Avifauna of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, California

Home , Cliff, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Basin, Palos Verdes Hills, Palos Verdes Peninsula, Terminal Island

WESTERN BIRDS

Volume 11, Number 1, 1980

AVIFAUNA OF THE PALOS VERDES PENINSULA, CALIFORNIA

RICHARD A. BRADLEY, Departmentof Biology,University of New Mexico,Albu- querque, New Mexico 87131

I dedicatethis paper to Shirley Wells. Without her untiringefforts and constant encouragementI might never have completed the checklist.Shirley had been carefullycompiling records of bird abundance on the peninsulafor many years. Her records,combined with my own extensivecard file, formed the heart of the list. Shirley'sen- thusiasmand expertiseinspired all of us who had the pleasureof her acquaintance.

The avifauna of the Channel Islands off the coast of southern California has been studied by several workers (Howell 1917, Johnson 1972, Jones 1975). Some similaritiesexist between the fauna of these islandsand adjacent mainland areas, such as the PalosVerdes Peninsula.Palos Verdes jutts out from the Los Angeles basinto a positionabout 35 km from Catalina Island, the nearest island(Figure 1), and supportsan interestingflora and fauna show- ing affinitiesto that of the Channel Islands. Records of bird distributionand abundancecompiled by Shirley Wells and myselffrom 1965 to 1976 have been combinedwith publishedrecords to produce the annotatedchecklist presented here. The listincludes a large number of rare and vagrantspecies, as well as a numberof speciesnow extirpatedfrom the peninsula.The bulk of the abundancedata pertainsto regularvisitors and resident species.As with all listsbased primarily upon field observations, descriptionsof relativeabundance are probablybiased by the obser- vabilityof each species.Perhaps the most obviousbias in the list is treatmentof open oceanspecies. For thisstudy all speciesthat occur within the designatedcircle are included,although data on strictly pelagicspecies are scantyat best. WesternBirds 11: 1-24, 1980 1 AVIFAUNA OF PALOS VERDES PENINSULA

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•O O • , AVIFAUNA OF PALOS VERDES PENINSULA

DESCRIPTION OF AREA

The PalosVerdes Peninsularises abruptly out of the PacificOcean to a maximumelevation of 451 m. The hillsslope down graduallyto the northand eastinto the Los Angelesbasin. The highestpoint on the peninsula is San Pedro Hill, located at 33ø45•45 • N, 118ø20•10 • W (Figure1). This peninsulais locatedapproximately 32 km southeastof the Santa Monica Mountains, 56 km southof the San Gabriel Mountains and 48 km west of the Santa Ana Mountains. The PalosVerdes Peninsula,for purposesof this paper, includes all of the area within a 24.2 km (15 mi) diameter circle, centered 1.1 km WSW of the intersection of Palos Verdes Drive North and Palos Verdes Drive East, 33ø46 •10 • N, 118ø20 •18 • W, San Pedro, Los AngelesCounty (Figure2). This area hasbeen previously described as a count circle for the National Audubon Society's annual ChristmasBird Count (Bradleyand Wells 1969). It encompassesthe PalosVerdes hillsand surroundinglowlands and includesall or part of .the followingcities: Carson, Gardena, Harbor City, Hermosa Beach, Long Beach, Lawndale, Manhattan Beach, Palos Verdes Estates,Rancho Palos Verdes, RedondoBeach, RollingHills, Roll- ing Hills Estates,San Pedro, Torranceand Wilmington.The area in- cludesapproximately 82.9 km2 of hills, 170.9 km2 of flat land and 204.6 km• of open ocean. Steep cliffs(approximately 30 to 65 m high) face the oceanalong the entire shorelinefrom Malaga Cove south to Point Fermin. The westernand southernslopes of the peninsulaare relativelysteep and are distinctlyterraced. The terraces (evidenceof former shorelines) are much less distincton the more gradual eastern and northern slopes.Many large gulliesand canyonsdrain the hills. Althougha few of these canyons have relatively permanent streams, most smallercreeks are dry throughoutmuch of the year. Geologicallythe PalosVerdes Peninsulais an active area. Many rapid periods of uplift have helped to create the terraced hills (Woodring et al. 1946). There are also a few areas of recent sub- sidencesuch as the PortugueseBend region. The peninsulawas probably an islanduntil it becamejoined to the mainlandduring the Quaternary, and it also shows stratigraphicsimilarities to the southern Channel Islands(Valentine and Lipps 1967). The vegetationof the PalosVerdes Peninsula has been extensively alteredby spreadingsuburban and agriculturaldevelopment. During the early days under Spanish rule the Rancho Palos Verdes was utilizedas grazing land for herdsof beef cattle.For a detailedaccount of the early historyof this area see Fink (1966). Much of the native vegetationhas been lost or severelyrestricted. The more open 4 AVIFAUNA OF PALOS VERDES PENINSULA hilltopsand the gentleslopes were originallydominated by various native grasses.The steepergullies and canyonswere coveredwith an associationof coastalsage and chaparralspecies. Today the remainingopen fieldsare plantedwith grain, garbanzo beans and various other commercialcrops. Sprawling suburban developmenthad a lessadverse effect on the gulliesand canyons.In theseareas, as well as on someof the steepersouthern slopes, some native vegetationpersists. The dominantspecies in gulliesand canyons include: Lemonadeberry (/•/•us integrifolia), California Sagebrush (Arternesia california), buckwheat (Eriogonurn spp.), sage (Salviasp.), Black Mustard (Brassicanigra), and PricklyPear (Opuntia o½½i•lentalis). Suburbanresidential areas currently make up about60% of the peninsula's land area. Several different habitats are within the general classificationof suburbanresidential. The chief variants are the age of housingtracts and the relativedensity of houses.Many older areashave relativelylow-density housing as well as luxuriant growthsof treesand shrubs.The mostmature and denselyvegetated areasare locatedin PalosVerdes Estates on the northwesternslope of the peninsula.Here largenumbers of ornamentalshrubs and trees create a semi-foresthabitat. The parklandareas with largerpines, Eucalyptusand broad-leafevergreen trees are importantnesting habitatsfor a varietyof bird species.The newer, high-densitytracts supportfew bird species. The peninsula'snorthern slope is dominatedby a more open Eucalyptushabitat (introducedin 1908 and the 1920s). In the cities of RollingHills and RollingHills Estatesare a largenumber of horse stablesand some open pastures.Here the canyonscontain dense growthsof variousbrush speciesas well as a few willow-grown streams.These north-facingslopes are subjectedto highersummer temperaturesand lower humidity than the western and southern portionsof the peninsula.Larger parks, golf coursesand cemeteries on the peninsulaare plantedwith a bewilderingvariety of introduced treesand shrubsand supporta numberof birdspecies. The majority of the native bird species, however, still nest in the less disturbed canyons. A distinctbelt of vegetationinhabits the talus slopesand steep rockycliffs facing the ocean. Low perennialsand patchygrowths of Lemonadeberryare characteristichere. This belt containsmany plant species which are characteristicof Channel Island floras (Dunkle 1950). Along the nearly 26 km of rocky shorelineis a rich algal flora (Bradley et al. 1972). In deeper water there were once extensive Giant Kelp (l•acrocystispyrifera) beds which have been largely AVIFAUNA OF PALOS VERDES PENINSULA destroyedby metropolitanpollution (Dawson 1966). Recentat- temptshave been made to reestablishkelp beds along the peninsula shoreline. The area that is now occupiedby Los Angelesand Long Beach harbors was at one time an extensive $alicornia marsh. Willow- grownsloughs extended north from the estuarythrough freshwater marshesand the small lake now called Harbor Lake. The sloughs continuednorth to meet the low lyingareas of DominquezChannel. Alongthe coastnorth of MalagaCove were sandbeaches and grass- covered bluffs and dunes that representedCoastal Strand habitat (Munz and Keck 1959). Terminal Island (formerly Rattlesnake Island)also possessed fairly extensiveCoastal Strand habitatabove the $alicornia marsh.

ISLAND AFFINITIES

One of the most intriguingfacets of the avifauna of PalosVerdes is that a relativelylarge number of commonsouthern California species are absentor occur only as migrantson the peninsula,though they nest commonly in similar habitat on adjacent portions of the mainland. (Tables1 and 2). These absenteesinclude some of the in- dicator speciesfor chaparraland coastalsage communities.For example there are no recordsfor the Wrentit, a speciesgenerally considered "the voice of the chaparral." Some missingspecies have been recorded as vagrants to the peninsula and may represent potential colonizers. The absenceof thesespecies is more interestingwhen compared to speciesabsent from the adjacentChannel Islands.A comparison with the partial list given by Johnson (1972) correspondsalmost perfectly.The onlyspecies listed by Johnsonas absentthat is present on the Palos Verdes Peninsula is the Brown Towhee. When the list of absentees is compared with the lists for the various individual islands,the similarityis even more striking.There are a few species whoseabsence may be attributedto lack of appropriatehabitat, for example, Acorn Woodpeckerand White-breastedNuthatch.

Table I. Common speciesin coastalsouthern California that are not known to occur on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

Mountain Quail Wrentit Screech Owl Western Bluebird Plain Titmouse Mountain Bluebird AVIFAUNA OF PALOS VERDES PENINSULA

Table2. Commonor formerlycommon breeding species in coastalsouthern California that havebeen recorded only as vagrantsor migrantson the PalosVerdes Peninsula.

Band-tailed Pigeon Bell's Vireo Acorn Woodpecker Wilson's Warbler Nuttall's Woodpecker Blue Grosbeak White-breasted Nuthatch Lawrence's Goldfinch House Wren Sage Sparrow California Thrasher Black-chinnedSparrow

Another evident similaritybetween the avifaunasof the Channel Islandsand the peninsulais the occurrenceof a number of insular endemic subspecies on the peninsula. The Lutescent Orange- crowned Warbler (Vermiuora celata iutescens) is a common summer visitor and migrant throughout coastal southern California. This subspeciesbreeds in suitablehabitat in the coastalhills and mountains of Los Angeles and Orange counties adjacent to the Palos Verdes Peninsula.On the peninsulathis subspeciesis replacedby the chieflyinsular form, the Dusky Orange-crownedWarbler (V. c. sordida) (Grinnell and Miller 1944). My analysis of museum specimensat the Los AngelesCounty Museumof NaturalHistory, as well as preliminarybanding studies, reveals that mostspecimens can be identified to subspecieswith morphometric data. Nesting birds bandedon the peninsulabelong to V. c. sordida.Tape recordingsof Orange-crownedWarblers in southernCalifornia reveal that V. c. sordidahas consistentlyslower and lower pitchedsongs than V. c. ieutescens(Bradley unpubl.). The only otherplace where the Dusky Orange-crownedWarbler nestson the mainland, Point Loma, San Diego County, is also a peninsulawith insularfloral and faunal affinities. Johnson (1972) mentioned that this subspecieshas not ex- panded its range beyondthe "immediate"coast. The Dusky Orange- crowned Warbler is generallydistributed and neststhroughout the canyonsand gulliesof the peninsulaalong the coastalslopes as well as on the inland slopesto the north and east. Another interestingexample of an islandendemic on PalosVerdes is the Channel Islandform of the Allen's Hummingbird ($elasphorus sasin sedentarius).Apparently this subspecieshas only recently establisheda populationon the peninsula.Shirley Wells and Gary Stilesfirst discoveredits nestingin 1969 (Wellsand Baptista1979). Sincethen the subspecieshas spreadthroughout much of the peninsula and is a common resident. In the sense that the Palos Verdes peninsulais isolatedfrom the remainder of the mainland, this inva- sion could be considered intra-island colonization rather than "recolonizationof the mainland"as describedby Johnson(1972). It AVIFAUNA OF PALOS VERDES PENINSULA should also be noted that the mainland race ($. $. $a$in)is a regular migrant through the peninsula. At least two other speciesmay be representedby their insular endemicsubspecies on the peninsula.One, the WesternFlycatcher (Ernpidonax difficili$), nests on the peninsula. Unfortunately no specimensof thispopulation have been comparedwith thosestudied by Johnson. Some evidencesuggests that the peninsulapopulation belongsto E.d. insulicola(S. Wells pers. comm.). Another species that includes an island endemic subspeciesis the Rufous-sided Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus). Individuals of this species measuredduring banding operations on the peninsulamay belongto the islandsubspecies P.e. clementae (Bradley and Wells unpubl.). More work needs to be done with both speciesbefore definite con- clusions can be made. Sound recordings yield additional evidence of the "isolated" nature of the peninsula'savifauna. As mentioned earlier, members of the insularsubspecies of the Orange-crownedWarbler possessa distinctive"song dialect" on the peninsula.Members of the peninsula populationof the House Finch have alsobeen recorded.Analysis of these recordingsindicates a dialect distinctivefrom those recorded elsewhereon the southernCalifornia mainland (Bradleyunpubl.). Related to endemism and isolation is the occurrence of short term invasionary populations of various species. On the peninsula a numberof specieshave colonizedthe area for a year or two and then disappeared. These speciesinclude Red-breastedNuthatch, Lazuli Bunting, Red Crossbill,and perhapsthe Black-chinnedSparrow. At leasttwo of these, the Red-breastedNuthatch and the Red Crossbill, are "invasionary"species throughout much of their ranges,and their sporadicoccurrence in a particularlocale with irregularbreeding is "typical." Neverthelessthe occurrenceand subsequentdisap- pearanceof any populationfrom the mainlandrepresent the form of turnover describedby Diamond (1969).

Table 3. Speciesthat no longernest on the PalosVerdes Peninsula.

Great Egret Yellow-billedCuckoo Least Bittern Belted Kingfisher American Bittern Downy Woodpecker FulvousWhistling-Duck WesternKingbird Clapper Rail Horned Lark VirginiaRail Rough-wingedSwallow Sofa Blue Grosbeak SnowyPlover SavannahSparrow AmericanAvocet GrasshopperSparrow Black-necked Stilt AVIFAUNA OF PALOS VERDES PENINSULA

The chief factor affectingavifaunal turnover on PalosVerdes has been man. The extensive habitat modification that has occurred sincethe appearanceof modern man correspondinglyaffected the avifauna. A number of specieshave been extirpatedfrom the peninsula. Most of these were residents of coastal marshes, which were destroyedby the developmentof Los Angelesand Long Beach harbors. At first, extensivechanges were wrought by cattle grazing associatedwith early Spanishsettlers. Agricultural activities caused more changes,and rapid urban and suburbandevelopment have further modifiedthe area. Most of the above changescaused drastic declinesor extirpationof native species.Species that no longerbreed on the peninsulaare listedin Table 3. Increasedirrigation and plant- ing extensive"forests" of introducedtrees and shrubshave allowed certain species to expand their populations. Examples inclu.de Anna's Hummingbird, Common Flicker, Cliff Swallow, Common Crow, Scrub Jay, Mockingbird,American Robin, Hooded Oriole, Northern Oriole, Brewer's Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, House Finch, American Goldfinch, Lesser Goldfinch, Rufous-sided Towhee and Brown Towhee.

CHECKLIST TERMINOLOGY

Abundant-species seen in large numbers on nearly every trip to suitablehabitat by a competentobserver. A few speciesthat are highly vocal but inconspicuousare listedas common or fairly common, thoughthey are rarely seen. There are undoubtedly other inconspicuousand quietspecies whose relative abundance has been underestimated. Vew common-seen on nearly every trip but usually in fewer numbers than abundant species, occasionallyonly a few individuals. Common- seenon about75% of the half-daytrips made to suitable habitatby a competentobserver. Fairly common- seen on about 50% of the trips as above. Uncommon- seen on about 25% of the trips as above. Rare- seen only occasionally,usually at leastone report each year. Casual-fewer than 10 recordsfor the peninsula. Accidental-only one or two recordsfor the peninsula. AV1FAUNA OF PALOS VERDES PENINSULA

ANNOTATED CHECKLIST

COMMON LOON, Gavia iraruer.Fairly common winter visitor.Occurs along coast primarilyon the northernrocky shoreline and off RedondoBeach. Decreasingin recentyears. A few non-breedingindividuals present in mostsummers. ARCTIC LOON, Gavia arctica.Distribution and statusessentially same as Common Loon. RED-THROATED LOON, Gavia stellata. Distributionlike Common Loon, lesscom- mon during summer. RED-NECKED GREBE, Podicepsgrisegena. Casual winter visitor,primarily along rocky coastline.One recordfor Harbor Lake 2 Oct 1970 (RS). HORNED GREBE, Podicepsauritus. Fairly common winter visitor,predominately alongthe northernrocky shoreline and RedondoBeach. EARED GREBE, Podicepsnigricollis. Common winter visitor along coast, a few non- breedingindividuals. Formerly nested irregularly at BixbySlough (Willett 1933), no recent nestingrecords. WESTERN GREBE, Aechmophorusoccidentalis. Very commonwinter visitoralong coast,a few non-breedingindividuals. Decreasing in recentyears. PIED-BILLED GREBE, Podilymbuspodiceps. Common resident in fresh water, breedsat Harbor Lake, rare along coast. SHORT-TAILED ALBATROSS,Diomedea albatrus. Specimen taken at San Pedro3 Apr 1898 (Grinnelland Miller 1944). May have occurredregularly within the countcircle in pastyears, but there are very few recentrecords for California. BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS, Diomedea nigripes.Pelagic, rare in this area. NORTHERN FULMAR, Fulmarusglacialis. Irregular winter visitor; most years absent but some yearscommon. Predominately pelagic, visible from shorein flight years. PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER, Puffinuscreatopus. Fairly commonpelagic migrant; sometimes visible from shore. SOOTY SHEARWATER,Puffinus griseus. Very commonpelagic migrant; frequently visiblefrom shoreduring stormy weather, especially in fall. SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER, Puffinus tenuirostris. Accidental; two sight records, one from shore Oct 1972 (DB & RS), and one from a boat 18 Dec 1972 (AS). MANX SHEARWATER, Puffinuspuffinus. Pelagic,probably uncommon. Has been observed from shore. BLACK STORM-PETREL, Oceanodroma melania. Pelagic, has been observedfrom shore. WHITE PELICAN, Pelecanuserythrorhynchos. Rare winter visitor. BROWN PELICAN, Pelecanusoccidentalis. Common post-breedingwanderer or fall migrant,fairly commonwinter visitor,and uncommonnon-breeding summer visitor. BLUE-FOOTED BOOBY, $ula nebouxii. Casual in fall (McCaskie 1972). DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, Phalacrocoraxaurltus. Fairly common, non- breedingresident. Decreasing in recent years. BRANDT'S CORMORANT, Phalacrocoraxpenicillatus. Uncommon or fairly common, non-breedingresident. Decreasing in recent years. PELAGIC CORMORANT, Phalacrocoraxpelagicus. Uncommon or fairly common, non-breedingresident. Decreasing in recentyears. MAGNIFICENT FRIGATEBIRD, Fregatamagnificens. Casual, summer and fall. Two recentrecords are of immatureplumaged individuals.

10 AVIFAUNA OF PALOS VERDES PENINSULA

GREAT BLUE HERON, Arcleaheroclias. Uncommon, primarilyin summerat Harbor Lake, decreasingin recent years. GREEN HERON, Butoriolesstriatus. Fairly common resident, probablystill breeds at Harbor Lake. LITTLE BLUE HERON, FIoricla caerulea. Accidental; one at Harbor Lake, 24 Nov 1971 (AS,SW) (McCaskie 1972). CATTLE EGRET, Bubulcus ibis. Accidental. Harbor Lake, one 17 Nov 1972 (RB) and six during Jan 1974 (SW). More recordscan be expectedas this species continues its range expansion. GREAT EGRET, Casmerocliusalbus. Rare winter visitor, decreasingin recent years. SNOWY EGRET, œgrettathula. Uncommonwinter visitor, decreasing in recentyears. BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, lYycticoraxnycticorax. Common breeding resident,occasionally seen in large flocksin winter. YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, lYyctanassaviolacea. Accidental. One at Harbor Lake, 20 May - 2 Jun 1963 (GV) (McCaskie1963). LEAST BITTERN, l•obrychuse•ilis. Old breedingrecord (Grinnelland Miller 1944). Only recentrecord was •'a singlebird at HarborPark [BixbySlough], October 8 [1960] (Russelland Marion Wilson).This speciesappears there regularly"(Small 1961). This inconspicuousbird has been sightedon three occasionssince we began our recordsin 1965. AMERICANBITTERN, Botaurus I•ntiginosus. Old breeding record for Bixby Slough (Willett 1933). Few recordsin recent years, all in winter. WHITE-FACED IBIS, Plegaclischihi. Rare fall migrantat Harbor Lake. Formerlya common winter visitorto the salt marshesof Los Angeles Harbor and Bixby Slough. WHISTLING SWAN, OIor columbianus.Formerly wintered in small flocks in the sloughsand marshes(Willerr 1933), no recent records. CANADA GOOSE, Branta canaclensis.Uncommon winter visitor. BRANT, Branta bernicla.Uncommon winter visitoralong coast. WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, Anser albifrons.Casual, fall and winter. SNOW GOOSE, Chen caerulescens.Uncommon transient, overhead and at Harbor Lake. FULVOUS WHISTLING-DUCK, Dendrocygnabicolor. Nested at Bixby Slough in 1903, and was "stillfairly common" as a migrantin 1933 (Willett 1933). No recent records. MALLARD, Anasplatyrhynchos. Common winter visitor, also introduced and feral at Harbor Lake and several other parks. GADWALL, Anas strepera. Uncommon winter visitoron freshwaterponds. PINTAIL, Anas acura. Abundant winter visitorat Harbor Lake and other freshwater ponds. GREEN-WINGED TEAL, Anas crecca.Very commonwinter visitorat Harbor Lake and other freshwaterponds. BLUE-WINGED TEAL, Anas cliscors.Casual, in winter at Harbor Lake. CINNAMON TEAL, Anas cyanoptera.Abundant winter visitorat Harbor Lake and other freshwaterponds, as well as Los AngelesHarbor. Very commonbreeding residentat Harbor Lake, threatenedby further development. AMERICAN WlGEON, Anas americana.Very common winter visitorto freshwater lakes and ponds. NORTHERN SHOVELER, Anas clypeata.Very commonwinter visitor to freshwater lakes and ponds. REDHEAD, Aythya americana.Fairly common winter visitorto freshwaterlakes and ponds. One old breedingrecord for Bixby Slough (Willett 1933). RING-NECKED DUCK, Aythya collaris.Uncommon winter visitorto freshwaterlakes and ponds. AVIFAUNA OF PALOS VERDES PENINSULA

CANVASBACK, Aythya valisineria.Common winter visitorto freshwaterlakes and ponds. GREATER SCAUP, Aythya marila. Rare, or rarelyreported, winter visitor to the Los AngelesHarbor area. LESSER SCAUP, Athya affinis. Common winter visitor to fresh water and Los AngelesHarbor. COMMON GOLDENEYE, Bucephalaclangula. Accidental. Two pair, BixbySlough [no date] (Willett 1933). BUFFLEHEAD, Bucephalaalbeola. Fairly common winter visitor to both freshand salt water habitats. OLDSQUAW, Clangulabyemalls. Casual in winteralong coast. Most records are for Terminal Island. WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, Melanittadeglandi. Common but irregularwinter visitor. In someyears almost as numerousas Surf Scorerbut in other years, quiterare. Occursalong coastand in Los AngelesHarbor. SURF SCOTER, Melanittaperspicillata. Abundant winter visitor to coastand harbor. Non-breedingindividuals summer over occasionally. BLACK SCOTER, Melanittanigra. Rare and irregularwinter visitor to coastand harbor. Flocksof up to 14 have been observed,but the usualnumber is one or two individuals. RUDDY DUCK, Oxyurajamaicensis.Very commonwinter visitor. Common breeding resident at Harbor Lake. COMMON MERGANSER, Mergusmerganser. Casual in winter. RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, Mergusserratot. Common to very common winter visitor in small groups along coast. HOODED MERGANSER, Lophodytescucullatus. Accidental. One, South Coast BotanicGarden 16 Nov 1975 throughMar 1976 (EB, SW, GN). TURKEY VULTURE, Cathartes aura. Rare transient. Little or no suitablehabitat remains. WHITE-TAILED KITE, Elanus leucurus. Uncommon winter visitor. GOSHAWK,Accipiter gentills. Accidental. One, SouthCoast Botanic Gardens 17-28 Jan 1974 (SW). SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, Accipiterstriatus. Fairly common winter visitor, usually in wooded areas. COOPER'S HAWK, Accipiter cooperii. Fairly common winter visitor, uncommon breedingresident. RED-TAILED HAWK, Buteo )amaicensis.Common breedingresident, numbers in- creasein winter. Decreasingin recent yearsdue, in part, to heavy lossof chicks to falconers. RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, Buteo lineatus. Rare winter visitor to wooded areas. BROAD-WINGED HAWK, Buteo platypterus.Casual, recordsfor Rolling Hills and San Pedro (McCaskie 1968). ZONE-TAILED HAWK, Buteo albonotatus.Accidental. One, Point Fermin, 10 Nov 1975 (SW, JMo). ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, Buteo lagopus.Casual winter visitor, usually over open fields. FERRUGINOUSHAWK, Buteoregalis. Accidental. One, HarborPark, 31 Dec 1966 (DBn) and one near landfill on Crenshaw Blvd., 15 Nov 1972 (SW). GOLDEN EAGLE, Aquila chrysaetos.Casual in winter. BALD EAGLE, Haliaeetus leucocephalus.Casual in winter. One unsubstantiated record of nestingalong cliffs near Lunada Bay (1931; Fink 1966). MARSH HAWK, Circuscyaneus. Uncommon or rare winter visitor.Formerly common in salt marshesof Los AngelesHarbor.

12 AVIFAUNA OF PALOS VERDES PENINSULA

OSPREY, Pandionhaliaetus. Rare transientand wintervisitor. Once commonin salt marshesof LosAngeles Harbor; no recentbreeding records for southernCalifor- nia. PRAIRIEFALCON, Falcomexicanus. Casual in winternear quarryat the end of Via Forestal, near PortugueseBend. PEREGRINE FALCON, Falco peregrinus.Casual in winter. MERLIN, Falco columbarius. Casual in winter. AMERICAN KESTREL, Falcosparverius. Very commonbreeding resident. Like Red- tailed Hawk, suffersheavy lossesto localfalconers. CALIFORNIA QUAIL, Lophortyxcalifornicus. Common breedingresident, decreasing in recent years as housingdevelopments encroach on breedinghabitat. RING-NECKED PHEASANT, Phasianuscolchicus. Introduced, common breeding residentin brushyareas or near open fields, declining. CHUKAR, Alectorischukar. Introducedin the 1930s, but apparentlynever became established.A few recordswithin last 10 years. COMMON PEAFOWL, Pavo cristatus.Introduced, very commonbreeding resident, apparentlyincreasing. SANDHILL CRANE, Grus canadensis.Accidental. One flying overhead4 Oct 1972 (RS). CLAPPER RAIL, Rallus longirostris.Extirpated. R.1. obsoletuswas a common breedingresident in salt marshesof Los AngelesHarbor, but no habitatremains. One breedingrecord for Bixby Slough 14 Jun 1906 (Willett 1933). VIRGINIA RAIL, Rallus limicola. Rare and inconspicuouswinter visitor, decreasing with continued habitat destruction. Recent records are from Harbor Lake and Madrona marsh. Undoubtedlynested in extensivefreshwater marshes formerly present. SORA, ?orzana carolina.Uncommon and inconspicuouswinter visitor,decreasing in recent years. Formerly nestedin freshwatermarshes of Bixby Slough. COMMON GALLINULE, Gallinulachloropus. Rare and secretiveresident, more fre- quentlyseen in winter. Severalold breedingrecords for Bixby Slough.A few may stillnest at Harbor Lake. AMERICAN COOT, Fulica americana.Abundant breeding resident, most numerous in winter. BLACK OYSTERCATCHER, Haematopusbachmani. Casual in winter alongrocky shorelines. AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, Haematopus palliatus. Accidental. One, Point Fermin 22 Dec 1978 - spring1979 (DH). SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, Charadrius semipalmatus. Uncommon winter visitor alongcoast, primarily on sandybeaches, and at Harbor Lake. SNOWY PLOVER, Charadriusalexandrinus. Fairly common winter visitor,less common in summer,along sandy beaches. Formerly nested at BixbySlough (Grin- nell and Miller 1944), no recent breedingrecords. KILLDEER, Charadriusvociferus. Abundant breeding resident. In winter frequents parks, coast and marshes. AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, Pluvialisdominica. Casual in spring and fall. BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, Pluvialis squatarola. Abundant winter visitor to all aquatic habitats.Occurs at all times except mid-summer. RUDDY TURNSTONE, Arenaria interpres. Fairly common winter visitor, primarily along southerncoast and Los AngelesHarbor. BLACK TURNSTONE, Arenariamelanocephala. Common wintervisitor along rocky shoreline. COMMON SNIPE, Capellagallinago. Common but inconspicuouswinter visitorto freshwaterponds and lakes.

13 AVlFAUNA OF PALOS VERDES PENINSULA

LONG-BILLED CURLEW, Numenius americanus. Uncommon winter visitorto open fields and lawns. WHIMBREL, Numeniusphaeopus. Fairly common winter visitor along rocky shore, most common during migration. SPOTTEDSANDPIPER, Actiris macularia. Very commonwinter visitor along rocky shoreline. SOLITARY SANDPIPER,Tringa solitaria. Casual in fall and springat HarborLake and South Coast Botanic Gardens. GREATER YELLOWLEGS, Tringamelanoleucus. Uncommon winter visitor,fairly common transient. LESSER YELLOWLEGS, Tringaflavipes. Rare transient. WANDERING TATTLER, Heteroscelusincanus. Common winter visitor, sparsely distributedalong rocky shore. SURFBIRD,Aphriza virgata. Uncommon winter visitor primarily along rock jetties and breakwaters.Fairly common transient along coast in smallflocks. WILLET, Catoptrophorussemipalmatus. Abundant winter visitor, some non-breeding individualspresent in summer. RED KNOT, Calidriscanutus. Rare transientand winter visitor. PECTORAL SANDPIPER, Calidrismelanotus. Rare fall migrant. BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, Calidrisbairdii. Rare fall migrant. LEAST SANDPIPER, Calidris minutilla. Formerly very common winter visitor, decreasingin recent years. DUNLIN, Calidris alpina. Uncommon winter visitor. WESTERN SANDPIPER, Calidrismauri. Formerly very common winter visitor, now decreasing. SANDERLING, Calidris alba. Abundant winter visitoralong coast. SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, Limnodromusgriseus. Common winter visitor, alongcoast and Harbor Lake. LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, Limnodromus scolopaceus.Fairly common winter visitor,more frequently observed in freshwaterhabitats (Pyle and Small1961). BUFF-BREASTEDSANDPIPER, Tryngitessubruficollis. Accidental. One, Green HillsCemetery 5-17 Sep 1971 (SW) (McCaskie1972). MARBLED GODWIT, Limosafedoa. Fairly common winter visitor,primarily along sandy beaches. AMERICAN AVOCET, Recurvirostraamericana. Uncommon winter visitor.Formerly nestedin Bixby Slough-HarborLake area. BLACK-NECKED STILT, Himantopus mexicanus.Fairly common winter visitor,rare resident.Formerly nested in Bixby Slough-HarborLake area. RED PHALAROPE, Phalaropusfulicarius. Primarily pelagic, seen from shore in migration or in winter. WlLSON'S PHALAROPE, $teganopustricolor. Uncommon transient in freshwater habitats. NORTHERN PHALAROPE, LobipesIoba•us. Primarily pelagic, but seen along coast in migration and in winter. POMARINE JAEGER, $tercorariuspomarinus. Uncommon winter visitor. Primarily pelagic,rarely seen from shore. PARASITIC JAEGER, $tercorariusparasiticus. Uncommon winter visitor. Primarily pelagic,occasionally seen from shore. SOUTH POLAR SKUA, Catfiaractamaccormacki. Accidental. One seenfrom Long Point 24 Dec 1966 (SW). GLAUCOUS GULL, Larus•yperboreus. Accidental. One immaturephotographed at Terminal Island fish cannery 22 Dec 1973 - 15 Feb 1974.(GSS, RB) (Suffel 1974).

14 AVIFAUNA OF PALOS VERDES PENINSULA

GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, Larus glaucescens.Fairly common winter visitor along coast. WESTERN GULL, Larus occidentalis.Very common winter visitor. Iramatures are common all year. HERRING GULL, Larus argentatus.Common winter visitor. THAYER'S GULL, Larusthayeri. Probablyfairly commonwinter visitor, but few have been reported. CALIFORNIA GULL, Larus californicus.Abundant winter visitor. RING-BILLED GULL, Larus delawarensis. Abundant winter visitor. MEW GULL, Larus canus. Common winter visitor. FRANKLIN'S GULL, œaruspipixcan. Rare in fall and winteralong coast, Los Angeles Harbor and Harbor Lake. BONAPARTE'S GULL, Larus philadelphia.Abundant winter visitor. LITTLE GULL, Larusminutus. Accidental. One alongnorthern coast 22 Dec 1969, photographedand seen by many observers(RS, GMc) (McCaskie1970). HEERMANN'S GULL, Larus heermanni. Abundant winter visitor. Iramatures are very common all year. BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE, Rissatridactyla. Irregular winter visitor,quite common along coastin some years, whereasstrictly pelagic in others. SABINE'S GULL, Xema sabini. Accidental. One, Hermosa Beach 20 May 1926 (FS). FORSTER'S TERN, $terna forsteri. Uncommon winter visitorand common transient. COMMON TERN, $terna hitundo. Rare winter visitorand migrant. ARCTIC TERN, $terna paradisaea.Pelagic, status uncertain. One, CabrilloBeach 30 Aug 1968 (DB, RB). LEAST TERN, $terna albifrons.Rare summervisitor and migrant.Grinnell and Miller (1944) list Redondo and Terminal Island as nesting localities.Nested on Ter- minal Island in 1973, 1974, 1976 and 1977. ROYAL TERN, $terna maxima. Uncommon winter visitor. ELEGANT TERN, $terna elegans.Common, Augustto mid-October. CASPIAN TERN, $terna caspia. Common visitorin late summer, fall and winter. BLACK TERN, Chlidoniasniger. Casual in springand fall. Formerly common in summerat Bixby Slough (Harbor Lake). COMMON MURRE, Uria aalge. Uncommon winter visitoroffshore, occasionally seen from land.' XANTUS' MURRELET, Endomychura hypoleuca. Uncommon residentoffshore. ANCIENT MURRELET, $ynthliboramphusantiquus. Casual winter visitoroffshore. CASSlN'S AUKLET, Ptychoramphus aleuticus. Uncommon resident offshore; the mostfrequently reported small alcid. One, Los AngelesHarbor, Sep 1970 (SW). BAND-TAILED PIGEON, Columba fasciata. Rare winter visitor. ROCK DOVE, Columbaliuia. Introduced,abundant breeding resident. WHITE-WINGED DOVE, Zenaida asiatica.Rare winter visitor;reported every winter in recent years. MOURNING DOVE, Zenaida macroura. Very common breedingresident, abundant in winter. SPOTTED DOVE, $treptopeliachinensis. Introduced, common breedingresident, increasing. RINGED TURTLE DOVE, $treptopelia risoria. Introduced, rare resident. One pair successfullynested in Lunada Bay 1967 (RB). CANARY-WINGED PARAKEET, Brotogerisuersicolurus. Apparently introducedin 1972. Now breedingin parks and residentialareas and increasing. YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO, Coccyzusamericanus. Extirpated. Formerly nested around Bixby Slough (Grinnelland Miller 1944).

15 AVlFAUNA OF PALOS VERDES PENINSULA

ROADRUNNER, Geococcyxcalifornianus. Uncommon, but rarelyobserved breeding resident;decreasing due to habitatdestruction. BARN OWL, Tyto alba. Common breedingresident. GREAT HORNED OWL, Bubo virginianus.Common breeding resident. BURROWING OWL, Athene cunicularia.Uncommon breeding resident. Formerly very commonbreeding resident, now greatlyrestricted due to lossof habitat. SHORT-EARED OWL, Asio fiammeus. Rare winter visitor, usuallyseen over open fields. POORWILL, Phalaenoptilusnuttallii. Status poorly known, probably uncommon transientand rare but regular winter visitor. LESSER NIGHTHAWK, Chordeilesacutipennis. Casual in springand fall. BLACK SWIFT, Cypseloidesniger. Accidental. Two, Point Fermin [no date] (SW and DG). VAUX'S SWIFT, Chaeturavauxi. Irregularand uncommontransient, may occurin large flocks. WHITE-THROATED SWIFT, Aeronautes saxatalis. Locally common breeding resident. BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD, Archilochusalexandri. Common breeding summer visitor;several records of individualsvisiting feeders all winter. COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD, Calyptecostae. Common breeding resident, primarily in open sparsegrowth of certaincanyons; inconspicuous when not breeding. ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD, Calypte anna. Abundantbreeding resident. BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD, Selasphorusplatycercus. Accidental. Miraleste area, One 4 Nov - 18 Dec 1972 and one (mist-netted)10-17 Apr 1974 (SW). RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, Selasphorusrufus. Fairly common transient,rare winter visitor. ALLEN'S HUMMINGBIRD, Selasphorussasin. The mainland race S.s. sasin is a regular migrant. The island race S.s. sedentariusis a recently established breedingresident (see text), locally abundant. CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD, Stellula calliope. Uncommon transient, most records late April - early May. Males of the speciesusually preceed females by a week to 10 days. BELTED KINGFISHER, Megacerylealcyon. Uncommon winter visitormostly at CabrilloBeach and the Los AngelesHarbor area. Formerlynested along bluffs above Cabrillo Beach. COMMON FLICKER, Colaptesauratus. Yellow-shaftedform, casualor rare visitor, usuallyin winter. (Mostrecords for thisform are intergradeswith C. a. caretor other subspecies,but "pure" forms also occur.) Red-shaftedform, abundant winter visitor,fairly common breedingresident. ACORN WOODPECKER, Melanerpesformicivorus. Casual, throughoutyear. LEWIS' WOODPECKER, Melanerpeslewis. Casual, mostlyin winter. YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, Sphyrapicus varius. Fairly common winter visitor;both S. v. nuchalisand S. v. daggettioccur. WILLIAMSON'S SAPSUCKER, Sphyrapicus thryoideus. Casual, most records in winter. HAIRY WOODPECKER, Picoidesvillosus. Several old breedingrecords from Bixby Slougharea (Grinnell1898) seemunlikely. Only one recentrecord, Rolling Hills Dec 1969 (SW). DOWNY WOODPECKER, Picoidespubescens. Probably a breedingresident in willowsadjacent to BixbySlough prior to the destructionof thishabitat (Grinnell and Miller 1944). Only one recentrecord, Palos Verdes Estates 26 Nov 1972 (DB, RB, RS). NUTTALL'S WOODPECKER, Picoidesnuttallii. Rare winter visitor,less evident in recent years.

16 AVIFAUNA OF PALOS VERDES PENINSULA

WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKER, Picoides albolarvatus. Accidental. One, Point Fermin20 Sep 1972 (EN) and one, PortugueseBend 27 Sep 1972 (CK). EASTERN KINGBIRD, Tyrannustyrannus. Accidental. One Lunada Bay Oct 1969 (RS) and one, Averill Park, San Pedro 26 Sep 1971 (GSS). TROPICAL KINGBIRD, Tyrannus melancolicus.Casual in fall and winter. WESTERN KINGBIRD, Tyrannusverticalis. Common transient.Formerly bred (Grin- nell and Miller 1944), but no longerfound duringsummer. CASSlN'S KINGBIRD, Tyrannusvociferans. Uncommon transient. ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER, Ivl'yiarchuscinerascens. Fairly common transient and summer visitor,habitat probably insufficient for breeding. EASTERN PHOEBE, Sayornis phoebe. Accidental. One, South Coast Botanic Gardens 10-17 Oct 1972 (SW). BLACK PHOEBE, Sayornisnigricans. Very commonbreeding resident, very local. SAY'S PHOEBE, Sayornissaya. Common winter visitor. WILLOW FLYCATCHER, Empidonax traillii. Uncommon fall migrant. HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER, Empidonax hamrnondii. Uncommon transient. DUSKY FLYCATCHER, Empidonax oberholseri.Uncommon transient. GRAY FLYCATCHER, Empidonaxtorightii. Casual in springand fall. WESTERN FLYCATCHER, Empidonax difficilis.Very common transient. Uncom- mon summervisitor, nests locally. Casual in winter. WESTERN WOOD PEWEE, Contopus sordidulus.Fairly common transient and summervisitor, no breedingrecords. OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, Nuttallornisborealis. Fairly common transient,occa- sional summer visitor. VERMILION FLYCATCHER, Pyrocephalusrubinus. Accidental. One, South Coast Botanic Gardens 10-18 Oct 1972 (SW). Willett (1933) mentions "records" for the Bixby Slough area. HORNED LARK, Eremophilaalpestris. Common winter visitor.Formerly nested, but no recent breedingrecords. Nearly absent in summer. Decline attributedto habitat destruction. VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW, Tachycinetathalassina. Common transient. TREE SWALLOW, lridoprocnebicolor. Uncommon winter visitor,fairly common transient. ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW, Stelgidopteryxruficollis. Fairly common summer visitor.Formerly nested but no knownbreeding records in recentyears. BARN SWALLOW, Hitundo rustica.Common breedingsummer visitor. CLIFF SWALLOW, Petrochelidonpyrrhonota. Very common breedingsummer visitor. PURPLE MARTIN, Prognesubis. Rare transient. STELLER'S JAY, Cyanocittastelleri. Rare vagrant. SCRUB JAY, Aphelocomacoerulescens. Abundant breedingresident. Quite suc- cessful in residential areas. COMMON RAVEN, Corvuscorax. Locally fairly common breeding resident. COMMON CROW, Corvusbrachyrhynchos. Locally common breeding resident. PINYON JAY, Gyrnnorhinuscyanocephala. Accidental. One, in RollingHills 1972 (SW). CLARK'SNUTCRACKER, Nucifraga columbiana. Rare vagrant,mostly in fall. MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE, Parusgainbell. Casual in fall, winterand spring. BUSHTIT, Psaltriparusrainlinus. Abundant breeding resident. WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, Sitta carolinensis.Rare winter invader from mountains. RED-BREASTEDNUTHATCH, Sittacanadensis. Irregular winter visitor, common in some years. One nestingrecord 1970 (RS).

17 AVIFAUNA OF PALOS VERDES PENINSULA

PYGMY NUTHATCH, Sittapygmaea. Casual in fall and winter. BROWN CREEPER,Certhia familiaris. Irregular and rare wintervisitor. HOUSE WREN, Troglodytesaedon. Fairlycommon transient and wintervisitor. No verified nestingrecords, but individualssometimes remain throughout summer. BEWICK'S WREN, Thrpomanesbewickii. Common breedingresident. CACTUS WREN, Carnpplorhynchusbrunneicapillus. Locally common breeding resident in brushycanyons. Decreasing due to habitatdestruction. LONG-BILLED MARSH WREN, Cistothoruspalustris. Common breedingresident in freshwater marsh at Harbor Lake. ROCK WREN, Salpinctesobsoletus. Locally common breedingresident in rocky areas. Populationdecreasing with lossof habitat. MOCKINGBIRD, Mirnus polpglottos.Abundant breedingresident. Adapts well to suburban habitats. BROWN THRASHER, Toxostornarufurn. Accidental. One, CabrilloBeach 23 Dec 1966 throughJan 1967 (GSS, SW) and one, RollingHills, 16 Apr - 11 May 1975 (SW, GSS) (McCaskie 1975b). BENDIRE'S THRASHER, Toxostomabenditel. Accidental. Sight recordsfor Palos Vetdes Estates18 Sep 1968 (RS, DB, RB) and for fall [no date] 1969 (JS). CALIFORNIA THRASHER, Toxostoma redivivum. Accidental. One, South Coast Botanic Gardens 25 Jan - 11 Feb 1974 (SW). SAGE THRASHER, Oreoscoptesrnontanus. Accidental. One, 11 Sep 1973 (JT) and one 22 Dec 1975 (SW, GN). AMERICAN ROBIN, Turdusrnigratorius. Very commonbreeding resident, abundant in winter. VARIED THRUSH, lxoreus naevius.Irregular and rare winter visitorto parks and wooded areas, may occur in small flocks. HERMIT THRUSH, Catharusguttatus. Common winter visitor. SWAINSON'S THRUSH, Catharusustulatus. Common summer visitor,nests in Roll- ing Hills. TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, Mpadestestownsendi. Casual, November - March. BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, Polioptilacaerulea. Fairly common winter visitor. BLACK-TAILED GNATCATCHER, Polioptilarnelanura. Fairly common breeding residentin sagebrush(Artemisia) covered canyons and gullies,decreasing with habitat reduction. GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, Regulussatrapa. Irregularand rare winter visitor. RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, Reguluscalendula. Very commonwinter visitor. WATER PIPIT, Antbus spinoletta.Very common winter visitor, decreasingwith habitat destruction. BOHEMIAN WAXWING, Bornbycillagarrulus. Accidental. One, San Pedro 22 Apr 1969 (SW). CEDAR WAXWING, Bornb•cillacedrorurn. Very commonwinter visitor,usually in large flocks. PHAINOPEPLA, Phainopeplanitens. Locally common summer visitor, nests in Roll- ing Hills. Rare winter visitor. LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, Lanius ludovicianus.Very common breedingresident in open areas. STARLING, $turnus vulgaris.Introduced, abundant breeding resident. HUTTON'S VIREO, Vireo huttoni.Uncommon breeding resident, very local. BELL'S VIREO, Vireo bellii. Casual, recordsfor springand fall. GRAY VIREO, Vireo vicinior.Accidental. Specimen, Point Fermin 9 Sep 1967 (GSS). SOLITARY VIREO, Vireosolitarius. Rare transient. One duringwinter 1968-69, and one, Dec 1970 - Jan 1971(SW).

18 AVIFAUNA OFPALOSVERDESPENINSULA

RED-EYED VIREO, Vireo oliuaceus.Accidental. One, San Pedro 13-21 Jul 1971 (SW) and one, South Coast Botanic Gardens 23 Jun 1971 (SW). WARBLING VIREO, Vireo giluus. Common transient. BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER, l•niotilta uaria. Casualin fall and spring. PROTHONOTARY WARBLER, Protonotaria citrea. Accidental. One, San Pedro 8 Oct 1965 (DP). TENNESSEE WARBLER, Vermiuoraperegrina. Casual in springand fall. ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, Vermiuora celata. The island race V. c. sordida is a fairly commonbreeding resident, increasing in winter. The mainlandrace V. c. lutescensis very common in migration.A bandingstudy indicated that the other two subspeciesare rare transients(Bradley unpubl.). NASHVILLE WARBLER, Vermiuoraruficapilla. Common springmigrant, fairly common fall migrant, rare winter visitor(three recent records). VIRGINIA'S WARBLER, Vermiuorauirginae. Rare transient,occasionally in flocksof up to 10 individuals. LUCY'S WARBLER, Vermiuora luciae. Accidental. Two records, Palos Verdes Estates13 $ep 1970 (RB) and 2 Oct 1974 (SW). YELLOW WARBLER, Dendroica petecl•ia. Common transient, rare in winter. Formerlyfairly commonbreeder, one recentnesting record, Jun 1972 (SW). MAGNOLIA WARBLER, Dendroicamagnolia. Accidental. One, LunadaBay 16 Oct 1970 (RS) and specimencollected, Point Fermin 21 Jun 1974 (CC). BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER, Dendroica caerulescens.Casual in fall. YELLOWoRUMPED WARBLER, Dendroica coronata. "Myrtle" form uncommon to rare winter visitor. "Audubon's" form abundant winter visitor. BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER, Dendroica nigrescens.Common transient. Rare winter visitor. TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, Dendroica townsendi. Common transient. Rare winter visitor. BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER, Dendroica uirens. Accidental. One, South Coast Botanic Gardens Oct 1974 (SW, GSS). HERMIT WARBLER, Dendroica occidentalis.Common transient.Rare winter visitor. BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER, Dendroica fusca. Casual in fall. YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, Dendroica dominica. Accidental. One, South Coast Botanic Gardens 21 Oct 1972 (GM, $W, RB) (McCaskie 1973). CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER, Dendroica pensyluanica.Accidental. One, San Pedro [no date] 1972 (SW) and one, Palos Vetdes Estates9 Jun 1973 (RB and DB). BLACKPOLL WARBLER, Dendroicastriata. Rare migrant. Usuallyin fall, but a few spring records. One tape recording (RB) on file at Florida State Museum Bioacoustics Archive. PRAIRIE WARBLER, Dendroica discolor. Accidental. One, Harbor Lake 21 Oct 1967 (SW and PALM WARBLER, Dendroicapalmarum. Casual in fall and winter. OVENBIRD, $eiurus aurocapillus.Accidental. One, San Pedro 29 Sep 1967 (SW) and one, 20 Jun 1975 (SW). NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH, $eiurus noueboracensis.Casual in springand fall. MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER, Oporornistolmiei. Fairly common transient. COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, Geothlypistrichas. Common transient,fairly common breeding residentat Harbor Lake. YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, lcteria uirens. Uncommon transient. WlLSON'S WARBLER, Wilsoniapusilla. Abundant springmigrant, very common fall migrant. CANADA WARBLER, Wilsoniacanadensis. Accidental. Sight record, Point Fermin 17-21 Oct 1971 (LJ, RW, $W) (McCaskie 1972).

19 AVIFAUNA OF PALOS VERDES PENINSULA

AMERICAN REDSTART, Setophagaruticilla. Rare transient,mostly in fall, sometimes occurs in flocks of 10-15 individuals. HOUSESPARROW, Passer domesticus. Introduced, abundant resident, especially near stables. BOBOLINK,Dolichonyx oryzivorus. Casual in fall. WESTERNMEADOWLARK, Sturnella neglecta. Very commonresident, breeds. Decreasingrapidly due to developmentof open field habitat. YELLOW-HEADEDBLACKBIRD, Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus. Rare winter visitor.Old breedingrecords for BixbySlough (Willett 1933). RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, Agelaiusphoeniceus. Very commonto abundant breedingresident. Found in largeflocks in winter. TRICOLOREDBLACKBIRD, Agelaius tricolor. Status like that of Red-winged Blackbird. Breeds north of Harbor Lake. ORCHARD ORIOLE, lcterusspurius. Accidental. One male, PalosVerdes Estates 5 Dec 1971 - 22 Jan 1972 (DB and RB). HOODED ORIOLE, lcteruscucullatus. Very commonbreeding summer visitor, rare winter visitor. SCOTT'S ORIOLE, lcterusparisorum. Accidental. Two sightrecords for San Pedro, one Dec 1968 - Feb 1969 (SW) and one, 20 May 1974 (IL). NORTHERNORIOLE, Icterus galbula. "Bullock's" form very common breeding summer visitor,rare wintervisitor. "Baltimore" form casual,with records throughout the year. BREWER'SBLACKBIRD, Euphagus cyanocephalus. Abundant breeding resident. GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE, Quiscalusmexicanus. Accidental. One remained in San Pedro for 9 years (1969-1978). BROWN-HEADEDCOWBIRD, Molothrusater. Fairlycommon resident. WESTERN TANAGER, Pirangaludoviciana. Common to very commontransient. Rare winter visitor. SCARLET TANAGER, Pirangaolivacea. Accidental. Sight record, male at South Coast BotanicGardens 14 Jun 1976 (EB, SW) (McCaskie 1976). HEPATICTANAGER, Piranga tiara. Accidental.One, PalosVetdes Estates 28 May 1968 (JT, RB, DB, RS). SUMMERTANAGER, Pirangarubra. Casual in fall and winter. ROSE-BREASTEDGROSBEAK, Pheucticus ludovicianus. Casual in fall. BLACK-HEADEDGROSBEAK, Pheucticus melanocephalus. Fairly common summer visitor,breeds in ripariansituations. BLUE GROSBEAK,Guiraca caerulea. Uncommon to rare transient,formerly breeding(Grinnell and Miller 1944). INDIGO BUNTING, Passerinacyanea. Casual, mostly in fall. LAZULI BUNTING, Passerina amoena. Common transient. Uncommon summer visitor,breeds in some years. EVENING GROSBEAK, Hesperiphona vespertina. Casual in October and November. PURPLE FINCH, Carpodacuspurpureus. Fairly commonwinter visitor,numbers fluctuategreatly from year to year. CASSlN'S FINCH, Carpodacuscassinii. Irregular and rare wintervisitor. HOUSE FINCH, Carpodacusmexicanus. Abundant breeding resident. PINESlSKIN, Carduelis pinus. Irregular winter visitor, fairly common in peakyears. One summerrecord, 4 Aug 1968 (SW). AMERICANGOLDFINCH, Carduelistristis. Fairly common resident, breeding in low-lyingwillow areas. Common in winter. LESSERGOLDFINCH, Carduelispsaltria. Common breeding resident. LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH, Carduelislawrencei. Uncommon transientand winter visitor.

2O AVIFAUNA OF PALOS VERDES PENINSULA

RED CROSSBILL, Loxia curvirostra.Irregular and rare visitor. A small colony bred during 1967 and 1968. Several scatteredrecords throughout year, mostlyin winter (McCaskie 1967). GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE, Pipilo chlorurus.Rare transientand winter visitor. RUFOUS-SlDED TOWHEE, Pipilo erythrophthalmus.Abundant breeding resident. BROWN TOWHEE, Pipilofuscus. Abundant breeding resident. LARK BUNTING, Calamospizamelanocorys. Casual in late winter and fall. SAVANNAH SPARROW, Passerculussandwichensis. Fairly common winter visitor. P.s. beldingiformerly common breedingresident in the Los AngelesHarbor area; has been extirpated. GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, Ammodramussavannarum. Recorded as breeding near BixbySlough (Grinnell and Miller 1944). Only recentrecord is one at Har- bor Lake 4 Apr 1974 (AS). LARK SPARROW, Chondestesgrammacus. Uncommon winter visitor. RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW, Aimophila ruficeps.Local and fairly common breedingresident. Most often found along ocean bluffs. BLACK-THROATED SPARROW, Amphispizabilineata. Accidental. Sight records, one, Point Fermin (San Pedro) 14-15 Sep 1974 (SW) and one, South Coast Botanic Gardens5 Sep 1974 (SW). SAGE SPARROW, Amphispi•abelli. Casualin fall. DARK-EYED JUNCO, Junco byemalls. "Slate-colored" form, rare winter visitor. "Oregon"form, very common to abundantwinter visitor. GRAY-HEADED JUNCO, Junco caniceps.Rare winter visitor. TREE SPARROW, Spi•ella arborea. Accidental.One, 6-9 Nov 1974 (SW) (McCaskie 1975a). CHIPPING SPARROW, Spi•ellapasserina. Uncommon winter visitor. CLAY-COLORED SPARROW, $pi•ella pallida. Casual in fall. Specimenfrom San Pedro 2 Oct 1968. BREWER'S SPARROW, $pizella breweri. Rare transient. BLACK-CHINNED SPARROW, $pi•ella atrogularis.Casual in winter and fall. HARRIS' SPARROW, Zonotrichiaquerula. Casual in winter. WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, Zonotrichialeucophrys. Abundant winter visitor. Rare stragglersremain throughouteach summer. GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW, Zonotrichiaatricapilla. Very commonto abundant winter visitor. WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, Zonotrichia albicollis.Rare winter visitor. FOX SPARROW, Passerella iliaca. Common winter visitor. LINCOLN'S SPARROW, Melospi•alincolnii. Uncommon winter visitor,fairly common transient. SWAMP SPARROW, Melospi•a georgiana. Accidental. South Coast Botanic Gardens, one, 3 Nov 1974 (SW) and one, 19 Mar 1975 (SW). SONG SPARROW, Melospi•amelodia. Abundantbreeding resident.

21 AVIFAUNA OF PALOS VERDES PENINSULA

HYPOTHETICAL LIST

Specieslisted below have been reportedbut their occurrencehas not been verified.

LEACH'S STORM-PETREL, Oceanodrornaleucorhoa. One sightrecord, "a few" just outsideLos Angeles Harbor 14 Oct 1973 (DB). ASHY STORM-PETREL, Oceanodromahomochroa. Only report is "In 1931 1saw a singlebird off San Pedro September27, and two or three the followingday." (Willett 1933). BLACK RAIL, Laterallusjamaicensis. One heard in marshy sump east of Harbor Freeway [no date) (SW). LONG-TAILED JAEGER, StercorariusIongicaudus. Four specimenstaken "off San Pedro" 21 Oct 1928 - 29 Jul 1933 (Willett 1933). RHINOCEROS AUKLET, Cerorhincamonocerata. One "off San Pedro" 29 Aug 1933 (KS) (Willett 1933). SCREECH OWL, Otus asio. Twice reported from Rolling Hills, no verifiedrecords. CHIMNEY SWIFT, Chaeturapelagica. One seen well Point Fermin [no date] (DB, RB). One possiblesighting South Coast Botanic Gardens 28 Nov 1973 (SW). One or two South Coast Botanic Gardens [summer 1977] (EB). GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER, Myiarchuscrinitus. One, Point Fermin (west)26 Sep 1970 (JH, TH, GSS, SW). PLAIN TITMOUSE, Parusinornatus. Two possiblesight records, Rolling Hills 24 Dec 1972 (JM). FIELD SPARROW, Spizellapusilia. One sightrecord, immature plumaged individual 10 Sep 1970 (RB,DB,RS).

SUMMARY

The diverse resident avifuana of the Palos Verdes Peninsula has closeaffinities to that found on the Channel Islands,but a numberof differencesare apparent. Perhapsthe peninsula'slarge size and freshwaterhabitat are the mostimportant factors that modifythe in- sularnature of the avifuana.The positionand topography make it at- tractiveto a widevariety of migrantpassetines, as evidencedby the numberof vagrantsincluded in the checklist.Rapid and continuing developmentof thisarea is permaneritlyaltering bird populations, and severalspecies have been extirpatedas breedingspecies. Despite this trend, an increasingnumber of competentfield observersare constantlyadding new species to the largevariety that hasbeen listed. As of January1976 a totalof 333 speciesof native NorthAmerican birds had beenrecorded for the studyarea. An ad- ditionalseven introduced and exotic species have become established. At leastI0 otherspecies have tentatively been reported, but their oc- currenceremains hypothetical.

22 AVIFAUNA OF PALOS VERDES PENINSULA

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I am indebtedto ShirleyWells for innumerablehours spent search- ing through her recordsand carefullyediting the checklist.I would also like to thank all observerswho have contributed records (initials as citedin text): Warren G. Blazer,WB; David Bradley, DB; Richard Bradley, RB; Eric Brooks, EB; David Brown, DBn; CharlesCollins, CC; Alice Fries, AF; David Gaines, DG; Jo Heindel JH; Tom Heindel TH; David Holdridge, DH; Lee Jones, LJ; CharlesKegler, CK; Isabel Ludlum, IL; Gerry Maisel, GM; Guy McCaskie, GMc; Richard Milne, RM; Donna Morton, DM; Jess Morton, JMo; Jean Muller, JM; Ed Navajosky,EN; Grace Nixon, GN; DennisPaulson, DP; Larry Sansone, LS; RusselScalf, RS; Francis Schneider, FS; Jay Sheppard, JS; George Vennata, GV; Richard Webster, RW; and ShirleyWells, SW. I am also indebtedto Ned Johnsonand Lee Jonesfor helpfulcomments; Tim Manoils, Narca Moore, Shumway Suffel and Alan Craig for their carefulediting which greatlyclarified thispaper. Partialfunding for publicationof thischecklist was provided by the Palos Verdes Audubon Societyand the El Dorado Audubon Society.

LITERATURE CITED

Bradley, D., R. Bradley and R. Scalf. 1972. Twenty-fifth winter bird-population study. Rocky shorelineand adjacentocean. Am. Birds26:680-681. Bradley, R.A. and S. Wells. 1969. Sixty-ninthChristmas Bird Count. Palos Verdes Peninsula, Calif. Aud. Field Notes 23:420-421. Dawson, E.Y. 1966. Seashore plants of southern California. Univ. California Press, Berkeley. Diamond,J.M. 1969. Avifaunalequilibria and speciesturnover rates on the Channel Islands of California. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 64:57-63. Dunkle, M.B. 1950. Plant ecology of the Channel Islandsof California. Allan Han- cockExped. Publ. Vol. 13 No. 3:247-386. Univ. SouthernCalifornia Press, Los Angeles. Fink, A. 1966. Time and the terracedland. Howell-NorthBooks, Berkeley,CA. Grinnell, J. 1898. Birdsof the Pacificslope of Los AngelesCounty. PasadenaAcad. Sci. Publ. No. 11. Grinnell, J. and A.H. Miller. 1944. The distribution of the birds of California. Pac. Coast Avif. 27. Howell, A.B. 1917. Birds of the islands off the coast of southern California. Pac. Coast Avif. 12. Johnson, N.K. 1972. Origin and differentiationof the avifauna of the Channel Islands, California. Condor 74:295-315. Jones,H.L. 1975. Studiesof arian turnover,dispersal and colonizationof the Califor- nia Channel Islands.Ph.D. Thesis, Univ. California, Los Angeles.

23 AVIFAUNA OF PALOS VERDES PENINSULA

McCaskie, G. 1963. Spring migration. Southern Pacific Coast region. Aud. Field Notes 17:434. ß 1967. Winter season. Southern Pacific Coast region. Aud. Field Notes 21:460. ß 1968. Winter season. Southern Pacific Coast region. Aud. Field Notes 22:478. --. 1970. The winter season. Southern Pacific Coast region. Aud. Field Notes 24:539. ß 1972. The fall migration. Southern Pacific Coast region. Am. Birds 26:119,120,121,123. --. 1973. The fall migration.Southern Pacific Coast region. Am. Birds27:124. --. 1975a. The fall migration.Southern Pacific Coast region. Am. Birds29:124. 1975b. The spring migration. Southern Pacific Coast region. Am. Birds 2•:910. ß 1976. The nesting season. Southern Pacific Coast region. Am. Birds 30:1005. Munz, P.A. and D.D. Keck. 1959. A California flora. Univ. California Press, Berkeley. Pyle, R.L. and A. Small. 1961. Annotatedfield list, birdsof southernCalifornia. Otis Wade, Los Angeles. Small, A. 1961. Fall migration.Southern Pacific Coast region. Aud. Field Notes 15:75. Suffel, G.S. 1974. 1973. A year of many visitors.Western Tanager 40:2. Valentine, J.W. and J.H. Lipps. 1967. Late Cenozoic history of the southern Californiaislands. Pp. 21-35 in R.N. Philbrick,ed. Proceedingsof the sym- posiumon the biologyof the Californiaislands. Santa BarbaraBotanic Gardens, Santa Barbara, CA. Wells, S. and L.F. Baptista. 1979. Breedingof Allen's Hummingbird(Selasphorus sasin sedentarius)on the southerh California mainland. West. Birds 10:83-85. Willett, G. 1933. A revisedlist of the birdsof southernCalifornia. Pac. Coast Avif. 21. Woodring, W.P., M.N. Bramletteand W.S.W. Kew. 1946. Geology and paleon- tologyof PalosVetdes Hills, California.U.S. Geol. Surv. Prof. PaperNo. 207.

Accepted 5 September 1979