Chihuahan Raven

Chihuahuan Raven

Sad but true.  I've come to the end of the Birds of Prey series for our Tucson Desert.  It was fun while it lasted.  I've presented to you over the past 3 months many varieties of hawks, owls, and falcons.  Today I end with a bird that is often viewed from around town.  Have you ever seen a raven?  A black raven?  Okay, that's probably just a crow.  I'm talking...."R.A.V.E.N."  You know the one?  Yes you do:)  It's while you're walking your dog and this monstrous gigantic enormous big black giant bird comes out of nowhere and you say to yourself, "What the hell kind of raven is that?! What did it a eat?  A horse?"  You soon realize that it's watching you and you begin to wonder, "Will I die today? Is it going to speak to me?  Does it carry a secret message from Jon Snow? Is Winter Coming?"  Okay okay....I'm geting carried away here.  If you watch A Game of Thrones on HBO or have read the books, you'll get the joke.  And how about Season 2 so far?!! Focus.  Focus:)  Back to the Chihuahan Raven.  It's intelligent.  It's smarter than your average dog.  And it's a common bird seen around town.  It feeds on cultivated cereal grains, insects and many other invertebrates, small reptiles, carrion and scraps of human food, cactus fruits, eggs and nestlings. It has been known to look at itself in the mirror quite a few times.  Just ask scientists at our local space observatories.  They all chuckle at this bird.  The random tourist will often say, "Oh boy!  Look at that hawk."  And like an annoying birder, I respond in a nasal voice, "Oh no sir.  That's no hawk; that's a Chihuahuan Raven.  But it sure looks like one, doesn't it?" Then I laugh and snort ostrasizing myself from the group with whispers and chuckles behind my back.  The biggest sucker punch happens when someone says, "We used to shoot them back home." Ugh.  Ignorance.  "Well, if you do that here sir, you'll go to jail."  Next time you look up and see a big black bird soaring in the sky, you might be witnessing the beautiful and often overlooked Chihuahuan Raven. And watch for how it can just hover in the wind...that's the coolest!  More tomorrow....

The Prairie and Peregrine Falcons

From the Birds of Prey series, I thought today I'd feature yet another exciting set of birds that inhabit the state of Arizona.  Listed as Least Concern on the Conservation Status of birds, these Falcons can be seen flying around the Tucson area.

Over the holiday season, my brother Adam and I had a chat about Falcons in Wisconsin.  He works at a Nuclear Power Plant on protected land.  He says that during several security checks, they've found bird carcasses on the ground.  They know it's a falcon because they eat everything except the head of their prey.  While that's pretty disgusting, it's also pretty cool info. 

Calls, heard mostly near the nest, are described as repetitive kree kree kree…, kik kik kik…, and the like, similar to the Peregrine's but higher-pitched. Experts can separate a distant Prairie Falcon from a Peregrine (generally the only similar species in its range) by its shape and flight style. The Prairie Falcon has a longer tail in proportion to its size; a more tubular, less stocky body; and the wing joint farther from the body. Its wingbeats are described as strong and shallow like the Peregrine's and having the same quick cadence, but stiffer and more mechanical.

If you'd like to see these birds, you need to be at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum by 10 AM because that's when they fly.  The Raptor Free Flights run until April 15th.  For information, check out the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum website.  More tomorrow.... 

Gray Hawks

Over the next several weeks, I'll be presenting an exciting Birds Of Prey series from Southern Arizona.  I think I have some really exciting shots to present to you all.  One in particular is my ABSOLUTE favorite, but I won't spoil the fun.  Just get ready for it in a couple days.  The purpose of this series is to give you a little background on some of the Hawks, Owls, Falcons, and Ravens that we see around our neighborhoods.  Some are quite common while others are listed as endangered.  As we warm up here, we'll be seeing several of the birds returning to the Tucson area.  Our first feature today is the Gray Hawk.  Not a very creative name for a spectacular bird.  While doing the photo shoot, I was impressed with the grace and beauty that this hawk displays.

These birds are listed as Least Concern and can be found throughout the Riparian areas of Southern Arizona like the San Pedro River. You may find a nest in areas such as the Buenos Aires Wildlife Refuge. 

However, I'm going to rate this hawk in the moderate category to spot because it's found on the outside of the metropolitan area of Tucson.  It is more common to see a Red Tailed, Harris or Cooper's Hawk in town.   You'll find these birds on the outskirts.  As this month warms up, keep your eyes up for these migrating birds:)

Environment

open country and forest edges

Food
feeds on lizards and snakes, also eats some small mammals, birds and frogs

Breeding
the nest is made of sticks and built high in a tree. Lays one to three white to pale blue eggs

Range
breeds in Southwestern United States, Mexico, Central American, and South America to central Argentina

Stay tuned for more on this series.  These posts were photographed at the 10 AM Raptor Free Flight at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum.  The purpose?  To educate myself on raptors and learn their behavioral moments for photography shoots in the wild.  So far this year, I've experience a Red Tailed Hawk and 2 Cooper's Hawks in my garden.  I hope you enjoy the living desert shots and hikes that will be featured in April along with more garden updates. I'll be leaving for Mexico this Easter and hope to get some wonderful Pelican shots on the ocean.  Until then, stay tuned for more tomorrow.....