BIRDS of the Gilbert Wildlife Habitat 

Maricopa Audubon Society, 3rd Revision, January 1998

The Gilbert Wildlife Habitat consists of eleven groundwater recharge ponds run by the City of Gilbert in conjunction with the Neely Sewage Treatment Plant. The Habitat is located 0.2 mi. north of Elliott Road, east of Cooper. A parking lot and viewing platform are located behind the Gilbert Fire Station. The ponds are fenced, and can be viewed at several points on the perimeter.

The ponds attract a diverse population of shorebirds and waterfowl. Migration periods (in spring, from March through May, and in fall from August to October) bring in transient species normally not found in the Sonoran Desert, such as Willet, Stilt and Pectoral Sandpipers, Semipalmated Plover, Franklin's and Bonaparte's Gulls, and Wilson's Phalarope. Winter brings flocks of ducks, including Shovelers, Pintail, 3 species of Teal, American Wigeon, and Gadwall. Unusual species may also appear in winter; Tundra Swan, Ross' Goose and Snow Goose all have been seen.

The ponds support breeding populations of such species as Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Black-necked Stilt, Killdeer, and American Avocet, among others. Bird houses on poles are located throughout the Habitat complex.

Landscaping around the ponds was funded in part by the State of Arizona Heritage Fund, with volunteers providing much of the labor. The western ponds have cottonwood, willow, and other riparian plants, while the eastern ponds have a "mesquite bosque" design which is just starting to grow. Viewing shelters have been built on the southwest side near the fire station, and also north of the ponds. The fire station viewing platform also has landscaping to attract hummingbirds.

This checklist follows the order of the American Ornithological Union checklist. It was prepared by Maricopa Audubon Society members, based on several years' observations. As with any checklist, periodic updates are required. Observations of rare species or species not on this list are welcomed and should be reported to the Society's hotline, (602) 832-8745.

Compiled by Cliff Drowley, with Steve Ganley, Cindy Marple, and Pete Moulton. A project of Maricopa Audubon's Urban Habitat Committee.

Season:

M  Migrant

W  Winter

S  Summer

Y  Year-around

*  Nesting species

Abundance:

C  Common; usually found       

F  Fairly common; usually found in small numbers

U  Uncommon; usually present in small numbers 

   but not always found

O  Occasional; usually found during season but 

   not always present (or present for brief period)

R  Rare; found 1-3 times over 5 years

FAMILY & Species            Season  Sp  Su  F   W

GREBES

___ Pied-billed Grebe          Y    O   O   O   O

___ Horned Grebe               M                R

___ Eared Grebe                W    U       U   U

___ Western Grebe              W    R           R

PELICANS

___ Brown Pelican              M        R      

___ Am. White Pelican          M                R

CORMORANTS

___ Double-crested Cormorant   M    R   R      

BITTERNS & HERONS

___ Great Blue Heron           Y    U   U   U   U

___ Great Egret                M    O   O   O   O

___ Snowy Egret                M    O   O   O   O

___ Tricolored Heron           M            R   

___ Cattle Egret               M        R       R

___ Green Heron                M    O   O   O   O

___ Bl.-crowned Night-Heron    M    O   O   O   O

IBISES & SPOONBILLS

___ White-faced Ibis           M    U   O   U    

AMERICAN VULTURES

___ Turkey Vulture             W                O

SWANS, GEESE & DUCKS

___ Bl.-bellied Whistling Duck Y*   F   F   F   U

___ Fulvous Whistling Duck     M        R       

___ Snow Goose                 M                R

___ Ross's Goose               M                R

___ Canada Goose               M                R

___ Tundra Swan                M                R

___ Green-winged Teal          W    C           C

___ Mallard                    Y    C   F   F   C

___ Northern Pintail           W    F       F   F

___ Blue-winged Teal           W    U       U   U

___ Cinnamon Teal              W    U   O   U   U

___ Northern Shoveler          W    C       F   C

___ Gadwall                    W    F       F   F

___ American Wigeon            W    U       U   U

___ Canvasback                 W                R

___ Redhead                    W    O       O   O

___ Ring-necked Duck           W    O       O   O

___ Lesser Scaup               W    O       O   O

___ Common Goldeneye           M                R

___ Bufflehead                 W                R

___ Hooded Merganser           M                R

___ Red-breasted Merganser     M                R

___ Ruddy Duck                 W    U       U   U

KITES, EAGLES, HAWKS & ALLIES

___ Osprey                     M    R       R   

___ Northern Harrier           W    F           F

___ Sharp-shinned Hawk         Y    O   O   O   O

___ Cooper's Hawk              Y    O   O   O   O

___ Harris' Hawk               Y    O   O   O   O

___ Swainson's Hawk            M    R         

___ Red-tailed Hawk            Y    F           F

___ Ferruginous Hawk           W                O

CARACARAS & FALCONS

___ American Kestrel           Y    U   U   U   U

___ Peregrine Falcon           W    U   U       U

PARTRIDGES, GROUSE, TURKEY & QUAIL

___ Gambel's Quail             Y    O   O   O   O

RAILS, GALLINULES, & COOTS

___ Sora                       M    O   O   O   

___ Common Moorhen             Y    O   O   O   O

___ American Coot              Y    F   C       F

PLOVERS

___ Black-bellied Plover       M    R       R   

___ Am. Golden Plover          M    R       R   

___ Semipalmated Plover        M    O       O   

___ Killdeer                   Y*   C   C   C   C

STILTS & AVOCETS               

___ Black-necked Stilt         Y*   C   C   C   C

___ American Avocet            Y*   F   F   F   U

SANDPIPERS               

___ Greater Yellowlegs         W    F   U   F   F

___ Lesser Yellowlegs          M    U       U   O

___ Solitary Sandpiper         M        R      

___ Willet                     M    O         

___ Spotted Sandpiper          W    U       U   U

___ Whimbrel                   M    O   R   R   

___ Long-billed Curlew         M            R   

___ Marbled Godwit             M    R         

___ Western Sandpiper          M    U   U   U   

___ Least Sandpiper            W    C   C   C   C

___ Baird's Sandpiper          M        R      

___ Pectoral Sandpiper         M        R   R   

___ Dunlin                     M    O         

___ Stilt Sandpiper            M        O   O   

___ Short-billed Dowitcher     M        R      

___ Long-billed Dowitcher      W    C   F   F   C

___ Common Snipe               W    O       O   O

___ Wilson's Phalarope         M    U   O   U   R

___ Red-necked Phalarope       M    R         

___ Red Phalarope              M            R   

SKUAS, GULLS, TERNS & SKIMMERS

___ Franklin's Gull            M    R   R      

___ Bonaparte's Gull           M    R         

___ Ring-billed Gull           M    O         

___ Forster's Tern             M    R         

___ Least Tern                 M    R         

PIGEONS & DOVES

___ Rock Dove                  Y    F   F   F   F

___ White-winged Dove          S    U   U   U   

___ Mourning Dove              Y    C   C   C   C

___ Inca Dove                  Y    U   U   U   U

CUCKOOS, ROADRUNNERS & ANIS

___ Greater Roadrunner         Y    O   O   O   O

TYPICAL OWLS

___ Burrowing Owl              Y    R           R

HUMMINGBIRDS

___ Black-chinned H'bird       S    O   O   O   

___ Anna's Hummingbird         Y    U   U   U   U

___ Costa's Hummingbird        S    O   O   O   

KINGFISHERS

___ Belted Kingfisher          M        R      

TYRANT FLYCATCHERS

___ Black Phoebe               Y    U   U   U   U

___ Say's Phoebe               W    U       U   U

___ Ash-throated Flycatcher    M    R         

___ Western Kingbird           S        U      

LARKS

___ Horned Lark                M    O       O   O

SWALLOWS

___ Tree Swallow               M    O       O   

___ Violet-green Swallow       M    O       O   

___ N. Rough-winged Swallow    S    C   C   U   U

___ Bank Swallow               M    O       O   

___ Barn Swallow               S    F   F      

___ Cliff Swallow              M    O       O   

VERDINS

___ Verdin                     Y    O   O   O   O

WRENS

___ Cactus Wren                Y    O   O   O   O

___ Marsh Wren                 Y    U   U   U   U

MOCKINGBIRDS, THRASHERS & ALLIES

___ Northern Mockingbird       Y    U   U   U   U

___ Curve-billed Thrasher      Y    O   O   O   O

GNATCATCHERS, KINGLETS & THRUSHES

___ Mountain Bluebird          M            R   

WAGTAILS & PIPITS

___ American Pipit             W    O       O   O

SHRIKES

___ Loggerhead Shrike          W    U       U   U

STARLINGS

___ European Starling          Y    F   F   F   F

WOOD-WARBLERS

___ Orange-Crowned Warbler     M        O   O   

___ Yellow Warbler             M    O   O   O   

___ Yellow-rumped Warbler      W    U       U   U

___ Black-thr. Gray Warbler    M        R      

___ MacGillivray's Warbler     M        O   O   

___ Common Yellowthroat                               

___ Wilson's Warbler           M    R       R   

CARDINALS, GROSBEAKS & ALLIES

___ Lazuli Bunting             M    O   O   O

___ Abert's Towhee             Y    U   U   U   U

NEW WORLD SPARROWS & ALLIES

___ Chipping Sparrow           W    O       O   O

___ Brewer's Sparrow           S    O       O   O

___ Vesper Sparrow             W    O       O   O

___ Lark Sparrow               W    O       O   O

___ Savannah Sparrow           W    O       O   O

___ White-crowned Sparrow      W    F       F   F

NEW WORLD BLACKBIRDS & ORIOLES

___ Red-winged Blackbird       Y    C   U   C   C

___ Western Meadowlark         W    O       O   O

___ Yellow-headed Blackbird    S        U   U   

___ Great-tailed Grackle       Y    F   F   F   F

___ Brown-headed Cowbird       S    O   O   O

FINCHES

___ House Finch                Y    C   C   C   C

___ Lesser Goldfinch           W    O           O

OLD WORLD SPARROWS

___ House Sparrow              Y    U   U   U   U