Species that colonized rapidly after the fire, then decreased
Mourning Dove
Northern Mockingbird
Lawrence’s Goldfinch
Lazuli Bunting (highlight parallelism between variation in bunting numbers and variation in rainfall)
Species whose numbers peaked one or two years after the fires, or increased, then leveled off
Rock Wren
Loggerhead Shrike
Black-chinned Sparrow
Costa’s and Anna’s Hummingbirds
Red-tailed Hawk
Mountain Quail
Rufous-crowned Sparrow
Western Meadowlark
American Kestrel
Phainopepla
Vesper and White-crowned Sparrows
Spotted Towhee
California Towhee
Species still increasing as of 2007
California Quail
Sage Sparrow
House Finch
Violet-green Swallow
Species whose numbers varied with rainfall
Four winter-visiting sparrows: Savannah, Chipping, Brewer’s, Golden-crowned (last prefers unburned)
Lark Sparrow, Lesser Goldfinch, House Wren, and Yellow-rumped Warbler. Lincoln’s Sparrow (unique spike in 2005–06)
Dark-eyed Junco (pattern opposite that of other species)
No definite trend
Turkey Vulture, Ash-throated Flycatcher
Purple Finch
Dusky Flycatcher, Yellow-rumped Warbler
Brown-headed Cowbird
Four cowbird hosts increasing or maintaining their numbers: Bullock’s Oriole, Bell’s Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Summer Tanager
Two winter visitors: Hermit Thrush and Fox Sparrow
Increasing species—cut back but recovering
Scott’s Oriole
Greater Roadrunner
Scrub Jay
Western Bluebird
White-breasted Nuthatch
Mountain Chickadee
Four other forest birds, increasing after a year’s delay: Western Wood Pewee, American Robin, Orange-crowned Warbler, Dark-eyed Junco
Species that lost ground initially, then began a recovery
Black-headed Grosbeak and Western Flycatcher
Steller’s Jay
Oak Titmouse
Western Tanager (deep dipping after 1st year)
Woodpeckers and Creeper
Hairy Woodpecker
Nuttall’s Woodpecker
Acorn Woodpecker
White-headed Woodpecker
Brown Creeper
Four adversely affected chaparral birds
Bewick’s Wren
Bushtit
Wrentit
California Thrasher
Drought effect on a winter visitor
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Three desert-edge birds
Black-throated Sparrow
Cactus Wren (no clear recovery)
Ladder-backed Woodpecker (basically flat)
Worst affected
Cassin’s and Warbling Vireos
Hutton’s Vireo
Pygmy Nuthatch
Eliminated by the fire from the Cuyamaca Mts.: Red-breasted Nuthatch, Golden-crowned Kinglet
Nocturnal birds: Status unknown but possibly eliminated from severely burned forest
Spotted Owl
Northern Saw-whet Owl