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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…