Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge   BIRD CHECKLIST
Season Relative Abundance
Spring March-May a abundant a species which is very numerous
Summer June-August c common likely to be seen or heard in suitable
Fall September-November u uncommon present, but not certain to be seen 
Winter December-February
o occasional seen only a few times during a season
r rare may be present, but not every year
v accidental unusual occurrence
* *Birds known to nest on or near the refuge
Spring Summer Fall Winter
   
LOONS    
  Common loon   r r r
   
GREBES    
  Pied-billed grebe   o o o o
   
CORMORANTS    
  Double-crested cormorant   r r r
   
BITTERNS, HERONS, EGRETS    
  Great blue heron   c c c u
* Green heron   u u o
* American bittern   r r r
  Least bittern   r r
  Great egret   r r
   
IBISES    
  White ibis   v  
   
SWANS, GEESE and DUCKS    
  Tundra swan   r v r r
* Canada goose   c c c c
  Snow goose   r r r
  Ring-necked duck   c c
* Wood duck   c c c
* American black duck   u u u u
* Mallard   c c c c
  Blue-winged teal   u u u
  Northern pintail   r r r
  Green-winged teal   u u u
  Bufflehead   u u u
  Hooded merganser   u u u
  Common merganser   u u u
  Red-breasted merganser      
  Gadwall   u u u
  Canvasback   r/v r/v r/v
  Redhead   r r r
  Greater scaup   r r r
  Lesser scaup   r r r
  Common goleneye   r r r
   
VULTURES    
  Turkey vulture   c c c c
  Black vulture   u u u u
   
OSPREY, HAWKS and EAGLES    
  Osprey   o o o o
  Bald eagle   o o o
  Northern harrier   c u c
* Sharp-shinned hawk     u r
* Cooper's hawk   u u u u
* Red-shouldered hawk   u u u u
* Red-tailed hawk   u u u u
* Broad-winged hawk     u  
  Rough-legged hawk   r   u
* Northern goshawk     r  
  Golden eagle   r r r
   
   
FALCONS    
* American kestrel   u u u u
  Peregrine falcon   r r
  Merlin   r r
   
GALLINACEOUS BIRDS    
* Ruffed grouse   c c c c
* Northern bobwhite   r r  
* Wild turkey   c c c c
   
RAILS    
* Virginia rail   r r r
* Sora rail   r r r
  Yellow rail   v  
   
PLOVERS    
* Killdeer   c a r
  Lesser golden plover   r r
  Semipalmated plover   r r
   
SANDPIPERS     
  Greater yellowlegs   u u
  Solitary sandpiper   u u
  Spotted sandpiper   u u
* Common snipe   c c  
* American woodcock   c c  
  Upland sandpiper   v v
  Semipalmated sandpiper   r r
  Pectoral sandpiper   r r
  Short-billed dowitcher   r r
   
GULLS and TERNS    
  Ring-billed gull   u u
  Herring gull   r r
  Common tern   r r
  Bonaparte's Gull   r  
   
DOVES    
* Mourning dove   u c u
   
CUCKOOS    
* Yellow-billed cuckoo   r o  
* Black-billed cuckoo     o  
   
OWLS    
* Eastern Screetch Owl   r r r r
  Barn owl     r  
  Short-eared owl     r   r
  Long-eared owl   r r r r
* Barred owl   u u u u
* Saw-whet owl   r r r r
* Great horned owl   u u u u
   
NIGHTJARS    
  Common Nighthawk     r  
   
SWIFTS    
* Chimney swift   c c
   
HUMMINGBIRDS    
* Ruby-throated hummingbird o u o
   
KINGFISHERS    
* Belted kingfisher   c c c u
   
WOODPECKERS    
* Northern flicker   c c c c
  Yellow-bellied sapsucker   r r r
* Downy woodpecker   c c c c
* Hairy woodpecker   u u u u
* Pileated woodpecker   u u u u
  Red-headed woodpecker   r r r r
  Red-bellied woodpecker   u r r r
   
TYRANT FLYCATCHERS    
* Eastern kingbird     c  
* Great crested flycatcher     u  
* Eastern wood peewee     o  
* Eastern phoebe     c  
* Acadian flycatcher     r  
  Olive-sided flycatcher     r  
* Alder flycatcher     c  
* Willow flycatcher     u  
* Least flycatcher     c  
   
LARKS    
  Horned lark   r r r r
   
SWALLOWS    
* Tree swallow     a  
* Barn swallow     c  
  Cliff swallow     r  
  N. Rough-winged swallow     u  
   
CROWS and JAYS    
* Blue jay   c c c c
* American crow   a a a a
* Common raven   c c c c
   
TITMICE and CHICKADEES    
* Black-capped chickadee   a a a a
* Tufted titmouse   u u u u
  Carolina chickadee   v v v v
   
NUTHATCHES    
  Red-breasted nuthatch   u u u u
* White-breasted nuthatch   c c c c
   
CREEPERS    
* Brown creeper   u u u u
   
WRENS    
  Carolina wren   u u u u
* Winter wren   u u u u
* House wren   u c  
  Sedge wren     r  
  Marsh wren     r  
   
KINGLETS    
* Golden-crowned kinglet   u u u u
  Ruby-crowned kinglet   u u
  Blue-gray gnatcatcher   U u  
   
THRUSHES    
* Eastern bluebird   c c c c
* Wood Thrush   u o r
* Veery     u  
* Hermit thrush     c u r
  Swainson's thrush   r r
* American robin   c a u o
   
MIMIC THRUSHES    
* Gray catbird   c a u
* Brown thrasher   u c  
  Northern mockingbird     r  
   
STARLINGS    
* European starling   a a a a
   
PIPET    
  American pipit   v  
   
WAXWINGS    
* Cedar waxwing   c/u c/u c/u c/u
   
VIREOS    
  Yellow-throated vireo      
* Red-eyed vireo   c a u
* Blue-headed vireo   c c u
  White-eyed vireo     u  
  Warbling vireo     r  
   
WOOD WARBLERS    
* Golden-winged warbler   r r  
* Blue-winged warbler   r r  
  Black-and-white warbler   u r  
* Black-throated blue warbler   c c u
* Blackburnian warbler   u u  
* Chestnut-sided warbler   u c  
* Magnolia warbler   c c  
* Yellow-rumped warbler   c r c c
* Black-throated green warbler   c a  
* Yellow warbler   c c  
* Ovenbird   c c  
* Common yellowthroat   a a  
* American redstart   c u  
  Pine warbler   u u
* Northern waterthrush   u u  
* Louisiana waterthrush   r r  
  Tennessee warbler   u u
* Nashville warbler   r r  
* Northern parula   r r  
  Cape May warbler   r  
  Bay-breasted warbler   r r
  Blackpoll warbler   r r
  Worm-eating warbler     r
* Cerulean warbler   r r  
  Mourning warbler   r r  
  Kentucky warbler   r r  
  Yellow-breasted chat   r r r
* Canada warber   u u u
  Hooded warbler   c u  
  Palm Warbler   r u
   
TANAGERS    
* Scarlet tanager   c c  
   
SPARROWS and TOWHEES    
* Eastern towhee   a a  
* Grasshopper sparrow   u u  
* Vesper sparrow   u u u
* Savannah sparrow   c c  
* Song sparrow   a a a a
* Field sparrow   c c u r
* Chipping sparrow   c c u
* Dark-eyed junco   c c c c
  White-throated sparrow   c c c
  Fox sparrow   u u u
* American Tree sparrow       u
* Swamp sparrow   u u/c  
  White-crowned sparrow   r r r
* Clay-colored sparrow   r r  
   
CARDINALS, GROSBEAKS and ALLIES    
* Northern cardinal   u r u u
* Indigo bunting   a a  
* Rose-breasted grosbeak   c u  
   
BLACKBIRDS and ORIOLES    
* Bobolink   c c  
* Red-winged blackbird   c c  
* Eastern meadowlark   c c u
* Brown-headed cowbird   c c  
* Common grackle   c c c c
* Northern oriole   u r  
   
FINCHES    
* American goldfinch   a a a a
  Red crossbill       r
  Pine siskin     r r u
  Evening grosbeak   u   u
* Purple finch     r  
* House finch   u u u u
* House sparrow   u u u u