The Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge lies along 9 miles of the Rio Grande in the desert of southcentral New Mexico. Low dikes built since the refuge was established in the late 1930's have created extensive water impoundments, ideal winter habitat for ducks, geese, sandhill cranes and wading birds.
The riparian habitat of the Rio Grande and the adjoining arid uplands provide a wide variety of bird life. Cultivated fields furnish additional food for wintering waterfowl, pheasant and other wildlife.
This "folder" lists 320 species of birds seen on the refuge since 1940, and is in accordance wuth the Sixth Edition A.O.U. Checklist. Symbols used in this list are defined as follows:
S - Spring . . . . March - May
S - Summer . . . . June - August
F - Fall . . . . . September - November
W - Winter . . . . December - February
In the list below, the seasonal occurances are listed in the above order.
- nests locally
a - abundant . . . a common species which is very numerous
c - common . . . . certain to be seen in suitable habitat
u - uncommon . . . present, but not certain to be seen
o - occasional . . seen only a few times during a season
r - rare . . . . . see at intervals of 2 to 5 years
The J and A markings indicate sightings during January and August 1994 visits.
The links on the names of the birds will bring up pictures of the birds
from the North American Breeding Bird
Survey server of the National Biological Service.
Loons | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Common Loon | r | r | |||
Grebes | |||||
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a | c | a | c | |
Horned Grebe | r | r | |||
Eared Grebe | u | u | o | ||
Western Grebe | o | u | u | o | |
Clark's Grebe | o | o | o | ||
American White Pelican | c | o | c | o | |
Comorants | |||||
A | ![]() |
c | c | c | u |
Olivaceous Cormorant | u | u | u | u | |
Bitterns and Herons | |||||
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u | u | u | o | |
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u | u | u | ||
J, A | Great Blue Heron | a | u | c | c |
A | Great Egret | o | o | o | |
A | Snowy Egret | c | a | c | o |
Little Blue Heron | o | o | o | ||
Cattle Egret | u | u | o | r | |
A | Green-Backed Heron | u | u | u | |
A | Black-crowned Night Heron | u | c | c | o |
Ibises | |||||
White-faced Ibis | u | u | u | ||
Swans, Geese, Ducks | |||||
Tundra Swan | o | ||||
J | Greater White-fronted Goose | o | o | o | |
J | Snow Goose | u | a | a | |
J | Ross Goose | u | u | c | |
J, A | ![]() |
c | c | c | c |
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o | o | |||
J | ![]() |
c | o | a | c |
J, A | ![]() |
a | c | a | a |
J | ![]() |
c | u | a | a |
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c | u | c | ||
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c | u | c | o | |
J | ![]() |
c | u | a | a |
J | ![]() |
c | u | c | a |
American Wigeon | c | o | c | u | |
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u | o | u | u | |
J | ![]() |
u | o | u | c |
Ring-necked Duck | u | u | c | ||
Lesser Scaup | u | o | u | u | |
Common Goldeneye | r | r | r | ||
J | Bufflehead | u | u | c | |
J | Hooded Merganser | o | u | u | |
J | Common Merganser | o | o | c | |
Red-breasted Merganser | r | r | r | ||
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c | u | c | c | |
American Vultures | |||||
A | ![]() |
c | a | a | |
Kites, Eagles, Hawks | |||||
Osprey | o | o | |||
Mississippi Kite | r | r | r | ||
J | Bald Eagle | o | o | u | |
J | ![]() |
c | o | c | a |
Sharp-shinned Hawk | c | c | c | ||
J | ![]() |
c | o | o | c |
Northern Goshawk | o | o | o | ||
Harris Hawk | o | o | o | ||
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u | u | u | ||
Zone-tailed Hawk | r | ||||
J, A | ![]() |
c | u | c | a |
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u | u | u | u | |
Rough-legged Hawk | o | o | o | ||
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u | u | u | u | |
Caracaras and Falcons | |||||
J, A | ![]() |
c | u | c | c |
Merlin | o | o | |||
Peregrine Falcon | r | o | o | ||
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o | o | u | u | |
Pheasants, Turkeys, Quail | |||||
J, A | ![]() |
c | c | c | c |
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u | u | u | ||
Montezuma Quail | r | r | r | ||
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u | u | u | u | |
J | ![]() |
c | c | c | c |
Rails, Gallinules, Coots | |||||
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c | c | u | ||
A | ![]() |
c | c | c | |
Purple Gallinules | r | r | r | ||
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u | u | u | ||
J | ![]() |
c | c | a | a |
Cranes | |||||
J | Sandhill Crane | a | a | ||
Whooping Crane | u | u | |||
Plovers | |||||
Black-bellied Plover | r | r | |||
Snowy Plover | r | r | r | ||
Semipalmated Plover | o | o | |||
![]() | a | a | a | c | |
Stilts and Avocets | |||||
A | ![]() | c | u | u | |
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a | a | a | c | |
Sandpipers and Phalaropes | |||||
A | Greater Yellowlegs | c | c | c | o |
Lesser Yellowlegs | u | o | u | o | |
Solitary Sandpiper | o | u | o | ||
Willet | o | u | u | ||
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c | c | c | ||
Upland Sandpiper | r | o | |||
Long-billed Curlew | o | o | o | ||
Marbeled Godwit | o | o | o | ||
Semipalmated Sandpiper | r | r | |||
Western Sandpiper | u | o | u | ||
Least Sandpiper | u | u | u | r | |
White-rumped Sandpiper | r | r | |||
Baird's Sandpiper | u | u | |||
Pectoral Sandpiper | o | o | |||
Dunlin | r | r | r | ||
Stilt Sandpiper | o | r | |||
J? | Long-billed Dowitcher | c | o | c | o |
Common Snipe | c | u | c | u | |
Wilson's Phalarope | c | o | c | ||
Red-necked Phalarope | o | o | |||
Gulls and Terns | |||||
Franklin's Gull | r | r | |||
Bonaparte's Gull | o | o | r | ||
Ring-billed Gull | c | c | u | ||
Herring Gull | o | o | o | ||
Forster's Tern | o | o | o | ||
Black Tern | u | o | u | ||
Pigeons and Doves | |||||
White-winged Dove | r | o | r | ||
A | ![]() |
c | a | a | u |
Cuckoos | |||||
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u | u | |||
J | ![]() |
c | c | c | c |
Barn Owls | |||||
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r | o | o | r | |
Typical Owls | |||||
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o | u | o | ||
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u | u | u | u | |
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u | u | u | o | |
Short-eared Owl | r | r | |||
Northern Saw-whet Owl | r | ||||
Goatsuckers | |||||
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c | a | c | ||
Common Nighthawk | u | u | u | ||
Common Poorwill | o | c | o | ||
Swifts | |||||
White-throated Swift | r | r | |||
Hummingbirds | |||||
A | ![]() |
c | c | c | |
Broad-tailed Hummingbird | u | u | u | ||
Rufous Hummingbird | u | u | |||
Kingfishers | |||||
Belted Kingfisher | u | o | u | o | |
Woodpeckers | |||||
Red-naped Sapsucker | u | u | u | ||
Williamson's Sapsucker | o | ||||
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c | c | c | u | |
Downey Woodpecker | u | u | u | ||
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u | u | u | u | |
J, A | ![]() |
c | c | a | a |
Tyrant Flycatchers | |||||
Olive-sided Flycatcher | r | ||||
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c | c | u | ||
Willow Flycatcher | o | o | |||
Dusky Flycatcher | u | u | |||
Gray Flycatcher | o | o | |||
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u | c | u | u | |
Eastern Phoebe | r | ||||
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c | c | c | c | |
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o | u | o | r | |
A | ![]() |
r | r | ||
Brown-crested Flycatcher | r | r | |||
Cassin's Kingbird | o | o | o | ||
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c | a | u | ||
Eastern Kingbird | o | o | |||
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher | r | r | |||
Larks | |||||
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c | u | u | c | |
Swallows | |||||
Purple Martin | o | o | |||
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a | o | a | r | |
Violet-green Swallow | c | c | |||
Northern Rough-winged Swallow | c | u | c | ||
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u | u | u | ||
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c | u | c | ||
A | ![]() |
a | a | a | |
Jays, Magpies, Crows | |||||
Stellar's Jay | r | r | r | ||
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u | u | u | u | |
Pinyon Jay | u | u | u | ||
American Crow | c | c | c | ||
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o | u | u | ||
J | ![]() |
c | c | c | o |
Titmice | |||||
Mountain Chickadee | u | u | u | ||
Plain Titmouse | o | o | o | o | |
Verdins | |||||
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u | u | u | u | |
Bushtits | |||||
Red-brested Nuthatch | o | u | u | ||
White-brested Nuthatch | o | u | u | ||
Creepers | |||||
Brown Creeper | o | ||||
Wrens | >|||||
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o | o | o | o | |
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u | u | u | u | |
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r | r | r | r | |
Bewick's Wren | o | u | u | ||
House Wren | u | u | |||
A | Marsh Wren | u | o | c | c |
Kinglets and Gnatcatchers | |||||
Golden-crowned Kinglet | c | ||||
Ruby-crowned Kinglet | u | u | |||
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | u | u | |||
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u | u | u | u | |
Thrushes | |||||
Eastern Bluebird | r | r | o | ||
Western Bluebird | u | c | |||
Mountain Bluebird | u | u | u | ||
Townsend's Solitaire | o | o | o | ||
Hermit Thrush | u | u | r | ||
American Robin | c | c | c | c | |
Mockingbirds and Thrash | |||||
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c | c | u | o | |
Sage Thrasher | r | o | |||
Brown Thrasher | r | r | |||
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u | u | u | u | |
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u | u | u | u | |
Pipets | |||||
American Pipet (Water) | u | r | u | c | |
Waxwings | |||||
Cedar Waxwing | o | o | o | ||
Silky-Flycatchers | |||||
Phainopepla | o | o | |||
Shrikes | |||||
Northern Shrike | o | ||||
Loggerhead Shrike | u | u | u | c | |
Starlings | |||||
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c | c | c | c | |
Vireos | |||||
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o | o | |||
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o | o | |||
Warbling Vireo | o | o | |||
Wood-Warblers | |||||
Orange-crowned Warbler | u | u | |||
Virginia's Warbler | u | u | |||
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o | o | o | ||
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u | u | u | ||
Yellow-rumped Warbler | c | o | c | u | |
Black-throated Gray Warbler | o | o | |||
American Redstart | o | o | |||
Northern Waterthrush | o | o | |||
MacGillivray's Warbler | o | o | |||
A | ![]() |
c | c | u | |
Wilson's Warbler | c | u | |||
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c | c | u | ||
Tanager | |||||
Hepatic Tanager | o | o | |||
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u | u | u | ||
Scarlet Tanager | o | o | |||
Western Tanager | c | r | o | ||
Cardinals and Grosbeaks | |||||
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u | u | u | u | |
Rose-brested Grosbeak | u | o | |||
Black-headed Grosbeak | c | u | c | ||
A | ![]() |
a | a | u | r |
Lazuli Bunting | o | r | r | ||
Indigo Bunting | u | r | u | ||
Dicksissel | o | ||||
Sparrows | |||||
Green-tailed Towhee | u | u | o | ||
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c | c | c | c | |
A | ![]() |
u | u | u | u |
Cassin's Sparrow | o | o | |||
Rufous-crowned Sparrow | o | o | o | o | |
American Tree Sparrow | r | ||||
Chipping Sparrow | c | c | o | ||
Brewer's Sparrow | c | c | o | ||
Black-chinned Sparrow | o | o | |||
Vesper Sparrow | o | c | o | ||
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c | o | c | o | |
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u | c | u | u | |
Sage Sparrow | u | u | u | ||
Lark Bunting | o | u | r | ||
Savannah Sparrow | c | c | u | ||
Song Sparrow | c | c | a | ||
Lincoln's Sparrow | o | o | o | ||
Swamp Sparrow | r | o | o | ||
J | White-throated Sparrow | o | o | o | |
J | White-crowned Sparrow | c | o | a | a |
Harris' Sparrow | o | o | |||
J | Dark-eyed Junco | c | c | a | |
Chestnut-collared Longspur | o | o | |||
Blackbirds and Orioles | |||||
J, A | ![]() |
a | a | a | a |
Eastern Meadowlark | r | r | r | ||
J, A | ![]() |
a | a | a | a |
? | Yellow-headed Blackbird | c | u | c | c |
Rusty Blackbird | o | ||||
Brewer's Blackbird | c | c | c | ||
J | ![]() |
c | c | c | c |
Common Grackle | o | o | o | ||
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c | c | c | o | |
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c | c | |||
Finches | |||||
A | ![]() |
c | c | c | c |
Pine Siskin | c | o | u | c | |
? | ![]() |
c | c | c | u |
American Goldfinch | u | u | c | ||
Evening Grosbeak | o | r | |||
Old World Sparrows | |||||
J | ![]() |
c | c | c | c |
Tricolored Heron | Calliope Hummingbird |
Yellow-crowned Night Heron | Lewis' Woodpecker |
White Ibis | Red-headed Woodpecker |
Wood Stork | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker |
American Black Duck | Couch's Kingbird |
Eurasian Wigeon | Blue Jay |
Greater Scaup | Black-billed Magpie |
Black Scoter | Winter Wren |
Surf Scoter | Sedge Wren |
White-winger Scoter | Bendire's Thrasher |
Barrow's Goldeneye | Gray Catbird |
Black-shouldered Kite | Sprague's Sparrow |
Black Vulture | Nashville Warbler |
Common Black Hawk | Northern Parula |
Whimbrel | Blk-throated Blue Warbler |
Ruddy Turnstone | Townsend's Warbler |
Sanderling | Black and White Warbler |
Short-billed Dowitcher | Prothonotary Warbler |
Buff-breasted Sandpiper | Painted Redstart |
Long-tailed Jaeger | Clay-colored Sparrow |
California Gull | Fox Sparrow |
Black-legged Kittiwake | Golden-crowned Sparrow |
Least Tern | McCown's Longspur |
Inca Dove | Bobolink |
Band-tailed Pigeon | Bronzed Cowbird |
Common Ground-Dove | Red Crossbill |
Groove-billed Ani | Lawrence's Goldfinch |
Long-eared Owl |
For additional information contact:
Refuge ManagerBooks on Birds
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