Look For Frigatebirds have long, forked tails and distinctive plumage. Their average wingspan is 90 inches—that’s almost 8 feet! Despite its long wings, this bird has relatively small feet that contribute to its awkward movements on land. They rarely walk or swim. This rather prehistoric-looking species can soar above the clouds effortlessly and stay aloft […]
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Often, the somewhat snakelike black neck and head is all that betrays the presence of a swimming double-crested cormorant. With practice, birders can easily distinguish a distant, flying double-crested cormorant from a pelican, goose, heron, or other large bird by its all-dark form, thick and somewhat wavy neck, longish tail, and slow wingbeats. The cormorant’s
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A long thin neck and small head, thin yellow bill, and white feathers on the wings and back set the anhinga apart from the closely related cormorants. Anhingas commonly perch with their wings spread and swim with only their heads above water. Adult males are mostly black overall, while adult females and young birds have
At 4 feet long and with a 7-foot wingspan, the brown pelican is one of our largest and most distinctive birds. The brown pelican’s profile and marine habitat make identification easy. These massive birds have pencil lead-gray bodies and blackish flight feathers. North America’s other pelican, the larger American white pelican, winters in parts of
