Title: Status of birds at the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington
Abstract: The Department of Energy has recently entered into agreements with the Washington State Department of Ecology, the Environmental Protection Agency, and Hanford Site contractors to focus work activities on cleanup and stabilization of radioactive and hazardous waste sites located at the Hanford Site in southern Washington. A list of 235 known birds that have been observed at the Hanford Site is given along with a status rating for abundance and seasonal occurrence. Previously published bird lists from the Hanford Site are included as well as the author observations from 1977 to 1990. Of the 235 species listed, 35 are considered common and 38 are listed as accidentals. All but nine birds on the Hanford Site list have previously been documented by the Audubon Society to occur within a 25-mile radius of the Tri-Cities. The nine birds that are not on the Audubon list, however, have been documented in other parts of eastern Washington. A list of hypothetical birds that have been documented within 50 miles of the Hanford Site but not actually observed at the Site is also provided. This is the most complete list of birds published to date from the Hanford Site and substantially augments other previously published lists by almost 100 species. 20 refs., 1 fig., 3 tab.