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S C A R LET s O N G sTER

THE MALE IS THE ONLY CRESTED RED BIRD IN THE U.S.

SE V E N C H O SEN BY IN THE U. STATE SOFF IC IAL S. A S B I R D. THEIR

- D A .. CK , AN AD IZE A B TS AN BEL IN CKE M C S D I O A UN , TH FR UTH O F DS WS SO R O R YA AD FA E M AS TO

ITS SHORT, THiCK BiLL CAN CRACK OPEN HARD SEEDS.

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y cardinal on a winter da gr ugh the ay. Shines like a ruby thro , pointed crest, With bright red feathers m all the rest. This bird stands out fro hear, A treat to see and also ng all year. It might break out in so es not roam, It does not migrate, do lls home. Far from the place it ca

IN , THE MALE WiLL FEED HiS MATE AS SHE SiTS On THE nEST.
SUNFLOWER

SPRING

AT FEEDERS
ARE FAVORITES.

seeds

MOSTLY SEEDS AND BERRIES, BUT ALSO SOME INSECTS .

IT EATS

IN THE WILD

HE WILL ALSO CARE FOR THE YOUNG WHILE THE FEMALE NESTS AGAIN.

Constant Chorus
HOU

FIE L D S, TH ICK E tS & BACK YARD S

SE FINCH

mAL

FEM

ALE
Pur
ple FINCH

Both the male and female are excellent singers. They might be heard at any time of the year, not just in spring when most other birds sing.

SWEET
HOME

HOME

BirdFeeder Buddies

mALE FEMALE

Once they move into your yard, a cardinal family may live there for many years.

Other reddish birds will commonly be seen sharing time with cardinals at bird feeders in North America. Like the cardinal, these finches are seed eaters, which you can tell by their short, thick bills.

PYRRhULoXIA

Imaginary Foe
A male will ercely defend his feeding territory. You may see him ghting his reection in a car mirror or window, trying to scare off the other bird.

Also known as Desert Cardinal, it is found in the southwestern U.S. and Mexico.

Has a crest

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ALARM CLOCK: THE ARTS TO SiNG


iT ST AT SuNRiSE.
FOUND IN WOODLANDS, FARMLANDS, AND BACKYARDS.

NAT URE S

FEMALE

SQUIRmY sNACK
IN SUMMER , IT EATS MOSTLY

BUILDS THE NEST WITH GRASSES, TWIGS, AND MUD.

WORMS,
But Will also eat tHese tHinGs.

HELPS TO FEED THE YOUNG.

THE

mALE

you

ng

EATS NEArLY WOrMS A DAY.

ROBIN

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FRUItY feAst
IN WINTER , IT EATS FrUits anD Berries.

break of day, y, A robin sings, as if to sa s getting late! Wake up, wake up! lt for a mate. But hes really calling
n springtime, at the

RU N, ST OP, po KE , pu LL

YO UL L SE E IT RU NN IN G AC RO SS YO UR LA WN , ST OP PI NG TO SN AT CH A WO RM .

Take a Second Look


EAsteRN Towhee
(Its call sounds like its name.) Often mistaken for a robin. However, a towhee is smaller and has a mostly white breast with reddish patches on the sides. mALE

FIE L D S, TH ICK E tS & BACK YARD S

Cocking its head from side to side, it seems to be listening for worms. Actually, it spots them by sight and pulls them from the ground.

FEmALE

Like a robin, the female is paler.

Also known as GROUND ROBIN

It eats 68 worms a day, or 14 feet of worms laid end to end, as many as 15 worms an hour.

You will probably hear the towhee before you see it, as it scratches noisily for insects in dry leaves, under shrubs, and in thickets, where it hides.

European robin
A favorite of bird lovers in western Europe, this birds is about half the size of an American Robin. Both the male and female look alike, with a bright orange breast.

Bon Voyage
Although they are traditionally seen as a rst sign of spring, they are common yearround throughout much of the United States.

Robins generally migrate short distances, especially those in Canada and Alaska.

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G R E AT T I T

iS SHORTENED fROm THE ORiGiNAL NAmE TITMOUSE, GENERALLy mEANiNG SmALL BiRD.
european
robin

TH E N A m E TIT

EUR ASI A N

N U T H AT C H

femALE

B A C K YA R D B U D D I e s
A COMMON VISITOR TO FEEDERS, THIS LIVELY TIT IS OFTEN SEEN WITH OTHER BIRDS.

IT NESTS iN TREE CAViTiES, ABANDONED WOODPECKER HOLES, AND NEST BOXES.

THE F E M ALE PALER THAN M A Y BE SL I GHTL Y THE M ALE .

mALE

feeDING fReNZY
IT HAS A LARGE fAmiLy OF CHICKS. EACH NESTLING WiLL EAT ABOuT

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forth lue Tits flying back and lots of food To bring their nestlings trips a day Can make a thousand eir brood. With caterpillars for th

CATERPILLARS A DAY.

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THE BLUE TIT HOLDS THE RECORD FOR THE MOST EGGS LAID BY A SONGBIRD IN A SINGLE NEST -

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The Blue Tit is a familiar small bird across much of Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia. Its found mainly in woodlands, but is also common in open habitats, such as parks and gardens.

American Cousins

FIE L D S, TH ICK E tS & BACK YARD S

Gardeners Friends
In summer, the Blue Tit eats mostly aphids, a pest that can damage plants. It will hang upside down to nd aphids under leaves.

The and the Tufted Titmouse are both members of the Tit family. They are found in eastern North America and share many nesting and feeding habits with the European Tits. Found mainly in woodlands, these friendly birds are also familiar sights at feeders. The Black-Capped Chickadee may become quite tame and can learn to eat from your hand. Its named for its call, which sounds like schick-a-dee.

BLACK-CAppeD ChICKADee

Rat-a-Tat Crack
In winter, the Blue Tit eats mostly seeds and nuts. It will hold a nut with its feet or wedge it into a crevice to hammer it open with its bill. The has a tuft or crest of feathers on it head. It lines its nest with fur, sometimes plucked from living animals.

TUfteD TItmoUse

Topsy-Turvy
CATE RP IL LA R CL EA NU P
Y BI TE OR SO ME CA TE RP IL LA Rs MA PA RE NT E TH s. IN JU RE NE sT LI NG Ws AN D JA E TH K EA BI RD WI LL BR RT s OF A RE MO VE PO Is ON OU s PA FE ED IN G IT CA TE RP IL LA R BE FO RE TO IT s YO UN G.
A common companion to these birds at feeders is the . Also known as upside-down birds, WhiteBreasted Nuthatches creep down tree trunks headrst, looking for insects in bark crevices. With their strong feet, they also walk upside down on small branches.

WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH

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AL

kNO

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WN

E JENN YW RE N

As

TH

WRENS BUILD NESTS IN MANY


ODD PLACES . . .

AND HO U I N J U STSES M F OR ADE THE M.

LIVES NEAR HOUSES, FARMS, AND BRUSHY WOODS IN NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA.

EAT WRENS S . LOT O F I NSECTS

bubbly song he House Wren sings a the whole day long. While gathering twigs ral nests. Hes busy building seve e one thats best. His mate will choose th

Busy, Noisy Builder


A male will sing his gurgling song throughout the nesting season. He will return to the same nesting place each spring and start to build as many as a dozen nests.

More Backyard Bluster


A native of Europe, much of Asia, and part of the Mediterranean, the has been introduced throughout the world and resides where humans live.

FIE L D S, TH ICK E tS & BACK YARD S

HOUSE SPARROw

FEmALE

He will ll up any suitable nook with sticks and may use up to 500 sticks in a single nest.

mALE

These practice nests are called dummy nests. The female will choose the one she likes and will help to nish it.

This noisy and aggressive bird will steal nest sites (such as this bluebird box) from native hole-nesting birds (including wrens).

Both parents feed the young. A single pair may make 600 foodcarrying trips in a single day.

F A M I LY
The

EXTENDED

Bully Bird
Although its otherwise a delight, a wren may invade nests of other birds to defend its territory. It will puncture and remove eggs from sites where it wants to nest.

mainly in the eastern United States. It is larger than the House Wren and has This large wren white stripes builds stick nests above its eyes. among the spines of a cactus in Mexico and the southwestern United States.

CARoLINA WReN is found

CACTUS WREN

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FOUND IN OPEN WOODLANDS AND MEADOWS FROM SOUTHERN CANADA TO AS FAR SOUTH AS NICARAGUA IN CENTRAL AMERICA. THEY BUILD NESTS INSIDE HOLES IN: mALE

HAPPiNEss AND LUCK.

TH E BL uE Bi RD iS A Sym BO L Of

TREES

THEY EAT LOTS OF WILD BERRIES.

IN WINTER

FENCE POSTS
femALE

IN SUMMER.

THEY EAT MANY INSECTS

MADE JUST FOR THEM

BOXES

flash of blue feathers will catch your eye AAs a brilliant bluebird swoops nearby. A cheery call will comfort your ear. Its sweet, soft song is a treat to hear.

The Return of the Bluebirds


Decades ago, this peaceful bird was not as common as it is today. Aggressive nonnative birds such as Starlings and House Sparrows were taking over its nesting sites.

FIE L D S, TH ICK E tS & BACK YARD S

Concerned bird lovers built many nest boxes. They placed them facing open elds, where insects are easy to nd. The perfect box for a bluebird has a 1inch (3.8 cm) opening, too small for Starlings. If House Sparrows move in, human bird helpers remove the nesting materials.

Snug Shelter
On a frigid winter night, as many as a dozen bluebirds may huddle together in a tree cavity or nest box.

mALE

Upland Cousin Farmers Friend


The Bluebird eats many insects that can damage crops. Often seen perching on a fence post near farms, it will scan the ground and swoop down to grab its meal. FEmALE

Like the Eastern Bluebird, the eats many insects, but it searches for them by hovering in the air. It either catches them in ight or drops down to pluck them from the ground.

BLUeBIRD

MoUNtAIN

It is found in high mountains, grasslands, meadows, and woodlands in western North America.

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