Week 6: Beginner

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

 
 
 

Week 6 Birds

American Robin, Black-headed Grosbeak, Red-winged Blackbird, Yellow-headed Blackbird

 

American Robin

Bird Code: AMRO

Identify this bird by…

  • Gray-brown birds with warm orange underparts and dark heads

  • White patch on lower belly and under the tail in flight

  • Yellow bill and black streaks on throat

Tell males and females apart by…

  • Female and immature birds have the same markings as males, but are often paler

  • Males typically have a darker head

  • However… some individuals are not easily separated by sex

Look for …

  • Often seen tugging worms from yards

Listen for…

Song: Loud song is a variable string of 10 or so clear whistles assembled from a few often-repeated syllables - cheerily cheer-up cheerio

Calls: Rapid tut tut tut and a high, thin ssip in flight

Resources:

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD

Bird Code: RWBL

Identify this bird by…

  • Broad-shouldered and stocky bird with a conical beak

  • Males - red and yellow “shoulder badge” in the breeding season (breeding plumage)

Tell males and females apart by…

  • Females are crisply streaked and dark brownish overall, paler on the breast and often show a whitish eyebrow

  • Non-breeding males look scaly and have incomplete shoulder badges

Listen for…

Song: A 1-second “conk-la-ree!” that starts as one note followed by a high pitch and a musical trill. This is a classic sound of wetlands.

Call: Females respond to a singing male with a series of three to five short chit or check notes.

Resources:

black-headed grosbeak

Bird Code: BHGR

Identify this bird by…

  • Hefty songbirds with very grayish large bills that are conical and thick at the base

  • Large heads and short, thick necks. A short tail imparts a compact, chunky look

  • In flight, they flash bright yellow under the wings

Tell males and females apart by…

  • Males: Rich orange/cinnamon with a black head and black and white wings

  • Females/immatures: Warm orange/buff on their breast and some have streaks on the sides of the breast

Listen for…

Song: Song rises and falls like an AMRO’s, but it’s longer, sweeter, more varied, and less choppy in its phrases

Call: Typical call is a sharp spik uttered frequently to keep contact with mates while foraging. They utter an upslurring wheet upon taking flight.

Resources:

YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD

Bird Code: YHBL

Identify this bird by…

  • Stout body, large head, conical bill

Tell males and females apart by…

  • Males - Bright yellow on the head and breast, black body

  • Females - Less, duller yellow on the head and breast and a brown body

Listen for…

Call:  Frequent check calls used in many situations during the breeding season, screams given by alarmed females, growls given by fighting or mating males, and harsh rattles given by males when predators are about.

Song: A few musical notes followed by a screeching buzz, rather like a heavy door swinging on a very rusty metal hinge. Females make a chattering sound that may be considered a song.

Resources: