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Bryce Flanagan

Bryce Flanagan moved from Sacramento, CA to Taos County in 2016, and has lived in Questa for two years. He's passionate about the unique and beautiful wildlife of our state and is a regular contributor to the Questa Del Rio News.
Fishing, Wildlife & Recreation

The Pecking Order of Birds

As I stood in line to vote this year, I thought about the birds migrating thousands of miles above my head. How do they choose

Fishing, Wildlife & Recreation

Our State Bird: The Social Lives Of Birds

A pair of recent studies has shed light on the complex world of avian communication, and adds further support to the argument that there is

Fishing, Wildlife & Recreation

Our State Bird: The Flashy Northern Flicker

Seeing a northern flicker in flight is like watching a painted canvas in motion—the underside of its wings are a bright pastel orange at the

Fishing, Wildlife & Recreation

Our State Bird: The Roadrunner

One of the most well-known birds in North America, the roadrunner was an iconic symbol to humans long before the animated antics of Looney Tunes

Fishing, Wildlife & Recreation

Downy Woodpeckers

While other birds greet the morning with song, woodpeckers provide the beat, rapidly drumming against bark and sending rhythmic echoes through the air. They aren’t

Fishing, Wildlife & Recreation

Taking a Backseat to Politics and Profit

​With more than 90 million birds infected across 48 states, and the bird flu discovered in one of four samples of milk taken from across

Fishing, Wildlife & Recreation

Spring Migration

As the snow melts and flowers bloom, this season is an excellent time to see birds making their way through New Mexico on their migratory

Fishing, Wildlife & Recreation

Conservation Wins and a Surging Bird Flu

In a major win for conservationists, the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C. ruled against the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association and upheld the endangered

Fishing, Wildlife & Recreation

The Spotless Black-Capped Chickadee

They are the most fearless visitor my bird feeders receive. When other birds fly away in a flock, the humble black-capped chickadee remains, hopping about

Fishing, Wildlife & Recreation

Rock Doves Rock: In Defense Of Pigeons

Pigeons get a bad rap, and not without good reason. They can spread disease through their droppings, they crowd birdfeeders to bully away smaller species,

Fishing, Wildlife & Recreation

Piñon Jays In Peril

A new visitor is curiously inspecting the bird feeder I’ve just filled. A grayish-blue cloak of feathers beneath a bright indigo cap: it’s not without

Fishing, Wildlife & Recreation

Bald Eagles and the Case For Conservation

The Bald Eagle became the national bird of the United States on June 20, replacing the white eagle that previously adorned the national emblem with

Fishing, Wildlife & Recreation

Robins, an American Icon

For centuries, from coast to coast, in cities and suburbs, fields and forests, the American Robin has established nests in every contiguous state and filled

Fishing, Wildlife & Recreation

Consequences Of Factory Farming

Full disclosure: I eat chicken. Perhaps it’s hypocritical of me to do so, given my monthly exaltation of birds, but chicken is nutritious, easily accessible,

Fishing, Wildlife & Recreation

The Importanceof Birds

When I began writing this column two years ago, I wanted to impart upon my neighbors in the greater Northern New Mexico area the importance

Fishing, Wildlife & Recreation

The lovely Lewis’s woodpecker

Sporting shimmering green wings that stretch out to a 20-inch wingspan, a ruby-red face and a bright-pink chest, at first glance the Lewis’s Woodpecker almost