North American Birds – Inyo County

Guidelines for Submitting Inyo County Sightings to North American Birds

Subregional editors, Tom and Jo Heindel

The list of Inyo County Birds (below), in the new 2017 taxonomic order (PDF), is posted here in an effort to inform observers of the species found in Inyo County. Those casual or rare enough to require a description are underlined, and those on the California Bird Records Committee Review List are bold underlined.

Those species underlined fall into the following categories: vagrants, casual species recorded fewer than seven years per decade for each season(s) in which they occur, very rare species that are not recorded every year but are presumed to occur here annually, rare species that have similar look-alike species that are more expected (e.g., Greater Scaup), species experiencing a decline in numbers in the county (e.g., Cassin’s Kingbird), species that have a history of being misidentified (e.g., Gray Vireo), hybrids, and rare species present in very small numbers.

Few species require lengthy descriptions, but the more rare the species, or the more unexpected the species due to the date, location, or number seen, the more detailed and convincing the description needs to be.

For example, even for species not underlined, if they are found out of season and/or out of known geographic distribution, they do require a description. Jon L. Dunn wrote up a Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s) Warbler because he found it at Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley in late June. Steve N.G. Howell wrote a short description and a sketch of a Barn Swallow because he found it in the Owens Valley in late December. Both observers did so without being asked. Why? Because they recognized how unexpected the event was. If famous birders such as these can write descriptions of common species seen at uncommon times or in unexpected locations, so can the rest of us. If we hear of unusual sightings, we will send requests for more information on species not underlined that are reported away from known locations, outside known temporal limits, or in numbers that are near or exceed the highest count.

Minimally, we need date, location, distance between bird and birder, amount of time viewing the bird(s), whether through binoculars or a telescope, and a description of the relevant aspects of plumage, structure, vocalizations and behavior. Often it takes two to three sentences for a totally convincing write-up; occasionally, as many paragraphs might be necessary. And remember that a picture is worth a thousand words!

Numerous sightings of Inyo County birds (up to 30,000 sightings in one season!), posted on the Internet without any descriptions, are not included in the Inyo County Seasonal Report to North American Birds or the county database. Eastern Sierra Birds posts that contained adequate descriptions and/or photographs are included in both the report and the database. If you enter your sightings into eBird and want them submitted for publication in North American Birds, we request that you send us a copy of your documentation, written and/or photographic, so that we can add your records to the county archives.

The seasons are Spring (1 March to 31 May), Summer (1 June to 31 July), Fall (1 August to 30 November), Winter (1 December to 28 February). We must have reports by the tenth day following the end of each season and the species need to be in taxonomic order to facilitate collating all the reports. Please send them to tjheindel@gmail.com.

We are providing this information so observers know what is expected in order to turn a personal sighting into a county record that will stand the test of time. We cannot respond to observer’s requests that we let them know which of their sightings need descriptions since we often have over fifty observers submitting reports. We ask that you send us all you have when you submit your sightings!

Thanks to all who have met and exceeded our requests in archiving a reliable database for Inyo County.

New Inyo County 2017 Taxonomic Order is available for download (PDF).

Guidelines for Submitting Inyo County Sightings to North American Birds (PDF_. The list, with the above instructions, is also available for download.

A checklist only, in 2017 taxonomic order, is available here: COMING SOON

A trifold brochure-style list is available to print (double-sided) here (not updated to 2017 taxon) (PDF).

INYO COUNTY BIRD LIST 2017 TAXON

The new 2017 Taxon is also available as a PDF: Inyo County 2017 Taxonomic Order.

List of birds

  • FULVOUS WHISTLING-DUCK
  • SNOW GOOSE (BLUE PHASE)
  • SNOW GOOSE (WHITE PHASE)
  • ROSS’S GOOSE
  • GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
  • BRANT
  • CACKLING GOOSE
  • CANADA GOOSE
  • TRUMPETER SWAN
  • TUNDRA SWAN
  • WOOD DUCK
  • GARGANEY
  • BLUE-WINGED TEAL
  • CINNAMON TEAL
  • NORTHERN SHOVELER
  • GADWALL
  • EURASIAN WIGEON
  • AMERICAN WIGEON
  • MALLARD
  • NORTHERN PINTAIL
  • GREEN-WINGED TEAL
  • CANVASBACK
  • REDHEAD
  • RING-NECKED DUCK
  • GREATER SCAUP
  • LESSER SCAUP
  • SURF SCOTER
  • WHITE-WINGED SCOTER
  • BLACK SCOTER
  • LONG-TAILED DUCK
  • BUFFLEHEAD
  • COMMON GOLDENEYE
  • BARROW’S GOLDENEYE
  • HOODED MERGANSER
  • COMMON MERGANSER
  • RED-BREASTED MERGANSER
  • RUDDY DUCK
  • MOUNTAIN QUAIL
  • CALIFORNIA QUAIL
  • GAMBEL’S QUAIL
  • CHUKAR
  • RING-NECKED PHEASANT
  • GREATER SAGE-GROUSE
  • WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN
  • SOOTY GROUSE
  • PIED-BILLED GREBE
  • HORNED GREBE
  • RED-NECKED GREBE
  • EARED GREBE
  • WESTERN GREBE
  • CLARK’S GREBE
  • ROCK PIGEON
  • BAND-TAILED PIGEON
  • ORIENTAL TURTLE-DOVE
  • EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE
  • INCA DOVE
  • COMMON GROUND-DOVE
  • RUDDY GROUND-DOVE
  • WHITE-WINGED DOVE
  • MOURNING DOVE
  • YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO
  • GREATER ROADRUNNER
  • GROOVE-BILLED ANI
  • LESSER NIGHTHAWK
  • COMMON NIGHTHAWK
  • COMMON POORWILL
  • BLACK SWIFT
  • CHIMNEY SWIFT
  • VAUX’S SWIFT
  • WHITE-THROATED SWIFT
  • RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD
  • BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD
  • ANNA’S HUMMINGBIRD
  • COSTA’S HUMMINGBIRD
  • BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD
  • RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD
  • CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD
  • BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD
  • VIRGINIA RAIL
  • SORA
  • PURPLE GALLINULE
  • COMMON GALLINULE
  • AMERICAN COOT
  • SANDHILL CRANE
  • BLACK-NECKED STILT
  • AMERICAN AVOCET
  • BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER
  • AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER
  • PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER
  • SNOWY PLOVER
  • SEMIPALMATED PLOVER
  • KILLDEER
  • MOUNTAIN PLOVER
  • UPLAND SANDPIPER
  • WHIMBREL
  • LONG-BILLED CURLEW
  • MARBLED GODWIT
  • RUDDY TURNSTONE
  • BLACK TURNSTONE
  • RED KNOT
  • RUFF
  • STILT SANDPIPER
  • SANDERLING
  • DUNLIN
  • BAIRD’S SANDPIPER
  • LITTLE STINT
  • LEAST SANDPIPER
  • BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER
  • PECTORAL SANDPIPER
  • SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER
  • WESTERN SANDPIPER
  • SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER
  • LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER
  • WILSON’S SNIPE
  • SPOTTED SANDPIPER
  • SOLITARY SANDPIPER
  • LESSER YELLOWLEGS
  • WILLET
  • GREATER YELLOWLEGS
  • WILSON’S PHALAROPE
  • RED-NECKED PHALAROPE
  • RED PHALAROPE
  • PARASITIC JAEGER
  • LONG-TAILED JAEGER
  • SABINE’S GULL
  • BONAPARTE’S GULL
  • FRANKLIN’S GULL
  • HEERMANN’S GULL
  • MEW GULL
  • RING-BILLED GULL
  • WESTERN GULL
  • CALIFORNIA GULL
  • HERRING GULL
  • ICELAND GULL
  • LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL
  • GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL
  • GLAUCOUS GULL
  • LEAST TERN
  • CASPIAN TERN
  • BLACK TERN
  • COMMON TERN
  • ARCTIC TERN
  • FORSTER’S TERN
  • RED-THROATED LOON
  • PACIFIC LOON
  • COMMON LOON
  • WOOD STORK
  • MAGNIFICENT FRIGATEBIRD
  • DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT
  • AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN
  • BROWN PELICAN
  • AMERICAN BITTERN
  • LEAST BITTERN
  • GREAT BLUE HERON
  • GREAT EGRET
  • SNOWY EGRET
  • LITTLE BLUE HERON
  • REDDISH EGRET
  • CATTLE EGRET
  • GREEN HERON
  • BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON
  • GLOSSY IBIS
  • WHITE-FACED IBIS
  • BLACK VULTURE
  • TURKEY VULTURE
  • CALIFORNIA CONDOR
  • OSPREY
  • WHITE-TAILED KITE
  • MISSISSIPPI KITE
  • BALD EAGLE
  • NORTHERN HARRIER
  • SHARP-SHINNED HAWK
  • COOPER’S HAWK
  • NORTHERN GOSHAWK
  • RED-SHOULDERED HAWK
  • BROAD-WINGED HAWK
  • SWAINSON’S HAWK
  • ZONE-TAILED HAWK
  • RED-TAILED HAWK
  • ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK
  • FERRUGINOUS HAWK
  • GOLDEN EAGLE
  • BARN OWL
  • FLAMMULATED OWL
  • WESTERN SCREECH-OWL
  • GREAT HORNED OWL
  • NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL
  • BURROWING OWL
  • BARRED OWL
  • LONG-EARED OWL
  • SHORT-EARED OWL
  • NORTHERN SAW-WHET
  • BELTED KINGFISHER
  • LEWIS’S WOODPECKER
  • ACORN WOODPECKER
  • WILLIAMSON’S SAPSUCKER
  • YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER
  • RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER
  • RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER
  • LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKER
  • NUTTALL’S WOODPECKER
  • DOWNY WOODPECKER
  • HAIRY WOODPECKER
  • WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKER
  • NORTHERN (YELLOW-SHAFTED) FLICKER
  • NORTHERN (RED-SHAFTED) FLICKER
  • CRESTED CARACARA
  • AMERICAN KESTREL
  • MERLIN
  • GYRFALCON
  • PEREGRINE FALCON
  • PRAIRIE FALCON
  • OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER
  • WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE
  • EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE
  • WILLOW FLYCATCHER
  • LEAST FLYCATCHER
  • HAMMOND’S FLYCATCHER
  • GRAY FLYCATCHER
  • DUSKY FLYCATCHER
  • PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER
  • CORDILLERAN FLYCATCHER
  • WESTERN FLYCATCHER
  • BLACK PHOEBE
  • EASTERN PHOEBE
  • SAY’S PHOEBE
  • VERMILION FLYCATCHER
  • DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER
  • ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER
  • GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER
  • BROWN-CRESTED FLYCATCHER
  • TROPICAL KINGBIRD
  • CASSIN’S KINGBIRD
  • THICK-BILLED KINGBIRD
  • WESTERN KINGBIRD
  • EASTERN KINGBIRD
  • SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER
  • LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE
  • NORTHERN SHRIKE
  • WHITE-EYED VIREO
  • BELL’S VIREO
  • GRAY VIREO
  • HUTTON’S VIREO
  • YELLOW-THROATED VIREO
  • CASSIN’S VIREO
  • BLUE-HEADED VIREO
  • PLUMBEOUS VIREO
  • PHILADELPHIA VIREO
  • WARBLING VIREO
  • RED-EYED VIREO
  • PINYON JAY
  • STELLER’S JAY
  • BLUE JAY
  • CALIFORNIA SCRUB-JAY
  • WOODHOUSE’S SCRUB-JAY
  • CLARK’S NUTCRACKER
  • BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE
  • AMERICAN CROW
  • COMMON RAVEN
  • HORNED LARK
  • PURPLE MARTIN
  • TREE SWALLOW
  • VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW
  • NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW
  • BANK SWALLOW
  • CLIFF SWALLOW
  • BARN SWALLOW
  • MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE
  • OAK TITMOUSE
  • JUNIPER TITMOUSE
  • VERDIN
  • BUSHTIT
  • RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH
  • WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH
  • PYGMY NUTHATCH
  • BROWN CREEPER
  • ROCK WREN
  • CANYON WREN
  • HOUSE WREN
  • PACIFIC WREN
  • WINTER WREN
  • SEDGE WREN
  • MARSH WREN
  • BEWICK’S WREN
  • CACTUS WREN
  • BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER
  • BLACK-TAILED GNATCATCHER
  • AMERICAN DIPPER
  • GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET
  • RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET
  • WRENTIT
  • WESTERN BLUEBIRD
  • MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD
  • TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRE
  • VEERY
  • SWAINSON’S THRUSH
  • HERMIT THRUSH
  • WOOD THRUSH
  • RUFOUS-BACKED ROBIN
  • AMERICAN ROBIN
  • VARIED THRUSH
  • GRAY CATBIRD
  • CURVE-BILLED THRASHER
  • BROWN THRASHER
  • BENDIRE’S THRASHER
  • CALIFORNIA THRASHER
  • LE CONTE’S THRASHER
  • CRISSAL THRASHER
  • SAGE THRASHER
  • NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD
  • EUROPEAN STARLING
  • BOHEMIAN WAXWING
  • CEDAR WAXWING
  • PHAINOPEPLA
  • HOUSE SPARROW
  • WHITE WAGTAIL
  • RED-THROATED PIPIT
  • AMERICAN PIPIT
  • SPRAGUE’S PIPIT
  • EVENING GROSBEAK
  • PINE GROSBEAK
  • GRAY-CROWNED (DAWSON’S) ROSY-FINCH
  • GRAY-CROWNED (HEPBURN’S) ROSY-FINCH
  • BLACK ROSY-FINCH
  • HOUSE FINCH
  • PURPLE FINCH
  • CASSIN’S FINCH
  • RED CROSSBILL
  • PINE SISKIN
  • LESSER GOLDFINCH
  • LAWRENCE’S GOLDFINCH
  • AMERICAN GOLDFINCH
  • LAPLAND LONGSPUR
  • CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR
  • SMITH’S LONGSPUR
  • MCCOWN’S LONGSPUR
  • SNOW BUNTING
  • GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE
  • SPOTTED TOWHEE
  • CALIFORNIA TOWHEE
  • CASSIN’S SPARROW
  • AMERICAN TREE SPARROW
  • CHIPPING SPARROW
  • CLAY-COLORED SPARROW
  • BREWER’S SPARROW
  • FIELD SPARROW
  • BLACK-CHINNED SPARROW
  • VESPER SPARROW
  • LARK SPARROW
  • BLACK-THROATED SPARROW
  • SAGEBRUSH SPARROW
  • BELL’S SPARROW
  • LARK BUNTING
  • SAVANNAH SPARROW
  • GRASSHOPPER SPARROW
  • LE CONTE’S SPARROW
  • NELSON’S SPARROW
  • FOX SPARROW
  • SONG SPARROW
  • LINCOLN’S SPARROW
  • SWAMP SPARROW
  • WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
  • HARRIS’S SPARROW
  • WHITE-CROWNED (GAMBEL’S) SPARROW
  • WHITE-CROWNED (MOUNTAIN) SPARROW
  • GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW
  • DARK-EYED (PINK-SIDED) JUNCO
  • DARK-EYED (WHITE-WINGED) JUNCO
  • DARK-EYED (SLATE-COLORED) JUNCO
  • DARK-EYED (OREGON) JUNCO
  • DARK-EYED (GRAY-HEADED) JUNCO
  • YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT
  • YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD
  • BOBOLINK
  • WESTERN MEADOWLARK
  • ORCHARD ORIOLE
  • HOODED ORIOLE
  • STREAK-BACKED ORIOLE
  • BULLOCK’S ORIOLE
  • BALTIMORE ORIOLE
  • SCOTT’S ORIOLE
  • RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD
  • TRICOLORED BLACKBIRD
  • BRONZED COWBIRD
  • BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD
  • RUSTY BLACKBIRD
  • BREWER’S BLACKBIRD
  • COMMON GRACKLE
  • GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE
  • OVENBIRD
  • WORM-EATING WARBLER
  • LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH
  • NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH
  • GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER
  • BLUE-WINGED WARBLER
  • BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER
  • PROTHONOTARY WARBLER
  • TENNESSEE WARBLER
  • ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER
  • LUCY’S WARBLER
  • NASHVILLE WARBLER
  • VIRGINIA’S WARBLER
  • CONNECTICUT WARBLER
  • MACGILLIVRAY’S WARBLER
  • MOURNING WARBLER
  • KENTUCKY WARBLER
  • COMMON YELLOWTHROAT
  • HOODED WARBLER
  • AMERICAN REDSTART
  • CAPE MAY WARBLER
  • CERULEAN WARBLER
  • NORTHERN PARULA
  • MAGNOLIA WARBLER
  • BAY-BREASTED WARBLER
  • BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER
  • YELLOW WARBLER
  • CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER
  • BLACKPOLL WARBLER
  • BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER
  • PALM WARBLER
  • PINE WARBLER
  • YELLOW-RUMPED (AUDUBON’S) WARBLER
  • YELLOW-RUMPED (MYRTLE) WARBLER
  • YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER
  • PRAIRIE WARBLER
  • BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER
  • TOWNSEND’S WARBLER
  • HERMIT WARBLER
  • TOWNSEND’S X HERMIT WARBLER HYBRID
  • BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER
  • CANADA WARBLER
  • WILSON’S WARBLER
  • RED-FACED WARBLER
  • PAINTED REDSTART
  • HEPATIC TANAGER
  • SUMMER TANAGER
  • SCARLET TANAGER
  • WESTERN TANAGER
  • NORTHERN CARDINAL
  • PYRRHULOXIA
  • ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK
  • BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK
  • BLUE GROSBEAK
  • LAZULI BUNTING
  • INDIGO BUNTING
  • INDIGO X LAZULI BUNTING HYBRID
  • VARIED BUNTING
  • PAINTED BUNTING
  • DICKCISSEL

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