Birds come in all different hues and patterns, but some stand out with an eye-catching appearance like the dark-eyed junco and black phoebe.

Black birds with white bellies are commonly found throughout the US, particularly backyards and wooded areas. Additionally, these black-capped finches frequently visit bird feeders as regular visitors.

Black-billed Magpie

Black-billed magpies can be seen across western North America, either perching on fenceposts and road signs or flying over rangelands. With their large size, bold pied plumage, and affinity for open areas such as rangelands, these birds are easy to spot when in good light – especially their wings and tails which flash with vibrant shades of green, blue, and violet iridescence. Black-billed magpies belong to the corvid family which also includes jays and crows.

Black-billed magpies, like other members of this family, are opportunistic omnivores that will feed on wild fruits and grains, seeds, rodents, beetles and grasshoppers found on the ground, carrion and even garbage. Foraging typically entails walking or hopping over ground litter using their long, flexible tails to turn over ground litter; occasionally landing atop large animals such as moose or cattle to forage for meat and ticks before raiding bird nests or stealing eggs from pet feeders.

They make various calls, such as their nasal inquisitive calls “chug chug chug”, as well as chattering songs which sound similar to rapid ka-ka-ka. Individuals living near people may learn how to mimic human voices.

Folklore often depicts magpies as thieves or portents of disaster; however, these intelligent birds have made themselves invaluable to society through adaptation to ever-evolving landscapes. Magpies prefer cities, towns, and rural areas with open habitats with scattered trees such as shrublands or rocky terrain containing open clumps; they avoid dense woodlands and treeless regions and readily capitalize upon opportunities that arise as soon as they appear.

Black-billed magpies are nonmigratory birds that breed from late March through early June. On average, they lay seven to eight eggs that will hatch within three weeks and will continue feeding their young until they’re ready to leave the nest.

The black-billed magpie is a common and widespread species in North America, protected in most of its range by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act but subject to state and local laws which allow it to be killed if known to have committed or will commit depredations on ornamental trees, agricultural crops, livestock or wildlife.

Black Phoebe

Black Phoebes, dapper flycatchers of the Southwest, frequently capture and consume fish for sustenance. Constructing nests out of mud near water bodies such as rivers, creeks, ponds and coasts – as well as agricultural fields or even city parks – Black Phoebes often sit low perches to scan for insects while calling out repeated series of shrill chirps from within low perches; additionally they build open cup nests in many locations such as walls overhangs bridges as culverts or building eaves to build open cup nests open cup nests within them.

The Black Phoebe features an inky black body and creamy-white belly. Both males and females possess solid black wings and tail feathers; adult birds differ only by having brown feather tips with cinnamon-hued wing bars on juveniles.

This phoebe is an accomplished hunter, waiting on low perches before scanning the terrain for prey. Flying insects make up most of their diet; however they will also consume other arthropods and small berries. Their simple two-part song (tee hee, tee ho) can be heard between January and July while their repeated one note call known as a “tsee-ee.”

Black Phoebes tend not to venture far outside their breeding and wintering areas, though they have occasionally been found as far east as Florida. They adapt easily to urban habitats, often nesting beneath building eaves or irrigation culverts – these adaptable birds may return year after year to reuse the same nest site!

Black Phoebes typically nest on rock faces and streamside boulders in nature, though they also build nests in tree trunk nooks and crannies. With human development bringing new nesting sites such as buildings, culverts and bridges into play for these birds to nest on, more can be found suitable for their nesting habits than ever.

Black Phoebes can be found throughout the Western United States from southern Oregon to California and Mexico and Central America; breeding also takes place in parts of South America. Oregon boasts populations breeding along river valleys along the Pacific coast as well as in its Coast Ranges in its western portion; further east they breed along Colorado River valley in their range, as well as being found further afield like southern Nevada, southwestern Utah, Arizona and central New Mexico.

Snow Bunting

The Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) is one of the world’s true High Arctic specialists and one of its most northerly breeding passerines. It inhabits circumpolar locations such as Antarctica, Greenland and Scandinavia where it breeds. Unlike many other Arctic birds it does not typically migrate in autumn.

Snow Buntings create a compact open nest composed of grasses and mosses lined with fur or feathers for warmth on either the ground or crevices of rocks or cliffs, usually lined with fur and feathers for additional insulation. Female Snow Buntings lay clutches of 3-9 cream eggs decorated with irregular brown spots and squiggles which they incubate for 10-16 days before feeding their young while they hatch and both parents protect them against Arctic predators. Although monogamous in their behavior this species fiercely defends their territory during courtship displays during courtship by flying V-shaped flight displays during courtship displays during courtship by performing V-shaped flight displays and singing during courtship displays in courtship display during courtship rituals during courtship displays during courtship displays during courtship when courting by flying V-shaped displays when courting an individual with bright colored wings over her wings during courtship displays during courtship displays when courtship takes place and singing during courtship displays during courtship displays when courtship takes place.

Male birds begin exhibiting stunning breeding plumage as the season advances, featuring snow-white bodies complemented by black back, wing and tail feather edgings, spade-shaped centres in their scapulars, spade-shaped centres in their scapulars, white tips on outer wing feathers, and spade-shaped centres on their scapulars. The transformation doesn’t involve sprouting new feathers but by repeatedly rubbing their non-breeding plumage against snow to wear off brown tips to reveal pure white feathers beneath.

Males patrol large areas during breeding season to attract females by calling and singing, flying low over the ground with wings gliding down in a V shape, showing off their beautiful feathers.

After breeding season has concluded, Snow Buntings migrate southward. By late November and early March in inland Europe and western Asia respectively. They may also be seen along coastal sites in Scotland and eastern England south as Kent during wintertime.

This species prefers rocky tundra with boulder fields or cliffs present, although they can also be found in areas of short grass prairie and farmland. Nesting locations for this bird include coastal cliffs and rock outcrops as well as human settlements; breeding occurs up to latitude 81deg N but numbers quickly decline during wintertime.

Loggerhead Shrike

The Loggerhead Shrike is a striking, blocky-headed bird with a wide black mask and white flashes in its wings that stand out against its black coloring. This species is more slender than an American Robin but longer-tailed than Western Bluebird; its song is a loud honking call and flight short and rapid with short bursts of very fast wingbeats; nesting occurs primarily in trees or shrubs with thorns to provide shelter from predators; it resides year round in its eastern half range.

The loggerhead shrike is known for perching on low, exposed objects like fence wires, posts and shrub tops where it can scan for rodents, lizards, birds and insects to hunt. If an item can’t be grabbed immediately it will often impale itself onto a barbed wire fence for later consumption or hover while searching with fast wingbeats and very rapid bursts of wingbeats – another interesting behavior seen when hunting!

This bird is highly intriguing. At first, it may appear motionless; then in an instant it will make its appearance like an instant meteor by darting across the sky like a winged meteor and striking at targets many yards away. These varied states of activity make the loggerhead stand out as one of nature’s more remarkable species.

Studies of 88 eastern loggerhead shrike stomachs have revealed that their diet consists of almost entirely animal matter; plant matter was only 2.5 percent. Vegetation consumption peaked most abundantly during summer when these birds prey primarily upon insects but will also take in vertebrates and amphibians as food.

Shrikes use natural defense mechanisms to keep their young safe. For instance, some insects and amphibians contain naturally harmful toxins which may harm other birds; when this is the case they store these creatures on thorns or barbwire fences until their toxic substances degrade; sometimes this includes killing mockingbirds (AUm’us polyglottos) this same way.

Pearson and Brimley report a loggerhead shrike who, on March 15th 1925, built its nest eight feet up in an oak tree with five dark eggs that contained tiny speckles; but within 24 hours began building another nest 15 feet higher up another tree that contained two light eggs that differed in hue from those laid the previous day.