Avian Fauna

Red Butte Canyon Avian Fauna

In his study of the birds of Red Butte Canyon, Perry (1973) found 106 species occurred in the area during his study. Of these, 32 species are permanent residents and 44 are summer residents. The remainder (30) were migrants or winter residents. The permanent resident birds include:

Falconiformes - Accipitridae
Accipiter gentilis (goshawk)
Accipiter striatus (sharp-shinned hawk)
Accipiter cooperii (Cooper's hawk)

Galliformes - Tetraonidae
Dendragapus obscurus (blue grouse)
Bonasa umbellus (ruffed grouse)

Galliformes - Phasianidae
Lophortyx californicus (California quail)
Phasianus colchicus (ring-necked pheasant)
Alectoris graeca (chukar)

Strigiformes - Strigidae
Otus flammeolus (flammulated owl)
Bubo virginianus (great horned owl)
Asio otus (long-eared owl)

Coraciiformes - Alcedinidae
Megaceryle alcyon (belted kingfisher)

Piciformes - Picidae
Colaptes cafer (red-shafted flicker)
Sphyrapicus varus (yellow-bellied sapsucker)
Dendrocopus villosus (hairy woodpecker)
Dendrocopus pubescens (downy woodpecker)

Passeriformes - Corvidae
Cyanocitta stelleri (Steller's jay)
Aphelecoma coerulescens (scrub jay)
Pica pica (magpie)

Passeriformes - Paridae
Parus atricapillus (black-capped chickadee)
Parus gambeli (mountain chickadee)
Psaltriparus minimus (common bushtit)

Passeriformes - Sittidae
Sitta canadensis (red-breasted nuthatch)

Passeriformes - Certhiidae
Certhia familiaris (brown creeper)

Passerformes - Cinclidae
Cinclus mexicanus (dipper)

Passeriformes - Turdidae
Myadestes townsendi (Townsend's solitaire)

Passeriformes - Sylviidae
Regulus satrapa (golden-crowned kinglet)

Passeriformes - Icteridae
Sturnella neglecta (western meadowlark)

Passeriformes - Fringillidae
Carpodacus mexicanus (house finch)
Spinus pinus (pine siskin)
Junco oreganus (Oregon junco)

In addition to the species that are permanent residents in Red Butte Canyon, the following list of summer residents represents species that probably also nest in the canyon:

Anseriformes - Anatidae
Anas Platyrhynchos (mallard duck)

Falconiformes - Aocipitridae
Buteo jamaicensis (red-tailed hawk)
Aquila chrysaetos (golden eagle)

Falconiformes - Falconidae
Falco sparverius (sparrow hawk)

Charadriiformes - Scolopacidae
Actitis macularia (spotted sandpiper)

Columbiformes - Columbidae
Zenaidura macroura (mourning dove)

Apodiformes - Trochilidae
Archilochus alexandri (black-chinned hummingbird)
Selasphorus platycercus (broad-tailed hummingbird)

Passeriformes - Tyrannidae
Empidonax oberholseri (dusky flycatcher)
Empidonax difficlis (western flycatcher)
Contopus sordidulus (western wood peewee)

Passeriformes - Hirundinidae
Tachycineta thalassina (violet-green swallow)
Iridoprocne bicolor (tree swallow)
Riparia riparia (bank swallow)
Stylgidopteryx ruficollis (rough-winged swallow)
Hirundo rustica (barn swallow)
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota (cliff swallow)

Passeriformes - Troglodytidae
Troglodytes aedon (house wren)
Salpinctes obsoletus (rock wren)

Passeriformes - Turdidae
Turdus migratorius (robin)
Hylocichla guttata (hermit thrush)
Hylocichla ustulata (Swainson's thrush)
Sialia currocoides (mountain bluebird)

Passeriformes - Sylviidae
Polioptila caerulea (blue-gray gnatcatcher)

Passeriformes - Vireonidae
Vireo gilvus (warbling vireo)

Passeriformes - Parulidae
Vermivora celata (orange-crowned warbler)
Vermivora virginiae (Virginia's warbler)
Dendroica petechia (yellow warbler)
Dendroica auduboni (Audubon's warbler)
Oporornis tolmiei (MacGillivray's warbler)
Wilsonia pusilla (Wilson's warbler)

Passeriformes - Icteridae
Icterus bullickii (Bullock's oriole)
Molothrus ater (brown-headed cowbird)

Passeriformes - Thraupidae
Piranga ludoviciana (western tanager)

Passeriformes - Fringillidae
Pheuticus melanocephalus (black-headed grosbeak)
Passerina amoena (lazuli bunting)
Carpodacus cassinii (Cassin's finch)
Spinus tristis (American goldfinch)
Chlorura chlorura (green-tailed towhee)
Pipilo erythrothalmus (rufous-sided towhee)
Pooecetes gramineus (vesper sparrow)
Junco caniceps (gray-headed junco)
Spizella passerina (chipping sparrow)
Melospiza melodia (song sparrow)