NOTEWORTHY RECORDS OF IN NORTHWESTERN BAJA ,

PHILIP UNITT and AMADEO M. REA, NaturalHistory Museum, P.O. Box 1390, San Diego, California92112 EDUARDO PALACIOS, ERIC MELLINK, LUCIA ALFARO, and SALVADOR GONZALEZ, de Investigaci6n Cienfifica y Educaci6n Superior de Ensenada, B.C., Apdo. Postal2732, Ensenada,(U.S. mailingaddress: P.O. Box 434844, San Diego, California92143)

Evenafter the contributionof Wilbur(1987) and severalrecent reports in l•VesternBirds, the distributionsof many birdsin Baja Californiaremain poorly known. Here we report observationsmade by us separatelyor togetherbetween 1975 and June 1994. We includedata only for north- westernBaja California,that is, betweenthe internationalborder and Rio del Rosario and west of the summits of the sierras Ju•rez and San Pedro M•rtir. Almostall recordsare basedon sightidentification only, owingto the difficulty,even for Mexicancitizens, in complyingwith current collecting regulationsin Mexico. Sitesmentioned in the followingaccounts are plottedin Figure1. Within eachaccount, sites are orderedfrom north to south.Initials in parentheses denote the responsibleobservers.

SPECIES ACCOUNTS

Horned Grebe(Poc•iceps auritus). Not recordedfrom BajaCalifornia by Grinnell (1928), this speciesis still knownhere from only a few publishedrecords (Wilbur 1987). Our records:Bahia de San Quintin,where Horned Grebeshad not yet been recorded:3, 1 December 1986 (PU). Esterode Punta Banda: 6, 27-28 November 1987 (PU); 1, 2 February1994 (EP). Steve N. G. Howell (pers.comm.) has also noted the speciesat thesetwo sites,with a maximumof 20 in the Bahia de San Quintin, 8 December1983. The statusof this speciesin the Bahia de San Quintin and Estero de Punta Banda is probablysimilar to that on : an uncommon annual winter visitor. Pied-billedGrebe (Poc•ilyrnbuspoc•iceps). A "sparseresident the lengthof the peninsula"(Wilbur 1987), thisspecies is scarceenough as a breederwe listour only two records.El Cipr•s pond: 1 adult with a chick, 15 June 1991 (SG). A small temporawpond on the sideof the highway1 km north of Colonet:1 adultwith 5 chicks,4 June 1994 (SG).S. N. G. Howell(pers. comm.) adds two furtherlocalities: H•roes de la Independencia(adult with chick, 14 May 1989) and RanchoSan Jos• de Meling(2 adultswith 3 chicks,11 May 1989). Brandt's Cormorant (?halacrocoraxpenicillatus). A rock on the northeastern sideof SouthIsla Todos Santos: 40 nestingon 15 April 1991 (EP,EM). Thisspecies historicallybred on the IslasTodos Santos (van Denburgh 1924, Howell 1912), and Everett and Anderson (1991) concludedthat, except at San Martin and Los Coronadosislands, its statusin Baja California has probablychanged little. We, however,found none on the mainisland, which the cormorantsmay havedeserted becauseof disturbanceby fishermenand, perhaps,tourists. White-facedIbis (?legaclis chihi). Wilbur(1987) consideredthis ibisa rare tran- sient,listing only one recordfor northwesternBaja California. Our findingsindicate it 144 WesternBirds 26:144-154, 1995 BA,JA CALIFORNIA RECORDS

1170 I

ENSENADA •

36 3• 3• 37

SAN •QUINTIN

4•

¾AJORCITIES ROSARIO HIGHWAYS•

Figure1. NorthwesternBaja California, showing the localitiesmentioned in thetext. 1. lslasLos Coronados;2, Rancho San Martin; 3, Valle Nachogtiero;4, Rancho Santa Alicia; 5, RanchoSan Marcos,Valle Las Palmas;6, El Testerazo;7, Jape; 8, La Misi6n;9, La Salina;10, ColoniaGuadalupe; 11, SanAntonio de lasMinas; 12, El sauzal;13, PresaEmilio L6pez Zamora; 14, lslasTodos Santos; 15, El Cipr•s; 16, Punta Banda; 17, Punta Banda barrier beach; 18, Estero de Punta Banda; 19, Maneadero;20, Sangre de Cristo (Ojos Negros),Valle San Rafael; 21, Laguna Hanson;22, EijdoH•roes de la Independencia;23, Vallede Trinidad;24, Bocanade SantoTom•s; 25, PuntaCabras; 26, San VicenteFerrer; 27, EjidoEr•ndira; 28, San Antoniodel Mar; 29, Colonet;30, San Telmo de Abajo; 31, San Telmo de Andba; 32, EjidoSinaloa; 33, LasCabras; 34, RanchoSan Jos• de Meling;35, Vallecitos; 36, SanPedro M•rtir Observatory;37, La Grulla;38, LagunaFigueroa; 39, IslaSan Martin;40, Bahiade San Quintin;41, La Pintapond; 42, mouthof Rio del Rosario.

145 BA,JA CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS is now more numerous,probably as the resultof a generalpopulation increase over the last 10 years(e.g., Ivey et al. 1988, American Birds 45:1160, 1991; 46:1178, 1992). La Pintapond, south end of Bahiade SanQuintin: 19, 12 September1990 (EM). El Cipr•s pond and nearbyagricultural fields: 24, 20 November1992 (SG). Esterode Punta Banda:7, 27 April 1989 (EP). LagunaFigueroa: l, 24 February 1993; 6, 8 August1993 (EP,SG, LA). Howelland Pyle(1990) reported20 circling over on 16 May 1989. Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura). "Usually20 or less are observedtogether" (Wilbur1987). We noted56 flyingtoward a roostin two rowsof eucalyptustrees at ,23 February1991 (AMR, EP, EM, LA). WhistlingSwan (C9gnuscolumbianus columbianus). Jap/i: 5, 24 November 1988 (PU). Grinnell (1928) and Wilbur (1987) listed nine previousoccurrences in BajaCalifornia, maximum three individuals per occurrence.Kurt Radamaker(pers. comm.) reportsthat a maximumof I2 have winteredannually at H•roes de la Independenciasince 1984. White-frontedGoose (Anser albifrons). This "rare wintervisitor" (Wilbur 1987) hasbeen recorded at variouswetlands along the Pacificcoast of BajaCalifornia. We adda new siteto the list. LagunaFigueroa: l, 15 December1993 (EP,EM, SG). Snow Goose(Chen caerulescens).There appearsto be only one publishedrecord for northwesternBaja California (San Quintin, Wilbur 1987) previousto oursof 21 at LagunaFigueroa, 15 December1993 (EP,EM, SG).One of the individualswas of the bluemorph, the restof the white.S. N. G. Howell(pers. comm.) found five, all white, at H•roes de la Independenciaon 9 January 1994. CinnamonTeal (Anascpanoptera). Laguna Figueroa: 3 pairs,one with 4 chicks, 29 May 1993 (EP, SG, LA). The only other Baja Californiabreeding localities reportedfor the CinnamonTeal are the ValleSan Rafael40 km eastof Ensenada (Bryant 1889, Huey 1928), La Grulla in the Sierra San Pedro M/trtir (Anthony 1893), H•roes de la Independenciain the SierraJu/irez, and the Rio Coloradodelta (Howell and Webb 1992). Northern Shoveler(Anas clppeata).Laguna Figueroa: 1, 29 May 1993 (EP, SG, LA). We find no previousBaja Californiareports of this winter visitoroutside its normal season. Red-breastedMerganser (Mergus serratar). Bocana de SantoTom/is, in lagoonat mouthof Rio SantoTom/is: 1, apparenfiyfiighfiess, 20-21 June 1987 (PU).Small numberssummer annually just to the north alongthe coastof San Diego County (Unitt I984), but there is apparentlyonly one previousmidsummer report of this speciesin BajaCalifornia, at El Rosario(Wilbur 1987). RuddyDuck (Oxpurajamaicensis). El Cipr•s pond: 1 femalewith 10 chicks,l0 June 1990; 1 femalewith 4 chicks,30 May 1991; 1 femalewith 12 chicks,3 June 1992 (SG).Presa Emilio L6pez Zamora (Ensenada): 3 femaleswith 8 chicks,23 May 1991 (SG).Laguna Figueroa: 1 pair with 7 chicks,3 July1993 (EP,SG, LA). There areonly three previous records of RuddyDucks breeding on thepeninsula: Santiago, cape region, "largecolony" in November1887 (M. A. Frazar in Brewster1902), "latitude31 ø N," no date, (A. W. Anthonyin Bryant 1889), and LagunaHanson, 1925 (Huey 1928).

Osprey(Pondion haliaetus). After a declinein numbersa few decadesago, this speciesis now recuperating,as reflectedby our recentobservations. El Sauzal:I, I2 April 1994 (EM). Estero de Punta Banda: 2, 15 February 1992 (EP, SG). San Antonio del Mar: 1, 6 May 1991 (EP, LA). Bahia de San Quintin: 2, 24 February

146 BAJA CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS

1992; 4, 26 September1992; 1, 24 November1992; 1, 27 February1993; 1, 29 March 1993; 1, 28 May 1993 (EP,SG, LA). Northern Harrier (Circus ci•aneus).San Teltoo de Arriba: a pair performing courtshipflights, 8 March 1991 (AMR, EP, LA). Nestingof the NorthernHarrier on the peninsulahas been reportedonly from "northwestLower Californianear the boundaryline" (N. S. Gossin Belding1890), Cabo Colonet,and San Ramon(A. W. Anthony in Bryant 1889). The late RichardP. Phillipsphotographed a fledgling NorthernHarrier at the mouthof the Rio San Teltooon 21 June 1967 (photoin file of the San Diego Natural HistoryMuseum's Education Department), and S. N. G. Howell (pers.comm.) noted a femalecarrying prey 14 krn east of San Teltoo de Arriba on 15 June 1991. Huey (1926) sawthe speciesin April and May 1925 at El Rosario,its southernmostprobable breeding locality in Baja California. Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperil). Wilbur (1987) reported Cooper's Hawks nestingin BajaCalifornia south to about30 ø45' N. We mentionour single record, of a nestwith at leastone downychick in the Rio SantoTomfs 3 krneast of La Bocana on 21 June 1987 (PU), becauseknown breeding sites here are so few, becausethe speciesmay be declining,and becausethe nestwas in a willow.The overwhelming majorityof Cooper'sHawk nestsin Upper Californiaare placedin live oaks(Asay 1987). Also, at the mouth of the Rio del Rosario,a Cooper'sHawk was killingan AmericanCoot (Fulicaamericana) on 28 January1991 (AMR, EP, EM, LA). PeregrineFalcon (Falco peregrinus). This speciesis stillrare in northwesternBaja California, especiallyduring the summer.Bahia de San Quintin: 1, 24 February 1992; 1, 24 November1992; 1, 28 May 1993 (EP,LA). Salt pond 15 krn north of Bahiade San Quinfin: 1, 8 August1993 (EP,LA, SG). Wilson's Plover (Charadrius wilsonia). Punta Banda: 1 adult in the Least Tern nestingcolony on the barrierbeach, 15 June 1989; 1 in the sameplace, 23 May 1993 (EP).The onlyprevious reports of Wilson'sPlovers on the Pacificcoast of Baja Californiaare from southof 28 ø N in the stateof BajaCalifornia Sur (Wilbur1987). Mountain Plover (Charadrius montanus). Road to San Antonio del Mar, 2 krn westof Colonet:12 in an open agriculturalfield, 25 January1991 (AMR, EP, EM, LA). El Cipr•s pond: 2, 15 December 1989 (SG). Wilbur (1987) thought the MountainPlover probably fairly common,though little documented. However, the species'current rangewide rarity and extremelocalization in winter suggestthat all sitesbe reported. LesserYellowlegs (Tringa flavipes). La Salina:2, 27 November1987 (PU). North end of Laguna Figueroa:3, mixed with Greater Yellowlegs(T. melanoleuca),8 August1993 (EP,SG, LA). Thoughthe speciesis a fairlycommon fall migrantat brackishlagoons in southernUpper California, of the onlysix published records for BajaCalifornia (wilbur 1987, Pattenet al. 1993), onlyone is for the northwest:La Bocanade SantoTom&s, 14 August1940, specimen(Huey 1941). Red Knot (Calidriscanutus). Estero de PuntaBanda: 47, 22 February1992 (EP, LA). Bahia de San Quintin: 18, 28 March 1993 (EP, SG, LA). These are the first publishedreports of the Red Knot in northwesternBaja California, but the numbers and datessuggest the speciesis a regularwinter visitor at the two localities,as it is at SanDiego Bay. Both sites offer the extensive tidal mudflats required by wintering Red Knots. White-wingedDove (Zenaidaasiatica). The northernlimit of the White-winged Dove's normal range along the Pacific coast has not yet been well defined.We believeit to be the Rio San Telmo,where our recordsare from 12 krn eastof Ejido Sinaloa, 2 on 22 June 1986, and RanchoSan Jos• de Meling, 6 singingon 13

147 BAJA CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS

March 1994 (PU). Short and Crossin(1967) and S. N. G. Howell (pers.comm.) also foundWhite-winged Doves fairly commonlyat the latter locality,and Huey (1927) collecteda recentlyfledged juvenile there on 1 October1926. One at the hot springs at RanchoVargas, northwest of Los Alamosand east of San Vicente, 10 August 1986 (AMR),more likely represents a migrant;fall migrantsgenerally begin appear- ing alongthe coastof San Diego Countyabout this date (Unitt 1984). LesserNighthawk (Chordei/es acu tipen n is). Hills immediately north of El Rosario, 1 km eastof the transpeninsularhighway: 1, 28 January1991 (AMR, EP, EM, LA). There are a few previouswinter recordsfor southernUpper Californiabut none publishedfor Baja Californianorth of the cape district. White-throatedSwift (Aeronautes saxatalis). Wilbur (1987) wroteof thisspecies, "winterrecords are all from coastallocations, so there may be somewithdrawal from higherelevations at that season."San Pedro M•rtir Observatory:12, 28 November 1986 (PU), when pondsin the SierraSan PedroM•rtir remainedfrozen solid all day, suggestingthat White-throatedSwifts may attemptto winter at high elevations. RufousHummingbird ($elasphorus rufus). One amongthe volcanoesadjacent to the Bahia de San Quintin, 27 January1991 (AMR, EP, EM, LA), was presumablyan earlyspring migrant. Our otherrecords are stronglyconcentrated in the secondweek of March, suggestingthis is the peak of the species' spring migration through northwesternBaja California. Ladder-backedWoodpecker (Dendrocopos scalaris). La Bocanade SantoTom•s: 1 foragingin Agaue shawii, 21 June 1987 (PU). There is only one record of the Ladder-backedWoodpecker farther north along the coast of Baja California, of a specimenof the brown-breastedsubspecies D. s. eremicuscollected at Ensenadaon 27 February1906 (NationalMuseum of NaturalHistory 196279; Oberholser1911, M. R. Browningpers. comm.). Short and Crossin(1967) lookedfor but did not find this speciesat the mouthof the Rio SantoTomas. In northwesternBaja California, D. s. eremicus occursprincipally in Agaue shawii, which is common between Ensenadaand Tijuana, so furtherstudy may showthat the woodpeckerextends even farthernorth. A specimenfrom the northend of ValleNachoggero, elevation 3400 feet, about 25 km east of (Museum of VertebrateZoology 52146) is of the pale-breastedsubspecies cactophilus, as reported originallyby Grinnell (1928), althoughthe localityis on the coastalslope. WesternKingbird (Tyrannus uerticalis). Rancho San Marcos,Valle de las Palmas: 1, 9 March 1991 (AMR, EP, LA). The bird was presumablyan early springmigrant, exceedingby one day the previousearliest record for Baja California, 10 March 1897, IslasTodos Santos (Kaeding 1905). Western Wood Pewee (Contopus sordidulus).About 14 km northeastof Ejido Er•ndira: 1, 21 June 1986; 3, 16 May 1987 (PU). These may have been migrants but seemedto be singingterritorially. This speciesis a commonsummer resident in the SierraSan PedroM•rtir andprobably in the SierraJu•rez (Grinnell1928, Wilbur 1987), but the only other summerrecord outside the mountainsis of one at Sangre de Cristo at the west base of the Sierra Ju•rez (near 31 ø 50 t N) 22-23 June 1980 (Wilbur 1987). VermilionFlycatcher (?yrocephalus rubinus). Valle de Las Palmas:a pair in a mesquitebosque along the Rio de las Palmasjust northwestof the town, 19 July 1986 (PU). El Testerazo:a pair with two fledglingsin a mesquitebosque, 19 July 1986 (PU). Rio San lsidronear the ruinsof the MissionSan Vicente Ferrer: a pair, 21 June 1986 (PU). Previousbreeding-season records of VermilionFlycatchers in Baja Californiaextend northwest only to Las Cabras,a former localityin the valleyof the Rio San Telmo (one male collected4 June 1923, Huey 1926) and Valle de Trinidad 148 BAJA CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS

(twomales seen, 11 April 1967, Shortand Crossin1967). On the coastalslope of southernUpper CaliforniaVermilion Flycatchers once nestedsporadically; since 1968 only two nestingshave been reported, from Camarillo,Ventura County (AmericanBirds 42:1341, 1988), and northeasternSanta Barbara County (Lehman 1994). Violet-greenSwallow (Tachycineta thalassina). The long-wingedsubspecies T. t. "lepida" (= nominatethalassina, Phillips 1986) breedsin the coniferouswoodlands of the sierrasJugrez and San Pedro M•rtir (Huey 1926, Grinnell 1928, Wilbur 1987), while the short-wingedT. t. brachyptera breeds mostly in Cardones (Pachycereuspringlei) from Santana (28 ø 40' N) southto CaboSan Lucas. Anthony (1895) reportedViolet-green Swallows nesting in the "cardoons"at San Fernando (29ø 57' N), andthis record has since been assigned to "lepida"(Grinnell 1928, AOU 1957), thoughon what basisis unclear;Anthony did not mentioncollecting any specimensat SanFernando. Huey (1926) alsoreported seeing "a few coursingover the marsh"at San Ramon (30 ø 41' N) "as [ate as June 6, 1925." Unitt hasfound Violet-green Swallows at severalcoastal locations in northwestern BajaCalifornia: Rio SantoTom•s 3 krnin[and from La Bocana(31 ø 15'N), 5 on 21 June 1986 and 2 on 16 May 1987; alongthe Rio San Telmo 3 km west of San Telmode Arriba(30 ø 57'N), 1 on 22 June1986 and2 on 21 June1987; alongthe Rio del Rosario10 km northeastof E1Rosario, 2 on 22 June 1986; E1Rosario (30 ø 03' N), 1 on 22 June1986. NearEjido Er•ndira on 21 June1986 a pairwas feeding threefledglings at a nestin a holein a rockyroad cut. The siteis adjacentto a hill lighfiywooded with an isolatedcolony of BishopPines (Pinus muricata). The habitat at the othersites includes at leastisolated clumps of riparianwoodland of willows. Theseobservations, together with Huey'sreport, suggest that the Violet-green Swallowis an uncommonand localized but regular summer resident along the coast of northwesternBaja California.The questionremains whether this population representsnominate thalassina, brachyptera, or intergrades. AmericanCrow (Corvusbrachyrhynchus). The southernmostreported breeding localityfor thisspecies is Vallede Guadalupe(Huey 1926). Current[y,crows can be foundcommonly down to the edgeof the town of San Antoniode lasMinas, on the roadfrom Tecate to Ensenada(EM). We havenot searchedfor theirnesting, but their presencein thisarea year round suggests that the southernlimit of theirbreeding has movedsouth, in associationwith the developmentof agriculture,and parallelinga recentspread into the cityof San Diego.The speciesextends east at leastto 11 km east of Tecate(6 on 4 November1988, PU). Verdin (Auriparusflaviceps). The Verdin has been reportedin Baja California northwestto 40 km east of Ensenada,where Short and Crossin(1967) observedat leastfour, collected specimens, and saw the birdsbuilding a nestin a mesquite.The specimens,according to Phillips(1986 and pers. comm.), are A. f. acaciarum, the palerace that inhabitsthe desertareas of northeasternBaja California and southeast- ern Upper California,rather than the dark A. f. flaviceps,which occursin central Baja Californianorth to the vicinityof E1Rosario (Grinnell 1928). Unitt foundtwo Verdinsin the mesquitebosque along the Rio de lasPalmas just northwest of Vallede las Palmason 19 July 1986. This observationadds a perspectiveto the former (last record1975) fall andwinter occurrences of thisnonmigratory species in coastalSan DiegoCounty. Valle de las Palmaslies only about 55 km southeastof the Tijuana Rivervalley, site of mostof the San Diegorecords, and the Rio de [asPa[mas drains into the TijuanaRiver. CactusWren (Campylorhynchusbrunneicapillus). We found one individualof subspeciessandiegensis at RanchoSanta Alicia, at the northwesternend of Valle de [asPalmas, 23 February1991 (EM, EP, AMR, LA), possiblyat the southermostlimit

149 BAJA CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS of this race (Rea and Weaver 1990). An individualcaptured, and six more seen,on PuntaBanda, along the coast,August 1993, wereC. b. bryanti(EM). A rectrixfound in a CactusWren nestat RanchoVargas on 10 August1986 (AMR) hastoo much blackfor typicalbryanti and resemblessandiegensis more closely.This siteis south of the knowndistribution of the subspeciesbut inland. "Gray" Thrasher (Toxostomacinereum). We feel certain that Wilbur's (1987) northernmostlocality for this endemic, Punta Cabras, is erroneous.We have searchedPunta Cabras, finding that it lackshabitat suitable for T. cinereum:open scrubwith Myrtillocactuscochal. The species'northernmost site is EjidoEr•ndira, 10 km southof PuntaCabras, where we foundtwo residentpairs on 19 February 1991 and retainedone rectrix,now in the San Diego NaturalHistory Museum, as a voucher(PU, AMR, EM, EP, LA). The report for Punta Cabras,and likelyother unsupportedreports listed by Wilbur,we thinkbased on misidentificationsof winter- ingSage Thrashers (Oreoscoptes mon tan us), the onlyother thrasher frequent in the rangeof T. cinereurn. The Englishname "GrayThrasher" is grosslymisleading, perhaps responsible for suchmisidentifications, since the bird, especiallyits northernrace, is brownerthan the Sageand most other species of thrashers.Therefore we proposethat the English nameof T. cinereumbe changedto "BajaCalifornia Thrasher," since the speciesis endemicto the peninsulaof Baja California(in thiscase, for parallelism'ssake, "Alta California Thrasher" shouldbe adopted for T. redivivum), or to "San Lucas Thrasher,"used by Ridgway(1907) for the nominaterace and by Phillips(1986) for the entire species. Golden-crownedKinglet (Regulus satrapa). Near RanchoSan Martin, 12 km east of Tecate,in oakwoodland: 1, 18 January1975 (PU).The Golden-crownedKinglet has been reportedonly twice previouslyfrom Baja California,at Vallecitosin the SierraSan PedroM,artir on 3 February1981 (R. Stallcupin Wilbur1987) and near La Pinta pond on 18 January1984 (Atwoodand Collins1993). Phainopepla(Phainopepla nitens). Although Phainopeplas are commonin sum- mer throughoutBaja California'slowlands, they are scarcein winter(Wilbur 1987). Our recordsadd to the known occurrencesat this time. Rio del Rosario:1 male, 28 January1991 (AMR, EP, EM, LA); 2 km eastof San Teltoode Abajo: 1 male, 21 February1991 (PU, EM, EP, LA); San Teltoode Aruba: 1 female, 8 March 1991 (AMR, EP, LA). Bell's Vireo (Vireo bellii). Rio de las Palmas at Rancho Santa Alicia: 2, an apparentpair, one singingand scolding,one silent, 19 July 1986. Valle de las Palmas,in mesquitesas well as willows:3 singing,1 of theseattending a fledgling Brown-headedCowbird (Molothrus ater), 19 July 1986. Near El Testerazo,in mesquites:1 singing,19 July1986. Rio San Miguelat La Misi6n:1 singing,20 June 1987. Rio Guadalupenear Ejido El Porvenir:1 singing,19 July1986. Fallade Agua Bianca12 km southeastof Maneadero:3 singing,21 June 1986. Rio SantoTom,as 2-3 km eastof La Bocana:10 singing,20-21 June 1987. Rio SantoTom,as 6 km west of Santo Tom,as:1 singing,20 June 1987. RanchoVargas: 1 (possibly2) singing,10 August1986 (AMR). 14 km northeastof EjidoEr•ndira: 4 singing,1 feedinga fledglingcowbird, 21 June 1986. 8 km northeastof Ejido Er•ndira: 2 singing,16 May 1987.2 km northeastof EjidoEr•ndira: 1 singing,16 May 1987. Rio San Isidro near Mission San Vicente Ferrer: 3 singing, 1 abandonednest containing3 vireoand 2 cowbirdeggs, 21 June 1986. Rio San Antoniojust west of the transpeninsularhighway (15 krn north-northeastof Colonet):4 singing,22 June 1986. Rio San Rafael6 km northeastof Colonet:1 singing,21 June1986. Rio San Telmo3 km eastof SanTeltoo de Abajo:3 singing,16 May 1987. Rio SanTelmo 3 km eastof San Teltoode Arriba:1 singing,22 June 1986. Rio San Telmo12 km

150 BAJA CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS east of Ejido Sinaloa,in dry riverbedvegetated predominantly with Tree Tobacco (Nicotianaglauca): pair with 2 fledglings,22 June I986. Rio del Rosario16 km east-northeastof El Rosario,2 singing,22 June1986. Rio delRosario at El Rosario: 2 singing,22 June 1986. Unlessotherwise specified, these observations are all by Unitt. All thesesites, except that 8 km northeastof EjidoEr•ndira, are sitesadditional to thosewhere Wilbur (1980) foundBell's Vireos. Wilbur had lookedfor the speciesat Vallede lasPalmas, along the Rio Guadalupe,and at El Rosariowithout finding it, yet we foundthe speciesat thesesites 6 yearslater. Possibly regeneration of riparian woodlandfollowing the wet wintersof the early 1980s contributedin part to these differences. Orange-crownedWarbler (Verrnivora celata). The only localitieswhere Orange- crownedWarblers have been reported nestingin Baja Californiaare "arroyos between La Misi6n and Ensenada"(Howell and Webb 1992), the Islas de Todos Santos(off Ensenada)and South Islandof the IslasLos Coronados(off Tijuana). Wilbur(I987) wrote "recordedregularly in the westernSierra San PedroMartir in summer... and presumablybreeds there and elsewhereon the northwesternmain- land,"though this assumption was hardly warranted. The knownbreeding ranges of severalriparian birds that nestregularly in San DiegoCounty, such as the Downy Woodpecker(Dendrocopos pubescens), Tree Swallow(Tachycineta bicolor), Marsh Wren (Cistothoruspalustris), and Swainson'sThrush (Catharus ustulatus), do not extend south of the international border. Rio SanMiguel at La Misi6n:1, 20 June1987 (PU).Rio Santo Tomas 3 km inland from La Bocana,in riparianwoodland: a pair feedingtwo youngand anotheradult feedingtwo fledglings,21 June1987 (PU).These observations are the firstsummer andbreeding records of the Orange-crownedWarblers from specific localities on the mainlandof BajaCalifornia. It remainsto be determinedwhether they represent V. c. sordida or V. c. lutescens.The populationsat San Diego and on the Channel Islands,the PalosVerdes peninsula, Islas Los Coronados,and lslasde TodosSantos representsordida (Grinnell I928, AOU 1957), but lutescensbreeds south at leastto northernSan Diego County (specimens from the SantaMargarita River and Palomar Mountainin the San Diego NaturalHistory Museum) and probablyas far southas Otay Mountain,within 5 km of the internationalborder (Unitt pers. obs.). The subspeciesidentification can be confirmedonly through comparison of specimensof known age and sex. Rose-breastedGrosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus). Cafiada Las Pilitas, San Antoniodel Mar: 1 immature,25 February1991 (AMR, EM, EP,LA). Wilbur(1987) listedfive previousrecords of the Rose-breastedGrosbeak for Baja California,with only one in winter. IndigoBunting (Passerina cyanea). Domecq vineyards just northeastof Colonia Guadalupe:1 singing,apparently first-year male (bellylargely white), 19 July 1986 (PU). Wilbur(1987) citedonly three records of IndigoBuntings in Baja California, none farthernorth than Isla Cedros.The IndigoBunting is a rare but increasing summervisitor to coastalsouthern Upper California,where it hybridizesoccasionally with the LazuliBunting (P. amoena) (Garrett and Dunn 1981). Black-chinnedSparrow ($pizella atrogularis). West entrance to RanchoSan Jos• de Meling:1, 21 February1991 (PU, EM, EP, LA); 3, 8 March 1991 (AMR, EP, LA). Becausethey were singing,we presumethese birdsto have been early spring migrants,though the specieshas not previouslybeen reportedso early in either northwesternBaja California or Upper California. SavannahSparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis beldingi). La Salina:2 May 1991 (EP,LA); 2, 11 July1993 (PU).Because of the dateand habitat (brackish marsh with. 151 BAJA CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS

$alicornia)it islikely that the speciesnests here. Massey (1977) failedto findit at this place. Gray-headedJunco (Junco byemalls caniceps). San PedroMfirtir observatory headquarters:1 in a mixedflock of the residentTownsend's Junco (J. h. totonsendi) andmigrants from the north, 28 November1986 (PU).Wilbur (1987) reported only onerecord of thiseasily identified subspecies from Baja California: two collected of fourseen by D. F. DeSanteat La Lagunain the mountainsof the caperegion on 10 and 11 November 1968. Great-tailedGrackle (Quiscalus mexicanus). This species was recorded by Wilbur (1987) from onlythe Rio Coloradodelta and Mexicaliarea, where it is common.In addition,R. M. Chandlercollected one male along the R•oHardy about 19 km south of El Mayoron 8 January1984 (SanDiego Natural History Museum 42826); this firstdated record and firstspecimen from Baja Californiarepresents Q. m. nelsoni. The Great-tailedGrackle was firstobserved in San Diego Countyin 1977 and has been found there in ever-increasingfrequency since 1981, so its occurrencein northwesternBaja Californiawas only a matterof time. Howelland Pyle (1993) reportedseveral sightings of Great-tailedGrackles in northernBaja California, includingone by Unitt at Bahiade San Quintin. This species now seems to be regular at Maneadero,for example,at leastthree were there in Tamarixon 22 April 1994 (EP).There are now two coastalspecimens, both females,in the collectionof the UniversidadAut6noma de BajaCalifornia from LagunaEl Rosario(specimens 339 and 340, 8 December 1990). Both are Q. m. nelsoni. Scott'sOriole (lcterus parisorum). The breedingrange of Scott'sOriole in Baja Californiais knownimprecisely. We doubtthat it is still"not uncommon" along the TijuanaRiver 2-10 milessouth of the internationalboundary and 8-20 milesfrom the coast,as Anthony(1894) reportedit in April 1894. In the lowlandsof the northwest,our observations suggest in occursin the valleyof the Rio SanTelmo [3 km westof SanTelmo de Arriba:1 singingmale, 16 May 1987 (PU);12 km westof RanchoSan Jos• de Meling,pair, with malesinging, 13 March1994 (PU)]but not farthernorth. Wilbur (1987) alsofound Scott's Oriole along the Rio San Telmo,at LasCabras. The speciesmay winter sparsely in thisarea, too, as suggestedby one male4 km northeastof Colonet,1 December1986 (PU).This locality is northof the previousnorthernmost winter record on thecoast of BajaCalifornia (foothills east of San Quintin; Anthony 1894).

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank the followingpeople for assistingduring field work: Horaciode la Cueva,Michael U. Evans,Kathleen E. Franzreb,Paul S. Fromer,Daniel J. Grout, Kem Hainebach,Thomas A. Oberbauer,and Harold A. and Wendy Wier. Some observationswere made during our studyof the CaliforniaGnatcatcher funded by ChevronLand and Development Company. We thankM. RalphBrowning (National Museumof NaturalHistory) for informationon the specimenof the Ladder-backed Woodpeckerfrom Ensenada and Ned K. Johnsonfor the loanof the one from NachogiieroValley. We thank SteveN. G. Howell,Kurt Radamaker,and Tim Manolisfor their commentson the manuscript.

LITERATURE CITED

AmericanOrnithologists' Union. 1957. Check-listof NorthAmerican Birds, 5th ed. Am. Ornithol. Union, Baltimore. Anthony,A. W. 1893. Birdsof SanPedro Mfirtir, Lower California. Zoe 4:228-247.

152 BAJA CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS

Anthony,A. W. 1894. Icterusparisorurn in westernSan DiegoCounty, California. Auk 11:327-328. Anthony,A. W. 1895. Birdsof San Fernando,Lower California. Auk 12:134-143. Asay,C. E. 1987. Habitatand productivityof Cooper'sHawks nesting in California. Calif. Fish and Game 73:80-87. Atwood,J. L., and Collins,C. T. 1993. Additionalbird recordsfor Baja California, Mexico.Euphonia 2:38-41. Belding,L. 1890. Land birdsof the PacificDistrict. Occ. Pap. Calif. Acad. Sci. 2. Brewster,W. 1902. Birdsof the caperegion of LowerCalifornia. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. 41:1-241. Bryant,W. E. 1889. A catalogueof the birdsof Lower California,Mexico. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. 2, 2:237-320. Everett,W. T., and Anderson,D. W. 1991. Statusand conservationof the breeding seabirdson offshorePacific islands of BajaCalifornia and the Gulf of California. Int. Council Bird Preserv. Tech. Publ. 11:115-138. Garrett, K., and Dunn, J. 1981. Birds of Southern California: Status and Distribu- tion. Los AngelesAudubon Society, Los Angeles. Grinnell,J. 1928. A distributionalsummation of the ornithologyof LowerCalifornia. Univ. Calif. Publ. Zool. 32:1-300. Howell, A. B. 1912. Notes from Todos SantosIslands. Condor 14:187-191. Howell, S. N. G., and Pyle, P. 1990. Additionalnotes on birdsin Baja California, May 1989. AvesMexicanas 2 (3), No. 90-1, 6-7. Howell,S. N. G., and Pyle, P. 1993. New and noteworthybird recordsfrom Baja California, Mexico, October 1991. W. Birds 24:57-62. Howell, S. N. G., and Webb, S. 1992. Noteworthybird observationsfrom Baja California, Mexico. W. Birds 23:153-163. Huey, L. M. 1926. Notesfrom northwesternLower California,with the description of an apparenfiynew race of the ScreechOwl. Auk 43:347-362. Huey, L. M. 1927. Additionalbird records from LowerCalifornia. Condor 29:153- 154. Huey, L. M. 1928. Some bird recordsfrom northernLower California.Condor 30:158-159. Huey, L. M. 1941. Notesfrom northernLower California. Auk 58:270. Kaeding,H. B. 1905. Birdsfrom the westcoast of LowerCalifornia and adjacent islands. Condor 7:105-111. Lehman,P. E. 1994. The Birdsof Santa BarbaraCounty, California.Vertebrate Museum,Univ. Calif., Santa Barbara. Massey,B. W. 1977. A censusof the breedingpopulation of the Belding'sSavannah Sparrowin California,1977. E-l-l, StudyIV, Job 1.2, FinalReport, California Dept. Fishand Game, 1416 Ninth St., Sacramento,CA 95814. Oberholser,H. C. 1911. A revisionof the formsof the Ladder-backedWoodpecker (Dryobates scalaris [Wagler]).Proc. U. S. Natl. Mus.41:139-159. Patten, M. A., Radamaker,K., and Wurster,T. E. 1993. Noteworthyobservations from northeasternBaja California.W. Birds24:89-93. Phillips,A. R. 1986. The Known Birdsof North and Middle America, part I. A. R. Phillips,Denver.

153 BAJA CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS

Rea, A.M., and Weaver,K. L. 1990. The ,distribution, and statusof coastal California Cactus Wrens. W. Birds 21:81-126. Ridgway,R. 1907. The birdsof North andMiddle America. Bull. U.S. Natl. Mus. 50, part 4. Short, L. L., Jr., and Crossin,R. S. 1967. Notes on the avifaunaof northwestern Baja California.Trans. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist. 14:281-300. Unitt,P. 1984. The birdsof SanDiego County. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist.Memoir 13. Van Denburgh,J. 1924. The birdsof the TodosSantos Islands. Condor 26:67-71. Wilbur,S. R. 1980. The Least Bell's Vireo in Baja California,Mexico. W. Birds 11:129-133. Wilbur,S. R. 1987. Birdsof Baja California.Univ. Calif. Press,Berkeley.

Accepted 10 May 1995

Vermilion Flycatcher Sketch by Jamie M. Chavez