Kaweah Oaks Preserve -
Checklist of Native & Introduced Birds

 

There are 144 bird species (includes 5 Introduced species), as of Apr. 27, 2007,
and 42/144 of the species have nested at Kaweah Oaks Preserve.


Bird families and species are listed in phylogenetic order based on
American Ornithologist's Union 7th edition (1998).
I = an Introduced (also known as exotic or non-native) species

N = species that are documented to have nested at Kaweah Oaks Preserve


ORDER: ANSERIFORMES (Ducks and Relatives)

FAMILY: ANATIDAE (Swans, Geese, and Ducks)

o Canada goose (Branta Canadensis)

o wood duck  N (Aix sponsa)

o mallard  N (Anas platyrhynchos)

o cinnamon teal (Anas cyanoptera)

o Northern shoveler (Anas clypeata)

o common merganser (Mergus merganser )

 

ORDER: GALLIFORMES (Pheasants and Relatives)

FAMILY: PHASIANIDAE (Pheasants and Relatives)

o ring-necked pheasant  I (Phasianus colchicus)

 

FAMILY: ODONTOPHORIDAE (New World Quails)

o California quail  N (Phasianus colchicus)

 

ORDER: PODICIPEDIFORMES (Grebes)

FAMILY: PODICIPEDIDAE (Grebes)

o pied-billed grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)

 

ORDER: PELECANIFORMES (Pelicans and Cormorants)

FAMILY: PELECANIDAE (Pelicans)

o American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)

 

ORDER: CICONIIFORMES (Herons, Storks, Ibises, & Relatives)

FAMILY: ARDEIDAE (Herons and Bitterns)

o American bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus)

o great blue heron  N (Ardea herodias)

o great egret (Casmerodius albus)                          

o cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis)

o green heron (Butorides striatus)

o black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)

 

FAMILY: CATHARTIDAE (New World Vultures)

o turkey vulture (Cathartes aura)                        

 


 

ORDER: FALCONIFORMES (Hawks and Falcons)

FAMILY: ACCIPITRIDAE (Hawks and Harriers)

o white-tailed kite  N (Elanus caeruleus)

o bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

o Northern harrier (Circus cyaneus)

o sharp-shinned hawk (Accipiter striatus)

o Cooper’s hawk (Accipiter cooperii)

o red-shouldered hawk  N (Buteo lineatus)

o Swainson’s hawk (Buteo swainsoni)

o red-tailed hawk  N (Buteo jamaicensis)

o ferruginous hawk (Buteo regalis)

o golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)

 

FAMILY: FALCONIDAE (Falcons)

o American kestrel  N (Falco sparverius)                 

o merlin (Falco columbarius)                             

o prairie falcon (Falco mexicanus)

 

ORDER: GRUIFORMES (Cranes, Rails, and Relatives)

FAMILY: RALLIDAE (Rails, Moorhens, and Coots)

o American coot (Fulica Americana)

 

ORDER: CHARADRIIFORMES (Shorebirds, Gulls, and Relatives)

FAMILY: CHARADRIIDAE (Plovers and Relatives)

o killdeer (Charadrius vociferous)

 

FAMILY: SCOLOPACIDAE (Sandpipers and Relatives)

o greater yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)

o whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)                           

o long-billed curlew (Numenius americanus)

o Wilson’s snipe (Gallinago delicate)                      

 

FAMILY: LARIDAE (Gulls and Terns)

o ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis)

o California gull (Larus californicus)

o Caspian tern (Hydroprogne caspia)

o Forster’s tern (Sterna forsteri)

 

ORDER: COLUMBIFORMES (Pigeons and Doves)

FAMILY: COLUMBIDAE (Pigeons and Doves)

o rock dove  I (Columba livia)

o band-tailed pigeon (Columba fasciata)

o Eurasian collared-dove (Streptopelia decaocto)

o mourning dove  N (Zenaida macroura)                                                                                                      

 

ORDER: STRIGIFORMES (Owls)

FAMILY: TYTONIDAE (Barn Owls)

o barn owl  N (Tyto alba)

 

FAMILY: STRIGIDAE (Typical Owls)

o Western screech owl (Otus kennicottii)

o great horned owl  N (Bubo virginianus)

o long-eared owl (Asio otus)

 

ORDER: APODIFORMES (Swifts and Hummingbirds)

FAMILY: APODIDAE (Swifts)

o  black swift (Cypseloides niger)

o vaux’s swift (Chaetura vauxi)

o white-throated swift (Aeronautes saxatalis)

 

FAMILY: TROCHILIDAE (Hummingbirds)

o black-chinned hummingbird  N (Archilocus alexandri)

o Anna’s hummingbird (Calypte anna)                

o rufous hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus)

 

ORDER: CORACIIFORMES (Kingfishers and Relatives)

FAMILY: ALCEDINIDAE (Kingfishers)               

o belted kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon)                                             

 

ORDER: PICIFORMES (Woodpeckers and Relatives)

FAMILY: PICIDAE (Woodpeckers)

o Lewis’s woodpecker (Melanerpes lewis)

o acorn woodpecker  N (Melanerpes formicivorus)

o red-breasted sapsucker (Sphyrapicus rubber)

o Nuttall’s woodpecker  N (Picoides nuttallii)

o downy woodpecker  N (Picoides pubescens)

o hairy woodpecker (Picoides villosus)

o Northern flicker  N (Colaptes auratus)

 

ORDER: PASSERIFORMES (Perching Birds)

FAMILY: TYRANNIDAE (Tyrant Flycatchers)

o olive-sided flycatcher (Contopus cooperi)

o Western wood-pewee  N (Contopus sordidulus)

o willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii)

o gray flycatcher (Empidonax wrightii)

o Pacific-slope flycatcher (Empidonax difficilis)

o black phoebe  N (Sayornis nigricans)

o Say’s phoebe (Sayornis saya)

o ash-throated flycatcher  N (Myiarchus cinerascens)

o Western kingbird  N (Tyrannus verticalis)

o Eastern kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)

 

FAMILY: LANIIDAE (Shrikes)

o loggerhead shrike  N (Lanius ludovicianus)

 

FAMILY: VIREONIDAE (Typical Vireos)

o Cassin’s vireo (Vireo cassinii)

o Hutton’s vireo (Vireo huttoni)

o warbling vireo (Vireo gilvus)

 

FAMILY: CORVIDAE (Jays, Magpies, and Crows)

o Western scrub-jay  N (Aphelocoma californica)

o American crow  (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

o common raven (Corvus corax)

 

FAMILY: ALAUDIDAE (Larks)

o horned lark (Eremophila alpestris)

 

FAMILY: HIRUNDINIDAE (Swallows)

o tree swallow  N (Tachycineta bicolor)

o violet-green swallow (Tachycineta thalassina)

o Northern rough-winged swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)

o barn swallow  N (Hirundo rustica)

o cliff swallow  N (Hirundo pyrrhonota)

 

FAMILY: PARIDAE (Titmice)

o oak titmouse  N (Baeolophus inornatus)

 

FAMILY: AEGITHALIDAE (Bushtit)

o bushtit  N (Psaltriparus minimus)

 

FAMILY: SITTIDAE (Nuthatches)

o white-breasted nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)

 

FAMILY: CERTHIIDAE (Creepers)

o brown creeper (Certhia Americana)

 

FAMILY: TROGLODYTIDAE (Wrens)

o rock wren (Salpinctes obsoletus)

o Bewick’s wren  N (Thryomanes bewickii)

o house wren  N (Troglodytes aedon)

o marsh wren (Cistothorus palustris)

 


 

FAMILY: REGULIDAE (Old World Warblers)

o golden-crowned kinglet (Regulus satrapa)

o ruby-crowned kinglet (Regulus calendula)

 

FAMILY: SYLVIIDAE (Gnatcatchers)

o blue-gray gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)

 

FAMILY: TURDIDAE (Thrushes)

o Western bluebird (Sialia mexicana)

o mountain bluebird (Sialia currucoides)

o hermit thrush (Catharus guttatus)

o American robin (Turdus migratorius)

o varied thrush (Ixoreus naevius)

 

FAMILY: MIMIDAE (Mockingbirds and Thrashers)

o Northern mockingbird  N (Mimus polyglottos)

 

FAMILY: STURNIDAE (Starlings)

o European starling  I  N (Sturnus vulgaris)

 

FAMILY: MOTACILLIDAE (Pipits)

o American pipit (Anthus rubescens)

 

FAMILY: BOMBYCILLIDAE (Waxwings)

o Cedar waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)

 

FAMILY: PTILOGONATIDAE (Silky-flycatchers)

o phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens)

 

FAMILY: PARULIDAE (Wood Warblers)

o orange-crowned warbler (Vermivora celata)

o Nashville warbler (Vermivora ruficapilla)

o yellow warbler (Dendroica petechia)

o yellow-rumped warbler (Dendroica coronata)

 

FAMILY: PARULIDAE (Wood Warblers…continued)

o black-throated gray warbler (Dendroica nigrescens)

o Townsend’s warbler (Dendroica townsendi)

o common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)

o Wilson’s warbler (Wilsonia pusilla)

o yellow-breasted chat (Icteria virens)

 

FAMILY: THRAUPIDAE (Tanagers)

o Western tanager (Piranga ludoviciana)

 


 

FAMILY: EMBERIZIDAE (Emberizines)

o green-tailed towhee (Pipilo chlorurus)

o spotted towhee  N (Pipilo maculates)

o California towhee  N (Pipilo crissalis)

o lark sparrow (Chondestes grammacus)

o savannah sparrow (Passerculus sanwichensis)

o fox sparrow (Passerella iliaca)

o song sparrow  N (Melospiza melodia)

o Lincoln’s sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii)

o white-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)

o white-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)

o golden-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla)

o dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis)

 

FAMILY: CARDINALIDAE (Grosbeaks and Relatives)

o black-headed grosbeak  N (Pheucticus melanocephalus)

o blue grosbeak  N (Guiraca caerulea)

o lazuli bunting  N (Passerina amoena)

 

FAMILY: ICTERIDAE (Icterines)

o red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)

o tricolored blackbird (Agelaius tricolor)

o Western meadowlark  N (Sturnella neglecta)

o Brewer’s blackbird  N (Euphagus cyanocephalus)

o brown-headed cowbird  N (Molothrus ater)

o Bullock’s oriole  N (Icterus galbula)

 

FAMILY: FRINGILLIDAE (Finches)

o purple finch (Carpodacus purpureus)

o house finch  N (Carpodacus mexicanus)

o pine siskin (Carduelis pinus)

o lesser goldfinch (Carduelis psaltria)

o Lawrence’s goldfinch (Carduelis lawrencei)

o American goldfinch (Carduelis tristis)

 

FAMILY: PASSERIDAE (Weaver Finches)

o house sparrow  I  N (Passer domesticus)

 


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