the blue grosbeak is a member of the cardinal family, living throughout north america & migrating to central america during the winter. like other grosbeaks, the female is brown, however the male is a distinct deep blue.
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Tag: birding
the white-throated magpie-jay is an unusual member of the corvid family native to central america. they share their crest and long tail, unusual for corvids, with the black-throated magpie-jay, which displays a similar build and behavior but different coloration.
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vermilion cardinals are closely related to the more common northern cardinal but with noticeably brighter plumage and a stiffer, longer crest. these songbirds are native to columbia and venezuela.
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indigo buntings are a small member of the cardinal family found in north america (and south america during the winter). in fall and winter, the male and female buntings look the same, but in spring males molt into striking blue plumage.
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the short eared owl is native to every continent except for australia and antartica. the tufts, earlike in appearance, that give the owl its name are not always visible and are typically displayed when the owl feels defensive.
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a female vermilion cardinal, a medium-sized songbird, perched atop a cactus. these cardinals are native to colombia and venezuela.
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a southern masked weaver feeding a diederik cuckoo. like others in the cuckoo family, diederik cuckoos are brood parasites. the mother cuckoo will lay her egg in another species’ nest, leaving those birds to raise the young.
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the common tody-flycatcher is a small insect-eating member of the tyrant flycatcher family, native to south america.
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an unusual but natural hybrid between a sharp tailed grouse and a greater prairie chicken. despite the confusion of the names, sharp-tailed grouse are also considered prairie chickens, and both species are members of the grouse family.
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cedar waxwings are a medium-sized songbird native to north and central america. cedar waxwings live in canada and the northern united states in warm months, then move south in the winter. cedar waxwings are fruit and insect eating birds that typically form large traveling flocks.
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today's bird 
