Birds

by June Coyle, Associate Director

	Life in the wild for many of the District's inhabitants is fraught with danger. This Acorn Woodpecker *(Melanerpes formicivorus)* was actually knocked from the sky by a Cooper's Hawk *(Accipiter cooperii)* which preys on birds. After being struck by the hawk, the woodpecker fell to the deck and was so stunned by the attack that he lay there unable to move. The hawk was perched in a nearby tree watching the bird and would undoubtedly have flown in to retrieve his kill, but was prevented from doing so by the presence of our dog. Fifteen minutes later, the woodpecker managed to fly to the safety of a tree nearby. Evidently the hawk did not see the woodpecker escape; for the next day he perched on our deck rail and inspected the area of the deck where the woodpecker had fallen. This proves the hawk had a superior memory, at least for a day. The Cooper's Hawk spends a great deal of his day searching for food; he haunts the brush piles where quail and other birds seek shelter. The presence of a Cooper's Hawk effectively deters other birds from their normal routine and they disappear into cover and wait until the hawk has moved on to other hunting grounds.
Pictured at the right is an immature or female Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) which shows rich brown markings above with whitish below with fine streaks. The adult male is crow-sized, slate gray above with a dark cap and finely rust-barred below. The tail tip is rounded, not squared-off like the Sharp-shinned Hawk.
	The Western Bluebird *(Sialia mexicana)* is a long-winged, rather short-tailed bird. The male has a deep blue hood and upper parts with a rusty red breast, with white below, and a crescent mark across the upper back The female has sooty gray above, with dull blue wings and tail. Found in open woodlands and pastures where old trees provide nesting sites.
The male Mallard *(Anas platyrhynchos)* has a green head, white neck ring, chestnut breast, and a grayish body. The inner feathers of the wing are metallic purplish blue, bordered in front and back with white. The female is a mottled brown with a white tail and a mottled orange and brown bill.
	The Turkey Vulture *(Cathartes aura)* is an Eagle-sized blackish bird with a small reddish bare head. The Turkey Vulture is a familiar "buzzard" of open country and woodlands in the West. Vultures can coast for hours on rising columns of warm air called thermals, swaying from side to side searching for a carcass.
	The Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is found in oak woodlands and pine-oak forests. The male is 48" and the female 36", dusky brown, barred with black, with iridescent bronze sheen; head and neck naked, with bluish and reddish wattles; tail fan-shaped, with chestnut, buff, or white tail tips. The male has spurs and long 'beard' on the breast. The female is smaller, lacks spurs and 'beard'.
The common house finch *(Carpodacus mexicanus)* is sparrow-sized and sometimes called rose finch. The adult males have bright red on the crown, breast and rump. House Finches feed on insect pests and in the winter on grass and weed seeds. It is resident throughout Western North America.