Week 2: Beginner
Scroll down to study the birds by sight and sound, and then take the quiz.
Week 2 Birds
Northern Flicker, Cooper’s Hawk, American Kestrel, Killdeer
NORTHERN FLICKER
Bird Code: NOFL
Identify this bird by…
Undersides of the wing and tail feathers are bright yellow, for eastern birds (yellow-shafted), or red, in western birds (red-shafted)
White rump patch, seen in flight
Males have a red “moustache,” females do not
Listen for…
Call: a high and piercing “Clear!” or “Kyeer!” Also, a quieter, rhythmic and repeated “woik-a, woik-a, woik-a”. NOFA have a territorial call, too. This is a loud, rolling rattle that lasts for 7 or 8 seconds: “wik-wik-wik-wik-wik-wik.”
Resources:
COOPER’S HAWK
Bird Code: COHA
Identify this bird by…
Broad, rounded wings and a very long tail
Head appears large, shoulders broad, and the tail rounded
Adults are steely blue-gray above with warm reddish bars on the underparts and thick dark bands on the tail
Juveniles/immatures are brown above and crisply streaked with brown on the upper breast,
Listen for…
Call: A loud, grating “cak-cak-cak” call that is 2-5 seconds long. To differentiate this call from the NOFL territorial call, note the difference in pitch. COHAs have a much lower, scratchy sound, while NOFLs have higher pitched and more musical sound.
Resources:
AMERICAN KESTREL
Bird Code: AMKE
Identify this bird by…
Roughly the size/shape of a MODO, but it has a larger head, longer and more narrow wings
Long, square-tipped tail
In flight, the wings are often bent and the wingtips are swept back
Males: Slate-blue wings
Females: Reddish-brown wings
Sideburns: black vertical slashes on the sides of the face is seen in both male and females
Listen for…
Call: made up of repeated two-syllable notes “killy-killy-killy!” Cooper’s Hawk and Northern Flicker only have one note calls. American Kestrel also have a much higher, thinner tone to their call than Cooper’s Hawk and Northern Flicker.
Resources:
KILLDEER
Bird Code: KILL
Identify this bird by…
Slender bird with long wings and tail
2 black breast bands
Rusty tail in flight
Males and females look the same (not dimorphic)
Look for…
Behavior - Walking along the ground or running ahead a few steps, stopping to look around, and running on again. When disturbed they break into flight and circle overhead, calling repeatedly. Their flight is rapid, with stiff, intermittent wingbeats
Listen for…
Call: Calls are a high and thin tone, although they may do a variety of phrases- sometimes they even say their name: “kill-deer-kill-deer”
Resources: