U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Birds ofKofa National Wildlife Refuge

Welcome to birding atKofa National Wildlife RefugeKofa National Wildlife Refuge encompasses 665,400 acres of Sonoran Desert in southwestern Arizona. Broad valleys, gently rolling foothills, jagged peaks and steep cliffs are found within this rugged refuge. The scattered water holes attract a surprising number of waterbirds and other migrant birds.

Nesting birds include red-tailed hawk, Gambel’s quail, great horned owl, elf owl, Costa’s hummingbird, ash-throated flycatcher, canyon wren, northern mockingbird, phainopepla, Lucy’s warbler, and black-throated sparrow, among others.

To see the greatest variety of birds, walk along one of the ephemeral washes. On a spring or summer morning, the washes are filled with the calls of mourning doves, Gambel’s quail, white-winged doves, phainopeplas, verdins, and ash-throated flycatchers. During the spring or fall, check the trees surrounding some of the old dirt stock tanks such as Charco 4 or Cholla Tank for migrants such as western tanager, cordilleran flycatcher, and belted kingfisher. Hike up Palm Canyon and listen for the calls of canyon and rock wrens. Scan the skies for soaring red-tailed hawks, turkey vultures, and the occasional golden eagle.

Please contact the refuge office with any new or unusual bird sightings that you make during your visit.

This list was developed using refuge observations and studies reported since 1940. The 193 species are listed in accordance with seventh addition of the American Ornithologists’ Union Checklist of North American Birds, (1998) through the 53rd supplement (July 2012). Forty species have been documented as nesting on the refuge.

Symbols used in this list follow:

W Winter December – FebruarySp Spring March – MayS Summer June – AugustF Fall September – November

* Confirmed nester(39 species).

• Possible or probable breeder (12 species).

Federally Endangered or Threatened Species are listed in italics.

A AbundantA very numerous species.

C CommonLikely to be seen or heard in suitable habitats.

U UncommonPresent, not certain to be seen.

O OccasionalSeen only a few times during the season

R RareUnexpected, seen at intervals of 2 to 5 years.

X AccidentalFewer than 3 records; vagrants outside their usual range.

Breeding records from Arizona Breeding Bird Atlas and refuge records.

Common Name Sp S F W

Ducks, Geese and Swans___Gr. White-fronted Goose X___Canada Goose X___American Wigeon R ___Mallard X___Blue-winged Teal R___Cinnamon Teal O R R R___Northern Shoveler O___Northern Pintail R R O R___Green-winged Teal R R R___Redhead X___Bufflehead R R___Red-breasted Merganser X___Ruddy Duck XNew World Quail___*Gambel’s Quail A A A AGrebes___Pied-billed Grebe XPelicans___Brown Pelican R RHerons, Bitterns and Allies___Great Blue Heron R R___Snowy Egret R R

Common Name Sp S F W

New World Vultures___*Turkey Vulture C C C UHawks, Kites, Eagles and Allies___Northern Harrier O O O___Sharp-shinned Hawk O O O___Cooper’s Hawk O O U___Northern Goshawk X___Harris’s Hawk X R___*Red-tailed Hawk C C C C___Ferruginous Hawk R___Rough–legged Hawk R___*Golden Eagle U U U URails, Gallinules and Coots___American Coot XCranes___Sandhill Crane O OPlovers___Killdeer O O UStilts and Avocets___Black-necked Stilt R___American Avocet RSandpipers, Phalaropes and Allies___Spotted Sandpiper R O___Solitary Sandpiper R R___Greater Yellowlegs R R ___Willet X___Long-billed Curlew X X___Western Sandpiper X___Wilson’s Phalarope X___Red-necked Phalarope XPigeons and Doves___*White-winged Dove C A O___*Mourning Dove A A C U___Common Ground-Dove O OCuckoos and Roadrunners___Yellow-billed Cuckoo X___•Greater Roadrunner U U U UBarn Owls___•Barn Owl O O O OTypical Owls___Flammulated Owl X___•Western Screech-Owl C C C C___*Great Horned Owl C C C C___Northern Pygmy-Owl X___*Elf Owl C C___•Long-eared Owl O O O O

Black-throated sparrow.© Henry Detwiler, www.southwestbirders.com

Kofa Birds Fact Sheet 2015.pdf 1 1/27/2015 11:13:22 AM

Common Name Sp S F W

Goatsuckers___•Lesser Nighthawk O O R___•Common Poorwill C C C RSwifts___Vaux’s Swift O O___*White-throated Swift C U O UHummingbirds___Black-ch. Hummingbird O O___*Anna’s Hummingbird O O O___*Costa’s Hummingbird C U U U___Broad-tail. Hummingbird X___Rufous Hummingbird O OKingfishers___Belted Kingfisher O X OWoodpeckers___Lewis’ Woodpecker R R R___Red-headed Woodpecker X___*Gila Woodpecker C C C C___Red-naped Sapsucker R___*Ladder-bac. Woodpecker O O O O___Northern Flicker O O O___*Gilded Flicker C C C CFalcons___*American Kestrel C C C C___*Peregrine Falcon R R R___*Prairie Falcon O O O OTyrant Flycatchers___Olive-sided Flycatcher O O___Western Wood-Pewee C C___Willow Flycatcher U U___Hammond’s Flycatcher O O___Gray Flycatcher O O___Dusky Flycatcher U U___Pacific-slope Flycatcher U U___Cordilleran Flycatcher U U___Black Phoebe O O O___*Say’s Phoebe C O O C___Vermilion Flycatcher R___*Ash-thr. Flycatcher A A R R___*Brown-cr. Flycatcher O O___Western Kingbird O O O Shrikes___*Loggerhead Shrike C C C CVireos___Gray Vireo O R O___Plumbeous Vireo O O___Cassin’s Vireo O O___Hutton’s Vireo R___Warbling Vireo C O C___Philadelphia Vireo XCrows and Jays___Pinyon Jay R___Steller’s Jay R R___Western Scrub-Jay O R O O___*Common Raven U U U U

Common Name Sp S F W

Larks___Horned Lark X O RSwallows___Tree Swallow O R O___Violet-green Swallow U R U___N. Rough-winged Swallow O O O___Cliff Swallow O O R___Barn Swallow O RVerdins___*Verdin A A A ANuthatches___Red-breasted Nuthatch XWrens___*Rock Wren C C C C___*Canyon Wren C C C C___House Wren O O O___Bewick’s Wren O O___*Cactus Wren C C C CGnatcatchers___*Blue-gray Gnatcatcher U U U U___*Black-tail. Gnatcatcher A A A AKinglets___Ruby-crowned Kinglet U U UThrushes___Western Bluebird O O___Mountain Bluebird O O___Townsend’s Solitaire O O R___Swainson’s Thrush U R___Hermit Thrush O U O___American Robin O U OMockingbirds and Thrashers___Gray Catbird X___*Northern Mockingbird C C C U___Sage Thrasher O O O___Brown Thrasher X___*Bendire’s Thrasher U U___*Curve-billed Thrasher C C C C___•Crissal Thrasher U U U U___•LeConte’s Thrasher O O O OStarlings___*European Starling U O O OPipits___American Pipit R RWaxwings___Cedar Waxwing O OSilky-flycatchers___*Phainopepla C O U CWood-Warblers___Northern Waterthrush X___Prothonotary Warbler X___Orange-crowned Warbler C C ___*Lucy’s Warbler O O___Nashville Warbler C U___MacGillivray’s Warbler C U___Common Yellowthroat X___American Redstart X X___Yellow-rumped Warbler

___ “Audubon’s” C C C___Black-thr. Gray Warbler U U U___Townsend’s Warbler C O___Hermit Warbler U U___Wilson’s Warbler C U___Painted Redstart R___Yellow-breasted Chat R RSparrows, Towhees, and Allies___Green-tailed Towhee U U U___Spotted Towhee O O O___*Rufous-cr. Sparrow U U U U___*Canyon Towhee C C C C___Abert’s Towhee X___Chipping Sparrow U U U O___Brewer’s Sparrow C C U

Common Name Sp S F W

Sparrows, Towhees, and Allies, continued___•Black-chinned Sparrow O O O O___Vesper Sparrow U O R___Lark Sparrow O O O___*Black-throated Sparrow C C U U___Sage Sparrow U U___Lark Bunting X___Savannah Sparrow X___Fox Sparrow O O___Lincoln’s Sparrow O___White-throated Sparrow X___White-crowned Sparrow C O C___Dark-eyed Junco

___ “Oregon” O C U___ “Gray-headed” O O

Tanagers, Cardinals, Grosbeaks and Buntings___Hepatic Tanager X___Western Tanager C U C___Northern Cardinal O___•Pyridoxal R R R___Rose–breasted Grosbeak X___Black-headed Grosbeak U O U___Blue Grosbeak R___Lazuli Bunting U UBlackbirds___Red-winged Blackbird R R___Western Meadowlark O O O___Yellow-headed Blackbird O O O___Rusty Blackbird X X___Brewer’s Blackbird O O O___Great-tailed Grackle O O O___Bronzed Cowbird X X___•Brown-headed Cowbird O O O___*Hooded Oriole O O R___Bullock’s Oriole U C U___*Scott’s Oriole C C U OFinches and Allies___Purple Finch R R___Cassin’s Finch R___*House Finch C C C C___Pine Siskin O___Lesser Goldfinch O O U R___Lawrence’s Goldfinch U O O___American Goldfinch XOld World Sparrows___•House Sparrow O O O O

Please reuse or return to officeThank you

February 2015

Curve-billed thrasher.© Henry Detwiler, www.southwestbirders.com

Cactus wren.© Henry Detwiler, www.southwestbirders.com

Kofa Birds Fact Sheet 2015.pdf 2 1/27/2015 11:13:22 AM