As I navigate the captivating landscape of the Sonoran Desert, always on the lookout for intriguing subjects for my Fun Fact videos, I am constantly amazed by the unique beauty of this environment. The other day, while enjoying a leisurely ride with my horse Poncho around the stables area (his preferred spot over the arena), I was enchanted by the call of the Desert Cardinal (Cardinalis sinuatus), the pyrrhuloxia. The sight of a bird perched atop an ocotillo stalk, singing its melodious tune, was a perfect addition to my video collection.
Pyrrhuloxia are amazing birds. Growing up in the Midwest, I only had the pleasure of Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis ). Northern cardinals are known for the males’ bright red plumage. There’s nothing more striking than seeing a male perched on a branch with a background of white snow. It’s a welcome relief from the starkness of miserable winters.
The Sonoran Desert is blessed with two species of cardinals, and I’ve had both species nest in my yard. I use sunflower seed feeders and native plants to draw them into my viewing area.
When she stayed with me, my mother often saw males in my yards. The Northerns were obvious, but she thought the pyrrhuloxia were female Northern cardinals. I tried to point out the differences to her, but she couldn’t tell the difference. It didn’t really matter since she enjoyed all the birds that came to my feeders.
How do these two species manage to coexist harmoniously? Despite their similar diets and overlapping nesting areas, there seems to be no sign of interspecies conflict.
The Mockery Begins
The two species have similar but distinctive calls along with their beautiful plumage. I always look when I hear either. However, on this day, I was particularly excited to hear the pyrrhuloxia call and see a bird easily visible on top of a saguaro.
I urged Poncho over to the bird, looking forward to seeing a lovely male desert cardinal…only the bird singing wasn’t a pyrrhuloxia! But I’d heard the pyrrhuloxia song. I’d heard it! I was ready to record it! I’d wrangled my iPhone from my riding breeches pocket and had my glove off! I could do this! It wasn’t a pyrrhuloxia – really?!
What was this bird pretending to be a pyrrhuloxia? Why was he mocking me? Because this bird was a Northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos).
Mockingbirds are known for their ability to mimic the sounds of other birds or man-made ones. They intertwine bits of others’ melodies into their frequent calls. I’ve had other aggravating encounters with these mockingbirds (like the one who sang all night long outside my dorm window…every night). However, I could salvage this situation. All I had to do was record the mockingbird singing like a pyrrhuloxia. That would make a great Fun Fact video. I had my phone ready, Poncho was standing steady, and the bird was still perched perfectly on top of the saguaro. The mockingbird began to sing…typical mockingbird melodic gibberish.
I think the mockingbirds like messing with me.
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