Although these Birds Looked Familiar, They Were New to Me

Their "cousins" in Tucson look very similar

On San Juan Island I saw a few more "lifers" that were very similar to common birds in my Tucson area. I was pleased to see a few of these California Quail. They were foraging in the grassy prairie area early one morning.

I am very familiar with Gambel's Quail, like this one from my backyard. It looks very similar to the male California Quail but with some subtle differences.

The male California Quail has a scaled or patterned/streaky belly while the Gambel's has a plain unmarked belly with black in the center. The crown of the Gambel's is much more reddish brown. The back of the California's neck has more defined black and white markings.

The two birds live in different ranges. The Gambel's Quail is a bird of the southwestern deserts of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and California. The California Quail are found in a variety of habitats all along the Pacific coast as seen in the AllAboutBirds range map below.

The California Quail were gorging on blackberries hidden in the thick vegetation of the prairie.

At the north end of the island in the Sculpture Garden at Roche Harbor, I saw a Purple Finch. Purple Finches look similar to the very common House Finches we see in Tucson but their color and belly plumage differs.

Male House Finches are red, though the brightness may vary. The Purple Finches are less of a bright red and more of a pink hue.

While House Finches range throughout the United States, the Purple Finch's range is very different.

The Purple Finch remained in the shade during the time that I saw it. I moved around to try to get a better shot and here it contrasts with a bright red car in the parking lot. Purple Finches have a red back, which the House Finches do not. And the 'red' of the Purple Finch is more of a pink or raspberry color.

The third bird that I was very pleased to see was the American Goldfinch. I only saw it at the feeders in the Sculpture Garden. The breeding male is bright yellow, with a black cap on his forehead and black wings with white markings.

Male Lesser Goldfinches have a full black crown and do not have the bright yellow back of the American Goldfinch. Lesser Goldfinches are a bird of the western United States, but American Goldfinches can be found throughout the entire United States at some point during the year.

At False Bay, a pair of American Goldfinches flew in and perched for a short while. The American's bright yellow body and black forehead really stood out against the blue sky.

The female American Goldfinch was perched in the same tree as the male. As is the case with many bird species, the female has a much more subdued plumage than the male American Goldfinch has.

Each one of these birds was a treat to see.