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Among the largest in its family, the Great Gray Owl holds the title as North America’s longest owl species. This majestic bird’s size, coloration, and range have inspired a host of nicknames, including Spectral Owl, Lapland Owl, Spruce Owl, and Sooty Owl.

The small, sand-colored Piping Plover is named for its melodic, plaintive whistle. It’s a beautifully camouflaged shorebird of beaches and barrier islands — habitats also favored by species such as the Snowy Plover and Least Tern.

The Lesser Prairie-Chicken is slightly smaller than the closely related Greater Prairie-Chicken, but it’s no mere pale imitation! This species is found only on the high plains of the U.S. southwest and has distinctive courtship displays, vocalizations, and habitat preferences.

In the right light, a male Royal Sunangel is a striking sight, with deep, shimmering violet-blue plumage and a long, forked tail. Like the Rainbow-bearded Thornbill and Glittering Starfrontlet, this bird really shines when its feathers reflect just the right angle of direct light, although in low light and at many other angles, this avian gem looks dark and dull.

The ‘Akikiki is a five-inch-long songbird that creeps quietly over thick tree branches and slender trunks in its montane forest habitat. It’s a striking bird, grayish brown above and whitish below.

The ‘Akikiki is a five-inch-long songbird that creeps quietly over thick tree branches and slender trunks in its montane forest habitat. It’s a striking bird, grayish brown above and whitish below.

The Kiwikiu, also known as the Maui Parrotbill, is so rare that it had no Hawaiian name, or that name was lost over time. This hook-billed, olive-green and yellow native honeycreeper was considered extinct during the first half of the 1900s, until it was rediscovered in 1950.

The ‘Ākohekohe (pronounced “ah ko-hay ko-hay”) is the largest living Hawaiian honeycreeper, with striking black, silver, and crimson-orange plumage and a forward-sweeping white tuft of feathers atop its head that gives the bird its English name “Crested Honeycreeper.”

As implied by its common name, the small, active House Wren is often found near people’s homes. This bird’s genus name Troglodytes means “hole dweller.”

As implied by its common name, the small, active House Wren is often found near people’s homes. This bird’s genus name Troglodytes means “hole dweller.”

As implied by its common name, the small, active House Wren is often found near people’s homes. This bird’s genus name Troglodytes means “hole dweller.”

As implied by its common name, the small, active House Wren is often found near people’s homes. This bird’s genus name Troglodytes means “hole dweller.”

In the Dominican Republic, the handsome Bay-breasted Cuckoo is a rare and sought-after sighting. Endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, this large cuckoo was once also found in Haiti.

The Carolina Wren is a familiar backyard bird, like the Northern Cardinal and Downy Woodpecker, although it is more often heard than seen. For those interested in learning how to identify birds by voice, the Carolina Wren provides interesting lessons.

Although the male Blue Grosbeak is colorful, this chunky, finch-like bird of brushy habitats is often first detected by voice. Once seen, a male Blue Grosbeak is distinctive, with deep-blue plumage set off by two rust-colored wingbars.

The Henslow’s Sparrow and its close relative, the Baird’s Sparrow, are the only two sparrows in the genus Centronyx (meaning spurred claw).

The King Rail was first described in 1834 by the preeminent ornithologist and artist John James Audubon. This largest North American rail species is about the size of a chicken and is sometimes locally called the “Marsh Hen.”

The furtive, beautiful Kentucky Warbler is a sought-after springtime sighting throughout the eastern U.S. Like the Wood Thrush and Ovenbird, this inhabitant of deep, damp forests is more often heard than seen.

The rufous-breasted Red Knot, once known as the “Robin Snipe,” is a champion long-distance migrant, flying more than 9,000 miles from south to north every spring, then reversing the trip every autumn.

The lively little Canada Warbler is a bird of thick forest undergrowth, where, like a Swainson’s or Kentucky Warbler, it is more often heard than seen.

The striking plumage and sweet, downward-lilting song of the Yellow-throated Warbler are welcome signs of early spring in many parts of the southeastern United States.

Large, common, and widespread, the Great Blue Heron is perhaps the most familiar wading bird in North America.

The olive-backed, ground-dwelling Ovenbird can be mistaken for a Wood Thrush at first glance, but it is actually a warbler. A closer look at this bird reveals black stripes beneath, rather than the spots of a thrush.

The zebra-striped Black-and-white is one of the first warblers to arrive on its breeding grounds, along with other “early bird” species such as the Louisiana Waterthrush and Yellow Warbler.

The Elegant Trogon brings a touch of the tropics to its riparian haunts in the southwestern United States, where it is sought by many birders.

White-throated Sparrows are a familiar sight in backyards and around bird feeders across the eastern United States from late fall to mid-spring. Adults have yellow lores, striped crowns, and, as you’d expect, whitish or white throats.

An inspiring flyer, the Laysan Albatross (known as Mōlī in Hawaiian) can glide over the open ocean for hours at a time without a single flap of its long, narrow wings, sailing hundreds of miles a day on an impressive six-foot span.

The Hooded Merganser is the only member of its genus, Lophodytes. This genus name derives from the Greek words lophos meaning crest and dutes meaning diver — an apt description of this small diving duck with the conspicuous fan-shaped crest.

The song of the Black-and-white Warbler — reminiscent of a rusty wheel turning — is an early sign of spring. The zebra-striped Black-and-white is one of the first warblers to arrive on its breeding grounds.

The lovely Long-billed Starthroat is rather large for a hummingbird; at four inches long, it’s about the same size as a Violet-crowned Hummingbird or Royal Sunangel.

At six inches tall, the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl is only about the size of an Eastern Bluebird. But this stocky little owl is a formidable predator, with outsized feet and talons that allow it to attack prey up to twice its size.

The Red Phalarope, like the American Woodcock and Long-billed Curlew, is a most unusual shorebird. Its genus name Phalaropus derives from the Ancient Greek words phalaris, “coot,” and pous, “foot.”

For years, the long-winged and distinctive Black-capped Petrel was believed to be extinct. Although rediscovered in 1963, this bird remains an enigma.

While the Waved Albatross spends plenty of time riding air currents over the waves, its name actually derives from the wave-like pattern on this bird’s brown body plumage.

The small, sand-colored Piping Plover, named for its melodic, plaintive whistle, is a bird of beaches and barrier islands, sharing this habitat with Least Terns, Black Skimmers, and Wilson’s Plovers.

The male Banded Cotinga is a strikingly beautiful bird, decked out in shimmering shades of blue and purple. This scarce species is found only in the endangered Atlantic Forest ecosystem.

The distinctive Jocotoco Antpitta was unknown to science until 1997, when it was discovered in the wet, bamboo-choked mountain forests of southeastern Ecuador by Dr. Robert S. Ridgely and other researchers during an expedition to record bird songs.

Like the Snowy Owl and Snow Bunting, the Snow Goose nests at the “top of the world” on tundra, much of it above the Arctic Circle. This means that from about late March to late October, this is a wilderness bird.

The male Surf Scoter is a striking sight: black, with white patches on its forehead and nape, an oddly shaped and multicolored bill, white eyes, and deep-orange legs and feet.

The striking Snowcap, like the Honduran Emerald and Mangrove Hummingbird, is found only in Central America. It is uncommon across its range, but when seen, it is unforgettable.

The Purple Martin, North America’s largest swallow, is a swift and skilled flyer: The birds eat, drink, and even bathe on the wing.

One of North America’s 12 native grouse species — a group that includes the Greater Sage-Grouse, Dusky Grouse, and Greater Prairie-Chicken — the bantam-sized Ruffed Grouse is one of the most familiar, particularly to game hunters.

The King Vulture is a clownish-looking bird with a serious mission: In most of its extensive tropical range, this species is the largest scavenging bird.

A formidable bird-hunter about the same length as the related American Kestrel, the Merlin is more powerfully built and seems far larger — more like a miniature Peregrine Falcon.

Once known as the Canada Nuthatch or Red-bellied Nuthatch, the active, compact Red-breasted Nuthatch is a common resident of northern and western coniferous and mixed forests in the United States and Canada.

The American Crow is widespread in North America and, like the Blue Jay, is often maligned and misunderstood. In folklore, the crow is sometimes associated with witchcraft and evil, or is thought to signify misfortune and even death.

The shy Swainson’s Thrush is a bird of deep coniferous woods and dense thickets, more often heard than seen. A quick glimpse reveals a plain-backed, medium-sized thrush, most distinctive for its buffy “spectacles” and the warm, buffy tones of its face and upper chest.

Each spring heralds a unique spectacle on brushy western plains of North America. Year after year, male Greater Sage-Grouse congregate on ancestral display grounds known as leks.

The Great Crested Flycatcher lives in the upper forest canopy like a Scarlet Tanager or Red-eyed Vireo, but its repetitive calls make it easy to spot.

The Broad-winged Hawk is a small and secretive hawk of eastern forests, about the size of an American Crow.

The Red-eyed Vireo is one of the most common songbirds of eastern and central U.S. forests during the summer months. Like the Ovenbird and Scarlet Tanager, it is more often heard than seen.

In his 1942 monograph The Roseate Spoonbill, conservationist Robert Porter Allen wrote: “The Spoonbill exhibits paradoxical glamour and drollery.” Decades later, modern field guide author Kenn Kaufman had a similar take: “Roseate Spoonbills are gorgeous at a distance and bizarre up close.”

The dainty little Chipping Sparrow, like the Blue Jay and Northern Cardinal, is a familiar sight in suburbs and backyards across North America.

The distinctive White-headed Woodpecker is the only bird species in North America with a black body and all-white head. Both sexes look almost identical except that the male White-headed Woodpecker has a red spot on the back of the head.

The small, spritely Tennessee Warbler, like the Cape May Warbler, is poorly named. Although both species pass through their namesake locales, neither is “typical” of those places.

The Ashy Storm-Petrel is a small, sooty-colored seabird, slightly larger than an Eastern Bluebird. An adult can fit nicely into the palm of one’s hand and weighs just a bit more than one ounce.

The eye-catching Northern Gannet is the largest seabird found in northern Atlantic waters — about the size of a Black-footed or Laysan Albatross — and belongs to the same family as Brown and Red-footed Boobies.

The Laughing Gull is perfectly named; its continuous, raucous “ha-ha-ha” calls are a part of the summer soundtrack along Gulf and Atlantic Coast beaches.

While the Waved Albatross spends plenty of time riding air currents over the waves, its name actually derives from the wave-like pattern on this bird’s brown body plumage.

The rose-red male Summer Tanager is the only completely red bird in North America — the male Northern Cardinal has a black mask; the closely related Scarlet Tanager has black wings and tail; and the duller-red Hepatic Tanager has grayish flanks and cheek patches.

The ringing song of the Louisiana Waterthrush is a welcome sign of early spring throughout the eastern United States.

The majestic Bald Eagle is the only eagle species found solely in North America. It is well-known, even to non-birders, as the national symbol of the United States, an honor it was granted in 1782.

The Mallard is a familiar sight on ponds and lakes in many parts of the world, and many people readily recognize this bird.

The pretty little Black-throated Green Warbler is aptly named, with a green crown, back, and rump; black throat, upper breast, and wings; and lemon-yellow face.

The elusive Long-eared Owl, also known as the Lesser Horned Owl or Cat Owl, superficially resembles the Great Horned Owl but is much smaller and slimmer — in fact, it’s North America’s most slender owl.

A group of Black Skimmers in flight resembles an aerial ballet, circling, banking, and gracefully alighting as one.

The graceful, all-white Great Egret stands over 3 feet tall, with a lissome, S-curved neck, dagger-like yellow bill, and long black legs.

The aptly named Canyon Wren is a bird of steep, rocky places, where it creeps along sheer rock walls like a mouse, disappearing from view into crevices, then popping back out for a quick look around.

The Eastern Phoebe may lack the visual appeal of a Northern Cardinal or Scarlet Tanager, but this drab little flycatcher is just as popular among birdwatchers.

The Red-shouldered Hawk is named for its reddish upper wing coverts, or shoulders. The lineatus in its name means “striped” in Latin, referring to its black-and-white-banded tail and finely barred reddish breast.

The Resplendent Quetzal is an unforgettable sight, with shimmering plumage of metallic blues, greens, and reds.

The Lesser Prairie-Chicken is slightly smaller than its close relative, the Greater Prairie-Chicken. Like that species, males perform elaborate courtship dances each spring at group display sites known as leks.

The elegant, eye-catching Tree Swallow is a welcome sign of spring in much of North America. This swallow is most often seen in open spaces such as wetlands or farm fields.

The Atlantic Puffin is a small seabird, only a bit larger than a Mourning Dove, but it’s heavy for its size, weighing just over a pound — about the same weight as a full beverage can.

The Marvelous Spatuletail, like many hummingbird species including the Black-eared Fairy and Rainbow-bearded Thornbill, has a name that is both charming and descriptive.

The Galapagos Penguin is the smallest South American penguin, and the only one to live near the equator.

The Northern Mockingbird is well-known for its powers of mimicry. Its scientific name, which means “many-tongued mimic,” reflects this vocal prowess.

A shy wetland denizen, the chunky, mid-sized American Bittern is more often heard than seen. If spotted and approached, this marsh bird prefers to freeze in place, not fly away as a Green Heron or Great Egret might.

True to its name, the Glistening-green Tanager is almost entirely clad in vivid emerald green plumage, save for small tufts of grayish and orange feathers behind its eyes.

The enigmatic Blue-billed Curassow, locally known as Paujil, is a member of the family Cracidae, which includes large, ground-dwelling tropical birds such as the Great Curassow, guans, and chachalacas.

Of North America’s seven chickadee species, the Chestnut-backed and the Carolina are the smallest. But for the title of most colorful, the Chestnut-backed wins hands down.

The bubbling song of the Bobolink, which has inspired poets from Emily Dickinson to William Cullen Bryant, ushers in spring across grasslands of the northern United States and southern Canada.

The beautiful Juan Fernández Firecrown is surely one of the world’s most isolated hummingbird species. This hummingbird is found on just one far-flung Pacific island in Chile’s remote Juan Fernández Archipelago.

The dapper White-crowned Sparrow is easily recognized by its boldly striped head, colorful pink or yellow bill, and unmarked gray breast.

The elusive Long-eared Owl, also known as the Lesser Horned Owl or Cat Owl, superficially resembles the Great Horned Owl but is much smaller and slimmer — in fact, it’s North America’s most slender owl.

Described by American ornithologist Roger Tory Peterson as “a finch dipped in raspberry juice,” the male Purple Finch is a treat for any birder to see.

This olive-green and yellow, large-billed native honeycreeper was considered extinct during the first half of the 1900s, until it was rediscovered in 1950.

A formidable bird-hunter about the same length as the related American Kestrel, the Merlin is more powerfully built and seems far larger — more like a miniature Peregrine Falcon.

In North America, the majestic, snow-white Tundra Swan was once known as the Whistling Swan. This widespread, powerful bird was named by explorer Meriwether Lewis for its whistle-like calls.

The handsome Mourning Dove is a familiar sight to most people — beige-brown above and pinkish-brown below, with black spots on its wings and an iridescent pink-and-blue flash on its neck.

The Swallow-tailed Kite is unmistakable in flight, with its long, pointed wings, deeply forked tail, and contrasting black-and-white plumage. This largest of American kites is a graceful, buoyant flier, so lightweight and maneuverable that it can capture a dragonfly mid-air.

Dark-eyed, with a scaled breast and striped belly, the Barred Owl is nearly as large as the Great Horned Owl but with different markings and no ear-tufts.

The Wood Stork has many folk names, including Wood Ibis (due to its downcurved, ibis-like bill) and flinthead (for its scaly-looking bare head). The word “wood” probably refers to the bird’s favored nesting habitat in lowland wetlands.

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird weighs less than a nickel, and like all hummingbird species including the Calliope and Rufous, it is a master of flight. Beating its wings 60 to 80 times a second, this tiny sprite creates a blur of motion and a whirring, insect-like sound.

The feisty Black-capped Chickadee is the most common and widespread of the seven chickadee species found in North America.

The flashy American Oystercatcher was once known as the “sea pie,” but it was renamed in 1731 when naturalist Mark Catesby observed the bird eating oysters. This is one of the few bird species that specializes in feeding on saltwater mollusks.

The Common Loon is the most widespread of the five loon species found in North America. A formidable swimmer and diver like the King Penguin or Red-breasted Merganser, this handsome waterbird is a veritable avian submarine, beautifully adapted to a life in and on the water.

Prominent ornithologist John James Audubon described the colorful Violet-green Swallow as “the most beautiful of all the genus hitherto discovered.”

The American Robin is one of North America’s most widespread, familiar, and well-loved songbirds.

One of North America’s smallest songbirds, the Ruby-crowned Kinglet is tinier than a Black-capped Chickadee and only a bit larger than a Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Unremarkable at first glance, this diminutive bird is a drab olive-green and gray, with a white eye ring and wing bars.

The steel-gray, red-capped Sandhill Crane is the most abundant of the world’s cranes. Widely distributed throughout North America, this stately bird is one of only two North American endemic crane species.

The Osprey is a large black-and-white hawk with long narrow wings, long legs, and a distinctive M-shaped flight profile.

The Northern Flicker is a standout, even in an unusual family of birds that includes the pink-and-green, flycatching Lewis’s Woodpecker and the clown-faced, nut-hoarding Acorn Woodpecker.

The active and agile Tufted Titmouse is easily recognized by its jaunty crest of gray feathers, big black eyes, and rust-colored flanks.

A burned-over forest may look lifeless and dreary to the human eye, but to the Black-backed Woodpecker, it’s a veritable welcome mat.

The Killdeer is the largest and most familiar of the “ringed” plovers, a group that includes the Piping and Wilson’s Plovers. Although classified as a shorebird, this conspicuous, double-banded species is most often found in areas far from water.

The small, sprightly Wilson’s Warbler is seemingly always in motion, flicking its wings and waggling its tail up and down and in circles.

A male Indigo Bunting in breeding plumage is a glorious symphony of shimmering blues, turquoises, and purples. But these beautiful colors are illusory: The male Indigo Bunting owes its glorious appearance to an optical trick — the diffraction of light through its feathers.

“A wonderful bird is the pelican; his bill can hold more than his belly can,” goes the limerick by Dixon Lanier Merritt. And it’s true: A pelican’s pouch can hold up to three times more than its stomach.

The Green Heron is the second smallest of the dozen heron species — including egrets and bitterns — nesting in the United States. (The Least Bittern is the smallest.) It is also one of the most widespread.

The regal-looking Canvasback is the largest North American diving duck. Its name was inspired by the male’s white back and sides, which reminded English settlers of canvas fabric.

The eye-catching Acorn Woodpecker’s head is boldly patterned in black, white, and red, punctuated with wild-looking white eyes that give it a clownish look. It’s a medium-sized bird, bigger than a Downy Woodpecker and a bit smaller than its close, but more easterly, relative the Red-headed Woodpecker.

The regal Ferruginous Hawk ranks as the biggest North American member of the genus Buteo. This species is named for the ferruginous, or rusty, color on the wings, back, and legs of light-morph individuals.

The plump, long-legged American Dipper is colored like a Gray Catbird, about the size of a Cactus Wren, and cocks its short tail like a Common Yellowthroat. But the American Dipper is unique — it’s the only North American songbird that routinely swims!

The eye-catching Long-billed Curlew is North America’s largest shorebird, but like the Mountain Plover and Buff-breasted Sandpiper, it’s very often found away from the shore.

The Barn Owl’s species name, Tyto alba, literally means “white owl.” But behind this unremarkable name is an extraordinary predator with long legs and a distinctive heart-shaped face.

The liquid, burbling “conk-a-ree!” of a male Red-winged Blackbird on territory is a sure sign of spring, or at least its pending arrival.

The confiding, acrobatic White-breasted Nuthatch delights many a backyard birder with its head-down antics and nasal calls.

The aristocratic Royal Tern is one of the largest terns in the Americas, a noticeable step up in size from the Roseate Tern or Least Tern, for example.

The handsome Red-breasted Merganser is a welcome sight along coastlines during the winter. This sea-going duck is notable for its long, red, serrated bill, which gives it the species name serrator.

Early naturalists called the Great Horned Owl the “winged tiger” or “tiger of the air” because of its ferocity and hunting skills. This big owl (the second heaviest in North America after the Snowy Owl) is also called the “hoot owl” after its deep, booming call, which sounds like: “Who’s a-wake? Me too!”

A chattering, rattling call along the river or lakeside announces the presence of a Belted Kingfisher. Often heard before seen, this dagger-billed, shaggy-crested bird is usually spotted next to a river or lake, or hovering over the water before plunging headfirst to snag a fish.

The Ruddy Turnstone is a stocky shorebird named for its habit of flipping over stones, shells, and seaweed with a slightly upturned, wedge-shaped bill.

The colorful drake Wood Duck is one of North America’s most beautiful waterfowl – an aquatic counterpart of the male Painted Bunting.

With flashing black-and-white wings and a bright red crest, when a crow-sized Pileated Woodpecker swoops by, even the most experienced birders stop in their tracks. This is the largest of North American woodpeckers. In the United States, only the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, likely extinct, was bigger.

“Everybody who notices birds at all knows, admires, and loves the graceful, friendly barn swallow,” wrote ornithologist Arthur C. Bent in the early 20th century, in his Life Histories of Familiar North American Birds.

The Peregrine Falcon has long, pointed wings, which give it a distinctive flight silhouette, even in poor lighting conditions.

Like other sparrows such as the Saltmarsh and Sagebrush, the Spotted Towhee, found from southwestern Canada through the western United States and in the mountains of Mexico and Guatemala, is the result of a taxonomic ‘split.’

About the size of a Blue Jay, the American Kestrel is the smallest falcon in North America.

The Song Sparrow lives up to its name, singing persistently throughout the year.

“The goldfinch is an active little bird, always in the best of spirits,” observed noted naturalist Arthur Cleveland Bent early in the 20th century.

Endangered California condor chick has successfully fledged from a cliff-side nest near the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge in Ventura County, California.