A list of birds from all around the globe with one thing in common can be found below, from the short-eared owl to the spotted towhee. The letter S is used to denote all of these birds.
Let’s take a look at these one-of-a-kind and fascinating birds!
BIRDS THAT START WITH S
1. SAGE GROUSE
Scientific name: Centrocercus urophasianus
Sagebrush habitat is home to the Sage Grouse. Their population is now believed to be between 200,000 and 400,000 people, down from a high of 16 million. In open ground areas known as “leks,” grouse congregate in the early spring, where males strut in order to attract females for mating.
Sage grouse comes in two separate species. The Gunnison sage grouse is found in a limited region of Colorado and Utah, whereas the bigger sage grouse may be found in the western United States as well as portions of southern Canada.
2. SAGE SPARROW
Scientific name: Artemisiospiza belli
Lives in: Western United States and Mexico
Sage sparrows have rounded heads, thick beaks, and long tails. They are medium-sized sparrows. According to experts, there are about 4 million adult breeding birds in this species.
They breed in creosote and saltbush desert bushes, where they are frequently concealed in shrubs and on the ground. To communicate across vast open areas, the sage sparrow produces a beautiful, energetic song with precisely tuned frequencies.
3. SANDHILL CRANE
Scientific Name: Antigone canadensis
Sandhill cranes have huge wings and long legs, and they are tall birds. They feed in marshes, grasslands, and prairies throughout North America on grains and invertebrates. During the winter, they move in huge flocks high in the sky.
Sandhill cranes are known to congregate in large flocks every year, and these are common stopover locations for the birds. The tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of individuals who make up a particular migration group may be found. Platte River, Nebraska, is perhaps the most well-known hot spot.
4. SCISSORED-TAIL FLYCATCHER
Scientific name: Tyrannus forficatus
Lives in: United States and Northern Mexico
Cricket, grasshopper, beetle, and other insect prey are consumed by the scissor-tailed flycatcher. They’re most common in Texas, although they may also be found in Oklahoma, Kansas, Louisiana, and Missouri.
Breeding locations for these birds include brush, shrubs, and trees. Male and female scissor-tail flycatchers probe for a suitable nesting spot by pushing their bodies up against it to see if it is sturdy.
5. SHARP-SHINNED HAWK
Scientific name: Accipiter striatus
The United States’ smallest hawk is Sharp-shinned Hawk. Little birds and rodents are the prey of these hawks. They puncture the major arteries of their victim with their elongated toes and talons. Before eating, they’ll remove their catches’ feathers.
During the winter, sharp-shinned hawks migrate to the far northern United States. Sharp-shinned hawks may be found throughout much of North America and the United States. Every year, they breed in Canada and throughout the United States.
These may be seen in open areas, with their flap and glide flying technique. It’ll be difficult to differentiate them. When the birds are migrating, you’ll have a greater chance of seeing them.
6. SHORT-EARED OWL
Scientific name: Asio flammeus
From Alaska to South America, short-eared owls may be found across the Americas. If you live in the United States, Winter in marshes, gravel and rock quarries, fields, woodlots, and thickets is your best chance to spot a short-eared owl.
They do have ear tuft feathers, although they are so short that they are practically never visible. In direct proportion to the population of their prey, such as moles, rats, rabbits, and weasels, their populations in a given region might change from year to year.
7. SKYLARK
Scientific name: Alauda arvensis
The little, dull-colored grayish-brown birds known as skylarks live in Europe, Asia, and North Africa. When in flight, they are easily recognized by their bubbling, melodic songs and prefer to forage for insects and seeds on the ground. The skylark’s song is recognized to be in more poems than any other songbird, ranging from 160 to 400 syllables.
8. SNOWY EGRET
Scientific name: Egretta thula
Lives in: North America
Marshes, grassy ponds, and wet fields are preferred nesting habitats for snowy egrets. Frogs, worms, fish, and insects are among the aquatic animals that they consume. Long legs, brilliant white feathers, long toes, and brilliant yellow feet distinguish snowy egrets.
Their yellow feet turn reddish-orange during the breeding season, and identifying a partner requires a complex greeting acceptance.
9. SNOWY OWL
Scientific name: Bubo scandiacus
The wintering range of the Snowy Owl extends across much of Canada, but each year it grows farther south into the United States.
Each year, these lovely owls fly north to Canada and Greenland’s Arctic regions to breed. Snowy Owls that have chosen a place to spend the winter will continue to utilize it.
Unlike most other owls, Snowy Owls are diurnal and active throughout the day. They roost in plain sites, which is unusual for most other owls. For hunting, they favor large open areas, but will settle on a high point if necessary.
Snowy Owls, unlike other owl species, are not afraid to leave their birthplace. Hundreds of miles apart, owls from the same nest were discovered being tracked in separate directions.
10. SOOTY TERN
Scientific name: Onychoprion fuscatus
Lives in: Tropical Oceans and Islands
Sooty terns seldom land on the water and spend years flying through tropical seas. Instead, they snatch their meal from the air and feed on fish or squid near the ocean’s surface.
The sooty tern, which sleeps riding air currents, can fly for three years without ever landing. Sooty terns are thought to be 6 years old before they marry.
11. SPOTTED DOVE
Scientific name: Spilopelia chinensis
Lives in: Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent
A black patch and white dots on the necks of spotted doves distinguish them from other doves. Doves that have been spotted feed on seeds and grains, and are particularly drawn to human areas. Special feathers on the spotted dove lubricate the birds’ other feathers by creating a powdery consistency.
12. SPOTTED OWL
Scientific name: Strix occidentalis
California Spotted Owls are found throughout the year, but locating them is quite difficult, since they only dwell in a few scattered regions of the state. The Spotted Owl’s habitat has been logging old-growth forests, causing the population to drastically drop.
Survival for these owls is further complicated due to competition from Barred Owls. In the state’s far north, you may also see some Northern Spotted Owls.
With broad, rounded wings, short tails, and round heads, Spotted Owls are a little smaller than Barred Owls. They are mostly dark brown in color, with white dappling on their bodies.
In addition, they have a white “X” mark on their facial disks that helps them identify one another. Spotted Owls, like other owls, are nocturnal hunters of small animals, mostly rats. On still nights near woodlands, their powerful, deep hoots might reverberate for up to a mile.
13. SMOKY-BROWN WOODPECKER
Scientific name: Leuconotopicus fumigatus
In places such as Guatemala, Nicaragua, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela, smoky-brown woodpeckers may be found in Mexico, Central America, and Northern South America.
They have a pale face and are known for their smoky-brown color. Foraging for food on all levels of the forest, these woodpeckers are found in forested woodlands within their range.
14. SURFBIRD
Scientific name: Calidris virgata
Lives in: Rocky tundra in Alaska and the Yukon
These birds breed on rocky cliffs and in highland tundras, where they may be found. They spend their winters along shorelines from Alaska to Southern Chile, breeding mostly in and near Alaska. They have a white base and a plover-like beak that is gray above and orange below.
Mussels, limpets, and barnacles are among the foods that surbirds eat. When an intruder approaches, seabirds will stay in their nest until the last possible moment, then rush into their face to scare them away.
15. SWALLOW-TAILED KITE
Scientific name: Elanoides forficatus
The black and brilliant white body of the warm climate raptor is long and stretched out. South America is home to these slender raptors, but they migrate north to breed in the United States, where they may be seen in Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama.
Swallow-tailed kites hunt lizards, frogs, insects, and small birds high above wooded wetlands for the majority of the day.
16. STELLAR’S JAY
Scientific name: Cyanocitta stelleri
Lives in:
The blue jay is the most popular and well-known of the six varieties of American jays. The Stellar’s jay, which lives west of the blue jay’s range, is the closest relative to the blue jay. Adults have huge crests and are half black and half blue.
Stellar’s jays will be the most frequent kind of jay west of Colorado, while blue jays will be the most common east of the Rockies. Peanuts are a favorite of Stellar’s jays, and they are drawn to bird feeders.
17. SPOTTED TOWHEE
Scientific name: Pipilo maculatus
From Oklahoma and Texas to California and the Pacific Northwest, the spotted towhee is most prevalent in the United States. They may be found in a few northern states, as well as Southern Canada, throughout their breeding range.
The eastern towhee, which is very comparable in look and demeanor to the towhee described above, is common if you live east of its range. While they are not frequent in most backyards, if you know where to look for them, towhees are foragers and do not visit bird feeders. Every year, we have an eastern towhee breeding pair.