U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Birds of

Kofa National Wildlife Refuge

Welcome to birding at

Kofa National Wildlife Refuge

Kofa National Wildlife Refuge 

encompasses 665,400 acres of Sonoran 

Desert in southwestern Arizona. Broad 

valleys, gently rolling foothills, jagged 

peaks and steep cliffs are found within 

this rugged refuge. The scattered water 

holes attract a surprising number of 

waterbirds and other migrant birds.

Nesting birds include red-tailed hawk, 

Gambel’s quail, great horned owl, elf 

owl, Costa’s hummingbird, ash-throated 

flycatcher, canyon wren, northern 

mockingbird, phainopepla, Lucy’s 

warbler, and black-throated sparrow, 

among others.

To see the greatest variety of birds, walk 

along one of the ephemeral washes. On a 

spring or summer morning, the washes 

are filled with the calls of mourning 

doves, Gambel’s quail, white-winged 

doves, phainopeplas, verdins, and ashthroated flycatchers. During the spring 

or fall, check the trees surrounding 

some of the old dirt stock tanks such as 

Charco 4 or Cholla Tank for migrants 

such as western tanager, cordilleran 

flycatcher, and belted kingfisher. Hike up 

Palm Canyon and listen for the calls of 

canyon and rock wrens. Scan the skies 

for soaring red-tailed hawks, turkey 

vultures, and the occasional golden eagle.

Please contact the refuge office with any 

new or unusual bird sightings that you 

make during your visit.

This list was developed using refuge 

observations and studies reported 

since 1940. The 193 species are listed in 

accordance with seventh addition of the 

American Ornithologists’ Union Checklist 

of North American Birds, (1998) through 

the 53rd supplement (July 2012). Forty 

species have been documented as nesting 

on the refuge.

Symbols used in this list follow:

W Winter December – February

Sp Spring March – May

S Summer June – August

F Fall September – November

* Confirmed nester

 (39 species).

• Possible or probable 

 breeder (12 species).

Federally Endangered or Threatened Species 

are listed in italics.

A Abundant

 A very numerous species.

C Common

 Likely to be seen or heard in suitable 

 habitats.

U Uncommon

 Present, not certain to be seen.

O Occasional

 Seen only a few times during the season

R Rare

 Unexpected, seen at intervals of 

 2 to 5 years.

X Accidental

 Fewer than 3 records; vagrants outside 

 their usual range.

 Breeding records from Arizona Breeding 

 Bird Atlas and refuge records.

Common Name Sp S F W

Ducks, Geese and Swans

___Gr. White-fronted Goose X

___Canada Goose X

___American Wigeon R 

___Mallard X

___Blue-winged Teal R

___Cinnamon Teal O R R R

___Northern Shoveler O

___Northern Pintail R R O R

___Green-winged Teal R R R

___Redhead X

___Bufflehead R R

___Red-breasted Merganser X

___Ruddy Duck X

New World Quail

___*Gambel’s Quail A A A A

Grebes

___Pied-billed Grebe X

Pelicans

___Brown Pelican R R

Herons, Bitterns and Allies

___Great Blue Heron R R

___Snowy Egret R R

Common Name Sp S F W

New World Vultures

___*Turkey Vulture C C C U

Hawks, Kites, Eagles and Allies

___Northern Harrier O O O

___Sharp-shinned Hawk O O O

___Cooper’s Hawk O O U

___Northern Goshawk X

___Harris’s Hawk X R

___*Red-tailed Hawk C C C C

___Ferruginous Hawk R

___Rough–legged Hawk R

___*Golden Eagle U U U U

Rails, Gallinules and Coots

___American Coot X

Cranes

___Sandhill Crane O O

Plovers

___Killdeer O O U

Stilts and Avocets

___Black-necked Stilt R

___American Avocet R

Sandpipers, Phalaropes and Allies

___Spotted Sandpiper R O

___Solitary Sandpiper R R

___Greater Yellowlegs R R 

___Willet X

___Long-billed Curlew X X

___Western Sandpiper X

___Wilson’s Phalarope X

___Red-necked Phalarope X

Pigeons and Doves

___*White-winged Dove C A O

___*Mourning Dove A A C U

___Common Ground-Dove O O

Cuckoos and Roadrunners

___Yellow-billed Cuckoo X

___•Greater Roadrunner U U U U

Barn Owls

___•Barn Owl O O O O

Typical Owls

___Flammulated Owl X

___•Western Screech-Owl C C C C

___*Great Horned Owl C C C C

___Northern Pygmy-Owl X

___*Elf Owl C C

___•Long-eared Owl O O O O

Black-throated sparrow.

© Henry Detwiler, www.southwestbirders.com
Curve-billed thrasher.

© Henry Detwiler, www.southwestbirders.com

Common Name Sp S F W

Goatsuckers

___•Lesser Nighthawk O O R

___•Common Poorwill C C C R

Swifts

___Vaux’s Swift O O

___*White-throated Swift C U O U

Hummingbirds

___Black-ch. Hummingbird O O

___*Anna’s Hummingbird O O O

___*Costa’s Hummingbird C U U U

___Broad-tail. Hummingbird X

___Rufous Hummingbird O O

Kingfishers

___Belted Kingfisher O X O

Woodpeckers

___Lewis’ Woodpecker R R R

___Red-headed Woodpecker X

___*Gila Woodpecker C C C C

___Red-naped Sapsucker R

___*Ladder-bac. Woodpecker O O O O

___Northern Flicker O O O

___*Gilded Flicker C C C C

Falcons

___*American Kestrel C C C C

___*Peregrine Falcon R R R

___*Prairie Falcon O O O O

Tyrant Flycatchers

___Olive-sided Flycatcher O O

___Western Wood-Pewee C C

___Willow Flycatcher U U

___Hammond’s Flycatcher O O

___Gray Flycatcher O O

___Dusky Flycatcher U U

___Pacific-slope Flycatcher U U

___Cordilleran Flycatcher U U

___Black Phoebe O O O

___*Say’s Phoebe C O O C

___Vermilion Flycatcher R

___*Ash-thr. Flycatcher A A R R

___*Brown-cr. Flycatcher O O

___Western Kingbird O O O 

Shrikes

___*Loggerhead Shrike C C C C

Vireos

___Gray Vireo O R O

___Plumbeous Vireo O O

___Cassin’s Vireo O O

___Hutton’s Vireo R

___Warbling Vireo C O C

___Philadelphia Vireo X

Crows and Jays

___Pinyon Jay R

___Steller’s Jay R R

___Western Scrub-Jay O R O O

___*Common Raven U U U U

Common Name Sp S F W

Larks

___Horned Lark X O R

Swallows

___Tree Swallow O R O

___Violet-green Swallow U R U

___N. Rough-winged Swallow O O O

___Cliff Swallow O O R

___Barn Swallow O R

Verdins

___*Verdin A A A A

Nuthatches

___Red-breasted Nuthatch X

Wrens

___*Rock Wren C C C C

___*Canyon Wren C C C C

___House Wren O O O

___Bewick’s Wren O O

___*Cactus Wren C C C C

Gnatcatchers

___*Blue-gray Gnatcatcher U U U U

___*Black-tail. Gnatcatcher A A A A

Kinglets

___Ruby-crowned Kinglet U U U

Thrushes

___Western Bluebird O O

___Mountain Bluebird O O

___Townsend’s Solitaire O O R

___Swainson’s Thrush U R

___Hermit Thrush O U O

___American Robin O U O

Mockingbirds and Thrashers

___Gray Catbird X

___*Northern Mockingbird C C C U

___Sage Thrasher O O O

___Brown Thrasher X

___*Bendire’s Thrasher U U

___*Curve-billed Thrasher C C C C

___•Crissal Thrasher U U U U

___•LeConte’s Thrasher O O O O

Starlings

___*European Starling U O O O

Pipits

___American Pipit R R

Waxwings

___Cedar Waxwing O O

Silky-flycatchers

___*Phainopepla C O U C

Wood-Warblers

___Northern Waterthrush X

___Prothonotary Warbler X

___Orange-crowned Warbler C C 

___*Lucy’s Warbler O O

___Nashville Warbler C U

___MacGillivray’s Warbler C U

___Common Yellowthroat X

___American Redstart X X

___Yellow-rumped Warbler

___ “Audubon’s” C C C

___Black-thr. Gray Warbler U U U

___Townsend’s Warbler C O

___Hermit Warbler U U

___Wilson’s Warbler C U

___Painted Redstart R

___Yellow-breasted Chat R R

Sparrows, Towhees, and Allies

___Green-tailed Towhee U U U

___Spotted Towhee O O O

___*Rufous-cr. Sparrow U U U U

___*Canyon Towhee C C C C

___Abert’s Towhee X

___Chipping Sparrow U U U O

___Brewer’s Sparrow C C U

Common Name Sp S F W

Sparrows, Towhees, and Allies, continued

___•Black-chinned Sparrow O O O O

___Vesper Sparrow U O R

___Lark Sparrow O O O

___*Black-throated Sparrow C C U U

___Sage Sparrow U U

___Lark Bunting X

___Savannah Sparrow X

___Fox Sparrow O O

___Lincoln’s Sparrow O

___White-throated Sparrow X

___White-crowned Sparrow C O C

___Dark-eyed Junco 

___ “Oregon” O C U

___ “Gray-headed” O O

Tanagers, Cardinals, Grosbeaks and Buntings

___Hepatic Tanager X

___Western Tanager C U C

___Northern Cardinal O

___•Pyridoxal R R R

___Rose–breasted Grosbeak X

___Black-headed Grosbeak U O U

___Blue Grosbeak R

___Lazuli Bunting U U

Blackbirds

___Red-winged Blackbird R R

___Western Meadowlark O O O

___Yellow-headed Blackbird O O O

___Rusty Blackbird X X

___Brewer’s Blackbird O O O

___Great-tailed Grackle O O O

___Bronzed Cowbird X X

___•Brown-headed Cowbird O O O

___*Hooded Oriole O O R

___Bullock’s Oriole U C U

___*Scott’s Oriole C C U O

Finches and Allies

___Purple Finch R R

___Cassin’s Finch R

___*House Finch C C C C

___Pine Siskin O

___Lesser Goldfinch O O U R

___Lawrence’s Goldfinch U O O

___American Goldfinch X

Old World Sparrows

___•House Sparrow O O O O

Please reuse or return to office

Thank you

February 2015

Cactus wren.

© Henry Detwiler, www.southwestbirders.com