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Vermilion flycatcher - Pyrocephalus rubinus
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Vermilion flycatcher - Pyrocephalus rubinus ssp "Pancho"
A Birder's Paradise
Tumacácori has an extraordinary abundance of bird life due to its southern latitude and diversity of habitats. Over 200 species of birds have been documented within the park's boundaries.
Guided bird walks are offered on a regular basis and visitors can also pick up a bird list at the visitor center.
Species Attribute Definitions
Definitions
Occurrence
Occurrence values are defined below. One or more Occurrence Tags may be associated with each Occurrence value.
Present: Species occurs in park; current, reliable evidence available.
Probably Present: High confidence species occurs in park but current, verified evidence needed.
Unconfirmed: Species is attributed to park but evidence is weak or absent.
Not In Park: Species is not known to occur in park.
Occurrence Tags
Adjacent: Species is known to occur in areas near to or contiguous with park boundaries.
False Report: Species was reported to occur within the park, but current evidence indicates the report was based on misidentification, a taxonomic concept no longer accepted, or other similar problem of error or interpretation.
Historical: Species' historical occurrence in park is documented. Assigned based on judgment as opposed to determination based on age of the most recent evidence.
Abundance
Abundant:
Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, and counted in relatively large numbers.
Plants: Large number of individuals; wide ecological amplitude or occurring in habitats covering a large portion of the park.
Common:
Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, but not in large numbers.
Plants: Large numbers of individuals predictably occurring in commonly encountered habitats but not those covering a large portion of the park.
Uncommon:
Animals: Likely to be seen monthly in appropriate habitat and season. May be locally common.
Plants: Few to moderate numbers of individuals; occurring either sporadically in commonly encountered habitats or in uncommon habitats.
Rare:
Animals: Present, but usually seen only a few times each year.
Plants: Few individuals, usually restricted to small areas of rare habitat.
Occasional:
Animals: Occurs in the park at least once every few years, varying in numbers, but not necessarily every year.
Plants: Abundance variable from year to year (e.g., desert plants).
Unknown: Abundance unknown
Nativeness
Native: Species naturally occurs in park or region.
Non-native: Species occurs on park lands as a result of deliberate or accidental human activities.
Unknown: Nativeness status is unknown or ambiguous.
List Differences
The Checklist contains only those species that are designated as "present" or "probably present" in the park.
The Full List includes all the checklist species in addition to species that are unconfirmed, historically detected, or incorrectly reported as being found in the park. The full list also contains species that are "in review" because their status in the park hasn't been fully determined. Additional details about the status of each species is included in the full list.
The checklist will almost always contain fewer species than the full list.
Visit NPSpecies for more comprehensive information and advanced search capability. Have a suggestion or comment on this list? Let us know.
Mystery Bird #1
FAMILY: Troglodytidae
NEST: natural cavity or center of a brush pile
HABITAT: open woodland, brushland, hedgerows, stream edges
FOOD: insects, spiders on the ground
BEHAVIOR: picks through foliage. Hops around turning over leaves with its beak
SIZE: body length 5 ¼ inches
COLOR: long tail with white corners, bold white eyebrow, striped mousy- brown upper parts, stiff and short tail
SOUND: flat, hollow chirp, song a high thin buzz
MIGRATION: winters along the Sea of Cortez
FAMILY: Trochilidae
NEST: tiny cup shape in fork of branch
HABITAT: open woodland, riparian, parks, gardens
FOOD: insects, nectar, spiders
BEHAVIOR: flies backward, rapid wing- beat makes a humming sound
SIZE: body length 3 ½ inches
COLOR: black throat and white collar, male is metallic green with violet band at base of throat
SOUND: high-pitched “tsst, tsst, teew”
MIGRATION: resident, range is western U.S. and Mexico
FAMILY: Picidae (Woodpeckers)
NEST: cavity
HABITAT: riparian woodland
FOOD: fruit, insects, lizards, bird eggs, mistletoe berries, acorns
BEHAVIOR: aggressive interaction, head bobbing, wood-boaring, flight is undulating
SIZE: body length 9 inches
COLOR: black & white zebra striped back, light brown body, white wing patches only seen in flight, male has red cap, chisel-billed, two toes forward and two toes back, stiff spiny tail
SOUND: loud “churrrrr”
MIGRATION: year-round resident
FAMILY: Cuculidae
NEST: cup shaped in low trees, cactus or shrubs
HABITAT: cultivated land, woodland, open areas
FOOD: insects, lizards, snakes, rodents, birds,
cactus fruit, and seeds
BEHAVIOR: runs up to 15 mph
SIZE: body length 24 inches
COLOR: black shaggy crest, large feet, black and white striped underparts
SOUND: clicking and a low “brrrrrr”
MIGRATION: resident
OTHER: two toes forward & two toes back, New Mexico state bird
FAMILY: Columbidae
NEST: plate shaped, flimsy on a solid platform
HABITAT: open woodland, fields and trees
FOOD: seeds, waste grain from the ground
BEHAVIOR: picks through vegetation and stones on the ground and on foliage, bobs its head while walking
SIZE: body length 12 inches with small heads
COLOR: light brown
SOUND: hollow, mournful “coah, cooo, cooo, co”. (At a distance only the three ‘’cooo’’s are audible.)
MIGRATION : residents, nearly worldwide in tropical and temperate regions
OTHER: population fluctuates according to the availability of prickly poppy seeds
FAMILY: Emberizidae
NEST: cup-shaped in low trees
HABITAT: dense shrubs, undergrowth, riparian thickets
FOOD: seeds, fruit, insects
BEHAVIOR: flocks of up to 70 birds in winter
SIZE: body length 9 inches
COLOR: males are brilliant red with black mask and chin, red beak. Females are light brown with a red beak
SOUND: “tik, tik, tik”
MIGRATION: winter resident
FAMILY: Mimidae (Mimic Thrushes)
NEST: cup-shaped in shrubs
HABITAT: most all habitats
FOOD: fruit and insects, sowbugs, crayfish, snails, berries, small birds
BEHAVIOR: picks through foliage
SIZE: body length 10 inches
COLOR: gray, slim, long tail, shows white wing patches and tail in flight
SOUND: has a powerful voice, mimics many sounds like sirens and other bird calls
MIGRATION: resident
OTHER: unmated males sing at night in spring, predators include snakes
FAMILY: Ptilogonatidae
NEST: cup-shaped in shrubs
HABITAT: semi-arid and riparian woodland
FOOD: insects, berries (especially mistletoe)
BEHAVIOR: fluttering in flight, hawking, hovers, picks through foliage, aerial acrobatics
SIZE: body length 8 inches
COLOR: male glossy black, slender crest, red eye, white wing patches seen in flight, female is tan
SOUND: brief, high-pitched “phewt”and “pre-tee bird”
MIGRATION: Central to South America
FAMILY: Falconiformes
NEST: bulky, large, made of branches in tops of trees or cliff edges
HABITAT: woods with nearby open land, plains, prairies, groves, deserts
FOOD: rabbits, reptiles, insects, fish, and other birds
SIZE: body length 22 inches
COLOR: variable from dark brown to light tan, reddish tail, yellow beak
HABITAT: woods, open plains, prairies, desert
SOUND: harsh descending “keeeer”
MIGRATION: winters as far south as Panama and breeds all the way to Alaska
FAMILY: Tyrannidae (Tyrant flycatchers)
NEST: cup-shaped
HABITAT: open woodland near water
FOOD: insects, berries
BEHAVIOR: hovering flight, feeds just above water, regurgitates pellets. Perches quietly, sits upright on exposed branches and snaps up insects in flight
SIZE: body length 7-8 inches
COLOR: gray brown with black tail and peach belly, bill flattened with bristles at the base
SOUND: plaintive, downward, slurred “pweee”
“pee-ee”
MIGRATION: tropics in winter
FAMILY: Tyrannidae
NEST: cup-shaped
HABITAT: riparian woodland
FOOD: insects, especially bees
BEHAVIOR: hovers and pounces on prey, pumps tail up and down while perched
SIZE: body length 6 inches
COLOR: male has flaming red underparts, bushy crest, upperparts dark brown to black. Female is soft brown with a peach-colored breast
SOUND: “pitazeeee’’, downward, high-pitched call
MIGRATION: northern-most range is southern Arizona, migrates to east Mexican gulf
