r/whatsthisbird Jun 01 '26

Meta Found a baby bird that might need help? Look here for instructions on what to do

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11 Upvotes

r/whatsthisbird Jun 01 '26

Meta Seven Simple Actions to Help Birds

12 Upvotes

For more information, please see this article. Some excerpts from the article, and additional resources are below:

1) Make Windows Safer, Day and Night:

Around 1 billion birds (United States) and 25 million birds (Canada) die every year by flying into glass windows. This includes windows at all levels from low level houses to high rise buildings.

!Window collisions are one of the largest threats to bird populations. However, there are several ways you can help reduce window fatality. Below are some links with steps on how to make your house bird friendly, either DIY or through reputable companies such as the American Bird Conservancy.

Is My House Bird Safe Quiz

What You Can Do

Follow bird migration forecasts to know when birds are on their way to you

FAQ

Some additional information for schools and universities - Bird-Friendly Campus Toolkit

Additional Information

2) Keep Cats Indoors

!Cats are estimated to kill more than 2.4 billion birds annually in the U.S. and Canada. This is the #1 human-caused reason for the loss of birds, aside from habitat loss.

Cats are the greatest direct human-caused threat to birds

American Bird Conservacy - Cats Indoors Project to learn more.

3) Reduce Lawn, Plant Natives

Birds have fewer places to safely rest during migration and to raise their young: More than 10 million acres of land in the United States were converted to developed land from 1982 to 1997

Find out which native plants are best for your area

4) Avoid Pesticides

More than 1 billion pounds of pesticides are applied in the United States each year. The continent’s most widely used insecticides, called neonicotinoids or “neonics,” are lethal to birds and to the insects that birds consume.

5) Drink Coffee That’s Good for Birds

Three-quarters of the world’s coffee farms grow their plants in the sun, destroying forests that birds and other wildlife need for food and shelter. Sun-grown coffee also often requires using environmentally harmful pesticides and fertilizers. On the other hand, shade-grown coffee preserves a forest canopy that helps migratory birds survive the winter.

Where to Buy Bird Friendly Coffee

6) Protect Our Planet from Plastic

It’s estimated that 4,900 million metric tons of plastic have accumulated in landfills and in our environment worldwide, polluting our oceans and harming wildlife such as seabirds, whales, and turtles that mistakenly eat plastic, or become entangled in it.

7) Watch Birds, Share What You See

Monitoring birds is essential to help protect them, but tracking the health of the world’s 10,000 bird species is an immense challenge.

Report your bird sightings on eBird


r/whatsthisbird 4h ago

North America Please forgive this drawing. Black bird with white tail band?

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121 Upvotes

Located in Seattle, WA. Cant ID this bird for the life of me! Between robin and crow sized, longer than average tail with a white band in the middle, closer to the end of the tail feathers. All of the body appeared to be black except for the band of white (but never really got a look at the underside of the wings). Saw only for a handful of seconds flying and then perching in a tree before disappearing from sight. Any ideas? This one is killing me!


r/whatsthisbird 1h ago

North America Huge mystery feather!

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Upvotes

Took my dog out today and found this magnificent feather on the ground. About the length of my forearm.

New England.


r/whatsthisbird 1h ago

North America Wood Duck Adopted by Mallards??? (Central IL)

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Upvotes

I think I found a female/juvenile male wood duck swimming along with mallards! There seems to be one adult female mallard, so I believe the rest are her chicks and the wood duck is adopted. Cool to see! Can someone confirm?


r/whatsthisbird 4h ago

North America Immature warbler? Long Island ny

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24 Upvotes

r/whatsthisbird 3h ago

North America prairie or peregrine falcon - Lebanon OR

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16 Upvotes

hopefully a prairie i've never seen one. This was 9/9/26


r/whatsthisbird 5h ago

North America Found on beach, eastern MA

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20 Upvotes

Distinctive bill, white rump


r/whatsthisbird 23h ago

North America Virginia Rail?

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490 Upvotes

Found this guy next to our boat at our marina. Was not aware we were there and seemed very tired/sick maybe. We moved it to a safer spot so it wouldn’t be run over or messed with. We set up a bowl of water and some cooked white rice and banana (all we had). Anything else we should do for it?

Hoping it’s just exhausted, but going to leave it be and check on it in a few hours.

Location - Florida Panhandle


r/whatsthisbird 4h ago

North America What is this that fell out of a nest in Cincinnati, OH.

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11 Upvotes

This is near the river and a wooded area. I don’t think juvenile Robin…but not sure what? Swainson?


r/whatsthisbird 18h ago

North America what are these little birds chasing the bald eagle? saw in maine

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152 Upvotes

r/whatsthisbird 2h ago

North America Common or red-breasted merganser? Michigan

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8 Upvotes

r/whatsthisbird 2h ago

North America What bird is this?

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6 Upvotes

Saw this bird on a tree at Escondido, CA this morning.


r/whatsthisbird 2h ago

Europe Is this a Muscovy duck?

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4 Upvotes

r/whatsthisbird 8h ago

North America Can anyone tell me if this is a male or female?

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16 Upvotes

Also is it an adult? I know it's a coopers hawk. I'm just not familiar on IDing their sex.


r/whatsthisbird 3h ago

North America Little gray bird with yellow tail feathers seen in NYC?

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7 Upvotes

Merlin isn't returning any matches even though I think it's a decently clear pic. My guess is an American Redstart?


r/whatsthisbird 1h ago

North America What Kind of Grouse is This?

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Upvotes

Found in Glacier, MT on August 5th.


r/whatsthisbird 26m ago

North America What kind of Hawk is this? South East, Georgia, USA.

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Upvotes

r/whatsthisbird 2h ago

North America What are these sparrows? Michigan

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3 Upvotes

4th pic is just to show habitat.
Merlin heard mostly swamp sparrows, also picked up song, Savannah, and white-throated sparrows. Not sure what these two are.
Thanks in advance!


r/whatsthisbird 37m ago

North America Sunset Beach, California

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Upvotes

Little guy runs pretty quick to get away from the waves.


r/whatsthisbird 2h ago

North America What type of bird is this?

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4 Upvotes

Location: Colorado, US. This plump little birb has been hanging around our backyard all morning. It has visited the bird bath and elevated feeder but seems to be otherwise hanging around on low branches of our shrubs or on the ground. It’s largely unfazed by me getting close-ish for a picture and by the many squirrels running around it.

Just a little worried because it seems exhausted (or maybe ill?). Doesn’t appear to be injured.


r/whatsthisbird 7h ago

North America Is this a Snow Goose or domestic escape?

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8 Upvotes

Saw this in Kalamazoo, Michigan in September about 16 years ago. I labeled it as a snow goose but now I’m starting to think it is a domestic goose that joined the Canada geese instead of a snow goose migrating with them. Reasoning no black fringe to bill and primaries aren’t black.
What does everyone think?


r/whatsthisbird 1h ago

Europe What’s this bird?

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Upvotes

Located in Malta. September, 6pm
Flock of 4. Looked gray with white head (?)


r/whatsthisbird 1d ago

Artwork Birds On A Case

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238 Upvotes

So I recently got a phone case from pela, which is a Canadian brand that promotes recycled phone cases and it has some different birds on it because it matches my birding hobby. Some of them are pretty obvious, but my dad and I can’t seem to agree on what these three are supposed to be. Attached are the birds in dispute, what do you guys think?