Harris Hawk
The Harris Hawk is one of the most intelligent and social raptors in the world. Known for its striking appearance and cooperative hunting behaviors, this bird of prey is found in arid regions of the Americas. Below, we explore its physical characteristics, adaptations, and behaviors in detail. Physical Characteristics The Harris Hawk measures between 18 […]
Zorro
Zorro came to The VLM in 2025.
Great Blue Heron
The great blue heron is Virginia’s largest wetland bird and North America’s largest heron. These birds stand four feet tall and have a wing span of six feet. The great blue heron gets its name from the blue-gray coloring that covers its body and wings. Its face is completely white with a black streak around yellow […]
Cattle Egret
The cattle egret is an Old World species that originally inhabited Africa. During the 20th century this bird drastically expanded its range across the Atlantic to South and North America. Today, it is the only egret in Virginia that does most of its feeding on land. Unlike its shoreline-feeding relatives, the cattle egret prefers to hunt […]
Snowy Egret
Snowy egrets get their name from their bleach white coloring, which covers their bodies. They also have a nickname “golden slippers” for the bright yellow feet that contrast with their long, thin black legs. The snowy egret also has a pointed, black beak and can grow 20-27 inches tall. Its diet is similar to many of […]
Double-Crested Cormorant
The double-crested cormorant has a dull black coloring with an orange and gray bill. Though cormorants constantly dive in the water for food their wings are not as waterproof as other diving ducks. They are usually found standing on rocks or branches with their wings stretched to dry after performing a dive. Their diet includes […]
Hooded Merganser
Merganser diving ducks are also known as “fish ducks” or “sawbills.” These nicknames come from the duck’s typical diet of fish, as well as from the sharp and jagged bumps on their bills. This characteristic helps mergansers keep hold of fish while they hunt. There are three types of mergansers in North America – the […]
Canvasback
The canvasback diving duck gets its scientific name from the celery plant. The word “valisineria” is the taxonomy name for wild celery and the canvasback’s favorite food. The canvasback is a large duck almost 20 inches long and weighing 2.5 to 2.75 pounds. With the exception of its chest, which is colored black, the canvasback wears […]
Wild Turkey
The wild turkey (Meleagris gallapavo) is a large ground-feeding bird that is related to chickens, quail and pheasants. Turkeys prefer to live in open forests, the edges of forests or wooded swamps. They feed on seeds, grains, acorns and other nuts, berries and insects. Turkeys have been known to eat spiders, ticks, snails and slugs, […]
Vultures
There are two species of vultures found in Virginia: the turkey vulture and the black vulture. Vultures (some call them buzzards) are scavenging birds that feed on the remains of dead animals. The vulture has been perceived as a loathsome creature because of its disgusting feeding habits. We now know, however, that these somewhat unattractive […]
Eastern Screech Owl
The screech owl (Megascops asio) is a very common but rarely glimpsed bird. This bird is known by many other common names including little horned owl, scritch owl and shivering owl. Often mistaken for a baby because of its small size, the screech owl is the smallest owl with ear tufts in the eastern U.S. Their call, […]
Brown Pelican
During the warmer months, Brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) can be seen flying in V formations over coastal waters or sitting on piers and pilings. Pelicans are large birds with a wingspan of 6 feet. Adults can grow to 4 ½ feet long and weigh up to 10 pounds. A pelican is built for flying and […]
