Physical Characteristics Ruffed grouse (or “Partridge”) are the most widely distributed game birds in North America. They rank among the smaller of the 10 species of grouse native to North America with weights ranging from 17 to 25 oz. The subspecies that inhabits Maine is the St. Lawrence or Canada ruffed grouse. Plumage of the…
Established by the City of Portland in 1854, the cemetery was designed by Charles H. Howe as a rural landscape with winding carriage paths, ponds, footbridges, gardens, chapel, funerary art and sculpture. It also includes extensive wooded wetlands. Evergreen was modeled after America’s first rural cemetery, Mount Auburn in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The popularity of garden/rural…
Settled in 1763, it has relied on lumbering, shipbuilding, and industry to support its economy. The classic Grand Theater has been saved as an active movie and performance space. See photos. At the confluence of seven highway routes, the city is a shopping center for the area and summer tourism. The Col. John Black Mansion, a modified Georgian design, was home to the land agent for William Bingham.
Maine Resident Woodpeckers Four species of woodpeckers are among the birds that inhabit Maine. The essence of being a woodpecker is the use of its sharp, pointed bill for digging into trees for nesting and extracting insects. Three share the title “woodpecker”: the Downy, Hairy, and Pileated. These three are year-round residents throughout the state…
From an article by George Matula Wildlife Biologist, Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Physical Characteristics The Wild Turkey is North America’s largest upland game bird. Average adult hens weigh between 8 – 12 lb. and adult toms (males) between 10 – 20 lb., but a large tom can weigh in excess of 25 lb.…
The Tufted Titmouse is a bird found in the southern half of Maine year-round. Nationally, its range is essentially east of the Mississippi River. Slate gray with a white belly and a rusty area below the wings, the male, female and young Titmouse share the same color and appearance. It nests in holes in trees,…
The Tree Swallow remains in Maine, along the coast, near freshwater ponds, and in agricultural fields, during the summer. Thereafter, as with many other birds, it migrates to to southern coastal states, Mexico and Central America. This one apparently decided to take up residence in one of the bird boxes provided in an open field…
Several species of sparrows abound in Maine’s collection of birds. They include the Chipping, Song, and White-throated sparrows. All are between 5 and 7 inches long. In an unusual twist, the female and male sparrows noted here have the same color schemes. Chipping Sparrow The distinctive mark is the rust-colored crown atop their heads. The…
The Dark-eyed Juncos are birds that live in Maine all year. Ground feeders, they are most often noticed in winter in small flocks under bird feeders. They especially like seeds that fall from the feeders. In summer they tend to stay in coniferous (pine, spruce) forests. The male is slate-gray with a white belly; the…
may be found all over Maine in its lakes and ponds. In winter they move closer to the coast where they fish in the ocean and bays. Loons dive to great depths and swim long distances under water to avoid humans and predators. Some have been found tangled in nets 200 feet below the surface.…
The Common Grackle is a bird found throughout Maine in the summer; but it migrates to the southern states for the winter. As is well described in the Birds of Maine field Guide, the male is a “Large [11-13 inches] black bird with iridescent blue black head, purple brown body, long black tail, long thin…
Grouse Spruce Grouse The Spruce Grouse is found in mixed spruce and pine forests, such as this on the Appalachian Trail in Riley Township in western Maine. It roosts in trees and its almost tame behavior permitted a closer photo than allowed by most birds. This one was seen near its southern range, since the…
This bird is found year-round in all but northern Maine. The male is similar to the Purple Finch, except that the latter has a tuft of feathers on its head. The male Pine Grosbeak, another look-a-like, is larger than the 5 inch House Finch.
A male in summer is a yellow bird with a black patch on its forehead, with black wings and tail and white on the wings and rump. In winter he looks much like the female: a dull olive yellow with brownish wings. The male has a bright orange bill, while the female’s is, again, a…
is a bird that inhabits marshes, swamps, meadows and pastures throughout the United States and throughout the state of Maine. The male is easily identified by its bright red “shoulder patches.” The female and the young are streaked with brown, not at all appearing to be black birds. The male often catches the eye as…
are small, needle-nosed birds about the size of a chickadee, but more streamlined. Nuthatches come in two varieties in Maine: White-breasted (larger) and Red-breasted (smaller with a black eyeliner). They are frequent visitors to bird feeders, with, as expected, a preference for nut-like food. In fact, their name comes from their habit of wedging nuts…
While commonly called “sea gulls,” Maine hosts three types of these birds: Great Black-backed, Herring, and Ring-billed gulls. All are scavengers that eat a variety of items including, fish (such as alewives – see photo below), clams, eggs of other birds, garbage, and your lunch if you’re not careful! Gulls live year-round in coastal areas,…
These large, black birds are found in Maine primarily along the coast, on rocky shores, on ledges, and swimming in the water. “Cormorant” is derived from two latin words that mean “sea crow,” but this bird is not actually associated with the crow family of birds. This double-crested cormorant (typically 32 inches long with a…
Willets and yellowlegs are birds similar in appearance, as are the greater and lesser yellow legs. Greater Yellowlegs As you have already guessed, “yellow legs” are a distinguishing feature of this long-billed shorebird. It differs from the lesser yellowlegs by it size (14 inches compared to 10 1/2 inches) and by its longer bill (about…
The Great Egret and the Snowy Egret are both well-known birds along the Maine Coast. Egrets are part of the heron family. Great Egret This egret is all white with a yellow bill and black legs. Its length of 35-41 inches is exceeded by it wingspan of 55 inches. It has been known as the…