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The great blue heron is the largest heron. It catches its food -- fish and water animals -- by fast jabs of its dagger-like bill while wading in shallow water. This is a very lean bird with long legs, and it stands at least four feet tall. It is gray-blue in color with a white head. |
| The northern cardinal is a common bird in gardens, thickets and the edges of woods. Its familiar song can be heard all year long. The male is all red with a patch of black below the bill. The female is less red, with more brown. Both birds have a pointed crest. |
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The mallard is the world's most widespread duck. The female is mottled brown with a whitish tail, orange feet and an orange bill. The male is known for his glossy green head with a white neck ring. Look for his yellowish bill, chestnut chest and black feathers that curl up over his tail. All mallards have a shiny bluish patch on each wing. Mallards do not dive for food. Instead, they feed from the water surface or by "up-ending" -- using their feet and muscles to push their heads underwater and send their tail sections into the air! |
| The habitat of the red-bellied woodpecker is open, broad-leaved woodland. It builds its nest by chiseling out a hole in a tree. The red-bellied woodpecker's name is misleading, since there is only a hint of red on its belly. The male, however, has a red crown (the top of its head) and a red nape (the back of its neck). The female has a red nape. Both have black and white zebra-like backs. |
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The barred owl is a large gray-brown bird with a barred pattern across its chest. It has a puffy head and dark brown eyes, but no ear tufts. The barred owl's habitat is damp woods and swamp forests, and it builds its nests in tree holes. This owl roosts in tree foliage in the day and hunts for prey at night. Some people describe its call as "Who cooks for you, who cooks for you all?" |
| The ruby-throated hummingbird has a glossy green back, crown and sides. Only the male has a fiery red throat, while the female has white spots on her tail. The hummingbird is the only bird able to hover while feeding on nectar. It's also the only bird to be able to fly backwards. Its name comes from the sound made by its swiftly beating wings. They are the smallest of birds. |
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| Test your knowledge of Roosevelt Island birds! Read each phrase and decide which bird best fits the phrase. Put the letter of the bird in the blank. |
| A. Mallard |
___ 1. Able to hover |
| B. Ruby-throated hummingbird |
___ 2. Makes a familiar song |
| C. Barred owl |
___ 3. Hunts at night |
| D. Red-bellied woodpecker |
___ 4. Shiny blue wing patch |
| E. Great blue heron |
___ 5. Jabs food with its beak |
| F. Northern cardinal |
___ 6. Has a misleading name |
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___ 7. Has no ear tufts |
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___ 8. The male is nearly all red |
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___ 9. "Up-end" to reach food |
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___ 10. Has a fiery red throat |
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___ 11. Its back is like a zebra |
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___ 12. Its legs are long |