Breeding, Migratory, and Wintering Birds of the Northern ... - Eco-Index

northern beardless-tyrannulet Camptostoma imberbe x x pairedgreater pewee Contopus pertinax xwestern wood-pewee Contopus sordidulus x pairedHammond’s flycatcher Empidonax hammondii xgray flycatcher Empidonax wrightii xdusky flycatcher Empidonax oberholseri xpacific-slope flycatcher Empidonax difficilis xbuff-breasted flycatcher Empidonax fulvifrons xblack phoebe Sayornis nigricans x x fledged youngSay’s phoebe Sayornis saya xvermilion flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus x x fledged youngdusky-capped flycatcher Myiarchus tuberculifer x nest with youngash-throated flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens x x pairedNutting’s flycatcher Myiarchus nuttingi x x calling in suitable breeding habitatbrown-crested flycatcher Myiarchus tyrannulus x occupied nestsulphur-bellied flycatcher Myiodynastes luteiventris x nest with youngtropical kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus x pairedCassin’s kingbird Tyrannus vociferans xthick-billed kingbird Tyrannus crassirostris x occupied nestwestern kingbird Tyrannus verticalis xrose-throated becard Pachyramphus aglaiae x occupied nestBell’s vireo Vireo bellii x singingplumbeous vireo Vireo plumbeus xCassin’s vireo Vireo cassinii xHutton’s vireo Vireo huttoni xyellow-green vireo Vireo flavoviridis x singing in breeding habitat but not pairedMexican jay Aphelocoma ultramarina x x present in suitable breeding habitatcommon raven Corvus corax x x fledged youngnorthern rough-winged swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis x present in suitable breeding habitatbridled titmouse Baeolophus wollweberi xverdin Auriparus flaviceps x x fledged youngcactus wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus x x pairedrock wren Salpinctes obsoletus x x singing in breeding habitat but not pairedcanyon wren Catherpes mexicanus x x singing in breeding habitat but not pairedSinaloa wren Thryothorus sinaloa x x nest with younghouse wren Troglodytes aedon xruby-crowned kinglet Regulus calendula xblue-gray gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea x x nest with eggsblack-tailed gnatcatcher Polioptila melanura xblack-capped gnatcatcher Polioptila nigriceps x x pairedbrown-backed solitaire Myadestes occidentalis xhermit thrush Catharus guttatus xnorthern mockingbird Mimus polyglottos x x pairedcurve-billed thrasher Toxostoma curvirostre x x occupied nestblue mockingbird Melanotis caerulescens x pairedphainopepla Phainopepla nitens x xorange-crowned warbler Vermivora celata xLucy’s warbler Vermivora luciae x singing in breeding habitat after seasonyellow-rumped warbler Dendroica coronata xblack-throated gray warbler Dendroica nigrescens xTownsend’s warbler Dendroica townsendi xWilson’s warbler Wilsonia pusilla x6

Figure 1: Fan-tailed warbler nest with four young found along the HuijaloAbajo transect on 12 July 2008. This is the first nest of this speciesknown in the state of Sonora (photo by Moez Ali).Figure 2: Least grebe nest with one egg near the edge of the pond along theaccess road between Huijalo and Babisal canyons, 11 July 2008. This is thenorthernmost nest and breeding locality known in the state of Sonora(photo by Moez Ali).8

were at or near the northern edge of their winter range and other species were found well outside oftheir known winter range. Wintering Neotropical migrants included two Cassin’s kingbirds, 10Cassin’s vireos, 13 orange-crowned warblers, 67 yellow-rumped warblers, 76 black-throated graywarblers, seven Townsend’s warblers, two Wilson’s warblers, 17 Lazuli buntings, and one Scott’soriole. Cassin’s kingbirds, Wilson’s warbler, and Scott’s oriole typically winter south of the reserve.Numbers of black-throated gray and Townsend’s warblers, which winter in low densities north intosouthern Arizona, were especially high on the reserve. Interestingly, Cassin’s vireo was much morecommon during winter (12) than plumbeous vireo (2), yet plumbeous vireo was much more common(15) than Cassin’s vireo (2) during migration in September 2007. We detected >100 individualEmpidonax flycatchers during winter most of which were gray, Hammond’s, dusky, and “western”flycatchers. We observed three least grebes in the same pond in which we confirmed nesting in July2008.In January 2008, we detected several species of birds that nest at higher elevations in oakwoodland, pine forest, and mixed-conifer forest in the surrounding region and that migrant to thelowlands in winter. Presence of several species of these elevational migrants was notable. Wedetected two brown-backed solitaires in Huijalo Abajo on 5 January 2009, which represented the firstwinter records of this species in the region. Presence of brown-backed solitaire was not entirelyunexpected because they occur locally during the breeding season in the Sierra Huachinera (A.Flesch, unpublished data) and in the adjacent Sierra Tabaco (Lammertink et al. 1996) approximately50-60 km north of the reserve. We detected two slate-throated redstarts (see cover photo) in a patchof dense shrubs and vines that overhung the bank of the Río Aros in a sheltered glen approximately1000 m below the confluence of Arroyo los Chinos. These attractive warblers nest in high-elevationconiferous forests in the Sierra Madre Occidental and although there are no summer records fromareas north of the reserve in Sonora (Russell and Monson 1998, Flesch 2008b) they likely nest athigher elevations in the Rio Aros watershed in neighboring Chihuahua. Another elevational migrantthat was not known to winter as far north of the reserve was white-eared hummingbird; we detectedone individual in Huijalo Abajo on 5 January 2009. Other elevational migrants of note were greaterpewee that was present in low numbers in Huijalo Abajo and Babisal Arriba and buff-breastedflycatcher along the Rio Aros and in la Ventana.Several species that were uncommon in summer were much more common in winter whereas forother species we observed the opposite pattern. Nutting’s flycatchers are rare on the reserve insummer yet we detected >30 individuals in winter when they were present on all seven transectsthat we surveyed. In contrast, blue-gray gnatcatchers are extremely local in the summer when breedin oak scrub on Mesa Encinosa yet were common throughout much of the reserve in winter. Blackcappedgnatcatchers, however, which are common during summer, were rare in winter suggestingthey also make seasonal movements between their summer and winter ranges. Similarly, we did notobserve five-striped sparrows during winter despite that fact that they are abundant during summer.We found tall, dense stands of perennial bunchgrasses on Mesa Encinosa on the flats north of upperHuijalo Canyon. These grasslands seem to dominate many of the ridge tops and shallow slopes onthe east side of the Sierra Zetasora. While exploring these grasslands on 5 January 2009, weflushed a single grasshopper sparrow and an unidentified meadowlark. Presence of these speciessuggests these portions of the reserve support small populations of wintering grassland birds thatare extremely uncommon in this region of Sonora. Additional surveys of these areas in summer andwinter would be informative.ConclusionsThe Northern Jaguar Reserve supports a diverse assemblage of breeding, wintering, and migratorybirds and a varied assortment of environments across a wide elevation range. Since 2007, we have9

western screech-owl Megascops kennicottii x uncommon residentwhiskered screech-owl Megascops trichopsis x resident on Mesa Encinosagreat horned owl Bubo virginianus x uncommon residentnorthern pygmy-owl Glaucidium gnoma unknown status, maybe locally present in oak woodlandself owl Micrathene whitneyi x uncommon summer residentlesser nighthawk Chordeiles acutipennis x rare summer residentbuff-collared nightjar Caprimulgus ridgwayi x fairly common summer residentbroad-billed hummingbird Cynanthus latirostris x common summer resident, rare in winterwhite-eared hummingbird Hylocharis leucotis rare winter resident or visitantBerylline hummingbird Amazilia beryllina migrantviolet-crowned hummingbird Amazilia violiceps x common summer resident, rare in winterblue-throated hummingbird Lampornis clemenciae unknown statusplain-capped starthroat Heliomaster constantii rare migrant, possible summer residentblack-chinned hummingbird Archilochus alexandri migrantrufous hummingbird Selasphorus rufus migrantelegant trogon Trogon elegans x fairly common summer resident in canyons, rare in wintergreen kingfisher Chloroceryle americana x rare resident or migrantacorn woodpecker Melanerpes formicivorus x uncommon resident on Mesa EncinosaGila woodpecker Melanerpes uropygialis x common residentladder-backed woodpecker Picoides scalaris x common residentArizona woodpecker Picoides arizonae x uncommon resident on Mesa Encinosanorthern flicker Colaptes auratus x rare summer resident in oaks, possibly more common in wintergilded flicker Colaptes chrysoides x common residentwhite-striped woodcreeper Lepidocolaptes leucogaster x resident in Babisal Canyon, present in summer in Huijalo Canyonnorthern beardless-tyrannulet Camptostoma imberbe x fairly common residentgreater pewee Contopus pertinax uncommon winter resident in montane canyons, possible migrantwestern wood-pewee Contopus sordidulus x fairly common summer residentHammond's flycatcher Empidonax hammondii uncommon winter resident and migrantgray flycatcher Empidonax wrightii uncommon winter resident and migrantdusky flycatcher Empidonax oberholseri uncommon winter resident and migrantpacific-slope flycatcher Empidonax difficilis rare winter resident and migrantbuff-breasted flycatcher Empidonax fulvifrons rare winter resident, possible migrantblack phoebe Sayornis nigricans x resident in wet placesSay's phoebe Sayornis saya uncommon winter resident and migrantvermilion flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus x common summer resident, rare in winterdusky-capped flycatcher Myiarchus tuberculifer x common summer residentash-throated flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens x uncommon residentNutting's flycatcher Myiarchus nuttingi x rare summer resident, common winter resident12

own-crested flycatcher Myiarchus tyrannulus x fairly common summer residentsulphur-bellied flycatcher Myiodynastes luteiventris x fairly common summer resident in canyon woodlandstropical kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus x uncommon summer resident in valley bottomsCassin's kingbird Tyrannus vociferans rare winter resident or visitantthick-billed kingbird Tyrannus crassirostris x fairly common summer residentwestern kingbird Tyrannus verticalis common migrantrose-throated becard Pachyramphus aglaiae x fairly common summer resident in canyon woodlandsloggerhead shrike Lanius ludovicianus unknown statusBell's vireo Vireo bellii x common summer resident along Rio Arosplumbeous vireo Vireo plumbeus uncommon winter resident and common migrantCassin's vireo Vireo cassinii uncommon winter resident and common migrantHutton's vireo Vireo huttoni uncommon winter resident and migrantwarbling vireo Vireo gilvus common migrantyellow-green vireo Vireo flavoviridis x rare summer resident, pair occupancy not yet confirmedMexican jay Aphelocoma ultramarina x uncommon resident on Mesa Encinosacommon raven Corvus corax x uncommon residentnorthern rough-winged swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis x likely summer resident and migrantcliff swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota x Summer resident along Rio Arosbridled titmouse Baeolophus wollweberi x uncommon resident on Mesa Encinosaverdin Auriparus flaviceps x common residentcactus wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus x common residentrock wren Salpinctes obsoletus x uncommon residentcanyon wren Catherpes mexicanus x uncommon residentSinaloa wren Thryothorus sinaloa x common summer resident, uncommon or not readily detected in winterhouse wren Troglodytes aedon uncommon winter resident and migrantruby-crowned kinglet Regulus calendula common winter residentblue-gray gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea x uncommon resident on Mesa Encinosa, fairly common winter residentblack-tailed gnatcatcher Polioptila melanura x summer resident in arid scrub, winter resident or migrant elsewhereblack-capped gnatcatcher Polioptila nigriceps x summer resident in tall thornscrub or woodland, uncommon winter residentbrown-backed solitaire Myadestes occidentalis winter resident in moist canyon forestshermit thrush Catharus guttatus uncommon winter residentnorthern mockingbird Mimus polyglottos x common summer resident along Rio Aros, uncommon in wintercurve-billed thrasher Toxostoma curvirostre x uncommon residentblue mockingbird Melanotis caerulescens x rare summer resident in Huijalo Canyon with one pair presentphainopepla Phainopepla nitens x status unknownorange-crowned warbler Vermivora celata uncommon winter resident and common migrantNashville warbler Vermivora ruficapilla common migrantLucy's warbler Vermivora luciae x common summer resident and migrant13

yellow warbler Dendroica petechia uncommon migrantyellow-rumped warbler Dendroica coronata common winter resident and likely during migrationblack-throated gray warbler Dendroica nigrescens common winter resident and migrantTownsend's warbler Dendroica townsendi rare winter resident and migrantMacGillivray's warbler Oporornis tolmiei uncommon migrantWilson's warbler Wilsonia pusilla very rare winter resident and common migrantpainted redstart Myioborus pictus uncommon winter residentslate-throated redstart Myioborus miniatus rare winter resident along Rio Arosfan-tailed warbler Euthlypis lachrymosa x uncommon to rare summer resident along wet rocky canyon bottomsrufous-capped warbler Basileuterus rufifrons x fairly common resident on canyon slopesyellow-breasted chat Icteria virens x common summer residenthepatic tanager Piranga flava x uncommon winter resident, rare in summer on Mesa Encinosasummer tanager Piranga rubra x common summer residentwestern tanager Piranga ludoviciana common migrantgreen-tailed towhee Pipilo chlorurus uncommon winter residentcanyon towhee Pipilo fuscus x common residentrufous-winged sparrow Aimophila carpalis x common residentCassin's sparrow Aimophila cassinii x summer resident in field at la Ventanarufous-crowned sparrow Aimophila ruficeps x resident on grassy slopesrusty sparrow Aimophila rufescens x rare summer resident on shrubby slopes on Mesa Encinosafive-striped sparrow Aimophila quinquestriata x abundant summer residentchipping sparrow Spizella passerina common winter residentclay-colored sparrow Spizella pallida rare migrant and winter residentvesper sparrow Pooecetes gramineus rare winter residentlark sparrow Chondestes grammacus uncommon winter residentLincoln's sparrow Melospiza lincolnii uncommon winter residentgrasshopper sparrow Ammodramus savannarum rare winter residentwhite-crowned sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys common winter residentnorthern cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis x common residentpyrrhuloxia Cardinalis sinuatus x uncommon residentyellow grosbeak Pheucticus chrysopeplus x unknown status, could breed in Babisal Canyonblack-headed grosbeak Pheucticus melanocephalus x common summer resident, uncommon in winterblue grosbeak Passerina caerulea x common summer residentlazuli bunting Passerina amoena fairly common migrant and winter residentvaried bunting Passerina versicolor x common summer residentpainted bunting Passerina ciris uncommon migrant in late summerunknown meadowlark Sturnella sp. likely winter resident, likely was easternbronzed cowbird Molothrus aeneus x uncommon summer resident14

own-headed cowbird Molothrus ater x uncommon summer residentblack-vented oriole Icterus wagleri x uncommon residenthooded oriole Icterus cucullatus x common to abundant summer resident in palms, rare in winterstreak-backed oriole Icterus pustulatus x uncommon summer resident in large wooded canyonsBullock's oriole Icterus bullockii uncommon migrantScott's oriole Icterus parisorum x uncommon summer resident, rare in winterhouse finch Carpodacus mexicanus x common residentlesser goldfinch Carduelis psaltria x common resident15