There are more than 400 species of birds that breed and migrate during the winter season in New England. Here is the list of some of the birds of New England,
Birds Of New England
1. Black-bellied whistling-duck
The black-bellied whistling duck is a medium size waterfowl bird species that ranges between 47 to 56 cm in length and the average wieght is between 652 to 1,020 gms. It was formally known as the black-bellied tree duck and mostly breeds in the regions of the southernmost United States, Mexico, and tropical Central to south-central South America.
The black-bellied whistling duck feeds on a variety of plant materials such as corn, rice, millets, several types of weeds, and other grasses, however, they have also seen eating arthropods such as insects, spiders, aquatic invertebrates, and tadpoles. The avarage lifespan of a black-bellied whistling duck is 15 years.
2. Fulvous whistling-duck
The fulvous whistling duck is a whistling duck species that breeds in the regions of Mexico and South America, the West Indies, the southern United States, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Indian subcontinent. It is also known as fulvous tree duck and its preferred habitat is wetlands with plentiful vegetation such as shallow lakes and paddy fields.
The body length of bird species ranges between 45 to 53 cm in length and the average weight is between 748 to 1,050 grams. Male species are heavier than females and the wingspan is between 85 to 93 cm. The food primarily consists of plant material, including seeds, bulbs, grasses, and stems, but females may include animal items such as aquatic worms, mollusks, and insects as they prepare for egg-laying, which may then comprise up to 4% of their diet.
3. Bar-headed goose
The bar-headed goose is a type of goose species that breeds in the regions of Central Asia. The body length ranges between 71 to 76 cm in length and the average weight is between 1.8 to 3 kg. The bird species fly at a speed of 80 Km/h and its wingspan is between 140 to 160 cm. The bird species is known for reaching extreme heights while migrating across the Himalayas.
Bar-headed geese are one of the animals that travel the farthest and can be identified with the black bars on their head native to Central Asia. The dietary habits are herbivores in nature and primarily feed on grasses that surround lakes where they nest. They are also seen eating mollusks, insects, and crustaceans. The avarage lifespan of a bar-headed goose is upto 20 years.
4. Snow goose
The snow goose is a black and white bird of the New England birds native to North America. It comes in both colors white and dark morphs and the dark ones are known as blue goose. The name of the white bird species is derived from white plumage. The body length of a Snow goose is upto 70 cm and the average weight is between 2.05 to 2.7 kilograms. The top speed of a snow goose is upto 90 km/h and its height is between 64 to 79 cm. The dietary habitats are herbivorous and feed on roots, leaves, sedges, and grasses. It is also listed as one of the white birds in Florida.
Image Source: Wikimedia
5. Ross’s goose
The Ross’s goose is a white goose bird species and the smallest of the three “white geese”. It prefers to breed in North America and looks very similar to a white-phase snow goose, however, it is 40% smaller. The body ranges between 23.2 to 25.2 inches in length and the average weight is between 1198 to 1567 grams. The average lifespan of a Ross goose is between 10 to 25 years.
6. Greater white-fronted goose
The greater white-fronted goose is one of the popular New England birds that looks very similar to the smaller lesser white-fronted goose. The body length ranges between 64 to 81 cm and the average weight is between 1.93 to 3.31 kilograms. The adult species can be identified with the large white patch at the front of the head around the beak and bold black bars on the belly.
The legs of the bird are e orange in color, however, Siberian birds have pink bills and Greenland birds have orange bills. It primarily feeds on grass, clover, grain, winter wheat, and potatoes. The avarage lifespan of the greater white-fronted goose is upto 6 years.
7. Pink-footed goose
The pink-footed goose loves to breed in the regions of eastern Greenland, Iceland, and Svalbard. During the winter season, it migrates to northwest Europe, especially Ireland, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and western Denmark. The body length ranges between 60 to 75 cm in length and the average weight is between 1.8-3.4 kg. The top speed of a pink-footed goose is upto 60 km/h and the wingspan is between 135 to 170 cm. The avarage lifespan is upto 20 years.
8. Brant
The brant is a small goose species that belongs to the genus Branta. As of now, 3 subspecies of birds are known to humans and they prefer temperate-zone sea-coasts and breed in the regions of the high-Arctic tundra. It is also known as Brent goose and its body length ranges between 55 to 66 cm in length and the average weight is between 0.88 to 2.2 kg. The undertail of the bird species is pure white along with a black tail and short size. The avarage lifespan of brant is between 10 to 20 years.
9. Barnacle goose
The barnacle goose is a goose species that belongs to the genus Branta of black geese. The body length of bird species ranges between 55 to 70 cm and the average weight is between 1 to 2 kg. The top speed of a Barnacle goose is upto 95 km/h and the wingspan is between 130 to 145 cm in length. The avarage lifespan of a barnacle goose is upto 24 years. Their dietary habits are herbivorous, folivorous, and graminivorous, and feed on leaves, herbs, grass, roots, mosses, sedges, and aquatic vegetation during the winter season they also feed on agricultural grain and occasionally vegetables.
10. Cackling goose
The cackling goose is one of the popular birds of New England and is found in North America. It breeds in northern Canada and Alaska in a variety of tundra habitats. The bird species prefer to nest in an elevated area near the water. It primarily feeds on plant material and while feeding in water submerges its heads and necks to reach aquatic plants, sometimes tipping forward like a dabbling duck. The avarage lifespan of a cackling goose is between 10 to 24 years in the wild and in captivity, it is more than 40 years. The scientific name of the Cackling goose is Branta hutchinsii and belongs to the family Anatidae.
11. Wild turkey
Wild turkey is one of the popular birds Of New England that belongs to the genus Meleagris. As of now, there are two species of turkeys:, one is the wild turkey of eastern and central North America and the ocellated turkey of the Yucatán Peninsula. The avarage wieght of wild turkey is between 2.5 to 11 kg (5.5 to 24 lb) and grow between 75 to 125 cm (30 to 49 in) in length. Talking about the appearance, they have a long, dark, fan-shaped tail and glossy bronze wings. Male species is larger than females and the feather areas of red, green, copper, bronze, and gold iridescence. The avarage lifespan of wild turkey is between 3 to 5 years in the wild.
12. Ruffed grouse
Ruffed grouse is a type of winter animal widely distributed game bird in North America. It comes with two distinct morphs grey and brown. Talking about the grey morph, they have a head, neck, and back are grey-brown and the breast is light with barring, however, the brown morph have tails of the same color and pattern, instead rest of the plumage is much more brown and less light plumage. They are non-migratory and spend most of their time quietly on the ground.
13. Ring-necked pheasant
The Ring-necked pheasant is mostly common in across open fields and weedy roadsides in the U.S. and southern Canada. The males species can be identified with the help of iridescent copper-and-gold plumage, a red face, and a crisp white collar. They have a powerful breast muscles like most members of the grouse family. There are instances when bird species will remain dormant for days at a time.becaus elf extreme cold. Ring-necked pheasant practice “harem-defense polygyny” means one male keeps other males away from a small group of females during the breeding season.
Image Source: Wikimedia
14. Spruce grouse
The spruce grouse is a medium size grouse closely associated with the coniferous boreal forests or taiga of North America. It is the only member of the genus Canachites. The bird species prefers to walk on the ground or along tree limbs rather than fly. The male species of spruce grouse are promiscuous where they disperse and advertise a territory that is visited by females for mating. The female species solely responsible for the rest of the reproductive effort though males have been known to stay with young chicks. The spruce grouse avarage lifespan is upto 13 years.
Image Source: Wikimedia
15. Pied-billed grebe
Pied-billed grebe is one of the animals that live in lakes and likes to live near rivers but prefer still water. These are solitary birds and rarely spend time in flocks. These bird species are monogamous and prefer to pairs stay together only during one breeding season. The beeding season begin in April or May and may produce up to 2 clutches per year. The best stay on top of water and are anchored to marsh vegetation in shallow waters. The biggestthreat to bird species is habitat loss and draining, filling, and general destruction of wetlands causes a loss in their breeding habitats.
16. Horned grebe
The horned grebe also known as Slavonian grebe is a waterbed belongs to family Podicipedidae. The body length can grow between 31 to 39 cm and avarage wieght is between 300 to 570 grams. It can be easily identified with the help of its red-and-black alternate (breeding) plumage, its black-and-white basic (non-breeding) plumage, and its characteristic “horns”. The avarage lifespan of horned grebe is upto 5 years in the wild. They like to dive underwater using their large feet and feed on aquatic arthropods, fish and crustaceans.
Image Source: Wikimedia
These are the list of birds of new england. Kindly share and post your comments.
