Song birds with conical bills use these heavy bills to crack seeds and grain. Small breeding populations of parrots, mostly escapees, have developed in the southern parts of North America.

The transformation of North American cities into tropical gardens with exotic fruits and showy blooms have helped the escapes to maintain the breeding populations. These populations have developed in southern area in Arizona, California, Florida, and Texas.

145ca Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis, L 9 inches

145py Pyrrhuloxia, Cardinalis sinuatus, L 9 inches

149bl Blue Bunting, Cyanocompasa parellina, L 5 1/2 inches (Mexican)

148bl Blue Grosbeak, Passerina caerulea, L 7 inches

149in Indigo Bunting, Passerina cyanea, L 5 1/2 inches

149la Lazuli Bunting, Passerina amoena, L 5 1/2 inches

149pa Painted Bunting, Passerina ciris, L 5 1/2 inches

149va Varied Bunting, Passerina vesicolor, L 5 1/2 inches

147bl Black-headed Grosbeak, Pheucticus melanocephalus, L 8 inches

147ro Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Pheucticus ludovicianus, L 8 inches

147ye Yellow Grosbeak, Pheucticus chrysopeplus, L 9 inches (MX, AZ)

147cr Crimson-collared Grosbeak, Rhodothraupis celaeno, L 8 1/2 in. (MX, TX)

153di Dickcissel, Spiza americana, L 6 1/4 inches

144gr Groove-billed Ani, Crotophaga sulcirostris L 12 inches

144sm Smooth-billed Ani, Crotophaga ani L 13 inches

152co Common Redpoll, Acanthis flammea, L 5 1/4 inches

152ha Hoary Redpoll, Acanthis hornemanni, L 5 1/4 inches (Boreal)

147ev Evening Grosbeak, Coccothraustes vespertius, L 8 inches

152br Brambling, Fringilla montifringilla, L 6 1/4 inches (Eurasian Boreal)

152ca Cassin′s Finch, Haemorhous cassinii, L 6 1/4 inches

152ho House Finch, Haemorhous mexicanus, L 6 inches

152pu Purple Finch, Haemorhous purpureus, L 6 inches

151bl Black Rosy Finch, Leucosticte atrata, L 6 1/4 inches

151br Brown-capped Rosy Finch, Leucosticte austraili, L 6 1/4 inches

151gr Gray-crowned Rosy Finch, Leucosticte tephrocotis, L 6 1/4 inches

151re Red Crossbill, Loxia curvirostra, L 6 1/4 inches

151wh White-winged Crossbill, Loxia tephrocotis, L 6 1/5 inches

148pi Pine Grosbeak, Pinicolo enucleator, L 7 inches (high elevations)

150am American Goldfinch, Spinus tristis, L 5 inches

150la Lawrence′s Goldfinch, Spinus lawrencei, L 4 3/4 inches

150le Lesser Goldfinch, Spinus psaltria, L 4 1/2 inches

150pi Pine Siskin, Spinus pinus, L 5 inches

150eu Eurasian Siskin, Spinus spinus, L 5 inches

157ja Java Sparrow, Lonchura oryzivora, L 6 in. (Southeast Asian)

The Bobolink is a small New World blackbird and the only member of the genus Dolichonyx, which is long claw in Greek. Oryzivorus is rice devour in Latin The old name for this bird is rice bird. The English word Bobolink is from Bob o′ Lincoln which describes the bird call.

153bo Bobolink, Dolichonyx oryzivorus, L 7 inches

The Calcariidae is a small family of passerines, include the longspur and the snow bunting; worldwide having six species in three genera.

154ch Chestnut-colored Longspur, Calcarius ornatus, L 5 1/2 inches

154la Lapland Longspur, Calcarius lapponicus, L 6 1/4 inches

154sm Smith′s Longspur, Calcarius pictus, L 6 inches

153sn Snow Bunting, Plectrophenax nivalis, L 6 3/4 inches

154mc McCown′s Longspur, Rhynchophanes mccownii, L 6 inches

Psittacines or the parrot family are birds of about 393 species in 92 genera making up the order of Psittaciformes. These birds are found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions wherein there is the greatest diversity.

Parrots, along with ravens, crows, jays, and magpies, are among the most intelligent birds, and the ability of some parrot species to imitate human voices enhances their popularity as pets.

The parrots in this section make up those, that as escapees, have established breeding colonies on the North American continent.

144re Red-crowned parrot, Amazona viridigenalis. L 13 inches (Mexican)

144ye Yellow-headed parrot, Amazona oratrix. L 14 inches (Mexican)

144ca Canary-winged parakeet, Brotogeris versicolurus. L 9 inches (S. A.)

144bu Budgerigar, Melopittacus undulatus. L 7 inches (Australia)

This is a large family of seed eating passerine birds with distinctively finch like bills, include juncos, towhees and sparrows and separate from the bunting in Europe of the family Emberizidae..

Birds in this family are jokingly called LBJ, or Little Brown Jobs because of their similar and obscure dark markings. Many of the birds in this family are very secretive, running for cover rather than flushing. The furtive sparrows are best seen in spring when the males reveal themselves to sing.

159rc Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Aimophila reficeps, L 5 3/4 inches

161ba Baird′s Sparow, Ammodramus bairdii, L 5 1/2 inches

161gr Grasshopper Sparrow, Ammodramus savannarum, L 5 inches

162he Henslow′s Sparrow, Ammodramus henslowii, L 5 inches

162le LeConte′s Sparrow, Ammodramus leconteii, L 5 inches

162ne Nelson′s Sharp-tailed Sparrow, Ammodramus nelsoni, L 5 1/4 inches

162sa Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow, Ammodramus caudacutus, L 5 1/4 in.

162se Seaside Sparrow, Ammodramus maritimus, L 6 inches

157bt Black-throated Sparrow, Amphispiza bilineata, L 5 1/2 inches

157fi Five-striped Sparrow, Amphispiza quinquestriata, L 6 inches (Mexican)

159ol Olive Sparrow, Arremonops rufivirgatus, L 6 1/4 inches (Tropical)

157be Bell′s Sparrow, Artemisiospiza belli, L 6 1/4 inches

157sa Sage Sparrow, Artemisiospiza nevadensis, L 6 1/4 inches

153la Lark Bunting, Calamospiza melanocorys, L 7 inches

157la Lark Sparrow, Chondestes grammacus, L 6 1/2 inches

155gr Dark-eyed Junco (gray-headed), Junco hyemalis caniceps, L 6 1/4 in.

155or Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon), Junco hyemalis oreganus, L 6 1/4 inches

155pi Dark-eyed Junco (pink-sided), Junco hyemalis mearnsi, L 6 1/4 inches

155sl Dark-eyed Junco (slate-colored), Junco hyemalis hyemalis, L 6 1/4 in.

155wh Dark-eyed Junco (white-winged), Junco hyemalis aikeni, L 6 1/4 inches

155ye Yellow-eyed Junco, Junco phaenotus, L 6 1/4 inches (Mexican)

160li Lincoln′s Sparrow, Milospiza lincolnii, L 5 3/4 inches

160so Song Sparrow, Milospiza melodia, L 6 1/4 inches

160sw Swamp Sparrow, Milospiza georgiana, L 5 3/4 inches

163ho House Sparrow, Passer domesticus, L 6 1/4 inches

163eu Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Passer montanus, L 6 inches (Eurasian)

161sa Savanna Sparrow, Passerculus sandwichensis, L 5 1/2 inches

160fo Fox Sparrow, Passerella iliaca, L 7 inches

159ba Bachman′s Sparrow, Pelcaea aestivalis, L 6 inches

159bo Botteri′s Sparrow, Pelcaea botterii, L 6 inches

159ca Cassiin′s Sparrow, Pelcaea cassinii, L 6 inches

159rw Rufous-winged Sparrow. Pelcaea carpalis, L 5 3/4 inches (Mexican)

146al Albert′s Towhee, Pipilo aberti, L 9 1/2 inches

146cl California Towhee, Pipilo crissalis, L 8 1/2 inches

146cn Canyon Towhee, Pipilo fuscus, L 8 1/2 inches

146ea Eastern Towhee, Pipilo erythrophthalmus, L 8 1/2 inches

147gr Green-tailed Towhee, Pipilo chlorurus, L 7 1/4 inches

146sp Spotted Towhee, Pipilo maculatus, L 8 1/2 inches

161ve Vesper Sparrow, Pooecetes gramineus, L 6 1/4 inches

155bl Black-chinned Sparrow, Spizella atrogularis, L 5 3/4 inches

158br Brewer′s Sparrow, Spizella breweri, L 5 1/2 inches

158ch Chipping Sparrow, Spizella passerina, L 5 1/2 inches

158cl Clay-colored Sparrow, Spizella pallida, L 5 1/24 inches

158fi Field Sparrow, Spizella pusilla, L 5 3/4 inches

158tr Tree Sparrow, Spizelloides arborea, L 5 3/4 inches

156go Golden-crowned Sparrow, Zonotrichia aricapilla, L 7 inches

156ha Harris′ Sparrow, Zonotrichia querula, L 7 1/2 inches

156wc White-crowned Sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys, L 7 inches

156wt White-throated Sparrow, Zonotrichia albicollis, L 6 3/4 inches

157wh White-collared Seedeater, Sporophila torqueola, L 4 1/2 inches

157bf Black-faced Grassquit, Tiaris olivacea, L 4 1/2 inches

157ye Yellow-faced Grassquit, Tiaris bicolor, L 4 1/2 inches

144ea Eared Trogon, Euptilotis neoxens L 14 inches (Tropical)

144el Elegant Trogon, Trogon elegans L 12 inches (Tropical)