BIRDS OF WHATCOM COUNTY

1. BIRDS OF WHATCOM COUNTY

4. Bald Eagle Adults have black bodies and white heads Juveniles do not have the white heads and other adult characteristics, it takes up to four years for color to change Fish are common prey, but eagles will eat other meat including dead animals

6. Red-tailed Hawk A big hawk, adults have a dark head, a band across the belly, and a red tail. It is a territorial bird and will protect it’s territory It soars like eagles, and also grabs prey with its talons. It will also eat dead animals

8. Rough-legged Hawk This is also a large, soaring bird. It looks like the Red-tailed hawk. It spends its winters in the Puget Sound Region It is the only hawk in the area with feathers on its legs

10. Cooper’s Hawk This is a short winged smaller soaring hawk It has a reddish-brown belly It looks a lot like a sharp-shinned hawk which is smaller and has thinner legs It eats birds and some mammals It ambushes birds around feeders, and is very fast

12. American Kestrel A very pretty falcon, that is smaller than most raptors, with bluish-gray wings on top and a reddish tail with a black band and white tips This bird is not as common in the area, it migrates through here instead with only a few staying around It eats small birds, small mammals, and even insects

14. Barred Owl and Spotted Owl The Spotted Owl is similar in appearance to the Barred Owl but has cross-shaped markings on the underparts whereas the Barred Owl is alternately barred on the breast and streaked on the belly. Barred Owls are larger and grayer than Spotted Owls. In recent years the California and Northern subspecies of Spotted Owl have been displaced by Barred Owls, which are more aggressive, have a broader diet and occur in more varied habitats.

16. Snowy Owl This owl is round headed, mostly white with yellow eyes It is usually not found in this region When flying it looks more like a falcon

18. Barn Owl This is a slim, long-legged round headed owl with a heart shaped face. It has a tannish back but its belly is whitish One of these owls can eat over 1,500 mice/year

20. Mallard This is a large dabbling duck The male has a green head, but the female is brownish throughout its body It eats mostly plants but will grab and eat some animals

22. Green-winged teal This is a small dabbling duck The male has a green strip on its head, but the female is also a brownish colored bird like the mallard (but smaller) It can be seen in groups even with other ducks during the winter

24. Canada Goose This is a big goose with a black and white head It is very common resident of the area. Some people say Canadian Goose instead of Canada Goose It eats mostly plants

26. Glaucous-winged Gull This gull has a white head, white belly, and grey wings, a big yellow bill (with a red spot at the end), and pinkish legs. Lots of the gulls look alike, but this one is bigger This gull eats lots of different food, even picks through trash It can breed with another species, the western gull and produces hybrids.

28. Great Blue Heron This is a tall, long-legged bird with a dagger-like bill. It is bluish-grey in color. It is found in marshes, ponds, fields etc. It walks around in water and grabs or pierces aquatic animals, but it also eats rodents

30. Trumpeter Swan This is a really big bird with a white body and black bill that looks a lot like a Tundra Swan or a Snow Goose. This bird can be found in this area in the winter. It eats plant materials even in fields It almost went extinct about 100 years ago

32. Killdeer This cute little shore bird has long legs, a brown back with black strips, and a white belly. It is found in this area mostly in the summer It’s call sounds like “kill deer” It eats insects and always lays four eggs The adult will protect the nest by trying to get you away by pretending to have broken wing

34. Red-winged Blackbird The male is a very pretty black bird with a red patch on each shoulder. The female is a brownish color but that helps her blend in with the cattails around ponds where she nests. Males are territorial and spend a great deal of time attracting females to their territories.

36. Brewer’s Blackbird The male is a glossy black with a purplish iridescent head, but the female is grayish brown. It is found in pastures, feedlots, and even parking lots (like at Whatcom Community College) and in flocks. It eats insects, seeds and even crumbs if people feed them.

38. American Crow This is a big noisy aggressive black bird This bird is found in cities and in agricultural areas. It eats almost anything It can be found in flocks

40. European Starling During the breeding season they are black with lighter spots and yellow bills, but during non-breeding times of the year they are more spotted and have black bills. They are found almost anywhere and in flocks. They are not native to the area. These birds were brought to New York in 1890 and spread across the United States.

42. American Robin The males have darker backs and their bellies are brighter orange than the females It is found almost everywhere in this area, but if it gets cold, they migrate southward It eats insects and worms

44. Rufous hummingbird The male is a rusty brown with a reddish throat and white belly, and the female is more greenish with very little or no red on the throat This tiny bird is very common in the summer It eats nectar from flowers or sugar water from feeders It is the smallest bird in the Pacific Northwest

46. Pileated Woodpecker The Pileated Woodpecker is the largest woodpecker in most of North America. It pecks holes in trees in order to get insects for its food

48. Hairy Woodpecker Both the male and female have dark backs with white spots, and white bellies. But the male has a red spot on the back of his head. It eats insects but also fruits and seeds

50. Steller’s Jay This is a fairly big blue and black bird with a crest on its head. It is more common in areas away from cities. It eats seeds and insects Jays like this one are among the smartest of the birds.