Greg Lavaty

KATY PRAIRIEBIRD CHECKLIST

September 2009 Updateby Fred Collins and Robert Honig

___________________________________Date/Time:

______________________Observers + phone or email:

____________________________________________

______________________________Specific Location:

_____________________________________Weather:

Recommended citation: Collins, F., and R. Honig. 2009.

Katy Prairie Bird Checklist (September 2009 update). Katy

Prairie Conservancy, Houston, Texas.

Please send any comments or membership inquiries to the

Katy Prairie Conservancy (KPC). We encourage you to

report your sightings online via eBird at ebird.org

MARTINS & SWALLOWS____ Purple Martin S____ Tree Swallow M____ Northern Rough-winged Swallow M____ Bank Swallow M____ Cliff Swallow S____ Cave Swallow P____ Barn Swallow S

CHICKADEES & TITMICE____ Carolina Chickadee P____ Tufted Titmouse P

NUTHATCHES____ Red-breasted Nuthatch W

CREEPERS____ Brown Creeper W

WRENS____ Carolina Wren P____ !Bewick’s Wren W____ House Wren W____ Winter Wren W____ !Sedge Wren W____ Marsh Wren W

KINGLETS____ Golden-crowned Kinglet W____ Ruby-crowned Kinglet W

GNATCATCHERS____ Blue-gray Gnatcatcher W

THRUSHES____ Eastern Bluebird P____ Veery M (presumed)____ Gray-cheeked Thrush M (presumed)____ Swainson’s Thrush M____ Hermit Thrush W ____ !Wood Thrush M____ American Robin W

MOCKINGBIRDS & THRASHERS____ Gray Catbird W____ Northern Mockingbird P____ Brown Thrasher W

STARLINGS____ European Starling P

PIPITS____ American Pipit W____ !Sprague’s Pipit W

WAXWINGS____ Cedar Waxwing W

WOOD-WARBLERS____ !Blue-winged Warbler M____ !Golden-Winged Warbler M (presumed)

____ Tennessee Warbler M____ Orange-crowned Warbler W____ Nashville Warbler M____ Northern Parula S____ Yellow Warbler M____ Chestnut-sided Warbler M____ Magnolia Warbler M____ Yellow-rumped Warbler W____ Black-throated Green Warbler M____ Blackburnian Warbler M____ Yellow-throated Warbler M

____ Pine Warbler P____ !Prairie Warbler M (presumed)____ Palm Warbler W____ !Bay-breasted Warbler M____ !Cerulean Warbler M (presumed)____ Black-and-white Warbler M____ American Redstart M____ !Prothonotary Warbler S____ !Worm-eating Warbler M____ !Swainson’s Warbler M (presumed)____ Ovenbird M____ Northern Waterthrush M____ !Louisiana Waterthrush M____ !Kentucky Warbler M____ Mourning Warbler M____ Common Yellowthroat P____ Hooded Warbler M____ Wilson’s Warbler M____ !Canada Warbler M____ Yellow-breasted Chat S

TANAGERS____ Summer Tanager S____ Scarlet Tanager M

NEW WORLD SPARROWS____ Green-tailed Towhee W rare____ Spotted Towhee W____ Eastern Towhee W____ Chipping Sparrow W____ Clay-colored Sparrow W rare____ Field Sparrow W____ Vesper Sparrow W____ Lark Sparrow W____ Lark Bunting W rare____ Savannah Sparrow W____ !Grasshopper Sparrow W____ !Henslow’s Sparrow W____ !Le Conte’s Sparrow W____ Fox Sparrow W____ Song Sparrow W____ Lincoln’s Sparrow W____ Swamp Sparrow W____ White-throated Sparrow W____ !Harris’s Sparrow W____ White-crowned Sparrow W____ Dark-eyed Junco W____ Lapland Longspur W

CARDINALS & ALLIES____ Northern Cardinal P____ Pyrrhuloxia W rare____ Rose-breasted Grosbeak M____ Blue Grosbeak M____ Indigo Bunting M____ !Painted Bunting S____ !Dickcissel S

BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES, & ALLIES____ Red-winged Blackbird P____ Eastern Meadowlark P____ Western Meadowlark W____ Yellow-headed Blackbird M____ !Rusty Blackbird W____ Brewer’s Blackbird W

____ Common Grackle P____ Great-tailed Grackle P____ Brown-headed Cowbird P____ Orchard Oriole S____ Bullock's Oriole M rare____ Baltimore Oriole M

FINCHES & ALLIES____ Purple Finch W____ House Finch P____ Pine Siskin W____ American Goldfinch W

OLD WORLD SPARROWS____ House Sparrow P

ESTRILDID FINCHES____ Nutmeg Mannikin P•Historically occurring species include Trumpeter Swan !Greater Prairie-Chicken !Whooping Crane !Eskimo Curlew Groove-billed Ani•Accidental species include Least Grebe !Marbled Godwit Mountain Bluebird Black-throated Sparrow Cassin's Sparrow !Bachman's Sparrow !McCown's Longspur Black-headed Grosbeak BobolinkAdditional species may occur in nearby neighborhoods, e.g., wintering !Rufous and Broad-tailed Hummingbirds at feeders

KATY PRAIRIE HABITATS

Examples of the diversity of Katy Prairie habitats that has

resulted in this checklist containing almost 300 species of birds.

Coastal Prairie Wetlands

Bald Eagle

Riparian Forest Farmland and Ranches

PHOTO CREDITS

BOB HONIG -GROSBEAK, SANDPIPER, GREG LAVATY-WIGEON, BOBWHITE, CARACARA, WARBLER, SHRIKE, MICHAEL MORTON-WETLANDS

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Blue Grosbeak

BIRD CHECKLIST DISTRIBUTED BY:

3015 Richmond Ave., Suite 230,

Houston, TX 77098

713.523.6135 wwww.katyprairie.org

Attwater’s Greater Prairie-Chicken once lived on the

Katy Prairie

GREBES____ Pied-billed Grebe P____ Horned Grebe W rare____ Eared Grebe W

PELICANS____ American White Pelican W

CORMORANTS____ Neotropic Cormorant S____ Double-crested Cormorant W

DARTERS (ANHINGA)____ Anhinga S

HERONS, EGRETS, & BITTERNS____ American Bittern W____ Least Bittern S____ Great Blue Heron P____ Great Egret P____ Snowy Egret P____ !Little Blue Heron S____ Tricolored Heron S____ Cattle Egret P____ Green Heron S____ Black-crowned Night-Heron P____ Yellow-crowned Night-Heron S

IBISES & SPOONBILLS____ White Ibis P____ Glossy Ibis P rare____ !White-faced Ibis P____ Roseate Spoonbill S

STORKS____ !Wood Stork S

NEW WORLD VULTURES____ Black Vulture P____ Turkey Vulture P

HAWKS & ALLIES____ Osprey W____ !Swallow-tailed Kite M____ White-tailed Kite W____ Mississippi Kite S____ !Bald Eagle P____ !Northern Harrier W____ Sharp-shinned Hawk W____ Cooper’s Hawk W____ Harris’s Hawk W rare____ Red-shouldered Hawk P____ Broad-winged Hawk M____ !Swainson’s Hawk S____ !White-Tailed Hawk P____ Red-tailed Hawk P____ !Ferruginous Hawk W____ Rough-legged Hawk W rare____ Golden Eagle W rare

FALCONS & CARACARAS____ !Crested Caracara P____ American Kestrel W____ Merlin W____ !Peregrine Falcon W____ !Prairie Falcon W rare

RAILS, GALLINULES, & COOTS____ !Yellow Rail M____ !Black Rail M rare____ King Rail P

____ Virginia Rail M____ Sora W____ Purple Gallinule S____ Common Moorhen P____ American Coot P

CRANES____ Sandhill Crane W

PLOVERS____ Black-bellied Plover M____ !American Golden-Plover M____ Semipalmated Plover M ____ Killdeer P____ !Mountain Plover W rare

STILTS & AVOCETS____ !Black-necked Stilt S____ American Avocet W

SANDPIPERS, PHALAROPES, & ALLIES____ Spotted Sandpiper M____ !Solitary Sandpiper M____ Greater Yellowlegs W____ Willet M rare____ Lesser Yellowlegs W____ !Upland Sandpiper M____ !Whimbrel M rare____ !Long-billed Curlew W____ !Hudsonian Godwit M____ Ruddy Turnstone M____ Semipalmated Sandpiper M____ Western Sandpiper W____ Least Sandpiper W____ White-rumped Sandpiper M____ Baird’s Sandpiper M____ Pectoral Sandpiper M____ Dunlin W____ !Stilt Sandpiper M____ !Buff-breasted Sandpiper M____ !Short-billed Dowitcher M rare____ Long-billed Dowitcher W____ Wilson's Snipe W____ !American Woodcock W____ !Wilson’s Phalarope M

GULLS & TERNS____ Laughing Gull P rare____ Franklin’s Gull M____ Ring-billed Gull W____ Herring Gull W rare____ !Least Tern S____ Caspian Tern W____ Forster’s Tern W____ Royal Tern P rare

PIGEONS & DOVES____ Rock Pigeon (formerly Rock Dove) P____ Eurasian Collared-Dove P____ White-winged Dove P____ Mourning Dove P____ Inca Dove P____ Common Ground-Dove P

CUCKOOS, ROADRUNNERS, & ANIS____ Yellow-billed Cuckoo S____ Greater Roadrunner P rare

BARN OWLS____ Barn Owl P

TYPICAL OWLS____ Eastern Screech-Owl P____ Great Horned Owl P____ !Burrowing Owl W rare____ Barred Owl P____ Long-eared Owl W rare____ !Short-Eared Owl W

NIGHTHAWKS & NIGHTJARS____ Lesser Nighthawk M rare____ Common Nighthawk S____ !Chuck-Will’s-Widow S____ !Whip-Poor-Will M

SWIFTS____ Chimney Swift S

HUMMINGBIRDS____ Ruby-throated Hummingbird S____ Black-chinned Hummingbird M rare

KINGFISHERS____ Belted Kingfisher W

WOODPECKERS____ !Red-headed Woodpecker P____ Red-bellied Woodpecker P____ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker W____ Ladder-backed Woodpecker P____ Downy Woodpecker P____ Northern Flicker W____ Pileated Woodpecker P

TYRANT FLYCATCHERS____ !Olive-sided Flycatcher M____ Eastern Wood-Pewee M____ Yellow-bellied Flycatcher M ____ Acadian Flycatcher M____ Alder Flycatcher M____ Willow Flycatcher M____ Least Flycatcher M____ Eastern Phoebe W____ Vermilion Flycatcher W____ Ash-throated Flycatcher W____ Great Crested Flycatcher S____ Great Kiskadee P rare____ Couch’s Kingbird W rare____ Western Kingbird S____ Eastern Kingbird S____ !Scissor-tailed Flycatcher S

SHRIKES____ !Loggerhead Shrike P

VIREOS____ White-eyed Vireo S____ Yellow-throated Vireo M____ Blue-headed Vireo W____ Warbling Vireo M____ Philadelphia Vireo M____ Red-eyed Vireo M

JAYS & CROWS____ Blue Jay P____ American Crow P

LARKS____ !Horned Lark P

This is not a complete list of all species recorded on the

Katy Prairie in west Harris, east Waller, and northern Fort

Bend Counties, Texas. Species only recorded once, twice,

or appearing to be accidental are not included (see note at

end of checklist). Currently there is not a central repository

for observation data. .. Species names, taxonomic order,

and family divisions follow the American Ornithologists'

Union Check-list of North American Birds, 7th Edition and

supplements (through the 49th supplement, 2008),

http://www.aou.org/checklist/north/full.php.

! indicates species of conservation concern listed by the

BirdLife International /National Audubon Society Important

Bird Area program for Texas including federal and state

endangered and threatened species.

S = summer resident and migrant; W = winter resident and

migrant; M = migrant only, spring and/or fall; P =

permanent resident or can occur at any time of year, but

does not necessarily breed on the Katy Prairie;

(presumed) = presumed to occur; rare = not expected

every year or season, provide documentation for reports of

rare species. Seasons indicated are when expected; there

may be out-of-season records for some species.

DUCKS, GEESE, & SWANS____ Black-bellied Whistling-Duck P____ Fulvous Whistling-Duck S____ Greater White-fronted Goose W____ Snow Goose W____ Ross’ Goose W____ Cackling Goose W____ Canada Goose W____ Tundra Swan W rare____ Wood Duck P____ Gadwall W____ American Wigeon W____ Mallard W____ !Mottled Duck P____ Blue-winged Teal W____ Cinnamon Teal W____ Northern Shoveler W____ Northern Pintail W____ Green-winged Teal W____ Canvasback W____ Redhead W____ Ring-necked Duck W____ Greater Scaup W rare____ Lesser Scaup W____ White-winged Scoter W rare____ Long-tailed Duck W rare____ Bufflehead W____ Common Goldeneye W____ Hooded Merganser W____ Ruddy Duck W____ Masked Duck W rare

GROUSE AND ALLIES____ Ring-necked Pheasant* P

NEW WORLD QUAIL____ !Northern Bobwhite* P

LOONS____ Common Loon W rare

NorthernBobwhite

Crested Caracara

Upland Sandpiper

Loggerhead Shrike