For the Birds
Author's posts
May 18 2023
9 Birds With Orange Beaks: Identification, Habitats & Species Guide
A bright orange beak can be one of the easiest field marks to notice when you are trying to identify an unfamiliar bird. Against black, white, gray, or brightly colored plumage, an orange bill can stand out from surprisingly far away. But an orange beak alone usually is not enough to identify a bird. Bill …
May 17 2023
Are Birds Dinosaurs? How Birds Evolved From Dinosaurs
Look closely at a robin hopping across the lawn, a hawk circling overhead, or a chicken scratching through the dirt, and you are looking at the surviving members of one of the most extraordinary groups of animals ever to walk the Earth. Birds are dinosaurs. More precisely, modern birds are avian dinosaurs—the only dinosaur lineage …
May 14 2023
Mexican Spotted Owl: Habitat, Diet, Behavior & Conservation
Quiet, elusive, and beautifully patterned, the Mexican spotted owl (Strix occidentalis lucida) is one of the most distinctive birds of prey in the American Southwest. It spends much of the daylight hidden within shaded forests or steep canyon country, emerging after sunset to hunt rodents and other small animals. The Mexican spotted owl is not …
May 14 2023
Elegant Trogon: Identification, Habitat, Diet & Behavior
Brilliant green feathers, a fiery red belly, a long patterned tail, and a habit of sitting almost perfectly still among the branches make the Elegant Trogon (Trogon elegans) one of Central America’s most memorable forest birds. Despite its spectacular coloring, the Elegant Trogon can be surprisingly difficult to spot. It often spends long stretches quietly …
May 14 2023
Arizona Woodpecker: Identification, Habitat, Diet & Behavior
The Arizona Woodpecker is one of the most distinctive woodpeckers in the United States. Instead of the bold black-and-white back seen on many familiar North American woodpeckers, this southwestern species wears warm brown upperparts, a large white cheek patch, and heavily spotted underparts. Its limited U.S. range makes an Arizona Woodpecker sighting especially memorable. In …
May 14 2023
Ptarmigan: Identification, Habitat, Diet & Adaptations
Ptarmigan are among the most remarkable birds of the far north and high mountains. These compact members of the grouse family survive in environments where winter can bring deep snow, bitter winds, scarce food, and months of freezing temperatures. Their most famous adaptation is their seasonally changing plumage. Many ptarmigan are mottled brown, gray, and …
May 14 2023
Great Horned Owl: Identification, Habitat, Diet & Adaptations
Few birds capture the mystery of the night quite like the Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus). With its piercing yellow eyes, prominent feather tufts, deep hooting voice, and powerful build, this remarkable bird of prey is one of the most recognizable owls in the Americas. Great Horned Owls are also extraordinarily adaptable. They live in …
May 14 2023
Gambel’s Quail: Identification, Habitat, Diet & Behavior
With its jaunty topknot, rounded body, and habit of scurrying through desert brush, the Gambel’s Quail is one of the most recognizable birds of the American Southwest. These charismatic ground birds are especially associated with the Sonoran, Mojave, and Chihuahuan deserts, where groups of quail move between mesquite thickets, cactus-covered slopes, dry washes, and suburban …
May 14 2023
Cactus Wren: Identification, Habitat, Diet & Behavior
Few birds are as closely associated with the deserts of the American Southwest as the Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus). Large for a wren, boldly patterned, and anything but shy, this desert songbird can often be seen perched conspicuously on a cholla cactus, mesquite branch, or other elevated lookout. Its scratchy, mechanical song is one of …
May 13 2023
Marbled Murrelets: An In-Depth Look at These Elusive Seabirds
Few North American seabirds live a life as unexpected as the Marbled Murrelet. At first glance, this compact auk seems perfectly at home on the cold waters of the Pacific, diving beneath the surface in search of small fish. But when breeding season arrives, many Marbled Murrelets leave the ocean behind, fly deep into coastal …
