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Birds by Family

Harlequin Duck - Stanley Park, BC During a walk along the seawall at Stanley Park, we noticed that there were 4 Harlequin Ducks feeding in and around the exposed rocks on low tide. They made their way around the point in an among some Barrow's Goldeneye with the same idea. Harlequin ducks spend the winters on the rocky sea coasts and the summers in the fast flowing streams of the mountains. The name Harlequin comes from the costume worn in the Italian comedy by a character known to be a trickster and a lover. Michael W Klotz 2020 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Ducks, Geese and Swans
California Quail - Okanagan Falls, BC Being our only native quail species here in British Columbia these birds are relatively easy to identify. The male was more that helpful in making the ID with a proud stance a top a fence. There were several others in the quail covey with the female watching over at least 10 youngsters. They were a little harder to see as they stayed pretty much in the shadows of the sage brush. This was taken in the hills above Okanagan Falls, just outside of an old forestry compound. Michael W Klotz 2021 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
New World Quail
Dusky Grouse - Fording River, BC This Dusky grouse hen froze on the side of the road as I travelled by. This survival strategy works when the predator doesn't have a projectile to make you part of dinner that evening. The Dusky Grouse was split from the Sooty grouse of the western rain forests which used to make up the Blue Grouse species with this grouse being slightly less gray and lighter overall. I have only seen dusky and sooty grouse in the mountains with this being no exception living along Fording River in the Rocky Mountain range. Michael W Klotz 2021 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Pheasants and Grouse
American Flamingo - Playa Larga, CU This was one of my bucket list birds! The colorful water waders are a common resident of the Zapata Swamp in the southern part of Cuba near the Bay of Pigs. During the winter months the birds will number in the thousands. Watching these beautiful birds feed in the shallows is a real treat. Michael W Klotz 2019 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com Picture
Flamingos
Grebes Michael W Klotz 2021 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com Picture
Grebes
Mourning Dove - Wildhorse, AB For such a plain brown bird these little members of the pigeon family get tons of attention. It could be the soft mournful sound that they are named after, or the small cute frame of these generally shy birds. They are numerous throughout North America, but are slowly declining in the west. This bird was sitting pretty on a fence post just north of the Wildhorse, Alberta border crossing. Michael W Klotz 2019 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Pigeons and Doves
Great Lizard Cuckoo - Varadero, CU There is something about a bird with a big tail that bounces through the trees. I love cuckoos and this guy was no exception. There was a bit of a call when I first came up on him in the Varahicacos Ecological Reserve. He wanted to get a better look at me getting a better look at him, and all of sudden, he was three maybe four bounces and he disappeared. This species is found only on the islands of Cuba and The Bahamas. Michael W Klotz 2019 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com Picture
Cuckoos
Common Nighthawk - Buffalo Springs, TX Very unusual to see Common nighthawks during the day but even more unusual to see one sitting on the road. This bird must have been flushed from the nearby grass field and stayed relatively still while we approached with the truck. Nighthawks can be seen circling the sky mostly around dusk with their very distinctive pointed wings and white wing stripes. They are most easily found by listening for their call and have a very nasal Prent. In the mating season, they also have a diving whirring sound made by the air rushing through their wings. Michael W Klotz - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Nightjars
Hummingbirds of the World Michael W Klotz 2020 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com Picture
Hummingbirds
Common Gallinule - Selva Negra, Nicaragua Working the large lilly pads in the pond at Selva Negra, this parent was looking for breakfast for her young. If you came too close, a call went out to the babies picking their way though the floating leaves to move away from the perceived danger and into the water. These water fowl are found in most of Central America and a good portion of South America. As many of the folks in the east and south can also vouch, they are a summer resident of the eastern United States and southern most regions of eastern Canada and hang out year round in the southern states Michael W Klotz - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Rails and Coots
Sandhill Crane - Reifel Bird Sanctuary, BC We are lucky enough to have a world class bird sanctuary here in Metro Vancouver. The sanctuary is home to several birds that can be found here up close and personal. We have our very own Sandhill Cranes that nest here in the summer months, usually showing up with as many as 4 colts. These birds are quite tame and will even take the wheat feed out of your hand in the area where the ducks wait for food. Sandhill Cranes can be found in the southern United States in flocks of more than 1000 birds and is quite the spectacle. Michael W Klotz 2021 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com Picture
Cranes
Stilts and Avocets of the world Picture
Stilts and Avocets
Black Oystercatcher - Cattle Point, BC On a trip to Vancouver island we stopped by Cattle Point to see what might be cruising the shores on this beautiful day. Along with Harlequin Ducks and Black Turnstones, there was a trio of Black Oystercatchers picking along the rocks. Strictly a Pacific Coast wader, the Black Oystercatcher has a range that stretches from Alaska to the Baja of California, overlapping with the American Oystercatcher in the southern part of its range. Michael W Klotz 2020 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com Picture
Oystercatchers
Semi-palmated Plover, Incinerator Rock, BC
Plovers
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Shorebirds
Common Murre - Burrard Inlet, BC During a boat ride with friends, we came across a murre, minding his own business in the rain. He was diving in and around the same spot, presumably for fish in the area. These birds belong to a group call the
Auks, Murres and Puffins
Laughing Gull - Goose Island, TX The breeding plumage of the black-headed gulls is so much more interesting when you throw in the red bill and the broken white eye-ring. This birds were hanging around pier at goose island. Michael Klotz - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Gulls, Terns and Skimmers
Loons of the world Michael W Klotz 2020 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com nPicture
Loons
Laysan Albatross - Clayoquot Canyon, BC The Tofino pelagic tour this year, put a couple of lifers on the list with this majestic Laysan Albatross. Thank you to Mel for the invite on the trip and putting a good story together for everyone to get a taste of what we saw. It turned out there were two of the fancy birds among a great many Black-footed Albatross as well. Also a big shout out to Captain Ron from Ocean Outfitters for the great day out on the boat. Looking forward to the next one. Michael W Klotz 2021 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Albatross
On a mini pelagic trip with some birding friends from the Vancouver and Vancouver Island just off of Sooke, BC in the Juan de Fuca Straight. It was a beautiful day with amazingly calm waters. We had several fly-by's from some tube nosed birds like this Pink-footed Shearwater. Michael Klotz - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Shearwaters and Petrels
Cormorants Michael W Klotz 2020 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com Picture
Cormorants
We don't get to see White Pelicans all that often here on the Vancouver Coast, so having this one around for a couple of days was a bonus. This guy was resting on the beach at Iona Island for a couple days and I was lucky enough to grab some photos. The group of White Pelicans that use BC as their nesting range have not always done so well. Pelicans are very easily spooked from their nesting sites and because there are only two lakes in all of BC that they nest, one event can be devastating for that year's young. It is nice to see more of these magnificent birds and very good to hear that their numbers here have tripled since the 1980's. Michael Klotz - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Pelicans
Herons and Egrets Michael W Klotz 2020 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com Picture
Herons and Egrets
New world Vultures Michael W Klotz 2021 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
New World Vultures
Osprey - Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal, BC Surveying the situation at the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal off of one of the older piers, which is normally reserved for drying off feathers by the resident cormorants. This Osprey was a visitor for a couple weeks here this summer. Osprey are specialists when it comes to hunting and strictly fish eaters with eyes that allow for seeing fish up to 120 feet while in the air. They even have an arrangement of darkened feathers around their eyes to reduce the glare from the water, like football players apply before games. Michael W Klotz - www.TheBirdBlogger.com 2022
Osprey
Bald Eagle - Kalamalka Lake, BC One of our most iconic birds, the Bald Eagle is a true comeback story. With only 417 breeding pairs left in the lower 48 from an original number of 300,000 individuals, an effort in 1963 was born to ensure this majestic bird did not disappear from the skies. DDT was found to be the culprit causing egg shells to be so thin, the sitting parents would break the eggs. Today the birds are back to totals of over 170,000 individuals. This gorgeous specimen has a mate and nest on Kalamaka Lake, BC. Michael W Klotz 2020 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Hawks, Eagles and Kites
Great Horned Owl - Pitt Meadows, BC This owl was highly unimpressed. She had just been harassed by a pair of crows and then had to suffer the indignity of getting her photo taken immediately after. It was the crows that tipped us off that the bird was even there. Always nice to be able to see an owl during our treks out. I have mentioned before that our local birds here on the west
Owls
Cuban Trogan - Cueva de los Peces, CU The Cuban Trogon is the national bird with many of the locals mentioning the colors matching the Cuban Flag. This beautifully colored bird was hawking for insects along the entrance to the Cueva de los Peces (cave of fishes.) Trogons always remind me of little robots with the mechanical movement of their heads while they search the area for their next meal. Then, all of a sudden, they dash off in a flurry of floppy wings to their food and the next perch. Michael W Klotz 2019 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com Picture
Trogons
Collared Aracari - Papaya was on the morning menu at Crystal Paradise Resort near San Ignacio. A flock of 5 wild birds dropped by for the fruit left out which took no time at all to disappear. The toucans are small in comparison to the Keel-billed Toucan which is the national bird of Belize. Michael Klotz - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Jacamars, Barbets and Toucans
Belted Kingfisher - Pitt Meadows, BC For a bird that is relatively common, these guys are hard to photograph, at least at close range. The Belted Kingfisher is the only Kingfisher that makes its summer home in the northern United States and much of Canada. There are 114 species of Kingfisher around the world and most of them residing in Africa and Australasia. The Kookaburra of Australia is one of the more well know cousins. This particular bird is a male and can be told from the female by the lack of a rufous band below the blue band seen here. As long as there is open water, the Kingfisher does quite well. Michael W Klotz - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Kingfishers
Pileated Woodpecker - Stanley Park, BC Nice close up of this magnificent bird making short work of this stump in Stanley Park, Vancouver. This one was a very good subject as I walked down the path towards the Siwash Rock. This is a male bird told by the red head. All North American male woodpeckers have red while the females do not. Michael W Klotz 2006 www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Woodpeckers
Black Merlin - Boundary Bay, BC This bird has only one name and shares that name with a famous magician. Merlins live all around the northern hemisphere but this particular bird is from the Pacific Coast. The Black Merlin is appropriately named and it sooty from head to toe, minus some spotting on the front belly. Birds that live in the rest of the world are lighter brown, or even gray on the back. No matter the size of the falcon, they are hunting machines. Their wings are shaped to a point instead of rounded like other birds of prey, for aerodynamics and speed. Lunch today was and unlucky phalarope that had stopped on Boundary Bay during migration. Michael W Klotz 2021 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Falcons
These noisy birds were moving from tree to tree in Irvine Regional Park, Irvine, CA. There were at least 15 of the birds in the area, with some possibly being Lilac-crowned Amazons. These are presumably escapees or released, although they are native to North East Mexico.
New World and African Parrots
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Flycatchers
Vireos of the world Michael W Klotz 2021 - www.TheBirdBlogger.comPicture
Vireos
Northern Shrike - Boundary Bay, BC On a late day in April a walk along the Sand dunes of Boundary Bay Park I bumped into a juvenile Northern Shrike hunting among the fallen and moss covered logs. Shrikes may look like a grey robin, but in reality they are a hunter for certain. If you ever want to know what kind of food a bird eats, you just have to look at his beak. If you look closely to the end of this guys beak, you can see a definite curved hook which is for securing prey. Once in their summer or winter territory which they have chosen with a spikey plant or fence, on which, they leave their prey for a time when hunger calls. Michael W Klotz 2021 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Shrikes
Black-billed Magpie - Dufferin Park Wetland, BC A bird that is recognized in the Northern Hemisphere this long-tailed trickster has always been a favorite of mine. This particular flavor is North America's most common with the Black bill. There is also a yellow version in central California. Magpie's are found alongside humans in a great many areas and have made a successful living of it. This bird was hanging out in the Urban park setting at Dufferin Park Wetland. I love any bird that poses on a split rail fence for me. Michael W Klotz 2021 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Crows, Jays and Magpies
Boreal Chickadee - Bebo Grove, AB It was a treat to see this far north chickadee up close just inside Calgary city limits in a park that runs either side of Fish Trap Creek. There was a mixed flock made up of Black-capped and Mountain Chickadees, Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatches and a couple of Hairy and Downy woodpeckers in there for good measure. As their name suggests, these birds live in the northern forests of Canada and Alaska year round and coming only slightly south in their range when the weather is particularly nasty. Michael W Klotz 2021 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Chickadees
Verdin - Gilbert Water Ranch, AZ Poking through the crevices of this mesquite tree I ran into this desert dweller called a Verdin. They are quite colorful and are fascinating to watch. He was found in the back section of the Gilbert Water Ranch. Michael W Klotz 2012 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Penduline Tits
Horned Lark - Tsawwassen Ferry Jetty, BC These little devils remind me of how the Greek god Mercury is always pictured, with the wings on his head. During breeding season, the horns are very visible which makes their name very understandable. We get a couple of visitors in Vancouver, mostly in the fall and, mostly near our shoreline. This lone bird was picking its way through the washed up eel grass on Tsawwassen's ferry jetty. Michael W Klotz 2020 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com Picture
Larks
SSwallow Michael W Klotz 2021 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com Picture
Swallows
Long-tailed Tits, bushtit, Picture
Long-tailed Tits
Golden-crowned Kinglet - Iona Jetty, BC I took a long walk on a long jetty and came across a couple of busy little kinglets relieving the plants of their buggy little passengers. Unlike the usual Golden-crowned ways, these birds seemed somewhat subdued and gave me some unusually long breaks to capture a shot or two that doesn't resemble a green and gold comet. Michael W Klotz 2020 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Kinglets
Nuthatches of the world Michael W Klotz 2021 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Nuthatches
Brown Creeper - Ladner, BC This little bird is typically on the move and mostly in the shade, so is typically not a great subject for bird photographers. This day turned out to be the just the opposite as we walked through the Reifel Bird Sanctuary on a Sunny January day. The warmth of the sun was just too much to resist and parked himself on one of the pines along the east dyke. Brown creepers are tough to see on the trunks of the trees that they feed on, but one way is to get a good look at them is to catch them flying down to the base of the trunk of the next feeder tree as they almost always feed going up the trunk. Michael W Klotz 2019 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com Picture
Treecreepers
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Gnatcatchers
Rufous-naped Wren - San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua There were three Rufous-naped wrens that were constantly making trips to the balcony at Casa Serena. It took a couple trips to figure out they were building a nest in the palm just off the deck. There were a couple times they showed up with what looked like the tops of grass stems and separately roots. It is not uncommon for wrens to build multiple nests and even have multiple family roost together in these nests. Michael W Klotz - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Wrens
Dippers Picture
Dippers
American Dipper - Hardy Falls, BC There is a little stream where the Kokanee spawn and the Dippers appreciate it along the Okanagan Lake named Hardy Creek. These little water birds are one of the only songbirds in the world to dive for their food. They eat aquatic insects, fish eggs and fish fry. They are sometimes underwater for more than a minute looking for food and come up dry as a bone, most likely from the extra oil they produce. Michael W Klotz 2021 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com Picture
Dippers
Brown Thrasher - Carter Lake, GA This Brown Thrasher was catching some sun and was one of the first stops in our road trip around the central states. Carter Lake, Georgia was the first stop in our 9 state trip. Brown Thrashers are mimics just like their cousins, Northern Mockingbirds, sounding very similar to their gray cousin. As you head west, there are several other flavors of Thrashers, most with much longer bills. Michael W Klotz 2022 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Mockingbirds and Thrashers
Thrushes including western Bluebird, Picture
Thrushes
Bohemian Waxwing - Langley, BC This is one of the two waxwings we get here in North America out of the three in the world. This is the Bohemian Waxwing with the white and yellow down the flight feathers. The Cedar waxwing which is just as beautiful, but a little less adorned. The third is the Japanese waxwing which has a a red tail band, slate grey wings and an eye mask that extends up the crest. These birds are very sporadic in their locations from one year to the next and will follow the food and the weather when it suits them. The birds are named for the small waxy additions to their secondary feathers and it is still an unknown as to what purpose they serve. Michael W Klotz 2021 - www.TheBirdBlogger.comPicture
Waxwings
Phainopepla - Silverado, CA Here is a bit of an unusual bird for California. This black silky flycatcher is the only one if its family that make the southern states it's home with the 3 other relatives living from Mexico to Panama. This male was moving around the Sycamores and Live Oak just outside the Silverado Community Center with 4 other males. Phainopeplas are even more striking in flight as they have white wing patches on the flight feathers. These birds are denizens of the dry scrub and ensure that they have access to their favorite fruit, Desert mistletoe berries. Michael W Klotz - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Silky Flycatchers
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Pipits and Wagtails
Gray-crowned Rosy-finch - Pitt Lake, BC When the snow hits the mountains hard here, the Rosy-Finch have very little to eat, so they travel down the mountain to get their stomachs full. This was the same group of storms that dumped so much rain on the area, we had flooding of entire cities like Abbotsford. There were two birds here in the parking lot of Pitt Lake Boat Launch. They were relatively unbothered with the folks wandering around only moving if some unsuspecting group came to close. Michael W Klotz 2021 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Finches and Euphonias
Buntings and New World Sparrows Picture
New World Sparrows
Yellow-breasted Chat - 10 mile Pond, MO Considered part of the warbler family this gorgeous yellow masked devil is a wonderful site out on the powerline. He was singing proudly up on the wire above the hedge row keeping a real close eye below him. Who ever he was trying to impress was hidden well and not having anything to do with him. Notice the puffed out throat of this bird which happens when he is singing, making gurgling sounds. Michael W Klotz 2022 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Yellow Breasted Chat
Western Meadowlark - Wildhorse, AB The songster of the grasslands is this large chunky bird with the golden throat. The Western Meadowlark is found from the Great Lakes west with some of the territory overlapping with the Eastern Meadowlark. The visual differences are few, but the song is substantially different. This makes for a much easier time where the two over lap. The bird was found just north of the Wildhorse border crossing in Alberta. Michael W Klotz 2020 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Blackbirds and Orioles
Orange-crowned Warbler - Willow Creek, AB A flock of fall warblers were picking through the leaves of the shrubs along the bank of Willow Creek. This Orange-crowned warbler was part of the gang looking for a fill up before heading south for the winter. The berries were being devoured by Cedar Waxwings but it was the bugs this little one was looking for. Michael W Klotz 2019 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
New World Warblers
Orange-crowned Warbler - Willow Creek, AB A flock of fall warblers were picking through the leaves of the shrubs along the bank of Willow Creek. This Orange-crowned warbler was part of the gang looking for a fill up before heading south for the winter. The berries were being devoured by Cedar Waxwings but it was the bugs this little one was looking for. Michael W Klotz 2019 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Cardinals and Allies
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