The Greater Roadrunner is New Mexico's state bird. To find this creature, keep your eyes on the ground. The bird is capable of flight, but it spends much of its time on the ground. While searching, look for a predominantly black and white speckled bird with a pale belly and a black mohawk. The tail feathers are long and dark with white tips.
The Vermilion Flycatcher is relatively easy to spot because of its bright color: red. The bird is predominantly red, with black around its eyes and on its wings. Typically, these birds inhabit areas with water and bushes close by. They can be found in suburbs. The Vermilion Flycatcher spends much of its time perched (according to allaboutbirds.org, the male spends 90% of his time perched), so keep your eyes peeled on trees and shrubbery around lakes and rivers to spot this species.
The Yellow-eyed Junco makes its home in southwest New Mexico and in parts of Arizona. The bird is small--typically around 6 inches long. The bird can be identified by its eyes. They are a deep yellow, almost gold, with a black pupil in the middle. In addition, the bird is predominantly blue in color, with reds and browns on the wings and black near the tail. These juncos spend much of their time near the ground and, according to fireflyforest.net, are not overly afraid of humans so they can be easily photographed.
Cassin's Kingbirds are rowdy little creatures. They are very vocal and make a high-pitched chirping sound that can be likened to the noise a dog's chew toy makes. Listen carefully for their calls and then try to spot them. They often perch in trees and catch insects to eat. Look for a bird with a golden underbelly near the tail and predominantly blue feathers on the chest and head. The wings have black color outlined by white on the tips. The tail is black.
The Curve-billed Thrasher is a songbird that can grow to almost a foot in length. It is difficult to spot in the desert because of its predominantly blackish gray to brownish coloring. The eyes are a brownish red, almost the color of clay. What makes this bird distinctive is its bill, which is narrow and curved. Look for this bird on the ground or perched in small shrubs.
