Birdland

King of the Air: They may be comparatively small, but Western Kingbirds are mighty and fierce, scolding and chasing much-larger intruders like Red-Tailed Hawks and American Kestrels. As the Cornell Lab of Ornithology describes, “the males warn off intruders with harsh buzzes or whirring wings. Both males and females snap their bills and raise their red crowns (normally hidden under gray feathers on their heads) when provoked.” In winter the Western Kingbirds migrate to Florida and the Pacific Coast of southern Mexico and Central America – an appealing strategy for some humans as well. This Western Kingbird was photographed at Bluff Lake by Park Hill resident Mark Silverstein.