The commonest species are the western robin, the beautiful mountain
bluebird, and, at middle elevations, the chickadee and junco. The hermit
thrush and the solitaire, generally classed among the finest songbirds
in the world, are both fairly common in suitable localities; and but
little inferior to these in musical performance are the purple finch,
ruby-crowned kinglet, western meadowlark, and rock and canyon wrens. The
graceful violet-green swallow is unsurpassed in beauty of form and
color, and the crested jay, magpie, and nutcracker are conspicuous for
their handsome appearance and vigorous flight. Among birds particularly
interesting because of curious and unusual habits are the broadtailed
hummingbird, water ouzel, campbird, nuthatch, nighthawk, and the
ptarmigan, pipit, and rosy finch of the high peaks.
Although widely distributed through the park, birds are more numerous
along streams and near open marshes and meadows than in the dense forests.
About 100 species are found regularly in summer, and nearly 150 have been
recorded during the whole year.