Green Heron: This small heron has gray-green upperparts, chestnut brown head, neck, and upper breast, and a paler brown belly. It has a green-black cap with a small crest and a white throat. The neck has a white central stripe. The bill is two-toned with a dark upper mandible and yellow lower. During the breeding season bill is black. It is an opportunistic feeder with fish as the primary food source. Direct flight. Sexes are similar.
American Coot: Medium-sized, chicken-like swimming bird, dark gray to black overall, short, white bill and undertail coverts. Toes are lobed, not webbed. Upper edge of frontal shield is red, but usually only visible at close range. Swift direct flight with rapid wing beats, feet protrude past tail.
Brandt's Cormorant: Medium crestless cormorant with dull black body. Face, back have slender white plumes. Bright blue throat pouch bordered with yellow. Dives for fish, crabs and shrimp. Holds wings out to dry. Strong direct flight with rapid, powerful wing beats, flies in straight line formation.
Common Loon: Large loon, white-spotted, black upperparts and white underparts. Head, neck are green-black with white-streaked neckbands. Bill is black and thick. Eyes are red-brown. Dives for small fish and crustaceans. Direct flight on strong deep wing beats, head, neck and feet extend beyond body.
Double-crested Cormorant: Medium cormorant with iridescent black body and orange throat pouch. Western birds have white feather tufts over each eye in early summer. Pale bill is long and hooked. Black legs and feet. Feeds on fish, amphibians and crustaceans. Strong direct flight, soars on thermals.
Pelagic Cormorant: Small cormorant with glossy black body and bold white patches on flanks. Red face and throat pouch. Head and neck are held straight in flight, with head appearing no wider than neck. Feeds on fish, crustaceans and other invertebrates. Graceful direct flight with rapid wing beats.
White-faced Ibis: This medium-sized wading bird is iridescent bronze-brown overall and has a thin band of white feathers around its bare red face, a long, down curved bill, and red eyes, legs and feet. It feeds on invertebrates, frogs and fish. It alternates several shallow rapid wing beats and short glides, and flies in a straight line formation. Sexes are similar.
Black-billed Magpie: Large, noisy jay, mostly black, with very long tail and dark, stout bill. Wings and tail are iridescent blue and green-black. White belly and sides. Eats insects, larvae, carrion. Direct flight on shallow, steady wing beats. Often glides between perches or from perch to ground.
Yellow-billed Magpie: Large jay with black hood, back and breast, featherless, pale yellow spot behind eye, and white belly. Bill is yellow. Upperwings are iridescent blue-green with large white shoulder patches. Tail is iridescent green-black, very long, and wedge-shaped. Legs and feet are black.
Mallard: This medium-sized duck has a gray body, chestnut-brown breast, green head, white neck ring, yellow bill, wing speculum is white-bordered metallic purple-blue, white edged dark tail, two curled black feathers, and orange legs and feet. Feeds on insects and crustaceans. Females are mottled brown with orange-brown bills and no curled tail feathers. Swift direct flight with strong wing beats.
Northern Pintail: This large duck has gray and black upperparts, white neck and underparts, gray sides, long black pointed tail, brown head, throat and nape. White stripe divides front and back of neck, green speculum is bordered by buff. Feeds on seeds and aquatic insects. Females are mottled brown all over with slim, tan head, long neck and a shorter tail. Direct flight with rapid wing beats.
Lesser Scaup: Medium-sized diving duck has finely barred gray back and gray-washed white underparts. Head, neck and breast are black with purple gloss. It has yellow eyes, blue-gray bill, black tail and black wings with white patches. Females are chocolate brown with lighter sides, red-brown head and white patch at base of dark gray bill. Feeds on crustaceans, mollusks, small fish, seeds and vegetative plants. Swift direct flight with rapid wing beats.
American Wigeon: This is a medium-sized duck with a brown body, white crown, a large green ear patch extending to the back of the head, buff washed breast and sides and a white belly. It has a swift direct flight with strong wing beats. Shoulder patches are visible in flight. It has a black-tipped pale blue bill. It feeds on aquatic plants, insects and mollusks.
Ring-necked Duck: This medium-sized diving duck has black upperparts, a weakly tufted, purple-black head, black neck, upper breast and tail, cinnamon collar, white lower breast and belly, pale gray sides, and a blue-gray bill with a white ring near the black tip. Female is drab brown with white eye ring. Feeds on submerged plants and aquatic invertebrates. Direct flight with rapid wing beats.