Bird Checklist

Bird Watching at Craters of the Moon

While stark, barren lavas are the focal point of the 1175-square mile monument, other habitats are well represented: limber pine forest; pockets of Douglas fir and aspen; extensive tracts of sagebrush, other shrubs, and grasses; and a few small riparian zones and wetlands. These attract a variety of birds, and the monument's proximity to other ecosystems — marshes, mountains, forests, and lakes — bring a wide spectrum of migrants and accidentals to the area. A surprising 224 species of birds have been reported at Craters of the Moon.

Few birds remain during the harsh winters. However, some are far northern species, difficult to find in the U.S. and therefore of interest to birders. Spring migrants reach a peak in May, and as summer progresses, more than 100 species may nest. By mid-August, south-bound migrants are visible, pausing here to rest and forage.Sightings by visitors are important additions to our wildlife records. Please report unusual bird sightings at the visitor center or email us.

CODES
These codes reflect the likelihood of finding a given species in appropriate habitat throughout a given season.

A Abundant Hard to miss
C Common Seen most days, easy to find
F Fairly Common Seen annually, but not daily
U Uncommon A few are seen most years
R Rare Scarce, not seen yearly
O Occasional Not present most years
X Accidental Not expected; fewer than 5 records
* Nesting species Has been observed nesting at Craters of the Moon.
Sp Spring late March-early June
S Summer early June-late August
F Fall late August-November
W Winter November-March
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Checklist

	Ducks and Geese	Sp	S	F	W
	Snow Goose	O		O
	Canada Goose *	F	R	R
	Tundra Swan	U		R
	Trumpeter Swan	O		O
	Gadwall	F		F
	American Wigeon	F
	Mallard *	F	O	F
	Northern Shoveler	U		R
	Cinnamon Teal	U	U
	Northern Pintail	F
	Blue-winged Teal	O	U	U
	Green-winged Teal	U	O	U
	Ruddy Duck	U		U
	Canvasback	U		R
	Redhead	U		R
	Ring-necked Duck	F		U
	Lesser Scaup	U		U
	Common Goldeneye	R
	Bufflehead	R		U
	Common Merganser	R
	Gallinaceous Birds	Sp	S	F	W
	Chukar *	R	R	R	R
	Gray Partridge *		R	R
	Ring-necked Pheasant	X		X
	Ruffed Grouse			O
	Greater Sage Grouse *	U	U	U	U
	Dusky Grouse *	U	U	U	U
	Wild Turkey		X
	California Quail	O			O
	Grebes	Sp	S	F	W
	Pied-billed Grebe	O	O	U
	Red-necked Grebe			O
	Eared Grebe	O	O	O
	Western Grebe	O	X
	Pelicans and Cormorants	Sp	S	F	W
	American White Pelican			X
	Double-crested Cormorant	O
	Herons and Egrets	Sp	S	F	W
	Great Blue Heron	O	O	O
	White-faced Ibis		O
	Vultures	Sp	S	F	W
	Turkey Vulture	C	C	U
	Hawks, Eagles, Falcons	Sp	S	F	W
	Osprey	R		R
	Bald Eagle	R	R	R	R
	Northern Harrier *	U	F	R
	Sharp-shinned Hawk *	U	U	U
	Copper’s Hawk *	O	O	O
	Northern Goshawk	O		O
	Swainson's Hawk.	O	R
	Red-tailed hawk *	U	U	U	O
	Rough-legged Hawk	O		R	U
	Ferruginous Hawk *	O	O
	Golden Eagle *	U	U	U	U
	American Kestrel *	F	F	U	O
	Merlin	O	X	O
	Gyrfalcon				R
	Peregrine Falcon	O	O	O
	Prairie Falcon *	R	U	U	R
	Rails and Cranes	Sp	S	F	W
	Virginia Rail	U	U	U	R
	Sora		O	O
	Sandhill Crane *	R	O	O
	Shorebirds	Sp	S	F	W
	Killdeer	U	R	R
	American Avocet	U
	Spotted Sandpiper	R	O	O
	Whimbrel			O
	Greater Yellowlegs	X		O
	Lesser Yellowlegs			O
	Long-billed Curlew		O
	Western Sandpiper			O
	Least Sandpiper	X		O
	Baird’s Sandpiper	O
	Wilson’s Snipe	R	O	R	O
	Wilson’s Phalarope			X
	Long-billed Dowitcher			R
	Ring-billed Gull	O
	Herring Gull		O
	California Gull	O
	Franklin’s Gull	O
	Forster’s Tern		O
	Black Tern		O
	Doves and Pigeons	Sp	S	F	W
	Rock Pigeon *	U	F	F	R
	Band-tailed Pigeon		X
	Mourning Dove *	C	C	F
	Eurasian Collared-dove		X
	Owls	Sp	S	F	W
	Barn Owl	O
	Great Horned Owl *	U	U	U	U
	Snowy Owl				X
	Burrowing Owl *	R	O
	Long-eared Owl *	R	R	O
	Short-eared Owl *	R	U	R
	Western Screech-owl	R
	Northern Saw-whet Owl *	R	R	R	R
	Nightjars	Sp	S	F	W
	Common Nighthawk *		F
	Common Poorwill *		U
	Swifts	Sp	S	F	W
	White-throated Swift	O
	Hummingbirds	Sp	S	F	W
	Black-chinned Hummingbird	R	R
	Calliope Hummingbird	R	U
	Broad-tailed Hummingbird		O
	Rufous Hummingbird *	R	F
	Kingfishers	Sp	S	F	W
	Belted Kingfisher	O		O
	Woodpeckers	Sp	S	F	W
	Lewis’ Woodpecker *	R	U
	Red-headed Woodpecker		X
	Red-naped Sapsucker *	F	R	U
	Williamson’s Sapsucker	R
	Downy Woodpecker *	R	R	R	R
	Hairy Woodpecker *	U	U	U	U
	Northern Flicker *	C	C	C	U
	Flycatchers	Sp	S	F	W
	Olive-sided Flycatcher *	U	U
	Western Wood-pewee *	U	U
	Willow Flycatcher	U	O
	Hammond’s Flycatcher	R
	Gray Flycatcher		O
	Cordilleran Flycatcher		O
	Say’s Phoebe *	U	U
	Ash-throated Flycatcher	X		X
	Western Kingbird	R		R
	Eastern Kingbird		O
	Shrikes	Sp	S	F	W
	Loggerhead Shrike *	R	U	R
	Northern Shrike				U
	Vireos	Sp	S	F	W
	Plumbeous Vireo *	R	R	R
	Cassin’s Vireo *	R	U
	Warbling Vireo *	U	U
	Jays and Crows	Sp	S	F	W
	Steller’s Jay	O		O	O
	Pinyon Jay	O		O	O
	Clark’s Nutcracker *	C	C	A	C
	Black-billed Magpie *	R	R	U	R
	American Crow *	U	R	O
	Common Raven *	C	C	C	C
	Larks	Sp	S	F	W
	Horned Lark	R	R	F	F
	Swallows	Sp	S	F	W
	Tree Swallow		O
	Violet-green swallow *	F	A	U
	Cliff Swallow	U	R
	N. Rough-winged Swallow	U		U
	Bank Swallow	U
	Barn Swallow *	C	C	F
	Chickadees and Allies	Sp	S	F	W
	Black-capped Chickadee *	C	C	F	R
	Mountain Chickadee *	C	C	F	F
	Bushtit	R
	Nuthatches	Sp	S	F	W
	Red-breasted Nuthatch *	U	U	U	R
	White-breasted Nuthatch *	R	R	R	O
	Creepers	Sp	S	F	W
	Brown Creeper	R		R	R
	Wrens	Sp	S	F	W
	Rock Wren *	C	C	R
	Canyon Wren			O
	House Wren *	U	U	R
	Winter Wren	R	O	R	R
	Marsh Wren	U	R	R	R
	Dippers	Sp	S	F	W
	American Dipper			X
	Kinglets, Gnatcatchers	Sp	S	F	W
	Golden-crowned Kinglet	R	R	R	R
	Ruby-crowned Kinglet	C	U	C	R
	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher *	U	U	R
	Thrushes	Sp	S	F	W
	Western Bluebird		X
	Mountain Bluebird *	C	C	F
	Townsend’s Solitaire	R		R
	Swainson’s Thrush	R		R
	Hermit Thrush	U		U
	American Robin *	C	A	F	O
	Varied Thrush	R		O
	Thrashers, Mockingbirds	Sp	S	F	W
	Gray Catbird	O	O
	Northern Mockingbird	O	R
	Sage Thrasher *	R	F	U
	Brown Thrasher		X	X
	European Starling *	F	F	F	U
	Pipits and Wagtails	Sp	S	F	W
	American Pipit			O
	Waxwings	Sp	S	F	W
	Bohemian Waxwing			O	U
	Cedar Waxwing	U	R	U
	Warblers	Sp	S	F	W
	Tennessee Warbler	X		X
	Orange-crowned Warbler *	U	F	R
	Nashville Warbler			O
	Yellow Warbler *	U	F
	Magnolia Warbler	X
	Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle’s)	O
	Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s)	C	U	F
	Townsend’s Warbler	R		R
	American Redstart	X
	Northern Waterthrush	X		X
	MacGillivray’s Warbler *	U	F	R
	Common Yellowthroat	O
	Wilson’s Warbler *	U	F	R
	Yellow-breasted Chat	X		X
	Sparrows	Sp	S	F	W
	Green-tailed Towhee *	C	F	U
	Spotted Towhee *	C	C	U
	Chipping Sparrow *	U	F	R
	American Tree Sparrow				O
	Brewer’s Sparrow *	A	A	C
	Vesper Sparrow *	F	F	F
	Lark Sparrow	R	U	R
	Black-throated Sparrow	R	O
	Sagebrush Sparrow	R	R
	Lark Bunting *		R
	Savannah Sparrow	O	O
	Grasshopper Sparrow *	U	U
	Fox Sparrow *	U	U
	Song Sparrow *	F	F	F	O
	Lincoln’s Sparrow	O
	White-throated Sparrow			X
	Harris Sparrow			X
	White-crowned Sparrow	F	U	F	O
	Golden-crowned Sparrow			X
	Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)	C	F	F	R
	Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)	R		R	O
	Snow Bunting				U
	Cardinals and Allies	Sp	S	F	W
	Black-headed Grosbeak *	U	U
	Blue Grosbeak	X
	Lazuli Bunting *	F	C	F
	Western Tanager *	F	U
	Blackbirds and Orioles	Sp	S	F	W
	Bobolink	O
	Red-winged Blackbird *	F	F	F
	Western Meadowlark *	F	F	U
	Yellow-headed Blackbird *	C	C	C	R
	Brewer’s Blackbird	C	A
	Common Grackle		X
	Brown-headed Cowbird *	C	C
	Bullock’s Oriole *	U	U
	Baltimore Oriole	X
	Finches	Sp	S	F	W
	Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch	R			U
	Black Rosy-Finch				R
	Cassin’s Finch *	C	A	U
	House Finch	U	R	U	O
	Red Crossbill *	R	O	O	R
	White-winged Crossbill	X			X
	Hoary Redpoll				X
	Common Redpoll				R
	Pine Siskin *	F	C	F	U
	American Goldfinch	U		R
	Evening Grosbeak	U	U	U
	Weaver Finches	Sp	S	F	W
	House Sparrow *	C	C	C