BirdFellow - Birding services, social networking, and habitat conservation

Inshore Waters

104 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

Arctic Loon

Accidental outside Western Alaska. In all plumages, note the white flank tuft above waterline. Otherwise, similar to Pacific Loon but slightly larger and heavier-billed; alternate adult has black back with white patches, black throat, vertical white lines on neck, and gray head and nape. Nape is slig more...

Length: 69 cm Wingspan: 102 cm

Arctic Tern

One of several small white terns that do not attain full adult alternate plumage until at least their third summer (three years after hatch year), this species is slightly smaller, shorter-legged, and shorter-billed than similar Common, Forster's and Roseate terns. Alternate adult has gray back and w more...

Length: 30 cm Wingspan: 78 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

Belcher's Gull

A stocky, medium-sized, four-year gull. Relatively long yellow legs and long, straight-edged, yellow bill with black ring and red tip. Dark eye. Adult: White underparts; slaty-black upperparts. Nonbreeding are dark-hooded with white eye arks. White head in breeding plumage contrasts with smoky-gray w more...

Length: 51 cm Wingspan: 124 cm

Black Guillemot

In alternate plumage, adults are black with a broad white wing patch, red legs, and a slender bill. In basic plumage, mostly white with black flight feathers and mottled black back. Compared to its western counterpart, Pigeon Guillemot, Black is paler in basic plumage, and has no dark bar in the whit more...

Length: 33 cm Wingspan: 53 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 Scoter

The smallest of the three scoter species, Black Scoters are recognized by their smaller bills and round foreheads. Males: Plumage is all black. The base of the bill is covered by an orange-yellow knob. Females: Dark brown with a small dark bill. Pale cheeks and throat contrast with dark crown and hin more...

Length: 43 cm Wingspan: 76 cm

Black Skimmer

A distinctive coastal bird of Eastern and Southern North America. Adult is tern-like, with long wings, short legs, and short neck. Back and wings are black, underparts white. Head is white with black cap and, in alternate plumage, black nape. Unique bill is long and relatively thick vertically, while more...

Length: 46 cm Wingspan: 112 cm

Black-headed Gull

Despite the name, the hood of this gull is actually chocolate brown. Black-headed Gull is similar to Bonaparte's Gull, with which it often associates, but is larger, with a heavier bill. In all plumages, the undersides of the primaries are dark. Alternate Adult: The mantle is pale gray. The primaries more...

Length: 38 cm Wingspan: 90 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

Black-vented Shearwater

A small, compact shearwater of the Southern Pacific Coast. Adult is uniformly dark above and mostly white below with a thin dark bill. Undertail is dark. Underwing linings are white, framed by a narrow dark leading edge of the underwings and dark flight feathers. Face and neck are dusky with these ma more...

Length: 36 cm Wingspan: 86 cm

Blue-footed 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-sh more...

Length: 81 cm Wingspan: 157 cm

Bonaparte's Gull

This small gull is recognized in all plumages by the thin all-black bill, and in flight by the white wedge on the leading edge of the upper surface of the outer wing, and the black trailing edge of the primaries. The underside of the wing is very pale gray, fading to white on the primaries. The upper more...

Length: 30 cm Wingspan: 80 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

Non-vegetated Areas

2 species

King Eider

Somateria spectabilis

Bare Rocky Slopes, Estuaries and Bays, Inshore Waters, Fresh Water Marshes, Alpine Tundra and Meadows

Kittlitz's Murrelet

Brachyramphus brevirostris

Bare Rocky Slopes, Estuaries and Bays, Inshore Waters

Salt Water

104 species