Birds of North America

If you know the name of the bird you are looking for, use this index.
If you are trying to identify a bird, use these categories.

This website initially included only pictures of birds that I photographed in North and South Carolina. It has been expanded to include pictures taken by many other photographers and now has emphasis on North American birds in general. Birds from some of our travels abroad are also included. The photograph's country is noted for non North American birds.

If you would like to share some of your bird pictures, please send them to Dick Daniels. Pictures that are selected to appear on the site will be acknowledged. I am definitely not an ornithologist, so there are sure to be some pictures that have been misidentified. Corrections are really appreciated!

Laughing Gull

How I Became a Birder

One of our pleasant surprises when settling in North Carolina was discovering that birds love it here too. The combination of living in a state where there are hundreds of bird species plus the marvels of digital photography have made me an avid birder.

While I am not totally color blind, I am certainly color challenged. Greens, browns, and grays often are confused by me, and while I can usually identify red, it is not a vibrant color. If the color sample is small, such as presented by a distant bird, I am clueless about what color the bird is. Until recently I was convinced that this color handicap would make birding too frustrating for me. Then a couple of years ago I bought a Canon PS 2 digital camera that has a 12x optical zoom. By using a computer to display the bird photos I take, I am able to better appreciate their colors, plus of course observe other markings that aid in bird identification. And Sandy enjoys looking at my bird photos and loves to help decipher species.

As my birding addiction has increased, I have upgraded my camera to a Single Lens Reflex (Canon Digital Rebel XTI) with a 70-300mm telephoto lens which is image stabilized. The SLR camera with a telephoto lens is equivalent to having a telescope to look at birds, so my bird field identification has improved, as well as my photos.

I have been an avid traveler before becoming an avid birder. My travels now incorporate birding with sightseeing. Pictures of these birds on this website too, but I they are identified non Carolina birds so you won't be tempted to visit the Carolinas for these rare birds that have magically appeared here. There are enough other reasons to come for a visit!