Towhees and Sparrows of the Southwest: Featuring Green-tailed Towhee, Black-chinned Sparrow and Rufous-crowned Sparrow

[SE Arizona and SW Texas. April, 2015]

Doesn't it seem that whatever bird species we have in the US -- whether warblers, vireos, tanagers, thrushes or flycatchers -- there's more of them found in tropical America than here?

While this suspicion will generally be borne by fact -- it isn't always true for every taxon. For example, we have more Thrashers and Towhees here in the US than anywhere else. And, the fact of the US being "Towhee Rich" is the inspiration for this post in which we review 4 Towhees (and 8 Sparrows) belonging to the New World family of sparrows that were encountered in Southeast Arizona and Southwest Texas earlier this year:

1. Green-tailed Towhee
2. Spotted Towhee
3. Canyon Towhee
4. Abert's Towhee
5. Black-throated Sparrow
6. Black-chinned Sparrow
7. Rufous-crowned Sparrow
8. White-crowned Sparrow
9. Lincoln's Sparrow
10. Song Sparrow
11. Chipping Sparrow
12. Yellow-eyed Junco

There are 8 Towhees (genus Pipoli) on this planet -- aside from the 2 Mexican Towhee endemics, the remaining 6 can all be found in the US. Towhees are large, stout New World sparrows; and while most are drab in plumage like their sparrow kin, some of them can be quite striking. And none is more striking than the  Green-tailed Towhee:

Green-tailed Towhee seen at Molino Basin, Mt. Lemmon, SEAZ

The Green-tailed Towhee is found across much of the Western US. It has a grey body with olive-lime wings and tail. The throat is white and the crown is a bright chestnut. The Green-tailed Towhee is found in brush habitat where it likes to forage on the ground scratching for seeds or insects.  Green is an unusual color in sparrows (here in the US seen in this Towhee and the Olive Sparrow) and our remaining Towhees show mainly tans and browns.

Spotted Towhee seen at Rose Canyon, Mt. Lemmon

Spotted Towhee is probably our commonest Towhee in the West. It has a bold look with distinctive white spots on a black back and red eyes. It was earlier considered conspecific with the Eastern Towhee and lumped into the "Rufous-sided Towhee" -- here's a picture of an Eastern Towhee taken in Michigan in June:

Eastern Towhee seen at Lapeer SGA, Michigan

It's easy to see why these sparrows were considered to be the same species.

Canyon Towhee is found in Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. It has a similar taxonomic history -- it was earlier lumped with California Towhee into the unimaginatively sounding "Brown Towhee".

Of all our Towhees, this is the only US near-Endemic -- Abert's Towhee:

The black mask is diagnostic. Unlike our other Towhees whose ranges extend well into Canada or Mexico, the Abert's range is almost entirely in the US Southwest with only a small sliver reaching over into Mexico.

Now the Sparrows:
 
We begin with the Black-throated Sparrow:

Black-throated Sparrow feeding on Ocotillo flowers at Big Bend NP

This gorgeous sparrow is unmistakable with a greyish-brown body, prominent black throat and a white "harness" pattern on its face.

The similar sounding Black-chinned Sparrow also ranges in the desert Southwest but is not as commonly found; it prefers hilly habitat and is known for its "spinning coin" song.

The individual pictured here was observed on the Laguna Trail at Big Bend NP.

Also observed at Big Bend was this beautiful Rufous-crowned Sparrow:

Rufous-crowned Sparrow seen at Burro Pouroff Trail

This grey sparrow with a prominent rufous crown is a specialty sparrow of the Southwest.

Other sparrows included the familiar White-crowned Sparrow:

White-crowned Sparrow seen at Molino Basin, Mt. Lemmon

The beautifully streaked Lincoln's Sparrow:

Lincoln's Sparrow seen at Molino Basin, Mt. Lemmon

And one of our most widely ranging sparrows, the Song Sparrow:

Song Sparrow seen at Tanque Verde Wash, Tucson, AZ

Another sparrow found nationwide is the Chipping Sparrow:

Chipping Sparrow seen at Davis Mtsn SP, Texas

Finally, we conclude with a specialty Junco -- essentially a Mexican sparrow restricted to a small area in SEAZ and SW New Mexico: Yellow-eyed Junco:

Yellow-eyed Junco seen at Incinerator Ridge, Mt. Lemmon

"Little Brown Jobs" -- a term used in identification desperation resulting from birds such as sparrows seems wholly inappropriate when confronted with spectacular sparrows and towering towhees that are found in our Southwest.

Big Bend Highlights: Scott's Oriole, Black-headed Grosbeak and Acorn Woodpecker

[Big Bend NP, TX. April 2015]

America, as discovered at the advent of Western colonization, was no less than a "Garden of Eden" -- with unspoilt rainforests, grasslands, deserts and endless woods richly adorning the land. 

This pristine scenery hosted land and air migrations featuring thundering herds of buffalo and mega-flocks of pigeons that rivaled or exceeded the best that can be seen in wild Africa today. These grand spectacles of American Nature are no longer with us today; what remains of our earlier awe-inspiring ecosystems are preserved only as a pale shadow of their former glory in our National Forests and Parks that comprise about 15% of the country's total area. 

And, to visit these areas is the closest we can get to "time travel" -- to witness what this land was like before it was reduced to its present state. A state in which no land is left undeveloped, no tree uncut, no river undammed, no bird unshot and no animal unhunted.  

Without our National Parks, we would have nothing but strip malls, factory farms and endless suburbia; our sterile life would be devoid of the wealth of Nature's gifts that abound only in full wilderness. 

Big Bend National Park, in remote South-Central Texas, is precisely the kind of place that connects us to the land as it once was. A Spring visit to this unparalleled oasis rewarded this blogger with a choice selection of species including:

1. Scott's Oriole
2. Acorn Woodpecker 
3. Black-headed Grosbeak
4. Pyrrholoxia
5. Varied Bunting
6. Roadrunner
7. Mexican Jay
8. Wrens -- Canyon Wren, Cactus Wren, Bewick's Wren
9. Tits -- Bushtit, Black-crested Titmouse
10. Common Yellowthroat
11. Bell's Vireo
12. Great-horned Owl
13. Inca Dove
14. Blue-grey Gnatcatcher

First up, a gorgeous Icterid --  Scott's Oriole:

The first thing to strike the observer about this blackbird is the bright lemon yellow chest and underside of the male; as opposed to the orange hues commonly found in other orioles.

Scott's Oriole is found in hilly areas of the Southwest.  Habitat that similarly suits the Acorn Woodpecker as well:
 

The Acorn Woodpecker is hard to confuse with any other species of woodpecker in our area with a face that has oft been described as "clownish".
 
Black-headed Grosbeak:

The females of the Black-headed and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are indistinguishable. The two species are known to hybridize where their ranges overlap.
 
Pyrrhuloxia is also known as the "desert cardinal":

April is when Varied Buntings arrive at Big Bend; and pretty soon they will be establishing their breeding territories:

Greater Roadrunner are commonly found in this Park:

In the Chisos Mountains, Mexican Jays can be seen -- cavorting in small flocks:

Moving on to a few Wrens -- Canyon Wren, Cactus Wren, Bewick's Wren:

Cactus Wren

Canyon Wren

Bewick's Wren

Tits -- Bushtit and Black-crested Titmouse:

Bushtit

Black-crested Titmouse

In Spring many warbler species can be seen in migration at Big Bend but Common Yellowthroat is a breeder:

The race seen here shows a lot more yellow than what's seen in the rest of the country.
 
Bell's Vireo -- which is suffering serious declines throughout its range:

The almost invisible Great-horned Owl:

Inca Dove:

Blue-grey Gnatcatcher:

About 450 species of birds can be found at Big Bend National Park. Even a short visit to this island will offer rewards to the intrepid birder.
 

Fascinating Flycatchers of the Southwest: Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Greater Pewee, Buff-breasted Flycatcher and More

[AZ and TX. April/August 2015]

Flycatchers are the unsung avian heroes of America. Possessing neither the color of the warblers nor the song of the thrushes, the flycatchers, however, are nonetheless fascinating in their own right: for, where else can you find an intriguing family of songbirds that possesses the aerial acrobatics of fighter jets coupled with the stoic patience of raptors?

The modus operandi of flycatchers involves frequent sallies to pluck insects from the air before returning to a favored perch; indeed their ability to "flycatch" anything from the air underlies the origin of their name. 

Although similar in feeding technique, the New World flycatchers are not related to Old World flycatchers -- the former comprise 400 species in 97 genera spread across North and South America and are known as "Tyrant Flycatchers". And, in the US, we have less than 10% of these -- roughly 30-odd representatives of the Tyrant Flycatcher family. These are generally drab, small to mid-sized birds with simple vocalizations; indeed many species are difficult to tell apart by sight (especially those of the genus Empidonax) and call notes and song become important distinguishing factors. 

The "best" selection of flycatcher species in the US is found in the Southwest of the country -- and, of these we will profile but a small sample -- encountered recently on a trip to AZ and TX earlier this year:

1. Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet
2. Greater Pewee
3. Buff-breasted Flycatcher
4. Ash-throated Flycatcher
5. Brown-crested Flycatcher
6. Say's Phoebe
7. Vermilion Flycatcher
8. Tropical Kingbird
9. Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher

Famed as the species whose name is bigger than the bird itself, the imposing-sounding "Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet" is a Mexican species whose range barely extends into SEAZ and SE Texas. It is a highly sought-after target species for visiting birders to AZ.

Although the name of this 4.5 inch flycatcher may sound somewhat indecipherable -- it actually makes sense: a tyrannulet is simply a small tyrant flycatcher; the "beardless" means it lacks the hairy bristles that most flycatchers have around their bill; and, the "Northern" comes from the fact that the species formerly known as "Beardless Tyrannulet" was split into two: a Northern and a Southern species based on their distribution.

Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet seen at Tanque Verde Wash, Tucson, AZ

The small crest and slightly downcurved bill together with the small size are all helpful in identification. The individual pictured above was seen in Tucson at the Tanque Verde Wash.

Next up: Greater Pewee -- compared to the Tyrannulet, this is a giant at about 9 inches.

Greater Pewee, Rose Canyon, Mt. Lemmon, AZ

This is another Mexican flycatcher that, in the US, is essentially restricted to Southeastern Arizona. Seen in Rose Canyon, this flycatcher's "Jose Maria" song is loud and unforgettable; as is the yellow lower mandible of the bill.
 
Of all the Empidonax flycatchers, the Buff-breasted Flycatcher, is the most distinctive-- for one, it is the only one not in a shade of green -- sporting instead incredibly delicate hues of cream and tan.

Buff-breasted Flycatcher, Rose Canyon, Mt. Lemmon, AZ

This outstanding individual was also seen at Rose Canyon which in this blogger's experience the best place to see this species.
 
Ash-throated Flycatcher and Brown-crested Flycatcher are two similar flycatchers:

Ash-throated Flycatcher seen at Burro Pouroff, Big Bend NP,TX

Brown-crested Flycatcher:

Brown-crested Flycatcher seen at Daniels Ranch, Big Bend NP,TX

Both are quite similar but note that the latter has a stouter bill and is found primarily in forested habitat while the former prefers arid habitat and is found in mainly desert surroundings.

Other flycatchers observed were:
Say's Phoebe:

Say's Phoebe seen at Chisos Basin, Big Bend NP,TX

And for those that might be thinking that all flycatchers are dull, may we present the Vermilion Flycatcher:

Vermilion Flycatcher seen at Tanque Verde Wash, Tucson, AZ

Finally, two large flycatchers -- Tropical Kingbird:

Tropical Kingbird seen at Sweetwater Wetlands, Tucson, AZ

... and Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher:
 

Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher seen at Madera Canyon, Green Valley, AZ

Both these tropical flycatchers are exclusive to SEAZ in the US. The Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher is unmistakable with its prominent streaking and large bill. It also has a "squeaky toy" call that is distinctive.

Flycatchers are a fascinating family of songbirds that are well represented in the US with about 30 species that range in size from the warbler-sized Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet and Buff-breasted Flycatcher to the almost Robin-sized Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher or Greater Pewee. And, while found across the US, the most charismatic species will draw the intrepid birder to regions in the Southwest.