My birding life list. One bird at a time.
Hey guys, welcome back! Today we have our first bittern species. What's a bittern? Well, essentially it's just a fancy name for heron. Bitterns, herons, and egrets are all in the same family; ardiedae. The American bittern looks kind of like a large, brown striped green heron. American bitterns are widespread throughout the northern half... Continue Reading →
Hey guys welcome back. Today a little marsh bird, the Virginia rail. Virginia rails are small, plump birds of the marsh. Similar to the clapper rail but smaller and more brightly colored, Virginia rails are also much more widespread, being found in every one of the lower 48 states. They can be quite difficult to... Continue Reading →
Hey guys welcome back. Today's bird is the little blue heron. Despite its name, it does not look like a miniature great blue heron. Actually, it's a much bluer heron than its great cousin. The little blue heron is a deep grayish blue with a purplish head and neck. They have a pale blue bill... Continue Reading →
Hey guys, welcome back. Today is the next rail of this series; the clapper rail. Rails are secretive wading birds that are right at home in very dense vegetation near water. They are shaped kind of like small herons crossed with chickens. The clapper rail is found only along the Atlantic coast. It used to... Continue Reading →
Hey guys, welcome back! Today we have a funny little bird. It's our first rail, the sora. Somewhat closely related to the American coot which we did a while back, the sora is more of a typical rail. Rails are wading birds kind of like herons, but are more compact and chicken-like. In fact, one... Continue Reading →
Hey guys, welcome back. Today, the yellow-crowned night heron. Unlike it's black-crowned cousin, which we talked about a while back, the yellow-crowned prefers salt and brackish waters. As such, they are found along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, although their breeding range does extend inland throughout the Mississippi River Valley up to around St. Louis,... Continue Reading →
Hey guys welcome back! Today's bird is the majestic great blue heron. The great blue heron is North America's largest heron, and third largest heron species in the world behind the goliath heron (sometimes called the giant heron) of Africa, and the white-bellied heron of central Asia. Europe's grey heron looks very similar, but is... Continue Reading →
Hey guys welcome back! Today we have one of North America's smallest herons, the green heron! Typically more secretive than other herons, you'll often find them along pond shores amidst dense vegetaion. When I lived in New York, I was always happy to spot one because I just didn't see them all that often. Sure... Continue Reading →
Hey guys welcome back! Didn't we do this bird already? Nope! A while back, we looked at the Louisiana Waterthrush. Both birds are nearly identical, so you'd be forgiven if you thought I slipped a repeat in. In fact, one of the first bird walks I ever went on, before I was all that good... Continue Reading →
Hey guys, welcome back! Today's bird is a small white heron known as the snowy egret. Upon quick glance, you might think it's difficult to tell this from the more widespread great egret. After all, they're both all white herons. When I first started working in Central Park, colleagues were always trying to spot the... Continue Reading →
Feathered Focus 