Embedded Files
Morning Flight
Under construction!
Grouped roughly by taxonomy with some alterations for functionality to discuss ID. Species account pages noted below may be combined with other groups, so scroll (or search by species name or code) to find the ones you are looking for.
All notes regarding field marks or GISS can be prefaced with the idea they become recognizable with increased experience.
Try to not worry about identifying every bird - focus on individuals which provide good looks in good light when learning.
.
.
.
Pigeons and Doves
Click here for Species Accounts
Regular flight participant: diurnal migrants, reorientation movements.
Will also undertake routine flights to and from roost sites and water sources. During the breeding season, local males may follow passage individuals before returning.
Singles to small flocks.
Fast and often direct flight distinctive.
Species
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Codes
ROPI
MODO
EUCD
Cuckoos
Click here for Species Accounts
Yellow-billed is a rare flight participant in low numbers.
Black-billed is very rare in morning flight.
Slow, floppy flight between trees is striking / distinctive.
Species
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Black-billed Cuckoo
Codes
YBCU
BBCU
Hummingbirds
Click here for Species Accounts
Regular flight participant.
Fast direct flight, often very low. Distinctive.
Species
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Codes
RTHU
Swifts and Swallows
Click here for Species Accounts
Regular flight participants.
Variable height, numbers and flight styles depending on species and type of flight being undertaken.
Significant daily roost movements in Jul-Sep, into Nov for TRES.
Species
Chimney Swift
Bank Swallow
Tree Swallow
N. Rough-winged Swallow
Purple Martin
Barn Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Cave Swallow
Codes
CHSW
BANS
TRES
NRWS
PUMA
BARS
CLSW
CASW
Kingfishers
Click here for Species Accounts
Regular flight participant.
Low numbers.
Unique shape and flight style.
Species
Belted Kingfisher
Codes
BEKI
Woodpeckers
Click here for Species Accounts
Often regular flight participants.
Distinctive flight styles.
Some species are irruptive and/or more common during finch irruption years.
Species
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Am. Three-toed Woodpecker
Black-backed Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Codes
RHWO
RBWO
YBSA
ATTW
BBWO
DOWO
HAWO
NOFL
PIWO
Flycatchers
Click here for Species Accounts
Larger species are often regular flight participants. Empidonax generally rare or move inconspicuously through vegetation.
Usually direct flight. Some appear to be participants in "true morning flight".
Smaller species may be confused with Vireos or Warblers.
Species
Great-crested Flycatcher
Western Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Alder / Willow
(Trail's Flycatcher)
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Codes
GCFL
WEKI
EAKI
OSFL
EAWP
YBFL
ALFL / WIFL
TRFL
LEFL
EAPH
Vireos and Shrikes
Click here for Species Accounts
Variabe flight participation by species. Some are frequently observed in low to moderate numbers. Others may not undertake morning flight at all.
Vireos may recall warblers in flight. Somewhat more robust and direct.
Species
Yellow-throated Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
White-eyed Vireo
Northern Shrike
Loggerhead Shrike
Codes
YTVI
BHVI
PHVI
WAVI
REVI
WEVI
NSHR
LOSH
Crows, Ravens and Jays
Click here for Species Accounts
Regular flight participants, particularly in diurnal migration.
Distinctive rowing flight styles, often in groups to large flocks.
Species
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
Common Raven
Codes
BLJA
AMCR
FICR
CORA
Chickadees and Titmouse
Click here for Species Accounts
Irregular flight participants, but significant diurnal migration flights can occur during irruption years.
Often cautious, moving through vegetation in flocks. May "false start" often, lifting off before circling back to where they started.
Species
Black-capped Chickadee
Boreal Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Codes
BCCH
BOCH
TUTI
Nuthatches
Click here for Species Accounts
Irregular flight participants, but significant numbers can occur during irruption years.
Surprisingly bold in flight, given their slow and floppy flight style.
Species
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Codes
RBNU
WBNU
Gnatcatcher, Creeper and Kinglets
Click here for Species Accounts
All willing flight participants but different flight behaviours for each group.
May be generally distinctive in flight due to their small size and/or unique structure.
Species
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Brown Creeper
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Codes
BGGN
BRCR
RCKI
GCKI
Wrens
Click here for Species Accounts
Generally do not undertake morning flight.
Odd, round impressions with rapidly beating wings.
Species
House Wren
Winter Wren
Sedge Wren
Marsh Wren
Carolina Wren
Codes
HOWR
WIWR
SEWR
MAWR
CARW
Thrushes
Click here for Species Accounts
Variable flight participation by species from abundant (AMRO) to very rare (WOTH).
Generally strong fast flying species.
Species
American Robin
Townsend's Solitaire
Eastern Bluebird
Swainson's Thrush
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Veery
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
Codes
AMRO
TOSO
EABL
SWTH
GCTH
VEER
HETH
WOTH
Mimids
Click here for Species Accounts
Regular flight participants, generally in low numbers.
Each stands out due to very long bodies/tail.
Species
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
Codes
GRCA
BRTH
NOMO
Waxwings
Click here for Species Accounts
Regular flight participants; however, BOWA is irruptive and rare in the south.
Often in coherent flocks, generally distinctive rapid, sweeping flight paths.
Species
Cedar Waxwing
Bohemian Waxwing
Codes
CEDW
BOWA
Finches
Click here for Species Accounts
All are generally frequent and willing flight participants. Most are irruptive with significant year to year variation in numbers.
Much variation in size, structure and flight style by species.
All species call frequently in flight. Calls are distinctive to species and aid significantly in detection and identification.
Species
Evening Grosbeak
Pine Grosbeak
White-winged Crossbill
Red Crossbill
Common Redpoll
Hoary Redpoll
Pine Siskin
American Goldfinch
Purple Finch
House Finch
Codes
EVGR
PIGR
WWCR
RECR
CORE
HORE
PISI
AGOL
PUFI
HOFI
Weavers
Click here for Species Accounts
Introduced species and irregular flight participants.
Surprisingly nondescript in flight. May recall house finch by structure and flight style. Calls infrequently.
Species
House Sparrow
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Codes
HOSP
ETSP
Larks, Pipits, Longspurs and Snow Bunting
Click here for Species Accounts
All are regular flight participants.
Often in moderate to large numbers due to flocking behaviour
Not closely related but share most flight behaviours, flight style and structure.
Flight calls are generally distinctive and regularly heard.
Species
Horned Lark
American Pipit
Lapland Longspur
Smith's Longspur
Snow Bunting
Codes
HOLA
AMPI
LALO
SMLO
SNBU
Sparrows and Towhees
Click here for Species Accounts
Variable flight participation by species. Some may not undertake morning flight.
Generally low to moderate numbers, but much varition by species.
Species
Chipping Sparrow
Clay-coloured Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
American Tree Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Harris's Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Codes
CHSP
CCSP
FISP
FOSP
ATSP
DEJU
WTSP
WCSP
HASP
GRSP
VESP
SAVS
SOSP
LISP
SWSP
LASP
EATO
Icterids and Starling
Click here for Species Accounts
All are regular flight participants.
Some variation in timing and types of flight by species.
Numbers also variable by species, with exceptional blackbird movements during spring and fall diurnal migration.
Species
European Starling
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Rusty Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Common Grackle
Bobolink
Eastern Meadowlark
Western Meadowlark
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Codes
EUST
YHBL
RWBL
BHCO
RUBL
BRBL
COGR
BOBO
EAME
WEME
OROR
BAOR
Warblers and Chat
Click here for Species Accounts
Warbler movements are an iconic part of watching morning flight.
Much variation in propensity to fly, numbers, and types of flight by species.
Can be challenging yet rewarding to identify in flight, particularly in fall when large mixed species movements of birds in winter plumage occur.
Further Reading:
Be sure to check out Warblers in Flight: A Photographic Collection on the Shorebirder blog!
Species
Ovenbird
Worm-eating Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush
Northern Waterthrush
Golden-winged Wabrler
Blue-winged Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Prothonotary Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Connecticut Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Kentucky Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
American Redstart
Kirtland's Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Northern Parula
Magnolia Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Canada Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Codes
OVEN
WEWA
LOWA
NOWA
GWWA
BWWA
BAWW
PROW
TEWA
OCWA
NAWA
CONW
MOWA
KEWA
COYE
HOWA
AMRE
KIWA
CMWA
CERW
NOPA
MAWA
BBWA
BLBW
YEWA
CSWA
BLPW
BTBW
PAWA
PIWA
YRWA
YTWA
PRAW
BTNW
CAWA
WIWA
YBCH
New World Cardinals
Click here for Species Accounts
Generally regular flight participants.
Usually low to moderate numbers.
Larger and more distinct structure.
Distinctive flight calls can aid in spotting and identifying several species.
Species
Scarlet Tanager
Summer Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Dickcissel
Codes
SCTA
SUTA
NOCA
RBGR
BLGR
INBU
DICK
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse