News

Verdin Auriparus flaviceps By Jon Friedman Origins of Name/Taxonomy The genus name, Aruiparus, (pronounced aw-RIP-ay-rus) comes from the Latin terms aurum and parus, which mean gold and titmouse respectfully. The species name (pronounced FLAY-vih-seps) is also derived from the Latin. Flavus means tawny and caput is head. In French, Verdin (pronounced VUR-din) translates to yellowhammer and serves both as a description of its head color and its foraging behavior. For many years, Verdins were classified as related to titmice and chickadees of the Paridae family. But in recent years, due to more advanced DNA research, ornithologists have reclassified Verdin to...

White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica By Jon Friedman No bird exemplifies Latin America as much as the White-winged Dove. Its coarse ‘who cooks for you,” whether heard in Phoenix, Tucson, or Alamos, Sonora, always conjures up an aura of the Neotropics and a promise of exotic happenings.                                                                         -David Brown, Arizona Game Birds Photo by Doris Evans The White-winged Dove is a bird whose range is largely south of the border through Mexico and Central America into western Panama. And, according to Alexander Skutch (my favorite ornithologist) is found in isolated colonies in several South American countries, especially Ecuador. The species...

Northern Mockingbird, Part ll The Prince of Musicians(Mimus polygloyyos) by Jon Friedman (Shani and I co-authored an introductory article on the Northern Mockingbird in the November-December 1998 newsletter. It can be accessed by going to the Birding Articles archive on our wildbirdsonline.com website. This article provides further information on one of our most popular songbirds.) Image by Richard @ SearchNet Media North American range There are many species of mockingbirds throughout the new world. Mockingbirds are only found throughout North, Central, and South America. In North America we observe two species, the very common Northern Mockingbird and the very rare...

Northern Mockingbird By Jon & Shani Friedman Image by Richard @ SearchNet Media The most frequently heard complaint about mockingbirds usually comes from someone that has been sleeping but is awakened by the incessant calling of the young male, who sings almost continually, day and night, until he’s successful in attracting a mate. While they are considered to be among the premier singers in the bird world, the endless singing may interrupt a sound sleep. Even avid birders need their sleep! Young male mockingbirds that are eager to begin their monogamous adult lives and settle down with a mate often...

Greater Roadrunner By Jon Friedman Image by George West Geococcyx californianus (jee-oh-COCK-sicks cal-ih-for-nih-AY-nus) is the scientific name for North America’s only ground cuckoo. While related to others in the cuckoo family (Black-billed Cuckoo, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Groove-billed Ani and Smooth-billed Ani), the Greater Roadrunner prefers to spend most of its daytime hours on the ground and is more often seen at ground level than perched or flying. For this reason, it has developed long legs and strong muscles which enable it to pursue prey or avoid predators by running at the rate of 15 miles per hour. They have been clocked...