Arcata Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary Bird Checklist Arcata, Humboldt County, California (Updated Fall 2014) The following list of 327 species was updated by Rob Fowler and David Fix in 2014 from the list they compiled in 2009. Data came from sightings entered in eBird; Stanley Harris's Northwest California Bird (2005, 1996, 1991); historical records in North American Birds magazine and its supporting unpublished Humboldt County summaries; the 2006 edition Arcata Marsh bird checklist (Elias Elias); the 1995 edition Arcata Marsh bird checklist (Kristina Van Wert); and personal communications with many birders. Formatting by Camden Bruner. Call the Northwest California Bird Alert at (707) 822-5666 to report or hear reports of rare birds! Abbreviations: A - Abundant; occurs in large numbers C - Common; likely to be found U - Uncommon; occurs in small numbers, found with seearching R - Rare; expected in very small numbers, not likely to be found Ca - Casual; several records, possibly may occur regularly Ac - Accidental; 1-3 records, not reasonably expected to occur Sp - Spring (Marsh - May) S - Summer (June to mid-July) F - Fall (mid-July through November) W - Winter (December through February) Here Waterfowl: Breeds Spring Summer Fall Winter _____ Greater White-fronted Goose R R R _____ Emperor Goose Ac _____ Snow Goose Ca Ca Ca _____ Ross's Goose Ca Ca Ca _____ Brant U Ac U R _____ Cackling Goose A U C _____ Canada Goose C C C C yes _____ Tundra Swan Ca Ca _____ Wood Duck U U U U yes _____ Gadwall C C C C yes _____ Eurasian Wigeon R U R _____ American Wigeon U Ca A C Here Breeds Spring Summer Fall Winter _____ Mallard A A A A yes _____ Blue-winged Teal U Ca R R yes _____ Cinnamon Teal C C U C yes _____ Northern Shoveler C R C C yes _____ Northern Pintail U Ca U U _____ Garganey Ac _____ Green-winged Teal C R A A _____ Canvasback R R R _____ Redhead R R R _____ Ring-necked Duck R Ca R R _____ Tufted Duck Ca Ac Ac Ac _____ Greater Scaup C R C C _____ Lesser Scaup C Ca C C yes _____ Surf Scoter U Ca U U _____ White-winged Scoter Ca R Ca _____ Black Scoter Ac Ac _____ Long-tailed Duck Ca Ca Ca Ca _____ Bufflehead C R C C _____ Common Goldeneye Ca R R _____ Barrow's Goldeneye Ac _____ Hooded Merganser R Ca R R _____ Common Merganser R R Ac _____ Red-breasted Merganser R R R R _____ Ruddy Duck C Ca C C yes Quail: _____ California Quail U U U U yes Loons: _____ Red-throated Loon R R U _____ Pacific Loon Ca Ca Ca _____ Common Loon U Ac U U Grebes: _____ Pied-billed Grebe C R C C yes _____ Horned Grebe U U U _____ Red-necked Grebe Ca Ca Ca _____ Eared Grebe R U U _____ Western Grebe U U U _____ Clark's Grebe R R R Cormorants: _____ Brandt's Cormorant Ac _____ Double-crested Cormorant C C C C _____ Pelagic Cormorant Ac Ac Here Pelicans: Breeds Spring Summer Fall Winter _____ American White Pelican Ac Ac Ac _____ Brown Pelican R C C R Herons, Bitterns & Allies: _____ American Bittern U U U U yes _____ Least Bittern Ac Ac _____ Great Blue Heron U U U U _____ Great Egret C C C C _____ Snowy Egret U U U U _____ Little Blue Heron Ac Ac _____ Cattle Egret Ac Ca Ca _____ Green Heron U R R Ca yes _____ Black-crowned Night-Heron C U A A yes Ibises: _____ White-faced Ibis R Ac Ac Ac Hawks, Kites, Eagles & Allies _____ Black Vulture Ac _____ Turkey Vulture C C C C _____ Osprey U U U R _____ White-tailed Kite U U U U yes _____ Northern Harrier U R U U _____ Sharp-shinned Hawk R U R _____ Cooper's Hawk R Ac U R _____ Bald Eagle U U U U _____ Red-shouldered Hawk U U U U _____ Swainson's Hawk Ac _____ Red-tailed Hawk U U U U _____ Ferruginous Hawk Ac _____ Rough-legged Hawk R R R Rails, Cranes & Allies: _____ Virginia Rail C U A A yes _____ Sora U Ca c U yes _____ Common Gallinule Ca Ca Ca Ca _____ American Coot C R A A yes _____ Sandhill Crane Ac Stlts & Avocets: _____ Black-necked Stilt Ca Ca Ca Ca yes _____ American Avocet C R C C Plovers: _____ Black-bellied Plover C U C C _____ American Golden-Plover Ac _____ Pacific Golden-Plover Ca R Ca Here Breeds Spring Summer Fall Winter _____ Snowy Plover Ac _____ Semipalmated Plover U R U R _____ Killdeer R Ca R R Sandpipers, Phalaropes & Allies: _____ Spotted Sandpiper U Ca U R _____ Solitary Sandpiper R Ca _____ Wandering Tattler R _____ Greater Yellowlegs C R C C _____ Common Greenshank Ac _____ Willet C U C C _____ Lesser Yellowlegs R Ca U R _____ Whimbrel U R U Ca _____ Long-billed Curlew U U U U _____ Hudsonian Godwit Ac Ac _____ Bar-tailed Godwit Ac Ac _____ Marbled Godwit A U A _____ Ruddy Turnstone R Ca R R _____ Black Turnstone U R Ca _____ Red Knot R Ca U R _____ Surfbird Ac Ac _____ Ruff Ca _____ Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Ac _____ Stilt Sandpiper Ac Ac _____ Sanderling Ac Ca _____ Dunlin A Ac A Ac _____ Baird's Sandpiper R _____ Little Stint Ac _____ Least Sandpiper A U A C _____ Buff-breasted Sandpiper Ac Ac _____ Pectoral Sandpiper R _____ Semipalmated Sandpiper Ac Ca R _____ Western Sandpiper A U A U _____ Short-billed Dowitcher C U C R _____ Long-billed Dowitcher U U C C _____ Wilson's Snipe R U U _____ Wilson's Phalarope R Ca R _____ Red-necked Phalarope U C _____ Red Phalarope R R Jaegers: _____ Pomarine Jaeger _____ Parasitic Jaeger Here Alcids: Breeds Spring Summer Fall Winter _____ Cassin's Auklet Ac _____ Common Murre Ac Ac Gulls & Terns: _____ Black-legged Kittiwake Ac _____ Sabine's Gull Ca _____ Bonaparte's Gull R Ca U U _____ Black-headed Gull Ac Ac _____ Little Gull Ac Ac _____ Laughing Gull Ac Ac _____ Franklin's Gull Ac Ca _____ Heermann's Gull U C Ca _____ Mew Gull U C C _____ Ring-billed Gull U U C C _____ Western Gull U U U U yes _____ California Gull U U U U _____ Herring Gull Ca R R _____ Thayer's Gull Ca R R _____ Glaucous-winged Gull U R C C _____ Glaucous Gull Ca Ca Ca Ca _____ Least Tern Ac _____ Caspian Tern U U C Ca _____ Black Tern Ac Ac _____ White-winged Tern Ac Ac _____ Common Tern Ca Ac _____ Forster's Tern R U U _____ Elegant Tern Ca R Pigeons & Doves: _____ Rock Pigeon R R R R _____ Band-tailed Pigeon Ca Ca Ca _____ Eurasian Collared-Dove R R R R _____ White-winged Dove Ac _____ Mourning Dove R R R Cuckoos: _____ Yellow-billed Cuckoo Ac Threatened Species Owls: _____ Barn Owl U U U U _____ Western Screech-Owl Ac _____ Great Horned Owl Ca _____ Snowy Owl Ac _____ Northern Pygmy-Owl Ac Ac _____ Burrowing Owl Ac Ca Ca Here Breeds Spring Summer Fall Winter _____ Long-eared Owl Ca Ca _____ Short-eared Owl R U U _____ Northern Saw-whet Owl Ac Nighthawks: _____ Common Nighthawk Ca Swifts: _____ Black Swift R _____ Vaux's Swift C C C Hummingbirds: _____ Anna's Hummingbird U U U U yes _____ Rufous Hummingbird U _____ Allen's Hummingbird U U yes Kingfishers: _____ Belted Kingfisher U R U U Woodpeckers: _____ Acorn Woodpecker Ac _____ Red-breasted Sapsucker Ac _____ Downy Woodpecker U R U U _____ Hairy Woodpecker Ca Ca Ca _____ Northern Flicker Ca Ac R Ca _____ Pileated Woodpecker Ac Caracaras & Falcons: _____ Crested Caracara Ac _____ American Kestrel U Ac U U _____ Merlin U Ac U U _____ Peregrine Falcon U R U U _____ Prairie Falcon Ac Ac Flycatchers: _____ Olive-sided Flycatcher R Ac Ca _____ Western Wood-Pewee U Ca U _____ Willow Flycatcher U _____ Least Flycatcher Ac Ac _____ Hammond's Flycatcher Ac Ac _____ Gray Flycatcher Ac _____ Dusky Flycatcher Ac Ac _____ Pacific-slope Flycatcher U Ca U _____ Black Phoebe C C C C yes _____ Eastern Phoebe Ac _____ Say's Phoebe Ca Ca _____ Dusky-capped Flycatcher Ac Ac _____ Ash-throated Flycatcher R Ca Ca Here Breeds Spring Summer Fall Winter _____ Great Crested Flycatcher Ac _____ Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher Ac _____ Tropical Kingbird Ca _____ Western Kingbird R Ca _____ Eastern Kingbird Ac Ac Shrikes: _____ Loggerhead Shrike Ac _____ Northern Shrike Ca Ca Vireos: _____ Plumbeous Vireo Ac _____ Cassin's Vireo R R _____ Hutton's Vireo Ca Ca Ca Ca _____ Warbling Vireo U C _____ Red-eyed Vireo Ac Crows & Jays: _____ Gray Jay Ac Ac _____ Steller's Jay Ca Ca Ca _____ American Crow C C C C yes _____ Common Raven C C C C yes Larks: _____ Horned Lark Ac Swallows: _____ Northern Rough-winged Swallow U Ca R _____ Purple Martin U R Ca _____ Tree Swallow A U U Ca yes _____ Violet-green Swallow A C C Ac _____ Bank Swallow R Ca R _____ Barn Swallow A A A R yes _____ Cliff Swallow C C U yes Chickadees: _____ Black-capped Chickadee C C C C yes _____ Mountain Chickadee Ac Ac _____ Chestnut-backed Chickadee U Ca U U Bushtits: _____ Bushtit Ca Ca Ca Ca Nuthatches: _____ Red-breasted Nuthatch R U R Creepers: _____ Brown Creeper R R Wrens: _____ Rock Wren Ac Here Breeds Spring Summer Fall Winter _____ House Wren Ca _____ Pacific Wren R R R _____ Marsh Wren A A A A yes _____ Bewick's Wren Ca Ca Gnatcatchers: _____ Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Ac Ac Kinglets: _____ Golden-crowned Kinglet R U U _____ Ruby-crowned Kinglet C A C Sylviid Warblers: _____ Wrentit Ca Ca Ca Ca Thrushes: _____ Western Bluebird Ac _____ Swainson's Thrush U R U yes _____ Hermit Thrush U U U _____ American Robin U R U U yes _____ Varied Thrush R R R Mockingbirds & Thrashers: _____ Sage Thrasher Ac Ac Ac _____ Northern Mockingbird Ca Ca Ca Ca Starlings: _____ European Starling A A A A yes Wagtails & Pipits: _____ Eastern Yellow Wagtail Ac _____ American Pipit R U U Waxwings: _____ Cedar Waxwing U U C Ac yes Longspurs & Snow Buntings: _____ Lapland Longspur Ac Ac _____ Chestnut-collared Longspur Ac _____ Snow Bunting Ac Warblers: _____ Ovenbird Ac _____ Northern Waterthrush Ca R R _____ Black-and-white Warbler Ac Ac Ca Ca _____ Prothonotary Warbler Ac _____ Tennessee Warbler Ac Ac _____ Orange-crowned Warbler C R C U _____ Nashville Warbler R Ca R _____ Virginia's Warbler Ac _____ MacGillivray's