Birds

Come get to know our feathered friends!

Click here for a list of all the birds that have been spotted in the Big Spring area.

Below you will find some of the types of birds that you will find along Big Spring.

Ducks and Geese

Ducks and geese are waterfowl. They have webbed feet, flat bills, and dive for their food.

Species you might find here: Mallard, American Black Duck, Bufflehead, Canada Geese, Green-winged Teal, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, Wood Duck, Lesser Scaup, American Wigeon, Gadwall, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, Tundra Swan, Common Loon, Snow Goose, Ringed-necked Duck, Northern Shoveler, Redhead, Horned Grebe, Cackling Goose, Canvasback, White-winged Scoter, Greater Scaup. Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, Caspian Tern

Herons, Sandpipers, & Kingfishers

Herons are the large birds pictured to the right, with distinct long necks they use to help catch fish. Kingfishers instead feed on crustaceans, while sandpipers prefer midges, mayflies, and tiny crustaceans and snails.

Species you might find here: Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Great Egret, Belted Kingfisher, Killdeer, Spotted Sandpiper, Wilson’s Snipe, Solitary Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, American Bittern, Pectoral Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs, Common Gallinule, Lesser Yellowlegs, Pectoral Sandpiper

Sparrows and Finches

These are small passerine birds, also known as songbirds. The structure of their feet makes them especially good at perching on branches.

Species you might find here:
Sparrows:
Song, Savannah, Swamp, Field, White-throated, Fox, Chipping, House, American Tree,  Grasshopper, White-crowned
Finches
American Goldfinch, House Finch, Purple Finch, White-winged Crossbill, Siskin

Raptors

These are meat-eating birds that include hawks and eagles, as well as owls. They have talons they use to grasp prey.

Species you might find here:
Hawks and Eagles:
Red-tailed, Cooper’s, Osprey, Red-shouldered, Bald Eagle, American Kestrel,  Northern Goshawk, Broad-winged, Merlin, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned,  Rough-legged (Light Phase)
Owls
Barred, Eastern Screech, Great Horned

Woodpeckers

These distinct birds use their unique beaks to drill into trees and find insects to eat. Listen closely – you might hear them pecking!

Species you might find here: Red-headed woodpecker, Hairy woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated woodpecker

Out in the Fields

You might see some classic birds here, including turkeys feasting on fruits, crows eating whatever they can get ahold of, and vultures scavenging!

Species you might find here: American Crow, Fish Crow, Red-winged Blackbird, Rock Pigeon, American Pipit, Eastern Bluebird, Eastern Meadowlark, Common Raven, Brown-headed Cowbird, Black Vulture, Common Grackle, Bobolink, Turkey Vulture, Eastern Kingbird, Wild Turkey

The Rest

There’s so many more species to get to know, including chickadees, lots of songbirds, and flycatchers.

Species you might find here:
Warblers: Yellow-rumped, Blackpoll, Cape May, Yellow, Palm, Magnolia, Chestnut-sided, Golden-winged, Blue-winged, Black-throated Blue, Mourning, Black-throated Green, American Redstart, Kentucky, Black-and-white, Louisiana Waterthrush, Bay-breasted, Wilson’s, Northern Waterthrush, Northern Parula, Black-throated Gray, Common Yellowthroat, Nashville, Tennessee,
Vireos: Red-eyed, White-eyed, Warbling, Yellow-throated, Blue-headed, Philadelphia

Tree Swallow, Least Flycatcher, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Chimney Swift, Cliff Swallow, Eastern Phoebe, Bank Swallow, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Alder Flycatcher, Purple Martin, Common Nighthawk, Willow Flycatcher, Barn Swallow, Great-crested Flycatcher, Western Kingbird, Carolina Chickadee, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Black-capped Chickadee, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Tufted Titmouse, Red-headed Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Dark-eyed Junco, Downy Woodpecker, Carolina Wren, Hairy Woodpecker, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Pileated Woodpecker, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Northern Flicker, Indigo Bunting, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Eastern Towhee, Black-billed Cuckoo, Wood Thrush, Scarlet Tanager, Hermit Thrush, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Winter Wren, Swainson’s Thrush, Orchard Oriole, Rusty Blackbird

Want to learn more about Big Spring birds and join a bird walk along Big Spring? Email Bill Franz at wlfranz1@yahoo.com and Vern Gauthier at verngauthier14@gmail.com. They are two local experts who lead bird walks along the spring on the first Saturday of every month. All are welcome to join the walk.