I wanted to share some photos I took of baby Black-headed Grosbeak’s. I have had adults many times in my yard in Colorado, but never babies. It has been fun watching these babies grow. I first noticed just one male, then both the male and female. Now their babies are very active. Given their current size you would think that the babies would’n flutter their winds for food, but I still see them begging.
The showy male puts in equal time on the domestic front: both sexes sit on the eggs, feed the young, and feistily defend their nesting territory.
The male Black-headed Grosbeak does not get its adult breeding plumage until it is two years old. First-year males can vary from looking like a female to looking nearly like an adult male. Only yearling males that most closely resemble adult males are able to defend a territory and attempt to breed.
The Black-headed Grosbeak’s scientific names are both well-suited. Its species name, melanocephalus, means “black-headed.” And its genus name, Pheucticus, refers either to the Greek pheuticus for “shy” or phycticus meaning “painted with cosmetics,” fitting for a showy bird that forages in dense foliage.
In central Mexico, where monarch butterflies and Black-headed Grosbeaks both spend the winter, the grosbeaks are one of the butterflies’ few predators. Toxins in the monarch make them poisonous to most birds, but Black-headed Grosbeaks and a few others can eat them. They feed on monarchs in roughly 8-day cycles, apparently to give themselves time to eliminate the toxins.
Both male and female Black-headed Grosbeaks are loud songsters. The female’s song is generally a simplified version of the male song. Occasionally, the female sings a full “male” song, possibly to deceive its mate about the presence of intruders and get him to spend more time at the nest.
The oldest known Black-headed Grosbeak was a male, at least 11 years, 11 months old, when it was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in Montana.
WOW, I can hardly believe it is already August. The summer is passing fast. Get outside and enjoy the sunny, warm days.
I have been enjoying seeing Red-naped Sapsuckers flitting around in my back yard. We have numerous Aspen, Birch and Pine trees on our property, which they seem to love.
Female. Look at her pretty yellow belly.
Red-naped Sapsuckers: Are industrious woodpeckers with a taste for sugar. They drill neat little rows of holes in aspen, birch, and willow to lap up the sugary sap that flows out. The presence of sap wells is a good indication that they are around, but so are their harsh wailing cries and stuttered drumming. The red patch on the back of their head helps separate these sharply dressed black-and-white sapsuckers from Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers in the East and Red-breasted Sapsuckers along the western coastal states. (taken from the web).
Male. A handsome guy dressed in shades of Red, Black and Yellow.
Cool facts: (taken from the web)
If you think 3 of the 4 species of sapsucker look remarkably similar, you’re not imagining it. The Red-naped Sapsucker is closely related to Yellow-bellied and Red-breasted Sapsuckers. All 3 were considered the same species and called Yellow-bellied Sapsucker until 1983 when researchers found that they were distinct species. The red-naped hybridizes where it comes in contact with the other two species, and birds intermediate in plumage are sometimes found.
Sapsuckers, despite what their name implies, do not suck sap, but are specialized for sipping it. Their tongues are shorter than those of other woodpeckers, and do not extend as far out. They lap sap up with the tip of the tongue, which has small hairlike projections that help hold the sap, much like a paintbrush holds paint.
Sugary sap is a hot commodity and some species, such as the Rufous, Calliope, and Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, follow Red-naped Sapsuckers around, stealing a sweet drink when they can. These hummingbirds can also get an easy meal by picking out insects stuck in the sap.
Sapsuckers drill hundreds of tiny holes in trees. Surprisingly, most trees survive this quite easily, in the same way that maple trees survive humans tapping them for maple syrup.
The oldest recorded Red-naped Sapsucker was at least 4 years, 11 months old when she was found in Wyoming in 2011, the same state where she had been banded in 2008.
Red-naped Sapsucker nest holes make good homes for other species. Many species that nest in holes don’t have a specialized bill needed to carve out their own home, including Mountain Bluebirds, nuthatches, and chickadees. The small holes excavated by sapsuckers provide safe places for smaller hole-nesting birds to nest.
A fun hobby that keeps you active while learning new interesting facts about nature!
I took these photos back in 01/2024 at Patagonia Lake State Park. I don’t believe I have shared them.
I love Towhees. This Green-tailed Towhee is such a beautiful bird with its white throat, distinct rufous head to its olive green wings, back and tail. It’s one of the smallest Towhees with a huge personality.
They are very secretive, so when this one popped up on this rock I was thrilled. Like most Towhees you find them hidden under scrubs while scratching for food on the ground. They prefer shrubby habitats like sagebrush, mountain mahogany and mixed shrublands. They eat seeds, berries and insects.
This photo shows its rufous colored head.
The Pyrrhuloxia is a red and grayish bird that looks similar to the Northern Cardinal. Sometimes it is referred to as the “desert cardinal”. The Pyrrhuloxia has a beauty all its own with its red face, chest and tail. It prefers arid environments like deserts, mesquite thickets and scrublands. They like to eat seeds, fruit and insects. What a fun word to learn how to pronounce!
Pyrrhuloxia- male
Patagonia Lake State Park has a huge variety of birds and is a fun place to camp.
I hope you have enjoyed seeing these two colorful birds!
This tiny bird with a huge personality is one of my favorite birds. They express happiness and energy in everything they do. Whether it be sitting still on a tree branch, which isn’t for long, or hanging upside down looking for a snack or pecking on a sunflower seed grasp in its feet. I have several that hang out in my yard, which is filled with pines, oaks and aspens. They seem to manage just fine during these cold, windy and snowy months.
I was looking at my posts today and discovered I started this post on the Black-crested Titmouse last year, but didn’t publish it.
The Black-crested Titmouse or Mexican titmouse, is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. Once considered a subspecies of the tufted titmouse, it was recognized as a separate species in 2002. It is native to southern Texas, Oklahoma, and east-central Mexico.
~Photos taken January 17, 2024 at South Llano State Park
While on a walk I came upon this cute Black-crested Titmouse as it seemed to study this faucet. With the South Llano River very close, I had to wonder why this Titmouse felt it necessary to try and drink from this faucet. It might have been just easier. The river water might not have been easily accessible. If I remember right it was pretty cold and this faucet might have been turned on to drip to keep the pipes from freezing. It sure gave me a smile and made a fun photo.
These guys are hard to capture, because they don’t stay still for very long. I got lucky because it was determined to get a drink.
Well done!
Quote:
“Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings.” Dali
Wolf Song Blog 