Category: Backyard Birds

Gray Catbird

Medium sized, slender songbird, long tail, straight bill, long legs
Small black cap, blackish tail, brown patch under the tail, rest of the body is gray.
Secretive but energetic, males sing on top of shrubs and small trees
They prefer to fly quickly over vegetation, staying close to the ground, instead of flying across open areas
Habitat: Can be found in dense tangles of shrubs, streamside thickets, old fields and fence rows.
Local Sightings: Can be seen at the Cynwyd heritage Trail, W. Laurel Hill Cemetery and Shortridge Memorial Park

Large head and eyes, thick neck, short stout bill
Soft silvery gray on top, white below, peach color on the flanks and has a black patch above the bill
Acrobatic, often flock with chickadees, nuthatches and woodpecker at the feeders
Habitat: Can be found in most eastern woodlands below 2,000 feet, they can be found in evergreen and deciduous forests, common visitor of feeders
Local Sightings: Cynwyd Heritage Trail, West Laurel Hill Cemetery and Shortridge Memorial Park

Small hummingbird, slightly down curved slender bill, short wings
Bright emerald green on the back, gray-white underparts
Males have bright red throat
Can fly straight and fast, can hover in one place
Often visit Hummingbird feeders and tube shaped flowers
Habitat: Woodlands, forest edges, meadows, grasslands, parks and gardens.
Local Sightings: Cynwyd Heritage Trail, West Laurel Hill Cemetery and Shortridge Memorial Park

Large Sparrow, prominent bill, round head, long tail and legs
Brown back, gray below, black and white striped head. White throat and yellow between the bill and eyes
Tends to stay close to the ground looking for food, they can be in bushes in the spring eating buds
Habitat: Woods, large woodland edges, pond and bog edges and woodsy suburbs
Local Sightings: Cynwyd Heritage Trail, West Laurel Hill Cemetery and Shortridge Memorial Park

Small Finch, small head, long wings, short tail
Males: in spring are bright yellow, black forehead and wings, with white markings, white patches on the tail
Females: duller yellow beneath, olive color on top
Very acrobatic, they cling to weeds
Fly with a bouncy pattern
Habitat: Weedy fields and floodplains, live near thistles and asters
Local Sightings: Cynwyd Heritage Trail, West Laurel Hill Cemetery and Shortridge Memorial Park

Stocky blackbird, short tail, thick head
Male: Glossy black plumage, brown head
Female: Plain brown, lighter on the head and underparts, streaking on the belly, dark eyes
Feeds on the ground in various groups of blackbirds and starlings
Males: Strut in open lawns looking for mates
Females: Creep in the woodland looking for nests
Very noisy, can make a variety of noises, clicks, whistles.
Habitat: Open fields, pastures, meadows, forest edges
Local Sightings: Cynwyd Heritage Trail, West Laurel Hill Cemetery and Shortridge Memorial Park

Largest Nuthatch, large head and stout neck
Gray blue back, white face and under parts, lower belly and under the tail are chestnut
Black or gray cap makes this bird look like it is wearing a hood
Agile birds, they turn sideways as well as upside down on trunks as they forage
Habitat: Woodland, deciduous trees, and can be found in some coniferous trees
Local Sightings: Cynwyd Heritage Trail, West Laurel Hill Cemetery and Shortridge Memorial Park

Large songbird
Red breast, Gray Body
Authoritative, form big flocks in winter and gather in trees
Common almost everywhere
Local Sightings: Rosemont, Rolling Hill Park, Merion Botanical, Merion Tribute, West Mill Creek Park, Shortridge Park, Cynwyd Heritage Trail, West Laurel Hill Cemetery