This list covers the entire 4800 acre Andrew Molera State Park (but primarily these are birds at the Big Sur River mouth), Pt. Sur, the connecting private and governmental lands, and oceanic waters to 12 n.mi offshore. It is compiled from all published literature, North America Birds files going back in the 1950s, the Monterey Peninsula Rare Bird Alert files back to the early 1980s, Ventana Wildlife Society's Big Sur Ornithology Lab (BSOL) banding records, and the field notes of Craig Hohenberger, Jeff N. Davis, Jim Booker and myself. All exceptional vagrants and rarities are documented by photos or written field descriptions.

In 1996, Ventana Wildlife Society published a complete Birds of Big Sur checklist by Jeff N. Davis and Don Roberson. It included 360 species and the status of each was shown through bar graphs. A 2d edition was published in 2000. The listing below is a rather simplistic list compared to the information available in the Birds of Big Sur checklist (that checklist also covers a larger geographic area).

As of 30 Nov 2006, this list has 390 species.

(B) = breeds in Area. A few others species without symbols nest in adjacent areas, plus:
    (B?) = may breed in area but substantial positive evidence is lacking
    (Bb) = breeds only in "back-country" east of Hwy 1, usually well upslope
(E) = extirpated in Area (formerly resident )
(I) = non-native Introduced resident species
 * = rare or vagrant to Area, report locally to Monterey Bay BirdBox: (831) 626-6605
** = exceptional vagrant, please report immediately to BirdBox & try to get others to confirm, and then document your observation with photos or description (send to Box 985, Pacific Grove CA 93950).

There are also notes on a few species at the end of the list.

1 Greater White-fronted Goose *
2 Snow Goose *
3 Ross' Goose *
4 Brant
5 Cackling Goose *
6 Canada Goose (I-see notes)
7 Tundra Swan **
8 Wood Duck *
9 Gadwall *
10 Eurasian Wigeon **
11 American Wigeon
12 Mallard
13 Blue-winged Teal *
14 Cinnamon Teal
15 Northern Shoveler *
16 Northern Pintail *
17 Green-winged Teal
18 Redhead *
19 Ring-necked Duck *
20 Greater Scaup *
21 Lesser Scaup *
22 Harlequin Duck *
23 Surf Scoter
24 White-winged Scoter *
25 Black Scoter *
26 Long-tailed Duck *
27 Bufflehead
28 Common Goldeneye
29 Barrow's Goldeneye *
30 Hooded Merganser *
31 Common Merganser (B)
32 Red-breasted Merganser
33 Ruddy Duck
34 Wild Turkey (I; was native in Pleistocene; B)
35 Mountain Quail
36 California Quail
37 Red-throated Loon
38 Pacific Loon
39 Common Loon
40 Pied-billed Grebe
41 Horned Grebe
42 Red-necked Grebe *
43 Eared Grebe
44 Western Grebe
45 Clark's Grebe
46 Laysan Albatross *
47 Black-footed Albatross
48 Northern Fulmar
49 Pink-footed Shearwater
50 Flesh-footed Shearwater *
51 Buller's Shearwater
52 Sooty Shearwater
53 Short-tailed Shearwater
54 Manx Shearwater **
55 Black-vented Shearwater
56 Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel *
57 Ashy Storm-Petrel
58 Black Storm-Petrel
59 Brown Pelican
60 Brandt's Cormorant (B)
61 Double-crested Cormorant
62 Pelagic Cormorant (B)
63 Magnificent Frigatebird **
64 American Bittern *
65 Least Bittern **
66 Great Blue Heron
67 Great Egret
68 Snowy Egret
69 Little Blue Heron **
70 Tricolored Heron **
71 Cattle Egret *
72 Green Heron (B)
73 Black-crowned Night-Heron *
74 White-faced Ibis *
75 Turkey Vulture (Bb)
76 California Condor (E-see notes)
77 Osprey *
78 White-tailed Kite (B)
79 Bald Eagle * (see notes)
80 Northern Harrier
81 Sharp-shinned Hawk
82 Cooper's Hawk
83 Northern Goshawk *
84 Red-shouldered Hawk (B)
85 Broad-winged Hawk **
86 Swainson's Hawk **
87 Zone-tailed Hawk **
88 Red-tailed Hawk (B)
89 Ferruginous Hawk
90 Rough-legged Hawk *
91 Golden Eagle
92 Crested Caracara **
93 American Kestrel (B)
94 Merlin
95 Peregrine Falcon
96 Prairie Falcon *
97 Virginia Rail *
98 Sora *
99 Common Moorhen *
100 American Coot (B)
101 Black-bellied Plover
102 American Golden-Plover *
103 Pacific Golden-Plover
104 Snowy Plover (B)
105 Semipalmated Plover
106 Killdeer (B)
107 Black Oystercatcher (B)
108 Black-necked Stilt *
109 American Avocet *
110 Spotted Sandpiper
111 Solitary Sandpiper *
112 Wandering Tattler
113 Greater Yellowlegs
114 Willet
115 Lesser Yellowlegs *
116 Whimbrel
117 Long-billed Curlew *
118 Marbled Godwit
119 Ruddy Turnstone *
120 Black Turnstone
121 Surfbird
122 Red Knot *
123 Sanderling
124 Western Sandpiper
125 Least Sandpiper
126 Baird's Sandpiper *
127 Pectoral Sandpiper *
128 Dunlin
129 Short-billed Dowitcher
130 Long-billed Dowitcher
131 Wilson's Snipe *
132 Wilson's Phalarope *
133 Red-necked Phalarope
134 Red Phalarope
135 South Polar Skua *
136 Pomarine Jaeger
137 Parasitic Jaeger
138 Long-tailed Jaeger *
139 Laughing Gull **
140 Franklin's Gull *
141 Bonaparte's Gull
142 Heermann's Gull
143 Mew Gull
144 Ring-billed Gull *
145 California Gull
146 Herring Gull
147 Thayer's Gull
148 Western Gull
149 Glaucous-winged Gull
150 Glaucous Gull *
151 Sabine's Gull
152 Black-legged Kittiwake
153 Caspian Tern
154 Common Tern
155 Arctic Tern
156 Forster's Tern *
157 Elegant Tern
158 Black Skimmer **
159 Common Murre
160 Thick-billed Murre **
161 Pigeon Guillemot (B)
162 Marbled Murrelet **
163 Xantus's Murrelet *
164 Craveris' Murrelet *
165 Ancient Murrelet *
166 Cassin's Auklet
167 Rhinoceros Auklet
168 Tufted Puffin *
169 Horned Puffin **
170 Rock Pigeon *(I-see notes)
171 Band-tailed Pigeon (B)
172 White-winged Dove **
173 Mourning Dove (B)
174 Common Ground-Dove **
175 Yellow-billed Cuckoo **
176 Black-billed Cuckoo **
177 Greater Roadrunner *(B?)
178 Barn Owl (B?)
179 Western Screech-Owl (Bb)
180 Great Horned Owl (B)
181 Northern Pygmy-Owl (Bb)
182 Burrowing Owl *
183 Spotted Owl (Bb?)
184 Short-eared Owl *
185 Norhtern Saw-whet Owl (B?)
186 Lesser Nighthawk *
187 Common Poorwill (Bb)
188 Whip-poor-will **
189 Black Swift
190 Chimney Swift **
191 Vaux's Swift (B)
192 White-throated Swift
193 Black-chinned Hummingbird *
194 Anna's Hummingbird (B)
195 Costa's Hummingbird *
196 Calliope Hummingbird *
197 Rufous Hummingbird
198 Allen's Hummingbird (B)
199 Belted Kingfisher (B)
200 Lewis's Woodpecker *
201 Acorn Woodpecker (B)
202 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker *
203 Red-naped Sapsucker *
204 Red-breasted Sapsucker
205 Nuttall's Woodpecker (B)
206 Downy Woodpecker (B)
207 Hairy Woodpecker (B)
208 Northern Flicker (B)
209 Olive-sided Flycatcher (B)
210 Western Wood-Pewee
211 Eastern Wood-Pewee **
212 Willow Flycatcher *
213 Least Flycatcher **
214 Hammond's Flycatcher *
215 Gray Flycatcher *
216 Dusky Flycatcher *
217 Pacific-slope Flycatcher (B)
218 Black Phoebe (B)
219 Eastern Phoebe **
220 Say's Phoebe
221 Vermilion Flycatcher **
222 Dusky-capped Flycatcher **
223 Ash-throated Flycatcher (B)
224 Great Crested Flycatcher **
225 Tropical Kingbird *
226 Cassin's Kingbird **
227 Western Kingbird
228 Eastern Kingbird *
229 Scissor-tailed Flycatcher **
230 Loggerhead Shrike
231 White-eyed Vireo **
232 Bell's Vireo **
233 Yellow-throated Vireo **
234 Plumbeous Vireo **
235 Cassin's Vireo (Bb)
236 Blue-headed Vireo **
237 Hutton's Vireo (B)
238 Warbling Vireo (B)
239 Philadelphia Vireo **
240 Red-eyed Vireo *
241 Yellow-green Vireo **
242 Steller's Jay (B)
243 Western Scrub-Jay (B)
244 American Crow (B)
245 Common Raven (B?)
246 Horned Lark
247 Purple Martin (B)
248 Tree Swallow (B)
249 Violet-green Swallow (B)
250 N. Rough-winged Swallow (B)
251 Bank Swallow *
252 Cliff Swallow (B)
253 Barn Swallow (B)
254 Chestnut-backed Chickadee (B)
255 Oak Titmouse (Bb)
256 Bushtit (B)
257 Red-breasted Nuthatch
258 White-breasted Nuthatch (Bb)
259 Pygmy Nuthatch *
260 Brown Creeper (B)
261 Rock Wren (Bb)
262 Canyon Wren (Bb)
263 Bewick's Wren (B)
264 House Wren (B)
265 Winter Wren (B)
266 Marsh Wren
267 American Dipper (B)
268 Golden-crowned Kinglet (Bb?)
269 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
270 Dusky Warbler **
271 Arctic Warbler **
272 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Bb)
273 Western Bluebird (B)
274 Mountain Bluebird *
275 Veery **
276 Swainson's Thrush (B)
277 Hermit Thrush (B)
278 American Robin (B)
279 Varied Thrush
280 Wrentit (B)
281 Gray Catbird **
282 Northern Mockingbird *
283 Sage Thrasher *
284 Brown Thrasher **
285 California Thrasher (B)
286 European Starling (I, B)
287 White Wagtail ** (see note)
288 Red-throated Pipit **
289 American Pipit
290 Cedar Waxwing
291 Phainopepla **
292 Blue-winged Warbler **
293 Tennessee Warbler *
294 Orange-crowned Warbler (B)
295 Nashville Warbler
296 Virginia's Warbler *
297 Lucy's Warbler *
298 Northern Parula (B)
299 Yellow Warbler
300 Chestnut-sided Warbler *
301 Magnolia Warbler *
302 Black-throated Blue Warbler *
303 Yellow-rumped Warbler
304 Black-throated Gray Warbler (Bb)
305 Black-throated Green Warbler *
306 Townsend's Warbler
307 Hermit Warbler
308 Blackburnian Warbler *
309 Yellow-throated Warbler **
310 Pine Warbler **
311 Prairie Warbler *
312 Palm Warbler *
313 Bay-breasted Warbler **
314 Blackpoll Warbler *
315 Cerulean Warbler **
316 Black-and-white Warbler *
317 American Redstart * (B?-see note)
318 Prothonotary Warbler **
319 Worm-eating Warbler **
320 Ovenbird **
321 Louisiana Waterthrush **
322 Northern Waterthrush *
323 Connecticut Warbler **
324 Mourning Warbler **
325 MacGillivray's Warbler (Bb?)
326 Common Yellowthroat
327 Hooded Warbler ** (B-see note)
328 Wilson's Warbler (B)
329 Canada Warbler **
330 Yellow-breasted Chat (B?)
331 Summer Tanager *
332 Scarlet Tanager **
333 Western Tanager (Bb)
334 Green-tailed Towhee **
335 Spotted Towhee (B)
336 California Towhee (B)
337 Rufous-crowned Sparrow (Bb)
338 American Tree Sparrow **
339 Chipping Sparrow (Bb)
340 Clay-colored Sparrow *
341 Brewer's Sparrow *
342 Black-chinned Sparrow *
343 Vesper Sparrow *
344 Lark Sparrow (Bb)
345 Black-throated Sparrow **
346 Sage Sparrow * (Bb?)
347 Lark Bunting *
348 Savannah Sparrow
349 Grasshopper Sparrow (B)
350 Fox Sparrow
351 Song Sparrow (B)
352 Lincoln's Sparrow
353 Swamp Sparrow *
354 White-throated Sparrow *
355 White-crowned Sparrow (B)
356 Golden-crowned Sparrow
357 Dark-eyed Junco (B)
358 Lapland Longspur *
359 Rose-breasted Grosbeak *
360 Black-headed Grosbeak (B)
361 Blue Grosbeak *
362 Lazuli Bunting (B)
363 Indigo Bunting * (B?-see note)
364 Painted Bunting **
365 Dickcissel **
366 Bobolink *
367 Red-winged Blackbird (B)
368 Tricolored Blackbird
369 Western Meadowlark (B?)
370 Yellow-headed Blackbird *
371 Rusty Blackbird **
372 Brewer's Blackbird (B)
373 Common Grackle **
374 Great-tailed Grackle *
375 Brown-headed Cowbird (B)
376 Orchard Oriole *
377 Hooded Oriole *
378 Streak-backed Oriole **
379 Baltimore Oriole *
380 Bullock's Oriole
381 Purple Finch (B)
382 Cassin's Finch **
383 House Finch (B)
384 Red Crossbill *
385 Pine Siskin (B)
386 Lesser Goldfinch (B)
387 Lawrence's Goldfinch *(B)
388 American Goldfinch (B)
389 Evening Grosbeak *
390 House Sparrow (I, B)

Notes:

• California Condor — presumably a regular visitor a century ago but entire MTY population has long been extirpated. Ventana Wilderness Society is currently re-introducing condors in hopes of re-establishing a breeding population. Details are on this site HERE, but note that no condor in MTY is currently "countable."
• Canada Goose — there is a resident introduced population; wild migrants are rare
• Bald Eagle — presumably a regular visitor a century ago but entire MTY breeding population was extirpated ~1934. Ventana Wilderness Society re-introduced eagles and succeeded in re-establishing a breeding population in interior southern MTY. Bald Eagles within the area now could either be from those re-established population or distant migrants; date and age can be helpful in determining which is which.
• Rock Dove — there are no established introductions within the area; it is likely that most (all?) of the few records pertain to wandering or lost racing pigeons.
• White Wagtail — a well-photographed bird 28 Sep 1998 was either a White or a Black-backed Wagtail; identification in this pair is very difficult and opinions are still split about the '98 individual.
• Northern Parula — one or more pairs nested 1998-2001, and a pair hatched young in 2004, an exceptional occurrence
• American Redstart — one pair successfully nested in summer 1997, an exceptional occurrence
• Hooded Warbler — one pair successfully nested in summer 2004; an exceptional occurrence
• Indigo Bunting — evidence suggests a male bred with a female Lazuli in summer 1996, an exceptional occurrence

Page created 6-19 Aug 2000, last updated 30 Nov 2006