Seasonal Checklist of Birds of Placer County, California
by Bruce Webb
Symbols Used:
Sp = Spring (March - May)
Su = Summer (June - August)
F = Fall (September - November)
W = Winter (December - February)
A = Abundant (seen daily, may occur in the thousands)
C = Common, (seen daily, may occur in the hundreds)
U = Uncommon, (seen infrequently, or a few in numbers)
R = Rare (regularly present in small numbers)
O = Occasional (not recorded annually)
acc = Accidental (1-3 records/season)
ir = Irruptive species, not present most years
ex = Extirpated as a breeder in the county
unk = present status unknown, no recent records
SRO = sight record only
Zone = elevational zone and season of occurrences codes:
V = Found on Valley Floor for all seasons indicated
v = Found on Valley Floor except in Summer
F = Found in Foothills (areas with mostly oaks, cis-Sierran) for all seasons indicated
f = Found in Foothills except in Summer
M = Found in Mountains (areas with mostly conifers) for all seasons indicated
m = Found in Mountains except in Summer and during migration
E = East slope (trans-Sierran) only (e.g. Lake Tahoe, Squaw Valley, Martis Creek area, etc.)
Nesting Status:
B = Breeder
B? = Suspected breeder
Bird Species	Zone	Sp	Su	F	W	Nesting	Notes
Red-throated Loon	.	.	.	-2	.	.	1 at Folsom Lake 10/12-13/98, 1 on 11-8-99
Pacific Loon	V,F,M	.	.	acc	acc	.	Lakes Folsom and Tahoe
Yellow-billed Loon (SRO- pending) *CBRC	M	(1)SRO	.	.	.	.	off Tahoma, Lake Tahoe on 2-13-98
Common Loon	V,F,M	R	O	U	U	.
Pied-billed Grebe	V,F,M	C	C	C	C	B
Horned Grebe	V,F,M	U	.	U	U	.
Red-necked Grebe	F,M	.	.	-1	-3	.	Beals Pt, Carnelian Bay
Eared Grebe	V,F,M	F	acc	C	C	B? ex?
Western Grebe	V,F	C	O	U	C	.
Clark's Grebe	V,F	U	U	U	U	.
American White Pelican	V,F	U	O	U	R	.
Double-crested Cormorant	V,F	U	U	U	U	.
American Bittern	V	U	U	U	U	B?
Least Bittern	V	R?	R?	R?	O?	ex?
Great Blue Heron	V,F,M	C	C	C	C	B
Great Egret	V	C	C	C	C	B
Snowy Egret	V	C	C	U	U	B?
Cattle Egret	V	-1	.	.	.	.
Green Heron	V,F	U	U	U	U	B
Black-crowned Night Heron	V,F	C	C	C	C	B?
White-faced Ibis	V	acc	R	R	acc	B?
Turkey Vulture	V,F,m	C	C	C	C	B
Greater White-fronted Goose	V	U	.	A	A	.
Snow Goose	V	U	acc	A	A	.
Ross' Goose	V	R	acc	C	C	.
Canada Goose	V,F,m	C	R	A	A	.
Brant	M	-1	.	.	.	.	12 Tahoe City, 4-24-98
Trumpeter Swan - *CBRC	V	-1	.	.	-1	.	3 on Dowd Rd, 1997
							2 on Brewer Rd. 1998
Tundra Swan	V,F	C	acc	A	A	.
Wood Duck	V,F,m	U	U	U	C	B
Gadwall	V	C	R	C	C	B
Eurasian Wigeon	V	R	.	R	R	.
American Wigeon	V,F	C	R	A	A	.
Mallard	V,F,M	C	C	A	A	B
Blue-winged Teal	V	R	O	R	R	B?
Cinnamon Teal	V	C	C	U	R	B
Northern Shoveler	V	C	R	A	A	B
Northern Pintail	V	C	U	A	A	B
Green-winged Teal	V,F	C	O	C	C	.
Canvasback	V,F	U	O	U	U	.
Redhead	V,F	U	R	U	U	B
Ring-necked Duck	V,F	U	acc	U	U	.
Greater Scaup	V	R	.	R	R	.
Lesser Scaup	V	U	R	U	U	.
Harlequin Duck (SRO - pending)	V	-2	.	.	.	.	N Fk Am River
Surf Scoter	F	.	.	.	-1	.	2 Beals Pt. 1-21-98
White-winged Scoter	F	.	.	-3	.	.	Tahoe 1920s, Folsom Lake, 11-5-99
Black Scoter (SRO - pending)	M	.	.	-1	.	.	11-2-97 Kings Beach, Tahoe
Oldsquaw	V	.	.	acc	O	.
Bufflehead	V,F,m	U	O	U	U	B
Common Goldeneye	V,F,M	C	R	C	C	.
Barrow's Goldeneye	V,F,M	R	.	R	R	.
Hooded Merganser	V,F,M	R	.	R	R	.
Common Merganser	V,F,m	C	R	C	C	B
Red-breasted Merganser	M.F	O	.	.	O	.
Ruddy Duck	V,F	C	U	C	C	B
Osprey	v,f,m	U	R	U	R	B
White-tailed Kite	V,F	U	U	U	U	B
Bald Eagle	v,F,m	R	R	U	U	B
Northern Harrier	V,F	C	U	C	C	B
Sharp-shinned Hawk	v,f,M	U	R	U	U	B?
Cooper's Hawk	V,F,M	U	R	U	U	B
Northern Goshawk	M,f	R	R	R	R	B
Red-shouldered Hawk	V,F	U	U	U	U	B
Swainson's Hawk	V	U	U	U	.	B
Red-tailed Hawk	V,F,M	C	C	C	C	B
Ferruginous Hawk	V	R	.	R	R	.
Rough-legged Hawk	V	R	.	R	R	.
Golden Eagle	V,F,M	R	R	R	R	B
American Kestrel	V,F,M	C	C	C	C	B
Merlin	V	R	.	0	0	.
Peregrine Falcon	v,F,M	R	R	R	R	B?
Prairie Falcon	v,F	R	R	0	0	.
(Ring-necked Pheasant)	V	C	C	C	C	B
Blue Grouse	M	R	R	R	R	B
(Wild Turkey)	F,V	U	U	U	U	B
California Quail	V,F,M	C	C	C	C	B
Mountain Quail	M,f	C	C	C	C	B
Virginia Rail	V,F	R	R	R	R	B
Sora	V	R	R	R	R	B?
Common Moorhen	V	U	U	U	U	B
American Coot	V,F	C	C	A	A	B
Sandhill Crane	V	U	O	C	A	.
Black-bellied Plover	V	R	O	R	.	.
Snowy Plover	V	-2	.	.	.	ex?	Lakes Tahoe and Folsom
Semipalmated Plover	V	R	.	R	.	.
Killdeer	V,F,m	C	C	C	C	B
Mountain Plover	V	.	.	-1	.	.	Brewer Rd. 10-26-97
Black-necked Stilt	V	C	C	C	acc	B
American Avocet	V	C	U	C	R	B
Greater Yellowlegs	V	C	U	C	U	.
Lesser Yellowlegs	V	U	O	U	O	.
Solitary Sandpiper	V	O	.	R	.	.
Willet	V,f	O	acc	O	acc	.
Spotted Sandpiper	V,F,m	U	U	U	U	B
Whimbrel	V	U	.	acc	.	.
Long-billed Curlew	V	U	R	U	U	.
Marbled Godwit	V	acc	.	R	acc	.
Ruddy Turnstone	V			-1			Lincoln Sewage Plant on 9-2-99
Red Knot	V	-1	.	.	.	.	Lake Tahoe 4-23-78
Sanderling	M	-1	.	2	.	.	Martis Lake 4-24-98 and Folsom Lake
Semipalmated Sandiper					-1		Brewer Road 7-24-99
Western Sandpiper	V,F	C	O	C	O	.
Least Sandpiper	V,F	C	R	C	U	.
Baird's Sandpiper	V	acc	.	R	.	.
Pectoral Sandpiper	V	.	.	R	.	.
Dunlin	V,F	C	.	C	C	.
Short-billed Dowitcher	V	R	.	R	.	.
Long-billed Dowitcher	V	C	O	C	U	.
Common Snipe	V,F,m	U	R	U	C	B
Wilson's Phalarope	V	U	R	C	.	.
Red-necked Phalarope	V	U	.	C	.	.
Red Phalarope ( SRO pending)	V	.	.	-1	.	.	21 at Lake Forest, Lake Tahoe, 5-17-98
Long-tailed Jaeger (SRO pending)	M	.	.	-1	.	.	2 on 9-10-98 Lake Forest -- chasing gulls
Franklin's Gull (SRO pending)				3			Folsom Lake on Oct -99,& 2002
Bonaparte's Gull	V	R	.	R	O	.
Mew Gull	V,F	R	.	R	R	.
Ring-billed Gull	V,F	C	R	C	C	.
California Gull	V,F	C	R	C	C	.
Herring Gull	V,F	U	.	U	C	.
Thayer's Gull	V,F	R	.	R	R	.
Slaty-backed type Herring Gull ?- *CBRC	F	.	.	.	-1	.	1 adult Beals Point. - Jan 98 - photo
Western Gull	F	.	.	.	acc	.	Beals Pt
Glaucous-winged Gull	V	R	.	R	R	.
Sabine's Gull	F,M	.	.	R	.	.	on Lakes Folsom &Tahoe (many)
Caspian Tern	V,F	U	R	U	.	.
Common Tern	F,M	.	.	acc	.	.	at Folsom and Lake Tahoe (photos)
Arctic Tern	M			acc			Lake Tahoe
Forster's Tern	V,F	U	R	U	.	B?
Black Tern	V	U	U	U	.	B
(Rock Dove)	V,F	C	C	C	C	B
Band-tailed Pigeon	M,F,v	C	C	C	C	B
Mourning Dove	V,F,m	C	C	C	C	B
Yellow-billed Cuckoo	V	.	.	acc	.	.
Greater Roadrunner	F,V	ex	ex	ex	ex	B? ex?	No recent records, extirpated?
Barn Owl	V,F	U	U	U	U	B
Flammulated Owl	M,F,v	R	U	.	.	B
Western Screech-Owl	V,F,M	U	U	U	U	B
Great Horned Owl	V,F,M	U	U	U	U	B
Northern Pygmy-Owl	M,F,v	U	U	U	U	B
Burrowing Owl	V	R	R	R	R	B	declining
Spotted Owl	M,f,v	R	R	R	R	B
Long-eared Owl	V	unk	R	R	R	unk
Short-eared Owl	V	R	O	R	U	B
Northern Saw-whet Owl	M,F,v	R	R	R	R	B
Lesser Nighthawk	V	unk	unk	unk	.	ex?
Common Nighthawk	M,F,V	U	U	U	.	B
Common Poorwill	F,M,V	.	U	R	.	B
Black Swift	M	.	R	R	.	B?	approx 45 - Grouse Falls
Vaux's Swift	V,F,m	U	R	U	.	B	common near Lake Tahoe
White-throated Swift	m,F,V	U	U	R	O	B
Black-chinned Hummingbird	V,F	U	U	U	.	B
Anna's Hummingbird	V,F,m	C	C	C	C	B
Costa's Hummingbird	F	acc	acc	acc	.	B?	Granite Bay feeders
Calliope Hummingbird	m,F,V	R	R	R	acc	B?
Rufous Hummingbird	V,F,m	C	R	C	O	.
Allen's Hummingbird	V,F	unk	.	unk	.	B?	Feeders in Auburn ?? status
Belted Kingfisher	V,F,m	U	U	U	U	B
Lewis' Woodpecker	F,V,M	U	O	U	U	B
Acorn Woodpecker	F,V,M	C	C	C	C	B
Williamson's Sapsucker	M,f	.	R	R	O	B
Red-naped Sapsucker	F	.	-1	R	-3	B?	Granite Bay, Lake Tahoe
Red-breasted Sapsucker	F,V,M	U	U	U	U	B
Nuttall's Woodpecker	V,F	C	C	C	C	B
Downy Woodpecker	V,F,M	U	U	U	U	B
Hairy Woodpecker	M,F,V	U	U	U	U	B
White-headed Woodpecker	M	U	U	U	U	B
Black-backed Woodpecker	M	R	R	R	R	B
Northern Flicker	V,F,M	C	C	C	C	B
Pileated Woodpecker	M,f	R	R	R	R	B
Olive-sided Flycatcher	M,F,v	R	C	R	.	B
Western Wood-Pewee	V,F,M	C	C	C	.	B
Willow Flycatcher	v,f,M	R	R	U	.	B
Least Flycatcher (pending)	V	.	.	-1	.	.	9-24-98 Moore Rd.
Hammond's Flycatcher	M,F,v	U	C	U	.	B
Dusky Flycatcher	M,F,v	U	C	U	.	B
Gray Flycatcher	F	-3	-2	.	.	?
Pacific-slope Flycatcher	m,F,V	U	U	U	.	B
Black Phoebe	V	C	C	C	C	B
Say's Phoebe	V,F,m	U	.	U	U	.
Ash-throated Flycatcher	V,F	C	C	U	.	B
Western Kingbird	V,F	C	C	U	.	B
Loggerhead Shrike	V,F	C	C	C	C	B
Northern Shrike	V,F,M	R	.	R	R	.
Cassin's Vireo	.	C	C	C	.	B
Hutton's Vireo	M,F,V	U	U	U	U	B
Warbling Vireo	M,f,v	C	C	C	.	B
Steller's Jay	M,f,v	C	C	C	C	B
Western Scrub-Jay	V,F	C	C	C	C	B
Pinyon Jay	E	.	acc	acc	.	unk	No recent records
Clark's Nutcracker	M	O	O	O	O	.
Black-billed Magpie	E	ex	ex	ex	.	ex	No recent records
Yellow-billed Magpie	V,F	C	C	C	C	B
American Crow	V,F	C	C	C	C	B
Common Raven	F, M	U	U	U	U	B
Horned Lark	V,F,E	C	C	A	A	B
Purple Martin	V,F,M	ex	ex	.	.	ex	No recent records
Tree Swallow	V,F,m	C	C	C	R	B
Violet-green Swallow	v,f,m	C	U	C	O	B
Northern Rough-winged Swallow	V,F,M	U	U	U	.	B
Bank Swallow	V	acc	.	acc	.	B?
Cliff Swallow	V,F,M	C	A ??	C	.	B
Barn Swallow	V,F,M	C	C	C	O	B
Mountain Chickadee	M,f,v	C	C	C	C	B
Chestnut-backed Chickadee	M	U	U	U	U	B
Oak Titmouse	V,F,M	C	C	C	C	B
Bushtit	V,F,M	C	C	C	C	B
Pygmy Nuthatch	E	C	C	C	C	B
Red-breasted Nuthatch	M,f,v	C	C	C	C	B
White-breasted Nuthatch	V,F,M	C	C	C	C	B
Brown Creeper	M,f,v	C	C	C	C	B
Rock Wren	F,V	U	U	U	U	B
Canyon Wren	F,M	U	U	U	U	B
Bewick's Wren	V,F	C	C	C	C	B
House Wren	V,F,m	C	C	C	R	B
Winter Wren	F,M	R	R	R	R	B?
Marsh Wren	V	C	C	C	C	B
American Dipper	M	U	U	U	U	B
Golden-crowned Kinglet	M,f,v	C	C	C	C	B
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	v,f,M	C	O	C	C	B
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	V,F	U	U	U	O	B
Western Bluebird	V,F,m	C	C	C	C	B
Mountain Bluebird	v,f,m	U	R	U	U	B	near Martis area
Townsend's Solitaire	M,f,v	U	U	U	U	B
Swainson's Thrush	V,M,F	U	R	R	.	B?
Hermit Thrush	M,f,v	C	C	C	C	B
American Robin	V,F,M	C	C	C	C	A
Varied Thrush	V,F,M	U	.	U	U	.
Wrentit	F,V	C	C	C	C	B
Gray Catbird (pending) SRO *CBRC	V				-1		Auburn Ravine at Moore Road
Northern Mockingbird	V,F	C	C	C	C	B
Sage Thrasher	E	.	ex	.	.	ex?	Formerly bred at Martis
Brown Thrasher	F	.	.	.	-2	.	1 W of Lincoln, during winters of 94 & 95
California Thrasher	F	U	U	U	U	B
(European Starling)	V,F,M	C	C	A	A	B
American Pipit	V,F,m	C	.	C	C	.
Bohemian Waxwing	V,F	ir	.	ir	ir	.	Martis area Jan -Mar 99
Cedar Waxwing	V,F,M	C	.	C	C	.
Phainopepla	F,V	U	U	U	R	B
Orange-crowned Warbler	F,v,m	C	C	C	U	B
Nashville Warbler	v,f,m	C	C	C	.	B
Yellow Warbler	V,f,m	C	U	C	O	B
Black-throated Blue Warbler	F	-1	.	.	-1	.	one wintered - Auburn 1978-79
Yellow-rumped Warbler	v,f,m	C	C	C	C	B
Black-throated Gray Warbler	M,f,v	C	C	C	-1	B
Townsend's Warbler	V,F,M	R	acc	R	.	.
Hermit Warbler	M,v,f	U	F	U	.	B
Palm Warbler	V	.	.	-1	.	.	Sculpture Park, Roseville
Blackpoll Warbler (Pending - SRO)	V				-1		Auburn Ravine/Moore Road 9-12-99
American Redstart	M	.	-1	.	.	.	Lake Forest 6-28-59
Ovenbird	M	.	-1	.	.	.	Found dead nr Lake VanNorden
Northern Waterthrush	V	.	.	-1	.	.	Sculpture Park, Roseville
MacGillivray's Warbler	M,f,v	U	U	U	acc	B
Common Yellowthroat	V	U	U	U	R	B
Wilson's Warbler	M,f,v	C	C	C	acc	B
Yellow-breasted Chat	V,F,M	U	U	U	.	B
Western Tanager	M,f,v	C	C	C	O	B
Blue Grosbeak	V	.	-3	-1	.	B?	Auburn Ravine W of Lincoln
Lazuli Bunting	V,F,M	U	U	U	.	B
Green-tailed Towhee	M,f,v	U	U	R	.	B
Spotted Towhee	V,F,m	C	C	C	C	B
California Towhee	V,F	C	C	C	C	B
Rufous-crowned Sparrow	F	U	U	U	U	B
Chipping Sparrow	M,f,v	C	C	C	acc	B
Brewer's Sparrow	v,F,M	O	O	O	.	B	Few W slope records
Black-chinned Sparrow	F	.	-1	.	.	B?	E. of Foresthill, 6-24-74
			-2			Irr?	6-8 E of Foresthill Spr 99
Vesper Sparrow	V,F	R	.	R	O	B	breeds Martis Cr. area
Lark Sparrow	V,F	C	C	C	C	B
Black-throated Sparrow	F,M	-1	-3	-1	-1	B	6 records, incl food carrying
Sage (Bell's) Sparrow	F,v, M	O	.	U	U	B	Breeds nr. Foresthill Bridge
Lark Bunting	V					.
		-1			-1		3-4 along Phillip Road Spr. 99
Savannah Sparrow	V,F	C	.	C	C	.
Grasshopper Sparrow	V	-1	.	-1	.	.	along Brewer Rd.
Fox Sparrow	v,f,m	C	C	C	C	B
Song Sparrow	V,F	C	C	C	C	B
Lincoln's Sparrow	v,f,m	C	U	C	C	B
White-throated Sparrow	V,F	R	.	R	R	.
Harris's Sparrow	V	1			1		along Dowd Road, Lincoln CBC 2002
White-crowned Sparrow	v,F,M	C	.	C	A	.
Golden-crowned Sparrow	v,F,M	C	.	C	C	.
Dark-eyed Junco	M,f,v	C	C	C	C	B
Rose-breasted Grosbeak	M	-1	.	.	.	.	1 nr. Foresthill 5/81
Black-headed Grosbeak	V,F,m	C	C	C	acc	B
McCown's Longspur	V	acc	.	.	acc	.	Brewer Road N of Nicolaus Road
Lapland Longspur	V	.	.	acc	O	.	Brewer Road N of Nicolaus Road
Chestnut-collared Longspur	V	.	.	acc	.	.	Brewer Road and Lake Tahoe
Bobolink (pending) SRO	V	.	.	-1	.	.	Brewer Road N of Nicolaus Road
Red-winged Blackbird	V,F,m	A	C	A	.	B
Tri-colored Blackbird	V,F	C	C	U	U	B
Western Meadowlark	V,F,m	C	C	C	C	B
Yellow-headed Blackbird	V	U	U	U	R	B
Brewer's Blackbird	V,F,m	A	C	A	A	B?
Great-tailed Grackle	V	R	R	R	R	B	Recently breeding at Baldwin Dam Reservoir and nr. Lincoln High School
Brown-headed Cowbird	V,F,m	C	C	C	U	B
Hooded Oriole	V,F	R	R	R	O	B
Bullock's Oriole	V,F,m	C	C	U	O	B
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch	M	.	U	.	.	B	Squaw Peak
Pine Grosbeak	M	.	.	U	U	B
Purple Finch	M,f,v	C	C	C	C	B
Cassin's Finch	M,f,v	U	U	U	U	B
House Finch	V,F	C	C	C	C	B
Red Crossbill	M,f,v	U	U	U	U	B
Pine Siskin	M,f,v	U	U	U	U	B
Lesser Goldfinch	V,F,M	C	C	C	C	B
Lawrence's Goldfinch	V,F	R	R	O	O	B
American Goldfinch	V,F	C	C	C	C	B
Evening Grosbeak	M,f,v	U	U	U	U	B?
(House Sparrow)	V,F,M	C	C	C	C	B
310 species	.	.	.	.	.	.
Exotic escapees	.	.	.	.	.	.
Barnacle Goose	.	.	.	.	.	.	Granite Bay 1997 & 98
Red-crested Pochard	.	.	.	.	.	.	Auburn Sewage Plant 1998
Budgerigar							town of Wheatridge
Orange Bishop	.	.	.	.	.	.	Baldwin Dam Reservoir, Spr 1998
310 species recorded in Placer County as of December 2002 (includes 5 regular breeding introduced species, but excludes exotic escapees)  Another 5 species, not listed here, will be added when details are published.
This version of the Placer County Checklist in current A.O.U. order was prepared by Bruce Webb, (BW)
Species indicated with a red asterisk *CBRC require documentation for the California State Records Committee.
CBRC) indicates that documentation should be sent to Guy McCaskie, California Bird Records Committee at:
Species in Boldface type are regionally rare or accidental.
(pending) refers to species that are single observer sight records (SRO) that need documentation.
In 1996, Brian Williams produced a field card edition of the Seasonal Checklist of the Birds of Placer County. It may be purchased directly from: Brian Williams at bwcal@sprynet.com,
Please forward any details of species additions, seasonal or status changes to the author at E-mail: Bruce E. Webb