In calm weather the Sooty Shearwater flies low over the ocean with quick, stiff beats of its narrow wings; in windy conditions, it glides and scales effortlessly over the waves. Sociable at sea, it is ...

A common seabird off the Atlantic Coast, seldom coming close to shore except during storms. The Great Shearwater often forages in flocks. Commonly feeds around fishing boats, fighting over scraps and ...

Often the most common and widespread gull in North America, especially inland, and numbers are probably still increasing. Sociable at all seasons; concentrations at nesting colonies or at winter ...

Often shown in documentaries about the Galapagos, where pairs bow and shuffle and show off their blue feet, the Blue-footed Booby also nests as far north as western Mexico. In some years, small ...

Common along tropical and subtropical shores, the Royal Tern is a characteristic sight along the Gulf Coast and southern Atlantic Coast, less numerous in California. Aside from a few interior ...

The Western Gull is the only gull nesting along most of the Pacific Coast from Washington to Baja, this large species is common at all seasons. An opportunist, it often nests around colonies of other ...

Seen soaring at a distance over rugged country in the southwest, the Zone-tailed Hawk looks remarkably like a Turkey Vulture. It may be overlooked even by birders who are searching for it. This close ...

Widespread and common in the tropics, the Gray Hawk enters The United States mainly in southeastern Arizona, where it is limited to cottonwood and mesquite forests along a few streams. It sometimes ...

The haunting songs of the Varied Thrush echo through the dense humid forests of the Pacific Northwest. Long minor-key whistles repeated after deliberate pauses, they seem like sounds without a source; ...

One of our tiniest birds, the Golden-crowned Kinglet is remarkable in its ability to survive in cold climates. Nesting in northern forest, wintering throughout much of the continent, it is usually in ...

Our most beautiful bird of prey, striking in its shape, its pattern, and its extraordinarily graceful flight. Hanging motionless in the air, swooping and gliding, rolling upside down and then zooming ...

A thrush-like warbler that walks on the ground at the water's edge, bobbing the rear part of its body up and down. The Louisiana Waterthrush is very similar to the Northern Waterthrush, but has a more ...