This is the male. He has a cousin that is brown, but, lives in the western USA.
Conifer (click here) and mixed woods. In winter, open woods, undergrowth, roadsides, brush. Over its wide range, breeding habitat is consistently coniferous or mixed woodland, usually in rather open situations such as edges or clearings.
Winters in many kinds of semi-open habitats including woodland edges, thickets, brushy places, suburban areas....
This is only one of the indicator species for a Northern Hardwood forest. There are others, but, this is an easy start.
There is also an online resource guide for more forest plant species. It is a little more sophisticated, but, once anyone becomes familiar with it, its use becomes easy.
The New York Flora Atlas (click here) is a source of information for the distribution of plants within the state, as well as information on plant habitats, associated ecological communities, and taxonomy. In addition, users can learn about the location of vouchered specimens and see images to get a better visual for each plant. The next step is to create a Manual to the New York State Flora. Early efforts are underway to move towards this goal.
