Common Merganser
Appearence: Female has a gray body, a reddish head with a some feathers trailing behind, and a white patch on the lower neck. Male is white with a black back, a green head, and a red bill.
Behavior: Observed in calm fresh water. Dives for food. Found in potentially large groups. Takes off slowly, flying low over the water while flapping heavily.

Canada Goose
Appearence: Black head and neck with white patch behind eyes. Body brownish gray with white underbelly.
Behavior: Generally seen flying overhead in V formations. Honks while flying.

Red-tailed Hawk
Appearence: All individuals observed have been immature light phase. This phase is generally quite light, with a dark spotted belly stripe. Has wide, straight buteo wings. Tail slightly pinkish, and lightly barred.
Behavior: Tends to circle about 50-100 feet above ground. Often sits in one tree for several minutes, then moves to another ~100 feet away.

Bald Eagle
Appearence: Adult is a large black buteo shape with extremely white head and tail. Immature is light underneath with darker wingtip markings.
Behavior: Perches near water. Looks for food by circling over water and diving for fish. Two immatures were observed fighting over a fish.

Black Vulture
Appearence: Large black bird. In flight the wings are level, unlike the Turkey Vulture. The outer third of the wings are grayish.
Behavior: Circling high in the air. Often perches in trees, on dam superstructures, with other vultures, mainly Black Vultures.

Turkey Vulture
Appearence: Large black bird with red head. Wings in flight have a distinctive V shape. Wings have brown ends and trailing edges.
Behavior: Circling high in the air. Perches in trees.

Great Blue Heron
Appearence: Long bill, long neck, long legs. The body is gray, with some frilly white feathers. Dark shoulder patches and wing tips. The head and neck are white, with a black stripe extending from the eye backwards. In flight, legs are extended, neck is doubled back in an S shape.
Behavior: Primarily standing in the sun. They fly when startled. They feed by wading in shallow water.

Great Egret
Appearence: A large white wading bird. Male shows long white plumes during breeding season. Yellow bill and black legs and feet distingush from similar snowy egret
Behavior: Found around water edges, where it wades for food

Snowy Egret
Appearence: Similar to the great egret. It has a black bill with yellow eye spots and black legs with yellow feet

Ring Billed-Gull
Appearence: Medium-sized white gull with gray back. Legs are yellow. Bill is yellow with distinctive black ring around it.
Behavior: Sitting on the water, flying in wide circles low over the water.

Greater Black Backed Gull
Appearence: Large gull with dark black back.

Mourning Dove
Appearence: Brown dove. Slimmer than a pidgeon.
Behavior: Seen in small flocks, generally around 3-5. Sits on the ground or in trees.
Sound: Calls are cooing, dovelike. One is a high descending note followed by three lower notes.

Red-Bellied Woodpecker
Appearence: Large woodpecker with patch of red on the back of its head. Belly is reddish-white. Barred black and white back. Sound: Short purring call.

Downy Woodpecker
Appearence: Small black and white woodpecker. Back is barred, head has a black stripe over the top and a black patch behind the eye.
Sound: A rapid series of the same note, falling at the end.

Eastern Kingbird
Appearence: Robin-sized bird, very white breast, otherwise dark except for white tail rim
Behavior: Sits on the very tops of trees

Eastern Phoebe
Appearence: Small bird with very upright stance when sitting. Off-white breast with dark back
Sound: Raspy phoe-bee or graa-eee

American Crow
Appearence: Large black bird.
Behavior: Usually found in groups, forages on the ground.
Sound: A variety of "caw"-like noises.

Blue Jay
Appearence: Medium-sized blue, white, and black bird. Has a distinctive crest.
Sound: Repeated loud nasal caw.

Common Grackle
Appearence: Glossy black bird with white ring around eye. Tail is long and pointed.
Behavior: In flight, flaps quickly and then pulls wings in. Can be distinguished from similar American Robin in flight because it has a longer tail.

Brown Creeper
Appearence: Small brown bird with stiff pointed tail and slightly curved, medium-length bill.
Behavior: Uses tail as a brace to climb up tree trunks. Climbs straight up and then flies to bottom of a different tree.

Golden-crowned Kinglet
Appearence: Very small black and white bird with bright yellow patch on the top of its head.
Behavior: Flies quickly between perches, never stopping for long.

Swainson's Thrush
Appearence: Small gray spotted-breasted thrush. Very similar to Hermit Thrush
Behavior: solitary ground feeder

Hermit Thrush
Appearence: Similar to Swainson's thrush, but with a much redder tail

American Robin
Appearence: Chubby bird with dark head and back, bright orange breast. Male has ruddier breast.
Behavior: Feeds on ground, usually in large flocks.

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Appearence: Small, sleek bird with blue-gray back and wings. Long thin tail and thin, medium length beak
Behavior: Flies extremely fast, zipping through branches
Sound: High, squeaky call

Tufted Titmouse
Appearence: Small gray bird with crested head.
Sound: Wide variety of calls. One similar to chickadee's chick-a-dee-dee-dee call, but more nasal and raspy.

Carolina Chickadee
Appearence: Small gray bird with black cap and throat and white eyepatches.
Sound: Numerous chips, chick-a-dee-dee call.

White-breasted Nuthatch
Appearence: Small white bird with gray back. Black stripe extends over the head.
Behavior: Only bird that can go up and down tree trunks. Often seen upside down.

American Goldfinch
Appearence: Male in spring plumage is bright yellow with darker wings. Female a yellowish green color, also with darker black/white striped wings.
Behavior: Dipping flight.

Red-winged Blackbird
Appearence: Medium sized black bird with red and yellow wing patch.

Northern Cardinal
Appearence: Very upright stance, distinctive crest on head. Male is bright red with dark face and bill. Female is more brown, but still significantly red. Bill is short and thick.
Sound: Very loud chirp.

Yellow-rumped Warbler
Appearence: Small warbler-sized bird with yellow rump patch and yellow shoulder patches
Behavior: By far the most common warbler in this area, usually seen high in oak trees
Sound: a slurred chip

Prarie Warbler
Appearence: A yellow warbler with a streaked breast
Sound: An unmistakable rising series of notes

Black and White Warbler
Appearence: A black and white striped warbler
Behavior: Climbs the trunks of trees like a nuthatch, looking for insects.

House Finch
Appearence: Small brown bird with streaked breast. Male has red breast, throat in breeding plumage. Female is drab, but can be distinguished from house sparrow female by streaked breast.
Behavior: Found in flocks of five to ten.
Sound: Clear notes, similar to goldfinch, but less squeaky. Song is random sounding collection of notes.

House Sparrow
Appearence: Small brownish bird. Male has black bib and brown and gray head.

Dark-eyed Junco
Appearence: Small roundish bird gray bird. Dark head.
Behavior: Forages on the ground in flocks of about 5-10.
Sound: Chirping call in flight.

Chipping Sparrow
Appearence: Smaller than a house sparrow, with chestnut cap and dark eye-mark
Sound: Long, constant chirping sound, almost insect-like.