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Checklist of the Birds of Santa Cruz County, California
Prepared by David L. Suddjian
Santa Cruz Bird Club
Updated December 31, 2004
This seasonal checklist was developed from records compiled by the Santa Cruz Bird Club. These include species files of reports of many thousands of observations, Christmas Bird Count data, Breeding Bird Atlas data, data from dozens of field studies and hundreds of published and unpublished references. The list follows the taxonomy of the 7th Edition of the Check-list of North American Birds (American Ornithologist's Union, 1998) and supplements. Treatment of records of rarities follows the decisions of the California Bird Records Committee (CBRC) as published in Western Birds, except as noted. Records included here that were not reviewed by the CBRC, or are still pending decision, are so noted. Abundance codes most closely match the patterns of the recent 10-year period, with emphasis on the recent five-year period for species whose status is in flux. The specific number of records is given for species with three or fewer county records.
The common “four-season” checklist format is used here. Unfortunately, the patterns of seasonal occurrence for many species do not fit neatly into that format. The user is advised to consider “functional seasons,” as dictated by the timing of migration for various species whose occurrence does not match the calendar terms. For example, southbound "fall" migrants occur principally during the summer months for some species, or "spring" breeding populations may return by late January. Where some species bend our usual seasonal boundaries, codes were placed in the seasonal columns that best expressed the overall pattern of occurrence. Therefore, the breeding population of Allen's Hummingbird arrives in late January and February, but this was treated as a "spring" pattern. Many shorebirds, absent in late spring and early summer for only a brief period between migrations, were not shown as present during summer, even though "fall" migrants may appear by late June. There are many such instances where the four-season format cannot be made to match the actual patterns of occurrence.
Please send inquiries and corrections to dsuddjian@aol.com. A print-ready copy (in MS Word) will be emailed upon request.
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Key to the Status Codes
C Common To Abundant. Moderate to large numbers in proper habitats in the indicated season(s). Nearly
always present and easily located.
F Fairly Common. Moderate to small numbers in proper habitats in the indicated season(s). Usually
present and easily located. May occur locally in large numbers under optimal conditions.
U Uncommon. Small numbers in proper habitats in the indicated season(s). Usually present but may require
searching to locate.
R Rare. Very small numbers annually (or virtually annually) in proper habitats in the indicated season(s).
Often requires a specific search to locate. Occurrence predictable and regular.
X Casual. Few records in the indicated season(s).
i Irregular. Abundance varies substantially year to year from principal code; less numerous or absent some years.
l Local. Typically occurs at few localities or only in a small portion of the county during the indicated
season(s).
e Extirpated. Formerly regularly present in indicated season(s), but unrecorded for 20+ years. Parentheses ( )
around codes indicate known or approximate former status where there are no recent records.
* Breeding Species. Breeding confirmed in the county. Parentheses (*) indicates former nesting, now
discontinued for at least 10 years.
Sp Su Fa Wi Notes
Fulvous Whistling-Duck (X) (?) former status uncertain; no recent recs.
Greater White-fronted Goose X X U R
Emperor Goose X X 3 records; 1 not reviewed by CBRC
Snow Goose X X R R
Ross's Goose X X R R some overwintering linger thru summer
Cackling Goose R X U U
Canada Goose * U Ul F Fl population increasing
Brant C R U R
Tundra Swan R R
Wood Duck * U U U U
Gadwall * C F F C
Eurasian Wigeon R R
American Wigeon R U C
Mallard * C C C C
Blue-winged Teal R X U U
Cinnamon Teal * C Ul U F
Northern Shoveler * U X U F 1 breeding record
Northern Pintail U X U F
Garganey X 1 record
Green-winged Teal U X F F
Canvasback U F Fl
Redhead X R R
Ring-necked Duck U X U F
Tufted Duck X X
Greater Scaup R X R U
Lesser Scaup U X U U
Harlequin Duck X X X pattern of winter records, but infrequent
Surf Scoter C U C C
White-winged Scoter U R U Ul quite low numbers in recent years
Black Scoter R X R R
Long-tailed Duck X X X X most records from winter
Bufflehead R X U C
Common Goldeneye R X U F
Barrow's Goldeneye X
Hooded Merganser R U F
Common Merganser * Ul Ul Ul Ul
Red-breasted Merganser F R U U
Ruddy Duck * F Ul F C
Wild Turkey * U U U U introduced; population increasing
Mountain Quail * Rl Rl Rl Rl
California Quail * C C C C
Red-throated Loon C R C F
Pacific Loon C R C C
Common Loon C R C F
Sp Su Fa Wi Notes
Pied-billed Grebe * C F C C
Horned Grebe R R U
Red-necked Grebe R X R R
Eared Grebe R X R U
Western Grebe C Fl C C
Clark's Grebe F Fl U F
Laysan Albatross R X X R
Black-footed Albatross C C R U
Short-tailed Albatross e (C?) (C?) former status poorly known
Family: Procellariidae
Northern Fulmar Fi Ri Fi Ci
Murphy's Petrel X 1 record
Cook's Petrel X 1 record; also 1 "Cookilaria" sp.
Streaked Shearwater X 1 record
Pink-footed Shearwater U U C R
Flesh-footed Shearwater X X R X
Greater Shearwater X 1 record
Wedge-tailed Shearwater X 1 record
Buller's Shearwater X F
Sooty Shearwater F C C U
Short-tailed Shearwater R X U F
Manx Shearwater X X X perhaps “R” in fall
Black-vented Shearwater Ui Ci Ci
Family: HYDROBATIDAE
Wilson's Storm-Petrel R
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel Ui R Ui
Leach's Storm-Petrel R? R? status poorly known
Ashy Storm-Petrel X F X
Black Storm-Petrel X F X
Least Storm-Petrel Ui
Family: PHAETHONTIDAE
Red-billed Tropicbird X 1 rec. identified to sp.; others Sp., Fa. & Wi.
Family: Sulidae
Masked/Nazca Booby X 1 record; juv. not identifiable to species
Brown Booby X
Red-footed Booby X 1 record; not accepted by CBRC
Family: Pelecanidae
American White Pelican Rl Ul Fl Ul population increasing
Brown Pelican F C C F
Sp Su Fa Wi Notes
Family: Phalacrocoracidae
Brandt's Cormorant * C C C C 3 breeding localities
Double-crested Cormorant * F Ul C C 3 breeding localities
Pelagic Cormorant * F F F F
Family: Fregatidae
Magnificent Frigatebird X R X
Family: Ardeidae
American Bittern * R Rl U U
Least Bittern (X) (X) 3 or 4 records, but none since 1961
Great Blue Heron * F F F F
Great Egret * U R F F 1 breeding locality
Snowy Egret U R F F
Little Blue Heron X X X 3 records
Cattle Egret X X R R few records since 1995
Green Heron * U U U U
Black-crowned Night-Heron * U U F F nests irregularly from year to year
Family: Threskiornithidae
White-faced Ibis R X R R
Family: Cathartidae
Turkey Vulture * F F U R
California Condor e (*) (F?) (F?) (F?) (F?) former breeding res., status uncertain
Family: Accipitridae
Osprey * U R U U 2 breeding localities
White-tailed Kite * U U F F
Bald Eagle X X R R
Northern Harrier * R R U U
Sharp-shinned Hawk * F U F F
Cooper's Hawk * F U F F
Northern Goshawk X X X
Red-shouldered Hawk * F F F F
Broad-winged Hawk X R X
Swainson's Hawk R R X
Red-tailed Hawk * F F C C
Ferruginous Hawk X R R
Rough-legged Hawk X R R
Golden Eagle * U U U U
Family: Falconidae
Crested Caracara X 1 record
American Kestrel * U U F F
Merlin R U U
Peregrine Falcon * U R U U
Prairie Falcon X X R R
Family: Rallidae
Yellow Rail X(U?) (R?) 1 recent record; former status uncertain
Black Rail e (X?) former status uncertain
Clapper Rail e (R?) (R?) former status uncertain
Virginia Rail * U U F F
Sora * U Rl U U few breeding records
Common Moorhen * R Rl R U
American Coot * C F C C
Family: Gruidae
Sandhill Crane X X 3 records
Sp Su Fa Wi Notes
Family: Charadriidae
Black-bellied Plover C R C C
American Golden-Plover X 3 modern records
Pacific Golden-Plover X R X
Snowy Plover * Ul Ul Fl Fl
Semipalmated Plover F X F Rl
Killdeer * U U F C
Mountain Plover X X 3 records
Family: Haematopodidae
Black Oystercatcher * U U U U
Family: Recurvirostridae
Black-necked Stilt * Ul Ul Fl Fl
American Avocet * Rl Rl Ul Ul
Family: Scolopacidae
Greater Yellowlegs F F U
Lesser Yellowlegs R U R
Solitary Sandpiper R R X
Willet C Ul C C
Wandering Tattler U X U R recently very rare or absent Nov - Mar
Spotted Sandpiper * U Rl U U
Whimbrel F R F U
Long-billed Curlew F X F U numbers increasing in recent years
Marbled Godwit C U C C
Ruddy Turnstone R R R declined in recent years
Black Turnstone C C C
Surfbird F F F
Red Knot X X R X
Sanderling C R C C
Semipalmated Sandpiper R
Western Sandpiper C X F Rl
Least Sandpiper C F Ul
Baird's Sandpiper X R
Pectoral Sandpiper X R
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper X 1 record
Rock Sandpiper X X X
Dunlin C F Ul
Stilt Sandpiper X
Buff-breasted Sandpiper X 2 records
Ruff R
Short-billed Dowitcher F F X
Long-billed Dowitcher F F Ul
Wilson’s Snipe R U U
Wilson's Phalarope U U
Red-necked Phalarope C C X
Red Phalarope C X C Fi
Family: Laridae
South Polar Skua X X U
Pomarine Jaeger F X F R
Parasitic Jaeger U X F X
Long-tailed Jaeger U
Laughing Gull X X
Franklin's Gull R R X
Little Gull X X X
Bonaparte's Gull C R C U
Heermann's Gull U C C C
Mew Gull U X F C
Ring-billed Gull U R F C
California Gull C U C C
Herring Gull U X U F
Thayer's Gull R X U U
Western Gull * C C C C
Glaucous-winged Gull F R C C
Glaucous Gull X X R
Sabine's Gull U U
Black-legged Kittiwake Ui Ri Ui Fi
Caspian Tern F F R X
Royal Tern X X
Elegant Tern R C C X
Common Tern F R F X
Arctic Tern F F
Forster's Tern C Fl U Fl
Least Tern R R R X
Black Tern R R X
Black Skimmer R R R X
Family: Alcidae
Common Murre C C C C
Thick-billed Murre X
Pigeon Guillemot * C C R X
Marbled Murrelet * F F U U limited inland breeding distribution
Long-billed Murrelet X 3 records, 2 pending CBRC review
Xantus's Murrelet R U X
Craveri's Murrelet R R
Ancient Murrelet Ui X Ui Fi
Cassin's Auklet F F C C
Parakeet Auklet (X) 1 record of beach-cast specimen
Rhinoceros Auklet * F U F C 1 breeding locality
Horned Puffin X X X
Tufted Puffin R R U R
Sp Su Fa Wi Notes
Family: Columbidae
Rock Pigeon * C C C C introduced
Band-tailed Pigeon * C C C C
Eurasian Collared-Dove X introduced; also 2 non-wild resident populations
White-winged Dove X X most records from fall
Mourning Dove * C C C C
Common Ground-Dove X 1 record
Family: Cuculidae
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (*) X (U) X few recent records; historic nesting
Greater Roadrunner e(*) (U) (U) X(U) (U) 1 recent record; former breeding resident
Family: Tytonidae
Barn Owl * U U U U
Family: Strigidae
Flammulated Owl (X) 1 record
Western Screech-Owl * C C C C
Great Horned Owl * F F F F
Snowy Owl (X) 1 record
Northern Pygmy-Owl * U U U U
Burrowing Owl * X X Rl Rl only 1 recent breeding record
Spotted Owl X several reports are problematic
Long-eared Owl * R R R R
Short-eared Owl X R R
Northern Saw-whet Owl * C C C C
Family: Caprimulgidae
Lesser Nighthawk