Checklist ofCariboo-Chilcotin

Birds

Compiled by Anna Roberts, Phil Ranson andJim Sims

2014

Explanation of Symbols

Common: 20 or more individuals per day per localityFairly Common: 7 to 20 individuals per day per localityUncommon: 1 to 6 individuals per day per localityRare: 1 to 6 individuals per seasonOccasional: more than 6 records but not every yearCasual: 2 to 6 records – or well outside normal date rangeAccidental: one recordSingle Bird: duration of stayIrruptive: may be absent in some years

The width of the bars represents the likelihood of encountering the species, in a given month, and in the appropriate habitat

Status Codes N Nests in checklist areaP Probably nests in checklist areaI IntroducedR Recent addition to checklistC Change to species name↑ Increased significantly in recent years↓ Decreased significantly in recent years

The area covered by this checklist extends from Quesnel south to Clinton and from the Cariboo Mountains near Quesnel Lake west to the Coast Mountains near Anahim Lake

Species Code Status

1

GEESE-SWANS__Greater White-fronted Goose GWFG ↑__Snow Goose SNGO__Ross's Goose ROGO__Brant BRAN__Cackling Goose CACG C__Canada Goose CAGO N__Mute Swan MUSW IR__Trumpeter Swan TRUS__Tundra Swan TUSW

DUCKS__Wood Duck WODU N↑__Gadwall GADW N__Eurasian Wigeon EUWI__American Wigeon AMWI N__Mallard MALL N__Blue-winged Teal BWTE N__Cinnamon Teal CITE N__Northern Shoveler NOSL N__Northern Pintail NOPI N__Green-winged Teal GWTE N__Canvasback CANV N__Redhead REDH N__Ring-necked Duck RNDU N__Tufted Duck TUDU__Greater Scaup GRSC__Lesser Scaup LESC N__Harlequin Duck HADU N__Surf Scoter SUSC__White-winged Scoter WWSC N__Black Scoter BLSC__Long-tailed Duck LTDU C__Bufflehead BUFF N__Common Goldeneye COGO N__Barrow's Goldeneye BAGO N__Hooded Merganser HOME N__Common Merganser COME N__Red-breasted Merganser RBME__Ruddy Duck RUDU N

Species Code Status

2

GROUSE-PTARMIGAN__California Quail CAQU IN__Chukar CHUK IN__Ring-necked Pheasant RNPH IN__Ruffed Grouse RUGR N__Spruce Grouse SPGR N__Willow Ptarmigan WIPT N__Rock Ptarmigan ROPT__White-tailed Ptarmigan WTPT N__Dusky Grouse DUGR NC__Sooty Grouse SOGR PRC__Sharp-tailed Grouse STGR N

LOONS__Red-throated Loon RTLO__Pacific Loon PALO__Common Loon COLO N__Yellow-billed Loon YBLO

GREBES__Pied-billed Grebe PBGR N__Horned Grebe HOGR N__Red-necked Grebe RNGR N__Eared Grebe EAGR N__Western Grebe WEGR__Clark's Grebe CLGR R

CORMORANTS__Double-crested Cormorant DCCO N↑

PELICANS__American White Pelican AWPE N↑__Brown Pelican BRPE R

EGRETS-HERONS__American Bittern AMBI N__Great Blue Heron GBHE N__Great Egret GREG__Cattle Egret CAEG__Green Heron GRHE__Black-crowned Night Heron BCNH

Species Code Status

3

VULTURES__Turkey Vulture TUVU ↑P

OSPREY-EAGLES-HAWKS__Osprey OSPR N__Bald Eagle BAEA N__Northern Harrier NOHA N__Sharp-shinned Hawk SSHA N__Cooper's Hawk COHA N__Northern Goshawk NOGO N__Broad-winged Hawk BWHA R__Swainson's Hawk SWHA__Red-tailed Hawk RTHA N__Rough-legged Hawk RLHA__Golden Eagle GOEA N

FALCONS__Eurasian Kestrel EUKE__American Kestrel AMKE N__Merlin MERL N__Gyrfalcon GYRF__Peregrine Falcon PEFA N__Prairie Falcon PRFA N

RAILS-COOTS__Yellow Rail YERA PR__Virginia Rail VIRA N__Sora SORA N__American Coot AMCO N

CRANES__Sandhill Crane SACR N__Whooping Crane WHCR

PLOVERS__Black-bellied Plover BBPL__American Golden-Plover AMGP N__Pacific Golden-Plover PAGP R__Semipalmated Plover SEPL N__Killdeer KILL N

Species Code Status

4

STILTS-AVOCETS__Black-necked Stilt BNST__American Avocet AMAV N↑

SANDPIPERS-PHALAROPES__Spotted Sandpiper SPSA N__Solitary Sandpiper SOSA N__Wandering Tattler WATA__Greater Yellowlegs GRYE N__Lesser Yellowlegs LEYE P__Upland Sandpiper UPSA N__Whimbrel WHIM__Long-billed Curlew LBCU N__Hudsonian Godwit HUGO__Marbled Godwit MAGO__Ruddy Turnstone RUTU__Sanderling SAND__Semipalmated Sandpiper SESA__Western Sandpiper WESA__Least Sandpiper LESA N__White-rumped Sandpiper WRSA R__Baird's Sandpiper BASA__Pectoral Sandpiper PESA__Sharp-tailed Sandpiper SHSA R__Dunlin DUNL__Stilt Sandpiper STSA__Buff-breasted Sandpiper BBSA__Short-billed Dowitcher SBDO__Long-billed Dowitcher LBDO__Wilson's Snipe WISN N__Wilson's Phalarope WIPH N__Red-necked Phalarope RNPL__Red Phalarope REPH R

GULLS-TERNS-JAEGERS__Sabine's Gull SAGU__Bonaparte's Gull BOGU N__Franklin's Gull FRGU__Mew Gull MEGU__Ring-billed Gull RBGU N__California Gull CAGU

Species Code Status

5

__Herring Gull HERG N__Thayer's Gull THGU__Glaucous-winged Gull GWGU__Glaucous Gull GLGU__Caspian Tern CATE ↑P__Black Tern BLTE N__Common Tern COTE__Arctic Tern ARTE N__Forster's Tern FOTE R__Pomarine Jaeger POJA__Parasitic Jaeger PAJA R__Long-tailed Jaeger LTJA

PIGEONS-DOVES__Rock Pigeon ROPI NC__Band-tailed Pigeon BTPI P__Eurasian Collared-Dove ECDO RP__Mourning Dove MODO N

CUCKOOS__Black-billed Cuckoo BBCU

OWLS__Barn Owl BNOW__Flammulated Owl FLOW N__Western Screech-Owl WESO PR__Great Horned Owl GHOW N__Snowy Owl SNOW__Northern Hawk Owl NHOW N__Northern Pygmy-Owl NPOW N__Burrowing Owl BUOW__Barred Owl BAOW N__Great Gray Owl GGOW N__Long-eared Owl LEOW N__Short-eared Owl SEOW N↓__Boreal Owl BOOW N__Northern Saw-whet Owl NSWO N

NIGHTJARS__Common Nighthawk CONI N__Common Poorwill COPO N

Species Code Status

6

SWIFTS__Black Swift BLSW N__Vaux's Swift VASW P__White-throated Swift WTSW N

HUMMINGBIRDS__Black-chinned Hummingbird BCHU P__Anna's Hummingbird ANHU__Calliope Hummingbird CAHU N__Rufous Hummingbird RUHU N

KINGFISHERS__Belted Kingfisher BEKI N

WOODPECKERS__Lewis's Woodpecker LEWO N__Yellow-bellied Sapsucker YBSA NR__Red-naped Sapsucker RNSA N__Red-breasted Sapsucker RBSA N__Downy Woodpecker DOWO N__Hairy Woodpecker HAWO N__Am. Three-toed Woodpecker ATTW N__Black-backed Woodpecker BBWO N__Northern Flicker NOFL N__Pileated Woodpecker PIWO N

FLYCATCHERS__Olive-sided Flycatcher OSFL N__Western Wood-Peewee WWPE N__Yellow-bellied Flycatcher YBFL R__Alder Flycatcher ALFL N__Willow Flycatcher WIFL N__Least Flycatcher LEFL N__Hammond's Flycatcher HAFL N__Dusky Flycatcher DUFL N__Pacific-slope Flycatcher PSFL N__Say's Phoebe SAPH N__Western Kingbird WEKI N__Eastern Kingbird EAKI N

Species Code Status

7

SHRIKES__Loggerhead Shrike LOSH__Northern Shrike NOSH

VIREOS__Cassin's Vireo CAVI NC__Warbling Vireo WAVI N__Red-eyed Vireo REVI N

JAYS-MAGPIES-CROWS__Gray Jay GRJA N__Steller's Jay STJA N__Blue Jay BLJA N__Clark's Nutcracker CLNU N__Black-billed Magpie BBMA N__American Crow AMCR N__Common Raven CORA N

LARKS__Horned Lark HOLA N

SWALLOWS__Tree Swallow TRSW N__Violet-green Swallow VGSW N__No. Rough-winged Swallow NRWS N__Bank Swallow BKSW N__Cliff Swallow CLSW N__Barn Swallow BASW N

CHICKADEES__Black-capped Chickadee BCCH N__Mountain Chickadee MOCH N__Chestnut-backed Chickadee CBCH N__Boreal Chickadee BOCH N

NUTHATCHES__Red-breasted Nuthatch RBNU N__White-breasted Nuthatch WBNU P__Pygmy Nuthatch PYNU

Species Code Status

8

CREEPERS__Brown Creeper BRCR N

WRENS-DIPPER-KINGLETS__Rock Wren ROWR N__House Wren HOWR N__Pacific Wren PAWR NC__Marsh Wren MAWR N__American Dipper AMDI N__Golden-crowned Kinglet GCKI N__Ruby-crowned Kinglet RCKI N

BLUEBIRDS-THRUSHES__Western Bluebird WEBL__Mountain Bluebird MOBL N__Townsend's Solitaire TOSO N__Veery VEER N__Gray-cheeked Thrush GCTH RN__Swainson's Thrush SWTH N__Hermit Thrush HETH N__American Robin AMRO N__Varied Thrush VATH N

CATBIRDS-THRASHERS__Gray Catbird GRCA N__Northern Mockingbird NOMO__Sage Thrasher SATH

STARLINGS__European Starling EUST NI

PIPITS__American Pipit AMPI N__Sprague's Pipit SPPI N

WAXWINGS__Bohemian Waxwing BOWA N__Cedar Waxwing CEWA N

BUNTINGS__Lapland Longspur LALO

Species Code Status

9

__Snow Bunting SNBU

WARBLERS__Ovenbird OVEN__Northern Waterthrush NOWA N__Black-and-white Warbler BAWW__Tennessee Warbler TEWA N__Orange-crowned Warbler OCWA N__Nashville Warbler NAWA N__MacGillivray's Warbler MACW N__Common Yellowthroat COYE N__American Redstart AMRE N__Cape May Warbler CMWA R__Magnolia Warbler MGNW__Yellow Warbler YEWA N__Chestnut-sided Warbler CSWA NR__Blackpoll Warbler BKPW N__Palm Warbler PAWA__Yellow-rumped Warbler YRWA N__Townsend's Warbler TOWA N__Wilson's Warbler WIWA N__Yellow-breasted Chat YBCH R

SPARROWS__Spotted Towhee SPTO NC↑__American Tree Sparrow ATSP__Chipping Sparrow CHSP N__Clay-coloured Sparrow CCSP N↑__Brewer's Sparrow BRSP__Vesper Sparrow VESP N__Lark Sparrow LASP N__Lark Bunting LKBU__Savannah Sparrow SAVS N__Grasshopper Sparrow GRSP__Le Conte's Sparrow LCSP__Fox Sparrow FOSP N__Song Sparrow SOSP N__Lincoln's Sparrow LISP N__Swamp Sparrow SWSP ↑P__White-throated Sparrow WTSP N↑__Harris's Sparrow HASP

Species Code Status

10

__White-crowned Sparrow WCSP N__Golden-crowned Sparrow GCSP N__Dark-eyed Junco DEJU N

CARDINALS__Scarlet Tanager SCTA__Western Tanager WETA N__Rose-breasted Grosbeak RBGR__Black-headed Grosbeak BHGR P__Lazuli Bunting LZBU N↑__Indigo Bunting INBU R__Dickcissel DICK

ICTERIDS__Bobolink BOBO N__Red-winged Blackbird RWBL N__Western Meadowlark WEME N__Yellow-headed Blackbird YHBL N__Rusty Blackbird RUBL N__Brewer's Blackbird BRBL N__Common Grackle COGR NR__Brown-headed Cowbird BHCO N__Bullock's Oriole BUOR NC

FINCHES__Brambling BRAM__Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch GCRF N__Pine Grosbeak PIGR N__Purple Finch PUFI N__Cassin's Finch CAFI N__House Finch HOFI N__Red Crossbill RECR N__White-winged Crossbill WWCR N__Common Redpoll CORE__Hoary Redpoll HORE__Pine Siskin PISI N__American Goldfinch AMGO N__Evening Grosbeak EVGR N

OLD WORLD SPARROWS__House Sparrow HOSP NIThe Checklist contains 317 species.

Notes

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Notes

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Notes

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Species of Special interest in the Cariboo Chilcotin

American White Pelican: only nesting colony in BCEared Grebe: significant nesting areaBarrow’s Goldeneye: major nesting populationsAmerican Avocet: new range expansionLong-billed Curlew: major nesting areaArctic Tern: very rare nesting siteSemipalmated Plover: rare nesting locationsPrairie Falcon: rare nesting locationsWhite-throated Swift: most northerly nesting areaFlammulated Owl: most northerly nesting areaVesper Sparrow: significant nesting population

Prime Cariboo Chilcotin Birding Areas

Scout Island Nature Centre: Williams LakeAlkali Lake: 50 km west of W.L. on Dog Creek RoadChilanko Marsh: 200 km west of W.L. on hwy. 20Becher Prairie ponds: on the plateau West of the Fraser RiverHorsefly Bay: on Quesnel Lake at the mouth of the Horsefly River100 Mile Marsh: 100 Mile HouseChurn Creek Provincial Park: 50 km south of Alkali Lake

The compilers acknowledge the contributions by many naturalists from throughout the Cariboo Chilcotin and those that contributed to “The Birds of British Columbia” volumes 1 to 4. Cover drawing of the Long-billed Curlew is by Shirley Salkeld. Species order follows the taxonomy of the American Ornithologist’s Union 2010.

If you observe rare species, please document your observation byphotograph if possible and report the sighting to muskratexpress@midbc.com or

Williams Lake Field Naturalists1305A Borland Road, Williams Lake BC

V2G 5K5www.williamslakefieldnaturalists.ca