Description

Songbirds of the West includes more than four dozen songbirds that occur within the western United States. The majority are found in America's western National Parks, especially in parks where the author worked for more than a quarter of a century. Big Bend National Park is where he encountered Black-capped and Gray Vireos, Vermilion Flycatchers, Curve-billed and Crissal Thrashers, Hepatic and Summer Tanagers, and Black-vented, Hooded and Scott's Orioles. Black-billed Magpies were encountered at Great Sand Dunes, Clark's Nutcrackers at Crater Lake, Cave Swallows at Carlsbad Caverns, Cactus Wrens at Saguaro, Phainopeplas at Organ Pipe, Steller's and Gray Jays at Yellowstone, Black-throated Gray Warblers at Mesa Verde, Townsend's Solitaires at Timpanogos Cave, and Canyon and Rock Wrens at Zion. Great Kiskadees, Green Jays, and Altamira Orioles were encountered in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. The discussion of each bird is based on the author's personal encounters. These range from casual observations to scientific studies that were undertaken in both the U.S. and Mexico; still others involved visits to the West Indies. The bird's life history, behavior, and status are included.