Birds of the Upper Colorado River Basin

Brigham Young University Science Bulletin, Biological Series Volume 9 Number 2 Article 1 12-1967 Birds of the Upper Colorado River Basin C. Lynn Hayward Department of Zoology and Entomology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byuscib Part of the Anatomy Commons, Botany Commons, Physiology Commons, and the Zoology Commons Recommended Citation Hayward, C. Lynn (1967) "Birds of the Upper Colorado River Basin," Brigham Young University Science Bulletin, Biological Series: Vol. 9 : No. 2 , Article 1. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byuscib/vol9/iss2/1 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Western North American Naturalist Publications at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Brigham Young University Science Bulletin, Biological Series by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. $ NA-<p£< °1 Brigham Young University Science Bulletin BIRDS OF THE UPPER COLORADO RIVER BASIN US. COM P. ZOGL. LIBRARY MAR2 2«J*8 "Y HARV£ UNIVEh C. LYNN HAYWARD BIOLOGICAL SERIES — VOLUME IX, NUMBER 2 DECEMBER, 1967 BRSGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY SCIENCE BULLETIN BIOLOGICAL SERIES Editor: Dohald M. Allred, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah Si Associate Editor: Earl M. Chbistensen, Department of Botany, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah Members of the Editorial Board: David L. Hanks, Botany J. V. Beck, Bacteriology Wilmer W. Tanner, Zoology, Chairman of the Board Stanley Welsh, Botany W. Derby Laws, Agronomy C. Lynn Hayward, Zoology Ex officio Members: Rudger H. Walker,1 Dean, College of Biological and Agricultural ScienceSciences Ernest L. Olson, Chairman, University Publications The Brigham Young University Science Bulletin, Biological Series, publishes acceptable papers, particularly large manuscripts, on all phases of biology. Separate numbers and back volumes can be purchased from University Publications, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah. All remittances should be made payable to Brigham Young University. Orders and materials for library exchange should be directed to the Division of Gifts and Exchange, Brigham Young University Library, Provo, Utah. Brigham Young University Science Bulletin BIRDS OF THE UPPER COLORADO RIVER BASIN by C. LYNN HAYWARD BIOLOGICAL SERIES — VOLUME IX, NUMBER 2 DECEMBER, 1967 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION 1 BIRD HABITATS OF THE UPPER COLORADO RIVER BASIN 4 Birds of flowing streams and their borders 4 Birds of reservoirs and marshes 4 Birds of cottonwood-willow-tamarisk 6 Birds of desert shrubs and canyons 10 Birds of pinyon-juniper woodlands 12 SEASONAL ASPECTS OF BIRD POPULATIONS 14 ACCOUNTS OF THE SPECIES 16 REFERENCES 59 INDEX TO COMMON NAMES 62 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Drainage system and geographical provinces of the Upper Colorado River Basin 3 2. Pelican Lake, Uintah County, Utah 5 3. Avocets at Pelican Lake 5 4. Cottonwood-willow-tamarisk woodland 7 5. Agricultural community, Henrieville, Utah 7 6. Natural Cottonwood-willow-tamarisk community 8 7. Green River near Flaming Gorge Dam 9 8. Devil's Garden, Arches National Monument 10 9. Monument-like formations. Arches National Monument 11 10. Typical desert wash near Moab, Utah 12 11. Sagebrush plains near Kanab, Utah 12 12. Pinyon-juniper woodland 13 13. Pinyon-juniper woodland 14 14. Nest and eggs of Common Nighthawk 35 15. Young of Common Nighthawk 35 BIRDS OF THE UPPER COLORADO RIVER BASIN by C. Lynn Hayward INTRODUCTION In 1958 the first of a proposed series of created lakes and reservoirs become better es- papers on the Zoology of the Upper Colorado tablished. River Basin was produced ( Hayward, Beck, and A number of species considered by Twomey Tanner, Brigham Young Univ. Sci. Bull., Biol. to be transients only or casual visitors in the Ser. l(3):l-74) in which the general ecological Uinta Basin are now well established as breed- features of the area were described and a check- ing species. These include the Eared Grebe, list of the known land vertebrates was pub- Western Grebe, Pied-billed Grebe, Forster's lished. It was proposed in that paper that addi- Tern, Black Tern, Willet, Avocet, and Black- tional reports would be forthcoming on the necked Stilt. Owing to more extensive and fav- several animal groups of the area as information orable nesting areas now available, the popula- and time would permit. tion of breeding ducks has expanded consider- The present paper is designed to bring up ably in recent vears. Twomey found only two to date information we have been able to gather breeding colonies of Yellow-headed Blackbirds on the birdlife of the Upper Colorado Basin. in the Uinta Basin, with the principal colony be- During the interim since the last paper, certain ing at Ashley Creek marshes. There are now important physical and biotic changes have been large, additional colonies established at Pelican effected in the basin which seem to have re- Lake and Montez Reservoir and at other sites sulted in important changes in the avifauna. throughout the basin. Not the least important of these alterations is The kinds of birds inhabiting the Upper the creation of several large and many small Colorado River Basin have been rather well reservoirs which have already produced import- known for some time, although new records ant changes, especially in the aquatic and shore- appear as fieldwork continues. For those inter- bird populations. ested in taxonomy on the subspecies level there Evidence at hand indicates that the Colorado may be some problems in clinal distribution River and Green River have always served as through the extent of this large area. The pre- important migratory routes for waterfowl and sence of several rather isolated mountain ranges shorebirds, as well as smaller passerine birds. may also present problems of subspecific varia- Twomey (1942) and his associates, who made tion in certain resident species. their observations some 30 years ago in the No attempt is to be made here to review Uinta Basin area, reported nearly all of the all of the publication on upper basin birds, al- kinds of these groups now known to occur there though the writer has attempted to prepare a either as transients or breeding residents. How- fairly complete bibliography of the area. The ever, in Twomey's time and prior to the develop- earlier works of Twomey (1942) on the birds ment of numerous reservoirs, particularly in the of the Uinta Basin and of Woodbury and Rus- Uinta Basin, waterfowl depended almost entire- sell (1945) on die birds of the Navajo country ly on the river and larger tributaries for resting have proved to be very valuable. In addition to and feeding while shorebirds worked along the these, the papers of Behle (1941, 1948, 1958a, sandy or muddy shores or on the limited flood- 1958b, 1959, 1960) dealing directly with Upper plains of the streams. Colorado Basin birds have been very useful Suitable nesting grounds for ducks were sources. Several earlier writers published lists limited to a few small marshes near the mouths from portions of the basin in New Mexico, Colo- of some of the tributaries. With continued de- rado, and Wyoming. These include Copeland velopment of aquatic habitats in many parts of (1920), Fuller and Bole (1930), Gilman (1907), the basin, the status of the waterfowl and Knight (1902), Rockwell (1908), Warren shorebirds throughout the entire area has (1908, 1909). The recent two-volume work of changed materially over the past several years Bailey and Niedrach (1965) on the birds of and should continue to improve as the newly Colorado has added considerablv to our knowl- "Department of Zoology and Entomology. Brigbam Young University. Brigham Young University Science Bulletin edge of the birds of western Colorado, although lationships of some of the more common mam- most of their records are for the Rockv Moun- mals, reptiles, and birds. It is hoped that the tains and eastward. present paper, dealing in more detail with The writer's own observations on the bird- birds, may prove to be of some value to the life of the Upper Colorado River Basin have general public as well as to those interested in been mostly in the Utah portion of it with more the more technical aspects of the ornithology of general observations in other parts of the area. the area. Part of the information on which this paper is The plan of the paper is to present first of based has come from the notes and published all a picture of the birdlife of the principal papers of my colleagues at Brigham Young Uni- habitats found in the Upper Colorado River versity. I am especially indebted to Merlin L. Basin for the benefit of those who may visit Killpack, who has furnished much vauable in- the streams and reservoirs, the open plains and formation especially on the winter birds of the desert country, or the canyon lands. An account Uinta Basin and has published some notes on is also given of the seasonal aspects of bird popu- that area (Killpack, 19.58; Hayward and Kill- lations in the area. In these parts of the paper pack, 1953, 1952, 1951). Herbert H. Frost and the birds will be referred to by the common Joseph R. Murphy have kept records of birds names as proposed in the Fifth Edition ( 1957) seen by them on frequent trips to the Colorado of the A. O. U. Checklist of North American River south of Moab. D Elden Beck has led Birds. several expeditions into south-central Utah and Following the more or less popular account has given me full access to his notes. Through will be an annotated list of the kinds of birds the kindness of Robert G.

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