Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)

Appearance:tiny bill, long wings, white underside, short squared tail; males (left) have cobalt blue backs, black wings and tail; females (right) have gray feathers with a blue hue on back Length:4-6 inches ( about .5 foot) Wingspan: 12-14 inches (about 1 foot) Status:common, but populations declined 49% 1966-2014 Threatened by deforestation and insecticide use Habitat…

Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)

Appearance:all white feathers, black bill, patch of yellow skin around eyes, S-shaped neck, black legs with yellow feet – also known as the “yellow-footed egret” During breeding season has long, lacy feathers along neck and back – “aigrettes” Males are larger than females, but coloration is similar, both grow aigrettes Height:about 24 inches (2 feet)…

Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea)

Appearance:blue-violet head and neck, long S-shaped neck, black-tipped gray beak, blue-grey body, pale yellow legs, yellow eyes Males are larger than females, otherwise no differences between them During breeding season, both sexes develop breeding feathers on neck and back that can be raised into crests, beak changes from grey to blue, legs become dark Despite…

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)

Appearance:brown/tan on top of body, white below; head, neck, wings, and tail are striped with black and white; round head; red eyes; long wings; rust-colored tail Male has stouter beak than female, otherwise minimal differences Named after high-pitched “kee-dee” call: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Killdeer/sounds In the 1700s, naturalists would call them Chattering Plover or Noisy Plover because they…

Barn (“Marsh”) Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Appearance: blue backs, long wings, wings and tail end in black feathers, light brown bellies, only North American swallow that has forked tail; males (left) have cobalt blue backs with white patches, red faces; females (right) have blue-green backs, light brown faces, shorter tails Length: 6-8 inches (about .5 foot) Wingspan:11-13 inches (about 1 foot)…

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

Appearance:white head and tail, brown body, broad wings, yellow eyes, beak, and feet United States national bird since 1782 (American Revolution ended 1783), spiritual symbol for Native Americans much longer “Bald” comes from outdated saying “piebald,” meaning white markings on otherwise dark body Males and females have similar plumage coloration, but female is larger Length:28-38…

ed-Tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

Appearance: brown back, broad wings, white belly with rust-colored streak on top of wings and dark brown/black streakings, wide red tail: bright from above but pale from below Females have the same coloration as males, but are larger There are 16 subspecies of red-tailed hawk, the one common to Long Island is the Eastern Red-Tailed Hawk…

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)

Appearance: slate gray back, light yellow-white underside with stripes, yellow beak and legs, large curved claws, yellow hooked beak with black tip, gray head, yellow eye ring Females have similar markings to, but are larger than males Length: 14 to 19 inches (about 1.5 feet) Wingspan: 39 to 43 inches (about 3-4 feet) Status: seriously…

Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)

Appearance: in summer(left) black-capped head black eyes, orange beak tipped with black, pale grey back and belly; in winter(right) part of cap fades to white, beak, legs, wing’s edges become black, belly becomes white; long wings, forked tail No noticeable difference between males and females Length:12-15 inches (about 1 foot) Wingspan:30-32 inches (about 2.5 feet)…