Tag: Cochise County

Scott’s orioles (Icterus parisorum) at Ash Canyon. Shown here are a male Scott’s and his recently fledged offspring, still staying close and still calling to dad for food.

Etymology note, from the Cornell Lab: “Orioles … are grouped in the genus Icterus, derived from the Greek ikteros, meaning “jaundice.” In ancient Greece, the sighting of a small yellow bird was believed to provide a cure for jaundice. In the earliest days of North American ornithology, the discoverers* of bright yellow and orange birds were apparently still aware of the old lore.”

* As though the indigenous people of the desert southwest were waiting in trembling anticipation for some old white guys to show up and give these birds Latin names before they could see and know them for the first time. Sheesh. “Discoverers” indeed.

Montezuma quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae), at Ash Canyon. They are not uncommon here, but still rarely seen. As much as I love the clownish faces of the males, I think the females (center photo) are more beautiful still, with a color pattern that makes them almost invisible as they move through the grasses. 

At the Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary, Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory, Cochise County, Arizona.

Etymology note, from the Cornell lab:  “Montezuma quail have long, sickle-shaped claws on each toe that are about half again the length of the foot. It uses these claws for digging up bulbs, tubers, and invertebrates. Montezuma quail’s genus, Cyrtonyx, comes from the Greek words for bent (kurtus) and claw (onux). Pits in the soil more than an inch deep are a sign that these birds are foraging in the area.”

Jack.

Probably a blacktailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus). Antelope jackrabbits (L. alleni) also occur here, but with so much cover, really how can you tell? All of my jackrabbit sightings are like this: a brief flash of movement, quick concealment in the grasses, and just a glimpse of those long ears.

In Cochise County, near Hereford, Arizona.