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Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge Wildlife List Introduction

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Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge Wildlife List Introduction U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge Wildlife List Introduction Established as a national refuge in 1930 by a Presidential Proclamation, the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge is a haven for a diverse range of wildlife. Most of the refuge’s 37,600 acres are now inundated due to flooding by the Salton Sea. 1785 acres of agricultural fields and freshwater marsh remain manageable. Located 228 feet below sea level, the Salton Sea is one of the lowest places in the United States. The area was created in 1905, when a diversion structure on the Colorado River failed, and the river flowed into the Salton Sink for 16 months. Today, the waters of the Salton Sea have stabilized. The Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge holds the distinction of having An egret chick and egg in their nest. the most diverse array Enjoying the Refuge’s Wildlife The study of wild animals in their natural habitat has become an of bird species found on increasingly popular pastime for many people. Viewing of wildlife any national wildlife can be greatly enhanced by a pair of binoculars or a spotting scope. This equipment allows the wildlife to be refuge in the west. viewed at a distance, thus minimizing disturbance. Also, a good wildlife/ birding guide is helpful in locating Common egrets in the bulrush. ©D.B. Marshall/USFWS and identifying the various species. 3 Enjoying the Refuge’s Birdlife Numbers and species of birds you will see here vary according to season. Heavy migrations of waterfowl, marsh birds, and shorebirds occur during spring and fall. Throughout the mild winter and spring a wide variety of songbirds and birds of prey are present. They are attracted to the freshwater marshes and riparian habitat along the New and Alamo Rivers. The greatest number of species is present from October to May. When looking at a bird, pay close attention to characteristics such as color, size, shape, wing, and head markings. Always observe first and then refer to your identification book because the bird may move out of sight quickly. This is especially true of perching birds. The following list of birds contains 424 species that have been recorded at or near the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge(NWR). The common name and taxonomic order used in this list follow those appearing in the American Ornithologists’ Union Check List of North American Birds, published in 1998, and subsequent revisions through 2008. American white pelicans Yuma clapper rail strolls through the reeds. 4 5 Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR List Key Season a − abundant, found in large Abundance numbers. Codes c – common to abundant, easily Wildlife species in this brochure have found in suitable habitat. been grouped into five categories: u – uncommon to fairly common, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, found when looked for in and fish. suitable habitat, but can be missed. Seasons Sp - Spring, April through May r – rare to very uncommon, more S - Summer, June through August often missed than seen, even F - Fall, September through when looked for in suitable October habitat. W - Winter, November through o – occasional, normally less than March five individuals per season during any given year, but to be Spring – Some species migrate much looked for. earlier than others, appearing in the Salton Sea area during March, but 1-9 – number of records is less than are nonetheless considered spring ten records for the entire area, migrants rather than winter visitors. and not to be expected. Their status at this time of the year is indicated under Spring rather than Habitat Codes o - open water - restricted to the Winter. open water of the Salton Sea. b - beach and mudflat - the shore Summer – Status specified under line of the Salton Sea and other this heading indicates the relative areas of shallow water and mud, abundance of summering birds. including flooded fields. Observers must remember late spring migrants can be found into m - marshes - cattail marshes and early June, and that early fall marshy areas along rivers and migrants can occur as early as late canals, and shallow lakes. June, but these are not summering f - farmland - agricultural land birds. Their status as migrants is found extensively throughout indicated under Spring and Fall the Imperial Valley south of rather than Summer. the Salton Sea; includes both planted and unplanted fields. Fall – Since some species, particularly s - shrubland - mesquite thickets shorebirds, migrate quite early in the and other brushy areas. Some fall, their status as fall migrants in shrubland contains scattered July and August is indicated under trees. Fall rather than Summer. r - riparian vegetation - areas of Winter – As indicated above, some salt cedar and willows along early spring migrants may be present waterways, and at some points during March or earlier, as with along the shore of the Salton swallows. Likewise, some late Sea. fall migrants linger in November. a - aerial - strong flying species However, these occurrences are most often seen in the air. omitted from the winter column so as to clearly indicate the status of each species as a winter visitor. Habitat Codes continued next page 6 7 Birds of Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR Habitat Codes h - houses and towns - immediate continued vicinity of ranch houses and the residential areas of towns Common Name H Sp S F W N and urban spaces. Here large trees and ornamental planting Geese, Swans and Ducks support a variety of landbirds. Black-bellied Whistling-Duck m o o o Fulvous Whistling-Duck m o o xb Codes Listed Listed in the notes (N) column is Greater White-fronted Goose fm o 3 u u information over and above the Under Notes Snow Goose fom r o c a relative abundance shown for each season and it clarifies the status of Ross’s Goose fom r o c a some species in the area. Cackling Goose fom o o b – species regularly breeds in the Canada Goose fom o o u u area. Brant om r r o b +- species has bred in the area, Tundra Swan om o and may continue to breed Wood Duck m 2 1 o sporadically in the area, but Gadwall mo u u u u b+ is not expected to become a Eurasian Wigeon mo o o regularly nesting species. American Wigeon mo r o c c l – species occurs only locally American Black Duck 1 within the area. Mallard mfo u u u u b e – an erratic species, occurring in numbers some years, but very Blue-winged Teal mo r o u u scarce or even absent in others. Cinnamon Teal mfo c u c u b x – species formerly occurred in Northern Shoveler bmo c r a a the area, but is now extirpated, Northern Pintail mo u o c c occurring only as an accidental Baikal Teal 1 straggler if at all. Green-winged Teal mo u o c c xb – an extirpated breeder formerly Canvasback o o o o u nesting in the area, but with no Redhead mo u u u u b recent breeding records. Ring-necked Duck mo o o r r p – a post-breeding visitor to the Tufted Duck 1 area from the south, most numerous in the area between Greater Scaup o o o u July and September. Lesser Scaup o o o u c Surf Scoter o r o o o * – Federally Endangered or Threatened Species White-winged Scoter o o o o Black Scoter 2 7 o Long-tailed Duck o o 2 o Bufflehead o o o u b+ Common Goldeneye o o o u Barrow’s Goldeneye 7 Hooded Merganser mo 1 1 r Common Merganser o o 7 o Red-breasted Merganser o r o r o Ruddy Duck om c u c a b Pheasants Ring-necked Pheasant f u u u u b 8 9 Common Name H Sp S F W N Common Name H Sp S F W N New World Quail Bitterns, Herons and Egrets Gambel’s Quail s c c c c b American Bittern m r o r r Least Bittern m u u u u b Loons Great Blue Heron bm c c c c b Red-throated Loon 4 3 4 Great Egret bfm a a a a b Pacific Loon o o o 1 Snowy Egret bm a a a a b Common Loon o r r 4 Little Blue Heron m o o o o b+ Grebes Tricolored Heron m o o o o Reddish Egret mb o o o Least Grebe 1 Cattle Egret fm a a a a b Pied-billed Grebe mo c c c c b Green Heron m u u u u Horned Grebe o o 5 o o Black-crowned Night-Heron m c c c c Red-necked Grebe 1 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 1 Eared Grebe om c u c c b+ Western Grebe om u u u b Ibises and Spoonbills Clark’s Grebe om u u u u b White Ibis 2 Glossy Ibis f o o Albatrosses White-faced Ibis fm c c a a b Laysan Albatross 3 1 Roseate Spoonbill bm o o o o ep Petrels and Shearwaters Storks Cook’s Petrel 3 Wood Stork bm r o p Wedge-tailed Shearwater 1 New World Vultures Buller’s Shearwater 1 Turkey Vulture af c u c c Sooty Shearwater 1 7 Kites, Eagles and Hawks Storm-Petrels Osprey ao r r u u Leach’s Storm-Petrel 1 1 White-tailed Kite afr r r u u b+ Black Storm-Petrel 3 Bald Eagle am 1 o o Least Storm-Petrel 1 2 Northern Harrier afm u o c c b+ Sharp-shinned Hawk afh r u u Boobies Cooper’s Hawk afh u 2 u u Blue-footed Booby o o 3 ep Harris’s Hawk sf o o o xb Brown Booby o o 1 ep Red-shouldered Hawk hrs o o o Broad-winged Hawk 1 2 Pelicans Swainson’s Hawk af r 1 r o American White Pelican oa a u a c xb Zone-tailed Hawk af 1 o o Brown Pelican* o u u a c b+ Red-tailed Hawk af u o c c b+ Cormorants Ferruginous Hawk af u u Rough-legged Hawk af o o Brandt’s Cormorant 1 Golden Eagle 2 2 1 Neotropic Cormorant 3 4 2 1 Double-crested Cormorant o a a a a b Caracaras and Falcons Crested Caracara 2 Darters American Kestrel afh c c c c b Anhinga 1 1 Merlin afh r r r Peregrine Falcon abf u u u u Frigatebirds Prairie Falcon af r r Magnificent Frigatebird a o o 1 ep 10 11 Common Name H Sp S F W N Common Name H Sp S F W N Rails, Gallinules and Coots Red-necked/Little Stint 1 Black Rail m o o o o b Least Sandpiper bf c c a Clapper Rail* m u u u u b White-rumped Sandpiper 4 Virginia Rail m u r u u b Baird’s Sandpiper bf o r Sora m
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