THE VDO YARD BIRD LIST
VDO includes approximately 122 acres of Open Space conservation lands consisting of 77+ acres of open space around homesites, and a 45-acre parcel immediately adjacent to VDO, which hikers, walkers, dog walkers, and bird enthusiasts pass through. These unmowed Chihuahuan grassland areas and Madrean oak-lined washes contribute to wintering and breeding habitat for our native birds.
Our CC&Rs also encourage homeowners to opt for native plantings and to accent-mow judiciously to contribute to this precious Southeast Arizona habitat.
Our residents are proud to have recorded 197 bird species in the neighborhood, beginning with the first recordings in 2004.
Quail-Friendly = Cats Indoors! We love our quail — and outdoor cats mean no more quail. Plus your feline pet is safer indoors, safe from local predators like great horned owls and coyotes, and from the county’s alert on rabies transmission.
Compiled by Bob & Bettina Arrigoni, Jill Bachman, Ron Beck, Clark & Lois Bloom, Diana Doyle, Rob Gallucci, and Scott Sticha
Photos by Rob Gallucci, Diana Doyle, Bettina Arrigoni, and Lois Bloom.
Ducks, Geese, and Swans
Mallard (left)
Quail and Turkey
Scaled Quail (left)
Gambel’s Quail
Montezuma Quail
Wild Turkey
Pigeons and Doves
Rock Pigeon
Band-tailed Pigeon (left)
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Inca Dove
White-winged Dove
Common Ground Dove
Ruddy Ground Dove
Mourning Dove
Cuckoos and Roadrunners
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Greater Roadrunner (left)
Goatsuckers
Lesser Nighthawk (left)
Common Nighthawk
Common Poorwill
Swifts
Vaux’s Swift
White-throated Swift (left)
Hummingbirds
Rivoli’s Hummingbird
Blue-throated Mountain-gem
Lucifer Hummingbird
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Anna’s Hummingbird (left)
Costa’s Hummingbird
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Allen’s Hummingbird
Calliope Hummingbird
Broad-billed Hummingbird
Berylline Hummingbird
Violet-crowned Hummingbird
White-eared Hummingbird
Plovers and Sandpipers
Killdeer
Wilson’s Snipe (left)
Gulls and Terns
Ring-billed Gull (left)
Herons and Ibis
Great Blue Heron (left)
White-faced Ibis
Vultures, Hawks, Kites, and Eagles
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Swainson’s Hawk (left)
Zone-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Ferruginous Hawk
White-tailed Kite
Golden Eagle
Owls
Barn Owl
Western Screech-Owl
Whiskered Screech-Owl
Great Horned Owl (left)
Northern Pygmy-Owl
Elf Owl
Woodpeckers
Lewis’s Woodpecker (left)
Acorn Woodpecker
Gila Woodpecker
Red-naped Sapsucker
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Arizona Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Falcons
Crested Caracara
American Kestrel (left)
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Prairie Falcon
Flycatchers
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Brown-crested Flycatcher
Cassin’s Kingbird
Western Kingbird (left)
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Western Wood-Pewee
Willow Flycatcher
Hammond’s Flycatcher
Gray Flycatcher
Dusky Flycatcher
Cordilleran Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
Say’s Phoebe
Vermilion Flycatcher
Shrikes and Vireos
Loggerhead Shrike (left)
Bell’s Vireo
Hutton’s Vireo
Plumbeous Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Jays and Crows
Western Scrub-Jay
Mexican Jay (left)
Chihuahuan Raven
Common Raven
Larks
Horned Lark (left)
Swallows
Bank Swallow
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow (left)
Cliff Swallow
Titmice, Verdin, Bushtits, and Nuthatches
Bridled Titmouse (left)
Verdin
Bushtit
White-breasted Nuthatch
Wrens
Rock Wren
Canyon Wren
House Wren
Brown-throated Wren
Winter Wren
Bewick’s Wren
Cactus Wren (left)
Gnatcatchers and Kinglets
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher (left)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Thrushes
Western Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird (left)
Hermit Thrush
Rufous-backed Robin
American Robin
Mockingbirds and Thrashers
Northern Mockingbird
Curve-billed Thrasher (left)
Bendire’s Thrasher
Crissal Thrasher
Sage Thrasher
Waxwings and Silky-Flycatchers
Cedar Waxwing
Phainopepla (left)
Old World Sparrows and Pipits
House Sparrow
American Pipit (left)
Finches and Crossbills
House Finch
Cassin’s Finch (left)
Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin
Lesser Goldfinch
Lawrence’s Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
Towhees and Sparrows
Botteri’s Sparrow
Cassin’s Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow
Black-throated Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Lark Bunting
Chipping Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
Black-chinned Sparrow
Brewer’s Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Yellow-eyed Junco
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Lincoln’s Sparrow
Canyon Towhee
Rufous-winged Sparrow
Rufous-crowned Sparrow
Green-tailed Towhee (left)
Spotted Towhee
Blackbirds and Orioles
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Chihuahuan Meadowlark
Western Meadowlark
Orchard Oriole
Hooded Oriole
Bullock’s Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Scott’s Oriole (left)
Red-winged Blackbird
Bronzed Cowbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Brewer’s Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Warblers and Chats
Orange-crowned Warbler (left)
Lucy’s Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Virginia’s Warbler
MacGillivray’s Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
American Redstart
Yellow Warbler
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Townsend’s Warbler
Hermit Warbler
Wilson’s Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Cardinals and Tanagers
Hepatic Tanager
Summer Tanager
Western Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Pyrrhuloxia (left)
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Black-headed Grosbeak
Blue Grosbeak
Lazuli Bunting
Indigo Bunting
Painted Bunting
Dickcissel