Can you believe that when people think of Oklahoma, they often think it’s the armpit of the country… or at least close to that?!!#$ (It doesn’t help that the state’s two senators are… well, who they are!)
But when birders around the country think of Oklahoma, they have a much more favorable impression — because we have several birds that are hard to find elsewhere. In the summer, we count on showing visiting birders the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (state bird), Mississippi Kite and the very rare Black-capped Vireo (more on this bird in upcoming posts).
Harris's Sparrow
Since we’re almost through with winter, I wanted to show off a bird that is often “top of the wish list” for visiting winter birders: the Harris’s Sparrow. What’s great is that these sparrows are plentiful in winter, easy to find, and visit backyard feeders. The Harris’s is the largest North American sparrow and is quite stunning!
The other winter birds that Oklahoma is known for? Well… how about the Lesser and Greater Prairie-Chickens; all four Longspur species — especially Smith’s, and the beautiful Harlan’s and Krider’s morphs of Red-tailed Hawks.
Not bad, huh?
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