Birds

Black-headed Gull (Birds)

ORDER Charadriiformes FAMILY Laridae GENUS & SPECIES Larus ridibundus key features • Unlike most gulls, spends much of its life inland • Adapts to man-made environments, nesting on reservoirs and gravel pits, feeding on farmland and scavenging at dumps and parks • Sexes look identical and raise young together, amid the din of bustling, close-packed […]

Black-winged Stilt (Birds)

ORDER Charadriiformes FAMILY Recur virostridae GENUS & SPECIES Himantopus himantopus key features • Performs aerial and ground displays, such as the “parachute display” and the”butterfly flight,” the purpose of which remains a mystery • Measuring up to 14″ long, the stilt’s legs trail far behind it in flight and make it easy to identify • […]

Black Heron (Birds)

ORDER Ciconiiformes FAMILY Ardeidae GENUS & SPECIES Egretta ardesiaca key features • Unlike other herons, hunts by forming a canopy with its wings over the water to reduce glare and attract prey to the shade • Entirely black except for its yellow-orange feet, which turn bright red during courtship • Both parents incubate the eggs […]

Black Skimmer (Birds)

ORDER Charadriiformes FAMILY Rynchopidae GENUS & SPECIES Rynchops niger key features • Slender, boldly patterned waterbird renowned for, and named after, its unique feeding style • Uses the very long lower mandible of its bright bill to scoop fish from the water’s surface • Nests in large colonies, often with terns, on small river islands […]

Black Tern (Birds)

ORDER Charadriiformes FAMILY Sternidae GENUS & SPECIES Chlidonias niger key features • This far-ranging tern has been known to feed up to 3 miles from its home colony • Though it pursues aquatic prey, it also plucks insects out of midair with its sleek, black bill • Often mistaken for a bat due to its […]

Black Woodpecker (Birds)

ORDER Piciformes FAMILY Picidae GENUS & SPECIES Dryocopus martius key features • Attracts a mate or sends a signal by drumming a rapid sound called a “tattoo” with its beak • To guard against predators, it makes a “doorway” in a tree just large enough for an adult woodpecker to pass through • Feeds its […]

Blackbird (Birds)

ORDER Passeriform.es FAMILY Turdidae GENUS & SPECIES Turdus merula key features ► Uses songs to advertise territory, court mates or sound warnings t Occupies a wide range of habitats, but densest populations are now in suburban areas t Raises several broods each year to offset heavy predation, especially by the domestic cat where in the […]

Blue-and-Yellow Macaw (Birds)

ORDER Psittaciformes FAMILY Psittacidae GENUS & SPECIES Ara ararauna KEY FEATURES • One of the largest and gaudiest of all parrots, familiar worldwide as a showpiece cagebird • Lives in tropical forests, where it flies just above the canopy in noisy, squawking flocks • uses its massive bill to crack open tough nuts and hard […]

Blue-footed Booby (Birds)

ORDER Pelecaniformes FAMILY Sulidae GENUS & SPECIES Sula nebouxii KEY FEATURES • Plunge-dives into the sea from 100′ above to plunder the abundant shoals of fish found in tropical offshore waters • Breeding pairs use brightly colored webbed feet and facial skin in ritualized displays and greeting ceremonies • Highly sociable year ’round, nesting in […]

Blue Tit (Birds)

ORDER Passeriform.es FAMILY Paridae GENUS & SPECIES Parus caeruleus KEY FEATURES • A small, common bird with striking blue and yellow plumage • Forages in woodlands and hedges for small invertebrates • A visitor to garden bird feeders, where it shows acrobatic skill and a flair for obtaining food from awkward places • Forms flocks […]

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