Cibola

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Cibola National Wildlife Refuge Birds Welcome to Birding at Cibola National Wildlife Refuge Cibola National Wildlife Refuge is located along the lower Colorado River 20 miles south of Blythe, California. Approximately two-thirds of the refuge is in Arizona and onethird is in California. It encompasses 18,555 acres and shares it’s southern boundary with Imperial NWR. The refuge was established in 1964 to mitigate the loss of fish and wildlife habitat involved in the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s water salvage and channelization projects along the Colorado River. Where to Look The main portion of the refuge is alluvial river bottom with dense growths of salt cedar, mesquite, and arrowweed along with several hundred acres of revegetated cottonwood and willow habitat. Through this flows the Colorado River, in both a dredged channel and a portion of its original channel. The refuge also contains ~1,000 acres of farmland and 785 acres of desert foothills and ridges. Although there are birds to be observed year-round, the spring and fall months, with their seasonal migration, offer the greatest variety of species. Nesting birds include the great egret, great blue heron, black-crowned night-heron, least bittern, Ridgway’s rail, white-winged dove as well as common yellowthroat, phainopepla, northern mockingbird, Lucy’s warbler, and other song birds. Did You Find a Rare Bird? The endangered Ridgway’s rail, the only freshwater form of clapper rail, is found in suitable marshes throughout the refuge. Cibola NWR is important as a wintering ground for the western (or Great Basin) subspecies of Canada goose and for Sandhill Cranes. Many ducks, primarily pintail, wigeon, and mallard, also spend a portion of the winter here. How to use your checklist Seasons This list of 287 species is in accordance with the seventh addition of the American Ornithologists’ Union Checklist of North American Birds, 7th edition (1998) and its supplements through July 2016. Those species marked with an asterisk (*) have nested on the refuge. Species that occur as accidental (marked with an “X”) may occur more regularly in areas surrounding the refuge, but most are true geographic rarities. Seasons and occurrences for bird sightings on the refuge are coded below. Note that seasons vary from species to species; fall migration for some, such as shorebirds and flycatchers, is much earlier (mid-July to mid-September) compared to fall migration for other species, such as most waterfowl and sparrows (September to November). Abundance Sp—Spring—period of spring migration (depending on species) from mid-February to early June S—Summer—June to August F—Fall—period of fall migration (depending on species) from mid-July to November W—Winter—December to February A—Abundant: a common and numerous species C—Common: certain to be seen in suitable habitat U—Uncommon: present, but not certain to be seen O—Occasional: seen only a few times during a season R—Rare: seen at intervals of 2 to 5 years X—Accidental: has been seen only once or twice * Has nested on the refuge + Exotic or introduced species Italicized bird names indicate threatened or endangered species. Common Name Sp S F W Ducks, Geese, and Swans ___Fulvous Whistling-Duck X X ___Greater White-fronted Goose U U ___Snow Goose C C ___Ross’s Goose U U ___Brant X ___Canada Goose O A A ___Tundra Swan O O ___Wood Duck U U ___Gadwall U C C ___Eurasian Wigeon O ___American Wigeon U C A ___*Mallard C U C A ___Blue-winged Teal O O ___*Cinnamon Teal C O C O ___Northern Shoveler C O C C ___Northern Pintail C O C A ___Green-winged Teal U U A A ___Canvasback U U U ___Redhead U O C O ___Ring-necked Duck U C C ___Greater Scaup R ___Lesser Scaup U C U ___Bufflehead O C C ___Common Goldeneye R U ___Barrow’s Goldeneye X ___Hooded Merganser O O O ___Common Merganser U U U ___Red-breasted Merganser O R O O ___*Ruddy Duck C O C U New World Quail ___*Gambel’s Quail A A A A Grebes ___*Pied-billed Grebe C C C C ___Eared Grebe C C O ___*Western Grebe C C C C ___*Clark’s Grebe C C C C Pigeons and Doves ___Rock Pigeon O O O O ___Band-tailed Pigeon X ___Eurasian Collared-Dove C C C C ___Common Ground-Dove O O O O ___*White-winged Dove C A ___*Mourning Dove C A C U Cuckoos, Roadrunners, and Anis ___*Yellow-billed Cuckoo U ___*Greater Roadrunner C C C C Common Name Sp S F W Goatsuckers ___*Lesser Nighthawk C C C ___Common Poorwill O O O Swifts ___Vaux’s Swift U U ___White-throated Swift U O O O Hummingbirds ___*Black-chinned Hummingbird U C C C ___*Anna’s Hummingbird O O O C ___*Costa’s Hummingbird C C ___Broad-tailed Hummingbird X ___Rufous Hummingbird U Rails, Gallinules, and Coots ___*Ridgway’s Rail C C C U ___Virginia Rail O O O ___*Sora C C C C ___*Common Moorhen C C C C ___*American Coot A A A A Cranes ___Sandhill Crane O C Stilts and Avocets ___*Black-necked Stilt C U C U ___American Avocet U R U R Plovers ___Black-bellied Plover R ___Snowy Plover O O R ___Semipalmated Plover O O ___*Killdeer A A C C Sandpipers, Phalaropes, and Allies ___Long-billed Curlew U U U U ___Marbled Godwit O O O ___Ruddy Turnstone X ___Stilt Sandpiper U U U ___Sanderling O O ___Dunlin O O O ___Least Sandpiper C U C C ___Pectoral Sandpiper O R ___Western Sandpiper C C C ___Long-billed Dowitcher U U C C ___Wilson’s Snipe U U C ___Spotted Sandpiper U U C C ___Solitary Sandpiper O O O ___Greater Yellowlegs U O U U ___Willet U O U ___Lesser Yellowlegs O U U ___Wilson’s Phalarope R O O O ___Red-necked Phalarope R O O ___Red Phalarope X Ridgway Rail, Taylor Lake. / Brenda Zaun Common Name Sp S F W Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers ___Sabine’s Gull X ___Bonaparte’s Gull O O ___Laughing Gull X ___Franklin’s Gull X X ___Heerman’s Gull X X ___Ring-billed Gull C O C C ___California Gull R O ___Herring Gull X ___Glaucous-winged Gull X ___Least Tern X ___Caspian Tern U U U ___Black Tern O O O ___Common Tern O ___Forster’s Tern C O C R ___Black Skimmer X Loons ___Common Loon X Storks ___Wood Stork X X Boobies ___Brown Booby X Cormorants ___Neotropic Cormorant X ___*Double-crested Cormorant C C C C Pelicans ___American White Pelican U O U U ___Brown Pelican X Common Name Sp S F W Herons, Bitterns, and Egrets ___American Bittern R O ___*Least Bittern C C U O ___*Great Blue Heron C C C C ___*Great Egret C C C C ___*Snowy Egret C C C C ___Little Blue Heron X ___Cattle Egret C C C C ___*Green Heron C C C C ___*Black-crowned Night-Heron C C C C Ibises and Spoonbills ___*White-faced Ibis C C C C ___Roseate Spoonbill X Vultures ___Turkey Vulture C C C U Hawks, Kites, and Eagles ___Osprey C O U O ___White-tailed Kite O O O ___Mississippi Kite X ___Bald Eagle O O O ___Northern Harrier C U C ___Sharp-shinned Hawk U U U ___Cooper’s Hawk U U C ___Harris’s Hawk R R R R ___Red-shouldered Hawk U U ___Broad-winged Hawk X ___Swainson’s Hawk U ___*Red-tailed Hawk C C C C ___Rough-legged Hawk R ___Ferruginous Hawk X ___Golden Eagle U O O Barn Owls ___*Barn Owl C C C C Typical Owls ___*Western Screech-Owl O O O O ___*Great Horned Owl C C C C ___Elf Owl U U U ___*Burrowing Owl C C C C ___Short-eared Owl X Kingfishers ___Belted Kingfisher U U C C Woodpeckers ___Lewis’s Woodpecker X X ___*Gila Woodpecker U U U U ___Red-naped Sapsucker O O O ___Red-breasted Sapsucker R R ___*Ladder-backed Woodpecker C C C C ___Northern Flicker C C C ___Gilded Flicker O O O O Common Name Sp S F W Caracaras and Falcons ___Crested Caracara X ___*American Kestrel C C C C ___Merlin O O ___Peregrine Falcon R R R O ___Prairie Falcon O R O Tyrant Flycatchers ___Olive-sided Flycatcher O O ___Greater Pewee X ___Western Wood-Pewee C U C ___Southwest Willow Flycatcher R U R ___Hammond’s Flycatcher R R ___Gray Flycatcher R R R ___Dusky Flycatcher X ___Pacific-slope Flycatcher C C ___*Black Phoebe C U C C ___*Say’s Phoebe C C C C ___*Vermilion Flycatcher C U C C ___Dusky-capped Flycatcher X ___*Ash-throated Flycatcher C C C R ___Brown-crested Flycatcher O U ___Tropical Kingbird X ___Cassin’s Kingbird R ___Thick-billed Kingbird X ___*Western Kingbird C C U Shrikes ___*Loggerhead Shrike U C C C Vireos ___*Bell’s Vireo O O O ___Gray Vireo X ___Hutton’s Vireo X X ___Cassin’s Vireo U U R ___Plumbeous Vireo U U R ___Warbling Vireo C U C ___Red-eyed Vireo X X Crows and Jays ___Steller’s Jay X X ___Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay X X X ___American Crow U U ___Common Raven O O O O Larks ___Horned Lark O C C Swallows ___Purple Martin X X ___Tree Swallow C U A A ___Violet-green Swallow O O ___*No. Rough-winged Swallow C C C O ___Bank Swallow O O O ___*Cliff Swallow A A C ___Barn Swallow C C C Common Name Sp S F W Turkey vulture. / Curt Kessler, USFWS Chickadees ___Mountain Chickadee X X Verdins ___*Verdin C C C C Nuthatches ___Red-breasted Nuthatch X ___White-breasted Nuthatch X Wrens ___*Rock Wren U U U U ___Canyon Wren X ___*Bewick’s Wren C O O O ___House Wren O O O ___*Marsh Wren A A C C ___*Cactus Wren C C U U Gnatcatchers ___Blue-gray Gnatcatcher O O O ___*Black-tailed Gnatcatcher C C C C Kinglets ___Ruby-crowned Kinglet C C C Thrushes ___Western Bluebird O O ___Mountain Bluebird O O O ___Townsend’s Solitaire R O O ___Swainson’s Thrush R ___Hermit Thrush O U U ___American Robin U U O Mockingbirds and Thrashers ___Curve-billed Thrasher O R O ___Brown Thrasher X ___Bendire’s Thrasher X X ___LeConte’s Thrasher R ___*Crissal Thrasher C C C C ___Sage Thrasher O O O ___*Northern Mockingbird C C C C Common Name Sp S F W Starlings ___*European Starling C C C C Waxwings ___Cedar Waxwing O O O Silky-Flycatchers ___*Phainopepla C C C C Old World Sparrows ___*House Sparrow C C C C Pipits ___American Pipit C C C ___Sprague’s Pipit X Finches and Goldfinches ___*House Finch C C C C ___Purple Finch X ___Cassin’s Finch X ___Pine Siskin R O O ___Lesser Goldfinch C U U U ___Lawrence’s Goldfinch X X ___American Goldfinch O O O Longspurs ___Lapland Longspur X ___Chestnut-collared Longspur R ___McCown’s Longspur X Wood-Warblers ___Ovenbird X ___Northern Waterthrush X ___Orange-crowned Warbler C C C C ___*Lucy’s Warbler C C ___Nashville Warbler U O U ___Virginia’s Warbler R R R ___MacGillivray’s Warbler U U U ___*Common Yellowthroat C C C C ___American Redstart R R R ___Yellow Warbler O O O ___Blackpoll Warbler X ___Yellow-rumped Warbler C C C ___Black-throated Gray Warbler U U ___Townsend’s Warbler U U ___Hermit Warbler O O ___Black-throated Green Warbler X ___Wilson’s Warbler C O C C ___*Yellow-breasted Chat C C C Towhees, Sparrows, and Allies ___Green-tailed Towhee O U U ___Spotted Towhee O O O ___*Abert’s Towhee A A C C ___Chipping Sparrow C O C R ___Clay-colored Sparrow X X ___Brewer’s Sparrow O C O ___Black-chinned Sparrow X Common Name Sp S F W Towhees, Sparrows, and Allies, continued ___Vesper Sparrow U C C ___Lark Sparrow O O O ___Black-throated Sparrow U U O ___Sage Sparrow U U ___Lark Bunting X X ___Savannah Sparrow C C C ___Grasshopper Sparrow X ___Fox Sparrow O O ___*Song Sparrow C C C C ___Lincoln’s Sparrow U U O ___White-throated Sparrow X ___White-crowned Sparrow C C A ___Golden-crowned Sparrow R R R ___Dark-eyed Junco U O O ___Slate-colored R ___Oregon U O O ___Pink-sided Junco O O O ___Gray-headed Junco R R R Tanagers, Cardinals, Grosbeaks, and Buntings ___*Summer Tanager U U O ___Western Tanager U U C ___Northern Cardinal X ___Black-headed Grosbeak U U C U ___*Blue Grosbeak C C C ___Lazuli Bunting U U ___Indigo Bunting O O O ___Painted Bunting X X ___Dickcissel X Blackbirds and Orioles ___*Red-winged Blackbird A A A C ___Western Meadowlark C C C C ___*Yellow-headed Blackbird C C C C ___Rusty Blackbird X ___Brewer’s Blackbird U C U ___*Great-tailed Grackle C C C C ___Bronzed Cowbird X ___*Brown-headed Cowbird A A C U ___Hooded Oriole O O O ___*Bullock’s Oriole C C U Cibola National Wildlife Refuge 66600 Cibola Lake Road Cibola, AZ 85328 928/857-3253 928/857-3420 Fax Visit us on our social media websites www.fws.gov U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southwest Region www.fws.gov/ southwest/ For information on the National Wildlife Refuge System 1 800/344- WILD Arizona State Relay 1 800/367-8939 Sandhill cranes. Ezster Munes / USFWS May 2017