Birds of Lincoln County New Mexico

Prepared by the Lincoln County Bird Club and the Lincoln National Forest

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

Return to the Lincoln County Birdclub Homepage

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page