Birds of Hart Park

Birds of Hart Park, (Bakersfield) Checklist

Hart Park (Kern River County Park) at 370 acres is the premier birding location in the south central valley, with at least 231 species of birds recorded. In 1929, this park was created to satisfy the recreation needs of residents of Bakersfield. Kern County Parks and Recreation maintain this park for picnicking, group activities, and paddle boats. Birding is not a focus of the parks hierarchy, give them a call and let them know how much time and money you spend in our community pursuing this non-polluting sport and how important it is to maintain habitat for birds and other wildlife. Feral cats are a huge problem in the park and action needs to be taken to remove the animals for the health of the cats and other wildlife. (much of the raccoon population was decimated by distemper in 2003 brought in by the cats). (661) 868-7000

L E G E N D SEASON R = Resident – entire year M = Migrant – Spring and Fall Sp = Spring - February through May S = Summer - June through July F = Fall - August through November W = Winter - December through February V = Visitant – non-resident visitor all seasons		STATUS a = abundant always found in appropriate habitat c = common usually found in proper habitat u = uncommon hard to find in suitable habitat r = rare – infrequent sightings x = exceptional bird, less than 10 sightings * = Nesting bird # = Former breeder I = Species introduced by man

SWANS, GEESE, & DUCKS	Tundra Swan	W-x
	Greater White-fronted Goose	W/M-r
	Snow Goose	W/M-r
	Ross' Goose	W/M-x	AW
	Canada Goose	W/M-u
	Wood Duck	R-u*	KA
	Green-winged Teal	W-u
	Mallard	R-a*
	Northern Pintail	W/M-c
	Blue-winged Teal	M-u
	Cinnamon Teal	R-u*
	Northern Shoveler	W/M-c
	Gadwall	W/M-c	CSC
	American Wigeon	W/M-u
	Canvasback	W-u	CSC
	Redhead	W/M-r
	Ring-necked Duck	W/M-u
	Greater Scaup	W-x
	Lesser Scaup	W-u
	Common Goldeneye	W-u
	Bufflehead	W-c
	Hooded Merganser	W-u
	Common Merganser	W/M-u
	Red-breasted Merganser	W-x
	Ruddy Duck	R-a*
PHEASANTS & QUAIL	Ring-necked Pheasant	R-r*	I
	California Quail	R-c*
LOONS & GREBES	Common Loon	W-r	CSC
	Pied-billed Grebe	R-c-*
	Horned Grebe	W-x
	Eared Grebe	W/M- r
	Western Grebe	R-u-*
	Clark's Grebe	R-u-*
PELICANS & CORMORANTS	American White Pelican	W/M-u #	CSC
	Double-crested Cormorant	R-c *	CSC
HERONS & BITTERNS	American Bittern	W/M-r
	Great Blue Heron	R-c *	CSC
	Great Egret	R-c
	Snowy Egret	R-c
	Cattle Egret	R-c
	Green Heron	R-u*	KA
	Black-crowned Night-Heron	R-c*
IBISES	White-faced Ibis	W-x M-r	CSC
VULTURES	Turkey Vulture	R-c
BIRDS OF PREY	Osprey	W/M-u	CSC
	White-tailed Kite	R-u	CFP
	Bald Eagle	W-r	FE, CE
	Northern Harrier	R-c*	CSC
	Sharp-shinned Hawk	W/M-c	CSC
	Cooper's Hawk	W/M-u	CSC
	Red-shouldered Hawk	R-c*
	Swainson's Hawk	M-r #	CT
	Red-tailed Hawk	R-c*
	Ferruginous Hawk	W/M-u	CSC
	Rough-legged Hawk	W/M-r
	Golden Eagle	V-u	CSC
	American Kestrel	R-c*
	Merlin	W/M-r	CSC
	Prairie Falcon	R-r	CSC
RAILS, MOORHENS & COOTS	Virginia Rail	W/M-u	KA
	Sora	W/M-c	KA
	Common Moorhen	R-u
	American Coot	R-a*
CRANES	Sandhill Crane	W-x	CT
PLOVERS	Killdeer	R-a*
STILTS & AVOCETS	Black-necked Stilt	R-u
	American Avocet	R-u
SANDPIPERS	Greater Yellowlegs	W/M-u
	Spotted Sandpiper	W/M-c
	Long-billed Curlew	W/M-u	CSC, AW
	Least Sandpiper	W/M-c
	Short-billed Dowitcher	M-x	AW
	Long-billed Dowitcher	W/M-r
	Common Snipe	W/M-c
GULLS & TERNS	Ring-billed Gull	W/M-c
	California Gull	W/M-u	CSC
	Caspian Tern	W-x S/M-u	CSC
	Forster's Tern	S/M-u
DOVES & PIGEONS	Rock Pigeon	R-a*	I
	Band-tailed Pigeon	W-x	AW
	Spotted Dove	R-r	I
	Mourning Dove	R-c*
PARROTS	Rose-ringed Parakeet	R-c*	I
CUCKOOS	Greater Roadrunner	R-u*
OWLS	Barn Owl	R-c*
	Western Screech-Owl	R-u
	Great Horned Owl	R-c *
	Northern Pygmy-Owl	M-x
	Burrowing Owl	R-u*	CSC
	Long-eared Owl	W-x	CSC
NIGHTHAWKS	Lesser Nighthawk	S-c*
SWIFTS	Vaux's Swift	M-u	CSC
	White-throated Swift	R-c
HUMMINGBIRDS	Black-chinned Hummingbird	S-a M-c*
	Anna's Hummingbird	R-a*
	Costa's Hummingbird	W-x
	Rufous Hummingbird	M-u	AW
KINGFISHERS	Belted Kingfisher	R-c*
WOODPECKERS	Lewis' Woodpecker	V-x	AW
	Acorn Woodpecker	R-a*
	Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	W-x
	Red-naped Sapsucker	W/M-u
	Red-breasted Sapsucker	W/M-c
	Nuttall's Woodpecker	R-c*	AW
	Downy Woodpecker	R-c*
	Hairy Woodpecker	W/M-u
	White-headed Woodpecker	W-x	AW
	Northern Flicker	R-u* W/M-c
	Pileated Woodpecker	W-x
TYRANT FLYCATCHERS	Olive-sided Flycatcher	M-u
	Western Wood-Pewee	M-c
	Willow Flycatcher	M-r	FE,CE
	Hammond's Flycatcher	W-x M-c
	Dusky Flycatcher	W-x M-c
	Gray Flycatcher	M-r
	Pacific-slope Flycatcher	W-x M-c
	Black Phoebe	R-a*
	Eastern Phoebe	W/F-x
	Say's Phoebe	R-c*
	Ash-throated Flycatcher	S/M-c*
	Western Kingbird	S/M-a*
SHRIKES	Loggerhead Shrike	R-c*	CSC
VIREOS	Cassin’s Vireo	W-x M-c
	Plumbeous Vireo	W/F-r
	Hutton's Vireo	W/F-r
	Warbling Vireo	M-c
JAYS & CROWS	Western Scrub-Jay	R-a*
	Clark’s Nutcracker	W-x
	American Crow	R-c
	Common Raven	R-c*
LARKS	Horned Lark	R-c*	CSC
SWALLOWS	Purple Martin	M-r.#	CSC
	Tree Swallow	W-r S/M-u*
	Violet-green Swallow	W-u M-c
	Northern Rough-winged Swallow	W-x M-u
	Bank Swallow	M-u	CT
	Cliff Swallow	S/M-a*
	Barn Swallow	W-x S/M-c*
CHICKADEES, TITMICE, & BUSHTIT	Mountain Chickadee	W-r
	Oak Titmouse	W-u
	Bushtit	R-c*
NUTHATCHES & CREEPERS	Red-breasted Nuthatch	W-r
	White-breasted Nuthatch	W/M-c
	Brown Creeper	W/M-c
WRENS & DIPPERS	Rock Wren	R-c
	Canyon Wren	R-c
	Bewick's Wren	R-c*
	House Wren	R-c*
	Winter Wren	W-r
	Marsh Wren	R-c*
	American Dipper	R-c*
GNATCATCHERS & KINGLETS	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	R-u*
	Golden-crowned Kinglet	W-r
	Ruby-crowned Kinglet	W/M-a
THRUSHES	Western Bluebird	W/M-u
	Mountain Bluebird	W-c
	Townsend's Solitaire	W/M-u
	Swainson's Thrush	M-u
	Hermit Thrush	W/M-c
	American Robin	R-a*
	Varied Thrush	W/M-u
MOCKINGBIRDS & THRASHERS	Northern Mockingbird	R-a*
	Brown Thrasher	W-x
	California Thrasher	R-u*	AW
STARLINGS	European Starling	R-a*	I
PIPITS	American Pipit	W/M-u
WAXWINGS & SILKY FLYCATCHERS	Bohemian Waxwing	W-x
	Cedar Waxwing	W/M-c
	Phainopepla	V-u
WOOD WARBLERS	Tennessee Warbler	M-x
	Orange-crowned Warbler	W/M-c
	Nashville Warbler	M-u
	Yellow Warbler	M-c	CSC
	Yellow-rumped Warbler	W/M-a
	Black-throated Gray Warbler	W-u M-c
	Townsend's Warbler	W-r M-u
	Hermit Warbler	W-x M-r	AW
	Black-throated Green Warbler	F-x
	Blackburnian Warbler	F-x
	Palm Warbler	W/F-x
	Blackpoll Warbler	F-x
	Black and White Warbler	W-x
	American Redstart	M-x
	MacGillivray's Warbler	M-u
	Common Yellowthroat	R-u*
	Wilson's Warbler	M-c
	Yellow-breasted Chat	S/M-u	CSC
TANAGERS	Summer Tanager	M-x	CSC
	Western Tanager	W-x S/M-c
SPARROWS, GROSBEAKS, & BUNTINGS	Spotted Towhee	R-c*
	California Towhee	R-c*
	American Tree Sparrow	F-x
	Chipping Sparrow	W-u M-c
	Vesper Sparrow	W/M-u
	Lark Sparrow	W/M-c
	Black-throated Sparrow	W-x
	Sage Sparrow	R-u	AW
	Savannah Sparrow	W/M-c
	Fox Sparrow	W/M-u
	Song Sparrow	R-c*
	Lincoln's Sparrow	W/M-c
	Swamp Sparrow	W-x
	White-throated Sparrow	W/F-x
	Golden-crowned Sparrow	W/M-c
	White-crowned Sparrow	W/M-a
	Harris Sparrow	W-x	AW
	Dark-eyed Junco	W/M-a
	Lark Bunting	W-x
	Black-headed Grosbeak	S/M-c*
	Blue Grosbeak	S/M-u*	KA
	Lazuli Bunting	S/M-u*
BLACKBIRDS & ORIOLES	Red-winged Blackbird	R-a*
	Tri-colored Blackbird	R-u*	CSC
	Western Meadowlark	R-c*
	Yellow-headed Blackbird	W-x S/M-u*	KA
	Brewer's Blackbird	R-a*
	Great-tailed Grackle	R-c*
	Brown-headed Cowbird	R-u*
	Hooded Oriole	W-x S/M-c*
	Baltimore Oriole	S/M-x
	Bullock's Oriole	W-x S/M-a*
FINCHES	Purple Finch	W-u
	Cassin’s Finch	W-x
	House Finch	R-a*
	Red Crossbill	W-r
	Pine Siskin	W/M-u
	Lesser Goldfinch	R-c*
	Lawrence's Goldfinch	W/M-r	AW
	American Goldfinch	W-a M-c
	Evening Grosbeak	W/M-x
WEAVER FINCHES	House Sparrow	R-a*	I

LOCALITY CHECKLISTS -

BIRDS OF PIN OAK PARK -BAKERSFIELD - Pin Oak Park in southwest Bakersfield is home to a surprising number of species. Contains Status and Distribution. Kern Audubon Society by Barbara Mansfield and Alison Sheehey.

Birds of Buena Vista Lake - 152 species is an impressive total for a small under-birded lake. The checklist covers birds found only on or adjacent to this 1000-acre lake. This is one area not to be missed. Contains status and distribution.

Birds of Hart Park - Checklist of 231 species of birds seen within the bounds of Hart Park.

Birds of KERN NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE - List updated in 2005. Please send along your field notes from the refuge to keep this record accurate. Send them to NatureAli Thanks.

BIRDS OF THE KERN RIVER VALLEY - Updated checklist covers Lake Isabella and the surrounding countryside to 3000' elevation with status and distribution information. Kern River Preserve by Bob Barnes and others. (offsite)

Edwards Air Force Base - Checklist (offsite)

Indian Wells Valley - Latest Bird Sightings and checklist with status and abundance codes (offsite)

Desert Tortoise Preserve - Checklist (offsite)

Kern County Birding by Michael McQuerrey - A listserve discussion group of Kern County Birding

CalBirds by Steve Sosensky - A listserve discussion of rare birds, birding events and other things significant to California birders

The Bird Digest by Dave Ranney - A digest of bird discussion around California.

Observations from: Bakersfield Christmas Bird Counts, Breeding Bird Surveys, and records of the Kern County Field Ornithologists.

Author. Photographer, Publisher: Alison Sheehey - Nature Ali. This checklist is provided as a courtesy. The information contained herein may not be reproduced or copied without express written permission. Copyright © 1998-2012 Nature Ali. All rights reserved.

Nature Ali Publications - sharing the bounty of Kern County with the world.

For information on ecotourism in the Kern River Valley - check out the Kern River Preserve Website.

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