BIRDS OF THE U. C. SANTA CRUZ ARBORETUM & ENVIRONS

This checklist covers the UCSC Arboretum, ephemeral pond (Arboretum’s "reservoir"), adjacent fields and pastures, Moore Creek’s marshy stretch just north of the Arboretum, and UCSC’s Experimental Farm.

A printed edition of this checklist, available at the Arboretum, includes a map of the area. The Arboretum’s Hummingbird Trail leaflet details its South African, Australian, and New Zealand gardens. This checklist includes species, seasonal abundances, and habitats.

No one in UCSC’s 35 years has diligently censused the Arboretum’s birds through many seasons. So in compiling this checklist we occasionally have had to surmise seasonal patterns from nearby habitats. We hope birders will augment this inventory with regular observations in the years ahead. "Take good notes!"

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Our ABUNDANCE CODES reflect likelihood of encounter:

C: COMMON – at appropriate season, likely to be seen in or near Arboretum.

FC: FAIRLY COMMON – at appropriate seasons, usually seen in or near the Arboretum, but may be missed for days at a time.

U: UNCOMMON – despite appropriate season, usually seen only a few times monthly in or near the Arboretum, though present elsewhere in Santa Cruz.

R: RARE – seen only a few times seasonally or even annually in or near the Arboretum, though present elsewhere in Santa Cruz.

X: EXCEPTIONAL – see note at end of species-list. Should be reported with appropriate documentation to the Santa Cruz Bird Club

Irr: IRREGULAR –abundance fluctuates drastically year to year.
 

DBL-CRESTED CORMORANT   R sum, U Sep-Apr  overhead
GREAT BLUE HERON  R Oct-Apr pond, overhead
GREEN HERON  R all yr  pond
     
TURKEY VULTURE   FC Apr-Oct, U wtr  overhead
     
MALLARD  FC Oct-Apr pond
     
OSPREY  R migrant  overhead
WHITE-TAILED KITE  R sum, FC Sep-Apr treetops, overhead
NORTHERN HARRIER  U Oct-Apr over pastures
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK  FC Oct-Apr, R sum trees
COOPER’S HAWK  FC Oct-Apr, R sum trees
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK   C all yr trees, overhead
RED-TAILED HAWK  C all yr treetops, overhead
GOLDEN EAGLE  R all yr  pastures, overhead
AMERICAN KESTREL   U sum, C Oct-Apr  trees, overhead
MERLIN  R Oct-Mar  treetops, overhead
PEREGRINE FALCON  R Oct-Apr  overhead
     
CALIFORNIA QUAIL  C all yr all arboretum
KILLDEER  FC Oct-Apr paths, fields
COMMON SNIPE   R fall-wtr Moore Creek marsh
     
CALIFORNIA GULL  C Oct-May  overhead
WESTERN GULL  U Oct-Mar overhead
GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL  U Nov-Feb  overhead
CASPIAN TERN  U Apr-Sep  overhead
     
ROCK DOVE  C all yr  overhead
BAND-TAILED PIGEON  FC all yr  treetops, overhead
MOURNING DOVE  C all yr  all arboretum
     
BARN OWL  U all yr  bldgs, woodland trees
GREAT HORNED OWL  FC all yr  trees, power poles
NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL  R fall-wtr  smaller trees
BURROWING OWL   U Oct-Mar  pastures
     
VAUX’S SWIFT  U Apr-Oct  overhead
WHITE-THROATED SWIFT  U Apr-Oct, Irr R wtr  overhead
     
ANNA’S HUMMINGBIRD  C all yr  all arboretum
RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD  U spr, ?U Jul-Oct gardens
ALLEN’S HUMMINGBIRD  C Feb-Oct shrubs, gardens
     
BELTED KINGFISHER  R wtr trees near water, overhead
     
ACORN WOODPECKER  C all yr oaks, scattered redwoods
RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER  R Oct-Mar smaller trees
NUTTALL’S WOODPECKER  R fall-wtr trees
DOWNY WOODPECKER  FC  all yr trees
HAIRY WOODPECKER  FC  all yr trees
NORTHERN FLICKER  C all yr  all arboretum
     
OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER  U spr-sum  treetops
WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE  U spr-sum  larger trees
WILLOW FLYCATCHER  R Aug-Sep small trees around pond
PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER  C Apr-Oct trees
BLACK PHOEBE  C all yr all arboretum
SAY’S PHOEBE   FC wtr  fences, perches in fields
ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER  U spr-sum  smaller trees
WESTERN KINGBIRD  U migrant isolated trees
     
TREE SWALLOW  U spr-sum  overhead
VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW  FC Mar-Oct  overhead
N. ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW  U migrant overhead
CLIFF SWALLOW  C Mar-Sep  overhead
BARN SWALLOW  FC Mar-Oct  overhead
     
LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE   U fall-wtr  perches in fields
     
CASSIN’S VIREO  U spr, U fall  woodland trees
HUTTON’S VIREO  FC all yr shrubs, smaller trees
WARBLING VIREO  C Apr-Sep  woodland trees
     
STELLER’S JAY   C all yr  trees, esp. conifers
WESTERN SCRUB-JAY  C all yr all arboretum
AMERICAN CROW  FC all yr  overhead
COMMON RAVEN  FC all yr overhead
     
CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE   C all yr all arboretum
OAK TITMOUSE  U all yr  trees, shrubs
BUSHTIT   C all yr  all arboretum
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH   Irr R-U wtr  trees
PYGMY NUTHATCH  FC all yr taller conifers
BROWN CREEPER  U all yr  woodland treetrunks
BEWICK’S WREN  C all yr shrubs, undergrowth
HOUSE WREN  U migrant  thickets
WINTER WREN  U Oct-Apr thickets
GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET  R Oct-Apr  woodland treetops
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET  C Oct-Apr  all arboretum
 BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER  R migrant  shrubs, thickets
     
WESTERN BLUEBIRD  R migrant trees
SWAINSON’S THRUSH   FC spr-sum  undergrowth
HERMIT THRUSH  C Oct-Apr  undergrowth
AMERICAN ROBIN  C all yr  all arboretum
VARIED THRUSH  Irr R-U Oct-Apr trees, esp. with berries
     
WRENTIT  C all yr shrubs, thickets
NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD  C all yr all arboretum
CALIFORNIA THRASHER  U all yr shrubs, on ground
AMERICAN PIPIT  U fall-wtr  pastures
CEDAR WAXWING   FC Oct-May  larger trees, treetops
EUROPEAN STARLING  C all yr larger trees, overhead
     
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER  C spr-sum, R fall-wtr  shrubs, trees
YELLOW WARBLE  R R spr, FC fall  trees, shrubs
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER  C Oct-Apr  trees, shrubs
BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER  U spring, R fall  woodland trees
TOWNSEND’S WARBLER  C fall-wtr  trees, esp. conifers
HERMIT WARBLER  R migrant larger trees
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT  R migrant moist thickets and shrubs
WILSON’S WARBLER   C spr-sum  shrubs, smaller trees
     
WESTERN TANAGER  U migrant  woodland trees
     
SPOTTED TOWHEE   C all yr shrubs, all arboretum
CALIFORNIA TOWHEE  C all yr on ground
CHIPPING SPARROW  U Apr-Jul, R Aug-Oct small trees
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW  R fall  shrubs in fields
LARK SPARROW  U spr-sum  pastures, field fencing
SAVANNAH SPARROW  U all yr pastures
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW   R Mar-Aug pastures with low perches
FOX SPARROW  C Oct-Apr  shrubs, on ground
SONG SPARROW  C all yr  all arboretum
LINCOLN’S SPARROW  U fall-wtr  thickets
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW  R fall-wtr  shrubs, garden edges
GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW  C Sep-Apr  shrubs, garden paths
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW  C Sep-Apr  all arboretum
DARK-EYED JUNCO  C all yr  woodland undergrowth
     
BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK  FC Apr-Oct  woodland trees
LAZULI BUNTING   R migrant woodland-field edges
     
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD  C all yr marshy pastures
WESTERN MEADOWLARK  C fall-wtr, FC sum pastures
BREWER’S BLACKBIRD  C all yr  fields, disturbed habitats
BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD  U Mar-Sep, R Oct-Feb larger trees, overhead
HOODED ORIOLE   U May-Aug  tall trees
BULLOCK’S ORIOLE  FC Apr-Aug woodland trees
     
PURPLE FINCH  FC all yr trees
HOUSE FINCH  C all yr trees, shrubs
RED CROSSBILL  Irr X-R Oct-Apr conifers, overhead
PINE SISKIN  U-FC wtr, R-U sum  trees
LESSER GOLDFINCH  U all yr  shrubby fields
AMERICAN GOLDFINCH  FC all yr trees, shrubs
EVENING GROSBEAK  Irr X-R wtr  conifers, overhead
HOUSE SPARROW   FC all yr  disturbed habitats

 

Several species rate an "X" for their exceptional rarity in the Arboretum. A few of these, such as GREAT EGRET (wtr), BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON (fall-wtr), various DUCKS (wtr) momentarily visiting the ephemeral pond, SORA (fall), COOT (Oct-Apr), and the once-numerous TRICOLORED BLACKBIRD (fall-wtr), are not rare elsewhere in the area. Among other species recorded only once or a very few times at the Arboretum and rare throughout our area: FERRUGINOUS HAWK (wtr), SHORT-EARED OWL (wtr), LESSER NIGHTHAWK (Sep), BLACK-CHINNED and COSTA’S HUMMINGBIRDS (spr), EASTERN KINGBIRD (Sep), EASTERN PHOEBE (Jan), HORNED LARK (wtr), CLARK’S NUTCRACKER (Jan), SAGE THRASHER (Feb), VESPER SPARROW (fall), SWAMP SPARROW (wtr), ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK (fall-wtr), INDIGO BUNTING (Dec) and various fall WARBLERS: TENNESSEE, NASHVILLE, BLACK-THROATED BLUE, MacGILLIVRAY’S, PALM (fall-wtr), AMERICAN REDSTART. With continued surveys, careful identifications, and documented reporting to the Santa Cruz Bird Club of rarities, this list of "X" species is bound to lengthen.

Josiah Clark, Jeff Davis, Todd Newberry, David Suddjian: Spring, 2000