Home

How to Identify it:  Large, the size of a goose, dark brown to black bird with small yellowish to orange patch at base of bill.

This is a common resident bird often seen perched on pilings, floating logs or other structures near shore. They are a diving bird and catch fish for a living in fresh water or near shore marine environments. They lack the oil glands which water fowl have to waterproof their feathers and so these birds must flop out of the water to dry off. Often they will perch with their wings spread in order to dry them out.  Cormorants nest offshore on rocky Islands often coming inland to fresh water lakes to forage. Occasionally they perch in riverside or lakeshore trees in large numbers

How to Identify it: All black bird with a thick ivory colored bill and red eye.

This is a year around resident bird, often in large numbers during the winter on fresh water lakes, as residents are joined by migrating birds. It is rarely seen in salt water, but during winter when shallow lakes freeze over large numbers of coots may temporarily move to salt water to feed.  It bobs its head forward as it swims and readily dives to eat vegetation and insects.  Groups often come ashore on grassy areas to nibble lakeshore vegetation.  When it takes off from water it over runs along the surface for several feet before getting airborne.  Coots nest in thick lakeside vegetation, often the nest is a floating platform made of reeds or cattails.  Eggs are laid in late April or May and the fledglings, who have striped heads and bright red bills can be seen in June and July.
 

How to Identify it: Small bird with point thick beak with black ring, small white patch on rump

This is a shy resident bird of fresh water ponds, lakes and wetlands with open water.  They prefer lakes which have emergent aquatic vegetation and little boat traffic.  In winter,  migratory birds may be found in shallow, protected marine bays. This is the magician of aquatic birds, disappearing suddenly without  a ripple in the water, then popping up several yards away. It feeds on aquatic insects, snails, frogs and small fish which is mostly procures on the bottom. It nests in early May through June in small ponds, wetlands and lakes which are not disturbed by motor boats or loud zooming personal watercraft.  It makes a floating nest within a mass of reeds or cattails, often covering the eggs with decaying plant material which both camouflages the nest and also keeps the eggs warm.  The boldly striped youngsters can be found in June and July pattering after a parent bird or quietly hiding in the cattails. 

How to Identify it: Black on top of head and dark gray on back of neck and body, white under neck, long yellow bill.

This winter migrant is most often seen in huge flocks of several hundred birds along the protected nearshore marine bays of Puget Sound. A few move into fresh water lakes in the winter, showing up in September and moving on to breeding ground in April or May.  In March and April large groups will concentrate to feed on herring.  This is a diving bird and often stays well away from shores. It feeds primarily on fish.

How to Identify them:  Duck sized gray and white birds with sharp bill.

There are three smaller grebes which are winter migrants in shallow marine waters. They are the horned grebe, the eared grebe, and the red-necked grebe.  Horned and Red-necked grebes are the most common, eared grebes are least common.  They begin arriving in late August and are common by Mid- September.  In April several thousand may group together prior to migration.  All three are gray on the top and white on the bottom with subtle differences between their winter plumage.  By March and into April  they have begun to change into their breeding colors and they are a bit easier to sort out, but still can be confusing.  They are diving birds and feed on small fish.

How to Identify them:  Large long aquatic bird with a large, thick bill, gray above, white below

These birds are distinguished by their long bodies, easily more than 2 foot from bill to tail. They float low in the water and are most often found in nearshore marine environments, although they also form large groups well offshore. They arrive in October and stay through March although occasionally a breeding bird can be found as late as June in protected lakes.  There are 3 common species which show up starting in September and stick around through April. They are the Red-throated loon, the Pacific Loon, and the Common Loon. Of the three the Red-throated is most commonly seen close to shore, the Pacific loon is most often seen in deeper waters and the Common loon is the only one of the three likely to be found on fresh water lakes.  All of them are gray above with subtle variations in their winter dress. They are all divers and eat a wide variety of fish.