Birds

Currently there are 159 species on the checklist, representing species confirmed to occur in the Granite Mountains as residents, migrants, or vagrants.  Resident (R) = present all year, breeds in the Granites (or area);Summer Resident (SR) = present in summer (spring-fall) and breeds in the Granites; Winter Resident (WR) = consistent presence in winter; Non-breeding Migrant (M) = present seasonally (inconsistent or for short duration), does not breed in Granites; Vagrant (V) = accidental, very unusual, presence is not predictable, or historic records only. (!) = non-native to area; (*) = direct evidence has been observed for nesting/breeding in the Granites.  A pdf version of this checklist can be downloaded here: GMBird Checklist.  We also have a booklet titled “Common Birds of the Sweeney Granite Mountains Desert Research Center”, available at the reserve.  If you are interested in obtaining one please contact a staff member.

To learn more about the species, click on the double arrow to the right of the common name (⇒); this will take you to the Cornell University All About Birds website. Photos linked to the species name are courtesy and copyright of © Mark Chappell (UC Riverside).

Checklist for Birds of the Granite Mountains (last updated Nov. 2012)
  UPLAND GAME BIRDS
R!Chukar Alectoris chukar
R Mountain Quail Oreortyx pictus
R*Gambel’s Quail Callipepla gambelii
    
  DIURNAL RAPTORS
SR Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
M Osprey Pandion haliaetus
M Northern Harrier Circus hudsonius
WR Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus
R Cooper’s Hawk Accipiter cooperii
M Swainson’s Hawk Buteo swainsoni
SR*Zone-tailed Hawk Buteo albonotatus
R*Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis
WR Ferruginous Hawk Buteo regalis
WR Rough-legged Hawk Buteo lagopus
R*Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos
R*American Kestrel Falco sparverius
M Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
R Prairie Falcon Falco mexicanus
    
  PIGEONS & DOVES
R!Rock Pigeon Columba livia
V Band-tailed Pigeon Patagioenas fasciata
SR White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica
R*Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
R!Eurasion Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
    
  CUCKOOS & RELATIVES
R*Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus
    
  OWLS
R Barn Owl Tyto alba
R*Western Screech-Owl Megascops kennicottii
R*Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus
R Burrowing Owl Athene cunicularia
R Long-eared Owl Asio otus
V Northern Saw-whet Owl Aegolius acadicus
    
  GOATSUCKERS
SR Lesser Nighthawk Chordeiles acutipennis
R Common Poorwill Phalaenoptilus nuttallii
    
  HUMMINGBIRDS & SWIFTS
M Vaux’s Swift Chaetura vauxi
R*White-throated Swift Aeronautes saxatalis
M Black-chinned Hummingbird Archilochus alexandri
SR Anna’s Hummingbird Calypte anna
SR*Costa’s Hummingbird Calypte costae
M Calliope Hummingbird Stellula calliope
V Broad-tailed Hummingbird Selasphorus platycercus
M Rufous Hummingbird Selasphorus rufus
    
  WOODPECKERS
V Lewis’s Woodpecker Melanerpes lewis
V Acorn Woodpecker Melanerpes formicivorus
V Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius
M Red-naped Sapsucker Sphyrapicus nuchalis
M Red-breasted Sapsucker Sphyrapicus ruber
R*Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris
WR Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus
    
  TYRANT FLYCATCHERS
M Olive-sided Flycatcher Contopus cooperi
M Western Wood-Pewee Contopus sordidulus
M Willow Flycatcher Empidonax traillii
M Hammond’s Flycatcher Empidonax hammondii
M Gray Flycatcher Empidonax wrightii
M Dusky Flycatcher Empidonax oberholseri
M Pacific-slope Flycatcher Empidonax difficilis
R Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans
R*Say’s Phoebe Sayornis saya
V Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus
SR*Ash-throated Flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens
SR*Cassin’s Kingbird Tyrannus vociferans
SR Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis
    
  SHRIKES & VIREOS
R*Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus
SR Gray Vireo Vireo vicinior
M Plumbeous Vireo Vireo plumbeus
M Cassin’s Vireo Vireo cassinii
M Warbling Vireo Vireo gilvus
V Philadelphia Vireo Vireo philadelphicus
    
  JAYS, CROWS, & RAVENS
WR Steller’s Jay Cyanocitta stelleri
R*Woodhouse Scrub-Jay Aphelocoma californica
R Pinyon Jay Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus
V Clark’s Nutcracker Nucifraga columbiana
R*Common Raven Corvus corax
    
  LARKS & SWALLOWS
R Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris
SR*Violet-green Swallow Tachycineta thalassina
M Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
    
  CHICKADEES & RELATIVES
R Mountain Chickadee Poecile gambeli
R*Juniper Titmouse Baeolophus ridgwayi
R*Verdin Auriparus flaviceps
R Bushtit Psaltriparus minimus
WR Red-breasted Nuthatch Sitta canadensis
    
  WRENS
R*Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
R*Rock Wren Salpinctes obsoletus
R*Canyon Wren Catherpes mexicanus
R*Bewick’s Wren Thryomanes bewickii
M House Wren Troglodytes aedon
    
  OLD WORLD WARBLERS & GNATCATHERS
WR Golden-crowned Kinglet Regulus satrapa
WR Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula
SR*Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea
R*Black-tailed Gnatcatcher Polioptila melanura
M Western Bluebird Sialia mexicana
M Townsend’s Solitaire Myadestes townsendi
M Swainson’s Thrush Catharus ustulatus
M Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus
M American Robin Turdus migratorius
V Varied Thrush Ixoreus naevius
    
  THRASHERS & MOCKINGBIRDS
R*Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
M Sage Thrasher Oreoscoptes montanus
SR*Bendire’s Thrasher Toxostoma bendirei
R*Crissal Thrasher Toxostoma crissale
R*Le Conte’s Thrasher Toxostoma lecontei
    
  STARLINGS
R!European Starling Sturnus vulgaris
    
  PIPITS
M American Pipit Anthus rubescens
    
  WAXWINGS
M Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum
    
  SILKY-FLYCATCHERS
R*Phainopepla Phainopepla nitens
    
  WOOD-WARBLERS
M Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata
M Nashville Warbler Vermivora ruficapilla
M Virginia’s Warbler Vermivora virginiae
V Northern Parula Parula americana
M Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia
M Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata
SR*Black-throated Gray Warbler Dendroica nigrescens
M Townsend’s Warbler Dendroica townsendi
M Hermit Warbler Dendroica occidentalis
V Blackburnian Warbler Dendroica fusca
V Prothonotary Warbler Protonotaria citrea
M MacGillivray’s Warbler Oporornis tolmiei
M Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas
M Wilson’s Warbler Wilsonia pusilla
V Painted Redstart Myioborus pictus
M Yellow-breasted Chat Icteria virens
    
  TANAGERS, GROSBEAKS, & RELATIVES
V Hepatic Tanager Piranga flava
M Summer Tanager Piranga rubra
M Western Tanager Piranga ludoviciana
V Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus
SR Black-headed Grosbeak Pheucticus melanocephalus
M Lazuli Bunting Passerina amoena
V Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea
    
  SPARROWS, TOWHEES, & RELATIVES
M Green-tailed Towhee Pipilo chlorurus
M Spotted Towhee Pipilo maculatus
M Rufous-crowned Sparrow Aimophila ruficeps
SR Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina
SR Brewer’s Sparrow Spizella breweri
SR*Black-chinned Sparrow Spizella atrogularis
M Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus
R*Black-throated Sparrow Amphispiza bilineata
WR Sage Sparrow Amphispiza belli
M Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis
V Grasshopper Sparrow Ammodramus savannarum
M Fox Sparrow Passerella iliaca
M Lincoln’s Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii
V White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis
WR White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys
M Golden-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia atricapilla
WR Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis
    
  ORIOLES, BLACKBIRDS, & RELATIVES
V Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
M Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta
V Yellow-headed Blackbird Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus
V Brewer’s Blackbird Euphagus cyanocephalus
V Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus
SR Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater
SR Hooded Oriole Icterus cucullatus
SR Bullock’s Oriole Icterus bullockii
SR Scott’s Oriole Icterus parisorum
    
  FINCHES & OLD WORLD SPARROWS
V Cassin’s Finch Carpodacus cassinii
R*House Finch Carpodacus mexicanus
WR Pine Siskin Carduelis pinus
R*Lesser Goldfinch Carduelis psaltria
M Lawrence’s Goldfinch Carduelis lawrencei
M American Goldfinch Carduelis tristis
V Evening Grosbeak Coccothraustes vespertinus
R!House Sparrow Passer domesticus