Wildlife of the North Hills:Birds, Animals, Butterflies

Oakland, California2005

About this Booklet

The idea for this booklet grew out of a suggestion from AnneSeasons, President of the North Hills Phoenix Association, that Icompile pictures of local birds in a form that could be madeavailable to residents of the north hills. I expanded on that idea toinclude other local wildlife.

For purposes of this booklet, the “North Hills” is defined as thatarea on the Berkeley/Oakland border bounded by ClaremontAvenue on the north, Tunnel Road on the south, Grizzly PeakBlvd. on the east, and Domingo Avenue on the west.

The species shown here are observed, heard or tracked with someregularity in this area. The lists are not a complete record ofspecies found: more than 50 additional bird species have beenobserved here, smaller rodents were included without visualverification, and the compiler lacks the training to identifyreptiles, bats or additional butterflies. We would like to includeadditional species: advice from local experts is welcome and willspeed the process.

A few of the species listed fall into the category of pests; but most- whether resident or visitor - are desirable additions to theneighborhood. We hope you will enjoy using this booklet toidentify the wildlife you see around you.

Kay LoughmanNovember 2005

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Turkey VultureRed-tailed HawkAmerican KestrelCalifornia QuailMourning DoveRock PigeonBand-tailed PigeonGreat Horned OwlWhite-throated SwiftAnna’s HummingbirdAllen’s HummingbirdRufous HummingbirdNuttall’s WoodpeckerNorthern FlickerHutton’s VireoSteller’s JayWestern Scrub JayCommon RavenViolet-green SwallowBarn SwallowOak TitmouseChestnut-backed ChickadeeBushtitRed-breasted Nuthatch

Bewick’s WrenWrentitRuby-crowned KingletAmerican RobinHermit thrushNorthern MockingbirdOrange-crowned WarblerYellow-rumped WarblerTownsend’s WarblerWilson’s WarblerBlack-headed GrosbeakSpotted TowheeCalifornia TowheeGolden-crowned SparrowWhite-crowned SparrowFox SparrowSong SparrowDark-eyed JuncoPurple FinchHouse FinchPine SiskinLesser GoldfinchAmerican Goldfinch

Mule DeerCoyoteGray FoxNorthern RaccoonStriped SkunkVirginia OpossumRingtailEastern Fox SquirrelHouse Rat

BirdsContents

Animals Broad-footed Mole California Vole Botta’s Pocket Gopher House Mouse Western Harvest Mouse North American Deermouse California Deermouse

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NOTE ON MEASUREMENTSBirds: Tip of beak to end of tail

Animals: Nose to end of tail

Acknowledgements

Most of the drawings in this booklet first appearedin older field identification guides. A few were found on the

World Wide Web. Artists include among others:John James AudubonWanda Bradley-Smith

Allan BrooksJames Coe

Don EckelberryLouis Agassiz FuertesWilliam MacGillivrayR. P. GrossenheiderF. Schuyler Mathews

John L. RidgewayWalter A. Weber

Contents (continued)

MonarchWestern Tiger SwallowtailAmerican Painted LadyWest Coast Lady

Butterflies

Bird species seen or heard in the north hills: Kay’s complete list

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Turkey VultureCathartus aura26”Year-round

Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis19”Year-roundPlumage variable; red tail acquiredin spring of second year.

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American KestrelFalco sparverius9”Year-round

California QuailCallipepla californica10”Year-round

Male

Male

Female

Female

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Band-tailed PigeonColumba fasciata14.5”Year-round

Mourning DoveZenaida macroura12”Year-round

Rock PigeonColumba livia12.5”Year-round

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Great Horned OwlBubo virginianus22”Year-round

White-throated SwiftAeronautes saxatalis6.5”Year-round

Anna’s HummingbirdCalypte anna4”Year-round

Male

Female

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Rufous or Allen’sHummingbirdFemale

Allen’sHummingbirdMale

RufousHummingbirdMale

Anna’sHummingbirdMale

Allen’s HummingbirdSelasphorus sasin3.75”March - July

Rufous HummingbirdSelasphorus rufus3.75”March - April, August - Spetember

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Hutton’s VireoVireo huttoni5”Year-round. Similar toRuby-crowned Kinglet.

Nuttall’s WoodpeckerPicoides nuttallii7.5”Year-round

Northern FlickerColaptes auratus12.5”Year-round

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Western Scrub JayAphelocoma californica11.5”Year-round

Common RavenCorvus corax24”Year-round

Steller’s JayCyanocitta stelleri11.5”Year-round

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Oak TitmouseBaeolophus inoratus5.75”Year-round

Violet-green SwallowTachycineta thalassina5.25”April - July

Barn SwallowHirundo rustica6.75”April - July

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Chestnut-backed ChickadeePoecile rufescens4.75”Year-round

Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis4.5”Year-round

BushtitPsaltriparus minimus4.5”Year-round. Often seen inflocks of seven or more.

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WrentitChamaea fasciata6.5”Year-round

Bewick’s WrenThryomanes bewickii5.25”Year-round

Ruby-crowned KingletRegulus calendula4.25”October - March

Similar to Hutton’s Vireo.Red crown seen infrequently

Male

Female

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American RobinTurdus migratorius10”Year-round

Hermit ThrushCatharus guttatus6.75”October - April

Northern MockingbirdMimus polyglottos10”Year-round

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Townsend’s WarblerDendroica townsendi5”October - April

Yellow-rumped WarblerDendroica coronata5.5”October - AprilPlumage variable

Orange-crowned WarblerVermivora celata5”April - September

MaleFemale

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Black-headed GrosbeakPheucticus melanocephalus8.5”April - August

Spotted TowheePipilo maculatus8.5”Year-round

Adult

Juvenile

Wilson’s WarblerWilsonia pusilla4.75”April - September

MaleFemale

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California TowheePipilo crissalis9”Year-round

Adult

1st winterGolden-crowned SparrowZonotrichia atricapilla7.25”October-April

White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrys7”October-April

1st winterAdult

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Fox SparrowPasserella iliaca7”October-April

Song SparrowMelospiza melodia6.25”Year-round

JuvenileAdultDark-eyed JuncoJunco hyermalis6.25”Year-round

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House FinchCarpodacus mexicanus6”Year-round

Purple FinchCarpodacus purpureus6”Year-round

Male

Male

Female

Female

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Pine SiskinCarduelis pinus5”November-March

Lesser GoldfinchCarduelis psaltria4.5”Year-round

Adult male

American GoldfinchCarduelis tristis5”Year-round

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CoyoteCanis latrans43-70”

Gray FoxUrocyon cinereoargenteus32-60”

Mule DeerOdocoileus hemionus to 78”

Animals

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Northern RaccoonProcyon lotor26-45”

Striped SkunkMephitis mephitis20-28”

RingtailBassariscus astutus33-36”

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House RatRattus rattus16”

Virginia OpossumDidelphis virginiana24-33”

Three color phasesof Fox Squirrel

Eastern Fox SquirrelSciurus niger25-40”

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Broad-footed MoleScapanus latimanus6.5-7.5”

Botta’s Pocket GopherThomomys bottae6.8-10.75”

California VoleMicrotus californicus6.3-8.5”

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House MouseMus musculus6.0-7.2”

Western Harvest MouseReithrodontomys megalotis5.0-6.2”

North American DeermousePeromyscus maniculatus4.8-9.0”

California DeermousePeromyscus californicus8.8-10.4”

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ButterfliesShown actual size

American Painted LadyVanessa virginiensis

West Coast LadyVanessa annabella

Western Tiger SwallowtailPapilio rutulus

MonarchDanaus plexippus

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Double-crested CormorantCanada GooseSnow GooseGreat Blue HeronGreat EgretTurkey VultureNorthern HarrierSharp-shinned HawkCooper's HawkRed-shouldered HawkRed-tailed HawkGolden EagleAmerican KestrelMerlinCalifornia QuailWestern GullCalifornia GullCaspian TernRock PigeonBand-tailed PigeonMourning DoveGreat Horned OwlVaux’s SwiftWhite-throated SwiftAnna's HummingbirdAllen's HummingbirdRufous HummingbirdBelted KingfisherAcorn WoodpeckerRed-breasted SapsuckerNuttall's WoodpeckerDowny WoodpeckerHairy Woodpecker

Northern FlickerOlive-sided FlycatcherWestern Wood-PeweeWillow FlycatcherPacific-slope FlycatcherSay's PhoebeBlack PhoebeAsh-throated FlycatcherSteller's JayWestern Scrub-JayAmerican CrowCommon RavenHutton's VireoCassin's VireoWarbling VireoCedar WaxwingVaried ThrushWestern BluebirdSwainson's ThrushHermit ThrushAmerican RobinNorthern MockingbirdCalifornia ThrasherEuropean StarlingRed-breasted NuthatchBewick's WrenWinter WrenHouse WrenBlue-gray GnatcatcherBushtitViolet-green SwallowNorthern Rough-winged SwallowBarn Swallow

109 Bird SpeciesSeen or Heard in the North Hills Area

June 1993-November 2005

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Cliff SwallowRuby-crowned KingletWrentitChestnut-backed ChickadeeOak TitmousePine SiskinAmerican GoldfinchLesser GoldfinchPurple FinchCassin's FinchHouse FinchOrange-crowned WarblerYellow WarblerYellow-rumped WarblerBlack-throated Gray WarblerTownsend's WarblerHermit WarblerMacGillivray's WarblerWilson's WarblerFox SparrowSong SparrowLincoln's Sparrow

White-crowned SparrowWhite-throated SparrowGolden-crowned SparrowDark-eyed JuncoClay-colored SparrowBrewer's SparrowSavannah SparrowRufous-crowned SparrowSpotted TowheeCalifornia TowheeWestern TanagerRose-breasted GrosbeakBlack-headed GrosbeakLazuli BuntingIndigo BuntingHooded OrioleBullock's OrioleRed-winged BlackbirdWestern MeadowlarkBrewer's BlackbirdBrown-headed Cowbird

NOTE: The above is list of species recorded by Kay Loughman.A few additional species have been recorded during the AudubonSociety’s annual Christmas Bird Count.

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