Birds are organized alphabetically by family, genus, and species. Hover over a photo series to control the images.

Charadriidae: Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)

When a possible predator approaches a killdeer's nest, the bird will pretend to be injured (and therefore and easy meal) as it lures the predator away from the next. One of my photos shows that behavior.

Laridae: Ring-Billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)

The best place to see these winter visitors to Albuquerque is on the Rio Grande just south of the old and new Alameda Bridges.

Recurvirostridae: American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana)

Scolopacidae: Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)

Scolopacidae: White-Rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis)

Scolopacidae: Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata)

Scolopacidae: Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)

Scolopacidae: Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)

One distinguishing trait of the Greater Yellowlegs (as opposed to the Lesser ditto) is a beak that is much longer than the head and that is slightly upturned at the end.

Scolopacidae: Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria)

As my Sibley guide admits, the Solitary Sandpiper "resembles a miniature yellowlegs." Note how this bird's upper half is darker, but with obvious white spots, and how the white eye ring stands out in the darker head.