Jun 09 2024
The Mountain Chickadee (Poecile gambeli) is one of the most characteristic little birds of western North America’s mountain forests. Tiny, energetic, and remarkably well adapted to cold environments, it spends much of its life among pine, fir, spruce, and other conifers. At first glance, a Mountain Chickadee looks much like several other North American chickadees: …
May 23 2024
The Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea) is one of the most spectacular songbirds of eastern North America. A breeding male can seem almost impossibly bright, with a scarlet-red body set against jet-black wings and tail. Yet despite those dramatic colors, Scarlet Tanagers can be surprisingly difficult to find. They spend much of their time high in …
Apr 12 2024
The deserts of western North America may look quiet at first glance, but listen carefully in the cool hours after sunrise and you may hear a surprisingly rich song pouring from a cactus, mesquite, or low desert shrub. The singer could be one of the region’s desert-dwelling thrashers—long-tailed, strong-legged songbirds specially suited to life in …
Apr 07 2024
Scrub Jays are bold, intelligent, unmistakably blue members of the crow family that bring plenty of personality to the landscapes they inhabit. Rather than being one single species, the name scrub-jay is used for several closely related North American birds in the genus Aphelocoma. They are especially associated with the western United States and Florida, …
Apr 07 2024
The Pinyon Jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) is one of the most unusual and socially complex members of the crow family. Found across the dry woodlands of western North America, this dusty-blue bird is closely associated with pinyon pines, whose nutritious seeds provide both a major food source and an ecological partnership that helps shape western forests. …
Mar 11 2024
The Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator) is a large, gentle-looking finch of northern forests and high mountain country. With rosy-red males, softly colored females, a thick seed-crushing bill, and a surprisingly calm disposition, it is one of the most distinctive birds of the boreal forest. For many birdwatchers in the northern United States, seeing a Pine …
Jan 27 2024
Few backyard birds announce summer quite as brightly as the American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis). A breeding male in full plumage seems almost impossibly yellow, with a brilliant lemon-colored body set against jet-black wings and a black forehead. Females are more subdued, but they share the species’ graceful shape, active feeding style, and distinctive bouncing flight. …
Dec 16 2023
Few small birds seem as perfectly matched to the mountains as the White-winged Snowfinch (Montifringilla nivalis). This hardy alpine bird lives among rocky slopes, high meadows, lingering snowfields, mountain passes, and windswept peaks where winters are long and conditions can change in minutes. Despite the word “finch” in its name, the White-winged Snowfinch is not …
Dec 16 2023
The Himalayan Rubythroat (Calliope pectoralis) is a striking mountain songbird found across the Himalayas and parts of Central Asia. Males are especially memorable, combining slate-gray plumage with a brilliant ruby-red throat, black breast, bold white eyebrow, and flashes of white in the tail. Despite those dramatic markings, the Himalayan Rubythroat can be surprisingly difficult to …
Dec 14 2023
Finches are small, lively songbirds known for their seed-cracking bills, cheerful calls, colorful plumage, and tendency to gather in active flocks. They are among the most familiar birds at backyard feeders, where species such as the House Finch, American Goldfinch, Purple Finch, and Pine Siskin can sometimes appear in surprising numbers. True finches belong to …
