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| Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
Conserving the Nature of America |
Birds of the Great Swamp
Here is the complete list of approximately 244 species of birds that have been recorded on the Refuge and its immediate environs. It includes the many species that nest here, as well as migratory birds that use the Refuge as a resting and feeding stop. The list is composed in accordance with the Seventh American Ornithologists Union Checklist, and lists birds by category and seasonal relative abundance.
Key: The 4 columns after each species lists its relative abundance for the 4 seasons of the year: spring, summer, fall, and winter. Relative abundance is coded as follows:
- a - abundant - a very numerous species.
- c - common - likely to be seen or heard in suitable habitat.
- u - uncommon - present, but not likely to be seen.
- o - occasional - seen only a few times in a season.
- r - rare- present only in certain years.
Species listed in bold text are birds known to nest on or near the Refuge.
Italics indicate threatened/endangered species.
To search the entire list, scroll down. To view the list for a certain class of birds, click on one of the following links:
Loons-Grebes-Cormorants
| Common Loon | u | r | ||
| Pied-billed Grebe | u | r | o | r |
| Horned Grebe | r | |||
| Double-crested Cormorant | o | o |
Bitterns - Herons - Egrets - Ibises
| American Bittern | u | u | u | r |
| Least Bittern | u | u | u | |
| Great Blue Heron | c | c | c | u |
| Great Egret | o | o | o | r |
| Snowy Egret | r | r | r | |
| Little Blue Heron | o | o | o | |
| Cattle Egret | r | r | r | |
| Green Heron | c | c | c | |
| Black-crowned Night Heron | o | r | o | |
| Yellow-crowned Night Heron | r | r | ||
| Glossy Ibis | r | r | r |
Swans - Geese - Ducks
| Mute Swan | o | o | o | r |
| Snow Goose | r | o | o | |
| Canada Goose | a | a | a | a |
| Wood Duck | a | a | a | u |
| Green-winged Teal | c | r | c | u |
| American Black Duck | c | u | c | u |
| Mallard | a | a | a | a |
| Northern Pintail | u | r | c | u |
| Blue-winged Teal | u | u | u | |
| Northern Shoveler | o | r | o | r |
| Gadwall | u | r | u | o |
| American Wigeon | u | r | c | o |
| Canvasback | r | r | r | |
| Ring-necked Duck | c | o | ||
| Common Goldeneye | r | r | ||
| Bufflehead | r | r | r | |
| Hooded Merganser | u | u | u | o |
| Common Merganser | r | r | ||
| Red-breasted Merganser | r | |||
| Ruddy Duck | r | r |
Vultures - Osprey - Kites - Hawks - Eagles - Falcons
| Black Vulture | u | u | u | u |
| Turkey Vulture | c | c | c | c |
| Osprey | u | u | ||
| Bald Eagle | o | o | o | o |
| Northern Harrier | c | r | c | c |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | u | c | u | |
| Cooper's Hawk | u | u | u | u |
| Northern Goshawk | r | r | ||
| Red-shouldered Hawk | u | u | u | o |
| Broad-winged Hawk | u | o | u | |
| Red-tailed Hawk | c | u | c | c |
| Rough-legged Hawk | r | r | o | |
| Golden Eagle | r | r | ||
| American Kestrel | c | u | c | u |
| Merlin | o | o | r | |
| Peregrine Falcon | r |
Rails-Turkeys
| King Rail | o | o | o | |
| Virginia Rail | c | c | c | r |
| Sora | u | u | u | r |
| Common Moorhen | u | c | c | |
| American Coot | u | u | u | |
| Wild Turkey | c | c | c | c |
Plovers - Sandpipers - Phalaropes
| Killdeer | c | c | c | o |
| Semipalmated Plover | o | |||
| Greater Yellowlegs | u | u | u | |
| Lesser Yellowlegs | u | o | u | |
| Solitary Sandpiper | c | u | u | |
| Spotted Sandpiper | c | u | u | |
| Upland Sandpiper | r | |||
| Semipalmated Sandpiper | o | o | o | |
| Least Sandpiper | c | u | o | |
| Pectoral Sandpiper | u | u | u | |
| Dunlin | r | |||
| Short-billed Dowitcher | r | r | ||
| Common Snipe | a | r | c | o |
| American Woodcock | a | c | a | o |
Skuas - Jaegers - Gulls - Terns
| Bonaparte's Gull | r | |||
| Ring-billed Gull | u | u | c | |
| Herring Gull | o | o | o | u |
| Great Black-backed Gull | o | u |
Doves - Cuckoos - Owls - Nightjars - Swifts - Hummingbirds
| Rock Dove | u | u | u | u |
| Mourning Dove | a | a | a | a |
| Black-billed Cuckoo | u | u | o | |
| Yellow-billed Cuckoo | u | u | o | |
| Barn Owl | o | o | o | o |
| Eastern Screech Owl | u | u | u | u |
| Great Horned Owl | c | c | c | c |
| Barred Owl | u | u | u | u |
| Long-eared Owl | o | o | o | |
| Short-eared Owl | r | r | ||
| Northern Saw-whet Owl | r | r | r | |
| Common Nighthawk | u | u | c | |
| Chimney Swift | c | c | c | |
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird | u | o | u | |
| Belted Kingfisher | c | c | c | u |
Woodpeckers - Flycatchers
| Red-headed Woodpecker | o | o | o | u |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | c | c | c | c |
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | u | u | r | |
| Downy Woodpecker | c | c | c | c |
| Hairy Woodpecker | u | u | u | u |
| Northern Flicker | c | c | c | u |
| Pileated Woodpecker | o | o | o | o |
| Olive-sided Flycatcher | o | r | o | |
| Eastern Wood-Pewee | c | c | c | |
| Yellow-bellied Flycatcher | o | r | o | |
| Acadian Flycatcher | o | o | ||
| Alder Flycatcher | o | o | ||
| Willow Flycatcher | c | c | c | |
| Least Flycatcher | u | o | o | |
| Eastern Phoebe | c | c | c | r |
| Great Crested Flycatcher | c | c | c | |
| Eastern Kingbird | c | c | c |
Larks - Swallows - Jays - Crows - Magpies
| Horned Lark | r | r | r | |
| Purple Martin | u | u | ||
| Tree Swallow | a | a | a | r |
| Northern Rough-winged Swallow | u | c | u | |
| Bank Swallow | u | u | u | |
| Cliff Swallow | u | |||
| Barn Swallow | c | c | c | |
| Blue Jay | a | a | a | a |
| American Crow | a | a | a | a |
| Fish Crow | u | o | u | o |
Titmice - Nuthatches - Wrens
| Black-capped Chickadee | a | a | a | a |
| Tufted Titmouse | a | a | a | a |
| Red-breasted Nuthatch | o | o | u | o |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | c | c | c | c |
| Brown Creeper | u | u | u | u |
| Carolina Wren | c | c | c | u |
| House Wren | c | a | c | |
| Winter Wren | u | u | u | |
| Marsh Wren | c | c | c | r |
Kinglets - Thrushes - Thrashers
| Golden-crowned Kinglet | c | c | u | |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | c | c | o | |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | c | c | u | |
| Eastern Bluebird | c | c | c | c |
| Veery | c | c | c | |
| Gray-cheeked Thrush | u | o | ||
| Swainson's Thrush | u | u | ||
| Bicknell's Thrush | u | o | ||
| Hermit Thrush | c | c | o | |
| Wood Thrush | c | c | c | |
| American Robin | a | a | a | u |
| Gray Catbird | a | a | a | r |
| Northern Mockingbird | c | c | c | c |
| Brown Thrasher | c | c | c | r |
Pipits - Waxwings - Shrikes - Starlings
| American Pipit | u | u | ||
| Cedar Waxwing | c | u | c | u |
| Northern Shrike | r | r | r | |
| European Starling | a | a | a | a |
Vireos - Wood Warblers
| White-eyed Vireo | u | u | u | |
| Blue-headed Vireo | c | u | ||
| Yellow-throated Vireo | u | u | u | |
| Warbling Vireo | c | u | r | |
| Philadelphia Vireo | o | |||
| Red-eyed Vireo | c | c | c | |
| Blue-winged Warbler | c | c | c | |
| Golden-winged Warbler | o | |||
| Tennessee Warbler | u | o | u | |
| Nashville Warbler | u | u | ||
| Northern Parula | c | o | c | |
| Yellow Warbler | a | a | u | |
| Chestnut-sided Warbler | c | o | c | |
| Magnolia Warbler | c | o | c | |
| Cape May Warbler | u | o | u | |
| Black-throated Blue Warbler | c | o | c | |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | a | c | u | |
| Black-throated Green Warbler | c | o | c | |
| Blackburnian Warbler | u | o | u | |
| Yellow-throated Warbler | r | |||
| Pine Warbler | u | o | ||
| Prairie Warbler | o | |||
| Palm Warbler | c | u | ||
| Bay-breasted Warbler | u | o | u | |
| Blackpoll Warbler | c | o | c | |
| Cerulean Warbler | o | o | ||
| Black-and-white Warbler | c | c | c | |
| American Redstart | c | c | c | |
| Prothonotary Warbler | o | r | r | |
| Worm-eating Warbler | o | u | ||
| Ovenbird | c | c | c | |
| Northern Waterthrush | c | u | u | |
| Louisiana Waterthrush | u | o | o | |
| Kentucky Warbler | o | r | ||
| Connecticut Warbler | o | |||
| Mourning Warbler | u | o | o | |
| Common Yellowthroat | a | a | a | r |
| Hooded Warbler | o | o | ||
| Wilson's Warbler | u | u | ||
| Canada Warbler | c | r | c | |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | c | c | u | |
| Yellow-breasted Chat | o | o | o |
Tanagers - Cardinals - Grosbeaks - Allies - Sparrows - Towhees
| Scarlet Tanager | c | c | c | |
| Northern Cardinal | c | c | c | c |
| Rose-breasted Grosbeak | c | c | c | |
| Indigo Bunting | u | o | u | |
| Eastern Towhee | a | a | a | r |
| Rufous-sided Towhee | a | a | a | o |
| American Tree Sparrow | c | c | c | |
| Chipping Sparrow | c | c | c | r |
| Field Sparrow | c | c | c | u |
| Vesper Sparrow | o | r | o | r |
| Savannah Sparrow | u | u | r | |
| Grasshopper Sparrow | r | r | ||
| Fox Sparrow | u | u | o | |
| Song Sparrow | a | a | a | c |
| Lincoln's Sparrow | o | u | ||
| Swamp Sparrow | a | a | a | u |
| White-throated Sparrow | c | c | c | |
| White-crowned Sparrow | o | o | ||
| House Sparrow | c | c | c | c |
| Dark-eyed Junco | c | c | c | |
| Snow Bunting | r | r |
Blackbirds - Orioles - Finches
| Bobolink | u | u | u | |
| Red-winged Blackbird | a | a | a | u |
| Eastern Meadowlark | u | u | u | o |
| Rusty Blackbird | c | c | u | |
| Common Grackle | a | c | a | o |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | c | c | c | o |
| Orchard Oriole | u | u | ||
| Baltimore Oriole | c | c | c | |
| Purple Finch | u | u | u | |
| House Finch | c | c | c | c |
| Red Crossbill | r | r | ||
| White-winged Crossbill | r | r | ||
| Common Redpoll | r | r | r | |
| Pine Siskin | o | o | o | |
| American Goldfinch | a | a | c | c |
| Evening Grosbeak | o | o | r |
Accidental Birds
| White Ibis |
| Greater White-fronted Goose |
| Brant |
| Tundra Swan |
| Lesser Scaup |
| Ring-necked Pheasant |
| Sandhill Crane |
| Ruff |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull |
| Black Tern |
| Monk Parakeet |
| Chuck-will's widow |
| Whip-poor-will |
| Loggerhead Shrike |
| Varied Thrush |
| Summer Tanger |
| Le Conte's Sparrow |
| Sharp-tailed Sparrow |
| Yellow-headed Blackbird |
