This is a female Phainopepla, a species that mostly survives on the desert mistletoe plant. It eats the mistletoe berries, and the seeds are spread throughout the desert in the birds droppings as a result. The Phainopepla provides the food for future generations of it's species!The museum also has wild animal exhibits, such as the pair of Mountain Lions in the picture above. These guys are very large and some kind of scary, let me tell you!
The Black Bear (which sometimes looks brown!) is not very cuddly looking, either!
This is an endangered Mexican wolf , a species who once inhabited mountainous areas, woodlands, and riparian habitats of the southwestern United States
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Never before have I seen the 'Purple Mountain's Majesty' seem so gloriously majestic!
I visited this place back in 1986 when I was moving from Vermont to LA. (No Toto, we weren't in Kansas any more!) We only had a couple of hours to spend there. Heck, I could have stayed there for years!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, Steve! People who have never been there probably think you're exaggerating, but you're absolutely right on!
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