Trivia Time in Arizona

Arizonans should wait until there are at least 6 responses -- just to be fair

Hi greatblue! Cactus Wren and Pyrrhuloxia

Yep, ditto!

Resin

heee! We're not so bad us non-arizonans. I call the Pyrrhuloxia "Petes" because of one of our posters here calls hers Pete.

I've always wanted to see one of those Pyrrhuloxia "in person." I think they just have to be so striking!

Got my Pyrrhuloxia in a shrubby area behind a rest stop near Marathon TX, definitely worth making the effort to see them!

Interesting trivia: the name derives from its old scientific name, from before it was merged into the same genus Cardinalis as Cardinal. It is a portmanteau of Pyrrhula (bullfinches, a genus of European & Asian finches) and Loxia (crossbills). It isn't particularly closely related to either, but the bill shape is somewhat similar.

Resin

I've often wondered if a birder has to pick either Pyrrhuloxia or Cardinals. I mean I know there's the Arizona Cardinals (baseball) but wondered if there were Cardinals (birds) in Arizona..
I wondered if while I was wishing I had Pyrrhuloxia, there were others wishing for the beauty of a bright-red Cardinal. The grass is always greener, ain't it?!?!?!?!

Gere's what I found on Google:
(And it says Californian's get Cedar Waxwings as a "cardinal" substitute? And they get all those varities of hummers? That hardly seems fair, either!)

Long beloved as a symbol of Christmas cheer, the Cardinal is unique in appearance and so is a very easy bird to identify. Its peaked head (known to birders as a crested head) and vibrant scarlet color stand out in any landscape. Bird watchers know that providing a bird feeder for Cardinals is the best way to ensure visits from these delightful birds. Even in the deep snows of Canada and the northeastern United States, Cardinals remain at their homes all winter. Their nest is a cup set low in shrubbery and contains three to four light green eggs. Immature birds are buff in color.

Unfortunately, for most inhabitants of the western United States, travel is necessary for sighting Cardinals. Bird watching tours to Baja or Arizona are sure to include a glimpse of these remarkable birds. In Northern California, the bird closest in appearance to the Cardinal is the Cedar Waxwing, sharing the Cardinal's general shape and crested head. Count yourself lucky if the Cardinal is a backyard bird where you live!

You folks are really good. I will tell you that there are many locals who still confuse the pyrrhuloxia with a female cardinal (by the way heyitsmejudy, the Arizona Cardinals try to play football, not baseball. And I personally wish they would migrate). We also have an abundance of Phainopeplas here in Arizona. Trail guides and park docents often refer to them as "rare" Black Cardinals. I am new to this forum, but I know I will enjoy seeing and hearing all you all have to offer.

Peace from the upper Sonoran Desert.

Greatblue

I've seen cardinals just north of the Valley -- Phoenix -- at the Verde River which crosses through the SRPMIC (Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community). I've never seen them in the Valley though which is only about 15 miles southeast. I can see how the female Pyrrhuloxia could be mistaken for a female cardinal.