BirdFellow - Birding services, social networking, and habitat conservation

Coastal Cliffs

43 Bird Species

Ancient Murrelet

Named for its ragged patch of head feathers resembling gray hair in alternate plumage, the diminutive Ancient Murrelet has a black head and bib, partial white collar, gray back, straw-yellow bill, and white underparts. In winter, the white head streaks fade and the black bib is encroached by white. A more...

Length: 26 cm Wingspan: 43 cm

Atlantic Puffin

Unmistakable; the only puffin found in the Atlantic Ocean. Crisply marked with black upperparts, white underparts, a black breast band, white face, orange legs, and large blue and orange bill. A bit smaller than Tufted and Horned Puffins, which are unknown from Eastern North America. Without range as more...

Length: 32 cm Wingspan: 53 cm

Barnacle Goose

This small goose is a rare visitor from Europe. Single birds in North America have long been presumed escapees, but there is increasing evidence that at least some are legitimate vagrants. The mostly white face contrasts with the otherwise black nape, neck, and breast. A dark line extends through the more...

Length: 58 cm Wingspan: 132 cm

Black Noddy

A dark, tern-like bird, rare on Texas coast and Dry Tortugas in Florida. Adult, unusual in North America, is black with white cap, slender black bill, and short black legs. Juveniles and immatures are entirely dark with sharply contrasting white cap and pale wing coverts. Brown Noddy is browner overa more...

Length: 34 cm Wingspan: 76 cm

Black Phoebe

This phoebe is instantly recognized by its stark black and white pattern, peaked hind crown, and tail bobbing. The upperparts, head, breast, and sides are black. The belly and undertail coverts are white. Wing feathers show indistinct pale edges. At close range, note the white outer web of the outerm more...

Length: 15 cm Wingspan: 27 cm

Black Swift

This is the largest regularly occurring swift in North America. Blackish overall. At close range, shows a whitish cast on the face. The wings are long and broad and usually appear somewhat curved in flight. The tail is fairly long and wide, clearly notched on adult males, more squared on females and more...

Length: 18 cm Wingspan: 38 cm

Black-legged Kittiwake

This smallish gull is short-legged and short-billed. At rest, the tail is slightly notched. Alternate Adult: Medium gray mantle, with all-white head, tail, and underparts. The legs are short and black. Bill is all yellow. At close range, note the red eye ring and gape. Basic Adult: Blackish spot on a more...

Length: 38 cm Wingspan: 93 cm

Black-tailed Gull

This Asian species is one of the few gulls that shows black on the tail as an adult. Distinguished in all plumages by its long thin bill with no gonydeal expansion. Alternate Adult: The mantle is dark gray. The head and underparts are white. The tail has a broad black band, completely edged in white. more...

Length: 46 cm Wingspan: 119 cm

Brandt's Cormorant

Similar in length, but slightly slimmer overall than Double-crested Cormorant. In flight, they hold their necks straighter; neck and head more streamlined than Double-crested. Adults are all black. During nesting season, they show some greenish iridescence, a bright azure blue throat pouch, and may h more...

Length: 80 cm Wingspan: 120 cm

Brown Booby

Boobies are large and distinctive in shape with long slightly crooked pointed wings, fairly long necks that taper into a slender head and long pointed bill, with a lot of neck and head extension in front of the wing. The rump and tail extend well behind the wings tapering to a fairly narrow wedge-sha more...

Length: 76 cm Wingspan: 145 cm

Brown Noddy

A dark, tern-like bird, breeds on Dry Tortugas in Florida. Adult is dark brown overall with white forehead, long and stout black bill, and short black legs. Juveniles and immatures are entirely dark brown with white forehead and pale wing coverts. Sexes are similar. Black Noddy is black overall with more...

Length: 39 cm Wingspan: 81 cm

Cassin's Auklet

Often described as a flying football, this species is chunky, thick-necked, rounded, and evenly shaded over most of its body. It is sooty charcoal gray on the back, head, and breast. The belly and undertail vary from medium gray to near white. The bill is fairly stout, mostly dark with a pale area a more...

Length: 23 cm Wingspan: 38 cm

Common Murre

Dense breeding colonies of Common Murres often reach tens of thousands of individuals, making this one of the more abundant seabirds along the rocky coastlines of eastern and western North America. Fully-grown, murres are larger than murrelets and auklets with a long chisel-shaped bill. Recently-fled more...

Length: 45 cm Wingspan: 66 cm

Crested Auklet

Small and chunky, the Crested Auklet is named for its thick, upright, forward-curling crest in alternate plumage. Adults are dark-bodied with a stubby orange bill, pale eye, and a single thin white plume drooping behind the eye. In basic plumage, the crest is shorter, white plumes are dropped, and th more...

Length: 20 cm Wingspan: 43 cm

Dovekie

This tiny seabird typically swims tilted forward with head down, giving a thick-necked and short-tailed appearance. Adults in alternate plumage have black wings, back, head, and throat, with a short, stubby bill. In basic plumage, the throat is white, wrapping up behind the eye, leaving a dark neck b more...

Length: 21 cm Wingspan: 38 cm

Eurasian Jackdaw

This small Eurasian crow has been found several times in northeastern North America. Adults are blackish overall, with pale gray on the nape that wraps around to the sides of the head. The iris is white. The bill is fairly short, and the wings are short and pointed. Juveniles have darker napes and da more...

Length: 33 cm Wingspan: 43 cm

Non-vegetated Areas

2 species

Black Swift

Cypseloides niger

Rocky Cliffs and Gorges, Coastal Cliffs, Western Confierous Forest, Dry Western Woodlands

White-throated Swift

Aeronautes saxatalis

Rocky Cliffs and Gorges, Rimrocks and Mesas, Coastal Cliffs, Deserts and Sagebrush Plains

Salt Water

43 species

Ancient Murrelet

Synthliboramphus antiquus

Open Ocean, Inshore Waters, Coastal Cliffs

Atlantic Puffin

Fratercula arctica

Open Ocean, Inshore Waters, Rocky Shores, Coastal Cliffs

Barnacle Goose

Branta leucopsis

Rocky Shores, Coastal Cliffs, Tidal Mudflats and Shallows, Saltmarshes, Open Country and Grasslands