Kingfishers

Ringed Kingfisher

Identification

The Ringed Kingfisher’s head, wings, tail & back are blue-gray.

Its neck, throat & under tail are white & its stomach is rufous.

Habitat

It lives in lakes, rivers, ponds & lagoons.

It nest in burrows & eats fish & insects.

Song

Its call is a k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k.

This bird is mainly seen 0n the tip of Texas, but, it also has been seen in northern Texas.

Belted Kingfisher

Identification

The Belted Kingfishers has a bushy crest, white collar, and a large, black bill.

Its upperparts are blue-gray and underparts are white. The male has blue-gray breast band.

Habitat

They live in ponds & lakes & nest in burrows.

They eat fish & insects.

Song

Their call is a r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r.

Green Kingfisher

Identification

Its head, back, and wings are  dark green & its has a white chin & collar, rufous breast band, white belly with black spots.

Black bill is long and straight. Its legs and feet are gray.

Habitat

They live in trees, streams & ponds & nest in trees.

It eats small fish & aquatic insect.

Song

Their song is tick-tick-tick cheep-cheep.

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Buntings

Rustic Bunting

Identification

The Rustic Bunting has a bright chestnut-brown upper parts streaked with black on back.

Its throat and belly are white, breast band is cinnamon-brown, and sides and flanks are streaked.

Its black head has slight crest and thick white eyebrow. The tail is dark brown with white edges.

Habitat

They live in brushy forests & nest in trees.

They eat small seeds, berries, bugs & insects.

Song

There song is similar to the Scarlet Tanager’s song.

This bird is very rare in the U.S. & usually is seen on the east coast of Asia.

McKay’s Bunting

Identification

The McKay’s Buntings stomach, back, head & shoulders are white.

Its wings & tail are black & white & its beak is orange.

Habitat

It lives in grasslands & along rocky coasts.

It eats seeds, insects & weeds.

They nest in hidden cavities in the ground.

Song

There song is a warbled twitter.

Lark Bunting

Identification

The Lark Bunting has a black head, neck, breast, eyes, stomach, back, wings & tail.

Its shoulders are white & its beak is gray.

Habitat

They live in plains, prairies, meadows, brushy areas, and desert.

They eat insects, seeds, grain & fruit.

They nest in cavities in the ground covered by grass.

Song

There song is a series of whistling & rattling.

Indigo Bunting

Identification

The Indigo Buntings head, back, shoulders, stomach, throat, breast & tail are blue.

Its wings & eyes are black & its beak is gray.

Habitat

They live in brushy and weedy areas, edges of woods, along roads, streams, rivers, forest, canyons,  fields, lawns, grasslands,  shrubs, and trees.

They eat seeds, berries, buds & insects.

They nest in small shrubs.

Song

There song is high pitched notes that sound like what! what! where? where? see it! see it & their call is chips.

Snow Bunting

Identification

The Snow Buntings throat & stomach are white.

Its breast, head, back & shoulders are brown.

Its wings & tail are black. Around its eye is white.

Its eye are black & and its beak is yellow.

Habitat

They live in grassy weedy fields & next to lakes.

They eat weeds, seeds & insects.

They nest in cavities in the ground.

Song

There song is a mixture of high and low notes & their call is a chew sound.

Lazuli Bunting

Identification

The Lazuli Bunting has a blue head & back.

Its wings & tail Are blackish blue & the shoulder is white.

Its stomach is white & its throat is orange.

Habitat

They live in hills, wooded valleys, open scrub, thickets and hedges, and  gardens.

They eat seeds, insects & fruits.

They nest in small shrubs.

Song

There song is a bunch of warbled notes & their call is little chips.

Varied Bunting

Identification

The Varied Buntings head, wings & tail are blue.

Its breast & back of its head is red.

Its stomach & neck are purple.

Its beak is an ivory color with a tint of gray.

Habitat

They live in thorn brush,  scrub forest, canyons, and deserts.

They eat insects, seeds & fruit.

They nest in small shrubs.

Song

There song is some notes rising & falling & their call is chips.

Painted Bunting

Identification

The Painted Buntings head is blue.

Its throat, stomach & under tail are red.

Its wing shoulders & back are green.

Its tail & wings are dark gray.

Habitat

They live in brush lands, thickets,  woodlands, hedges and yards.

They eat insects & seed.

They nest in small shrubs.

Song

There song is a very high pitched chips.

Albatrosses

Laysan Albatross

Identification

The Laysan Albatross’s head, neck & stomach are white.

Its back, wings & tail are brown & its beak is pink.

Habitat

They live over the oceans & on islands & nest on the ground.

They eat fish, squid & crustaceans.

Song

Their call is loud whistles & a quack.

Short-tailed Albatross

Identification

The Short-tailed Albatrosses stomach, throat, shoulders & back are white.

Its wings & tail are black & its head is pale orange & its beak is pink.

Habitat

They live over the ocean & on islands & nest on the ground.

They eat fish, squid & crustaceans.

Song

Their call sounds like a moo from a cow.

Geese

Pink-footed Goose

Identification

The Pink-footed Goose’s head, shoulders & stomach are tan.

Its wings back & tail are brown.

Its under tail is white & its feat & beak are pink.

Habitat

They eat grain, potatoes & grass.

They live in lakes & ponds & nest on the ground.

Song

There call is k-k-k-k-k-k-k-ka-kai-kai-k-k-k-k.

This goose is very rare for this area & usually lives in Europe.

Brant

Identification

The Brant’s head, neck & breast are black & its collar is white.

Its back & shoulders are tan & its wings are brown.

Its stomach is white with brown stripes & its tail is white.

Habitat

They live in marshes & nest on the ground.

They eat plants.

Song

Their call is a c-c-c-c-r-r-r-r-r-k-k . . . c-c-c-c-r-r-r-r-r-k-k.

Woodpeckers and Sapsuckers

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Identification

The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker’s back, wings & tail are black with white speckles.

Its eye line, eye stripe, whisker & breast are black.

Its forehead & throat are red & its stomach is yellow.

Its ear patch & lores are white & its beak is gray.

Habitat

They live in forests & nest in tree cavities.

They eat insects & sap.

Song

There call is a kee . . . kee.

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Identification

The Red-breasted Sapsucker’s head & breast is red & its stomach is pale yellow.

Its wings, back & tail are black & its shoulders are white.

Habitat

They live in forest & nest in tree cavities.

They eat fruit & sap.

Song

Their call is a aaah & their drumming is like tapping.

Williamson’s Sapsucker

Identification

They Williamson Sapsucker’s head, back, wings, neck & tail & their shoulders are white.

Their sides are black & white spotted sides & a yellow stomach.

Their throat is red & above & below its eye line is white & its eye line is black.

Habitat

They live in forests & nest in tree cavities.

They eat insects.

Song

There call is a quee-ah & chuurr & their drumming is slow.

Lewis’s Woodpecker

Identification

The Lewis’s Woodpecker’s head, back, wings & tail are black.

Its stomach & around its beak are red & its throat & neck are white.

Habitat

They live in marshes & nest in tree cavities.

They eat carrion.

Song

There call is a k-k-k-k-k-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-chur-chur-chur.

American Three-toed Woodpecker

Identification

The American Three-toed Woodpeckers head, back, wings & tail are black.

Its stomach is white with black stripes & its throat is white & it has a white stripe down its back.

Its forehead is yellow & its beak is gray & it has three toes.

Habitat

They live in forests & nest in tree cavitities.

They eat larvae & beetles.

Song

Their call is a pik & their drumming is slow.

Red-headed Woodpecker

Identification

The Red-headed Woodpecker’s stomach & wings are white.

Their back, tail & shoulders are black & their head is red.

Habitat

They live in open woods & nest in tree cavities.

They eat beech and oak mast, seeds, nuts, berries, fruit, insects, bird eggs, nestlings, mice.

Song

There call is queek-queek, chur-chur-chur-chur-chur.

Ivory-billed Woodpecker

Identification

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker’s head, back, shoulders, tail & stomach are black.

It has to white stripes on both sides connecting from the crest down to the wing.

Its wings are white & its crest is red & it’s beak is ivory.

Habitat

They live in swampy forests & nest in cavities in trees.

They eat insects fruits & nuts.

Song

Their call is a kent & a double knock.

If you think you have seen an Ivory-billed Woodpecker, please say so in the comment section & give all the details. Also please contact the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Page.aspx?pid=1584

Shrikes

Brown Shrike

Identification

The Brown Shrike’s upper head, back, wings & tail are brown.

Its stomach, throat & upper eye line are white.

Its eye line is black & its beak is gray.

Habitat

They live in open woods & nest in trees.

They eat insects, small reptiles, small mammals & birds.

Song

There song is similar to the Loggerhead Shrike’s & their call is tzih-tzih-tzih.

Boobies and Gannets

Red-footed Booby

Identification

The Red-footed Booby’s head & stomach are tan & its beak is blue.

Its back, wings & tail are brown & its feet are red.

Habitat

They live over the ocean & on islands & nest in shrubs.

They eat fish & squid.

Song

There song is ku-ku-ku-ku-ku-ku-ku-ku.

Rarely seen in U.S.

Brown Booby

Identification

The Brown Booby’s head, back, wings & tail & their stomach is white.

Their feet & beak are green.

Habitat

They live over the ocean & on islands & nest on the ground.

They eat fish & squid.

Song

There song is cu-uk cu-uk cu-uk cu-uk cu-uk cu-uk .

Blue-footed Booby

Identification

The Blue-footed Booby’s head is speckled brown & white.

Their back, wings & tail are brown & his stomach is white.

Its feet are pale blue & its beak is gray.

Habitat

They live over the ocean & on islands & they nest on the ground.

They eat fish.

Song

There song sounds like a burp.

Masked Booby

Identification

The Masked Booby’s head, back, stomach & shoulders are white.

Around its beak & its tail & wings are black & its beak is pale yellow.

Habitat

It lives over the ocean & on island & it nests on the ground.

It eats fish & squid.

Song

There song is a he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he.

Northern Gannet

Identification

Their head is pale orange & their beak is gray & their wings are black.

Their neck, stomach, back, tail & shoulders are white.

Habitat

They live over the ocean & on islands & they nest in cliffs.

They eat fish & squid.

Song

There song is kuk-kuk-kuk-kuk-kuk-kuk-kuk.