Birds of John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove

The sky-blue upperparts of the male Cerulean Warbler are difficult to observe in summer: At that season, the birds stay high in the tops of leafy trees in the eastern United States and extreme southern Canada. The bird itself has become harder to observe in recent decades, as its numbers have decreased in parts of its range. Cowbirds, which lay their eggs in the warblers' nests, may be finding their unwitting 'hosts' more easily as forest patches become smaller.

Male Scarlet Tanagers seem almost too bright and exotic for northeastern woodlands. These birds are fairly common in oak forests in summer, but they often remain out of sight as they forage in the leafy upper branches. Sometimes in spring, when the Scarlet Tanagers have just arrived from their winter home in South America, a late freeze will force them out in the open as they search for insects on roadsides or in gardens.

This striking and unmistakable bird was a favorite of early ornithologists such as Alexander Wilson and Audubon. Often conspicuous because of its strong pattern, harsh calls, and active behavior in semi-open country, it tends to occur in small colonies. Although it migrates only short distances, little groups of migrants may be noticeable in early fall and late spring. Once a very common bird in eastern North America, the Red-headed Woodpecker is now uncommon and local in many regions.

Seemingly not as shy as the other brown thrushes, not as bold as the Robin, the Wood Thrush seems intermediate between those two related groups. It sometimes nests in suburbs and city parks, and it is still common in many eastern woodlands, where its flutelike songs add music to summer mornings. However, numbers of Wood Thrushes have declined seriously in recent decades, focusing the attention of conservationists on the problems facing our migratory birds.

The national emblem of the United States since 1782, the Bald Eagle is a cultural and spiritual symbol, a symbol of freedom, democracy, environmental ethics, and wilderness. Native American cultures consider the Bald Eagle a sacred symbol of strength, spirituality, and connection to the Creator; the National Eagle Repository recognizes the significance to federally recognized tribes and provides Bald Eagle feathers and parts for religious purposes. Bald Eagle populations have significantly recovered since the 1970s, with populations breeding throughout is historic range in the United States and Canada.

The Broad-winged Hawk is a small hawk, common in eastern woodlands in summer. Staying around the edges of forest, the Broad-wing Hawk is often not very noticeable during the breeding season, but form spectacular concentrations when they migrate. Almost all individuals leave North America in the fall, in a mass exodus to Central and South America, and sometimes thousands can be seen along ridges, coastlines, or lake shores when the wind conditions are right.

A hawk of the woodlands, often heard before it is seen. The clear whistled calls of this hawk are conspicuous, especially in spring; in the east, Blue Jays often give a near-perfect imitation of this call. Over much of eastern North America the Red-shoulder has become uncommon, sticking closely to the remaining forests. Populations in Florida and California are often more visible, perhaps adapting better to open habitats.