Skip to content
Atlas
Desert Oasis Insider

Explore DOI

Atlas
Contact Mark
Sign in / Create account

Find your next discovery.

A streaked blackbird standing in shallow water.

Red-winged Blackbird

A familiar and charismatic resident of wetlands across North America, the Red-winged Blackbird is one of the few water-associated birds that reliab...

 A visitor seated on rocks overlooking the sunset from Keys View in Joshua Tree National Park.

Keys View

Keys View brings the Coachella Valley into focus from the crest of the Little San Bernardino Mountains in Joshua Tree National Park. Mountain ridge...

 A mountain chickadee standing on a weathered tree stump in Idyllwild.

Mountain Chickadee

The Mountain Chickadee (Poecile gambeli) is one of the most charming and lively small birds of the higher elevations surrounding the Coachella Vall...

 A brown whistling duck standing upright beside vegetation at The Living Desert.

Fulvous Whistling-Duck

The Fulvous Whistling-Duck is a tawny-brown waterfowl known for its whistling call and social nature. It thrives in tropical and subtropical wetlan...

 Broad, pointed agave leaves growing in a landscaped desert garden.

Agave Americana (Century Plant)

A striking, large succulent native to Mexico and the southwestern U.S. It is widely cultivated in the Coachella Valley and surrounding desert regio...

 Illustrated portrait of Thomas A. O'Donnell wearing a hat and suit in a desert landscape.

Thomas A. O’Donnell

Who They WereThomas Arthur O’Donnell (June 26, 1870 – February 21, 1945) was a self-made oil tycoon from Long Beach, California, originally from Pe...

 An ostrich standing in dry grass at The Living Desert.

Ostriche

Meet the world’s largest bird—up to 9 feet tall and 300+ pounds. They can’t fly but make up for it by sprinting up to 45 mph across African savanna...

 A small bird perched among thin leaves and stems.

Flame Skimmer (Libellula saturata)

This vibrant orange dragonfly is a striking species commonly found in the Coachella Valley and throughout the southwestern United States. Appearanc...

 A pink-backed pelican swimming on green water at The Living Desert.

Pink-backed Pelican

Medium-sized waterbirds native to sub-Saharan Africa are known for the soft blush of pink visible on their backs and rumps. Unlike the Coachella Va...

 Close-up of an ostrich's head and long neck at The Living Desert.

Emu

 It is the second-largest bird species in the world and is native to Australia's arid and semi-arid regions. This flightless bird is known for its ...

 Close-up of a bighorn ram with large curled horns at The Living Desert.

Bighorn Sheep

One of the most iconic large mammals of the Coachella Valley and surrounding ranges, including the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains. This subsp...

 Small yellow sweet-acacia flowers among delicate green leaves.

Sweet Acacia (Acacia farnesiana)

The Sweet Acacia, or Needle Bush or Huisache, is a small tree or large shrub native to the Americas. It is well-regarded for its ornamental value a...