All about birds

Taxonomy differentiates birds into Kingdoms, Phylum, Classes, Orders, Families (several hundred worldwide), Genera (approximately 2,000 worldwide), Species (approximately 10,000 worldwide), and Subspecies. There are 54 families of birds represented on the Field Checklist of the Birds of Howard County. Characteristics of the most common families are described below. Some families with similar characteristics are grouped together.

Click on the common name of the family to go to that section of the Howard County Bird Photo Gallery.

WATERFOWL (Anatidae)

Aquatic, web-footed, ranging from small ducks to large swans. Most feed on the water with their flat bills.

SHOREBIRDS (Charidriidae, Scolopacidae)

A very diverse group with a large range of sizes, primarily living near water edges. Most have long wings and legs, short tails, thin bills, and an upright posture. Plumage is often patterned and primarily brown, white, and gray.

GULLS and TERNS (Laridae)

Medium to large sized birds with long wings, large bills, and webbed feet. Plumage is typically gray, white, and black in adults. They prefer open areas around water or manmade areas associated with food, such as landfills or restaurants.

HERONS and BITTERNS (Ardeidae)

Large wading birds with long legs, long necks, and long, straight bills. They fly slowly with their heads drawn back.

BIRDS of PREY (Cathartidae, Accipitridae, Falconidae, Pandionidae)

Mostly large diurnal flesh eaters with heavy, sharp, hooked bills and sharp talons. Includes vultures, kites, hawks, eagles, accipiters, falcons, and osprey.

OWLS (Tytonidae, Strigidae)

Mostly nocturnal predators with distinctive “facial disks”, short necks, large heads, and large immobile eyes necessitating them to turn their heads to change their gaze. They have hooked bills and sharp talons. Their flight is virtually silent.

WOODPECKERS (Picidae)

Woodland birds with sharp, strong bills to bore into wood. They have short legs with strong claws to walk up tree trunks using their stiff tails to help. The flight is undulating with the wings held tightly to their bodies after a series of flaps.

FLYCATCHERS (Tyrannidae)

Small to medium sized perching birds. Mostly gray or olive-green colored with large, slightly crested heads, relatively broad flat bills, and bristly whiskers. Often seen eating insects in flight. Song, presence of wing bars or eye rings helps to differentiate species.

VIREOS (Vireonidae)

Small songbirds that pick crawling insects from foliage with their short, thick, slightly hooked bills. Their plumage is mainly drab gray, olive-green, yellow, and white. The presence of wing bars or spectacles helps to differentiate species.

JAYS and CROWS  (Corvidae)

Large, loud, and mostly omnivorous birds. Includes all-black crows and ravens, as well as Blue Jays.

SWALLOWS (Hirundinidae)

Small, slender aerialists with wide mouths to catch insects in flight. They have long, pointed wings with sharp wrist angles and either notched or forked tails. They are often seen in flocks perched on wires.

CHICKADEES and TITMICE (Paridae)

Small, friendly, active, and agile birds with proportionally long tails and small bills. The titmouse has a crest, while the chickadee has a bib. Their plumage is mostly gray. They often visit feeders.

WRENS (Troglodytidae)

Small, restless brown birds with long, thin decurved bills and uptilted tails. They are known for their loud songs and scolding vocalizations.

THRUSHES (Turdidae)

Medium-sized eloquent songsters with small bills. They are often seen walking or hopping on the ground foraging for insects, worms, and fruit. Many have spotted breasts.

MIMIC THRUSHES (Mimidae)

Known for their loud variety of repetitious songs. They have sleek bodies, long tails, and slightly decurved bills. Feed by foraging horizontally on the ground with their tails elevated.

FINCHES (Fringillidae)

Seedeaters with short heavy conical beaks and undulating flight patterns. They are often seen in flocks.

SPARROWS (Passerellidae)

Sparrows are small, brown-bodied birds with streaked backs and short conical bills. Most of their food is obtained on or near the ground. They are often seen in flocks.

BLACKBIRDS and ORIOLES (Icteridae)

Medium to large sized birds with mainly black, yellow, and orange plumage. They have slender, pointed bills and are strong, direct flyers.

WARBLERS (Parulidae)

Very small and active, brightly colored and patterned songsters. They have slender, straight, small, pointed bills.

CARDINALS and ALLIES (Cardinalidae)

This is a group of thick billed seedeaters including certain grosbeaks and buntings as well as the dickcissel and scarlet tanager. All are colorful.

Each season brings new birds to our county. Knowing what to expect in each season is a valuable tool. Visit Birding Year in Howard County for a month-to-month description of what bird species are expected in our county and where they might be found.

Below are definitions for resident, migratory breeders and non-breeders, irruptive, and rare species as they relate to time of year.

Year-round residents: Those birds that live and breed in Howard County. Observed in all months.

Northern Cardinal
Centennial Park
Feb 26, 2011
Bonnie Ott

Migratory breeders: Those birds that migrate to Howard County in spring to breed, usually staying all or most of the summer, then migrating back to their wintering grounds in late summer and fall.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird
West Friendship
June 22, 2002
Ralph Cullison

Migratory non-breeders: We have two types of migratory non-breeders. In spring we have migratory birds that pass through our area on the way to their breeding grounds and then pass through again in the fall as they migrate back to their wintering grounds. In fall and winter, we have migratory birds that come here and stay through winter before migrating back to their breeding grounds in the spring.

Mourning Warbler
Marriottsville
May 20, 2005
Bill Hubick

Irruptive: Some fall and winters we see an unusual increase of certain rarely seen species due to crop, seed, or rodent scarcity in Canada and the United States.

Rarity:  Any bird that is unexpected at a place (wrong habitat) or time (wrong time of year) is considered rare. Rarities in Howard County can occur in any season. Any bird recorded only a few times in Howard County is also considered rare for Howard County.

Evening Grosbeak
Woodstock
Oct 28, 2012
Bill Hill

By combining habitat and time of year beginning birders can narrow down the list of possible species they might see and realize when an unexpected species is present. Habitat and time of year, together, make a powerful tool.