Bird of the Week

Semipalmated Sandpiper, Calidris pusilla Bill Rowe Let’s begin with a reminder that the smallest sandpipers, the sparrow-sized ones, form a distinctive subset known as “peeps” in the U.S. (or “stints” in the U.K.). Worldwide, there are seven species, three of them…

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Tyrannus forficatus Bill Rowe Of the many North American flycatchers, the kingbirds (genus Tyrannus) often strike us as having a lot of “personality”—they are handsome, conspicuous, and noisy. And among the kingbirds, surely the most extravagantly handsome and conspicuous is…

Swainson’s Thrush, Catharus ustulatus Bill Rowe Every spring, along with the warblers and other migrants, come the spotted thrushes—a term that covers five species, one of which, the Wood Thrush, is a locally-nesting bird, while another, the Hermit Thrush, comes through…

Tennessee Warbler, Leiothlypis peregrina Bill Rowe The Tennessee Warbler is one of a large suite of warblers that winter in the tropics and then migrate north on a broad front, throughout the eastern United States, to reach their nesting grounds in…

Sora, Porzana carolina Bill Rowe Not everyone has ever seen a rail, so it’s time to introduce them, starting with the commonest and most easily observed of the seven American species: the Sora. This is a robin-sized bird of wetlands small…

Henslow’s Sparrow, Centronyx henslowii Bill Rowe Now that it’s April, approaching May, try walking into a dense grassy field, with thick ground cover and some emergent stalks and shrubs, and tuning your ears to soft insect-like sounds. With luck, you may…

Bonaparte’s Gull, Chroicocephalus philadelphia Bill Rowe Bonaparte’s Gull, the smallest of our four common gull species, breeds far to our north, in the Canadian and Alaskan taiga (a Russian word meaning the boreal forest of pine, fir, and spruce). There, unlike…

Barred Owl, Strix varia Bill Rowe As you explore the woods, sooner or later you will find yourself looking at a Barred Owl looking at you. There is no implied threat—the bird seems simply curious and imperturbable—but as you gradually approach…

Louisiana Waterthrush, Parkesia motacilla Bill Rowe Mostly unfamiliar to non-birders—and also not a thrush, but a warbler—the Louisiana Waterthrush is tied closely to flowing wooded streams; it nests throughout the eastern United States, except for the northernmost conifer forests and the…

Savannah Sparrow, Passerculus sandwichensis Bill Rowe If Birds of the Week were coming out in order of abundance, we would have covered the Savannah Sparrow a long time ago, since it can be one of the most numerous birds out there…