[Animals of Mount Adams Country]

Birds of Mount Adams Country

Pygmy Nuthatch: Sitta pygmaea

Pygmy Nuthatch: Sitta pygmaea

The following list represents birds I have personally seen or heard on or near Mt. Adams. Locations reflect where I have seen each species. Their range probably is more widespread than listed:

Great Blue Heron - Conboy Lake NWR

Mallard - Conboy Lake NWR

Goldeneye (possibly Barrows) - I've only seen the young ducks on Takhlakh and Bench Lakes.

Northern Goshawk - Common during fall migration in forests.

Cooper's Hawk - Common in forests and to above timberline most of the recreational year.

Sharp-shinned Hawk - Occasionally seen at and above timberline during the fall migration.

Prairie Falcon - Occasionally seen on the east side of the mountain.

American Kestrel - Occasionally seen at Conboy Lake NWR.

Harrier - Fairly common over fields and marsh at Conboy Lake NWR, occasionally above the mountain during fall migration.

Red-tailed Hawk - Fairly common above forest lands and to above timberline.

Golden Eagle - Occasionally seen over forest lands, at least on the east side of the mountain.

Osprey - Occasionally seen above Takhlakh and Bench Lakes.

Turkey Vulture - Occasionally seen on the east side of the mountain and at Conboy Lake NWR.

Ruffed Grouse - Commonly heard booming in the spring in forest lands.

Sooty Grouse: Dendragapus fuliginosus - below Cold Springs CG

Sora - Occasionally seen along Kreps Lane & Laurel Road at Conboy Lake NWR.

Sandhill Crane - Fairly common although rarely seen in early summer at Conboy Lake NWR.

Greater Yellowlegs - Occasionally seen along lake margins on the mountain.

Spotted Sandpiper - Fairly common in riparian areas on the mountain.

Wilson's Snipe - Occasionally flushed from marshes and ditches at Conboy Lake NWR.

Mourning Dove - Occasionally seen or heard at Conboy Lake NWR.

Great Horned Owl - Occasionally seen, more commonly heard.

Common Nighthawk - Fairly common flying over forest land and lower alpine slopes during evenings and early mornings. Often flushed from forest roadsides where they sleep days.

Belted Kingfisher - Occasionally seen at margins of the larger lakes and ponds.

Vaux's Swift - Fairly common above forests and high canyon rims, or occasionally over lakes skimming for insects.

White-throated Swift - One individual seen at close range skimming Bench Lake for insects.

Rufous Hummingbird - Fairly common in floriferous meadows and alpine slopes.

Acorn Woodpecker: Melanerpes formicivoris - Several spotted with a ponderosa pine snag and dead tops of oak trees all acting as acorn storage at the Klickitat Wildlife Area.

Lewis's Woodpecker: Melanerpes lewis - Klickitat Wildlife Area

Black-backed Woodpecker: Picoides arcticus - Along Willard Springs Trail Loop at Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

White-headed Woodpecker - Once seen in fall on DNR land at 4000' on the southeastern slopes of the mountain.

Downy Woodpecker - Fairly common.

Hairy Woodpecker -Fairly common.

Three-toed or Black-backed Woodpecker - I need to check notes to confirm which one I've seen in boreal forest on the west side of the mountain.

Sapsucker - Seen near the Klickitat River about 20 years ago. I'm not remembering which species right now.

Northern Flicker -Fairly common up to timberline.

Western Wood Peewee - Common in early through mid summer from Conboy Lake NWR and forests on the southeast side of Mt. Adams.

Olive-sided Flycatcher - Occasionally seen, more commonly heard.

Western Kingbird - Conboy Lake NWR

Eastern Kingbird - Conboy Lake NWR

Warbling Vireo - Commonly heard, occasionally seen in forest lands and riparian areas on the southeast side of Mt. Adams.

Common Raven - Fairly common from the lowlands to well above timberline.

Black-billed Magpie - Occasionally seen at Conboy Lake NWR.

Clarks Nutcracker - Common above 5000'.

Stellers Jay - Fairly common in forests up to 6500'.

Canada Jay, Gray Jay, Camprobber - Fairly common in forests up to 6500'.

Violet Green Swallows - Fairly common above large lakes and high canyon rims as well as over Conboy Lake NWR.

Cliff Swallows - Common at Conboy Lake NWR.

Horned Larks - Occasionally heard or seen above timberline, especially at spring or fall migration.

Black-capped Chickadee - Common in forest lands to 5000'.

Mountain Chickadee - Fairly common in forest lands above 4000'.

Chestnut-backed Chickadee - Occasionally seen in forest lands below 5000'.

Red-breasted Nuthatch - Commonly heard and seen in forest lands at all elevations.

Brown Creeper - Occasionally seen.

Bewick's Wren - Occasionally seen at Conboy Lake NWR.

Winter Wren - Fairly common in forest lands below 5000'.

American Dipper -

Golden-crowned Kinglet - Commonly seen in forest lands at all elevations.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Common seen in forest lands at all elevations.

Western Bluebird - Fairly common at Conboy Lake NWR.

Townsend's Solitaire - Fairly common to timberline in the fall.

Varied Thrush - Often heard, but more visible in fall when seen on all paved roads.

Hermit Thrush - Common. Usually seen in evenings on paved roads.

Swainson's Thrush - Common, although less commonly seen.

American Robin - Common.

American Pipit - Seen near snow patches or ponds and lakes above timberline. More commonly seen as they congregate for the fall migration.

European Starling - Most commonly seen at Conboy Lake NWR and around Glenwood, WA and Trout Lake, WA.

Orange-crowned Warbler - Occasionally seen in moist thickets on the east side of the mountain.

Yellow Warbler - Often seen and heard in moist thickets.

Townsend's Warbler - Fairly common in forest lands on the southeast side of the mountain.

Yellow-rumped Warbler - Very common.

MacGillivray's Warbler - Occasionally seen in brush in clear cuts.

Western Tanager - Very common and often seen and heard especially early in summer.

Black-headed Grosbeak - Fairly common and often seen and heard on the southeast side of the mountain in early summer.

Spotted Towhee - Commonly heard, occasionally seen on the eastern and southern slopes of the mountain.

Chipping Sparrow - Occasionally seen.

Song Sparrow - Occasionally seen and heard. Common at Conboy Lake NWR.

Savannah Sparrow - Occasionally seen at Conboy Lake NWR.

White-crowned Sparrow - Fairly common around forest clearings.

Dark-eyed Junco (both slate-colored and Oregon variants) - Very common.

Western Meadowlark - Fairly common in fields around Conboy Lake NWR.

Red-winged Blackbird - Occasionally seen around Conboy Lake NWR.

Brewer's Blackbird - Occasionally seen around Conboy Lake NWR.

Brown-headed Cowbird - Occasionally seen (in migration) in clearcuts on the south and east side of the mountain.

Red Crossbill - A flock once seen near 4000' in forest on the eastern slopes of the mountain.

Cassin's Finch - Occasionally seen to near timberline.

Evening Grosbeak - Occasionally seen and heard high in the trees on the south side of the mountain.

American Goldfinch - Occasionally seen around Conboy Lake NWR.

Pine Siskin - Fairly common in treetops above 3000'.


Paul Slichter