Index for Category - Birds

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This page last updated on 05/03/2019

Click on a Title to View American Coot (Fulica americana) - 2018 Long Crested Stellers Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri macrolopha) - 2017 Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) - 2017 Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus) - 2015 Gambel Quail (Callipepla gambelii) Chukar Partridge (Alectoris graeca) The Birds of Bellagio Black-headed Grosebeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) UPDATED Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) The Eastern Rosella (Platycercus eximius) Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodus) The Peacocks of Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs Indian (Blue) Peafowl (Pavo cristatus) Some More Peacocks

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)

(Fig. 01)

Picture Notes:  I took these pictures (Figs. 01 & 02) on 5/19/2018 while walking in the Pittman Wash in Henderson, NV. Located in suburban Henderson, the Pittman Wash follows what is usually a dry wash through residential neighborhoods for nearly 2 miles. This large natural watercourse, sometimes wider than the Las Vegas Wash, carries flood waters from the Mount Potosi area of the Southwest Valley, to the Las Vegas Wash, and ultimately into Lake Mead. To read about the wash click here ... Pittman Wash - Summary Page.

Description: The killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) is a medium-sized plover. Killdeer have a characteristic large, round head, long tail, long flesh-colored legs, and long wings. The bill is short, dark, and thick. Plumage is brownish-tan on dorsal areas and white on the ventral belly and chest; the neck is also surrounded by a white collar. Two large, dark bands surround the upper breast with an additional band located on the head, spanning both the forehead and the area above the bill and continuing around the back of the head. The tail is brown with a black subterminal band, a white terminal band, and white outer tail feathers. Additional defining plumage characters include a brightly colored red-orange rump that is visible during flight and displays, white wing stripes visible during flight. Appearance does not vary between males and females, although breeding females may have additional brown plumage on the head. Juveniles resemble adults with the exception of buff fringe feathers and the presence of only one neck band (Figs. 1 & 2). An adult killdeer range in length from 9.1–10.6 inches with a wingspan averaging 19 in. The largest ringed plover, killdeer weigh 3.1 oz on average. The killdeer frequently uses a "broken wing act" and piteous cries they indulge in to draw potential predators away from nests and chicks.

During nesting season killdeer use open dry uplands, open areas where vegetation is short or absent, and meadows. In addition, killdeer use open wetland habitat and savannahs, selecting dry bare ground and dry ground with vegetation within wetland areas. Nesting habitat is characterized as having enough nest materials to form a scrape but otherwise having little or no vegetation. They are migratory in northern areas and winter as far south as northern South America.

(Fig. 02)

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)

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This page last updated on 06/19/2017

(Fig. 01)

Picture Notes: On the way home from a visit to the Techatticup Mining Camp in Eldorado Valley, we spotted a turkey vulture sitting on a cliff on the side of the road (Fig. 01). We got out and walked back to get some pictures. Finally he flew off the cliff and began to circle the area (Figs 02 & 03). It took us a while but eventually we finally figured out what he was after. There was a dead rattle snake in the middle of the road that had been run over by a car (Fig. 04).

(Fig. 02)

Description:  The turkey vulture (Cathartes aura), also known in some North American regions as the turkey buzzard (or just buzzard). It is a large, predominantly blackish-brown bird. It is most commonly seen soaring overhead. The Turkey Vulture has a 5- to 6-foot wingspan and soars with its wings tilted up, in a dihedral pattern. Turkey Vultures rock back and forth when soaring. Vultures are unmistakable, with their featherless, red heads. Their habitat is open country, woods, deserts, foothills. Most common over open or semi-open country, especially within a few miles of rocky or wooded areas providing secure nesting sites. Generally avoids densely forested regions. The turkey vulture is a scavenger and feeds almost exclusively on carrion. It finds its food using its keen eyes and sense of smell, flying low enough to detect the gases produced by the beginnings of the process of decay in dead animals.

(Fig. 03)

(Fig. 04

Go back to ... Techatticup Mining Camp - Trip Notes for 05/27/2017

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American Coot (Fulica americana)

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This page last updated on 02/17/2018

(Fig. 01)

Picture Notes: The pictures shown here were taken floating around one of the ponds at Floyd Lamb Park in Las Vegas. The picture in (Figs. 02 & 03) was a shot of the all trying to get some of the bread that I was feeding them.

(Fig. 02)

Description: The American Coot is also known as a mud hen and is a bird of the family Rallidae. Though commonly mistaken to be ducks, American coots belong to a distinct order. It is a medium-sized, chicken-like swimming bird, dark gray to black overall, short, white bill and undertail coverts. Upper edge of frontal shield is red, but usually only visible at close range. Unlike the webbed feet of ducks, coots have broad, lobed scales on their lower legs and toes that fold back with each step in order to facilitate walking on dry land. IIt has swift direct flight with rapid wing beats, feet protrude past tail. In taking flight they must patter across the water, flapping their wings furiously, before becoming airborne. Coots are tough, adaptable waterbirds and live near water, typically inhabiting wetlands and open water bodies.They swim in the open like ducks and walk about on shore, making themselves at home on grassy areas and city park ponds. Usually in flocks, they are aggressive and noisy, making a wide variety of calls by day or night. They have strong legs and big feet with lobed toes, and coots fighting over territorial boundaries will rear up and attack each other with their feet. Often seen walking on open ground near ponds. The American coot is a migratory bird that occupies most of North America. It lives in the Pacific and southwestern United States and Mexico year-round and occupies more northeastern regions during the summer breeding season. In the winter they can be found as far south as Panama. Coots generally build floating nests and lay 8–12 eggs per clutch. American coots eat primarily algae and other aquatic plants but also animals (both vertebrates and invertebrates) when available.

(Fig. 03)

Return to ... Floyd Lamb Park.

Miscellaneous Bird Pictures

(Fig. 01)

(Fig. 02)

(Fig. 03)

(Fig. 04)

(Fig. 05)

Picture Notes:  All of the bird pictures in (Figs. 01 thru 05) were captured at the Springs Preserve.

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Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus)

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(Fig. 01)

Picture Notes: While hiking the First Creek Trail that crosses the flat, desert, Cottonwood Valley (Fig. 02) within the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, we spotted several of these wrens hovering around a grouping of cholla cacti. As we approached the area, most of them scattered to other bushes and cacti. Luckily, I was able to catch the picture in (Fig. 01) before he fled. Click here to read more about this area … First Creek Trail & Falls Hike.

(Fig. 02)

Description:  At 7-9 inches long, the Cactus Wren is the largest wren in the United States. It is a permanent resident of arid and semi-arid desert regions of the southwestern United States, ranging from southern California, Nevada, and Utah, and central New Mexico and Texas, southward to central Mexico. The most common area to find the around Las Vegas is the Cottonwood Valley throughout the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. I have heard that most Cactus Wrens seem to migrate out of our area during winter, but a few stay all year. It is characterized by a long, slightly decurved bill, dark brown crown with a distinctive white stripe over the eye, white throat, gray-brown back streaked with white and black, and white to buff belly and sides, densely spotted at the breast. Its barred wings and tail, and spotted tail feathers make it easy to identify.                             It is often found around yucca, mesquite, yet seems to prefer cholla cactus, where its nests are protected by the prickly cactus spines of a cholla or leaves of a yucca. Cactus Wrens are interesting in that they use nests all year for shelter, not just for rearing young. They build covered nests in cholla cactus. one would think that the spines would be a problem, but I guess it is more of a problem for nest predators than it is for the birds. The cactus wren primarily eats insects, including ants, beetles, grasshoppers, and wasps. Occasionally, it will take seeds, fruits, small reptiles and frogs.

Gambel's quail (Callipepla gambelii)

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(Fig. 01)

Picture Notes: I have observed the Gambel’s quail on many of my hikes in a wide range of habitats, from low desert Baja's to the upper mountain ranges. The two is (Fig. 01) were spotted at the Walking Box Ranch in the vast desert, Piute Valley east of Searchlight, Nevada. The triptych below (Fig. 02), was taken near the base of the Ireteba Peaks inside the Ireteba Wilderness Area, northeast of Searchlight, Nevada. When we first spotted the male and female, we didn’t even notice the baby chicks. These two adults tried to steer us in the opposite direction, away from the babies. It was amazing how fast the little chicks scattered in every direction, seeking for cover. Once the hen noticed that we were approaching the chicks, she returned to protect them. We counted at least 12 chicks, which I later learned is a average size litter. The final grouping of quails in the collage in (Fig. 03) were captured behind the visitor center at the Valley of Fire State Park.

(Fig. 02)

(Fig. 03)

Description: The Gambel's quail (Callipepla gambelii) are generally short, rounded wings, –short necks and short tails. Gambel's quail have gray plumage on much of their bodies, and males have copper feathers on the top of their heads, black faces, and white stripes above their eyes. The bird's average length is 11 inches with a wingspan of 14–16 inches. Their featherless legs are short and powerful, although they are capable of short bursts of strong flight, quails prefer to walk, and will run from danger (or hide), taking off explosively only as a last resort. The bills are short, slightly curved and serrated. Plumage varies from dull to spectacular, and many species have ornamental crests or plumes on the head, with males having brighter plumage. Gambel's quail can be commonly confused with California quail due to similar plumage. They can usually be distinguished by range, but when this does not suffice, California quail have a more scaly appearance and the black patch on the lower breast of the male Gambel's quail is absent in the California quail. Gambel's quail primarily move about by walking and can move surprisingly fast through brush and undergrowth. Quail eat mainly seeds and berries but also take leaves, roots, and some insects. They are a non-migratory species and are rarely seen in flight. Any flight is usually short and explosive, with many rapid wingbeats, followed by a slow glide to the ground. In the late summer, fall, and winter, the adults and immature young congregate into coveys of many birds. In the spring, Gambel's quail pair off for mating and become very aggressive toward other pairs. The chicks are decidedly more insectivorous than adults, gradually consuming more plant matter as they mature. Gambel's quail are monogamous and rarely breed in colonies. In spring the hen (female) typically lays 10–12 eggs in a simple scrape concealed in vegetation, often at the base of a rock or tree.Incubation lasts from 21–23 days, usually performed by the female and rarely by the male. The chicks are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching, leaving the nest with their parents within hours of hatching.                     They are commonly inhabit the desert regions of Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah,Texas, and Sonora; also New Mexico-border Chihuahua and the Colorado River region of Baja California. The Gambel's quail is named in honor of William Gambel, a 19th-century naturalist and explorer of the Southwestern United States.

Chukar Partridge (Alectoris graeca)

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(Fig. 01)

Picture Notes: On 08/20/2013 Harvey and I came upon a covey of Chukar Partridge high up (at about 7,350 feet) in the Potosi Mountain Range behind Goodsprings, Nevada. Though the picture in (Fig.01) only shows four of them, I think I counted 10 in the covey. Unfortunately, the noise of our vehicle sent them running up and off the road in various directions (Figs 03 & 04). Though I sometimes often seen quail on our hikes, this is the first time I have ever encountered these fellas.

(Fig. 02)

Introduction and Habitat: Chukar Partridge (Alectoris graeca), is a subspecies of the red-legged rock partridge found over much of southern Eurasia. The Chukar was first introduced in Nevada in 1935 when the Nevada Fish and Game Commission released a total of 289 birds in nine counties. Through 1954, more than 6,000 Chukars were released in Nevada, and the birds inhabited 14 of the state’s 17 counties. From 1955-66, another 7,256 birds were released. A total of 13,655 Chukars have now been released in Nevada and they are established in all 17 counties. Currently, the state’s Chukar population is estimated at more than 500,000, making the state of Nevada its most successful establishment in the entire U.S. Nevada averages more than 12,000 Cukar hunters a year and during hunting season, hunters are now allowed to bag up to six per day. The Chukar Partridge has found its niche in this rugged Great Basin terrain, living from the valley floor below sea level in Death Valley National Park to as high as 12,000 feet in the White Mountains of Nevada and California. In Nevada, they generally occupy elevations between 4,000 and 9,000 feet.                    Recent population study’s have revealed that the mountainous regions of the south western portion of Nevada have become a prime location for the Chukar Partridge. With grassy, steep hills rimmed with rocky outcroppings and studded with junipers and sagebrush, the Chukar has established itself here in what is obviously ideal habitat. Chukars like to be up high. Generally, if the terrain is nasty and gnarly, you will probably find Chukar. In Nevada,Chukars have been found roosting on the ground beneath sagebrush, under juniper trees, in the shelter of rock outcrops and in open rocky areas. They do not seek dense cover for roosting.                   Due to the dry Mojave Desert like areas of southern Nevada the scarcity of water and food sources greatly affect Chukar migrations. Though they like the higher areas, because the desert is so desolate, you can sometimes find them in the more vegetation prone ravines that are fed water from the higher ridges. Even in higher elevations where there are plenty of rocks on the south and west facing slopes, the vegetation is sparse and sources of water few and far between. You will usually have better luck finding them on the north and, to a lesser degree, east facing slopes that hold more water and vegetation. Because burns are prevalent over many of Nevada’s forests and range lands, they contribute toward creating good Chukar habitat. After a burn, the remaining area usually sees a heavy growth of cheatgrass. Their daily migrations are motivated by basic needs: food, water and shelter. Chukar begin foraging for food in the morning and continue on and off throughout the day.

(Fig. 03) (Fig. 04)

Description: The sexes of the Chukar are very much alike. Forehead and lines through the eye, down the neck and meeting as a gorget between the throat and upper breast, black; next the forehead pure grey, this color running back as an indistinct supercilium, often albescent posteriorly; crown vinous red changing to ashy on hind neck and again to vinous red on back and scapulars, and then once more to ashy on lower back, rump and upper tail coverts; ear-coverts are a dull chestnut; middle tail feathers ashy drab, outer feathers the same but pale chestnut on the terminal half; outer scapulars with pure pale grey centers; smaller and median coverts and innermost secondary's like the back; outer wing-coverts ashy; primaries and secondary's brown with a yellowish buff patch on the center of the outer webs; point of chin and below gape black; lores, cheeks, chin and throat white-tinged with buff to a varying extent; below the black gorget the breast is ashy-tinged more or less with brown and vinous at the sides, the lower breast being generally a pure French grey; abdomen, vent, thighs and lower tail coverts chestnut-buff or buff; feathers of the flanks grey at the base, with two black bars divided by pale buff and with chestnut tips. As you can see from (Fig. 02) the lines, feathers and colors of the bird are quite intricate.           This bird varies most extraordinarily in size, though males are bigger than the females, the extremes of size seem to be much the same in both sexes. The wing runs from 5.7 to 8 inches; with a tail approximately 3-4 inches. Males weigh between 19 to 27 ozs.; females 13 to 19 ozs.             Known predators of the Chukar Partridge in Nevada are the coyote, bobcat, great horned owl, prairie falcon, harp-shinned hawk, Cooper’s hawk, red-tailed hawk ad golden eagle. However, when the birds are in a healthy condition it is felt that predation is minimal. The Chukar is a very alert bird and, being a sentinal bird, usually sounds the alarm well ahead of the predator.

The Birds of Bellagio

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(Fig. 01)

07/24/2013 Picture Notes: This summer's floral exhibition inside Bellagio's 13,573 square foot Conservatory & Botanical Gardens was built around a green house (Fig. 03) that is 13 feet high, 36 feet long and 14 feet wide. Decorated with many aged antique tools, it provides a habitat for Rosey Bourke Parakeets, Canaries, Cockatiels and 50 Finch birds. Even though I had to stand several feet from the sides of the greenhouse, and peer through the reflections on the glass, I was still lucky enough to capture enough shots to make the two collages in (Figs. 01 & 02).

(Fig. 02)

(Fig. 03)

Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus)

(Fig. 01)

07/10/2013 Picture Notes: I found this little fellow (Fig. 01) perching on a treelike shrub above some dense underbrush in a fenced field about a hundred yards north of the upper pond that is just south of the town of Cold Creek Nevada. I want to thank all those who sent info and helped me try and identify this bird; though it was fellow hiker, Mabel Quinto, who nailed it as a female Black-headed Grosbeak. The one thing I have learned going through this identification process is that there can hundreds of variations within a specific species depending upon the age, sex and time of year, including such things as beak size, shape and color, plumage, overall size, etc. Description: The Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) is a medium-size, seed-eating songbird with a large head, short neck and a short dark grayish bill that is conical and thick at the base, typically bicolored. The male is striking, with a black head, rusty-orange breast, nape, and rump, black back, wings, and tail, and white patches on its wings. The under-wing linings are yellow, and the outer tail feathers are white; both of these can be seen in flight. In contrast, the female (shown above) is more drab, has a dark crown, a white line above the eye and below the cheek, a brown head, neck and back with sparrow-like black streaks. Its underparts are a dull orange with thin streaks on its  flanks; but also has yellow under-wing linings. Her wings and tail are greyish-brown with two white wing bars on each wing and yellowish wing edges. First-year males are streaked like females but have more orangery underparts. In flight, they flash bright yellow under the wings. Black-headed Grosbeaks range from the Pacific coast to the middle of the US Great Plains and from south western Canada to the mountains of Mexico. The sweet song of the Black-headed Grosbeak can be heard caroling down from the treetops like a tipsy robin welcoming spring. The less flamboyant females sing from perches in tall shrubs and trees and desert thickets. Look for Black-headed Grosbeaks in mixed woodlands and edges from mountain forests to thickets along desert streams and ponds. Ideal habitat includes some large trees and a diverse under-story with ready access to water (exactly the habitat where the above sighting was made). They avoid monotonous stretches of unbroken dry chaparral, desert, grassland, or dense coniferous forests. Their food is quite varied. Heavy seeds are easily cracked open with their huge beaks; although sometimes they pose a problem in fruit orchards, Black-headed Grosbeaks also consume harmful insects and are highly valuable to farmers. Though similar, females of  finches (House Finch, Cassin’s Finch, Purple Finch) have considerably smaller bills, more uniform brown streaking, less white in the wings, and lack the female Black-headed Grosbeak’s buffy breast.

Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus)

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(Fig. 01)

(Fig. 02) (Fig. 03)

Picture Notes: The roadrunner is probably the most famous bird in the Sonoran Desert. Often trotting up close to peer at humans, raising and lowering its mop of a shaggy crest, flipping its long tail about expressively, it can look undeniably zany or clown-like. Over the past couple of years I have had dozens of sightings of these fascinating creatures. These latest pictures of a Greater Roadrunner (Figs. 01 & 02) were captured on 07/31/15 on a hike inside the Las Vegas Sunset Park. Even should they were captured at a handheld, 480mm zoom setting, I was surprised at how well they came out. The pictures in (Figs. 03 & 04), were captured on 05/16/2013 near the US-95 interchange for the Paiute Tribe’s Snow Mountain Indian Reservation, just north of Vegas. I had to chase this fella for several hundred feet before he stopped long enough for me to be able to capture a shot with his early morning breakfast catch. Due to their size and long beaks, it is obvious that both of these were Greater Roadrunners. On 01/19/2012, while hiking along Lakeshore Drive near Lake Mead, the road runner in (Fig. 05) ran across my path and down the side of a deep wash. After hiking down the wash in pursuit and chasing him for about ten minutes, I finally found him hiding behind a bush. The next picture (Fig. 07), was taken on 11/16/2010 in the parking lot of our apartment complex. One of my neighbors called and alerted me to his presence, so I grabbed my camera and headed outside. There he was sitting on the wall that separates our property from the next. Based upon his size shorter bill and legs, it appears that he may be the Lessor Roadrunner. Over our ten years here, we have spotted these guys roaming the property on numerous occasions, usually without a camera. The final pictures, the diptych in (Fig. 08) was taken on 07/04/2013 while we were picking some pears and peaches at the Gilcrease Orchard, a sixty acre farm on the north side of Las Vegas.

(Fig. 04)

Description: Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus), a.k.a. Chaparral Bird or Chaparral Cock, Ground Cuckoo, and Sake Killer, is a large ground dwelling, black-and-white, mottled bird with a distinctive head crest, red skin behind the eyes, blue along the front of the neck and belly, and a long, graduated tail carried at an upward angle.The upper body is mostly brown with black streaks and sometimes pink spots. The neck and upper breast are white or pale brown with dark brown streaks, and the belly is white. A crest of brown feathers sticks up on the head, and a bare patch of orange and blue skin lies behind each eye; the blue is replaced by white in adult males (except the blue adjacent to the eye), and the orange (to the rear) is often hidden by feathers. It has long stout legs, strong feet, a long, white-tipped tail and an oversized bill. (The Lesser Roadrunner (Geococcyx velox) resembles the Greater Roadrunner in appearance and habit but is smaller and has a significantly shorter bill.)  It ranges in length from 20 to 24 inches from the tip of its tail to the end of its beak. It has a 17–24 inch wingspan, weighs between 7.8–19.0 ounces, and stands around 9.8–12 inches tall, making it the largest North American Cuckoo. The Cuckoo family (Cuculidae), is characterized by feet with 2 forward toes and 2 behind. When the roadrunner senses danger or is traveling downhill, it flies, revealing short, rounded wings with a white crescent. But it cannot keep its large body airborne for more than a few seconds, and so prefers walking or running. It can achieve speeds of up to 17 miles per hour, usually with a clownish gait. There have been reported cases where roadrunners have run as fast as 26 miles per hour, the fastest running speed ever clocked for a flying bird, although it is not as fast as the flightless Ostrich. The roadrunner makes a series of 6 to 8, low, dovelike coos dropping in pitch, as well as a clattering sound by rolling mandibles together. Its carnivorous habits coupled with an extreme quickness that allows it to snatch a humming bird or dragonfly from midair, provides it with a large supply of very moist food. Feeding almost exclusively on other animals, including insects, scorpions, lizards, snakes, rodents and other birds. (the Lesser Roadrunner eats seeds, fruit, small reptiles, frogs and insects.) Using its wings like a matador's cape, it snaps up a coiled rattlesnake by the tail and cracks it like a whip, repeatedly slamming its head against the ground until its dead. It then swallows its prey whole, head first, but is often unable to swallow the entire length at one time. This does not stop the roadrunner from its normal routine. It will continue to meander about with the snake dangling from its mouth, consuming another inch or two as the snake slowly digests. Up to 10 % of its winter diet may consist of plant material due to the scarcity of desert animals at that time of the year. It reabsorbs water from its feces before excretion. It has a nasal gland that eliminates excess salt, instead of using the urinary tract like most birds. It reduces its activity by 50% during the heat of midday. Its primary habit is open, flat or rolling terrain with scattered cover of dry brush, chaparral or other desert scrub in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Upon the arrival of spring, the male roadrunner, in addition to acquiring food for himself, offers choice morsels to a female as an inducement to mating. He usually dances around her while she begs for food, then gives her the morsel after breeding briefly. The pair bond in this species may be permanent; pairs are territorial all year. Though they both collect small sticks for building a shallow, saucer-like nest, it is the female who actually constructs it in a bush, cactus or small tree. She then lays from 2 to 12 white eggs over a period of 3 days, which results in staggered hatching. Incubation is from 18-20 days. The hatchlings remain near the adults for up to 2 weeks before dispersing to the surrounding desert. As quick as they are, a roadrunners life still has its dangers. Roadrunners are occasionally preyed upon by hawks, raccoons, rat snakes, bullsnakes, skunks, and coyotes that eat nestlings and eggs. During the winter months, many succumb to freezing weather.

(Fig. 05)

(Fig. 06)

(Fig. 07)

Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)

Picture Notes: I capture this shot of a Logerhead Shrike sitting atop a Banana Yucca more than two hundred feet away while hiking across the Long Canyon Wash below Yucca Peak in the Desert National Wildlife Range. This was one of the few birds we saw all day in this remote, dry desert area. My thanks to Judith Ross, my hiking partner, for helping me to identify this bird.

Description: The Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) is a passerine bird. (A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders; with over 5,000 identified species. It is the only member of the shrike family endemic to North America. "Loggerhead" refers to the relatively large head as compared to the rest of the body. It has a large hooked bill; the head and back are grey, while its under parts are white. The wings and tail are black, with white patches on the wings and white on the outer tail feather. The black face mask extends over the bill. The shrike is a permanent resident in the southwest and breeds in semi-open areas, south to Mexico. Nesting in dense trees and shrubs, the female lays 4 to 8 eggs in a bulky cup made of twigs and grass. There is an increase in average clutch size as latitude increases. The bird waits on a perch with open lines of sight and swoops down to capture prey. Its food is large insects, small birds and lizards. Known in many parts as the "Butcher Bird," it impales its prey on thorns or barbed wire before eating it, because it does not have the talons of the larger birds of prey.

White-crowned Sparrow ((Zonotrichia leucophrys)

Description: The White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) is in the same genus-"Zonotrichia" - as two other sparrows with banded or "zoned" heads, White-throated Sparrow and Golden-Crowned Sparrow. About 7-inches in length, the White-crowned Sparrow has a pink bill (yellow in one subspecies), bold black and white stripes on the head (brown and gray in the first year birds), pure gray neck and breast, fine streaking on the back, and indistinct white wing bars. The White-crowned is a year-round resident in the United States, on the West Coast and in the interior from Nevada to Colorado. In the last fifty years the bird has extended its winter range north and east so that it now encompasses much of the U.S. south of the Great Lakes. The White-crowned Sparrow also has a striking, ethereal song: 1 - 3 high, clear whistles followed by several short, buzzy notes and trills, in somewhat the same pattern as a Song Sparrow.

The Eastern Rosella (Platycercus eximius)

On 08/08/2011 Connie and I stopped in at the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens to take in their summer exhibit entitled, “2011 Summer Garden”. Between the fountains, the glass flower art on the ceiling in the lobby, and the gardens, you've got yourself nearly an hour of breathtaking beauty. This year the aviary at the back of the exhibit was filled with more than two dozen parrots, Eastern Rosellas like the one above on one side and the Rainbow Lorikeets  on the other.

Description: The Eastern Rosella (Genus: Platycercus; Species: eximius), is also known as: Rosella, Rosella Parrot or Parakeet, Red Rosella, Common Rosella, White-cheeked Rosella, Red-headed Rosella, and the Golden-mantled Rosella or Parakeet. The average adult is 11.7 inches long and weighs between 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 ounces. The has a red head and breast; white cheeks; yellow lower breast; pale green abdomen; red under tail coverts; black back with green spotting; blue outer wing coverts; pale green rump and a white bill. Colorization of the female is similar, but the head and breast paler in color; under wing stripe is pale colored with green/yellow spotting on back. They have a sharp call when in flight; a three syllable whistle on an ascending scale while perched, and at times metallic and piping notes when at rest. They have a shrill screech when startled and a soft chattering or babbling while feeding. The love to eat seeds and fruit and usually hold food in their feet when eating.

In addition to the ‘dancing’ fountains, huge liberty bell topped with a giant American Eagle and a sky filled with a wide variety of colorful hot air balloons and the bird aviary, one cannot escape the many beautiful flowers, both within the exhibit itself (below) and behind the registration desk (above).

Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodus)

On 08/08/2011 Connie and I stopped in at the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens to take in their summer exhibit entitled, “2011 Summer Garden”. Changing four times a year, with the seasons, this is one of the best “free” things in Vegas. Between the fountains, the glass flower art on the ceiling in the lobby, and the gardens, you've got yourself nearly an hour of breathtaking beauty. Having gone early in the morning this time, it was much less crowded than normal and as a result, much more enjoyable. This year the aviary at the back of the exhibit was filled with more than two dozen parrots, Rainbow Lorikeets like the two above on one side and Eastern Rosellas on the other.

Description: The Rainbow Lorikeet (Genus: Trichoglossus; Species: haematodus), sometimes called Lories, is a species of Australasian parrot found in Australia, eastern Indonesia (Maluku and Western New Guinea), Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. In Australia, it is common along the eastern seaboard, from Queensland to South Australia and northwest Tasmania. Its habitat is rainforest, coastal bush and woodland areas. This small to medium sized parrot averages 10 inches in length and weighs between 3.5 and 5.5 oz. Both adults have a brown/black head with lilac/blue streaks on face; collar yellow/green; red breast banded with blue/black; dark green abdomen; green/yellow thighs to undertail coverts; green upperparts and tail; orange underwing coverts; yellow, and a wide band under the wing. Their bill is a orange/red and the eyes are a dark orange. They have a very clownish personality and are also known as being a honey-eater. They love to eat nectar's and soft fruit such as cantaloupe and grapes. Their call is a series of repeated notes, sharp, rolling while in flight; shrill chattering while feeding and soft notes when at rest.

The entrance to this summer’s exhibit, a playful carnival and patriotic displays of Stars and Stripes, was filled with ‘dancing’ fountains in front of an over-scale replica of the Liberty Bell topped with a giant American bald eagle made from coconut chips, magnolia leaves and chopped strawflowers. On the right was a moving 11-foot-tall carousel; on the left was a 40-foot 1942 full-scale Ferris wheel. Just steps away was a stone-based rustic greenhouse containing 30 live birds (lorikeets and rosellas). Looking up at the 60-foot ceiling, the sky was filled with a wide variety of colorful hot air balloons. One can spend nearly an hour admiring the exhibits and taking in all of the beautiful flowers. It can be a very tranquil experience.

Indian (Blue) Peafowl (Pavo cristatus)

On a recent visit to Tule Springs with the Heritage Park Senior Facility hiking group on 03/24/2011, we were all privy to the courting ritual of the park’s only leucistic white peafowl. Though many think it is an albino peacock, it's technically a white peacock which is a genetic variant of the Indian Blue Peafowl. Off and on, this gorgeous display went on for more than an hour. Considering how windy it was, I was amazed that he could even keep its fan-like tail plumage spread. It was truly breathtaking to watch. Scroll down for more info and pictures.

Description: The Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus), sometimes called a Blue Peafowl, is a large and brightly colored bird of the pheasant family native to South Asia, and is in fact, the national bird of India. Predominantly blue, the male peacock has a fan-like crest of spatula-tipped wire-like feathers and is best known for the long train made up of elongated upper-tail covert feathers which bear colourful eyespots. These stiff and elongated feathers are raised into a fan and quivered in a display during courtship. In contrast, the female (above right) lacks the train, has a greenish lower neck and has a much duller brown plumage. They generally forage for berries and grains but will also prey on snakes, lizards, and small rodents. They forage on the ground, moving in small groups and will usually try to avoid contact by escaping on foot through undergrowth, thereby avoiding flying. They are know however, to fly up into tall trees to roost. Their loud squawk-like calls make them easy to detect and often indicate the presence of a predator or perceived danger. Within the plumage of a peacock lies a complex architecture that's continuously changing color. Though the colors of a peacock are revered, it can be just as stunning without them, as in the leucistic white peafowl. Often referred to as an albino peacock, it is nothing of the sort. Leucism is a condition characterized by reduced pigmentation in animals and humans. Unlike albinism, it is caused by a reduction in all types of skin pigment, not just melanin. Pigment colorization in birds comes from three different groups: melanins, carotenoids, and porphyrines. Melanins occur as tiny specs of color in both the skin and feathers, and ranges from the darkest black to pale yellows. Carotenoids are plant-based and are acquired only by eating plants or by eating something that ate a plant. They produce bright yellows and brilliant oranges. The last pigment group, Porphyrins, produces a range of colors including pink, browns, reds, and greens. Another important factor is feather structure. Each feather consists of thousands of flat branches, each with minuscule bowl-shaped indentations. At the bottom of each indentation is a lamellae (thin plate-like layers), that acts like a prism, splitting light.

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