Elephant Butte Lake State Park- Bird List

282 species.

For species in bold type (common to uncommon), the park is in their normal range. Species in plain type are rarities, typically because the park is outside of their normal range.

Abundance Codes (if known)

C = Common, seen on most trips

U = Uncommon, seen on some trips

R = Rare, rarely seen on trips

Seasonal Status Codes

M = Migration, spring (sp, Mar.-May) and/or fall (fa, Sep.-Nov.)

S = Summer (Jun.-Aug.)

W = Winter (Dec.-Feb.)

Y = Year round resident

Recommended birding spots for lake birds include: Dam Site Marina, Lyonís Beach, Hot Springs Landing, Rock Canyon Marina, Long Point, Three Sisters Point, South Monticello Point and North Monticello Point. For land birds good spots are Paseo del Rio Campground and Luchini Trail.

LOONS

___ Red-throated Loon-RWM(sp)

___ Pacific Loon-RMW

___ Common Loon-UMW

GREBES

___ Pied-billed Grebe-MW

___ Horned Grebe-CW,UM

___ Red-necked Grebe-RMW

___ Eared Grebe-MW

___ Western Grebe-CY

___ Clark's Grebe-UY

PELICANS

___ American White Pelican-Y

___ Brown Pelican-RSM(fa)

CORMORANTS

___ Neotropic Cormorant-CY

___ Double-crested Cormorant-CY

BITTERNS, HERONS

___ American Bittern-UM

___ Least Bittern-UMS

___ Great Blue Heron-CY

___ Great Egret-UMS

___ Snowy Egret-UMS

___ Little Blue Heron-RMS

___ Tricolored Heron-RM

___ Reddish Egret-RSM(fa)

___ Cattle Egret-CM,US

___ Green Heron-UY

___ Black-crowned Night-Heron-UMS

IBISES, VULTURES

___ White-faced Ibis-MS

___ Turkey Vulture-CMS

SWANS, GEESE, DUCKS

___ Greater White-fronted Goose-UM

___ Snow Goose-M

___ Ross' Goose-UM

___ Canada Goose-MW

___ Tundra Swan-RMW

___ Wood Duck-UMW

___ Gadwall-MW

___ American Wigeon-MW

___ Mallard MW,US

___ Mexican Duck-UY

___ Blue-winged Teal-UM,RS

___ Cinnamon Teal-Y

___ Northern Shoveler-MW

___ Northern Pintail-MW

___ Green-winged Teal-MW

___ Canvasback-UMW

___ Redhead-MS

___ Ring-necked Duck-MW

___ Greater Scaup-RMW

___ Lesser Scaup-W

___ Surf Scoter-RWM(fa)

___ White-winged Scoter-RMW

___ Long-tailed Duck-RW

___ Bufflehead-UMW

___ Common Goldeneye-UW

___ Hooded Merganser-UMW

___ Common Merganser-UMW

___ Red-breasted Merganser-UMW

___ Ruddy Duck-Y

KITES, EAGLES, HAWKS

___ Osprey-UY

___ Bald Eagle-CW

___ Northern Harrier-MW

___ Sharp-shinned Hawk-UW

___ Cooper's Hawk-UY

___ Northern Goshawk-RW

___ Harris' Hawk-RS

___ Swainson's Hawk-MS

___ Red-tailed Hawk-MW

___ Ferruginous Hawk-UM

___ Golden Eagle-UMWFALCONS

___ American Kestrel-MW

___ Merlin-UW

___ Peregrine Falcon-UWS

___ Prairie Falcon-UW

QUAIL

___ Scaled Quail-Y

___ Gambel's Quail-Y

RAILS, COOTS

___ Virginia Rail-UW

___ Sora-UMS

___ American Coot-CY

CRANES

___ Sandhill Crane-MW

___ Whooping Crane-RW

PLOVERS

___ Black-bellied Plover-UM

___ American Golden-Plover-RM(fa)

___ Snowy Plover-RY

___ Semipalmated Plover-CM

___ Killdeer-Y

STILTS, AVOCETS

___ Black-necked Stilt-RM,S

___ American Avocet-CM,S

SANDPIPERS, PHALAROPES

___ Greater Yellowlegs-CM,RS

___ Lesser Yellowlegs-RMS

___ Willet-CM,RS

___ Spotted Sandpiper-CM,US

___ Upland Sandpiper-RM

___ Whimbrel-RM(sp)

___ Long-billed Curlew-CM

___ Marbled Godwit-CM,RS

___ Ruddy Turnstone-RM

___ Red Knot-RM

___ Sanderling-UM,RS

___ Western Sandpiper-CM,RWS

___ Least Sandpiper-CM,W,RS

___ White-rumped Sandpiper-RM

___ Baird's Sandpiper-CM(fa),RS

___ Pectoral Sandpiper-UM(fa)

___ Dunlin-UM,RW

___ Stilt Sandpiper-UM,RS

___ Short-billed Dowitcher-RM

___ Long-billed Dowitcher-RMS

___ Wilson's Snipe-W

___ Wilson's Phalarope-RMS

___ Red-necked Phalarope-UM(fa)

___ Red Phalarope-RM(fa)

GULLS, TERNS

___ Pomarine Jaeger-RSM(fa)

___ Parasitic Jaeger-RM(fa)

___ Long-tailed Jaeger-RM(fa)

___ Laughing Gull-RM

___ Franklin's Gull-UM

___ Bonaparte's Gull-M,RW

___ Heermanís Gull-RM

___ Mew Gull-RMW

___ Ring-billed Gull-CY

___ California Gull-UM,RSW

___ Herring Gull-UMW

___ Thayer's Gull-RMW

___ Western Gull-RMS

___ Lesser Black-backed Gull-RMW

___ Glaucous-winged Gull-RY

___ Glaucous Gull-RWM(sp)

___ Sabine's Gull-RM(fa)

___ Caspian Tern-RMS

___ Arctic Tern-RS

___ Common Tern-RSM(fa)

___ Forster's Tern-UM,RS

___ Least Tern-RS

___ Black Tern-USM(fa)

___ Black Skimmer-RM

PIGEONS, DOVES

___ Rock Pigeon-MW

___ Band-tailed Pigeon-S

___ Eurasian Collared-Dove-M

___ White-winged Dove-CY

___ Mourning Dove-Y

___ Inca Dove-W

CUCKOOS, ROADRUNNERS

___ Yellow-billed Cuckoo-US

___ Greater Roadrunner-Y

OWLS, GOATSUCKERS

___ Great Horned Owl-Y

___ Long-eared Owl-UM

___ Lesser Nighthawk-MW

___ Common Poorwill-M

SWIFTS, HUMMINGBIRDS

___ White-throated Swift-UMS

___ Black-chinned Hummingbird-M

___ Annaís Hummingbird-RM

___ Broad-tailed Hummingbird-M

KINGFISHERS

___ Belted Kingfisher-MW

WOODPECKERS

___ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker-RMW

___ Red-naped Sapsucker-UMW

___ Ladder-backed Woodpecker-Y

___ Downy Woodpecker-US

___ Hairy Woodpecker-UY

___ Northern Flicker-UMW

FLYCATCHERS

___ Olive-sided Flycatcher-M,US

___ Western Wood-Pewee-M

___ Willow Flycatcher-MS

___ Hammond's Flycatcher-RW

___ Dusky Flycatcher-RW

___ Cordilleran Flycatcher-UM

___ Black Phoebe-CY

___ Say's Phoebe-CY

___ Vermilion Flycatcher-UM

___ Ash-throated Flycatcher-M

___ Cassin's Kingbird-US

___ Western Kingbird-CMS

SHRIKES, VIREOS

___ Loggerhead Shrike-MS

___ White-eyed Vireo-RM

___ Bell's Vireo-UM,RW

___ Plumbeous Vireo-M

___ Huttonís Vireo-RMW

JAYS,CROWS, RAVENS

___ Steller's Jay-RMW

___ Western Scrub-Jay-RW

___ Pinyon Jay-RM

___ American Crow-UMW

___ Chihuahuan Raven-Y

___ Common Raven-UMW

LARKS

___ Horned Lark-MW

SWALLOWS

___ Tree Swallow-M,RSW

___ Violet-green Swallow-M

___ Northern Rough-winged Swallow-M,US,RW

___ Bank Swallow-M

___ Cliff Swallow-MS

___ Barn Swallow-MS

TITMICE, CHICKADEES

___ Mountain Chickadee-UMW

___ Bridled Titmouse-RM

VERDINS, BUSHTITS

___ Verdin-Y

___ Bushtit-UY

NUTHATCHES, CREEPERS

___ White-breasted Nuthatch-UMW

___ Brown Creeper-UW

WRENS

___ Cactus Wren-UY

___ Rock Wren-CY

___ Canyon Wren-Y

___ Bewick's Wren-CMW

___ House Wren-UMW

___ Winter Wren-RW

___ Marsh Wren-M

KINGLETS, GNATCATCHERS

___ Golden-crowned Kinglet-UW

___ Ruby-crowned Kinglet-MW

___ Blue-gray Gnatcatcher-UM,RW

___ Black-tailed Gnatcatcher-MS

THRUSHES

___ Western Bluebird-MW

___ Mountain Bluebird-MW

___ Swainson's Thrush-M

___ Hermit Thrush-MW

___ American Robin-Y

MOCKINGBIRDS,  THRASHERS

___ Gray Catbird-RW

___ Northern Mockingbird-CY

___ Sage Thrasher-UW

___ Brown Thrasher-RM

___ Curve-billed Thrasher-CY

___ Crissal Thrasher-Y

STARLINGS, PIPITS 

___ European Starling-MW

___ American Pipit-MW

SILKY-FLYCATCHERS

___Phainopepla-UY

WARBLERS

___ Orange-crowned Warbler-MW

___ Virginia's Warbler-M

___ Lucy's Warbler-UMS

___ Northern Parula-RWM(fa)

___ Yellow Warbler-M

___ Yellow-rumped Warbler-MW

___ Townsend's Warbler-M

___ Grace's Warbler-UM

___ Pine Warbler-RM

___ Black-and-White Warbler-RM

___ American Redstart-UM

___ Northern Waterthrush-UM

___ Common Yellowthroat-UMS

___ Wilson's Warbler-CM

___ Painted Redstart-RM

TANAGERS

___ Summer Tanager-UMS,RW

___ Western Tanager-M

TOWHEES, SPARROWS

___ Green-tailed Towhee-MW

___ Spotted Towhee-Y

___ Canyon Towhee-MW

___ Rufous-crowned Sparrow-UY

___ Chipping Sparrow-Y

___ Brewer's Sparrow-MW

___ Black-chinned Sparrow-W

___ Vesper Sparrow-M

___ Lark Sparrow-M

___ Black-throated Sparrow-Y

___ Sage Sparrow-UMW

___ Lark Bunting-W,RS

___ Savannah Sparrow-MW

___ Fox Sparrow-UW

___ Song Sparrow-M,UW

___ Lincolnís Sparrow-UMW

___ Swamp Sparrow-MW

___ White-crowned Sparrow-MW

___ White-throated Sparrow-UW

___ Dark-eyed Junco-MW

___ McCown's Longspur-UM(fa),RW

___ Lapland Longspur-RWM(fa)

___ Chestnut-collared Longspur-UMW

CARDINALS, GROSBEAKS

___ Pyrrhuloxia-UW,RMS

___ Black-headed Grosbeak-M

___ Blue Grosbeak-MS

___ Lazuli Bunting-M

___ Indigo Bunting-UMS

___ Varied Bunting-RM

BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES

___ Red-winged Blackbird-CY

___ Eastern Meadowlark-M

___ Yellow-headed Blackbird-M

___ Rusty Blackbird-RW

___ Brewerís Blackbird-MW

___ Common Grackle-M

___ Great-tailed Grackle-CY
___ Bronzed Cowbird-RMS

___ Brown-headed Cowbird-M

___ Bullock's Oriole-MS

FINCHES, WEAVER FINCHES

___ Purple Finch-RW

___ Cassinís Finch-UM

___ House Finch-CY

___ Red Crossbill-UM

___ Pine Siskin-UMW

___ Lesser Goldfinch-CY

___ American Goldfinch-UMW,RS

___ Lawrenceís Goldfinch-RW

___ House Sparrow-CY

This checklist was compiled and produced by Joe LaFleur and Lago Rico, Inc.

In addition to personal observations, references include:

- New Mexico Bird Finding Guide, New Mexico Ornithological Society, 2002.

- New Mexico Ornithological Society website, mvar.nmsu.edu/nmos

- Ebird website, ebird.com

- Birds of North America Focus Guide, by Kenn Kaufman, pub. Houghton Mifflin, 2000.

NOTES: