Appearance: sexual dimorphism throughout year Breeding males have green crested heads highlighted with black cheeks and white stripes, red eyes, yellow/orange beak, chestnut plumage on neck, sandy plumage on sides, black backs, white undersides, gray underwings, blue patches on wings Nonbreeding males have gray plumage Females have faded brown plumage with darker brown backs, white…
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Appearance: heavy bodies, short black legs, long S-shaped neck, flat orange beak with bulging black knob at base, white plumage No difference in coloration between sexes, but male is larger During breeding black knobs on males’ bills swell while females’ do not, but this difference is seasonal Height: 50 to 68 inches (about 4 to…
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Appearance: small goose, black head and neck, black beak and eyes, brown wings with black tips, white rump, belly is white with brown stripes across, black webbed feet, in flight white “u” shape seen on rump near tail No significant difference between males and females Height: about 17-20 inches (1.5 feet) Wingspan: 43-47 inches (about…
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Appearance: owl-like face; long, rounded tail with white band; small, sharply hooked beak; yellow legs with large talons, broad wings Males have gray heads and backs, black-tipped wings, white undersides, and black bands along wings and tail while females have brown heads and backs, white undersides streaked with brown, and brown bands along wings…
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Appearance: sexual dimorphism during breeding season, male looks like female during winter: gray-brown with black mottling on body, black stripes on head, orange and black beak, orange legs, blue-purple patch of feathers with black and white borders on wings During breeding season, males have iridescent green head, white stripe on neck chestnut brown neck and…
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Sanderling (Calidris alba) Appearance: Head and back mottled with white, black, and brown in breeding season (left) that turn to light gray in winter (right); white underparts; white stripe running through wings; black legs; long black beak No significant difference between male and female in size or coloration Sanderlings and other piper of Calidris…
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Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) Appearance: sandy-gray back, black brow and breast-band, black-tipped bill, white underside, black stripe markings on wings In the winter, piping plovers’ black bands fade and their beaks change from orange to black Males have bolder markings on head and chest than females, who have markings but are thinner Length: about 7…
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Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) Appearance: Brown back, white underside, white markings on head and wings Females (left) larger than males (right) and have dark markings on breast, head, neck Length: 21-23 inches Wingspan: 60-70 inches (about 5-6 feet) Status: was endangered due to high pesticide use in mid-1900s, but making a comeback all across North America…
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Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla) Appearance: black-tipped wings, black feet, black head and red beak during breeding season which fade to white head and black beak after breeding season Length: 15 to 18 inches (about 1.25 to 1.5 feet) Wingspan: 36 to 47 inches (about 3 to 4 feet) Status: common, populations increasing Faced extinction in…
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