Black Phoebe

I'm always excited when I 'discover' a new bird. I haven't  discovered anything really 'new,' it's just a new bird for me.

And finding a Black Phoebe isn't that easy.

A narrow band of California's Pacific Coast and the southwest's border region is the Black Phoebe's only presence in America. Even then, only in wet landscapes.

This Black Phoebe was either in a mid-morning stretch or showing off to another Black Phoebe nearby.

Black Phoebes look alike and these two were spending a lot of time together.  I'm guessing they were a pair.

Black Phoebes are monogamous. Pairs have been recorded staying together for five years while raising two, even three, broods a season.

Fly catching is in their nature and this Black Phoebe had snatched a dragonfly.

S/he struggled with it for quite a while since the struggle meant a substantial meal.

S/he flipped, tossed and whacked it around... softening resistance.

It went down slowly, wings and all, in a series of swallows.

(Click any photo to enlarge)

Then pair bonding resumed.

I'm not sure who was impressing whom here.

Hear their song at:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black_Phoebe

Getting to see this 'new' species is special... noteworthy.  Only 9000 more to go.

Allan

Credits:
Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black_Phoebe

https://www.amnh.org/explore/ology/earth/ask-a-scientist-about-our-environment/how-big-is-the-bird-population

Elegant Trogon

Some guys get all the attention.

There are hundreds to thousands of people looking for this bird.

The lure of the Elegant Trogon is amazing.

People come 'birding' for the Elegant Trogon with all sorts of binoculars, guidebooks, and photographic equipment.

Although some do come with nothing at all, I suspect the 'nothing at all' people are the spouses.

This is Madera Canyon in the Santa Rita Mountains of the Coronado National Forest, Arizona.  You're about 50 miles north of the Mexico border.

This bird 'holds court' every day for his subjects, but not always on the same spot on the mountain. Everyone must guess where and when he'll show up on any given day.

He is not shy about revealing his presence though. He barks out his bizarre song and it travels up and down the canyon, mostly in the early mornings.

Here is an audio link to an Elegant Trogon 'barking'... it's strange.

Cornell University:  https://ebird.org/species/eletro

Men and women, boys and girls string out along the creek with guidebooks and 'binos' hoping today is the day they'll get to see this rare bird.

The Coronado National Forest is south of Tucson. It's a 10 mile drive up to the end of the canyon. That's where you'll start looking for this colorful bird.

Because Elegant Trogons barely make it into the United States from Mexico and Central America, this bird's uniqueness feeds the local economy with purchases of gas, food and lodging.

All this attention certainly is wasted on the Elegant Trogon though. All he is interested in is fruit and insects to eat and a place to call home.

He has that here, along with exposure to a lot of people to which he's blissfully unconcerned.

Allan

Credits: 
Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds
The Sibley's Guide to Birds

Turkey Vulture (Zone-tailed Hawk)

                                        Would it be unkind to say only 95% of the Turkey Vulture is beautiful?

Turkey Vultures can be seen in summer throughout most of North America.

They're often seen soaring in circles high in the air with their wings held at a dihedral (V-shaped). 

They're looking for something newly deceased. Or more precisely 'sniffing' for it.  Turkey Vultures find their food by smell. 

Odors rise in Sonoran Desert heat.  It's not long before a death is discovered.  

According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: "Turkey Vultures almost never attack living prey."

The sight of Turkey Vultures soaring overhead doesn't frighten animals because they have little to fear from Turkey Vultures. 

But the similarly sized Zone-tailed HAWK (like this one) knows this. They sometimes join the vulture circles to launch their own attacks. 

You've likely seen Turkey Vultures in the sky whether you knew it or not. Their numbers are steadily increasing thanks to a mid-century legislative ban on DDT.

Eating carrion is not for the faint of heart, but Turkey Vultures fare quite well. They seem immune to botulism, anthrax, cholera, salmonella. 

It's residual poisons and lead shot found in dead animals that threaten this beautiful, essential bird.

Allan

Credits:

Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds,

The Sibley's Guide to Birds