Birds

Sandhill cranes in flight

NPS /Tim Rains

Over 230 species of birds can be found in Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area. The wide range of habitats found in the park leads to a variety of birds that call this place home. Red-tailed hawks scan for prey in a field below, while mountain bluebirds sing in the trees. Mergansers and loons float peacefully on the water, while Columbian sharp-tailed grouse walk through brush on land. Woodpeckers and crossbills are more likely to be found in the ponderosa pine forests of the Okanogan Highlands to the north. Pheasants and killdeer may be more common in the channeled scablands of the Columbia Plateau to the south. Sandhill cranes pass through the park on their migratory routes, while wild turkey might be seen year-round. The southern end of Lake Roosevelt is part of the Coulee Corridor loop of the Great Washington State Birding Trail, a popular driving route that follows significant birding destinations.

Whether you are an experienced birder or a casual observer, Lake Roosevelt provides many opportunities to discover and appreciate the birds of the area.

Birds should be viewed from a distance. Never feed birds or other park wildlife.

 

 

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Species Attribute Definitions

Definitions

Occurrence

Occurrence values are defined below. One or more Occurrence Tags may be associated with each Occurrence value.

Present: Species occurs in park; current, reliable evidence available.

Probably Present: High confidence species occurs in park but current, verified evidence needed.

Unconfirmed: Species is attributed to park but evidence is weak or absent.

Not In Park: Species is not known to occur in park.

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Occurrence Tags

Adjacent: Species is known to occur in areas near to or contiguous with park boundaries.

False Report: Species was reported to occur within the park, but current evidence indicates the report was based on misidentification, a taxonomic concept no longer accepted, or other similar problem of error or interpretation.

Historical: Species' historical occurrence in park is documented. Assigned based on judgment as opposed to determination based on age of the most recent evidence.

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Abundance

Abundant:

• Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, and counted in relatively large numbers.
• Plants: Large number of individuals; wide ecological amplitude or occurring in habitats covering a large portion of the park.

Common:

• Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, but not in large numbers.
• Plants: Large numbers of individuals predictably occurring in commonly encountered habitats but not those covering a large portion of the park.

Uncommon:

• Animals: Likely to be seen monthly in appropriate habitat and season. May be locally common.
• Plants: Few to moderate numbers of individuals; occurring either sporadically in commonly encountered habitats or in uncommon habitats.

Rare:

• Animals: Present, but usually seen only a few times each year.
• Plants: Few individuals, usually restricted to small areas of rare habitat.

Occasional:

• Animals: Occurs in the park at least once every few years, varying in numbers, but not necessarily every year.
• Plants: Abundance variable from year to year (e.g., desert plants).

Unknown: Abundance unknown

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Nativeness

Native: Species naturally occurs in park or region.

Non-native: Species occurs on park lands as a result of deliberate or accidental human activities.

Unknown: Nativeness status is unknown or ambiguous.

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List Differences

The Checklist contains only those species that are designated as "present" or "probably present" in the park.

The Full List includes all the checklist species in addition to species that are unconfirmed, historically detected, or incorrectly reported as being found in the park. The full list also contains species that are "in review" because their status in the park hasn't been fully determined. Additional details about the status of each species is included in the full list.

The checklist will almost always contain fewer species than the full list.

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Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area

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Species attribute definitions

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