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Whip-poor-will: Medium-sized nightjar with gray-brown-black mottled upperparts and pale gray-black underparts. Throat is black; eyebrows and neckband are white. Tail is long and rounded with large white corner patches. Brown legs and feet. Erratic mothlike flight, flies close to the ground at night.
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Wilson's Storm-Petrel: Small storm-petrel, mostly brown-black body, pale brown wing bands, large, conspicuous white rump. Wings are short and rounded. Feet extend past tail in flight. Smallest and most commonly seen storm-petrel off the Atlantic Coast. Direct flight with steady, shallow wing beats.
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Wilson's Phalarope: Medium sandpiper, gray-brown upperparts, red-brown streaks on back, shoulders. White underparts with red-brown markings on upper sides. Gray crown, white face, black eye-line that continues down neck. Black needle-like bill. Gray wings with dark flight feathers. White tail, rump.
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White-faced Storm-Petrel: The only Atlantic storm-petrel with the combination of dark gray upperparts and white underparts with a dark cap and eyeline. Long black legs trail behind squared tail in flight. Webbing between toes is yellow. Alternates rapid, shallow wing beats with stiff-winged glides.
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Western Reef-Heron: This Old World species is exclusively coastal. There is a dark (shown here) and light morph. Dark morph is slate gray overall with white chin and throat. Legs are black with yellow feet. The light morph is white overall with two long narrow plumes on the back of the crown.
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White-throated Needletail: Large swift, gray-brown overall with white throat and undertail. Wings are glossed with green. Tail is short and square, with protruding feather shafts giving a spiked appearance. Very swift flight with several rapid wing beats followed by swooping glides.
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Wedge-tailed Shearwater Dark Morph: Large shearwater, dark brown overall with black-tipped, dark gray bill. Tail is long and pointed in flight and extends past the pink legs and feet, fans to wedge-shaped when banking turns or landing. The dark morph form is most often seen off the Pacific Coast.
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Wilson's Snipe: Medium sandpiper, brown and black mottled upperparts, buff stripes on back. White underparts, dark bars on sides, flanks. Heavily streaked head, neck, breast. Yellow-green legs, feet. Formerly considered a subspecies of the Common Snipe, which has 14 tail feathers to the Wilson's 16.
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Whiskered Auklet: Small seabird, mostly dark slate-gray with three thin, white whiskers on each side of face, long, thin, forward-curling black crest on forehead, and small, yellow-tipped bright orange bill. Eyes are white. Feeds on marine worms, small crustaceans, mollusks.
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White-crowned Pigeon: Large dove, slate-gray overall with conspicuous white crown. Scaled nape is iridescent green when seen in good light. Iris is white.Yellow bill has red base. Legs and feet are red. Eats berries, seeds and insects. Swift direct flight with strong rapid wing beats.
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White-faced Ibis: Medium wading bird, iridescent bronze-brown overall, thin band of white feathers around bare red face, long, down curved bill. Red eyes, legs, feet. Feeds on invertebrates, frogs, fish. Alternates several shallow rapid wing beats and short glides. Flies in straight line formation.
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Whooping Crane: Large crane, nearly white except for red crown, black mask, and black primary feathers most visible in flight. Feeds on frogs, fish, mollusks, small mammals and crustaceans, grain and roots of water plants. Direct flight, slow downward wing beat and a powerful flick on the upbeat.
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Warbling Vireo: Small vireo, gray to olive-gray upperparts, white underparts; sides sometimes washed with yellow. Eyes are dark brown, have thick, white eyebrows and faint, dark eye-lines. Gray wings and tail. Legs and feet are blue-gray. Has the largest breeding range of any North American vireo.
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Western Bluebird: Small thrush with deep blue hood and upperparts, crescent mark across upper back, red-brown breast, and white belly. Bill, legs and feet are black. Populations are declining due to competition for nest sites with European Starlings, Tree Swallows and House Sparrows.
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Whiskered Screech-Owl: Small owl with distinct ear tufts, gray and brown mottled upperparts, and brown-streaked, white-barred underparts. It is named for its facial whiskers, which are longer and denser than in other screech owls. Eyes are yellow. Flight is mothlike with rapid, silent wing beats.
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Western Screech-Owl: Small owl (kennicotti), distinct ear tufts, brown- or gray-mottled upperparts, white shoulder spots, streaked, barred underparts. Lightly mottled facial disk, has prominent dark rim. Yellow eyes, dark gray bill. Until recently considered the same species as Eastern Screech-Owl.
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Wood Stork: Large, odd wading bird, mostly white except for black flight feathers and tail. Upper neck and head are featherless and dark gray. The bill is thick, long, and curved downward. Legs and feet are gray black. Alternates between strong wing beats and gliding. Soars on thermals and updrafts.
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White-winged Scoter: Medium sea duck, mostly black except for white eye patches, large white wing patches. Bill is orange with large black basal knob. Red-orange legs, feet. Dives to 40 feet, feeds primarily on shellfish. Direct flight with steady wing beats. Flies in straight line or V formation.
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Whooper Swan: Large, white swan with black and yellow bill; broad, yellow patch covers at least half of the upper mandible. Black legs and feet. Feeds by dipping head and neck in water. Eats invertebrates and aquatic plants. Strong direct flight with deep and steady wing beats. Flies in V formation.
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Willow Flycatcher: Small flycatcher, brown-olive upperparts, white throat contrasting with paler breast, white to pale yellow belly. Head has darker cap, faint white eye rings. Dark wings with two white bars. Feeds on insects, spiders, berries. Weak fluttering flight with shallow rapid wing beats.
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Willet: Large sandpiper with mottled gray-brown upperparts, white rump and lightly streaked and barred white underparts. Broad white stripes on black wings are visible in flight. Tail is white with dark brown tip. Legs are blue-gray. Flight is short and low, alternates rapid wing beats with glides.
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Western Sandpiper: Small sandpiper, chestnut-brown, scaled upperparts, white underparts dotted with rows of dark chevrons. Head streaked with brown wash on face. Bill is dark and decurved at tip. Thin white stripes visible on dark wings in flight. Black legs and feet, partial webbing between toes.
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Western Wood-Pewee: Medium-sized flycatcher with dull olive-gray upperparts and pale olive-gray underparts. Head has darker cap and slight crest. The wings are dark with two white bars. Feeds on insects, spiders and berries. Quiet and solitary. Weak fluttering flight with shallow rapid wing beats.
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