*Great Blue Heron - Ardea herodias (4 feet long)
100% - easily seen, may be heard
This iconic symbol of the Chesapeake Bay is unmistakable due to its large size and blue-gray coloration. It may be seen on the beach, in flight over the bay, and lifting off from Parker's Creek. When startled, it issues a loud raspy croak, as if disgusted at the interruption. Photo by Joe Turner.

Wood Duck - Aix Sponsa (18 inches long)
100% - usually heard first, sometimes seen
Wood Ducks are successful breeders in the watershed and may often be flushed in groups of six or more from more remote sections of Parker's Creek. They usually call during their splashy takeoff, a nervous-sounding “ooweek ooweek” which rises in pitch as they fly rapidly away. Photo by Joe Turner.

Osprey - Pandion haliaetus (24 inches long)
100% - seen, sometimes heard
This black and white raptor may be mistaken for an eagle, especially from the back, but it is much smaller and its underside is mostly white. Its common call is a series of high-pitched short whistles, often twenty or more lasting for several seconds. Osprey are often seen flying with fish in their talons. Photo by Joe Turner.

Belted Kingfisher - Ceryle alcyon (13 inches long)
100% - heard and seen
The kingfisher's dry rattle sounds exactly like a percussionist's ratchet. It is the best clue for locating the bird, which often calls during its low and direct flight. The Kingfisher may also be seen on a stick or a branch overhanging the water. Photo by Bill Hubick.

*Wood Thrush - Hylocichla mustelina (8 inches long)
100% - heard calling from shore
The beautiful flute-like song of the Wood Thrush is an auditory delight. Characterized as “ee-oh-lay”, first falling and then rising, it can be heard mornings and evenings. A reclusive bird, it will be in deep woods in low to mid-level branches, and sometimes walks along the ground. Photo by Bill Hubick.

Common Yellowthroat - Geothylpis trichas (5 inches long)
100% - heard, sometimes seen in reeds
Formerly called the Maryland Yellowthroat, this yellow and black warbler is found in thickets, swamps, and marshes. The male's bright throat is highlighted by a black bandit's mask across the eyes. Its repetitive song is described as “witchity witchity witch”, with the third syllable dropping in pitch. Photo by Joe Turner.

Indigo Bunting - Passerina cyanea (5.5 inches long)
100% - heard calling from shore, may fly over
Males are a very dark blue which can look black in certain light but is vivid in sunshine. This is a noisy bird, with a high dry voice a little like a goldfinch's, saying everything twice: “tweet-tweet chirp-chirp here-here see it-see it”. Indigo Buntings are abundant in open areas and were the most numerous species in the study. Photo by Bill Hubick.

Red-winged Blackbird - Agelaius phoeniceus (7-9 inches long)
100% - heard and seen
This common blackbird is distinguished by the red epaulets on the male; females are drab brown and heavily striped. Like all blackbirds, the Red-winged is social and may be found in large noisy flocks. Its signature call is transliterated as 'conka-REE' and is accompanied by various chips and squeaks. Photo by Bill Hubick.

*Bald Eagle - Haliaeetus leucocephalus (30-43 inches long)
80% - more likely seen than heard
Our majestic national bird is a full-time resident of Parker's Creek. Often several birds are seen at once, both the black mottled juveniles and the white-headed and -tailed adults. They may perch in trees along the bay and creek. The typical call is a surprisingly high-pitched series of rapidly repeated shrieks. Photo by Bill Hubick.

Eastern Wood-Pewee - Contopus virens (6 inches long)
80% - heard calling from shore
The Pewee sings its name plaintively in the woods and along wood edges, a long drawn-out “pee-ee weee”. It is similar to the Eastern Phoebe, another flycatcher which sings its name, but the Pewee has wing bars and does not bob its tail like a Phoebe. It may be seen perched on lower branches. Photo by Bill Hubick.

*Acadian Flycatcher - Empidonax virescens (6 inches)
80% - heard calling from shore
A small, drab flycatcher, the Acadian spends its time on low to mid-level horizontal branches deep in the forest. Its two-syllable call is sometimes phoneticized as a quick “pizz-a”, dropping a little in pitch and fairly loud. Photo by Bill Hubick.

*White-eyed Vireo - Vireo griseus (5 inches long)
80% - heard calling from shore
This bird is hard to find, but its percussive call is hard to overlook. “Chuck! Pick up your beer! Chuck!” is said rapidly in a dry voice. The White-eyed Vireo spends most of its time in thick brush not too high off the ground. It is heard as often on walks in the woods as in open areas, though not deep in the woods. Photo by Bill Hubick.

*Red-eyed Vireo - Vireo olivaceus (6 inches long)
80% - heard calling from shore
This incessant singer calls all day, all summer, even when everyone else is quiet. The soft-toned monotonous song is even-pitched and usually two syllables: “look up - see me - here I am - look up”. A sleek, subtle bird, the Red-eyed Vireo ranges mid to high in the canopy. Photo by Bill Hubick.

Purple Martin - Progne subis (7-8 inches long)
80% - more likely seen than heard
The Purple Martin is the largest swallow and is often found in mixed swallow flocks gleaning insects over Parker's Creek, especially in the evening. The male is dark all over, while females and young have a lighter underside. It has a gurgling chirpy voice, lower in pitch than other swallows. Photo by Joe Turner.

Northern Rough-winged Swallow - Stelgidopteryx serripennis (5 inches long)
80% - more likely seen than heard
This drab brown bird nests in cavities in the cliffs. Its underside is white, and its buffy throat and upper breast can be seen in flight. The call is a short buzzy syllable, “brrt brrt brrt” repeated many times at a rate of about four per second. Photo by Bill Hubick.

Tufted Titmouse - Baeolophus bicolor (6 inches long)
80% - heard calling from shore
A familiar feeder bird, the Titmouse is equally comfortable in woods and yards. A pale gray bird with a prominent crest, it is often in the company of other small birds. Along with “tseets” and other scolding sounds, it sings a flutelike “peter peter peter peter” rapidly and at about the same pitch. Photo by Joe Turner.

Carolina Wren - Thryothorus ludovicianus (5-6 inches long)
80% - heard calling from shore
Possibly the most vocally conspicuous of our local birds, its song is hard to miss, a loud repeated “chirpety chirpety”, “teakettle teakettle”, or “cheeseburger cheeseburger” along with much scolding and chattering. Its behavior is equally perky, and it is more likely to be low in brush or gardens. Photo by Joe Turner.

*Marsh Wren - Cistothorus palustris (5 inches long)
80% - more likely heard than seen
Marsh Wrens breed in the middle reaches of Parker's Creek, and their coconut-shaped basket nests may be easier to spot than the birds themselves. Their song is a cheery, bubbling series of high fast twitters lasting a second or two. A lucky paddler may see this small bird with a short cocked tail perched on a reed near its nest. Photo by Bill Hubick.