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GAMBEL'S QUAIL (Callipepla gambelii)“The quail, invisible, whistles, and who attends?”  - Henry David Thoreau A Favorite Bird The Gambel’s Quail is one of the best known and well-loved avian residents in the Southwestern desert region. Many backyard birders, and hunters as well, consider this popular bird their favorite. Apart from their well-defined physical characteristics, inherent beauty, and unmistakable vocalizations, they are beloved by many birders for the traits and bonds that they exhibit that we humans respect and admire. When adults pair up and become a mated pair, it is not just for a single breeding season – these birds...

GAMBEL'S QUAIL The Gambel’s Quail is the best known and most abundant of our four quail species. In fact, it may be the most loved avian resident in our Southwestern desert region. Many backyard birders consider this popular bird their personal favorite. Gambel’s Quail is a member of the pheasant family, Phasianidae. They resemble the domestic chicken in that they possess stout bills and strong, long legs with four toed, clawed feet. This species was named in 1843 for William Gambel, a naturalist from the Philadelphia Academy of Science who collected plant and animal species along the Santa Fe Trail...

NORTHERN CARACARA Caracara plancus For many years, we casually looked for Caracara west of town, whenever we had reason to travel through the Tohono O'odham Reservation. In shape, it resembles a hawk, and because of its habit of feeding on carrion and roadkill along highways, one could assume that it is a member of the vulture family. Actually, it is a tropical member of the Falconidae or falcon family. Of the eight species of Caracaras, one species is extinct, the Guadalupe Caracara, and only one other barely reaches into the United States. Northern Caracara, formerly called Crested Caracara, ranges from...

AMERICAN KESTREL One of North and South America's most common bird of prey is also our smallest member of the falcon family. You have probably seen one perched along a road on telephone wires. There is one near our home that sometimes uses one of our feeder poles as a perch. The other birds take cover whenever the American Kestrel makes an appearance. The American Kestrel is only about eleven inches long. The male's coloration is basically cinnamon on top and whitish below. The sides and back of his neck are yellowish-white with a spot of dusky-ash on each side...

Notes and Tips on Attracting and Feeding Hummingbirds By Jon Friedman Introduction Much of what you read here comes from years of experience researching the natural history of North American hummingbirds, attracting and feeding them, and choosing what I consider to be among the best possible products to offer our bird-loving customers. Regardless of its sources, I believe this information is correct, up-to-date, and provides guidelines for attracting and feeding hummingbirds without causing harm to these tiny, fragile birds. Of course, no one intends to harm hummingbirds but, over the years, we have heard some alarming feedback from folks whose...