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Wild Birds USA Trivia Questions and Answers
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1. What black bird with russet red side-patches scratches at the ground and reminds you to "Drink your tea-ee-ee-ee"?
Answer: towhee
Interesting Information:The robin-sized towhee used to be called the "ground robin" by country people, because of its reddish sides and habit of sorting through leaves on the ground. One range map says it should winter along the Ohio River, but apparently there's some variation, because when we lived near the river, the return of the towhees scratching in the undergrowth and giving one of their several calls, including chewink or tow-hee, was a happy sign of spring.
Difficulty: Easy.
From Quiz: More Birds We Have Seen in the Eastern US
Some incorrect choices:
bluebird, raven, bluejay
2. What long-tailed gray bird finds a high perch and performs a series of imitated songs, usually singing each snippet of plagiarism twice or three times before moving on to the next?
Answer: northern mockingbird
Interesting Information:The mockingbird mostly wears shades of gray, but has two white patches visible when it spreads its wings. Its year-round range has been expanding northward, reaching over most of the eastern U. S. now, and the bird adapts to urban environments too. Mockingbirds are brave, chasing off predators such as cats, dogs and even humans. There are numerous mentions in songs ("Listen to the Mockingbird") and books or stories ("To Kill a Mockingbird").
Difficulty: Easy.
From Quiz: Wild Birds of Eastern US Woods and Fields
Some incorrect choices:
indigo bunting, bluebird, cardinal
3. A trout swimming in a Washington creek looks up and sees this raptor circling. "Ugh, majestic symbol of the United States my eye... it looks like he's losing hair!"
Answer: bald eagle
Interesting Information:The bald eagle is a beautiful raptor found all over North America. It's not actually bald, but has white feathers on its head and tail. The bald eagle serves as the national animal of the United States and appears on the country's seal.
Difficulty: Very Easy.
From Quiz: To Mock a Killingbird
Some incorrect choices:
golden eagle, snowy owl, peregrine falcon
4. Which sparrow was introduced from Europe but is now the most common sparrow, seen in the widest range in North America?
Answer: House sparrow
Interesting Information:The house sparrows are descendants from birds which were brought from Britain in the 1800's to act as a pest control. This was a mistake that was realized too late, after they were widespread and well established. By the 1880's, THEY were considered to be the pests. This is an example of the "introduction of an exotic" which turned into a disaster.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: This is for the Birds
Some incorrect choices:
Field sparrow, American tree sparrow, Song sparrow
5. This is usually the first swallow to return in the spring. The male has a blue or green back, and a white chest. Which swallow is it?
Answer: tree swallow
Interesting Information:The female tree swallow has a brown back, and a white chest.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Pennsylvania Common Birds
Some incorrect choices:
barn swallow, purple martin, cliff swallow
6. This little bird is most commonly seen at the thistle feeder in the springtime. During breeding, the male is extremely bright yellow with black and white wings and tail, and solid black forehead. Can you name it?
Answer: American goldfinch
Interesting Information:These beautiful little birds often leave the feeder in the fall and winter and set off for open fields to glean. While the American goldfinch is found all over the US, the lesser goldfinch is restricted to southwestern states.
Difficulty: Average.
From Quiz: Backyard Bird ID #3 - Southeastern Feeder Birds
Some incorrect choices:
pine siskin, lesser goldfinch, dickcissel
7. Growing up in Indiana, I often spotted this member of the plover family in our large back field. It often protects its nest by feigning injury to distract predators.
Answer: killdeer
Interesting Information:Though a member of the plover family, the killdeer is often found far from water. Found all over the US, the name "killdeer" cames from the sound of its call.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Backyard Bird ID in the US #1
Some incorrect choices:
mockingbird, red-winged blackbird, robin
8. What is the scientific name for the Eastern bluebird?
Answer: Sialia sialis
Interesting Information:All bluebirds belong to the thrush family, then each species has its own title. Sialia currucoides, the mountain bluebird; Sialia mexicana, the Western bluebird; and Sialia sialis, the Eastern bluebird.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: The Eastern Bluebird
Some incorrect choices:
Sialia currucoides, Fluvicola pica, Fluvicola leucocephala
9. This species of bird was the only parrot native to the eastern United States. It was considered a pest to farmers and this was one of the reasons it was hunted to extinction.
Answer: Carolina parakeet
Interesting Information:The Carolina parakeet is believed to have become extinct in the early 1900s. There were reports of seeing the last flock around 1920.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Extinct Birds of North America
Some incorrect choices:
monk parakeet, yellow-nape amazon, African gray parrot
10. This unmistakable bird, which was wiped out of Michigan by 1900 due largely to hunting and was later reintroduced, is one of the state's largest. Despite its bulk, it can fly nearly 60 mph and it roosts in trees at night. What bird is it?
Answer: Wild Turkey
Interesting Information:Habitat loss also contributed to the downfall of the Wild Turkey in Michigan. These dull-looking, bulky birds can now be found quite readily in the lower peninsula communing with deer in what I think is a plot to take over the world.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Michigan Birds
Some incorrect choices:
Bald Eagle, Turkey Vulture, Ruffed Grouse
11. This bird is a plump, pinkish grey creature who happens to be very shy. He has a long tail, reddish feet and legs, and a few spots and stripes. His cooing call is light, pleasant, and distinctive. What is he?
Answer: Mourning Dove
Interesting Information:I just call him the "evil dove" as he likes to just sit on the sidewalk and stare at me. Like his rock dove (pigeon) cousin, he shows great intelligence and caution.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: New England Neighborhood Birds
Some incorrect choices:
Rock Dove, Common Crow, Stellar's Jay
12. This wren's call 'cheery, cheery, cheery' or 'teakettle, teakettle, teakettle' can be heard from a far distance,from the southeast to the north in Ontario, New England, and southern New England.
Answer: Carolina Wren
Interesting Information:The Carolina Wren's habitat includes woodland thickets, ravines, and rocky slopes covered with brush.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Wild Birds Unlimited
Some incorrect choices:
Canyon Wren, Bewick's Wren, House Wren
13. This large, beautiful bird is often found standing in freshwater areas or salt marshes. Its diet consists of fish, frogs, snakes, mice, and other birds.
Answer: Great Blue Heron
Interesting Information:Herons fly with their head and neck folded back.
Difficulty: Easy.
From Quiz: North American Birds
Some incorrect choices:
American Bittern, Sandhill Crane, Canada Goose
14. Which falcon has adapted to city life so well that it has made its nests on skyscrapers?
Answer: Peregrine
Interesting Information:Falco peregrinus is one of the most widespread of the falcons, found in most countries of the world apart from New Zealand. It also avoids tropical rainforests, high mountains and the polar regions, although even the Arctic tundra has populations. As well as being known as the fastest bird of prey, when diving to catch prey (known as a stoop), it is also adaptable. Cities can provide easy pickings for food as many of them have large flocks of pigeons, which is handy when you have chicks to feed.
Difficulty: Easy.
From Quiz: Falcons and Hawks of the USA
Some incorrect choices:
Prairie, Aplomado, Gyrfalcon
15. This mostly-white owl is sometimes called the 'monkey-faced owl'. Farmers put up nest boxes for it because it can consume many rodents each night.
Answer: Barn owl
Interesting Information:The barn owl is one of the most widespread species of bird in the world, found on all continents except Antarctica.
Difficulty: Average.
From Quiz: Birds of North America
Some incorrect choices:
Great horned owl, Screech owl, Great gray owl
16. What small, slate-gray, bird seems more noticeable in winter, picking seeds off the snowy ground, either because it has come south to winter, or other birds have left and gone further south?
Answer: snowbird or junco
Interesting Information:The snowbird is aptly named. It winters from Ohio and Virginia south, entertaining listeners with its variable, melodic songs. There are numerous closely related species, all called snowbirds, predominantly in shades of gray with various white patches.
Difficulty: Easy.
From Quiz: More Birds We Have Seen in the Eastern US
Some incorrect choices:
downy woodpecker, whip-poor-will, yellow breasted chat
17. What bird soars above the treetops, giving an occasional scream, and is identifiable by the color of its tail?
Answer: red-tailed hawk
Interesting Information:The red-tailed hawk is sometimes called the chickenhawk, but is happier eating rats and chipmunks than chickens. During courtship, the pair flies in circles and the male will perform dramatic dives and other aerobatics for several minutes. Once a pair mates, it generally stays mated for life, which can be 25 years or more. Red-tailed hawks are also used for falconry in the U.S. A dog is sent out to flush game for the hawk to catch, and the hawk is then asked to trade his success for a reward of meat.
Difficulty: Easy.
From Quiz: Wild Birds of Eastern US Woods and Fields
Some incorrect choices:
pileated woodpecker, blue-tailed hawk, wild turkey
18. A robin flying leisurely on a hot North Carolinian summer day sees a friend quickly attacked in mid-air. "Hey, Accipiter cooperii! Why don't you go make some barrels and leave us alone!"
Answer: Cooper's hawk
Interesting Information:Cooper's hawks typically feed upon small birds. These beautiful birds, also known as chicken hawks, have sometimes been known to completely deplete populations of endangered, rare, small birds. "Cooper" is another word for a barrel maker.
Difficulty: Easy.
From Quiz: To Mock a Killingbird
Some incorrect choices:
barn owl, sharp-shinned hawk, golden eagle
19. The "caw" of the wild is made by this very common, large bird whose scientific name is Corvus brachyrhynchos.
Answer: American crow
Interesting Information:Smaller than the raven, the American crow is still one of the larger birds. Its range is most of the North American continent south of the treeline.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: This is for the Birds
Some incorrect choices:
Common raven, Northwestern crow, Rusty blackbird
20. How is the downy woodpecker's tail different from the hairy woodpecker's?
Answer: the downy woodpecker's has black speckles on the outer edge.
Interesting Information:The downy woodpecker and the hairy woodpecker are the same, except for size, and the black speckles that the downy woodpecker has.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Pennsylvania Common Birds
Some incorrect choices:
they are the same, the hairy woodpecker's has black speckles on the outer edge., the downy woodpecker's is solid black.
21. While living in Texas, I was rudely kept awake by this widespread and common gray and white mimid. He loved to sing a wide variety of songs at 1 a.m. Can you name him?
Answer: Northern Mockingbird
Interesting Information:The mockingbird is the most talented of the mimicking birds, and also the most widespread. It can be found throughout the southern US, and as far north as Maine along the eastern seaboard.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Backyard Bird ID in the US #2
Some incorrect choices:
Brown Thrasher, Tufted Titmouse, Gray Catbird
22. Living in Texas, it was a thrill to see this amazing bird dipping and swooping for insects with its gray head and extremely long tail.
Answer: scissor-tailed flycatcher
Interesting Information:The scissor-tailed flycatcher's tail is about 7-8 inches long! And yes, it's scissors-shaped. Found all over Texas and the southern plain states.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Backyard Bird ID in the US #1
Some incorrect choices:
western kingbird, great crested flycatcher, eastern phoebe
23. Bluebirds live mainly on a diet of what?
Answer: Bugs
Interesting Information:Approximately 70% of a bluebird's diet is invertebrates, but small berries (such as flowering dogwood, Eastern red cedar, holly, and pokeweed) are an important part of their diet in the late summer and winter.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: The Eastern Bluebird
Some incorrect choices:
Seeds, Nuts, Berries
24. Usually not seen in the west, this tree perching bird is seen creeping around tree trunks and along larger branches searching for insects. Unlike the Brown Creeper which can only climb upward, this bird can climb any direction on a tree.
Answer: Black and White Warbler
Interesting Information:Voice is a like a squeaky wheelbarrow, a monotonous 'weesy, weesy, weesy, weesy'.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Wild Birds Unlimited
Some incorrect choices:
Cerulean Warbler, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker
25. This white bird is often found riding the back of a cow.
Answer: Cattle Egret
Interesting Information:They feed on insects stirred up by the cow's hooves.
Difficulty: Easy.
From Quiz: North American Birds
Some incorrect choices:
Green Heron, Bewick's Wren, Orchard Oriole
26. This rare bird, found only in some remote areas along the Mexican border, is the only remaining member of the parrot family native to the United States.
Answer: Thick-billed parrot
Interesting Information:The Carolina parakeet is extinct. The monk parakeet and red-headed Amazon have been released or escaped from captivity in several areas of the U.S.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Birds of North America
Some incorrect choices:
Monk parakeet, Carolina parakeet, Red-headed Amazon
27. This woodpecker loves our suet. It has a red head and a bit of red on its belly, and the usual speckled black and white wings. It's about the size of a downy woodpecker, certainly not like a big pileated woodpecker. What is it?
Answer: red-bellied woodpecker
Interesting Information:Who names these woodpeckers? The first thing I noticed was the red patch on the top of its head extending to the back of the neck. Then, yes, I saw a little tiny bit of red on its belly. It's a red-bellied woodpecker but you have to look! Apparently it has been gradually expanding its range northward, currently covering most of the US southeast but pushing into New England and southern Canada too. It visits year round, eating suet from our feeder and nibbling on the dried fruit too.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Birds that Visit our Feeder, Ohio/WV Border
Some incorrect choices:
ivory billed woodpecker, nuthatch, yellow bellied sapsucker
28. This magnificent bird is hard to miss. What raptor has a bright white head and tail, while the rest of the body is dark?
Answer: bald eagle
Interesting Information:The national symbol of the USA is making a comeback. Though still not plentiful, bald eagles were removed from the list of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife in 2007, in the lower 48 states. Some areas have a breeding pair who are given names and watched fondly by local residents.
Difficulty: Easy.
From Quiz: More Birds We Have Seen in the Eastern US
Some incorrect choices:
wild turkey, golden eagle, vulture
29. The purple martin is included in which bird grouping?
Answer: swallows
Interesting Information:Larger than any of the other swallows, the purple martin is the only one which is dark all over. It likes to make its home in multi-celled nesting boxes.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: This is for the Birds
Some incorrect choices:
thrushes, warblers, larks
30. Over the wheat fields of Oklahoma, I often saw this bird perched on a telephone line, searching for prey. With its tell-tale rusty back and bluish wings, it is the smallest US falcon.
Answer: kestrel
Interesting Information:The kestrel can be found all over the US, but prefers open country for hunting.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Backyard Bird ID in the US #1
Some incorrect choices:
prairie falcon, merlin, red-tailed hawk
31. What is the American robin's scientific name?
Answer: Turdus migratorius
Interesting Information:Sialia currucoides is the mountain bluebird, Hylocichla mustelina is the wood thrush and Oenanthe oeananthe is the Northern wheatear.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: My Favorite Birds: American Robins
Some incorrect choices:
Sialia currucoides, Hylocichla mustelina, Oenanthe oenanthe
32. This sparrow relied on a cordgrass habitat. Cordgrass only grows on a narrow strip of land near the shore. The building of the Kennedy Space Center and its infrastructure may have destroyed much of the birds' habitat in Florida.
Answer: dusky seaside sparrow
Interesting Information:This bird became extinct in 1987. A captive breeding program was attempted, but failed as only 6 birds were available, and they were all males. Cross breeding with a similar species was also attempted, but failed. I remember reading this in the news.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Extinct Birds of North America
Some incorrect choices:
house sparrow, grasshopper sparrow, song sparrow
33. Tree Swallows live all over Michigan in the summertime. What colors might you find on an adult Tree Swallow?
Answer: Blue to Blue-green and White
Interesting Information:Tree Swallows have a white belly with a shiny blue elsewhere. The blue becomes much greener in the fall. Barn Swallows are blue and reddish brown.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Michigan Birds
Some incorrect choices:
Brown and White, Blue and Reddish Brown, Black and Purple
34. This tiny, bold little bird is the state bird of Massachusetts. It sings out in summer with a hard to place "we-do, we-dooo". It looks kind of like a sparrow, only smaller. It also says its name in its call. What is it?
Answer: Black Capped Chickadee
Interesting Information:The black capped chickadee is a brave creature in a tiny package. If you're lucky, they'll eat out of your hand!
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: New England Neighborhood Birds
Some incorrect choices:
Chipping Sparrow, Northern Raven, Whip-Poor-Will
35. Seen in eastern Montana and the Great Lakes region south to Texas and the Gulf Coast, this perching bird resembles a small meadowlark and its song resembles its name.
Answer: Dickcissel
Interesting Information:Habitat is in open country in grain or hay fields and in weed patches.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Wild Birds Unlimited
Some incorrect choices:
Pyrrhuloxia, Chipping Sparrow, Eastern Bluebird
36. This magnificent bird is endangered although the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas has provided a safe refuge.
Answer: Whooping Crane
Interesting Information:Sandhill cranes are being used as foster parents of whooping cranes taken as eggs from nests in Canada.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: North American Birds
Some incorrect choices:
Sandhill Crane, Glossy Ibis, Mute Swan
37. In which state of the USA are you most likely to see a gyrfalcon?
Answer: Alaska
Interesting Information:The gyrfalcon, Falco rusticolus, resides in the Arctic tundra regions, so Alaska is your best bet in America. Even Europeans would need to search the colder regions such as Iceland and Greenland, with the tundra and taiga regions providing their usual habitat. The gyrfalcon is the largest of the falcon species and has colouration varying from nearly all white to darker shades of brown. It feeds primarily on other birds with ptarmigan, which live in the same regions, being a favourite. Another falcon known for its speed, it can intercept prey on the wing.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Falcons and Hawks of the USA
Some incorrect choices:
Hawaii, Nebraska, California
38. This ground-dwelling desert native, famous for snake killing and cartoon appearances, is really a member of the cuckoo family.
Answer: Roadrunner
Interesting Information:Unlike many cuckoos, roadrunners do care for their own young.
Difficulty: Easy.
From Quiz: Birds of North America
Some incorrect choices:
Grackle, Magpie, Crow
39. This little bird has a black cap and says its name when it gives its call. We see it in winter but it doesn't visit in summer. What is it?
Answer: chickadee
Interesting Information:I'll sometimes hear the cheery sound of "chick-a-dee-dee-dee" and know to look out the window at a black-capped chickadee who has come to get some suet or seeds. They go north in the summer, but come here to our feeder on the Ohio/West Virginia border in the winter. We are apparently right on the southern edge of their breeding range.
Difficulty: Hard.
From Quiz: Birds that Visit our Feeder, Ohio/WV Border
Some incorrect choices:
snowbird, tufted titmouse, robin
40. What owl doesn't live up to its name, when it comes to calls? You'd think it would give a horrifying scream, but instead it gives a soft sort of descending trill.
Answer: screech owl
Interesting Information:Screech owls are small brownish owls in mottled colors, well camouflaged, and even harder to see because they're nocturnal, so they're rarely out in the daytime. They have ear tufts and yellow eyes, unremarkable in appearance among the various eastern North American owls. Their nests are generally in tree cavities well above human head level. Their call is what makes them stand out, and I love to hear the ghostly little trill.
Difficulty: Very Easy.
From Quiz: More Birds We Have Seen in the Eastern US
Some incorrect choices:
barn owl, barred owl, great horned owl
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