Unit V Winter Birds in Kansas Information

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Unit V Winter Birdsin Kansas Information
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How to identify birds

• How to identify birds
• Here is a general outline for how to identify
  birds and what to look for.
• First, become familiar with the field guide you
  are using so that you know how it is organized,
  and where different kinds of birds are likely to
  be found. I strongly recommend the Kaufman Guide
  to North American Birds, especially for
  beginning/intermediate birders. This book,
  unlike other bird guides, is organized by the
  type of bird and bird colors and is very helpful
  for ID. (Other bird guides are organized
  taxonomically).

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How to identify birds, cont.

• Use a state checklist to narrow down your choices
  in the field guide. This will list all the birds
  that have been found in the state. These are
  organized taxonomically (by bird family) so you
  will also need to know what general kind of bird
  you are looking at. The Kansas Ornithological
  Society has a checklist of birds you can print
  out at http//www.ksbirds.org/kos/kos_pubs.html
• Be familiar with the general types of birds out
  there
• Swimmersducks and duck-like birds
• Aerialistsgulls and gull-like birds
• Long-legged wadersherons, cranes, etc.
• Smaller wadersshorebirds
• Fowl-like birdsquail, prairie chickens, etc.
• Birds of preyhawks, eagles, owls
• Nonpasserine land birds
• Passerine (perching) birds

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How to identify birds, cont.

• When you see an unknown bird, first compare its
  size to something you do know, like is it the
  size of a robin? A sparrow? A pigeon? A hawk?
  Note that in field guides, they measure a birds
  size from the tip of the beak to the tip of the
  tail, so it may sound larger than what you are
  looking at. Comparing it to a known bird is more
  reliable and trying to judge length in inches.
• What is the birds body shape? Is it plump, thin,
  cigar-shaped, round, stream-lined?
• What shape are the wings? Are they long and
  pointed, rounded, thick/deep?
• What shape is the bill? Is it fine and pointed,
  thick, hook-tipped? Is it as long as the head or
  shorter or longer?

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How to identify birds, cont.

• What shape is the tail? Is it forked, rounded,
  squared-off, notched, pointed?
• How does the bird behave? Does it move around a
  lot? Does it sit still? Does it bob and dip
  when it walks? Does it run? Does it bob its
  tail? Does it fly out from a branch and then
  return again?
• Does it climb trees? If so, does it climb up or
  down the trunks?
• How does it fly? Does it dip up and down, fly in
  a straight line, glide and soar, hover?
• Does it swim? If so, does it sit low in the
  water or can you see most of its body? Does it
  dive completely under or does it upend with only
  the head under water?
• Does it wade? If so, is it large like a heron or
  small like a sandpiper? If the latter, does it
  probe the mud or pick at things? Does it teeter
  or bob?

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How to identify birds, cont.

• What are its field marks? What colors are on it
  and in what pattern?
• Tail patterns does it have white patches on the
  outer tail feathers or on the corners, or none at
  all? Does it have a band near or at the end of
  the tail?
• Rump patches does it have a different color
  where the tail meets the back?
• Eye stripes and eye rings does it have a
  different color above, below or through the eye?
  Does it have a ring around its eye? Does it
  have a mustache stripe?
• Wing bars do the wings have light stripes
  across them or not?
• Wing patterns very important on ducks and
  shorebirds. Are they solid color or have a
  stripe or contrasting black tips?
• Note that colors can sometimes be deceiving in
  different light.

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How to identify birds, cont.

• Bird topography what the parts of the body and
  kinds of feathers are called. This vocabulary is
  often used in field guides. See this link
• http//www.birds.cornell.edu/schoolyard/all_about_
  birds/bird_id/bird_topography.html

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Resources for learning more

• Birds have both songs and calls.
• Songs are what birds sing during courtship and
  territory defense, usually before and after their
  mating season, but typically not all year long.
• Calls are the other sounds birds make, in the
  off-season, during winter and before
  territory/mating season. They are usually
  shorter chip notes and such.
• To hear and practice bird songs and calls, try
  http//www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/songlist.html
• To get a checklist of the Birds in Kansas, go to
  http//www.ksbirds.org/kos/koslist10.pdf

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Some Major Groups of Winter Birds in Kansas

• Birds of Prey
• Medium-sized Land Birds
• Typical Songbirds
• Tanagers, Blackbirds
• Sparrows
• Finches, Buntings

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Birds of Prey
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Sharp-shinned Hawk
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Sharp-shinned Hawk

• Family Accipitridae, the hawks, kites, and
  eagles
• More common in winter than the summer, but are
  most common throughout the state in April and
  October
• May be found wherever there are trees and small
  birds, therefore often hunts at bird feeders

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Bald Eagle
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Bald Eagle
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Bald Eagle

• Family Accipitridae, the hawks, kites, and
  eagles
• Juveniles are dark brown, with small white
  patches. Takes four to five years to have white
  head and tail.
• Typically found along rivers and near reservoirs.
  
• Most often seen in winter in NE Kansas, but a few
  breeding pairs can be found at some of the larger
  reservoirs.
• Primarily eat dead/injured waterfowl, fish, and
  carrion.

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Red-tailed Hawk (lower bird)
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Red-tailed Hawk (lower bird)
Red-tailed Hawk scavenges on White-tailed Deer
carcass (Video compliments of Ken Highfill)
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Red-tailed Hawk

• Family Accipitridae, the hawks, kites, and
  eagles
• Most common and widespread large hawk throughout
  the eastern half of the state.
• Uses utility poles along highways and roads as
  hunting perches.
• Feeds on small mammals and reptiles along
  roadsides, but also scavenge roadkills

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Eastern Screech-Owl
Taxidermy mount from KU Natural History Museum
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Eastern Screech-Owl
Taxidermy mount from KU Natural History Museum
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Eastern Screech-Owl

• Family Strigidae, the Typical Owls
• Year-round resident
• Our smallest residential owl (there are smaller
  migratory owls though)
• Only about 8 ½ inches high!
• Call is a descending whinny and/or a monotone
  trill.

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Great Horned Owl
Taxidermy mount from KU Natural History Museum
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Great Horned Owl
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Great Horned Owl

• Family Strigidae, the Typical Owls
• Year-round resident
• Our largest owl in Kansas
• Our earliest breeding bird in Kansascalls for
  mates during November and December, and is
  usually incubating eggs in January.
• Call sounds like Whose awake? Me, too

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Barn Owl
Taxidermy mount from KU Natural History Museum
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Barn Owl

• Family Tytonidae, the Barn Owls
• Common, permanent resident in eastern Kansas.
• Occur frequently in suburban areas, parks, and
  cemeteries but are more often heard than seen.
• Lays eggs from mid-March to mid-May.
• Eats insects and other arthropods in summer
  small mammals, chiefly mice, and small birds are
  eaten in winter.

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Barred Owl
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Barred Owl

• Family Strigidae, the Typical Owls
• Smaller than Great Horned Owl, but chunky without
  ear-tufts
• Much more likely than other owls to be heard
  during daytime.
• Common in woods, river bottoms and wetlands.
• Call sounds like, Who cooks for you? Who cooks
  for you all?

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American Kestrel
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American Kestrel
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American Kestrel

• Family Falconidae, the falcons
• Smallest falcon species
• Hunts grasshoppers in summer and small rodents in
  winter (typically).
• Can wind-hoverstays in one place while hovering
  over a field
• Can see infrared urine trails in the grass left
  by mice.

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Medium-sized Land Birds
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Downy Woodpecker
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Downy Woodpecker

• Family Picidae, the woodpeckers
• Smallest woodpecker in Kansas
• Males have red crown patch. Females dont have
  any red on head.
• Eats sunflower seeds from feeders, but prefers
  suet from suet feeders.
• Shy birds, often hide on opposite side of tree
  trunk
• Use their tail as a brace when they climb up a
  tree.
• In winter can be found in mixed flocks of
  chickadees, kinglets and titmice.

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Red-bellied Woodpecker
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Red-bellied Woodpecker

• Family Picidae, the woodpeckers
• About the size of a blue jay.
• Readily eats suet from a suet feeder and also
  likes orange halves.
• Females have red on the back of head and nape of
  neck, but not on top of head or forehead, like
  the males do.

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Northern Flicker
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Northern Flicker
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Northern Flicker

• Family Picidae, the woodpeckers
• Common year-round
• Found in open woodland, parks and areas with
  shorter grass.
• Can be seen foraging on the ground.
• Generally the yellow-shafted race is found
  here.

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Mourning Dove
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Mourning Dove

• Family Columbidae, the pigeons and doves
• Mates for life
• Resident in Kansas year-round.
• Mostly feeds on ground, but will sit on a
  platform feeder also.
• Eats sunflower seed, corn, grains.
• There is a hunting season on this bird.

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Typical Songbirds
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Tufted Titmouse
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Tufted Titmouse

• Family Paridae, the chickadees and titmice
• Size of a chickadee
• Often associates with chickadees
• Year-round resident
• If you have a good wooded habitat, they will come
  to feeders for seed.

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Red-breasted Nuthatch
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Red-breasted Nuthatch

• Family Sittidae, the nuthatches
• Occurs mainly in winter, in areas with extensive
  conifers (pine trees)
• Found most winters in appropriate habitat
• Very inquisitive and can easily be lured into a
  couple of feet of the observer.
• Prefers sunflower seeds and shelled peanuts at
  feeders.

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White-breasted Nuthatch
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White-breasted Nuthatch
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White-breasted Nuthatch

• Family Sittidae, the nuthatches
• Present all year, numbers increase in winter from
  northern birds moving down here.
• Climbs up and down and around tree trunks and
  limbs. Moves down tree head first (most birds do
  not).
• Very vocal.
• Readily comes to feeders, especially suet, also
  eats insects.

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Blue Jay
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Blue Jay

• Family Corvidae, the Corvids, crows and jays
• Common resident in Kansas
• Readily eats seed from feeders and also likes
  acorns and other nuts.
• Territorial and very aggressive, especially when
  nesting.
• Migrates farther south in the fall, and our
  winter birds may be northern breeders, or our
  numbers may simply be augmented by northern birds.

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American Crow
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American Crow

• Family Corvidae, the crows and jays
• Common, year-round resident
• Our largest crow
• Like all corvids, is extremely intelligent.

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Black-capped Chickadee
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Black-capped Chickadee

• Family Paridae, chickadees and titmice
• Small, gregarious birds
• Year-round residents
• Readily eats sunflower seeds at feeders
• Often found in mixed flocks with downy
  woodpeckers, kinglets and titmice in winter.
• This species has been hit hard by West Nile
  Virus, and their numbers have declined in recent
  years.

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Cedar Waxwing
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Cedar Waxwing

• Family Bombycillidae, the waxwings
• A few nest here in summer, typically found in
  groups in the winter.
• Found in open habitats where berries are
  available (what they eat), also insects, sap,
  flower petals.
• Have been known to eat fermented berries until
  they are too drunk to fly.
• Habit of passing food from one to another along a
  line until someone finally eats it.

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American Robin
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American Robin

• Family Turdidae, the thrushes
• Often called the harbinger of spring, although
  it is found in Kansas during most winters. May
  move farther south when it is really cold and
  back again when it is a moderate winter.
• Does not eat at feeders, but a common yard bird.
  
• Eats earthworms. Hunts for them by listening for
  their movements under the soil and then digging
  them up with their sharp beak.

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Eastern Bluebird
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Eastern Bluebird

• Family Turdidae, the thrushes
• Summer breeder, winter resident.
• Cavity nesters, often out-competed for nest space
  by non-native birds.
• Population was in serious decline until people
  started putting up bluebird houses all over the
  country.

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Finches, Buntings
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Northern Cardinal
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Northern Cardinal

• Family Cardinalidae, the cardinals
• Males are bright red while females are a dull
  brown with red tinges.
• Seed eaters
• Must eat at platform feeders or on the
  groundtheir beak is too big to fit in most
  feeder holes.
• Extremely strong beak to crack open tough seeds.
• Year-round resident.

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House Finch
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House Finch
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House Finch

• Family Fringillidae, the finches
• Males have red wash on face, head and chest.
  Females are brown and white streaked.
• Readily eat sunflower seed from feeders.
• They occur where humans live.

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American Goldfinch
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American Goldfinch
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American Goldfinch

• Family Fringillidae, the finches
• Will eat sunflower seed or thistle (nyger) seed
  from feeder.
• They are a duller, greenish-yellow in winter, and
  in late April, the males molt to the very bright
  yellow.
• Latest nesting bird in Kansasthey nest in July
  and August when the thistles have gone to seed.
  They use the fluff from the seed to line their
  nests and the seed is their main food source.

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Tanagers, Blackbirds
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European Starling
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European Starling

• Family Sturnidae, the starlings
• Non-native bird, introduced from Europe.
• Introduced in New York City because a group of
  people there thought every bird ever mentioned in
  Shakespeares writings should be released in
  America.
• Starlings spread across the continent and are
  very aggressive, opportunistic birds that will
  literally eat anything.
• Common wherever people are found.
• Also a cavity-nester and out-competes our native
  cavity nesting birds.
• Very destructive for native populations of birds.

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Sparrows
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House Sparrow
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House Sparrow

• Family Passeridae, the passerines
• Not really a sparrow. Rather they are a weaver
  finch from Europe. Colonial nester.
• Not native. They out-compete our native cavity
  nesting birds and have been the main culprit for
  the decline of bluebirds and purple martins
  (which now nest mainly in man-made nest boxes).

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Dark-eyed Junco
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Dark-eyed Junco

• Family Emberizidae, the towhees, sparrows,
  longspurs and Emberiza buntings.
• Winter resident. Found from October-April in
  Kansas. Feeds primarily on the ground.
• Seed eaterreadily eats sunflower seed, and
  generally eats on the ground below feeders.

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American Tree Sparrow
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American Tree Sparrow
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American Tree Sparrow

• Family Emberizidae, a large family that includes
  the sparrows
• Winter resident
• Typically has the dark spot on breast

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White-throated Sparrow
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White-throated Sparrow

• Family Emberizidae, a large family that includes
  the sparrows
• Winter resident
• Large, long-tailed sparrow with striking black
  and white stripes on the crown.
• KEY MARK Has yellow lores (between beak and
  eyes)

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White-crowned Sparrow
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White-crowned Sparrow

• Family Emberizidae, a large family that includes
  the sparrows
• Winter resident
• Large, long-tailed sparrow with striking black
  and white stripes on the crown.

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References

• Birds in Kansas, Volumes I and II, by Max
  Thompson and Charles Ely.
• National Geographic Field Guide to North American
  Birds.
• Kauffman Focus Guide to North American Birds.

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References, cont.

• Peterson Field Guide to Eastern Birds, Fourth
  Edition, 1980, by Roger Tory Peterson
• Peterson Field Guide to Advanced Birding, 1990,
  by Kenn Kaufman
• Educators Guide to Bird Study, Cornell
  Laboratory of Ornithology, accessed May 3, 2007,
  online at http//www.birds.cornell.edu/schoolyard/
  index.html
• Kansas Ornithological Society Checklist of Birds,
  10th edition, 2003, accessed May 3, 2007, online
  at http//www.ksbirds.org/kos/kos_pubs.html