Free Pictures of Birds

A white-breasted nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) on a pitch pine (Pinus rigida). (Yes, the cones in the background are on a white pine, P. strobus.) Summer, my back yard, Nashua, NH.

Fallen feather of a flicker (Calaptes auratus). Even if you don't know the species, this feather can tell you quite a bit about the bird it came from. Its asymmetrical structure indicates that it's a primary flight feather. Its broad shape and squared-off outer end is a pretty good indication that it's from a woodpecker. That color can only be from a northern "yellow-shafted" flicker. Summer, Mine Falls Park.

A belted kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon) flies under the power lines near the western end of the Mill Pond. I'm gathering quite a collection of these pictures of birds blurred in flight. Maybe it's just me, but I'm starting to like them a lot. Summer, Mine Falls Park.

A great blue heron (Ardea herodias) sticking out his tongue. Was he panting in the heat (it was about ninety degrees Fahrenheit)? Had he swallowed something distasteful? Was he commenting on my jokes? Summer, Mine Falls Park.

A great blue heron (Ardea herodias) sticking out his tongue. Was he panting in the heat (it was about ninety degrees Fahrenheit)? Had he swallowed something distasteful? Was he commenting on my jokes? Summer, Mine Falls Park.

A great blue heron (Ardea herodias) scans the Mill Pond from his perch on a log. Summer, Mine Falls Park.

A great blue heron (Ardea herodias) scans the Mill Pond from his perch on a log. Summer, Mine Falls Park.

A mallard (Anas platyrhynchos). Summer, Mine Falls Park.

A mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) preening under her wing. Here we can see this duck's distinctive white-bordered irridescent speculum. Many wild ducks have this peculiar rectangular patch on their wings. In some species, the color is fairly consistent, and even gives the species its name, such as the green-winged teal. In most species that have them, the speculum can vary in color depending on the brightness and angle of ambient light, as the mallard's speculum can appear black, blue, green, or purple. But only the mallard (and some breeds of its domesticated descendents) has white borders around its speculum. Summer, Mine Falls Park.

A mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) preening under her wing. Summer, Mine Falls Park.

A flock of turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) circling above Mine Falls Park. Not as ominous as it might appear, their gathering signals nothing more dreadful than the impending arrival of the trash trucks at the city landfill a mile or so to the west. Summer, Mine Falls Park.

A small flock of Canada geese (Branta canadensis canadensis) roosting on the Mill Pond. Common as these birds are in New England, even becoming suburban pests in some places, they are rare visitors to the Mill Pond. Summer, Mine Falls Park.

A small flock of Canada geese (Branta canadensis canadensis) take flight after briefly roosting on the Mill Pond. Common as these birds are in New England, even becoming suburban pests in some places, they are rare visitors to the Mill Pond. Summer, Mine Falls Park.

An eastern kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) flying very high, maybe 50 feet, above the Mill Pond. Usually, these large flycatchers zip along at just a couple of feet altitude to catch dragonflies on the wing. I wasn't sure what to make of this gray bird flying very slowly, even hovering briefly and turning sharply in midair. For a moment, I thought it was a tumbler pigeon flying uncharacteristally alone, but it was a kingbird catching some high-flying bugs that I couldn't even see. Summer, Mine Falls Park.

A great blue heron (Ardea herodias) rests on a snag in the Mill Pond. Why do herons tuck one foot under their wing when they're resting? Because if they tucked both feet under their wings, they'd fall down. Summer, Mine Falls Park.

A great blue heron (Ardea herodias) preens his bib while perched on a snag in the Mill Pond. Summer, Mine Falls Park.

A great blue heron (Ardea herodias) preens his bib, while a pair of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) take siesta on a log. Summer, Mine Falls Park.

A great blue heron (Ardea herodias) stretches his leg, while a pair of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) continue their nap. Summer, Mine Falls Park.

A great blue heron (Ardea herodias) stretches his wings over his back while bowing and stretching his neck toward the water. They always do this when they're about to take off after resting on a perch. Summer, Mine Falls Park.

A great blue heron (Ardea herodias) prepares to fly off and catch some fish for supper, while a pair of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) continue their nap. Summer, Mine Falls Park.

A mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) swims past my favorite sitting rock. Summer, Mine Falls Park.

A large white heron, probably a great egret (Casmerodius albus) disappears beneath the overhanging trees before I have a chance to get even a bad picture (this one is beyond bad). I've never seen a white heron at Mine Falls Park before or since. Great egrets nest farther south, but the young often wander far north of their breeding grounds after fledging and before migrating south for the winter. Summer, Mine Falls Park.

A family of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) parades past my favorite rock. The young drakes are just starting to show hints of their adult plumage. Summer, Mine Falls Park.

A young chipping sparrow (Spizella passerina) begs for food. Even though this bird is able to fly, and even appears larger than its parents, it will continue to beg its parents to feed it for several days. Most of the reason it appears larger than the adults is that part of the begging involves fluffing the feathers and partially opening the wings. Summer, Mine Falls Park.

A chipping sparrow (Spizella passerina) rushes to catch a bug to feed its begging fledgling. Summer, Mine Falls Park.

A belted kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon) watches for fish from his perch on a fallen tree. (Slowly, I'm getting closer to taking a good picture of a kingfisher. I see these birds at least a couple times a month, but they don't sit still long enough for me to take a decent photograph.) Summer, Mine Falls Park.

A mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) coos to his mate from a pitch pine (Pinus rigida). (Yes, those are maple leaves in the foreground.) Summer, my back yard, Nashua, NH.

An osprey (Pandion haliaetus carolinensis) passes over the western bay of the Mill Pond on his way up the Nashua River. Summer, Mine Falls Park.

A great blue heron (Ardea herodias) standing on a log at the edge of the Mill Pond. Summer, Mine Falls Park.

A great blue heron (Ardea herodias) standing on a log at the edge of the Mill Pond. Summer, Mine Falls Park.

A great blue heron (Ardea herodias) standing on a log at the edge of the Mill Pond. Summer, Mine Falls Park.

A great blue heron (Ardea herodias) standing on a log at the edge of the Mill Pond. Summer, Mine Falls Park.

A great blue heron (Ardea herodias) standing on a log at the edge of the Mill Pond. Summer, Mine Falls Park.

A great blue heron (Ardea herodias) standing on a log at the edge of the Mill Pond. Summer, Mine Falls Park.

Not quite sure what this bird is. Every time I think I've got it, some doubt arises. Best current guess is Philadelphia vireo (Vireo philadelphicus) in transition from breeding plumage to eclipse plumage, or perhaps a Nashville warbler (Vermivora ruficapilla). Birds really ought to wear nametags. If you have a clear idea what this bird is, please let me know via the contact page. Summer, Saco Lake Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Not quite sure what this bird is. Every time I think I've got it, some doubt arises. Best current guess is Philadelphia vireo (Vireo philadelphicus) in transition from breeding plumage to eclipse plumage, or perhaps a Nashville warbler (Vermivora ruficapilla). Birds really ought to wear nametags. If you have a clear idea what this bird is, please let me know via the contact page. Summer, Saco Lake Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

I'm creating quite a collection of birds in flight. This is the one that I think is a Philadelphia vireo (Vireo philadelphicus), but this photo won't give anyone much of a clue. It's barely recognizeable as a bird! But I like it. Summer, Saco Lake Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Cedar waxwing (Bombycilla cedorum). It's a bit unusual to see one alone. They generally congregate in large flocks of several dozen birds. This time of year, they split up into breeding pairs (yes, they breed rather late in the year compared to most birds), and the pairs forage separately for nesting materials and for berries to feed their chicks. Summer, Saco Lake Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Cedar waxwing (Bombycilla cedorum). It's a bit unusual to see one alone. They generally congregate in large flocks of several dozen birds. This time of year, they split up into breeding pairs (yes, they breed rather late in the year compared to most birds), and the pairs forage separately for nesting materials and for berries to feed their chicks. Summer, Saco Lake Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

A wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) in tall grass by the roadside. She was accompanied by at least four poults, concealed by the grass. Summer, White Mountain National Forest.

A hermit thrush (Catharus guttatus). This bird and a black-throated blue warbler (Dendroica caerulescens, photo below) were busily scolding when I came up over the ridge, but I couldn't tell whether they were in some altercation with each other, or both yelling at me, or both yelling at someone else. Whatever the reason, their agitation made it easy for me to get a few rather nice pictures of the normally shy thrush. Too bad I can't say the same for the warbler. Summer, Rocky Ridge Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH.

Hermit thrush (Catharus guttatus). Summer, Rocky Ridge Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH.

Hermit thrush (Catharus guttatus). Summer, Rocky Ridge Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH.

A black-throated blue warbler (Dendroica caerulescens). This bird and a hermit thrush (Catharus guttatus, photos above) were busily scolding when I came up over the ridge, but I couldn't tell whether they were in some altercation with each other, or both yelling at me, or both yelling at someone else. Whatever the reason, their agitation made it easy for me to get a few rather nice pictures of the normally shy thrush. Too bad I can't say the same for the warbler. Summer, Rocky Ridge Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH.

A fledgling grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) with his punk-like topknot of down waits quietly in a bush for his parents to bring him something to eat. Early summer, Mine Falls Park.

A downy woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) takes to the air, stretching his image out into a black and white blur. Early summer, Mine Falls Park.

I don't know what this little sparrow or finch is. I can tell you about its behavior, and maybe someone can send me a comment on the comment page to help identify it. I should think that its white-bordered black wing bar and streaked chest and belly would make it easy to identify, but I can't find any description that fits. There were two of these birds, one much more shy that the other, hanging around at the top of Arethusa Falls. They were foraging on a wet, algae-covered ledge, often right within the spray of the waterfall. The less shy one would walk around slowly, pecking at the rock as if eating something that was slow-moving and plentiful. But once in a while, it would suddenly rush over to one spot and make a grab, as if hunting something that might get away. I never heard them call the whole time I observed them. That's not to say they did not call, but I would not have heard them over the roar of the waterfall if they had. Late spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

I don't know what this little sparrow or finch is. I can tell you about its behavior, and maybe someone can send me a comment on the comment page to help identify it. Late spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

I don't know what this little sparrow or finch is. I can tell you about its behavior, and maybe someone can send me a comment on the comment page to help identify it. In this picture, we can clearly see the striped breast, which tells me it's not an American goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) in eclipse plumage. Late spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

I don't know what this little sparrow or finch is. I can tell you about its behavior, and maybe someone can send me a comment on the comment page to help identify it. In this picture, we can clearly see the striped breast, which tells me it's not an American goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) in eclipse plumage. Late spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

I don't know what this little sparrow or finch is. I can tell you about its behavior, and maybe someone can send me a comment on the comment page to help identify it. This is the only picture I have that shows the two birds in full view. Not a very good picture, but it does show that the two are similarly colored. If they are a mated pair, there is no difference in markings or coloration between the sexes. Late spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

I don't know what this little sparrow or finch is. I can tell you about its behavior, and maybe someone can send me a comment on the comment page to help identify it. Can't see it? It's there, trust me. Did I mention cryptic coloration? Late spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

I don't know what this little sparrow or finch is. I can tell you about its behavior, and maybe someone can send me a comment on the comment page to help identify it. Late spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

I don't know what this little sparrow or finch is. I can tell you about its behavior, and maybe someone can send me a comment on the comment page to help identify it. As you can see, the birds were foraging very close to the spray of the waterfall. Late spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

A chipping sparrow (Spizella passerina) forages for small insects among the flowers of a pitch pine (Pinus rigida). In the past year or two, these little birds have become much more common than in years past, both in my neighborhood and in nearby Mine Falls Park. Don't know why, but I'm not complaining. The one that sings outside my window at 4:30 AM is better than an alarm clock. Late spring, my back yard, Nashua, NH

A robin (Turdus migratorius) pauses on a branch of a pitch pine (Pinus rigida) on his way back to his nest with some tidbit in his bill. Don't know what that bright red thing is. Late spring, my back yard, Nashua, NH

A house finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) perches on a branch of a pitch pine (Pinus rigida). I don't see many of them here in New Hampshire. Out in the forests, especially up in the White Mountains, I often see (and more often hear) their close relative, the purple finch (C. purpureus) . Late spring, my back yard, Nashua, NH

A robin (Turdus migratorius) cocks his head to listen for worms on the shore of the Mill Pond. Late spring, Mine Falls Park

A gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) scopes me out as he sits on his rock and I sit on my favorite sitting rock beside the Mill Pond. Late spring, Mine Falls Park

A Baltimore oriole (Icterus galbula) stretched out into some sort of abstract impression of an oriole in flight. I think this picture may grow on me, as a similar picture of a chickadee, which I nearly erased several times, has become one of my favorite pictures. Late spring, Mine Falls Park

A pair of blue jays (Cyanocitta cristata) forage under the pines. Spring, my back yard, Nashua, NH

A blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) forages under the pines. Spring, my back yard, Nashua, NH

A white-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) sings about "Poor Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody!" from the dead crown of a red spruce (Picea rubens) right at timberline. Spring, White Cross Trail, Mount Monadnock

A white-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) sings about "Poor Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody!" from the dead crown of a red spruce (Picea rubens) right at timberline. Spring, White Cross Trail, Mount Monadnock

A white-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) throws back his head to sing his surprisingly loud territorial song. Looking at his wide-open mouth and proud bearing, I can hear him now! This is one of my new favorite pictures. Spring, White Cross Trail, Mount Monadnock

A white-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) sings about "Poor Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody!" from the dead crown of a red spruce (Picea rubens) right at timberline. Spring, White Cross Trail, Mount Monadnock

A white-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) takes a bow after his long solo, showing off his striped head and yellow eye-patches. Spring, White Cross Trail, Mount Monadnock

A red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) standing on a lawn less than ten feet away from me. In the full-sized picture, you can see my reflection in his eye. See many more pictures of this hawk and read about the most unusual prey he was hunting in my story, Robin Red-Tail. Spring, Roby Park, Nashua, NH

A red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) zeroes in on his tiny quarry in the grass. See many more pictures of this hawk and read about the most unusual prey he was hunting in my story, Robin Red-Tail. Spring, Roby Park, Nashua, NH

A red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) trots briskly toward his next morsel. See many more pictures of this hawk and read about the most unusual prey he was hunting in my story, Robin Red-Tail. Spring, Roby Park, Nashua, NH

A red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) walks straight toward me from less than ten feet away, with a piece of grass hanging from his mouth. See many more pictures of this hawk and read about the most unusual prey he was hunting in my story, Robin Red-Tail. Spring, Roby Park, Nashua, NH

A red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) closes his nictitating membrane to protect his eye as he siezes his tiny quarry in the grass. See many more pictures of this hawk and read about the most unusual prey he was hunting in my story, Robin Red-Tail. Spring, Roby Park, Nashua, NH

A dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis) forages on the trail while I sit on a rock listening to the waterfall. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis) hops up onto a rock and eyes me warily. I don't think he noticed that I was there until he had been foraging for half a minute less than ten feet away from me as I sat motionless. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis) moves in for a closer look, not quite sure what to make of me. Right after I took this picture, he flew off abruptly. I guess my unexpected presence interrupted his lunch. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A myrtle warbler (Dendroica coronata) on a dead branch. Spring, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Hooded mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus). The drab female (left) has a hood just like the males, but hers is dull reddish-brown like the rest of her plumage, while the males have bright white hoods with sharp black trim. Their "hoods" look like wide structures when seen from the side, but when seen from front or back, they are actually quite narrow. They're just crests and not "hoods." Early spring, Mine Falls Park

Hooded mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus). These ducks are not resident on the Mill Pond, but they pass through each spring as they migrate from their winter feeding grounds along the ocean back to their breeding sites along more isolated wooded ponds. This small flock of half a dozen or so stayed for nearly a week this year, and I thought they might stay for the season. The males were aggressively displaying to one another (only one is allowed to raise his hood fully, and the one at right is clearly submissive), and braying their territorial/mating calls. Early spring, Mine Falls Park

Hooded mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus) taking off. I was afraid this would be the last I saw of them, but they were just heading for the main body of the pond farther east. Early spring, Mine Falls Park

Hooded mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus). Early spring, Mine Falls Park

Hooded mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus) displaying their ranks. The male in the lead is the boss, with his hood fully raised. The next one is the low male on the totem pole, with his hood nearly fully retracted. The male at the rear is the chief lackey, with his hood halfway raised. The female can raise or lower her hood all she wants without fear of starting a fight. Early spring, Mine Falls Park

A black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) peers down as I hike past. Early spring, Mine Falls Park

A downy woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) takes a break from pecking wood to scratch an itch. Early spring, Mine Falls Park

A mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) searches for something to eat on the partially thawed Mill Pond. Early spring, Mine Falls Park

A mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) takes a stroll on the ice on the partially thawed Mill Pond. Early spring, Mine Falls Park

A trio of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) feeding on water milfoil (Myriophyllum sp.) and other aquatic plants as the Mill Pond glows with the reflected colors of autumn. Fall, Mine Falls Park

A trio of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) feeding on water milfoil (Myriophyllum sp.) and other aquatic plants as the Mill Pond glows with the reflected colors of autumn. Fall, Mine Falls Park

A trio of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) feeding on water milfoil (Myriophyllum sp.) and other aquatic plants in the shallows of the narrow western bay of the Mill Pond. Fall, Mine Falls Park

A turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) soars above the Mill Pond after dining at the city landfill down the road. Fall, Mine Falls Park

A family of crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) looking for trouble in the evening in Mine Falls Park. Fall, Mine Falls Park

A family of crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) looking for trouble in the evening in Mine Falls Park. Fall, Mine Falls Park

A herring gull (Larus argentatus smithsonianus) glides through the clear autumn sky. Fall, Mine Falls Park

A peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) wheels above Frankenstein Cliff as I watch from the top of Arethusa Falls. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis) near the summit of Mount Jackson. Summer, Mount Jackson, White Mountain National Forest

A gray jay (Perisoreus canadensis) with a peanut in his mouth, perched on the cairn that marks the summit of Mount Jackson. Summer, Mount Jackson, White Mountain National Forest

Chipping sparrow (Spizella passerina) foraging in the middle of the Millpond Trail. Summer, Mine Falls Park

A Cooper's hawk (Accipiter cooperii) in a pitch pine (Pinus rigida), trying to evade the neighborhood mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos). The mockingbirds forego their normally strict territoriality in order to gang up on a hawk. Not a very good picture, I admit, but you can see the profile of this pigeon-sized raptor. I was just hanging out in the back yard when I noticed a disturbance in the trees and recognized the distinctive "let's harass the hawk" call of the mockingbirds. It's just a loud "clack," but the mockingbirds know what it means. Summer, my back yard, Nashua, NH

A Cooper's hawk (Accipiter cooperii) in a pitch pine (Pinus rigida), trying to evade the neighborhood mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos). The mockingbirds forego their normally strict territoriality in order to gang up on a hawk. Not a very good picture, I admit, but you can see the horizontal white-and-chestnut streaks on the breast and belly of this pigeon-sized raptor. I was just hanging out in the back yard when I noticed a disturbance in the trees and recognized the distinctive "let's harass the hawk" call of the mockingbirds. It's just a loud "clack," but the mockingbirds know what it means. Summer, my back yard, Nashua, NH

A young male wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris). What is it with turkeys and pickup trucks? I'm guessing this is the same bird we saw on someone else's truck about a month earlier. I can tell it's a young male by the shorter feathers on the edges of his train. (Photo taken with older Concord Eye-Q camera.) Summer, Riverside Office Park, Andover, MA

An eastern kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) sits in a white birch (Betula papyrifera) on the lookout for insects. Spring, Mine Falls Park

A red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) sits in a bare oak tree beside the highway. Winter, Route 101, Milford, New Hampshire Downloaded 154 Times.

A red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) sits in a bare oak tree beside the highway. Winter, Route 101, Milford, New Hampshire Downloaded 308 Times.

A gray jay (Perisoreus canadensis) near the summit of Mount Jackson. Mount Webster in the background, Mount Willard nearly lost in the haze below. Late summer, Presidential Range Downloaded 123 Times.

Hairy woodpecker (Picoides villosus) digging a nest hole, mid-spring, Crawford Notch Downloaded 300 Times.