Posted By admin on April 1, 2005

The following is a list of birds observed at Cape Roger Curtis on Bowen Island from 1988 to March, 2005. The list has been compiled from archival data collected by members of the Bowen Nature Club during Christmas and breeding bird counts, monthly coastal waterbird surveys, unstructured forest surveys, documented incidental observations and avian rescue records and does not represent a comprehensive species account.

by Billie Gowans and Alan Shatwell
published in Discovery Magazine, Spring 2005

Status abbreviations

NON-PASSERINES

Loons: Gaviidae

• Pacific Loon Gavia pacifica
• Common Loon Gavia immer

Grebes: Podicipedidae

• Horned Grebe Podiceps auritus
• Eared Grebe Podiceps nigricollis
• Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena
• Western Grebe Aechmophorus occidentalis R

Cormorants: Phalacrocoracidae

• Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus NAR, R
• Brandt’s Cormorant Phalacrocorax penicillatus R
• Pelagic Cormorant Phalacrocorax pelagicus

Herons: Ardeidae

• Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias SC, B

Swans, Geese and Ducks: Anatidae

• Canada Goose Branta canadensis B*
• Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
• American Wigeon Anas americana
• Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris
• Black Scoter Melanitta nigra
• White-winged Scoter Melanitta fusca
• Surf Scoter Melanitta perspicilatta B
• Harlequin Duck Histrionicus histrionicus
• Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis B
• Barrow’s Goldeneye Bucephala islandica
• Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula
• Bufflehead Bucephala albeola
• Common Merganser Mergus merganser
• Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator
• Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus

* occidentalis subspecies only

Vultures: Cathartidae

• Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura

Hawks, Kites, Falcons and Eagles: Accipitridae

• Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus
• Cooper’s Hawk Accipiter cooperii
• Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis

Partridges, Grouse and Turkeys: Phasianidae

• Blue Grouse Dendragapus obscurus

Lapwings and Plovers: Charadriidae

• Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola

Oystercatchers: Haematopodidae

• Black Oystercatcher Haematopus bachmani

Sandpipers and Phalaropes: Scolopacidae

• Black Turnstone Arenaria melanocephala
• Surfbird Aphriza virgata

Skuas, Gulls, Terns and Skimmers: Laridae

• Heermann’s Gull Larus heermanni
• Bonaparte’s Gull Larus philadelphia
• Mew Gull Larus canus
• Herring Gull Larus argentatus
• Thayer’s Gull Larus thayeri
• Glaucous-winged Gull Larus glaucescens
• Glaucous-winged X Western Gull Larus glaucescens x L. occidentalis
• Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla

Auks, Murres and Puffins: Alcidae

• Common Murre Uria aalge R
• Pigeon Guillemot Cepphus columba
• Marbled Murrelet Brachyramphus marmoratus T, R
• Rhinoceros Auklet Cerorhinca monocerata

Pigeons and Doves: Columbidae

• Band-tailed Pigeon Columba fasciata B

Typical Owls: Strigidae

• Barred Owl Strix varia
• Northern Saw-whet Owl Aegolius acadicus

Hummingbirds: Trochilidae

• Rufous Hummingbird Selasphorus sasin

Kingfishers: Alcedinidae

• Belted Kingfisher Ceryle alcyon

Woodpeckers: Picidae

• Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus
• Red-breasted Sapsucker Sphyrapicus ruber
• Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens
• Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus
• Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus

PASSERINES

Flycatchers: Tyrannidae

• Olive-sided Flycatcher Contopus cooperi
• Western Wood Pewee Contopus sordidulus
• Hammond’s Flycatcher Empidonax hammondii
• Pacific Slope Flycatcher Empidonax difficilis

Vireos: Vireonidae

• Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus
• Hutton’s Vireo Vireo huttoni
• Cassin’s Vireo Vireo cassinii

Crows and Jays: Corvidae

• Steller’s Jay Cyanocitta stelleri
• Northwestern Crow Corvus caurinus
• Common Raven Corvus corax

Swallows: Hirundinidae

• Violet-Green Swallow Tachycineta thalassina
• Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

Chickadees and Titmice: Paridae

• Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapilla
• Chestnut-backed Chickadee Poecile rufescens

Creepers: Certhiidae

• Brown Creeper Certhia americana

Nuthatches: Sittidae

• Red-breasted Nuthatch Sitta canadensis

Wrens: Troglodytidae

• Winter Wren Troglodytes troglodytes
• Bewick’s Wren Thryomanes bewickii

Kinglets: Regulidae

• Golden-crowned Kinglet Regulus satrapa
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula

Thrushes: Turdidae

• Townsend’s Solitaire Myadestes townsendi
• Swainson’s Thrush Catharus ustulatus
• Varied Thrush Ixoreus naevius
• American Robin Turdus migratorius

Waxwings: Bombycillidae

• Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum

Wood Warblers: Parulidae

• Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata
• Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata
• Black-throated Gray Warbler Dendroica nigrescens
• Townsend’s Warbler Dendroica townsendi
• MacGillivray’s Warbler Oporornis tolmiei
• Wilson’s Warbler Wilsonia pusilla

Tanagers: Thraupidae

• Western Tanager Piranga ludoviciana

Sparrows and Towhees: Emberizidae

• Spotted Towhee Pipilo maculatus
• Fox Sparrow Passerella iliaca
• Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis
• Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia
• White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys
• Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis

Cardinals and Grosbeaks: Cardinalidae

• Black-headed Grosbeak Pheucticus melanocephalus

Blackbirds: Icteridae

• Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater

Finches: Fringillidae

• House Finch Carpodacus mexicanus
• Red Crossbill Loxia curvirostra
• Pine Siskin Carduelis pinus

Billie Gowans is a Registered Professional Biologist with expertise in bird ecology. Current research interests include bird-habitat relationships, wildlife/bodiversity conservation, impacts of urban development on wildlife habitats and local nature studies. She has lived and studied birds on Bowen Island for 20 years, and is the president of the Bowen Nature Club.

Alan Shatwell is an architect and has lived on Bowen Island for 22 years. A local naturalist, he was a founding member of the Bowen Nature Club to which he has belonged for 20 years, and is the Chair of the Bowen Island Parks and Recreation Commission. His interests are bird-watching and conservation, camping and hiking.

Categories: Documents
Tags: