My yard has attracted plenty of variety, but there's still more out there. Here's a list of just some of the birds I've seen away from my yard - but still within city limits!
| Bird Species | Description/Notes |
|---|---|
| Red-tailed Hawk | The most common hawk you'll see in urban areas, but still a breathtaking sight. Named for its distinctive reddish tailfeathers. |
| Gambel's Quail | Large game birds with the distinctive little "bobble" feather on their forehead. Male of the species is pictured to the left; females lack the bold face markings. |
| Snowy Egret | Striking white water bird with a dark beak and legs, and yellow feet. Feathers are long and fine. |
| Great Egret | About twice the size of the snowy egret, with a yellow beak. Stunning either stationary or in flight. |
| Great Blue Heron | Similar in size to the great egret, these large herons are grey-blue overall, with a pale underside and markings on the head like a black "headband". |
| Northern Cardinal | A familiar bird for anyone who follows our football team! Though the males are bright red, the females are a warm grey with red touching their crests, wings and tail. |
| Pyrrhuloxia | A hardy Southwestern relative of the cardinal, and relatively uncommon this far north. Males resemble the female cardinal, but their feathers are a colder gray; female pyrrhuloxias are gray all over. Both sexes have a rounded yellow beak in contrast to the cardinal's pointed red-orange beak. |
| Phainopepla | Anywhere you see mistletoe on the desert trees, it's a good bet phainopeplas live nearby. These crested birds have mistletoe berries as their primary food source, and in turn spread the mistletoe's seeds in their droppings. Males are glossy black, females are a more inconspicuous grey. Both sexes have vivid red eyes. |
| Common Raven | If you haven't seen a raven up close, you'd probably be surprised by how large they really are. Large, glossy black birds with shaggy throats, their call is a hoarse, low-pitched croak. If you're lucky, you might see one or two hanging out on campus! |
| White-crowned Sparrow | Jaunty little brown sparrows with a distinctive black-and-white striped crown. I've only seen them at the Gilbert Riparian Preserve, but they seem to be doing very well for themselves there! |
| Osprey | Also known as "fish eagle", this black-and-white hawk can be spotted fairly frequently near sources of water, where it dives to catch the fish it eats - sometimes competing with bald eagles! |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | Very small songbirds, surprisingly common in the city - if you manage to spot them. The tiny red patch on the male's head is not always visible, though it's a definite identifier if you see it; more likely, the distinct oval eye-ring is all you'll get to go on. |
| Cliff Swallow | Most easily identified by their red throats, white foreheads, and swift, swooping flight. In summer, these swallows nest in huge numbers at Tempe Town Lake. Look for their round nests, built out of mud, on the sides and undersides of the bridges. |