Sonoran Desert Birds

After a summer spent mostly in the high country of Arizona, the sounds and sights of local birds are a warm welcome home to the Sonoran Desert.   I'm still fascinated with the sometimes dramatic contrast in bird life between Prescott and Phoenix.  Here are just a few mostly recent shots of the many desert-living birds that share my backyard and neighborhood.

Verdin, a tiny but adorable desert bird.

Curved-bill thrasher.  For a plain bird, it's got some of the most beautiful calls.

Northern mockingbird on the backyard wall.  Like the thrasher and other birds in the mimidae family, it's got a wide range of beautiful calls.

Male great-winged grackle.  Like pigeons, I tend to see this species in more urbanized areas.

Male northern cardinal.  In Arizona, it's mostly a desert species.

Female northern cardinal being uncharacteristically easy to photograph.

Male vermilion flycatcher, one of the flashiest desert birds.

Abert's towhee, almost always found in a pair.

White-crowned sparrow, a winter visitor to the desert.

Anna's hummingbird and this season's dominant male.

Backyard gilded flicker who thinks he's a very big hummingbird.  Like many woodpeckers, he's got a long tongue that's apparently able to accommodate the feeder. 

Playful cactus wren, Arizona's state bird.

The greater roadrunner, the desert's quintessential bird.