US Fish and Wildlife Logo National Wildlife Refuge logo Big Lake NWR header
Blue rule lines graphic

Bird Checklists of North Louisiana

North Louisiana Refuges Complex

Farmerville, Louisiana


D'Arbonne National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1975, is a 17,421-acre tract set aside primarily to preserve bottomland hardwood forests. This refuge also contains permanent open water, a portion of Bayou D'Arbonne, grass/shrub habitat, and upland pines. The Upper Ouachita National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1978 and encompasses nearly 39,000 acres, including the Mollicy Unit.  The original refuge consists of bottomland hardwoods, whereas the 16,000-acre Mollicy tract is an agricultural area, much of which will be restored to bottomland hardwoods.  

Black Bayou Lake NWR, established in 1997, includes a 2,000-acre cypress lake, a 3-acre demonstration prairie and an arboretum.  Five hundred acres of wetland habitat (shallow lake) are available to waterfowl and wading birds at Handy Brake NWR.

Red-cockaded Woodpeckers can be seen in the upland pine stands on D'Arbonne, Upper Ouachita, and Black Bayou NWRs throughout the year.  Birders interested in observing waterfowl will want to visit all refuges during the winter, but particularly in January. Bald Eagles may also be seen at Upper Ouachita and D'Arbonne refuges throughout the winter.

Backwater flooding limits access to many areas during the flooding season. However, there are several boat ramps on or adjacent to the refuges. Some areas are closed to public entry.

This list contains 238 species of birds that have been observed by refuge personnel and local birders. Avian survey data were also used to contribute information. Please report observations of birds not currently on this list.  Contact: Refuge Manager, 11372 Hwy 143, Farmerville, LA 71241.  Phone: (318) 726-4222.

How to use this checklist:

This bird list conforms to the nomenclature and arrangement established by the American Ornithologists' Union (1998).

  SPRING SUMMER FALL WINTER
Grebes    
*Pied-billed Grebe u u c c
Horned Grebe     r r
Pelicans, Cormonrants, Darters
American White Pelican o o o o
*Double-crested Cormorant c c a c
*Anhinga c c c r
Bitterns, Herons, Egrets
American Bittern       u
Least Bittern       r
*Great Blue Heron c c c c
*Great Egret a a c u
*Snowy Egret u c o  
*Little Blue Heron u c o  
Tricolored Heron   o o  
*Cattle Egret c c c u
*Green Heron c c o  
Black-crowned Night-heron u u u  
*Yellow-crowned Night-heron u c u  
Ibises, Spoonbills, Storks, New World Vultures
White Ibis o u u  
Roseate Spoonbill   r r  
Wood Stork   o o  
*Black Vulture c c c c
*Turkey Vulture c c c c
Waterfowl
Greater White-fronted Goose     c c
Snow Goose     u c
Ross's Goose     o u
Canada Goose     o o
*Wood Duck a c c a
Gadwall c   c c
American Wigeon c   u c
American Black Duck     o o
*Mallard a c a a
*Mottled Duck o o o o
Blue-winged Teal c   c u
Northern Shoveler u   c c
Northern Pintail c   c c
Green-winged Teal c   c a
Canvasback u     u
Redhead o     o
Ring-necked Duck c   c a
Greater Scaup       r
Lesser Scaup u   u c
Bufflehead o   o o
Hooded Merganser u   u u
Common Merganser o   o o
Red-breasted Merganser o     o
Ruddy Duck o   u u
Hawks, Eagles, Kites
Osprey o   o o
*Mississippi Kite u c u  
Bald Eagle u   o u
Northern Harrier u o c c
Sharp-shinned Hawk u o u u
*Cooper's Hawk u u u u
*Red-shouldered Hawk c c u u
Broad-winged Hawk o o u  
*Red-tailed Hawk c u u c
Golden Eagle     o o
True Falcons
*American Kestrel u r u u
Merlin r   r r
Peregrine Falcon o   o o
Gallineceous Birds (Quail, Turkey, and Allies)
*Wild Turkey o o o o
*Northern Bobwhite u u u u
Rails, Gallinules, Coots, Cranes
King Rail     o o
Virginia Rail     o o
Sora     o o
*Purple Gallinule o o    
*Common Moorhen o o o o
*American Coot a c c a
Plovers
Black-bellied Plover o   o  
Semi-palmated Plover o   o  
Piping Plover o   o  
*Killdeer c c c c
Avocets, Sandpipers
Black-necked Stilt u o u  
Greater Yellowlegs u o u o
Lesser Yellowlegs u o u  
Solitary Sandpiper u o u  
Spotted Sandpiper o o u  
Upland Sandpiper o   o  
Whimbrel     r  
Semi-palmated Sandpiper c   u  
Western Sandpiper c o c  
Least Sandpiper c o u r
Pectoral Sandpiper c o c  
Stilt Sandpiper r o o  
Short-billed Dowitcher o o u o
Long-billed Dowitcher o o u o
Common Snipe u   o u
*American Woodcock u o o u
Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
Bonaparte's Gull     o o
Ring-billed Gull     o o
Herring Gull     o o
Caspian Tern     o o
Forster's Tern     o o
Least Tern     o o
Black Tern     o o
Pigeons, Doves
Rock Dove u u u u
*Mourning Dove c c c c
Cuckoos
Black-billed Cuckoo r   r  
*Yellow-billed Cuckoo c c c  
*Greater Roadrunner o o o o
Owls
Barn Owl r r r r
*Eastern Screech-Owl u u u u
*Great Horned Owl u u u u
*Barred Owl c c c c
Short-eared Owl       r
Nightjars
*Common Nighthawk c c c  
*Chuck-will's-widow u u u r
Whip-poor-will u   u  
Swifts, Hummingbirds
*Chimney Swift c c c  
*Ruby-throated Hummingbird c c u o
Kingfishers
*Belted Kingfisher c c c c
Woodpeckers
*Red-headed Woodpecker u u u u
*Red-bellied Woodpecker c c c c
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker     u c
*Downy Woodpecker c c c c
*Hairy Woodpecker u u u u
*Red-cockaded Woodpecker c c c c
*Northern Flicker u u c c
*Pileated Woodpecker u u u u
Tyrant Flycatchers
*Eastern Wood-Pewee u c u  
*Acadian Flycatcher c c c  
Eastern Phoebe u r c c
*Great Crested Flycatcher c u c  
*Eastern Kingbird c c c  
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher o r o  
Shrikes
*Loggerhead Shrike c c c c
Vireos
*White-eyed Vireo c c c r
*Yellow-throated Vireo u u u  
Blue-headed Vireo u   u u
*Warbling Vireo o o    
Philadelphia Vireo o   o  
*Red-eyed Vireo c c u  
Jays, Crows
*Blue Jay c c c c
*American Crow a a a a
*Fish Crow c u u u
Larks
Horned Lark u r u u
Martins, Swallows
*Purple Martin u u u  
Tree Swallow u   c  
*N. Rough-winged Swallow u u u  
Bank Swallow o   o  
*Barn Swallow c c c  
Chickadees, Titmice
*Carolina Chickadee a a a a
*Tufted Titmouse a a a a
Nuthatches
Red-breasted Nuthatch u   u u
*White-breasted Nuthatch u u u u
*Brown-headed Nuthatch c c c c
Creepers
Brown Creeper     u u
Wrens
*Carolina Wren c c c c
Bewick's Wren     r r
House Wren o   o o
Winter Wren     o o
Sedge Wren o   o o
Kinglets, Gnatcatchers
Golden-crowned Kinglet     u u
Ruby-crowned Kinglet o   c c
*Blue-gray Gnatcatcher c u o o
Thrushes
*Eastern Bluebird c c c c
Veery o   o  
Gray-cheeked Thrush o   o  
Swainson's Thrush o   o  
Hermit Thrush u   c c
*Wood Thrush c c u  
*American Robin c u a a
Mockingbirds, Thrashers
*Gray Catbird u u u u
*Northern Mockingbird a a a a
*Brown Thrasher c c c c
Starlings
European Starling c c a a
Pipits
American Pipit u   u u
Waxwings
Cedar Waxwing c   u c
Wood Warblers
Blue-winged Warbler u   u  
Golden-winged Warbler u   u  
Tennessee Warbler u   u  
Orange-crowned Warbler o   u c
Nashville Warbler o   r  
*Northern Parula c c u  
Yellow Warbler u   u  
Chestnut-sided Warbler u   u  
Magnolia Warbler u   u  
Black-throated Blue Warbler r      
Yellow-rumped Warbler u   u c
Black-throated Green Warbler u   u  
Blackburnian Warbler u   u  
*Yellow-throated Warbler c c u  
*Pine Warbler c c c c
*Prairie Warbler c u o  
Palm Warbler u   u r
Bay-breasted Warbler u   u  
Blackpoll Warbler u   u  
Cerulean Warbler r   r  
*Black-and-White Warbler u o o  
American Redstart u   o  
*Prothonotary Warbler c c u  
*Worm-eating Warbler o o o  
Swainson's Warbler r r r  
Ovenbird o   o  
Northern Waterthrush o   o  
*Louisiana Waterthrush u u o  
*Kentucky Warbler c u u  
Mourning Warbler o   o  
*Common Yellowthroat c c u u
*Hooded Warbler c c u  
Wilson's Warbler o   o  
Canada Warbler o   o  
*Yellow-breasted Chat u u u  
Tanagers
*Summer Tanager c c u  
Scarlet Tanager o   o  
Sparrows
Eastern Towhee c c c c
*Bachman's Sparrow o o o o
*Chipping Sparrow c c c c
*Field Sparrow c c c c
Vesper Sparrow       o
Savannah Sparrow u   c a
Grasshopper Sparrow       r
Henslow's  Sparrow r     r
Le Conte's Sparrow       r
Fox Sparrow o     u
Song Sparrow     u c
Lincoln's Sparrow o   o o
Swamp Sparrow c   u c
White-throated Sparrow c   c a
White-crowned Sparrow o   o u
Dark-eyed Junco u   u c
Lapland Longspur       o
New World Finches
*Northern Cardinal a a a a
Rose-breasted Grosbeak u   o  
*Blue Grosbeak u u o  
*Indigo Bunting c c u  
*Painted Bunting u u u  
*Dickcissel u u u  
Blackbirds
*Red-winged Blackbird a c c a
*Eastern Meadowlark c c c c
Rusty Blackbird o     o
Brewer's Blackbird c   c c
*Common Grackle c c c c
*Brown-headed Cowbird c c c c
*Orchard Oriole u u u  
*Baltimore Oriole u u u  
Old World Finches
Purple Finch o     u
Pine Siskin o     u
American Goldfinch u   c c
Evening Grosbeak r     r


Ethics for Birdwatching:



Home Page