This article is one of a series providing information about endemism among birds in the world's various zoogeographic zones. For an overview of this subject see Endemism in birds.
This article covers western North America, i.e. the regions of the United States and Canada which lie west of the Great Plains.
Patterns of endemism There are no families endemic to this region.
The following genera are endemic to the region: Dendragapus, the blue grouse (2 species) Chamaea, wrentit (1 species)
Endemic Bird Areas Most bird species which are endemic to this region have ranges which are too large to qualify for BirdLife International's restricted-range endemic status. As a result, only one Endemic Bird Area has been defined, in California.
List of species The following is a list of species endemic to this region:
California condor California quail Gambel's quail Mountain quail Sooty grouse Dusky grouse Greater sage-grouse Gunnison grouse White-tailed ptarmigan Prairie falcon Black oystercatcher Black turnstone Surfbird Heermann's gull Spotted owl Flammulated owl Northern pygmy owl Anna's hummingbird Lewis's woodpecker Williamson's sapsucker Red-breasted sapsucker Red-naped sapsucker Nuttall's woodpecker White-headed woodpecker Gray vireo Pinyon jay California scrub jay Santa Cruz Island scrub jay Yellow-billed magpie Northwestern crow Oak titmouse Juniper titmouse Mountain chickadee Chestnut-backed chickadee Pacific wren Wrentit Mountain bluebird Varied thrush Sage thrasher California thrasher Bendire's thrasher Le Conte's thrasher McKay's bunting Green-tailed towhee California towhee Abert's towhee Rufous-winged sparrow Brewer's sparrow Bell's sparrow Sagebrush sparrow Golden-crowned sparrow Tri-colored blackbird Gray-crowned rosy finch Brown-capped rosy finch Black rosy finch Cassin's finch Lawrence's goldfinch
In addition, the following are endemic as breeding species:
Fork-tailed storm-petrel Whooping crane Mountain plover Bristle-thighed curlew Long-billed curlew Aleutian tern Hammond's flycatcher Gray flycatcher Dusky flycatcher Cassin's vireo Virginia's warbler Lucy's warbler Black-throated gray warbler Hermit warbler Townsend's warbler MacGillivray's warbler Western tanager Lazuli bunting Bullock's oriole
The following species are near-endemic:
Red-faced cormorant Pelagic cormorant Brandt's cormorant Trumpeter swan Cinnamon teal Glaucous-winged gull ? (12% of the population winters in Asia) Western gull Western screech owl Common poorwill
The following species spend the winter wholly within the region:
Western grebe ? Clark's grebe ?