Recent data on summer birds of the Chiricahua Mountains Area, southeastern Arizona
Ligon JD and Balda RP. 1968. Recent data on summer birds of the Chiricahua Mountains Area, southeastern Arizona. San Diego Society of Natural History Transactions. 15(5):41-50
A systematic list of bird species observed over four breeding seasons in the Chiricahua Mountains. One hundred sixty-seven species were recorded. Nineteen of these were winter residents or migrants and not seen after May. The golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) and prairie falcon (Falco mexicanus) appeared to have decreased since an earlier study in 1958 whereas the Harlequin quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae) and several of the hummingbirds appeared to be more common. A few relatively new or unexpected species were observed. Over four breeding seasons 167 species of birds were recorded from the Chiricahua Mountains and adjacent areas; 19 of these were winter residents or migrants not seen after May. The status of several species apparently has changed since the study of Tanner and Hardy (1958). The Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetov) and Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus) appear to have decreased, whereas the Harlequin Quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae) and several of the hummingbirds apparently are more common than previously. Several cavity-nesting species appear to have increased in numbers and the Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) has become established as a breeding species since 1960. Black Swifts (Cypseloides niger) , a species for which there is no specimen for Arizona , were seen on one occasion, and a female Lucifer Hummingbird (Calothorax lucifer), another unexpected species, was seen on several occasions.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Ligon, J; Balda, Russell
- Units
- CHIR
- Keywords
- Birds (Aves), Checklist, Chiricahua Mountains (AZ), Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), Harlequin quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae), hummingbirds (Trochilidae), Observations, Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus), Summer