Apr 10 2008
Junk Birds in Las Vegas
Every year in April I attend the PBS Technology Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. To me it is slightly bizarre that a public broadcasting meeting is held in Las Vegas but it’s planned to coincide with the National Association of Broadcasters convention which is always held in Las Vegas in April.
So here I am. For several days we sit in the dark watching Powerpoint. I must say that my favorite presentations are the HD TV segments from nature shows. Even so, when I’m not in the meetings I just want to see birds.
There are plenty of birds at the Las Vegas Strip but most of them are “junk birds” so common and prolific that it just doesn’t make your heart go pitta-pat to see them.
The great-tailed grackles are the ones who stand out. They are incredibly common and in spring they’re obnoxious. This is part of courtship. The males chase the females and each other. They swagger down the sidewalk. They perch on palm trees and buildings and call loudly (click here on the Listen link!) They expand their throat feathers and tails and point their bills at the sky. They have bill-pointing contests to see whose bill is tallest. They are so … Las Vegas.
They are also expanding their range. The photo above was taken by Chuck Tague in Belize. He’s also seen them in Arizona and I hear you can find them in Iowa now.
Maybe they’re following the casinos. 
This comment has nothing to do with “junk birds in Vegas”, but I’m so excited to tell you that I just spotted a peregrine falcon in my backyard!
Actually, I noticed him in my yard a few months ago, perched on a distant bird feeder. I grabbed my camera and took a shot through the window, but the picture is fairly grainy (’tho I can send it to you if you are interested.)
He swoops into the yard sporadically. But I got a close view of him just a few minutes ago through my binoculars. He flew in and rested on a tree close to the house. No doubt this is a peregrine! (I had my copy of The Audubon Sociaety Field Guide to North American Birds nearby, so I was able to confirm that he was a carbon copy of the one pictured in the book!) Unfortunately, by the time I could grab my camera, he flew away.
Hi Kate
When I was in Las Vegas last year in March, I heard that sound coming from a tree and it was quiet frightful. I couldn’t see the bird but the sound definitely startled me to move closer to the curb.
Thanks for this! I just got back from attending a convention in Vegas. I looked all over to try and find someone who knew what they were. Can these have brown heads? Your description matches but some had distinctly brown heads but too large to be cow birds.