Common Birds of Foothill Horizons Compiled by Pam “Tenaya” Hardy, updated and amended by Dan Webster

Acorn Woodpecker This is the most common woodpecker seen at Foothill Horizons. It has a black back with white wing bars. In flight, it is most easily identified by white patches on the underside of its black wings. On the top of its head is the classic bright red woodpecker patch. This is the marking that will most easily distinguish it from any of the other woodpeckers likely to be seen at Foothill. The other two likely to be seen are the downey or hairy woodpeckers. Both of these species have the red stripe around the back of their head rather than on top of it. Males, females, and juveniles are very similar. The female has a bit less red on her head. Acorn woodpeckers have some of the most interesting habits of any of the birds around Foothill. They collect acorns in the fall and then dig holes into the soft bark of the ponderosa pines to store them in for the winter. If you look carefully around the property, you will find trees riddled with these acorn-size holes. These trees are called granary trees, and are used by the same birds year after year. It is obviously important for this bird to live in an area with both oaks and some sort of soft barked tree. On the coast, they prefer the redwood trees. They live on the west coast of the U.S. from the middle of Oregon down to Baja California, and in the Southwest down into Mexico.

Anna's Hummingbird The most obvious field mark on the male Anna's hummingbird is its bright pink iridescent head. Sometimes you won't see the bright pink on its head. You have to be at just the right angle with the sun to see it. Usually the best angle is looking at it straight on. If you don't see the color, the head feathers may look black. If you look carefully, you may be able to see a white eye stripe. The female throat may show just some red flecks of color. The rest of the bird is the same, the under parts are grayish, and the upper parts are a dusky metallic green. Juveniles look very similar to the female, but the male may show a few red specks on the head as well as the throat. Anna's hummingbirds are very territorial. There is usually only one in a well-defined area. If you see a hummer at a feeder three or four times in an hour it is probably the same hummer. These birds will fight endlessly until one goes away to another territory. They do this because flowers can only produce so much nectar at a time and food is fairly scarce. So, when a hummer finds a good territory he wants to keep it. When a female shows up, the male in the territory will try to fight her off too. You can usually tell a bird is a female in this situation because she will just sit and listen to the male squawk and scream, whereas another male would fight back. Eventually, the male will stop trying to fight her off, she will nest in the male's territory and mate with him. The male will then protect the territory for the both of them while she raises the young. Anna's hummingbirds only live on the west coast of North America, but within that range they live in all sorts of habitats from mountains to deserts. On the west coast, the Anna's is the most common hummingbird. Due to its size and territorial nature, it can be difficult to see it in the wild. Recognizing its song helps. Anna's don't migrate far. There are only a few places at the extremes of their range that they are only seasonal. If they do migrate it is more likely to be simply uphill or downhill depending on local conditions. Hummingbirds eat both flower nectar and insects. Occasionally, you may see them doing what looks like flying around in dizzy circles in the air. They are catching flying bugs.

Black-Headed Grosbeak This large finch is named for its very large, triangular bill and its black head. The male has cinnamon-orange colored under parts with black upper parts and white wing bars. The female is the same size and shape but with more yellow under parts, brown upper parts and the same wing bars. The female also has a strong distinguishing eye stripe, which makes for remarkable camouflage when on the nest. During its first season the male looks very similar to the female. This colorful bird is most commonly seen in the dense foliage of trees and is frequently seen in the bird blind in spring. The black-headed grosbeak is only in the western U.S. in the summer months. It winters in southern Mexico and Central America. The large size of its beak shows that the black-headed grosbeak is mainly a seedeater.

Black Phoebe This little flycatcher is almost entirely black with a white belly and white tail covers. The male and the female are virtually identical, but the juvenile is browner with cinnamon-colored wing bars. This bird is most commonly seen around water flying out from the bank or a branch, catching an insect, and coming back. The black phoebe is mainly a Mexican bird whose range extends north into Arizona, New Mexico, and along the temperate coast of California. Being a flycatcher, this bird feeds mostly on insects.

Brown-Headed Cowbird At first glance, the male of this species looks like a black bird. With a closer look, you can distinguish a duller dark brown head from a black body which shows an almost metallic green color in the right light. The female is the same size and shape, and is gray-brown above and paler below. The juvenile male resembles the female, but it is a bit more streaked. Cowbirds have a very interesting behavioral adaptation; they lay their eggs in the nests of other birds. The other birds then raise the cowbird chicks as their own young. The cowbird eggs are only slightly larger, and hatch more quickly than most birds' eggs, so when the young cowbirds hatch, they often out-compete the other babies in the nest for the mother's attention and food. Over 270 species of birds have been documented as victims of cowbird parasitism. Brown-headed cowbirds are found year-round in the eastern U.S. and in parts of California. Over the rest of the U.S. they are only found during the summer months.

Bushtit The bushtit is one of the smallest birds on campus. It is gray above, and paler below, with a long tail. It is distinguished from the plain titmouse by its smaller size, differing behavior, and lack of a crest. Bushtit behavior is probably one of their most important identifying characteristics. They are most commonly seen in groups of 5 - 15 birds moving from bush to bush making a chattering sound together. Bushtits live in Mexico and the western parts of the U.S. at lower elevations where they can find woodlands and chaparral.

California Towhee (Formerly "Brown Towhee") The California towhee is the closest bird we have to the classic "little brown bird." Its upper parts are brown, and it is a bit paler below. It is brown all over with a short triangular shaped bill made for eating seeds off the ground. It is just a bit bigger than the spotted towhee. This bird varies a bit in different parts of its range, but for the most part it is the same for male, female, and juvenile. Behavior is probably the best identifier of this bird. It is found in the same places behaving virtually the same as the spotted towhee. That is, it digs around in the leaves for seeds and bugs. Often it can be found by listening for its repetitive high-pitched "chink" call that it makes even when on the ground digging around for seeds. Again, it is very similar to the spotted towhee. It likes streamside thickets in woodlands and forests where it can find plenty of seeds and insects. The California towhee is less widely distributed than the spotted towhee. Foothill Horizons' climate is just about the coldest, most northern area that it is found in. It does not migrate and lives year-round on the west coast and in the warmer areas of the Southwest and Mexico.

Dark-Eyed Junco Dark-eyed juncos are also informally called executioner birds. This is because they have what looks like a black hood. This is their most obvious field mark. They have a short, thick, triangular-shaped bill made for eating seeds. They have brown backs and wings with no wing bars. Their belly is white. Their tail is black and when they flick open their tail you can get a glimpse of the white tail feathers on the outside edges. Males and females are very similar. The only difference is that females are just a bit more faded looking, as if someone may have washed them on the hot cycle one too many times. Juncos usually travel in fairly large flocks of ten to twenty birds. They are primarily a seed eating bird so they are often seen on the ground scratching around in the dirt. Juncos are very comfortable in this habitat and are found all over campus and down to Phoenix Lake. Juncos are one of the most common birds at Foothill in the winter, and in many other places as well. Juncos spend only fall and winter here at Foothill Horizons. In the spring and summer when it gets too warm here they migrate uphill, and can be seen in places like the Big Trees. Sometimes a couple stay behind and nest here. Juncos feed mainly on seeds and thus, are found mostly on the ground.

Golden-Crowned Sparrow The most distinguishing field mark on this little sparrow is the yellow patch on the top of its head for which it is named. Just below the yellow patch are thick, black stripes almost in the place of eyebrows. Its back is brown and streaked, and its belly is a light gray like most other sparrows. Males and females are very similar. Juveniles may have darker streaks. In the wintertime, the yellow crown may be less obvious. These sparrows are most commonly found on the ground in search of seeds or in thickets and are the most common sparrow seen at the bird blind. Golden-crowned Sparrows feed mainly on seeds and thus are found mostly on the ground.

House Finch The male of this species is easily identified by its bright red head and brown body. The females are the same size and shape, and have brown streaking all over. House finches are commonly seen at the bird blind gathering seeds. They can also be found in the higher branches of trees in mixed oak and pine woodlands. House finches are found year-round throughout the U.S., everywhere except the Great Plains states and Florida.

Mourning Dove This is a fairly large grayish-brown bird distinguished from the brown towhee mainly by shape. It has a long slender neck, head and tail. In flight, the white tips on the tail make the tail look very pointed like an arrowhead. When flushed, it is more likely to fly into the trees and perch, whereas a brown towhee would be more likely take shelter in the thickets. The juvenile of this species is much browner and more spotted (almost scaled) than the adults. Mourning doves are most commonly active in the mornings and evenings. During the day they are more likely to be seen perched in one place in a tree (often in pairs). The sorrowful, cooing sound of the mourning doves in the early morning is often mistaken for an owl's hooting. The mourning dove is our most common dove. It is found all over North America. Here at Foothill it is a year- round resident.

Northern Flicker (red-shafted) These birds are most easily identified in flight by the bright orange color under their wings. When perched, they have a brown-barred back, and spotted under parts. The males also have a bright red moustache stripe. The "red-shafted" flicker is the most common. However, there are also "gilded" and "yellow-shafted" flickers that have bright yellow instead of orange under their wings. These are rare in the Sierra Nevada. Flickers are most commonly seen in flight. When not in flight, they often perch on branches or on the sides of trees just like most woodpeckers. Here at Foothill, a good place to find them is out in deer meadow. Flickers are found year- round almost everywhere in the U.S.

Oak Titmouse It is a grayish-brown all over, and is one of the smallest birds we have here on campus. Its most distinctive field mark is a small gray crest on its head. This bird is often found on the ground pecking about for seeds, so it is often seen at the bird blind. It is also commonly spotted flitting about in the branches in oak woodland areas. The plain titmouse is a year- round resident throughout California, Nevada, and all the way west to the Great Plains. It is found in mixed oak and pine woodlands.

Red-Tailed Hawk The best way to identify this hawk is by its clearly red tail, which no other hawk has. It is most easily seen in flight against the sun. The rest of the bird has generally dark brown upper parts and lighter brown to white under parts. Red-tailed hawks can be extremely variable, and the only very regular feature to them is their red tail. Red-tailed hawks are often seen soaring over meadows looking for mice or other rodents. They are very territorial, and there will only be one pair in a specific territory. Often, if you see another hawk on campus, you will see a red-tailed hawk harassing it. Red-tailed hawks are found year round all over the U.S. and migrate as far north as Alaska during the summer.

Red-Shouldered Hawk The Red-shoulder Hawk is perhaps the most vocal of the hawks at Foothill. It is a medium to large hawk, with barred reddish chest. The wings and tail are striped black and white. Great Horned Owls are known to eat nestlings, however, Red-shoulders have been seen attacking and eating Great Horn Owls and their nestlings. They prefer forest with and open understory, especially riparian areas, bottom land hardwood forest and flooded forests. They eat small rodents, birds, amphibians, reptiles and crayfish. In our area, Red- Shoulder Hawks are year around residents. Red-Shoulder Hawks are divided up into 5 different subspecies, although the 4 eastern subspecies overlap, the western one is separated by 1,600 miles.

Spotted Towhee (Formerly "Rufous-Sided Towhee") Towhees are most readily identified by their black back, tail, and hood, their rufous- colored sides, and their white underbellies. They also have very conspicuous white wing patches. Also note their very red eyes. The males and females look almost the same. The females are just a bit lighter in color. In the east, they have some dramatically different markings. Spotted towhees are almost always found digging around in the dirt for seeds in or near brushy areas near streams. They like the dense undergrowth of open woodlands and forests. If you look in the right places, spotted towhees are very abundant. Around Foothill, they tend to live in large groups in areas that you will soon come to identify as "towhee land." Spotted towhees live in almost all parts of the U.S. Here at Foothill they live in the same areas year-round, but in places where it gets very cold in the winter, they migrate south. Spotted towhees like to eat whatever insects and seeds they may find on the ground.

Stellar's Jay The Stellar's jay has a black head with a crest, and the rest of its body is quite clearly blue. It is differentiated from the scrub jay, which occasionally shows up here, by the scrub jay's white underbelly and lack of a crest. Males, females, and juveniles look very similar. These are very aggressive birds. If you see them at the bird blind, you may not see any other birds. Jays are very loud and chase other birds away. Occasionally, they make a call that sounds like a red-tailed hawk in an effort to flush out other birds. Stellar's jays tend only to be found in higher elevation pine and oak woodlands. Their lowest elevation line is often very clearly marked. For example, they are seen here at Foothill, but not down the hill in Sonora, or even on the other side of the hill on Lyons Bald Mountain Road. They live in the mountainous areas of the coastal range, the Sierras, and the Rockies down through the Sierra Madre into Mexico. Stellar's jays are scavengers and will eat anything they find from seeds at the bird blind to your lunch that you might have left on the picnic table.

Turkey Vulture When in flight, there are two main ways to identify this bird. The first is to look for its white flight feathers that contrast sharply with its black body and shoulders. The second is the shallow V shape that it holds its wings in during flight. This second characteristic will often help to differentiate it from a hawk at great distances, as hawks will generally hold their wings on more of a level. Turkey vultures also tend to rock a bit from wing to wing in flight where most hawks will fly evenly with both wings. In flight, a vulture's head will also appear smaller than a hawk's because of its lack of feathers. If you are close enough to see its featherless head, you'll notice that the head is bright red in color. Turkey vultures are often seen soaring over meadows, roads and open woodlands searching for carrion. In the southern parts of the U.S. and along the coasts, the Turkey vulture is a year-round resident. In the cooler climates it is only a summer resident.

White-Breasted Nuthatch The white-breasted nuthatch has an obvious white breast, a gray back, and a black cap across its head. It has a fairly long bill which it uses to dig insects out of tree bark. The behavior is the best key to this bird. It is most commonly seen walking straight up or straight down the trunks of trees. The white-breasted nuthatch is found all over North America except in the most arid desert areas. It is most commonly found in forest and woodland areas. Nuthatches are among the most common birds seen at Big Trees. The call of the nuthatch has often been compared to the sound the luggage truck or other large vehicles make when backing up. Listen for them at Big Trees and you will soon be familiar with them.