WILDLIFE YARD LIST (1988-2024)
Callyn Yorke
N 34 36.960′ W 118 24.079′ Los Angeles County, California (Elevation 3,000 ft.). Ecotone: Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) – Upland Chaparral (Eriogonum, Adenostoma, Eriodictyon, Ceanothus); Riparian (artificial ponds, mature plantings of Sycamore and Cottonwood) with predominately native vegetation of Southern California.
KEY
C = common (3-10 individuals); U = uncommon (1-2 individuals; absent some years); R = rare (three or fewer occurrences); B = breeding locally; WR = winter resident; T = transient (i.e. seasonal); I = introduced; E = locally extirpated; (m/d/y) = date of initial sighting with additional notes; FS = feeding station, including mixed seed on the ground and suspended suet; hummingbird feeder added in 2023.
Amphibians and Reptiles (10 Species)
- Western Toad Anaxyrus boreas U
- Pacific Tree Frog Pseudacris regilla U
- Western Fence Lizard Sceloporus occidentalis C
- Side-blotched Lizard Uta stansburiana C
- Blainville’s Horned Lizard Phrynosoma blainvillii U
- Western Whiptail Aspidoscelis tigris U
- Northern California Legless Lizard Anniella pulchra (I – a released captive found in the yard about two years later)
- Southern Alligator Lizard Elgaria multicarinata U
- California Whipsnake Masticophis lateralis U
- Southern Pacific Rattlesnake Crotalus helleri U
BIRDS (107 Species)
- Canada Goose Branta canadensis R, T
- Mallard Anas platyrhynchos R, T
- Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus I, R – probably an escapee from a local game bird ranch.
- Mountain Quail Oreortyx pictus R, T
- California Quail Callipepla californica C, B; FS
- Ring-necked Pheasant Phasianus colchicus I, R – probably an escapee from a local game bird ranch.
- Feral Rock Pigeon Columba livia I, U
- Band-tailed Pigeon Patagioenas fasciata C; FS
- Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto I, C; FS (2/6/2010)
- Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis I, E; FS (formerly fairly common in Green Valley; apparently replaced by a congeneric exotic, S. decaocto, around 2008).
- Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura C; FS
- Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus R, (B?)
- Vaux’s Swift Chaetura vauxi U, T
- White-throated Swift Aeronautes saxatalis R, T
- Black-chinned Hummingbird Archochilus alexandri C, T, B, FS
- Anna’s Hummingbird Calypte anna C, B, FS
- Costa’s Hummingbird Calypte costae U, T, FS
- Rufous Hummingbird Selasphorus rufus C, T, FS
- Allen’s Hummingbird Selasphorus sasin, U, T, FS
- Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis R, T
- Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias R, T
- Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura U, T
- Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus U, T
- Cooper’s Hawk Accipiter cooperii U, B
- Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis R, T (1/14/2012 – one sighting – alighted briefly atop an oak tree in the front yard)
- Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus C, B
- Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis C, B
- Swainson’s Hawk Buteo swainsoni R, T (3/13/22)
- Barn Owl Tyto alba U, B
- Western Screech Owl Megascops kennicottii U, B
- Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus U, B
- Lewis’s Woodpecker Melanerpes lewis U, T
- Acorn Woodpecker Melanerpes formicivorus C, B; FS
- Red-breasted Sapsucker Sphyrapicus ruber U, T
- Nuttall’s Woodpecker Dryobates nuttallii C, B, FS
- Downy Woodpecker Dryobates pubesens U, T; FS
- Hairy Woodpecker Dryobates villosus U, T
- Northern (Red-shafted) Flicker Colaptes auratus C, T, B; FS
- American Kestrel Falco sparverius U, T
- Olive-sided Flycatcher Contopus cooperi U, T
- Western Wood Pewee Contopus sordidulus U, T
- Pacific-slope Flycatcher Empidonax difficilis U, T
- Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans U, B
- Ash-throated Flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens C, B
- Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis U, T
- Warbling Vireo Vireo gilvus U, T
- California Scrub-Jay Aphelocoma californica C, B; FS
- Steller’s Jay Cyanocitta stelleri U, T; FS (2/2022;23)
- American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos C, B; FS
- Northern Raven Corvus corax C, B, FS
- Mountain Chickadee Poecile gambeli U, T; FS
- Oak Titmouse Baeolophus inornatus C, B, FS
- Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota U, T
- Bushtit Psaltriparus minimus U, B
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula U, T
- Wrentit Chamaea fasciata U, B
- White-breasted Nuthatch Sitta carolinensis C, B; FS
- Canyon Wren Catherpes mexicanus U, T
- House Wren Troglodytes aedon U, B
- Bewick’s Wren Thryomanes bewickii C, B
- Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea R, T
- Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris I, U, B
- California Thrasher Toxostoma redivivum U, B; FS
- Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos U, T
- Western Bluebird Sialia mexicana U, B
- Swainson’s Thrush Catharus ustulatus R, T
- Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus U,T
- American Robin Turdus migratorius C, T
- Varied Thrush Ixoreus naevius R, T
- Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum C, T
- Phainopepla Phainopepla nitens U, T
- House Sparrow Passer domesticus I, U, B; FS
- House Finch Haemorhous mexicanus C, B; FS
- Purple Finch Haemorhous purpureus U, T; FS
- Cassin’s Finch Haemorhous cassinii U, T; FS (2/25 – 3/22, 2023)
- Pine Siskin Spinus pinus U, T; FS
- Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria C, T; FS
- Lawrence’s Goldfinch Spinus lawrencei U, T
- American Goldfinch Spinus tristis U, T
- Spotted Towhee Pipilo maculatus C, B; FS
- California Towhee Melozone crissalis C, B; FS
- Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina U, T; FS
- Vesper Sparrow Pooecetes gramineus R, T (9/21/94)
- Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus R, T (4/15/94)
- Sooty Fox Sparrow Passerella iliaca unalaschcensis U, WR, T; FS
- Lincoln’s Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii U, WR; FS (2/14/2020)
- White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii C, T, WR; FS
- Golden-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia atricapilla C, T, WR; FS
- Dark-eyed (Oregon) Junco Junco hyemalis thurberi C, WR; FS
- Dark-eyed (Pink-sided) Junco Junco hyemalis mearnsi R, WR; FS
- Dark-eyed (Slate-colored) Junco hyemalis hyemalis U, WR; FS
- Hooded Oriole Icterus cucullatus C, T, FS
- Bullock’s Oriole Icterus bullockii C, B
- Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus U, T; FS
- Brewer’s Blackbird Euphagus cyanocephalus U, T; FS
- Brown-headed Cowbird Molthrus ater U, T
- Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta R, T
- Orange-crowned Warbler Leiothlypis celata U, T
- Nashville Warbler Leiothlypis ruficapilla U, T
- Yellow Warbler Setophaga petechia U, T
- Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s) Warbler Setophaga coronata C, T
- Black-throated Gray Warbler Setophaga nigrescens U, T
- Hermit Warbler Setophaga occidentalis U, T
- Townsend’s Warbler Setophaga townsendi U, T
- Wilson’s Warbler Cardellina pusilla U, T
- Western Tanager Piranga ludoviciana C, T
- Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus R, T
- Black-headed Grosbeak Pheucticus melanocephalus, C, T, B; FS
- Lazuli Bunting Passerina amoena U,T
Mammals (17 Species)
- Opossum Didelphus virginiana U, B
- Big Brown Bat Eptesicus fuscus U, B
- California Myotis Myotis californicus U, B
- Black Bear Ursus americanus R
- Raccoon Procyon lotor C, B
- Striped Skunk Mephitis mephitis U, B
- Coyote Canis latrans U, B
- Gray Fox Urocyon cinereoargenteus R, B
- California Ground Squirrel Otospermophilus beecheyi C, B; FS
- Western Gray Squirrel Sciurus griseus R, B? (nearly extirpated, apparently replaced by invasive exotic, S. niger, since about 2010; largely absent in Green Valley for several consecutive years; one adult present at bird FS, 3/21/2023).
- Eastern Fox Squirrel Sciurus niger I, C, B; FS
- Merriam’s Chipmunk Tamias merriami C, B; FS
- Valley Pocket Gopher Thomomys bottae C, B
- Deer Mouse Peromyscus maniculatus C, B
- Dusky-footed Woodrat Neotoma fuscipes C, B; FS
- Black-tailed Jackrabbit Lepus californicus U
- Desert Cottontail Sylvilagus audubonii U, B