New Mexico Ornithological Society - New Mexico Bird Finding Guide

Description

New Mexico has the 4th highest bird diversity of any state in the U.S. with nearly 550 species documented within its borders including over 300 species known to breed. At a biological crossroad between east and west and north and south, the state’s birdlife is influenced by the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, Great Basin and Chihuahuan deserts, and the sierras of northwest Mexico. An elevational range from lowland desert and rivers below 3,000 feet to alpine tundra over 13,000 feet also greatly contributes to its diversity. This Fourth Edition of the New Mexico Bird Finding Guide contains chapters covering each of the state’s 33 counties addressing nearly 400 birding locations to explore. These include easily accessed, well known destinations as well as sites that are obscure and remote. Detailed maps, directions, and lists of expected and ‘specialty’ species accompany each location. The guide also includes an annotated checklist presenting the status, distribution, frequency, and abundance, for all species recorded in the state. This will be a valuable reference for resident and visiting birders alike.

Sujets

• Birdwatching Guides
• Sciences et techniques
• Nature

Informations

• Publié par: Outskirts Press
• Date de parution: 20 décembre 2021
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781977250995
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

NEW MEXICO BIRD FINDING GUIDE, Fourth Edition All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 2022 The New Mexico Ornithological Society v11.0
The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinions or thoughts of the publisher. The author has represented and warranted full ownership and/or legal right to publish all the materials in this book.
This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Outskirts Press, Inc. http://www.outskirtspress.com
ISBN: 978-1-9772-5099-5
Cover Photo © 2022 David J. Krueper. All rights reserved
Outskirts Press and the "OP" logo are trademarks belonging to Outskirts Press, Inc.
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Primary Authors
John E. Parmeter, Sartor O. Williams III, and William F. Wittman

Editor
William H. Howe

Maps
Patricia Mehlhop

Photos
David J. Krueper

Illustrations
Dale A. Zimmerman

The New Mexico Ornithological Society
P.O. Box 3068
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87190-3068
www.nmbirds.org



Cover Photo: Greater Roadrunner, State Bird of New Mexico
This New Mexico Bird Finding Guide is dedicated to the memory of Dale and Marian Zimmerman, editors of the first two editions, who for over 50 years enriched our avian knowledge in NM and in multiple areas worldwide.
(Photo by Allan Zimmerman; used with permission)

And to the memory of Jerry R. Oldenettel, a leading figure in New Mexico field ornithology, who over the past quarter century elevated birding in the state to the highest level. (Photo by David J. Krueper)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
NORTHWESTERN REGION
SAN JUAN COUNTY
McKINLEY COUNTY
CIBOLA COUNTY
NORTH-CENTRAL REGION
RIO ARRIBA COUNTY
TAOS COUNTY
SANDOVAL COUNTY
LOS ALAMOS COUNTY
SANTA FE COUNTY
NORTHEASTERN REGION
COLFAX COUNTY
UNION COUNTY
MORA COUNTY
HARDING COUNTY
SAN MIGUEL COUNTY
TORRANCE COUNTY
GUADALUPE COUNTY
QUAY COUNTY
CENTRAL REGION
BERNALILLO COUNTY
VALENCIA COUNTY
SOCORRO COUNTY
SOUTHWESTERN REGION
CATRON COUNTY
GRANT COUNTY
HIDALGO COUNTY
LUNA COUNTY
SOUTH-CENTRAL REGION
SIERRA COUNTY
LINCOLN COUNTY
DO A ANA COUNTY
OTERO COUNTY
SOUTHEASTERN REGION
DE BACA COUNTY
ROOSEVELT COUNTY
CURRY COUNTY
CHAVES COUNTY
EDDY COUNTY
LEA COUNTY
ANNOTATED CHECKLIST OF NEW MEXICO BIRDS -->
AUTHORS
PRIMARY AUTHORS
JOHN E. PARMETER – Regional Summaries, Bernalillo, Chaves, Colfax, Curry, Eddy, Grant, Hidalgo, Roosevelt, Sierra, Socorro; co-author of Lea, Rio Arriba, Taos; contributor to Catron (Gila Cliff Dwellings), Luna (Uvas Valley)
SARTOR O. WILLIAMS III – Annotated Checklist; contributor to Guadalupe (Villanueva), Harding (NM 39), Hidalgo (Hachita)
WILLIAM F. WITTMAN, who sadly passed away before publication of this book – Catron, Guadalupe, Harding, Luna, Otero, Quay, Torrance, Union, Valencia; co-author of Lea, Rio Arriba, Taos
OTHER CHAPTER AUTHORS
JONATHAN P. BATKIN – Santa Fe
MATTHEW J. BAUMANN – De Baca; contributor to Roosevelt (Tolar)
STEPHEN M. FETTIG – Los Alamos
WILLIAM H. HOWE – Introduction (co-author), Sandoval; contributor to Chaves (sw corner), Guadalupe (Borica)
DAVID J. KRUEPER – Introduction (co-author)
JAMES M. RAMAKKA – San Juan (co-author)
TIMOTHY REEVES – San Juan (co-author)
CHRISTOPHER M. RUSTAY – Cibola, McKinley, Mora; contributor to Grant (Gila Bird Area), Union (Weatherly Lake)
MARCY T. SCOTT – Doña Ana (co-author)
NANCY G. STOTZ – Doña Ana (co-author)
WILLIAM F. WEST – Lincoln, San Miguel
JAMES E. ZABRISKIE – Doña Ana (co-author)
INTRODUCTION
This 4th Edition of the New Mexico Bird Finding Guide (Guide) provides an expanded and detailed overview of the best birding locations within each of the state’s 33 counties, as well as an updated Annotated Checklist of Birds briefly describing the status and distribution of all birds that have been recorded in the state. This Guide builds upon the 3rd Edition published in 2002, incorporating much of what was written by the authors of those chapters along with information on additional sites, updated directions, and detailed maps of the primary birding locations within each county. The chapters mention some species one can expect to find at each location (with an emphasis on those that out-of-state visitors may find of interest), a subset of the rarities that have turned up, and additional specifics on where to find highly sought-after ‘specialties’ as appropriate.
The state has a number of popular birding sites frequented by state residents and out-of-state birders alike, such as Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge and the Carlsbad Caverns area. Many parts of the state, however, are remote, difficult to access, and less well known ornithologically, with much yet to be learned at a time when species distributions and abundances are in considerable flux. Focusing on birds at a county level provides a convenient geographical reference for exploring the state’s birdlife. It is hoped that the additional detail provided in this Guide may increase coverage by birders and continue to expand our knowledge of the avifauna statewide.
Presented within are three state-level maps that may be useful for becoming familiar with various features in New Mexico. The outside back cover shows the state’s counties and river systems with locations (unlabeled) of some of the major reservoirs popular with birders. Just inside from the back cover is a map of the state’s major mountain ranges. Featured prior to this Introduction is a map depicting the primary road systems and cities across New Mexico plus the Bird Conservation Regions covering the state, descriptions of which are below.
As in the 3rd Edition, this Guide breaks down the state into seven regions containing three to eight physiographically similar counties. Each county chapter contains an Overview Map showing roads and major features, plus for most counties additional detailed maps of some of the major birding sites discussed in the chapter. In general birding locations within a county are presented from west to east and north to south, except when major roads or access to a county dictate that another approach makes more sense.
O VERVIEW OF N EW M EXICO AND ITS B IRDLIFE
Totaling 121,590 square miles and spanning nearly five degrees of longitude and three degrees of latitude, New Mexico is the fifth largest state in the United States, ranking slightly behind Montana in size and slightly larger than Arizona. Its geographic and biotic diversities are considerable, owing in part to a broad elevational gradient and in part to its location within the continent. Elevations in the state range from a low of 2,842 feet where the Pecos River exits into Texas in the southeast, to 13,161 feet atop Wheeler Peak in the Rocky Mountains near the Colorado border. The diverse habitats within the state range from lowland grasslands and shrublands upwards through the oak and pinyon-juniper zones, ponderosa pine, mixed conifer, and spruce-fir forests, to alpine tundra above roughly 11,500 feet. Within those zones, lowland and middle-elevation riparian woodlands are also critical habitats for many species of birds as are various wetlands, reservoirs, playa lakes, and saline lakes.
New Mexico’s biota is influenced not only by its elevational gradients but also by its geographic position at the intersection of five major North American physiographic regions – the Great Basin, Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, Chihuahuan Desert, and Sierra Madre Occidental. This juxtaposition results in a high diversity not only of birds but also of plants, butterflies, reptiles and amphibians, bats, and other taxonomic groups, making New Mexico a rich biological treasure on several fronts.
As of this writing 549 species of birds have been verified within New Mexico, ranking fourth among all the U.S. states behind California, Texas, and Arizona. Presently 306 of those 549 species are known to breed or are suspected of breeding in the state. The different physiographic regions contribute greatly to that diversity of breeding birds. For example, sagebrush flats in the northwest bring in Great Basin species such as Sage Thrasher and Sagebrush Sparrow, and the Rocky Mountains contribute White-tailed Ptarmigan and Boreal Owl, among others. The eastern New Mexico portion of the Great Plains supports Lesser Prairie-Chicken, Mountain Plover, and Dickcissel, whereas the Chihuahuan Desert grassland/shrubland mix is a stronghold for Loggerhead Shrike, Cactus Wren, and Cassin’s and Black-throated sparrow. Wetlands in the east contain the states only breeding Snowy Plovers and Least Terns. The Sierra Madre Occidental contains multiple species better known in the U.S. from southeastern Arizona, but also with limited New Mexico ranges, including Whiskered Screech-Owl, Violet-crowned Hummingbird, Thick-billed Kingbird, and recently, Black-capped Gnatcatcher and Rufous-winged Sparrow.
In addition to the breeding birds, most species breeding further north migrate through and/or winter in New Mexico, and wanderers from Mexico also make their occasional appearance. Coastal birds and seabirds occasionally drift into this land-locked state from both the Gulf of California (250 miles away) and the Gulf of Mexico (460 miles away). Here is a brief overview of the major bird groups in the state; see the Annotated Checklist for more detail.
Waterfowl (39 species) . As an arid state, habitats for water-associated species are limited. Notable for attracting large numbers of waterfowl in migration and winter are Maxwell, Las Vegas, Bosque del Apache and Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuges, several State Wildlife Areas, large reservoirs in the Rio Grande, Canadian, and Pecos river valleys, an