Birding in the Mono Basin
seasonal bird highlights
Whether
you are just stopping by for an afternoon picnic or coming to the Mono
Basin to find that elusive bird for your life list, the Mono Basin is full
of birding opportunities just waiting to happen. We’ve put together this
informal sampling of birds below as a guide to what birds you can find at
different times of the year. For more specific information on birding in
this area pick up our Birds of the Mono Basin checklist, check
out our recent bird sightings board, or talk to one of the local bird
nerds here at our Information Center and Bookstore in Lee Vining. The
definitive work on birds in the area is The Birds of Yosemite and the East
Slope by David Gaines and is available at the Committee Bookstore as well.
Spring, March – June: Bonaparte’s Gull, White-faced Ibis, Dunlin, Common Snipe, Western Kingbird, American Dipper, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Sage Thrasher, Townsend’s Solitaire, Mountain Bluebird, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Pine Siskin.
Summer, June – August: California Gull, Virginia Rail, Snowy Plover, Greater Yellowlegs, Wilson’s Phalarope, Great Horned Owl, Common Nighthawk, Common Poorwill, Anna’s Hummingbird, Lewis’s Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Say’s Phoebe, Violet-green Swallow, Warbling Vireo, Yellow-rumped “Audubon’s” Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Lazuli Bunting, Green-tailed Towhee, Rosy Finch.
Fall, August – October: Eared Grebe, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Green-winged Teal, Cinnamon Teal, Ruddy Duck, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Marbled Godwit, Red-necked Phalarope, Northern Harrier, Pinon Jay, Marsh Wren.
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