King Range

Birds of the King Range National Conservation Area The King Range area provides a variety of habitats for many bird species. Ocean-front habitats stretch 30 miles from south of Shelter Cove north to the Mattole River Estuary and includes rocky and sandy areas. The estuary area provides important habitat for migrating and wintering birds. Well over half of the terrestrial habitat is comprised of mixed evergreen forest of which about half has been burned or cut over. The remaining habitat types include manzanita/ceanothus, coastal prairie, and northern coastal scrub. The King Range is laced with fresh water streams which contain riparian vegetation of varying amounts and quality. These riparian areas provide important habitat requirements for numerous wildlife species. About two thirds of the terrestrial bird species depend on riparian areas to fulfill all or part of their habitat requirements. SEASON OF OCCURRENCE ABUNDANCE Sp = Spring (March-May) A = Abundant S = Summer (June-July) C = Common F = Fall (August-November) U = Uncommon W = Winter (December-February) R = Rare STATUS X = Observed/Status Unknown E = Federally listed endangered I = Irregular/Casual S = BLM listed sensitive GENERAL HABITAT PREFERENCE w = ocean water areas including the near shore ocean, Mattole River Estuary, tidal flats and beaches. f = forestlands include Douglas-fir, tanoak, madrone intermixed with deciduous and live oaks (mixed evergreen forests). g = grasslands (coastal prairie). s = scrublands include intermixed grass, shrubs and forests (northern coastal scrub). c = chaparral brushlands (manzanita/ceanothus chaparral). r = riparian habitat is comprised of freshwater streams bordered by shrubs and trees including willows, alders, maple, etc. This checklist has been prepared for visitors wishing to record birds while visiting the King Range National Conservation Area (KRNCA). Birdwatchers are encouraged to participate in gathering information to help refine our knowledge of bird life in this beautiful area. If you wish to participate, send information to Bureau of Land Management, Arcata Field Office, 1695 Heindon Road, Arcata, CA 95521-4573. BLM acknowledges Stanley W. Harris and Robert Sutherland (Woods) for their contributions to this list. Habitat Seasons Sp S F W _____ Red-throated Loon C R C C w _____ Common Loon C U C U w _____ Horned Grebe U U w Seasons Habitat Sp S F W _____ Arctic Loon C R C R w _____ Pied-billed Grebe R R X w _____ Red-necked Grebe R R w I _____ Eared Grebe X _____ Sooty Shearwater I R U w _____ Western Grebe C U C C w C C _____ Bonaparte's Gull C X C X w _____ Heermann's Gull _____ Mew Gull C X C C w _____ Ringed-billed Gull U X U _____ California Gull C U A U w _____ Herring Gull R R R w X X w X X X _____ Thayer's Gull _____ Western Gull C C C A w _____ Glaucous-winged Gull C U C C w _____ Pigeon Guillemot U U U I w _____ Black-legged Kittiwake X X X U w _____ Rhinoceros Auklet _____ Caspian Tern C C U w _____ Common Tern _____ Forster's Tern X w _____ Ancient Murrelet I X _____ Black-crowned Night Heron w _____ Common Murre C C w U w w X C w A C U w wf _____ Marbled Murrelet R R R R _____ Brown Pelican (E) U C C I w _____ Great Egret X X U U w _____ Brandt's Cormorant C C C R w _____ Pelagic Cormorant C C C C w _____ Green-backed Heron R R U I w _____ Great Blue Heron C C C C wr wr _____ Double-crested Cormorant C C C w s _____ Band-tailed Pigeon C C A C fs _____ Anna's Hummingbird C C C U csrf _____ Domestic Pigeon I _____ Mourning Dove C C U _____ Vaux's Swift C U U _____ Allen's Hummingbird C C C U csfr _____ Belted Kingfisher U U C U wr _____ Red-breasted Sapsucker U U U U frs _____ Northern Flicker C C C C frsc _____ Downy Woodpecker R R R R rsf _____ Acorn Woodpecker C C C C sfr _____ Hairy Woodpecker C C C C frs _____ Pileated Woodpecker U U U U f _____ Olive-sided Flycatcher U U fs _____ Western Wood-Peewee C C C fsr _____ Hammond's Flycatcher X fsr _____ Western Flycatcher C C C fsr _____ Black Phoebe C C C rg _____ Say's Phoebe X gs _____ Ash-throated Flycatcher C C U scr _____ Western Kingbird C C gs _____ Horned Lark X X g _____ Purple Martin R R wfsr _____ Tree Swallow C U U I wfrs _____ Cliff Swallow C C U gr _____ Violet-green Swallow C C A I wfsgr _____ Barn Swallow C C C gsr _____ Rough-winged Swallow C C U I grs f C rg _____ Stellar's Jay C C C C fs _____ Scrub Jay C C C C scrf _____ American Crow U R U U gsw _____ Common Raven C C C C fsgw _____ Turkey Vulture C C C U fgsc _____ Red-shouldered Hawk R R R R r _____ Osprey U U U R w _____ Red-tailed Hawk C C C C gscr _____ Black-shouldered Kite R R R R gs _____ Rough-legged Hawk X g _____ Bald Eagle (E) R I R R wg _____ Golden Eagle R R R R fgsc _____ American Kestrel C C C C gsr R R wg _____ Merlin _____ Peregrine Falcon (E) R R _____ Northern Goshawk X R R fs _____ Sharp-shinned Hawk C C C fscr _____ Cooper's Hawk U C U sfrc _____ Northern Harrier R X R wg _____ Chestnut-backed Chickadee C C C C frs _____ Bushtit C C C C srcf _____ Red-breasted Nuthatch C C C I fsr _____ Brown Creeper C U C U f _____ Rock Wren X X _____ Bewick's Wren C C C C scrf _____ House Wren R R R _____ Winter Wren C X C C fr _____ Marsh Wren R R R R wr _____ American Dipper U U U U r _____ Blue Grouse R R R R f _____ Mountain Quail C C C C f _____ California Quail C C C C gsrc _____ American Coot X C X w _____ Black-bellied Plover _____ Snowy Plover R w _____ Semi-palmated Plover U U _____ American Black Oystercatcher U U U w _____ Killdeer C C C C wg _____ Greater Yellowlegs U I X w _____ Willet X U U X w _____ Wandering Tattler U I U w _____ Spotted Sandpiper U U U X wr _____ Whimbrel U I X w _____ Marbled Godwit _____ Ruddy Turnstone wgs U X s sr X w w X X X w _____ Black Turnstone C I w C C w _____ Surfbird U U U w _____ Sanderling C C C w _____ Western Sandpiper C U U w _____ Least Sandpiper C C X w I w _____ Rock Sandpiper I w X w _____ Short-billed Dowitcher X X X X w _____ Common Snipe U U R R w _____ Red-necked Phalarope X w f _____ Ruby-crowned Kinglet C C C rsfc f _____ Western Bluebird C C C C gsf _____ Baird's Sandpiper _____ Dunlin X _____ Long-billed Dowitcher _____ Wilson's Phalarope _____ Red Phalarope X X _____ Golden-crowned Kinglet C C C _____ Townsend's Solitaire C X w U w wr _____ Swainson's Thrush U U U U rfs _____ Hermit Thrush C C C C fsr _____ American Robin C C C A fsrga _____ Varied Thrush C U C C frs _____ Wrentit C C C C cs _____ California Thrasher U U U U cs _____ Water Pipit R C R wg _____ Cedar Waxwing U R A U fsr _____ Starling C C C C gf _____ Western Tanager C C C sfr _____ Black-headed Grosbeak C C C _____ Lazuli Bunting C C C sgr _____ Rufous-sided Towhee C C C C cfsr _____ Brown Towhee C C C sc _____ Evening Grosbeak I R I rsf _____ Chipping Sparrow U U U _____ House Sparrow R R R R Bldgs. _____ Savannah Sparrow C X C X g _____ Lark Sparrow U U U _____ Song Sparrow C C C C rc _____ Lincoln's Sparrow U U U sr _____ Golden-crowned Sparrow _____ White-crowned Sparrow _____ Red-winged Blackbird _____ Brewer's Blackbird C fgr fs gsr C C C crsgf _____ Fox Sparrow C C C crsf C U C C sc _____ Dark-eyed Junco C C C C f X X wgr _____ Western Meadowlark C C C C g C C C g _____ Brown-headed Cowbird U U U r _____ Purple Finch C C C C fsrc C X _____ Northern Oriole sgr C C C C gsrc _____ Red Crossbill I I R I fs C C C C fsr _____ Lesser Goldfinch C C C I sg _____ American Goldfinch C C C I sg _____ Western Screech Owl C C C C fsr _____ Great Horned Owl C C C C fsr _____ Burrowing Owl X X X g _____ Northern Pygmy Owl C C C C fsr _____ Spotted Owl (S) R R R R f _____ Black-throated Gray Warbler C C C sf _____ Solitary Vireo C C C _____ Hutton's Vireo C C C sfr _____ Townsend's Warbler U U _____ Warbling Vireo C C C fsr _____ Hermit Warbler U C U fs _____ Orange-crowned Warbler C C C sfcr _____ MacGillivray's Warbler U C U crs _____ Nashville Warbler U U U rcs _____ Common Yellowthroat U I sr _____ Yellow Warbler U U U r _____ Yellow-rumped Warbler _____ Wilson's Warbler C C C rcfs _____ (Myrtle) C C C fscg _____ Yellow-breasted Chat R R R sr _____ (Audubon's) C U C U rsfcg _____ Blue-winged Teal I w _____ Solitary Sandpiper I _____ Common Barn Owl X gs _____ Long-eared Owl X _____ Northern Saw-whet Owl X X fr _____ Black Swift X I s _____ Willow Flycatcher scfr _____ House Finch _____ Pine Siskin X X I _____ Lewis Woodpecker _____ Dusky Flkycatcher U X U f X X rs _____ White-breasted Nuthatch I f ac s s _____ Sage Thrasher _____ Palm Warbler I rs _____ Black-and-white Warbler s _____ Cassin's Finch I _____ Sage Sparrow ac _____ Vesper Sparrow I s _____ Lawrence's Goldfinch ac s OBSERVER:__________________________________ DATE: ___/___/___ WEATHER:__________________________________ TOTAL SPECIES:_____________________________ ______________________________________________ NOTES f X I I fsr w X _____ Northern Mockingbird _____ Indigo Bunting sfr C I I f I fs s ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ 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