Unit V Winter Birds in Kansas Information

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).

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: Swimmers—ducks and duck-like birds Aerialists—gulls and gull-like birds Long-legged waders—herons, cranes, etc. Smaller waders—shorebirds Fowl-like birds—quail, prairie chickens, etc. Birds of prey—hawks, eagles, owls Nonpasserine land birds Passerine (perching) birds

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?

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 it’s 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?

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 it’s 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.

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

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

Some Major Groups of Winter Birds in Kansas Birds of Prey Medium-sized Land Birds Typical Songbirds Tanagers, Blackbirds Sparrows Finches, Buntings

Birds of Prey

Sharp-shinned Hawk

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

Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle

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.

Red-tailed Hawk (lower bird)

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

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

Eastern Screech-Owl Taxidermy mount from KU Natural History Museum

Eastern Screech-Owl Taxidermy mount from KU Natural History Museum

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.

Great Horned Owl Taxidermy mount from KU Natural History Museum

Great Horned Owl

Great Horned Owl Family: Strigidae, the Typical Owls Year-round resident Our largest owl in Kansas Our earliest breeding bird in Kansas—calls for mates during November and December, and is usually incubating eggs in January. Call sounds like: “Whose awake? Me, too”

Barn Owl Taxidermy mount from KU Natural History Museum

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.

Barred Owl

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…?”

American Kestrel

American Kestrel

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

Medium-sized Land Birds

Downy Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker Family: Picidae, the woodpeckers Smallest woodpecker in Kansas Males have red crown patch. Females don’t 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.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

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.

Northern Flicker

Northern Flicker

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.

Mourning Dove

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.

Typical Songbirds

Tufted Titmouse

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.

Red-breasted Nuthatch

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.

White-breasted Nuthatch

White-breasted Nuthatch

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.

Blue Jay

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.

American Crow

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

Black-capped Chickadee

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.

Cedar Waxwing

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.

American Robin

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.

Eastern Bluebird

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.

Finches, Buntings

Northern Cardinal

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 ground—their beak is too big to fit in most feeder holes. Extremely strong beak to crack open tough seeds. Year-round resident.

House Finch

House Finch

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.

American Goldfinch

American Goldfinch

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 Kansas—they 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.

Tanagers, Blackbirds

European Starling

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 Shakespeare’s 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.

Sparrows

House Sparrow

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).

Dark-eyed Junco

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 eater—readily eats sunflower seed, and generally eats on the ground below feeders.

American Tree Sparrow

American Tree Sparrow

American Tree Sparrow Family: Emberizidae, a large family that includes the sparrows Winter resident Typically has the dark spot on breast

White-throated Sparrow

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)

White-crowned Sparrow

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.

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.

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