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BENEWAH COUNTY BIRD CHECKLIST AND BENEWAH COUNTY 2012 BIG YEAR

Compiled by Shirley Sturts

Below is a list of all the Benewah County Birds that I have records for. This is our first Benewah County Big Year. We'll see how many of these species we can come up with. Call Shirley 664-5318 or e-mail shirley.sturts@gmail.com to get credit for being the first to see a species for the year. Also report any species not on this list, or any species that is marked rare or accidental (include documentation).


  • Common = 108

  • Uncommon = 41

  • Scarce = 41 rare = 27

  • Accidental = 10

  • Benewah County Total (seen since 1950) = 227

  • Historical record only ( h ) (pre-1950) = 7

OCCURRENCE CATEGORIES

( c ) COMMON: Found every year, often seasonal, in many areas, in high to moderate numbers and some searching in appropriate areas may be required.

( u ) UNCOMMON: Found every year, often seasonal, in limited areas, in small numbers, and may require repeated search attempts in more specific areas.

( s ) SCARCE: Found most years, but difficult. Either very specialized and local in distribution; difficult to distinguish from similar, more common species; or only passes through briefly on migration.

( r ) RARE: Not seen every year, mostly irregular, some periodic.

( # ) ACCIDENTAL: Just a few total sightings with a low expectation of being found in the future.

TOTAL SEEN: 110 as of Noveber 17, 2012

Species
Date Location Observer
SWAN, GEESE, DUCKS
Greater White-Fronted Goose ( r )
     
Snow goose ( s ) 
     
Canada Goose ( c ) 
2 January Round Lake to Saint Maries Indian Mt.CBC
Trumpeter Swan ( s )
     
Tundra Swan ( c )
3 March Chatcolet Lake Donni Moen
Wood Duck ( c )
19 April St.Maries sewage ponds Mike Haldeman 
Gadwall ( c )
19 April St.Maries sewage ponds Mike Haldeman
Eurasian Wigeon ( s )
     
American Wigeon ( c )
2 January Round Lake to St. Maries Indian Mt.. CBC
Mallard ( c )
2 January Roud Lake to St. Maries Indian Mt. CBC
Blue-winged Teal ( u )
     
Cinnamon Teal ( c )
     
Northern Shoveler ( c )
1 March St. Maries area Donni Moen
Northern Pintail ( c )
2 January Round Lake to St. Maries Indian Mt. CBC
Green-winged Teal ( c )
19 April St. Maries sewage ponds Mike Haldeman
Canvasback ( u ) 
27 January St. Maries sewage Mike Haldeman 
Redhead ( c ) 
13February St. Maries area Donni Moen
Ring-necked Duck ( c ) 
13February St. Maries area Donni Moen
Tufted Duck ( # ) 
Greater Scaup ( s ) 
Lesser Scaup ( u ) 
2 January Round Lake to St. Maries Indian Mt. CBC 
Harlequin Duck ( r )
Surf Scoter ( r )
White-winged Scoter ( r )
Long-tailed Duck ( r ) 
Bufflehead ( c )
2 January Round Lake to St. Maries Indian Mt. CBC
Common Goldeneye ( c ) 
2 January Round Lake to St. Maries Indian Mt. CBC
Barrow's Goldeneye ( s )
2 January Round Lake to St. Maries Indian Mt. CBC
Hooded Merganser ( c )
2 January Round Lake to St. Maries Indian Mt. CBC
Common Merganser ( c )
2 January Round Lake to St. Maries  Indian Mt. CBC
Red-breasted Merganser ( r )
     
Ruddy Duck ( u ) 
14 May St. Maries area Donni Moen
PARTRIDGES, GROUSE, TURKEY
Gray Partridge ( u )
     
Ring-necked Pheasant ( c )
2 January Round Lake to St. Maries Indian Mt. CBC
Ruffed Grouse ( c )
     
Spruce Grouse ( s )
Dusky (Blue) Grouse ( s )
28 June Rochet Divide Lisa Hardy, Carrie Hugo, Kris Buchler
Wild Turkey ( c )
2 January Round Lake to St. Maries Indian Mt. CBC
NEW WORLD QUAIL
California Quail ( c )
2 January Round Lake to St. Maries Indian Mt. CBC 
Northern Bobwhite (r, introduced) 
LOONS
Red-Throated Loon (#)
Pacific Loon ( s )
Common Loon ( c )
     
Yellow-billed Loon ( # )
GREBES
Pied-billed Grebe ( c )
     
Horned Grebe 
     
Red-necked Grebe ( c )
     
Eared Grebe ( r )
     
Western Grebe ( c )
     
Clark's Grebe ( # )
PELICANS
American White Pelican ( s )
11 April St. Maries area Donni Moen
Double-crested Cormorant( u )
28 June St. Maries area Donni Moen
HERONS, BITTERNS
American Bittern ( r )
Great Blue Heron ( c )
2 January Round Lake to St. Maries Indian Mt. CBC 
Great Egret ( r )
     
Snowy Egret ( # )
Cattle Egret ( # )
Black-crowned Night-Heron (r)
IBISES
White-faced Ibis ( # )
NEW WORLD VULTURES
Turkey Vulture ( u )
30 March St. Maries area Donni Moen
HAWKS, KITES, EAGLES
Osprey ( c )
7 May St. Maries area Donni Moen
Bald Eagle ( c )
2 January Round Lake to St. Maries Indian Mt. CBC 
Northern Harrier (c )
2 January Round Lake to St. Maries Indian Mt. CBC 
Sharp-shinned Hawk ( u )
4 February St. Maries area Donni Moen
Cooper's Hawk ( u )
     
Northern Goshawk ( s )
     
Broad-winged Hawk (#)
Swainson's Hawk ( s )
Red-tailed Hawk ( c )
2 January Round Lake to St. Maries Round Lake to St. Maries
Harlan's 
     
Ferruginous Hawk ( # )
Rough-legged Hawk ( c )
2 January Round Lake to St. Maries Indian Mt. CBC 
Golden Eagle ( r )
     
FALCONS
American Kestrel ( c )
2 January Round Lake to St. Maries Indian Mt. CBC 
Merlin ( u )
     
Gyrfalcon ( r )
Peregrine Falcon ( r )
Prairie Falcon ( s )
RAILS, COOTS
Virginia Rail ( s )
Sora ( u )
     
American Coot ( c )
2 January  Round Lake to St. Maries Indian Mt. CBC 
CRANES
Sandhill Crane ( r )
19 April St. Maries Sewage ponds Mike Haldeman
PLOVERS
Black-bellied Plover ( r )
American Golden-Plover ( r )
Semipalmated Plover ( r )
Killdeer ( c )
2 January Benewah Lake Indian Mt. CBC
STILTS, AVOCETS
American Avocet ( r )
     
SANDPIPERS, PHALAROPES
Greater Yellowlegs ( s )
Lesser Yellowlegs ( s )
     
Solitary Sandpiper ( s )
Spotted Sandpiper ( c )
May 30 St. Maries area Donni Moen
Western Sandpiper ( s )
Least Sandpiper ( s )
Pectoral Sandpiper ( s )
Stilt Sandpiper ( # )
Long-billed Dowitcher ( s )
Wilson's Snipe ( c )
19 April NE outskirts of Plummer Mike Halderman 
Wilson's Phalarope ( s)
     
---------Red Phalarope (h=1934)
GULLS, TERNS
Parasitic Jaeger ( # )
Franklin's Gull ( r )
Bonaparte's Gull ( u )
27 January St. Maries sewage ponds Mike Haldeman
Mew Gull ( r )
     
Ring-billed Gull ( c )
2 January Heyburn State Park Indian Mt. CBC
California Gull ( c )
     
Herring Gull ( u )
     
Thayer's Gull ( s )
     
Glaucous Gull ( r )
     
Sabine's Gull ( # )
Caspian Tern ( s )
     
Common Tern ( s )
Forster's Tern ( s )
Black Tern ( c )
     
MURRES
Ancient Murrelet ( # )
PIGEONS, DOVES
Rock Pigeon ( c )
     
Band-tailed Pigeon ( r )
Mourning Dove ( c )
2 January Round Lake to St. Maries Indian Mt. CBC
Eurasian Collared-Dove (u)
2 January Along St.Joe River at Sherpherd's Road Indian Mt. CBC - Wayne Melquist and Dave Spicer
CUCKOOS
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 
BARN OWLS
Barn Owl ( s )
TYPICAL OWLS
Flammulated Owl ( # )
Western Screech Owl ( s )
Great Horned Owl ( u )
8 January Round Lake Wayne Melquist
Snowy Owl ( r )
Northern Hawk Owl ( # )
Northern Pygmy-Owl ( u )
     
Barred Owl ( s )
     
Great Gray Owl ( r )
Long-eared Owl ( r )
Short-eared Owl ( s )
Northern Saw-whet Owl ( s )
GOATSUCKERS
Common Nighthawk ( c )
16 June St. Maries area Donni Moen
Common Poorwill ( r )
SWIFTS
Black Swift ( r )
Vaux's Swift ( u )
     
White-throated Swift ( # )
HUMMINGBIRDS
Black-chinned Hummingbird( c)
20 May St. Maries area Donni Moen
Anna's Hummingbird 
Costa's Hummingbird ( # )
Calliope Hummingbird ( c )
7 May St. Maries area Donni Moen
Broad-tailed Hummingbird ( # )
Rufous Hummingbird ( c )
8 May St. Maries area Donni Moen
KINGFISHERS
St. Maries Donni Moen
Belted Kingfisher ( c )
24-Jul    
WOODPECKERS
Lewis' Woodpecker ( r )
Red-naped Sapsucker ( c )
     
Downy Woodpecker ( c )
2 January Round Lake to St. Maries Indian Mt. CBC
Hairy Woodpecker ( c )
2 January Round Lake to St. Maries

Indian Mt. CBC

White-headed Woodpecker ( r )
American Three-toed Woodpecker ( s )
Black-backed Woodpecker ( s )
     
Northern Flicker ( c )
1 January St. Maries Donni Moen
Yellow-shafted Flicker 
Pileated Woodpecker ( u )
27-Jul St. Maries Donni Moen
TYRANT FLYCATCHERS 
Olive-sided Flycatcher ( u )
     
Western Wood-Pewee ( c )
     
Willow Flycatcher ( c )
18 May St. Maries area Donni Moen
Least Flycatcher ( s )
     
Hammond's Flycatcher ( c )
     
,,,,,,,,,Gray Flycatcher (h= 1895)
Dusky Flycatcher ( u )
     
Western Flycatcher ( c ) 
     
Say's Phoebe ( r )
     
Western Kingbird ( u )
Eastern Kingbird ( c )
29 May near Sanders Mike Haldeman
SHRIKES
Loggerhead Shrike ( r )
Northern Shrike ( u )
2 January Heyburn State Park Indian Mt. CBC
VIREOS
Cassin's Vireo ( c )
18 May St. Maries area Donni Moen
Warbling Vireo ( c )
19 June St. Maries area Donni Moen
Red-eyed Vireo ( u )
18 June St. Maries area Donni Moen
CROWS, JAYS
Gray Jay ( u )
7 March St. Maries area Donni Moen
Steller's Jay ( c )
3 January St. Maries area Donni Moen
Blue Jay ( s )
2 January Round lake feeders Indian Mt. CBC - Wayne Melquist and Dave Spicer
Blue/Steller's Jay
Western Scrub Jay ( # ) 
Clark's Nutcracker ( u )
Black-billed Magpie ( c )
2 January Round Lake to St. Maries and Heyburn State Park areas Indian Mt. CBC
American Crow ( c )
2 January Round Lake to St. Maries Indian Mt. CBC
Common Raven ( c )
2 January Round Lake to St. Maries and Heyburn State Park areas Indian Mt. CBC
LARKS
Horned Lark ( u )
     
SWALLOWS
Purple Martin ( # )
Tree Swallow ( c )
8 April St. Maries area Donni Moen
Violet-green Swallow ( c )
10 April  St. Maries area Donni Moen
N. Rough-winged Swallow ( c )
     
Bank Swallow ( u )
Cliff Swallow ( c )
22 April St. Maries area Terry Gray 
Barn Swallow ( c )
11 June St. Maries area Donni Moen
CHICKADEES
Black-capped Chickadee ( c )
1 January St.Maries area Donni Moen
Mountain Chickadee ( c )
1 January St.Maries area Donni Moen
Chestnut-b Chickadee (c )
7 January  St.Maries area Donni Moen
Boreal Chickadee ( # )
NUTHATCHES
Red-breasted Nuthatch ( c )
1 January St.Maries area Donni Moen
White-breasted Nuthatch ( s )
1 January Round Lake to St. Maries Indian Mt. CBC
Pygmy Nuthatch ( c )
9 January Round Lake  
CREEPERS
Brown Creeper( c )
16-Nov Round Lake Terry Little
WRENS
Rock Wren ( s )
Bewick's Wren (s )
House Wren ( c )
23 April St. Maries area Donni Moen
Pacific Wren ( c )
     
DIPPERS
American Dipper ( s )
     
KINGLETS
Golden-crowned Kinglet ( c )
2 January Round Lake to St. Maries Indian Mt. CBC
Ruby-crowned Kinglet ( c )
     
THRUSHES
Western Bluebird ( c )
     
Mountain Bluebird ( c )
     
Townsend's Solitaire ( u )
3 January Round Lake Wayne Melquist
Veery ( u )
     
Swainson's Thrush ( c )
20 May St. Maries area Donni Moen
Hermit Thrush ( s )
28 June Rochet Divide Lisa Hardy, Carrie Hugo, Kris Buchler
American Robin ( c )
2 January Round Lake to St. Maries Indian Mt. CBC
Varied Thrush ( c )
7 March St. Maries area Donni Moen
MOCKINGBIRFDS, THRASHERS
Gray Catbird ( c )
21 May St. Maries area Donni Moen
Northern Mockingbird ( # )
STARLINGS
European Starling ( c )
2 January Round Lake to St. Maries Indian Mt. CBC
PIPITS
American Pipit ( u )
     
WAXWINGS
Bohemian Waxwing ( u )
16 Nov Round Lake Terry Little
Cedar Waxwing ( c )
2 January Round Lake to St. Maries Round Lake to St. Maries
WOOD WARBLERS
Orange-crowned Warbler ( c )
     
Nashville Warbler ( u )
     
Yellow Warbler ( c )
18 May St. Maries area Donni Moen
Yellow-rumped Warbler ( c )
27 April St. Maries area Donni Moen
Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler
     
Townsend's Warbler ( c )
3 June St. Maries area Donni Moen
Yellow-throated Warbler ( # )
Palm Warbler ( # )
Black and White Warbler ( # )
Blackpoll Warbler (#) 
American Redstart ( u )
Northern Waterthrush ( s )
     
MacGillivray's Warbler ( c )
     
Common Yellowthroat ( c )
11 June St. Maries area Donni Moen
Wilson's Warbler ( u )
     
TANAGERS
Western Tanager ( c )
19 May St. Maries area Donni Moen
EMBERIZIDS
Spotted Towhee ( c )
18 March St. Maries area Donni Moen
American Tree Sparrow ( s )
Chipping Sparrow ( c )
29 May St. Maries area Donni Moen
Vesper Sparrow (h 1949)
Lark Sparrow ( h 1950)
Savannah Sparrow ( c )
     
Fox Sparrow ( u )
     
Song Sparrow ( c )
2 January Round Lake to St. Maries Indian Mt. CBC
Lincoln's sparrow ( u )
Swamp Sparrow ( # )
White-throated Sparrow ( s )
Harris's sparrow ( r )
White-crowned Sparrow ( u )
     
Dark-eyed Junco ( c )
2 January Round Lake to St. Maries Indian Mt. CBC
----Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)
     
----Dark-eyed Junco (Pink-sided)
Snow Bunting ( s )
SALTATORS
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (#)
Black-headed Grosbeak ( c )
19 May St. Maries area Donni Moen
Lazuli Bunting ( u )
19 June St. Maries area Donni Moen
BLACKBIRDS
Bobolink ( u )
Red-winged Blackbird ( c )
13February St.Maries area Donni Moen
Western Meadowlark ( c )
19 April NE outskirts of Plummer Mike Haldeman 
Yellow-headed Blackbird ( c )
     
Rusty Blackbird ( # )
     
Brewer's Blackbird ( c )
22 April St.Maries area Terry Gray
Brown-headed Cowbird ( c )
8 May St.Maries area Donni Moen
Bullock's Oriole ( u )
     
CARDUELINE FINCHES
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch ( r )
Pine Grosbeak ( s )
     
Purple Finch ( # )
Cassin's Finch ( u )
29 March St. Maries area Donni Moen
House Finch ( c )
18 May St. Maries area Donni Moen
Red Crossbill ( c )
     
White-winged Crossbill ( r )
Common Redpoll ( s )
15 January St. Maries area Donni Moen
Pine Siskin ( c )
1 January St. Maries area Donni Moen
American Goldfinch ( c )
2 January Round Lake to St. Maries Indian Mt. CBC
Evening Grosbeak ( c )
11 April St. Maries area Donni Moen
OLD WORLD SPARROWS
House Sparrow ( c )
27 January St. Maries area Mike Haldeman