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Capitol Reef National ParkCliffs along the Scenic Drive at Capitol Reef
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Capitol Reef National Park
Bird Checklist

Capitol Reef National Park contains nearly a quarter million acres within the slickrock country of southern Utah. The birdlife is diverse because of a variety of habitats such as pinyon-juniper, perennial streams, dry washes and rock cliffs.

Lists and details of the birds seen by visitors are solicited, as this adds immeasurably to the value of the park's records. Common names conform with the A. 0. U. Checklist of North American Birds (Seventh Edition, 1998).

The following is a key to abundance and occurrence:

ABUNDANCE

C – COMMON indicates that the species can usually be seen during the season indicated and in the appropriate habitat.
U – UNCOMMON indicates that the species is seldom or infrequently seen.
R – RARE indicates a very low possibility of encountering the species, although not out of normal range.
I – IRREGULAR indicates that a species may not be seen some years.
O – OCCASIONAL indicates a species seldom found in park and not reported annually.
A – ACCIDENTAL indicates that a species is out of its normal range and is not expected again.


STATUS

P – PERMANENT RESIDENT: Species remains within the park throughout the year.
S – SUMMER RESIDENT: Species remains within the park during the summer.
W – WINTER RESIDENT: Species remains within the park during the winter.
T – TRANSIENT: A species that migrates through the park in spring and/or fall.


 

LOONS
_____ Common RT*
GREBES
_____ Eared UT
_____ Pied-billed UT
PELICANS
_____ American White RT
HERONS
_____ Black-crowned Night O
_____ Great Blue US
_____ Green-backed* RS
EGRETS
_____ Cattle O
_____ Snowy UT
IBISES
_____ White-faced UT
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GEESE AND DUCKS
_____ Canada Goose UT
_____ Snow Goose RT
_____ American Widgeon RT
_____ Blue-winged Teal RT
_____ Bufflehead UT
_____ Cinnamon Teal UT
_____ Common Golden eye UT
_____ Common Merganser US/UW
_____ Gadwall RT
_____ Green-winged Teal UT
_____ Lesser Scaup UT
_____ Mallard US/RW
_____ Northern Pintail RT
_____ Northern Shoveler UT
_____ Redhead RT
_____ Ring-necked Duck RT
_____ Ruddy Duck RT
_____ Wood Duck O
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HAWKS, FALCONS AND VULTURES
_____ Turkey Vulture US
_____ Osprey O
_____ Bald Eagle RW
_____ Golden Eagle UP
_____ Northern Harrier UP
_____ Cooper's Hawk US/RW
_____ Northern Goshawk RP*
_____ Sharp-shinned Hawk UP
_____ Ferruginous Hawk RP
_____ Red-tailed Hawk UP
_____ Rough-legged Hawk RW
_____ Swainson's Hawk RS
_____ American Kestrel CP
_____ Merlin O
_____ Peregrine Falcon UP
_____ Prairie Falcon UP
GROUSE, PHEASANTS AND QUAIL
_____ Blue Grouse UP*
_____ Chukar CP
_____ Gambel's Quail UP
_____ Ring-necked Pheasant RP
_____ Wild Turkey US
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COOTS AND RAILS
_____ American Coot US/RW
_____ Sora RT
_____ Virginia Rail O
PLOVERS AND SANDPIPERS
_____ American Avocet O
_____ Black-necked Stilt RT
_____ Killdeer US/RW
_____ Common Snipe RT
_____ Greater Yellowlegs O
_____ Lesser Yellowlegs O
_____ Long-billed Curlew RT
_____ Marbled Godwit O
_____ Solitary Sandpiper O
_____ Spotted Sandpiper US
_____ Western Sandpiper O
_____ Willet RT
_____ Wilson's Phalarope RT
GULLS
_____ Franklin's O
DOVES AND PIGEONS
_____ Band-tailed Pigeon US
_____ Mourning Dove CS/RW
_____ Rock Dove RS
_____ White-winged Dove O
CUCKOO'S
_____ Yellow-billed RT
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OWLS
_____ Burrowing RS
_____ Great Horned UP
_____ Flammulated RS*
_____ Northern Pygmy UP
_____ Northern Saw-whet Owl I
_____ Long-eared RP
_____ Short-eared RP
_____ Spotted RP
_____ Western Screech UP
GOATSUCKERS AND NIGHTHAWKS
_____ Common Nighthawk US
_____ Common Poorwill US
SWIFTS
_____ Vaux's O
_____ White-throated CS
HUMMINGBIRDS
_____ Black-chinned CS
_____ Broad-tailed CS
_____ Calliope Hummingbird O
_____ Rufous CT
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KINGFISHERS
_____ Belted RP
WOODPECKERS
_____ Downy UP
_____ Hairy US/CW
_____ Ladder-backed O
_____ Lewis' RT
_____ Northern Flicker CP
_____ Red-naped Sapsucker CP
_____ Williamson's Sapsucker US*
FLYCATCHERS
_____ Ash-throated US
_____ Black Phoebe RS
_____ Cassin's RS
_____ Cordilleran RS*
_____ Eastern Kingbird O
_____ Gray US
_____ Hammond's RT
_____ Olive-sided RS*
_____ Say's Phoebe CS
_____ Western Kingbird CS
_____ Western Wood-Pewee CS
_____ Willow RS
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LARKS
_____ Horned CP
SWALLOWS
_____ Bank US
_____ Barn UT
_____ Cliff US
_____ Northern Rough-winged CS
_____ Tree UT
_____ Violet-green CS
JAYS, MAGPIES AND RAVENS
_____ Clark's Nutcracker UP
_____ Pinyon Jay CP
_____ Scrub Jay CP
_____ Steller's Jay UP*
_____ Black-billed Magpie CP
_____ Common Raven CP
CHICKADEES
_____ Black-capped UP*
_____ Mountain UP*
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BUSHTITS AND TITMICE
_____ Bushtit CP
_____ Juniper Titmouse CP
NUTHATCHES AND CREEPERS
_____ Brown Creeper UP*
_____ Red-breasted Nuthatch UP*
_____ White-breasted Nuthatch UP
WRENS
_____ Bewick's US
_____ Canyon CP
_____ House RT
_____ Marsh RT
_____ Rock CS/RW
_____ Winter RW
DIPPERS
_____ American UP
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GNATCATCHERS AND KINGLETS
_____ Blue-gray Gnatcatcher CS
_____ Golden-crowned Kinglet RT
_____ Ruby-crowned Kinglet CP
BLUEBIRDS AND THRUSHES
_____ Mountain Bluebird US*/UT
_____ Western Bluebird US
_____ American Robin CP
_____ Hermit Thrush UT
_____ Swainson's Thrush RT
_____ Townsend's Solitaire RS*/UW
_____ Veery O
(top of page)
THRASHERS
_____ Gray Catbird RS
_____ Northern Mockingbird US
_____ Brown RS
_____ Sage US
PIPITS
_____ American UT
WAXWINGS
_____ Bohemian IW
_____ Cedar IW
SHRIKES
_____ Loggerhead UP
_____ Northern RW
STARLINGS
_____ European UP
VIREOS
_____ Gray US
_____ Red-eyed O
_____ Solitary US
_____ Warbling US
(top of page)
WARBLERS
_____ American Redstart IT
_____ Black-and-white O
_____ Black-throated Gray US
_____ Common Yellowthroat RS
_____ Grace's RS
_____ Hooded O
_____ MacGillivray's US
_____ Nashville RT
_____ Northern Parula O
_____ Orange-crowned US
_____ Tennessee RT
_____ Townsend's RT
_____ Virginia's US
_____ Yellow CS
_____ Yellow-breasted Chat US
_____ Yellow-rumped CS
_____ Wilson's CT
_____ Northern Waterthrush O
TANAGERS
_____ Summer O
_____ Western CS
(top of page)
BUNTINGS
_____ Lazuli CS
_____ Indigo RT
GROSBEAKS
_____ Black-headed US
_____ Blue US
_____ Rose-breasted RT
SPARROWS
_____ Dark-eyed Junco US*/CW
_____ American Tree RW
_____ Black-throated CS
_____ Brewer's US
_____ Chipping CS
_____ Harris' RW
_____ Lark US
_____ Lincoln's UT
_____ Sage US
_____ Savannah US
_____ Song US/RW
_____ Vesper US
_____ White-crowned CS/RW
_____ White-throated RT/RW
_____ Green-tailed Towhee US
_____ Rufous-sided Towhee CS/RW
_____ Lapland Longspur O
(top of page)
BLACKBIRDS
_____ Bobolink O
_____ Western Meadowlark UP
_____ Brewer's CS
_____ Red-winged CS/RW
_____ Yellow-headed US
_____ Common Grackle RS
_____ Brown-headed Cowbird CS
ORIOLES
_____ Hooded O
_____ Northern CS
_____ Orchard O
_____ Scott's US
FINCHES
_____ Cassin's RS
_____ House CS/RW
_____ Rosy IW
_____ Black Rosy-Finch IW
_____ American Goldfinch US/CT
_____ Lesser Goldfinch US/CT
_____ Pine Siskin UP*/CT
_____ Evening Grosbeak UW/UT
_____ Pine Grosbeak RP*
_____ Red Crossbill O
WEAVER FINCHES
_____ House Sparrow RP
(top of page)


Don’t let this happen to you!  Check area forecasts! Vehicle being inspected by park rangers following a flash flood  

Did You Know?
Less than ¼ inch of rain can produce Flash Floods. Flash Floods are caused by run-off from intense, localized thunderstorms that drop a large amount of rain over a short period of time. They are most common in Capitol Reef in July, August and September, but can occur at any time of the year.

Last Updated: November 27, 2006 at 15:17 EST