Field and Swamp: Animals and Their Habitats

Fledgling Carolina Wren, Durham, 5/20/06.  To order products bearing this photo, visit our store.	Adult Carolina Wren, Durham, NC, 12/08/08	This Carolina Wren seemed to trying to face me down when I encountered it on my front steps in Durham, 12/17/05.	Carolina Wren, Durham, NC, 1/30/10	Singing Carolina Wren, Durham, 6/6/06

American Sparrows (Emberizidae family, Oscines suborder, Passeriformes order)

Dark-eyed Juncos, the most common birds in my neighborhood in the winter, prefer to eat seed that has been dropped on the ground.  White-throated Sparrows, also extremely common, have a special tendency to go after seeds dropped on the ground under the deck, and can gather there by the dozens.  But the only bird in this group to visit our bird feeders is the Chipping Sparrow, a summer resident.

Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)

Sometimes sparrows are hard to tell apart.  It helps, though, to remember the Chipping Sparrow (Spizzella passerina) is the one that looks like Jack Nicholson.	Chipping Sparrow, Durham, NC, 11/17/08.  This one looks more like William Shatner, though.	Chipping Sparrows engaged in a territorial battle, Durham, NC, 3/24/09

Thrushes and Robins (Turdidae family, Oscines suborder, Passeriformes order)

This is a very varied group.   Although they can get along nicely without people, some have had trouble coping with destruction of their habitat.  Putting out birdhouses for Eastern Bluebirds has helped, however.  Thrushes have some trouble with conventional birdfeeders (although a few Eastern Bluebirds have proved to be exceptions on suet feeders) because of their inability to figure out how to land on them.  Although they can perch on branches and similar structures at least 10 mm thick, they have trouble landing on the smaller ones typically used on tube feeders or suet holders.

Scott Jackson-Ricketts of Grayson County, VA has discovered how to enable a Hermit Thrush to eat from a feeder.  He keeps "one tube feeder hanging from (his) porch, with an adjacent water pan, more often than not void of water.  He/she uses the water pan as a perch, and reaches into the tube feeder holes."  However, he says, this thrush only comes "during snow, wind, cold."

Jeff Lewis of Manteo, NC reported that his neighbor had Hermit Thrush success with a "suet log."

Hermit Thrush (Cantharus guttatus)

Male and female Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis), Durham, NC, 1/19/08	Male Eastern Bluebird, Durham, NC, 4/7/08	Female Eastern Bluebird, Durham, NC, 1/19/08	Male Eastern Bluebird  Durham, 3/18/05.

Young male  Eastern Bluebird, Durham, 9/19/05.	Young Eastern Bluebird, probably female	Juvenile (perhaps female) Eastern Bluebird, Durham, 7/2/05.	Fledgling Eastern Bluebird, Durham, NC, 12/11/06

Blackbirds and Allies (Icteridae family, Oscines suborder, Passeriformes order)

This is another varied group, with only their long bills and tails in common.   The ones I've seen seem very adaptable, taking advantage of people and other birds alike.  Boat-tailed Grackles hang out wherever people are fishing, hoping a scrap will come their way.  Cowbirds, of course, are notorious for taking advantage, but people have successfully fended them off in most places; Cedar Island, NC, is a notable exception, however.

Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)

Great-tailed Grackle males displaying territorial aggressive bluffing.	Female grackle, most likely a Great-tailed Grackle

Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater), town of Ocracoke, NC, 5/10/04.  These parasitic birds invade the Triangle in late spring, alas.	Young Brown-headed Cowbird. It was light brown; the blue color is apparently an artifact of flash photography.  ID thanks to Harry LeGrand and Bill Hilton.

Cardinals and Allies (Cardinalidae family, Passeriformes order)

Northern Cardinals are among the most common birds where I live in Durham, NC, but are not always the easiest to photograph.  They prefer to come to our birdfeeder when the light is dim, and are quick to flee when spotted in the woods.   Indigo Buntings, on the other hand, are always a pleasant surprise in my area.

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

Male Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea), Durham, 7/20/05.  This bird showed up in a tree in my neighborhood swamp.

Chickadees and Titmice (Paridae Family, Passeriformes order)

Birds in this group come to our birdfeeders more often than all others put together.  They painstakingly carry each seed to a nearby tree branch, peck the shell open, eat the seed and return for another over and over again.  They are bold but alert and I suspect they work hard sizing us up.

Tufted Titmouse (Bacolphus bicolor)

Brown Creeper Certhia americana, subfamily Certhiinae), Durham, NC, 1/31/09.  The name is misleading: this is the fastest-moving bird I've ever seen go up (and down) the side of a tree.  ID thanks to Jeff Pippen, Phil Dickinson, Michael Boatwright, Ric Carter, John Haire and many others confirming the ID.

Flycatchers and Phoebes (Tyrannidae family, Passeriformes order)

Does anyone know what is tyrannical about these birds?  It has to be hard to be a tyrant when you're an especially tiny little bird hiding out from people and never even attempting to conquer a birdfeeder!

Great Crested Flycatcher (Myarchus crinitus)

Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus), Pea Island NWR, 5/7/06.  This one does look kingly, if not tyrannical!

Finches (Fringillidae family, Passeriformes order)

For lessons by a very talented artist on how to paint finches, see Catinka Knoth's Finch Painting (and other forms of art) Page.

Male American Goldfinches undergo plumage changes from late fall through April each year.  Goldfinches make their feathers fluff out in very cold weather.

Contrary to popular belief, goldfinches can get interested in black sunflower seeds, but it's not a predictable occurrence.

Finches are very efficient eaters.  They break seeds open in their beaks, drop their hulls, and proceed without leaving their perches.

American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis)

Male House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus), Durham, NC, 4/24/07	Female House Finch, Durham, NC, 12/25/07.

European Sparrows (Passeridae family, Passeriformes order)

These birds originally came from Europe, and like the finches are real survivors.  They're the ultimate rat race birds: the heck with the scenery, let's get down to business!   Why go to the trouble of building a nest when you can stay in the big letters on the front of a grocery store, or take over a birdhouse intended for Eastern Bluebirds?  They may be domesticated, but they are not especially nice to others!  The family name implies that they are "true" songbirds.  It's worth noting, however, that they've never made it to our bird feeders.

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Female House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), Durham, 4/3/05	Male House Sparrow, San Francisco, CA, 8/6/07	Male House Sparrow, Cedar Island, NC, 3/21/05

Starlings (Sturnidae family, Passeriformes order)

Common Starling, formerly known as the European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)

These birds are another European import, or should we say, invasion?

Adult breeding European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), 3/8/09, downtown Carolina Beach, New Hanover County, NC about 3 blocks from Lake Park.	Adult non-breeding European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), Durham, NC, 3/13/05.  This bird was perched in a tree near a Wild Birds Unlimited® birdfeeder.	Adult breeding European Starling, Ocracoke, Hyde County, NC, 5/9/06	European Starlings, non-breeding adults, Ft. Fisher State Recreational Area, New Hanover County, NC, 1/7/08

Fledgling European Starling, San Francisco, CA, 8/6/07	Fledgling European Starling, Pine Knoll Shores, Carteret County, NC, 7/22/08

Kinglets (Regulidae family, Passeriformes order)

Golden-Crowned Kinglet: side and  front views, Durham, NC, 1/22/09

Crows and Jays (Corvidae family, Passeriformes order)

Not all Passeriformes are songbirds!   These birds are reputed to be the most intelligent of this order, and at any rate they manage to get along without having to deal with people at all in my neighborhood.  The crows in my neighborhood fly around in large vocal groups which I can't resist calling "caw-cuses," although I understand the official term is "murders."

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchus), Asheboro, Randolph County, NC, 4/6/05.  The wide beak, large body and long wings give it a rather grand presence. This very tame crow was hanging around the NC Zoo picnic area, near a pond.	Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus), Myrtle Beach, SC, 3/18/08.  This species has a narrower beak and shorter wings.  Note the stray feather.	Fish Crow, Ocracoke, 5/9/06.

Gnatcatchers (Sylviidae family, Passeriformes order)

These birds mostly hang out in trees near the swamp in my neighborhood in small groups.  They engage in dust-bathing to rid themselves of parasites.  And that's about all I know about them except from books!

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptera caerulea)

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptera caerulea), Durham, 7/16/05.	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eno River State Park, Cox Mountain, Orange County, NC, 4/12/06.  This bird was solitary.

Swallows and Martins (Hirundinidae family, Passeriformes order)

Barn Swallows are in flight nearly all the time during the day, so it's always a treat to catch them taking a break.

Barn Swallows about to fly under the Pasquotank River Bridge between Pasquotank and Camden Counties, NC, 4/27/09		Barn Swallows in nest under walkway at NC Zoo, Asheboro, NC, 6/21/09.

Purple Martin (Progne subis)

Purple Martins are thoroughly dependent on people for housing, although they are quite capable of collecting materials and stuffing them into these units to build nests.  They have no problems living in apartments.  So far, they sound kind of like most people!  Other swallows are less specific in their expectations of human-made housing provisions, but still quite dependent on us.

The Purple Martins in my neighborhood seemed to be social, getting together and making a rapid series of widely varying sounds that are tempting to read as conversation.   They also learned not to be afraid of me, patiently and with apparent curiosity letting me take their pictures at fairly close range.  However, they have not returned here since 2007.

Adult male Purple Martin (Progne subis), Durham, 5/12/05.  Purple Martins, a kind of swallow, are attracted to birdhouses (even bird apartments, as shown here), where they build nests from various objects, including pieces of paper, as is illustrated here.	Young Purple Martin, Durham, 7/5/05	Young Purple Martin, Durham, 6/26/05.  To order products with this photo, visit our store.	Young Purple Martin, manifesting no fear (but perhaps disapproval!) at close range.  Durham, 4/28/06.

Waxwings (Bombycillidae family, Passeriformes order)

Cedar Waxwings are supposed to move in groups nearly all the time, but exceptions obviously exist. 

Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum).  This bird was part of a large group flying together in search of food, landing in the upper branches of trees.	This Cedar Waxwing was on its own, and one of two such loners I saw on 12/16/02 in Durham.	Cedar Waxwing, NC Botanical Garden, Orange County, NC, 3/3/06, eating a berry.	Cedar Waxwing, NC Botanical Garden, 3/3/06, moving to another branch.  You can see some yellow tail feathers.	Cedar Waxwings, Carolina Beach State Park, New Hanover County, NC, 12/20/06

Nuthatches (Sittidae Family, Passeriformes order)

Nuthatches were the first birds to come to our new birdfeeder; in fact, the White-breasted Nuthatch was the only one for awhile.  Their agility may be a factor, since they have no trouble walking up and down tree trunks.

Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)

Brown-headed Nuthatch (Sitta pusilla), Durham, 3/9/05.  Like all nuthatches (genus Sitta), this bird can walk around on tree trunks, while birds of other genera have to stay erect on branches or walk up the trunk.	Brown-headed Nuthatch, Durham, NC, 12/27/07	Brown-headed Nuthatch, Durham, NC, 12/13/08	Brown-headed Nuthatch making a hole in a wooden chimney.  This behavior is similar to that of Downy Woodpeckers in this respect, except that Downies can be scared off!  Durham, NC, 3/16/09

Mystery Bird, Passeriformes order?

Durham, 8/7/02.  This is probably a Common Grackle.

Cuckoos (Cuculidae family, Cuculiformes order)

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus, Phaenicophaeinae subfamily), Durham, NC, 9/7/06.  This bird arrived in the wake of Tropical Storm Ernesto.

Woodpeckers (Picidae family, Piciformes order)

These are what Edward O. Wilson calls "true woodpeckers" (as opposed to the honeycreepers of Hawaii) in The Diversity of Life (1999, p. 100) because of their sheer numbers, variety of natural habitats, and "élan and precision," i.e., they can really go to town on that tree (or your house).

Woodpeckers prefer "mature forest," i.e., they seek out dead trees, because 1) they build their nests in tree holes (which they often create themselves) and 2) that's where the wood-munching insects are.  So Downy Woodpeckers especially look for hollow-sounding wooden surfaces.  That's bad news for anyone who lives in a wooden house with any empty space, as well as for the woodpecker that enters through a hole in a thin wall and can't find its way out.

Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)

These woodpeckers produce slow, hesitant tapping sounds.  I've never heard their cry.

Red-headed Woodpecker, Fort Fisher Recreational Area, New Hanover County, NC, 3/8/09	Side view of same woodpecker

Red-bellied Woodpecker(Melanerpes carolinus), top of Cox Mountain, Eno River State Park, Fews Ford access, 11/25/06	Male Red-bellied Woodpecker, Durham, 2/22/08	Male Red-bellied Woodpecker, Durham, NC, 4/18/08

Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)

Though seldom seen, these woodpeckers are regularly heard in deep woods: they have a loud, sostained cry.  They peck slowly and hesistantly.

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura), Durham, NC, 2/1/08.	Turkey Vulture, Mason Farm Biological Reserve, Orange County, NC, 1/5/10.  This bird came low to take a close look.  Since a severe cold spell began (highs in the 30s) around the beginning of the year, Turkey Vultures have been doing this often.

Doves (Columbidae family, Columbiformes order)

Hummingbirds (Trochilidae family, Apodiformes order)

Juvenile Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris), NC Arboretum, Asheville, NC, 7/8/05.  Order products with this picture on them at our store.

Hawks (Accipitridae family, Falciformes order)

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

This is reputed to be the most common North Carolina hawk species.  However, in my neighborhood, they are greatly outnumbered by Red-shouldered Hawks.

Red-tailed Hawk, Mason Farm Biological Reserve, Orange County, NC, 3/20/09

This hawk species dominates my neighborhood and is regularly seen there. Sightings of other species of hawks are very rare.  See the Red-shouldered Hawk page for more photos.

Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)

Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii), Durham, NC, 1/18/10

Fish Eagles (Haliaeetus genus, Accipitrinae subfamily, Accipitridae family, Falciformes order)

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), seen flying back and forth (once) over Cypress Pond, Carolina Beach State Park, Hew Hanover County, NC, 1/6/08	Immature Bald Eagle, Lake Crabtree County Park, Wake County, NC, 12/28/08

Adult male Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon, Cerylinae subfamily).  ID thanks to Will Cook and Dwayne Martin.	Same adult male Belted Kingfisher

Domestic Fowl

African Guinea Fowl, Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, NC, 7/31/06, appeared in a backyard in Old Salem.  Thanks to Amy Barbe of Athens-Clarke County, GA for ID:  she says they are "very handy for eating ticks in your yard and as a watch 'dog.'"

Chickens, Ocracoke, NC.  Yes, they're domesticated, but who could resist this scene?	Rooster, Quebradillas, Puerto Rico, 1/31/02.  I guess we don't normally think of chickens as wildlife, but in Puerto Rico some feral roosters run around loose.	Rooster, town of Ocracoke, NC, 6/10/02.  This one was domesticated.