SEA RANCH, SONOMA CO, CA bird list List of Birds at The Sea Ranch and Immediate Vicinity By Richard Kuehn, Diane Hichwa, and Connie Schimbor This list of 221 birds is based on the sightings of various individuals including Al Wool and John Arnold over a period of many years. "The Sea Ranch and Vicinity" includes the ocean visible from The Sea Ranch and the adjacent Gualala River. This list of birds includes a Sea Ranch Abundance Code as follows: C=Common seen >90% of time FC=Fairly common 50-90% of time U=Uncommon 10-50% of time R=Rare <10% of time X=Extremely Rare (fewer than 10 sightings in TSR history Additions will be made after confirmed sightings. For this purpose, please call: "Birders" may be interested in the greater detail which can be found in one or more of the following books, pamphlets and manuscripts: Arnold, John R., Birds of The Sea Ranch and Adjacent Gualala River - An Annotated Field list , 27 pp.; the unpublished manuscript can be seen at the library section of the Gualala Point Park, Gualala, CA, circa 1976-7. Burage, Betty, Ed. Sonoma County Breeding Bird Atlas, Madrone Audibon Society, 1995. Bolander, Gordon L. & Benj. D. Parmeter, Birds of Sonoma County, California - An Annotated Checklist and Birding gazetteer, Redwood Region Ornithological Soc., publ. By Benjamin D. Parmeter, 1978. Keiffer, Robert J., Field Checklist of the Birds of Mendocino Co., CA, privately published by author, P. O. Box 354, Hopland CA 95449 (For sale at Gualala Books, Gualala, CA), 1993. Tobkin, Dorothy Checklist of the Birds of MacKerricher State Park, Mendocino Area Parks Assoc. P. O. Box 1387, Mendocino, CA 95460, March 26,1996. Wool., Al, Ecotopia, wildlife in the "Life on the Sea Ranch Series", available from TSR Association, 1993. Birds sighted at The Sea Ranch and Vicinity Common Name Scientific Name Abundance Red-throated Loon Gavia stellata U Pacific Loon Gavia pacifica FC Common Loon Gavia immer FC Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps U Horned Grebe Podiceps auritus FC Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena U Eared Grebe Podiceps nigricollis FC Western Grebe Aechmophorus occidentalis FC Clark's Grebe Aechmophorus clarkii U Wandering Albatross Diomedea exulans X Pink-footed Shearwater Puffinus creatopus X Flesh-footed Shearwater Puffinus carneipes X Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus X Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis C Brandt's Cormorant Phalacrocorax penicillatus C Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus C Pelagic Cormorant Phalacrocorax pelagicus C Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata magnificens U Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias C Great Egret Ardea alba FC Snowy Egret Egretta thula U Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis R Green Heron Butorides virescens U Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax U Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura C Canada Goose Branta canadensis C Brant Branta bernicla C Wood Duck Aix sponsa U American Wigeon Anas americana U Mallard Anas platyrhynchos C Cinnamon Teal Anas cyanoptera U Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata U Northern Pintail Anas acuta U Green-winged Teal Anas crecca FC Harlequin Duck Histrionicus histrionicus FC Surf Scoter Melanitta perspicillata FC White-winged Scoter Melanitta fusca FC Black Scoter Melanitta nigra U Bufflehead Bucephala albeola C Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula U Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus U Common Merganser Mergus merganser FC Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator FC Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis FC Osprey Pandion haliaetus C White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus C Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus R Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus FC Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus U Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii U Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus FC Broad-winged Hawk Buteo platypterus R Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis C Ferruginous Hawk Buteo regalis U Rough-legged Hawk Buteo lagopus U Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos R American Kestrel Falco sparverius FC Merlin Falco columbarius U Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus U Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo C California Quail Callipepla californica C Virginia Rail Rallus limicola R Sora Porzana carolina R American Coot Fulica americana C Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola FC Pacific Golden-Plover Pluvialis fulva U Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus FC Killdeer Charadrius vociferus C Black Oystercatcher Haematopus bachmani C American Avocet Recurvirostra americana UC Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca UC Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes R Willet Catoptrophorus semipalmatus C Wandering Tattler Heteroscelus incanus FC Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularia C Marbled Godwit Limosa fedoa U Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres U Black Turnstone Arenaria melanocephala C Surfbird Aphriza virgata FC Sanderling Calidris alba C Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri FC Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla FC Baird's Sandpiper Calidris bairdii R Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos R Dunlin Calidris alpina FC Short-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus UC Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus UC Wilson's Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor R Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus U Red Phalarope Phalaropus fulicaria R Pomarine Jaeger Stercorarius pomarinus R Long-tailed Jaeger Stercorarius longicaudus R Bonaparte's Gull Larus philadelphia UC Heermann's Gull Larus heermanni C Mew Gull Larus canus C Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis C California Gull Larus californicus C Herring Gull Larus argentatus FC Thayer's Gull Larus thayeri R Western Gull Larus occidentalis C Glaucous-winged Gull Larus glaucescens C Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus R Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla R Caspian Tern Sterna caspia FC Elegant Tern Sterna elegans R Forster's Tern Sterna forsteri U Common Murre Uria aalge FC Pigeon Guillemot Cepphus columba C Ancient Murrelet Synthliboramphus antiquus R Rhinoceros Auklet Cerorhinca monocerata R Rock Dove Columba livia FC Band-tailed Pigeon Columba fasciata C Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura C Barn Owl Tyto alba R Western Screech-Owl Otus kennicottii U Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus U Northern Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium gnoma U Burrowing Owl Athene cunicularia R Spotted Owl Strix occidentalis R Northern Saw-whet Owl Aegolius acadicus R Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor R Common Poorwill Phalaenoptilus nuttallii X Vaux's Swift Chaetura vauxi U Anna's Hummingbird Calypte anna C Rufous Hummingbird Selasphorus rufus C Allen's Hummingbird Selasphorus sasin C Belted Kingfisher Ceryle alcyon C Acorn Woodpecker Melanerpes formicivorus C Red-breasted Sapsucker Sphyrapicus ruber FC Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens C Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus C Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus C Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus FC Olive-sided Flycatcher Contopus cooperi FC Western Wood-Pewee Contopus sordidulus FC Willow Flycatcher Empidonax traillii R Pacific-slope Flycatcher Empidonax difficilis C Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans C Say's Phoebe Sayornis saya U Ash-throated Flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens X Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher Myiodynastes luteiventris X Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis R Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus X Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus R Cassin's Vireo Vireo cassinii FC Hutton's Vireo Vireo huttoni C Warbling Vireo Vireo gilvus C Gray Jay Perisoreus canadensis R Steller's Jay Cyanocitta stelleri C Western Scrub-Jay Aphelocoma californica C Common Raven Corvus corax C Purple Martin Progne subis FC Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor FC Violet-green Swallow Tachycineta thalassina FC Northern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis FC Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota C Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica C Chestnut-backed Chickadee Poecile rufescens C Oak Titmouse Baeolophus inornatus U Bushtit Psaltriparus minimus FC Red-breasted Nuthatch Sitta canadensis FC White-breasted Nuthatch Sitta carolinensis U Pygmy Nuthatch Sitta pygmaea FC Brown Creeper Certhia americana C Rock Wren Salpinctes obsoletus X Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii U House Wren Troglodytes aedon U Winter Wren Troglodytes troglodytes C Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris R Golden-crowned Kinglet Regulus satrapa U Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula FC Western Bluebird Sialia mexicana FC Townsend's Solitaire Myadestes townsendi R Swainson's Thrush Catharus ustulatus C Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus C American Robin Turdus migratorius C Varied Thrush Ixoreus naevius FC Wrentit Chamaea fasciata C Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos U European Starling Sturnus vulgaris C American Pipit Anthus rubescens FC Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum FC Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata C Nashville Warbler Vermivora ruficapilla U Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia U Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata C Black-throated Gray Warbler Dendroica nigrescens R Townsend's Warbler Dendroica townsendi C Hermit Warbler Dendroica occidentalis C Palm Warbler Dendroica palmarum R MacGillivray's Warbler Oporornis tolmiei U Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas FC Wilson's Warbler Wilsonia pusilla C Yellow-breasted Chat Icteria virens R Western Tanager Piranga ludoviciana R Spotted Towhee Pipilo maculatus C California Towhee Pipilo crissalis C Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina U Vesper Sparrow Pooecetes gramineus R Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis FC Grasshopper Sparrow Ammodramus savannarum X Fox Sparrow Passerella iliaca FC Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia C Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii U White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis X White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys C Golden-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia atricapilla FC Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis C Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus X Black-headed Grosbeak Pheucticus melanocephalus R Lazuli Bunting Passerina amoena R Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus C Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta C Yellow-headed Blackbird Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus R Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater C Bullock's Oriole Icterus bullockii U Purple Finch Carpodacus purpureus U House Finch Carpodacus mexicanus C Red Crossbill Loxia curvirostra U Pine Siskin Carduelis pinus FC Lesser Goldfinch Carduelis psaltria U American Goldfinch Carduelis tristis C House Sparrow Passer domesticus FC