![]() |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
BIRDS
OF THE LONG LAKE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE |
||||||||||||
Long
Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) consists of 22,310 acres located
in Burleigh and Kidder Counties, south-central North Dakota. It was
established in 1932 and is administered as a unit within a chain of
NWRs located throughout the Central Flyway. Long Lake NWR contains
mixed-grass prairie grasslands, ravines, cultivated fields, small tree
and shrub plantings, and seasonal wetland basins, in addition to Long
Lake. Beginning at U.S. Highway 83 near Moffit, the Refuge extends
northeastward for 16 miles.
Long Lake is a natural lake of limited depth by reason of its location in a shallow alkaline basin up to 2 miles wide and 16 miles long. It is separated into three units by dikes, and at normal level it covers about 16,000 acres. The refuge was established primarily for the control of botulism, which has a long and varied history at Long Lake. The principal source of water is from Long Lake Creek south of the refuge, which has a relatively large watershed. Dikes and spillways permit the holding of a higher level in each unit from west to east when there is a shortage of water. The best opportunities for bird observation are in spring, summer, and fall. Canada geese typically lead the northward flight of waterfowl, beginning in late March. Northern pintail, mallards, and a variety of diving duck species follow shortly thereafter. Sharp-tailed grouse occupy traditional dancing grounds across the Refuge uplands throughout April, shortly preceding peak “crowing” activity of male ring-necked pheasants. Impressive flocks of phalaropes, sandpipers, and plovers buzz mudflats during late spring amid the constant din of various waterbird species that are establishing colonies in isolated emergent marsh areas. Vocalizations of numerous prairie sparrows interrupt the early morning quiet in June. The fascinating mating displays of western grebes can be observed across Long Lake beginning in early June, just prior to the sight of numerous squadrons of ducklings scattered along shorelines and areas of emergent vegetation. Mornings in July reveal a patchwork of molting waterfowl across Long Lake’s open water areas. Not long after the mass of fall migrating shorebirds have filled-up on protein-rich invertebrates and headed to more southerly locations, Long Lake is invaded with a variety of south-bound waterfowl Large congregations of ducks and geese are accompanied by thousands of sandhill cranes in search of waste grain and other agricultural staples. Occasionally, endangered whooping cranes utilize the Refuge during their fall flight to Texas. In late fall, once Long Lake has frozen solid and fields are snow-filled, resident birds search for food and winter cover along with winter migrants, including Rough-legged hawks, snow buntings, and an occasional snowy owl. The following checklist includes 308 birds. Species that are known to nest on the Refuge are noted with a bullet (•). Most of the species listed have been seen on the Refuge. Those species known to occur in the vicinity that have not actually been sighted on the Refuge are noted in italics. Visitors are encouraged to report new or noteworthy observations to Refuge staff. All species names are in accordance with the American Ornithologist, Union, 1998. Check-list of North American Birds, 7th ed. Am. Ornithol. Union, Washington, D.C. For clarity, some of the former names of bird species are shown in parentheses. Bird species listed as “Accidentals” have been sighted once or only a few times and the Refuge is outside of their normal range. Seasons Since many birds are migratory, their seasonal occurrence and relative abundance are noted as follows: SP-Spring March-May Seasonal Abundance |
||||||||||||
Common Bird Name |
SP |
S |
F |
W |
Common Bird Name | SP | S | F | W |
|||
Loons |
Tyrant
Flycatchers |
|||||||||||
| — | Common Loon | r |
—• | Eastern Kingbird | c |
c |
c |
|||||
Grebes |
—• | Western Kingbird | c |
c |
c |
|||||||
| —• | Clark’s Grebe | u |
u |
u |
— | Alder Flycatcher | r |
r |
||||
| —• | Eared Grebe | c |
c |
c |
— | Great Crested Flycatcher | r |
r |
||||
| —• | Horned Grebe | u |
u |
u |
—• | Least Flycatcher | r |
r |
r |
|||
| —• | Pied-billed Grebe | c |
c |
c |
— | Olive-sided Flycatcher | r |
r |
r |
|||
| — | Red-necked Grebe | r |
r |
— |
Yellow-bellied
Flycatcher |
r |
r |
|||||
| —• | Western Grebe | c |
c |
c |
—• |
Willow
Flycatcher |
u |
u |
u |
|||
Pelicans |
— |
Eastern
Wood Pewee |
r |
|||||||||
| —° | American White Pelican | c |
c |
c |
—• |
Eastern
Phoebe |
r |
r |
r |
|||
![]() |
—• |
Say’s
Phoebe |
u |
u |
u |
|||||||
![]() |
||||||||||||
Cormorants |
||||||||||||
| —• | Double Crested Cormorant | c |
c |
c |
Shrikes | |||||||
Bitterns,
Herons, and Egrets |
— |
Northern
Shrike |
u |
u |
u |
|||||||
| —• | American Bittern | c |
c |
c |
—• |
Loggerhead
Shrike |
u |
u |
u |
|||
| — | Least Bittern | r |
r |
r |
Vireos | |||||||
| —• | Black-crowned Night-Heron | c |
c |
c |
— |
Blue-headed
Vireo |
r |
r |
||||
| — | Yellow-crowned Night Heron | r |
r |
r |
— |
Philadelphia
Vireo |
r |
r |
r |
|||
| — | Great Blue Heron | c | u | c | — |
Red-eyed
Vireo |
u |
u |
u |
|||
| — | Green Heron | r | r | r | —• |
Warbling
Vireo |
r |
r |
r |
|||
| — | Little blue Heron | r |
r |
r |
— |
Yellow-throated
Vireo |
r |
r |
r |
|||
| —• | Cattle Egret | c | c | c | Crows,
Jays, and Magpies |
|||||||
| —• | Great Egret | u | u | c | —• |
American
Crow |
c |
u |
c |
u |
||
| —• | Snowy Egret | r | u | r | — |
Blue
Jay |
u |
u |
u |
u |
||
| Ibises and Spoonbills | —• |
Black-billed
Magpie |
u |
u |
u |
|||||||
| —• | White-faced ibis | u | u | u | Larks | |||||||
—• |
Horned
Lark (i) |
c |
c |
c |
c |
|||||||
![]() white faced Ibis © Patsy Renz |
Swallows | |||||||||||
—• |
Purple
Martin |
u |
c |
u |
||||||||
—• |
Bank
Swallow |
c |
c |
c |
||||||||
—• |
Barn
Swallow |
c |
c |
c |
||||||||
—• |
Cliff
Swallow |
c |
c |
c |
||||||||
—• |
Northern
Rough-winged Swallow |
u |
u |
u |
||||||||
—• |
Tree
Swallow |
c |
c |
c |
||||||||
![]() |
||||||||||||
New
World Vultures |
||||||||||||
| — | Turkey Vulture | u | u | u | u | |||||||
Swans,
Geese, and Ducks |
||||||||||||
| —° | Trumpeter Swan | r | ||||||||||
| — | Tundra Swan | u | c | Cliff swallow.......................Barn swallow | ||||||||
| —• | Canada Goose | c | c | c | u | © Patsy Renz | ||||||
| — | Cackling Goose | c | c | |||||||||
| — | Greater White-fronted Goose | c | c | Titmice and Chickadees | ||||||||
| — | Snow Goose (Snow & Blue) | c | r | c | —• | Black-capped
Chickadee |
u | u | u | u | ||
| — | Ross’ Goose | u | u | Nuthatches | ||||||||
| — | American Black Duck | r | r | — |
Red-breasted
Nuthatch |
u |
u |
u |
||||
| —• | Gadwall | c | c | c | —• |
White-breasted
Nuthatch |
u |
u |
u |
u |
||
| —• | Mallard | c | c | c | u | Creepers | ||||||
| —• | Northern Pintail | c | c | c | — |
Brown
Creeper |
r |
r |
r |
|||
| —• | Northern Shoveler | c | c | c | Wrens | |||||||
| —• | Blue-winged Teal | c | c | c | —• |
House
Wren |
c |
c |
c |
|||
| —• | Cinnamon Teal | r | r | r | —• |
Marsh
Wren |
c |
c |
c |
|||
| —• | Green-winged Teal | c | u | c | —• |
Sedge
Wren |
c |
c |
c |
|||
| —• | American Wigeon | c | u | c | — |
Winter
Wren |
r |
|||||
| —• | Ruddy Duck | c | c | c | |
|||||||
| —• | Wood Duck | u | u | u | ||||||||
| —• | Canvasback | c | c | c | ||||||||
| —• | Redhead | c | c | c | ||||||||
| —• | Ring-necked Duck | c | r | c | ||||||||
| — | Greater Scaup | r | r | |||||||||
| —• | Lesser Scaup | c | u | c | Kinglets | |||||||
| —• | Bufflehead | c | u | c | — |
Golden-crowned
Kinglet |
r |
r |
r |
|||
| — | Common Goldeneye | c | c | r | — |
Ruby-crowned
Kinglet |
r | r | r | |||
| — | White-winged Scoter | r | Thrushes | |||||||||
| — | Common Merganser | c | u | r | — |
Eastern
Bluebird |
r | r | r | |||
| —• | Hooded Merganser | u | r | u | — |
Mountain
Bluebird |
u |
|||||