Common Birds at Hollywood Cemetery

Very large-sized (about 40 inches). Common in and flying over the James River, year-round. Black head, neck, and bill; bold white cheeks and chin strap; brown back, and tan breast.

Fun Fact: The Canada Goose is found everywhere, year-round. It was only a few decades ago that the passage of geese in the Spring and Fall was a celebrated occurrence. That changed with changing suburbia, farming practices, and climate, allowing unfrozen water bodies and adequate food without flying back and forth. Their numbers have increased so much that they are now considered a pest in many areas.

Very large-sized (about 23 inches). Common in, and flying over, the James River, year-round. Yellow bill; iridescent-green head; brown chest; blue wing patch; orange legs and feet. Females are mottled brown, with an orange-brown bill, and blue wing patch.

Fun Fact: The Mallard is the most widespread and familiar wild duck in America. They are known as “dabblers” because they tip forward (or ‘dabble”) while swimming in shallow water, stretching their neck down underwater to reach food. They rarely dive. Female Mallards “quack”; the males make a quieter, raspy sound.

Large-sized (about 20 inches). Common flying over woodlands, parks, and open areas, year-round. Reddish-brown tail; brown and white upper parts; light belly with dark streaks.

Fun Fact: The Red-tailed hawk is a fast predator, flying up to 40 mph. Superior vision allows them to spot mice and other small prey from up to 100 feet.

Very large-sized (about 30 inches). Common in, and flying over, the James River, year-round. Large black body; orange to yellow on face and throat; hooked bill.

Fun Fact: The cormorant is a prolific fish-eating bird. After fishing, they are often seen standing on logs and rocks in the sun, with wings spread open to dry. The double crest is only visible on adults during breeding.

Very large-sized (about 45 inches). Rivers, marshes, bays, ponds, year-round. Large grayish-blue body with long neck; orange-yellow bill; black crown and head plumes.

Fun Fact: Great Blue Herons have specialized feathers on their chest (known as “powder down”) that produce a powdery substance used to remove fish slime as they preen and waterproof other feathers.

Large-sized (about 27 inches). Common in open areas and woodland edges, year-round. Large black body; turkey and black vultures have red and grey unfeathered heads, respectively.

Fun Fact: Vultures are easy to distinguish from other large birds in flight as they make a slight upward V when they soar. They are scavengers, using their beaks, strong enough to rip through cowhide. Bald heads prevent dead meat from getting stuck in their feathers. Black vultures are highly social and share food with relatives.

Large-sized (about 18 inches). Woodlands, parks, and suburban areas, year-round. Mostly brown upperparts; white below with dark flecks; long barred dark and white tail.

Fun Fact: Cooper’s Hawks are stealth woodland hunters. They primarily eat birds and may drown them and pluck their feathers before eating. In flight they look like “flying crosses,” with long, narrow barred tails.

Very large (about 35 inches). Common flying over James River, year-round. White head and tail; brown body, with hooked yellow bill and yellow feet.

Fun Fact: More Bald Eagles nest along the James River than anywhere else on the Eastern Seaboard. They are often referred to as “thieves” as they steal “catches” from Ospreys. Females are significantly larger than males.

Large-sized (about 18 inches). Common flying over woodlands, year-round. Reddish belly and shoulders; dark wings with white flecks; tail banded dark and white.

Fun Fact: Red-shouldered Hawks are monogamous and return to the same nesting territory year after year. Their unique courtship rituals include spiraling and flying together upside down. They are opportunistic hunters, and can drop like a stone from a branch to grab their prey that includes frogs, snakes, squirrels and other small mammals.

Large-sized (about 17 inches). Woodlands, parks, and open areas, year-round. All black; black bill.

Fun Fact: The American Crow is among the most intelligent of all birds. They are known to innovate, and make and use tools. They also understand the concept of trading.

Large-sized (about 24 inches). Common flying over the James River, Spring to Fall. White head; dark back; white chest; underwings boldly patterned.

Fun Fact: Ospreys, also known as sea hawks, are “dive bombers”; with wings bent at the “elbows” and folded tightly when plunging into the water for fish. To keep water out, they close their nostrils during the plunge. They can rearrange their talons into “jaws” to clamp fish, going from three in the front and one behind to two in the front and two behind.

Medium-sized (about 10 inches). Common in open areas and along woodland edges throughout the cemetery, year-round. Look for the yellow bill, red-orange on the chest and dark gray upperparts.

Fun Fact: Robins are not a sign of Spring in Virginia; they live here year-round. They are voracious worm eaters, and can eat up to 14 feet of worms in a day (along with grubs and insects they may find).

Medium-sized (about 8.5 inches). Common in open areas, scattered shrubs, and woodlands throughout the cemetery, year-round. Look for the brilliant red, black mask and eye, and red bill. Females are brownish with slight red tinge on wings and crest.

Fun Fact: Cardinals are Virginia’s State bird, named after the robes of the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church. The red feathers come from food they eat and are bold red if they’ve eaten a mixed fruit and seed diet. Both male and female cardinals sing.

Medium-sized (about 10 inches). Common in open areas, shrubs, and trees throughout the cemetery (often seen perched on tombstones), year-round. Mostly gray with black tail and wings.

Fun Fact: The mockingbird gets its name from mimicking sounds of other birds in long varied songs. Males can imitate the songs of up to 150 species.

Medium-sized (about 8 inches). Common in woodland edges, thickets, year-round. Black bill and cap; all gray body.

Fun Fact: A relative of the mockingbird, the song of a catbird is similar to the mewl of a kitten, with discordant sounds strung together.

Medium-sized (about 11 inches). Woodland edges, thickets, tangled shrubbery, year-round. Dark streaks on breast and belly; reddish-brown upperparts.

Fun Fact: Like the other “mimic thrushes”, Brown Thrashers are exuberant singers, with one of the largest repertoires of any North American songbird.

Medium-sized (about 8 inches). Brushy and shrubby woodland edges, year-round. Black hood and throat; white belly; reddish sides.

Fun Fact: Eastern Towhees tend to be pretty solitary. Males may use a number of displays to shoo off other towhees, including lifting, spreading, or drooping wings, or flicking tails to show off white spots at the corners.

Small to medium-sized (about 6 inches). Parks, open areas, woodland edges, brush, Fall to Spring. Dark gray upper body; white belly, rump and outer tail feathers; light pink bill.

Fun Fact: Often referred to as “snowbirds,” Juncos appear as winter sets in. They are one of the most common birds in North America, with an estimated population more than 630 million individuals.

Medium-sized (about 11 inches). Common in open areas and woodlands throughout the cemetery, year-round. Look for the blue crest and back; blue wings with black bars, and white around the eye.

Fun Fact: Blue jays are known for their intelligence and acute memory (allowing them to recognize individual human faces). They have tight family social systems and mate for life. Ever watchful, they call out “Thief Thief” to warn other jays and birds of predators.

Medium-sized (about 10 inches). Open areas, parks, suburbs, year-round. Plump-bodied and long-tailed; brown to gray overall; black spots on wings; pink feet.

Fun Fact: The Mourning Dove is the most widespread and abundant game bird in North America, with an estimated U.S. population of 350 million.

Very small-sized (3 inches). Open woodlands, parks, gardens, open areas with flowering trees, Spring to early Fall (or even early August). Iridescent green upperparts; gray-white underparts; sword-like bill; white tail tips. Only the male has the ruby red throat.

Fun Fact: The ruby-throated hummingbird is the only hummingbird species that nests east of the Mississippi River. Highly territorial, the males patrol hummingbird feeders, driving away females and young. The birds can beat their wings more than 50 times a second.

Medium-sized (about 8 inches). Urban/suburban areas and open habitats, including woodlands and forest edges, year-round. Black with white flecks during the winter; iridescent with yellow bills while breeding.

Fun Fact: Starlings are native to Europe and were introduced to New York City in 1890, intentionally by a group who wanted America to have birds that Shakespeare wrote about. Quickly becoming one of the country’s most abundant birds, many people consider them a pest.

Medium to large-sized (about 12 inches). Urban/suburban areas and open habitats, including woodlands and forest edges, year-round. Mostly black from a distance; glossy purple heads with iridescent wings seen up close and in sunlight; golden eyes. Females are less glossy than males.

Fun Fact: Common grackles are strong and opportunistic and commonly prey on eggs and young of smaller songbirds. Grackles roost in large noisy flocks that can number in the millions of individuals.

Large-sized (about 17 inches). Woodlands, parks, and open areas, year-round. All black; black bill.

Fun Fact: The American Crow is among the most intelligent of all birds. They are known to innovate, and make and use tools. They also understand the concept of trading.

Medium-sized (about 8 inches). Mostly in wetlands, but also common on wires, year-round. Black bird with red shoulder patch bordered in yellow. Females are brown, heavily streaked.

Fun Fact: Blackbirds commonly roost in flocks; winter flocks can be congregations of several million birds, including starlings and other blackbird species.

Small to Medium-sized (about 7 inches). Common in parks, open wooded patches, residential gardens, year-round. Brown head; black back, wings, tail, and breast.

Fun Fact: Cowbirds are “brood parasites” that lay eggs in other birds’ nests, abandoning their own young to “foster parents.” Energy that would be spent on building nests is put into laying eggs, allowing females to lay up to three dozen eggs each year.

Small-sized (about 5 inches). Urban/suburban areas, parks, year-round. Males have gray heads, white cheeks, black bib, rufous neck. Females are plain buff/brown with gray-brown underparts, and striped backs.

Fun Fact: The house sparrow is native to Eurasia and was introduced in New York in 1851. House sparrows are closely entwined with humans, preferring to nest in manmade structures (eaves, street lights, for example), rather than natural sites such as tree holes. It is one of the most successful bird species in the world, colonizing cities on every continent except Antarctica.

Small-sized (about 5 inches). Woodlands, urban/suburban areas, parks, year-round. Notched tails; males rosy red face and upper breast, streaked brown back, belly and tail. Females brown with streaks down belly.

Fun Fact: The house finch is native to the western U.S. and Mexico and began to colonize the East after their introduction on Long Island, New York in 1940 by a pet store owner. Currently they cover almost all of the eastern U.S. The red of a male comes from food pigments. Females prefer to mate with the reddest male to increase the chance he will help in feeding the nestlings.

Small-sized (about 5 inches). Common in trees in open areas and along woodlands throughout the cemetery, year-round. Look for warm brown with buff underparts, white eyebrow, and upward-cocked tail.

Fun Fact: Wrens are bold and loud and are Virginia’s most common wren. It is easier to hear them and their often-repeated song “teakettle, teakettle” than to see them. Wrens sing constantly; a captive male wren sang nearly 3,000 times in a single day. They will build nests virtually anywhere, including in wreaths or in laundry on a line.

Small-to-medium sized (about 5-6 inches) Woodlands, parks, year-round. Gray upper parts, including brushy crest; white below; peach wash on sides; black forehead and eye.

Fun Fact: The Tufted Titmouse commonly flits through trees and hangs from twigs. Like chickadees, they hoard food in the fall and winter. They often line their nest with hair, sometimes plucked directly from living animals, including raccoons, opossums, and squirrels.

Small-sized (about 5 inches). Woodlands, parks, year-round. Black cap; white cheeks; blue-gray back; white belly with buff flanks.

Fun Fact: Nuthatches spend a lot of their time clinging upside-down to the bark of trees with just their feet. They move in any direction around a tree trunk, gleaning insects from the bark. Their name comes from being “nut hackers” as they wedge a seed into bark crevices and pound it apart with their bill. Their unique call sounds like someone with a cold saying “Hank, Hank.”

Small-sized (about 5 inches). Common in trees in open areas and woodlands throughout the cemetery, year-round. Look for a black cap and throat, white cheek, gray back, wings, and tail and a whitish underside. Highly curious about everything, including humans!

Fun Fact: Chickadees primarily eat seeds. When seeds are abundant, they hide them for later and recall hundreds of different hiding places.

Very small-sized (3 inches). Open woodlands, parks, gardens, open areas with flowering trees, Spring to early Fall (or even early August). Iridescent green upperparts; gray-white underparts; sword-like bill; white tail tips. Only the male has the ruby red throat.

Fun Fact: The ruby-throated hummingbird is the only hummingbird species that nests east of the Mississippi River. Highly territorial, the males patrol hummingbird feeders, driving away females and young. The birds can beat their wings more than 50 times a second.

Small to medium-sized (about 6 inches). Parks, suburbia, wetlands, fields and open treeless areas, usually adjacent to water, Spring to Fall. Bluish-green above; white below; long dark wings.

Fun Fact: Tree Swallows are a first sign of Spring in Virginia. Like all swallow species, they capture insects in flight with acrobatic twists and turns. They nest in tree cavities, and will adopt empty nest boxes. Females often line their nests with feathers of other bird species.

Small to medium sized (about 5-6 inches). Urban/suburban areas, parks, Spring to Fall. Gray-brown; paler throat; long curving wings.

Fun Fact: The high, sharp twittering of Chimney Swifts is a common sound in the spring and summer. Rarely perched, these birds spend the entire day high in the air. When it lands, it can’t perch. Instead it clings to vertical walls inside chimneys, other vertical surfaces, or inside hollow trees or caves.

Small to medium-sized (about 7 inches). Common in open areas throughout the cemetery, year-round. Look for bright blue head, wings and back, with reddish-brown breast.

Fun Fact: Bluebirds can fly up to 45 miles per hour, if needed. They nest in cavities in trees or posts (and often in specifically designed bluebird boxes), and will raise up to three broods per summer in Virginia.

Small-sized (about 5 inches). Parks, farms, open areas, shrubby areas, year-round. Yellow body; black wings, tail, cap; dull orange bill.

Fun Fact: Goldfinches are among the strictest vegetarians in the bird world, only inadvertently swallowing an occasional insect.

Small to medium-sized (about 7 inches). Woodlands, parks, suburbs, Spring to Fall. Brown-gray above; darker head; black bill; off-white belly with olive wash on sides of breast.

Fun Fact: Phoebes commonly perch low in trees near water. They are very active, capturing insects, and often returning to the same perch. They are easy to identify by incessant wagging of their tail when perched, and because they sing their soft whistled songs that say their name, “Fee bee!”

Medium-sized (about 7 to 8 inches). Open woodlands, forest edges, and stands of trees in parks, suburbs, Spring to Fall. Black hood and back; bold orange shoulders with black wings and one white bar. Female is paler orange with more mottled hood and back and tow white wing bars.

Fun Fact: Baltimore orioles love fruit (the darker the better, like mulberries) and will even feast on backyard dishes of halved oranges.

Small- to medium- sized (about 6 inches). Open shrubby wet areas, year-round. White breast with brown streaks and a dark central spot; down brown crown; gray blazes across face.

Fun Fact: Song Sparrows often lay two or more clutches of eggs per breeding season, and have been known to lay as many as seven clutches in a single breeding season hosting abundant food resources.

Small-sized (about 6 inches). Woodlands and brushy areas, Fall to Spring. Black and white crown, white throat, gray body, yellow patch near bill.

Fun Fact: White-throated Sparrows typically nest on or near the ground, but will build nests up to 15 feet off the ground to avoid a ground nest being robbed by a predator.

Small-sized (about 5 inches). Open woodlands, shrubs, parks, roadsides, suburbs, Spring to Fall. Rusty crown; black line through eye; buff with black streaks on back and wings; greyish belly

Fun Fact: Chipping Sparrows feed on the ground, either hopping or running through grasses searching for seeds or “dancing” back and forth to stir up insects. During breeding, the males move to higher branches of a nearby tree to sing.

Small-sized (about 5 inches). Woodlands and parks, Spring to Fall. Zebra-like black and white stripes on head and body; black ear patch and throat. Females are paler with a white throat.

Fun Fact: This warbler moves more like a nuthatch than a warbler, feeding on insects in tree bark by creeping along branches and trunks. Creeping is facilitated by an extra-long hind claw that helps them hold onto bark.

Small-sized (about 5 inches). Woodlands, parks, suburbs, Fall to Spring. White chin; yellow patch on breast and rump; white belly.

Fun Fact: This warbler is one of the few who spends winter in Virginia. For most of the year their feathers are subdued, except for bright yellow rump feathers (which gives them the name “Butter Butts”). Males change to a dramatic spring plumage of bright yellows and bold whites just in time to migrate from Virginia to the North.

Large-sized (about 22 inches). Woodlands, suburban areas, parks, year-round. Yellow eyes; big ear tufts of feathers; mottled brown body; reddish facial disk.

Fun Fact: Great Horned Owls are nighttime hunters with acute vision and heads that can swivel 180 degrees to spot prey. They also have sensitive hearing with facial disc feathers that direct sound waves to their ears.

Small hawk (about 10 inches). Woodlands, parks, country roads, all year. Blue-grey wings, and cap; two vertical black stripes on head; reddish-brown back and tail.

Fun Fact: Kestrels hide surplus kills in grass, tree roots, bushes, tree limbs, and cavities to save foot for lean times.

Very small-sized (about 3.5 inches). Woodlands, shrubs, parks, Spring to Fall. Pale blue-gray back with grayish-white underside; mostly black tail with white edges; white eye ring. Males get a black “V” on foreheads in the summer.

Fun Fact: These birds energetically catch small insects among shrubs and trees. They flick their tail from side to side to scare up insects. They also snatch them from spiderwebs. They often use the webs, along with lichens, in their tiny tree-knot nests on top of branches.

Small-sized (5 inches). Common in forest edges, thickets, and shrubby areas near trees (such as along Riverside Drive and Adams Road), from Spring to Fall. Look for intense blue overall with some black on the wings.

Fun Fact: Indigo Buntings love to sing and can be heard from dawn to dusk from the top of small to mid-sized trees or at the end of open branches. Only the males sing, singing up to 200 times per day. Their songs vary by “neighborhood,” although overall patterns are similar. The songs change over time, with new notes added as birds from other “neighborhoods” move in.

Medium-sized (about 8 inches). Woodland edges, open areas, parks (especially near water), Spring to Fall. Black bill and head; dark gray upperparts, white below; distinctive white band across the base of its tail.

Fun Fact: Similar to all flycatchers, the Eastern Kingbird sits upright near the end of branches, atop trees, or utility lines. They eat mostly flying insects and aggressively defend their territory against other kingbirds. They have a bright crown patch, which is only visible when they dive-bomb intruders.

Small to medium-sized (about 7 inches). Parks, woodlands, suburbs, countryside, year-round. Brown overall; black eye stripe; yellow-tipped tail; red-tipped wings.

Fun Fact: The Cedar Waxwing is one of the few North American birds that specializes in eating fruit. They can become intoxicated (or die) after eating fermented fruit. They travel in flocks and easily are located by their high-pitched calls.

Medium-sized (about 8 inches). Open woodlands, year-round. Red hood; black wings with white patch; white rump and underside.

Fun Fact: The red-headed woodpecker catches insects in flight in addition to hammering at wood. They also hide insects in wood, regularly wedging live grasshoppers into crevices so tightly they can’t escape.

Medium-sized (about 9 inches). Woodlands, parks, suburbs, year-round. Red crown and nape; black-and-white striped back; gray chest.

Fun Fact: A Red-bellied Woodpecker can stick out its tongue nearly 2 inches past the end of its beak. The tip is barbed and the bird’s spit is sticky to efficiently snatch prey from deep crevices.

Small-sized (about 5 inches). Woodlands, Spring to Fall. White eyebrow with bordering black stripes; red eye; olive back and wings.

Fun Fact: Red-eyed vireos are difficult to see as they forage among green leaves for favored caterpillars. But they can’t be missed by ear as they sing constantly all summer long.

Small-sized (about 5 inches). Woodlands, Spring to Fall. Mostly black with bright orange patches on sides, wings, and tail; white belly. Females have a duller shade of yellow or yellow-orange; gray head; olive back and wings; dark-gray tail.

Fun Fact: American Redstarts are active insect hunters by spreading their tails and exposing the bright colors, which startle insects that they then catch in mid-air.

Large-sized (about 8 inches). Woodlands, parks, suburbs, Fall to Spring. Red crown; red throats on males; white throats on females; black-and-white bars on back; long white striped along folded wing; yellow wash on belly.

Fun Fact: A sapsucker gets its name from its distinctive habit of drilling rows of shallow holes in trees, and returning regularly to lap the sap and eat any insects that have also been attracted.

Small- to medium-sized (about 6 inches). Woodlands, open areas, parks, suburbs, year-round. Black cap and patch behind eye; black wings with white spots, white belly; males have red blaze on nape.

Fun Fact: The Downy is easy to confuse with the larger Hairy Woodpecker, as they often occur together. The Downy Woodpecker uses smaller branches while the Hairy Woodpecker spends time on trunks. In the winter, the Downy Woodpeckers often flock with nuthatches and chickadees.

Medium-sized (about 8 inches) (about a third larger than the Downy). Woodlands, forest edges, parks, suburbs, year-round. Black and white; black wings checkered with white; large white patch down center of black back; white belly; males have flash of red in back of head.

Fun Fact: Hairy Woodpeckers sometimes follow Pileated Woodpeckers to check their excavated holes for missed insects. They also drink sap from holes made by sapsuckers.

Large-sized (about 17 inches). Woodlands and suburbs, year-round. Black body and wings; white stripes on face and neck; flaming red crest. Males have a red stripe on the cheek.

Fun Fact: Pileated Woodpeckers whack loudly and repetitively at dead trees and fallen logs with their large bill in search of their favorite prey, carpenter ants, and leave rectangular holes in the wood that offer shelter to other species including owls, ducks, and bats.

Medium- to large-sized (about 13 inches). Open woodlands, parks, suburbs, year-round. Yellow under wings and tail (most visible in flight); black spotted underparts; black mustache and crescent collar (females lack the mustache); red blaze on nape.

Fun Fact: Northern Flickers spend a lot of time on the ground looking for ants, or perched upright on branches, instead of leaning against a trunk like other woodpeckers.

Very large-sized (about 21 inches). Woodlands, year-round. Ringed facial disk; dark eyes; mottled brown body with dark belly streaks.

Fun Fact: Barred Owls are easy to recognize by their call, which sounds like “Who cooks for you?” Unusual for most owls, they also are often seen in daylight hours, especially when they hunt at dawn and dusk.

Small- to medium sized (about 6 inches). Woodlands, especially along edges and clearings, and shrubs, Fall to Spring. Brown head and back, with reddish tail. Pale underparts with spotted throat and spots on the breast.

Fun Fact: Hermit Thrushes hop and scrape in leaf litter while foraging, and constantly bob their tail and flick their wings.

Medium-sized (about 8 inches). Woodlands, parks, Spring to Fall. White eye ring; reddish-brown above; large dark spots on white bellow and throat.

Fun Fact: The song of the wood thrush is one of the most beautiful of all birds, consisting of a series of flutelike notes, typically heard from high branches at dawn and dusk. The best chance of seeing one is on the ground, digging through leaf litter.