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Cache Creek Bird List

Cache Creek flows through the Bureau of Land Management's Clear Lake Resource Area in northern California.  The main access is located eight miles east of Clearlake Oaks, California off Highway 20. Cache Creek is managed in a walk-in primitive fashion to minimize impacts to wildlife, cultural and wildland values. A herd of tule elk inhabits the area and the endangered bald eagle is common during winter. Opportunities to observe eagles are excellent , but please do not disturb these birds and other nesting birds by approaching them closely. The area is open to hunting under state laws, however partial seasonal closures to visitors may be enacted to protect certain wildlife species. River rafting is a popular use of the river depending upon water releases from Clear Lake and Indian Valley Reservoir. Rare plants occur at Cache Creek and Native American cultural values abound.

California QuailLOCATION MAP

Major management objectives for the area include:

  • Conserving the bald eagle population, tule elk herd and rare plants;
  • Enhancing the riparian vegetation habitat along waterways;
  • Protecting Native American values;
  • Providing primitive recreation values, including river running, hiking, equestrian use, hunting, fishing and watching wildlife;
  • Managing for maximum biological diversity.

 

Checklist of Birds

 

This checklist of birds has been prepared for visitors wishing to record birds they observe while hiking in the Cache Creek Management Area, jointly managed by BLM-California and the Department of Fish and Game. Bird watchers are encouraged to participate in gathering information to help refine our knowledge of bird life in this beautiful area. If you wish to participate,please send information to the Bureau of Land Management, 2550 N. State Street, Ukiah, California 95482.

The Cache Creek area provides habitat for numerous bird species. Certain birds are only present in summer, others winter in the area, some just migrate through or occur irregularly. The management area is about 50,000 acres in size with slightly more than one half comprised of three shrubland vegetation types. These include mixed chaparral, serpentine chaparral and chemise chaparral. The remainder of the area is about equally divided between native oaks and grassland. Elevation ranges from 3200 feet atop Brushy Sky High down to 600 feet in the eastern end of Cache Creek along State Route 16. Showcasing the area is about 35 miles of the main fork of Cache Creek and 2.5 miles of the north fork. Also present are several side drainages that contain permanent water. It is along perennial waterways, with their attendant riparian vegetation, that the greatest number and variety of birds occur.

This list can also be used at nearby Indian Valley Reservoir where large numbers of waterfowl may be present during fall and winter depending upon water availability in the reservoir. Additional species including cormorants, swans, gulls and terns have also been sighted here.

Table of Contents 


 

Season of Occurrence 

Abundance 

Status

Sp = Spring (March-May) 
S = Summer (June-July) 
F = Fall (August-November) 
W = Winter (December-February) 

C = Common 
F = Fairly common 
U = Uncommon 
R = Rare 

E = Endangered Species 

General Habitat Preference

w = water areas which includes primarily Cache Creek and several ponds.

r = riparian habitat comprises vegetation bordering creeks and water areas with dominant species including willows and cottonwood.

c = chaparral brushlands includes three brushland types with varied species composition.

o = oak woodland vegetation of varying densities intermingled with grass and may include gray pine.

g = grassland areas of varying sizes including intermixtures of chaparral and oak.

        Seasons                    

 

Sp

S

F

W

Habitat


HERONS, EGRET 

.

.

.

.

.

____Great Blue Heron

C

C

C

C

wr

____Green Heron

C

C

C

C

wr

____Great Egret

U

U

F

F

wr

____Black-crowned Night Heron

U

U

U

U

wr


DUCKS, GEESE, MERGANSER

.

.

.

.

.

____Wood Duck

U

U

F

F

wr

____Northern Pintail 

U

.

U

U

wr

____American Wigeon

U

.

U

U

wr

____Northern Shoveler

.

.

U

U

wr

____Green-winged Teal

.

.

U

U

wr

____Mallard

F

F

F

F

wr

____Canada Goose

.

.

U

U

wr

____Common Merganser

C

C

C

C

wr


VULTURE, OSPREY, HAWKS, EAGLES, FALCONS 

.

.

.

.

.

____Turkey Vulture 

C

C

C

U

ogrc

____Osprey

U

F

U

U

wr

____Cooper's Hawk

U

U

U

F

orc

____Northern Goshawk

.

.

.

R

or

____Sharp-shinned Hawk

U

R

U

F

ocr

____Golden Eagle

F

F

F

F

ogrc

____Red-Tailed Hawk 

F

F

F

F

gocr

____Red-shouldered Hawk 

U

U

U

U

ro

____Rough-legged Hawk 

.

.

R

R

gor

____Northern Harrier 

R

R

U

F

g

____White-Tailed Kite 

U

U

U

U

gro

____Bald Eagle (Endangered)

C

R

R

C

ro

____Merlin 

R

.

R

R

or

____Prairie Falcon 

U

U

U

U

gor

____Peregrine Falcon (Endangered) 

U

U

U

U

rog

____American Kestrel 

F

F

F

F

gor


TURKEY, QUAIL

.

.

.

.

.

____Wild Turkey 

F

F

F

F

ogr

____California Quail 

C

C

C

C

rcgo

____Mountain Quail 

F

F

F

F

co


COOT, SHOREBIRDS, SANDPIPERS, ETC. 

.

.

.

.

.

____American Coot 

.

.

U

U

w

____Virginia Rail 

U

U

U

U

wr

____Killdeer 

F

F

F

F

gr

____Spotted Sandpiper 

U

U

U

U

w

____Western Sandpiper 

R

.

U

R

w

____Least Sandpiper 

U

.

F

F

w

____Common Snipe 

U

.

U

U

gr

____Long-billed Dowitcher 

U

.

U

U

w

____Greater Yellowlegs 

.

.

U

U

w

____Solitary Sandpiper 

.

U

R

.

w


PIGEON, DOVE, ROADRUNNER 


Sp


S


F


W


Habitat

____Band-tailed Pigeon 

.

.

U

U

o

____Mourning Dove 

F

C

F

U

gro

____Roadrunner 

U

U

U

U

c


OWLS 

.

.

.

.

.

____Common Barn-Owl 

F

F

F

F

rgo

____Northern Saw-whet Owl 

.

.

U

U

or

____Long-eared Owl 

.

.

 

R

ro

____Burrowing Owl 

U

U

U

U

g

____Great Horned Owl 

F

F

F

F

or

____Northern Pygmy-Owl 

U

U

U

F

o

____Western Screech Owl 

C

C

C

C

or

____Short-eared Owl 

U

U

U

U

or


NIGHTHAWK, POORWILL 

.

.

.

.

.

____Common Nighthawk 

.

R

.

.

ocw

____Common Poorwill 

U

C

U

.

gro


SWIFTS, HUMMINGBIRDS 

.

.

.

.

.

____White-throated Swift 

R

R

R

.

r

____Vaux's Swift 

U

.

U

.

wr

____Anna's Hummingbird 

C

C

C

F

cor

____Rufous Hummingbird 

U

.

U

.

cro

____Allen's Hummingbird 

F

F

U

.

cro


KINGFISHER, WOODPECKERS

.

.

.

.

.

____Belted Kingfisher 

F

F

F

F

wr

____Pileated Woodpecker

F

F

F

F

or

____Northern Flicker 

C

C

C

C

roc

____Acorn Woodpecker 

C

C

C

C

or

____Lewis' Woodpecker 

.

.

U

U

or

____Nuttall's Woodpecker 

C

C

C

C

ro

____Downy Woodpecker 

F

F

F

F

ro

____Hairy Wooodpecker 

U

.

.

U

or

____Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 

.

.

F

F

ro


FLYCATCHERS, PHOEBE, KINGBIRD

.

.

.

.

.

____Olive-sided Flycatcher 

.

U

.

.

ro

____Western Wood-Pewee 

.

C

.

.

or

____Western Flycatcher

.

F

.

.

or

____Black Phoebe 

C

C

C

C

rw

____Say's Phoebe 

F

.

F

F

g

____Ash-throated Flycatcher 

.

F

.

.

ocr

____Western Kingbird

.

C

.

.

gor


LARK, SWALLOWS, MARTIN 


Sp


S


F


W


Habitat

____Horned Lark 

F

F

F

F

g

____Cliff Swallow 

C

C

C

.

wrg

____Barn Swallow 

C

C

C

.

wr

____Bank Swallow (possible)

R

R

.

.

wr

____Purple Martin 

U

U

U

.

or

____Northern Rough-winged Swallow 

F

F

F

.

wr

____Tree Swallow 

C

C

C

.

ro

____Violet-green Swallow 

C

C

C

.

or


JAYS, RAVEN, TITMOUSE, CHICKADEE, MAGPIE 

.

.

.

.

.

____Scrub Jay

C

C

C

C

ocr

____American Crow

C

C

C

C

gro

____Common Raven 

F

F

F

F

gor

____Steller's Jay 

U

U

U

U

o

____Yellow-billed Magpie 

U

U

.

.

og

____Plain Titmouse 

C

C

C

C

or

____Chestnut-backed Chickadee 

U

.

.

U

ro

____Bushtit 

C

C

C

C

orc


NUTHATCH, WRENS, CREEPER, DIPPER 

.

.

.

.

.

____White-breasted Nuthatch 

C

C

C

C

or

____Brown Creeper 

U

U

U

U

o

____Canyon Wren 

R

R

R

R

c

____Rock Wren 

U

U

U

U

c

____Bewick's Wren 

C

C

C

C

cor

____House Wren 

.

F

.

.

orc

____Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 

U

F

F

U

cor

____Dipper 

U

.

.

U

wr


KINGLET, THRUSHES, BLUEBIRD, ROBIN 

.

.

.

.

.

____Ruby-crowned Kinglet 

.

.

.

C

or

____Hermit Thrush 

.

.

F

F

rc

____Varied Thrush

.

.

.

U

roc

____Townsend's Solitaire 

.

.

.

U

or

____Mountain Bluebird

.

.

.

R

go

____Western Bluebird 

F

F

F

C

ogr

____American Robin 

.

.

U

F

org


WRENTIT, MOCKINGBIRD, THRASHER, PIPIT

.

.

.

.

.

____Wrentit 

C

C

C

C

cr

____Northern Mockingbird 

U

U

U

F

gro

____California Thrasher 

C

C

C

C

cro

____Water Pipit 

.

.

F

F

gw


WAXWING, STARLING, VIREOS


Sp


S


F


W


Habitat

____Cedar Waxwing 

U

.

F

U

orc

____Loggerhead Shrike 

U

U

U

U

go

____European Starling 

F

F

F

F

gor

____Warbling Vireo 

.

C

.

 

ro

____Hutton's Vireo 

F

F

F

F

or

____Solitary Vireo 

.

U

F

U

or


WARBLERS 

.

.

.

.

.

____Yellow-rumped Warbler 

U

.

F

F

rocg

____Black-throated Gray Warbler 

.

F

U

 

ro

____Yellow Warbler 

U

F

.

.

r

____Townsend's Warbler 

U

.

U

U

ro

____Common Yellowthroat 

U

F

F

U

r

____Yellow-breasted Chat 

.

U

.

.

r

____MacGillivary's Warbler 

.

R

.

.

r

____Orange-crowned Warbler 

U

C

U

.

roc

____Nashville Warbler 

U

U

U

.

rco

____Wilson's Warbler 

F

U

F

.

r


TANAGER, BUNTING, GROSBEAK

.

.

.

.

.

____Western Tanager 

F

 

F

 

ro

____Lazuli Bunting 

.

U

.

.

cgro

____Black-headed Grosbeak 

U

U

U

.

ro


SPARROWS, JUNCO, TOWHEE 

.

.

.

.<