Birds of Griffith Park List Compiled by Daniel S
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Birds of Griffith Park List compiled by Daniel S. Cooper, June 2007 Griffith Park is a 4,000+ acre expanse of open space at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountain range. Extending south and west from the Los Angeles River, its 1,600' ridges separate the San Fernando Valley from Hollywood and the rest of Los Angeles. Such landmarks as the Los Angeles Zoo the Griffith Observatory and the Greek Theater are contained within the Park, and the Hollywood Sign is just outside the Park’s western border. Dominated by mixed chaparral, the Park supports a variety of native southern California habitats, including sycamore groves, oak and walnut woodlands, and coastal sage scrub. Portions of the Los Angeles River provide important wetland and riparian habitat for a wide diversity of waterbirds. Lushly-landscaped gardens and picnic areas on the periphery of the Park provide abundant food and water year-round, making Griffith Park an especially rich habitat for migratory and resident birds. Representing over a quarter of all Parkland in the City of Los Angeles, about 3,000 acres of the original rancho that would become the Park was bequeathed to the city by Col. Griffith J. Griffith in 1896. Since then, the Park has grown in size and offerings, but remains faithful to Griffith’s original vision, a “place of recreation and rest for the masses, a resort for the rank and file.” Around 150 bird species occur in the Park each year (nearly half of which may nest locally), and 50+ species are rare/irregular visitors, pushing the total to more than 200 species. REGULARLY-OCCURRING SPECIES & INTRODUCED SPECIES [Italics] [Barn Swallow S:F*] ___ Lark Sparrow P:R*? PIPIT ___ Fox Sparrow W:F TITS, WRENS, etc. ___ American Pipit W:R ___ Song Sparrow P:F* ___ Mountain Chickadee W:R ___ Lincoln’s Sparrow W:U WAXWINGS ___ Oak Titmouse P:F* ___ Golden-crowned Sparrow W:C ___ Cedar Waxwing W:F ___ Bushtit P:C* ___ White-crowned Sparrow W:C ___ Phainopepla P:U* ___ Red-breasted Nuthatch W:R ___ Dark-eyed Junco P:U* ___ White-Breasted Nuthatch T:R WOOD WARBLERS ___ Black-headed Grosbeak S:F* ___ Bewick’s Wren P:C* ___ Orange-crowned Warbler P:U*? ___ Blue Grosbeak S:R*? ___ House Wren P:U* ___ Nashville Warbler T:U ___ Lazuli Bunting T:U (S:R*?) ___ [Marsh Wren T:R] ___ [Yellow Warbler S:U*?] ___ Ruby-crowned Kinglet W:R BLACKBIRDS ___ Yellow-rumped Warbler W:C ___ Blue-gray Gnatchatcher T:R ___ [Red-winged Blackbird P:U*] ___ Black-throated Gray Warbler T:F ___ Western Meadowlark W:R THRUSHES ___ Hermit Warbler T:R ___ Brewer’s Blackbird P:U* ___ MacGillivray’s Warbler T:R ___ Western Bluebird P:U* ___ Brown-headed Cowbird S:F* ___ [Common Yellowthroat P:U*] ___ Swainson’s Thrush T:R ___ Hooded Oriole S:U* ___ Wilson’s Warbler T:F ___ Hermit Thrush W:C ___ Bullock’s Oriole S:F* ___ American Robin P:F* TANAGER and CHAT ___ Purple Finch P:R*? WRENTIT ___ Yellow-breasted Chat T:R ___ House Finch P:C* ___ Wrentit P:C* ___ Western Tanager T:U ___ Pine Siskin W:R ___ Lesser Goldfinch P:C* THRASHERS SPARROWS, BUNTINGS, etc. ___ American Goldfinch P:R*? ___ Northern Mockingbird P:F* ___ Spotted Towhee P:C* ___ Lawrence’s Goldfinch T:R ___ California Thrasher P:F* ___ California Towhee P:C* ___ House Sparrow P:R* ___ Rufous-crowned Sparrow P:R* ___ [Orange Bishop P:R*? ] STARLING ___ Chipping Sparrow W:U ___ [Nutmeg Mannikin P:R*?] ___ European Starling P:C* The author would like to thank the Franklin Hills Improvement Association for funding the development of this list. We hope this effort will inspire other observers to add to and refine this list, which will encourage future conservation of biodiversity in the park. REGULARLY-OCCURRING SPECIES & INTRODUCED SPECIES [Italics] GREBES RAILS, SHOREBIRDS ___ Downy Woodpecker P:R*? ___ [Pied-billed Grebe P.U*?] ___ [Virginia Rail T:R] ___ Northern Flicker W:F (was P:F*) ___ [Eared Grebe W:U] ___ [Sora W:R] FLYCATCHERS ___ [American Coot P:C*] CORMORANT ___ Olive-sided Flycatcher T:R ___ [Black-bellied Plover T:U] ___ [Double-crested Cormorant P:F] ___ Western Wood-Pewee T:U*? ___ [Killdeer P:F*] ___ Willow Flycatcher T:U WADERS ___ [Black-necked Stilt P:C*] ___ Hammond’s Flycatcher T:R ___ [Great Blue Heron P:F] ___ [Greater Yellowlegs W:F] ___ Dusky Flycatcher T:R ___ [Great Egret P:U] ___ [Spotted Sandpiper P:U*] ___ Pacific-slope Flycatcher S:U* ___ [Snowy Egret P:U] ___ [Western Sandpiper T:U] ___ Black Phoebe P:C* ___ [Green Heron P:U*?] ___ [Least Sandpiper T:U] ___ Say’s Phoebe W:U ___ [Black-crowned Night Heron P:U] ___ [Wilson’s Snipe W:R] ___ Ash-throated Flycatcher S:F* VULTURE GULLS ___ Cassin’s Kingbird P:U*? ___ Turkey Vulture P:F*? ___ [California Gull W:U] ___ Western Kingbird S:U* WATERFOWL ___ [Ring-billed Gull W:U] VIREOS ___ [Canada Goose P:U] PIGEONS/DOVES ___ Cassin’s Vireo T:R ___ [Wood Duck W:U] ___ Rock Dove P:F*? ___ Hutton’s Vireo P:U* ___ [Gadwall W:C] ___ Band-tailed Pigeon P:F*? ___ Warbling Vireo T:F ___ [Mallard P:C*] ___ Mourning Dove P:C*? ___ [Blue-winged Teal W:F] JAYS, etc. ___ [Cinnamon Teal P:F*] PARROTS ___ Western Scrub-Jay P:C* ___ [Northern Shoveler W:F] ___ Yellow-chevroned Parakeet P:U ___ American Crow P:C* ___ [Northern Pintail W:U] ___ Common Raven P:C* OWLS ___ [Green-winged Teal W:F] SWALLOWS ___ [Ring-necked Duck W:U] ___ Great Horned Owl P:U* ___ [Tree Swallow W:U] ___ [Lesser Scaup W:F] SWIFTS ___ [Violet-green Swallow T:U] ___ [Bufflehead W:C] ___ Vaux’s Swift T:C ___ N. Rough-winged Swallow S:F* ___ [Common Goldeneye W:R] ___ White-throated Swift P:C* ___ [Bank Swallow T:R] ___ [Hooded Merganser W:F] ___ Cliff Swallow S:C* ___ [Ruddy Duck W:C] HUMMINGBIRDS ___ Black-ch. Hummingbird S:C* RAPTORS ___ Anna’s Hummingbird P:C* ___ [Osprey P:U] ___ Costa’s Hummingbird T:R * breeding confirmed ___ Sharp-shinned Hawk W:F ___ Rufous Hummingbird T:U *? breeding suspected ___ Cooper’s Hawk P:C* [ ] mainly seen along LA River ___ Allen’s Hummingbird P:C*? ___ Red-shouldered Hawk P:U* ___ Calliope Hummingbird T:R ___ Red-tailed Hawk P:C* W Winter S Summer ___ American Kestrel T:U KINGFISHER T Transient (spring/fall) ___ Merlin W:R ___ [Belted Kingfisher W:F] P Permanent resident ___ [Peregrine Falcon W:R] WOODPECKER C Common F Fairly common QUAIL ___ Acorn Woodpecker P:F* U Uncommon ___ California Quail P:C* ___ Red-breasted Sapsucker W:R R Rare and/or irregular ___ Nuttall’s Woodpecker P:C* The author would like to thank the Franklin Hills Improvement Association for funding the development of this list. We hope this effort will inspire other observers to add to and refine this list, which will encourage future conservation of biodiversity in the park..