H.J. Ruiz – Avian101 – Page 803 – "My Backyard Visitors" – All about birds

For the Birds # 20

Eastern Towhee (M)

Red-headed Woodpecker

Red-winged Blackbird (M)

European Starllng

Boat-tailed Grackle (M)

All photographs © H.J. Ruiz – Avian 101

Tags: birds, Boat-Tailed Grackle, Eastern Towhee, European Starling, photography, photos of birds, Red-headed woodpecker, Red-Winged Blackbird

Scrub Blackbird

Scrub Blackbird – Latin name: Dives warszewiczi

These birds are found in the arid areas of southwestern Ecuador and western Peru.

Melodious Blackbirds and Scrub Blackbirds are very similar in physical appearance, but cannot breed and have different vocalizations. Another major difference between Melodious Blackbirds and the Scrub Blackbird is that the Scrub Blackbird forages and shares the same area with other pairs without any hostility due to extreme clumping of suitable breeding sites (Orians, 1983). The Cuban Blackbirds (Dives atroviolacea) are also a related species, but have shorter tails and is restricted to Cuba (Jaramillo, 1999).

NOTE: The Scrub Blackbird is a new addition to my Bird List as: #173

Scrub Blackbird

Text © The Cornell Lab of Ornithology – All photographs © H.J. Ruiz – Avian 101

Tags: birds, Blackbirds, nature, photography, photos of birds, Scrub Blackbird

Croaking Ground Dove

Croaking Ground Dove – Latin name: Columbina cruziana

Croaking Ground-Dove is widespread and common throughout its range in western Ecuador, western Peru, Ecuador, and northern Chile. They occur in open arid habitat, including agricultural and urban areas. Although primarily found on the lower Andean slopes, they also enter inter-mountain valleys and occur up to 2800 meters.

Croaking Ground Dove

They are often in groups, in which they forage for seeds on the ground. Visually, they can be separated from other ground-doves by the black primaries, distinctive chestnut scapular bar, and orange-yellow color on the bill’s base. Furthermore, their call is distinctive and very unlike a dove: a harsh, croaking, “po-WEE-at“.

NOTE: The Croaking Ground Dove is a new addition to my Bird List as: # 172