Birds of the Sonoran Joint Venture

The avifauna of the Sonoran Joint Venture region is diverse, with 744 bird species breeding in, wintering in, and/or migrating through the area. This is nearly two-thirds of all bird species that occur in northern Mexico, the United States, and Canada. There are 15 endemic or near endemic species, including: Xantu's Hummingbird, Gray Thrasher, Belding's Yellowthroat, Rufous-winged Sparrow, Le Conte's Thrasher, Abert's Towhee, Thick-billed Parrot, Five-striped Sparrow, California Gnatcatcher, Black-capped Gnatcatcher, Black-vented Shearwater, Least Storm-Petrel, Yellow-footed Gull, Elegant Tern, and Craveri's Murrelet. Additionally, there are several endemic subspecies such as: Arizona Grasshopper Sparrow, Large-billed Savannah Sparrow, Sonoran Yellow Warbler, San Lucas Robin, Baird's Yellow-eyed Junco, Guadalupe Dark-eyed Junco, and Cape Pygmy-Owl. A high percentage of the world population of 20 additional species also occur here. Unfortunately, there are two species that are presumed extinct: the Guadalupe Storm-Petrel from Isla Guadalupe and the Imperial Woodpecker of the Sierra Madre Occidental.

A comprehensive national species assessment for landbirds and ducks has been conducted for the U.S. portion of the SJV. The same process will be accomplished in the Mexican portion in 2004. The process identified several landbird species that have declining population trends and/or high threats including: Bendire's Thrasher, Brewer's Sparrow, Bell's Vireo, Black-throated Sparrow, Verdin, Curve-billed Thrasher, Thick-billed Parrot, Pinyon Jay, White-throated Swift, Baird's Sparrow, and Sprague's Pipit (as determined by Partners in Flight). The SJV also has stewardship responsibility to maintain another group of birds which have their centers of abundance in or are characteristic species of our area's habitats, such as Phainopepla, Lucy's Warbler, Five-striped Sparrow, and Elf Owl.

Norma Oficial (List of Rare, Threatened, and Endangered birds of Mexico) (PDF document)

Breeding and wintering birds of Bird Conservation Region 33 (PDF document)

Breeding and wintering birds of Bird Conservation Region 34 (PDF document)