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Anna's Hummingbird By Jon Friedman

Anna's Hummingbird By Jon Friedman

Photo by Diane Poleyquiva

(This is a recently updated and expanded version of an article I wrote and published in this newsletter in 1993.)
Range/Habitat
Unlike most of the North American hummingbirds which are known to migrate long distances, the Anna’s is considered an exception to this rule.

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Forest Fires and Their Effects on Wildlife by Jon Friedman

Forest Fires and Their Effects on Wildlife by Jon Friedman

(Author’s note: The Wild Bird Store has published two previous articles that deal with the devastating effects of wild fires. The first was after the 2003 Aspen Wildfire. The recent Bighorn Fire, still ongoing, has been visible to Tucsonans for over three weeks. Prime birding areas such as Pusch, Pima, Ventana, Bear and upper Sabino Canyons experienced the fire sweeping through those areas. Many of us have noticed birds at our feeders and baths that we are generally unaccustomed to seeing on any regular or even infrequent basis. Western Tanagers, Scott’s Orioles, Yellow Grosbeaks, Yellow-eyed Juncos, Pine Siskins, Red Crossbills,...

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Birding During the Pandemic by Jon Friedman

The Situation As It Is  We need to count our blessings and continue to have hope while struggling to adapt to alterations in our everyday living until this pandemic we are experiencing finally reaches its end. None of the experts can accurately predict when that will be, but I think it’s safe to say, that we will have to be patient and wait it out as best we can. When that will be is anyone’s guess at this point. I am thankful to be living in modern American society, but I worry about all those throughout the world living in crowded and basically unhealthy conditions. Certain areas are prone to much more disastrous outcomes. The...

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The Northern Mockingbird: Part One (Mimus polyglottos)

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The Northern Mockingbird: Part One (Mimus polyglottos)

Photo by Doris Evans Article By Jon Friedman Mimidae Mockingbirds belong to the family of birds called Mimidae (MIM-ih-dee) which includes 31 species in the Western Hemisphere and to which eleven call North America home. Other members include the catbirds and the thrashers, some warblers and vireos, thrushes, and starlings among others. Parrots and mynahs, other well-known non-Mimidae “mimics,” have only been found to copy vocalizations in captivity. By comparison, the average male Marsh Warbler mimics seventy-six other species. In fact, sonographic studies of this bird’s songs have shown that almost the entire repertoire has been pilfered from other birds....

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Montezuma Quail

Montezuma Quail

By Jon Friedman   I have always been keenly interested in the quail in Southern Arizona; we are blessed with four distinct species of quail: Scaled, Gambel’s, Black-masked Bobwhite and Montezuma. Over the years, I have written articles that, at least in part, give good descriptions of these birds. Especially the Gambel’s, which is the most numerous and easiest to see in the Tucson area. In fact, I have written several long articles about Gambel’s Quail. However, the species that I find most interesting, for a variety of reasons, is the Montezuma Quail. Their historical range was mostly concentrated in...

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