Red-tailed Hawk
common breeding resident

American Kestrel
smallest falcon in the world uncommon breeding resident

Black-chinned Hummingbird nest with chicks

Anna's Hummingbird
common resident
© Brad Sillasen

Northern Flicker

Western Kingbird
common transient, uncommon summer

Orange-crowned Warbler
common transient, uncommon summer/winter

Black-throated Gray Warbler
common transient, uncommon winter

Lazuli Bunting
uncommon transient, occasional winter

Rufous-crowned Sparrow
uncommon winter

Golden-crowned Sparrow uncommon winter

Fox Sparrow
uncommon winter

Photos by Alison Sheehey © Nature Ali except as otherwise noted

American Robin
common resident
Alison Sheehey © Nature Ali

Debs Park Birdlist

Birdlist for Ernest E. Debs Park Highland Park/Montecito Heights  Los Angeles, California. Compiled by Daniel S. Cooper.
Updated October 2002 - 136 Species

LEGEND

SEASON

R – Resident, or seen year-round

S – Summer (May through August)

T – Transient (s = Spring; f = Fall)

W – Winter (October through March)

STATUS

C – Common; usually found in numbers

U – Uncommon, but expected in habitat/season

O – Occasional to rare, but regular

V – Vagrant; unexpected

Waterbirds (mainly fly-overs)

American White Pelican T:V

Double-crested Cormorant W:O

Great Blue Heron S:O

Great Egret T(f):O

Snowy Egret T:V (29 Sept. 1999)

Mallard R:O

Northern Pintail T:V (17 Nov. 1999)

Greater Yellowlegs T:V (04 -05 Dec. 2001)

Killdeer T:O

California Gull T,W:U

 

  Diurnal Birds of Prey Turkey Vulture T,W:U

White-tailed Kite T:V (date?)

Northern Harrier T(f):O

Red-tailed Hawk* R:C

Red-shouldered Hawk* R:C

Swainson’s Hawk T:O

Cooper’s Hawk* R:C

Sharp-shinned Hawk W:U

American Kestrel* R:U

Merlin W:O

Peregrine Falcon T:O

 

Doves, Owls, Parrots, Nightjars

Band-tailed Pigeon* R:U

Spotted Dove* R:U

Mourning Dove* R:C

Rock Dove* R:C

Common Poorwill T:V (12 March 2003)

Barn Owl* R:O

Flammulated Owl T:V (05 Nov. 2000)

Western Screech-Owl*? R:O

Great Horned Owl*? R:U

Short-eared Owl T:V (3 Nov. 1999)

Yellow-chevroned Parakeet R:U

Mitred Parakeet R:O

 

Swifts, Hummingbirds, Kingfishers

Vaux's’ Swift T:U; W:O

White-throated Swift R:C

Black-chinned Hummingbird* T,S:C

Anna’s Hummingbird* R:C

Allen’s Hummingbird*? T,S:C

Rufous Hummingbird T:C

Belted Kingfisher T:O

 

Woodpeckers

Downy Woodpecker*? R:U

Nuttall’s Woodpecker* R:C

Northern Flicker*? T,W:C; S:U

Acorn Woodpecker * T:O

Red-breasted Sapsucker W:U

 

Flycatchers

Olive-sided Flycatcher T:O

Say’s Phoebe T(f),W:U

Black Phoebe* R:C

Ash-throated Flycatcher* T(s),S:C; T(f):O

Western Wood-Pewee T:U

Hammond’s Flycatcher T:V (14-18 Oct. 2002 TM)

Pacific-slope Flycatcher T:U

Willow Flycatcher T:U

Gray Flycatcher T:V (04-23 Nov. 1999)

Western Kingbird*? T:C; S:U

Cassin’s Kingbird* R:U

 

Shrikes and Vireos

Loggerhead Shrike T(f),W:O

Cassin’s Vireo T(s):O

Plumbeous Vireo W:V (14 Nov. 1998 MW)

Red-eyed Vireo T:V (19-23 Aug. 1999)

Warbling Vireo T:C

Hutton’s Vireo T,W:O

 

Jays and Crows

Western Scrub-Jay* R:C

American Crow* R:C

Common Raven* R:C

 

Swallows and Larks

Purple Martin T:V (25 Mar. 2002)

Tree Swallow T(s):O

Violet-green Swallow T(s):O

Northern Rough-winged Swallow* T(s),S:C; F:O

Cliff Swallow* T(s),S:C

Barn Swallow T:U

Horned Lark T:V (25 Oct. 1999)

 

Wrentit, Bushtit, Parids and Wrens

Wrentit* R:U

Bushtit* R:C

Red-breasted Nuthatch W:U

White-breasted Nuthatch T(f),W:U

Brown Creeper W:O (March 1999 MI, KLG)

Mountain Chickadee T,W:U

Oak Titmouse W:O

Winter Wren T:V (14 Oct. 1999)

Bewick’s Wren* R:C

House Wren* T,S:U

Rock Wren T:V (06 Oct. 2002 JC)

 

Thrushes, etc.

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher* R:U

Ruby-crowned Kinglet W:C

Golden-crowned Kinglet W:O

American Robin*? R:C

Western Bluebird T,W:U

Hermit Thrush W:C

Swainson’s Thrush T(s):C

Northern Mockingbird* R:C

California Thrasher R:U

American Pipit T(f):U

European Starling* R:C

Phainopepla* R:U

Cedar Waxwing T,W:C

 

Wood-Warblers

Orange-crowned Warbler T:C; S,W:U

Nashville Warbler T(f):U; T(s):C

Virginia’s Warbler T:V (29 Aug. 2000)

Yellow Warbler T:C

Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s) Warbler W:C

Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler W:U

Black-throated Gray Warbler T(s):C; T(f),W:U

Hermit Warbler T(s):U; T(f):O

Townsend’s Warbler T,W:C

Palm Warbler T:V (16 - 19 Oct. 1999)

MacGillivray’s Warbler T:U

Common Yellowthroat T:O

Wilson’s Warbler T:C

 

Tanagers, Buntings, and Sparrows

Western Tanager T:C; W:O

Black-headed Grosbeak*? T,S:C

Lazuli Bunting* T:U; S:O

Spotted Towhee* R:U

California Towhee* R:C

Rufous-crowned Sparrow W:U

Savannah Sparrow T(f):U

Lark Sparrow T(f),W:C

White-crowned Sparrow W:C

Golden-crowned Sparrow W:U

Fox Sparrow W:U

Lincoln’s Sparrow T,W:U

Chipping Sparrow T(s),W:U

Dark-eyed (Oregon) Junco W:C

Dark-eyed (Slate-colored) Junco W:O

 

Blackbirds and Finches

Red-winged Blackbird T:O

Brewer’s Blackbird R:C

Brown-headed Cowbird* T,S:C

Hooded Oriole* T(s),S:U

Bullock’s Oriole* T(s),S:C; T(f):O

Baltimore Oriole W:V (15 Mar. 2000)

Western Meadowlark W:U

Purple Finch W:O

House Finch* R:C

Pine Siskin W:O

Lesser Goldfinch* R:C

Lawrence’s Goldfinch*? T:U; S:O

American Goldfinch W:C

 

Weavers

House Sparrow* R:U

* Confirmed breeder in/adj. to park
*? Possible breeder

Additional species (28)
Mt. Washington/Highland Park only (all J. Donahue, in litt.): Black-crowned Night-Heron, Canada Goose, Virginia Rail, Common Poorwill, Red-naped Sapsucker, Hairy Woodpecker, Bank Swallow, Varied Thrush, Green-tailed Towhee, White-throated Sparrow; Summer Tanager (02 Nov. 2000 DSC)

"Huntington Terrace" only (open space on the border of South Pasadena/El Sereno): Osprey, Herring Gull, Ring-billed Gull, White-winged Dove, Costa’s Hummingbird, California Gnatcatcher, Cassin’s Finch (all J. Kirchner, in litt.); Lesser Nighthawk (13 Apr. 1991 DSC).

Historical records from Highland Park area, (pre-1985, incl. museum holdings): California Quail, Burrowing Owl, Greater Roadrunner, Broad-billed Hummingbird (vagrant), Bell’s Vireo, Townsend’s Solitaire, Mountain Bluebird, Bendire’s Thrasher, Grasshopper Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow

Observers (besides DSC): RB – Richard Barth, JC – Jeff Chapman, KLG – Kimball L. Garrett, MI – Melanie Ingalls, TM – Tom Miko; MW – Mark Wimer