enjoy your visit — Birding at the Garden

Birding: Birds M–O

Compiled by James F. Steffen, Richard Biss and Laurence C. Binford


Great Horned Owl	Northern Oriole	Orchard Oriole

SPECIES	SPRING	SUMMER	FALL	WINTER
Martin, Purple***	VC	AB	FC
Meadowlark, Eastern***	FC	O	VU	CA
Meadowlark, Western*	O	CA
Merganser, Common	O		O
Merganser, Hooded	R	CA	FC	CA
Merganser, Red-breasted	C		C	FC
Merlin	R		VU
Mockingbird, Northern	CA
Nighthawk, Common**	U	VU	C
Nuthatch, Red-breasted	U		FC	U
Nuthatch, White-breasted**	VU	VU	VU	CA
Oriole, Northern***	C	C	FC
Oriole, Orchard***	U	U
Osprey	U	AC	U
Ovenbird	FC		U
Owl, Eastern Screech***	CA	CA	CA	CA
Owl, Great Horned***	O	CA	O	CA
Owl, Northern Saw-whet	CA
Owl, Short-eared	O

KEY

Detectability

Regular (expected annually; defined as the average number of individual birds per birding day, week or month expected by an experienced observer under normal circumstances in the proper habitat at the optimum time of season):

P= Permanent Residents (although wild birds are possible; look for clipped wing)
AB = Abundant (30+ per day)
VC = Very Common (10-30 per day)
C= Common (3-10 per day)
FC = Fairly Common (1-3 per day)
U = Uncommon (2 per week to 1 per day)
VU = Very Uncommon (3 per month to 2 per week)
R = Rare (1-3 per month)

Irregular (absent some years; defined as an average of one record by all observers in the stated number of years):

O = Occasional (1-3 years)
CA = Casual (3-11 years)
AC = Accidental (11+ years)

Designations for winter water birds are based on periods when lakes are mostly icefree.

Breeding

(***) Confirmed
(**) Probable
(*) Possible
(~) Captive birds

Seasons

SP = Spring (March 6 - June 5)
SU = Summer (June 6 - August 15)
F = Fall (August 16 - November 30)
W = Winter (December 1 - March 5)

Bird Photographs: Jim Ault, Carol Freeman, Jim Steffen.