Tropical KIngbird

Tropical Kingbird

We were eating breakfast outside on the patio this morning when we noticed a Tropical Kingbird sitting on the power line over the canyon.

Cindy saw a couple more of them swoop by while we were watching the one on the wire, so we know there are more of them in the area.

We've been hearing a very interesting bird call lately but haven't been able to identify the bird making it.  The call sounds like a kid's slide whistle; up the scale, then back down.

I've tried the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's All About Birds guide, which has sound clips of typical sound for each bird, but couldn't identify the sound.

I also tried the San Diego Audobon Society's website with no luck on identifying the sound.  However, I did learn from the latter site that California is noted among birders as the home of six bird species of very limit range:  the California Quail, California Condor, California Gnatcatcher; California Least Tern; the California Thrasher and the California Towhee.  We have at least two of these species, the Thrasher and the brown California Towhee, visiting our yard regularly.

In fact, the towhees are all over our yard all the time.  Who knew they were rare?  The California Towhee's coloring is pretty drab; basic brown with some rust colored feathers near the tail.  The bird we really enjoy seeing is its relative, the beautiful Spotted Towhee with its black head, white breast, orange sides and black and white spotted wings, but we don't see these birds as often as we see the California Towhees.