Birds Found in the Garden
and in the Park
All descriptions from Stokes Field Guide to Birds

Carduelis pinus Forages on the ground and in foliage for conifer cone seeds, weed seeds, insects, flower buds, and nectar. Comes to bird feeders, sometimes in large numbers, for sunflower and thistle. Nest of grasses, twigs, rootlets, bark strips, and lichens lined with feathers, fur, and rootlets, placed in tree branch 3-50 ft. above the ground Irruptive species. Seen in large numbers in some years. Often found with goldfinches.

Sitta carolinensis Creeps headfirst down tree trunks. Eats nuts, acorns, and insects. Comes to bird feeders for suet and sunflower seeds. Nest of twigs, bark shreds, fur, and hair, placed in natural cavity, birdhouse, or abandoned woodpecker hole 15-50 ft. above the ground. Nuthatches are best known for their habit of storing food in bark crevices and their ability to move headfirst down trees, enabling them to find food that "right-side up" birds, like woodpeckers, might miss.Courtship begins in winter with the male singing. He does mate feeding (presenting female with food) through the incubation phase.

Melanerpes formicivorus Eats insects, tree sap, and fruit. Caches acorns and other nuts in holes drilled in trees, utility poles, even buildings; 1 commercial group can store 50,000 nuts in a season. Will come to suet and seed at feeders. Nests in colonies. Excavates nesting cavity in dead or live tree, usually an oak, 6-25 ft. above the ground. Lives in communal groups and breeds cooperatively in parts of range. Groups are composed of up to 4 breeding males, 1-2 breeding females, and up to 10 offspring of preceding years. All group members help with excavating nest and with feeding and brooding young. Some birds in Arizona do not nest communally or store acorns.

Selasphorus sasin Eats nectar, insects; visits hummingbird feeders. Nest of moss, dried weed stems, willow down, animal hair, feathers, tied together with spider's silk; placed straddling a branch of bush or vine. May rebuild over old nest. Male does spectacular U-shaped dive display, rising up 25 ft. on each side. After several swings, he spirals 75-100 ft. high, then dives, making a rough whistling sound at bottom. Done toward females and territorial intruders. Females raise young alone, nesting well away from males' territories. In some cases, female lays eggs while nest is just shallow cup, then continues to add material to nest until young fledge.

Meleagris gallopavo Feeds on the ground, eating nuts, acorns, and seeds. Also eats grains, vegetation, insects, frogs, lizards. Nest is placed in a natural or scraped depression and lined with leaves and grasses. Spends the winter in same or mixed sex flock. In courtship, male struts and gobbles with tail fanned. Female responds with yelping call. Male may mate with many females. Female raises young.

Carduelis psaltria Eats wide variety of seeds from trees, weeds, grasses, also flower buds and berries. Comes to bird feeders for sunflower and thistle. Nest of bark, moss, and plant stems lined with feathers, cotton, and plant down, placed in shrub or tree 2-30 ft. above the ground. Found in small to large flocks in winter, often along with other goldfinches, Pine Siskins, and Dickcissels. Drawn to habitats that include a good water source.