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Wall of Birds-I don't have one favorite but I really thought it was cool to also see extinct birds and read about them, too. Many of them were so huge! Around my neighborhood in the past week or so I've seen lots of robins, some mourning doves (a pair sat right by the window), an occasional heron, and I think some type of smaller shorebird, but I don't know which one. My favorite bird in the neighborhood right now is the robin, simply because I can almost always find one somewhere.
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Hummingbirds are so magical!
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Read about bee hummingbirds in this course, image only 5 cm long bird.
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@Manyu I watched a National Geographic program recently on Cuba where they showed the Bee Hummingbird. I had no idea a bird could be that small! I love to watch the hummingbirds when I visit Mexico. We only have the Ruby Throated ones here in Ontario Canada.
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While sitting on front porch and teaching a virtual elementary class during covid 19 in Florida, I had 10 species come to the bird feeders, included within 3 different groups discussed in lesson. Made for interesting class.
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Hi all! I’m relatively new to bird watching. I went a handful of times to Valley Forge park to hike with a wonderful bird watching group. They were so knowledgeable. Before I even spotted it, they had various birds identified and zoomed in on the scope! I had a hard time seeing the birds from a far distance. What I really want is to identify by sound. Then I can google the bird and know what I should be looking for. Anyone else feel this as a viable strategy? I’ve relocated since, so I will no longer be joining that group. I’ll see what’s local to me. Stay healthy, Tess
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Hi Tess, A lot of people bird by ear. Oftentimes it helps identify a bird before you can see it, or if the visual cues aren't enough to figure out based on your field guide. It is a skill I wish I was better at.
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@Linda Well Linda, perhaps we can develop that skill. I’m giving it a go anyway!
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@Teresa Cornell also has a course on learning birds by their songs. It's pretty good. They also have a free app that you use to record a birdsong and upload it to their very large library and it will identify the bird from the song. I've learned a bunch of birdsongs this way
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You might try to take a picture through someone else's scope with your phone. I have never been good with identifying many birds by their songs. I try to get a few photos and go back to my field guide to identify the bird later if I don't know. Someone with a scope though will tell you the bird's name and then you can write it down in a small notebook. Having a scope is typically a sign of a serious or advanced birder!
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@Danya @Danya, That is exactly what I do as well. I am often out with friends hiking and don't want to spent too much time searching through my bird book to find the bird so take a picture and then look it up when I have the time. I also find then that I can zoom in and focus on a particular part of the bird that helps with identification.
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My favorite birds from the Wall of Birds are the Magnificent Frigate Bird, because it was one that stood out on my trip to Costa Rica when I first became very interested in birding, and the Wood Duck, just because I never see them in Southern California and I think they are beautiful. My favorite bird I often see in the neighborhood is the Black Phoebe. She is always visiting the lamp post in my front yard and just appears like such a go-getter.
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My favorite image on the Wall Of Birds is the Blue Heron. Our neighbor has a pond with goldfish and the Blue Heron likes to think of it as his private fishing pond. Luckily Our neighbor now puts a fish net over the top. But when you saw this big guy fly over it looked like a pterodactyl. the shadow was incredible. My two favorite birds,(or should I say three) are my hummingbirds and this pair of Mallard ducks. I planted a hummingbird garden and they come back every summer. We also have a small pond and this pair of Mallards has been coming back every year also. They usually show up in the very early spring, (even in the snow) and they disappear in late fall. I am also really enjoying the course and learning a lot. Thank you so much.
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I don't see the American Robin on the Wall of Birds. Does anyone else? Heading out to look for them now out here in Eastern Long Island. Everyone stay safe and healthy.
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Hello Brad, The reason you won't find the American Robin on the Wall of Birds is because only one bird per bird family is represented on the wall due to space and time constraints. The artist could not have done all ~ 10,000 species so we chose one per family. American Robin is a Thrush. The species chosen for the Thrush and Allies family (Turdidae) is the Fieldfare Turdus pilaris. If you'd like to find that on the Wall of Birds it appears around Belarus, Poland, Lithuania portion of the map. Thanks for bringing this up as I am sure others have similar questions.
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Hi everyone. Having a lot of fun with this course. I’m really new (4days) into proper birdwatching but I’m already surprised by the amounts of birds that visit my house. I’m in Colombia (is Colombia not Columbia) South America, 70km south west of Bogotá (600 masl) and just by sitting on a corner I’ve been able to see woodpeckers, hummingbirds, finches, tanagers, quail like birds, kiskadees, caracaras, parrakeets, vultures and even ducks (that needed a 300m walk to a water reservoir though). I’m still not confident neither of families nor species but the Merlin Bird ID app helped me -thanks to the song- to identify the one I put forward as my favorite (as today). A really annoying early bird (gang of them) that make the most laughable of songs conversation (listen to it on the app), The Gray-Cowled Wood-Rail. Really looking forward to improve my ID skills (not even able to choose the Kiskadee I’ve seen), and sharing real fotos (not Merlin) with you. About the Wall of Birds, fantastic artwork, great video (miss my university days), and really hoping Amazon gets my book after the pandemia wethers down. Hope it does soon. Thanks Cornell Lab and Kevin, and all of you.
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Sounds like you are in a magical spot. I have clapper rails which are very secretive. Have you ever heard the saying "skinny as a rail". I think it comes from the bird because they are "skinny" enough to walk through the rush plants.
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@Carole Thanks Carol. Nice to know.
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Sounds like you are located in a birding paradise. I look forward to seeing your photos.
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@Glenda By watching eBird, I know now than I´m in a really fantastic spot. Very fortunate. But also I´ve learned how difficult is to take a good picture of a Bird. None the less I share a couple..
Red-Crowned Woodpecker
I have not been able to Id this one, but love the silvery head and the proud way he shows off on the most visible branches.
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This is a photo from the Hawk Ridge website (Red shouldered hawk) that very briefly visited our tree outside our kitchen window last fall. He probably was after the local/visiting rabbits from nearby woods. Viewing spring and fall migration for the hawks is a fun pastime for our region so these birds have been a longtime favorite. As a black bear recently destroyed our bird feeder we may be on hiatus for bird feeders until next winter!
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Hello from Western New York. We are blessed by having the Niagara River, the Erie Canal and Ellicott Creek nearby so we get to see different birds of varied kinds. By the water, of course, we see many gulls, which I have to learn more about the varieties. Once at the river I saw a dunlin. I saw what I think were goldeneye ducks by the river a few weeks ago, I have never seen them here before so I wondered if they were passing through. At my own birdfeeder we get sparrows, juncos, bluejays, cardinals, grackles, starlings, red wing blackbirds (which I just noticed a female for the first time), downy woodpeckers, mourning doves and an occasional goldfinch and Baltimore oriole. Once I saw a flock (?) of Cedar waxwings on my crabapple tree. A drive of 40 minutes takes us to the Iroquois National Wildlife refuge where we see eagles, herons, terns, sandhill cranes, common yellowthroat, ducks, geese. I can't wait to get back there to see if there are babies in the eagle nest. Today I went by the creek and saw robins, blackbirds, a pair of cardinals, a hawk being chased in flight by a small bird, a semipalmated plover, and some goslings feeding in the grass near mom, with dad nearby guarding them from intruders! Thanks for letting my share my excitement with you all. I love hearing what you see from your neck of the woods!
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This old Tom was parading about my front lawn in Eastern MA looking for a hot date (see background) on a cold and rainy Friday night!
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What a wonderful sight.
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Great picture of a turkey. How fun! We also get wild turkeys on our property, and I'm amazed at the size of them, especially when the males have their tails fanned out.
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This fine fellow skulking around my front steps was my motivation to enroll in the Bird Academy course.
Red Tailed Hawk? Other ideas?
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I would guess Red Tailed Hawk too! I saw one today soaring low over a park in Brooklyn. They are magical.
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Instructive introduction into the fundamentals of birdwatching. Provides a solid foundation on which to build one's knowledge of birds, as a whole, and birdwatching techniques, in particular. Clearly written. Easy to understand. Enjoyable. Living by a large body of fresh water, lined with marshes and trees, riotously loud with birdsongs, now that spring has arrived, I find myself, often trying to distinguish, which bird song belongs to which bird. Already, the first module of this lesson has provided me with the tools to help me discover answers to my birdwatching questions. I now know, delightedly so, who are some of my avian neighbors; robins, blue jays, song sparrows, red winged blackbirds, common yellow throats, mourning doves, cardinals, red bellied woodpeckers, grackles, starlings, red tailed hawks, and, by the time I complete this course, I imagine I will recognize even more of the feathered residents who reside outside my windows. Thank you, Dr. McGowan.
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Greetings from Eastern Massachusetts! So great to see how geographically diverse this group is. Activity 1: The Wall of Birds is amazing on it own, and the interactive feature is truly spectacular. I couldn't possibly pick a favorite. There are so many. Activity 2: March 11 was the last meeting of my Wednesday morning bird walk group. We were up along the ocean. One of my favorites of the day was the flock of Harlequin Ducks, a member of the waterfowl species. That same week, just before we were asked to stay at home, I bought a bird feeder and a large bag of wild bird food. My feeder has attracted many local passerines; chickadees (our state bird), house sparrows, grackles, dark-eyed juncos, song sparrows, cardinals, house finches, blue jays, white-throated sparrows, tufted titmice, brown-headed cowbird. Hanging around the base are mourning doves and robins. I heard a northern flicker woodpecker, but did not see it. I also heard a red-tailed hawk but didn't see it. Check out the great app BirdNET from Cornell. You can record bird songs and they will match it to their library of bird songs and tell you what it is. And it's free! Activity 3: I know this is not always a popular bird, but I am really enjoying the grackles. They look more like dinosaurs to me than many of the other birds that visit my feeder. Their colors are beautiful and I love that bright yellow eye.
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Vicky, I love grackles! Their bright, golden yellow eyes, gleaming out of their glistening, black feathered cloaks, captivate their observers. They appear the embodiment of avian magicians. Their eyes, shiny and clear, knowledgeable, speak answers to questions. The ancient Roman augurs knew their clairvoyant abilities, acknowledged their mysteries when divining the sweeping rush of a grackle swarm against an azure blue sky. They possess magic!
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@William Yes!
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Grackles are cool! Love the color when you look close.
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Thanks for the tip on BirdNET! It looks like a great tool for Android users in North American and Europe. I hope it takes off and expands to other platforms and regions.
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Hi from Western Quebec, Canada! I live at the edge of the forest and have found that the more I learn about birds, the more I enjoy their company... Even the woodpecker (not sure what species, we call him Wesley) that drums on our metal roof at first light, or the robin that repeatedly and aggressively flings himself into his own reflection in the windows around our house. I love hearing great horned owls at night, but I think my favourite bird at the moment is the white-throated sparrow, whose sweet and simple song I remember from early mornings last summer but which I was only recently able to identify! My neighbour has said she has heard an eastern whipoorwhil in our neighbourhood, so I've my ears perked on my forest walks. Thanks for this helpful course!
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I am looking forward to this course to learn more about birds. We have mostly sparrows, blue jays, cardinals around the bird feeder and off and on hawks are circling around high above.
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I loved the Wall of Birds! The artistry was beautiful! My favorite bird was the American Cardinal -- love that bright red! So beautiful -- especially in winter, against the snow! Two birds I found in the guide book from my area (North Shore of Boston) -- are the Piping Plover and the Black-Capped Chickadee. I love to see the Piping Plovers scamper across the beach -- especially the little ones -- they look like fluff balls with legs! The Chickadees will eat right out of your hand if you stand very still for long enough. My favorite neighborhood bird is the American Robin. Their coloring is striking -- the orange belly contrasting with the black head and wings.
I love to watch them tugging a worm out of the ground -- they don't give up! And their song is so cheery!
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Yes - After all of these years (I am a "senior" in age but not in heart), I have just discovered the magnificent coloring of the common robin! What a beauty! I will not discard them again as anything that is common. I love watching them in a field (the whole flock of them) pecking at the ground, and arriving and leaving at the same time. I have not noticed that before. Love this course! Just what I am looking for at this time.
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Beautiful photo. Common bird with uncommon beauty!
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My favorite bird in my neighborhood is the robin. As I was walking around yesterday I found this whole egg on the ground. It was cool (in both senses). I wanted to warm it up but decided it had been abandoned because it was infertile, so I left it for another creature.
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My favorite bird in my neighborhood is the robin. As I was walking around yesterday I found this whole egg on the ground. It was cool (in both senses). I wanted to warm it up but decided it had been abandoned because it was infertile, so I left it for another creature.
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Yellow Headed Blackbird
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where is this Sherri, thank you for sharing, so beautiful!
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@Mary I am in Sorrento BC Canada
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Great find. I've only had one yellow-headed blackbird and it was many years ago.
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Very nice! Where is this?
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@Glenda Sorrento BC Canada
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@Sherri Hi from Kelowna BC. We probably have several birds in common.
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Two birds that I hadn't seen before - Yellow-rumped Warbler
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Wow! The yellow-rumped warbler is a winter visitor here in Florida and is a little quiet in color except for its butter butt. It looks totally different in its breeding plumage.
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Activity #1: The Wall of Birds I had so much fun with this interactive website! It was fun to explore birds from the various regions of the world and to hear how they sound. I selected several birds. The two birds that intrigued me the most was the Wrenthrush from Costa Rica/Panama and the Paradise Tanager from South America. Thank you for making The Wall of Birds website. Activity #2: Backyard Observations 1) Pigeons/Doves - Mourning Doves 2) Raptors - Red-tailed Hawk 3) Woodpeckers- Red-bellied Woodpecker and Snowy Woodpecker 4) Song Birds- Northern Cardinal, Blue Jays, Catbirds, House Wrens, Red-winged blackbirds, Black-capped Chickadees, Nuthatches (red-bellied), Tufted Titmouse, Common Grackles, Blackbird and Mockingbird. Activity #3: Favorite Bird in My Neighborhood 1) The Hermit Thrush is my favorite bird in the world. It has the most magical song that totally calms me. The Hermit Thrush is a simple looking speckled brownish bird that likes to stay deep in the forest/woodlands. I hardly ever see this bird, but I hear the song of this bird often.
(This photo was found online from the Cornell Lab)
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hermit_Thrush/id
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I totally agree with you about the hermit thrush’s song. I usually hear it in the early evening of a summer day. And, yes, very calming and uplifting.
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Phainopepla - this is my favorite bird. Not only is the name fun to say (took me a long time to figure that out but it really just rolls out), but it has unique flight and sound patterns (they can even imitate some other bird sounds).
This is a description I have - not sure if I compiled it or borrowed it -- The Phainopepla 16–20 cm long with a noticeable crest and a long tail; it is slender, and has an upright posture when it perches. Its bill is short and slender. The male is glossy black, and has a white wing patch that is visible when it flies; the female is plain gray and has a lighter gray wing patch. Both sexes have red eyes, but these are more noticeable in the female than the male. They build their nests mainly in mesquite trees near a mistletoe plant. Some believe that the bird actually “plants” the seeds. An individual may eat at least 1,100 mistletoe berries per day if available.
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I have never heard of this bird before I read your post. It is a very interesting bird and I like that both the males and the females have red eyes. Thank you for sharing!
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I love the Phainopepla also! One of the first birds I actually went out to find when a sighting was reported in a nearby locale.
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@Jeanne I have never heard of this bird either. Where did you see it? Very interesting bird.
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@Cynthia I see him often at our home in New River since we have several trees with mistletoe (one of their favorite foods). I also see them at the Black Canyon Heritage Park in Black Canyon City - the park attracts a lot of birds.
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Activity 1 - loved the bird wall video and perusing it - which I will go back to - but mostly am excited to add this to my list of destinations for hoped-for road trips for the future! I loved the artist describing how she can get the artwork for a bird into her "muscle memory' by working at it on a scale so much smaller that the wall mural. I was quite surprised by that! Activity 2 - 3 birds: Robin in the songbird group is quite common in my area (Cape Cod MA) and in fact in the summer they put on an amazing concert at dusk many evenings. in same category I assume is Yellow Rumped Warbler, which my gransdson and I were introduced to few months ago by someone we passed, while walking in a conservation area. They were collected in high bushes and in the light of that day it was rather challenging to see the yellow rumps. Swimming bird - yesterday I saw some mallards with their striking green heads. My friend saw a common loon, but I could not find it - now I will look for them in the future. WADING BIRD: I have recently seen Great Egret and Snowy Egrets on my visits to marsh area and was confused by extra "hair" on neck and back of some snowy egrets, so found on your site that those are the wispy feathers distinguishing the adult breeding snowy egrets. Activity 3 - a favorite new bird is the Glossy Ibis, which I distiguished thanks to asking an experienced birder (itentified by size of photo lens) who was leaving an area I was entering, if there was anything I should watch for that he had seen. This bird is gorgeous! Its brown/tan neck camoflages it in the marshy reeds, but one you catch sight the full bird - such gorgeous colors of green/blue, purple. As I guide I checked in described - first there was just one in amongst some snowy egrets, and then more and more joined the one. Loving this course, Thank you.
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If you anyone liked the video with Jane Kim she did another live lecture nearly 1 year ago with more stories about painting the wall. Here is a link to that lecture. Jane Kim Wall of Birds lecture May 2, 2019 Celebrate the diversity and evolution of birds with artist Jane Kim, who brought to life the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s magnificent 2,500-square-foot Wall of Birds mural. Part homage, part artistic and sociological journey, The Wall of Birds tells the story of birds’ remarkable 375-million-year evolution. In this talk, Kim will discuss her new book about the project, The Wall of Birds, exploring the intersection of art and natural history, the creative process, and surprising lessons that we humans can learn from birds.
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For Activity 3 I selected a bird popular here on our farm in Virginia, the Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo). We have a population of hunters, foxes and coyotes yet we have seen this bird thrive and grow in population over the years. Always believed to be not very intelligent they seem to prove otherwise raising young and surviving. Hunters comment that they seem to know the season and become quite invisible. We respect this breed the utmost. This photo was taken about 75 meters from our home.
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Nice photo! The last couple of years, people have been posting photos on social media of wild turkeys crossing the streets or on the front lawns of people who live in western Long Island, NY. I find it amazing that the wild turkeys can adapt to suburbia environments.
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I've only had a handful of turkey sightings here in Florida. Wonderful.
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Red-Crowned Woodpecker
I have not been able to Id this one, but love the silvery head and the proud way he shows off on the most visible branches. 
This is a photo from the Hawk Ridge website (Red shouldered hawk) that very briefly visited our tree outside our kitchen window last fall. He probably was after the local/visiting rabbits from nearby woods. Viewing spring and fall migration for the hawks is a fun pastime for our region so these birds have been a longtime favorite. As a black bear recently destroyed our bird feeder we may be on hiatus for bird feeders until next winter! 
This old Tom was parading about my front lawn in Eastern MA looking for a hot date (see background) on a cold and rainy Friday night! 
This fine fellow skulking around my front steps was my motivation to enroll in the Bird Academy course.
Red Tailed Hawk? Other ideas? ![Augur,_Nordisk_familjebok[1]](https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/wp-content/uploads/hm_bbpui/694441/Td4vf3gno25yp01xr3dholpwyzdu11n9j.jpg)
I love to watch them tugging a worm out of the ground -- they don't give up! And their song is so cheery! 
My favorite bird in my neighborhood is the robin. As I was walking around yesterday I found this whole egg on the ground. It was cool (in both senses). I wanted to warm it up but decided it had been abandoned because it was infertile, so I left it for another creature. 
My favorite bird in my neighborhood is the robin. As I was walking around yesterday I found this whole egg on the ground. It was cool (in both senses). I wanted to warm it up but decided it had been abandoned because it was infertile, so I left it for another creature. 
Yellow Headed Blackbird 
Two birds that I hadn't seen before - Yellow-rumped Warbler
(This photo was found online from the Cornell Lab)
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hermit_Thrush/id 
Phainopepla - this is my favorite bird. Not only is the name fun to say (took me a long time to figure that out but it really just rolls out), but it has unique flight and sound patterns (they can even imitate some other bird sounds).
This is a description I have - not sure if I compiled it or borrowed it -- The Phainopepla 16–20 cm long with a noticeable crest and a long tail; it is slender, and has an upright posture when it perches. Its bill is short and slender. The male is glossy black, and has a white wing patch that is visible when it flies; the female is plain gray and has a lighter gray wing patch. Both sexes have red eyes, but these are more noticeable in the female than the male. They build their nests mainly in mesquite trees near a mistletoe plant. Some believe that the bird actually “plants” the seeds. An individual may eat at least 1,100 mistletoe berries per day if available. 
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