7 Bird Species I Only Encountered After Moving to America

As a well-known and courageous outdoorsman, Laurence Brown has seen his fair share of Mother Nature in both Britain and America. So it was not lost on him that American birds didn't much resemble those of his homeland. Here are 7 bird species he only encountered after moving to America.
Editor's note: the various video clips of birds seen throughout is not my original footage. Video credits are given below:
- Robert Nunnally, CC BY 2.0: creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
- devra, CC BY 2.0: creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
- Todd Petit, CC BY 2.0: creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
- Katja Schulz, CC BY 2.0: creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
- Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0: creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
- Eric Kilby, CC BY-SA 2.0: creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
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[@thomasdevine867]

You need to meet a Blue Jay. They will curse your cat out and tell you off. But they are worth seeing and fairly hilarious.

[@KaeleyStormcrow]

That's what I was thinking about when he was talking about the bluebird. Oh boy

[@santa1563]

lost count of how many times I was dive bombed by blue jays just because I was outside playing under the tree her nest was in 😒

[@lisagulick4144]

Most of the time, they yell. It sounds like "Thief! Thief" But sometimes, when they aren't arguing with the entire world, they have a softer two-note song that sounds like a tin whistle. I'd heard that song before, but when a jay landed on my porch railing and sang it, I was astonished!

[@RazorbackGrasshopper]

I think they're gorgeous...

[@SenoraCardgage]

@Gail Everett Are you SURE your cat’s not a ventriloquist?

[@aidanb.c.2325]

They don't get a lot of love, but I like crows. They're clever, mysterious, and inquisitive, and they do a damn fine job cleaning up the joint. And their humor is murder.

[@xaviotesharris891]

Pretty sure the whole northern hemisphere has crows of various kinds. Love them.

[@Howie875]

Your humor is murder because I believe a flock of crows is actually called a murder....

[@aidanb.c.2325]

@@Howie875 Indeed 😏

[@DKGifford19608]

@@xaviotesharris891 Crows are everywhere in the world (san artics). Covids are annoying and amazing.

[@kenbrown2808]

and then there is the magpie which looks like a fancy crow with whitewalls.

[@marjolewis9405]

I worked at a big box retailer and when I was stressed out I would walk in the garden area. One day a hummingbird flew into the glass door and knocked himself out. I put him in a potted plant until he could regain consciousness. I'll never forget holding that little bitty bird in the palm of my hand. Such a thrill.

[@renecordova6349]

Marjo..Lewis..... I had the same experience with a 'painted bunting'! It had so many bright colors and every feature was a different color. It is a small bird about the size of a small sparrow. When it regained consciousness, I let it stand on my knee and it looked at me and it's surroundings for about 2 minutes before calmly flying away to a nearby tree!

[@davidmiller9485]

we have a couple of humming bird feeders around our porch and we have a family of them that come back each year. If your still enough they will come over and fly in front of you to see "what" you are. Having a bird floating in front of your face for a minute or two is endlessly fascinating.

[@Lucius1958]

@@davidmiller9485 I remember once, during my schoolboy days, walking around in the woods near the school: I was suddenly surprised by what I thought was a large insect buzzing up to me. It turned out, on reflection, to be a hummingbird, probably attracted by the red vest with glass buttons I was wearing.

[@davidmiller9485]

@@Lucius1958 we put out nectar for them last month (we live upstate NY) and they are back for this year as well. From the looks of it they will be nesting in a 60ft. Fir right behind our house. Endlessly fascinating.

[@LaundryFaerie]

As a kid in California, I was very fond of red-winged blackbirds. Also, in the summertime I usually woke up to the sound of mourning doves calling to each other. Now that I live in western Washington state, I've gotten used to seeing bald eagles. They hang out near the highway, sometimes flying overhead, sometimes perching on something and staring off into the middle distance with that "Hello, perhaps you've seen me on your money" look.

[@sschmidtevalue]

When I was growing up, the Bald Eagle was almost gone from the continental US due to DDT issues. I never thought I'd see one in the wild. They have thankfully made a huge comeback and they are fairly easy to find in parts of Minnesota. I always count it as a good day when I see one.

[@samanthab1923]

Same here. Growing up in suburban NJ we weren't going to see any. Now they're back up north.

[@staceyoverley6148]

they are starting to make thier way into western and northern wisconsin as well! Never saw one growing up in the 70s but when I go "up north" I have spotted them many times. My aunt likes near Eau Claire and I see them when I go visit her at times.

[@dizzysdoings]

@@samanthab1923 I also grew up in NJ, but in the southern part. I saw my first bald eagle at the Forsythe Wildlife Refuge near AC in I think '93. I've seen several since then. People don't realize they also scavenge. I once saw 6 of them on a dead deer.

[@cahinton.]

Yup, another Minnesotan here. We never used to see bald eagles before, but now they're almost ubiquitous, even in urban areas here in the Twin Cities. If you're nearby a lake or a wetland, it's almost a guarantee you'll find an eagle next somewhere nearby high up in a tree.

[@libertylady1952]

Same in Ohio.

[@chitlitlah]

Hummingbirds are amazing. I once found one on the shop floor where I worked tangled in cobwebs. I wasn't sure if it was dead, so I started pulling on the strand of webs which slid it across the floor effortlessly like it was no more massive than a leaf. Just then, it came to life and flew off, and since I was still holding the cobwebs, the bird pulled itself free of its shackles. I felt pretty good that day.

[@Arkholt2]

It was probably looking for nesting material. Hummingbirds use spider silk to glue their nests together.

[@DKGifford19608]

Bird nerd here - loved this. Fun Fact about Hummingbirds: they don't flap their wings, they move them rapidly in a figure 8. Look up slow mo videos... so amazing.

[@georgesakellaropoulos8162]

This enables them to generate lift on both the forward and reverse wing beats.

[@andrewhillerich4878]

We faced a real problem accurately weighing hummingbirds until the day sliced bread was invented.

[@MD-scorpion]

That's right, thankfully we could figure out the weight of the bread by knowing the weight of stones :)

[@TehSlan]

This is one of the leading factors to the reason "sliced bread" is often referenced as "the best thing" colloquially.

[@justinmartin4662]

My balls were attempted, but they were just too big and heavy for the scale and relatively.

[@theentangledwiggler-man2344]

"The yellow rumped warbler, officially the most profoundly absurd name for a species in the observable universe." *laughs in blue footed booby*

[@TheChipmunk2008]

perfect

[@williamrichards8092]

In Florida, the common name for the yellow rumped warbler is Butter butt.

[@alboyer6]

Was thinking of the tufted titmouse.

[@spindalis79]

@@williamrichards8092 Yeah, for slang, the Yellow-rumped Warblers are sometimes referred to as "butter butts."

[@pepintheshort7913]

Yellow-bellied sapsucker.

[@DraggorLecanth]

I don't know if it's particularly North American, but my all time favorite bird has always been the Chickadee. I love their black capped heads and the sound they make: "Chickadee dee dee dee dee dee!"

[@casseld73]

Agree

[@logicandlaughs]

Me too! They are adorable.

[@matman730]

The mountain chickadee is known for singing "cheeeeeeeseburger!"

[@heidimarchant5438]

@@matman730 that sounds about right, never really thought about it till I read your comment.😂 I still love hearing them tho.

[@rebeccanichols3795]

Plus they have that sweet "phoe-be, phoe-be" call. I love singing back and forth with them.

[@jtcash2005]

You should do American mosquitoes versus British mosquitoes. I think you will find American ones are bigger, louder, and get free refills.

[@imme6954]

😄😅🤣😂🤣👏👏👏

[@numbernine3436]

Lmaooo i live near the delta close to the Mississippi River. The 🦟 are GIANT. I heard a young man say they controlled crime in his neighborhood bc everyone went inside a dusk🤣 these mosquitoes are not playing around.. luckily unless there is no one else around they don't bothered me much. I read recently they don't like the smell of lavender. Coincidentally any lotion or body wash i use has a lavender scent. Who knew I was repelling those prehistoric size vampires.

[@deborahdanhauer8525]

😊😊😊

[@be6715]

@@numbernine3436 Ah, that might explain the Europeans love of Lavender. Now, on to the mystery of hazelnuts. LOL.

[@numbernine3436]

@@be6715 🤣

[@charleshaynes815]

My garden( just a few miles from Chicago ) is overrun with gold finches when my sunflowers are in bloom. Their cheery bright yellow color always makes my day happier

[@johnalden5821]

Goldfinches are amazing -- so bright they look like a tropical bird. I feel lucky when they show up at the feeder.

[@agoogleuser4443]

I have to agree. They really are pretty little birds.

[@TheSlipperyNUwUdle]

I bought thistle specifically just to see them, cause they brighten my day! 🥰

[@charlenasutherland]

I love the Red Winged Black bird.

[@heidimarchant5438]

They're pretty unique and travel all over, I love it when I get a chance to see them here in the rockies, they're not as common here as they are in other places.

[@regsun7947]

They're beautiful. We have those as well as the yellow-headed variety and the solid black ones. They all hang out among the cattails.

[@deborahdanhauer8525]

That was one of the birds I listed too!😊🐝❤

[@abergethirty]

I hate them. When I was a kid, one nested in the Cattails in the Ditch near our Mailbox. We couldn't get the mail because the they would swoop at our heads and pull hair out of our heads. Our dad would drive up and get the mail from his car until the damn thing hatched it's eggs. When the ditch dried up during the summer we chopped down the cattails.

[@charlenasutherland]

@@abergethirty Wow! What a story. I'm sorry you had such a bad eperience. They are definitely aggressive but I still think they are beautiful.

[@aliciafox8998]

As a zoology professor I got a bit teary eyed when you brought up that the american and european robins were from different bird families. I heart yellow-billed magpies. And turkey vultures.

[@spindalis79]

Yep....Turdus vs. Muscicapidae.

[@BrianFullerton]

Is the same true of European and African Swallows?

[@mrp4242]

I heart black billed magpies even though they eat the fruit off my trees....

[@aliciafox8998]

@@BrianFullerton haha! You know, I did find a coconut floating in a lake the other day...

[@aliciafox8998]

@@mrp4242 black-billed magpies are not my friend. They never seem to let me get good pictures

[@andreamiller3578]

My favorite bird has become the cedar waxwing. It's subtly beautiful. it looks like a watercolor in a way. I was delighted to see a tree full of them in the park this spring before they left my part of Texas. My sister sat in the car, thinking I was weird because I got out of the car and walked around and around the tree squeeing. LOL. I didn't care. I never thought I'd actually see one of these birds in real life because in my neighborhood, I have lots of pin oaks that seem to attract robins and cardinals. And squirrels. Tons of squirrels. But no waxwings. not the right trees, I guess.

[@carlablair9898]

I once lived in an apartment which had a nice tree in front, and one day the tree was visited by a flock of cedar waxwings. Wonderful experience.

[@joannelindstrand4452]

I used to live in Coeur d'Alene back in the 70s and 80s, and I will be forever grateful to the bald eagles who nest on the shores of Wolf Lodge Bay for stopping the building of a nasty vulgar resort for rich people out there. Also, I feel very sad for my sisters and brothers in the UK who don't get to see hummingbirds. They are beautiful and amazing.

[@samanthab1923]

Just saw on the nightly news that your old town is one that people are headed to in droves. Up there with Austin.

[@katwithattitude5062]

Last spring during a pouring rainstorm I was looking out our kitchen window. Perched on the wire leading up to the house there were five mourning doves, just sitting there in the rain. As I watched them they in unison each raised their right wing, like they were rinsing themselves in the shower. After a few seconds they lowered their wings and repeated the process on the left side. This went on for several minutes , still all in unison. Just seeing one of them do it would have been funny, but seeing a choreographed group was hysterical.

[@LindaC616]

That would have been great on video!

[@katwithattitude5062]

@@LindaC616 And I would have tried but they were too far away from the window to get a good shot and going outside would have scared them away. Oh, well.

[@LindaC616]

@@katwithattitude5062 darn! Sounds like a fabulous image!

[@jnmsks6052]

The screaming goat will never not be funny. 😱🐐🤣🤣🤣

[@mplwy]

Except it's a sheep. Lol!

[@Excitable67]

@@mplwy Thank you. It drives me nuts when I see that clip and they say it's a goat! LOL

[@jnmsks6052]

@@mplwy LOL, either way. 🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️

[@elgatofelix8917]

@@Excitable67 you mean this is a clip that's been circulating online for a long time? 😱😱😱 To quote Johnny Carson: "I did not know that!"

[@Excitable67]

@@elgatofelix8917 Yep. It's been around for a while. It's been used in compilation video of "screaming" goats. Still funny, but, as I grew up on a farm with sheep, it bugs me when it's represented as a goat! LOL

[@carrieleslie903]

We have so many wonderful birds here in Virginia, but just yesterday I was impressed by a pilated woodpecker. It was so large, as big as a crow. It is the kind with the iconic flaming red crest.

[@bigtex741]

One of my favorites here in Florida is the Anhinga. When they swim underwater they use their wings. It is astonishing to see a bird flying in water.

[@samanthab1923]

Do you get to see many flamingos?

[@georgesakellaropoulos8162]

You should check out underwater footage of penguins.

[@micheledeetlefs6041]

Carolina Wren. You never know how beautiful it's song is until you visit someplace without it and realize outside just sounds wrong without it.

[@rapa2894]

100% I never knew I cared until I moved and something felt off come springtime. Eventually I was hearing them in my dreams and finally figured it out! Lol

[@micheledeetlefs6041]

@@rapa2894 Every time I visit my in-laws in South Africa, I miss our wrens.

[@suzannehedderly1331]

They are my favorite! Bold, brash and noisy! So cute!

[@emullinsstreams]

Yes! We have one that sits on top our garage singing every morning!

[@spindalis79]

Carolina Wrens have the tendency to sing all year due to being the northernmost species in a genus of Neotropical wrens (Thryothorus).

[@stonent]

The Blue Jay is very common in the US.

[@Undomaranel]

But if you're out West, you won't see true Blue Jays. Scrub Jays have gray bellies and Stellar's Jays have black heads.

[@animehuntress9018]

@@Undomaranel Now I'm confused. So we have scrub Jays in California, but they look nothing like the pics I've found of scrub jays? Sierra Nevada's area a blue bird that looked a lot like a blue version of a cardinal bird... so what the heck was that thing. It nested near our door so we hade to use the garage until the fledglings finally left the nest.

[@masterofpuppets2004]

blue jays are down right nasty birds. i see em attacking squirrels all the time in my yard.

[@matman730]

@@animehuntress9018 That was a Stellar's Jay. Also, there's a few different species of Scrub Jay, so the ones you're seeing might not look the same as pictures you find that are simply labeled "Scrub Jay".

[@pearlllg]

@@masterofpuppets2004 I love blue jays. Those horrid squirrels deserve everything they get!

[@kfoster3616]

How can anyone not love crows? They are so smart and I love their constant calls. My area is full of them....

[@rhondaflesher8313]

In the southern part of our city is a place that buys and sells bulk grain. They have a few grain silos along side their main building. There is almost always loose grain of one sort or another laying around the silos which of course draws birds big time. Several years ago the crows started congregating in our town due to the easy meals at the silos. It got to where parts of town reminded you of the movie "Birds." Parts of the city looked like a war zone (or at the least the aftermath of a serious wind storm) and if you walked through the areas it was at your own serious risk, between all of the bird droppings and tree limbs crashing down around you from the weight of the birds trying to roost. They finally solved the problem with those prerecorded bird calls blasting periodically (owl calls and other bird distress calls) throughout town.

[@Cmallon81]

Because they won’t shut up. A flock likes to take up residence every year in my neighbor’s tree. They crow ALL THE TIME🤬. You can’t enjoy the backyard, you can’t even have your windows open because you can’t hear yourself think or have a conversation on the phone (necessary when working from home).

[@kyleellsworth6440]

I remember walking across the Ohio State University campus in the early 90's with a fellow grad recently arrived from Scotland. There was a cardinal. Also, there was the most delightful freak out I have ever witnessed.

[@Itsjustelectrons]

Cardinals also have some of the most cheerful calls, and love bird feeders.

[@amymargarethowe]

Also, weirdly a symbol of Christmas.

[@retamckeehan4935]

@@amymargarethowe that's because their bright red color, looks so pretty in the snow

[@barbarachieppo8290]

They do have a beautiful sound. It is my favorite bird.

[@barbarachieppo8290]

@@retamckeehan4935 The males is the bright red one, the female us darker colored.

[@retamckeehan4935]

@@barbarachieppo8290 yes, I should have been specific

[@susanscott3333]

The cardinal is my favorite bird.

[@labhrais6957]

Me too

[@raynemichelle2996]

Are you from St Louis?

[@mazdaman2315]

Mine is the blue heron

[@usainengland]

@@raynemichelle2996 I am from St. Louis and a photo of Cardinals on my front door in Leeds. The postie said, “I knew you were American. Those are Cardinals.” She was a bird watcher. And yes, it’s postie, not mailman nor letter carrier.

[@lumenvitae4215]

I like Blue Jays despite that they are assholes to the other birds

[@gregtheredneck1715]

I remember my first sighting of a bald eagle in the wild here in Georgia during the mid 1980's. People of a younger age might not realize that it wasn't too long ago that this majestic symbol of our country was on the endangered species list. Now there's is a resident population not too far from my house and I occasionally see one soaring around in the sky from my porch.

[@rebeccamartin3744]

I live around Lake Peachtree in Peachtree City and eagles are pretty numerous, but you get a thrill every time you see one.

[@stephen1991]

When I was growing up, a bald eagle sighting was rare indeed. Now, here in Iowa, they are everywhere. During the winter in Des Moines, they will congregate near any open water in the river. It's common to see 1-2 dozen perched in the trees nearby.

[@skylx0812]

A cardinal sits and chirps in my trees early in the morning and at sunset. They're breathtakingly vibrant.

[@samanthab1923]

Love them just after it snows. That pop of color against all the white.

[@DaddyKratosOfTheShire]

Love that song they sing, definitely reminds me of iowa

[@kathyp1563]

Aren't they the ones who get very territorial when they see their reflection in your window. Then they try to fight their reflection for days & days & days. It's a constant pecking on the window.

[@rachelbrislin4507]

@@samanthab1923 I have two nesting pairs in my backyard. They argue too often with each other, imo, there's resources enough for both.

[@samanthab1923]

Rachel Brislin Funny old things. My neighbors had the bird feeders so they would come often to our shared tree. I remembered my Nan had a bird bath in her yard too. Good spot to spy them. Bob whites were big too.

[@ginamaryv]

I love all those you mentioned, but one of my favorites is the Mocking Bird. They have no song of their own, so they "mock" or steal everyone else's song. They will sit and sing a variety of songs for a long time and it's so sweet and charming to listen to. The other unique thing about them is they love to dive bomb cats right in the butt, especially if they have a nest nearby. It's quite comical. Other species will also do this albeit more timidly, but the Mocking Bird will pester a cat to no end.

[@Howie875]

One of my favorites too. I laughed my butt off one morning while watching a guy cross the street on his way to work and the whole time he was getting buzzed by an angry mockingbird.

[@maeve_a]

I love them too. Except at 3am. Then I do not.

[@haroldwilkes6608]

We called them cat birds in Virginia...

[@carolthedabbler2105]

@@haroldwilkes6608 Catbirds and mockingbirds are related, but they're different species. And the catbird has a call of its own, that sounds like a kitten mewing.

[@haroldwilkes6608]

@@carolthedabbler2105 True but at that time we didn't worry about species, we called either one by that name (except for those pesky show-off birdwatchers who spoke Latin all the time). It was a locality thing, birds, if not edible, were sort of pretty but not that interesting until I wanted a birdwatching merit badge. Both species drive cats and dogs wild, almost as bad as magpies.

[@hooberfloobermoober]

One time there were two hummingbirds on my flower bush, drinking from completely separate flowers, when they realized the other existed. Then they got into a full on sword fight with their beaks until somebody flew to a different flower bush

[@rhonda90402]

I feed hummingbirds all year long here in California but since they are so territorial I only put up a very small feeder as the male bird who takes it over won't let other birds feed there on my balcony unless they are females he has mated with I have read and I have seen males only allow a select few drink from the feeder. Once one I had been feeding a few years ago just keeled over dead on my balcony. I don't know if there was a fight or he just died but I found him lying on the floor dead. He just looked like he was asleep and was so light in my hand. I put him in a plastic bag and then deposited him in a bush behind where I live. I like to think he woke up somehow but I know he was dead. I dropped him out of the plastic bag before putting him in the bush...TMI, I know.

[@chaoticblades2382]

God, the hummingbird wars... woe betide anyone walking through a garden when it happens-a pair of bullets shoot by your ear, only visible when they try to impale each other. Enter Bird C, who claims the patch of bleeding hearts until the others notice and gang up on them.

[@suzannea66]

Great list Lawrence! I also love the American Goldfinch. Beautiful social little yellow birds that fly like they are on a roller coaster.

[@RobinPoe]

On the West Coast, the most common hummingbird is the Anna's Hummingbird, and the male has a magenta splash on it's throat, instead of ruby. I get a lot of them at my feeders.

[@caulkins69]

Thank you for that explanation. I was confused because I had always thought the ones we get on the west coast were ruby throats.

[@kenbrown2808]

the Annas are also permanent residents, not to be confused with the migrating Rufus hummingbird, when has the red throat, but a coppery body and looks like a flying ember when the sun hits it.

[@legomego3333]

I have been trying to figure out what’s different about the hummingbirds in SC vs the ones I grew up with in CA. It’s the magenta I’m missing! I used to love them 😍

[@robertgronewold3326]

I think due to a bit of climate change, we've started seeing that species from time to time in Iowa.

[@shirleyk7647]

@@caulkins69 Our Annas are also bigger I believe.

[@gordieparenteau6555]

Hi Lav Luka. We know you're there.🙋🏻‍♂️

[@MariahJade1]

The Pileated woodpecker's are great when they come and get bugs out of my yard wall.

[@rjchavers9267]

I feel you on the bald eagles. When I moved to Washington states west coast and saw them in the wild I was actually awestruck. They're so majestic and amazing to see going to their massive nests.

[@tammierice860]

No bird is as majestic as the Bald Eagle .😎📹✌️💕🕯️🙏

[@bunnehontherocks]

Expect the noise it makes isn't very majestic. We have a nesting pair in my neighborhood. I love to see them fly around.

[@tammierice860]

@@bunnehontherocks yea they have a pretty whimpy sounding call.✌️

[@CAP198462]

I submit to you the Peregrine Falcon is equally as, if not more. Certainly more rare.

[@DKGifford19608]

I'm a sucker for an Osprey

[@marccolten9801]

And yet Ben Franklin wanted the wild turkey to be our symbol .

[@shaunnmunn5823]

Next time you go west, ask the locals if Painted Buntings are around. Most colorful indigenous song bird. Female is gorgeous as well!🐦💕

[@JJoy-bk8yr]

I saw a colony of painted buntings once. Gorgeous is right! A lot smaller than I expected.

[@spindalis79]

I have observed Painted Bunting in Illinois. For the first time at Ewing Park in Bloomington, IL in May of 1999, and for a while there was a small breeding population in East St. Louis.

[@pearlllg]

There are Painted Buntings that go through Michigan, too. They are gorgeous!

[@margietucker1719]

We have them in Texas...but they're a bit shy, so sometimes hard to get a glimpse of them.

[@Roborebonzo]

I've always heard them called Indigo Bunting. Oh well still a beautiful bird.

[@corawheeler9355]

My favorite bird is the Common Loon, found on the lakes of northern states. Its the state bird of Minnesota. You would never forget its haunting calls.

[@jaydoubleyew]

I was not anticipating the goat scream and then there was a goat scream and I fell off my chair.

[@christaverduren690]

It's 2:30 in the morning, I have my PC on and I'm kinda half paying attention.... then out of the blue, a flipping goat screamed at twice the volume of Laurence and I screamed and my pug gave me the stink eye! I am now quite awake! And my pug is laying on the floor on the other side of the room with his fawn rump in my direction to show his disapproval of my vocal antics and that of the goat!!

[@robertgronewold3326]

The irony is that is in fact a sheep.

[@seankayoden4001]

''My cat sitting sleeping on my lap heard the goat scream and gave. me a look between What Was THAT and oh Pl.ease don't do that again.

[@christaverduren690]

@@robertgronewold3326 i was too tired and to startled to even really look, it was loud, it had horns, and everyone is saying it's a goat. At this point I need some warning... I could've been taking a drink lolol I've sprayed drink on my keyboard so much over the years I have a whole new meaning for 'sticky keys' lolol

[@Birdbike719]

@@robertgronewold3326 a sheep that looks more like a goat than a sheep

[@sushi777300]

Who also tried to clean the spot left of Lawrence on your own screen?

[@kaseymeier5944]

Didn't come off for you either?

[@debdeb4667]

Thank you, I was doing the same thing 🤣

[@David_K_pi]

Uh oh! I think he has a pixel out on his camera. Or all of us have the same pixel out on our screens. 😉

[@lauratukey3584]

Yup

[@HemlockRidge]

I even tried Bon-Ami

[@emullinsstreams]

Baltimore Orioles, Scarlet Tanagers, and Indigo Buntings are 3 of my favorites here in southern Ohio!

[@deborahdanhauer8525]

Those 3 are particularly beautiful😊🐝❤

[@agoogleuser4443]

@@deborahdanhauer8525 ditto

[@GypsyWolf7]

I love orioles! They love the grape jelly my folks put out for them and we get to see them up close. 🤗

[@deborahdanhauer8525]

@@GypsyWolf7 Grape jelly? I had no idea birds would eat jelly🤗🐝❤️

[@GypsyWolf7]

@@deborahdanhauer8525 They seem to love that AND oranges cut in half! We have a feeder specifically for them.

[@triciarie3972]

I think the funniest bird name is Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker - a woodpecker that drills shallow holes in trees and then drinks tree sap from those holes.

[@numbernine3436]

Love that sounds too

[@nottawa86]

I love watching them when they come to here in Texas in the winter, right into my backyard.

[@jasonlescalleet5611]

It makes a great insult too. “You yellow bellied sapsucker!”

[@renecordova6349]

I am delighted to see the 'painted bunting' of central Texas! It has so many bright colors and it seems to be a picture of a bird painted by a 6 year old child! Truly amazing little bird!

[@WillieDuitt1]

When the US Government outlawed the use of DDT many birds species started growing in population, the Bald Eagle is starting to be seen throughout the Midwest, when I was a child back in the 1970's you didn't see them unless you made a trip to the western states.

[@shinerstheseagull]

2 years late to the party, but I’d like to report we’ve got them on the east coast as well. I live in Maryland and I saw my first one this year at a family friend’s house in the creek on their property. It was awesome

[@PalemoonTwilight]

Come to Perry, Iowa to see turkey vultures! There is an entire kettle of vultures living at the top of the Perry water tower. They migrate to Perry each spring, and are beautiful in flight. When you visit Iowa, you’ll be lucky if you spot the Iowa state bird: the goldfinch. Other birds found in this neck of the woods include: golden eagles; red-winged blackbirds; peregrine falcons; sparrows; mute swans; Canadian geese; an assortment of ducks; and also an assortment of swift acrobats. My favorite Iowa bird is the mourning dove, for its lovely song. 🌙💜☮️

[@spindalis79]

Canada Geese is the correct term, not "Canadian."

[@melindar.fischer5106]

Hello Perry, Iowa! My parents lived there for several years. In Perry, my parents had bird feeders that attracted so many kinds of birds that I had never seen before. Beautiful!

[@Bacopa68]

Black vultures are more common here than the turkey vultures. They love cell phone towers. Every winter the larger towers in the suburbs have black vultures on them.

[@khaxjc1]

A video with lots of cute bird and cat shots? Definitely a winner! Thanks for the video. It was fun as always.

[@amberenyeart4833]

Cardinals and Hummingbirds show up around my farm quite frequently. So I set out feeders and hanging flower pots for them. I am so happy to say that bald eagles are starting to reappear where I live in Indiana. We had one sitting in a tree by our creek. Your videos are really cool, and your humor is spot on. Really enjoy!

[@andrewthezeppo]

Awww your cat is so cute! I love Russian blues! I just moved to the east coast from California and the Cardinals, Eastern bluebirds and redheaded woodpeckers are amazing!

[@MysteriumArcanum]

I was coming home from a garage sale this morning when I heard a Mourning Dove. Also I've seen loads of Cardinals as well as a bird you didn't mention; the Blue Jay. Fun fact: Blue Jays are members of the Corvid family, along with Crows, Magpies and Ravens.

[@uiscepreston]

Blue jays are the worst. They are like the total jerks of the bird world.

[@dlxmarks]

I love it when visitors from outside the Americas first encounter hummingbirds. Many are amazed by the birds because there's nothing quite like them in the rest of world.

[@numbernine3436]

Lol.. we have larger mosquitoes than some of the hummingbirds buzzing around

[@kenbrown2808]

actually, europeans have hummingmoths.

[@Markle2k]

@@numbernine3436 Hummingbirds eat mosquitos for lunch. And dinner. And breakfast.

[@dlxmarks]

@@kenbrown2808 In some European zoos but not in the wild.

[@kenbrown2808]

@@dlxmarks that's not what my friend in Germany says.

[@skyepuppy7763]

My favorite bird is the Western Meadowlark. I heard a beautiful bird song one Saturday as a kid in San Diego (Daddy was stationed there in the Navy). I had never heard that song before and didn't again, until Daddy retired from the Navy and we moved to Montana. I started to cry, because I recognized the song from that one Saturday morning years before. It's the Montana state bird, and it has my heart.

[@tejida815]

I just love those little chickadees.

[@tjg813]

The Baltimore Oriole is probably my favorite bird. The black and orange feathers are really striking and it has a pretty song. There are other varieties of Orioles but they have different patterns and are either dull orange or yellow.

[@spindalis79]

The Orchard Oriole, a smaller relative of these stunning New World icterids has a deep brick red plumage in the males. Females are much brighter yellow than female Baltimore Orioles and HY (hatch year) birds.

[@tjg813]

@@spindalis79 I grew up in the Central Valley of California, so when I moved east and saw an Oriole for the first time it was amazing. There are beautiful birds in CA but I had never seen anything like that before. Even the Bluejays are more beautiful in the eastern states. They are grey-blue where I grew up, not vivid blue, and called Scrub Jays. Magpies are really cool, but not colorful. With the landscape all the birds coloring make more sense. Everything is black, white, many variations of brown and grey or dulled colors. But that’s what the environment they’re trying to blend into is like.

[@ljcl1859]

Growing up in the '70s and "80s it was a rare sighting to see a bald eagle in Northern New York. Now while they are not really common, if you know where to look in my town you can see them there. You can also randomly see one just out and about. They are beautiful.

[@DKGifford19608]

Thanks to the banning of DDT the population is on the rise :)

[@ccbsnyc]

I planned on making a similar reply. I had never seen a bald eagle in the wild until recently. I'm about 100 miles north of New York City. And it was only here that I saw bluebirds in abundance. They are common in cemeteries and golf courses. Pileated woodpeckers and wood ducks are quite astonishing to see in the wild.

[@sorryifoldcomment8596]

Same in Southern Wisconsin - city of Madison! Second biggest city in the state, but I've now seen bald eagles flying overhead - probably thanks to our lakes. _(Can't speak to their prevalence here before 2000, but I only started seeing them in the wild, over the densest part of the city, in the last couple years for sure. Totally shocked. I had never seen them in the sky before and I only feel confident saying they are bald eagles because the professional bird watchers at University of Wisconsin keeps a list of all their confirmed bird sightings in the city and bald eagles are on there.)_

[@robertgronewold3326]

I have a LOT of hummingbirds where I live in Northeastern Iowa. You'll often see a dozen of them zooming around at once, and they do indeed like to flex off how territorial they are. You'll often see two males hovering almost nose to nose, zooming side to side and making a very loud clicking sound.

[@buddyharris5515]

The European "Turtle Dove" is in fact a different species of dove from the "Mourning Dove" but a lot of people call them that for much the same reason as the "American Robin" is called "Robin."

[@samanthab1923]

Cannot stand them. Wake me up if we sleep with the windows open.

[@stevepalmberg5905]

Coo coo coo!

[@uiscepreston]

@@samanthab1923 How does a soft cooing wake someone up?

[@samanthab1923]

Uisce Preston IDK, just does. I think I've become a more sensitive sleeper as I've gotten older. Used to sleep thru anything.

[@lisagulick4144]

@@stevepalmberg5905 More like, "Coo-oo...coo, coo, coo." Very mournful-sounding indeed.

[@applegal3058]

Newfoundlander here. My dad once found himself salmon fly fishing next to an American tourist. A bald eagle landed on a nearby tree. As the American waxed poetic about their national bird, a seagull flew by and drove the eagle from its perch. Dad laughed and said that the gull is our national bird lol We may not be majestic, but Newfoundlanders are definitely stubborn and tough lol 😅 I'll always think of this story every time I see an eagle. They are quite beautiful and majestic looking birds!

[@moonflick]

The average American is not going to "wax poetic" about an eagle. Just sayin'. You had a freak.

[@applegal3058]

@@moonflick Haha, he was from the deep south and had a southern drawl to his voice. At least that's how my dad imitated his voice. lol

[@chrisball3778]

Benjamin Franklin famously didn't like the choice of the bald eagle as the US national bird- as a keen naturalist he'd spent time watching them and thought they were basically cowardly bullies and thieves.

[@applegal3058]

@@chrisball3778 interesting.

[@craiga2002]

@@chrisball3778 Ben Franklin wanted the wild turkey to be the national bird - flies at 35 mph (50 kph) can outrun a race horse over short distances, is a master of camo and has eyes twice as sharp as a human's. My sister had them all over her farm, and they are fascinating.

[@lyllydd]

I'm with you on the Baldies. I went through grade school in the 70's and we were told that thanks to DDT, we would never see a bald eagle outside of a zoo. During a drive to a convention in IA, I saw a shadow pass over our car on I -80. I looked up and saw a white head, brown body, and yellow talons. I spent the rest of the drive in gape-mouthed silence. From then on, hubby and I have been supporting the World Bird Sanctuary, which has rescued injured baldies as well as other raptors. Love at first sight.

[@craiga2002]

If you ever get to Dollywood in Tenn., check their injured raptor center. "Worth the entire price of admission," said my brother. (70 yrs old)

[@secolerice]

The Western Meadowlark, the state bird of Wyoming. Its song always reminds me of home.

[@mariateresamondragon5850]

I think the song of the Western Meadowlark is the nicest of any bird song I've heard.

[@royjohansen3730]

From my stint as a US resident (in southern Wisconsin), I fondly remember the red-winged blackbird. Also, less fondly, the hopelessly inept-at-flying grackle. Its keel-shaped tail doesn't do much for aerodynamics. Then there's the California quail with the improbable plume sillily protruding from their foreheads.

[@Standswithabeer]

The Carolina Wren; a perky little bug-hunter, raucous caller, and it loves to make nests around (if not with) humans. I had one nesting inside my cupboard near the open back door in spring & summer...I hosted a total of 10 new little Carolina Wrens that year. Right now, I have a mama wren nesting inside my canoe on the back porch, with all the loud and bumpy comings and goings. I like these little birds.

[@Bacopa68]

Here in Southeast Texas the Carolina Wren is the most numerous songbird by song volume.

[@numbernine3436]

I love the sound of a mourning dove. I hear them most days & a hoot owl entertains me at night.

[@samanthab1923]

We call them Hoot Owls too!

[@numbernine3436]

@@samanthab1923 lol... southern?

[@samanthab1923]

a l PA

[@bob5074]

Most of my life, the bald eagle was near extinction. Now, thankfully they’re thriving. There was a bald eagle cam a couple years ago in DC at the national arboretum where one brought a house cat back to the nest for its young...they turned off the camera soon after.

[@maeve_a]

I mean... I guess turnaround is fair play. Cats eat plenty of birds. 😬

[@te7270]

😆 oops well they are birds of prey after all! Why else with the US have it as its national bird?🤣

[@tamipalin8171]

As an Idaho native, I loved hearing you pronounce both Boise and Coeur d'Alene correctly, LOL!!!

[@larrybrennan1463]

The Hummingbird, he has no song; From flower to flower he hums along, Among the jacaranda trees. He has no words for what he sees. (Michael Flanders, of Flanders and Swann)

[@robertgronewold3326]

Pissed off hummingbirds combatting for territory. 'CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK!!!!"

[@wanketta]

This was really lovely, thank you.

[@asims713]

I hope you guys get to go visiting/birdwatching other places soon. I lived in Oklahoma (Altus) when I was younger. I was always thrilled whenever I spotted the state bird; The Scissor Tail Flycatcher

[@KrissyFace]

Was watching Shaun of Scotland on you tube earlier and he showed some daffodils which got me to wondering about the birds and flowers differences.

[@paulherman5822]

There's wild turkeys and bald eagles around me. Not literally, but in my area of southeast Michigan. (It's just my elderly (b)rat terrier around me, right now. 😁) I remember my mom when she saw her first eagle hen. "Is that a turkey?" "No, mom. That's a bald eagle hen." Made her month.

[@eponine1966]

From Southern Illinois. We have wild turkeys and there are tour groups around the Mississippi river that focus on bald eagles.

[@misterpig7739]

Same here in northwest Iowa, there’s enough turkeys that sometimes I’ve had to stop in the middle of the street and let them finish crossing the road and I’ll see bald eagles occasionaly on my drive to work along the highway

[@itneverends7]

Good point. Does England have turkeys? They're everywhere here. We had one visit us for a weekend and roost on the back deck a few years back. He was almost as tall as me ....5'-8". I was surprised that they can actually fly a little bit. They are nasty and can kill you with their talons.

[@calliarcale]

Out of curiosity, how did you know it was a hen? Even experts can't generally tell unless they already know the individual bird. They have identical coloration between the genders; the only obvious difference is that the females are somewhat larger on average, which is tough to tell even with one of each gender perching together. If you thought the brown ones were hens, well, you have a 50% chance that you are right. The brown ones are juveniles. They get their adult coloring with sexual maturity, about five years of age.

[@paulherman5822]

@@calliarcale It was a definite adult, and about the same size as the local wild turkeys. I'm not sure of the exact age of the bird, but, it wasn't close to the juvenile ones I've seen (there was a nesting pair at the back of the property of where I used to work, and I've seen dozens of juvenile ones.) Sure, the juvenile ones are brown, but this was a pretty big juvenile, if it was one. Like I said, turkey sized. Just different build. (Turkey showed up a few months later in the same field. 😁)

[@madeline5138]

I know I'm 2 years late, but it is my greatest joy to see little Gambel quails with their red heads and little tufts walk around the yard with a dozen little tiny puffballs with their floppy tufts bouncing behind.

[@olicat7725]

I’m from Nebraska and we have Sandhill Cranes migrate through in spring. They are an amazing sight and sound. I live in Colorado now and enjoy the Stellar Jay, of which we don’t have in Nebraska. Blue birds with a black head and an awesome mohawk.

[@irisblue2332]

Stellar Jays are very handsome and like their cousin Scrub Jays, get overlooked because they're pretty common. I love the black mohawks. Scrub jays don't have them, but the California variety do have a line of silver eyeshadow

[@sherdayton1928]

On my 3rd floor balcony in Raleigh, NC, my favorite favorites would be the titmouse and chickadees. I have 10 feeders and many varieties visit.

[@jaynenewcomb2094]

In Alaska I was at a wildlife rescue which had about thirty bald eagles there at the time. Very surreal to see and the young adult ones don’t have the white feathers on their head yet.

[@derynicat]

They don't get the white feathers on the head and tail until they are 5 and hit their maturity 🦅

[@blissfularrogance3529]

I have 2 deer head chihuahuas and when I walk them in the morning there are 2 blackbirds in the trees and my boy dog growls at them and they actually fling something from the tree and laugh like hell from his reaction. I love it.🐾🪶

[@KathySarich]

The Meadowlark and Mountain Bluebird would be two of my favourites, the Meadowlark has the most beautiful voice, and the Mountain Bluebird has got to be the bluest bluebird of them all.

[@kcvail7409]

Wish we didn't have the starlings, but we do have some awesome birds. From the west coast, I am used to seeing lots of Robins, Bald Eagles, and ruby throated Humming birds. Some time you have to check out our blue Herons and Golden Eagles.

[@regsun7947]

Although they are messy I think starlings are very under-appreciated. We have huge flocks of them that fly together. They whoosh to one tree, then when they get startled all whoosh to somewhere else. Just sit still and listen to them. They talk to each other and mimic other sounds they hear, like the bullfrogs in the pond. If you can, try to find a story titled "Arnie the Darling Starling". I think I originally read it in the early '80s and it truly describes how spectacular those little birds really are.

[@mplwy]

Starlings are invasive.

[@sukie584]

@@mplwy House Sparrows are also terrible for our native birds...

[@deborahdanhauer8525]

I really like the Starlings. I like to watch them flock and swoop in great clouds of birds and they will speak like a Parrot. There was a story of a flock of Starlings that were living in a baseball stadium. One day, the team went out to practice and every time someone hit the ball, the Starlings roared like a crowd. The players thought the stadium was haunted.😊🐝❤

[@LarryHatch]

Growing up, our outdoor cats would bring us various bird species as "gifts to the head of the den" or crowder. I like dinner delivery but it got really out of hand. Some of them were hidden and started to smell after a few days in the warm house. Sometimes one of the other cats would not appreciate the waste of the gift and started nibbling on the bird the other cat brought in. I would find feathers mysteriously peaking out from the beds and furniture and corners of the living room. My dad would be called in to do the disposal. This happened at least 20 times and also with baby rabbits and mice. -Laurence Hatch

[@Amy-abc]

I just moved back to the Midwest from Germany after many years, and I’m also rediscovering these birds! It’s really fun!

[@sjlarue1]

Glad Butter Butts made the list:-D (Yellow-rumped..;-) )

[@erictaylor5462]

5:20 Actually, your cat would say "Morning, Dove. Hold still now, it's time for breakfast."

[@andrewmorris483]

We have a Hawk of some kind that when we eat on our patio will often sit on a nearby fence and eat dinner too. It doesn't fear us and it's even got an assigned fencepost. We call him Fred. When the dog rubs up to the fence it looks down, looks at us, then continues to eat.

[@alfredstevens5276]

Just outside Tucson at the Sonoran Desert Museum they have a walk-thru hummingbird aviary. The many birds are zipping constantly among the feeders and right up to visitors.

[@vincem3748]

Commented 5 minutes after the video was updated! Does this make me... ...an early bird? ...I'll show myself out now...

[@cjmarsh504]

I've encountered a Brown pelican, I saw a cardinal, but as long as I lived in Louisiana, I've never seen a hummingbird. Except, a cockroach that can fly on my face.

[@XSemperIdem5]

Please don't remind me of the time I was attacked by a flying roach that landed on my head 😳

[@kaseymeier5944]

@@XSemperIdem5 Yikes!

[@cjmarsh504]

@@XSemperIdem5 One landed right between the eyes, and I screamed like Will Smith!

[@Bacopa68]

East Texan here: Yeah, the giant flying roaches are a big shock to folks from up north. Good thing they prefer to live outside and only come in when it is unusually wet or dry. I can assure you that you have hummingbirds. Put out a feeder in September and you will see them.

[@cjmarsh504]

@@Bacopa68 The closest hummingbird I saw, was a cockroach

[@quasarsmom]

Some of my favorite birds from my Michigander years are Red-winged Blackbird, Blue Jays and the Black-capped Chickadees. Here in Texas I followed a family of White-winged Doves for several months, Road Runner and the House finch.

[@sukie584]

I love the Cardinal’s pew pew pew that sounds like a laser. I feed them in my backyard in NYC. BEAUTIFUL birds.

[@suelyons531]

I'm in PA and I've only seen a bald eagle in the wild once! Once! It was amazing.

[@samanthab1923]

I'm in PA also. Along the Delaware we've seen more. Along with Turkey Vultures! Never saw them growing up in NJ.

[@gwenjackson8583]

I’m in PA too. Where did you see one in PA? I’m so jealous!

[@samanthab1923]

Gwen Jackson North of New Hope. Bucks Co. along the river.

[@elizabethg.32]

You should check out the Southern phenomenon on the YELLOW Northern Cardinal! There’s only a few documented cases of them, but they are quite striking! (I’m a total bird nerd🤓) Great video!

[@davidlewis5929]

That isn't a southern thing. There were 2 in Delaware for years and nobody cared but the moment a sourthen midwest state gets one it makes the evening news.

[@spindalis79]

It's a Xanthomorphic mutation of plumage.

[@IznbranahlGoose]

Just a few days ago I saw some ruby-throated hummingbirds in southern Wisconsin for the first time. A friend has a feeder outside his window. I had seen feeders sold in stores but had never seen the birds themselves. On the opposite end of the size scale -- our apartment once had a couple of wild turkeys just hanging about. Go outside, less than 10 feet away there's a giant bird just standing there looking at you.

[@gsdlmj3450]

I'm so glad that you enjoyed these birds!

[@StevenS757]

Surprised Blue Jays didn't make the list as it's right up there with the Cardinal I think. Maybe the next video perhaps

[@MrPyewackett]

I thought the same. Are they not common in the mid west?

[@maeve_a]

He did say he wasn't including the ones he hated. Blue jays can be real jerks. 🤷‍♀️

[@Bacopa68]

Blue Jays can make fake hawk sounds to make other birds scatter from a food source.

[@davesunhammer4218]

My favorite bird is the one who doesn't crap on me while I am out and about.

[@danniantagonist]

Aargh! This blighty-locked birdnerd has recently discovered you and your fabulous channel and this video gives me LIFE!!

[@raeperonneau4941]

I’m so stoked for you that you’re finally getting to continue your American adventure! I can’t wait to see America from our perspective. So excited!!!

[@lexerwilliams8880]

My favorite bird at the moment is the Turkey Vulture.

[@missharry5727]

As a British birders who has visited the US several times, I love turkey vultures. They are the most elegant flyers ever.

[@Julie_Rios]

Hello, Laurence. Uncle Toby is a gem & a riot. What did the ruby-throated hummingbird do to you, Laurence? Hehehe. I hope the cat approved of the video!

[@craiga2002]

Does Uncle Toby = Tristram Shandy?

[@jameshunter5485]

Here in Virginia we have two very interesting bird species. For its iridescent beauty the Indigo Bunting takes no back seat in bird pulchritude. We also have a vicious hunter that will impale its prey on barbed wire or a sharp stick, the. North American Shrike.

[@thelivetoad]

You shoulda mentioned the most attractive feature of the mourning dove - its mournful call. Lovely and haunting. Great vid!

[@TheFirstManticore]

"Bluebirds over the white cliffs of Dover" -- I had thought this signified the inclusion of the Yanks in the British battle to defeat the Nauzis.