EEMB 113L AVIAN TAXA 4

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EEMB 113L AVIAN TAXA 4

• Department of Ecology,
• Evolution, and Marine Biology
• University of California, Santa Barbara

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A Word to the Wise

• These slide supplements were developed for the
  express purpose of distinguishing among the
  specific skins required for this course.
• The characteristics described here may not
  necessarily be useful to distinguish among
  species outside of lab, as additional traits may
  be needed. Moreover, traits useful for lab may
  not be diagnostic in the field (and vise versa).
  
• Also, characters described in lab may not always
  be present in all members of a given group.

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Week 4

• Order Passeriformes (part 2 of 2)

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Order PasseriformesFamily Timaliidae

• Babblers
• Only one member in North America

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Order PasseriformesFamily TimaliidaeWrentit

• Larger than Bushtit
• Plain brown
• Buffy chest with faint brown streaks
• Tail about the same length as body
• Slightly curved bill
• Rounded forehead

Bottom photo Bushtit above, Wrentit below, for
size comparison
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Order PasseriformesFamily Mimidae

• Thrashers and mockingbirds
• Long-tailed, usually with decurved bills
• Large size for Passerine

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Order PasseriformesFamily MimidaeNorthern
Mockingbird

• Grayish with white belly and wing patches
• White under tail and on tail edges
• No black on face

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Order PasseriformesFamily MimidaeCalifornia
Thrasher

• Sickle-shaped bill
• Long tail
• Mostly brown with pale chin and pale cinnamon
  belly

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Order PasseriformesFamily Sturnidae

• Starlings
• Usually black, short-tailed and sharp-billed

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Order PasseriformesFamily SturnidaeEuropean
Starling

• Iridescent black with pale dots in fall and
  winter that wear off by spring
• Relatively large conical bills

In each photo Top specimen Spring, Bottom Fall
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Order PasseriformesFamily Motacillidae

• Pipits and wagtails
• Streaked brown ground birds with white outer tail
  feathers, long hind claws and thin, pointed bills

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Order PasseriformesFamily MotacillidaeAmerican
Pipit

• Brown and white streaked like a sparrow, but with
  small, thin bill
• Chest markings form a streaked collar

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Order PasseriformesFamily Bombycillidae

• Waxwings
• Sleek birds with pointed crests and waxy
  red-tipped secondary feathers

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Order PasseriformesFamily BombycillidaeCedar
Waxwing

• Brown with a crest
• Yellow band across tip of tail
• Black face mask
• Waxy red tips on secondary feathers

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Order PasseriformesFamily Ptilogonatidae

• Silky flycatchers
• Slim, crested birds

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Order PasseriformesFamily PtilogonatidaePhainope
pla

• Crested same silhouette as titmouse but larger
  and darker with some white on edges of wing
  feathers
• Females plain dark gray-brown
• Males black

Bottom photo Oak Titmouse above, Phainopepla
below, for size and color comparison
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Order PasseriformesFamily Parulidae

• Wood warblers
• Usually yellow, gray or blue with tiny
  insectivorous bills

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Order PasseriformesFamily ParulidaeOrange-crowne
d Warbler

• Dull yellow-gray
• Small orange patch on crown usually not visible
  in the field
• Olive-brown back
• No wing bars

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Order PasseriformesFamily ParulidaeYellow
Warbler

• Yellow with rusty streaks on breast

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Order PasseriformesFamily ParulidaeYellow-rumped
Warbler

• Yellow patches on rump, throat, head and sides
• Dark gray or black on face
• Black breast (upside down U shape)
• Highly variable!

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Order PasseriformesFamily ParulidaeTownsends
Warbler

• Black and yellow face markings
• Black throat and black cheeks
• Undersides yellow, with streaked sides

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Order PasseriformesFamily ParulidaeCommon
Yellowthroat

• Black mask and bright yellow throat
• White forehead
• Females lack black mask

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Order PasseriformesFamily Thraupidae

• Tanagers
• Bright colored birds with stout, notched bills

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Order PasseriformesFamily ThraupidaeWestern
Tanager

• Males bright yellow and black with reddish head
• Yellow and white wing bars
• Generalist bill chunky but comes to a point
• Females olive above, yellow below

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Order PasseriformesFamily Emberizidae

• Old world buntings and new world sparrows

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Order PasseriformesFamily EmberizidaeSpotted
Towhee

• Thick-bodied with long tail and chunky bill
• Black head, breast and back
• White belly with rufous sides and white spotting
  on back

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Order PasseriformesFamily EmberizidaeCalifornia
Towhee

• Thick-bodied with long tail and chunky bill
• Mostly solid dull brown
• Pale buff throat and rufous rump patch

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Order PasseriformesFamily EmberizidaeLark
Sparrow

• Plain breast with a central dot
• Black malar stripes with elaborate head plumage
• Chestnut ear patch bordered by white
• Striped crown
• Black tail with white corners

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Order PasseriformesFamily EmberizidaeSavannah
Sparrow

• Streaked breast
• Streaky brown body with yellow lore (between bill
  and eye)

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Order PasseriformesFamily EmberizidaeSong
Sparrow

• Streaked breast with large central dot
• Largest sparrow for this class

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Order PasseriformesFamily EmberizidaeWhite-crown
ed Sparrow

• Plain breast
• White crown bordered by black

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Order PasseriformesFamily EmberizidaeGolden-crow
ned Sparrow

• Plain breast
• Yellow crown bordered by black

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Order PasseriformesFamily EmberizidaeDark-eyed
(Oregon) Junco

• Dark hood on head, rusty sides with white belly
• Rusty back with dark gray-brown tail and wings
• White outer tail feathers

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Order PasseriformesFamily Cardinalidae

• Cardinals and grosbeaks
• Large, finch-like birds with robust triangular
  bills

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Order PasseriformesFamily CardinalidaeBlack-head
ed Grosbeak

• Chunky bill
• Males black head and orange-brown collar and
  breast
• Females brown with white streaks above, tawny
  brown breast

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Order PasseriformesFamily Icteridae

• Blackbirds
• Sharp-pointed bills, often conical

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Order PasseriformesFamily IcteridaeRed-winged
Blackbird

• Black with red shoulder patches (epaulettes) with
  yellow edges (compare w/Tricolored Blackbird)
• Females brown with streaks

Top photo Male Red-winged Blackbird Bottom
photo Female
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Order PasseriformesFamily IcteridaeWestern
Meadowlark

• Long bill
• Bright yellow undersides with black breast band
• Low head profile

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Order PasseriformesFamily IcteridaeBrewers
Blackbird

• Males solid black (yellow eye when alive)
• Females brown
• Distinguished from cowbirds by longer, thinner
  bill

Top photo Male Brewers Blackbird Bottom photo
Female
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Order PasseriformesFamily IcteridaeBrown-headed
Cowbird

• Males black body with brown head
• Females mouse brown with lighter throat
• Short, thick, finch-like bills

Bottom photo Male Brown-headed Cowbird above,
female below note color difference
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Order PasseriformesFamily IcteridaeHooded Oriole

• Male orange-yellow head with black throat patch
• Appears to be wearing a yellow hood
• Female duller yellow, lacks black markings

Top photo Male Hooded Oriole Bottom photo Female
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Order PasseriformesFamily IcteridaeBullocks
Oriole

• Male orange on face, golden belly and black
  crown, throat and stripe through eye
• Female dull yellowish and brown with some orange
  on throat

Top photo Male Bullocks Oriole Bottom photo
Female
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Order PasseriformesFamily Fringillidae

• Finches
• Thicker bills than sparrows

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Order PasseriformesFamily FringillidaeHouse
Finch

• Back mostly brown
• Males with red on forehead, throat and breast
• Females lack red color

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Order PasseriformesFamily FringillidaeLesser
Goldfinch

• White and black barred wings
• Olive back
• Yellow belly

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Order PasseriformesFamily FringillidaeLawrences
Goldfinch

• Mostly gray
• Black throat patch and cap
• Yellow breast, wing edges and rump

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Order PasseriformesFamily FringillidaeAmerican
Goldfinch

• Bright yellow all over with black wings and cap

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Order PasseriformesFamily Passeridae

• Old-world weavers
• 2 members introduced to North America

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Order PasseriformesFamily PasseridaeHouse
Sparrow

• Black streak down throat starts from chin
• White cheeks and chestnut nape