an orange breast. a gray belly and two wing bars. The immature male is similar to the Baltimore Oriole female grown up but is a brighter orange and it has variable amounts of black on its head. The breeding habitat is deciduous trees, lawns, and the open fields. The clutch size is about three to six eggs. The length of incubation is about twelve to fourteen days. The days to fledge are twelve to fourteen days. The Baltimore Oriole eats mostly insects, but eats lesser qualities of fruit nectar. In the summer, the Baltimore Oriole lives in Nova Scotia, Canada, however in the winter it lives in the southern parts of the United States of America and in Mexico. One interesting fact about the Baltimore Oriole is that it was named by Lord Baltimore, a 17^th century English Man who founded the Maryland colony and wore a cloak the colors of orange and black, the colors of the Baltimore Oriole. The Baltimore Oriole is also the Maryland State bird. I really like the Baltimore Oriole because of its vivid colors and its unique body texture that is why I picked the Baltimore Oriole for my bird.
Listento the birds song	The Osprey, its scientific name is Pandion Haliactus. It’s song sounds like it is screeching. It has a white chest and both brown and white wings. Both the male and the female look like this. This bird eats fish mostly. The Osprey nests in standing trees, not trees that have already fallen. Their nests are made out of sticks, seaweed, bones, driftwood, and cornstalks. They sometimes make their nests on telephone poles. It lives near fields and forests. It lives by lakes, rivers, and, seacoasts in the United States, Canada, and Alaska in the summer. In winter it lives in South America, Mexico, and the Southern United States. The number of eggs usually in a nest is about 2-4 eggs. The eggs are white to pink or cinnamon, heavily blotched with dark brown spots. Incubation lasts about 35-38 days. Ospreys need lots of wing exercise before fledging. Fledging lasts 51-59 days. An interesting fact about the Osprey is that it is a meat eater. Another interesting fact is that the male is only 2-3 pounds. The female is 2-4 pounds. The last interesting fact about the Osprey is that it can fly from 20-80 miles per hour!
Listento the birds song	My bird is the Ovenbird. The scientific name of the Ovenbird is Seiurus Aurocapillus. It’s identification marks are it’s size which is 5 ½ to 6 ½ inches tall. Olive-brown stripes cover this bird’s back. A light orange patch on it’s head can only be seen at a close range. An adult ovenbird has a white rung around it’s eye. On a young bird the tips of the tail feathers are a rust color. Sparrows and Ground Dwelling Warblers are birds that resemble the Ovenbird. Teach, teach, teach-er is the song of the Ovenbird. Ovenbirds are found mostly in the Eastern parts of North America. The Ovenbird eats mostly insects and plant matter. Domed nests can be found on the ground or in deciduous and evergreen trees. A nest is shaped like an old-fashion oven. An Ovenbird breeds from Central Canada South to Northern Georgia. Ten days later the Ovenbirds will fledge. It takes 22 days for the eggs to hatch. The Ovenbird lays 4 to 6 white eggs in a nest. I learned many interesting facts about the Ovenbird. One fact is the Ovenbird is some times called the teacher bird. Another interesting fact is the secret way they hide their nest on the ground. Researching the Ovenbird was fun.
Listento the birds song	My class just finished studying about migratory birds. I chose the American Robin or the Turdus Migratorius. The identification of my bird is a grayish brown color, a black back, a reddish brown breast and a yellow bill. The male’s head is a blackish color and is different from the female’s head color which is a gray color. The height of my bird is ten inches tall and the length is 9 to 11 inches. Cheer up, cheer up, cheer up is the song of my bird. It is related to the Eastern Spotted Towhee and the Hermit Thrush. The American Robin lives in North America in the summer and spends the winter in the Gulf states South to Mexico. The diet of my bird is insects, small fruits and berries, 60 % vegetables, mulberry and sumac plant. It also eats caterpillars. The American Robin builds it’s nest on the ground , or in shrubs and in low trees, seldom more than ten feet up. American Robins can lay up to three to six eggs in a nest. My bird’s breeding habitat could be on ledges, on rocks at ground level, on window sills, on tips of trees, or even along a road bank. Once a bird lays her eggs it takes about 12 to 14 days to hatch from the egg. When the eggs hatch it will take about 14 to 16 days to fledge. Did you know the American Robin is famous for it’s tame and friendly nature? The habit of my bird is hopping on the ground and turning it’s head sideways looking for food. When danger is near the bird will make a tut, tut sound or a sket sket sound. My bird belongs to a family called thrushes. Those breeding at higher latitudes and altitudes move with the seasons. The Robin is known to eat over- ripe berries and get drunk!
	Our class just finished researching migratory birds. My bird is the American Black Duck. The scientific name is Anas Rubripes. With a greenish yellow bill and red legs the male is prettier than the female. A female has a greenish bill with black patches and it’s legs are generally orange. An immature bird is paler in color but very similar to the adult. They are about 23 inches long and they are black and brown. Quack, quack is the annoying sound the American Black Duck makes. An American Black Duck migrates in North America on many of the lakes. It lives in salt marshes and in trees of old hawk’s nests. It eats shrimp, periwinkles and lympinks. The female lays 6-11 eggs. The eggs are green. They hatch in 26 days. It takes 60 days for the birds to leave the nest. I learned some interesting facts about the American black duck. One interesting fact is the Black Duck takes off from the water. Another fact is there are only half as many Black Ducks than 40 years ago. I enjoyed researching the American Black Duck.
Listento the birds song	Blue Jays are one of the many birds that migrate. This bird is 10 ½-12 ½ inches tall. It has a blue back and tail, white below the crest, blackish in the front and blue to the rear. Male and female Blue Jays are nearly alike in appearance. The baby is similar to the adult. Cyanocitta Cristata is the Blue Jay’s scientific name. It’s similar species are Steller’s Jay Western Scrub and the Jay Belted Kingfisher. Their song is Jaay Jaay! The Blue Jay’s migration range is from southern Canada to Texas. The Florida Jays extend their summer range Southward. Blue Jays eat nuts, berries, insects, small birds, small eggs, small fish, frogs and mice. They’re mean because they like to use other birds nests, especially robins whose nest height is usually 6 feet to over 20 feet in the air. Cyanocitta Cristata likes to breed in city parks, suburban yards and woodland swamps. They usually have 4 to 6 eggs. When they lay them it takes 20 days to have the baby birds hatch into immature Blue Jays. It usually takes 2 weeks for the baby Blue Jay to fledge, which means they have 14 days to learn their instincts. There are some really cool interesting facts about Blue Jays. Groups of Blue Jays often attack owls which they consider a threat. Blue Jays can mimic the calls of other birds especially hawks. Cyanocitta Cristata are omnivorous, meaning they eat everything and there monogamous, meaning pairs bond and remain together for life. I had fun researching the Blue Jay and learned a lot.
Listento the birds song	The Canada Goose is a great bird to research. It’s scientific name is Branta Canadensis. I like learning about it because it stays here in the summer time from Canada. In the winter they go to Florida in a V- shape. The color of it is a dark gray, brown and the neck is black with white cheeks. The tail is white at the bottom and black at the tip. The length of it is 25 to 45 inches, and it weighs 6 to 9 pounds. The wing span is 4 to 9 feet. Similar species of the Canada Goose are the Snow Goose and the Tundra Swan. In the winter the Canada Goose lives in Florida where the weather is warm. However, in the spring of the year this migratory bird moves to the Northern part of the country where it breeds. It builds it’s nest of muskrat houses on tree stumps and in lakes and ponds. They build them close to other geese. The Canada Goose eats grain, crops, grass and other vegetation, mollusks and crustaceans on shores. The female lays 6 to 8 eggs in a nest. It takes 17 days for the eggs to hatch. After 42 days the young leave their nest. This is called fledging. These geese mate for life which means they stay with the same partners until they die. The young babies are called goslings. After doing much research on this interesting bird, I learned many interesting facts. One fact is large geese honk while small geese cackle. The Canada Goose can be seen flying in New York skies forming a V shape. I have enjoyed researching the Canada Goose.
	My class just finished researching migratory birds of North America. The bird I chose is the Chipping Sparrow or the Spizella Passerina. It looks like a very small clear, gray-breasted sparrow with a bright rufous cap, black line through the eye and a white line over it. It sounds like a loud trill chirp. The Field Sparrow and the Clay Colored Sparrow resemble my bird. The immature bird is a dark gray. This bird normally eats insects and seeds. The Chipping Sparrow lives in North America, Canada and Northern Florida in the summer. In the winter it lives in the Southern United States. It breeds from North America to the mountains of Nicaragua. The Spizella Passerina puts it’s nest in the lower parts of trees. The Chipping Sparrow has 4 eggs in a clutch. The babies take 21 days to fledge. I learned lots of interesting facts. One fact is when the Chipping Sparrow is alarmed and on a tree it jumps to a lower branch. Another interesting fact is it sounds like its chipping wood. I enjoyed researching the Chipping Sparrow.
Listento the birds song	Have you ever seen the Common Moorhen? Immature birds have white necks with a white streak on the side and they have brownish colored body. Each bird has brownish legs. The adults are 12 ½ to 14 inches long. They are about the size of a pigeon but related to the Coot, the Sora and the Purple Gallinule. Moorhen’s wings are short and rounded. Adults have white stripes on the flanks and have a white rump divided by a black band. All Common Moorhens have a yellow tipped red bill. Their legs are greenish, with orange or red bands on the lower part. Croaks and squawks make up their voice. The scientific name is Gallinula Chloropus. Moorhens spend the summer in the Eastern USA. During the wintertime, they live in the Southern states along the coast. Both male and female birds help to build the nest. The male carries the materials and the female arranges them. Nests of the Moorhen are built on the water or very close by. Nests are also stages for courtship. My bird eats worms, snails and small fish. Breeding habitats of the Moorhen can be found in California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and from Minnesota east to New Brunswick and south to the Gulf Coast and Florida. All Common Moorhens have 5-11 eggs that are greenish white with spots. It takes 20-21 days for the eggs to hatch. The babies take 32 days or two months to fledge. Here are a few more interesting facts about my bird. Their weight is 14 ounces. The nest may be partly floating with a shallow cup in the center for the eggs. Adults eat the eggshells after the chicks hatch. They feed the chicks soon after hatching, mostly nymphs of dragonflies and mayflies. It was fun writing about the Common Moorhen.
Listento the birds song	I can’t believe how outstanding the Downy Woodpecker is! The Downy Woodpecker’s scientific name is Picodes Pubscence. The male Downy Woodpecker is black and white. Also, he has a yellow mark by his mouth and a red mark in the back of his head. The female is just black and white and sort of looks like an Oriole. The Downy Woodpecker is 6 ½ inches tall or (16cm). When the young woodpecker is born they look quite different from the grown Downy Woodpecker. The young woodpeckers are tiny and helpless, almost naked, sprawled at the bottom of captivity. The Downy Woodpecker nests in city parks, suburban yards, orchards, woodland, the forest edge and clearings, but usually in dead trees, 3 feet to thirty feet above ground. The nests are made in dead trees. The Downy Woodpecker got its name from pecking it’s beak into the tree to get any insects, which are in the bark, like grubs. The Downy Woodpecker is the most often seen of all woodpeckers native to North America. The Downy Woodpecker has a very interesting breeding cycle. Egg clutches range from 4 to 7. It takes14 days for the eggs to hatch and just 9 days to fledge (which means to leave the nest). An interesting fact is that it flew from Ithaca, New York to Birmingham, Alabama, which is 800 miles. Another interesting fact is that each Downy Woodpecker has it’s own pecking rhythm. They do not all peck at the same time. A final fact I learned was during egg laying time the male and female take turns guarding the nest by sitting in the tree. I really enjoyed researching the Downy Woodpecker. I learned many interesting facts about this incredible bird.
	I recently studied the Hooded Merganser. The Hooded Merganser has white on it’s head and black and brown on it’s back. The adult male has a yellow eye and a black head. His large neck is black. He has a white patch on his chest and a white breast and belly. The adult female’s feathers are dusty brown but a little lighter on the underside. Also, they have a reddish brown crest with a white stripe on their wings. An orange color is on the base of the bill and the lower mandible. A couple of the similar species of the Hooded Merganser are the Red Breasted Merganser and the Common Merganser. The scientific name is Mergus Cucullatus. The song of the Hooded Merganser is hoarse grunts and chatters. The Hooded Merganser’s migration pattern goes from Southern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. In wooden swamps and beaver ponds the Hooded Merganser builds it’s nest. Insects, fish and crustaceans are what this bird normally eats. Nests are usually found in holes in trees. The bird lays 7 to 8 eggs in a clutch. Hooded Merganser’s eggs take 31 days to incubate. It takes 24 days for the babies to fledge. I learned that the Hooded Merganser sometimes lays eggs in a Wooden Duck’s nest. Another interesting fact is that this bird is one of the last to migrate for the winter. Flocks fly in a follow the leader style. I enjoyed researching the Hooded Merganser.
Listento the birds song	Our class has been researching migratory birds. My bird is the Killdeer. The Killdeer has two dark bands across it’s chest. A cinnamon or orange-brown patch is found on it’s rump and tail. It bobs it’s head when it walks. The adult bird has a dark brown color on its body and white below with two dark chest bands and it’s legs are pinkish gray. It’s sound is a shrill kill-dee. It’s scientific name is Charadrius Vociferus. Similar species are the Semipulmated Plover and the Black-bellied Plover. The Killdeer breeds from Southern Canada to Northern Mexico. Migrants arrive in numbers in May and depart by late November. It’s nest is built on the ground (bare or pebbly) with or without short clumps of grass. The Killdeer eats insects, spiders, snails and worms. My bird, the Killdeer usually has four eggs. It takes 24 days for the eggs to hatch. The babies will fledge from the nest in 2 days. That’s amazing! An interesting fact about my bird is when it feels that it’s nest is threatened, the adult will pretend to be injured, stumbling along the ground while dragging one of it’s wings. When the potential attacker is lured away from the nest, the Killdeer suddenly flies off. I enjoyed researching the Killdeer and learning many interesting facts about this migratory bird.
Listento the birds song	Have you ever heard of a Mourning Dove? It makes a beautiful 5 syllable “coo coo coo” noise and it sounds like “chip, chip, chip.” The immature bird has a dark brown head, neck and breast. It has many black spots, and a light colored belly. The adult female and male look the same. Their small head is light brown. With a streamlined body, it has a purplish long pointed tail. Did you know that the adults have black spots on their upper wings? Some similar species are, the Wood Pigeon, the Bleeding Heart and the Stock Dove. All of them are 12 inches in length. Zenaida Macroura is the scientific name for the Mourning Dove. In the summer, the Mourning Dove lives in the humid Eastern United States or in the arid West. In wintertime, they migrate to Southern United States and to Mexico. The Mourning Dove eats weeds, seeds, and waste grain. Small seeds, corn, peanuts and soybeans are also eaten. Nests of Doves are found on a tree, a shrub or on the ground. Sometimes this bird uses a Robin’s nest or a Gray Catbird’s nest. Clutches have two eggs, which take 28 days to incubate. The clutches can be found in nests in agricultural areas. After 14 days baby birds will leave their nest. Their breeding takes place in fields, thickets, evergreens, or marshes. One interesting fact about my bird is that the adults feed their young by coughing up a food mixture called pigeon milk. Another interesting fact is that when it is frightened it makes a squeaky whistling noise. The Morning Dove was fun to learn about.
Listento the birds song	The bird that I am researching is a Northern Cardinal also known as a Common Cardinal. It’s scientific name is Cardinalis Cardinalis. The adult male is bright red with a black facemask, feathered red crest, and a cone shaped red bill. The female is dull brown with a reddish tinge on its crest, wings and tail. The young male is less red, and the young female is entirely brown. A Cedar Waxwing is similar to a Northern Cardinal because a Cedar Waxwing has a pointed crest, black facemask, and a yellow band at the end of its tail, like a Northern Cardinal. Another bird that is similar to the Northern Cardinal is a Vermillion Flycatcher. Vermillion Flycatchers are similar to the Northern Cardinal because they have a brilliant red head and breast like a Northern Cardinal. Whoa cheer, Whoa cheer is the loud whistled song of the Northern Cardinal. When the Cardinal does it’s song fast it sounds like, wee, wee, and wee. The range of my bird is East from extreme Southern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, in the West to Southwestern United States to Guatemala. It’s diet is fruit, seeds, and many kinds of insects and small animals, cracked corn, nuts, and sunflower seeds. This bird’s nest is built in/on bushes, hedges, and vines. Sometimes nests are in saplings 3 to 12 feet above the ground. Northern Cardinals build their nests with weeds, grass and twigs. The reproduction of the Northern Cardinal takes place in woodlands, bushy swamps, woodland borders, and thickets and in recent years has become common in suburban yards. My bird’s clutch size is 5. The Northern Cardinal has greenish eggs with brownish purple marks. It takes 12 to 13 days of incubation and 10 to 11 days until fledging. An interesting fact that I learned about the Cardinal is there are more Cardinals than any other species in New York. Another interesting fact is that the Cardinal gets it’s name from the red robe worn by Roman Catholics. I have enjoyed researching a wonderful bird called the Northern Cardinal and have learned a lot.
	You will never believe how interesting the Red-Tailed Hawk is. The Red-Tailed Hawk’s scientific name is Buteo Jamanicensis. An adult has a reddish belly, brown eyes and yellow talons on the feet. Baby Red-Tailed Hawks have gray tails that might or might not show banding. Similar species are the Red-Shouldered Hawk, Northern Harrier and Peregrine. All Red-Tailed Hawks are meat eaters. Before the name Red-Tailed Hawk they used to call them the Hen Hawks and the Chicken Hawks. The Red-Tailed Hawk’s habitat is usually found in grasslands or marshes. It can make it’s home in deserts or forest. Usually the Red-Tailed Hawk eats rodents, rabbits, snakes and lizards. Their nests are 35-75 feet high in the forks of large trees. The nests are large, flat, and shallow and made out of sticks and twigs. The Red-Tailed Hawk has interesting facts about their breeding. They have 2-4 eggs. The colors of the eggs are bluish-white. They have marks on them with reddish spots and splotches. It takes 40 days for the eggs to hatch and 44 days for the young to leave the nest. Babies are covered with white down. Red-tailed babies fledge in about 45 days. The Red-Tailed Hawk used to be called the Chicken Hawk and the Hen Hawk because they kill their prey first and then fly off. The sound they make is like a keear scream. If they see prey they will dive down going 120 mph to get their food. It can spout a mouse from a half mile away. When it leaves its nest it takes 44 days. They weigh between 2-4 lbs. I learned many interesting facts about the Red-Tailed Hawk. I really enjoyed researching the Red-Tailed Hawk and hope to see one someday.
	I have been researching migratory birds. I have the Ring-Billed Gull. The Ring-Billed Gull is also called the Larus Delawarensis. This bird is 18 – 20 inches long. An adult has yellow legs, a white head, breast, and under parts, with a light gray back and wings. A dark ring is on it’s bill. Young Ring- Billed Gulls are brown with a blackish tail and flash-colored legs. Ring- Billed Gulls are related to the Laughing Gull, Herring Gull, Calia Gull, and a Black-Back Gull. “Kree, Kree, Kree” is the sound that the Ring- Billed Gull makes. It migrates from North Dakota to Lake Ontario. The gull spends the winter in the Great Lakes and New England. It’s diet consists of fish, insects and aquatic vertebrates. Nests are in low trees. They are usually on islands or in lakes. The habitat of the Ring-Billed Gull is found near lakes and rivers. Some Ring-Billed Gulls go to salt water in the wintertime. The Ring-Billed Gull lays two to five eggs. It takes 21 days to hatch. The babies are ready to leave their nest in 30 days. This is fledging. While researching this bird I learned some interesting facts. One fact is that there has been a large increase in the number of these birds over the past years. Also, it is known as a scavenger, which means it eats anything it finds. It even eats garbage. I’ve enjoyed researching the Ring- Billed Gull and have learned a lot about this migratory bird.
	Our class has been researching migratory birds. My bird’s name is the Pied-Billed Grebe. The scientific name is Podilymbus Podiceps. The Pied-Billed Grebe got the name because of the two colored bills it has. In the summer, it has a black ring neck and a coned shaped bill ring in black. In the winter, the neck is white and the bill is yellow or gray without a ring. This Grebe has a stocky uniformly brownish body. It sounds like a cuckoo. The immature bird has white and black stripes. It has a orange, red and white head. The beak is black on the front and orange on the back. The three different birds that are similar to my bird are the Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe and also the Western Grebe. The habitat of the Pied-Billed Grebe ranges from as far as Northern Canada to Argentina in Central America. It builds a nest on marshy lakes or willow trees, 18 inches to five feet off the ground. The nest is made of cattle stem or aquatic vegetation. Nests built in the water are either anchored in place or can be free floating. Some floating nests maybe up to 60 feet from shore. The Pied-Billed Grebe enjoys a diet of crayfish, fish and other water insects. The reproduction of the Pied-Billed Grebe is interesting. It lays five to eight eggs. They hatch in 23 days. In 47 days they fledge, which means to leave their nest. The Pied-Billed Grebe is a wide spread breeder. While researching this bird I learned some interesting facts. One fact is it is one of the best swimmers and divers. The Pied-Billed Grebe is called a “hell diver” because it dives with amazing speed. It spends most if it’s time on land, but cannot walk easily on land. Also when scared, it sinks slowly into the water and swims under water. I have enjoyed researching this bird. Maybe some day I will get a chance to see the Pied-Billed Grebe.
Listento the birds song	Do you know about the Eastern Phoebe? I just finished researching this incredible bird and I have learned a lot of great information! You can notice the Eastern Phoebe because it’s brownish gray on top. It’s darkest spot is on it’s head. It has two wings, one tail and it’s under parts are white with olive colored sides and breast. Eastern Phoebes are usually six to seven inches tall. The Sayornis Phoebe is the scientific name of the Eastern Phoebe. The immature bird has brown feathers, two buff wing bars and a cinnamon rump (behind). Eastern Phoebe’s similar species are the Eastern Flycatcher and the Western Pewee. If you were looking for the Eastern Phoebe you would most likely find it in the North Eastern states and Canada. The Eastern Phoebes eat flying insects, ants, bugs, flies, wasps, winter ground insects and berries. Eastern Phoebes build their nests in places like under bridges, eaves of barns, over- hanging edges of road banks, turned up tree roots, wooden ledges of country houses, rocks and cliffs. The Eastern Phoebes breed in the North, South and Eastern parts of North America. The Eastern Phoebe’s clutch size is four to five white eggs per nest. These eggs incubate in fifteen to sixteen days. In order for the Eastern Phoebe to fledge it takes three to thirteen days. I found lots of interesting facts about my bird. One interesting fact about the Eastern Phoebe is that it was the first bird to be banded from North America. Also it bobs it’s tail not it’s head as it moves along. I enjoyed researching the Eastern Phoebe and have learned a lot of interesting facts about this bird!

Loons, Grebes and Cormorant
Pied-billed Grebe	Double-Crested Cormorant

Swans, Geese and Ducks
Canada Goose	Red-tailed Hawk
Northern Pintail	Northern Shoveler
American Black Duck	Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser	Mallard
Osprey

Woodpeckers and Flycathcers
Downy Woodpecker	Eastern Phoebe

Vireos and Wood Warblers
Common Yellowthroat	Ovenbird
Black-throated Green Warbler

Tanagers and Sparrows
Northern Cardinal	Chipping Sparrow
Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Doves, Owls and Hummingbirds
Mourning Dove

Titmice, Nuthatches and Wrens
American Robin