Family Corvidae:
American Crow, Fish Crow, Blue Jay
Common Traits:
- These birds can be found in most climatic zones around the globe
- Harsh voices, aggressive behaviors
- Most intelligent bird family
- Large wingspan, strong legs, strong bills, medium to large size
- Ground Foragers
- Mainly black or blue plumage in temperate climates
- Found in open woodland environments
- Large birds with thick stout bills
- All black (unless in molt - feathers take on a blue/gray color)
- Large wingspan
Fish Crow:
- Found in shoreline environments - can be see with gulls
- All blueish/black plumage
- Smaller in size as compared to the American Crow
Family Paridae:
Carolina Chickadee and the Tufted Titmouse
Common Traits:
- Large family of passerine birds (perching birds)
- Primarily found in the Northern Hemisphere
- Small to medium sized (9-21cm)
- Plumage varies in color
- Black cap, black bill, white stripes fanning out from beak to neck area
- Short dark bill, short wings
- Grey back, rusty brown flanks, white undercarriage
- Grey back and wings, white breast and belly
- Raised grey crest, rusty/peach colored flanks
- big eyes, short bills
- black forehead
Family Cardinalidae:
Northern Cardinal and Indigo Bunting
Common Traits:
- Family of perching (passerines) birds
- Found in N. and S. America
- Strong seed-eating bills
- Sexual dimorphism
- Associated with open woodlands
Northern Cardinal:
Male:
Female:
- Males: Red plumage, black mask on eyes, bib and forehead
- Females: Beige-olive colored plumage and red on wings, crest and tail
- Cone shaped, reddish bill
- Long tail and elegant crest
Male:
Female:
- Male: Bright blue plumage
- Female: warm brown with paler transition to chest and edges of wings
- Two-toned conical bill - black upper, grey lower
- All young look like female until the males begin to get patches of blue that eventually transition into an all blue bird after a few winters - (photo below)
- First winter male Indigo Bunting
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