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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…