David Albeck's Photos of Passeriformes

Perching birds: three toes forward, one toe back, and a special tendon to keep the foot clamped even while sleeping.

This is the largest Order of birds, and includes all the familiar songbirds.

Passeriformes: Family Index

Cardinalidae:

Cardinals

Corvidae:

Crows & Jays

Emberizidae:

American Sparrows

Estrildidae:

Weaver-Finches

Icteridae:

Blackbirds, Grackles & Orioles

Laniidae:

Shrikes

Mimidae:

Mockingbirds & Thrashers

Paridae:

Tits, Chickadees, & Titmice

Parulidae:

Wood-Warblers

Passeridae:

European sparrows

Regulidae:
Kinglets

Thraupidae:

Tanagers & Honeycreepers

Turdidae:

Thrushes

Tyrannidae:

Tyrant Flycatchers

Cardinals (Cardinalidae)

A family of medium-sized, thick-billed, seed-eating birds. Includes a few "grosbeaks", "finches" and "buntings", though those names are also used for other families.

Rose-Breasted Grosbeak
Pheucticus ludovicianus

Local Pond

Northern Cardinal (female)

Signs of Spring

Northern Cardinal (female)
Cardinalis cardinalis

Mostly Ducks

Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis

Loxahatchee

Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis

Loxahatchee

Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis

Loxahatchee

Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis

More Winter Birds

Crows & Jays (Corvidae)

Family Corvidae includes crows, ravens, choughs, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies, treepies, and nutcrackers.

Generally large birds (by songbird standards), corvids are often loud, unafraid of humans, and aggressive toward other birds and toward potential predators. Many will take food from humans (whether offered freely or not), and some also steal shiny objects. Some species are highly social, others are territorial, and some guard a feeding territory during the day but join a communal roost at night.

Corvid species are frequently mentioned among the most intelligent birds, having demonstrated self-recognition, tool-making, and problem-solving abilities. A recent study demonstrated that crows can recognize individual human faces, but I am unaware of any human ever being able to recognize an individual crow (unless the crow had a scar or similar marking).

A surefire way to identify a corvid is to look closely at the top of its beak: corvids have bristly feathers that extend forward over their nostrils. To varying degrees, corvids also all have sturdy beaks, a harsh, dissonant voice (though some are good mimics), and a tendency to walk, not hop, when on the ground.

Common Magpie
Pica pica

Brittany

Blue Jay
Cyanocitta cristata

Local Pond

Grey Jay,
Perisoreus canadensis

Mt Si

Grey Jay,
Perisoreus canadensis

Willey Range

Grey Jay

Willey Range

Grey Jay,
Perisoreus canadensis

Mt Waumbek

Grey Jay,
Perisoreus canadensis

Dry River

Grey Jay,
Perisoreus canadensis

Dry River

Steller's Jay,
Cyanocitta stelleri

Bryce

Steller's Jay,
Cyanocitta stelleri

Baldy Bowl

American Sparrows (Emberizidae)

Small songbirds that often look like, but are not related to, Old World sparrows.

Chipping Sparrow

Local Pond

Dark-Eyed Junco

Signs of Spring

Savannah Sparrow
Passerculus sandwichensis

Signs of Spring

Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia

(no gallery)

Song Sparrow

(no gallery)

Song Sparrow

(no gallery)

Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia

Winter Birds

Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia

Chandler Pond

Rufous-Collared Sparrow
Zonotrichia capensis

Machu Picchu

White-Throated Sparrow
Zonotrichia albicollis

Spaulding Mtn

Weaver-Finches (Estrildidae)

A family of small birds with very thick, short bills for cracking seeds. Their nests are roofed over.

Zebra Finch
Taeniopygia guttata
(female)

Butterflies

Shaft-tail Finch
Poephila acuticauda

Butterfly World

Shaft-tail Finch
Poephila acuticauda

Butterfly World

Owl Finch
Taeniopygia bichenovii

Butterfly World

Three-colored parrot-Finch
Erythrura tricolor

Butterfly World

Gouldian Finch
Erythrura gouldiae

Butterfly World

Gouldian Finch
Erythrura gouldiae

Butterfly World

Gouldian Finch
Erythrura gouldiae

Butterfly World

Gouldian Finch
Erythrura gouldiae

Butterflies

True Finches (Fringillidae)

Thick-Billed Euphonia
Euphonia laniirostris

Costa Rica, pt. 3

American Goldfinch
Spinus tristis

(no album)

Orioles, Grackles, & Blackbirds (Icteridae)

A group of medium-size, mostly-black (the males that is), loud songbirds. Note that not all "blackbirds" are related.

Red-Winged Blackbird
(female)
Agelaius phoeniceus

Local Pond

Red-Winged Blackbird
(male)
Agelaius phoeniceus

Local Pond

Red-Winged Blackbird
(male)
Agelaius phoeniceus

Local Pond

Red-Winged Blackbird
(male)
Agelaius phoeniceus

Local Pond

Melodious Blackbird
Dives dives

Costa Rica

Brown-headed Cowbird
(female)
Molothrus ater

(no album)

Brown-headed Cowbird
(male)
Molothrus ater

Westport

Boat-Tailed Grackle

Merritt Island

Boat-Tailed Grackle
(male)
Quiscalus major

Merritt Island

Boat-Tailed Grackle
(female)
Quiscalus major

Everglades

Boat-Tailed Grackle
(male)
Quiscalus major

Everglades

Boat-Tailed Grackle
(male)
Quiscalus major

Loxahatchee

Boat-Tailed Grackle
(male)
Quiscalus major

Loxahatchee

Great-Tailed Grackle
(female)
Quiscalus mexicanus

Texas

Common Grackle
(male)
Quiscalus quiscula

Signs of Spring

Shrikes (Laniidae)

Predatory birds known for keeping a meal for later by impaling it on a thorn.

Loggerhead Shrike

Merritt Island

Loggerhead Shrike

Merritt Island

Loggerhead Shrike
Lanius ludovicianus

Merritt Island

Mockingbirds & Thrashers (Mimidae)

Medium-sized, long-tailed birds, some of which have a habit of imitating the songs of other birds, and any other sounds they hear.

Tropical Mockingbird
Mimus gilvus

Costa Rica, pt. 5

Northern Mockingbird

Charles River

Northern Mockingbird

Charles River

Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottus

Winter Birds

Northern Mockingbird

Mt Feake

Grey Catbird
Dumetella carolinensis

Chandler Pond

Wagtails & Pipits (Motacillidae)

Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensis

Skagastrond

"Old World" Flycatchers (Muscicapidae)

Flycatchers native to Europe, Asia, or Africa.

White-rumped Shama

hawaiian garden

Tits, Chickadees & Titmice (Paridae)

Small birds, often grey-backed, generally with short, thin bills. In the Americas we have "chickadees" and "titmice"; in the rest of the world, birds in this family are called "tits".

Black-Capped Chickadee

Charles River

Black-Capped Chickadee

Fall Birds

Black-Capped Chickadee
Poecile atricapillus

Mostly Ducks

Black-Capped Chickadee
Poecile atricapillus

Mostly Ducks

Wood-Warblers (Parulidae)

Small birds, often yellow, with thin bills for catching insects. Often called simply "warblers", but not related to Old World warblers.

Black-and-White Warbler
Mniotilta varia
(male)

Warbler

Black-and-White Warbler
Mniotilta varia
(male)

Local Pond

Yellow-Rumped ("Myrtle") Warbler
Setophaga coronata

(no album)

Yellow-Rumped ("Myrtle") Warbler
Setophaga coronata

(no album)

Palm Warbler
Dendroica palmarum

Fall Birds

Palm Warbler

Fall Birds

Palm Warbler
Dendroica palmarum

Signs of Spring

True Sparrows (Passeridae)

These are the "true sparrows" because these are the ones first described by European biologists. Settlers in the Americas found similar-looking birds (emberizids) which they also called "sparrows"; but those are unrelated.

Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanus

Cârţa

House Sparrow (male)
Passer domesticus

Charles River

House Sparrow (male)
Passer domesticus

Hawaii

House Sparrow (male)
Passer domesticus

Marblehead

House Sparrow (male)
Passer domesticus

Franklin Park Zoo

House Sparrow (female)
Passer domesticus

Shawangunks

House Sparrow (female)
Passer domesticus

Franklin Park Zoo

House Sparrow (female)
Passer domesticus

Franklin Park Zoo

House Sparrows (female)
Passer domesticus

Luxembourg

House Sparrow (female)

(no gallery)

Kinglets (Regulidae)

Golden-Crowned Kinglet

(no album)

Golden-Crowned Kinglet
Regulus satrapa

(no album)

Nuthatches (Sittidae)

White-Breasted Nuthatch
Sitta carolinensis

Robins

Starlings & Mynahs (Sturnidae)

Common Starling
Sturnus vulgaris

Paris

Common Myna
Acridotheres tristis

Myna

Tanagers (Thraupidae)

A very large family of often colorful birds found throughout the Americas. Many have thick bills for eating seeds, but others eat insects or nectar. This was therefore a particularly difficult group for traditional taxonomists, and the group has undergone considerable revision in the light of genetic testing. Notably, Darwin's Galapagos "finches" are actually tanagers.

Green Honeycreeper
Chlorophanes spiza
(male)

Costa Rica, pt. 3

Green Honeycreeper
Chlorophanes spiza
(female)

Costa Rica, pt. 1

Red-Legged Honeycreeper (non-breeding male)
Cyanerpes cyaneus

Costa Rica, pt. 1

Red-Legged Honeycreeper

Costa Rica, pt. 1

Red-Legged Honeycreeper (female)
Cyanerpes cyaneus

Costa Rica, pt. 3

"Red-Crested Cardinal"
Paroaria coronata

Paroaria

Passerini's Tanager
Ramphocelus passerinii
(male)

Costa Rica, pt. 4

Passerini's Tanager
Ramphocelus passerinii
(male)

Costa Rica, pt. 3

Passerini's Tanager
Ramphocelus passerinii
(female)

Costa Rica, pt. 4

Crimson-Collared Tanager
Ramphocelus sanguinolentus

Costa Rica, pt. 3

Buff-Throated Saltator
Saltator maximus

Costa Rica, pt. 5

Golden-Hooded Tanager
Tangara larvata

Costa Rica, pt. 4

Blue-Gray Tanager
Thraupis episcopus

Costa Rica, pt. 5

Blue-Gray Tanager
Thraupis episcopus

Costa Rica, pt. 3

Palm Tanagers
Thraupis palmarum

Costa Rica, pt. 5

Palm Tanagers
Thraupis palmarum

Costa Rica, pt. 3

Wrens (Troglodytidae)

Carolina Wren
Thryothorus ludocicianus

Winter Birds

Thrushes (Turdidae)

This family includes American "Robins" (not related to European robins which are flycatchers, muscicapidae) and European blackbirds (not related to American blackbirds (icterids)).

genus Catharus

Hermit Thrush

April Flowers

Hermit Thrush
Catharus guttatus

April Flowers

Hermit Thrush
Catharus guttatus

Prospect Mountain

Hermit Thrush
Catharus guttatus

Prospect Mountain

Hermit Thrush
Catharus guttatus

Pawtuckaway

genus Sialia

Eastern Bluebird
Sialia sialis

Pine Hole

genus Turdus

  Clay-Colored Thrush
Turdus grayi

Costa Rica pt. 5

Clay-Colored Thrush
Turdus grayi

Costa Rica pt. 5

Clay-Colored Thrush
Turdus grayi

Costa Rica

  American Robin
Turdus migratorius

Charles River

American Robin
Turdus migratorius

Franklin Park Zoo

American Robin
Turdus migratorius

Robins

American Robin
Turdus migratorius

Robins

American Robin
Turdus migratorius

Ponkapoag

  Song Thrush
Turdus philomelos

Breton Life

Tyrant Flycatchers (Tyrannidae)

The largest single family among birds. New World birds, most of which do eat flies.

Great Kiskadee
Pitangus sulphuratus

Costa Rica, pt. 4

Great Kiskadee
Pitangus sulphuratus

Costa Rica, pt. 3

Great Kiskadee
Pitangus sulphuratus

Costa Rica

Eastern Kingbird
Tyrannus tyrannus

Local Pond

White-Eyes (Zosteropidae)

Japanese white-eye

hawaiian garden