Ash Meadows

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge Birds As the largest oasis in the Mojave Desert, Ash Meadows is a rare desert haven. Ash trees gleam like a beacon to migrant songbirds in the spring, while mesquite bosque shelter breeding warblers against summer's deadly heat. During migration, hosts of waterfowl and shorebirds flock to the open waters of alkali marshes and springs. Rock wrens sing from their rocky hillside perches, while quail and roadrunners traverse the salt-laden landscape below. Introduction Welcome Enjoying the Refuge's Birds Using this Bird Checklist Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1984, is the largest oasis in the Mojave Desert, supporting an incredible diversity of birds and other wildlife year-round. Located between two major flyways, over 23,000 acres of alkali seeps, springs, and other unique habitats make Ash Meadows a stopping point for migratory birds—to the delight of novice and expert bird watchers alike. Birds are most visible during the spring and fall migration (March through May, September through November), when regular migrants, including many exciting rarities, visit the wetlands. Sufficient migration overlap into the summer months assures that even the hottest days can yield interesting birds as well. Walk around the springs and marshes in the winter to see large numbers and variety of waterfowl. Throughout the year, the Point of Rocks area is the best place to see roadrunners, Gambel's quail, Phainopepla, and other typical desert residents. For more detailed information on birding at Ash Meadows, contact the refuge office at 775/372 5435. This list includes over 275 species of birds that have been seen at Ash Meadows to date. Regular bird monitoring is necessary to keep this list current, particularly as many habitats are in the process of restoration. If you believe that you have new information to add to this list, or would like to assist further with our bird monitoring efforts, please contact the refuge office at 775/372 5435. Bird List Key Season Symbols Sp - Spring, March through May S - Summer, June through August F - Fall, September through November W - Winter, December through February Abundance Symbols a - abundant, likely to be seen in large numbers c - common, seen on the majority of visits to proper habitat u - uncommon, seen on less than half of visits to proper habitat r - rare, rarely seen ca - casual, accidental to very rare occurence # - indicates a Threatened/ Endangered Species > - introduced species/subspecies * - bird species known to nest locally + - bird species thought to nest locally General Habitat Symbols 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Credits The hard work of many dedicated individuals made this project possible. Deserving of special recognition are Carl Lundblad, Cristi Baldino, Darrick Weissenfluh, Sharon McKelvey, Cyndi Souza, Jim & Marian Cressman, Craig Fosdick, Paul Lehman, Martin Meyers, Greg Scyphers, Beth & David St. George, Carolyn Titus, Paul van Els, Ken Voget, Mark James, and Alyson Mack. - marsh/reservoirs - springs and streams - mesquite/ash riparian - mesquite/saltbush - creosote bush - saltbush - widespread - rocky slope - sand dune - agricultural fields - caves - buildings Birds of Ash Meadows NWR Common Name Habitat Sp S F W Waterfowl Greater White-fronted Goose Snow Goose Ross’s Goose Brant Cackling Goose Canada Goose Trumpeter Swan Tundra Swan Wood Duck Gadwall* Eurasian Wigeon American Wigeon Mallard* Blue-winged Teal Cinnamon Teal* Northern Shoveler Northern Pintail* Green-winged Teal Canvasback Redhead* Ring-necked Duck Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup White-winged Scoter Long-tailed Duck Bufflehead Common Goldeneye Barrow’s Goldeneye Hooded Merganser Common Merganser 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1,2 1 1 1 1,2 1 1,2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1,2 1 r u u ca u u u u r u ca c c r c u u c u c u r u u r r u r u u u u r c r r r u c c r c u c c c c u r u ca u r u r r u r u u u ca u ca r u u u r u u c c c u r u ca u u ca r u Gambel's Quail © Aaron Ambos Common Name Habitat Sp S F W Red-breasted Merganser Ruddy Duck* 1 1 u c c r c r c Pheasants, Grouse & Partridges Chukar* 3,4,8 r r u r New World Quail Gambel’s Quail* 3,4,6 c c c c Loons Pacific Loon Common Loon Yellow-billed Loon 1 1 1 r r ca ca u r ca Grebes Pied-billed Grebe* Horned Grebe Eared Grebe* Western Grebe Clark’s Grebe 1,2 1 1 1 1 c c c u r c r r Pelicans American White Pelican Brown Pelican 1 1 r r u ca Cormorants Double-crested Cormorant 1 u r u r Bitterns & Herons American Bittern* Least Bittern+ Great Blue Heron Great Egret Snowy Egret Cattle Egret Green Heron* Black-crowned Night-Heron* 1,2 1,2 1,2 1 1 1 1,2 1,2 c u c u u r u u c u u u u r r u c u c u u r u u c r u r Ibis White-faced Ibis 1,10 c u c r New World Vultures Turkey Vulture 7 u u u Osprey Osprey 1 u c r c u r r c r u r r r Common Name Habitat Sp S F W Kites, Hawks & Eagles White-tailed Kite Bald Eagle Northern Harrier* Sharp-shinned Hawk* Cooper’s Hawk* Red-shouldered Hawk Swainon’s Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Ferruginous Hawk Rough-legged Hawk Golden Eagle* 7 1 7 3,4 3,4 7 7 7 7 7 7 r r u r u c u u r r u r ca u r r c u u r r r c u u r r u r u Falcons American Kestrel* Merlin Peregrine Falcon Prairie Falcon+ 7 7 1 7 u r u u Rails Black Rail Yuma Clapper Rail*# Virginia Rail* Sora Common Moorhen American Coot* 1 1 1,2 1 1 1 ca r c c r c r r r u u r r u r u u u r r u r c u r c ca r c u r c c r Cranes Sandhill Crane 1,10 Plovers Black-bellied Plover Snowy Plover* Semipalmated Plover Killdeer* 1 1 1 1 r u u c r u r u r u u c Stilts & Avocets Black-necked Stilt* American Avocet* 1 1 u u u r u u c u u u r r u u u Sandpipers, Phalaropes & Allies Spotted Sandpiper 1 Solitary Sandpiper 1,2 Greater Yellowlegs 1 u r r c ca Common Name Habitat Sp S F Willet Lesser Yellowlegs Whimbrel Long-billed Curlew Marbled Godwit Ruddy Turnstone Sanderling Semipalmated Sandpiper Western Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Baird’s Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Dunlin Ruff Short-billed Dowitcher Long-billed Dowitcher Wilson’s Snipe Wilson’s Phalarope Red-necked Phalarope Red Phalarope 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1,2 1 1 1 r r r u r u r r r r u u r r c c r r r Gulls & Terns Sabine’s Gull Bonaparte’s Gull Franklin’s Gull Heermann’s Gull Ring-billed Gull California Gull Herring Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Least Tern Caspian Tern 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Gulls & Terns, continued on next page u r Endangerd Yuma Clapper Rail USFWS u r r r r ca r c c r ca c r c c u u ca u c c u u r r r r ca ca ca r r r u u u c ca W r r r r r r r ca u u r u c r r Common Name Habitat Sp S F 1 1 1 1 c r ca r W Gulls & Terns, continued Black Tern Common Tern Arctic Tern Forster’s Tern r u Jaegers Long-tailed jaeger 1 Doves Rock Dove Eurasian Collared-dove* White-winged Dove Mourning Dove* Inca Dove 7 3,4,12 3,4 3,4,7 3,4,12 r u r u Cuckoos Yellow-billed Cuckoo* Greater Roadrunner* 2,3 7 r u Barn Owls Barn Owl* 7,11 u r ca ca u Owls Western Screech-owl Great Horned Owl* Burrowing Owl* Long-eared Owl+ Short-eared Owl 3,4 7 5,6 3,4 1,3,9,10 r u r r r Goatsuckers Lesser Nighthawk* Common Nighthawk Common Poorwill+ 7 7 5,6 c Swifts Vaux’s Swift White-throated Swift* 7 7,8 Hummingbirds Black-chinned Hummingbird Anna’s Hummingbird Costa’s Hummingbird* Calliope Hummingbird Broad-tailed Hummingbird 3 3 3 3 3 r u r c r u u r u r u c ca r u u u u r u u r r u r r u c r u u r u ca u u r u r r u u r r r r r r ca r u Common Name Habitat Sp S F Rufous Hummingbird 3 r u Kingfishers Belted Kingfisher 1,2 u Woodpeckers Lewis’s Woodpecker 3 Red-naped Sapsucker 3,4 Red-breasted Sapsucker 3,4 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 3,4 Ladder-backed Woodpecker 3,4 “Red-shafted” Northern Flicker 3,4 “Yellow-shafted” Northern Flicker 3,4 Flycatchers Olive-sided Flycatcher Western Wood-Pewee Willow Flycatcher*# Hammond’s Flycatcher Gray Flycatcher Dusky Flycatcher Pacific-slope Flycatcher Black Phoebe* Eastern Phoebe Say’s Phoebe* VermilionFlycatcher* Ash-throated Flycatcher* Brown-crested Flycatcher* Cassin’s Kingbird Western Kingbird* Eastern Kingbird Endangered Willow Flycatcher © Rick Fridell 3,4 3,4 3,4 3,4 3,4 3,4 3,4 1,2,3 2,3 4,8 2,3 3,4 3,4 3,4 3,4 3,4 r r r u u u u u u u u ca u r u u r c ca u r u r ca r c ca r u r r r r r r u r u u c W u u u r u u u u u r u u r u r r u ca r u ca Common Name Habitat Sp S F W Shrikes Loggerhead Shrike* Northern Shrike 4,5,6 4,5,6 c c c ca Vireos Bell’s Vireo* Plumbeous Vireo Cassin’s Vireo Warbling Vireo Red-eyed Vireo 3,4 2,3,4 2,3,4 3,4 2,3,4 r u u c ca Jays, Magpies & Crows Western Scrub Jay Pinyon Jay Black-billed Magpie Common Raven* Larks Horned Lark* 3,4 3,4 3,4 7 5,6,8 Swallows Purple Martin 7 Tree Swallow 7 Violet-green Swallow 7 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 7 Bank Swallow 7 Cliff Swallow 7 Barn Swallow 7 c r r c c ca c u c u u u c c r u u r u u r r u c r ca ca c c u u u u u u Chickadees & Titmice Mountain Chickadee Verdin Verdin* r c c ca ca 3,4 c c c c Crissal Thrasher © Martin Meyer Common Name Habitat Sp S F W Bushtit Bushtit 3,4 r u Nuthatches Red-breasted Nuthatch 3,4 Wrens Rock Wren* Bewick’s Wren* House Wren Pacific Wren Marsh Wren* 8 3,4 3,4 3 1,2 Kinglets Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3 3,4 r u Gnatcatchers Blue-gray Gnatcatcher* Black-tailed Gnatcatcher* 3,4 3,4,5 c u Thrushes Western Bluebird Mountain Bluebird Townsend’s Solitaire Swainson’s Thrush Hermit Thrush American Robin 2,3,4 7 3,4 2,3 3 3,4 u u r u u u Thrashers & Mockingbirds Northern Mockingbird* Sage Thrasher Brown Thrasher Crissal Thrasher* Le Conte’s Thrasher* 3,4 4,5,6 3,4 3,4 5,6 c u c u r Starlings European Starling 7 u Pipits American Pipit 1 Waxwings Cedar Waxwing 3 r r r u c u u c r c u u u c c u ca ca c c u u r u r u u u u u r r r u u u u r u r u r u u ca u r u u u u u c r r r r r u u r Common Name Habitat Sp S Silky-flycatchers Phainopepla* 3,4 New World Warblers Tennessee Warbler Orange-crowned Warbler Nashville Warbler Virginia’s Warbler Lucy’s Warbler* Northern Parula Yellow Warbler* Magnolia Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Gray Warbler Townsend’s Warbler Hermit Warbler Blackpoll Warbler American Redstart Ovenbird Northern Waterthrush Kentucky Warbler MacGillivray’s Warbler Common Yellowthroat* Hooded Warbler Wilson’s Warbler Yellow-breasted Chat* 3,4 3,4 3,4 3,4 3,4 3,4 3,4 3,4 3,4 3,4 3,4 3,4 3,4 3,4 3,4 3,4 3,4 3,4 3 1,2 3,4 3,4 3,4 New World Sparrows Spotted Towhee Green-tailed Towhee American Tree Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Brewer’s Sparrow+ Lark Sparrow Black-throated Sparrow* Sage Sparrow* Savannah Sparrow* Song Sparrow* Lincoln’s Sparrow Harris’s Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow 3,4 3,4 4 3,4 4,6 4 5,6 6 1,2 1,2,3 3,4 3,4 3,4 u u u r c c r c c ca F u ca c u r r ca c ca c u u r ca r c u r r ca W Common Name Habitat Sp S F W u Golden-crowned Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco 3,4 3,4 3,4 u r r u r r u Cardinals & Allies Summer Tanager+ Western Tanager Black-headed Grosbeak Rose-breasted Grosbeak Blue Grosbeak* Lazuli Bunting+ Indigo Bunting+ 2,3,4 3 3,4 3,4 3,4 3 3,4 r u u ca c u r Icterids Bobolink Red-winged Blackbird Western Meadowlark* Yellow-headed Blackbird* Brewer’s Blackbird Great-tailed Grackle* Brown-headed Cowbird* Bronzed Cowbird Hooded Oriole* Bullock’s Oriole* 2,3 1,2 1,4,10 1 1 1 7 7 3,4 3,4 ca c u c u u u ca r c Finches House Finch Pine Siskin Lesser Goldfinch American Goldfinch 3,4 7 7 7 7 r u r ca u c ca c c c c u c c u u u u r r ca u u u c u u u u u r r c r u u u u u u u u u u r c r c r c r r c Old World Sparrows House Sparrow Phainopepla © Aaron Ambos r r u r u u c r u u u r u u c r u c c u u u u u r u r u u r u u r u r u u u r u r r r r r r u u u r u Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge 610 Spring Meadows Road Amargosa Valley, Nevada 89020 Telephone: 775/372 5435 FAX: 775/372 5436 http://desertcomplex.fws.gov/ashmeadows U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service http://www.fws.gov Refuge Information 1 800/344 9453 Cover photo loggerhead shrike © Zach Smith Inside cover photo great blue heron Cyndi Souza/USFWS. June 2011