_____ Swainson’s Thrush_____ Hermit Thrush_____ American Robin_____ Varied Thrush_____ Gray Catbird_____ Curve-billed Thrasher*_____ Brown Thrasher_____ Crissal Thrasher*_____ Sage Thrasher_____ Northern Mockingbird*_____ European Starling_____ Cedar Waxwing_____ Phainopepla*_____ House Sparrow*_____ American Pipit_____ House Finch*_____ Pine Siskin_____ Lesser Goldfinch*_____ American Goldfinch_____ Green-tailed Towhee_____ Spotted Towhee_____ Rufous-crowned Sparrow_____ Canyon Towhee*_____ Cassin’s Sparrow_____ Chipping Sparrow_____ Clay-colored Sparrow_____ Brewer’s Sparrow_____ Field Sparrow_____ Black-chinned Sparrow*_____ Vesper Sparrow_____ Lark Sparrow_____ Black-throated Sparrow*_____ Sagebrush Sparrow _____ Lark Bunting_____ Savannah Sparrow_____ Grasshopper Sparrow_____ Fox Sparrow_____ Song Sparrow_____ Lincoln’s Sparrow_____ Swamp Sparrow_____ White-throated Sparrow_____ White-crowned Sparrow_____ Dark-eyed Junco_____ Yellow-breasted Chat_____ Yellow-headed Blackbird_____ Eastern Meadowlark_____ Western Meadowlark_____ Orchard Oriole_____ Hooded Oriole_____ Baltimore Oriole

_____ Bullock’s Oriole_____ Scott’s Oriole_____ Red-winged Blackbird_____ Bronzed Cowbird_____ Brown-headed Cowbird_____ Brewer’s Blackbird_____ Great-tailed Grackle_____ Louisiana Waterthrush_____ Northern Waterthrush_____ Black-and-white Warbler_____ Tennessee Warbler_____ Orange-crowned Warbler_____ Nashville Warbler_____ MacGillivray’s Warbler_____ Common Yellowthroat_____ Black-throated Gray Warbler_____ Hooded Warbler_____ American Redstart_____ Yellow Warbler_____ Yellow-rumped Warbler_____ Townsend’s Warbler_____ Wilson’s Warbler_____ Painted Redstart_____ Hepatic Tanager_____ Summer Tanager_____ Western Tanager_____ Northern Cardinal*_____ Pyrrhuloxia*_____ Rose-breasted Grosbeak_____ Black-headed Grosbeak*_____ Blue Grosbeak*_____ Lazuli Bunting_____ Indigo Bunting_____ Varied Bunting_____ Painted Bunting_____ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ ________________________

Acknowledgments—This list was compiled during multiple visits to the Christmas Mountains spanning four years. I wish to thank the many participants who contributed to this list, including Richard Bello, Alan Byboth, Jerry L. Cook, David Lemke, William I. Lutterschmidt, Danny L. McDonald, John B. Pascarella, Melissa S. Sisson, and Terry M. Thibodeaux. For 20 years, Carolyn Ohl-Johnson has recorded the species that visit her property, the Christmas Mountain Oasis, located adjacent to the Christmas Mountains, and I thank her for generously posting season and abundance details for each species on the Texas eBird website, www.ebird.org. I give special thanks to Kelly B. Bryan who reviewed and provided constructive advice on this checklist and William I. Lutterschmidt for serving as copy and production editor. I also thank Sandra S. Chapman for providing the pencil drawing of an Elf Owl.Photos courtesy U.S. National Park Service; cover map courtesy of the University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin

Yellow-breasted Chat

Green-tailed Towhee

Black-throated Sparrow*

Western Bluebird

Lesser Goldfinch*

Blue Grosbeak*

Painted Bunting

TRIES | Texas Research Institute for Environmental StudiesSAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY

TM

TM

TRIES | Texas Research Institute for Environmental StudiesSAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY

TM

TRIES | Texas Research Institute for Environmental StudiesSAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY

TM

TRIES | Texas Research Institute for Environmental StudiesSAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY

TM

TRIES | Texas Research Institute for Environmental StudiesSAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY

CHECKLIST:

BIRDS of the CHRISTMAS MOUNTAINS

Compiled by

Brian R. ChapmanTexas Research Institute for Environmental StudiesSam Houston State University

This checklist includes species observed frequently (at least once every three years) on the Christmas Mountains and in the surrounding area. Proximity to Mexico and major migratory flyways and varying climatic conditions may increase the likelihood for observing additional species regarded as “accidentals.” Space is provided at the bottom of the list allowing notation of species that may infrequently occur.

An asterisk (*) confirms species known to nest on the property.

Order Anseriformes_____ Blue-winged Teal_____ Cinnamon Teal_____ Northern Shoveler_____ Gadwall _____ American Wigeon_____ Mallard _____ Northern Pintail_____ Green-winged Teal_____ Ring-necked DuckOrder Galliformes_____ Scaled Quail*Order Podicipediformes_____ Pied-billed Grebe_____ Eared GrebeOrder Columbiformes_____ Rock (Dove) Pigeon*_____ Eurasian Collared-Dove*_____ Inca Dove_____ Common Ground-Dove*_____ White-winged Dove*_____ Mourning Dove*Order Cuculiformes_____ Yellow-billed Cuckoo_____ Greater Roadrunner*Order Caprimulgiformes_____ Lesser Nighthawk*_____ Common Nighthawk_____ Common Poorwill_____ Mexican Whip-poor-willOrder Apodiformes_____ White-throated Swift_____ Lucifer Hummingbird*_____ Ruby-throated Hummingbird_____ Black-chinned Hummingbird*_____ Anna’s Hummingbird_____ Costa’s Hummingbird_____ Broad-tailed Hummingbird_____ Rufous Hummingbird

_____ Allen’s Hummingbird_____ Calliope Hummingbird_____ Broad-billed HummingbirdOrder Gruiforms_____ Sandhill CraneOrder Charadriiformes_____ Killdeer_____ Upland Sandpiper_____ Least Sandpiper_____ Common Snipe_____ Wilson’s Snipe_____ Spotted Sandpiper_____ Solitary Sandpiper_____ Laughing GullOrder Pelecaniformes_____ Great Blue Heron_____ Great Egret_____ Reddish Egret_____ Green HeronOrder Cathartiformes_____ Black Vulture_____ Turkey Vulture*Order Accipteriformes_____ Osprey_____ Northern Harrier_____ Sharp-shinned Hawk_____ Cooper’s Hawk_____ Swainson’s Hawk_____ Zone-tailed Hawk_____ Red-tailed Hawk*_____ Golden EagleOrder Strigiformes_____ Barn Owl*_____ Western Screech Owl*_____ Great Horned Owl*_____ Elf Owl*_____ Burrowing Owl*Order Coraciiformes_____ Belted Kingfisher_____ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker_____ Red-naped Sapsucker_____ Northern Flicker_____ Acorn Woodpecker_____ Golden-fronted Woodpecker_____ Ladder-backed Woodpecker*Order Falconiformes_____ Merlin_____ American Kestrel*_____ Prairie Falcon_____ Peregrine Falcon

Order Passeriformes_____ Olive-sided Flycatcher_____ Western Wood-Pewee_____ Willow Flycatcher_____ Least Flycatcher_____ Hammond’s Flycatcher_____ Gray Flycatcher_____ Dusky Flycatcher_____ Cordilleran Flycatcher_____ Black Phoebe_____ Eastern Phoebe_____ Say’s Phoebe*_____ Vermillion Flycatcher*_____ Ash-throated Flycatcher*_____ Brown-crested Flycatcher_____ Cassin’s Kingbird_____ Western Kingbird_____ Scissor-tailed Flycatcher_____ Loggerhead Shrike*_____ Bell’s Vireo_____ Gray Vireo_____ Cassin’s Vireo_____ Blue-headed Vireo_____ Plumbeous (Solitary) Vireo_____ Warbling Vireo_____ Red-eyed Vireo_____ Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay_____ Chihuahuan Raven_____ Common Raven_____ Tree Swallow_____ Violet-green Swallow_____ No. Rough-winged Swallow_____ Cliff Swallow_____ Cave Swallow_____ Barn Swallow*_____ Verdin*_____ Bushtit_____ Black-crested Titmouse_____ Red-breasted Nuthatch_____ Rock Wren*_____ Canyon Wren*_____ House Wren_____ Winter Wren_____ Bewick’s Wren*_____ Cactus Wren*_____ Blue-gray Gnatcatcher*_____ Black-tailed Gnatcatcher*_____ Ruby-crowned Kinglet_____ Western Bluebird_____ Mountain Bluebird

The drawing of an Elf Owl, abundant in the Christmas Mountains, is by Sandra S. Chapman

Vermillion Flycatcher*

Ash-throated Flycatcher*

Bell’s Vireo

Verdin*

Common Raven

White-ringed Dove

Greater Roadrunner*

Pied-billed Grebe

Anna’s Hummingbird

Great Blue Heron

Green Heron

Black Vulture

Ladder-backed Woodpecker

Black Phoebe