Nearby Nature: The Birds of Prince William & Surrounding Areas
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 Loons
Aquatic birds with a haunting, yodeling call, loons are seldom found on land. They glide across the waters surface, then abruptly plunge into the water to catch fish with spear-shaped bills.
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Grebes
Sometimes mistaken for ducks, grebes have lobed not webbed feet. They are expert divers that catch fish and other aquatic animals. Grebes can sink slowly into the water, sometimes leaving only their head and neck above like a periscope.
- Pied-billed Grebe
- Horned Grebe
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Cormorants
A family of fisheaters that lives along the shorelines of freshwater and saltwater worldwide. Lacking the water repellant oils of other water birds, Cormorants spend considerable time drying their wings. |
 Bitterns, Egrets, Herons
Found on all continents except Antartica, these birds prefer wetlands, damp meadow and forest stream habitats. Bitterns, egrets and herons are carniviorous. Most feed in shallow water, where they wade in search of prey to capture with their long, sharp bills.
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Ibises
These long-legged birds live in wetlands or wooded areas near water where temperatures are warm. In flight, they hold their necks and legs extend straight out. Sociable birds, Ibises usually roost, breed and feed in large groups.
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 American Vultures
Large birds with naked heads and hooked bills, they feed almost exclusively on carrion. When captured or frightened, American Vultures vomit the contents of their stomach. They do not build a nest, eggs are placed in a hollow tree or log, crevice in rocks or on the ground.
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 Geese, Swans, Ducks
Birds in this family are found from the Arctic Circle to the equatorial rainforests, where they live in lakes, ocean, bays, marshes and ponds. They have long, sometimes very long, necks, short strong legs and webbing between three toes. Humans have long used members of this family for food.
- Snow Goose
- Canada Goose
- Mute Swan
- Tundra Swan
- Wood Duck
- Gadwall
- American Wigeon
- American Black Duck
- Mallard
- Blue-winged Teal
- Northern Shoveler
- Northern Pintail
- Green-winged Teal
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- Canvasback
- Redhead
- Ring-necked Duck
- Greater Scaup
- Lesser Scaup
- Long-tailed Duck
- Bufflehead
- Common Goldeneye
- Hooded Merganser
- Common Merganser
- Red-breasted Merganser
- Ruddy Duck
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 Eagles, Hawks
Found on all continents except Antartica and in every kind of land habitat - from tundra to deserts, wetlands, mountains, and cities. All are carniviorous and eat only freshly caught prey. Hawks with short wings and long tails are good at flying through the woods. Those that soar to great heights have long, broad wings and broad tails.
- Osprey
- Mississippi Kite
- Bald Eagle
- Northern Harrier
- Sharp-shinned Hawk
- Cooper’s Hawk
- Northern Goshawk
- Red-shouldered Hawk
- Broad-winged Hawk
- Red-tailed Hawk
- Rough-legged Hawk
- Golden Eagle
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Falcons
Powerful predators, falcons have keen eyesight that can spot a mouse a mile away. They have long, pointed wings and long tails. Falcons are built for speed not soaring, they can reach speeds up to 200 mpg when diving.
- American Kestrel
- Merlin
- Peregrine
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Grouse, Turkey, Quail
Stoutly built with small heads and short wings, these birds have short thick bills that are good for foraging. Most walk more than they fly, where they are known for powerful, short bursts of energy as they take flight.
When alarmed, some species fly straight up into the air and then fly away from the threat.
- Ring-necked Pheasant
- Ruffed Grouse
- Wild Turkey
- Northern Bobwhite
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 Rails, Coots
Most family members live in marshland or dense forest. Most have long toes, which are good for walking and running on soft, uneven ground. With short, rounded wings, they are generally weak flyers but are also able to cover long distances. Most Rails are very thin, which helps them slip through cattails and reeds, and gives us the expression "thin as a rail."
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Plovers
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 Sandpipers
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- Greater Yellowlegs
- Lesser Yellowlegs
- Solitary Sandpiper
- Spotted Sandpiper
- Upland Sandpiper
- Semi-palmated Sandpiper
- Western Sandpiper
- Least Sandpiper
- White-rumped Sandpiper
- Pectoral Sandpiper
- Dunlin
- Short-billed Dowitcher
- Wilson's Snipe
- American Woodcock
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Gulls, Terns
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- Laughing Gull
- Bonaparte’s Gull
- Ring-billed Gull
- Herring Gull
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Great Black-backed Gull
- Caspian Tern
- Common Tern
- Forster’s Tern
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- Rock Pigeon
- Mourning Dove
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Cuckoos
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Barn Owls
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Typical Owls
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- Eastern Screech-Owl
- Great Horned Owl
- Barred Owl
- Short-eared Owl
- Northern Saw-whet Owl
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Goatsuckers
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- Common Nighthawk
- Chuck-will’s-widow
- Whip-poor-will
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Swifts
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Hummingbirds
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- Ruby-throated Hummingbird
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Kingfishers
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Woodpeckers
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Flycatchers
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- Eastern Wood-Pewee
- Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
- Acadian Flycatcher
- Alder Flycatcher
- Willow Flycatcher
- Least Flycatcher
- Eastern Phoebe
- Great-crested Flycatcher
- Eastern Kingbird
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Vireos
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- White-eyed Vireo
- Yellow-throated Vireo
- Blue-headed Vireo
- Warbling Vireo
- Philadelphia Vireo
- Red-eyed Vireo
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Crows
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- Blue Jay
- American Crow
- Fish Crow
- Common Raven
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Larks
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Swallows
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Chickadees, Titmice
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- Carolina Chickadee
- Black-capped Chickadee
- Tufted Titmouse
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Nuthatches
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- Red-breasted Nuthatch
- White-breasted Nuthatch
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Creepers
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Wrens
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- Carolina Wren
- House Wren
- Winter Wren
- Sedge Wren
- Marsh Wren
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Kinglets
Tiny and very active, Kinglets are insectivores that must constantly forage to support their rapid metabolism. Generally with gray-green plumage, most species have an eye-ring or stripe above the eye.
- Golden-crowned Kinglet
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet
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Gnatcatchers
A family of small, gray and white birds that mostly live in the tropics. The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher is the most widespread species. They are insectivores with long, sharp bills and long, narrow tails they hold in a cocked-up position.
- Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (SR)
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 Thrushes
Eloquent songsters of open marshes and woodlands, the thrushes include many familiar species. They are plump, soft-plumaged birds with narrow notched bills that feed on insects and fruit.
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Mimids, Thrashers
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- Gray Catbird
- Northern Mockingbird
- Brown Thrasher
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Starlings
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Pipits
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Waxwings
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 Warblers
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Tanagers
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- Summer Tanager
- Scarlet Tanager
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 Sparrows
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- Eastern Towhee
- American Tree Sparrow
- Chipping Sparrow
- Field Sparrow
- Vesper Sparrow
- Savannah Sparrow
- Grasshopper Sparrow
- Fox Sparrow
- Song Sparrow
- Lincoln’s Sparrow
- Swamp Sparrow
- White-throated Sparrow
- Harris’ Sparrow
- White-crowned Sparrow
- Dark-eyed Junco
- Snow Bunting
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Cardinals, Grosbeaks, Buntings
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Blackbirds, Orioles
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- Eastern Meadowlark
- Red-winged Blackbird
- Rusty Blackbird
- Brown-headed Cowbird
- Common Grackle
- Boat-tailed Grackle
- Orchard Oriole
- Northern Oriole
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Grosbeaks, Finches
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Old World Sparrows
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