Ornithology

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ORDER PASSERIFORMES

You must know the order, family, common name, habitat, and habits and be able to identify by sight each species. There are 93 species on the list.  In addition, you will be expected to learn the vocalization for any species labeled with a  symbol. You can get extra credit for learning the vocalizations of any species labeled .

Birds on this list: 93
Order Passeriformes   Perching Birds
Characteristics of the order:
Feet anisodactyl  Distinctive palate  Altricial young
Family Tyrannidae      Tyrant Flycatchers
Characteristics of the family:
Small to medium-sized songbirds, often edge species Suboscine – song poorly developed Often drab color Forage often by aerial-hawking Bill typically broad, flat, hooked at tip / rictal bristles
	Olive-sided Flycatcher[vocalization]	Contopus borealis
	Eastern Wood-Pewee[vocalization]	Contopus virens
	Acadian Flycatcher	Empidonax virescens
	Willow Flycatcher	Empidonax traillii
	Eastern Phoebe[vocalization]	Sayornis phoebe
	Great Crested Flycatcher[vocalization]	Myiarchus crinitus
	Eastern Kingbird[vocalization]	Tyrannus tyrannus
Family Alaudidae   Larks
Characteristics of the family:
Small to medium-sized passerines Walk rather than hop Bill pointed, slightly downcurved Legs fairly long
	Horned Lark	Eremophila alpestris
Family Hirundinidae     Swallows
Characteristics of the family:
Small to medium-sized birds Some colonial nesters Strong fliers / wings very long, pointed / forage by aerial hawking Bill small / rictal bristles
	Purple Martin	Progne subis
	Tree Swallow	Tachycineta bicolor
	Northern Rough-winged Swallow	Stelgidopteryx serripennis
	Cliff Swallow	Hirundo pyrrhonota
	Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica
Family Corvidae      Crows and Jays
Characteristics of the family:
Medium to the largest passerines Bold, noisy, and gregarious Often nest predators bristles pointing forward over the nares Intelligent / cache food
	Blue Jay[vocalization]	Cyanocitta cristata
	American Crow[vocalization]	Corvus brachyrhynchos
	Common Raven	Corvus corax
Family Paridae      Tits and Allies
Characteristics of the family:
Small birds, sociable, energetic In winter, form mixed-species flocks Bill short, stout Cache food
	Black-capped Chickadee	Parus atricapillus
	Carolina Chickadee [vocalization]	Parus carolinensis
	Tufted Titmouse [vocalization]	Parus bicolor
Family Sittidae    Nuthatches
Characteristics of the family:
Small, stocky forest birds Climb tree trunks and glean Only birds that walk down trunk head first Bill thin, pointed, typically straight Tail short, square
	Red-breasted Nuthatch [vocalization]	Sitta canadensis
	White-breasted Nuthatch[vocalization]	Sitta carolinensis
Family Certhiidae   Creepers
Characteristics of the family:
Small forest birds that climb trees, as nuthatches, but head up Bill slender, pointed, downcurved Long, stiff, pointed tail feathers
	Brown Creeper	Certhia americana
Family Troglodytidae   Wrens
Characteristics of the family:
Small to medium-sized, chunky, active birds Bill slender, often decurved Tail usually short Several species, tail upright and cocked Often found in shrubby habitat
	Carolina Wren[vocalization]	Thryothorus ludovicianus
	Winter Wren	Troglodytes troglodytes
Family Regulidae     Kinglets
Characteristics of the family:
Very small, very active birds – somewhat fidgety Slender bills / sexually dimorphic
	Golden-crowned Kinglet[vocalization]	Regulus satrapa
	Ruby-crowned Kinglet	Regulus calendula
Family Polioptilidae  Gnatcatchers and Verdin
Characteristics of the family:
Small to medium-sized birds, constantly in motion / slender bills
	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	Polioptila caerulea
Family Turdidae  Thrushes
Characteristics of the family:
Small to medium-sized birds Chunky body, upright posture Often hop on ground when foraging Straight bill, not pointed Several species have melodious songs Blue eggs
	Eastern Bluebird[vocalization]	Sialia sialis
	Veery[vocalization]	Catharus fuscescens
	Hermit Thrush[vocalization]	Catharus guttatus
	Wood Thrush[vocalization]	Catharus mustelinus
	American Robin[vocalization]	Turdus migratorius
Family Mimidae  Mockingbirds and Thrashers
Characteristics of the family:
Slender, medium-sized birds with long tails Tail often cocked, i.e. higher than line of body, when standing Versatile singers, mimic other songbirds
	Gray Catbird[vocalization]	Dumetella carolinensis
	Northern Mockingbird[vocalization]	Mimus polyglottos
	Brown Thrasher	Toxostoma rufum
Family Motacillidae   Wagtails and Pipits
Characteristics of the family:
Small to medium-sized birds Chunky body, but slimmer than thrushes Some species bob tail
	American Pipit	Anthus rubescens
Family Bombycillidae   Waxwings and Silky-flycatchers
Characteristics of the family:
Medium-sized birds with prominent head crest Highly gregarious frugivores Plump body / bill short and thick / medium to long, square tail
	Cedar Waxwing	Bombycilla cedrorum
Family Laniidae   Shrikes
Characteristics of the family:
Predatory, medium-sized birds Large head with strong, hooked bill Strong legs with sharp claws Often cache food on barbed wire or thorns
	Loggerhead Shrike	Lanius ludovicianus
Family Sturnidae   Starlings
Characteristics of the family:
Medium-sized, stocky birds, gregarious Short, square tail Some are mimics
	European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris
Family Vireonidae   Vireos and Allies
Characteristics of the family:
Small birds Forage by gleaning from foliage Bill heavy, slightly hooked or notched Bigger heads and thicker bills than warblers
	White-eyed Vireo	Vireo griseus
	Solitary Vireo	Vireo solitarius
	Yellow-throated Vireo	Vireo flavifrons
	Warbling Vireo	Vireo gilvus
	Red-eyed Vireo[vocalization]	Vireo olivaceus
Family Parulidae   New World Warblers
Characteristics of the family:
Small to medium-sized birds Many species brightly colored and most sexually dimorphic Often complex songs Mainly insectivores, often glean off foliage Slender, pointed bills / rounded tails
	Blue-winged Warbler	Vermivora pinus
	Golden-winged Warbler	Vermivora chrysoptera
	Northern Parula	Parula americana
	Yellow Warbler[vocalization]	Dendroica petechia
	Chestnut-sided Warbler[vocalization]	Dendroica pensylvanica
	Cape May Warbler	Dendroica tigrina
	Black-throated Blue Warbler	Dendroica caerulescens
	Yellow-rumped Warbler	Dendroica coronata
	Black-throated Green Warbler[vocalization]	Dendroica virens
	Blackburnian Warbler	Dendroica fusca
	Yellow-throated Warbler	Dendroica dominica
	Pine Warbler	Dendroica pinus
	Prairie Warbler[vocalization]	Dendroica discolor
	Palm Warbler	Dendroica palmarum
	Cerulean Warbler	Dendroica cerulea
	Black-and-white Warbler[vocalization]	Mniotilta varia
	American Redstart	Setophaga ruticilla
	Worm-eating Warbler	Helmitheros vermivorus
	Ovenbird[vocalization]	Seiurus aurocapillus
	Louisiana Waterthrush	Seiurus motacilla
	Kentucky Warbler	Oporornis formosus
	Common Yellowthroat[vocalization]	Geothlypis trichas
	Hooded Warbler[vocalization]	Wilsonia citrina
	Yellow-breasted Chat	Icteria virens
Family Thraupidae Tanagers
Characteristics of the family:
Medium-sized forest birds with stout bills Sexually dimorphic, male more brilliant than female
	Scarlet Tanager[vocalization]	Piranga olivacea
Family Cardinalidae      Cardinals and Grosbeaks
Characteristics of the family:
Medium to large-sized birds, often edge species Sexually dimorphic Short, stout, conical, pointed bills
	Northern Cardinal[vocalization]	Cardinalis cardinalis
	Rose-breasted Grosbeak	Pheucticus ludovicianus
Family Embirizidae   Buntings,Sparrows and Allies
Characteristics of the family:
Small to medium-sized birds, forage mostly on the ground Often brown and streaked / short, conical, pointed bills Often seen in shrubs
	Indigo Bunting	Passerina cyanea
	Eastern (Rufous-sided) Towhee[vocalization]	Pipilo erythrophthalmus
	American Tree Sparrow	Spizella arborea
	Chipping Sparrow	Spizella passerina
	Field Sparrow[vocalization]	Spizella pusilla
	Fox Sparrow	Passerella iliaca
	Song Sparrow[vocalization]	Melospiza melodia
	Swamp Sparrow	Melospiza georgiana
	White-throated Sparrow[vocalization]	Zonotrichia albicollis
	White-crowned Sparrow	Zonotrichia leucophrys
	Dark-eyed Junco[vocalization]	Junco hyemalis
	Snow Bunting	Plectrophenax nivalis
Family Icteridae  Blackbirds and Orioles
Characteristics of the family:
Medium to large-sized birds Sexually dimorphic / male usually larger Straight, sharply pointed bills
	Red-winged Blackbird[vocalization]	Agelaius phoeniceus
	Eastern Meadowlark[vocalization]	Sturnella magna
	Boat-tailed Grackle
	Common Grackle[vocalization]	Quiscalus quiscula
	Brown-headed Cowbird[vocalization]	Molothrus ater
	Baltimore Oriole[vocalization]	Icterus galbula
Family Fringillidae   Siskins, Crossbills and Allies
Characteristics of the family:
Small to medium-sized birds, often forest birds Sexually dimorphic Long, complex songs Undulating fast flight / emarginated tail Bill stout, conical (crossed in 2 species)
	Purple Finch	Carpodacus purpureus
	House Finch[vocalization]	Carpodacus mexicanus
	American Goldfinch[vocalization]	Carduelis tristis
Family Passeridae    Old World Sparrows
Characteristics of the family:
Small birds with stout, conical bill No well-developed song, often repeat single elements
	House Sparrow[vocalization]	Passer domesticus