Northern Shrike

By Lewis Young The Northern Shrike is a solitary “masked hunter” that may be found in the northern U.S., including the Flathead Valley, during the winter. Its scientific name is Lanius excubitor and means “butcher watchman.” It is a pale gray bird with lightly barred under-parts and black wings, tail, and mask. The black wings…

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Vaux’s Swift

By Lisa Bate The Vaux’s Swift (Chaetura vauxi) is the smallest swift in North America, just slightly smaller than its eastern counterpart, the Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica). Best described as a “flying cigar,” this species is easily recognized by its small, cigar-shaped body with long, pointed wings, and short stubby tail. Typically, they can be…

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Hooded Merganser

Hooded Merganser

By Gael Bissell Have you ever heard a deep rolling frog-like call “pahwawaa… pahwawaa,” or hoarse, raven-like repeated croaks or gacks coming from water birds? These are the rare and odd sounds of the breeding male and female Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus), a common yet shy woodland duck of North America. In Georgia, folks call…

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