Rio Grande Bird Research, Inc.

08/20/2026

Happy everyone!! Fall migration is a wonderful and sometimes frustrating time of year for many birders and bird banders alike. This is because it is the time of year when cryptic warblers are most abundant! Gone are the bright breeding plumages that many species are named for, and the drab young birds also outnumber the adults. Here’s a look at one of our most common cryptic fall warblers.

This Hatch Year (FCF) female Wilson’s Warbler (Cardellina pusilla) is definitely one of the more drab warblers we see this time of year. This bird lacks the obvious black cap that the males of this species are known for, but we know she is a Wilson’s Warbler (WIWA) from her yellow underparts, olive upper parts, and olive-yellow cap which is the same shape and location as the black cap seen in males. Despite looking very different plumage-wise, she still has the same overall body structure seen in adult males which includes a small body, relatively long tail, and relatively thick beak when compared to other warbler beaks.

Females and juvenile birds are often the most drab and hardest to identify. This is because unlike the males, they are trying to be as inconspicuous as possible in order to avoid predators. This is also why many male birds that have alternate plumages will trade their bright breeding coloration used for attracting mates and defending territories, for much drabber plumages which don’t attract much attention. It may be annoying from a birdwatching perspective, but it is actually a very effective survival strategy!
-Jason Kitting

All banding is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s BBL.

08/17/2026

It’s that time of year again! Although it is not officially fall yet; late summer is the start of fall migration for many bird species. For most of our familiar migrants, we see them on their way north in spring, and on their way south in fall. But that’s not how all bird species work! Some species actually have circular migrations meaning they take different routes depending on whether it is spring or fall. This process is probably more common than we think, but it is most obvious in species that we only see during one migration period.

In central New Mexico, the most familiar circular migrants include the Rufous Hummingbird (top left), the Calliope Hummingbird (top right), and the Townsend’s Warbler (bottom). These three species occasionally pass through in spring in small numbers, but the overwhelming majority pass through in fall. This seems like a waste of energy, but when you look at the food resources available to these birds during spring and fall, the extra effort makes sense. All three of these species spend the winter in Mexico and Central America. In early spring, they move north along the west coast where it is warm and there are plenty of flowers and insects to eat. At the same time of year in central New Mexico, it can still be quite cold and dry meaning there is very little food available for these birds.

After the breeding season, this situation switches. The birds then move south along the Rocky Mountains, which are now warm and full of flowers and insects. The southwestern Monsoons are another driver of this circular migration as they provide abundant food for all migrants throughout the southwestern US and northern Mexico which isn’t available in spring. This is particularly true for the Rufous and Calliope Hummingbirds who rely on the flowers that require the Monsoon rains in order to bloom.
-Jason Kitting

All banding is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s BBL.

07/01/2026

Happy end of pride month everyone! Since it’s the last day of June, here’s a look at one of North America’s most iconic rainbow birds!

Painted Buntings (Passerina ciris) get their name from the brilliant rainbow coloration seen in the adult males (top two pictures). The females and juvenile birds are also unique in that they are the only completely green birds (bottom picture) we have regularly in the US and Canada. There are two distinct populations that look nearly identical, but have totally separate breeding and wintering grounds. The largest population is found breeding in the southern Great Plains from eastern New Mexico east to Georgia, and from Kansas down into northern Mexico. These birds then winter in Central America. The smaller population can be found breeding along the east coast from North Carolina down into eastern Florida. These birds then go down to the Caribbean Islands for winter.

Here in central New Mexico where these birds were encountered, we are just out of the regular breeding range of the central plains population. Despite being out of their range, we are close enough that we usually encounter one every couple years or so. When this happens, it is almost always a female-type bird (female or juvenile) like the bird in the bottom picture from the fall of 2023. Young birds are the most likely to get lost during migration, so they are the most likely to show up out of range. With that said, we were lucky enough to band the beautiful adult male in the top two pictures during the summer of 2019. We don’t know if this bird was attempting to breed nearby, but he was encountered during the peak of the breeding season that year!
-Jason Kitting

All banding is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s BBL. 🌈

06/29/2026

You haven’t really lived unless you’ve stared intently at the underside of a hummingbird tail…

This After Hatch Year (M-FCF) male Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) has a pretty cool looking tail! At a quick glance, the tails of male Black-chinned Hummingbirds (BCHUs) appear to just be dark gray to black, but the feathers actually have some hidden greens and purples. Like most hummingbird species, male BCHUs use their tails in both aggressive territorial displays and courtship displays. These hidden purples and greens are only visible when light hits the tail at the right angle, similar to the colors in their throats (gorgets). These colors are produced through refraction of light with special structures within the feather rather than pigments like most colors. This is why many hummingbird colors will change according to the angle the light is hitting the feather and refracting back to your eye.

Both male and female hummingbirds maintain separate territories during the breeding season. Males maintain territories with abundant nectar resources and keep all other males out. He then allows females to visit the nectar and actively displays to them. After mating (or being rejected by the female), the male quickly chases the female off. Females maintain territories that provide both nectar and insect resources which allows them to raise 1-3 broods of two chicks each. They try to keep everyone out, though seem to be more peaceful around abundant recourses compared to the males. Interestingly, females are known to form territories in rings around raptor nests. By nesting in close proximity to nesting raptors, they get additional protection from predators.
-Jason Kitting

All banding is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s BBL.

06/22/2026

Happy Father’s Day to all of the hard working dads out there! Just like humans, many bird species need their dads in order to successfully raise chicks. Here’s a look at some of the hard working bird dads of central New Mexico!

Many bird dads play very important roles in raising their chicks. For most species, the male feeds the female while she is incubating the eggs and brooding the chicks during their first few days, then helps the female feed the growing chicks till they fledge. For species that raise multiple broods a year, the male will often completely take over the care of the chicks once they fledge while the female starts another nest. Some bird dads such as woodpeckers, doves, tanagers, and vireos even help the females with incubation. A few groups (phalaropes are probably the best known of these groups), the males even raise their chicks complete on their own, while the female goes off looking to lay eggs in other males’ nests.

All of the pictured male birds are species that take an active role in raising their babies. Starting with the left column going down: MacGillivray’s Warbler, Lazuli Bunting, Summer Tanager, and American Kestrel. Now the right column going down: Lesser Goldfinch, Eastern Bluebird, Yellow-breasted Chat, and Northern Flicker (Red-shafted).
-Jason Kitting

All banding is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s BBL.

06/05/2026

This Second Year (FCF) male Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens) was 1 of around 6 or 7 chats banded at Valle de Oro NWR last month. These birds are a very common species all along the banks of the middle Rio Grande, where they can be found breeding in the dense willow and cottonwood thickets. During migration, they can be found in almost any habitat type that has some thick vegetation associated with it.

Yellow-breasted Chats (YBCHs) are known for having a very elaborate song which includes quite a bit of mimicry thrown in between normal YBCH phrases. These songs are often all birders end up getting when searching for YBCH, as they are known for being particularly skulky and hard to find. Late spring and early summer is the easiest time to get views of these birds, and that is because this is when the males are doing their display flights. A displaying male YBCH will find a relatively high perch, slowly fly down to a lower perch, while puffing out his yellow breast and singing very loudly and excitedly. These birds continue to sing throughout the breeding season but tend to stop displaying when the females are on nests, and especially when the eggs hatch and there are demanding chicks in the nest.
-Jason Kitting

All banding is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s BBL.

05/27/2026

This gorgeous “strawberry lemonade” tanager was definitely one of the prettier birds from this past weekend! This beautiful plumage is also relatively unique among many bird species.

This Second Year (FCA) male Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) is an excellent example of delayed plumage maturation. As the name implies, delayed plumage maturation is when the an individual (usually male) delays their adult plumage and retains some of their juvenile-like plumage (usually colored like a female) into their first breeding season. Summer Tanagers, Blue Grosbeaks, American Redstarts, Bald Eagles (males and females), and Tree Swallows (only females) are all examples of species that show delayed plumage maturation.

The yellow and brownish feathers are a mix of juvenile and formative feathers from last year (2025) when this bird hatched, while the red feathers are alternate feathers from earlier this year (2026). When he is done with his first breeding season at the end of this summer, he will then go through his prebasic molt (remember add the pre when talking about the molt, and remove the pre when talking about the feathers) which will put him in his full red adult plumage this species is known for.

Despite not being in his full red attire, this young male was paired with a Second Year female. The females of this species do not show delayed plumage maturation and show their full “adult” coloration in their first breeding season, even though they show the same extent of molt as the males.
-Jason Kitting

All banding is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s BBL.

05/06/2026

Tis the season so I thought I would bring this post back! The hummingbirds have been back for at least a month now, so if you don’t have your feeder out yet, do it! Even though many of our hummers are still passing through on their way north, many of our breeding species already have territories and nests! Here’s a look at the two species of hummingbird that breed in central New Mexico.

The top left picture is of a male Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus). This species is the high elevation species which breeds from about 6,500-12,000 ft in elevation in mixed pine forest (top right picture). Male Broad-tailed Hummingbirds (BTHUs) are known for their w**e colored throats (gorgets) and a loud “zinging” sound as they fly. This zinging sound is produced by special notches in the outermost primaries of each wing. Females and juveniles do not produce this sound.

The bottom left picture is of a male Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri). This species is the low elevation species which breeds from sea level up to around 7,500 ft. They will breed in a variety of forested and shrubby habitats, but here in central NM, they are most abundant in riparian zones along the Rio Grande (bottom right picture). Male Black-chinned Hummingbirds (BCHUs) are known for their mostly black chin with a purple band at the bottom of the gorget. These birds are the closest relatives to the eastern Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.

The middle right picture shows pinyon/juniper woodland which occurs in the foothills of most of NM’s mountains from around 6,000-8,000 ft in elevation. Both species occur in this habitat. As you might expect, BCHUs are more common in the lower parts of this habitat while BTHUs are more common in the upper parts.
- Jason Kitting

All banding is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s BBL.

05/06/2026

A Broad-tailed Hummingbird we banded a couple of years ago!

The hummingbirds are back! For most of us in North America, the iconic hummingbirds are finally arriving back at our feeders and flowers (or will be back very soon if you’re in the far north).

One of the first hummingbird species back to central New Mexico (and much of the interior-west) is the Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus). Rio Grande Bird Reseach Inc. banded this After Hatch Year male (top picture) in the fall of 2023. Thanks to Jason Kitting for the pictures of this beautiful bird!

Broad-tailed Hummingbirds (BTHUs) are true high elevation specialists and spend the majority of their yearly cycles in mountains. During the breeding season, they are found in the central mountains of the western US, from southern Montana down into western Texas. In winter, they are found throughout the mountains of Mexico and parts of western Guatemala.

An interesting fact about BTHUs is that the adult males have specially shaped outer primaries (bottom picture) that produce a loud ringing when in flight. This ringing is used during displays towards other males in territory disputes and to females during courtship. The ringing is also how this species earned their nickname, the “Mountain Zinger.”

All banding is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s BBL.