
COLFAX COUNTY FACTS
Area: 3,771 square miles
Highest Point: 12,584 ft. Little Costilla Peak
Lowest Point: 5,560 ft. at southernmost point of the Canadian River
Number of documented bird species: 345
KEY PUBLIC ACCESS LOCATIONS
Carson National Forest
Cimarron Canyon State Park
Eagle Nest Lake State Park
Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge
Springer Lake
Stubblefield/Laguna Madre Dams
Sugarite Canyon State Park
|
Key |
|
h
|
Breeds in Colfax County.
|
C
|
Common: Unlikely to be missed in suitable habitat.
|
FC
|
Fairly Common: Includes locally common as well as
irruptive species; some species may only be present in numbers for part of
the season.
|
U
|
Uncommon: A very broad category that includes
residents that are present but usually hard to find, and migrants that may
only be present for short periods of time.
|
R
|
Rare: At best, one sighting per season; gaps in occurrence may extend
over many years.
|
Wi
|
Winter: December, January, February.
|
Sp
|
Spring: March, April, May
|
Su
|
Summer: June, July
|
Fa
|
Fall: August, September, October, November
|
|
|
Wi |
Sp |
Su |
Fa |
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LOONS
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Red-throated Loon |
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|
R |
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|
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Pacific Loon |
R
|
R |
|
U |
|
|||||
|
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Common Loon |
U |
U |
R |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Yellow-billed Loon |
|
|
|
R |
|
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GREBES
|
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|
h |
Pied-billed Grebe |
R |
FC |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
|
|
Horned Grebe |
|
U |
|
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Eared Grebe |
R |
FC |
U |
FC |
|
|||||
|
h |
Western Grebe |
R |
FC |
U |
FC |
|
|||||
|
h |
Clark’s Grebe |
R |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
PELICANS
|
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|
|
American White Pelican |
|
U |
U |
FC |
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CORMORANTS
|
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|
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Neotropic Cormorant |
|
R |
R |
R |
||||||
|
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Double-crested Cormorant |
|
FC |
U |
FC |
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BITTERNS, HERONS
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
American Bittern |
|
|
R |
|
||||||
|
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Least Bittern |
|
R |
R |
|
||||||
|
|
Great Blue Heron |
U |
FC |
U |
FC |
||||||
|
|
Great Egret |
|
U |
R |
R |
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|
|
Snowy Egret |
|
U |
U |
U |
||||||
|
|
Little Blue Heron |
|
|
|
R |
||||||
|
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Reddish Egret |
|
|
R |
R |
||||||
|
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Cattle Egret |
|
U |
|
U |
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|
|
Green Heron |
|
U |
U |
U |
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|
|
Black-crowned Night-Heron |
|
U |
U |
U |
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IBISES
|
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|
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White Ibis Glossy Ibis White-faced Ibis |
|
R
|
|
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|||||
|
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|
R |
|
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|
h |
|
FC |
U |
FC |
|
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AMERICAN VULTURES
|
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|
h |
Turkey Vulture |
|
FC |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
DUCKS, GEESE, SWANS
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
Black-bellied
Whistling-Duck |
R |
|
R |
|
|
|||||
|
|
Greater
White-fronted Goose |
U |
U |
R |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Snow Goose |
U |
U |
|
FC |
|
|||||
|
|
Ross’s Goose |
U |
U |
|
FC |
|
|||||
|
|
Cackling Goose |
U |
U |
|
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Canada Goose |
C |
C |
C |
C |
|
|||||
|
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Trumpeter Swan |
R
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
|
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Tundra Swan |
U |
U |
|
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Wood Duck |
R |
U |
R |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Gadwall |
FC |
C |
FC |
C |
|
|||||
|
|
Eurasian
Wigeon |
|
|
|
R |
|
|||||
|
h |
American Wigeon |
FC |
C |
U |
C |
|
|||||
|
h |
Mallard |
C |
C |
FC |
C |
|
|||||
|
h |
Blue-winged Teal |
|
FC |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Cinnamon Teal |
R |
C |
FC |
C |
|
|||||
|
|
Northern Shoveler |
FC |
C |
U |
C |
|
|||||
|
h |
Northern Pintail |
FC |
C |
U |
FC |
|
|||||
|
h |
Green-winged Teal |
FC |
C |
U |
C |
|
|||||
|
h |
Canvasback |
FC |
C |
R |
FC |
|
|||||
|
h |
Redhead |
FC |
C |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
|
|
Ring-necked Duck |
U |
FC |
U |
FC |
|
|||||
|
|
Greater Scaup |
U |
U |
|
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Lesser Scaup |
U |
FC |
U |
FC |
|
|||||
|
|
Surf Scoter |
|
R |
|
R |
|
|||||
|
|
White-winged Scoter |
|
|
|
R |
|
|||||
|
|
Long-tailed Duck |
R |
|
|
R |
|
|||||
|
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Bufflehead |
FC |
FC |
R |
FC |
|
|||||
|
|
Common Goldeneye |
FC |
FC |
|
FC |
|
|||||
|
|
Barrow's Goldeneye |
R |
R |
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
Hooded Merganser |
U |
U |
R |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Common Merganser |
U |
FC |
U |
FC |
|
|||||
|
|
Red-breasted Merganser |
U |
U |
|
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Ruddy Duck |
U |
FC |
FC |
C |
|
|||||
KITES, EAGLES, HAWKS
|
|
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|
|
Osprey |
|
U |
|
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Mississippi Kite |
|
|
|
R |
|
|||||
|
h |
Bald Eagle |
FC |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Northern Harrier |
U |
U |
R |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Sharp-shinned Hawk |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Cooper’s Hawk |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Northern Goshawk |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Common Black-Hawk |
|
|
R |
|
|
|||||
|
|
Red-shouldered Hawk |
|
|
R |
R |
|
|||||
|
h |
Swainson’s Hawk |
|
FC |
C |
C |
|
|||||
|
h |
Red-tailed Hawk |
FC |
FC |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
|
h |
Ferruginous Hawk |
FC |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Rough-legged Hawk |
U |
U |
|
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Golden Eagle |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
FALCONS
|
|
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|
h |
American Kestrel |
FC |
FC |
U |
FC |
|
|||||
|
|
Merlin |
U |
U |
|
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Peregrine Falcon |
R |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Prairie Falcon |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
PHEASANTS, GROUSE, TURKEYS
|
|
||||||||||
|
h |
Ring-necked Pheasant |
R |
R |
R |
R |
|
|||||
|
h |
White-tailed Ptarmigan |
R |
R |
R |
R |
|
|||||
|
h |
Blue Grouse |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Wild Turkey |
FC |
FC |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
QUAIL
|
|
||||||||||
|
h |
Scaled Quail |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
RAILS, GALLINULES, COOTS |
|
||||||||||
|
|
Black Rail |
|
R |
|
|
|
|||||
|
h |
Virginia Rail |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Sora |
|
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Common Moorhen |
|
R |
|
|
|
|||||
|
h |
American Coot |
U |
FC |
C |
C |
|
|||||
CRANES
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
Sandhill Crane |
U |
U |
|
FC |
|
|||||
PLOVERS
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
Black-bellied Plover |
|
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
American Golden-Plover |
|
|
|
R |
|
|||||
|
h |
Snowy Plover |
|
U |
R |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Semipalmated Plover |
R |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Piping Plover |
|
R |
|
R |
|
|||||
|
h |
Killdeer |
U |
FC |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
|
h |
Mountain Plover |
|
U |
U |
U |
|
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STILTS, AVOCETS
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
Black-necked Stilt |
|
U |
R |
|
|
|||||
|
h |
American Avocet |
|
FC |
U |
FC |
|
|||||
SANDPIPERS, PHALAROPES
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
Greater Yellowlegs |
|
FC |
U |
FC |
|
|||||
|
|
Lesser Yellowlegs |
|
FC |
U |
FC |
|
|||||
|
|
Solitary Sandpiper |
|
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Willet |
|
U |
R |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Spotted Sandpiper |
|
FC |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
|
|
Upland Sandpiper |
|
|
|
R |
|
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|
|
Whimbrel |
|
R |
|
|
|
|||||
|
h |
Long-billed Curlew |
|
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Hudsonian Godwit |
|
R |
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
Marbled Godwit |
|
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Ruddy Turnstone |
|
R |
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
Red Knot |
|
|
|
R |
|
|||||
|
|
Sanderling |
|
U |
R |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Semipalmated Sandpiper |
|
U |
R |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Western Sandpiper |
|
FC |
U |
FC |
|
|||||
|
|
Least Sandpiper |
|
FC |
U |
FC |
|
|||||
|
|
White-rumped Sandpiper |
|
U |
R |
|
|
|||||
|
|
Baird’s Sandpiper |
R |
FC |
U |
FC |
|
|||||
|
|
Pectoral Sandpiper |
|
|
|
U |
|
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|
|
Dunlin |
|
U |
|
R |
|
|||||
|
|
Stilt Sandpiper |
|
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Short-billed Dowitcher |
|
|
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Long-billed Dowitcher |
|
FC |
U |
FC |
|
|||||
|
h |
Wilson’s Snipe |
R |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Wilson’s Phalarope |
|
FC |
U |
FC |
|
|||||
|
|
Red-necked Phalarope |
|
U |
R |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Red Phalarope |
|
|
R |
R |
|
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GULLS, TERNS
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
Long-tailed Jaeger |
|
|
R |
R |
|
|||||
|
|
Laughing Gull |
|
R |
R |
R |
|
|||||
|
|
Franklin’s Gull |
|
FC |
U |
FC |
|
|||||
|
|
Bonaparte’s Gull |
R |
FC |
R |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Mew Gull |
|
R |
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
Ring-billed Gull |
U |
FC |
U |
FC |
|
|||||
|
|
California Gull |
R |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Herring Gull |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Thayer’s Gull |
|
|
|
R |
|
|||||
|
|
Glaucous Gull |
R |
|
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
Sabine’s Gull |
|
|
|
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Black-legged Kittiwake |
|
|
|
R |
|
|||||
|
|
Caspian Tern |
|
|
|
R |
|
|||||
|
|
Common Tern |
|
|
|
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Arctic Tern |
|
|
|
R |
|
|||||
|
|
Forster’s Tern |
|
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Black Tern |
|
U |
U |
FC |
|
|||||
PIGEONS, DOVES
|
|
||||||||||
|
h |
Rock Pigeon |
FC |
FC |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
|
h |
Band-tailed Pigeon |
|
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Eurasian Collared-Dove |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
White-winged Dove |
R |
R |
R |
|
|
|||||
|
h |
Mourning Dove |
U |
C |
C |
C |
|
|||||
|
|
Inca Dove |
|
|
|
R |
|
|||||
CUCKOOS, ROADRUNNERS
|
|
||||||||||
|
h |
Yellow-billed Cuckoo |
|
R |
R |
R |
|
|||||
|
h |
Greater Roadrunner |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
BARN-OWLS
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
|
h |
Barn Owl |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
TYPICAL OWLS
|
|
||||||||||
|
h |
Flammulated Owl |
|
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Western Screech-Owl |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Great Horned Owl |
FC |
FC |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
|
h |
Northern Pygmy-Owl |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Burrowing Owl |
|
FC |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
|
h |
Long-eared Owl |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Short-eared Owl |
|
R |
|
R |
|
|||||
|
|
Boreal Owl |
|
|
|
R |
|
|||||
|
h |
Northern Saw-Whet Owl |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
NIGHTHAWKS, NIGHTJARS
|
|
||||||||||
|
h |
Common Nighthawk |
|
FC |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
|
h |
Common Poorwill |
|
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Whip-poor-will |
|
R |
R |
|
|
|||||
SWIFTS
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
Chimney Swift |
|
R |
R |
|
|
|||||
|
h |
White-throated Swift |
|
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
HUMMINGBIRDS
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
Blue-throated
Hummingbird |
|
|
R |
|
|
|||||
|
|
Magnificent
Hummingbird |
|
|
R |
|
|
|||||
|
h |
Black-chinned
Hummingbird |
|
FC |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
|
|
Calliope Hummingbird |
|
|
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Broad-tailed
Hummingbird |
|
FC |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
|
|
Rufous Hummingbird |
|
|
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
KINGFISHERS
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
|
h |
Belted Kingfisher |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
WOODPECKERS
|
|
||||||||||
|
h |
Lewis’s Woodpecker |
R |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Acorn Woodpecker |
|
|
R |
|
|
|||||
|
|
Red-headed
Woodpecker |
|
R |
R |
R |
|
|||||
|
h |
Williamson’s Sapsucker |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker |
R |
R |
|
R |
|
|||||
|
h |
Red-naped Sapsucker |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Ladder-backed Woodpecker |
R |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Downy Woodpecker |
FC |
FC |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
|
h |
Hairy Woodpecker |
FC |
FC |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
|
h |
American Three-toed Woodpecker |
R |
R |
R |
R |
|
|||||
|
h |
Northern Flicker |
C |
C |
C |
C |
|
|||||
TYRANT FLYCATCHERS
|
|
||||||||||
|
h |
Olive-sided Flycatcher |
|
U |
R |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Western Wood-Pewee |
|
C |
C |
C |
|
|||||
|
h |
Willow Flycatcher |
|
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Least Flycatcher |
|
|
|
R |
|
|||||
|
h |
Hammond’s Flycatcher |
|
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Gray Flycatcher |
|
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Dusky Flycatcher |
|
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Cordilleran Flycatcher |
|
FC |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
|
h |
Black Phoebe |
|
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Eastern Phoebe |
|
R |
|
R |
|
|||||
|
h |
Say’s Phoebe |
|
C |
C |
C |
|
|||||
|
|
Vermilion Flycatcher |
|
|
R |
|
|
|||||
|
h |
Ash-throated Flycatcher |
|
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Cassin’s Kingbird |
|
FC |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
|
h |
Western Kingbird |
|
FC |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
|
h |
Eastern Kingbird |
|
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher |
|
R |
R |
|
|
|||||
SHRIKES
|
|
||||||||||
|
h |
Loggerhead Shrike |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Northern Shrike |
U |
R |
|
U |
|
|||||
VIREOS
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
White-eyed Vireo |
|
|
R |
|
|
|||||
|
|
Yellow-throated Vireo |
|
R |
|
|
|
|||||
|
h |
Plumbeous Vireo |
|
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Cassin’s Vireo |
|
|
|
R |
|
|||||
|
|
Blue-headed Vireo |
|
|
|
R |
|
|||||
|
h |
Warbling Viero |
|
FC |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
|
|
Red-eyed Vireo |
|
|
R |
R |
|
|||||
JAYS, MAGPIES, CROWS
|
|
||||||||||
|
h |
Gray Jay |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Steller’s Jay |
FC |
FC |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
|
|
Blue Jay |
U |
U |
R |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Western Scrub-Jay |
FC |
FC |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
|
h |
Pinyon Jay |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Clark’s Nutcracker |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Black-billed Magpie |
FC
|
FC |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
|
h |
American Crow |
FC |
FC |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
|
h |
Chihuahuan Raven |
R |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Common Raven |
C |
C |
C |
C |
|
|||||
LARKS
|
|
||||||||||
|
h |
Horned Lark |
FC |
FC |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
SWALLOWS
|
|
||||||||||
|
h |
Purple Martin |
|
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Tree Swallow |
|
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Violet-green Swallow |
|
FC |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
|
h |
N Rough-winged
Swallow |
|
FC |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
|
|
Bank Swallow |
|
U |
R |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Cliff Swallow |
|
C |
C |
C |
|
|||||
|
h |
Barn Swallow |
|
FC |
R |
FC |
|
|||||
TITMICE
|
|
||||||||||
|
h |
Black-capped Chickadee |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Mountain Chickadee |
FC |
FC |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
|
h |
Juniper Titmouse |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
BUSHTITS
|
|
||||||||||
|
h |
Bushtit |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
NUTHATCHES
|
|
||||||||||
|
h |
Red-breasted Nuthatch |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
White-breasted Nuthatch |
FC |
FC |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
|
h |
Pygmy Nuthatch |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
CREEPERS
|
|
||||||||||
|
h |
Brown Creeper |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
WRENS
|
|
||||||||||
|
h |
Rock Wren |
U |
FC |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
|
h |
Canyon Wren |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
CarolinaWren |
|
R |
|
|
|
|||||
|
h |
Bewick’s Wren |
U
|
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
House Wren |
|
FC |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
|
|
Winter Wren |
R |
|
|
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Marsh Wren |
U |
FC |
U |
FC |
|
|||||
DIPPERS
|
|
||||||||||
|
h |
American Dipper |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
KINGLETS
|
|
||||||||||
|
h |
Golden-crowned Kinglet |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Ruby-crowned Kinglet |
U |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
GNATCATCHERS
|
|
||||||||||
|
h |
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher |
|
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
THRUSHES
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
Eastern Bluebird |
U |
U |
|
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Western Bluebird |
FC |
FC |
U |
FC |
|
|||||
|
h |
Mountain Bluebird |
FC |
FC |
U |
FC |
|
|||||
|
h |
Townsend’s Solitaire |
FC |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Hermit Thrush |
|
FC |
FC |
FC |
|
|||||
|
h |
American Robin |
FC |
C |
C |
C |
|
|||||
|
MOCKINGBIRDS, THRASHERS |
|
||||||||||
|
h |
Gray Catbird |
R |
U |
U |
U |
|
|||||
|
h |
Northern Mockingbird |
R |
C |
C |
C |
|
|||||
|
|
Sage Thrasher |
R |
U |
R |
U |
|
|||||
|
|
Brown Thrasher |
R |
|
R |
R |
|
|||||
|
h |
Curve-billed Thrasher |
|
R |
||||||||