Townsend's Warbler

Townsend's Warbler
Hilltop Lake Park, Richmond, California, USA
December 2019
Member of the Wood Warbler Family
§A Fall of Warblers§

~True Bird Fact~ When wintering in the south, mostly in Mexico, these Warblers thrive on a diet heavy with the secretions of 'scale insects', a sweet substance called 'honeydew'. This is such a good source of food that Warblers will set up and defend territories around trees and plants infected with the insects. Birds already eat bugs, so this is not really a step up in grossness, if you think about it, but still, I hate this fact. I think it's because I hate these bugs- I think they trigger my trypophobia (side note- why, when you search for a phobia, does google instantly show you a million image results of the thing you are phobic of??)



This is also a Proper Name Bird (PNB), so you know what that means- that's right, it's time for another.... Naturalist Profile

John Kirk Townsend

(1809 - 1851)

Like many creature-discoverers from this time, John was not a trained biologist. He was a physician and pharmacist who just knew the right people. He discovered (normal disclaimer that these animals were all plenty 'discovered' already by the native people who lived in this country) this bird and many other animals on an expedition from Pennsylvania over the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific. It sounds like a great trip, tbh, especially right now. While he got some good birds, like this guy, and the Townsend's Solitaire, he seemed to focus on small mammals and has like 7 named after him. Can I interest you in a Townsend's pocket gopher, a Townsend's chipmunk, or a Townsend's mole or vole?
His sisters wrote a book called The Anti-Slavery Alphabet, so it's safe to say that he was from a pretty cool family. He died quite young, as you'll notice, from arsenic poisoning. This was due to his development of his own 'secret formula' for taxidermy which included, big shocker, arsenic.

Let's also do a brief [Etymology Corner], cause I want to get more into the naming of birds-
Let's return to another real one, Thomas Nuttal. Remember him? From this woodpecker? Well he was the one who invited Townsend on this expedition, which, again, I want to say I would like to very much do. At the time I covered him I noted that his woodpecker was named in his honor by one of his friends, William Gambel, of eponymous quail fame. So in researching Townsend I learned that this bird was named in his honor by Nuttal. Digging a little deeper, it seems like this group of guys circumvented the norm against naming animals for yourself by naming them all after each other. In modern terms, I think you could say this was a group of real Ornithological Bad Boys who play by their own rules. Is there a movie in this?

Northern Harrier

Northern Harrier
Kennedy Park, Napa, California, USA
December 2018
Member of the Kites, Eagles, and Hawks Family
§A Swarm of Harriers§



[Etymology Corner] What's a harrier? Well, it's derived from the Old English word herigan, which is harasser or plunderer. Not entirely inappropriate for this bird, as it does sometimes harass other birds of prey until they drop their own catch. This is as good a time as any to mention that farmers sometimes call these birds "Good Hawks" because they don't pose a threat to poultry, like other raptors, but do eat mice, which is good. For the farmers, not the mice.


~True Bird Fact~ You might (and this is a big might with this picture) notice that this bird has kind of an unusual face. Sort of short and owl-like. Well, this is because it is owl-like. Northern Harriers have face-disks, a feature they share with owls. And just like with owls, this gives them really good hearing. This is distinct to them, among hawks. They use this to hunt for prey. Obviously. I mean they don't use it to listen to music or whatever. Unless...

Mexican Jay

Mexican Jay aka. Gray-breasted Jay (archaic)
Big Bend National Park, Texas, USA
July 2017
Member of the Crows and Jays Family
§A Scold of Jays§

~True Bird Fact~ Mexican Jays practice cooperative breeding, meaning that young birds are taken care of not just by their parents, but by others in the flock as well. These family groups can include older offspring, but also random other birds. It takes a village, and all that.

~Another Mexican Jay Fact~ Northern Flickers usually follow them around, because although the Flickers don't have the vigilance or attentiveness to notice predators, the Jays do, and will alert their fellow birds. This bird's a real cooperative type!

Gets annoyed sometimes by family obligations, which he has many of
Prides himself on professionalism in the workplace
Blows off steam with off-roading hobby

Sulfur-bellied Flycatcher

Sulfur-bellied Flycatcher
Madera Canyon, Arizona, USA
July 2019
Member of the Tyrant/Flycatcher Family
§A Zapper of Flycatchers§

~True Bird Fact~ Most easily identified by their call, which sounds basically exactly like a dog's squeaky toy or a child's bath toy. A lot of time people compare bird calls to other things, but this time folks, it's real.

~Additional mildly interesting Bird Fact~ Sulfur-bellied Flycatchers are super rare in the United States, living only in a biome known as the Madrean Sky Islands. These are small mountain ranges in the desert clustered around the New Mexico, Arizona, Chihuahua border. On name alone they are just just the coolest, but they also are the home to the United States' only jaguar species. Did you know we have a jaguar?

Tougher than they look, will start a fight with you
Makes 'zoom zoom' sounds as they fly around
Always drinks out of a straw. Don't worry, it's a reusable one