Birds
Although only 72-acres in size, Younger Lagoon Reserve provides habitat for many bird species. Some of these birds reside at the reserve, while others pass through, finding food and temporaty shelter as they make their way to other natural areas. Many species stop at the lagoon while on migration from north to south along the coastal flyway. Many shorebirds feed in the lagoon throughout the year. Approximately 25 species of water and land birds are known to breed at Younger Lagoon Reserve, and over 100 species of birds have been sighted at the reserve.
|
Younger Lagoon Reserve Bird Species List |
|||||
| SPECIES | SEASONAL STATUS | HABITAT | |||
| Summer | Fall | Winter | Spring | ||
| LOONS | |||||
| Red-throated Loon | - | U | FC | FC | O, L |
| Pacific Loon | - | FC | FC | C | O,L |
| Common Loon | - | R | U | U | O,L |
| GREBES | |||||
| Pied-billed Grebe | R | U | FC | FC | L |
| Horned Grebe | - | U | U | U | L, O |
| Red-necked Grebe | - | - | Cs | - | O |
| Eared Grebe | - | U | FC | FC | L, O |
| Western Grebe | R | FC | FC | FC | O, L |
| Clark's Grebe | - | U | R | U | O |
| FULMARS and SHEARWATERS | |||||
| Northern Fulmar | - | R | R | R | O |
| Pink-footed Shearwater | R | R | - | - | O |
| Buller's Shearwater | Cs | R | - | - | O |
| Sooty Shearwater | U | R | - | R | O |
| Black-vented Shearwater | Cs | Cs | - | O | |
| PELICANS and CORMORANTS | |||||
| Brown Pelican | FC | C | R | U | O, C |
| Double-crested Cormorant | U | FC | FC | U | O, L, C |
| Brandt's Cormorant | FC | FC | FC | U | O, C |
| Pelagic Cormorant | FC | FC | FC | FC | O, C |
| FRIGATEBIRDS | |||||
| Magnificent Frigatebird | - | X | - | - | O |
| HERONS and EGRETS | |||||
| American Bittern | Cs | - | - | Cs | L, M |
| Great Blue Heron | U | U | U | U | L |
| Great Egret | U | U | U | U | L, F |
| Snowy Egret | FC | FC | FC | FC | L, F |
| Cattle Egret | X | R | R | - | F, L |
| Green Heron (Green-becked Heron) | Cs | Cs | - | - | L |
| Black-crowned Night-Heron | R | R | - | R | L |
| WATERFOWL | |||||
| Tundra Swan | - | - | X | - | L |
| Mute Swan | - | - | - | X | L |
| Snow Goose | - | - | X | - | O |
| Brant | - | U | - | U | O |
| Canada Goose | - | - | - | X | L |
| Green-winged Teal | Cs | U | R | - | L, F |
| Mallard* | FC | C | C | C | L, F |
| Northern Pintail | Cs | FC | FC | R | L |
| Cinnamon Teal | - | U | FC | FC | L, F |
| Northern Shoveler | - | U | U | - | L |
| Gadwall | - | - | Cs | - | L |
| Eurasian Wigeon | - | Cs | - | - | L |
| American Wigeon | - | U | FC | U | L |
| Ring-necked Duck | - | Cs | - | L | |
| Greater Scaup | - | U | U | U | L |
| Lesser Scaup | - | U | U | U | L |
| Harlequin Duck | - | - | R | - | O |
| Black Scoter | - | - | R | - | O |
| Surf Scoter | R | FC | FC | C | O, L |
| White-winged Scoter | - | U | U | U | O, L |
| Common Goldeneye | - | - | U | - | L |
| Bufflehead | - | U | FC | U | L |
| Hooded Merganser | - | Cs | - | CS | L |
| Red-breasted Merganser | - | R | U | R | L, O |
| Ruddy Duck | - | R | R | Cs | L |
| VULTURES, HAWKS, and EAGLES | |||||
| Turkey Vulture | - | - | Cs | R | F |
| Osprey | Cs | Cs | Cs | - | C, L |
| White-tailed Hawk (Black-shouldered Kite) | U | FC | U | U | F, W |
| Northern Harrier | U | FC | FC | FC | F, B, L |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | - | U | U | U | B, W |
| Cooper's Hawk | Cs | U | U | U | B, W |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | - | Cs | R | - | F, W |
| Red-tailed Hawk | U | FC | FC | FC | F |
| Ferruginous Hawk | - | Cs | - | - | F |
| Rough-legged Hawk | - | - | R | - | F |
| Golden Eagle | - | - | - | Cs | F |
| American Kestrel | R | FC | FC | FC | F, B |
| Merlin | - | R | U | Cs | F |
| Peregrine Falcon | - | R | Cs | R | F |
| QUAILS and PHEASANTS | |||||
| Ring-necked Pheasant | Cs | - | Cs | CS | B |
| California Quail | (U) | - | (U) | (U) | B, W |
| RAILS and COOTS | |||||
| Virginia Rail | - | R | R | R | M, L |
| Sora | - | R | R | R | M, L |
| Common Moorhen | - | - | - | Cs | L, M |
| American Coot | U | FC | FC | FC | L |
| SHOREBIRDS | |||||
| Black-bellied Plover | - | U | FC | FC | C, L, F |
| Snowy Plover | - | - | - | R | C |
| Semipalmated Plover | Cs | R | - | R | L, C |
| Killdeer | U | FC | FC | FC | L, F,C |
| American Oystercatcher (American Black Oystercatcher) | R | U | U | U | C |
| Black-necked Stilt | Cs | - | Cs | Cs | L |
| American Avocet | - | Cs | - | Cs | L |
| Greater Yellowlegs | Cs | U | R | U | L, F |
| Lesser Yellowlegs | - | R | Cs | - | L |
| Willet | R | FC | FC | FC | C, L, F |
| Wandering Tattler | Cs | R | R | R | C |
| Spotted Sandpiper | R | U | U | U | L, C |
| Whimbrel | R | U | U | U | C, F |
| Long-billed Curlew | - | - | - | Cs | F |
| Marbled Godwit | R | FC | FC | FC | C, L |
| Ruddy Turnstone | R | U | U | U | C |
| Black Turnstone | R | FC | FC | FC | C |
| Surfbird | - | R | U | R | C |
| Sanderling | R | FC | C | FC | C, L |
| Western Sandpiper | R | U | R | R | L, F, C |
| Least Sandpiper | R | U | U | U | L, C, F |
| Baird's Sandpiper | - | Cs | - | - | L |
| Pectoral Sandpiper | - | R | Cs | - | L |
| Dunlin | - | U | R | R | L |
| Short-billed Dowitcher | - | FC | U | FC | L, F |
| Long-billed Dowitcher | Cs | U | U | U | L, F |
| Wilson's Snipe | - | R | Cs | R | L, F |
| PHARLARONES | |||||
| Red-necked Phalarope | - | U | - | U | L, O, F |
| Red Phalarope | - | U | R | - | L, O, F |
| JAEGERS | |||||
| Pomarine Jaeger | Cs | U | Cs | R | O |
| Parasitic Jaeger | R | U | Cs | - | O |
| GULLS | |||||
| Bonaparte's Gull | - | FC | R | FC | O, F, L |
| Heermann's Gull | FC | FC | U | R | O, C, L |
| Mew Gull | - | R | U | R | O, C, L |
| Ring-billed Gull | - | R | R | U | F, C |
| California Gull | R | FC | U | FC | O, C, F, L |
| Herring Gull | - | U | U | U | O, C |
| Thayer's Gull | - | R | R | R | O, C |
| Western Gull | C | C | C | C | O, C |
| Glaucous-winged Gull | - | U | FC | U | O, C |
| Black-legged Kittiwake | - | - | U | R | O |
| Sabine's Gull | - | - | - | Cs | O |
| TERNS | |||||
| Caspian Tern | U | - | - | U | O, L |
| Elegant Tern | U | R | - | Cs | O, L |
| Common Tern | - | - | - | Cs | O, L |
| Arctic Tern | - | - | - | Cs | O |
| Forster's Tern | U | U | - | U | L, O |
| ALCIDS | |||||
| Common Murre | FC | U | U | U | O |
| Pigeon Guillemot | FC | - | - | FC | O, C |
| Marbled Murrelet | U | U | R | U | O |
| Ancient Murrelet | - | - | R | - | O |
| Rhinoceros Auklet | - | - | R | R | O |
| DOVES and PIGEONS | |||||
| Rock Pigeon | FC | FC | FC | FC | F |
| Band-tailed Pigeon | U | U | U | FC | F, W |
| Mourning Dove* | C | C | C | C | F, B, W |
| OWLS | |||||
| Barn Owl (Common Barn Owl) | R | R | U | R | F, W |
| Great Horned Owl | - | - | U | - | F, W |
| Burrowing Owl | - | - | X | - | F |
| Short-eared Owl | - | R | R | - | W, F |
| SWIFTS | |||||
| Black Swift | Cs | - | - | R | L, F |
| Vaux's Swift | - | Cs | - | - | F, L |
| White-throated Swift | - | R | - | - | L, F |
| HUMMINGBIRDS | |||||
| Anna's Hummingbird* | FC | FC | FC | FC | B, W |
| Rufous Hummingbird | - | - | Cs | R | B, W |
| Allen's Hummingbird* | U | - | U | FC | B, W |
| KINGFISHERS | |||||
| Belted Kingfisher | U | U | U | U | L |
| WOODPECKERS | |||||
| Downy Woodpecker | Cs | Cs | Cs | - | W, B |
| Northern Flicker | - | U | U | U | B |
| FLYCATCHERS and KINGBIRDS | |||||
| Western Wood-pewee | - | - | - | R | W, B |
| Willow Flycatcher | - | - | - | Cs | W |
| Pacific-Slope Flycatcher (Western Flycatcher) | R | - | - | R | W |
| Black Phoebe* | U | FC | FC | FC | B, L, F |
| Say's Phoebe | - | FC | FC | U | F, B |
| Ash-throated Flycatcher | Cs | - | - | Cs | W, B |
| Tropical Kingbird | - | Cs | - | - | B, F |
| Western Kingbird | - | - | - | R | B, F |
| LARKS | |||||
| Horned Lark | R | U | R | U | F |
| SWALLOWS | |||||
| Tree Swallow | R | - | R | FC | L, F |
| Violet-green Swallow | U | - | - | U | F, L |
| Northern Rough-winged Swallow | R | - | - | R | F, L |
| Cliff Swallow* | FC | R | - | FC | F, L |
| Barn Swallow* | FC | R | - | FC | F, L |
| JAYS and CROWS | |||||
| Western Scrub-Jay | - | ( R ) | ( R ) | ( R ) | B, W |
| American Crow | - | - | R | R | F |
| Common Raven | - | - | - | R | F |
| CHICKADEES and BUSHTITS | |||||
| Chestnut-backed Chickadee | - | R | U | R | W, B |
| Bushtit | U | U | U | U | B, W |
| WRENS | |||||
| Bewick's Wren* | U | U | U | U | B |
| House Wren | - | Cs | Cs | - | B, W |
| Marsh Wren | - | (U) | (U) | (U) | M, L, B |
| KINGLETS | |||||
| Golden-crowned Kinglet | - | - | Cs | - | W |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | - | U | U | R | W, B |
| THRUSHES | |||||
| Swainson's Thrush* | U | - | - | FC | W |
| Hermit Thrush | - | U | U | U | W, B, F |
| American Robin* | U | U | FC | FC | F, W, B |
| WRENTITS | |||||
| Wrentit* | U | U | U | U | B, W |
| MOCKINGBIRDS and THRASHERS | |||||
| Northern Mockingbird | R | - | R | R | F, B |
| Sage Thrasher | - | X | - | - | B, W |
| WAGTAILS and PIPETS | |||||
| Yellow Wagtail | - | X | - | - | B, L |
| American Pipet (Water Pipet) | - | FC | I | R | F, L |
| WAXWINGS and SHRIKES | |||||
| Cedar Waxwing | - | R | R | - | F, B |
| Loggerhead Shrike | Cs | R | R | - | F, B |
| STARLINGS | |||||
| European Starling | FC | FC | FC | FC | F, B |
| VIREOS | |||||
| Warbling Vireo | - | - | - | U | W, B |
| WARBLERS | |||||
| Orange-crowned Warbler** | U | U | R | U | W, B |
| Yellow Warbler | - | R | - | U | W, B |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | - | FC | FC | U | B, F, W |
| Black-throated Gray Warbler | - | - | - | U | W |
| Townsend's Warbler | - | Cs | - | - | B, W |
| Palm Warbler | - | R | Cs | - | B, W |
| Northern Waterthrush | - | - | - | Cs | W |
| MacGillivray's Warbler | - | - | - | Cs | W |
| Common Yellowthroat* | U | U | U | FC | M, B, L, W |
| Wilson's Warbler | R | - | - | FC | W, B |
| BUNTINGS and GROSBEAKS | |||||
| Indigo Bunting | - | - | X | - | B, F |
| Dickcissel | - | - | X | - | F |
| TOWHEES and SPARROWS | |||||
| Spotted Towhee (Rufous-sided Towhee) | - | U | U | U | B, F |
| Canyon Towhee (Brown Towhee)* | FC | FC | FC | FC | B, W |
| Chipping Sparrow | - | Cs | - | - | F, B |
| Clay-colored Sparrow | - | Cs | - | - | F, B |
| Vesper Sparrow | - | Cs | - | - | F, B |
| Lark Sparrow | - | - | - | Cs | F, B |
| Savannah Sparrow | R | FC | U | U | F, B |
| Fox Sparrow | - | FC | FC | U | B, W |
| Song Sparrow* | C | Cs | C | Cs | B, M, W, F |
| Lincoln's Sparrow | - | FC | U | U | B, F, W |
| Swamp Sparrow | - | R | - | Cs | B, L, F |
| White-throated Sparrow | - | - | Cs | - | F, B |
| Golden-crowned Sparrow | - | C | C | Cs | B, F |
| White-crowned Sparrow | FC | C | C | Cs | B, F |
| JUNCOS and LONGSPURS | |||||
| Dark-eyed Junco | - | R | R | R | B, W, F |
| Lapland Longspur | - | Cs | - | - | F |
| BLACKBIRDS, MEADOWLARKS, and ORIOLES | |||||
| Bobolink | X | Cs | - | - | F |
| Red-winged Blackbird | FC | U | FC | C | B, F, M |
| Tricolored Blackbird | - | R | Cs | Cs | M, B, F |
| Western Meadowlark | - | FC | FC | U | F |
| Rusty Blackbird | - | - | X | - | L, F |
| Brewer's Blackbird** | FC | C | C | C | F |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | U | Cs | - | U | W, F, B |
| Hooded Oriole | Cs | - | - | - | W |
| Scott's Oriole (Hooded Oriole) | ( R ) | - | - | R | W |
| FINCHES | |||||
| House Finch* | C | C | C | C | B, F, W |
| Pine Siskin | - | U | U | R | B, W, F |
| Lesser Goldfinch | - | U | U | R | B, W, F |
| Lawrence's Goldfinch | - | - | - | Cs | B, F, W |
| American Goldfinch** | U | FC | FC | FC | B, W, F |
| WEAVER FINCHES | |||||
| House Sparrow | - | R | - | - | F |
| SHOREBIRDS | |||||
| Ruff | |||||
| Wilson's Phalarope | |||||
| F= Field; Includes agricultural lands and other open areas. | |||||
| L= Lagoon; Includes the waters and immediate shorelines of Younger Lagoon. | |||||
| M= Marsh; Includes cattail marshes of the upper lagoon. | |||||
| O= Oceanic; Includes all adjacent marine waters within sight of land. | |||||
| W= Willows; Includes all willow groves of the upper lagoon. | |||||
| *Seasonal designations are somewhat arbitrary, as seasons may encompass different months for each species. The following are typical for most species: | |||||
| Sum – Summer: June 15 – September 15 Fa – Fall: September 15 – November 30 | |||||
| Wi – Winter: December 1 – March 15 Spr- Spring: March 15 – June 15 | |||||
| Status classifications refer to the relative likelihood that a species will be sighted within its preferred habitat. In other words, classifications refer to frequency of sightings, which is sometimes, but not always, equivalent to numerical abundance. | |||||
| *Habitats are listed in general order of preference for each species. Species may be seen in habitats other than those listed. | |||||
| Nesting/Breeding | |||||
| * = Nesting/Breeding confirmed for Younger Lagoon area. | |||||
| ** = Nesting/Breeding suspected but not confirmed for Younger Lagoon area. | |||||
| a = Formerly nested at Younger Lagoon; current status unclear. | |||||
UC Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, Ca 95064
©2024 Regents of the University of California. All Rights Reserved.