Birds of New Hampshire & Vermont Field Guide. Stan Tekiela
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male
Bobolink
Dolichonyx oryzivorus
SUMMER
| Size: | 7" (18 cm) |
| Male: | Nearly all-black bird with a black chest and belly. Pale yellow on back of head and nape of neck. White patch on wings and rump. |
| Female: | pale yellow with dark brown stripes on the head, thin dark line extends through the eye, dark streaks on back and sides |
| Juvenile: | similar to female, lacking dark streaks |
| Nest: | ground; scraped-out depression lined with grass; 1 brood per year |
| Eggs: | 4-6; gray to red brown with brown markings |
| Incubation: | 10-13 days; female incubates |
| Fledging: | 10-14 days; female and male feed young |
| Migration: | complete, to South America, mostly Brazil |
| Food: | insects, seeds |
| Compare: | Male Bobolink is similar in size to the male Red-winged Blackbird, but lacks the red and yellow wing bars. Look for yellow on the head, a white patch on the wings and the black belly of male Bobolink. |
Stan’s Notes: A member of the blackbird family. Closely related to meadowlarks. A common bird of prairies, grasslands and open fields. In spring, the male will perch on plant stems and repeat its bubbling “bob-o-link” song (which provided the common name). Gives a loud, repeated “ink” whistle during flight. When disturbed, the female will run from her highly concealed ground nest before taking flight. By late summer, the males will have molted to a drab color similar to the females.
male
Eastern Towhee
Pipilo erythrophthalmus
SUMMER
| Size: | 7-8" (18-20 cm) |
| Male: | Mostly black with dirty red brown sides and a white belly. Long black tail with a white tip. Short, stout, pointed bill and rich red eyes. White wing patches flash in flight. |
| Female: | similar to male, but is brown, not black |
| Juvenile: | light brown with heavily streaked head, chest and belly, long dark tail with a white tip |
| Nest: | cup; female builds; 2 broods per year |
| Eggs: | 3-4; creamy white with brown markings |
| Incubation: | 12-13 days; female incubates |
| Fledging: | 10-12 days; male and female feed young |
| Migration: | complete, to southern states, South America |
| Food: | insects, seeds, fruit; visits ground feeders |
| Compare: | Slightly smaller than the American Robin, which lacks the white belly. The Gray Catbird lacks the black head and rusty sides. Common Grackle lacks a white belly and has a long thin bill. Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak has a rosy patch in the center of its chest. |
Stan’s Notes: Common name comes from its distinctive “tow-hee” call given by both sexes. Mostly known for its characteristic call that sounds like, “Drink-your-tea!” Seen hopping backward with both feet (bilateral scratching), raking up leaf litter for insects and seeds. The female broods, but the male does most of the feeding of young. In southern coastal states, some have red eyes; others have white eyes. The red-eyed variety is seen in New Hampshire and Vermont.
male
Brown-headed Cowbird
Molothrus ater
YEAR-ROUND
SUMMER
| Size: | 7½" (19 cm) |
| Male: | Glossy black bird, reminiscent of a male Red-winged Blackbird. Head is chocolate brown. Pointed, sharp gray bill. Dark eyes. |
| Female: | dull brown bird, bill similar to the male bill |
| Juvenile: | similar to female, but dull gray color and has a streaked chest |
| Nest: | no nest; lays eggs in the nests of other birds |
| Eggs: | 5-7; white with brown markings |
| Incubation: | 10-13 days; host bird incubates eggs |
| Fledging: | 10-11 days; host birds feed young |
| Migration: | partial to non-migrator in New Hampshire and Vermont |
| Food: | insects, seeds; will come to seed feeders |
| Compare: | The male Red-winged Blackbird is slightly larger with red and yellow patches on upper wings. Common Grackle has a long tail and lacks the brown head. European Starling has a shorter tail. |
Stan’s Notes: Member of the blackbird family. Of approximately 750 species of parasitic birds worldwide, this is the only parasitic bird in New Hampshire and Vermont, laying eggs in host birds’ nests, leaving others to raise its young. Cowbirds are known to have laid eggs in the nests of over 200 species of birds. Some birds reject cowbird eggs, but most will incubate them and raise the young, even to the exclusion of their own. Look for warblers and other birds feeding young birds twice their own size.
winter
breeding
European Starling
Sturnus vulgaris
YEAR-ROUND
| Size: | 7½" (19 cm) |
| Male: | Gray-to-black bird with white speckles in fall and winter. Shiny purple black during spring and summer. Long, pointed yellow bill in spring turns gray in fall. Short tail. |
| Female: | same as male |
| Juvenile: | similar to adult, gray brown in color with a streaked chest |
| Nest: | cavity; male and female line cavity; 2 broods per year |
| Eggs: | 4-6; bluish with brown markings |
| Incubation: | 12-14 days; female and male incubate |
| Fledging: | 18-20 days; female and male feed young |
| Migration: | non-migrator to partial; some will move to southern states |
| Food: | insects, seeds, fruit; will come to seed and suet feeders |
| Compare: | Similar to Common |