The number and diversity of birds varies from the Ponderosa Pine Forest
at Sunset Crater National Monument, 18 miles south, through the Pinyon/Juniper
Woodland, to the Grassland and Cold Deserts Shrub zone at Wupatki National
Monument.
Birds must have had symbolic and religious significance for former occupants of the area. Bird bones recovered from excavations include those of thick-billed parrots and scarlet macaws, traded north from the tropics of Mexico. At Wupatki Ruins, at least eleven articulated parrot and macaw burials were found; three were wrapped in a room identified as a kiva. One parrot was buried at the foot of a child and had a prayer stick attached to its leg. Birds were also the subject of rock art and ceramic designs. Birds and feathers are important in Pueblo ceremonies today.
Some species of birds are frequently seen in one park and rarely in the other. The Steller's jay can be seen at Sunset Crater. Its blue body and black crest distinguish it from all other jays. The call of the Steller's jay is a harsh "caw" and it can also imitate the call of other birds. At Wupatki you may find the greater roadrunner scurrying along the desert floor. It is a large ground- dwelling cuckoo streaked with brown and white, it speeds across the desert on long, strong legs. The long white-edged tail and long, heavy beak are its outstanding features.
The bird population at Wupatki and Sunset Crater National Monuments changes with the season. In the summer you may see the western bluebird and mountain bluebird at higher elevations at Sunset Crater. While Wupatki is frequented by the western kingbird and black-throated sparrow. Fall is full of surprises as birds migrate from higher elevations to lower ones. Our park is unique in that we have such a dramatic change in elevations, the visitor is likely to see the same species at both areas, at different times of the year. The raven is often heard with its distinctive "caw," its dark feathered body playfully soaring in the sky. The drumming of the red- shafted flicker is often heard. This jay-sized woodpecker uses its strong bill to search out wood-boring insects. Look for the dark silhouette of a golden eagle against the sky, and listen for the musical descending notes of the canyon wren.