Birds of Lincoln County New Mexico
Prepared by the Lincoln County Bird Club and the Lincoln National Forest
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Habitat and Vegetation of the Area
Lincoln National Forest contains 3 ranger districts (Guadalupe,
Smokey Bear, and Sacramento), 3 major mountain ranges (Guadalupe, Sacramento,
and Capitan), and covers 1,103,331 acres in parts of 4 counties in southeastern
New Mexico. The Following information describes Smokey Bear Ranger District of
the Lincoln National Forest.
Smokey Bear Ranger District, headquartered in Ruidoso, New Mexico, ranges in
elevation from 5,400 to 11,400 feet. The district, lying entirely within Lincoln
County, contains 2 wilderness areas, the White Mountain Wilderness Area and the
Capitan Mountain Wilderness Area, totaling 86,000 acres. The vegetation ranges
from semi-desert plants, pinon pine, juniper, ponderosa pine, mixed conifer, to
spruce, fir and high-elevation grasses and forbs. This range contains one of
the few mountain ranges in the country that runs east to west.Photo by Anne Brunell
List of Bird Species found in Lincoln County
Please report any sightings of birds not listed here to the Lincoln County Bird Club or to the Smokey Bear Ranger District Office in Ruidoso, NM at (505) 257-4095
* Images from Perterson Online, a great source of bird information *
LOONS
- Common Loon - Uncommon - Migrant
GREBES
- Eared Grebe - Fairly Common - Winter Resident
- Pied-billed Grebe - Common - Winter Resident
- Western Grebe - Uncommon - Winter Resident
HERONS
- Great Blue Heron - Fairly Common - Permanent Resident
CRANES
- Sandhill Crane - Uncommon - Migrant
DUCKS, GEESE
- American Wigeon - Uncommon - Migrant
- Bufflehead - Common - Winter Resident
- Canvasback - Common - Winter Resident
- Common Goldeneye - Uncommon - Migrant
- Common Merganser - Common - Winter Resident
- Hooded Merganser - Uncommon - Migrant
- Gadwall - Common - Winter Resident
- Mallard - Common - Permanent Resident
- Northern Pintail - Uncommon - Migrant
- Northern Shoveler - Common - Winter Resident
- Redhead - Common - Winter Resident
- Ring-necked Duck - Common - Winter Resident
- Ruddy Duck - Common - Winter Resident
- Blue-winged Teal - Uncommon - Migrant
- Cinnamon Teal - Uncommon - Winter Resident
- Green-winged Teal - Uncommon - Winter Resident
- Canada Goose - Common - Winter Resident
- Snow Goose - Common - Winter Resident
SANDPIPERS, PHALAROPES
- Baird's Sandpiper - Uncommon - Migrant
- Least Sandpiper - Uncommon - Migrant
- Pectoral Sandpiper - Uncommon - Migrant
- Spotted Sandpiper - Fairly Common - Summer Resident
- Greater Yellowlegs - Uncommon - Migrant
- Lesser Yellowlegs - Uncommon - Migrant
- Wilson's Phalarope - Uncommon - Migrant
- Common Snipe - Rare - Migrant
- American Avocet - Uncommon - Migrant
PLOVERS
- Killdeer - Common - Permanent Resident
- Mountain Plover - Uncommon - Migrant
RAILS, COOTS
- American Coot - Common - Winter Resident
FALCONS
- Merlin - Uncommon - Winter Resident
- Peregrine Falcon - Rare - Permanent Resident
- Prairie Falcon - Rare - Permanent Resident
- American Kestrel - Common - Permanent Resident
KITES, EAGLES, HAWKS
- Bald Eagle - Fairly Common - Winter Resident
- Golden Eagle - Fairly Common - Permanent Resident
- Northern Harrier - Fairly Common - Winter Resident
- Cooper's Hawk - Uncommon - Permanent Resident
- Northern Goshawk - Uncommon - Permanent Resident
- Sharp-shinned Hawk - Uncommon - Permanent Resident
- Ferruginous Hawk - Uncommon - Permanent Resident
- Harris Hawk - Uncommon - Permanent Resident
- Red-tailed Hawk - Common - Permanent Resident
- Rough-legged Hawk - Uncommon - Winter Resident
- Swainson's Hawk - Uncommon - Permanent Resident
- Zone-tailed Hawk - Uncommon - Summer Resident
- Osprey - Uncommon - Permanent Resident
AMERICAN VULTURES
- Black Vulture - Uncommon - Summer Resident
- Turkey Vulture - Common - Summer Resident
TYPICAL OWLS
- Burrowing Owl - Fairly Common - Permanent Resident
- Flammulated Owl - Uncommon - Summer Resident
- Great Horned Owl - Common - Permanent Resident
- Northern Pigmy Owl - Fairly Common - Permanent Resident
- Northern Saw-whet Owl - Uncommon - Summer Resident
- Spotted Owl - Rare - Permanent Resident
- Western Screech Owl - Uncommon - Permanent Resident
BARN OWLS
- Common Barn Owl - Fairly Common - Permanent Resident
JAYS, CROWS
- Clark's Nutcracker - Uncommon - Permanent Resident
- Pinon Jay - Common - Summer Resident
- Scrub Jay - Common - Permanent Resident
- Stellar's Jay - Common - Permanent Resident
- American Crow - Uncommon - Permanent Resident
- Chihuahuan Raven - Uncommon - Permanent Resident
- Common Raven - Common - Permanent Resident
WOODPECKERS
- Northern Flicker - Common - Permanent Resident
- Acorn Woodpecker - Common - Permanent Resident
- Downy Woodpecker - Fairly Common - Permanent Resident
- Hairy Woodpecker - Common - Permanent Resident
- Ladder-Backed Woodpecked - Fairly Common - Permanent Resident
- Lewis Woodpecker - Uncommon - Winter Resident
- Three-toed Woodpecker - Uncommon - Permanent Resident
- Williamson's Sapsucker - Uncommon - Winter Resident
- Red-naped Sapsucker - Common - Permanent Resident
KINGFISHERS
- Belted Kingfisher - Common - Permanent Resident
NUTHATCHES
- Pigmy Nuthatch - Common - Permanent Resident
- Red-breasted Nuthatch - Common - Permanent Resident
- White-breasted Nuthatch - Common - Permanent Resident
TITMICE
- Mountain Chickadee - Common - Permanent Resident
- Plain Titmouse - Fairly Common - Permanent Resident
BUSHTITS
- Bushtit - Common - Permanent Resident
KINGLETS
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Fairly Common - Permanent Resident
- Golden-crowned Kinglet - Fairly Common - Permanent Resident
DIPPERS
- American Dipper - Common - Permanent Resident
CREEPERS
- Brown Creeper - Fairly Common - Permanent Resident
PIPITS
- American Pipit - Uncommon - Permanent Resident
WRENS
- Bewick's Wren - Unommon - Permanent Resident
- Cactus Wren - Common - Permanent Resident
- Canyon Wren - Common - Permanent Resident
- House Wren - Common - Summer Resident
- Rock Wren - Common - Permanent Resident
FINCHES
- American Goldfinch - Common - Winter Resident
- Lesser Goldfinch - Common - Permanent Resident
- Cassin's Finch - Fairly Common - Permanent Resident
- House Finch - Common - Permanent Resident
- Red Crossbill - Fairly Common - Permanent Resident
- Pine Siskin - Common - Summer Resident
- House Sparrow - Common - Permanent Resident
BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES
- Brewer's Blackbird - Common - Permanent Resident
- Bronzed Cowbird - Uncommon - Summer Resident
- Great-tailed Grackle - Common - Permanent Resident
- Red-Winged Blackbird - Common - Permanent Resident
- Brown-headed Cowbird - Common - Permanent Resident
- Yellow-headed Blackbird - Uncommon - Winter Resident
- Northern Oriole - Common - Summer Resident
- Scott's Oriole - Common - Summer Resident
- Western Meadowlark - Common - Permanent Resident
STARLINGS
- European Starling - Common - Permanent Resident
ROADRUNNERS, CUCKOOS
- Greater Roadrunner - Common - Permanent Resident
- Yellow-billed Cuckoo - Uncommon - Summer Resident
PIGEONS, DOVES
- Inca Dove - Uncommon - Permanent Resident
- Mourning Dove - Common - Permanent Resident
- Rock Dove - Common - Permanent Resident
- White-winged Dove - Fairly Common - Permanent Resident
- Band-tailed Pigeon - Common - Permanent Resident
THRUSHES
- Eastern Bluebird - Uncommon - Winter Resident
- Mountain Bluebird - Common - Permanent Resident
- Western Bluebird - Common - Permanent Resident
- Hermit Thrush - Fairly Common - Permanent Resident
- American Robin - Common - Permanent Resident
- Townsend's Solitaire - Fairly Common - Permanent Resident
MOCKINGBIRDS, THRASHERS
- Northern Mockingbird - Fairly Common - Permanent Resident
- Crissal Thrasher - Uncommon - Permanent Resident
- Curve-billed Thrasher - Uncommon - Permanent Resident
- Sage Thrasher - Uncommon - Winter Resident.
SHRIKES
- Loggerhead Shrike - Fairly Common - Permanent Resident
WAXWINGS
- Cedar Waxwing - Common - Winter Resident
SILKY-FLYCATCHERS
- Phainopepla - Uncommon - Permanent Resident
LARKS
- Horned Lark - Common - Permanent Resident
SWALLOWS
- Bank Swallow - Fairly Common - Summer Resident
- Barn Swallow - Common - Summer Resident
- Cliff Swallow - Common - Summer Resident
- Violet-green Swallow - Common - Summer Resident
- Purple Martin - Uncommon - Summer Resident
FLYCATCHERS
- Ash-throated Flycatcher - Fairly Common - Summer Resident
- Dusky Flycatcher - Uncommon - Migrant
- Gray Flycatcher - Fairly Common - Summer Resident
- Olive-sided Flycatcher - Fairly Common - Summer Resident
- Cordilleran Flycatcher - Common - Summer Resident
- Cassin's Kingbird - Common - Summer Resident
- Western Kingbird - Common - Summer Resident
- Greater Peewee - Uncommon - Summer Resident
- Western Wood-Peewee - Common - Summer Resident
- Black Phoebe - Fairly Common - Permanent Resident
- Say's Phoebe - Fairly Common - Permanent Resident
GOATSUCKERS
- Common Nighthawk - Common - Summer Resident
- Lesser Nighthawk - Fairly Common - Summer Resident
- Common Poorwill - Fairly Common - Summer Resident
- Whip-poor-will - Uncommon - Summer Resident
SPARROWS, TOWHEES
- Black-throated Sparrow - Fairly Common - Permanent Resident
- Brewer's Sparrow - Common - Summer Resident
- Chipping Sparrow - Common - Permanent Resident
- Clay-colored Sparrow - Uncommon - Migrant
- Lark Sparrow - Fairly Common - Summer Resident
- Rufous-crowned Sparrow - Common - Permanent Resident
- Sage Sparrow - Fairly Common - Winter Resident
- Song Sparrow - Common - Winter Resident
- Swamp Sparrow - Uncommon - Winter Resident
- Vesper Sparrow - Fairly common - Winter Resident
- White-crowned Sparrow - Common - Permanent Resident
- Lark Bunting - Uncommon - Possible Breeding - Winter Resident
- Dark-eyed Junco - Common - Permanent Resident
- Chestnut-collared Longspur - Fairly Common - Winter Resident
- Canyon Towhee (Brown) - Common - Permanent Resident
- Green-tailed Towhee - Fairly Common - Permanent Resident
- Rufous-sided Towhee - Common - Permanent Resident
QUAIL, GROUSE, TURKEYS
- Gambel's Quail - Common - Permanent Resident
- Montezuma Quail - Fairly Common - Permanent Resident
- Scaled Quail - Fairly Common - Permanent Resident
- Wild Turkey - Common - Permanent Resident
HUMMINGBIRDS
- Black-chinned Hummingbird - Common - Summer Resident
- Blue-throated Hummingbird - Uncommon - Summer Resident
- Broad-tailed Hummingbird - Common - Summer Resident
- Calliope Hummingbird - Uncommon - Migrant
- Magnificent Hummingbird - Uncommon - Summer Resident
- Rufous Hummingbird - Uncommon - Summer Resident
GROSBEAKS, CARDINALS
- Black-headed Grosbeak - Common - Summer Resident
- Blue Grosbeak - Fairly Common - Summer Resident
- Evening Grosbead - Common - Permanent Resident
- Pine Grosbeak - Uncommon - Winter Resident
- Rose-breasted Grosbeak - Uncommon - Migrant
- Indigo Bunting - Uncommon - Summer Resident
- Lazuli Bunting - Uncommoon - Summer Resident
- Pyrrhuloxia - Fairly Common - Permanent Resident
TANAGERS
- Hepatic Tanager - Uncommon - Summer Resident
- Western Tanager - Fairly Common - Summer Resident
WOOD WARBLERS
- Common Yellowthroat - Fairly Common - Summer Resident
- Grace's Warbler - Fairly Common - Summer Resident
- Lucy's Warbler - Fairly Common - Summer Resident
- MacGillivary's Warbler - Common - Summer Resident
- Orange-crowned Warbler - Fairly Common - Summer Resident
- Tennessee Warbler - Fairly Common - Migrant
- Virginia's Warbler - Fairly Common - Summer Resident
- Wilson's Warbler - Fairly Common - Migrant
- Yellow Warbler - Common - Summer Resident
- Yellow-rumped Warbler - Common Permanent Resident
- Yellow-breasted Chat - Fairly Common - Summer Resident
- Northern Waterthrush - Uncommon - Migrant
VIREOS
- Solitary Vireo - Common - Summer Resident
- Warbling Vireo - Fairly Common - Summer Resident
ACCIDENTAL SPECIES
- Common Redpoll - Rare - Winter Resident
- Hammond's Flycatcher - Uncommon - Summer Resident
- Hermit Warbler - Rare - Migrant
- Painted Redstart - Uncommon - Summer Resident
- Red-headed Woodpecker - Rare - Summer Resident
- Mississippi Kite - Rare - Summer Resident
- Blue Jay - Rare - Summer Resident
- Winter Wren - Uncommon - Migrant
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