Petrified Forest Has a Variety of Habitats
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Residents and Migrants Petrified Forest has a variety of habitats. residents such as western tanagers, National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Raptors, songbirds, and ground birds can hermit warblers, and house finches. The Petrified Forest be found in the grassland. The riparian park also offers sightings of vagrant Petrified Forest National Park corridor of Puerco River provides food shore birds and rare Eastern birds not Petrified Forest, Arizona and shelter for year- round residents as seen often in Arizona. Rarities, such as well as migrants such as warblers, vireos, black-throated blue warbler, have been avocets, killdeer, and others. The exotic found by Maricopa Audubon Society Birds and native trees and shrubs around the members. September and early October Visitor Center and Rainbow Forest seem to be the best time to visit the area Museum provide home for migrants and to see these fascinating vagrants. Common Raven The large black bird you see as you intelligent birds that uses every drive through the park is the common opportunity to ply visitors for a raven. Its shiny black body and brash handout. Help us keep these crea- character distinguish it from all other tures wild and healthy by not feeding birds. The raven’s deep varied calls and them. Observe from a distance - that hawk-like habits have inspired myths formidable beak can cause a painful in many cultures. Ravens are highly bite. Western Meadowlark Before mating season, meadowlarks areas or even on bare ground. Northern Harrier live in flocks that can include 75 indi- When fall arrives, meadowlarks fly as viduals. During mating and nesting far south as Mexico for the winter. Early morning on the shortgrass prairie, heard only by a passing coyote, a western seasons however, they live in mated The song of the western meadowlark meadowlark pours out its lovely, liquid melody. Travelers must stop as a mid-morning pairs. Their nests, made of fine dry has been lauded by many as the parade of scaled quail scurry across the road. In the heat of the day, a common raven grasses, are built on tussocks in grassy bird’s greatest charm. greets hikers at the trailhead for Crystal Forest, panting as he eyes them greedily. As afternoon ages, a red-tail hawk spirals above the prairie dog town near Newspaper Rock. Evening brings a chorus of song from the house finches hiding in the Russian olives near the Visitor Center. In the wilderness night, a great horned owl passes on velveted wings, claws clutching a white -footed mouse. Anna’s Hummingbird Restricted to the southwestern part of up to two teaspoons a day. As it flies Habitats Under Pressure During the various parts of their life cycle Like many national park areas, Petrified the country the Anna’s Hummingbird from plant to plant, listen for the high (breeding, nesting, wintering, feeding, Forest National Park provides a unique is one of the parks smallest residents. pitched hum of its wings. Like a and migrating), birds need different areas place of protection and preservation. Here, It feeds on nectar, fruit juice, tree sap, helicopter, this little bird can hover and habitats with a variety of resources birds can find food and shelter that may not small insects and spiders, consuming and fly backward and forward. for food and shelter. Habitation be available in other regions on their degradation and loss due to changes in journeys from habitat to habitat. Patches of land-use and development have effected healthy, undeveloped habitats are found in bird populations, with some species the modern fragmented landscape, dropping to dangerously low levels, connected by corridors such as Petrified courting extinction. Forest. Golden Eagle Golden eagles are the largest raptors in rels. Like many birds, it takes ad- the park. With a wing span up to 7 feet vantage of carrion as a food source. Ecological Monitor Like the canary in the mine, birds gauge Birds are an ‘ecological litmus paper’. (2 m), it soars majestically over the Golden eagles are easily disturbed the health and safety of our environment. Because of their rapid metabolism and wide grassland of Petrified Forest searching during nesting so view them from a By watching birds, noting species, and the geographical range, they reflect changes in for a meal of small mammals such as distance. migration of species, we can understand the environment quickly; they warn us of the changes in our environment. things out of balance sending out signals rabbits, prairie dogs and ground squir- Preservation and protection of healthy whenever there is a deterioration in the corridors such as Petrified Forest National ecosystem... - Roger Tory Peterson Park provide food and shelter for a diversity of birds and other species. Printed on Recycled paper EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA Visit our website at http://www.nps.gov/pefo Rev. January 2004 Abridged Bird List for Petrified Forest National Park Grebes Quail Kingfishers Nuthatches Vireos continued Grosbeaks, Finches, Least Grebe M Scaled Quail R Belted Kingfisher M White-breasted Nuthatch M Warbling Vireo M Sparrows, Buntings continued Western Grebe M Rails, Coots Woodpeckers Red-breasted Nuthatch M Gray Vireo M Red Crossbill O Pied-billed Grebe M Virginia Rail M Northern Flicker R Pygmy Nuthatch M Wood Warblers Green-tailed Towhee M Eared Grebe M Sora Rail M Acorn Woodpecker M Creepers, Wrens Black-and-white Warbler M Spotted Towhee M Pelicans American Coot M Lewis Woodpecker M Brown Creeper M Yellow Warbler M California Towhee M American White Pelican M Shorebirds, Gulls Yellow-bellied Sapsucker M Bewick’s Wren M Yellow-rumped Warbler M Lark Bunting M Herons, Bitterns American Avocet R Williamson’s Sapsucker M Marsh Wren M Townsend’s Warbler M Savannah Sparrow M Great Blue Heron M Mountain Plover M Hairy Woodpecker M Canyon Wren O MacGillivray’s Warbler M Baird’s Sparrow M Green Heron M Killdeer R Downy Woodpecker M House Wren M Common Yellowthroat M Vesper Sparrow R Snowy Egret M Long-billed Curlew O Ladder-backed Woodpecker M Rock Wren R American Redstart O Lark Sparrow R Black Crowned Night Heron M Whimbrel O Tyrant Flycatcher Mockingbird, Thrashers Yellow-breasted Chat M Rufous-crowned Sparrow M American Bittern M Lesser Yellowlegs M Western Kingbird R Northern Mockingbird R Wilson’s Warbler M Black-throated Sparrow R Geese, Ducks Spotted Sandpiper M Cassin’s Kingbird R Gray Catbird O Ovenbird M Sage Sparrow R Canada Goose M Baird’s Sandpiper M Black Phoebe M Brown Thrasher O Northern Waterthrush M Dark-eyed Junco M Mallard M Least Sandpiper M Say’s Phoebe R Bendire’s Thrasher R Red-faced Warbler O Chipping Sparrow R Northern Pintail M Western Sandpiper M Western Wood-peewee R Curve-billed Thrasher R Meadowlarks, Blackbirds, Brewer’s Sparrow M Green-winged Teal M Willet M Olive-sided Flycatcher M Sage Thrasher R Orioles White-crowned Sparrow M Blue-winged Teal M Wilson’s Phalarope M Vermilion Flycatcher O Thrushes, Bluebirds, Solitaires Western Meadowlark R White-throated Sparrow M Cinnamon Teal M Herring Gull O N. Beardless-tyrannulet O American Robin M Hooded Oriole O Fox Sparrow M American Wigeon M Ring-billed Gull O Hammond’s Flycatcher R Hermit Thrush M Scott’s Oriole O Lincoln’s Sparrow M Northern Shoveler M Franklin’s gull O Dusky Flycatcher R Swainson’s Thrush M Northern Oriole R Song Sparrow R Ring-necked Duck M Pigeons, Doves Cordilleran Flycatcher R Western Bluebird M Brewer’s Blackbird M Chestnut-collared Longspur O Bufflehead M Band-tailed Pigeon M Ash-throated Flycatcher R Mountain Bluebird M Brown-headed Cowbird R R=Residents found in the park 4 Ruddy Duck M Mourning Dove R Larks Townsend’s Solitaire R Great-tailed Grackle M months of the year or more Ibises Inca Dove O Horned Lark R Gnatcatchers, Kinglets Yellow-headed Blackbird M White-faced Ibis M Cuckoos, Roadrunners Swallows Blue-gray Gnatcatcher M Red-winged Blackbird M M=Migrants usually found twice a Vultures, Hawks, Eagles Greater Roadrunner R Violet-green Swallow M Black-tailed Gnatcatcher M Tanagers year during migration Turkey Vulture M Owls Tree Swallow M Golden-crowned Kinglet M Western Tanager R Northern Goshawk M Western Screech Owl O Bank Swallow M Ruby-crowned Kinglet M Hepatic Tanager O O=Occasionals or accidentals Sharp-shinned Hawk M Great Horned Owl R N. Rough-winged Swallow M Pipits, Waxwings Summer Tanager O that have wandered from their Cooper’s Hawk M Burrowing Owl R Barn Swallow M Water Pipit M Grosbeaks, Finches, normal range. Red-tailed Hawk R Long-eared Owl R Cliff Swallow R Bohemian Waxwing M Sparrows, Buntings Swainson’s Hawk M Short-eared Owl O Purple Martin M Cedar Waxwing M Black-headed Grosbeak M Rough-legged Hawk M Goatsuckers Jays, Crows Silky Flycatchers Blue Grosbeak R Ferruginous Hawk R Common Poor-will M Steller’s Jay O Phainopepla O Lazuli Bunting R Northern Harrier R Common Nighthawk M Scrub Jay M Shrikes Painted Bunting O Merlin M Swifts, Hummingbirds Common Raven R Loggerheaded Shrike R Indigo Bunting O American Kestrel R Vaux’s Swift M American Crow O Starlings Evening Bunting M Prairie Falcon R White-throated Swift M Pinyon Jay O European Starling R House Finch R Osprey M Anna’s Hummingbird R Clark’s Nutcracker O Weaver Finches Pine Siskin M Golden Eagle R Broad-tailed Hummingbird R Titmouse, Bushtits House Sparrow R American Goldfinch M Bald Eagle R Rufous Hummingbird R Mountain Chickadee M Vireos Cassin’s Finch R Peregrine Falcon M Allen’s Hummingbird R Juniper Titmouse M Hutton’s Vireo M Lesser Goldfinch M Calliope Hummingbird R Bushtit M Plumbeous Vireo M Rockwren.