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Bird list for Ernest E. Debs Park

You'd be surprised at the number and diversity of birds we see at Debs Park.
Photo: USFWS

LEGEND

SEASON

R – Resident, or seen year-round

S – Summer (May through August)

T – Transient (s = Spring; f = Fall)

W – Winter (October through March)

STATUS

C – Common; usually found in numbers

U – Uncommon, but expected in habitat/season

O – Occasional to rare, but regular

V – Vagrant; unexpected

Waterbirds (mainly fly-overs)
American White Pelican T:V
Double-crested Cormorant W:O
Great Blue Heron S:O
Great Egret T(f):O
Snowy Egret T:V (29 Sept. 1999)
Greater Yellowlegs T:V (04 -05 Dec. 2001)
Mallard R:O
Northern Pintail T:V (17 Nov. 1999)
Killdeer T:O
California Gull T,W:U

Diurnal Birds of Prey
Turkey Vulture T,W:U
Northern Harrier T(f):O
Red-tailed Hawk* R:C
Red-shouldered Hawk* R:C
Swainson’s Hawk T:O
Cooper’s Hawk* R:C
Sharp-shinned Hawk W:U
American Kestrel* R:U
Merlin W:O
Peregrine Falcon T:O
White-tailed Kite T:V (date?)

Doves, Owls, Parrots, Nightjars
Band-tailed Pigeon* R:U
Spotted Dove* R:U
Mourning Dove* R:C
Rock Dove* R:C
Barn Owl* R:O
Flammulated Owl T:V (05 Nov. 2000)
Western Screech-Owl*? R:O
Great Horned Owl*? R:U
Short-eared Owl T:V (3 Nov. 1999)
Yellow-chevroned Parakeet R:U
Mitred Parakeet R:O
Common Poorwill T:V (12 March 2003)

Swifts, Hummingbirds, Kingfishers
Vaux’ Swift T:U; W:O
White-throated Swift R:C
Black-chinned Hummingbird* T,S:C
Anna’s Hummingbird* R:C
Allen’s Hummingbird*? T,S:C
Rufous Hummingbird T:C
Belted Kingfisher T:O

Woodpeckers
Downy Woodpecker*? R:U
Nuttall’s Woodpecker* R:C
Northern Flicker*? T,W:C; S:U
Acorn Woodpecker * T:O
Red-breasted Sapsucker W:U

Flycatchers
Olive-sided Flycatcher T:O
Say’s Phoebe T(f),W:U
Black Phoebe* R:C
Ash-throated Flycatcher* T(s),S:C; T(f):O
Western Wood-Pewee T:U
Hammond’s Flycatcher T:V (14-18 Oct. 2002 TM)
Pacific-slope Flycatcher T:U
Willow Flycatcher T:U
Gray Flycatcher T:V (04-23 Nov. 1999)
Western Kingbird*? T:C; S:U
Cassin’s Kingbird* R:U

Shrikes and Vireos
Loggerhead Shrike T(f),W:O
Cassin’s Vireo T(s):O
Plumbeous Vireo W:V (14 Nov. 1998 MW)
Red-eyed Vireo T:V (19-23 Aug. 1999)
Warbling Vireo T:C
Hutton’s Vireo T,W:O

Jays and Crows
Western Scrub-Jay* R:C
American Crow* R:C
Common Raven* R:C

Swallows and Larks
Purple Martin T:V (25 Mar. 2002)
Tree Swallow T(s):O
Violet-green Swallow T(s):O
Northern Rough-winged Swallow* T(s),S:C; F:O
Cliff Swallow* T(s),S:C
Barn Swallow T:U
Horned Lark T:V (25 Oct. 1999)

Wrentit, Bushtit, Parids and Wrens
Wrentit* R:U
Bushtit* R:C
Red-breasted Nuthatch W:O
White-breasted Nuthatch T(f),W:U
Brown Creeper W:O (March 1999 MI, KLG)
Mountain Chickadee T,W:U
Oak Titmouse W:O
Winter Wren T:V (14 Oct. 1999)
Bewick’s Wren* R:C
House Wren* T,S:U
Rock Wren T:V (06 Oct. 2002 JC)

Thrushes, etc.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher* R:U
Ruby-crowned Kinglet W:C
Golden-crowned Kinglet W:O
American Robin*? R:C
Western Bluebird T,W:U
Hermit Thrush W:C
Swainson’s Thrush T(s):C
Northern Mockingbird* R:C
California Thrasher R:U
American Pipit T(f):U
European Starling* R:C
Red-whiskered Bulbul*T:C
Phainopepla* R:U
Cedar Waxwing T,W:C

Wood-Warblers
Orange-crowned Warbler T:C; S,W:O
Nashville Warbler T(f):U; T(s):C
Virginia’s Warbler T:V (29 Aug. 2000)
Yellow Warbler T:C
Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s) Warbler W:C
Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler W:U
Black-throated Gray Warbler T(s):C; T(f),W:U
Hermit Warbler T(s):U; T(f):O
Townsend’s Warbler T,W:C
Palm Warbler T:V (16 - 19 Oct. 1999)
MacGillivray’s Warbler T:O
Common Yellowthroat T:V (12 Oct. 2001)
Wilson’s Warbler T:C

Tanagers, Buntings, and Sparrows
Western Tanager T:C; W:O
Black-headed Grosbeak*? T,S:C
Lazuli Bunting* T:U; S:O
Spotted Towhee* R:U
California Towhee* R:C
Rufous-crowned Sparrow R:O
Savannah Sparrow T(f):U
Lark Sparrow T(f),W:C
White-crowned Sparrow W:C
Golden-crowned Sparrow W:U
Fox Sparrow W:U
Lincoln’s Sparrow T,W:O
Chipping Sparrow T(s),W:U
Dark-eyed (Oregon) Junco W:C
Dark-eyed (Slate-colored) Junco W:O

Blackbirds and Finches
Red-winged Blackbird T:O
Brewer’s Blackbird R:C
Brown-headed Cowbird* T,S:C
Hooded Oriole* T(s),S:U
Bullock’s Oriole* T(s),S:C; T(f):O
Baltimore Oriole W:V (15 Mar. 2000)
Western Meadowlark W:U
Purple Finch W:O
House Finch* R:C
Pine Siskin W:O
Lesser Goldfinch* R:C
Lawrence’s Goldfinch*? T:U; S:O
American Goldfinch W:C

Weavers
House Sparrow* R:U

* Confirmed breeder in/adj. to park
*? Possible breeder

Additional species (28)

Mt. Washington/Highland Park only (all J. Donahue, in litt.): Black-crowned Night-Heron, Canada Goose, Virginia Rail, Common Poorwill, Red-naped Sapsucker, Hairy Woodpecker, Bank Swallow, Varied Thrush, Green-tailed Towhee, White-throated Sparrow; Summer Tanager (02 Nov. 2000 DSC)

Huntington Terrace” only (open space on the border of South Pasadena/El Sereno): Osprey, Herring Gull, Ring-billed Gull, White-winged Dove, Costa’s Hummingbird, California Gnatcatcher, Cassin’s Finch (all J. Kirchner, in litt.); Lesser Nighthawk (13 Apr. 1991 DSC).

Historical recors from Highland Park area, (pre-1985, incl. museum holdings): California Quail, Burrowing Owl, Greater Roadrunner, Broad-billed Hummingbird (vagrant), Bell’s Vireo, Townsend’s Solitaire, Mountain Bluebird, Bendire’s Thrasher, Grasshopper Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow.

Observers: DC -- Daniel Cooper: RB – Richard Barth, JC – Jeff Chapman, KLG – Kimball L. Garrett, MI – Melanie Ingalls, TM – Tom Miko; MW – Mark Wimer

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