Birds of the North Hills

Oakland, California2007

About this Booklet

The booklet grew out of a suggestion from Anne Seasons,President of the North Hills Phoenix Association, that Icompile pictures of local birds in a form that could be madeavailable to residents of the north hills. I expanded on thatidea to include other local wildlife, shown in separate files.

The “North Hills” is defined as that area on the Berkeley/Oakland border bounded by Claremont Avenue on thenorth, Tunnel Road on the south, Grizzly Peak Blvd. on theeast, and Domingo Avenue on the west.

The species shown here are observed, heard or trackedwith some regularity in this area. The lists are not intendedto be a complete record of species found: more than 50additional bird species have been observed here.

A few of the species listed fall into the category of pests;but most - whether resident or visitor - are desirableadditions to the neighborhood. We hope you will enjoyusing this booklet to identify the wildlife you see aroundyou.

Kay LoughmanOctober 2005

Turkey VultureRed-tailed HawkAmerican KestrelCalifornia QuailMourning DoveRock PigeonBand-tailed PigeonGreat Horned OwlWhite-throated SwiftAnna’s HummingbirdAllen’s HummingbirdRufous HummingbirdNuttall’s WoodpeckerNorthern FlickerHutton’s VireoSteller’s JayWestern Scrub JayCommon RavenViolet-green SwallowBarn SwallowOak TitmouseChestnut-backed ChickadeeBushtitRed-breasted Nuthatch

Bewick’s WrenWrentitRuby-crowned KingletAmerican RobinHermit thrushNorthern MockingbirdOrange-crowned WarblerYellow-rumped WarblerTownsend’s WarblerWilson’s WarblerBlack-headed GrosbeakSpotted TowheeCalifornia TowheeGolden-crowned SparrowWhite-crowned SparrowFox SparrowSong SparrowDark-eyed JuncoPurple FinchHouse FinchPine SiskinLesser GoldfinchAmerican Goldfinch

Birds

Contents

Bird species seen or heard in the north hills: Kay’s complete list is in the back

NOTE ON MEASUREMENTSBirds: Tip of beak to end of tail

Acknowledgements

Most of the drawings here first appearedin older field identification guides. A few were found on the

World Wide Web. Artists include among others:

John James AudubonWanda Bradley-Smith

Allan BrooksJames Coe

Don EckelberryLouis Agassiz FuertesWilliam MacGillivrayR. P. Grossenheider

F. Schuyler MathewsJohn L. RidgewayWalter A. Weber

Turkey VultureCathartus aura26”Year-round

Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis19”Year-roundPlumage variable; red tail acquiredin spring of second year.

American KestrelFalco sparverius9”Year-round

California QuailCallipepla californica10”Year-round

Male

Male

Female

Female

Band-tailed PigeonColumba fasciata14.5”Year-round

Mourning DoveZenaida macroura12”Year-round

Rock PigeonColumba livia12.5”Year-round

Great Horned OwlBubo virginianus22”Year-round

White-throated SwiftAeronautes saxatalis6.5”Year-round

Anna’s HummingbirdCalypte anna4”Year-round

Male

Female

Rufous or Allen’sHummingbirdFemale

Allen’sHummingbirdMale

RufousHummingbirdMale

Anna’sHummingbirdMale

Allen’s HummingbirdSelasphorus sasin3.75”March - July

Rufous HummingbirdSelasphorus rufus3.75”March - April, August - Spetember

Hutton’s VireoVireo huttoni5”Year-round. Similar toRuby-crowned Kinglet.

Nuttall’s WoodpeckerPicoides nuttallii7.5”Year-round

Northern FlickerColaptes auratus12.5”Year-round

Western Scrub JayAphelocoma californica11.5”Year-round

Common RavenCorvus corax24”Year-round

Steller’s JayCyanocitta stelleri11.5”Year-round

Oak TitmouseBaeolophus inoratus5.75”Year-round

Violet-green SwallowTachycineta thalassina5.25”April - July

Barn SwallowHirundo rustica6.75”April - July

Chestnut-backed ChickadeePoecile rufescens4.75”Year-round

Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis4.5”Year-round

BushtitPsaltriparus minimus4.5”Year-round. Often seen inflocks of seven or more.

WrentitChamaea fasciata6.5”Year-round

Bewick’s WrenThryomanes bewickii5.25”Year-round

Ruby-crowned KingletRegulus calendula4.25”October - March

Similar to Hutton’s Vireo.Red crown seen infrequently

Male

Female

American RobinTurdus migratorius10”Year-round

Hermit ThrushCatharus guttatus6.75”October - April

Northern MockingbirdMimus polyglottos10”Year-round

Townsend’s WarblerDendroica townsendi5”October - April

Yellow-rumped WarblerDendroica coronata5.5”October - AprilPlumage variable

Orange-crowned WarblerVermivora celata5”April - September

MaleFemale

Black-headed GrosbeakPheucticus melanocephalus8.5”April - August

Spotted TowheePipilo maculatus8.5”Year-round

Adult

Juvenile

Wilson’s WarblerWilsonia pusilla4.75”April - September

Male

Female

California TowheePipilo crissalis9”Year-round

Adult

1st winterGolden-crowned SparrowZonotrichia atricapilla7.25”October-April

White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrys7”October-April

1st winter

Adult

Fox SparrowPasserella iliaca7”October-April

Song SparrowMelospiza melodia6.25”Year-round

JuvenileAdult

Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyermalis6.25”Year-round

House FinchCarpodacus mexicanus6”Year-round

Purple FinchCarpodacus purpureus6”Year-round

Male

Male

Female

Female

Pine SiskinCarduelis pinus5”November-March

Lesser GoldfinchCarduelis psaltria4.5”Year-round

Adult male

American GoldfinchCarduelis tristis5”Year-round

American White PelicanDouble-crested CormorantCanada GooseSnow GooseGreat Blue HeronGreat EgretTurkey VultureOspreyNorthern HarrierSharp-shinned HawkCooper's HawkRed-shouldered HawkRed-tailed HawkFerruginous HawkGolden EagleAmerican KestrelMerlinCalifornia QuailWestern GullCalifornia GullCaspian TernRock PigeonBand-tailed PigeonMourning DoveGreat Horned OwlVaux’s SwiftWhite-throated SwiftAnna's HummingbirdAllen's HummingbirdRufous HummingbirdBelted KingfisherAcorn WoodpeckerRed-breasted Sapsucker

Nuttall's WoodpeckerDowny WoodpeckerHairy WoodpeckerNorthern FlickerOlive-sided FlycatcherWestern Wood-PeweeWillow FlycatcherPacific-slope FlycatcherSay's PhoebeBlack PhoebeAsh-throated FlycatcherSteller's JayWestern Scrub-JayAmerican CrowCommon RavenHutton's VireoCassin's VireoWarbling VireoCedar WaxwingVaried ThrushWestern BluebirdSwainson's ThrushHermit ThrushAmerican RobinNorthern MockingbirdCalifornia ThrasherEuropean StarlingRed-breasted NuthatchBrown CreeperBewick's WrenWinter WrenHouse WrenBlue-gray Gnatcatcher

116 Bird SpeciesSeen or Heard in the North Hills Area

June 1993 - April 2008

BushtitViolet-green SwallowTree SwallowNorthern Rough-winged

SwallowBarn SwallowCliff SwallowRuby-crowned KingletWrentitChestnut-backed ChickadeeOak TitmouseHouse SparrowPine SiskinAmerican GoldfinchLesser GoldfinchLawrence’s GoldfinchPurple FinchCassin's FinchHouse FinchOrange-crowned WarblerYellow WarblerYellow-rumped WarblerBlack-throated Gray WarblerTownsend's WarblerHermit WarblerMacGillivray's Warbler

Wilson's WarblerFox SparrowSong SparrowLincoln's SparrowWhite-crowned SparrowWhite-throated SparrowGolden-crowned SparrowDark-eyed JuncoClay-colored SparrowBrewer's SparrowSavannah SparrowRufous-crowned SparrowSpotted TowheeCalifornia TowheeWestern TanagerRose-breasted GrosbeakBlack-headed GrosbeakLazuli BuntingIndigo BuntingHooded OrioleBullock's OrioleRed-winged BlackbirdWestern MeadowlarkBrewer's BlackbirdBrown-headed Cowbird

NOTE: The above is list of species recorded by Kay Loughman.A few additional species have been recorded during the AudubonSociety’s annual Christmas Bird Count.