1. Thirty Common Birds of Loudoun County

2. Downy Woodpecker Smallest Va. wodpecker. Shorter beak then similar Hairy woodpecker

3. Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted Flicker) Large bill and a black mustache. When flying it exhibits a white rump patch. Often hops across ground eating grubs and ants.

4. Red-bellied Woodpecker Red belly is often obscured against tree trunk. Head not completely red. Common.

5. Carolina Wren Upright tail. White eyebrow. Curved beak. Small often seen around wood piles and sheds. Builds nest in boxes and over turned cans in garages and outbuildings.

6. White-breasted Nuthatch Grey, black and white. Walks down trees upside down. Chiseled beak

7. Tufted Titmouse

8. Carolina Chickadee Very small. “Chick a dee dee dee”

9. White-throated Sparrow White chin. Black and white stripped head with yellow lores.

10. Song Sparrow Sings a lot. Black tie pin on chest. Streaked breast.

11. Dark-eyed Junco Slate grey above. White to cream below. Outer tail feathers are white.

12. American Goldfinch

13. Mourning Dove

14. American Robin

15. Eastern Towhee Chestnut sides. Black back. Sings “Drink your tea, Drink your tea”

16. Indigo Bunting Iridescent Blue with a black beak

17. Eastern Phoebe Pumps its tail as it perches. Builds nests under the eves of a house or a cave. Flies out from conspicuous perches to catch insects.

18. Yellow-rumped Warbler Year round resident. Yellow rump patch and yellow side patch. Thin insect beak.

19. Northern Mockingbird Thin. Long tail and a curved beak. White patch in wings are used to scare up insects.

20. Northern Cardinal

21. European Starling Nonindigenous. Black with small white dots. Yellow beak. Nest in holes and has caused decline in Blue-bird populations. Hangs out near fast-food joints.

22. Red-winged Blackbird Nests in cattails and reeds near wetlands.

23. Belted Kingfisher Perches over water and dives for small fish and minnows.

24. Barn Swallow

25. Blue Jay Member of the crow family.

26. American Crow Solid black. Smaller then a raven and unlike the raven it cannot soar. Has a square tail, not wedge shaped. Protected.

27. Chimney Swift Flying cigars. Each bird eats hundreds of insects per night. Roosts in chimneys.

28. Ring-billed Gull Common in winter in parking lots and at garbage dumps.

29. Killdeer Nest often in gravel driveways. Mother does a “broken wing” routine to draw away predators. Cries “killdeer, killdeer”

30. Mallard

31. Great Blue Heron