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It’s In Your Nature: Making sense of some bird names

Published June 13. 2026 09:00AM

Since I’ve been a birding nut for quite a while, a number of people have asked me many questions about a bird they’ve seen, or might have seen.

And, since I’ve been writing this column, I’ve received a number of emails from readers as well. The emails mostly requested my help in determining what bird was at their feeder or that they encountered. Some of those indeed included some birds that one could find challenging to correctly identify.

One of the most common examples of misidentification is the red-headed woodpecker. In the last 30 years I’ve only seen about three dozen red-headed woodpeckers in the Times News region.

I’m sure the red-headed woodpecker people think they are looking at is actually a red-bellied woodpecker. That isn’t surprising since the red-bellied woodpecker may now be the most common of the woodpeckers despite the fact that they really only moved north into our region in the last 50 years or so.

There is red on their heads, but almost no discernible red on their bellies. Once you actually see a red-headed woodpecker, you’ll not mistake the two anymore.

There are other misleading bird names, too. A red-breasted nuthatch’s breast isn’t really red. Although it is certainly darker than the breast of its cousin, the white-breasted nuthatch. The chest area of the red-breasted nuthatch I would describe as more chestnut in color.

In winter you probably have white-throated sparrows visiting your feeders. Look closely at the photos included to see how similar white-throated and white-crowned sparrows are. I can assure you that if it is January, and you think you saw a white-crowned, it most likely was the white-throat.

You can age me when I refer to the TV series “The Beverly Hillbillies.” Banker Mr. Drysdale had an aide, Miss Hathaway, who, way back when, was somewhat of a “geeky” birder. I remember in one episode she was looking for a yellow-bellied sapsucker. You probably know that there is indeed a bird species, the yellow-bellied sapsucker.

However, if you are looking for a woodpecker with a belly as yellow as a goldfinch, you are out of luck. This sapsucker species has only a faint wash of light yellow on its breast/belly area.

Those responsible for giving names to birds have done an admirable job, but a few names can be tricky. Obviously, a blue jay, Eastern bluebird and certainly the scarlet tanager names are spot-on. I’ll use this column to show photos of some tricky ones to help you with a few more bird identifications.

Test Your Outdoor Knowledge: We have two vulture species living in our region. One of them actually may kill a newborn fawn or a lamb. Is it the turkey vulture or the black vulture?

Last Week’s Trivia Answer: Most bird species have already nested, with many already feeding the fledglings and getting ready for their second nest. But the American goldfinch waits until the down of thistles is available to line their nests and are the latest nesters.

Email Barry Reed at breed71@gmail.com

Having much red on its head area may confuse some, but this is a female red-bellied woodpecker. She only has a red nape, while the male’s red extends across the head to the beak.
Compare the red-headed woodpecker to the red-bellied woodpecker. The entire head is covered with bright red feathers. Also note that few red-headed woodpeckers are seen in this region.
The white-throated sparrow, shown here, has a white throat but also white stripes on its head. But note the yellow lores that make it easier to distinguish from the white-crowned sparrow.
The white-crowned sparrow has no yellow lores and less white on its throat area. Also note that the white-throated sparrows spend from October to late April here, while you will probably only catch a glimpse of a white-crowned sparrow for about two weeks at the beginning of May. Look for them eating the ripened seed heads of dandelions.
There can be no confusion why the scarlet tanager got its name. The male tanagers are one of the prettiest birds in our area. They do breed here, but unless you see them early in May before the trees leaf out, you’ll not get to find them easily in the treetops.
One of the most misleading bird names is the yellow-bellied sapsucker. It obviously doesn’t have a yellow belly at all, looking only like it got its feathers a bit dirty.
The red-breasted nuthatch name is also a bit misleading. The chest/belly areas are more of a chestnut color.
The red-tailed hawk’s tail isn’t actually red at all. However, it is easier to call it a “red tail” rather than a “burnt-orange-tailed” hawk.
The red-shouldered hawk doesn’t have red shoulders. In good light, the shoulder area (upper wing) is colored a bit darker than the rest of the wing feathers. Like the red tail, don’t look for truly red feathers.
Most birds have been appropriately named. Case in point: the rose-breasted grosbeak. It’s one of this region’s beautiful forest birds.
Found in high elevation forest clearings of the Rocky Mountains, the mountain bluebird leaves no doubt that it was appropriately named. BARRY REED/SPECIAL TO THE TIMES NEWS
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Barry Reed, Environment