Recent bird records from the Grand Canyon region, 1974-2000

Larue, Charles; Dickson, Lara; Brown, Nikolle; Spence, John; Stevens, Lawrence

We report information on 100 species from the Grand Canyon region from 1974 to 2000; of these, 98 are from the Colorado River and 19 species are new to the Grand Canyon region. We compiled new seasonal information on 33 species and breeding information on 11 species. Changes are due, among other factors, to a change in habitats resulting from the construction and operation of Glen Canyon Dam. Flow regulation from the dam increased water clarity, and numbers of many waterbirds (primarily Anseriformes) subsequently increased. For example, the Common Goldeneye did not occur in Grand Canyon before the late 1980s, but since then it has become the most abundant wintering waterfowl. Stabilization of the river's flow has also allowed the growth and expansion of riparian vegetation. Birds we believe are responding to this increase in vegetation include Bell’s Vireo, Sharp-shinned Hawk, and wintering Empidonax flycatchers and sparrows. Also, there has been an increase in coverage, e.g., bird-monitoring river trips in winter. Some species are increasing in number and/or expanding their ranges in Arizona, such as the Double-crested Cormorant, Cattle Egret, Ross’s Goose, White-winged Dove, Anna’s Hummingbird, Black Phoebe, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Crissal Thrasher, Summer Tanager, and Common Grackle. Last, improved field identification has helped in discerning closely related species. This report discusses bird observations from the Grand Canyon region from 1974 through 2000. We report information on 100 species, of which 19 are new to the region. The Grand Canyon, located in northern Arizona, covers approximately 1000 km2 and several life zones from lower Sonoran along the Colorado River (elevation 350 m) to boreal forests (2800 m; Figure 1). The physiographic Grand Canyon falls within the complex boundaries of six land management jurisdictions, including the National Park Service (Grand Canyon National Park, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area), the Bureau of Land Management, the U. S. Forest Service (Kaibab National Forest), the Navajo Nation, the Hualapai Nation, and the Havasupai Nation (Billingsley and Hampton 1999).

Recent bird records from the Grand Canyon region, 1974-2000

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