This sparrow nests in open coniferous forests and pine-oak woodlands. The nest is made of grass and lined with hairs and placed in dense vegetation from the ground to low shrubs. Cowbirds commonly parasitize this species. Food in the summer is primarily insects with some seeds, but during the winter is almost totally seeds. This sparrow apparently can make water from the seeds and go without actual water for up to three weeks in the winter. Regularly occurs in small flocks at lower elevations in the winter and in migration.
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The beautiful flight song of this sparrow is a quintessential part of the southwest grassland habitat. Flying up from its low perch, the male then floats down with tail spread and head back in full song. Insects are its primary food during the summer, but seeds are the winter food. Some data indicate that this sparrow doe not have to drink water for most of the year and apparently makes its own water from the seeds and insects it eats. The grassy nest is placed on the ground often in the shade of low vegetation or bushes.
The distinctive behavior of creeping up the trunks of large trees in a spiral is unlike any other species of bird in North America. It uses the curved bill to probe for insects and spiders from loose bark and small cavities but occasionally eats seeds. The nest is made of spider silk, moss and twigs and slung in loose bark or a shallow cavity, usually on the trunk of a conifer.\r\n
A resident of mixed grasslands and open savanna, the Botteri\'s Sparrow would be almost impossible to find if it did not regularly perch on the top of the highest bush or shrub and sing loudly. Its nest is made of grass and is placed on or near the ground, usually in a shady site. Seeds are its main food, but while feeding young, insects become a major part of the diet.
In flocks with other sparrow species in the winter or pairs alone in the summer, this desert-dwelling species is common. It lives in some of the most extreme heat and dryness on the continent but seems to thrive. It relies on moisture from the grass and insects it eats and only during the winter drinks water directly from ponds and streams. The male\s song varies considerably from place to place. Its grassy nest is in a bush near or on the ground.'
Found wading in marshes, wet mud and flooded fields, the Black-necked Stilt usually occurs in small colonies. It nests on the ground on little islands or hummocks in wet areas, and the shallow nest is lined with pebbles, sticks and clam shells. Adults vigorously protect nest sites by calling loudly and flying close over the head of intruders. They will also fake a wing injury to draw the enemy away from the eggs or young. Food is picked from under water and consists of invertebrates, small fish, tadpoles and occasionally seeds. This species is considered threatened in Hawaii.
This species nests commonly in riparian forests and low to mid-elevation pine-oak woodlands. Its relatively large nest is made of twigs and rootlets, and usually is placed high off the ground. The Black-headed Grosbeak uses its massive bill to open seeds and nuts, but it also feeds on insects during the summer.
A bird of open chaparral bushes and junipers, the Black-chinned Sparrow nests on foothill slopes. Its nest is found low in a dense shrub and is made of grass. During the winter this species often descends into flatter areas of high deserts and joins mixed species flocks of other sparrow species. It feed mainly on seeds on the ground but switches to insects when feeding its young.
These masters of aerial flight are usually seen agilely swooping overhead in small flocks as they chase flying insects over open fields and savannas. They are so expert in flight, they take baths and drink without landing. Barn Swallows often nest in small groups in or on buildings and bridges where they stick their open mud and straw nest on shaded ledges, eaves or crevices. Their nests are regularly taken over by phoebes and House Sparrows. In the Fall, Barn Swallows will supplement dwindling supplies of insects with berries and small fruits.
A noisy and obvious resident of inland marshes, mud flats and ocean estuaries, the American Avocet uses its long legs and peculiarly upturned bill to stir up aquatic invertebrates underwater. Often nesting together with other pairs of avocets in a loose colony, they are all quick to fly over the heads of intruders and dive bomb them with loud callings. It commonly swims when the water is too deep to wade in. The nest is a shallow depression near water in sand or gravel and often in the shade of an isolated bush.