U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Sevilleta

National Wildlife 

Refuge

Birds
Welcome to 

Birding at

Sevilleta 

National Wildlife 

Refuge

Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge is 

located approximately one hour south 

of Albuquerque, New Mexico and 

extends from the Sierra Ladrones in 

the west to the Los Pinos Mountains 

in the east. It encompasses four major 

biomes, including Chihuahuan desert, 

Great Plains shortgrass prairie, 

Colorado plateau shrub steppe and 

pinon-juniper woodland. In addition, 

the Rio Grande flows through the 

center of the refuge, creating five 

miles of riparian areas that supports 

marsh and water birds.

Birding opportunities are available 

in the Unit A and B wetland areas, 

in San Lorenzo Canyon, and around 

the visitor center and adjacent nature 

trails. The Visitor Center has an 

interpretive plant area which can 

attract many different species of 

birds. The diverse blend of habitats 

on Sevilleta NWR offers a unique and 

rewarding birding experience. Please 

stop by the visitor center for maps 

and updates on recent sightings.

This list contains 251 species of birds 

which have been recorded on the 

refuge since 1973. Species are listed 

in accordance with the seventh edition 

the American Ornithologists’ Union 

Checklist of North American Birds, 

(1998) and its supplements through 

July 2011. Please report sightings 

listed as ‘O’, ‘R’, or ‘X’ to refuge staff.
How to use your 

checklist

Occurrence

Symbols used in this list are defined 

as follows:

Sp - Spring - period of spring 

 migration (depending on 

 species) from mid-February 

 to early June 

S - Summer - June to August

F - Fall - period of fall migration 

 (depending on species) from

 mid-July to November

W - Winter - December to February

Abundance

A - Abundant: a common and 

 numerous species 

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: seen at intervals 

 of 2 to 5 years 

X - Accidental: has been seen 

 only once or twice

* Nests on the refuge

^ Exotic or introduced species

Italicized bird names indicate 

threatened or endangered species.

Left, Wilson’s warbler.

Above, Audubon’s warbler.
Ducks, Geese, and Swans

Sp S F W

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Greater White-fronted Goose R

Snow Goose R R C

Ross’s Goose R

*Canada Goose U U U U

Tundra Swan R R

Wood Duck U U U

Gadwall O O O O

American Wigeon O O O O

*Mallard C C C C

Blue-winged Teal O O

*Cinnamon Teal O O O O

*Northern Shoveler U O O O

Northern Pintail O O O O

Green-winged Teal O O U

Canvasback O

Redhead O O O O

Ring-necked Duck O O

Lesser Scaup O O

Bufflehead O O

Common Goldeneye R

Hooded Merganser R

Common Merganser O O

*Ruddy Duck O O O O

New World Quail

___*Scaled Quail O O O O

___*Gambel’s Quail U U U U

Turkeys, and Old World Quail

___*^Ring-necked Pheasant O O O O

___Wild Turkey R

Grebes

___*Pied-billed Grebe R R O O

Eared Grebe R R R

Western Grebe R

Clark’s Grebe R

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Cormorants

___Neotropic Cormorant R R R

___Double-crested Cormorant O O O

Pelicans

___American White Pelican O O
Sp S F W

Herons, Bitterns, and Allies

___American Bittern R R

Least Bittern R R

Great Blue Heron C O C C

Great Egret O C U R

Snowy Egret C A C O

Little Blue Heron R

Cattle Egret R R R

*Green Heron U U

*Black-crowned Night Heron O

Ibises

White-faced Ibis R R R

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Vulture

___*Turkey Vulture U U U

Hawks, Kites, Eagles, and Allies

___Osprey R

Mississippi Kite R O R

Bald Eagle O O

Northern Harrier U U U

Sharp-shinned Hawk O O O

*Cooper’s Hawk U U O U

Harris’s Hawk X

*Swainson’s Hawk U U U

*Red-tailed Hawk C C C C

Ferruginous Hawk O R O R

Rough-legged Hawk R R

*Golden Eagle O O O O

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Falcons

___*American Kestrel C C C C

Merlin R R

Peregrine Falcon R R R

Prairie Falcon O O O R

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Rails, Gallinules, and Coots

___*Virginia Rail O O O R

Sora R R R

Common Gallinule R

American Coot C C U U

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Cranes

___Sandhill Crane U U U

Lapwings and Plovers

___Semipalmated Plover R

*Killdeer O O O O

Mountain Plover R

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Stilts and Avocets

___*Black-necked Stilt U U O X

___*American Avocet U U R
Sp S F W

Sandpipers, Phalaropes, and Allies

___*Spotted Sandpiper U U O

Solitary Sandpiper R

Greater Yellowlegs U U U

Willet U

Lesser Yellowlegs R R

Long-billed Curlew R

Western Sandpiper U

Least Sandpiper U U

Baird’s Sandpiper R

Stilt Sandpiper O

Long-billed Dowitcher U O U

Wilson’s Snipe O O

Wilson’s Phalarope U U O

Red-necked Phalarope O O

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Skuas, Gulls and Terns

___Ring-billed Gull U U U

Black Tern O O

Common Tern R

Forster’s Tern O O

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Pigeons and Doves

___RockPigeon C C C C

^Eurasian Collared-Dove U U U U

White-winged Dove C C C U

*Mourning Dove C C C C

Inca Dove X

Common Ground-Dove X

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Cuckoos and Roadrunners

___*Greater Roadrunner U U U U

Barn Owls

___Barn Owl R R

Typical Owls

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*Western Screech-Owl R R R R

*Great Horned Owl O O O O

Burrowing Owl R O O

Long-eared Owl R

Short-eared Owl R R

Goatsuckers

___Lesser Nighthawk O O O

*Common Nighthawk C C C

Common Poorwill R R

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Swifts

___Chimney Swift R

___White-throated Swift O O
Sp S F W

Hummingbirds

___*Black-chinned Hummingbird U U U

Broad-tailed Hummingbird O O O

Rufous Hummingbird O O

Kingfishers

Belted Kingfisher O O O O

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Woodpeckers

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___Acorn Woodpecker R

Williamson’s Sapsucker R

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker R

Red-naped Sapsucker R R

*Ladder-backed Woodpecker U U U U

Downy Woodpecker R R R R

Hairy Woodpecker R

*Northern Flicker C U C C

___Red-shafted C U C C

___Yellow-shafted R R

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Tyrant Flycatchers

___Olive-sided Flycatcher U X U

*Western Wood-Pewee U U U

*Willow Flycatcher U U U

Gray Flycatcher O R R

Dusky Flycatcher U R

*Black Phoebe U U U O

*Say’s Phoebe C C U O

*Ash-throated Flycatcher C C

*Cassin’s Kingbird U U U

*Western Kingbird C C U

Eastern Kingbird R

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher X

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Shrikes

___Loggerhead Shrike U U U U

___Northern Shrike X

Vireos

___*Gray Vireo U U U

Plumbeous Vireo R R

Warbling Vireo R

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Jays and Crows

___Pinon Jay U R U U

Steller’s Jay R R

*Western Scrub-Jay C C C C

American Crow O R O O

*Chihuahuan Raven O O O O

*Common Raven C C C C

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Sp S F W

Larks

___Horned Lark C C C U

Swallows

___Tree Swallow O R O

Violet-green Swallow U U R

*Northern Rough-winged Swallow U U U

Bank Swallow O O

*Cliff Swallow U U R

*Barn Swallow U C U

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Chickadees and Titmice

___Black-capped Chickadee X

*Mountain Chickadee O U O

*Juniper Titmouse O O O O

Verdins

*Verdin U U U U

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Bushtits

___*Bushtit O O O O

Nuthatches

___Red-breasted Nuthatch R

___White-breasted Nuthatch R

Creepers

___Brown Creeper O O

Wrens

___*Cactus Wren R R R R

*Rock Wren C C U R

Canyon Wren U U U U

Bewick’s Wren O O O O

House Wren U U

Marsh Wren O X R R

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Gnatcatchers

___*Blue-gray Gnatcatcher O O R R

___Black-tailed Gnatcatcher X

Kinglets

___Golden-crowned Kinglet R

___Ruby-crowned Kinglet U U O

Thrushes

___Eastern Bluebird R

Western Bluebird R R C

Mountain Bluebird O C

Townsend’s Solitaire R R C

Hermit Thrush R U R

*American Robin O O C C

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Sp S F W

Mockingbirds and Thrashers

___Gray Catbird O O

*Northern Mockingbird C C C R

Sage Thrasher X U U

Bendire’s Thrasher R R

*Curve-billed Thrasher O O O O

*Crissal Thrasher U U U U

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Starlings

___*^European Starling C U C C

Pipits

___American Pipit O O R

___Sprague’s Pipit O

Waxwings

___Cedar Waxwing O O O

Silky-Flycatchers

___Phainopepla R R R R

Longspurs

___McCown’s Longspur R

Lapland Longspur X

Chestnut-collared Longspur U U

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Wood-Warblers

___Prothonotary Warbler X

Orange-crowned Warbler U U

Lucy’s Warbler U U U

Nashville Warbler O O

Virginia’s Warbler U O

MacGillivray’s Warbler U U

Common Yellowthroat U U U

*Yellow Warbler C C U

Yellow-rumped Warbler C C O

Black-throated Gray Warbler U U

Townsend’s Warbler O O

Wilson’s Warbler C C

*Yellow-breasted Chat C C C

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Townsend’s solitaire
Sp S F W

Sparrows

___Green-tailed Towhee U X U O

*Spotted Towhee C C U U

*Rufous-crowned Sparrow U U U U

*Canyon Towhee C U C C

*Cassin’s Sparrow O U O

American Tree Sparrow X X

*Chipping Sparrow C U C O

Clay-colored Sparrow R R

Brewer’s Sparrow C O C R

*Black-chinned Sparrow O O O

*Vesper Sparrow R X U R

*Lark Sparrow U U U

*Black-throated Sparrow C C C U

Sage Sparrow C C C

Lark Bunting U O U

Savannah Sparrow U U O

Grasshopper Sparrow U R

Baird’s Sparrow R R

Fox Sparrow R

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___Red form R

___Gray form R

___Song Sparrow C C C

Lincoln’s Sparrow U U U

Swamp Sparrow X O O

White-throated Sparrow R

White-crowned Sparrow C C C

Golden-crowned Sparrow R R R

Dark-eyed Junco C C C

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___Slate-colored O O O

Oregon C C C

Pink-sided C C C

Gray-headed U U U

Tanagers, Cardinals, and Grosbeaks

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___Hepatic Tanager R

*Summer Tanager U U O

Western Tanager U U

Pyrrhuloxia R

Rose-breasted Grosbeak R R R

*Black-headed Grosbeak C C O

*Blue Grosbeak C C C

Lazuli Bunting U O U

Indigo Bunting U U U

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Sp S F W

Blackbirds and Orioles

___*Red-winged Blackbird U U C C

*Eastern Meadowlark C C C U

*Western Meadowlark C U C C

Yellow-headed Blackbird O U

Brewer’s Blackbird X U C

*Great-tailed Grackle U O R R

*Brown-headed Cowbird C C O

*Bullock’s Oriole U U

Scott’s Oriole U U O

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Finches

___Cassin’s Finch R R

*House Finch C C C C

Pine Siskin R R

*Lesser Goldfinch U U U U

American Goldfinch R R O

Evening Grosbeak R O

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Old World Sparrows

___*^House Sparrow U U U U

Red-tailed hawk.
Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge

P.O. Box 1248

Socorro, New Mexico 87801

505/864-4021

505/864-7761 FAX

www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/newmex/sevilleta

Visit us on our social media websites

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

www.fws.gov/southwest/

For Refuge Information

1 800/344-WILD

For relay service, please dial 711

Sage Thrasher

All photographs Dave Krueper / USFWS

September 2011