It is fully spring by May and these and other long-range migrants are arriving! The movement of millions of birds from the neotropics to North America is an event many birders anticipate all winter.
The focus of birding in April is on spring migration and a major transition in bird life in Washington. Our knowledge of bird migration is expanding with increased interest and research into the amazing distances covered by birds and how they find their way on these journeys.
The Rock Pigeon (ROPI), formerly called Rock Dove, is better known as the common city pigeon is 12-14" long. It is believed this was the first bird to be domesticated, about 4500 B.C..
A bird of the forest, the Ruffed Grouse populates a widespread area of southern and western Canada and the northern United States including the Pacific Northwest (Rusch, et al).
The Brown Pelican is a conservation success story. Populations on both the Pacific and Atlantic/Gulf coasts suffered tremendously during the 1960s when all North American pelicans were extirpated outside of Florida.