 |
 Bird Checklist for the Oasis of Mara & surrounding areas |
Legend:
|
In 1929 the Oasis of Mara was described as a fan palms oasis with four ponds that regularly overflowed about a half mile out into the desert to the north. By 1946 this water had receded to beneath the surface. Undoubtedly birds associated with water sources in the desert made use of this oasis as they do today where water still exists.
Today the greenery associated with the oasis is still available and the Twentynine Palms Inn's small lake provides sanctuary and moisture for numerous resident species of birds and quite a variety of migratory birds. This checklist is not meant to be all-inclusive, but a quick look at what one might expect to find (those shown as C for common), as you stroll around the grounds of the Inn or take the short walk around the Oasis of Mara Nature Trail. Please report any sightings of species not on the list. Of course, at certain times of the year more migrants will be observed.
| LOONS & GREBES | PELICANS |
| Common Loon Pied-Billed Grebe Eared Grebe |
X, M R, M R, M |
White Pelicans | R, M |
| BITTERNS & HERONS | OWLS |
| American Bittern * Great Blue Heron Snowy Egret Green Heron Black Crowned Night Heron |
X, M X, M U, M R, M R, M |
Barn Owl Western Screech Owl Great-Horned Owl ** Burrowing Owl ** Long-Eared Owl Saw-whet Owl |
C, N, RES X, V U, RES R, V U, M Wi, X, M |
* One spotted at 29 Palms Inn: October 4th, 1985
** C, N, RES in Joshua Tree National Park
| DUCKS & GEESE | VULTURES, HAWKS & FALCONS |
| Snow Goose Canada Goose Green Winged Teal * Mallard Cinnamon Teal Ring-Necked Duck Ruddy Duck Redhead Wood Duck ** |
X, M X, M X, M U, RES X, M X, M X, M X, M X, Res |
Turkey Vultures Osprey Northern Harrier Sharp-Skinned Hawk Coopers Hawk Swainson's Hawk Red Tailed Hawk *** Golden Eagle **** American Kestrel Prairie Falcon ***** Merlin ****** |
Su, C M R, M Wi, R M Wi, U M C, RES C, RES U, RES U, RES C, N, RES U, RES X, M |
* Group of ten spotted August 19th 1957 at the Oasis
** A recent, 1995, arrival at the Inn
*** C, N, RES in Joshua Tree National Park
**** R, N, RES in Joshua Tree National Park
***** U, N, RES in Joshua Tree National Park
****** 1 spotted November 3rd, 1961 in the Oasis of Mara
| QUAIL | RAILS & COOTS |
| Gambel's Quail | C, N, RES | Sora American Coot |
Wi, X, M U, M |
| SHOREBIRDS | FLYCATCHERS |
| American Avocet Black-Necked Stilt Killdeer Great Yellowlegs Spotted Sandpiper Common Snipe Least Sandpiper Western Sandpiper Wilson's Phalarope Red-Necked Phalarope |
X, M X, M U, V X, M X, M X, M X, M X, M X, M X, M |
Olive-Sided Flycatcher Western Wood Peewee Willow Flycatcher Gray Flycatcher Western Pacific Flycatcher Black Phoebe Say's Phoebe Ash-Throated Flycatcher Western Kingbird |
X, M C, M U, M X, M C, M C, RES C, RES Su, C, M U, N, M |
| GULLS & TERNS | NIGHTHAWKS |
| Ring-Billed Gull California Gull |
R, M R, M |
Lesser Nighthawk Common Poorwill * |
Su, U, M U, V |
* U, N, RES in Joshua Tree National Park
| CUCKOOS | SWIFTS |
| Greater Roadrunner | C, N, RES | White-Throated Swift | U, RES |
| PIGEONS & DOVES | HUMMINGBIRDS |
| Rock Dove Band-Tailed Pigeon Mourning Dove White-Winged Dove Common Ground Dove |
U, RES X, M C, N, RES (N?) U RES X, V |
Black-Chinned Hummingbird Anna's Hummingbird Costa's Hummingbird Calliope Hummingbird Rufus Hummingbird Allen's Hummingbird |
U, M C, N, RES C, N, RES X, M U, M U, M |
| THRUSHES | MOCKINGBIRD & THRASHER |
| Western Bluebird * Mountain Bluebird Townsend's Solitaire Swainson's Thrush Hermit Thrush American Robin |
R, M X, M Wi, R, M R, M Wi, R, M Wi, C, M |
Northern Mockingbird Sage Thrasher Bendire's Thrasher ** LeConte's Thrasher *** California Thrasher ** |
C, N, RES Wi, C, M Su, X, V U, RES U, RES |
* U, Su, N in Joshua Tree National Park
** U, N in Joshua Tree National Park
*** C, N, RES in Joshua Tree National Park
| WOODPECKERS | BLACKBIRDS |
| Lewis' Woodpecker Red-Naped Sapsucker Ladder-Backed Woodpecker Red-Shaft Flicker |
Wi, X, M Wi, R, M U, RES C, RES |
Red-Winged Blackbird Western Meadowlark Brewer's Blackbird Great-Tailed Grackle * Brown-Headed Cowbird ** |
R, M Wi, R, M Wi, R, V X, V R, V |
* 29 Palms - expanding range
** U, N, RES in Joshua Tree National Park
| LARKS & SWALLOWS | FRINGILLID FINCHES |
| Horned lark Tree Swallow Violet-Green Swallow Northern Rough-Winged Swallow Cliff Swallow Barn Swallow |
U, M R, M R, M R, M R, M U, M |
Purple Finch Cassin's Finch House Finch Lesser Goldfinch Lawrence Goldfinch American Goldfinch |
Wi, X, M Wi, X, M C, N. RES R, RES Su, X, M Wi, X, M |
| VIREOS | ORIOLES |
| Solitary Vireo Hutton's Vireo Warbling Vireo |
R, M X, M U, M |
Hooded Oriole Bullock's oriole Scott's Oriole |
Su, U, N, M Su, U, N, M U, N, RES |
| WEAVER FINCH | STARLINGS |
| House Sparrow | C, R, RES | European Starlings | C, N, RES |
| WAXWINGS | SILKY FLYCATCHER |
| Cedar Waxwings | Wi, C, M | Phainopepla | C, N, RES |
| SHRIKES | BUSHTITS & VERDIN |
| Logger-Headed Shrike * | U, RES | Verdin Bushtit * |
C, N, RES X, V |
* C, N, RES in Joshua Tree National Park
| JAYS & CROWS | KINGLETS & GNATCATCHERS |
| Steller's Jay Western Scrub Jay * Pinyon Jay * Common Raven |
Wi, X, M U, RES X, V C, N, RES |
Ruby-crowned Kinglet Blue-gray Gnatcatcher * Blue-tailed Gnatcatcher * |
C, M U, RES U, RES |
* C, N, RES in Joshua Tree National Park
| WRENS | TANAGERSxc |
| Cactus Wren Bewic's Wren * House Wren |
C, N, RES U, V U, M |
Western Tanager Summer Tanager ** |
C, M X, M |
* C, N, RES in Joshua Tree National Park
** Rare winter resident at the Inn
| WARBLERS | GROSBEAKS, BUNTINGS & SPARROWS |
| Orange-Crowned Warbler Nashville Warbler Lucy's Warbler Yellow Warbler Yellow-rumped warbler Black-throated Gray Warbler Townsend's Warbler Black & White Warbler * Ovenbird MacGillivary's Warbler Common Yellowthroat Wilson's Warbler Yellow-Breasted Chat |
Wi, C, M C, M R, M C, M C, M C, M C, M X, M X, M U, M Wi, U, M C, M R, M |
Rose-Breasted Grosbreak Black-Headed Grosbreak Blue Grosbreak Lazuli Bunting Green-Tailed Towhee Spotted Towhee ** California Towhee *** Chipping Sparrow Brewer's Sparrow **** Black-Chinned Sparrow ***** Lucky Sparrow Black-Throated Sparrow Sage Sparrow Song Sparrow Lincoln Sparrow White-Throated Sparrow White-Crowned Sparrow Dark-Eyed Junco |
X, M R, M |
* 1 spotted October 29th, 1989 in Oasis
** C, N, RES in Joshua Tree National Park
*** U, N, RES in Joshua Tree National Park
**** U, Su, N in Joshua Tree National Park
***** U, N in Joshua Tree National Park
This list was compiled following the 1997 up-dating of the observation records of Joshua Tree National Park and from personal observations at the Inn over the past 16 years.
Enjoy the birds... Bill Truesdell.
For more info about the different birds in the area, please check out the selection of books on offer at the Joshua Tree National Park Association Book Center.
