Many of the species in the Common All-Year resident list are habitat generalists. They are seen over a wide range of landscapes.
The species on this Less-common Residents list are fairly common, but tend to be more specialized in their habitats.
For example, the Juniper Titmouse and Canyon Wren are sometimes seen in the agricultural land, but they are almost always seen up arroyos or on the first mesa level in the Pinyon-Juniper Woodland.
The Red-winged Blackbird ranges widely, but is most likely to be encountered in wet, marsh areas with Cattails growing. The Belted Kingfisher is rarely seen more than a few feet from the edge of the river.
If you want to see these birds, you have to go to their habitats.
| External Links in table below: | |
| (Remote sites open in a new window.) | |
| Cornell | Opens Cornell Lab of Ornithology's All About Birds site's species account in a new browser window. This site offers detailed information on every species including sound recordings. |
| USGS | Opens the USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter species account in a new browser window. Includes BBS and CBC maps, ID Tips and Taxonomy for each species. |
| Image Search | Shows the results of a Google image search for the species. |
| All Photographs by Robert Templeton unless otherwise noted. Copyright Information. | |
| English Name: Genus species: | Comments | Photos |
| Swans, Geese and Ducks | ||
| Canada Goose Branta canadensis  Enlarge Map External Sites: Cornell USGS Image Search | Seen only on the Rio Grande. Note white mark on Cheek. Larger than local Ducks. |  |
| Wood Duck Aix sponsa  Enlarge Map External Sites: Cornell USGS Image Search | Male (top): Coloration and white neck markings distinctive. Female (middle): White Eye-patch distinctive. |    |
| Diurnal Raptors: Vultures, Eagles, Hawks and Falcons | ||
| Cooper’s Hawk Accipiter cooperii  Enlarge Map External Sites: Cornell USGS Image Search | Adult is pictured. Note the horizontal barring on the breast and belly. |  El Bosque |
| American Kestrel Falco sparverius  Enlarge Map External Sites: Cornell USGS Image Search | A falcon smaller than a Robin. Commonly seen perching on wires along roads. (Commonly seen between Velarde and Alcalde) Note dark vertical bars on cheek. Sometimes seen "kiting" over fields while hunting. (A kiting bird is flapping while not moving up, down or forward.) Male is pictured. |  Rinconada  Rinconada |
| Pigeons and Doves | ||
| Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto  Enlarge Map External Sites: Cornell USGS Image Search |  | |
| White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica  Enlarge Map External Sites: Cornell USGS Image Search |  | |
| Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura  Enlarge Map External Sites: Cornell USGS Image Search | Generally seen flying in small groups (2-4 individuals). Note long, pointed tail which shows white edges when landing. Call is a soft, slow "who-AH, who, who, who" heard during the day. (Commonly mistaken for an owl. Note: Owls usually do not call during daylight hours) |  El Bosque  El Bosque |
| Kingfishers | ||
| Belted Kingfisher Ceryle alcyon  Enlarge Map External Sites: Cornell USGS Image Search | Perches on trees or wires near water. Hovers over water before diving for fish or crustaceans. Gives a distinctive long, loud rattle in flight. Male has gray breast band. Female has additional rufous band below. |  El Bosque  El Bosque |
| Woodpeckers | ||
| Lewis’s Woodpecker Melanerpes lewis  Enlarge Map External Sites: Cornell USGS Image Search | A distinctive red-bellied, black-backed woodpecker. White ring on neck and throat usually visible when perched or in flight. Only woodpecker that "hawks" insects, making looping flights to catch insects before returning to the same perch. |  El Bosque |
| Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris  Enlarge Map External Sites: Cornell USGS Image Search | Small woodpecker with distinctive black and white barring on its wings and back. Male, with red crown, is pictured. |  El Bosque |
| Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus  Enlarge Map External Sites: Cornell USGS Image Search | Very similar to Downy Woodpecker, but larger. Commonly distinguished by its large bill which is often as long as the bird's head from front to back. |  El Bosque  El Bosque |
| Chickadees and their Allies | ||
| Juniper Titmouse Baeolophus ridgwayi  Enlarge Map External Sites: Cornell USGS Image Search | Generally seen in Juniper trees, the crest on the head is distinctive. Some of its vocalizations similar to Chickadee. Often detected by soft woodpecker-like tapping on branches. |  |
| Wrens | ||
| Canyon Wren Catherpes mexicanus  Enlarge Map External Sites: Cornell USGS Image Search | More often heard than seen. It's song is a very distinctive series of descending notes: tew, tew, tew, tew, tew, tew, tew. Usually sings from rock perches high on canyon walls. Occasionally seen in riparian areas sounding its very bright, shrill, trilled "breet". Note: White throat with rufous belly. |  Near Harding Mine |
| Bewick’s Wren Thryomanes bewickii  Enlarge Map External Sites: Cornell USGS Image Search | It's very prominent, white eyebrow is distinctive. Most often seen at transition from Piñon-Juniper to agricultural or riparian areas. Song similar to Song Sparrow, but is "buzzier" and consistently ends on a clear trill. |  El Bosque |
| Icterids: Blackbirds, Orioles and their Allies | ||
| Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus  Enlarge Map External Sites: Cornell USGS Image Search | Female (Upper Picture) has brown streaking all over. Male (Lower Picture) is black with red patches on shoulders. Outside of breeding times, the red may be hidden. Both sexes have medium length, very pointed bill. |  Baca Park, Taos  El Bosque |
| Finches and Old World Sparrows | ||
| Pine Siskin Carduelis pinus  Enlarge Map External Sites: Cornell USGS Image Search | Often mistaken for a female House Finch, this lover of Thistle and other small seeds, has a distinctively smaller, sharply pointed bill. There is a subtle presence of yellow in the wings and at the base of the tail. The last, over saturated, photograph shows these markings. Often gives a raspy, rising, slurred "shee". |  Downtown Santa Fe  Downtown Santa Fe  El Bosque |