Bird Species

How to identify an Eastern phoebe by its tail-wagging habit and raspy call, plus its nesting behavior on porches and under bridges.

The Cooper’s Hawk is a fast, agile bird-hunter that has adapted to suburban feeders as readily as forest edges, and is easily confused with the smaller Sharp-Shinned Hawk.

How to identify a common grackle, tell males from females, and understand why these iridescent blackbirds gather in such large flocks.

The Red-Tailed Hawk is the most common and widespread hawk in North America, instantly recognizable by its brick-red tail and piercing scream.

How to identify a wild turkey, tell males from females, and understand the behavior of North America’s largest game bird.

The Northern Hawk Owl is a day-hunting boreal owl that behaves like a hawk, perching high and hunting by sight. Here is how to identify it, where to find it, and how it lives.

The Great Gray Owl is North America’s tallest owl, a silvery phantom of northern forests that can plunge through deep snow to catch prey it hears. Here is how to identify it and how it lives.

The Spotted Owl is a threatened, dark-eyed owl of western old-growth forests, famous from the timber wars and now pressured by the Barred Owl. Here is how to identify it and why it matters.

The Long-eared Owl is a slender, secretive woodland owl with tall ear tufts and an orange face. Here is how to identify it, its low hoots, its winter roosts, and how it lives.

The Short-eared Owl is a grassland owl that hunts by day with a moth-like, floppy flight over open fields. Here is how to identify it, where to find it, and how it lives.