American Bittern by Alison Sheehey © 2000

 

BIRDS OF KERN NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Delano, California

KNWR     Checklist of Birds of Pixley NWR     Mammals of KNWR     Pixley NWR

Alison Sheehey © Nature Ali Publications

Kern National Wildlife Refuge is found just south of the historic Tulare Lake in the San Joaquin Valley of California. The region was a vast wetland prior to the 1900's where millions of birds could be found thriving in the appropriate season. Starting in the 1850's and ending in the early 1950's most of the wetlands were drained and reclaimed for agriculture. With the damming of the San Joaquin valley rivers for flood control and irrigation purposes, the lake and marsh water supply was finally depleted.

Kern National Wildlife Refuge was established on November 18, 1960 to resurrect a portion of a lost ecosystem. This 11,249-acre refuge restores a small segment of extremely valuable waterfowl habitat and plays an important role in the success of avifauna using the Pacific Flyway.

Birding is best on the refuge October through March. Migrating and wintering species provide the greatest numbers and variety of birds. Refuge ponds are usually dry between May and August, mostly to control disease vectors that arise in the heat of the summer. The summer months can be extremely dusty, hot, and dry. Although this results in fewer opportunities to observe wildlife, birding can still prove rewarding.

The refuge headquarters is located at the junction of Garces Highway and Corcoran Road, 18 miles west of Delano, California.

The seasons and status of the 226 species listed are coded as follows.

Season Designations

Sp - Spring, March to May
S - Summer, June to August
F - Fall, September to November
W - Winter, December to February

Abundance Symbols

a - abundant species
c - common, certain to be seen in proper habitat
u - uncommon, present but not certain to be seen
o - occasionally seen
r - rarely seen
x - accidental, outside of normal species range
(I)  - species introduced to the region by man

* - species known to nest here

WATERFOWL                            

 Sp  S F W
___ Fulvous Whistling-Duck                       x x x x
___ Greater White-Fronted Goose                  o - o o
___ Snow Goose                                   o - o o
___ Ross' Goose                                 - - r r
___ Brant                                        x - - x
___ Cackling Goose                                 - - - -
___ Canada Goose                                 u r u u
___ Tundra Swan                                  - - - r
___ Wood Duck                                    u - u u
___ Gadwall*                   a c a a
___ Eurasian Wigeon      x - - x
___ American Wigeon* a o a a
___ Mallard*      c c a a
___ Blue-winged Teal*          o o o o
___ Cinnamon Teal*              a c o c
___ Northern Shoveler*        a u a a
___ Northern Pintail*           a c a a
___ Green-winged Teal*                           c c a a
___ Canvasback*                            o r o o
___ Redhead*                               u o u u
___ Ring-necked Duck                     u r u c
___ Greater Scaup                      x - x x
___ Lesser Scaup                        - o o o
___ Bufflehead                     u - u u
___ Common Goldeneye                  r - r r
___ Barrow's Goldeneye                  - - - x
___ Hooded Merganser               - - r r
___ Common Merganser            o - o o
___ Red-breasted Merganser       x - - -
___ Ruddy Duck*   c c c c

GALLINACEOUS BIRDS  

 Sp  S  F  W 
___ Ring-necked Pheasant (I) *                   a a a a
___ Scaled Quail (I)       x - - -
___ California Quail        r r r r

GREBES

 Sp  S F W
___ Pied-billed Grebe* c  c  c c
___ Horned Grebe x - x r
___ Eared Grebe* c o c c
___ Western Grebe*  o o o u
___ Clark's Grebe* o o o u

PELICANS AND CORMORANTS

 Sp  S F W
___ American White Pelican  o  r  o o
___ Double-crested Cormorant  u o u u

BITTERNS, HERONS AND EGRETS

 Sp  S F W
___ American Bittern*                u  r  u o
___ Least Bittern                  o r r o
___ Great Blue Heron*        c c c c
___ Great Egret   c u c u
___ Snowy Egret*           c c u u
___ Cattle Egret*         u u u u
___ Green Heron  u u u u
___ Black-crowned Night-Heron*  c c c