Bird Species

The Ferruginous Hawk is the largest hawk in North America, a rust and white giant of the open western grasslands that specializes in hunting ground squirrels and prairie dogs.

How to tell a purple finch from the far more common house finch, plus its diet, range, and seasonal movements.

The Northern Harrier hunts low over open marsh and grassland with a distinctive owl-like face and a flashing white rump patch, unlike any other North American hawk.

How to identify a cedar waxwing by its sleek crest and red wingtips, and why flocks sometimes get visibly drunk on fermented berries.

The Rough-Legged Hawk breeds on the Arctic tundra and visits the Lower 48 only in winter, recognized by its feathered legs and habit of hovering in place while hunting.

The Broad-Winged Hawk is a small forest buteo famous for migrating in massive, swirling flocks called kettles that can number in the thousands.

How to identify male and female red-winged blackbirds, which look almost nothing alike, and why males are so aggressive near their nests.

The Red-Shouldered Hawk is a vocal, forest-loving buteo known for its reddish shoulders, translucent wingtip patches, and its habit of calling loudly year round.

How to identify a pileated woodpecker by size, its flaming red crest, and its loud jungle-like call, plus what its rectangular excavation holes mean.

North America’s smallest accipiter, the Sharp-Shinned Hawk is a lightning-fast songbird hunter easily confused with its larger relative, the Cooper’s Hawk.