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.

 
 

Western tanager

Bald eagle

American robin

Great blue heron

Barn owl

Juvenile starling

Black-capped chickadee

Crow

Stellar jay

Northern flicker

 

Yellow-rumped warbler

 

 

 

Waterfowl and quail

Greater white-fronted goose F O
Snow goose F R (Oh)
Canada goose All C
Trumpeter Swan F,W R (Oh) 
Tundra swan F,W R (Oh)
Wood duck ll R *
Gadwall All U *
Eurasian wigeon W O
American wigeon W U
Mallard All A *
Blue-winged teal F,W,Sp O
Northern shoveler W O
Northern pintail F,W,Sp O (Oh)
Green-winged teal F,W,Sp O
Bufflehead F,W,Sp O
Common goldeneye F,W O (Oh)
Barrow's goldeneye W O (Oh)
Hooded merganser F,W,Sp O
Common merganser W,Sp R
California quail All R
Cormorants, herons and vultures
Common loon F,Sp,Su O (0h)
Double-crested cormorant F,W,Sp U
Great blue heron All C
Cattle egret F O (0h)
Green heron Sp O
Black-crowned night-heron Su O
Turkey vulture F,W,Sp U (0h)

Eagles, hawks, owls and falcons

Osprey F,W,Sp U (Oh)
Bald eagle All C (Oh)
Northern harrier All R
Sharp-shinned hawk All U
Cooper's hawk All C
Northern goshawk W O
Red-tailed hawk All U
Rough-legged hawk W O (Oh)
American kestrel All O (Oh)
Merlin F,W,Sp U
Peregrine falcon F,W,Sp U
Snowy owl F R (0)
Shorebirds, gulls and terns
Sora Su O
American coot F,W O
Sandhill crane F R (Oh)
Killdeer Sp,Su R
Spotted sandpiper Sp O
Wilson's snipe F, W O
Bonaparte's gull F, S O
Mew gull F,W,Sp U (Oh)
Ring-billed gull F,W,Su U (Oh)
California gull F,W,Sp R
Glaucous-winged gull All A *
Caspian tern Sp,Su R (Oh)
Pigeons, owls and nighthawks
Rock pigeon All C *
Band-tailed pigeon All U
Mourning dove Sp O
Barn owl All R
Great horned owl F U *
Barred owl All U
Long-eared owl F O
Short-eared owl F O (Oh)
Common nighthawk Su O (Oh)
Swifts, hummingbirds and kingfishers
Black swift Sp,Su R (Oh)
Vaux's swift Sp,Su,F R (Oh)
Anna's hummingbird All C
Rufous hummingbird Sp,Su U
Belted kingfisher All U
Woodpeckers
Red-naped sapsucker Sp O
Red-breasted sapsucker F,W,Sp U
Downy woodpecker All U
Hairy woodpecker All O
Northern flicker All C *
Pileated woodpecker Sp O
Flycatchers, shrikes and vireos
Olive-sided flycatcher F,Sp,Su U
Western wood-pewee F,Sp,Su U
Willow flycatcher Su O
Hammond's flycatcher Sp, Su R
Pacific-slope flycatcher F,Sp,Su U
Northern shrike W O
Cassin's vireo F,Sp,Su U
Hutton's vireo All U
Warbling vireo F,Sp,Su U
Jays, crows and relatives
Steller's jay All U
Western scrub-jay F O
American crow All A *
Swallows
Purple martin Su O (Oh)
Tree swallow Sp O (Oh)
Violet-green swallow F,Sp, Su C *
Northern rough-winged swallow Sp O
Cliff swallow Sp, Su U (Oh)
Barn swallow F,Sp,Su C *
Chickadees and nuthatches
Black-capped chickadee All C *
Chestnut-backed chickadee All U*
Bushtit All C *
Red-breasted nuthatch All U *
Creepers, wrens and dippers
Brown creeper All R
Bewick's wren All C *
Winter wren All U *
American dipper F O
Marsh wren Sp R
Kinglets and thrushes
Golden-crowned kinglet All C *
Ruby-crowned kinglet F,W,Sp C
Townsend's solitaire Sp,F R
Swainson's thrush F,Sp,Su U
Hermit thrush F,W,Sp U
American robin All A *
Varied thrush F,W,Sp C
Starlings and waxwings
European starling All A *
Bohemian waxwing W O
Cedar waxwing Su,F C
Warblers and tanagers
Orange-crowned warbler Sp,Su,F U
Nashville warbler Sp,Su R
Yellow warbler Sp,Su,F U
Yellow-rumped warbler All C
Black-throated gray warbler Sp,Su,F U
Townsend's warbler All U
MacGillivray's warbler Sp,Su R
Common yellowthroat Sp,Su,F O
Wilson's warbler Sp,Su,F C
Western tanager Sp,Su,F C
Sparrows and relatives
Spotted towhee All C *
Savannah sparrow F,Sp R
Fox sparrow F,W,Sp C
Song sparrow All C *
Lincoln's sparrow Sp R
White-throated sparrow F,W,Sp O
White-crowned sparrow F,Sp U
Golden-crowned sparrow F,W,Sp C
Dark-eyed junco All C *
Black-headed grosbeak Sp,Su U
Lazuli bunting Sp,Su O
Blackbirds and orioles
Red-winged blackbird All R *
Yellow-headed blackbird F,Sp O
Brown-headed cowbird Sp,Su C *
Bullock's oriole Sp,Su R *
Finches and weaver finches
Purple finch Sp,F R
House finch All C *
Red crossbill F,W,Sp R
Pine siskin F,W,Sp U
American goldfinch All U
Evening grosbeak Sp,F R
House sparrow All A *

 

 

 
 

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