KEY

 every year.

▌▌▌or ▪ ▪ ▪ 

Winter January through March

Spring April through June

Summer July through September

Fall October through December

A Aerial

C Cliffs, rocks, and talus slopes

L Lakes, reservoirs, and marshes

M Meadows, clearings, and other open terrain

O Oaks, maples, and other hardwoods

P Pines, firs, and other conifers

R Rivers and streams

S Shrubs

W Willows, alders, cottonwoods, and other riparian hardwoods

d (down)

u (up)

?

* Breeds or has bred in park.

I Introduced

 Uncommon, present in small numbers.

 Rare, present in very small numbers; often highly localized.

Bar graphs indicate relative abundance of a species in suitable habitat at a given time of year:

 Common or Abundant, present in large numbers.

 Fairly Common, present in moderate numbers.

 Variable, may be present in a given area one year, rare or absent the next.

Letter symbols denote the habitat(s) in which the species is most likely to occur:

Winters primarily below heavy snow level (4,000' - 5,000') or wintering and migrant 

(nonbreeding) birds occur below elevation range indicated.

Available data are inconclusive.

 Very rare, three or fewer occurrences per season; may not be present

Up-mountain drift or southward migration carries some individuals to treeline 

during summer.

● Casual, record outside of usual season of occurence.

Habitat Elev.

●

Winter Spring Summer Fall

●

 Bald Eagle*

 Virginia Rail*

 Band-tailed Pigeon*

 Mourning Dove*

 Spotted Owl (California)*

RLA 2-12

 Northern Harrier ● M 2-11

HAWKS, EAGLES, FALCONS

 Osprey* ● ● LR 2-9

 Northern Goshawk* PA 4-10

 Red-shouldered Hawk AOW 2-9d

 Sharp-shinned Hawk* PA

 Prairie Falcon* ● ● ● ● MAC 8-11

2-9d

 Cooper's Hawk* WPA 2-9d

 American Kestrel* MO 2-11d

 Peregrine Falcon* AC 2-7

 Red-tailed Hawk* MA 2-11d

 Golden Eagle* MAC 2-11

 Spotted Sandpiper* ● RL 2-11

 Wilson's Snipe ● LMR 2-9

● L 2-7

 Killdeer* ● LMR 2-9

MO 2-6

 California Gull ● ALR 4-11

 Northern Pygmy-Owl* POW 2-6

▌▌▌▌▌▌ ▌▌▌▌▌▌ OP 2-7

OWLS

PO 2-7

 Flammulated Owl* PO 4-6

 Western Screech-Owl* OP 2-5

 Great Horned Owl* MOPW 2-9

 Great Gray Owl* MP 4-8u/d

 Long-eared Owl* ? ? MW 2-7

 Common Poorwill* ● ● ● MS 2-6

?

 Northern Saw-whet Owl* POW 2-6

 Common Nighthawk*? A 2-7

? ?

WOODPECKERS

 Lewis's Woodpecker* ● OP 2-10

SWIFTS

 Black Swift* ● ● ● AC 4-8

 Vaux's Swift* ● PA 2-7

 White-throated Swift* AC 2-8

 Black-backed Woodpecker* P 7-9

 Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)* POWM

 Nuttall's Woodpecker* O 2-4

 Anna's Hummingbird* SM 2-8

 Calliope Hummingbird* MSP 4-7u

 Rufous Hummingbird MS 2-12

WP 2-8u

 Williamson's Sapsucker*

 Belted Kingfisher* RL 2-9

▌▌▌▌▌▌ ▌▌▌▌ 2-10d

 Pileated Woodpecker* PO 4-7

 Acorn Woodpecker* OP 2-5

 Hairy Woodpecker* PWO 2-10

 White-headed Woodpecker* PW 4-7

 Downy Woodpecker* WO 2-4u

P 6-9d

 Red-naped Sapsucker WP 2-7

 Red-breasted Sapsucker*

Habitat Elev.

●

● ▌▌▌▌▌▌ 

 Olive-sided Flycatcher* ● P 4-9

 Western Wood-Pewee*

Winter Spring Summer Fall

POW 2-9

 Willow Flycatcher ● ● W 2-6

 Pacific-slope Flycatcher*

 Say's Phoebe

● 4-8

 Dusky Flycatcher* PS

 Western Kingbird

 Hammond's Flycatcher*

● ● M 2-5

 Ash-throated Flycatcher* SWO 2-5u

● WO 2-5

 Black Phoebe* RWM 2-9

P

M 2-4

4-10

 Loggerhead Shrike ● ● ● MO 2-9

● 2-9

JAYS, RAVENS

 Steller's Jay* PO 2-9d

 Western Scrub-Jay* SO 2-4

 Pinyon Jay

VIREOS

 Cassin's Vireo* ● PO 2-6

 Hutton's Vireo* O 2-5

 Warbling Vireo* WPO

 Common Raven* AMP 2-10d

 Horned Lark* ● M 10-12d

PO 3-9

 Clark's Nutcracker* PM 6-12

 American Crow ● ● M 2-6

 Mountain Chickadee* P 2-10

 Chestnut-backed Chickadee* PO 2-5

● ● RA 2-4

 Cliff Swallow* RCA 2

SWALLOWS

 Tree Swallow* ● WAM 2-9

 Violet-green Swallow* APWO 2-9 CLRM

 Northern Rough-winged Swallow*

 Oak Titmouse* OW 2-5

 Bushtit* SOW 2-6u/d

 Barn Swallow* MRA 2-4u

 Red-breasted Nuthatch* P 2-8u/d

 White-breasted Nuthatch* OP 2-10

 Pygmy Nuthatch* P 2-7

 Brown Creeper* P 4-10u/d

WRENS

 Rock Wren* C 2-3,

8-12d

 Canyon Wren* C

 Pacific Wren* WOP 2-6

 Marsh Wren ML 2-5

2-5

 Bewick's Wren* OS 2-6

 House Wren* ● WS 4-7

2-10d

 Golden-crowned Kinglet* P 4-8d

 Ruby-crowned Kinglet* PSOW 7-9d

 American Dipper* RL

 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher* ● S 2-7

THRUSHES

 Western Bluebird* OPM 2-10d

 Mountain Bluebird* M 8-11d

 Townsend's Solitaire* P 5-10d

 Swainson's Thrush ● ● W 2-5

 Varied Thrush ▌▌▌▌▌▌ ● OPW 2-5

 Hermit Thrush* PS 2-10d

 American Robin* ▌▌▌ ▌▌▌▌▌▌ MWPO 2-10d

FLYCATCHERS

Habitat Elev.

 Turkey Vulture AM 2-6

● L 4-10

 Great Blue Heron RLM 2-9d

 Pied-billed Grebe ● ● ● ● ● L 2-9

 Eared Grebe

SM 3-8d

 California Quail* OS 2-4

GAMEBIRDS

 White-tailed Ptarmigan (I)* M 10-12

 Sooty Grouse* PSM 4-8u

 Wild Turkey (I)* OP 2-4

LR 4-10

 Common Merganser* LR 2-7

● ● 2-9

 Harlequin Duck* R 4-9

● ● ● AL 2-7

 Mallard* LR 2-10

 Green-winged Teal* RL

WATERFOWL

Winter Spring Summer Fall

 Canada Goose*

 Bufflehead*

 Mountain Quail*
 

Yosemite Bird Checklist

National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Yosemite National Park

California

This checklist includes the 265 species of birds presently 

known to have occurred within the boundaries of Yosemite 

National Park and in El Portal. The bar graphs indicate 

seasonal occurrence and abundance of birds. For more 

detailed information, consult Birds of Yosemite and the East 

Slope (Gaines 1992). Help improve this checklist by reporting

all unusual observations. Happy Birdwatching!

Observers_____________________ Date_________

Number of Species______________ Version 4.3 (2014)

Habitat Elev.

 European Starling (I)* MO 2-4

Winter Spring Summer Fall

 American Pipit* CM 10-12

 Wrentit* S 2-7d

 California Thrasher SW 2-4

 Cedar Waxwing POW 2-9d

 Orange-crowned Warbler* WOSP 2-10

 Nashville Warbler* OPW 3-8u

WARBLERS

 Townsend's Warbler PW 2-10

 Hermit Warbler* P 4-7

WARBLERS

 Wilson's Warbler* WM 4-10

 Yellow Warbler* WSO 2-9

 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)* POMW 2-10d

 MacGillivray's Warbler* SW 2-8u

 Common Yellowthroat ● ● MWL 2-6

2-10

M 2-4

 Black-throated Gray Warbler* OP 2-7u

TOWHEES, SPARROWS

 Green-tailed Towhee* ● S 5-8u

 Spotted Towhee* SW 2-7

 California Towhee* OS

 Brewer's Sparrow ● ● ● M 2-10d

2-4

 Rufous-crowned Sparrow MS 2-3

 Chipping Sparrow* PM

 Black-chinned Sparrow S 2-5

 Vesper Sparrow ● ● M 2-10d

 Lark Sparrow

SPARROWS, JUNCOS

 Savannah Sparrow* ● M 2-10

 Fox Sparrow* S 5-8d

 Song Sparrow* WM

 Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)* MOPW 2-10d

 Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) MOW 2-4

 White-crowned Sparrow (Gambel's)

 Lazuli Bunting* WMS 2-7

2-9

 Lincoln's Sparrow* MW 4-10

 White-crowned Sparrow (Mountain)* MW 8-11

 Western Tanager* PW 2-8

MW 2-4

 Golden-crowned Sparrow SW 2-5

 Black-headed Grosbeak* ● ● ● OWP 2-6

MWP 2-10u

 Brown-headed Cowbird* ● MWPO 2-10

BLACKBIRDS

 Red-winged Blackbird* ● MLW 2-9

 Western Meadowlark* ● M 2-6u

 Brewer's Blackbird*

 Bullock's Oriole* WO 2-4

FINCHES

 Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch* CM 9-13

 Pine Grosbeak* ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ PM 7-10

 Purple Finch* ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ OP 2-6

 Cassin's Finch* ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ PM 4-11

 House Finch MOPW 2-5

 Red Crossbill* ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ P 4-11

 ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ MP 7-10d

 ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ 

 House Sparrow (I)* OM 2-4

 Evening Grosbeak* ▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌ PO 2-9

 Lawrence's Goldfinch* MW 2-4

 American Goldfinch ● WM 2-4

 ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ 

 Lesser Goldfinch* MS 2-6u

 ▪ ▪ 

 Pine Siskin*

Additional species recorded at least four times:

Snow Goose Wilson's Phalarope

Wood Duck* Red-necked Phalarope

American Wigeon Red Phalarope

Blue-w inged Teal* Ring-billed Gull

Cinnamon Teal Caspian Tern

Northern Shoveler Rock Pigeon

Northern Pintail Barn Ow l

Canvasback Burrow ing Ow l

Ring-necked Duck* Black-chinned Hummingbird

Lesser Scaup Allen's Hummingbird

Common Goldeneye Gray Flycatcher

Hooded Merganser Black-billed Magpie

Ruddy Duck* Northern Mockingbird

Common Loon Sage Thrasher

Western Grebe Bohemian Waxw ing

Double-crested Cormorant Phainopepla

American White Pelican Black-and-w hite Warbler

Great Egret American Redstart

Snow y Egret Yellow -breasted Chat

Sw ainson's Haw k Black-throated Sparrow *

Rough-legged Haw k Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Merlin Indigo Bunting

Sora Yellow -headed Blackbird

American Coot* Great-tailed Grackle

Additional species recorded fewer than four times:

Tundra Sw an Eastern Kingbird

Gadw all Northern Shrike

Barrow 's Goldeneye Red-eyed Vireo

Greater Sage-Grouse Yellow -billed Magpie

Pacific Loon Bank Sw allow

Horned Grebe Gray Catbird

Clark's Grebe Chestnut-collared Longspur

Brow n Pelican Tennessee Warbler

American Bittern Virginia's Warbler

Green Heron Northern Parula

Black-crow ned Night-Heron Magnolia Warbler

White-faced Ibis Yellow -rumped Warbler (Myrtle)

White-tailed Kite Palm Warbler

Ferruginous Haw k Blackpoll Warbler

Yellow Rail Cerulean Warbler

Sandhill Crane Ovenbird

Black-necked Stilt Hooded Warbler

American Avocet Painted Redstart

Solitary Sandpiper Clay-colored Sparrow

Greater Yellow legs Sage Sparrow

Willet Grasshopper Sparrow

Least Sandpiper White-throated Sparrow

Eurasian Collared-Dove (I) Harris' Sparrow

Greater Roadrunner Dark-eyed Junco (Gray-headed)

Short-eared Ow l Blue Grosbeak

Broad-tailed Hummingbird Bobolink

Vermilion Flycatcher Scott's Oriole

Compiled in 1977 by David Gaines; revised in 1983 by D. Gaines, 1990 by Kristine

Fister, Marla LaCass, Jon Winter, and Len McKenzie, 1993 by K. Fister, and 2009-

2014 by Sarah Stock w ith assistance from Travis Espinoza (2009), Matt Brady

(2011), and Kim Hastings (2012).

Report detailed observations of less common species to sarah_stock@nps.gov or:

Sarah Stock, Wildlife Biologist

Resources Management and Science

Yosemite National Park

P.O. Box 700

El Portal, CA 95318