Birds

Welcome to SVT's Bird Page.  Here you can learn all about birds in the Concord, Assabet, and Sudbury river basin. 
Bird of the Week
Common Yellowthroat - photograph to the left by Craig Smith.  Description from eNature.com - Description:  4 1/2-6" (11-15 cm).  Olive-brown above, bright yellow on throat and upper breast. Male has bold black mask, bordered above with white. Females and young males lack face mask, but may be recognized by bright yellow throat and wren-like behavior. Habitat:  Moist thickets and grassy marshes.  Nesting:  3-5 white eggs, with brown and black spots, in a loose mass of grass, sedge, and bark, lined with rootlets, hair, and fine grass, and concealed on or near the ground in a dense clump of weeds or grass.  Range:  Breeds from Alaska, Ontario, and Newfoundland south throughout United States. Winters in southern states and in tropics. Voice:  Loud, fast witchity-witchity-witchity-witchity-wit or which-is-it, which-is-it, which-is-it. Call a sharp chip.  For more information and to hear its song, click here.
Bird Images
Looking for images of specific birds?  Here we've linked some of the more common species to this region.  Click on an image to see pictures of that bird.
Recent Bird Images
Here are pictures of the most recent bird sightings on our Nature Sightings page
June 21 - Northern Goshawk (first of its kind on SVT's website) at the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge
June 15 - Variety of birds at SVT's Cedar Hill Reservation (eastern bluebird, tree swallow, cedar waxwing, downy woodpecker, American robin, and eastern towhee)
June 14 - Red-bellied woodpecker in Wayland
June 11 - Baltimore oriole in Wayland
June 4 - Variety of wildlife at SVT's Memorial Forest (black-capped chickadee, common yellowthroat, and white breasted nuthatch)
May 22 - Variety of birds at Heard Farm in Wayland (bobolink, yellow warbler, song sparrow, canada goose, gray catbird, cedar waxwing, and common yellowthroat)
Feeders, Baths, and Food...
With spring arriving, spring cleaning your birdfeeder is very important.  No one wants to come home to a messy house, neither do the birds that come to your feeder.  For more information:
  • Here's a blog detailing major points for welcoming birds back to your backyard. 
  • Cornell's Lab or Ornithology offers some tips on what to feed birds.
  • Locally, Wild Birds Unlimited is a great resource to help build your backyard bird habitat.     
...and other equipment
Looking for the right binoculars for the best view.  Here are some helpful links.
Birdsong
Some of the best ways of identifying birds are through their song.  Listen to the calls of over 500 different bird species.   
Summer Bird Quiz
How well do you know your birds?  Take our quiz.  The participants with the best scores will be listed here and will then be entered into a drawing for the book entitled, Birds of the Sudbury River Valley by Richard K. Walton.
Congratulations to Frederica Gillespie, Greg Billingham, Paul van Mulbregt, and Betsy Athan for getting all ten questions correct on the Spring Bird Quiz.
Ask The Expert
Do you have questions about birds.  Enter a question on SVT's Bird Blog.  We have an expert group of bird enthusiasts ready to answer your questions. 
Bird Books
Learn more by purchasing books about birds from SVT.  Top choices include.
  • The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America, by David Allen Sibley
  • Birds of the Sudbury River Valley, by Richard K. Walton
Resources
 
Chirps from you
We'd love your feedback.  Does this page help you learn more about birds?  Are there other things we could add?  Send us an e-mail and let us know what you think.
Black-capped Chickadee by Craig Smith, HudsonAmerican Goldfinch by Anne Dykiel, StowGreat Blue Heron by James DoyleNorthern Cardinal by Anne Dykiel, ActonGreat Egret by David Blohm, SudburyRed-tailed Hawk by Nancy Santamaria