Species F-J

Field sparrow: It's the white eye ring that marks this otherwise unremarkable bird as the field sparow. Rare; Nesting: No
Fox sparrow: Somerville has plenty of sparrows, both resident and itinerant. The fox sparrow is an itinerant. Rare; Nesting: No
Gadwall: A duck of the Mystic, though not one of the more common ones.  It's mostly seen as a fall migrant. Less common; Nesting: No
Golden-crowned kinglet: Of the two kinglets we see in Somerville, the golden-crowned is by far the rarer.  In fact, this is the only one I've ever seen, foraging about in a patch of trees and bushes just below I-93. Rare; Nesting: No
Gray catbird: The catbird is one of the few neotropical migrants to set up shop in Somerville, rather than just passing through.  There's a pair here every summer, and they're a constant presence in the yard. Seasonally common; Nesting: Yes
Great black-backed gull: These gulls are common enough, but nowhere near as numerous as the ring-billed gull.  You'll usually only see one or two, most often at the dock of the Blessing of the Bay Boathouse. Common; Nesting: No
Great blue heron: These herons can often be seen both hunting and resting along the banks of the Mystic. Common; Nesting: Possibly
Great cormorant: This cormorant is a winter visitor to the lower reaches of the Mystic, but not one of the more common ones. Rare; Nesting: No
Great crested flycatcher: While I'm reasonably certain of the attribution, most great crested flycatchers have considerably more yellow about the belly.  Flycatchers generally pass through over a day or two in early June. Rare; Nesting: Possibly
Great egret: A rare visitor to our part of the Mystic. Rare; Nesting: No
Greater scaup: Another winter denizen of the Mystic, though not nearly as common as other ducks (including the ruddy duck, at left in this picture). Less common; Nesting: No
Green heron: Another bird I've seen exactly once. Rare; Nesting: No
Hairy woodpecker: This is the bigger, beakier, rarer, and altogether shier relative of the much more familiar downy woodpecker. Rare; Nesting: Possibly
Hermit thrush: Of all the thrush migrants (excepting robins, which only partially count as migrants), hermit thrushes are the ones I see in the greatest numbers in both spring and fall: maybe a dozen a day at the height of the migration. Less common; Nesting: No
Herring gull: One of the most common birds in Somerville, though they're not ubiquitous; they prefer open spaces, like the Mystic River or the Target parking lot. Common; Nesting: No
Hooded merganser: On a winter's day, you might see the Mystic dotted with a dozen groups of these strange-looking ducks. Seasonally common; Nesting: No
House finch: House finches are one of Somerville's most common birds -- and yet I bet the average person doesn't recognize them.  They look enough like sparrows (and we have so many sparrows) that they often escape notice.  But if you recognize their song, you'll hear them everywhere. Abundant; Nesting: Yes
House sparrow: Maybe Somerville's most common bird. I read that in some parts of the world, their numbers are plummeting. Not here.  I think of Somerville as the ideal sparrow habitat.  Birders tend not to like them, but look how useful this one is being -- eating dandelion seeds before they end up in your yard. Abundant; Nesting: Yes