Summer Bird Identification Quiz

Although many North American bird species completed their spring migration months ago, some are just now beginning to set up territories and nest on their breeding grounds.  With that in mind, I present another short identification quiz for the summer months!

1.  This species may be seen migrating late, and some individuals linger in areas outside of the breeding range.

2.  Look for this species in woodlands, especially near water.

3.  The species in this photo is also a bird of woodlands.

4.  In the photo, one of the clues to this bird's identity is hidden.

Answers:

1.  The American White Pelican is widespread across much of North America, and its winter range extends as far south as Central America.  It migrates across wide swaths of North America and breeds in several locations west of the Mississippi River.  Some nonbreeding individuals remain on lakes and other large bodies of water in the eastern portions of the U.S.  Unlike the coastal Brown Pelican, the American White Pelican does not dive for its prey, but instead forages for fish near the surface.  Groups will work together to more efficiently pursue their prey.

2.  Unsurprisingly, a significant clue here is the yellow throat!  Yellow-throated Warblers are far from the only wood warblers with this field mark, however.  For example, there is the widespread Common Yellowthroat, a species of thickets and marshes.  The western Grace's Warbler has even more similar features to the Yellow-throated Warbler: a gray back, white wing bars, black streaks on the sides, and a yellow throat.  The Yellow-throated Warbler's black mask and white eyebrows, though, are distinctive.  

Yellow-throated Warblers will sometimes conceal their nests in the Spanish moss that frequently grows in the wet, wooded habitats that they prefer.

3.  While the widespread and familiar Red-tailed Hawk is commonly found in more open environments, the Red-shouldered Hawk is adapted to woodlands.  The juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk in the photo lacks the rust-colored feathers of its parents, but its moderately slim build (compared to that of the stockier Red-tailed Hawk), banded tail, and streaked breast and belly help clinch the identification.  The Red-shouldered Hawk also lacks the pale "V" marking that can be seen on the back of a perched Red-tail.  

Because they tend to frequent swampy forests, Red-shouldered Hawks feed on a variety of animals, including frogs, snakes, and lizards.

4.  One clue may be hidden, but the white-spotted underside of the tail, the rust-colored wing feathers, and the pale underparts all point to this being a Yellow-billed Cuckoo.  The yellow mandible would be another useful field mark in regions where the Black-billed Cuckoo also occurs.  Cuckoos use their thick bills to catch hairy caterpillars, among other prey items, and tent caterpillar outbreaks may provide excellent conditions for viewing these usually secretive birds.  Unlike the Common Cuckoo, which breeds in Europe and Asia, North American cuckoo species only rarely practice brood parasitism, preferring to build their own nests and raise their own young.