Rinconada

Status:	Identified	Area:	7965 acres (3238 hectares)
County:	Cibola	Elevation:	6700-9300 feet (2040-2825 meters)
Town:	Grants	Location:	35°12’N, 107°40’W

Ownership	Cibola National Forest, 2113 Osuna Road, NE, Suite A, Albuquerque, NM 87113, 505-346-3900
Habitats	Forest (temperate coniferous), Freshwater wetlands (ephemeral), Rocky areas
Land-use	Grazing, Hunting, Nature conservation, Recreation
Threats	None listed
Site Criteria	State conservation species (D1), State research site (D5)
Site Description	Rinconada Canyon is located at the base of Mount Taylor, approximately 70 miles west of Albuquerque. After exiting at San Fidel, the small parking area is reached by going west two miles and then north for five miles on FR 400. From there, it is a half-mile walk across Acoma Pueblo land, another half mile across BLM land, plus another short traverse of private land before the Forest boundary is reached. Since BLM had already included Rinconada on its roster of significant riparian areas, the agency readily agreed to include its portion of the Rinconada in the nomination package. Beyond the end of the transect, the canyon continues north another 2.5 miles before intersecting with FR 501, which is the terminus for the IBA. The centerpiece within the IBA is Rinconada canyon, but also included is Guadalupe Canyon and the high country that embraces these two drainages.
Birds	This site is important to birds for several reasons. Rinconada Canyon is a major migration corridor on Mount Taylor and has flowing water most of the time. The alder/oak bosque within the canyon is a unique deciduous woodland and the summer home of a Hammond's Flycatcher colony, which is near the southern limit of its range here and at an elevation lower than is typical, between 7200 and 7500 feet. Over 40 other species nest, including Cooper's Hawk, Acorn Woodpecker and Hepatic Tanager. The Mount Taylor Ranger District has already designated Rinconada as a Neotropical Management Area.
Conservation Issues	None noted
Conservation Plan
Monitor(s)	None assigned
Nominator	Hart R. Schwarz, 505-346-2650, Cibola National Forest, 2113 Osuna Rd. NE, Suite A., Albuquerque, NM, 87113
Sources	Breeding Bird Survey 60058 Mt. Taylor (BBS) Personal observations (PO)
Links	Cibola National Forest
Directions	From NM-124 between San Fidel and McCartys take a dirt road north toward Mt. Taylor.

Species	Year	Status	Population	Sources	Criteria
Black-throated Gray Warbler	95-99 95-04	Breeding Breeding	2 pair average, 8 individuals maximum 2 individuals average, 6 individuals maximum	BBS	D1
Clark's Nutcracker	95-04	Breeding	6 individuals average, 15 individuals maximum	BBS	D1
Cordilleran Flycatcher	95-99	Breeding	4 pair average, 15 individuals maximum	PO	D1
Dusky Flycatcher	95-04	Breeding	2 individuals average, 4 individuals maximum	BBS	D1
Grace's Warbler	95-99 95-04	Breeding Breeding	5 pair average, 20 individuals maximum 4 individuals average, 6 individuals maximum	PO BBS	D1
Gray Flycatcher	95-99	Breeding	several individuals	PO	D1
Green-tailed Towhee	95-04	Breeding	8 individuals average, 16 individuals maximum	BBS	D!
Hammond's Flycatcher	95-99	Breeding	7 pair average, 30 individuals maximum	PO	D1
MacGillivray's Warbler	95-04	Breeding	2 individuals average, 4 individuals maximum	BBS	D!
Mountain Bluebird	95-04	Breeding	3 individuals average, 8 individuals maximum	BBS	D!
Piñon Jay	95-04	Breeding	53 individuals average, 181 individuals maximum	BBS	D1
Plumbeous Vireo	95-99 95-05	Breeding Breeding	7 pair average, 30 individuals maximum 4 individuals average, 8 individuals maximum	PO  BBS	D1
Townsend's Solitaire	95-04	Breeding	3 individuals average, 6 individuals maximum	BBS	D!
Virginia's Warbler	95-99 95-04	Breeding Breeding	3 pair average, 12 individuals maximum 4 individuals average, 8 individuals maximum	PO  BBS	D1
Western Bluebird	95-99 95-04	Breeding Breeding	3 pair average, 12 individuals maximum 11 individuals average, 19 individuals maximum	PO  BBS	D1

 
Last Updated 8/29/05