California
Bird Check List
The Barstow Field Office covers an area of nearly 3 million acres and is located in southern California in the heart of the Mojave Desert. It is bordered by the San Bernardino Mountains on the southwest and the state of Nevada to the northeast. A variety of habitats, from desert sinks to higher elevation woodlands, support a wide diversity of birdlife. Elevation ranges from near sea level to over 6000 feet, with annual precipitation from 0 to 6 inches.
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Greater Roadrunner |
Vegetation communities include small amount of Pinyon-Juniper Woodland near the southern and northern edges of the resource area. Shadscale Scrub and Creosote Scrub are the predominant vegetation communities in the resource area, and are found at lower elevations. Joshua Tree, Nolina, and Mixed Mojave Woody Scrub communities are found at intermediate elevations.
Cottonwood and Willow groves, as well as patches of Catclaw Acacia, are scattered throughout the area at springs and along the two rivers of the Mojave Desert, the Mojave and Amargosa Rivers. These woodlands provide critical riparian habitat for a wide variety of both resident and neotropical migratory birds.
Shallow alkaline lakes, such as Cronese Dry Lake and Harper Dry Lake, provide habitat for shorebirds and waterfowl. Some hold water throughout the year, such as Harper Dry Lake, but most are wet only during rainy seasons in spring and early summer. Consult a field guide to determine which habitats would likely support various species.
Sources used to compile this list include observations of BLM biologists and local birders, "Birds of the Great Basin" by Fred A. Ryser, "Birds of Nevada" by J. Roy Alcorn, "A Field Guide to Western Birds" by Roger Tory Peterson, "A Field Guide to Birds of North America" by The National Geographic Society, and "California's Wildlife (Volume II ) - Birds" by the California Department of Fish and Game.
The accuracy of this bird list will improve with additional observations. Observations should include the species, date, and specific location. Report bird observations to the BLM wildlife biologist at the Barstow Field Office, 2601 Barstow Road, Barstow, CA 92311.
The following codes are used in the list:
PR = Permanent Residents. Species that remain in the resource area all year.
SR = Summer Residents. Species that occur in the resource area in summer.
WR = Winter Residents. Species that occur in the resource area in winter.
M = Migrants. Species that use the resource area for short periods during migration.
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Working Together for Wildlife
Across the west, BLM-managed land supports more than 3,000 species of wildlife. The Barstow Resource Area supports more than 240 bird species. BLM manages approximately 270 million acres in 12 Western States, including Alaska. There are approximately 3 million acres in the Barstow Resource Area.
Wildlife management is a cooperative business. State fish and wildlife agencies manage most populations of wildlife, but landowners, including the Federal government, manage the wildlife habitat. Cooperation is imperative for successful wildlife management. BLM cooperates with many agencies, private land owners, and private organizations such as Ducks Unlimited, Quail Unlimited, and The Nature Conservancy, to protect bird habitat.
BLM is one of many Federal agencies, State and Provincial fish and wildlife agencies, nongovernment organizations and private companies active in Partners in Flight - Aves de las Americas (PIF). PIF was formed to focus attention on the populations of declining neotropical migratory birds. The partnership is working to establish regional working groups, form international partnerships, and establish new resource monitoring and habitat conservation.
In addition to being active in PIF, BLM is implementing its own Nongame Migratory Bird Habitat Conservation Strategy Plan. Components include conserving populations of nongame birds through a variety of habitat management practices and promoting the value of nongame birds to wildlife viewing and natural heritage.
Four Watchable Wildlife Viewing Areas have been designated in the Barstow Resource Area: Afton Canyon, Amargosa Canyon, Grimshaw Lake, and Harper Dry Lake. BLM is very active in riparian (streamside) restoration work in the Barstow Resource Area. This effort is critical to maintaining the habitat needed by numerous neotropical migratory and nongame bird species, as well as other wildlife species.
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