Bird List
Numerous species of waterfowl, shorebirds, and song birds find the refuge attractive during the spring and fall migration periods. Wintering populations vary widely depending on ice conditions.
Among the colorful songbirds that we enjoy each summer are “neotropical migrants.” These are birds that make a trip during our winter season to the tropical habitats found from southern Mexico to Argentina. Such birds nest in the U.S. and Canada, but spend most of the year in the neotropics - the Caribbean Islands, Mexican lowlands and Central and South America. The neotropical migrants are shown on this list with a darker background and are marked “(NT).”
If you would like a copy of this bird list in Adobe pdf format, click here (File size: 92 KB). The print on this version is rather small, but the list does fit on two sheets of standard paper, which makes it easy to take into the field with you.
The following list of 279 species of birds observed on the refuge is compiled from records beginning in 1936, with current status determined from records since 1957. Those marked with an asterisk (*) nest or have nested on the refuge. Those marked with a pound sign (#) are suspected to nest or have nested at least occasionally, but further confirmation is needed.
Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge Bird Checklist |
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Legend: a = Abundant - Common species that is numerous Darker background = Neotropical migrant |
S=Spring s=Summer F=Fall W=Winter |
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|
Herons |
Waterfowl |
Hawks |
Rails |
Shorebirds |
Gulls |
Owls |
Woodpeckers. Flycatchers | Swallows | Wrens | Thrushes | Warblers | Sparrows | Finches | Bottom |
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| Common Name | S | s | F | W |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loons | Legend | |||
| Common Loon | o | o | ||
| Grebes | Legend | |||
| Pied-billed Grebe * | c | c | c | |
| Horned Grebe | u | o | u | |
| Eared Grebe * | c | c | c | |
| Western Grebe * | c | c | c | |
| Pelicans | Legend | |||
| American White Pelican | c | u | c | |
| Cormorants | Legend | |||
| Double-crested Cormorant * | c | c | c | |
| Herons and Bitterns | Legend | |||
| American Bittern * | c | c | u | |
| Least Bittern | r | |||
| Great Blue Heron * | c | u | c | |
| Great Egret | o | o | o | |
| Snowy Egret | o | o | o | |
| Little Blue Heron | x | |||
| Cattle Egret | o | o | o | |
| Green Heron | o | o | ||
| Black-crowned Night Heron * | c | c | c | |
| Yellow-crowned Night Heron | x | |||
| Ibises | Legend | |||
| White-faced Ibis * | o | o | o | |
| Vultures | Legend | |||
| Turkey Vulture | r | o | r | |
| Swans, Geese, and Ducks | Legend | |||
| Trumpeter Swan * | r | r | r | r |
| Tundra Swan | o | o | ||
| Greater White-fronted Goose | o | r | o | |
| Snow Goose | u | u | ||
| Ross's Goose | o | o | ||
| Brant | x | |||
| Canada Goose * | c | c | c | c |
| Wood Duck # | r | r | r | |
| Green-winged Teal * | c | u | c | |
| American Black Duck | x | x | ||
| Mallard * | a | c | a | o |
| Gadwall * | c | c | c | |
| American Wigeon * | u | r | u | o |
| Blue-winged Teal * | a | a | a | |
| Cinnamon Teal * | r | r | o | |
| Northern Shoveler * | a | c | a | |
| Northern Pintail * | c | u | c | |
| Canvasback * | c | u | c | o |
| Redhead * | c | u | c | o |
| Ring-necked Duck | u | o | u | o |
| Greater Scaup | o | |||
| Lesser Scaup * | c | u | c | o |
| Surf Scoter | x | |||
| White-winged Scoter | x | |||
| Long-tail Duck | x | |||
| Bufflehead | c | o | c | o |
| Common Goldeneye | u | o | u | o |
| Barrow's Goldeneye | x | |||
| Hooded Merganser | r | o | r | |
| Common Merganser | u | o | u | o |
| Red-breasted Merganser | r | r | ||
| Ruddy Duck * | c | c | c | o |
| Hawks and Eagles | Legend | |||
| Osprey | o | o | r | |
| Bald Eagle * | r | r | r | r |
| Northern Harrier * | c | u | c | o |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | u | o | u | o |
| Cooper's Hawk | u | o | u | |
| Northern Goshawk | r | o | ||
| Red-shouldered Hawk | x | |||
| Broad-winged Hawk (NT) | r | o | ||
| Swainson's Hawk * (NT) | u | u | u | |
| Red-tailed Hawk * | u | u | u | |
| Rough-legged Hawk | u | u | u | |
| Ferruginous Hawk # | r | o | r | |
| Golden Eagle | r | r | r | r |
| Falcons | Legend | |||
| American Kestrel * | r | r | u | o |
| Merlin (NT) | o | r | r | |
| Peregrine Falcon (NT) | r | o | r | |
| Gyrfalcon | x | x | ||
| Prairie Falcon | r | r | u | o |
| Upland Game Birds | Legend | |||
| Ring-necked Pheasant * | c | c | c | c |
| Sharp-tailed Grouse * | c | c | c | c |
| Greater Prairie Chicken | o | o | o | o |
| Northern Bobwhite | o | o | o | o |
| Rails and Coots | Legend | |||
| Black Rail | x | x | ||
| Virginia Rail * | c | c | c | |
| Sora * | c | c | c | |
| American Coot * | c | c | c | o |
| Cranes | Legend | |||
| Sandhill Crane | r | r | ||
| Shorebirds | Legend | |||
| Black-bellied Plover | r | o | r | |
| American Golden Plover | o | o | ||
| Semipalmated Plover | o | r | r | |
| Piping Plover | x | |||
| Killdeer * | a | c | a | o |
| Black-necked Stilt * | o | o | ||
| American Avocet * | c | c | c | |
| Greater Yellowlegs | u | u | u | |
| Lesser Yellowlegs | c | u | u | |
| Solitary Sandpiper | u | u | r | |
| Willet * | u | u | o | |
| Spotted Sandpiper # (NT) | r | r | r | |
| Upland Sandpiper * (NT) | c | c | o | |
| Whimbrel | x | |||
| Long-billed Curlew * (NT) | c | c | o | |
| Hudsonian Godwit | x | |||
| Marbled Godwit | r | r | o | |
| Red Knot | x | |||
| Sanderling | r | o | ||
| Semipalmated Sandpiper | r | r | r | |
| Western Sandpiper | o | r | r | |
| Least Sandpiper | u | r | u | |
| White-rumped Sandpiper | o | |||
| Baird's Sandpiper | c | c | u | |
| Pectoral Sandpiper | u | u | u | |
| Dunlin | o | o | o | |
| Stilt Sandpiper | u | u | u | |
| Short-billed Dowitcher | x | |||
| Long-billed Dowitcher | c | u | c | |
| Common Snipe * | u | r | u | |
| Wilson's Phalarope * | a | c | c | |
| Red-necked Phalarope | r | r | r | |
| Gulls and Terns | Legend | |||
| Franklin's Gull | u | u | c | |
| Bonaparte's Gull | r | r | ||
| Ring-billed Gull | c | u | c | o |
| California Gull | x | |||
| Herring Gull | r | r | o | |
| Glaucous Gull | x | |||
| Sabine's Gull | x | |||
| Caspian Tern | x | |||
| Common Tern | o | o | o | |
| Forster's Tern * | c | c | u | |
| Least Tern | x | |||
| Black Tern * | c | c | c | |
| Doves | Legend | |||
| Rock Dove | x | |||
| Mourning Dove * | a | a | c | |
| Cuckoos and Roadrunners | Legend | |||
| Black-billed Cuckoo # (NT) | o | o | ||
| Yellow-billed Cuckoo * (NT) | r | r | r | |
| Owls | Legend | |||
| Barn Owl * | u | u | u | o |
| Eastern Screech Owl * | r | r | r | r |
| Great Horned Owl * | u | u | u | u |
| Snowy Owl | o | o | ||
| Burrowing Owl * (NT) | o | o | o | |
| Long-eared Owl | o | x | ||
| Short-eared Owl * | r | r | r | r |
| Northern Saw-whet Owl | x | |||
| Nighthawks and Nightjars | Legend | |||
| Common Nighthawk * (NT) | c | c | c | |
| Common Poorwill | o | o | ||
| Swifts | Legend | |||
| Chimney Swift (NT) | o | o | ||
| Hummingbirds | Legend | |||
| Hummingbird (species) (NT) | o | |||
| Kingfishers | Legend | |||
| Belted Kingfisher | r | r | r | |
| Woodpeckers | Legend | |||
| Red-Headed Woodpecker * | r | o | r | |
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | o | o | ||
| Downy Woodpecker * | u | u | u | r |
| Hairy Woodpecker | o | o | o | |
| Northern Flicker * | u | u | u | r |
| Flycatchers | Legend | |||
| Olive-sided Flycatcher (NT) | o | o | ||
| Western Wood Pewee # (NT) | u | u | u | |
| Eastern Wood Pewee (NT) | o | |||
| Willow Flycatcher (NT) | r | r | r | |
| Least Flycatcher (NT) | c | r | r | |
| Cordilleran Flycatcher (NT) | o | |||
| Eastern Phoebe | o | o | ||
| Say's Phoebe # | u | o | u | |
| Great Crested Flycatcher | o | o | ||
| Cassin's Kingbird | x | |||
| Western Kingbird * (NT) | c | c | c | |
| Eastern Kingbird * (NT) | c | c | c | Shrikes | Legend |
| Loggerhead Shrike * | c | c | c | |
| Northern Shrike | u | u | u | Vireos | Legend |
| Bell's Vireo * (NT) | o | o | ||
| Solitary Vireo (NT) | o | o | o | |
| Warbling Vireo * (NT) | u | r | u | |
| Philadelphia Vireo (NT) | x | x | ||
| Red-eyed Vireo (NT) | o | o | o | Jays, Magpies and Crows | Legend |
| Gray Jay | x | |||
| Blue Jay * | u | u | u | |
| Pinyon Jay | x | |||
| Black-billed Magpie | o | o | o | o |
| American Crow | r | o | r | r |
| Larks | Legend | |||
| Horned Lark * | c | c | c | c |
| Swallows | Legend | |||
| Purple Martin (NT) | o | o | ||
| Tree Swallow * | u | u | r | |
| Violet-green Swallow (NT) | x | |||
| Northern Rough-winged Swallow # (NT) | u | u | r | |
| Bank Swallow (NT) | c | a | a | |
| Cliff Swallow * (NT) | u | r | ||
| Barn Swallow * (NT) | a | a | a | |
| Chickadees and Titmice | Legend | |||
| Black-capped Chickadee | o | o | r | o |
| Nuthatches | Legend | |||
| Red-breasted Nuthatch | r | r | r | |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | o | o | o | x |
| Creepers | Legend | |||
| Brown Creeper | o | o | x | |
| Wrens | Legend | |||
| Rock Wren | r | r | ||
| House Wren * | u | u | u | |
| Marsh Wren * | a | a | c | |
| Kinglets, Bluebirds, and Thrushes | Legend | |||
| Golden-crowned Kinglet | o | o | ||
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | u | o | ||
| Eastern Bluebird | o | o | o | |
| Mountain Bluebird | u | u | o | |
| Townsend's Solitaire | r | r | o | |
| Veery | o | o | o | |
| Gray-cheeked Thrush | o | |||
| Swainson's Thrush | c | u | u | |
| Hermit Thrush | o | o | ||
| Wood Thrush | o | o | ||
| American Robin * | c | c | c | u |
| Varied Thrush | x | |||
| Mimics | Legend | |||
| Gray Catbird (NT) | u | r | u | |
| Northern Mockingbird | r | o | r | |
| Sage Thrasher | x | |||
| Brown Thrasher * | u | u | u | |
| Starlings | Legend | |||
| European Starling * | r | u | u | r |
| Pipits | Legend | |||
| American Pipit | r | r | ||
| Waxwings | Legend | |||
| Bohemian Waxwing | o | o | o | |
| Cedar Waxwing | r | r | r | o |
| Warblers | Legend | |||
| Tennessee Warbler (NT) | o | x | ||
| Orange-crowned Warbler (NT) | u | u | ||
| Northern Parula Warbler (NT) | o | x | ||
| Yellow Warbler * (NT) | u | u | u | |
| Magnolia Warbler (NT) | o | o | ||
| Black-throated Blue Warbler (NT) | o | |||
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | c | o | u | |
| Townsend's Warbler (NT) | o | o | o | |
| Black-throated Green Warbler (NT) | x | x | ||
| Blackburnian Warbler (NT) | x | |||
| Bay-breasted Warbler (NT) | x | |||
| Blackpoll Warbler (NT) | u | r | u | |
| Black and White Warbler (NT) | o | r | r | |
| American Redstart (NT) | u | u | u | |
| Worm-eating Warbler (NT) | o | |||
| Ovenbird (NT) | u | r | u | |
| Northern Waterthrush (NT) | o | o | o | |
| MacGillivray's Warbler (NT) | o | o | o | |
| Common Yellowthroat * (NT) | a | a | c | |
| Wilson's Warbler (NT) | u | u | u | |
| Yellow-breasted Chat (NT) | r | o | o | |
| Tanagers | Legend | |||
| Scarlet Tanager (NT) | x | x | ||
| Western Tanager (NT) | o | o | ||
| Sparrows, Buntings, and Grosbeaks | Legend | |||
| Green-tailed Towhee (NT) | x | |||
| Western Towhee | u | u | ||
| Cassin's Sparrow | x | |||
| American Tree Sparrow | u | r | r | |
| Chipping Sparrow (NT) | u | r | r | |
| Clay-colored Sparrow (NT) | r | r | r | |
| Brewer's Sparrow (NT) | x | |||
| Field Sparrow | r | r | ||
| Vesper Sparrow * | r | r | r | |
| Lark Sparrow * (NT) | c | c | c | |
| Lark Bunting * (NT) | r | r | r | |
| Savannah Sparrow # | u | r | u | |
| Baird's Sparrow (NT) | x | x | ||
| Grasshopper Sparrow * (NT) | a | a | a | |
| Fox Sparrow | x | |||
| Song Sparrow | r | r | r | r |
| Lincoln's Sparrow (NT) | r | r | ||
| Swamp Sparrow * | r | r | r | |
| White-throated Sparrow | r | o | r | |
| Harris' Sparrow | r | r | ||
| White-crowned Sparrow | c | u | ||
| Dark-eyed Junco | u | c | u | |
| McCown's Longspur | o | o | ||
| Lapland Longspur | r | r | o | |
| Chestnut-collared Longspur | r | r | ||
| Snow Bunting | o | o | ||
| Lazuli Bunting (NT) | r | r | r | |
| Indigo Bunting (NT) | x | |||
| Northern Cardinal | x | x | x | |
| Rose-breasted Grosbeak (NT) | o | o | ||
| Black-headed Grosbeak (NT) | u | u | ||
| Blue Grosbeak * (NT) | r | r | o | |
| Evening Grosbeak | o | o | o | |
| Dickcissel * (NT) | r | |||
| Blackbirds and Orioles | Legend | |||
| Bobolink * (NT) | u | u | r | |
| Red-winged Blackbird * | a | a | a | r |
| Eastern Meadowlark * | u | u | u | |
| Western Meadowlark * | a | a | a | o |
| Yellow-headed Blackbird * (NT) | a | a | a | x |
| Rusty Blackbird | x | |||
| Brewer's Blackbird | o | o | ||
| Common Grackle * | c | c | c | o |
| Brown-headed Cowbird * | c | c | u | |
| Orchard Oriole * (NT) | c | c | ||
| Baltimore Oriole | o | o | o | |
| Bullock's Oriole * | u | u | r | |
| Finches | Legend | |||
| Purple Finch | o | o | ||
| Cassin's Finch | x | |||
| Red Crossbill | o | |||
| Common Redpoll | o | o | ||
| Pine Siskin | o | o | r | o |
| American Goldfinch * | u | u | u | o |
| Old World Sparrows | Legend | |||
| House Sparrow * | o | o | o | o |
Last updated:
March 21, 2011
