Just got this very cool update from Holly M. Garrod, ornithologist at the Audubon Starr Ranch Sanctuary in Orange County:
This week's featured bird friend is....
California Towhee (Melozone crissalis). California Towhees are large brown sparrows, easily identified by orange-brown on the underside of their tail and the same warm orange-brown on their face. Towhees are ground foragers; they have large claws they use for flipping over leaves, looking for tasty seeds and insects. These guys are year round residents, and you can hear their high pitched metallic 'chip' song when hiking around. Even though we may not be a huge fan of poison oak, California Towhees love it! Not only can they be found foraging in poison oak, but they also nest in it too!
Here are other birds seen and heard on the ranch this week:
1. Mallard
2. California Quail
3. Red-shouldered Hawk
4. Red-tailed Hawk
5. Bald Eagle
6. Killdeer
7. Band-tailed Pigeon
8. Mourning Dove
9. Great Horned Owl
10. Western Screech Owl
11. Barn Owl
12. Common Poorwill
13. Anna's Hummingbird
14. Allen's Hummingbird
15. Acorn Woodpecker
16. Nuttall's Woodpecker
17. Red-breasted Sapsucker
18. Northern Flicker (Red shafted)
19. American Kestrel
20. Black Phoebe
21. Say's Phoebe
22. Cassin's Kingbird
23. American Crow'
24. Common Raven
25. Western Scrub Jay
26. Oak Titmouse
27. Bushtit
28. White-breasted Nuthatch
29. Bewick's Wren
30. Cactus Wren
31. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
32. Wrentit
33. Hermit Thrush
34. American Robin
35. Varied thrush ?
36. California Thrasher
37. Northern Mockingbird
38. European starling
39. American Pipit
40. Cedar Waxwing
41. Phainopepla
42. Orange-crowned Warbler
43. Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)
44. Rufous-crowned Sparrow
45. California Towhee
46. Spotted Towhee
47. Savannah Sparrow
48. Fox Sparrow
49. Song Sparrow
50. Golden-crowned Sparrow
51. Dark-eyed Junco
52. Western Meadowlark
53. House finch
(photos by Holly Garrod from Jan MoSI banding)
