Since about the middle of February, my morning walks to the MPEC have offered undeniable evidence that spring is coming. Right on schedule, I began to hear the unmistakable call of northern flickers, a loud, long series that sounds like wick-er, wick-er, wick-er…, accurately announcing that we are about halfway through February. About that same time, I began to hear a sweet descending, two-note melody, informing any females – and me – that a male black-capped chickadee was available. As February became March, and the spring equinox came and went, more and more of our resident birds have been filling the air with the sounds of spring.

And it won’t be long before these avian songsters are joined by the many returning neotropical migrants that departed last fall for warmer climes. Among these are a number of species that are reportedly declining in numbers in Colorado. A read through Colorado Audubon Society’s list of “High Conservation Priority Species” has several of the migratory birds found in Pueblo Mountain Park on the list. I was especially surprised to find that two migratory species that are seen (or heard) quite commonly in the park are among those species whose numbers are diminishing.

Anyone who has seen a western tanager (Pitanga ludoviciana) would have a hard time denying that this is a very attractive bird. The bright yellow body and striking red head of the male bring to mind the tropics, and rightly so. Western tanagers winter in the highlands of central Mexico to as far south as Costa Rica. They migrate to the western United States and Canada each summer to breed, preferably in coniferous forests. Apparently, the pine and fir forests of the Mountain Park provide good breeding habitat, as a survey last summer revealed about 25 breeding pairs in the park. Somewhat smaller than a robin, these fruit-eating birds have an ability to remain rather unseen, in spite of their brilliant colors. So, if you haven’t seen one while visiting the park, don’t give up – they are definitely here.

Another species commonly heard – but seldom seen – in the Mountain Park is the Cordilleran flycatcher (Empidonax occidentalis, formerly considered the same species as the Pacific-slope flycatcher [E. difficilis]). Like all members of the genus Empinodax, and unlike the western tanager, the Cordilleran is a small, inconspicuous species that one field guide describes as drab with increasing dullness of plumage as summer proceeds. Its 6” body is greenish gray with pale eye rings and wing bars – as are most of the other empids, as they are called. For most birders, it is the call that distinguishes each species in this genus.

For many years, my summers in the Mountain Park have included a quick ascending bir-dee that I always heard, but I never knew its source. A determined search a few years ago taught me that this was the call of the Cordilleran flycatcher, another species of conservation priority in Colorado that had at least 20 breeding pairs in the park last summer. It breeds in shady forests of the western US and Canada, especially along riparian corridors and, like the western tanager, winters in the mountains of Mexico and Central America.

Threats to both of these species include loss of habitat, both in their breeding and wintering areas. Especially impacting these and many other migratory bird species is population growth in Mexico and Central America, which is proceeding at unprecedented rates. As human numbers continue to rise, undisturbed natural environments continue to disappear (this is also the case in the US). Additionally, most Latin American nations do not adequately regulate chemical pesticides that are dangerous to birds. All the more reason for coffee-drinkers to purchase “shade-grown coffee.”

It is no secret to so many Puebloans that Pueblo Mountain Park is a treasure for all who come to this delightful piece of the Wet Mountains. It is also no secret to several other creatures, including a few bird species that aren’t doing too well, that the park is a great place to spend the summer, have a brood or two of youngsters, and do their part to keep their kind going. How lucky we all are for this place!