Couch's Kingbird (Tyrannus couchii)

The birding deities had a special gift for the residents of Gotham this holiday season. A Couch's Kingbird, native to a small range in Southern Texas, Mexico, and Guatemala, sojourned to New York City for the first time ever recorded. Take a glimpse at this flycatcher's range:

Thank you Cornell Lab of Ornithology

The mind boggles at the sheer improbability of this creature winging itself a thousand miles from terra cognita. A brave wanderer, a voyager in the lineage of Gulliver, Odysseus, or Aeneas, a seeker of the unknown fated for almost certain death in the harsh climes of this indifferent metropolis; wherefore does this maize-breasted ambassador of the strange and ancient lands of the Mayans roam? 

How lucky we birders were that this individual chose to make Greenwich Village, of all places, its transient abode. Had the bird alighted in an uninhabited or inaccessible locale, I may never have seen it.

"Full many a gem of purest ray serene,
The dark unfathomed cave of ocean bear;
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,
And waste its sweetness on the desert air."

Thomas Gray, "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard," 1751

The Couch's Kingbird's ceaseless peregrinations intercepted my own at a fourth-floor fire escape at 11th St. and 4th St. It was my fourth outing to the neighborhood over as many days in an attempt to get a look at the fabled bird. 

What a marvelous way to close out the 2014 birding year, glimpsing this extraordinary icon of adventure and beauty. I wish you well, dear reader, in the year ahead. Like the Couch's Kingbird, may you be forever seeking. 

... and yet we must acknowledge that this Couch's Kingbird will someday yearn for home. Like the unremitting gyre of our months - January to June to January, again - it is in our nature to discover in our return that which we set out for in our wanderlust. 

As I watched this beautiful animal through my binoculars, I thought: no man or bird needs a cage, but both need a home. 

"Round the world! There is much in that sound to inspire proud feelings; but whereto does all that circumnavigation conduct? Only through numberless perils to the very point whence we started, where those that we left behind secure, were all the time before us."

Herman Melville, "Moby Dick, or, The Whale," 1851

I was about to tell it to the bird, but then he flew off...

American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana)

A willowy bird of western wetlands, the American Avocet is a mesmerizing specimen. I sighted this one in May, in a nature preserve near Newport Beach, California. Nobody can call the baby American Avocet a spoiled brat: not only is it born nest-less on the mucky shores of a dolorous bogland, it is expected to feed itself and dive underwater to evade predators within twenty four hours of hatching.

Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)

Remember the old parental admonition "to be seen but not heard?" This ground-dwelling sparrow species turns that injunction on its head: bird-lovers will often hear the Towhee's "chewink" call but have a hard time getting visual confirmation of its presence. That's because the Towhee generally abides in dense brush, employing a unique two-footed kicking technique to forage through the dirt. The Towhee's diet consists mostly of seeds and small insects. The two-footed digging trick can unearth seeds and invertebrates buried as deep as an inch beneath the surface!

Unfortunately, there is a dark side to the Towhee's predilection for terra firma. The bird's altitudinally-challenged nests are highly vulnerable to predation by lizards, mammals, and owls. While adult Towhee's have been found to live up to 12 years in the wild, the species has a relatively low level of nest success.

Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)

You know you're playing with the birder big boys when you're busy bloviating on sparrow species. These inconspicuous little guys are hard to identify. Not as bad as gulls, but close. Anyhow, I got plenty of good sparrow pics and sparrow identification pointers from the bird-loving lovebird husband-wife duo that led a birdwalk at the Rea Farm last Saturday in Cape May.

What you're looking at above is the Swamp Sparrow. You can tell by the gray chest, white spot under the chin, reddish wings, and streaked crown. He's perched on a rusty old agricultural artifact.

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)

Look at those bright yellow eyes! This Brown Thrasher was perched high up in a Central Park treetop, watching a Red-Tailed Hawk consume a Northern Flicker. Although this bird was cautiously watching an apex predator, please don't think that the Brown Thrasher is a timid bird. Brown Thrashers are known to attack anyone they deem a threat -- even Humans (Homo sapiens)!

I could identify the Brown Thrasher by his rufous upper parts, two white wingbars, long tail, and extraordinary streaking on the breast.

Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)

I got a good look at this Steller's Jay at Mt. Rainier National Park. Steller's Jays are common in mountainous coniferous forests in the American West. In fact, it's rare to see a Blue Jay in the Pacific Northwest as this species is completely dominant.

The bird was first described by Georg Wilhelm Steller, a German explorer of Russian Siberia and Alaska. Steller first saw this bird in Alaska. Remarkably, Steller made the connection with the Blue Jay of more southernly North America -- a fact that helped support his contention that Alaska was indeed a part of the North American continent.

Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens)

This is a very smart looking Chickadee. It's got the typical black and white face of a chickadee, with

an exquisite rufous sash that covers its sides and back. The range of the Chestnut-backed Chickadee is relatively limited, stretching along the coastal Pacific Northwest. I saw several flocks of them when I went hiking at Lewis Creek Park in Bellevue, Washington in late August with the Eastside Audubon.

I made some good friends on that birdwalk. The trip leader, Hugh Jennings, was kind enough to post a picture of the group. Your humble author is second from the left.

Clarke's Grebe (Aechmophorus clarkii)

Readers, you are as patient with me as an indulgent parent. Many is the time that you have permitted me my flights of feathered fantasy. However, I believe that even you will not believe me when I tell you about the courtship display of Clarke's Grebe and the Western Grebe. Sooth, I promise, sooth.

This serene and elegant freshwater diving bird will meet its mate out in a pond. They will begin their courtship with a waltz, where they swim in complicated patterns and mimic one another's movements. Then they will 'kiss', holding their necks against one another and slowly rising out of the water. In the ecstasy of their copulation, they will then levitate up, and walk on water together. If you still don't believe me, look this up on YouTube.

I saw the beautiful bird above in Newport Beach in May, 2014 AD.

Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia)

Unlike most warblers, Black-and-white Warblers forage for tasty bugs by climbing up and down tree branches, like a nuthatch. To add to their list of idiosyncrasies: they build their nests on the forest floor and not high up in a tree. The bird's pattern resembles a prison uniform, so you've got to wonder if this is the original "jailbird"!

Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)

A pair of exquisite Black-necked Stilts are seen here feeding in the mudflats of the San Joaquin Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary of Irvine, California. I saw these birds in early May, 2014. Like many an Orange County resident, they might be occupying their time searching the real estate listings for a suitable summer home. Black-necked Stilts typically breed between April and August and will often hide their clutch close to a nourishing feeding site like this one.

Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)

The Brown Pelican is one of only two North American pelican species. Unlike the American White Pelican, it abides exclusively in littoral zones. I saw a group of at least 8 individuals preening on a large rock in Corona Del Mar, California on May 4th, 2014 AD.

Note the reddish throat on the individual in the center. This indicates it is a breeding adult of the californicus subspecies.

Heermann's Gull (Larus heermanni)

I caught a photo of this relatively uncommon gull completely by accident! This bird is considered "near threatened" because virtually all individuals mate on a single island in the Gulf of California, Isla Rasa. If something were to happen on that island, the entire species could be endangered.

This gull was resting on a large rock with a flock of Brown Pelicans a hundred feet from the coast in Corona Del Mar, California. I identified it as a Heerman's Gull by the reddish bill with a black tip. It still has its gray winter coat with a slightly streaked head.

Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna)

Who was Anna and how did she get a hummingbird with a metallic magenta crown and throat named after her? According to sources on the internet, she was a 19th century French aristocrat who befriended the herpetologist/ornithologist René Primevère Lesson. But does that really tell us anything? Enjoy the bird, readers. Life is but a dream written in running water.

Great Egret (Ardea alba)

Behold, the spectacular Great Egret! I stumbled upon this extraordinary creature on a birdwalk in the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary. A friend later told me that he was stalked by a pair of mountain lions in the same park. I hope this egret keeps an eye out for any fierce feline predators.

How to tell the Great Egret apart from the Snowy Egret I blogged about last week? Look at the beak (black = Snowy, gold = Great) and the feet (black = Great, gold = Snowy). Having trouble remembering that? Try out this rhyme I made to purpose:

Does that it have a black nose?
And little gold toes?
Make a ten dollar bet
That it's a Snowy Egret.
But if you see a gold beak
And two sleek black feet
Then don't even wait
To shout "great! great! great! great! great!"

Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)

I saw this beautiful Egret feeding in the mudflats of Newport Beach's Back Bay. Notice the black bill, black legs, and yellow feet that distinguish this bird from the great egret.

Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)

I know what you're thinking - "Heavens! Isn't this the exact same bird as the last one (the black-capped chickadee)?"

A common mistake, in fact these two species often cannot differentiate themselves during the frenetic, lust-fueled breeding season. The result are some hybrid chickadees.

How did I, as a relative neophyte birder, tell them apart? The range! I found this Carolina Chickadee in Leesburg, Virginia during a walk along the Potomac River. South of New Jersey, you can be fairly certain you're looking at a Carolina Chickadee. North of New Jersey, you've got yourself a Black-Capped.

Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)

This bird is so brave it will eat from a human hand! I have not yet attempted a hand feeding but I did take this picture from very close range in Central Park.

Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)

Cormorants have a prehistoric appearance to them and, in fact, have some qualities that are very "bird 1.0" about them. For instance, unlike most birds that feed on fish in inland waters, cormorants don't have waterproof feathers. As a result they have to spend a lot of time in the sun, drying their feathers, between hunting runs. That's why I was lucky enough to see this specimen perched on a rock in Central Park a few weeks ago.

White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)

Look at that yellow lores! That, plus the distinctive white bib, is how you know you know you're looking at a white-throated sparrow. This guy was migrating through Central Park on a rainy April morning.

American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus)

"Take in the topsail! Tend to th' Master's whistle!"

Verily, when you glimpse at the American oystercatcher you can hear and smell the sounds of seafaring! This striking coastal bird has a penchant for shellfish - clams, oysters, whatever, just make it a bivalve mollusk. Oystercatchers use their long, bright orange beak to crack open shells. This is not easy and it is not innate. In fact, it requires so much skill to crack open shellfish that oystercatchers will linger longer than most birds with their young in order to teach them the family trade.

Spotted this oystercatcher on Friday at Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area, Cape May, New Jersey.

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)

This was the biggest bird of my weekend. The state bird of New York, posing on a branch for admirers Saturday morning in Central Park.

American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis)

There are two things you need to know about the American Goldfinch: #1 it is a an avid granivore (seed eater), and #2 it is extremely social. I saw these two gregarious guys chow down together at a feeder in Central Park. I'm not anthropomorphizing them, they're ave-pomorphizing us humans!

Show us that ventral side!

Watch out! Who's that punk on the left?

Now on the right!

Give 'em the Goldfinch stinkeye!

House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)

I can't help thinking of a birder version of Weird Al Yankovic, covering Weezer: "You've got your big G's, I've my HOUSE FINCH!"

Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)

This guy is by far the most colorful North American waterfowl. One look and you know you're looking at a special duck. Central Park reservoir on a rainy early spring day.

Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus)

Not 100% sure about this one. This was a tough ID. I think it's a female. Central Park, NY, 3/29/2014 AD.

European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)

This year-round Central Park resident is known as both the "European Starling" and the "Common Starling." All too many things around New York have become both 'european' and 'common': H&M, Le Pain Quotidien, Pret a Manger. I suppose the Old World has begun its long-awaited counterstrike to the Americanization of world cuisine and ornithology! In truth, a man named Eugene Schieffelin introduced this European bird to America in the 19th century not as a pièce de résistance against McDonald's but because he merely wanted to give America all the birds mentioned in the works of William Shakespeare.