Bird of the Week

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…

Pine Siskin, Spinus pinus Bill Rowe Watch your feeders: Pine Siskins are here already. Like some other species that nest in the boreal forest (the pine/spruce/fir forest of Canada and the northernmost states), they are irruptive, which means that every few years…

Great Horned Owl, Bubo virginianus Bill Rowe Owls make up the order Strigiformes, one of the most distinctive and easily recognized groups of birds the world over. Nearly anywhere you go, there will be multiple species of owls around, but your…