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 (therefore an easy meal) as it lures the threat away from its nest. Courtship triggers other forms of posturing. My photos show both behaviors.

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. My photos include immature (first winter and second winter) gulls, which have some splotchy brown on the wings and tail and a bill that can look pinker than those of fully adult gulls. Adults with streaky white heads are in nonbreeding plumage. 

Close looks at local flocks of gulls sometimes reveal that for every 300 or more ring-billed gulls, an individual of a different species is also present. You can see pictures of those on my page for locally rare birds.

Laridae: Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri)

In New Mexico these aren't resident birds, but some migrate through in the spring or fall. 

Recurvirostridae: Black-Necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)

Given its black and white plumage, a distinctive shorebird at any distance.

Recurvirostridae: American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana)

Scolopacidae: Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)

Scolopacidae: Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri)

Scolopacidae: Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)

These tiny birds breed in the Arctic, then fly south as far as South America. Some winter in southern New Mexico. In the Albuquerque area, they're usually just passing through.

Scolopacidae: Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata)

When a Wilson's snipe sits still, its plumage makes for highly effective camouflage. It may draw your attention by bobbing up and down as it hunts in the mud next to a stream or irrigation drain. The long beak allows it to probe deep into the mud for food.

Scolopacidae: Long-Billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus)

A winter resident in the southern part of the state. Here in Albuquerque, on their way to the Arctic.

Scolopacidae: Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa)

This one migrates through New Mexico, but doesn't reside there.

Scolopacidae: Long-Billed Curlew (Numenius americanus)

The breeding area for long-billed curlews includes the northeast corner of New Mexico. In Albuquerque, they're just migrating through.

Scolopacidae: Wilson's Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor)

In my initial photos of this bird, you may notice that two of the birds are more colorful than the other two. The more colorful ones are females, the plainer ones males.

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 looks slightly upturned at the end.

Scolopacidae: Willet (Tringa semipalmata)

Willets don't summer or winter in New Mexico, but they pass through on their way to and from their breeding grounds.

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 dark, but with white spots, and how the white eye ring stands out in the dark head. The white spots are more obvious during breeding season. My photo of a solitary sandpiper coming in for a landing is blurry, but shows the diagnostic barred tail with a dark streak down the middle.