Winter Bird Quiz

.
Although I managed to do a couple of hours' birding at Sheldon Lake yesterday, I wasn't able to get any photos. So I've decided it's time for me to post another Bird ID quiz. 

All of the twelve birds shown below are permanent residents or winter visitors in our area. In almost all cases they are common, easily-seen birds. So let's see how you do with IDing the twelve species.

The answers are below the quiz.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

The quiz answers are below.

Answers

1. American Goldfinch

2. American Pipit

3. Eurasian Wigeon

4. Pine Warbler

5. White-winged Dove

6. Yellow-rumped Warbler

7. Ruddy Duck 

8. Savannah Sparrow

9. Ruddy Turnstone

10. House Wren

11. Vermilion Flycatcher

12. Orange-crowned Warbler

So how did you do?
10-12 Excellent
7-9 Very Good
5-6 Fair
0-4 Oh, dear!
.

CyFair Campus Quiz

.

For the past couple of weeks it has been very quiet for birds on the CyFair campus. Except for glimpses of a Green Heron, there is no action at the retention ponds. The nature trail, too, is quiet: I took a quick walk there this morning and didn't see a single bird.

As I have so little to report, I thought it might be fun to post a bird quiz for a change.

Below are photos of 12 bird species that I've seen on the CyFair campus over the years. Most are residents or common visitors, but a few are birds we don't often see here.


See if you can identify all the different species.

(The answers are given further down the page.)

1

2

3

 4

 5

 6

 

7

 

8

9

10

11

12

The Answers

1. Black-bellied Whistling Duck

2. Blue-winged Teal

3. Common Nighthawk

4. Red-tailed Hawk

5. Swainson's Hawk

6. Yellow-crowned Night Heron

7. Green Heron

8. Greater Yellowlegs

9. Eastern Meadowlark

10. Dark-eyed Junco

11. Sedge Wren

12. Nashville Warbler

So how did you do?

10-12 Excellent

7-9 Very Good

5-6 Fair

0-4 Oh, dear!
.

CyFair Campus Quiz

.
The Quiz

Here are twelve birds that I've seen on the CyFair campus in the past year.

See how many you can identify.

(The answers are given further down the page.)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

The Answers

1.

Snowy Egret
Those yellow feet are usually easy to spot.

2.

Purple Martin
No other swallow-type bird is bluish black all over.

3.

Northern Mockingbird
This should need no explanation or clarification.

4.

Western Kingbird
We're right on the edge of their range. Pairs have
been nesting on the campus for several years.

5.

Indigo Bunting
The name says it all.

6.

White-eyed Vireo
The white eye and yellow "spectacles" distinguish this from other Vireos.

7.

Eastern Phoebe
If you're not sure of a bird that looks like a Phoebe,
just listen. Before long it will say its name
quite distinctly.

8.

Killdeer
The bold rings on the neck and upper chest
are difficult to miss.

9.

Hermit Thrush
If you see a thrush around Houston in the winter,
it will be a Hermit Thrush.

10.

Savannah Sparrow
Our most common winter sparrow, it usually
has a yellow patch just above its beak.

11.

Loggerhead Shrike
The thick black eye stripe makes this bird easy to distinguish from e.g., a Northern Mockingbird.

12.

Red-shouldered Hawk
This is a permanent resident of our area.

How Did You Do?
10-12 Excellent
7-9 Very Good
5-6 Fair
0-4 Oh, dear!