Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
Northeast Region

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 Rails-Turkeys Titmice-Nuthatches-Wrens
Plovers-Sandpipers-
Phalaropers
Kinglets-Thrushes-Thrashers Bitterns-Herons-Egrets-Ibises
Skuas-Jaegers-Gulls-Terns Pipits-Waxwings-Shrikes-
Starlings
Swans-Geese-Ducks
Doves-Cuckoos-Owls-Nightjars-
Swifts-Hummingbirds
Vireos-Wood Warblers Vultures-Osprey-Kites-Hawks-
Eagles-Falcons
Woodpeckers-Flycatchers Tanagers-Cardinals-Grosbeaks-
Allies-Sparrows-Towhees
Larks-Swallows-Jays-Crows-
Magpies
Blackbirds-Orioles-Finches Accidental Birds Extirpated Birds

 

 

Loons - Grebes - Cormorants
Common Loon u   r  
Pied-billed Grebe u r o r
Horned Grebe     r  
Double-crested Cormorant o   o  
<<Top of Page>>

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  
<<Top of Page>>

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
<<Top of Page>>

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  
<<Top of Page>>

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
<<Top of Page>>

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
<<Top of Page>>

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
<<Top of Page>>

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
<<Top of Page>>

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  
<<Top of Page>>

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
<<Top of Page>>

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
<<Top of Page>>

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
<<Top of Page>>

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
<<Top of Page>>

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  
<<Top of Page>>

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
<<Top of Page>>

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
<<Top of Page>>

Accidental Birds
The following species have been seen only once or twice on the Refuge.
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
<<Top of Page>>

Extirpated Birds
Ruffed Grouse
Northern Bobwhite
Sedge Wren
Henslow Sparrow
<<Top of Page>>
 
 
Last updated: January 31, 2012