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Although there are numerous Chickadees, the Black-capped Chickadee is the most common throughout North America and therefore the focus of this article. These cute, curious and tame birds are 12 to 15 cm long with a wingspan of 20 cm and a body mass of 10-14 g. Both males and females are similar in appearance with a solid black cap and bib, white cheeks, gray back, tan flanks and dark gray wings and tail.
These birds are common to woodlands, parks or any place with sufficient foliage to support adequate food and shelter. They can be found from coast to coast of most of Canada and the northern two thirds of the United States.
Chickadees eat both animals and plants, which they glean from bark, twigs and feeders. They can often be seen clinging to a tree or a feeder to get their food but will rarely be seen foraging on the ground. Interestingly, these birds rarely eat their food where they acquired it but rather carry it off to eat it elsewhere. Since these birds are so tame, they can frequently be spotted on backyard feeders or may even feed from an outstretched hand if you have enough patience.
Reference: Smith, Susan M. 1993. Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/039
doi:10.2173/bna.39
Photo Credit: © 2008 Nick Saunders. Photos may not be used without written permission from Nick Saunders. All Rights Reserved. www.saskbirder.com
The Ring-necked Pheasant, a native of Asia, is one of the most successful and well-known introduced birds in North America. This species is exceptionally popular as an upland game bird throughout much of its range. These birds measure 50-70 cm long with a wingspan of approximately 80 cm and a body mass of 0.5-3.0 kg. The male Ring-necked Pheasant has a spectacular multicolored plumage, long tail, and chicken-like appearance that is difficult to confuse with any other North American bird. The female is more subdued with black and brown speckled feather throughout her body.
Populations do best in hay and grain agricultural regions, especially areas with grassy field borders, wetlands, and numerous small patches of idle land with tall grass, forbs, and lesser amounts of brush and trees. Populations are established on most mid-altitude agricultural lands from Southern Canada to Utah, California to the New England states, and south to Virginia. This species is commonly raised in captivity and has been widely introduced; many scattered and small populations occur outside the normal range.
These birds consume both insects and plant matter including seeds, grasses, leaves, roots, fruit and nuts. Waste grain from fields makes up a large proportion of this birds diet. Birds find food by foraging the ground for scattered grains and roots. They will also gather food from bushes, shrubs and will sometimes jump to acquire fruit from trees.
Reference: Giudice, John H. and John T. Ratti. 2001. Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/572
doi:10.2173/bna.572
Although there are a number of species of quail, the Gambel’s Quail is the focus of this article. It is a popular game bird in the American Southwest and is a favorite of hunters and suburban dwellers alike. Its jaunty plumed topknot, carried by both sexes, its gregarious nature, and its distinctive gathering calls all make for ready identification. It is one of the smallest southwestern quails averaging a length of 25 cm and a mass of 160–200. The Upperparts and breast are neutral gray, the face is boldly patterned black and white, the crown is cinnamon, the abdomen cream with dark chestnut flanks streaked with white, and a black patch on the center of the abdomen. A set of about 6 black, comma-shaped feathers (plumes) that tightly overlap, appearing as one feather, arises from center of crown. This feature, which also occurs in other species of quail, is commonly called a topknot.
This bird lives in the Sonoran Desert in southern Arizona and Sonora, Mexico, with the species extending into all adjacent states.
These birds feed on seeds of forbs, grasses, shrubs and trees. They also consume cacti fruits from saguaro, cholla, and prickly pear, as well as a variety of berries. Insects account for smallest segment of diet and are taken primarily during spring and summer nesting season by both adults and chicks. They generally feed on the ground as a covey slowly walking along a wash or a hillside, each bird pecking tidbits of food from the ground as it travels.
Reference: Brown, David E., Julie C. Hagelin, Mark Taylor and Jill Galloway. 1998. Gambel's Quail (Callipepla gambelii), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/321
doi:10.2173/bna.321
This is the only bird in the Western Hemisphere to receive worldwide importance through domestication. As a North American native, the domestic turkey of Mexico became established over much of the world traveled by Europeans. It even returned to America with English colonists of the Atlantic seaboard. There are six subspecies of the Wild Turkey. It is a very large bird measuring 90-115 cm long, with a wingspan of 125-160 cm and a body mass of 4-7.3 kg. It has long powerful legs, a long neck, and a large fan-shaped tail. Its wings are rounded with ample secondaries, producing powerful wingbeats for rapid take-off. It has a long bill and the head and neck are mostly bare, with sparse feathering. The feathering of the body is metallic-iridescent. The feathers of the males are dark with with rusty tips while the females feathers are white tipped. A tuft of coarse filaments (the beard) hangs down from the upper breast, typically in males and often in females.
The Wild Turkey, endemic in North America, is found from southern Canada south through the 48 contiguous states and along the Sierras to central Mexico. Native Americans, and later the Europeans who populated North America, sought these large birds for food. This is a non-migratory species, socially complex, with an array of vocal signals. A strong short-distance flier, it roosts in trees at night but spends most daylight hours on the ground. A game bird noted for its elusiveness and as a table delicacy, it has been reestablished by modern game management in and beyond its pre-Columbian range.
The turkey eats primarily vegetable matter but also insects and small vertebrates. These birds forage the ground in flocks, occasionally gleaning fruit from shrubs and small trees.
Reference: Eaton, Stephen W. 1992. Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/022
doi:10.2173/bna.22