Birds of the PHT

NPS | Steve Dean

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

Identifiers: These birds are large, gray-blue herons with a white face and crown and a black band dividing them. Look for them in flight with wings spread, neck tucked in, and legs trailing behind.

Habitat: Great blue herons inhabit various wetland habitats such as marshes, beaches, riversides, ponds, marches, etc.

Behavior: When hunting, herons will wade slowly and stand like a statue, suddenly coming to life when they thrust their necks to stab prey with their beak. During breeding seasons they will form heronries, which are colonies of herons that build their nests high off the ground.

Regions: They are year-round residents of the entire trail.

 

NPS | Steve Dean

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

Identifiers: This bird of prey is brown above and pale white below with a streaked belly and darker bars on the underside of the wings. Tails of these hawks appear pale from below and reddish above.

Habitat: As the most widespread hawk in North America, they are seen in a variety of habitats, most commonly on roadsides poles or soaring over fields and woods.

Behavior: Red-tailed hawks can soar for long periods of time but use a sit-and-wait style of hunting from high perches. Their “keeeeer” call is often mistaken as the call of the bald eagle.

Regions: They are a year-round resident of the entire trail.

 

NPS | Steve Dean

Wood Duck (Aix Sponsa)

Identifiers: Males have an iridescent green head, chestnut breast, while females have grayish-brown plumage with white eye markings. Both have crests down the back of their heads.

Habitat: Wood ducks inhabit a variety of wooded wetlands environments.

Behavior: This species of duck is a cavity nester, typically nesting in tall tree trunks or hollows next to water. Females often raise two broods in one year and may end up dumping some of their eggs into other nests, a term known as brood parasitism.

Regions: They are year-round residents of the entire trail corridor.

 

NPs | Steve Dean

Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)

Identifiers: Look for brown feathers above and paler ones below, with the chest fading to white and a short, square tail.

Habitat: They reside in open areas typically near water, nesting in the burrows carved out by other animals. They are also known to nest in walls, gutters, and bridges.

Behavior: These swallows will catch insects mid-air as they twist and turn. Often seen perching on wires and exposed branches. As socially monogamous birds, they are assumed to mate for life, but divorce and remating is known to occur.

Regions: Rough-winged swallows can be spotted along the trail from May-mid July.

 

NPS | Steve Dean

Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)

Identifiers: These unique woodpeckers have black spotting across their plumage, blue lining their head, and a red patch on the back of it. When they fly, catch the yellow flash of their wings.

Habitat: Northern Flickers prefer open woodland habitats with enough ground cover to forage for insects.

Behavior: Though they hammer on trees like other woodpeckers, their food actually comes from insects on the ground, particularly ants. They are also dedicated parents, excavating the nest cavity as a team and taking shifts over defending the nest and incubating eggs.

Regions: They are year-round residents of the entire trail corridor.

 

Lily Kenyon

Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)

Identifiers: These common backyard birds are gray above and white below with orange patches under the wings and a tuft on their head. Their primary song is a fast-repeated “peter-peter-peter,” but they also make a scratchy “tsee-day-day-day-day” call.

Habitat: Titmice prefer mixed-hardwood forests and are known to frequent bird feeders.

Behavior: Titmice are social birds that are typically seen with chickadees and nuthatches. This is an adaptation that keeps them more alert to predators. They are also a species that does not migrate, unlike other songbirds.

Regions: They are year-round residents of the entire trail corridor.

 

NPS | Steve Dean

Barred Owl (Strix varia)

Identifiers: Barred owls are stocky with dark brown eyes and a rounded head.

Habitat: They inhabit mature forests, particularly those near water but they can also be found in swamps and urban areas with tree cover.

Behavior: These owls camouflage themselves on branches during the day and do their hunting at night by perching or gliding. Their call is a distinctive “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you too.”

Regions: Their calls can be heard all along the trail year-round.

 

NPS | Steve Dean

Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)

Identifiers: A relative of the cardinal, these small, sparrow-sized birds are known for their standout colors. Males are bright blue, and females are brownish with faint streaks on the breast.

Habitat: Buntings prefer brushy areas, particularly where fields meet forests.

Behavior: Males will be seen singing from treetops, shrubs, and telephone lines or foraging among shrubs and grasses. While perching, they often swish their tails from side to side.

Regions: Indigo buntings can be spotted along the trail during the spring and summer months.

 

NPS | Steve Dean

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)

Identifiers: Males are dusky below with a bright red throat. Females are golden-green above and whitish below, lacking the ruby throat.

Habitat: This hummingbird species occurs in deciduous woodlands, forest edges, meadows, orchards, or backyards.

Behavior: Ruby-throated hummingbirds can fully stop in midair and adjust their position in a number of directions. Look for them darting from one nectar source to another.

Regions: They are residents of the trail from April to October.

 

NPS | Steve Dean

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)

Identifiers: These plovers are brownish on top and white below with two black bands on the chest. Black and white patches line their faces.

Habitat: Killdeer prefer open ground with little to no vegetation, including lawns, golf courses, pastures, mudflats, or sandbars.

Behavior: Kildeer are often seen seen walking or running along the ground, stopping occasionally to look around before running again. They eat primarily earth worms, snails, crayfish, or aquatic insect larvae, but are opportunistic and will feed on what is available.

Regions: They are year-round residents of all regions except Laurel Highlands, where they go from spring to summer for the breeding season.

 

NPS | Nicole Phillips

Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris)

Identifiers: Males have a glossy black head and back, gray sides, and a white band around the bill. Females are brownish with white outlines on their eyes and a subtle white band on their bill.

Habitat: These diving ducks prefer small bodies of water such as ponds, marshes, and shallow lakes.

Behavior: Unlike many diving duck species, they can take off from the water without taking a running start. Often spotted in small to large flocks, sometimes intermingling with scaup.

Regions: Can be spotted in Southern Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC, and along the C&O Canal during late summer to early spring. For a few weeks during February, they can be spotted during migration along the Laural Highlands and Eastern Continental Divide.