Devils River

TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE BIRDS of the EDWA RDS P L AT E A U a field checklist BY MARK W. LOCKWOOD THIRD EDITION • 2008 Counties included in the coverage area of this checklist. Portion of counties that are not part of the Edwards Plateau (shaded area) are not covered. Cover: (clock-wise) Illustration of Golden-cheeked Warbler by Clemente Guzman III, Black-capped Vireo by Rob Fleming and Hooded Oriole by Clemente Guzman III. Birds of the Edwards Plateau: a field checklist the edwards plateau The Edwards Plateau is also known as the Texas Hill Country. It is an extensive plateau covering much of central and west-central Texas. It occupies over 36,000 square miles, roughly 17% of the state. The Hill Country is best known for two rare songbirds, the Golden-cheeked Warbler and Black-capped Vireo. However, these are just two of the many species that can be found in the region. This checklist includes all or part of 26 counties stretching from Travis in the east to Crockett in the west (see map). The Lampasas Cut Plains and the extreme northwest­ ern portion of the Live Oak-Mesquite Savanna, which includes portions of the Concho Valley, are not included in this checklist. The Edwards Plateau is the southernmost extension of the Great Plains. It is formed by Cretaceous limestone and slopes from northwest to southeast. The Balcones Escarpment forms the southern and eastern boundary of the region. The western boundary is marked by the Pecos River and the Rolling Plains border the plateau to the north. There are several distinct habitat types found on the plateau. The region bordering the Balcones Escarpment is dominated by Ashe Juniper (Juniperus ashei)–oak wood­ lands, a habitat unique to the Edwards Plateau and a few nearby areas. This habitat is most associated with the Hill Country. Riparian woodlands are found following the many streams and rivers that meander across the plateau. These forests provide habitat to a distinctly different group of birds. Open grasslands and shrublands can be found throughout the region, but these habitats are most characteristic of the northern and western parts of the plateau. edwards plateau birds The central location of the plateau is one of the reasons so many species of birds can be found there. The avifauna of the Edwards Plateau includes a mix of species from the surrounding ecological regions of the state. A total of 431 species are included in this checklist. The avifauna of the western plateau is influenced by the arid habitats found farther west. Cactus Wren, Black-throated Sparrow, and Pyrrhuloxia are often associated with desert habitats, but are also found on the plateau. Some of the South­ western specialties also reach the western plateau, such as Zone-tailed Hawk, Gray Vireo, Varied Bunting, and Scott’s Oriole. The riparian corridors of the region provide habitat to many species that more common farther east, such as Barred Owl, Acadian Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo, and Northern Parula. Several species primarily found in South Texas can be found along the southern edge of the plateau. Green Kingfisher, Long-billed Thrasher and Olive Sparrow are probably the most common of these birds. This checklist was compiled by Mark W. Lockwood of Alpine, Texas. Nomenclature and organization are based upon the A.O.U. Check-list of North American Birds (7th Edition) as supplemented. 1 Please help us protect the natural avian communities in state parks by refraining from using playback tapes of bird songs. Frequent use of these tapes disrupts normal avian activity patterns, including essential territorial behavior, and may lead to nest failure. Thank you for your cooperation. LEGEND Abundance abundant – normally present and easy to find in proper habitat, often in large numbers common – normally present, and should be found, in proper habitat uncommon – normally present, but can be missed, in proper habitat in small numbers rare – not expected, annual although occurring only a few times per year  very rare – occurs at irregular intervals, but not on an annual basis  lingering individuals   accidental – average of one or two records every ten years Geographic occurrence/Status R Texas Bird Records Committee review species E Eastern half of the Edwards Plateau W Western half of the Edwards Plateau S Southern portion of the Edwards Plateau, generally referring to the Balcones Canyonlands subregion SW Southwestern portion of the Edwards Plateau, Val Verde and Kinney counties in particular NW Northwestern portion of the Edwards Plateau, Crockett, Schleicher and Sutton counties in particular NE Northeastern portion of the Edwards Plateau Nesting status N regular and widespread breeding species N* regular breeding species, but has a more local distribution N** very rare as a breeding species, often only one record N? status as a breeding species is uncertain CITATION Lockwood, M. W. 2008. Birds of the Edwards Plateau: a field checklist. Natural Resources Program, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. 2 CHECKLIST Species __Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Geographic occurrence/ Nesting Status status Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec E, S N* __Greater White-fronted Goose __Snow Goose  __Ross’s Goose    __Cackling Goose __Canada Goose    __Tundra Swan __Wood Duck E, S   N __Gadwall __Eurasian Wigeon R  R  __American Wigeon __American Black Duck __Mallard __Mottled Duck N** __Blue-winged Teal N*       __Cinnamon Teal __Northern Shoveler __Northern Pintail __Green-winged Teal  __Canvasback       __Redhead __Ring-necked Duck __Greater Scaup E __Lesser Scaup  __Surf Scoter __White-winged Scoter   __Long-tailed Duck        __Bufflehead __Common Goldeneye __Hooded Merganser __Red-breasted Merganser    __Common Merganser __Ruddy Duck   N* __Lesser Prairie-Chicken extirpated __Wild Turkey __Scaled Quail N W __Northern Bobwhite __Montezuma Quail N N SW N  __Red-throated Loon  __Pacific Loon    __Common Loon    __Least Grebe __Pied-billed Grebe   N* 3          Species __Horned Grebe  __Red-necked Grebe Geographic occurrence/ Nesting Status status Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec  R __Eared Grebe __Western Grebe NE __Blue-footed Booby R     __American White Pelican    __Brown Pelican    __Neotropic Cormorant       __Double-crested Cormorant   __Anhinga   __Magnificent Frigatebird __American Bittern  __Least Bittern __Great Blue Heron  N*    __Great Egret      __Snowy Egret __Little Blue Heron   __Tricolored Heron      __Reddish Egret     __Cattle Egret __Green Heron N* __Black-crowned Night-Heron __Yellow-crowned Night-Heron E __White Ibis E   N*  __White-faced Ibis __Roseate Spoonbill  __Wood Stork     __Black Vulture N __Turkey Vulture N    __Osprey __Swallow-tailed Kite   E __White-tailed Kite __Mississippi Kite __Bald Eagle        N** __Northern Harrier __Sharp-shinned Hawk __Cooper’s Hawk N*  __Gray Hawk  __Common Black-Hawk __Harris’s Hawk __Red-shouldered Hawk NW, S     N* E, S N __Broad-winged Hawk E N* __Short-tailed Hawk R   __Swainson’s Hawk  __White-tailed Hawk 4    Species __Zone-tailed Hawk Geographic occurrence/ Nesting Status status Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec SW N*      __Red-tailed Hawk N __Ferruginous Hawk    __Rough-legged Hawk   __Golden Eagle __Crested Caracara NE, S __American Kestrel N N*  __Merlin __Peregrine Falcon  __Prairie Falcon __King Rail  N** __Virginia Rail __Sora  __Purple Gallinule __Common Moorhen N? __American Coot N*  __Sandhill Crane  __Whooping Crane  __Black-bellied Plover    __American Golden-Plover __Snowy Plover  __Semipalmated Plover __Killdeer __Mountain Plover     N* N NW __Black-necked Stilt     N* __American Avocet __Northern Jacana  R  __Greater Yellowlegs    __Lesser Yellowlegs     __Solitary Sandpiper __Willet __Spotted Sandpiper N? __Upland Sandpiper __Eskimo Curlew  R  __Whimbrel __Long-billed Curlew __Marbled Godwit  __Ruddy Turnstone    __Sanderling __Semipalmated Sandpiper   __Western Sandpiper __Least Sandpiper  __White-rumped Sandpiper __Baird’s Sandpiper __Pectoral Sandpiper 5  Species __Dunlin Geographic occurrence/ Nesting Status status Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec    __Stilt Sandpiper   __Buff-breasted Sandpiper    __Short-billed Dowitcher __Long-billed Dowitcher __Wilson’s Snipe __American Woodcock    N?  __Wilson’s Phalarope __Laughing Gull   __Red-necked Phalarope SW N*      __Franklin’s Gull __Bonaparte’s Gull __Ring-billed Gull  __California Gull  __Herring Gull __Black-legged Kittiwake  R   __Sooty Tern __Least Tern SW N*     __Caspian Tern    __Black Tern __Forster’s Tern SW N*  __Pomarine Jaeger __Rock Pigeon N  __Red-billed Pigeon  __Band-tailed Pigeon __Eurasian Collared-Dove N __White-winged Dove N __Mourning Dove N __Passenger Pigeon __White-tipped Dove __Monk Parakeet N S N  SW E    __Yellow-billed Cuckoo      N SW __Barn Owl N* N  __Flammulated Owl W __Eastern Screech-Owl  N N __Great Horned Owl __Elf Owl  N __Greater Roadrunner __Western Screech-Owl  N* __Black-billed Cuckoo __Groove-billed Ani  extinct __Inca Dove __Common Ground-Dove   __Sabine’s Gull N SW  N __Burrowing Owl 6 Species __Barred Owl Geographic occurrence/ Nesting Status status Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec E, S N     __Long-eared Owl   __Short-eared Owl __Lesser Nighthawk N? __Common Nighthawk N __Common Poorwill N __Chuck-will’s-widow __Whip-poor-will E, S __Green Violetear N N SW      R  __Broad-billed Hummingbird __White-eared Hummingbird   R  __Buff-bellied Hummingbird __Violet-crowned Hummingbird    E __Chimney Swift __White-throated Swift         R  __Blue-throated Hummingbird    __Lucifer Hummingbird        __Ruby-throated Hummingbird __Black-chinned Hummingbird N __Anna’s Hummingbird __Costa’s Hummingbird  R     __Calliope Hummingbird __Broad-tailed Hummingbird N?     __Allen’s Hummingbird __Ringed Kingfisher                 __Rufous Hummingbird  N** __Belted Kingfisher __Green Kingfisher   N* E, S N  __Lewis’s Woodpecker  __Red-headed Woodpecker __Acorn Woodpecker C N* __Golden-fronted Woodpecker N __Red-bellied Woodpecker N*              __Williamson’s Sapsucker  __Yellow-bellied Sapsucker __Red-naped Sapsucker __Ladder-backed Woodpecker __Downy Woodpecker N E N*   __Hairy Woodpecker   __Northern Flicker  __Pileated Woodpecker __Olive-sided Flycatcher __Greater Pewee R __Western Wood-Pewee W __Eastern Wood-Pewee  N 7     Species __Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Geographic occurrence/ Nesting Status status Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec  __Acadian Flycatcher N __Willow/Alder Flycatcher __Least Flycatcher __Black Phoebe SW __Eastern Phoebe __Say’s Phoebe N N W __Vermilion Flycatcher N __Ash-throated Flycatcher N __Great Crested Flycatcher E, S __Brown-crested Flycatcher SW N __Great Kiskadee SW N* __Couch’s Kingbird SW N*   N   __Cassin’s Kingbird __Western Kingbird N __Eastern Kingbird N? __Scissor-tailed Flycatcher N __Loggerhead Shrike N* __White-eyed Vireo __Bell’s Vireo     N W __Black-capped Vireo N  N __Gray Vireo SW N __Yellow-throated Vireo E, S N __Plumbeous Vireo   __Cassin’s Vireo       __Blue-headed Vireo __Hutton’s Vireo N** __Warbling Vireo   __Philadelphia Vireo __Red-eyed Vireo   N  __Steller’s Jay __Blue Jay     __Green Jay __Western Scrub-Jay     N  __Pinyon Jay __American Crow  N E N NW N  __Chihuahuan Raven __Common Raven __Horned Lark __Purple Martin N N  __Tree Swallow      __Violet-green Swallow __Northern Rough-winged Swallow N* __Bank Swallow N* __Cliff Swallow N      8 Species __Cave Swallow Geographic occurrence/ Nesting Status status Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec N       __Barn Swallow N __Carolina Chickadee N __Black-crested Titmouse N __Verdin N __Bushtit N __Red-breasted Nuthatch   __White-breasted Nuthatch    __Brown Creeper __Cactus Wren __Rock Wren N W N __Canyon Wren N __Carolina Wren N __Bewick’s Wren N __House Wren __Winter Wren __Sedge Wren __Marsh Wren __Golden-crowned Kinglet __Ruby-crowned Kinglet __Blue-gray Gnatcatcher __Black-tailed Gnatcatcher N SW __Eastern Bluebird N* N    __Western Bluebird   __Mountain Bluebird __Townsend’s Solitaire  __Veery  __Gray-cheeked Thrush  __Swainson’s Thrush  __Hermit Thrush  __Wood Thrush __American Robin   N*   __Gray Catbird __Northern Mockingbird N __Sage Thrasher __Brown Thrasher __Long-billed Thrasher SW N* NW N? __Curve-billed Thrasher __Crissal Thrasher N __European Starling N __American Pipit __Sprague’s Pipit __Cedar Waxwing __Phainopepla  SW __Blue-winged Warbler 9    Species __Golden-winged Warbler Geographic occurrence/ Nesting Status status Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec   __Tennessee Warbler __Orange-crowned Warbler __Nashville Warbler __Northern Parula __Tropical Parula N* SW N* __Yellow Warbler  __Chestnut-sided Warbler __Magnolia Warbler  __Cape May Warbler  __Black-throated Blue Warbler   __Yellow-rumped Warbler           __Black-throated Gray Warbler __Golden-cheeked Warbler  N* __Black-throated Green Warbler  __Townsend’s Warbler          __Hermit Warbler   __Blackburnian Warbler __Yellow-throated Warbler  N*  __Grace’s Warbler      __Pine Warbler  __Prairie Warbler        __Palm Warbler      __Bay-breasted Warbler  __Blackpoll Warbler  __Cerulean Warbler __Black-and-white Warbler    N __American Redstart  __Prothonotary Warbler   __Worm-eating Warbler   __Swainson’s Warbler __Ovenbird    __Northern Waterthrush __Louisiana Waterthrush  N* __Kentucky Warbler  __Connecticut Warbler __Mourning Warbler E __MacGillivray’s Warbler W __Common Yellowthroat N*    __Hooded Warbler  __Wilson’s Warbler __Canada Warbler  __Red-faced Warbler  __Painted Redstart __Rufous-capped Warbler R   N?  10  Species __Yellow-breasted Chat Geographic occurrence/ Nesting Status status Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec SW N  __Hepatic Tanager __Summer Tanager  N   __Scarlet Tanager   __Western Tanager __Olive Sparrow SW N* __Green-tailed Towhee __Spotted Towhee __Eastern Towhee E __Canyon Towhee N __Cassin’s Sparrow N __Rufous-crowned Sparrow N  __American Tree Sparrow __Chipping Sparrow  N*   __Clay-colored Sparrow   __Brewer’s Sparrow __Field Sparrow N __Vesper Sparrow __Lark Sparrow N __Black-throated Sparrow N __Lark Bunting N* __Savannah Sparrow __Grasshopper Sparrow __Baird’s Sparrow N  R  __Le Conte’s Sparrow __Fox Sparrow  __Song Sparrow  __Lincoln’s Sparrow __Swamp Sparrow __White-throated Sparrow __Harris’s Sparrow  __White-crowned Sparrow __Golden-crowned Sparrow  R  __Dark-eyed Junco __McCown’s Longspur NW  __Smith’s Longspur __Chestnut-collared Longspur NW __Northern Cardinal N __Pyrrhuloxia N __Rose-breasted Grosbeak __Black-headed Grosbeak __Blue Grosbeak N __Lazuli Bunting __Indigo Bunting S, E N* __Varied Bunting SW N 11 Species __Painted Bunting Geographic occurrence/ Nesting Status status Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec N __Dickcissel N __Red-winged Blackbird N __Eastern Meadowlark N __Western Meadowlark N  __Yellow-headed Blackbird __Rusty Blackbird __Brewer’s Blackbird __Common Grackle N __Great-tailed Grackle __Shiny Cowbird N  R __Bronzed Cowbird N __Brown-headed Cowbird N __Orchard Oriole __Hooded Oriole N SW __Bullock’s Oriole N __Audubon’s Oriole __Baltimore Oriole __Scott’s Oriole N* N** E W, S N    __Purple Finch __Cassin’s Finch __House Finch          N __Red Crossbill __Pine Siskin __Lesser Goldfinch N __American Goldfinch     __Evening Grosbeak __House Sparrow N 12   There are several Texas Parks and Wildlife Department facilities within the coverage area of this checklist. These parks and wildlife management areas are listed below. Site specific bird checklist are available for most of these state parks. Blanco State Park Colorado Bend State Park Devils River State Natural Area Enchanted Rock State Natural Area Garner State Park Government Canyon State Natural Area Guadalupe River State Park Hill Country State Natural Area Inks Lake State Park Kerr Wildlife Management Area Kerrville-Schreiner State Park Kickapoo Cavern State Park Longhorn Cavern State Park Lost Maples State Natural Area Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site Pedernales Falls State Park South Llano River State Park For additional information about the birds of the Edwards Plateau see: Lockwood, M.W. 2001. Birds of the Texas Hill Country. University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas. Natural Resources Program 4200 Smith School Road Austin, Texas 78744 www.tpwd.state.tx.us © 2008 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department PWD BK P4000-667 (4/08) In accordance with Texas Depository Law, this publication is available at the Texas State Publications Clearinghouse and/or Texas Depository Libraries.