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Wild Birds Seen at Woodland Park Zoo


Woodland Park Zoo is one of the most wooded areas in municipal Seattle and as such, is prime territory for a variety of wild bird species.

This list compiles observations made by many people from the late 1970s through 2007. Coverage includes all land bounded by Phinney and Aurora Avenues, and by 50th and 59th Streets. No hypothetical species are included; only actual observations were tabulated. Omitted are non-established exotics (including chukar and various parrot species) which have been seen occasionally. Taxonomy and nomenclature follow the A.O.U. Check-list of North American Birds, 7th edition (1998).

Wild Bird Key


Seasons:

F

Fall

September, October, November

W

Winter

December, January, February

Sp

Spring

March, April, May

Su

Summer

June, July, August


 

Abundance:

A

=

Abundant: Found in great numbers, with little searching, during appropriate seasons.

C

=

Common: Usually found when sought in correct habitat and appropriate seasons.

U

=

Uncommon: Sometimes found in correct habitat, during appropriate seasons, with diligent searching; is seen on zoo grounds every year, at least in small numbers.

R

=

Rare: Only found on rare occasions, and not every year.

O

=

Occasional: Has been reported on zoo grounds less than five times.

Oh

=

Overhead: Has only been seen flying over the zoo.

*

=

Nester: Has been seen nesting on zoo grounds.

 


 

Bald eagle

American robin

Great blue heron

Barn owl

Juvenile starling

Black-capped chickadee

Crow

 

Visit the Barn Swallow page to learn about barn swallows at the zoo and the banding project conducted by staff and volunteers.

 

Waterfowl and quail

Greater white-fronted gooseFO
Snow goose FR (Oh)
Canada goose AllC
Trumpeter SwanF,WR (Oh) 
Tundra swan F,WR (Oh)
Wood duck AllR *
GadwallAllU *
Eurasian wigeon WO
American wigeon WU
Mallard AllA *
Blue-winged teal F,W,SpO
Northern shoveler WO
Northern pintail F,W,SpO (Oh)
Green-winged teal F,W,SpO
Bufflehead F,W,SpO
Common goldeneye F,WO (Oh)
Barrow's goldeneye WO (Oh)
Hooded merganser F,W,SpO
Common merganser W,SpR
California quailAllR

 

Cormorants, herons and vultures     
Common loonF,Sp,SuO (0h)
Double-crested cormorantF,W,SpU
Great blue heronAllC
Cattle egretFO (0h)
Green heronSpO
Black-crowned night-heronSuO
Turkey vultureF,W,SpU (0h)

 

Eagles, hawks and falcons

OspreyF,W,SpU (Oh)
Bald eagle AllC (Oh)
Northern harrier AllR
Sharp-shinned hawk AllU
Cooper's hawk AllC
Northern goshawk WO
Red-tailed hawk AllU
Rough-legged hawk WO (Oh)
American kestrel AllO (Oh)
MerlinF,W,SpU
Peregrine falcon F,W,SpU

Shorebirds, gulls and terns
Sora SuO
American coot F,WO
Sandhill crane FR (Oh)
KilldeerSp,SuR
Spotted sandpiper SpO
Wilson's snipeF, WO
Bonaparte's gull F, S O
Mew gull F,W,SpU (Oh)
Ring-billed gull F,W,SuU (Oh)
California gull F,W,SpR
Glaucous-winged gull AllA *
Caspian tern Sp,SuR (Oh)

Pigeons, owls and nighthawks
Rock pigeonAllC *
Band-tailed pigeon AllU
Mourning dove SpO
Barn owl AllR
Great horned owlFU *
Barred owl F,W,SpU
Long-eared owlFO
Short-eared owlFO (Oh)
Common nighthawk SuO (Oh)

Swifts, hummingbirds and kingfishers
Black swift Sp,SuR (Oh)
Vaux's swift Sp,Su,FR (Oh)
Anna's hummingbird AllC
Rufous hummingbird Sp,SuU
Belted kingfisherAllU

Woodpeckers
Red-naped sapsucker SpO
Red-breasted sapsucker F,W,SpU
Downy woodpecker AllU
Hairy woodpecker AllO
Northern flickerAllC *
Pileated woodpecker SpO (Oh)

Flycatchers, shrikes and vireos
Olive-sided flycatcher F,Sp,SuU
Western wood-pewee F,Sp,SuU
Willow flycatcherSuO
Hammond's flycatcher Sp, Su R
Pacific-slope flycatcherF,Sp,SuU
Northern shrike WO
Cassin's vireoF,Sp,SuU
Hutton's vireo AllU
Warbling vireo F,Sp,SuU

Jays, crows and relatives
Steller's jay AllU
Western scrub-jay FO
American crow AllA *


 

Swallows
Purple martin SuO (Oh)
Tree swallow SpO (Oh)
Violet-green swallow F,Sp, Su C *
Northern rough-winged swallowSpO
Cliff swallow Sp, Su U (Oh)
Barn swallow F,Sp,SuC *

Chickadees and nuthatches
Black-capped chickadee AllC *
Chestnut-backed chickadee AllU
BushtitAllC *
Red-breasted nuthatch AllU *

Creepers, wrens and dippers
Brown creeper AllR
Bewick's wren AllC *
Winter wren AllU *
American dipper FO

Kinglets and thrushes
Golden-crowned kinglet AllC *
Ruby-crowned kinglet F,W,SpC
Townsend's solitaire Sp,FR
Swainson's thrush F,Sp,SuU
Hermit thrush F,W,SpU
American robin AllA *
Varied thrush F,W,SpC

Starlings and waxwings
European starling AllA *
Bohemian waxwing WO
Cedar waxwing Su,FC

Warblers and tanagers
Orange-crowned warbler Sp,Su,FU
Nashville warbler Sp,SuR
Yellow warbler Sp,Su,FU
Yellow-rumped warbler AllC
Black-throated gray warblerSp,Su,FU
Townsend's warbler AllU
MacGillivray's warbler Sp,SuR
Common yellowthroat Sp,Su,FO
Wilson's warbler Sp,Su,FC
Western tanager Sp,Su,FC

Sparrows and relatives
Spotted towheeAllC *
Savannah sparrow F,SpR
Fox sparrow F,W,SpC
Song sparrow AllC *
Lincoln's sparrow SpR
White-throated sparrow F,SpO
White-crowned sparrow F,SpU
Golden-crowned sparrow F,W,SpC
Dark-eyed junco AllC *
Black-headed grosbeak Sp,SuU
Lazuli bunting Sp,SuO

Blackbirds and orioles
Red-winged blackbird AllR *
Yellow-headed blackbird F,SpO
Brown-headed cowbird Sp,SuC *
Bullock's oriole Sp,SuR *

Finches and weaver finches
Purple finchSp,FR
House finch AllC *
Red crossbill F,W,SpR
Pine siskin F,W,SpU
American goldfinch AllU
Evening grosbeak Sp,FR
House sparrow AllA *
 

 
 

 

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