Bird of the Week

Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos Bill Rowe The word “iconic,” though badly overused, fits well here: the Mallard is the iconic wild duck throughout the Northern Hemisphere, depicted everywhere in paintings, logos, photographs, and greeting cards; it is also the most abundant duck…

Red-winged Blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus Bill Rowe The Red-winged Blackbird is one of the most abundant birds in North America, and springtime gives you a hint of that: every marsh or field of tall grass will have jet-black male Red-wings dotted all…

Red-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta canadensis Bill Rowe Like the Pine Siskin, featured a few weeks ago, the Red-breasted Nuthatch is a breeding bird of the boreal conifer forest that spans most of Canada and the northernmost states and extends down the major…

Trumpeter Swan, Cygnus buccinator Bill Rowe Unknown in Missouri for most of the 20th century, the Trumpeter Swan is now a poster child for successful conservation. Let’s back way up: Before the Civil War—say, the 1840’s—you could have found Trumpeter…

Carolina Chickadee, Poecile carolinensis Black-capped Chickadee, Poecile atricapillus Bill Rowe Throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and parts of Africa, chickadees (also called tits) make up a lively and engaging part of the birdlife. The eastern United States is mostly divided between Carolina…

Ring-billed Gull, Larus delawarensis Bill Rowe It may come as a surprise to hear just “gull” (the correct term), not “seagull” (a colloquial term), and to learn that gulls are common even in the Midwest, far from the sea. They…

Red-tailed Hawk, Buteo jamaicensis Bill Rowe High overhead, a hawk is wheeling around, showing you a pale chest with some streaking on the belly—which makes it a Red-tailed Hawk with near-certainty, even if you don’t see the red tail. In many…

Dark-eyed Junco, Junco hyemalis Bill Rowe All across Canada and the northernmost eastern states, and also down through the Appalachians and the western mountains, the Dark-eyed Junco is a common breeding bird; its song, a rich, sweet trill, enhances every coniferous…

American Robin, Turdus migratorius Bill Rowe The American Robin is one of our best-known birds, as well it should be: it is a common nesting bird in 49 states out of 50 (sorry, Hawaii) and all the Canadian provinces. It occurs…

Greater White-fronted Goose, Anser albifrons Bill Rowe All through October and November, day and night, flocks of geese pass overhead as they migrate from their nesting grounds to their wintering areas. Besides our common Canadas, these include several other species, of…