BLUE MOUNTAIN AUDUBON

P.O. Box 1106

Walla Walla, WA 99362

Webpage: www.bluemountainaudubon.org

(509) 529-0080

BMA is a membership supported non-profit organization conducting and supporting conservation, education and enrichment programs within Walla Walla County. We welcome all people interested in wildlife, habitat creation and conservation of birds. Through classes and fieldtrips we strive to understand the world around us. Are you in awe of life? If so come join in as we learn and discover.

Walla Walla County is a major interior rest stop within the Pacific Flyway during spring and fall migrations. The varied topographic relief, broad range of habitats and the county's location along the Columbia River, the Blue Mountains and the Snake River allow for an outstanding diversity of bird species. This county covers 1,260 sq.miles of the Lower Columbia Basin. Elevations range between 340' above sea level out along the Columbia River to 4,400' east into the Blue Mountains.

This pocket checklist contains 319 species of which 11 species are non-native introduced that have been documented within the county. The list is in accordance with the AOU Checklist of North American Birds 7t^h Edition, (1998) and its supplements. Please if you discover a species not on this checklist contact us and document your sighting with a photo, notes or recordings. This is a living document of record and your new observation will add to our knowledge about the birds in this county.

Outstanding birding opportunities are to be found on McNary NWR at the Walla Walla River delta, Madam Dorion Park and the Wallula HMU wetlands. Also at Rooks Park/Mill Creek/Bennington Lake complex east of Walla Walla you will find great numbers of birds. Other great sites are at Hood and Fish Hook Parks along the Snake River and the Coppei Creek drainage east of Dixie. Check out the historic Whitman Mission site west of College Place. Now get out there and enjoy this county and its

bird life.

Good Birding!

SEASONS

These categories are of necessity

arbitrary and do overlap. They indicate

the general periods in which to expect a

large percentage of the species.

SP - Spring (March – June)

S - Summer (June – August)

F - Fall (August – November)

W - Winter (November – February)

Relative Abundance

c - Common: Certain to occur in suitable habitat

u - Uncommon: Few individuals likely to be seen on any one day

o - Occasional: Recorded only a few times during a season

r - Rare: Recorded less than 5 times

* - Breeds in the county

(I) - Introduced

SPECIES SP S F W

Loons, Grebes

• Pacific Loon r r r
• Common Loon o r u o
• Red-necked Grebe r r o
• Horned Grebe c o c c
• Eared Grebe r r o u
• *Pied-billed Grebe c c c c
• Western Grebe c o c c
• Clark’s Grebe o r o

Pelicans

• *American White Pelican c c c u
• *Double-crested Cormorant c c c c

Heron, Ibis

• American Bittern r r o
• Least Bittern r
• *Great Blue Heron c c c c
• Great Egret o o u r
• Snowy Egret r r
• Cattle Egret r o o
• Green Heron r r
• *Black-crowned Night-Heron c c c c
• Yellow-crowned Night-Heron r
• White-faced Ibis o o o

Swans, Geese, Ducks

• Mute Swan (I) r
• Trumpeter Swan r r r
• Tundra Swan o u o
• Barnacle Goose r
• *Canada Goose c c c c
• Brant r r r
• Greater White-fronted Goose u r u o
• Ross’s Goose r r r
• Snow Goose o o r

Blue Morph Snow Goose r r r

• *Wood Duck c c c c
• *Mallard c c c c
• American Black Duck r
• *Gadwall u u c u
• *Northern Pintail c u c c
• *American Wigeon c u c c
• Eurasian Wigeon o o o
• *Northern Shoveler c c c o
• Garganey r
• *Cinnamon Teal c c c
• Blue-winged Teal u o u
• *American Green-winged Teal c u c u
• Common Teal r
• Canvasback c o c c
• *Redhead c c c o
• Tufted Duck r
• Ring-necked Duck c o c u
• Greater Scaup u r o u
• Lesser Scaup c o c c
• Steller’s Eider r
• Harlequin Duck r r
• Long-tailed Duck r o o
• Surf Scoter o r
• White-winged Scoter r r
• Common Goldeneye c o u
• Barrow’s Goldeneye o r o
• Bufflehead c o c c
• Hooded Merganser u o u
• *Common Merganser c o u c
• Red-breasted Merganser r r r
• *Ruddy Duck u u c u

Diurnal Raptors

• Turkey Vulture r o
• *Northern Harrier c c c c
• *Sharp-shinned Hawk o o u u
• *Cooper’s Hawk o o u u
• *Northern Goshawk o o o o
• Red Shouldered Hawk r
• *Swainson’s Hawk c c c
• *Red-tailed Hawk c c c c
• *Ferruginous Hawk o o o o
• Rough-legged Hawk o u c
• *Golden Eagle o o o o
• Bald Eagle o o u
• *Osprey u u u r
• Merlin o r o o
• *American Kestrel c c c c
• *Prairie Falcon u u u u
• Gyrfalcon r
• *Peregrine Falcon o o o o

Upland Game Birds

• *Northern Bobwhite (I) r r r r
• *California Quail (I) c c c c
• *Chukar (I) o o o o
• *Gray Partridge (I) u u u u
• *Ring-necked Pheasant (I) c c c c
• *Blue Grouse r r r r
• *Ruffed Grouse u u u u
• Sharp-tailed Grouse (extirpated)
• *Wild Turkey (I) u u u u

Rails

• *American Coot c c c c
• *Virginia Rail u c u o
• *Sora o o o r

Cranes

• Sandhill Crane o o r

Shorebirds

• Black-bellied Plover o r u
• American Golden Plover o
• Semipalmated Plover o o u
• Snowy Plover r r
• *Killdeer c c c u
• *American Avocet c c c
• *Black-necked Stilt c c c
• Greater Yellowlegs o o c r
• Lesser Yellowlegs u o c r
• Solitary Sandpiper o o o
• Willet r r
• *Spotted Sandpiper c c c
• Upland Sandpiper r r
• Whimbrel r
• *Long-billed Curlew o o o
• Hudsonian Godwit r
• Marbled Godwit o o u
• Ruddy Turnstone r
• Red Knot o
• Sanderling r o o
• Dunlin u u o
• Pectoral Sandpiper o o u r
• Sharp-tailed Sandpiper r
• Baird’s Sandpiper o u c
• Western Sandpiper u c c r
• Semipalmated Sandpiper o o
• Least Sandpiper c c c r
• Long-toed Stint r
• Ruff r
• Stilt Sandpiper r o
• Long-billed Dowitcher u o c
• Short-billed Dowitcher o
• *Wilson’s Snipe c c c o
• Wilson’s Phalarope o u u
• Red Phalarope r r
• Red-necked Phalarope o u u

Jaegers, Gulls, Terns

• Long-tailed Jaeger r
• Parasitic Jaeger r o
• Bonaparte’s Gull o o u r
• Franklin’s Gull o o r
• Mew Gull o o
• *Ring-billed Gull c c c c
• *California Gull c c c c
• Herring Gull o o c c
• Thayer’s Gull o o
• Iceland Gull r
• Glaucous Gull r o o
• *Glaucous-winged Gull u o c c
• Western Gull o o o o
• Lesser Black-backed Gull r
• Sabine’s Gull o
• Black-legged Kittiwake r
• *Caspian Tern c c c
• Common Tern r o
• Arctic Tern r
• *Forster’s Tern u u u
• Black Tern o u

Pigeons, Doves

• *Mourning Dove c c c u
• Eurasian-collared Dove (I) r
• *Rock Dove (I) c c c c
• Band-tailed Pigeon r

Cuckoos

• Yellow-billed Cuckoo r r

Owls

• *Barn Owl c c c c
• *Long-eared Owl u u u u
• *Short-eared Owl o o o o
• *Great Horned Owl c c c c
• Snowy Owl r
• *Great Gray Owl r r r r
• Barred Owl r r r
• *Northern Saw-whet Owl o o o o
• *Burrowing Owl o o o r
• Flammulated Owl r r r
• *Western Screech-Owl c c c c
• *Northern Pygmy-Owl o o o o

Nightjars, Swifts

• *Common Poorwill o o o
• *Common Nighthawk o u u
• *Vaux’s Swift c c c
• *White-throated Swift u u u

Hummingbirds

• Anna’s Hummingbird r r
• *Black-chinned Hummingbird c c c
• *Calliope Hummingbird c c c
• Broad-tailed Hummingbird r r
• *Rufous Hummingbird c c u

Kingfishers

• *Belted Kingfisher c c c c

Woodpeckers

• Lewis’s Woodpecker o o o
• Williamson’s Sapsucker r r
• Red-breasted Sapsucker r r
• *Red-naped Sapsucker u u u r
• Yellow-bellied Sapsucker r
• *Downy Woodpecker c c c c
• *Hairy Woodpecker u u u u
• Black-backed Woodpecker r
• Three-toed Woodpecker r
• White-headed Woodpecker r r
• *Northern Flicker c c c c
• *Pileated Woodpecker o o o o

Flycatchers

• *Olive-sided Flycatcher o o o
• *Western Wood-Pewee c c c
• *Western Flycatcher u u u
• *Willow Flycatcher o u u
• *Hammond’s Flycatcher u u u r
• *Dusky Flycatcher u c u
• Gray Flycatcher o o
• *Say’s Phoebe u u u o
• *Eastern Kingbird o c u
• *Western Kingbird c c u

Shrikes, Vireos

• Northern Shrike o o o
• *Loggerhead Shrike o o o r
• *Red-eyed Vireo o o o
• *Warbling Vireo c c c
• *Cassin’s Vireo u u u

Crows, Jays, Magpies

• *Steller’s Jay c c c c
• *Blue Jay r r o r
• Western Scrub Jay r
• Gray Jay o o o o
• Clark’s Nutcracker r r
• *Black-billed Magpie c c c c
• *Common Raven c c c c
• *American Crow c c c c

Larks

• *Horned Lark c c c c

Swallows

• *Northern Rough-winged Swallow u u u
• *Bank Swallow c c c
• *Violet-green Swallow c c c o
• *Tree Swallow o o o r
• *Cliff Swallow c c c r
• *Barn Swallow c c c r

Chickadees

• *Black-capped Chickadee c c c c
• *Mountain Chickadee c c c c
• *Chestnut-backed Chickadee u u u u
• Bushtit r

Nuthatches, Creepers

• *Red-breasted Nuthatch c c c c
• *White-breasted Nuthatch o o o o
• Pygmy Nuthatch r
• *Brown Creeper u u u u

Wrens

• *Bewick’s Wren c c c c
• *House Wren c c c r
• *Winter Wren c c c u
• *Marsh Wren c c c u
• *Rock Wren c c c o
• *Canyon Wren c c c o

Dippers

• *American Dipper u u u u

Kinglets

• *Golden-crowned Kinglet c c c c
• *Ruby-crowned Kinglet u u c o

Gnatcatchers

• Blue-gray Gnatcatcher r

Solitaires, Bluebirds

• *Townsend’s Solitaire o o o o
• *Mountain Bluebird u u u u
• *Western Bluebird c u u u

Thrushes

• *Varied Thrush u u u u
• *American Robin c c c c
• *Veery u u u
• *Swainson’s Thrush u u u
• Gray-cheeked Thrush r
• *Hermit Thrush o o o o

Mimids

• *Gray Catbird c c c
• Northern Mockingbird r r r
• Sage Thrasher r r o

Starling

• European Starling (I) c c c c

Pipits

• American Pipit o o u r

Waxwings

• Bohemian Waxwing r o u
• *Cedar Waxwing c c c u

Warblers

• *Orange-crowned Warbler c c c o
• Nashville Warbler o o o
• *Yellow Warbler c c c
• Chestnut-sided Warbler r
• *Yellow-rumped Warbler c c c u
• *Townsend’s Warbler u c c
• Prairie Warbler r
• Blackpoll Warbler r
• Prothonotary Warbler r
• Black-and-white Warbler r
• *American Redstart o o o
• Northern Waterthrush r
• Mourning Warbler r
• *MacGillivray’s Warbler c c c
• Common Yellowthroat r o
• *Wilson’s Warbler c c c r
• *Yellow-breasted Chat u u u

Tanagers

• *Western Tanager c c c r

Grosbeaks, Buntings

• *Black-headed Grosbeak c c c
• Rose-breasted Grosbeak r
• *Lazuli Bunting c c c

Towhees, Sparrows

• *Spotted Towhee c c c o
• *Green-tailed Towhee o o o
• Sage Sparrow o r r r
• Black-throated Sparrow r
• American Tree Sparrow o o
• Brewer’s Sparrow o o
• Clay-colored Sparrow r r
• *Chipping Sparrow c c c
• *Grasshopper Sparrow u c u
• *Savannah Sparrow c c c o
• *Vesper Sparrow u u u
• Lark Bunting r
• *Lark Sparrow u u u
• Harris’s Sparrow r r o
• Golden-crowned Sparrow o o r
• White-throated Sparrow o o o
• White-crowned Sparrow c c u
• *Fox Sparrow c c c o
• *Song Sparrow c c c c
• Lincoln’s Sparrow c o u o
• Swamp Sparrow o o
• *Dark-eyed Junco c c c c

Longspurs, Snow Bungings

• Lapland Longspur r
• Snow Bunting r o

Blackbirds

• *Western Meadowlark c c c u
• *Brown-headed Cowbird c c c u
• *Yellow-headed Blackbird c c c o
• Tricolored Blackbird r r
• *Red-winged Blackbird c c c c
• *Brewer’s Blackbird c c c u
• Rusty Blackbird r o
• Common Grackle r r r r
• *Bullock’s Oriole u u u
• Orchard Oriole r

Finches

• Brambling r r
• *Evening Grosbeak u u u u
• Pine Grosbeak r o
• Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch r o o
• Purple Finch r
• *Cassin’s Finch u u u u
• *House Finch c c c c
• Red Crossbill u u u u
• White-winged Crossbill r o o
• Common Redpoll o r o
• Hoary Redpoll r
• *Pine Siskin c c c c
• *American Goldfinch c c c c

Weaver Finches

• House Sparrow (I) c c c c

Prepared by Mike & MerryLynn Denny February 2003

This list contains 319 species of which 11 were introduced.