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Species
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MTY status & distribution
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Documentation:
if photo, usually a thumbnail;
if specimen or details,
so indicated
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Credits or comment
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American Bittern
Botaurus lentiginosus
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Breeds locally: very rare breeder on McCluskey Slough (3 pairs
max). Scarce migrant & winter visitor to marshes throughout
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photo © Bill Hill
Mar 2003 Carmel R. mouth
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Least Bittern
Ixobrychus exilis
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Very rare spring & fall visitor; six records through 2003
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no photos from MTY
but
several description & sketches
incl. this one 4 May 1988 from Crespi Pond by D. Roberson
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Great Blue Hero
Ardea herodias
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Breeds locally: small nesting colonies are widely scattered in
MTY but concentrated in south MTY and at Elkhorn Slough. Common year-round
visitor away from colonies throughout
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photo © Bill Hill
Mar 2003 Carmel R. mouth
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Great Egret
Ardea alba
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Breeds locally: one nesting colony on Ellkhorn Slough. Rather common
year-round visitor to marshes, estuaries & coastline throughout
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photo © Don Roberson
3 July 1995 Elkhorn Slough
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Snowy Egret
Egretta thula
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Breeds locally: one nesting colony on McCluskey Slough. Fairly
common year-round visitor to marshes, estuaries & coastline throughout
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photo © Don Roberson
25 Jan 2004 Moss Landing
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Little Blue Heron
Egretta caerulea
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Very rare vagrant; four records scattered seasonally
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photo © Bill Hill
19 June 1999 Carmel R. mouth
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Tricolored Heron
Egretta tricolor
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Exceptional vagrant; one record (June 1999)
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photo © Don Roberson
31 May 1999 Pt. Sur
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Reddish Egret
Egretta rufescens
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Very rare vagrant; one fall & one winter record through 2003
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photo of dead bird © D. Roberson
8 Jan 1990 Moss Landing
[specimen to CAS]; also
several field descriptions
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Cattle Egret
Bubulcus ibis
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Scarce fall & winter visitor, rare in spring; most records
from Elkhorn Slough vicinity
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photo © Don Roberson
15 May 2003 Moonglow Dairy
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Green Heron
Butorides virescens
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Breeds widely but secretively in interior riparian habitats: uncommon
resident. Found more widely in fall & winter throughout
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photo © Ronald L. Branson
July 1983 San Antonio River
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Black-crowned Night-Heron
Nycticorax nycticorax
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Breeds locally: uncommon resident near colonies at Pt. Lobos and
in Elkhorn Slough vicinity. Scarce fall & winter visitor elsewhere
in marshy edges or coastal tidepools throughout
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photo © Don Roberson
Aug 1982 Pt. Pinos
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White-faced Ibis
Plegadis chihi
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Rare but increasingly regular fall wanderer to coast, especially
around Elkhorn Slough. Rare visitor throughout at other seasons
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photo © John Sorensen
Oct 1996 Crespi Pond
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Roseate Spoonbill
Ajaia ajaja
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Exceptional vagrant; one record (Jan-Feb 1978)
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photo © Bernadette Ramer
Jan 1978 Moss Landing
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Wood Stork
Mycteria americana
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Exceptional summer vagrant; two records (June-July)
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photo © Ronald L. Branson
July 1976 Post Ranch, Big Sur
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Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
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Breeds widely: common summer resident over most of the interior;
most withdraw south for winter but some winter along the coast
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photo © Don Roberson
17 June 2003 Big Sur coast
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California Condor
Gymnogyps californianus
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Formerly a nesting resident in the interior of MTY a century ago;
wandering wild condors occurred until 1980. A current reintroduction project
has the goal of reestablishing a local nesting population. See the page
on "Condors
in Monterey" for more details
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photo © Ivan Eberle
11 June 2000 Chews Ridge
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Osprey
Pandion haliaetus
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Uncommon spring & fall migrant and winter visitor to larger
lakes and rivers, and along coast. Scarce in summer; may have once bred
but evidence lacking. Could nest in future
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photo © Greg Hoffmann
17 Jan 2003 Elkhorn Slough Estuarine Research Reserve
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White-tailed Kite
Elanus leucurus
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Breeds widely: uncommon resident in open country near riparian
habitat. Roosts communal in fall & winter
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photo © Don Roberson
Oct 2001 Carmel R. mouth
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Bald Eagle
Haleaeetus leucocephalus
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Re-established breeder: nests locally in sw. MTY. Formerly bred
on coast but extirpated by 1934. Small population re-established in 1980s-1990s
by Ventana Wilderness Society. Also rare migrant and winter visitor from
populations outside MTY; regular in winter on Lake San Antonio
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photo © Don Roberson
11 Feb 1989 Pt. Pinos
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Northern Harrier
Circus cyaneus
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Breeds locally: rare summer resident of marshes and grasslands.
Numbers much increased in fall & winter by migrants
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photo © Ronald L. Branson
July 1981 Gloria Road
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Sharp-shinned Hawk
Accipiter striatus
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Breeds locally; rare summer resident in forested country. Numbers
much increased in fall & winter by migrants
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photo © Don Roberson
20 Sep 1998 Big Sur R. mouth
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Cooper's Hawk
Accipiter cooperii
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Breeds widely: uncommon resident of riparian woodlands. Numbers
much increased in fall & winter by migrants
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photo © Don Roberson
23 Dec 1990 Moonglow Dairy
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Northern Goshawk
Accipiter gentilis
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Very rare migrant; three spring & fall records through 2003
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no photos from MTY
but
several descriptions
incl. this one 30 Nov 1992
from Salinas
by R.F. Tintle
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Red shouldered Hawk
Buteo lineatus
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Breeds widely: common in lowland woodlands and suburbs
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photo © Don Roberson
June 1984 Carmel Valley
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Broad-winged Hawk
Buteo platypterus
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Rare fall migrant and very rare winter visitor, primarily along
the coast
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photo © Don Roberson
2 Nov 1982 Pacific Grove
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Swainson's Hawk
Buteo swainsoni
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Rare spring (Mar-May) & fall (Sep-Oct) migrant, with a couple
recent records from Nov & Dec. Formerly bred in interior oak savanna
but last breeding was before 1930
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photo © John Sorensen
20 Nov 2005 Moss Landing
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Zone-tailed Hawk
Buteo albonotatus
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Very rare vagrant but two records since 2001 (one wintered locally)
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photo © Don Roberson
8 Mar 2003 lower Carmel Valley
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Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
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Breeds widely: common resident throughout. Numbers increased in
winter by visitors from outside MTY
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photo © Don Roberson
10 Jan 2004 Gloria Road
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Ferruginous Hawk
Buteo regalis
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Uncommon winter visitor throughout interior; sparsely scattered
towards coast in fall & winter in open grasslands
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photo © Don Roberson
Jan 1983 Cholame Valley
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Rough-legged Hawk
Buteo lagopus
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Uncommon and irregular winter visitor to open country; in
some winters fair numbers but in other winters none at all
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photo © Don Roberson
Jan 1983 Cholame Valley
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Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
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Breeds locally; uncommon resident in open country of interior
MTY; scattered sparsely in fall & winter to coast
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photo © Don Roberson
6 Oct 1978 Lapis Rd., Marina
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Crested Caracara
Caracara cheriway
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Exceptional vagrant; one record (Aug 2002)
this link has details
on this record and a nearby Santa Cruz Co. bird (very likely same bird)
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photo © Bill Hill
12 Aug 2002 Lapis Rd., Marina
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American Kestrel
Falco sparverius
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Breeds widely: fairly common summer resident throughout.
More arrive in winter when it is common in open country throughout
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photo © Don Roberson
2 Jan 2004 Lapis Road, Marina
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Merlin
Falco columbarius
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Uncommon winter visitor throughout lowlands, mostly on the
coast; scarce spring & fall migrant throughout
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photo © Don Roberson
Dec 1982 Pebble Beach
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Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
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Breeds locally: rare resident along Big Sur coast. Migrants
and winter visitors occur sparsely throughout
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photo © Don Roberson
2 Nov 2003 Big Sur R. mouth
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Prairie Falcon
Falco mexicanus
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Breeds locally: rare resident of open country in s. MTY.
Numbers increased in winter by migrants that are sparsely scattered throughout
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photo © Don Roberson
Jan 1983 Cholame Valley
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Yellow Rail
Coturnicops noveboracensis
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Now very rare vagrant; was presumably once more regular in migration.
Last record in fall 1970
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Specimen
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no photo for MTY
MTY specimen lost in 1906 SF earthquake/fire; also field
description
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Black Rail
Laterallus jamaicensis
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Very rare fall vagrant; one record (Sep 1967)
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no photo for MTY
but
specimen at PGMNH
from 29 Sep 1967 Pacific Grove
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Clapper Rail
Rallus longirostris
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Extirpated: former resident on Elkhorn Sough and Tembladero Slough.
Last observed in 1980
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Specimens
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no photo for MTY
but
specimens at CAS
and numerous
field details
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Virginia Rail
Rallus limicola
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Breeds locally: rare summer resident in freshwater marshes.
Fairly common winter visitor throughout
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photo © Robert F. Tintle
16 Sep 1988 Carmel R. mouth
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Sora
Porzana carolina
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Breeds locally: rare summer resident in Salinas Valley. Fairly
common winter visitor throughout
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photo © Robert F. Tintle
5 May 1990 Carmel R. mouth
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Common Moorhen
Gallinula chloropus
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Breeds locally: rare summer resident in Salinas Valley. Scarce
migrant & winter visitor throughout
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photo © Don Roberson
30 Dec 1991 Roberts Lake
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American Coot
Fulica americana
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Breeds widely: common resident. Numbers increased in winter
by migrants from outside of MTY
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photo © Don Roberson
23 Apr 1996 Marina
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Sandhill Crane
Porzana carolina
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Very rare late fall & winter vagrant. Formerly wintered
locally in Salinas Valley
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photo © John Sorensen
Jan 1995 N of Moss Landing
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