Birds of the Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge Complex
The Lake Andes Complex consists of the Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge, the Karl E. Mundt National Wildlife Refugeand the Lake Andes Wetland Management District.
Lake Andes NWR is managed as a waterfowl production refuge and contains the 4,700 acre lake,
plus the Owens Bay and Andes Creek Units, 832 and 103 acres respectively. The Karl E. Mundt
NWR provides a sanctuary for a wintering bald eagle flock, protecting 780 acres of river
bottomland roost sites with an additional 305 acres of woodlands protected by perpetual
easement. Over 19,177 acres of waterfowl habitat are preserved and managed within the 13
county Lake Andes WMD. The District also contains 36,062 wetland acres and 27,492 grassland
acres which are protected from drainage by perpetual easements with the landowners.
The best opportunities for bird watching on the Lake Andes Refuge and District are between
April 15 and October 15. The Karl E. Mundt Refuge is closed to the public to prevent
disturbance of the wintering bald eagles. The bald eagles can be easily observed from adjacent
Corps of Engineer land from November 1 to March 1.
BIRDS OF THE LAKE ANDES NWR COMPLEX
This bird list contains 249 species that have been recorded on or near the Lake Andes NWR
Complex. The list is in accordance with the 6th A.O.U. Check-list. Species known to nest on the
Complex are marked with a . Season and abundance are coded as follows:
S-Spring-March-May
S- Summer-June-August
F-Fall-September-November
W-Winter-December-February
a - abundant - Numerous/easily seen
c - common - Usually seen in the proper habitat
u - uncommon - Few seen during season
o - occasional - Seen every 2-5 years
r - rare - Unlikely to see even in proper habitat
| S | S | F | W | |||
| LOONS | ||||||
| Common Loon | u | |||||
| GREBES | ||||||
| Pied-billed Grebe | c | u | a | r | ||
| Horned Grebe | u | u | ||||
| Red-necked Grebe | r | r | ||||
| Eared Grebe | u | u | u | |||
| Western Grebe | u | c | u | |||
| Clark's Grebe | r | r | r | |||
| PELICANS | ||||||
| American White Pelican | c | c | c | |||
| CORMORANTS | ||||||
| Double-crested Cormorant | c | c | c | |||
| HERONS & BITTERNS | ||||||
| American Bittern | u | u | u | |||
| Least Bittern | u | u | u | |||
| Great Egret | u | c | c | |||
| Snowy Egret | u | u | u | |||
| Cattle Egret | u | c | u | |||
| Great Blue Heron | c | c | c | |||
| Little Blue Heron | u | u | u | |||
| Green-backed Heron | o | o | o | |||
| Black-crowned Night Heron | c | c | c | |||
| Yellow-crowned Night Heron | r | r | r | |||
| IBISES | ||||||
| White-face Ibis | o | o | o | |||
| WATERFOWL | ||||||
| Tundra Swan | o | o | o | |||
| Greater White-fronted Goose | c | c | ||||
| Snow Goose | c | c | ||||
| Canada Goose | c | u | c | a | ||
| Wood Duck | c | u | u | r | ||
| Green-winged Teal | a | u | a | o | ||
| American Black Duck | o | o | o | o | ||
| Mallard | a | c | a | c | ||
| Northern Pintail | a | u | a | u | ||
| Blue-winged Teal | a | a | a | |||
| Cinnamon Teal | o | o | o | |||
| Northern Shoveler | c | c | c | |||
| Gadwall | a | c | a | r | ||
| American Wigeon | a | o | a | o | ||
| Canvasback | c | o | c | |||
| Redhead | c | o | c | r | ||
| Ring-necked Duck | c | r | c | r | ||
| Greater Scaup | o | o | ||||
| Lesser Scaup | a | o | a | r | ||
| Oldsquaw | r | |||||
| White-winged Scoter | o | o | ||||
| Common Goldeneye | u | o | u | o | ||
| Bufflehead | c | u | c | r | ||
| Hooded Merganser | c | u | c | |||
| Common Mergnaser | u | c | u | |||
| Red-breasted Merganser | u | u | o | |||
| Ruddy Duck | c | u | c | r | ||
| VULTURES | ||||||
| Turkey Vulture | c | c | c | |||
| HAWKS & FALCONS | ||||||
| Osprey | u | u | u | |||
| Bald Eagle | u | u | u | a | ||
| Northern Harrier | c | c | c | r | ||
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | u | u | u | |||
| Cooper's Hawk | u | r | u | u | ||
| Northern Goshawk | o | o | o | |||
| Red-shouldered Hawk | r | |||||
| Broad-winged Hawk | o | o | o | |||
| Swainson's Hawk | u | o | c | |||
| Red-tailed Hawk | c | c | c | |||
| Feruginous Hawk | o | o | o | |||
| Rough-legged Hawk | u | r | u | c | ||
| Golden Eagle | r | u | u | |||
| American Kestrel | c | c | c | u | ||
| Merlin | o | o | u | |||
| Peregrine Falcon | o | o | ||||
| Prairie Falcon | o | o | ||||
| GALLINACEOUS BIRDS | ||||||
| Gray Partridge | u | u | u | u | ||
| Ring-necked Pheasant | a | a | a | a | ||
| Greater Prairie-Chicken | u | u | u | u | ||
| Sharp-tailed Grouse | u | u | u | u | ||
| Wild Turkey | c | c | c | c | ||
| Northern Bobwhite | u | u | u | u | ||
| RAILS | ||||||
| Virginia Rail | o | o | o | |||
| Sora | u | u | u | |||
| American Coot | c | c | c | |||
| CRANES | ||||||
| Sandhill Crane | u | u | ||||
| Whooping Crane | o | o | ||||
| SHOREBIRDS | ||||||
| Black-bellied Plover | o | o | ||||
| Lesser Golden-Plover | o | o | ||||
| Semipalmated Plover | c | o | c | |||
| Piping Plover | o | o | ||||
| Killdeer | c | c | c | |||
| American Avocet | u | o | u | |||
| Greater Yellowlegs | c | o | c | |||
| Lesser Yellowlegs | c | o | c | |||
| Solitary Sandpiper | o | o | ||||
| Willet | c | o | c | |||
| Spotted Sandpiper | u | u | u | |||
| Upland Sandpiper | u | u | u | |||
| Dunlin | u | r | ||||
| Hudsonian Godwit | o | o | ||||
| Marbled Godwit | u | u | u | |||
| Ruddy Turnstone | u | o | ||||
| Sanderling | u | u | ||||
| Semipalmated Sandpiper | c | c | ||||
| Least Sandpiper | c | u | ||||
| White-rumped Sandpiper | o | o | ||||
| Baird's Sandpiper | u | r | u | |||
| Pectoral Sandpiper | u | u | ||||
| Silt Sandpiper | u | u | ||||
| Buff-breasted Sandpiper | r | r | ||||
| Long-billed Dowitcher | c | c | ||||
| Short-billed Dowitcher | c | c | ||||
| Common Snipe | o | r | o | r | ||
| American Woodcock | r | r | r | |||
| Wilson's Phalarope | c | u | u | |||
| Red-necked Phalarope | o | u | ||||
| GULLS & TERNS | ||||||
| Franklin's Gull | c | a | c | |||
| Bonaparte's Gull | u | u | r | |||
| Ring-billed Gull | u | u | u | o | ||
| California Gull | u | u | ||||
| Herring Gull | u | o | u | r | ||
| Mew Gull | r | |||||
| Glaucous Gull | u | |||||
| Black-legged Kittiwake | r | |||||
| Common Tern | c | u | o | |||
| Forster's Tern | c | u | o | |||
| Least Tern | u | u | o | |||
| Black Tern | c | a | c | |||
| DOVES | ||||||
| Rock Dove | c | c | c | c | ||
| Mourning Dove | a | a | a | r | ||
| CUCKOOS | ||||||
| Black-billed Cuckoo | u | u | o | |||
| Yellow-billed Cuckoo | u | u | o | |||
| OWLS | ||||||
| Eastern Screech Owl | u | u | u | u | ||
| Great Horned Owl | c | c | c | c | ||
| Snowy Owl | r | u | ||||
| Burrowing Owl | o | o | o | o | ||
| Long-eared Owl | o | o | o | r | ||
| Short-eared Owl | u | u | u | r | ||
| GOATSUCKERS | ||||||
| Common Nighthawk | u | c | o | |||
| Whip-poor-will | c | c | ||||
| SWIFTS | ||||||
| Chimney Swift | u | c | r | |||
| HUMMINGBIRDS | ||||||
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird | o | o | o | |||
| KINGFISHERS | ||||||
| Belted Kingfisher | u | u | u | r | ||
| WOODPECKERS | ||||||
| Red-headed Woodpecker | c | c | c | r | ||
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | u | u | u | u | ||
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | o | o | o | r | ||
| Downy Woodpecker | c | c | c | c | ||
| Hairy Woodpecker | c | c | c | c | ||
| Northern Flicker | c | c | c | c | ||
| FLYCATCHERS | ||||||
| Olive-sided Flycatcher | o | o | ||||
| Willow Flycatcher | u | c | ||||
| Least Flycatcher | o | u | ||||
| Great-crested Flycatcher | u | u | r | |||
| Eastern Wood-Pewee | o | u | ||||
| Eastern Phoebe | u | u | ||||
| Say's Phoebe | r | r | r | |||
| Western Kingbird | c | a | r | |||
| Eastern Kingbird | c | a | r | |||
| LARKS | ||||||
| Horned Lark | c | c | c | a | ||
| SWALLOWS | ||||||
| Purple Martin | u | u | u | |||
| Tree Swallow | c | c | c | |||
| Northern Rough-winged Swallow | u | u | u | |||
| Bank Swallow | c | c | c | |||
| Cliff Swallow | c | c | c | |||
| Barn Swallow | a | a | a | |||
| CROWS & JAYS | ||||||
| Blue Jay | c | c | c | o | ||
| Black-billed Magpie | c | c | c | c | ||
| American Crow | c | c | c | c | ||
| CHICKADEES | ||||||
| Black-capped Chickadee | c | c | c | c | ||
| NUTHATCHES | ||||||
| White-breasted Nuthatch | c | c | c | c | ||
| Red-breasted Nuthatch | u | u | ||||
| CREEPERS | ||||||
| Brown Creeper | u | u | u | u | ||
| WRENS | ||||||
| House Wren | c | a | ||||
| Sedge Wren | u | u | u | |||
| Marsh Wren | c | c | u | |||
| KINGLETS & THRUSHES | ||||||
| Golden-crowned Kinglet | r | r | r | |||
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | u | r | ||||
| Eastern Bluebird | u | u | u | r | ||
| Swainson's Thrush | o | o | ||||
| American Robin | a | a | u | u | ||
| MOCKINGBIRDS & THRASHERS | ||||||
| Northern Mockingbird | r | r | r | |||
| Gray Catbird | u | c | o | |||
| Brown Thrasher | u | c | o | |||
| PIPITS | ||||||
| American Pipit | u | u | ||||
| WAXWINGS | ||||||
| Bohemian Waxwing | r | o | o | |||
| Cedar Waxwing | r | r | u | u | ||
| SHRIKES | ||||||
| Loggerhead Shrike | u | c | o | |||
| Northern Shrike | r | o | ||||
| STARLINGS | ||||||
| European Starling | c | c | c | c | ||
| VIREOS | ||||||
| Yellow-throated Vireo | u | u | ||||
| Warbling Vireo | c | c | ||||
| Philadelphia Vireo | o | |||||
| Red-eyed Vireo | u | u | ||||
| Bell's Vireo | o | o | ||||
| WOOD WARBLERS | ||||||
| Tennessee Warbler | u | u | ||||
| Yellow Warbler | c | c | ||||
| Magnolia Warbler | r | r | ||||
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | c | c | ||||
| Blackpoll Warbler | c | |||||
| American Redstart | u | u | u | |||
| Chestnut-sided Warbler | u | |||||
| Orange-crowned Warbler | c | c | ||||
| Nashville Warbler | u | u | ||||
| Northern Parula | u | u | ||||
| Mourning Warbler | u | u | ||||
| Palm Warbler | u | u | ||||
| Black-and-White Warbler | u | u | u | |||
| Ovenbird | o | o | ||||
| Northern Waterthrush | o | o | ||||
| Common Yellowthroat | c | c | o | |||
| Yellow-breasted Chat | u | o | ||||
| Wilson's Warbler | u | u | ||||
| TANAGERS | ||||||
| Scarlet Tanager | o | o | ||||
| GROSBEAKS & SPARROWS | ||||||
| Northern Cardinal | c | c | u | u | ||
| Rose-breasted Grosbeak | c | c | c | |||
| Blue Grosbeak | c | c | ||||
| Black-headed Grosbeak | o | o | o | |||
| Lazuli Bunting | r | r | ||||
| Indigo Bunting | u | u | u | |||
| Lark Bunting | u | u | ||||
| Snow Bunting | o | |||||
| Dickcissel | c | c | u | |||
| Spotted Towhee | u | u | ||||
| American Tree Sparrow | c | o | c | |||
| Chipping Sparrow | c | c | o | |||
| Clay-Colored Sparrow | u | u | ||||
| Field Sparrow | c | c | o | |||
| Swamp Sparrow | u | u | ||||
| Fox Sparrow | u | u | ||||
| Vesper Sparrow | o | c | ||||
| Lark Sparrow | u | u | o | |||
| Savannah Sparrow | c | c | ||||
| Grasshopper Sparrow | u | u | ||||
| Song Sparrow | c | a | o | r | ||
| Lincoln's Sparrow | u | u | ||||
| White-throated Sparrow | u | o | ||||
| White-crowned Sparrow | u | o | ||||
| Harris's Sparrow | u | o | ||||
| Dark-eyed Junco | u | o | c | |||
| Lapland Longspur | c | |||||
| Chestnut-collared Longspur | u | u | u | |||
| BLACKBIRDS & ORIOLES | ||||||
| Bobolink | c | c | ||||
| Red-winged Blackbirds | c | c | o | r | ||
| Eastern Meadowlark | r | r | r | |||
| Western Meadowlark | c | a | o | u | ||
| Yellow-headed Blackbird | c | c | o | |||
| Rusty Blackbird | u | u | u | |||
| Brewer's Blackbird | u | u | u | |||
| Common Grackle | c | a | o | o | ||
| Great-tailed Grackle | r | r | ||||
| Brown-headed Cowbird | c | a | o | |||
| Orchard Oriole | c | a | ||||
| Baltimore Oriole | u | c | ||||
| FINCHES | ||||||
| American Goldfinch | c | c | c | c | ||
| Evening Grosbeak | o | o | o | |||
| Pine Siskin | c | u | u | c | ||
| House Finch | c | u | c | c | ||
| Purple Finch | u | u | c | |||
| WEAVER FINCHES | ||||||
| House Sparrow | c | a | c | c |
