Wading Birds and Raptor ID
black vulture
"jazz hands" = underside of primaries are white, head is black
barred owl
"who who who cooks for you" call, fully black eyes, yellow beak, barred underwings
Black-necked stilt
black and white, long black bill, long pink legs
American oystercatcher
black hood, white stripes on dorsum, pale legs, yellow eye, pink bill
great horned owl
bright yellow eyes, dark beak, big ear tufts
Snowy egret
bright yellow feet and black legs, black bill, fancy plumes on head and chest
turkey vulture
completely black, white underside on wing, pink face
Laughing Gull
full black hood, red bill
Barn owl
heart shaped facial disk, pale beak
cooper's hawk
larger more square head, caped feathers on head, more c-shaped tail when retracted
peregrine falcon
look like they are wearing striped pants, fastest terrestrial animal in the world, look like they have sideburns
Common Gallinule
looks a bit like a weird chicken, green to yellow legs, males have red faces
merlin
males are more brown, underwings are fully modeled
osprey
medium sized, yellow eye, black beak, white legs, brown feathers
Green Heron
much smaller, red tint, green cap-like feathers on head, usually will have their necks retracted
Cattle egret
native to africa, bright orange bill, yellow eyes, pretty small, follow cattle
Great Blue Heron
no sexual dimorphism, blue gray plumage, yellow eye and beak, navy feather along head
Wood Stork
pale orange feet, vulture like head, very long bill, white body
White ibis
pale pink legs, and very long and pale pink bill
broad-winged hawk
plain underwing, broad stripes along the tail
Great Egret
pristine white feathers, large birds, yellow bill and eye, black feet, exhibit siblicide
red-shouldered hawk
red color along shoulder, brown barred wings, barring on tail
Ring-billed gull
red eye ring, ring around bill, all black and gray
Red-tailed hawk
red tail feathers, underwings are white, brown bars along shoulder
sharp-shinned hawk
smaller, rounder head, usually has gray color extending down neck
Least Sandpiper
super small, white belly, dark bill, dark dorsum, yellow/brown legs
Little Blue Heron
usually dull blue, bill is light blue at base and turns black towards the tip
American Kestral
very small, gray head, black and white tips, marginal tail feathers are striped, stripes on face
Royal Tern
white and gray, fully orange bill, black "eyebrows"
Herring Gull
white and gray, yellow bill, pale legs, yellow ring around eye, red spot on bill
Bald Eagle
white head, yellow bill and feet
northern harrier
white wings in males, have a facial disk that is similar to the owl, white stripe on rump
eastern screech owl
yellow eyes, yellow beak, have gray and red morphs
