This is a list of birds whose range includes, at least in part, the Sierra Madre Occidental, a mountain range in western Mexico and the extreme southwest of the United States.
The species present are as follows:
Galloanserae (landfowl & waterfowl)
Ducks Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae
Anatidae includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl, such as geese and swans. These birds are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers that are excellent at shedding water due to an oily coating.
Black-bellied whistling-duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis) Fulvous whistling-duck (Dendrocygna bicolor) Snow goose (Anser caerulescens) Ross's goose (Anser rossii) Greater white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons) Brant (Branta bernicla) Cackling goose (Branta hutchinsii) Canada goose (Branta canadensis) Mute swan (Cygnus olor) introduced species Trumpeter swan (Cygnus buccinator) Tundra swan (Cygnus columbianus) Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca) introduced species Wood duck (Aix sponsa) Garganey (Spatula querquedula) Blue-winged teal (Spatula discors) Cinnamon teal (Spatula cyanoptera) Northern shoveler (Spatula clypeata) Gadwall (Mareca strepera) Eurasian wigeon (Mareca penelope) American wigeon (Mareca americana) Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) Mexican duck (Anas diazi) Northern pintail (Anas acuta) Green-winged teal (Anas crecca) Canvasback (Aythya valisineria) Redhead (Aythya americana) Ring-necked duck (Aythya collaris) Greater scaup (Aythya marila) Lesser scaup (Aythya affinis) Surf scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) White-winged scoter (Melanitta deglandi) Black scoter (Melanitta americana) near-threatened Long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis) vulnerable Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) Common goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) Barrow's goldeneye (Bucephala islandica) Hooded merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) Common merganser (Mergus merganser) Red-breasted merganser (Mergus serrator) Ruddy duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)
New World quails Order: GalliformesFamily: Odontophoridae
New World quail are small, plump terrestrial birds only distantly related to the quails of the Old World, but named for their similar appearance and habits.
Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) near-threatened Scaled quail (Callipepla squamata) California quail (Callipepla californica) Gambel's quail (Callipepla gambelii) Montezuma quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae)
Pheasants Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae
Phasianidae consists of the pheasants and their allies. These are terrestrial species, variable in size but generally plump with broad relatively short wings. Many species are gamebirds or have been domesticated as a food source for humans.
Wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) Dusky grouse (Dendragapus obscurus) Ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) introduced species Chukar (Alectoris chukar) introduced species
Pigeons Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere.
Band-tailed pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata) Eurasian collared-dove (Streptopelia decaocto) introduced species Inca dove (Columbina inca) Common ground dove (Columbina passerina) Ruddy ground dove (Columbina talpacoti) White-winged dove (Zenaida asiatica) Mourning dove (Zenaida macroura)
Order: CuculiformesFamily: Cuculidae
The family Cuculidae includes cuckoos, roadrunners, and anis. These birds are of variable size with slender bodies, long tails and strong legs.
Groove-billed ani (Crotophaga sulcirostris) Greater roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) Yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) Black-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus erythropthalmus)
Strisores (nightbirds)
Nightjars Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Caprimulgidae
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds that usually nest on the ground. They have long wings, short legs, and very short bills. Most have small feet, of little use for walking, and long pointed wings. Their soft plumage is camouflaged to resemble bark or leaves.
Lesser nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis) Common nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) Common poorwill (Phalaenoptilus nuttallii) Buff-collared nightjar (Antrostomus ridgwayi) Mexican whip-poor-will (Antrostomus arizonae)
Swifts Order: ApodiformesFamily: Apodidae
Swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long swept-back wings which resemble a crescent or boomerang.
Black swift (Cypseloides niger) vulnerable Chimney swift (Chaetura pelagica) vulnerable Vaux's swift (Chaetura vauxi) White-throated swift (Aeronautes saxatalis)
Hummingbirds Order: ApodiformesFamily: Trochilidae
Hummingbirds are small birds capable of hovering in mid-air due to the rapid flapping of their wings. They are the only birds that can fly backwards.
Rivoli's hummingbird (Eugenes fulgens) Plain-capped starthroat (Heliomaster constantii) Blue-throated mountain-gem (Lampornis clemenciae) Lucifer hummingbird (Calothorax lucifer) Ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) Black-chinned hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) Anna's hummingbird (Calypte anna) Costa's hummingbird (Calypte costae) Calliope hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope) Rufous hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) near-threatened Allen's hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin) breeding endemic Broad-tailed hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus) Broad-billed hummingbird (Cynanthus latirostris) White-eared hummingbird (Basilinna leucotis) Violet-crowned hummingbird (Ramosomyia violiceps) Berylline hummingbird (Saucerottia beryllina) Cinnamon hummingbird (Amazilia rutila)
Gruae
Rails Order: GruiformesFamily: Rallidae
Rallidae is a large family of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps, or rivers. In general they are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. They tend to have short, rounded wings and to be weak fliers.
Virginia rail (Rallus limicola) Sora (Porzana carolina) Common gallinule (Gallinula galeata) American coot (Fulica americana) Purple gallinule (Porphyrio martinica)
Cranes Order: GruiformesFamily: Gruidae Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances".
Sandhill crane (Antigone canadensis) Common crane (Grus grus) rare/accidental
Grebes Order: PodicipediformesFamily: Podicipedidae
Grebes are small to medium-sized diving birds. They breed on fresh water, but often visit the sea when migrating and in winter. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers; however, their feet are placed far back on their bodies, making them quite ungainly on land.
Least grebe (Tachybaptus dominicus) Pied-billed grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) Horned grebe (Podiceps auritus) vulnerable Red-necked grebe (Podiceps grisegena) Eared grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) Western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) Clark's grebe (Aechmophorus clarkii)
Shorebirds and gulls
Stilts and avocets Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Recurvirostridae
Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds, which includes the avocets and stilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills.
Black-necked stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) American avocet (Recurvirostra americana)
Lapwings and plovers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Charadriidae
The family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water.
Black-bellied plover (Pluvialis squatarola) vulnerable American golden-plover (Pluvialis dominica) Pacific golden-plover (Pluvialis fulva) Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) near-threatened Semipalmated plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) Mountain plover (Anarhynchus montanus) near-threatened Snowy plover (Anarhynchus nivosus) near-threatened
Jacanas Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Jacanidae
The jacanas are a group of waders found worldwide within the tropical zone. They are identifiable by their huge feet and claws which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat.
Northern jacana (Jacana spinosa)
Sandpipers and allies Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Scolopacidae
Scolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium-sized shorebirds including the sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, tattlers, woodcocks, snipes, dowitchers and phalaropes. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Different lengths of legs and bills enable multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.
Upland sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda) Hudsonian whimbrel (Numenius hudsonicus) Long-billed curlew (Numenius americanus) Hudsonian godwit (Limosa haemastica) vulnerable Marbled godwit (Limosa fedoa) vulnerable Short-billed dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus) vulnerable Long-billed dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus) near-threatened American woodcock (Scolopax minor) Wilson's snipe (Gallinago delicata) Wilson's phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor) Red phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius) Red-necked phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) Spotted sandpiper (Actitis macularius) Solitary sandpiper (Tringa solitaria) Lesser yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) vulnerable Willet (Tringa semipalmata) Greater yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) near-threatened Ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres) near-threatened Black turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala) breeding endemic Red knot (Calidris canutus) near-threatened Ruff (Calidris pugnax) Sharp-tailed sandpiper (Calidris acuminata) vulnerable Stilt sandpiper (Calidris himantopus) near-threatened Sanderling (Calidris alba) Dunlin (Calidris alpina) near-threatened Baird's sandpiper (Calidris bairdii) White-rumped sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) vulnerable Least sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) near-threatened Pectoral sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) Western sandpiper (Calidris mauri) Semipalmated sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) near-threatened
Skuas and jaegers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Stercorariidae
Skuas are in general medium to large birds, typically with gray or brown plumage, often with white markings on the wings. They have longish bills with hooked tips and webbed feet with sharp claws. They look like large dark gulls, but have a fleshy cere above the upper mandible. They are strong, acrobatic fliers.
Long-tailed jaeger (Stercorarius longicaudus) Parasitic jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus) Pomarine jaeger (Stercorarius pomarinus)
Gulls, terns, and skimmers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae
Laridae is a family of medium to large seabirds and includes gulls, terns, kittiwakes and skimmers. Gulls are typically gray or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills and webbed feet. Terns are a group of generally medium to large seabirds typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. Most terns hunt fish by diving but some pick insects off the surface of fresh water. Terns are generally long-lived birds, with several species known to live in excess of 30 years. Skimmers are a small family of tropical tern-like birds. They have an elongated lower mandible which they use to feed by flying low over the water surface and skimming the water for small fish.