Potawot Birds

INTRODUCTION TO POTAWOT

Template:115inprogress United Indian Health Services (UIHS) obtained a 20 acre area which is known as Potawot Health Village. UIHS organization began in 1968 when Native Americans united to provide health care for their people. Potawot adopted their land in the 1990's after a long struggle with the City of Arcata. The land was originally agricultural land and was not meant to become business land. The UIHS plead their case that what they were doing was not converting it to business land, but they wanted the land to be similar to the way they pictured agricultural land. This meant with native plants, wetlands, wildlife of birds and other species. The City of Arcata often considered Agriculture land to have big farms with usually non-native plants and non-native animals such as cows. The "restoration area is known as Ku' wah-dah-wilth which means "comes back to life" in the Wiyot language and describes the revitalization of the site's natural resources." (UIHS website)

BITTERS AND HERONS

Birds	Description	Noise	Nesting	Range
Black-crowned Night Heron	23-28”, wing span 3’8”. Medium sized, short and stocky. Black crown and black back. Grey wings and white underparts. Black, short bill, pink/yellow legs. Plumes on back during breeding season.	loud, barking kwok! Quawk! In the evening or night time. Harsh calls.	3-5 blue/green eggs found in thicket or reeds, rarely put in trees.	Pacific Coast through Canada and US. Mid-western states, and east coast of U.S. Not found in Rockies.
Cattle Egret	20”. Small, white stocky heron. Pale yellow legs as well as short yellow bill. The yellow bill makes it unique.	Croaks!	3-5 pale blue eggs in bush or sometimes in trees.	California, east to Great Lakes, gulf coast states and into the tropics.
Great Blue Heron	39-52". Wing Span 5'10". Large grayish blue with yellow bill. Flies with neck folded, different from crane since they fly with neck straight.	Raspy Squawk!	3-7 green/blue eggs in sticks in trees or ground. Often nests with other species of herons .	Throughout U.S.
Great Egret	35-41". Wing Span 4'7". White with yellow bill, and black legs. Breeding season plumage.	Croak! Squawks!	3-5 pale blue green eggs in sticks in trees. Often with other species of herons.	Oregon to Mexico, East Coast of U.S., Texas, and Mid-West.
Snowy Egret	20-27". Wing Span 3'2". White heron with black bill, long skinny black legs and yellow feet. During breeding season they have long lacy plumes on their head and back. Young look similar, but have yellow line going up the back of their legs.	harsh squeak.	3-5 pale bluish green eggs in sticks or on ground. Often nest with other species of herons.	Oregon to California, Arizona, Virginia, W. Indies and S. America.

BIRDS OF PREY

Birds	Description	Noise	Nesting	Range
American Kestral	9-12”. A jay-sized sized falcon. These birds are often seen hovering. Adult male has slate-blue wings. The female has rusty wings and back, both sexes have two black streaks in their face.	Schrill. killy-killy-killy	4-5 white or pinkish eggs, blotched with brown, placed without nest or lining on a natural or man-made cavity.	Breeds from Alaska and Northwest Territories east through Maritime Provinces and south throughout continent.
Barn Owl	18”. Crow-sized. Buff brown above white below, with heart-shaped face and many dark dots on lower half. Dark eyes and long legs.	Hissing notes, screams, grunts, and bill snapping. Young make rapid grackle-like clicks.	5-10 white eggs on bare wood or stone in buildings, hollow trees, caves, or even in boroughs.	Resides in Canada, United States, South America.
Kite (Also known as "White-Tailed" or "Black-Shouldered")	15-16". White with grey back. Younger birds have brown streaks. Small, graceful.	keep-keep-keep! whistle or long kreep!	4-5 brown spotted, white eggs in tall trees near water.	California, Arizona, S. Texas, and Central America.
Sharp-shinned Hawk	10-14". Wing span 21". Fast, long, skinny, short round wings. Adults slate-gray top, pale below, rusty colored barring. Young: Brown with whitish spots.	kik-kik-kik-kik! or squeal!	4-5 white eggs with brown spots in dense forest.	Alaska to Newfoundland, California, New Mexico, Southeast Coast.

PERCHING BIRDS

Birds	Description	Noise	Nesting	Range
American Goldfinch	4.5-5”. Male bright yellow with white tail. Black head with white edges and black wings and tail with yellow on wings. Female dull and grey with black wings.	per-chick-o-ree.	4-5 pale blue eggs in grass nest in shrubs.	All over U.S.
Black Phoebe	6-7”. Slate black except for white belly, under tail coverts, and outer tail feathers. Easy identifiers are its erect posture, tail-wagging, insectivorous.	A thin buzzy “pi-tsee” song, usually repeated. Call is a sharp, down-slurred chip.	3-6 white eggs, with a few faint speckles, in a mud, moss, and grass nest lined with soft material. Nest could be in a crevice, old building, or among hanging roots near the top if an embankment close to water.	Northern California and South and east to west Texas. Also in the Tropics.
Dark-eyed Junco	5-6.25”. Mostly gray overall, with a reddish-brown back	Ringing metallic trill on the same pitch.	3-6 pale bluish or greenish eggs, with variegated blotches concentrated at the larger end. Nest site is shreds of bark, twigs, and mosses lines with soft material, placed on the ground, protected by a rock ledge or other debris.	Throughout Canada and south into Mexico for winters. Found all over N. America.
Purple Finch	5.5-6.5”. Medium sized. Male has reddish head and off white below, streaked wings with white and brown. Female has white stripe behind eyes, dark stripe on jaw, streaked chest.	Musical warble. Tick while in flight.	4-5 bluish/green eggs, with dark brown spot on one end. Found in grasses and twigs in conifer trees.	Breeds throughout Canada from west to east coast. Also in CA, then east of the mid-western states of the US.
Red-winged Blackbird	7-9.5". Male: Black with bright red shoulders. Female: Streaked with light and dark shades of brown.	o-ka-leeee!	3-5 pale blue eggs, spotted with shades of purple and brown in marsh grass.	All throughout United States and Canada.

WATER BIRDS (SWANS, GEESE, DUCKS)

Birds	Description	Noise	Nesting	Range
Canada Goose	22-26" to 35-45". Brown with black heads, white spot on cheeks when adult	Honking	4-8 white eggs in grassy nest on ground near water	All over U.S. and Canada
Common Merganser	Male: 22-27". Green head. Thin, long, red bill. More vibrantly colored than female. Female: 22-27". Red/Brown head. White throat. Grayish, dull colored body.	Croaks!	9-12 pale/ivory eggs in trees	Throughout U.S. and Canada.
Mallard	18-27". Male: Metallic wings shades of blue and purple. Green head with white ring around neck, gray body and cinnamon colored chest. Female: Brown streaks body and brown bill.	Female quacks. Male more quit.	8-10 green eggs in down lined nest. Sometimes in trees or away from water.	California, N. New Mexico, Great Lakes, Northeast, Georgia. Also in Canada, E. Alaska, Manitoba, Newfoundland.

SWALLOWS AND MARTINS

Birds	Description	Noise	Nesting	Range
Barn Swallow	5-8". Small, dark blue, and rusty.	Chattering and twittering.	4-6 brown spotted white eggs. Often found in mud and grass in rafters of buildings.	All over U.S. and into Canada.

JAYS, CROWS, MAGPIES

Birds	Description	Noise	Nesting	Range
Common Crow (American Crow)	17-21". Black, smaller than raven, with fan shaped tail.	caw-caw!	4-6 light green eggs with dark brown spots. Found in nest in trees.	All through U.S. and into Southern Canada in winter.
Common Raven	21-27". Black, larger than Crows and wedge-shaped tail. Soars in flight.	wonk-wonk! deep.	4-7 light green eggs with brown spots. Found in nest in trees.	Western states and all throughout Canada. Georgia and Great Lakes. Europe, Asia, and N. Africa.

REFERENCES

Johnson, Eric. List of Birds.

Udvarty, Miklos D.F. John Farrand Jr. National Audobon Society Field guide to North American Birds, Western Region. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 1998.