• The mute swan is a non-native species of waterfowl.mute swan image by Steve Mutch from Fotolia.com
  
  The different types of wild birds that occur throughout the North American continent display great diversity in their diets, habitats and behaviors. Some are skilled predators, able to kill easily and eat small mammals and insects. Some wild birds have a huge geographic distribution over United States and Canada, while others live in a much smaller range. Other wild birds are not native to the western hemisphere, but were introduced here from nations across the sea.
  
  

Mute Swan

• The mute swan is native to Eurasia, introduced into the United States and now living in portions of the Midwest, Montana and some of the Mid-Atlantic States. The mute swan takes its name from the fact that people rarely hear it call. However, it can produce a loud trumpeting sound as well as noises that sound like hisses and barks, according to the "National Audubon Society Field Guide to Birds." The bird can be as long as 5 feet from bill to tail, including a graceful curving neck, with some having wingspans of as much as 94 inches. Mute swans mate for life and the pairs will vigorously drive intruders away from their territories.
  
  

Mississippi Kite

• The Mississippi kite usually lives near water, inhabiting woodlands and dense thickets. This raptor prefers to hunt in open areas, such as savannah and farmlands. The Mississippi kite catches insects, such as dragonflies and grasshoppers, often eating them on the fly. It can also kill and eat bats, snakes, frogs and rodents. The Mississippi kite's range includes much of the Deep South and states such as Oklahoma and Texas. The bird is buoyant and stays in the air for hours. The bird will attack anyone that is too close to its nest.
  
  

Common Nigthhawk

• The common nighthawk's name is misleading, since it is active in the daylight and it is not a true hawk. Found across most of the continent, the common nighthawk is robin-sized, and has a mottled combination of black, gray and brown feathers. The common nighthawk eats prodigious amounts of insects. The bird has an impressive aerial courtship display, with the male reaching a great height and then making a powerful dive, coming out of the dive while making a loud booming sound using its wings. Unfortunately, many nighthawks perish because of collisions with utility lines.
  
  

Brown Thrasher

• The brown thrasher ranges from the Great Plains eastward to the Atlantic Ocean. The bird has a cinnamon colored upper body and a yellow eye and is up to 10 inches long. The brown thrasher stays in shrubs, thickets and low in the branches of trees, feeding on an array of seeds, fruits, nuts, insects and small invertebrates. The bird gives itself away and gets its name by rustling and thrashing through dead foliage on the ground as it searches for food. The brown thrasher is a relative of the mockingbird and it has the ability to mimic the songs of other birds.