author and lifelong birder
My Bird Blog is a series of “then and now” stories that combine my experiences as a juvenile birdwatcher in Britain during the 1950s and 1960s with my knowledge of the same species in California today. Each month I publish the details of a bird …
Woodpecker that does not drill holes, Northern Flicker males (red-shafted /yellow-shafted) Photo Credit – Cornell Lab. of Ornithology The Northern Flicker (a species in the Woodpecker family) is on my golf course for the winter. Several birds recently flew low alongside the eighth …
Sabine’s Gull
On a recent pelagic birding cruise out of Ventura, CA., I spotted my first Sabine’s Gull, a small, delicate seagull Sir Edward Sabine first described in 1818. Unlike most seagulls, these are readily identified but rarely seen because they migrate well offshore. Sabine’s Gulls are one of about 50 seagull species worldwide, and identification includes long-pointed wings, a slightly forked tail, a charcoal grey head (which disappears in winter), a geometric pattern on its wings and back, and a tern-like flight pattern. Its legs are black, and the dark bill has a yellow tip.
The Sabine’s Gull’s range is global. However, breeding habitat is restricted to the marshy arctic tundra from Siberia, Alaska, across Canada, to Greenland, and once nesting is over, they fly south along the coastlines, either to South America (mainly Peru) or to the west coast of South Africa, a return journey of about 22,000 miles (35,000 km). They winter offshore in waters a few miles off the coast. Typically, you see them during their migration from May and August through October. Their global population is around 340,000, and vagrants appear in most parts of the world. However, I never saw one in my early bird-spotting days in the UK.
Sabine’s Gull Range Map
(blue=winter; purple = breeding)
The new sighting resurrects the problem of identifying seagulls. You see these birds most of the time, but often, they look alike except for their size. Here are some ideas that may help you distinguish between various species. My examples focus on varieties in California and the United Kingdom, although I acknowledge many other species elsewhere. My past bird blogs have included the Great Black-backed Gull and Western Gull in April 2020, and in February 2020, I published a story about the Northern Fulmar. Fulmars look like seagulls but are related to petrels.
Below are species you will likely see in California and the United Kingdom; some are present year-round, and others visit during winter. I have excluded rare migrants:
CALIFORNIA: California Gull, Western Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Heermann’s Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Bonaparte’s Gull, Herring Gull, Yellow-footed Gull, Short-billed (formerly Mew) Gull, Sabine’s Gull, Iceland (formerly Thayer’s) Gull, and Black-legged Kittiwake.
UNITED KINGDOM: Herring Gull, Kittiwake, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Common Gull, Greater Black-backed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull (separated from Herring Gull 2005), and Mediterranean Gull.
Identification of California Seagulls
Note: Mew Gull was renamed Short-billed Gull in 2021.
Given the large numbers of seagulls and the fact that many species look alike, it is helpful to have a process to assist in identification. Avoid trying to identify juveniles and look for adult birds. Adult plumage takes two to five years to develop. Also, some gulls hybridize with other species, such as both the Herring Gull and the Western Gull, with Glaucous-winged Gulls. The former crossbreed is known as the “Cook Inlet Gull” (named after an inlet in Alaska where large breeding colonies exist), and the latter is the “Olympic Gull” (a reference to Puget Sound in northwestern Washington).
Set Your Expectations: Research the area you visit and consider the time of year to determine what you will likely see. Know which birds are common, such as Western Gulls and California Gulls in California, and Herring Gulls and Black-headed Gulls in the UK. However, seagull spotting is problematic from a distance, and many of the features I list are only discernible through strong binoculars or expensive telephoto lenses.
Size of the Seagull: This may be tricky if all the birds you see are the same species and, therefore, the same size; if not, how large is the one you are trying to identify? Large Gulls include the Western Gull, the Greater and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, the Herring Gull, the Yellow-footed Gull and the Glaucous-winged Gull. Representatives of small gulls include Bonaparte’s Gull, Black-legged Kittiwake, and Short-billed Gull.
Habitat: Although most gulls choose coastal environments, a few spend time at sea, such as the Sabine’s Gull and the Black-legged Kittiwake, and others venture inland, including in North America, the California Gull, Herring Gull and Ring-billed Gull; the latter is the one you will most likely see far from the ocean. Others, like the Bonaparte’s Gull, will visit inland waters such as lakes, wetlands, sewage ponds, creeks, and river mouths. Expect to see Herring Gulls in the UK and the Ring-billed Gull in North America at refuse dumps.
Plumage: This is critical; look at the color of the seagull’s back. Is it pale silver gray, slate gray, dark gray, or black? Are its wing tips black, such as the Herring Gull, Kittiwake (Europe), Lesser Black-backed Gull, or dark grey, like the Glaucous-winged Gull? The California Gull has the most extensive black wing tips. The Western Gull’s dark tips are the same color as the rest of its back. Also, is the gull black-headed or white-headed, especially during the breeding season?
Bill Color and Shape: Western Gulls have yellow bills with red spots, and adult California Gulls have yellow bills with a small black ring and red spot on the lower mandible. Adult gulls have a red spot on their bills to stimulate the regurgitation of food for the chicks. Herring Gulls are yellow-billed, a color that is common among gulls. Other colors include scarlet for Mediterranean Gulls (Europe), reddish-orange for Heermann’s Gulls, dark red for Black-headed Gulls (Europe), and small black bills for Bonaparte’s Gulls.
Leg Color (if the bird is standing): The Geater Black-backed Gull (Europe) has pale pink legs, while the Lesser (Europe) legs are bright yellow. Other colors include dark red for Black-headed Gulls (Europe) and Bonaparte’s Gull, scarlet for Mediterranean Gulls (Europe), and black for Heermann’s Gull and Black-legged Kittiwake.
Eye Color: For adults, the color may be dark brown/black (California Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Short-billed Gull (formerly Mew), Common Gull (Europe)), Heermann’s Gull, or pale yellow (Herring Gull); the Western Gull has orange around its olive eyes, and the Iceland (Thayer’s) Gull has a red ring. The Black-headed Gull (Europe) possesses dark eyes but with a white crescent behind its eyes.
Behavior: Many gulls are comfortable among humans; they might try to seize your food or attack you. Heermann’s Gulls enjoy taking fish from other birds, especially Brown Pelicans. The Bonaparte’s Gull is the only gull that nests in trees (others nest on the ground, rooftops or rocky outcrops). California Gulls chase and catch brine flies across the mud, and Western Gulls eat starfish. All are noisy and devour just about anything.
UK Seagulls
Black-headed Gull (summer)
Mediterranean Gull (summer)
Great Blue Heron Nests Photo Credit – Louisa Cammidge The above photo arrived a few days ago with the question, “To whom do these nests belong?” The location is Puget Sound on the northwest coast of the US state of Washington. The answer is …
Lesser Goldfinch at my Tube Feeder Photo Credit – Author It has been a fascinating two years living in northern California, close to the Pacific Coast, observing the etiquette of birds that visit my bird feeders. Each specific species has a distinct bird …
Black Phoebe
Phoebes are smallish (6 inches/16 cm), insect-eating, perching songbirds native to the Americas.
Phoebes belong to the flycatcher family, which includes several hundred species, including distinct Old World and New World varieties. The etymological origin of Phoebe is likely the Eastern Phoebe’s chirpy song “Whee-bee.” However, due to its spelling, some suggest it is named after the Greek goddess Phoebe or the Roman goddess Diana, alternatively known as Phoebe. The origin of Say’s Phoebe is more obvious. Napoleon’s nephew, an ornithologist who moved to New Jersey as the Napoleonic Empire collapsed, named the bird after the American naturalist Thomas Say 20 years after Mr. Say’s death from typhoid.
Phoebe’s Greek Family
I often see Black Phoebes as I walk my dog along a northern California creek. I see them perched in the open on low railings, rocks or the tops of bushes, pumping their tails and fluttering towards the ground to catch insects in flight (bees, wasps, flies, beetles, mosquitoes, crickets, moths, termites and ticks). Occasionally, they take insects from the ground, and they may also catch small fish. Their habitat is usually close to water since they use mud to build their nests, and water attracts insects. Adult plumage for both sexes is sooty black upperparts and breasts and a white belly and undertail. Their bill, legs and feet are black, and the head is often darker than the rest of their upper parts. You may also hear their thin, shrill whistle.
Black Phoebe Range Map
Black Phoebe Nesting
Black Phoebes in California are present year-round, and the species has expanded into Oregon. Birds that breed in the north tend to migrate short distances, whereas most Black Phoebes are residents. The estimated breeding population is five million, and there has been a steady increase since the 1960s. The bird has benefited from human development, creating new nesting sites under roof eaves, irrigation ditches and culverts, near artificial ponds, and abandoned wells.
Say’s Phoebe
Say’s Phoebe Range Map
The other species in southwest and southern California is the Say’s Phoebe. It has cinnamon-brown underparts, grey-brown feathers above, and a black tail. It is common across western North America and breeds in Alaska, Canada, and the northern United States. Its preference is for dry and desolate areas. Northern birds migrate south to the southwestern States and Mexico for winter; otherwise, the species is resident. Its population is around four million, and it is stable to expand. Like other phoebes, birds appear unafraid of people.
The third and most numerous North American species is the Eastern Phoebe, found east of the Rockies. An estimated 16 million to 32 million occupy territory from Canada to eastern Mexico. It is a somewhat drab bird identified by its grey-brown upperparts, white throat, and dirty grey breast. It punches its tail while perching. Their preferred habitat is woodland, farmland, and urban areas, and birds migrate to the southern United States and Mexico for winter. Although monogamous with the same mate for several years, each bird enjoys its independence. Pairs spend very little time is together, and the female typically chases away the male during roosting.
Spotted Flycatcher
Orange: breeding; blue: non-breeding
Spotted Flycatcher Range Map
Spotting phoebes in Britain during my early birdwatching in the 1960s was impossible. Only the Eastern Phoebe is recorded in the UK as a mega-rare vagrant. Therefore, my favorite flycatcher family representative was the Spotted Flycatcher, a bird common around my home near York, England. It was a summer visitor, arriving late and had disappeared by late September. Its plumage is a streaky grey-brown bird recognized most easily by its behavior as it sits on a high perch, flicks its tail, and pounces on insects in midair. It is a long-distance migrant, spending its winters in southern Africa.
Regrettably, the UK population of Spotted Flycatchers has crashed to approximately 40,000 breeding pairs since the mid-1960s, an estimated reduction of around 90 per cent. In Europe, the overall decrease is about 60 per cent. The reasons are unclear. Suggestions include reduced fledgling survival rates, predators, reduction in flying insects and loss of grassland. There is also a need to investigate what happens to them in their wintering grounds. Here is an example of how environmental changes can affect wildlife differently. Changes in North America have allowed North American flycatcher species to flourish, whereas the opposite seems to occur in Europe with the Spotted Flycatcher.
The Three Phoebes that catch insects flying in midair
Mistle Thrush Photo Credit – British Trust for Ornithology This month, I am focusing on a bird I observed during my childhood in northern England: the Mistle Thrush. In the late 1950s, my ornithological colleagues at Bootham School reported that the Mistle Thrush was …
Barn Swallow Photo Credit – Birds and Blooms Magazine My local Barn Swallows have arrived and have been constructing mud nests and feeding their offspring under the roof eaves of houses along the Corte Madera Creek near San Francisco. These avians make an …
Cory’s Shearwater off the coast of Madeira, Portugal
Cory’s Shearwater is a large, heavy bird and a member of the seabird family Procelleridae. It breeds primarily in the Portuguese islands of the Azores and Madeira and the Canary Islands, Spain. During May this year, I had occasions to observe these birds on the ocean near the islands of Terceira and São Miguel in the Azores and the island of Madeira. Thank you, Overseas Adventure Tours, for giving me these opportunities.
Cory’s Shearwater in Flight
Cory’s Shearwaters, with their distinctive size, brownish-grey upper parts, white underparts, and yellowish bill with a dark, hooked tip, are a sight to behold. They silently glide over the water with long wing beats, and wings bowed and angled slightly back. Their unique behavior of being either at sea or hidden in burrows, crevices, or caves, incubating their eggs, adds to their mystique. As we heard on Terceira Island, breeding birds will return to the land at night and call together in their burrows, creating a symphony of high-pitched sounds from the male, like a baby crying, and deeper rasping calls from the female, like a chain-smoker with a hangover. In folklore, shearwaters are associated with death. Legend is that their sound comes from a ghost or devil, with a woman’s face and torso and a bird’s body that fatally attracts sailors at sea.
Terceira Island, Azores
São Miguel Island, Azores
Madeira Island inland
About 75 percent of the world’s Cory’s Shearwaters breed in the Azores – approximately 200,000 breeding pairs. They mate with the same partner at the same breeding site every year. Females lay a single egg in late May, and the chick fledges in October. After breeding, the birds winter across the open ocean, mainly off southern Africa, although their range includes North America’s east coast, Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. Young birds reach maturity at ages 5 to 7, before which their time is spent at sea. The birds’ life span is around 20 years, with the oldest on record reaching 40. Their main prey is small pelagic fish and squid caught on or near the water’s surface. I was fortunate to spot them on the ocean near Terceira and São Miguel and off the coast of Funchal in Madeira.
These observations emphasize the importance of conservation efforts to protect the birds’ habitats and to ensure their survival. Threats include nest predation by cats, rats, etc., and habitat degradation. Light pollution interferes with the birds’ navigation using the moon, and plastic pollution kills them at sea.
Manx Shearwater
Sooty Shearwater
My first encounter with the Shearwater family occurred in the early 1960s at Spurn Point in England. Here, I had the privilege of spotting both Manx and Sooty Shearwaters. In northern California, Sooty Shearwaters are seen off the Pacific coast. My experiences have created an appreciation for these magnificent birds and fueled my passion for their conservation.
Atlantic Canary
Spectacled Warbler
During the visit to the Azores and Madeira, my bird spotting was not limited to shearwaters. I recorded several common species, such as Blackbirds, House Sparrows, Blackcaps, Wood and Feral Pigeons, European Robins, Yellow-legged Gulls, Common Tern, and Chaffinches. The more unusual species included petrels in Madeira, Atlantic Canaries on all islands, and possibly a Spectacled Warbler on Madeira.
Azores Bullfinch
The one species I hoped to see on São Miguel Island was the Azores Bullfinch. Its range is currently restricted to a small, forested area on the island’s eastern end, and its population is estimated to be less than 1000. Numbers have declined as forests have been converted to grazing and agriculture, and afforestation has shifted to using introduced plants. It’s a shy bird and remained hidden from view during my visit.
Chaffinch
The same could not be said for its cousin, the chaffinch. They were everywhere and were almost tame on Madeira. The memories of watching this pretty bird take seeds from my hand will distinguish my visit to the islands of Portugal from other vacations. As tourism continues to expand across all the islands, I hope those in charge prioritize the survival of all present bird species, especially those native to the Azores and Madeira.
Northern Mockingbird Photo Credit – the Author Amidst a cacophony of mid-morning birdsong, a medium-sized bird, approximately 10 inches (25 cm) in length, caught my eye. Its tail, as long as its body, was a striking feature. The bird’s plumage was a mix of …
Greater Scaup (male with the white plumage) Photo Credit – Cornell Lab: All About Birds California winter visitors, the Greater Scaup, have recently left the coastal creek near my home and returned to their breeding grounds along the West Coast up to Alaska. Previously, …
Eurasian or Common Kestrel:
American Kestrel
Thank you, Sonoma Land Trust, for connecting me with the beautiful American Kestrel, the smallest raptor in North America, during a recent visit to the Sonoma Creek Baylands. Its larger and less attractive cousin, the Eurasian Kestrel, featured throughout my early days of birdwatching in England. I saw them pass through Spurn Point in 1961, and they were common around York in the late 1950s. My earliest sighting was a pair that nested in an abandoned farmhouse near my home, but unlike Billy, in the novel A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines, I never climbed the chimney to inspect the nest. The American Kestrel and Eurasian Kestrel remain common today, although their populations have declined for unclear reasons.
If you wonder about the origins of the word kestrel, no one seems to know with certainty. Maybe it is an Old French or Middle English word used since the 15th century and is most likely related to the bird’s cry.
Eurasian Kestrel Range Map
American Kestrel Range Map
The American Kestrel was known as a Sparrow Hawk until the 1960s, and its name officially changed in 1983. It is not a hawk; it does not particularly like sparrows, and looks like and is related to the Eurasian Kestrel. Its life span in the wild is short, frequently less than two years. Its preferred habitat is open grassland, desert, scrub, and enough isolated tall perches to hunt. They are also known for their hovering, preparing to catch their prey. American Kestrels are both residents and long-distance migrants. Those breeding in the north are more likely to migrate, sometimes as far as Central America, but most spend winter in the southern United States. There are records of the Eurasian kestrel in northeast North America, Alaska, and British Columbia, so distinguish the two species carefully if you are in those places.
Their calls are distinctive and often heard as an excited series (three to six) cry of klee or killy.
American Kestrel male and female
The American Kestrel is about the size of an American Robin and smaller than another North American bird of prey called a Merlin. Their estimated global population is four million, with 2.5 million in the US and Canada. Its Eurasian cousin is larger, closer to the size of a Crow, and bigger than a Merlin. It is less colorful, with male plumage consisting of a chestnut-brown back with darkish spots, a grey head, and a grey tail with a black band near its tip. A population estimate is around five million worldwide and one million in Europe. The current British population is about 65,000.
As seen above, the male possesses slate-blue plumage near the top of its wings, a rufous orange back with black barring, and its tail is the same color with a large black band towards its end. Since you often only see this bird from a distance, be sure in its identification it has pointed wings and a long tail. It will be fast in flight, pumping its tail up and down while perched, and can be noisy.
Photo Credit – avianreport.com
The species’ diet is diverse and changes depending on the time of year. Small mammals comprise a more significant part of the kestrel’s diet in winter, with fewer insects. However, when insects are bountiful, the bird can consume 10 to 20 percent of its body weight daily. Its success in capturing its prey is estimated to be very high for invertebrates, less for rodents, and under 50 per cent for birds. It hunts only in daylight but deters potential attackers using the back of its head. It has two black spots called ocelli (false eyes). They deter would-be attackers and possibly attract a mobbing response from songbirds, allowing the kestrel to catch some of them. It also sees ultraviolet light, permitting it to find food hidden in grass and undergrowth. This includes spotting the bright blue-green glow of mouse urine.
American Kestrels Nesting
American Kestrels rely on natural or man-made cavities for successful nesting and will not breed if a suitable cavity is unavailable. This includes migrating kestrels returning to the same cavity each year. Bird boxes are welcome. However, it should be near the birds’ preferred habitat, away from outdoor pets, and a distance away from busy roads that cause a high rate of nest abandonment. Typically, the female will lay four to five eggs, and incubation becomes her full-time job, while the male brings her food.
Merlin
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Above are two other species of raptor that you might confuse with kestrels.
Merlin: the distinctions are its slate grey back (not rusty); short, dark tail (not long and narrow); it rarely hovers; it flies fast with sudden changes in direction (versus the shallow, deliberate wing beats of the kestrel); and chases its prey (rather than hovers or perches before diving on the victim).
Sharp-shinned Hawk, or Sharpies as they are nicknamed: are roughly the size of an American Kestrel but have rounded wings and longer tails; there are heavy markings on their front, and they lack the kestrel’s red-brown on the back; their hunting style is very different; they hunt fast and furious, flying stealthily at low altitudes and aggressively then accelerating to catch their prey. It is also the raptor you might see waiting at the side of your backyard bird feeder. It has occurred in my backyard, but its presence seems more likely to be as an observer than as an assailant.
So, again, I thank Sonoma Land Trust for my most recent experience with kestrels. It was a successful day in the wetlands. As well as the American Kestrel, we had sightings of Red-tailed Hawks, Northern Harriers, White-tailed Kites, Sharp-shinned hawks, Peregrine Falcon, and a Merlin.
Humming-bird Hawk-moth Photo Credit – Graeham Mounteney, Butterfly Conservation Hummingbirds are small, often migratory birds that inhabit the Americas. They have compact bodies, long, narrow beaks, and relatively long blade-like wings. The latter allows them to fly in every direction and to hover. Typically, …
Belted Kingfisher Photo Credit – I-naturalist (Birds of San Diego County) I usually hear the Belted Kingfisher rather than see one when walking alongside the Corte Madera Creek near San Francisco. Occasionally, you might observe one perched above the water or hovering on rapidly …
Eurasian Collared Doves
Recently, I was walking alongside my local creek-side in Northern California when I heard the purring sound of goo-Goo-goo, and strove to find out what it was. I discovered a pair of Eurasian Collared Doves sitting in a tree. Later, they descended to the ground, presumably to consume their diet of seeds and invertebrates. Looking back at my bird-spotting in the early 1960s in the north of England, I registered sighting a Eurasian Collared Dove, but I don’t know where. At the time, I was much more interested in the smaller Turtle Doves that nested among the woodlands on the moor where I grew up.
Turtle Dove
The turtle dove is a beautiful bird, not seen in the United States, and migrates between Africa and parts of Europe. Unfortunately, since 1996, it has been on the British red list of birds most at risk of extinction, and today, only about 2,100 pair breed in the U.K., down an estimated 98 percent since the 1970s. This species is described in more detail in Chapter 17 of my novel She Wore a Yellow Dress.
Eurasian Collared Dove Range Map
But let us return to the Eurasian Collared Dove. The species occupies a territory that has dramatically increased over the centuries, giving it a reputation for being one of the great avian colonizers. The bird probably originated in the Bay of Bengal region, but by the 1600s it had expanded its range to include European Turkey and the Balkans. From there, it spread rapidly north and west throughout Europe during the 1930s and 40s. The species first nested in Britain in 1955, and by the mid1960s, about 3000 were nesting. Today, the British population of Eurasian Collared Doves is around 250,000 pairs. There is no clear explanation for this colonialism. Possibly it is genetic; it has dominantly been westwards, and climate – such as cold and the amount of rainfall – appears to affect it.
Mourning Dove
The Eurasian Collared Dove is medium-sized, a little larger than a Mourning Dove, pale, pinky-brown/gray, has a distinctive black half-neck collar edged in white, and its eyes are deep red. The two sexes are virtually indistinguishable. In the United States, a similar population explosion has occurred.
The species was first resident in the Americas during the mid1970s after about 50 birds escaped from a pet shop in the Bahamas, and presumably made its way to Florida. A burglary freed the first group, and the shop owner released the remainder. A few more may have found their freedom in 1976 when 72,000 inhabitants of Guadeloupe Island had to evacuate because of seismic activity. Today, in the United States, the Eurasian Collared Dove is broadly distributed across western, central, and southern states but not across the northeast. It is strongly dispersive, meaning it will move long distances from its birthplace but does not migrate. It is a chronic breeder and spreads prolifically. Studies in the United States indicate an annual population growth of 13 percent.
But despite arriving here by its own means, it is still considered invasive and a non-native species that possibly competes for food with native species. However, studies do not yet show a negative impact on populations of native birds. People hunt it for food and sport. I wonder about the fairness of this treatment, but then consider other introduced species, such as the House Sparrow, Starling, Rock Pigeon, and Mute Swan, and the damage they have caused.
Nine Invasive Birds of California
Western Bluebirds Male & Female Photo Credit – National Geographic The number of Western Bluebirds fluttering and dropping to the ground in search of insects appears to have dramatically increased this fall around the golf course I use here in northern California. What is …
