Mallard (MALL)

Mallards are always striking to see in the field! They always remind me of duck hunt. Last semester in museum specimen prep one of our classmates prepped a beautiful one!

Double-crested cormorant (DCCO)

We’ve seen him on several of our excursions this year, including the marsh!

Herring gull (HERG)

These little jerks were constantly waking me up with their screams when I lived on campus. Despite their awful reputation, I have soft spot for gulls!

Great black-backed gull (GBBG)

Also seen on our trip to Willard beach! Despite being fairly distinct looking, the red dot on their bill is a giveaway!

Rock pigeon (ROPI)

No trip to a city is complete without seeing how close you can get to these handsome little fellas. Their iridescent feathers have always fasicnated me!

American crow (AMCR)

I always have trouble distinguishing them from ravens, except for their call!

Fish crow (FICR)

I’m unsure if I’ve ever seen these guys in the field, because I have a very hard time distinguishing them from other black birds. Apparently, they are slightly smaller than the American crow.

Black-capped Chickadee (BCCH)

There’s a few of these living in the shrub outside my apartment! Their black head + white stripe has always looked so regal to me.

American Robin (AMRO)

I’ve somehow never noticed these guys around in Maine, but theyre absolutely everywhere when I visit my family in PA

European Starling (EUST)

I need to keep an eye out for them in the future – their feathers are stunning!

All photos and fun facts from allaboutbirds.org