Date: 10/7/25 5:12 pm From: John Harshman via groups.io <john.harshman...> Subject: [southbaybirds] Phylo-birding at Alum Rock
It was a fine day at Alum Rock Park with co-leader Ray Trent. We were phylo-birding, which is like regular birding with an emphasis on phylogeny and biogeography. We saw birds from 22 families: Odontophoridae, Columbidae, Trochilidae, Apodidae, Cathartidae, Accipitridae, Picidae, Falconidae, Tyrannidae, Vireonidae, Corvidae, Paradoxornithidae, Aegithalidae, Turdidae, Sturnidae, Regulidae, Sittidae, Troglodytidae, Fringillidae, Paridae, Passerellidae, and Parulidae. And 7 orders: Galliformes, Columbiformes, Apodiformes, Accipitriformes, Piciformes, Falconiformes, and Passeriformes. Within Passeriformes, we found superfamilies Tyrannoidea, Corvoidea, Sylvioidea, Muscicapoidea, Certhioidea, and Passeroidea. For those less familiar with Latin, that notably included a peregrine (far away and briefly seen), wrentit (the only New World parrotbill, heard only), bushtits (the only New World long-tailed tit) a Say's phoebe (California's sole winter-only flycatcher), California scrub jay and Steller's jay (each in their own microhabitat), several ruby-crowned kinglets (one of the few passerines not in any superfamily), and several very accommodating Townsend's warblers (members of the New World 9-primaried oscine radiation).
Do not disclose information that identifies the location of nesting birds of any species, to minimize stress on the nesting birds and the risk of vandalism or abuse.
