Bal-Chatri Trap 

baited with live animals 

talons of birds get caught in slip knots when going for prey 

Kestral in Library 

Calipers

Used to measure bill and tarsus length

Marked birds can allow for studies on.... 

4 

survival and longevity 

behavior 

movement patterns 

population density  

Used ot Estimate natural Pop size 

N=nM/x 

N= pop. estimate 

M=total captures 1st round 

n=total captures 2nd round 

x=number recaptured in second round 

Western Wood-Pewee 

Tyrannidae

Sub-Oscine Persseriformes 

Say's Phoebe 

Tyrannidae 

Sub-Oscine Passeriformes 

Golden Belly 

Western Kingbird 

Tyrannidae

Sub-Oscine Passeriformes 

yellow 

Eastern Kingbird 

Tyrannidae

Sub-Oscine Passeriformes  

White Underside of Tail 

Only Sub-Oscine Passeriformes 

Largest family on earth 

known for sallying (jumping straight up from perch and catching passing food) 

difference in inner ear bone structure which leads to simple vocal mechanism 

Loggerhead Shrike 

Laniidae 

impale prey on barbwire 

predator 

Broad face mask 

Northern Shrike 

Laniidae

Impale Prey on barbwire (predator) 

Narrow face mask and bigger than Loggerhead Shrike 

Warbling Vireo 

Vireonidae 

Build hanging nest 

Gleaners (pick up missed seeds) 

Gray Jay 

Corvidae 

Smart, camprobber

White Forhead 

found at higher elevations 

Steller's Jay 

Corvidae 

Big black crest rest blue 

Blue Jay 

Corvidae

blue crest, black "necklace"

Western Scrub Jay

Corvidae

blue w/ grey back

grey cheeks

Clark's Nutcracker 

Corvidae 

straight pointed bill

gry with black wings 

Black-billed Magpie 

Corvidae 

very vocal 

American Crow 

Corvidae 

Rectangular Tail 

Higher pitched call than raven 

Common Raven 

Corvidae 

Fanned tail 

considered bigger than crow

Deeper Call than crow 

Mountain Chickadee 

Paridae 

Black band on eye 

Black-capped Chickadee 

Paridae 

all black above the eye 

Horned Lark 

Alaudidae 

ground nesting, form large flocks 

sing in flight 

yellow neck 

Violet-green Swallow 

Hirunidinidae 

Tree Swallow 

Hirunidinidae 

Barn Swallow 

Hirunidinidae 

long retrices (tail) 

Red-Breasted Nuthatcher 

Sittidae 

Redish underside 

song used to catch females of different species 

Mixed species flock 

1.chickadees

2.nuthatcher

3.creeper

4.woodpeckers 

Swallows

Bigger feet 

aerial insectivors 

colonial nesters 

Sittidae 

nuthatches 

head down position on trees 

short tails that are not stiff 

White-breasted Nuthatcher 

Sittidae 

white underside with black crown 

Pygmy Nuthatch 

Sittidae 

light underside 

Brown Creeper 

Certhiidae 

speckeled back, stiff tail, and white underparts 

Canyon Wren 

Troglodytidae 

hard to see, white throat 

House Wren 

Troglodytidae 

brown grey 

American Dipper 

Cinclidae 

underwater forager (rivers) 

white eyelids 

Golden-crowned Kinglet 

Regulidae 

yellow on top of head 

join mixed flocks 

Ruby-crowned kinglet 

Regulidae 

red crown 

joins mixed flocks 

American Robin 

Turdidae 

Mountain Bluebird 

Turidae 

likes more open space 

almost all blue

Western Bluebird 

Turdidae 

red breast

Townsend's solitaire

Turdidae

grey

eats junipers in the winter

Hermit Thrush

Turidae

red tail and spotted breast

Grey Catbird

Mimidae

Red undertail

Northern Mockingbird

Mimidae

white patches on wing

song mimics other birds

Brown Thrasher

Mimidae

European Starling (Breeding)

Sturnidae

seasonal plumage is due to wear and tear

introduced from europe and competing with natve secondary cavity birds

European Starling (non Breeding)

Sturnidae

American Pipit

Motacillidae

breed in alpine tundra

not a sparrow!!! (THIN BILL)

Cedar Waxwing

Bombycillidae

crest with black mask and vibrant colors

berry eaters in the fall

Orange-crowned Warblers

Parulidae

olive green

Thrushes

lay blue eggs

Thrashers

make complex songs and mimic other birds

Starlings

seasonal plumage difference is due to wear and tear white spots wear away before breeding season

warbler

glean insects off vegitation

eat berrys in the winter here

lots of yellow color

New-world sparrows

use two footed backwards hop to scratch ground for seeds

most are streaked brown

cardinals and grossbeaks

conical beak

form large noisy flocks (Blackbirds)

Finches

male oftern red or yellow

notched tail form tree top flocks

Old world Sparrows

found in small flocks

stout birds with deep bills

Yellow Warbler (male)

Parulidae

All yellow with red breast stripes

Yellow warbler (Female)

paler yellow than males

yellow green upperparts

Wilson's Warbler

Parulidae

BLACK CAP

Yellow-rumped warbler (Audubon's)

Parulidae

Yellow throat

Audubon subspecies found western regions

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)

Parulidae

White Throat

Myrtle subspecies found in eastern and boreal (northern) regions

Common Yellowthroat

Parulidae

black mask, with olive back wings and tail

Western Tanager

Cardinalidae

red, yellow and black

breeds in coniferous forests

Spotted Towhee

Emberizidae

long tail, red eyes

solid black head with brown sides

American Tree Sparrow

Emberizidae

red eyeline (just behind the eye)

single dark spot on breast (wintering grounds overlap only a little)  

darker roufous cap

Chipping Sparrow

Emberizidae

black eyeline (behind the eye)

clean breast

lighter roufous cap

Lark bunting

Emberizidae

Colorado State Bird

only sparrow with definative breeding and wintering plumage

Song sparrow

Emberizidae

very common but appearance varies across the US

leans back and sings a stuttering, clattering song  

White-crowned Sparrow

Emberizidae

orange bill

formes winter flocks in U.S.

Dark Eyed Junco (Oregon above)

Emberizidae

white outer tail feathers

5 Races of Dark Eyed Junco

(Embrizidae)

Oregon Junco- pinkish brown sides, solid dark head, reddish brown back, Commin Fort Collins

Gray-headed Junco- bright rufous back, gray head with darker lores, breeds in CO

Pink-sided Junco- wide pinkish color on sides, gray head with darker lores

White-winged Junco- 2 weak white wing-bars, paler throat than slate-colored junco, more contrast between dark lores and head.

Slate-colored Junco- all gray and white, very common in winter. 

Black-headed Grosbeak

Cardinalidae

orangish breast

Lazuli Bunting

Cardinalidae

light blue head

found in shrubby areas

Red-winged Blackbird (male)

Icteridae

very common

Red-winged blackbird (female)

Icteridae

streaky brown

pointed bill

Brewer's Blackbird

Icteridae

compared to common grackle

smaller, irridescent, yellow eyes

Western Meadowlark

Icteridae

Yellow breast v neck t on

Common Grackle

Icteridae

compared to brewers blackbird

bigger, longer tail, longer bill duller brown body

yellow eyes

Brown-headed Cowbird

Icteridae

brown head, black eyes

Brood parasites

Bullock's Oriole

Icteridae

orange with black crown and throat

Evening Grosbeak

Fringillidae

huge bill, with a bold pattern of Yellow, black and white

House Finch (male)

Fringillidae

red forhead, throat and breast

House finch (female)

Fringillidae

wide indistinct streaks of brown over entire body

Red Crossbill

Fringillidae

Eruptive behavior

nomatic and follow conifoer cone crops

Pine Siskin

Fringillidae

streaky bird, yellow on tail and wings, eruptive nomatic behavior for pine seeds

American Goldfinch

Fringillidae

bright yellow with black forhead and wings

flocks feed on thistles in the winter

House Finch (male)

Passeridae

black bib, white cheeks, rufous nape, clean breast

House Sparrow (female)

Passeridae

gray underside and cheek, tan line behind eye

bill is gray on top and yellow on bottom