The Zone-tail Ranch is a 320 acre (half of a section; one mile long and half a mile wide) piece of beautiful desert near the crest of the Aquarius Mountains, Arizona, at an elevation of about 5000 feet. It is located east of Kingman (east of US-93) and south of I-40.
The land is rocky canyon country with cliffs, seasonal streams, and perennial springs. The Zone-tail Ranch is just above the level of the cliffs where the land starts to flatten out, and includes one major mountain top and one major canyon. Vegetation is dominated by juniper with some pinyon, oak, cactus, yucca, and a diverse collection of shrubs and annual plants. It is transitional between the pinyon-juniper highland and the Sonoran Desert lowlands. Perennial vegetation probably covers no more than 20% of the ground.
On our first visit to the property, we saw Zone-tailed Hawks. Zone-tails look and fly like Turkey Vultures, and ground squirrels don't hide when they fly over because vultures are no threat - but by then it is too late. Over the years we have looked at a lot of Turkey Vultures hoping to see Zone-tails, so it was exciting to finally see them.
We have birded for years, and every time we visit the ranch, we record the birds we see. The following is the list of species that should occur in the area, and those that have a date are species we have seen there since August 1995.
Season of occurrence is defined merely as Summer (S), Winter (W), and Resident (R), those who should breed on the ranch are marked with an asterisk (*).
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Order Family Common Name Season Date
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Falconiformes
Cathartidae Vulture, Turkey S 1995
Accipitridae Eagle, Golden R 1996
Eagle, Bald W
Harrier, Northern W
Hawk, Sharp-shinned W 1996
Hawk, Cooper's R 1996
Hawk, Red-tailed R 1996
Hawk, Rough-legged W
Hawk, Ferruginous R
Black-Hawk, Common S*
Hawk, Zone-tailed S 1995
Falconidae Kestrel, American R 1997
Merlin W 1997
Falcon, Prairie R 1997
Falcon, Peregrine R
Galliformes
Phasianidae Quail, Gambel's R 1995
Columbiformes
Columbidae Dove, Rock R
Dove, Mourning R 1996
Dove, White-winged S
Ground-Dove, Common R
Cuculiformes
Cuculidae Cuckoo, Yellow-billed S
Roadrunner, Greater R 1997
Strigiformes
Tytonidae Barn-Owl, Common R 1997
Strigidae Owl, Short-eared W
Owl, Long-eared R*
Owl, Great Horned R 1995
Screech-Owl, Western R
Owl, Flammulated S
Owl, Elf S*
Pygmy-Owl, Northern R
Owl, Northern Saw-whet W
Owl, Burrowing S
Caprimulgiformes
Caprimulgidae Poorwill, Common S 1995
Nighthawk, Lesser S 1997
Apodiformes
Apodidae Swift, White-throated S 1996
Trochilidae Hummingbird, Black-chinned S
Hummingbird, Costa's S 1996
Hummingbird, Broad-tailed S 1996
Hummingbird, Rufous S 1997
Coraciiformes
Alcedinidae Kingfisher, Belted W
Piciformes
Picidae Woodpecker, Gila R
Flicker, Guilded R
Flicker, Northern R 1997
Woodpecker, Acorn R
Woodpecker, Lewis' W
Sapsucker, Williamson's W
Sapsucker, Red-naped S 1997
Woodpecker, Hairy R
Woodpecker, Ladder-backed R 1996
Passeriformes
Tyrannidae Kingbird, Western S
Kingbird, Cassin's S 1996
Flycatcher, Brown-crested S*
Flycatcher, Ash-throated S 1997
Wood-Pewee, Western S
Phoebe, Black R 1997
Phoebe, Say's S
Flycatcher, Vermillion S 1997
Flycatcher, Gray S
Flycatcher, Cordilleran (Western) S*
Alaudidae Lark, Horned R
Hirundinidae Swallow, Violet-green S 1997
Martin, Purple S
Swallow, No Rough-winged S 1997
Swallow, Cliff S 1996
Corvidae Scrub-Jay, Western R 1995
Jay, Pinyon R 1995
Jay, Steller's R
Crow, American R
Raven, Common R 1995
Paridae Titmouse, Juniper R 1996
Chickadee, Mountain R 1996
Remizidae Verdin R
Aegithalidae Bushtit R 1996
Certhiidae Creeper, Brown R
Sittidae Nuthatch, White-breasted R 1996
Nuthatch, Red-breasted W
Nuthatch, Pygmy R
Troglodytidae Wren, House R
Wren, Winter W
Wren, Bewick's R 1997
Wren, Marsh W
Wren, Canyon R
Wren, Rock R 1995
Wren, Cactus R 1996
Muscicapidae Kinglet, Golden-crowned W
Kinglet, Ruby-crowned S 1996
Gnatcatcher, Blue-gray S 1995
Gnatcatcher, Black-tailed R 1996
Bluebird, Western W 1996
Bluebird, Mountain W 1997
Solitaire, Townsend's R 1996
Thrush, Hermit W
Robin, American W 1997
Laniidae Shrike, Loggerhead R 1997
Mimidae Mockingbird, Northern R 1997
Thrasher, Sage W 1997
Thrasher, Curve-billed R
Thrasher, Bendire's S
Thrasher, Crissal R 1995
Motacillidae Pipit, American W
Bombycillidae Waxwing, Cedar W
Ptilogonatidae Phainopepla R 1997
Sturnidae Starling, European R
Vireonidae Vireo, Bell's S 1997
Vireo, Gray S
Vireo, Cassin's (Solitary) S 1997
Vireo, Plumbous (Solitary) S
Vireo, Warbling S
Emberizidae Warbler, Virginia's S*
Warbler, Yellow-rumped S 1996
Warbler, Black-throated Gray S
Warbler, Grace's S*
Warbler, Yellow S 1997
Warbler, MacGillivray's S
Warbler, Olive S 1996
Warbler, Lucy's S 1997
Warbler, Orange-crowned S 1997
Yellowthroat, Common S
Chat, Yellow-breasted S
Redstart, Painted S
Warbler, Red-faced S
Grosbeak, Black-headed S
Grosbeak, Blue S
Bunting, Indigo S
Bunting, Lazuli S
Towhee, Green-tailed S
Towhee, Spotted (Rufous-sided) R 1996
Towhee, Canyon (Brown) R 1996
Towhee, Abert's R
Sparrow, Vesper W
Sparrow, Savannah W
Sparrow, Song R
Sparrow, Lark S
Sparrow, Black-throated R 1996
Sparrow, Sage W 1996
Sparrow, Rufous-crowned R 1997
Sparrow, Chipping S 1997
Sparrow, Brewer's W 1997
Sparrow, Black-chinned W 1997
Junco, Dark-eyed W 1996
Sparrow, White-throated W 1996
Sparrow, White-crowned W 1996
Sparrow, Fox W
Longspur, Chestnut-collared W*
Meadowlark, Western R
Blackbird, Yellow-headed W
Blackbird, Red-winged R
Blackbird, Brewer's W
Cowbird, Brown-headed R 1997
Cowbird, Bronzed S*
Grackle, Great-tailed S
Oriole, Scott's S 1997
Oriole, Northern S
Oriole, Hooded S 1996
Tanager, Western S 1996
Tanager, Summer S 1997
Tanager, Hepatic S* 1996
Passeridae Sparrow, House R
Fringillidae Siskin, Pine W
Goldfinch, American W
Goldfinch, Lesser R
Goldfinch, Lawrence's W
Crossbill, Red R
Finch, Cassin's W 1997
Finch, House R 1996
Grosbeak, Evening R
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