A small raptor (weighing between 3 to 6 ounces) with a widespread distribution throughout much of the Americas, the American Kestrel is the smallest falcon in North America. It is one of few dimorphic raptors, with the male and female being very differently colored. The best way to tell the difference? Males have blue-gray wings while females are slightly larger with brown wings. 

This species occurs in open and semi-open habitats, including grasslands hayfields, and crop fields, as well as early old-field successional habitats. The kestrel has also become adapted to both suburban and urban settings in many areas. This species feeds on small mammals, insects, and small birds, and is an obligate secondary cavity nester; the kestrel uses natural cavities in trees or cavities previously excavated by woodpeckers for nesting. It will also make use of artificial nest boxes.

The primary conservation challenge for the American Kestrel is the loss of open grassland habitat due to urbanization; however, the species has shown an ability to adapt to some anthropogenic habitats.

The Wood Thrush is a medium-sized songbird found primarily in forests across eastern North America. Recognizable by its rich, flutelike song, it has a distinctive appearance with a reddish-brown back and spotted breast. These thrushes are primarily migratory, spending their winters in Central America and returning to North America to breed.

One of the most notable features of the Wood Thrush is its haunting, melodious song, which is often considered one of the most beautiful among North American songbirds. They prefer dense, mature forests with a mix of tree species, where they build their nests in low branches.

Unfortunately, the Wood Thrush has been experiencing a decline in population due to habitat loss, especially from logging and the destruction of forests. Fragmentation of their forest habitat makes it harder for them to find suitable nesting areas. Climate change and the increasing presence of predators like raccoons and nest parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds also contribute to their struggles. As a result, the Wood Thrush conservation efforts are focused on protecting and restoring forest habitats to help stabilize their numbers.

Eastern Loggerhead Shrikes are hawk-like songbirds. They have a strong hooked bill for capturing prey which they can carry in their beak or with their feet. They impale larger inspects and vertebrates on long thorns and even barbed wire fences. This action makes it easier for them to consume their prey and enables them to hunt prey in abundance – storing it for later consumption. The act of storing prey for up to a few days can degrade the structure of any toxins, making it safe to eat -a similar adaption can be found in Monarch Butterflies! 

Conservation:
The Eastern Loggerhead Shrike is one of Canada’s most endangered songbirds. Loss of Grassland habitats due to issues such as overuse of agricultural land and pesticides are contributing to their rapid decline. The National Aviary is collaborating with the Wildlife Conservation Partners (WCP) in a carefully coordinated breeding program to help increase this species’ population. The Aviary currently hosts one pair of Eastern Loggerhead Shrikes’ behind-the-scenes. The pair have hatched chicks that will be released by the WPC team, at the Napanee and Carden plains of Ontario to supplement existing wild populations. 

The Masked Bobwhite is a member of the New World quail family. A subspecies of the Northern Bobwhite, the Masked Bobwhite is distinguished primarily by the male’s striking appearance—it has a mostly un-patterned black head and throat and rich cinnamon-colored underparts.  Female Masked Bobwhites are very similar to females of the other subspecies.  Masked Bobwhites have a very restricted range including only a few locations in extreme southern Arizona and central Sonora, Mexico.  These populations were historically very vulnerable to overgrazing, habitat fragmentation, and drought. Today, only about 200 Masked Bobwhites live in the wild, but an active captive breeding and release program is helping Masked Bobwhites raised in human care to begin to repopulate their scrubby grassland habitat.  Masked Bobwhites have a very short nesting season because they will breed only when humidity is high, and this occurs naturally only in association with the seasonal monsoon rains.

The Hooded Merganser is a showy diving duck with a distinctive head crest and bright eyes. The smallest of the three merganser species found in North America, the Hooded Merganser is found throughout most of the continental United States and southern Canada. The serrated edge and hooked tip of its bill helps the Hooded Merganser seize its prey, and its eyes are adapted to help it see underwater. Sometimes other duck species will lay their eggs in Hooded Merganser nests, a breeding strategy called “nest parasitism.” Hooded Mergansers, too, will lay their eggs in other bird’s nests. This species is not threatened but can be vulnerable to pesticides and contaminants and habitat degradation.

A very common dabbling duck of the Nearctic region, and introduced elsewhere where it is sometimes considered an invasive pest, the Mallard occurs on almost any body of shallow water, but especially those with submerged or floating vegetation. In the breeding season the Mallard eats mostly animal foods such as aquatic insect larvae and snails, but at other times of year they favor seeds, aquatic vegetation, and cereal crops. The Mallard usually nests near water but on the ground  in upland areas, with the nest hidden under overhanging vegetation.

The Bufflehead is a small, handsome resident of permanent freshwater ponds and lakes within the boreal forest and aspen parkland zone of North America. The smallest duck species in North America nests in old woodpecker cavities in poplar, spruce, or fir trees near water. This duck is small enough to fit in the nest cavities of Northern Flicker woodpeckers, which have a hole only about 2.5 inches in diameter! Buffleheads are almost exclusively monogamous and nest in the same spot every year. Bufflehead chicks are precocial, meaning they are able to walk and feed themselves shortly after hatching, and they leave the nest only a day after they’ve hatched. Although not threatened, this diving duck is susceptible to loss of nesting sites from timbering and development of the forest near lakes, and to environmental contamination by heavy metals like mercury and cadmium.

Pelicans are large, bulky waterbirds with webbed feet, short legs, and a remarkably long bill. The underside of their bills extends into a pouch that can hold 2-3 gallons of water at a time, which they use to trap fish. When hunting, they spot their prey from the air and plunge into the water head-first. After trapping the fish, they drain the water out the sides of the bill, and then swallow the fish whole. Brown Pelicans incubate their eggs with their feet, essentially standing on them to keep them warm.

Unfortunately, the use of the pesticide DDT caused Brown Pelican numbers to plummet during the 20th century. Much like the decline of the Bald Eagle, DDT thinned the pelicans’ egg shells, causing them to break during incubation. After DDT use was banned, Brown Pelican numbers slowly recovered and they were officially removed from the Federal Endangered Species list in 1985.

The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, with its extremely long and distinctive tail, is a resident of savannas, fields, and pastures, as well as landscaped areas where there is a mix of trees, perches, and open areas. This flycatchers breeding range extends across south-central North America, while it winters in southern Mexico south through Panama. The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is an insectivore, catching cicadas, grasshoppers, beetles, dragonflies, moths, and other flying insects. This species is not currently considered threatened.

The beautifully iridescent Common Grackle is found throughout much of North America where it inhabits a wide variety of open or partially open habitats with scattered trees. The grackle is omnivorous, eating a wide variety of seeds, grains, fruits, insects, and small vertebrates, as well as human food scraps. They build a bulky nest, commonly in wooded residential areas and often near water. The Common Grackle is considered a common bird in steep decline, though they remain widespread and abundant.

Eastern Screech-Owls are a very common owl species throughout North America, and they have gotten very used to living near humans. These pint-sized owls can be gray or a reddish-brown. They roost and nest in cavities in trees, but also make use of nest boxes. Males are smaller than females, but still have a deeper voice.

Burrowing Owls are a small, long-legged species of owl that spends the majority of its time on the ground. They are native to open grassland, prairie, and desert habitats and range from southern Canada (where they are considered an endangered species) to the drier habitats of South America. They have also been found nesting in man-made structures and in close proximity with people on golf courses, campuses, and suburbs. Burrowing Owls differ from most owls in a variety of ways. They are primarily terrestrial and nest underground, while the majority of owls are cavity nesters or use the nests of other birds, such as crows or hawks.  This owl’s habit of nesting in colonies in underground burrows across flat, treeless habitats has put it in competition with many kinds of human development, such as agriculture, housing plans, golf courses, and airports. As a result, programs exist to safely translocate Burrowing Owls and to attract them to nearby protected sites using artificial burrows.

Thank You to Our Burrowing Owl Habitat Sponsor: