Joe Cockram

If you live in or close to forest areas in the eastern United States of America or southeast Canada, feed the birds in your yard, or spend time walking in the woods, you are probably quite familiar with the Red-bellied Woodpecker. These are not shy woodpeckers, and they are not particularly picky when it comes […]

Introduction / Taxonomy Everybody loves hummingbirds, right? There’s no controversy there, they are delightful little gems that add much entertainment and joy to our lives. But asking somebody what their favorite hummingbird is, results in a far more complex discussion. For me, the Calliope Hummingbird is the best of the North American species. As the

Introduction / Taxonomy When does a woodpecker not peck wood? When it’s a Flicker! Northern Flickers are a rather peculiar member of the woodpecker family with a very different foraging technique from their congeners. While most woodpeckers climb trees and peck away at the bark to find food, Flickers spend much time on the ground

Red-shouldered Hawks are a rather discreet denizen of woodland habitats, rarely particularly visible but often betraying their presence with loud vocalizations. They are a member of the Buteo genus, a group of about 30 species found almost worldwide, only excluding Australasia and far south-east Asia. These are typically medium-sized, stocky raptors with broad wings for

To see a Rough-legged Hawk is to feel the cold, crisp air of the tundra. These hardy birds breed exclusively in a narrow, almost continuous band around the high Arctic, moving south only in the winter to escape the worst of the weather, and bringing them into range of fortunate birders. Also called the Rough-legged

Broad-winged Hawks are one of only five raptor species (the others being Swainson’s Hawk, Mississippi Kite, Swallow-tailed Kite, and Gray Hawk) that migrate almost entirely out of North America for the winter. While they can be rather furtive during the breeding season, in certain locations, they suddenly become very apparent in the fall, appearing from