Meet the Locals
(common local birds)
(common local birds)
This small bird is usually a dull, streaked brown, but mature males have a striking bright red face and rump.
House Finch
The last individual of this now extinct species, Martha, died at the Cincinnati Zoo in 1914.
Passenger Pigeon
This bird, unofficially considered the national bird of the United States and featured on the national seal, was officially designated as such by President Joe Biden in December of 2024.
Bald Eagle
This round, nocturnal, flightless bird is endemic to New Zealand but beloved worldwide. New Zealanders commonly use this bird's name to refer to themselves.
Kiwi
This species of crane is known for its beautiful vocalizations. After nearly going extinct due to overhunting, its populations are recovering thanks to conservation efforts, including using helicopters to guide migrating flocks.
Whooping Crane
This bird of prey is the mascot of our club and can be commonly found sitting on power lines or even atop Bell Tower.
Red-tailed Hawk
Although the real bird isn't blue, the famous Looney Tunes character who only says "meep meep" is probably named after this bird species, commonly found in the southwestern US.
Greater Roadrunner
This bird is the state bird of 7 states, including Ohio, making it the most common choice.
Northern Cardinal
This stork relative found in the wetlands of eastern Africa is named and known for its massive, wide bill and angry looking face.
Shoebill
This large game bird is found in a small patch of sagebrush grassland in Colorado. It is known for its elaborate lek displays, where males inflate red air sacs on their throats and make loud booming sounds.
Gunnison Sage-grouse OR Lesser Prairie-chicken
This small bird is common across campus, but it shines in the spring and summer when the males turn bright yellow and the females a nice olive. It is recognizable year-round from its black wings with two white bars.
American Goldfinch
This bird is commonly seen in horror media and other spooky circumstances, such as Poe's famous titular poem, where it said "Nevermore".
Raven
Though this bird isn't the most common state bird, it is the most common bird species found in the United States with an estimated population of 370 across North America.
American Robin
This bird, despite being mostly ground-dwelling, is in the same order as eagles and hawks. It uses its long legs to crush snakes, including venomous adders and cobras found in its sub-Saharan African range.
Secretarybird
This western US bird once had a population of less than two dozen, but has now recovered to a population of ~500 after a captive breeding conservation program.
California Condor
This tiny tree-dwelling bird can be commonly seen and heard across campus, singing its recognizable name-saying song.
Carolina Chickadee
Iago from Aladdin belongs to this species of bird, which can sometimes be found in the exotic bird trade and kept as a pet.
(Scarlet) Macaw
Found widely in Central and South America, this bird, sometimes called a "ghost bird", is the largest of its family and is known for its pitch black eyes, huge gaping mouth, and haunting vocalizations.
Great/Grand Potoo
This small brown shorebird with a black neck ring nests on sandy and rocky shores across the Atlantic Coast and Great Lakes. It is federally listed as endangered and found in small, local populations.
Piping Plover
These large, tri-colored birds rely on mature forests to hunt and breed. Though infrequently spotted most places, they can commonly be found in the woods by Marcum and around the Sugar Shack at Hueston Woods.
Red-headed Woodpecker
Zazu from the Lion King belongs to this species of bird.
(Red-Billed) Hornbill
Only two states have state birds that are not native to their area. One is Delaware, whose state bird is the Blue Hen Chicken. The second is South Dakota, whose state bird is this common game bird.
Ring-necked Pheasant
This family of wading birds is known for its oddly long toes, which are even longer in its juveniles. The best known species is the African variety, whose toes are longer than its body.
Jacana
Though not officially declared extinct and still listed as critically endangered, this bird, the largest woodpecker in North America, is unlikely to be extant due to the disappearance of the wide swathes of mature, intact cypress bogs they depend on.
Ivory-billed Woodpecker