Welcome to Manuels River!

Manuels River Natural Heritage Society

There are many different species of birds in Newfoundland and Labrador, many of which can be found in and around the Manuels River and other river systems. Here are a few of the bird species you may see flying in the sky above, lurking in the bushes and branches, or wading along the shores of the linear park.

The belted kingfisher is a large bird, with a distinct blue and white colouring and a ragged crest of feathers atop its head. It has a unique shrill "rattling" to its call, and is quite often referred to as the watch dog of the river.

The Manuels River offers this bird an ideal habitat. While it will sometimes eat small frogs, dragonflies and other insects, its main source of food is fish. It was once thought that the kingfisher was harmful to game fish, but it is in fact quite beneficial since it preys mainly on slow sluggish fish that eat the young trout in the river.

The belted kingfisher builds its nest in high embankments and burrows tunnels in the earth which can reach over 2 meters long. Mated for life, the female can be easily distinguished from the male by a distinct reddish band of feathers on their bluish-grey chest. It is quite rare to see more than one mated pair in a given area.

The belted kingfisher has been adopted as the mascot for the Manuels River Natural Heritage Society, and can often be seen fishing near the bubble pond on the river.

The osprey is a large predatory bird which closely resembles the eagle. Adults usually have dark brown feathers with a white underside, and a white head with broad black streaks running across their cheeks. An adult osprey's wingspan can reach up to 1.8 meters.

The osprey is a migratory bird that returns to the Manuels River each year. It can usually be seen near the Flat's area or along the shoreline diving for fish.

This majestic bird of prey has been observed flying past the mouth of the river where it empties into Conception Bay at Worsley’s Park. There are also several favourite perches further up the river along its treed banks. They are an awesome sight to behold at close quarters on an early morning walk. Watch for the white head and tail, very large wingspan, and wide wings.

American Robin (Turdus migratorius)

The American robin, a true thrush, is one of the largest and most numerous of American thrushes, with a body about 25 cm long. The male is olive-gray; the top and sides of the head are black, the chin and throat are white with black streaks and the breast and under parts are reddish orange. The female has similar colouring but is more subdued. The bird migrates and lives close to human dwellings, and builds its nest out of coarse grass and reeds and plasters the inside with mud and lines it with grasses.

The robin is often called the "harbinger of spring" because of its early northward migration which brings its arrival before most other migratory birds and because of its size and song; it is usually the first of the summer birds to be noted among humans.

The slate-colored junco is a small North American bird that lives in coniferous or mixed forests living just about everywhere on the continent. It is 13 to 16 centimeters long, and the feathers are dark gray above and white below. This perching bird winters in city parks and fields and eats seeds and the occasional insect.

The black-capped chickadee is fairly common bird that can be found in backyards and woodlands throughout North America. It averages around 13 centimeters in length, and is easily recognizable with its black cap, white cheeks and black bib. Both the males and females have similar colouring and appearance.

The distinct "chick-a-dee-dee" call of the black-capped chickadee is one of the most complex vocalizations in the animal kingdom. Depending on slight variations in the phrases, the call can convey separate, unique messages, in addition to acting as a contact or alarm call.

A smaller cousin of the Black-Capped, it has a brown cap and a ‘buzzier’ call. They often accompany other warblers and kinglets in the fall, and are very entertaining with their nimble gymnastics as they hang up and under branches searching for food. Both species of chickadees can be quite tame.

The Arctic tern is a small bird that makes the longest migration of any bird in the world. It breeds in the Arctic tundra in the summer and flies to the edge of the Antarctic ice pack during the winter. This bird travels over 35,000 kilometers each year.

This bird is about 30 to 38 centimeters long and weighs about 300 grams. Its feet are webbed, the legs are short and red, and the head is rounded and white with a black cap.

The Arctic tern eats mostly small fish, and to a lesser degree insects, shrimp, and krill. A highly social bird, it lives in large colonies and has a life span of about 20 years.

The northern blue jay is a common widespread bird related to the crow. It is 28 to 30 centimeters long and has blue feathers with a black head and crest. The coloration of the males and females is identical so there is no easy way to tell them apart. They are noisy beautiful birds who bring wonderful splashes of color to the backyard feeder.

The Northern Flicker is one of the more abundant and beautiful woodpeckers found in North America. They are grayish-brown in colour, with broken black bars on the body feathers, a black two-pointed tail, and a red b and at the nape of the neck. The male can be easily distinguished from the female by its "moustache", a band of black feathers on its cheeks.

Ants are the favorite food of the flicker, although it does eat other insects such as grasshoppers and caterpillars. They also eat seeds, nuts and berries, with the berries of the poison ivy plant appearing to be a favorite.

Purple Finch (Carpodacus purpureus)

Looking like a heavily-streaked sparrow, the purple finch is a common seed-eater along the river. The females are more camouflaged brown and white but the males have a beautiful “dipped in raspberry juice” look to them. Listen for their long gurgling song from the tops of trees as evening approaches.

American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis)

American goldfinches add an incredible dab of lemon yellow to the grassy lower reaches of the river. Watch for the contrasting black of their foreheads and wings. Their undulating flight pattern and distinctive colours will attract attention as they bounce among the bushes in The Flats. Goldfinches have recently expanded their range into eastern Newfoundland.

White-winged Crossbill (Loxia leucoptera)

When the cone crop has been especially good, late summer and early fall could see waves of crossbills descend upon the river. If you see a group of birds drop into the treetops and begin picking away at the seedcones, you could be watching crossbills. Watch for their ‘crossed-fingered’ looking bills and two white wingbars. They come in various shades of red, pink, rust and green.

Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator)

Another larger cousin of the finch and crossbill is the pine grosbeak. Often called ‘mopes’ in Newfoundland, they can be very quiet birds and are quite approachable in the fall. About the size of a robin with a seed-crushing bill, they too come in red (the male), green (the female) and rust (juveniles) colours.

Evening Grosbeak (Coccothraustes vespertinus)

An absolutely stunning bird, especially in the bare trees and white background of winter, this large chunky grosbeak reminds one of a much larger version of the goldfinch. It’s black, white and yellow colour scheme and very large ivory seed-crushing bill are unmistakable. They are frequent winter visitors to backyard feeders, often in flocks of a dozen or more.

Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia)

Newfoundlanders of another generation called this beautiful little bird by its Old World name..... yellowhammer. Look for a different flash of sunlight in and among the alders and birch trees along the whole length of the river. If you get close enough notice the fine streaks of orange on the breast of this otherwise small yellow bird. It is one of our most common warblers.

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata)

Probably the most common of the wood warblers to be found along the Manuels River, these pretty little birds with the darting flight patterns are easy to identify. Look for patches of bright yellow on the top of the head, sides and rump. These flashes of yellow on a beautiful pattern of black, white and steel blue make them very handsome birds indeed. They should be found anywhere along the river as they actively chase down insects among the trees.

Blackpoll Warbler (Dendroica striata)

Watch for this little black and white warbler with a black cap among the spruce and fir trees along the river banks. During the fall they can be found in mixed flocks of chickadees, kinglets and other warblers. The black cap and white cheeks are good field marks in identifying this diminutive little bird.

Black and White Warbler (Mniotilta varia)

When walking through the boreal forest sections of the Manuels River Linear Park, you may hear a tiny insect-like sound among the trees. Watch for movement around the trunks of the trees. You might be lucky to catch sight of this beautiful black and white ‘zebra-striped’ little bird. They have the curious habit of hanging upside down as they head down the trucks in search of insects.

Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)

In the damper, wetter areas along the lower sections of the river you may catch a glimpse of this elusive sparrow in the bushes and undergrowth. If it does pop into view observe the rusty-red cap of this very handsome bird that few get a chance to see. It has a white throat to go along with that rusty crown.

Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca)

This large foxy-coloured sparrow is often found on the forest floor or in the undergrowth. It has heavy rusty-brown streaks and patches of grey on its neck. If you hear leaves rustling under the trees look for this bird jumping forwards and backwards clearing away the detritus looking for food.

White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)

A true songster of the Canadian boreal forest, listen for its song from the treetops at dawn and dusk, particularly when the air is still and warm. Its song has often been described as saying, “Oh sweet. Canada! Canada! Canada!” Close up, its distinctive field marks are the grey breast, white throat patch and bright yellow spot between the eye and the bill.

Photo's Credits:

Geoff Meeker: Northern Blue Jay

George K. Peck: Fox Sparrow, Evening Grosbeak

Mark K. Peck: Slate-colored Junco, American Goldfinch, White-winged Crossbill, Yellow Warbler, Black and White Warbler, Swamp Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow

Gene Herzberg: Bald Eagle, Boreal Chickadee, Northern Flicker, Purple Finch, Pine Grosbeak, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler

Descriptions: Fred Wood, St. John's NL. Annette Greenslade, Conception Bay South NL