Field
Guide to Black Birds
Many kinds
of black birds are common in North America. How many can you find in
your area?
Crow
Family
|
|
American
Crow |
Common
Raven |
Look for
these features to be sure your bird is in the CROW FAMILY:
- Huge
body
- In flight,
you can count the wingbeats, and the primary wing feathers stick
out like fingers
- Black
feathers, bill, and eyes
To tell
whether your bird is a crow or a raven, listen to its
voice. Ravens "croak;" crows "caw." Click
on the photos to see other differences.
Starling
Family
|
|
European
Starling |
European
Starling |
Look for
these features to be sure your bird is a STARLING:
- Short
tail
- Yellowish
bill
- Tiny
flecks on the plumage (not always visible)
- Black
eyes
- In flight,
the wing beats are much too fast to count, and the wings appear pointed
and triangular
Blackbird
Family
|
Brown-headed
Cowbirds |
|
|
Common
Grackle |
Common
Grackles |
|
|
Yellow-headed
Blackbird |
Red-winged
Blackbird |
Other
Possibilities: Brewer's Blackbird, Rusty Blackbird
Look at
these features to be sure your bird is in the BLACKBIRD FAMILY:
- Medium
or long tail
- Black
bill
- Black
or yellow eyes
- Wingbeats
too fast to count, wings rounded
Try
This: Field Guide Research
Look up these black birds in a field guide. See what other species belong to
their families. Does the field guide give other hints to help you identify them? Try
This! Journaling Questions
- If
you could classify birds any way you wanted, would you place these black
birds in three different families or all in the same one? Why or why not?
- Do
you like the way birds are organized in your field guide? How would you
change the book's organization if you were a field guide author? What would
you keep the same?
|