The Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge lies along 9 miles of the Rio Grande in the desert of southcentral New Mexico. Low dikes built since the refuge was established in the late 1930's have created extensive water impoundments, ideal winter habitat for ducks, geese, sandhill cranes and wading birds.
The riparian habitat of the Rio Grande and the adjoining arid uplands provide a wide variety of bird life. Cultivated fields furnish additional food for wintering waterfowl, pheasant and other wildlife.
This "folder" lists 320 species of birds seen on the refuge since 1940, and is in accordance wuth the Sixth Edition A.O.U. Checklist. Symbols used in this list are defined as follows:
S - Spring . . . . March - May
S - Summer . . . . June - August
F - Fall . . . . . September - November
W - Winter . . . . December - February
In the list below, the seasonal occurances are listed in the above order.
- nests locally
a - abundant . . . a common species which is very numerous
c - common . . . . certain to be seen in suitable habitat
u - uncommon . . . present, but not certain to be seen
o - occasional . . seen only a few times during a season
r - rare . . . . . see at intervals of 2 to 5 years
The J and A markings indicate sightings during January and August 1994 visits.
The links on the names of the birds will bring up pictures of the birds
from the North American Breeding Bird
Survey server of the National Biological Service.
Loons | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Common Loon | r | r | |||
Grebes | |||||
Pied-billed Grebe | a | c | a | c | |
Horned Grebe | r | r | |||
Eared Grebe | u | u | o | ||
Western Grebe | o | u | u | o | |
Clark's Grebe | o | o | o | ||
American White Pelican | c | o | c | o | |
Comorants | |||||
A | Double-crested Cormorants | c | c | c | u |
Olivaceous Cormorant | u | u | u | u | |
Bitterns and Herons | |||||
American Bittern | u | u | u | o | |
Least Bittern | u | u | u | ||
J, A | Great Blue Heron | a | u | c | c |
A | Great Egret | o | o | o | |
A | Snowy Egret | c | a | c | o |
Little Blue Heron | o | o | o | ||
Cattle Egret | u | u | o | r | |
A | Green-Backed Heron | u | u | u | |
A | Black-crowned Night Heron | u | c | c | o |
Ibises | |||||
White-faced Ibis | u | u | u | ||
Swans, Geese, Ducks | |||||
Tundra Swan | o | ||||
J | Greater White-fronted Goose | o | o | o | |
J | Snow Goose | u | a | a | |
J | Ross Goose | u | u | c | |
J, A | Canada Goose | c | c | c | c |
Wood Duck | o | o | |||
J | Green-winged Teal | c | o | a | c |
J, A | Mallard | a | c | a | a |
J | Northern Pintail | c | u | a | a |
Blue-winged Teal | c | u | c | ||
Cinnamon Teal | c | u | c | o | |
J | Northern Shoveler | c | u | a | a |
J | Gadwall | c | u | c | a |
American Wigeon | c | o | c | u | |
Canvasback | u | o | u | u | |
J | Redhead | u | o | u | c |
Ring-necked Duck | u | u | c | ||
Lesser Scaup | u | o | u | u | |
Common Goldeneye | r | r | r | ||
J | Bufflehead | u | u | c | |
J | Hooded Merganser | o | u | u | |
J | Common Merganser | o | o | c | |
Red-breasted Merganser | r | r | r | ||
Ruddy Duck | c | u | c | c | |
American Vultures | |||||
A | Turkey Vulture | c | a | a | |
Kites, Eagles, Hawks | |||||
Osprey | o | o | |||
Mississippi Kite | r | r | r | ||
J | Bald Eagle | o | o | u | |
J | Northern Harrier | c | o | c | a |
Sharp-shinned Hawk | c | c | c | ||
J | Cooper's Hawk | c | o | o | c |
Northern Goshawk | o | o | o | ||
Harris Hawk | o | o | o | ||
Swainson's Hawk | u | u | u | ||
Zone-tailed Hawk | r | ||||
J, A | Red-tailed Hawk | c | u | c | a |
Ferruginous Hawk | u | u | u | u | |
Rough-legged Hawk | o | o | o | ||
Golden Eagle | u | u | u | u | |
Caracaras and Falcons | |||||
J, A | American Kestrel | c | u | c | c |
Merlin | o | o | |||
Peregrine Falcon | r | o | o | ||
Prairie Falcon | o | o | u | u | |
Pheasants, Turkeys, Quail | |||||
J, A | Ring-necked Pheasant | c | c | c | c |
Wild Turkey | u | u | u | ||
Montezuma Quail | r | r | r | ||
Scaled Quail | u | u | u | u | |
J | Gambel's Quail | c | c | c | c |
Rails, Gallinules, Coots | |||||
Virginia Rail | c | c | u | ||
A | Sora Rail | c | c | c | |
Purple Gallinules | r | r | r | ||
Common Moorhen | u | u | u | ||
J | American Coot | c | c | a | a |
Cranes | |||||
J | Sandhill Crane | a | a | ||
Whooping Crane | u | u | |||
Plovers | |||||
Black-bellied Plover | r | r | |||
Snowy Plover | r | r | r | ||
Semipalmated Plover | o | o | |||
Kildeer | a | a | a | c | |
Stilts and Avocets | |||||
A | Black-necked Stilt | c | u | u | |
American Avocet | a | a | a | c | |
Sandpipers and Phalaropes | |||||
A | Greater Yellowlegs | c | c | c | o |
Lesser Yellowlegs | u | o | u | o | |
Solitary Sandpiper | o | u | o | ||
Willet | o | u | u | ||
Spotted Sandpiper | c | c | c | ||
Upland Sandpiper | r | o | |||
Long-billed Curlew | o | o | o | ||
Marbeled Godwit | o | o | o | ||
Semipalmated Sandpiper | r | r | |||
Western Sandpiper | u | o | u | ||
Least Sandpiper | u | u | u | r | |
White-rumped Sandpiper | r | r | |||
Baird's Sandpiper | u | u | |||
Pectoral Sandpiper | o | o | |||
Dunlin | r | r | r | ||
Stilt Sandpiper | o | r | |||
J? | Long-billed Dowitcher | c | o | c | o |
Common Snipe | c | u | c | u | |
Wilson's Phalarope | c | o | c | ||
Red-necked Phalarope | o | o | |||
Gulls and Terns | |||||
Franklin's Gull | r | r | |||
Bonaparte's Gull | o | o | r | ||
Ring-billed Gull | c | c | u | ||
Herring Gull | o | o | o | ||
Forster's Tern | o | o | o | ||
Black Tern | u | o | u | ||
Pigeons and Doves | |||||
White-winged Dove | r | o | r | ||
A | Mourning Dove | c | a | a | u |
Cuckoos | |||||
Yellow-billed Cuckoo | u | u | |||
J | Greater Roadrunner | c | c | c | c |
Barn Owls | |||||
Barn Owl | r | o | o | r | |
Typical Owls | |||||
Western Screech Owl | o | u | o | ||
Great Horned Owl | u | u | u | u | |
Burrowing Owl | u | u | u | o | |
Short-eared Owl | r | r | |||
Northern Saw-whet Owl | r | ||||
Goatsuckers | |||||
Lesser Nighthawk | c | a | c | ||
Common Nighthawk | u | u | u | ||
Common Poorwill | o | c | o | ||
Swifts | |||||
White-throated Swift | r | r | |||
Hummingbirds | |||||
A | Black-chinned Hummingbird | c | c | c | |
Broad-tailed Hummingbird | u | u | u | ||
Rufous Hummingbird | u | u | |||
Kingfishers | |||||
Belted Kingfisher | u | o | u | o | |
Woodpeckers | |||||
Red-naped Sapsucker | u | u | u | ||
Williamson's Sapsucker | o | ||||
Ladder-backer Woodpecker | c | c | c | u | |
Downey Woodpecker | u | u | u | ||
Hairy Woodpecker | u | u | u | u | |
J, A | Northern Flicker | c | c | a | a |
Tyrant Flycatchers | |||||
Olive-sided Flycatcher | r | ||||
Western Wood-Pewee | c | c | u | ||
Willow Flycatcher | o | o | |||
Dusky Flycatcher | u | u | |||
Gray Flycatcher | o | o | |||
Black Phoebe | u | c | u | u | |
Eastern Phoebe | r | ||||
Say's Phoebe | c | c | c | c | |
Vermillion Flycatcher | o | u | o | r | |
A | Ash-throated Flycatcher | r | r | ||
Brown-crested Flycatcher | r | r | |||
Cassin's Kingbird | o | o | o | ||
Western Kingbird | c | a | u | ||
Eastern Kingbird | o | o | |||
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher | r | r | |||
Larks | |||||
Horned Lark | c | u | u | c | |
Swallows | |||||
Purple Martin | o | o | |||
Tree Swallow | a | o | a | r | |
Violet-green Swallow | c | c | |||
Northern Rough-winged Swallow | c | u | c | ||
Bank Swallow | u | u | u | ||
Cliff Swallow | c | u | c | ||
A | Barn Swallow | a | a | a | |
Jays, Magpies, Crows | |||||
Stellar's Jay | r | r | r | ||
Scrub Jay | u | u | u | u | |
Pinyon Jay | u | u | u | ||
American Crow | c | c | c | ||
Chihuahuan Raven | o | u | u | ||
J | Common Raven | c | c | c | o |
Titmice | |||||
Mountain Chickadee | u | u | u | ||
Plain Titmouse | o | o | o | o | |
Verdins | |||||
Verdin | u | u | u | u | |
Bushtits | |||||
Red-brested Nuthatch | o | u | u | ||
White-brested Nuthatch | o | u | u | ||
Creepers | |||||
Brown Creeper | o | ||||
Wrens | >|||||
Cactus Wren | o | o | o | o | |
Rock Wren | u | u | u | u | |
Canyon Wren | r | r | r | r | |
Bewick's Wren | o | u | u | ||
House Wren | u | u | |||
A | Marsh Wren | u | o | c | c |
Kinglets and Gnatcatchers | |||||
Golden-crowned Kinglet | c | ||||
Ruby-crowned Kinglet | u | u | |||
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | u | u | |||
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher | u | u | u | u | |
Thrushes | |||||
Eastern Bluebird | r | r | o | ||
Western Bluebird | u | c | |||
Mountain Bluebird | u | u | u | ||
Townsend's Solitaire | o | o | o | ||
Hermit Thrush | u | u | r | ||
American Robin | c | c | c | c | |
Mockingbirds and Thrash | |||||
Northern Mockingbird | c | c | u | o | |
Sage Thrasher | r | o | |||
Brown Thrasher | r | r | |||
Curved-billed Thrasher | u | u | u | u | |
Crissal Thrasher | u | u | u | u | |
Pipets | |||||
American Pipet (Water) | u | r | u | c | |
Waxwings | |||||
Cedar Waxwing | o | o | o | ||
Silky-Flycatchers | |||||
Phainopepla | o | o | |||
Shrikes | |||||
Northern Shrike | o | ||||
Loggerhead Shrike | u | u | u | c | |
Starlings | |||||
European Starling | c | c | c | c | |
Vireos | |||||
Bell's Vireo | o | o | |||
Solitary Vireo | o | o | |||
Warbling Vireo | o | o | |||
Wood-Warblers | |||||
Orange-crowned Warbler | u | u | |||
Virginia's Warbler | u | u | |||
Lucy's Warbler | o | o | o | ||
Yellow Warbler | u | u | u | ||
Yellow-rumped Warbler | c | o | c | u | |
Black-throated Gray Warbler | o | o | |||
American Redstart | o | o | |||
Northern Waterthrush | o | o | |||
MacGillivray's Warbler | o | o | |||
A | Common Yellowthroat | c | c | u | |
Wilson's Warbler | c | u | |||
Yellow-brested Chat | c | c | u | ||
Tanager | |||||
Hepatic Tanager | o | o | |||
Summer Tanager | u | u | u | ||
Scarlet Tanager | o | o | |||
Western Tanager | c | r | o | ||
Cardinals and Grosbeaks | |||||
Pyrrhuloxia | u | u | u | u | |
Rose-brested Grosbeak | u | o | |||
Black-headed Grosbeak | c | u | c | ||
A | Blue Grosbeak | a | a | u | r |
Lazuli Bunting | o | r | r | ||
Indigo Bunting | u | r | u | ||
Dicksissel | o | ||||
Sparrows | |||||
Green-tailed Towhee | u | u | o | ||
Rufous-sided Towhee | c | c | c | c | |
A | Canyon Towhee | u | u | u | u |
Cassin's Sparrow | o | o | |||
Rufous-crowned Sparrow | o | o | o | o | |
American Tree Sparrow | r | ||||
Chipping Sparrow | c | c | o | ||
Brewer's Sparrow | c | c | o | ||
Black-chinned Sparrow | o | o | |||
Vesper Sparrow | o | c | o | ||
Lark Sparrow | c | o | c | o | |
Black-throated Sparrow | u | c | u | u | |
Sage Sparrow | u | u | u | ||
Lark Bunting | o | u | r | ||
Savannah Sparrow | c | c | u | ||
Song Sparrow | c | c | a | ||
Lincoln's Sparrow | o | o | o | ||
Swamp Sparrow | r | o | o | ||
J | White-throated Sparrow | o | o | o | |
J | White-crowned Sparrow | c | o | a | a |
Harris' Sparrow | o | o | |||
J | Dark-eyed Junco | c | c | a | |
Chestnut-collared Longspur | o | o | |||
Blackbirds and Orioles | |||||
J, A | Red-winged Blackbird | a | a | a | a |
Eastern Meadowlark | r | r | r | ||
J, A | Western Meadowlark | a | a | a | a |
? | Yellow-headed Blackbird | c | u | c | c |
Rusty Blackbird | o | ||||
Brewer's Blackbird | c | c | c | ||
J | Great-tailed Grackle | c | c | c | c |
Common Grackle | o | o | o | ||
Brown-headed Cowbird | c | c | c | o | |
Northern Oriole | c | c | |||
Finches | |||||
A | House Finch | c | c | c | c |
Pine Siskin | c | o | u | c | |
? | Lesser Goldfinch | c | c | c | u |
American Goldfinch | u | u | c | ||
Evening Grosbeak | o | r | |||
Old World Sparrows | |||||
J | House Sparrow | c | c | c | c |
Tricolored Heron | Calliope Hummingbird |
Yellow-crowned Night Heron | Lewis' Woodpecker |
White Ibis | Red-headed Woodpecker |
Wood Stork | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker |
American Black Duck | Couch's Kingbird |
Eurasian Wigeon | Blue Jay |
Greater Scaup | Black-billed Magpie |
Black Scoter | Winter Wren |
Surf Scoter | Sedge Wren |
White-winger Scoter | Bendire's Thrasher |
Barrow's Goldeneye | Gray Catbird |
Black-shouldered Kite | Sprague's Sparrow |
Black Vulture | Nashville Warbler |
Common Black Hawk | Northern Parula |
Whimbrel | Blk-throated Blue Warbler |
Ruddy Turnstone | Townsend's Warbler |
Sanderling | Black and White Warbler |
Short-billed Dowitcher | Prothonotary Warbler |
Buff-breasted Sandpiper | Painted Redstart |
Long-tailed Jaeger | Clay-colored Sparrow |
California Gull | Fox Sparrow |
Black-legged Kittiwake | Golden-crowned Sparrow |
Least Tern | McCown's Longspur |
Inca Dove | Bobolink |
Band-tailed Pigeon | Bronzed Cowbird |
Common Ground-Dove | Red Crossbill |
Groove-billed Ani | Lawrence's Goldfinch |
Long-eared Owl |
For additional information contact:
Refuge ManagerBooks on Birds