Birds of North America Illustrations

Abert's Towhee: Large, stocky, secretive sparrow with distinct black face, pale gray bill, gray-brown upperparts, paler gray-brown underparts and rust-brown vent. Tail is long and darker than upperparts with rust-brown undertail coverts. Sexes are similar. Juvenile underparts are paler, duller, and faintly streaked.

Acadian Flycatcher Fall Male: Small flycatcher with olive-gray upperparts, pale gray throat, distinctive pale yellow eye-ring, white lower breast, yellow belly and undertail coverts. Wings are olive-gray with two white or pale bars. Bill is long and broad-based with yellow-orange lower mandible. Sexes are similar. Juvenile is similar but with olive-brown upperparts.

Acorn Woodpecker: Medium-sized, clown-faced woodpecker with red crown, glossy black-and-white head, and glaring white eyes. Body is black with white rump and belly. One or more red- or yellow-tipped throat feathers may be present. Wings are black with white patches. Female and juvenile are similar.

Alder Flycatcher Spring Male: Small flycatcher with olive-brown upperparts, white underparts, and indistinct white eye-ring. Wings are olive-brown with two white or pale bars. Bill is short with orange lower mandible. Sexes are similar.

Aleutian Tern Breeding Adult: A medium-sized tern,with white forehead, black cap, black bill and legs, gray underparts and upperparts contrasting with pure white rump and tail. Undertail coverts, malar, and area immediately below cap are also white. Wing projects slightly beyond tip of tail at rest. In flight, underwing has dark subterminal bar on secondaries, pale area on inner primaries, and dark-tipped outer primaries; upperwing shows bold white leading edge and broad dusky lines on at least 56 outer primaries when spread.

Allen's Hummingbird: Small, compact hummingbird with glittering green crown and back, white breast, and rufous sides, rump, and tail. The gorget is iridescent copper-red. Female has bronze-green upperparts, white underparts, rust-brown-tinged flanks, and dark-flecked throat.

Altamira Oriole Breeding Male: Largest North American oriole, with brilliant yellow-orange body and black back, mask, bib, and tail. Wings are black with white bar and feather edges. Female is duller, with dark brown wings and olive-yellow back.

American Avocet Breeding Adult: Long-legged shorebird characterized by long, thin upcurved bill and distinctive black-and-white back and sides. Head and neck are pink-orange during summer and pale gray during winter. Female has shorter, more upcurved bill. Juvenile is similar but with pale rust-brown on head and neck.

American Bittern: Medium-sized, secretive heron-like wading bird with stout body and neck, and relatively short legs. Upperparts are brown with fine, dark speckles and underparts are white with brown streaks. Throat is white with black slashes on sides of neck. Sexes are similar. Juvenile is similar but with dark brown neck slashes.

American Black Duck: Stocky, medium-sized dabbling duck with dark brown body, paler face and foreneck, and purple speculum bordered with black. Head is finely streaked with dark eyestripe. White underwings contrast with dark brown body in flight. Sexes are similar, but male has yellow bill and orange-red feet while female has olive-green bill and feet.

American Coot: Medium-sized, chicken-like swimming bird, dark gray to black overall except for short, white bill and undertail coverts. Toes are lobed, not webbed. Upper edge of frontal shield (bill) is red, but usually only visible at close range. Sexes are similar. Juveniles are paler and with duller bill.

American Crow: Large, black bird with dark, stout bill, iridescent violet gloss on body, and blue-black wings. Tail is fan-shaped in flight. Sexes are similar.

American Dipper Breeding Adult: Small, wren-like bird, dark gray overall with short, cocked tail, and white eyelids that flash when blinked. Bill and legs are dark. Sexes are similar, but female is slightly smaller. Juvenile is paler with white, streaked underparts and yellow legs and bill.

American Golden-Plover: Medium-sized sandpiper with black face and underparts. Back is dark brown with yellow spots; has a white S-shaped mark along head and sides. Markings provide camouflage to blend in with tundra breeding grounds. Bill is black, thin, and short. Sexes are similar, but female has less black. Winter adult and juvenile are brown overall with darker upperparts and lack distinctive black-and-white markings.

American Goldfinch: Small, noisy finch with a bright yellow body, black cap, wings, and tail, and white rump and undertail coverts. Wings have flashy white patches. Bill is pink and conical. Female, winter adult and juvenile are less brightly colored and have dull brown-black wings.

American Kestrel: Smallest North American hawk, a dainty falcon with two distinct black facial stripes and rust-brown tail and back. Male has slate-blue wings and black-spotted underparts. Female has rust-brown wings, narrow tail bands, and rust-brown-streaked underparts.

American Oystercatcher: Large shorebird with white underparts, brown upperparts, black hood, and long, bright red-orange needle-shaped bill.

American Pipit: Small pipit with gray-brown upperparts and pale buff underparts; breast is faintly to darkly streaked. Tail is dark with white edges. Bill is thin and long. Sexes are similar. Winter adult is browner. A walking ground dweller that bobs its tail continually.

American Redstart Breeding Adult: Medium-sized, active warbler with black upperparts and hood, distinct orange-red patches on wings, shoulders, and long, fanned tail, and white underparts. Female and juvenile have olive-green upperparts, gray head with white eye-ring, white underparts, and yellow wing patches and tail base.

American Robin Adult: Large, familiar North American thrush with gray-brown upperparts, rich red-brown breast, and white lower belly and undertail coverts. Head is black-and-white throat is black-streaked. Female is slightly paler and duller. Juvenile has black-speckled, pale rufous underparts.

American Three-toed Woodpecker Breeding Male: Medium-sized woodpecker with black-and-white barred upperparts, black head, yellow crown, white eye-line, throat, breast, and belly, and diagonally barred white flanks. Wings are black with white spots; rump is black; tail is black with white outer feathers. Female lacks yellow crown.

American Tree Sparrow Breeding Male: Medium-sized, gray-brown sparrow with black and rufous streaks on back and wings. Crown, eyestripes, and flanks are rufous, contrasting with gray face. Breast is pale gray with dark central spot and rufous sides. Bill is bicolored with dark gray upper mandible and yellow lower mandible. Sexes are similar. Juvenile has a messy, streaked appearance.

American White Pelican: Huge, white seabird with enormous outstretched wings showing black primaries and outer secondaries in flight. Bill and legs are bright orange and upper bill develops a fibrous keel during breeding season. Winter adult is duller and lacks keel on bill. Juvenile has gray bill and brown wash on head and neck.

American Wigeon: Medium-sized dabbling duck with pale blue bill and white shoulder patches that are visible in flight. Male is brown with white crown, green ear patch, and buff washed breast and sides. Female is mottled brown with gray head and brown breast.

American Woodcock: An unusual stocky sandpiper that is cryptically colored to match the forest floor. Has very large eyes and long stout bill. Stripes on crown are crosswise rather than lengthwise. Sexes similar. Juvenile plumage like adult but more slightly more subdued.

Ancient Murrelet: Small, pelagic seabird (alcid) with black head and dark gray back and wings. White underparts extend up onto face as a cheek patch. Bill is short and yellow. Sexes are similar. An open ocean species vaguely resembling a small penguin that can fly.

Anhinga Breeding Male: Large, dark waterbird with long tail, snake-like neck, small head, red eyes, and long olive-brown bill. Male is green-black overall with silver-gray feathers appearing speckled and grizzled on upper back and forewings. Female has pale brown breast and neck. May swim with only head and neck above water; often perches with wings outstretched to dry feathers.