Week 4: Advanced Mid Elevation

Scroll down to study the birds by sight and sound, and then take the quiz.

Prefer PDF? Click here for this information in a worksheet


 

Week 4 Birds

Chipping Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Orange-crowned Warbler, Belted Kingfisher, Black-billed Magpie, Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay

 

CHIPPING SPARROW

Bird Code: CHSP

Identify this bird by…

  • A slender and fairly long-tailed sparrow with a medium-sized bill

  • Often forages on the ground, but can be seen singing from the tops of small trees

  • Bright rufous cap, black eye stripe, clear gray underparts, brown back with black streaks

Tell it apart by…

  • The songs of Chipping Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco sound similar. The CHSP song has less tone and sounds more like an insect.

Listen for…

Song: The male Chipping Sparrow (CHSP) has a long, dry rattle.

Calls:  Year round, both sexes use a single chip note to stay in contact with others. Upon sighting a hawk, Chipping Sparrows give a long zeeeee call as an alarm. During courtship, females make a soft, rapid see-see-see-see to attract the attention of her mate.

Resources:

DARK-EYED JUNCO

Bird Code: DEJU

Identify this bird by…

  • Small and slender with a round head, short bill and fairly long tail

  • Often hopping on ground or in low shrubs

  • When in flight, look for the white" “V” formed by their outer tail feathers

A tricky note…

  • There are six different races of Dark-eyed Juncos; in taxonomy, this refers to distinct differences in species that don’t quite make them a subspecies but individuals could have some distinct genetic differences

  • In Dark-eyed Juncos, this shows up in different color patterns! Study them here and on All About Birds (link below)

  • All Dark-eyed Juncos have the white “V” in their tails when they fly

Listen for…

Song: A sweet trill with a slight inflection, as the song rises and then descends just slightly at the end.

Calls:  A high, short chip note that they often give in rapid succession when they fly and more slowly as they forage.

Resources:

ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER

Bird Code: OCWA

Identify this bird by…

  • Small warbler, thin pointy bill

  • Yellow-olive, faint eyeline

  • Adults have an orange patch on its heard (i.e., the crown); difficult to see in the field, but fun to know about :D

Look for…

  • The undertail coverts (the feathers covering the base of the main tail feathers) are bright yellow

Listen for…

Song: Male Orange-crowned Warblers sing a trilling song of sweet, clear notes. The song can remain on a single pitch or it can rise slightly in the middle and end on a distinctive rising or falling note—chee chee chee chew chew. Male songs vary enough that you can tell individuals apart!

Calls: A simple, sharp, high-pitched chip, distinctive from that of other warblers. 

Resources:

BELTED KINGFISHER

Identify this bird by…

  • Large, stocky bird with big head and big beak

  • That rock-star mohawk of a crest!

  • Grayish back, light belly (varies on sex)

Tell males and females apart by…

  • Females - Chestnut brown belly band and on the flanks

  • Males - White belly and flacks

Look for…

  • Habitat - Belted Kingfisher are a riparian species, meaning they are found adjacent to or near water. They are most commonly found along streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, estuaries, and calm marine waters.

Listen for…

Call: A long, uneven, clattering rattle.

Resources:


Woodhouse’s scrub-jay

Bird Code: WOSJ

Identify this bird by…

  • Large songbird with long body, long tail, and a hunched over posture

  • Light blue and gray above, with a whitish throat and grayish belly

  • A partial band of blue on the breast

Tell it apart by …

Watch out for …

  • Blue depends on lighting, so Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays can look simply dark

  • Behavior - Perch high in trees, on wires, or on posts where they act as lookouts; very vocal

Listen for…

Calls: Very vocal; have more than 20 separate types of calls. Examples include a weep uttered during flight, while carrying nesting material, or while taking cover from a flying predator; a bell-like shlenk used antagonistically, a quiet kuk exchanged between mates, and loud, rasping scolds for mobbing predators. More sounds here.

Resources:

Black-billed magpie

Bird Code: BBMA

Identify this bird by…

  • Large, long body with long tail and slightly hooked bill

  • Appears black and white; in the right lighting, the feathers have a blue-green iridescence

  • Males and females look alike

Tell it apart from Ravens and Crows by …

  • White markings on the wings and belly

  • Long tail

Look for …

  • In flight - Wing bars on back and white primaries and diamond-shaped tail (these are very distinct field marks)

  • Behavior - Often forages on the ground; perches on posts and small trees

Listen for…

Call: A nasal, call note that almost sounds like “Mag? Mag? Mag?”

Resources:

Feeling ready? Take the quiz!