I’ve often wondered how birdwatchers develop a list of favorite birds. For some it is the colorful species or perhaps the famous songsters. It’s a personal thing, these choices of favorite birds. For me, a favorite bird is often one that I clearly remember the first time I saw it. My first Townsend’s Solitaire was in the winter on Farm Island, near Pierre, SD. It was over 30 years ago on a bitterly cold morning, as I watched a brown creeper working its way up a small tree. Suddenly a gray bird with a prominent white eye-ring flew in and landed on branch just a few feet away, long enough for me to realize that this was a bird I’d never seen before. I’ll never forget that bird and how it peered at me through that white eye ring as though it was trying to teach me something, which it did. At that point, I was hooked on a bird that I didn’t even know the name of yet.

The Townsend’s Solitaire is aptly named for this bird is usually seen singly except during the nesting season. Even in migration, this species does not flock. Since the species official scientific discovery in Oregon in 1835, Townsend’s Solitaire has often been overlooked even in areas where it is relatively common. The solitary behavior and drab plumage probably contribute to the inconspicuousness of the solitaire. While the solitaire lacks colorful plumage pleasing to the human eye, it compensates with beautiful music. The song is elaborate and gushing, described by one ornithologist as “an infinitely fine and sweet rendering of mountain music…in rippling cadences”. Another familiar sound of the solitaire is the “tew” call, which is used in territorial behavior. This call is often heard in the summer months especially early morning and in the late afternoon, but is also used on the winter territory.

Read the rest of the Doug's column in our February issue...