ABQ: Bird Watchers

ALBUQUERQUE

Bird Watchers

I photographed this bird at Tingley Beach. Note the feet are not webbed, as this American Coot isn't a duck. The bird is actually walking here rather than swimming. Their feet are built so that they get across water plants like lilly pads.


From the Cornell Lab of Ornithology:

American Coot

The waterborne American Coot is one good reminder that not everything that floats is a duck. A close look at a coot—that small head, those scrawny legs—reveals a different kind of bird entirely. Their dark bodies and white faces are common sights in nearly any open water across the continent, and they often mix with ducks. But they’re closer relatives of the gangly Sandhill Crane and the nearly invisible rails than of Mallards or teal.

Behavior

You’ll find coots eating aquatic plants on almost any body of water. When swimming they look like small ducks (and often dive), but on land they look more chickenlike, walking rather than waddling. An awkward and often clumsy flier, the American Coot requires long running takeoffs to get airborne.

Habitat

Look for American Coots at ponds in city parks, in marshes, reservoirs, along the edges of lakes, and in roadside ditches, sewage treatment ponds, and saltwater inlets or saltmarshes.

Below is a list from the City of Albuquerque about birds found in the Middle Rio Grande area.

Download a checklist.

Ducks, Geese & Swans (Anatidae)

• Canada Goose, Branta canadensis
• Snow Goose, Chen caerulescens
• Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos
• Cinnamon Teal, Anas cyanoptera
• Northern Shoveler, Anas clypeata
• Northern Pintail, Anas acuta
• American Wigeon, Anas americana
• Wood Duck, Aix sponsa
• Canvasback, Aythya valisineria
• Redhead, Aythya americana
• Ring-necked Duck, Aythya collaris
• Bufflehead, Bucephala albeola
• Hooded Merganser, Lophodytes cucullatus
• Red-breasted Merganser, Mergus serrator

New World Quail (Odontophoridae)

• Gambel’s Quail, Callipepla gambelii

Partridges, Grouse, Turkeys & Old World Quail (Phasianidae)

• Ring-necked Pheasant, Phasianus colchicus

Grebes (Podicipedidae)

• Pied-billed Grebe, Podilymbus podiceps

Bitterns, Herons & Egrets (Ardeidae)

• Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias
• Great Egret, Ardea alba
• Snowy Egret, Egretta thula
• Cattle Egret, Bubulcus ibis
• Green Heron, Butorides virescens
• Black-crowned Night-Heron, Nycticorax nycticorax

Ibises & Spoonbills (Threskiornithidae)

• White-faced Ibis, Plegadis chihi

New World Vultures (Cathartidae)

• Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura

Ospreys (Pandionidae)

• Osprey, Pandion haliaetus

Hawks, Kites, Eagles & Allies (Accipitridae)

• Red-tailed Hawk, Buteo jamaicensis
• Northern Goshawk, Accipiter gentilis
• Coopers Hawk, Accipiter cooperii
• Sharp-shinned Hawk, Accipiter striatus
• Bald Eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Caracas & Falcons (Falconidae)

• American Kestrel, Falco sparverius

Rails, Gallinules, and Coots (Rallidae)

• American Coot, Fulica americana

Cranes (Gruidae)

• Sandhill Crane, Grus canadensis

Lapwings & Plovers (Charadriidae)

• Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus

Sandpipers, Phalaropes & Allies (Scolopacidae)

• Spotted Sandpiper, Actitis macularius
• Solitary Sandpiper, Tringa solitaria
• Common Snipe, Gallinago gallinago
• Western Sandpiper, Calidris mauri

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers (Laridae)

• Ring-billed Gull, Larus delawarensis
• Herring Gull, Larus argentatus
• Black Tern, Childonias niger

Pigeons & Doves (Columbidae)

• Rock Pigeon, Columba livia
• White-winged Dove, Zenaida asiatica
• Eurasian Collared-Dove, Streptopelia decaocto
• Mourning Dove, Zenaida macroura

Cuckoos, Roadrunners & Anis (Cuculidae)

• Greater Roadrunner, Geococcyx californianus

Typical Owls (Strigidae)

• Great Horned Owl, Bubo virginianus
• Western Screech Owl, Megascops kennicottii

Goatsuckers (Caprimulgidae)

• Common Nighthawk, Chordeiles minor

Hummingbirds (Trochilidae)

• Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Selasphorus platycercus
• Calliope Hummingbird, Stellula calliope
• Rufous Hummingbird, Selasphorus rufus
• Black-chinned Hummingbird, Archilochus alexandri

Kingfishers (Alcedinidae)

• Belted Kingfisher, Megaceryle alcyon

Woodpeckers & Allies (Picidae)

• Northern Flicker, Colaptes auratus
• Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Picoides scalaris
• Downy Woodpecker, Picoides pubescens
• Hairy Woodpecker, Picoides villosus
• Williamson's Sapsucker, Sphyrapicus thyroideus
• Red-naped Sapsucker, Sphyrapicus nuchalis

Tyrant Flycatchers (Tyrannidae)

• Black Phoebe, Sayornis nigricans
• Say’s Phoebe, Sayornis saya
• Ash-throated Flycatcher, Myiarchus cinerascens
• Western Kingbird, Tyrannus verticalis

Vireos (Vireonidae)

• Warbling Vireo, Vireo gilvus

Jays, Crows, Magpies & Ravens (Corvidae)

• Western Scrub Jay, Aphelocoma californica
• American Crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos
• Chihuahuan Raven, Corvus cryptoleucus

Swallows & Allies (Hirundinidae)

• Barn Swallow, Hirundo rustica
• Violet-green Swallow, Tachycineta thalassina
• Tree Swallow, Tachycineta bicolor
• Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Stelgidopteryx serripennis
• Cliff Swallow, Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

Chickadees & Titmice (Paridae)

• Mountain Chickadee, Poecile gambeli
• Black-capped Chickadee, Poecile atricapillus

Bushtits (Aegithalidae)

• Bushtit, Psaltriparus minimus

Nuthatches (Sittidae)

• Red-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta canadensis
• White-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta carolinensis

Creepers (Certhiidae)

• Brown Creeper, Certhia americana

Wrens (Troglodytidae)

• Bewick’s Wren, Thryomanes bewickii
• House Wren, Troglodytes aedon

Gnatcatchers & Gnatwrens (Polioptilidae)

• Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Polioptila caerulea

Dippers (Cinclidae)

• American Dipper, Cinclus mexicanus

Kinglets (Regulidae)

• Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Regulus calendula

Thrushes (Turdidae)

• American Robin, Turdus migratorius
• Hermit Thrush, Catharus guttatus
• Eastern Bluebird, Sialia sialis
• Western Bluebird, Sialia mexicana

Mockingbirds & Thrashers (Mimidae)

• Northern Mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos

Starlings & Mynas (Sturnidae)

• European Starling, Sturnus vulgaris

Waxwings (Bombycillidae)

• Cedar Waxwing, Bombycilla cedrorum

Wood-warblers (Parulidae)

• Ovenbird, Seiurus aurocapilla
• Orange-crowned Warbler, Orethlypis celata
• Virginia's Warbler, Orethlypis virginiae
• Yellow Warbler, Seophaga petechia
• Yellow-rumped Warbler, Seophaga coronata
• Black-throated Gray Warbler, Setophaga nigrscens
• Common Yellowthroat, Geothlypis trichas
• MacGillivray's Warbler, Geothlypis tolmiei
• Wilson's Warbler, Cardellina pusilla

Emberizids (Emberizidae)

• Green-tailed Towhee, Pipilo chlorurus
• Canyon Towhee, Pipilo fuscus
• Spotted Towhee, Pipilo maculatus
• Brewer's Sparrow, Spizella brewire
• Lark Sparrow, Chondestes grammacus
• Dark-eyed Junco, Junco hyemalis "Oregon" form "Slate-colored" form "Gray-headed" form "Pink-sided" form
• White-crowned Sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys
• Chipping Sparrow, Spizella passerina
• Song Sparrow, Melospiza melodia
• Lincoln’s Sparrow, Melospiza lincolnii

Cardinals, Piranga Tanagers & Allies (Cardinalidae)

• Summer Tanager, Piranga rubra
• Western Tanager, Piranga ludoviciana
• Black-headed Grosbeak, Pheucticus melanocephalus
• Lazuli Bunting, Passerina amoena
• Blue Grosbeak, Passerina caerulea
• Indigo Bunting, Passerina cyanea

Blackbirds, Meadowlarks, Cowbirds, Grackles & Orioles (Icteridae)

• Red-winged Blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus
• Yellow-headed Blackbird, Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus
• Great-tailed Grackle, Quiscalus mexicanus
• Common Grackle, Quiscalus quiscula
• Brown-headed Cowbird, Molothrus ater
• Bullock’s Oriole, Icterus bullockii

Fringilline & Cardueline Finches and Allies (Fringillidae)

• House Finch, Carpodacus mexicanus
• American Goldfinch, Carduelis tristis
• Lesser Goldfinch, Carduelis psaltria
• Pine Siskin, Carduelis pinus
• Evening Grosbeak, Coccothraustes vespertinus

Old World Sparrows (Passeridae)

• House Sparrow, Passer domesticus