BIRDS of the Agua Fria Wildlife Preserve

Maricopa Audubon Society in conjunction with Maricopa County Parks
Preliminary Version 2, May 1998

AGUA FRIA WILDLIFE PRESERVE

Located 5 miles west of I-17 on Table Mesa Road (exit 236), the Agua Fria Wildlife Preserve defines the northeast corner of the Lake Pleasant Regional Park. The Agua Fria River drains the Prescott Valley, flowing year around through the Black Canyon, and it has carved a deep valley on its way to Lake Pleasant. As a consequence of the new dam at Lake Pleasant, much of the valley is subjected to a yearly high-water level differential of over 100 feet. However, the northern end of the valley is scarcely affected and now that fencing and livestock gates have been installed, the native grasses and trees are beginning a resurgence of growth. We are hopeful that the valley will return to its original state.

As a conservation area with trails but no roads, wheeled vehicles (both licensed and unlicensed) are banned. Primitive camping on a night-to-night basis will be permitted, as well as day hikes.

Bald Eagles have been nesting on the high escarpment of Wild Burro Mesa overlooking the river. An Eagle Watch Team supported by the Arizona Game and Fish Department observes the nesting site from December 15 to June 15 annually. Seven fledglings have been reared successfully through the 1997 season.

This checklist was prepared by Maricopa Audubon Society. It is in preliminary form, and seasonal abundance and nesting species have not been assessed yet. The list follows the American Ornithological Union checklist order. 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 Bob Terry as a project of Maricopa Audubon's Urban Habitat Committee.

Season:

M  Migrant

W  Winter

S  Summer

Y  Year-around

*  Nesting species (not yet included)

Abundance:  (not yet included)

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

A  Accidental; found 1-2 times

FAMILY & Species           Season  Sp  Su  F   W

CORMORANTS

___ Double-crested Cormorant   Y

BITTERNS & HERONS                                    

___ Great Blue Heron           Y

___ Green Heron                Y

___ Bl.-crowned Night-Heron    Y

SWANS, GEESE & DUCKS

___ Green-winged Teal          W

___ Mallard                    Y

___ Blue-winged Teal           W

AMERICAN VULTURES

___ Turkey Vulture             Y

KITES, EAGLES, HAWKS & ALLIES

___ Bald Eagle                 Y

___ Northern Harrier           Y

___ Cooper's Hawk              Y

___ Harris' Hawk               Y

___ Red-tailed Hawk            Y

CARACARAS & FALCONS

___ American Kestrel           Y

___ Prairie Falcon             W

PARTRIDGES, GROUSE, TURKEY & QUAIL

___ Gambel's Quail             Y

RAILS, GALLINULES, & COOTS

___ American Coot              Y

PLOVERS

___ Killdeer                   Y

STILTS AND AVOCETS

___ Black-necked Stilt         Y

SANDPIPERS

___ Spotted Sandpiper          W

___ Western Sandpiper          M

___ Least Sandpiper            W

___ Baird's Sandpiper          M

___ Common Snipe               Y

PIGEONS & DOVES

___ Rock Dove                  Y

___ White-winged Dove          S

___ Mourning Dove              Y

___ Inca Dove                  Y

___ Common Ground Dove         W

CUCKOOS, ROADRUNNERS & ANIS

___ Yellow-billed Cuckoo       S

___ Greater Roadrunner         Y

TYPICAL OWLS

___ Great Horned Owl           Y

SWIFTS

___ White-Throated Swift       Y

___ Vaux's Swift               M

HUMMINGBIRDS

___ Black-chinned H'bird       S

___ Anna's Hummingbird         Y

___ Costa's Hummingbird        Y

KINGFISHERS

___ Belted Kingfisher          W

WOODPECKERS & ALLIES

___ Gila Woodpecker            Y

___ Ladder-backed W'pecker     Y

___ Northern Flicker           W

___ Gilded Flicker             Y

TYRANT FLYCATCHERS

___ Western Wood-Pewee         W

___ Black Phoebe               Y

___ Say's Phoebe               W

___ Vermillion Flycatcher      Y

___ Ash-throated Flycatcher    S

___ Brown-crested Flycatcher   S

___ Western Kingbird           S

LARKS

___ Horned Lark                Y

SWALLOWS

___ Violet-green Swallow       M

___ N. Rough-winged Swallow    Y

___ Cliff Swallow              S

JAYS, MAGPIES & CROWS

___ Scrub Jay                  Y

___ Common Raven               Y

VERDINS

___ Verdin                     Y

BUSHTITS

___ Bushtit                    Y

CREEPERS

___ Brown Creeper              W

WRENS

___ Cactus Wren                Y

___ Rock Wren                  Y

___ Canyon Wren                Y

___ Bewick's Wren              Y

MOCKINGBIRDS, THRASHERS & ALLIES

___ Northern Mockingbird       Y

___ Curve-billed Thrasher      Y

___ Bendire's Thrasher         Y

GNATCATCHERS, KINGLETS & THRUSHES

___ Black-tailed Gnatcatcher   Y

___ Ruby-crowned Kinglet       W

___ American Robin             W

___ Townsend's Solitaire       W

___ Hermit Thrush              W

SILKY FLYCATCHERS

___ Phainopepla                Y

SHRIKES

___ Loggerhead Shrike          Y

STARLINGS

___ European Starling          Y

VIREOS

___ Bell's Vireo               S

WOOD-WARBLERS

___ Orange-crowned Warbler     W

___ Lucy's Warbler             S

___ Yellow Warbler             M

___ Yellow-rumped Warbler      W

___ MacGillivray's Warbler     M

___ Common Yellowthroat        Y

___ Wilson's Warbler           M

TANAGERS

___ Western Tanager            S

___ Summer Tanager             S

CARDINALS, GROSBEAKS & ALLIES

___ Northern Cardinal          Y

___ Pyrrhuloxia                Y

___ Blue Grosbeak              M

___ Green-tailed Towhee        W

___ Spotted Towhee             Y

___ Abert's Towhee             Y

NEW WORLD SPARROWS & ALLIES

___ Chipping Sparrow           W

___ Brewer's Sparrow           W

___ Black-chinned Sparrow      S

___ Black-throated Sparrow     Y

___ Sage Sparrow               W

___ Savannah Sparrow           W

___ White-crowned Sparrow      W

___ Dark-eyed Junco            W

NEW WORLD BLACKBIRDS & ORIOLES

___ Red-winged Blackbird       Y

___ Western Meadowlark         Y

___ Great-tailed Grackle       Y

___ Bronzed Cowbird            S

___ Brown-headed Cowbird       Y

___ Hooded Oriole              S

___ Scott's Oriole             S

FINCHES

___ House Finch                Y

___ Lesser Goldfinch           W

NOTES: