Bird Checklist
I. Instructions to Refuge staff for using this list to prepare the Refuge bird list:
1. Save the original file and create a “working” copy.
2. On the “working” copy, review the list and delete any species that are not found on your Refuge.
3. After you’ve identified the species, delete all the scientific/Latin names.
4. After each species name, enter one space (DO NOT USE TABS), then type in the seasonal abundance codes. Use the letter “m” to indicate that the species is not present during a particular season. For example: American Coot aaau (abundant in Spring, Summer, Fall; uncommon in Winter) or California Gull ommm (occasional in Spring; not present in Summer, Fall, and Winter)
5. If the species nests at your Refuge, type an asterisk in front of the species name.
6. If you alter any of the season and/or seasonal abundance definitions, please include the altered definitions with your list.
7. Save the file and send a copy to your EVS contact (Cindy Souders for ND and SD stations; Shannon Heath for MT, UT, and WY stations; Melvie Uhland for CO, KS, and NE stations).
II. Commonly used season and abundance definitions:
The following are season and seasonal abundance definitions that have been commonly used in Region 6. You are welcome to use the definitions as they are or alter them to fit your Refuge’s situation. If you do alter any of the season and/or seasonal abundance definitions, please include the altered definitions with your list.
A. Seasons:
Spring (March - May)
Summer (June - August)
Fall (September - November)
Winter (December - February)
B. Seasonal Abundance:
a = abundant - occurring in large numbers
c = common - certain to be seen in suitable habitat
u = uncommon - present, but not certain to be seen
o = occasional - seen only a few times during the season
r = rare - seen at intervals of 2 - 5 years
x= accidental - there is a recorded occurrence
h = hypothetical - within normal range, but never documented.
Taxonomic List of Birds
(Order follows the A.O.U. Check-list of North American Birds, 7th ed. Sept.1998)
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523 species occurring with 10 Introduced; 2 Extinct; 4 Possibly Extirpated.
320 species breeding, 143 accidental/vagrant, 170 migrants, winter residents.
40 occur on OMBM’s 1995 List; 12 on the ESA: 7 Federal Endangered, 4 Federal Threatened, 1 Federal Candidate: Threatened.
UPDATED October 6, 2003
Swans, Geese, and Ducks
Greater White-fronted Goose cocr
Snow Goose arar
Ross' Goose crcr
*Canada Goose aaau
Trumpeter Swan x
Tundra Swan cmcr
*Wood Duck uuum
*Gadwall cccm
*American Wigeon cucm
American Black Duck rmrr
*Mallard aaao
*Blue-winged Teal aaam
Cinnamon Teal rrrm
*Northern Shoveler cccr
*Northern Pintail acar
*Green-winged Teal cucr
*Canvasback cucr
*Redhead cccr
*Ring-necked Duck cucr
Greater Scaup umum
Lesser Scaup cucm
Harlequin Duck x
Surf Scoter rmrm
White-winged Scoter rmrm
Black Scoter rmrm
Long-tailed Duck (formerly Oldsquaw) rmrm
Bufflehead cocu
Common Goldeneye cmcm
Barrow's Goldeneye rmrm
Hooded Merganser urum
Common Merganser crcm
Red-breasted Merganser urum
*Ruddy Duck cucr
Gallinaceous Birds
*Gray Partridge (Introduced) uuuu
*Ring-necked Pheasant (Introduced) aaaa
*Sharp-tailed Grouse rrrr
*Wild Turkey rrrr
Loons
Red-throated Loon x
Pacific Loon omom
Common Loon uruo
Grebes
*Pied-billed Grebe cccm
Horned Grebeumum
Red-necked Grebe rrrm
*Eared Grebe cccm
*Western Grebe cccm
Clark's Grebe rrrm
Pelicans
American White Pelican cucm
Cormorants
Double-crested Cormorant cccm
Bitterns, Herons, and Egrets
*American Bittern uuum
*Least Bittern uuum
*Great Blue Heron cccr
*Great Egret cccm
*Snowy Egret uuum
*Little Blue Heron rrrm
*Tricolored Heron rrrm
*Cattle Egret uuum
*Green Heron uuum
*Black-crowned Night-Heron uuum
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron ooom
Ibises and Spoonbills
*White-faced Ibis uuum
New World Vultures
Turkey Vulture uoum
Osprey, Kites, Hawks, and Eagles
Osprey uoum
Mississippi Kite x
Bald Eagle uuuu
*Northern Harrier cccu
Sharp-shinned Hawk uuuu
Cooper's Hawk uuur
Northern Goshawk rrrr
Red-shouldered Hawk omom
Broad-winged Hawk urum
*Swainson's Hawk cucm
*Red-tailed Hawk cucu
Ferruginous Hawk uuur
Rough-legged Hawk cucu
Golden Eagle rmrr
Falcons and Caracaras
*American Kestrel cucu
Merlin umuu
Gyrfalcon mmmr
Peregrine Falcon umrr
Prairie Falcon rmrr
Rails
King Rail x
*Virginia Rail cccm
*Sora cccm
Common Moorhen orom
*American Coot cccr
Cranes
Sandhill Crane uour
Whooping Crane rrrm
Plovers
Black-bellied Plover umum
American Golden-Plover cmum
Semipalmated Plover umum
Piping Plover rmrm
*Killdeer cccr
Stilts and Avocets
Black-necked Stilt rorm
American Avocet rorm
Sandpipers and Phalaropes
Greater Yellowlegs cmcm
Lesser Yellowlegs cmcr
Solitary Sandpiper umum
Willet umum
*Spotted Sandpiper cucm
*Upland Sandpiper uuum
Whimbrel omrm
Long-billed Curlew rmrm
Hudsonian Godwit cmom
Marbled Godwit uuum
Ruddy Turnstone rmrm
Red Knot omrm
Sanderling umum
Semipalmated Sandpiper cmcm
Western Sandpiper omom
Least Sandpiper cmcm
White-rumped Sandpiper cmrm
Baird's Sandpiper cmcm
Pectoral Sandpiper cmcm
Dunlin cmrm
Stilt Sandpiper cmcm
Buff-breasted Sandpiper rmrm
Ruff x
Short-billed Dowitcher umum
Long-billed Dowitcher cmcm
*Wilson’s Snipe cucu
*American Woodcock uuum
*Wilson's Phalarope cccm
Red-necked Phalarope umum
Red Phalarope x
Skuas, Jaegers, Gulls, and Terns
*Franklin's Gull cccm
Bonaparte's Gull crcm
Ring-billed Gull cccm
California Gull rrrm
Herring Gull cmcr
Glaucous Gull orom
Sabine's Gull rmom
Black-legged Kittiwake x
Caspian Tern rmrm
Common Tern umum
*Forster's Tern cccm
Least Tern rmrm
*Black Tern cccm
Pigeons and Doves
*Rock Pigeon (Dove?) cccc (Introduced)
European Collared-Dove rrrr (Introduced)
*Mourning Dove cccr
Inca Dove x
Cuckoos and Anis
*Black-billed Cuckoo uuum
*Yellow-billed Cuckoo uuum
Barn Owls
Barn Owl rmrm
Typical Owls
*Eastern Screech-Owl cccc
*Great Horned Owl cccc
Snowy Owl mmmr
Northern Hawk-Owl x
Burrowing Owl ooom
Great Gray Owl x
Long-eared Owl uruu
Short-eared Owl oroo
Boreal Owl x
Northern Saw-whet Owl omoo
Nightjars
*Common Nighthawk cccm
Whip-poor-will omom
Swifts
*Chimney Swift cccm
Hummingbirds
Ruby-throated Hummingbird urum
Kingfishers
*Belted Kingfisher uuur
Woodpeckers
*Red-headed Woodpecker cccr
*Red-bellied Woodpecker uuuu
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker uuur
*Downy Woodpecker cccc
*Hairy Woodpecker uuuu
*Northern Flicker cccu
Pileated Woodpecker rrrrr
Tyrant Flycatchers
Olive-sided Flycatcher rmrm
*Eastern Wood-Pewee cccm
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher rmrm
Alder Flycatcher umrm
*Willow Flycatcher uuum
Least Flycatcher cucm
*Eastern Phoebe uuum
Say's Phoebe rmrm
*Great Crested Flycatcher uuum
*Western Kingbird cccm
*Eastern Kingbird cccm
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher x
Shrikes
*Loggerhead Shrike uuum
Northern Shrike umuu
Vireos
White-eyed Vireo cmom
Bell's Vireo ooom
Yellow-throated Vireo umum
Blue-headed Vireo uoum
*Warbling Vireo cccm
Philadelphia Vireo rmrm
*Red-eyed Vireo cccm
Crows, Jays, and Magpies
*Blue Jay cccc
*American Crow cccc
Larks
*Horned Lark cccc
Swallows
*Purple Martin cucm
*Tree Swallow cccm
*Northern Rough-winged Swallow cccm
*Bank Swallow cccm
*Cliff Swallow cccm
*Barn Swallow cccm
Titmice and Chickadees
*Black-capped Chickadee cccc
Boreal Chickadee x
Tufted Titmouse x
Nuthatches
Red-breasted Nuthatch uruu
*White-breasted Nuthatch cccc
Creepers
Brown Creeper uruu
Wrens
Rock Wren x
Carolina Wren ooom
*House Wren cccc
Winter Wren umuo
*Sedge Wren cccm
*Marsh Wren cccm
Kinglets
Golden-crowned Kinglet cmcu
Ruby-crowned Kinglet cmcr
Old World Warblers
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher rrrm
Thrushes
*Eastern Bluebird uuuo
Mountain Bluebird rmrm
Townsend's Solitaire rmrr
Veery rmrm
Gray-cheeked Thrush umom
Swainson's Thrush cmum
Hermit Thrush umur
Wood Thrush rrrm
*American Robin cccr
Varied Thrush cmcc
Mimic Thrushes
*Gray Catbird cccr
Northern Mockingbird rrrm
Brown Thrasher cccc
Starlings
*European Starling cccc
Wagtails and Pipits
American (Water) Pipit rmum
Sprague's Pipit x
Waxwings
Bohemian Waxwing umur
*Cedar Waxwing cccc
Wood Warblers
Blue-winged Warbler rmrm
Golden-winged Warbler rmrm
Tennessee Warbler cmum
Orange-crowned Warbler crcm
Nashville Warbler urcm
Northern Parula rmrm
Yellow Warbler cccm
Chestnut-sided Warbler umum
Magnolia Warbler umum
Cape May Warbler rmrm
Black-throated Blue Warbler rmrm
Yellow-rumped Warbler cmcm
Black-throated Gray Warbler x
Black-throated Green Warbler umum
Blackburnian Warbler umum
Yellow-throated Warbler x
Pine Warbler rmrm
Prairie Warbler x
Palm Warbler umum
Bay-breasted Warbler rmrm
Blackpoll Warbler umum
Cerulean Warbler rmmm
Black-and-white Warbler cucm
American Redstart cmcm
Prothonotary Warbler rmrm
Worm-eating Warbler omrm
Ovenbird cucm
Northern Waterthrush umum
Louisiana Waterthrush omrm
Kentucky Warbler oorm
Connecticut Warbler rmrm
Mourning Warbler umum
MacGillivray's Warbler x
*Common Yellowthroat cccr
Hooded Warbler rmrm
Wilson's Warbler umcm
Canada Warbler umum
Yellow-breasted Chat rrrm
Tanagers
Summer Tanager rmrm
Scarlet Tanager urum
Western Tanager rmrm
Sparrows and Towhees
Spotted Towhee umum
Eastern Towhee umum
American Tree Sparrow cmcc
*Chipping Sparrow cccr
Clay-colored Sparrow cocm
Field Sparrow cucr
Lark Sparrow crcm
Lark Bunting orom
*Savannah Sparrow cucm
*Grasshopper Sparrow cccm
Baird's Sparrow rmrm
Henslow's Sparrow omom
Le Conte's Sparrow urum
Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow rrrm
Fox Sparrow umum
*Song Sparrow cccr
Lincoln's Sparrow cmcm
*Swamp Sparrow uuum
White-throated Sparrow cmcr
Harris' Sparrow cmcr
White-crowned Sparrow cmcr
Golden-crowned Sparrow x
Dark-eyed Junco cmcc
Lapland Longspur cmcc
Smith's Longspur rmrm
*Chestnut-collared Longspur cccm
Snow Bunting cmcc
Cardinals, Grosbeaks, and Allies
Northern Cardinal uuuu
Rose-breasted Grosbeak cccr
Black-headed Grosbeak omom
*Blue Grosbeak uuum
Lazuli Bunting orom
*Indigo Bunting cucm
Dickcissel cccm
Blackbirds and Orioles
*Bobolink cccm
*Red-winged Blackbird cccm
Eastern Meadowlark x
*Western Meadowlark cccu
*Yellow-headed Blackbird cccm
Rusty Blackbird cmcr
Brewer's Blackbird crcr
*Common Grackle cccr
*Great-tailed Grackle ooom
*Brown-headed Cowbird cccr
*Orchard Oriole cccm
*Baltimore Oriole cccm
Finches
Pine Grosbeak mmmr
Purple Finch mmmr
*House Finch cccc
*Red Crossbill oooo
White-winged Crossbill rmrm
Common Redpoll omoo
Hoary Redpoll mmmr
Pine Siskin oooo
*American Goldfinch cccc
Evening Grosbeak omoo
Old World Sparrows
*House Sparrow (Introduced) cccc
