Birds

Commonly seen birds of Wupatki - From left to right: Northern Flicker, Yellow Warbler, Mountain Bluebirds, and a Common Raven

NPS

If you continue on the road from Wupatki to Sunset Crater Volcano, you ascend from the grassland and cold desert shrub zones, through the pinyon/juniper woodland, to ponderosa pine forest. All in a distance of only 18 miles. With the change in landscape come changes in the kinds and numbers of birds.

Birds must have had symbolic and religious significance for former occupants of the area. Bird bones recovered from excavations include those of thick-billed parrots and scarlet macaws, traded north from the tropics of Mexico. At Wupatki Pueblo, at least eleven articulated parrot and macaw burials were found. Birds were also the subject of rock art and ceramic designs. Birds and feathers are important in Pueblo ceremonies today.

Some species of birds are seen frequently in one park and rarely in the other. The Steller's jay can be seen at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. Its blue body and black crest distinguish it from all other jays. The call of the Steller's jay is a harsh "caw" and it can also imitate the call of other birds. At Wupatki you may find the greater roadrunner scurrying along the desert floor. It is a large ground- dwelling cuckoo streaked with brown and white, it speeds across the desert on long, strong legs. The long white-edged tail and long, heavy beak are its outstanding features.

Bird populations at Wupatki and Sunset Crater National Monuments also change with the season. In the summer you may see the western bluebird and mountain bluebird at higher elevations at Sunset Crater Volcano, while Wupatki is frequented by the western kingbird and black-throated sparrow. Fall is full of surprises as birds migrate from higher elevations to lower ones. Our park is unique in that we have such a dramatic change in elevations, the visitor is likely to see the same species at both areas, at different times of the year. The raven is often heard with its distinctive "caw," its dark feathered body playfully soaring in the sky. The drumming of the red- shafted flicker is often heard. This jay-sized woodpecker uses its strong bill to search out wood-boring insects. Look for the dark silhouette of a golden eagle against the sky, and listen for the musical descending notes of the canyon wren.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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Species attribute definitions

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