Today is Sunday, and so we have a themed collection of bird photos from John Avise. His IDs and captions are indented; click on the photos to enlarge them.
Birds with State Names
For the past three Sundays, Jerry has posted my photographs of official State Birds. This week’s post features several avian species that are not the official bird of the state but nevertheless bear a state’s common (and sometimes Latin) name. (Note that for the two Carolina species pictured, North or South are not specified in the monikers. And remember also the odd fact that the California Gull is the official State Bird of Utah!). [JAC: You should know the story about how the gull became Utah’s state bird.]
California Condor, Gymnogyps californianus:
California Condor, head portrait:
California Gnatcatcher, Polioptila californica:
California Gull, Larus californicus:
California Thrasher, Toxostoma redivivum:
California Thrasher, head portrait:
California Towhee, Pipilo crissalis:
Another California Towhee:
Carolina Chickadee, Poecile carolinensis:
Carolina Wren, Thryothorus ludovicianus:
Florida Scrub-Jay, Aphelocoma coerulescens:
Louisiana Waterthrush, Seiurus motacilla:
Tennessee Warbler, Vermivora peregrina:
Tricolored Heron (formerly Louisiana Heron), Egretta tricolor:
“Oregon Junco” (actually a distinctive race of the Dark-eyed Junco, Junco hyemalis):
Virginia Rail, Rallus limicola:
Incredible! That California Condor enlarged is astounding to look at, as are all the photos.
Thanks so much!
It’s unlikely the Cal Thrasher or the Cal Condor will ever appear in close-ups on my birding calendars. Those butt-ugly heads make even the homely Va. Rail a pinup contender.
Fantastic pictures. I enjoyed these!
At least most of these birds have some geographic connection to the places for which they are named. That is pretty tenuous for the Tennessee Warbler, which neither nests nor overwinters in that state. The same could be said for the Nashville Warbler, of course. I used to (retired now) tell my Ornithology students that I was in Nashville once, and the only warbler I saw was George Jones. Which isn’t strictly true, my family and I visited the botanical garden during our spring visit, and I did see an American Redstart (another warbler) there.
I am a sucker for Towhee’s. Hard to say why. We have spotted and another I forget off-hand. Thanks for these excellent photos of “state” birds.
John could take the idea from Bob Scott Placier’s comment and do a series of names where the birds are mostly allopatric to their name. Cape May Warbler could be there as well!