Tag: american bird conservancy

The handsome male Phainopepla is clad in sleek black plumage that inspired its name, a composite of the Greek words phainos (shining) and peplos (robe). The male also has striking white wing patches that are visible as he flies. Female and juvenile Phainopeplas are a more subtle ash-gray, with white edging on their wing feathers instead of the male’s bold white patches. Both sexes have bright red eyes, small, short bills, and ragged-looking crests.

Often described as a “black cardinal with a red eye,” the Phainopepla is actually unrelated … Continue

The Florida Scrub-Jay is an uncommon member of the wide-ranging Corvid family, found only along the ancient, shrubby sand ridges and dunes which run through the central part of the U.S. state of Florida. This jay is more subtle in appearance than flashier family members such as the Blue Jay and Green Jay, with understated plumage of soft blue, silvery gray, and touches of white.

As intelligent and curious as other members of its family, the Florida Scrub-Jay is quite tame, and will readily approach people to investigate shiny … Continue

The Buff-Bellied Hummingbird is a specialty of the southern U.S. border, and birders that want to add one to their life list need to travel to South Texas or make their way further south, into Mexico, Belize, or Guatemala. This gleaming green hummingbird is larger than a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, and can be identified by its black-tipped red bill, rusty-orange tail, and eponymous buff-colored belly and undertail. It is closely related to the Vulnerable Honduran Emerald, a species endemic to that country. The Buff-bellied Hummingbird is sometimes called the Fawn-Breasted … Continue