U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Birds of Aransas National Wildlife Refuge

The Aransas NWR lies along the central R Rare; observed only every 1 to 5 Sp S F W Hbt flyway, a major migration route. Each years; records for species at Aransas ___Surf Scoter R R N R Q spring and fall millions of waterfowl, are sporadic and few. ___White-winged Scoter shorebirds and songbirds pass through the N No record N N R R Q Refuge. The uniqueness of this location has ___Black Scoter N N N R Q resulted in an astounding 405 documented Habitat (Hbt) ___Long-tailed Duck N N R R Q species. Spring and fall are the premier The following codes are used to describe ___Bufflehead C N O C Q times to visit, however in all seasons a species’ general habitat preference. ___Common Goldeneye Aransas NWR truly is a birder’s paradise. However, birds are not restricted to the O R O U Q habitats listed for them. ___Hooded Merganser Whooping cranes are the Refuge’s most O N O U M,Q famous migrants, arriving in late October Q - Aquatic ___Common Merganser and departing by mid-April. Planning your B - Brushland R N R R Q trip around these dates will maximize your F - Forest, Woodland ___Red-breasted Merganser chances of seeing these birds. G - Grassland U N O C Q M - Marsh ___Masked Duck R N R R M,Q Bird List Introduction and Key The Aransas checklist follows the order ___Ruddy Duck C R O C Q South Texas birds do not recognize of the 7th edition (1998) AOU checklist Grouse and Turkeys traditional calendar seasons. The through the 49th Supplement to the AOU ___Attwater’s Greater Prairie-Chicken6 seasonal designations for species, Checklist (July 2008). G intended as general guidelines, are ___Wild Turkey2 O O O O F,B treated as follows on the checklist: Sp S F W Hbt New World Quail Ducks, Geese, and Swans ___Northern Bobwhite2 Spring March–May ___Black-bellied Whistling-Duck2 C C C C G,B Summer June–July U C U O M,Q Loons Fall August–November ___Fulvous Whistling-Duck2 ___Red-throated Loon Winter December–February O O O R M,Q R N N N Q ___Greater White-fronted Goose ___Common Loon U N R U Q Explanation of Symbols O N U C M,Q,G Grebes 1 An introduced/exotic species. ___Snow Goose U N U C M,Q,G ___Least Grebe2 O O O O M,Q 2 Denotes a regularly nesting species ___Ross’s Goose O N R O M,Q,G ___Pied-billed Grebe2 C O U C M,Q on, or in close proximity to, the Refuge. ___Brant N N N R M,Q ___Horned Grebe N N R O M,Q It does not necessarily indicate that a ___Barnacle Goose1 N N N R M,Q ___Red-necked Grebe certain species nests every year. ___Canada Goose O R C C M,Q,G N N N R Q 3 Denotes a species which has nested ___Tundra Swan N N R R M,Q ___Eared Grebe U N U C Q at Aransas in past years (but ___Wood Duck3 O O O O M,Q,G,F ___Western Grebe R N N R Q not currently). ___Gadwall3 C R U C M,Q Flamingos 4 Denotes possible nester due to ___American Wigeon C R C C M,Q ___Greater Flamingo presence of suitable habitat and ___American Black Duck R N R R M,Q Aransas lies within species breeding R N R R M,Q Shearwaters range. ___Mallard3 O R O O M,Q ___Sooty Shearwater R N N N Q 5 Federal/State endangered or ___Mottled Duck2 C C C C M,Q Tropicbirds threatened species. ___Blue-winged Teal3 C O C C M,Q ___White-tailed Tropicbird 6 Extirpated ___Cinnamon Teal O N O O M,Q N R R N Q ___Northern Shoveler Boobies and Gannets Abundance C R U C M,Q ___Masked Booby N R N N Q C Common; suitable habitat is ___Northern Pintail C O C C M,Q ___Brown Booby N R N N Q available; should be seen during ___Green-winged Teal ___Northern Gannet R R N R Q appropriate season. U R U C M,Q Pelicans U Uncommon; present, in moderate ___Canvasback U R O U M,Q ___American White Pelican3 numbers; not seen on every visit. ___Redhead U R U C M,Q C O C C Q O Occasional; present, only a few times ___Ring-necked Duck ___Brown Pelican3 5 C C C C Q per season; also includes O R O O M,Q those species which do not occur ___Greater Scaup R N N R Q each year, while in some years may ___Lesser Scaup C R U C M,Q be fairly common. ___Harlequin Duck N N N R Q Sp S F W Hbt Sp S F W Hbt Sp S F W Hbt Cormorants Caracaras and Falcons ___White-rumped Sandpiper ___Neotropic Cormorant4 ___Crested Caracara2 C C C C G,B U N R N Q,M U U U U M,Q ___American Kestrel C N C C B,G ___Baird’s Sandpiper U N R N Q,M ___Double-crested Cormorant4 ___Merlin U N U O B,G ___Pectoral Sandpiper C O C C M,Q ___Aplomado Falcon2 5 U R U R Q,M Darters U U U U B,G ___Dunlin C R U C Q,M ___Anhinga4 U O O O M ___Peregrine Falcon5 O R O O G,Q,B ___Stilt Sandpiper U R U R Q,M Frigatebirds ___Prairie Falcon R N R R G ___Buff-breasted Sandpiper ___Magnificent Frigatebird Rails, Gallinules and Coots O R O N G O U U R Q ___Yellow Rail R N R R M,G ___Short-billed Dowitcher Herons and Bitterns ___Black Rail2 R R R R M,G U O O O Q,M ___American Bittern4 U R U U M,Q ___Clapper Rail2 U U U U M ___Long-billed Dowitcher ___Least Bittern3 U U U R M,Q ___King Rail2 O O O U M U O C C Q,M ___Great Blue Heron2C C C C M,Q ___Virginia Rail O R O O M ___Wilson’s Snipe U R U U Q,M ___Great Egret2 C C C C M,Q ___Sora3 C R O U M ___American Woodcock ___Snowy Egret2 C C C C M,Q ___Purple Gallinule2 U U O R M,Q R N R R Q,M ___Little Blue Heron2 C U C U M,Q ___Common Moorhen2 ___Wilson’s Phalarope ___Tricolored Heron2 C C C C M,Q C U U C M,Q U R O N Q,M ___Reddish Egret2 5 U U U U M,Q ___American Coot2 C O C C Q,M ___Red-necked Phalarope ___Cattle Egret2 C C C O M,Q,G Cranes R N R R Q,M ___Green Heron2 U U U O M,Q ___Sandhill Crane U R C C G,M,Q Gulls, Terns and Skimmers ___Black-crowned Night-Heron2 ___Whooping Crane5 U R U U M,G,Q ___Bonaparte’s Gull U N R C Q,M U U U U M,Q Plovers ___Little Gull R N N N Q,M ___Yellow-crowned Night-Heron2 ___Black-bellied Plover ___Laughing Gull2 C C C C Q,M U O U R M,Q C O C C Q,M ___Franklin’s Gull U N O R Q,M Ibises and Spoonbills ___American Golden-Plover ___Ring-billed Gull U R U C Q,M ___White Ibis2 C C C C M,Q O N R N G,Q ___Herring Gull U R U U Q,M ___Glossy Ibis U U N R M,Q ___Snowy Plover2 U O U U Q ___Lesser Black-backed Gull ___White-faced Ibis2 5 U U U U M,Q ___Wilson’s Plover2 U U U R M,G,Q R N N R Q,M ___Roseate Spoonbill2 C U C C M,Q ___Semipalmated Plover ___Glaucous Gull R N N N Q,M Storks U R U O Q,M ___Great Black-backed Gull ___Wood Stork5 R U U R M,Q ___Piping Plover5 U R U U Q,M N N N R Q,M New World Vultures ___Killdeer2 C C C C M,G,Q ___Sooty Tern5 N R R N Q ___Black Vulture2 C C C C F,G,B ___Mountain Plover R N R N G ___Least Tern2 U U U N Q,M ___Turkey Vulture2 C C C C F,G,B Oystercatchers ___Gull-billed Tern2 C U U O Q,M Hawks, Kites, Eagles and Allies ___American Oystercatcher2 ___Caspian Tern2 C C C C Q,M ___Osprey U R C C M,Q U U U U Q ___Black Tern U U U N Q,M ___Swallow-tailed Kite5 Stilts and Avocets ___Roseate Tern5 R N N N Q O N N N F,G,B ___Black-necked Stilt2 ___Common Tern O R O O Q,M ___White-tailed Kite2 U O U U G,B C U C O Q,M ___Forster’s Tern2 C C C C Q,M ___Snail Kite R N N N Q ___American Avocet3 U O U C Q,M ___Royal Tern2 U U U U Q,M ___Mississippi Kite O N O N G,B Sandpipers, Phalaropes and Allies ___Sandwich Tern2 C U U O Q,M ___Bald Eagle3 5 R R R R G,B,Q ___Spotted Sandpiper ___Black Skimmer2 U U U U Q,M ___Northern Harrier C N C C M,G,B U O U U Q,M Jaegers ___Sharp-shinned Hawk ___Solitary Sandpiper ___Pomarine Jaeger N R N N Q U R U U F,B U R O R Q,M ___Parasitic Jaeger R R N N Q ___Cooper’s Hawk O R U U F,B,G ___Greater Yellowlegs Pigeons and Doves ___Harris’s Hawk R N R R G,B C U C C Q,M ___Rock Pigeon1 R R R R F,B ___Red-shouldered Hawk ___Willet2 C C C C Q,M ___Band-tailed Pigeon U R U C F,B ___Lesser Yellowlegs C U C C Q,M N N R R F ___Broad-winged Hawk ___Upland Sandpiper U R U N G ___Eurasian Collared-Dove1 4 U N O R F,B ___Whimbrel U R O R Q,M,G R R R R B,G ___Swainson’s Hawk U N O R G,B ___Long-billed Curlew ___White-winged Dove4 ___White-tailed Hawk2 5 C U C C M,Q,G U N U U B,G C C C C G,B ___Hudsonian Godwit ___Mourning Dove2 C C C C B,G,F ___Zone-tailed Hawk5 N N N R G,B O R R N Q,G ___Inca Dove2 U U U U F,B ___Red-tailed Hawk U U U C B,G,F ___Marbled Godwit C O U C Q,M ___Common Ground-Dove3 ___Ferruginous Hawk ___Ruddy Turnstone U O U U Q O O O O B,F,G R N R R G,B ___Red Knot R R R R Q,M Cuckoos, Roadrunners & Allies ___Rough-legged Hawk ___Sanderling C O C C Q,M ___Yellow-billed Cuckoo2 R N R R G, B ___Semipalmated Sandpiper C U U N F,B ___Golden Eagle R N R R G,B U N C R Q,M ___Black-billed Cuckoo ___Western Sandpiper O N R N F,B C O C C Q,M ___Greater Roadrunner3 ___Least Sandpiper C O C C Q,M R R R R G,B ___Groove-billed Ani R O U O F,B Sp S F W Hbt Sp S F W Hbt Sp S F W Hbt Barn Owls Tyrant Flycatchers Verdins ___Barn Owl2 O R O O F,B,G ___Acadian Flycatcher ___Verdin R R R R B Typical Owls U N O N F,B Nuthatches ___Eastern Screech-Owl ___Alder Flycatcher O N O N F,B ___Red-breasted Nuthatch R R R R F,B ___Willow Flycatcher N N R R F ___Great Horned Owl2 O N U N F,B Creepers U U U U F,B ___Least Flycatcher U N O R F,B ___Brown Creeper N N R R F ___Burrowing Owl N N R R G ___Gray Flycatcher N N N R B Wrens ___Barred Owl N N R R F ___Eastern Phoebe U N C C F,B ___Cactus Wren N N R N B ___Short-eared Owl O N O U G ___Say’s Phoebe R N R R C,Q ___Rock Wren N N R N B Goatsuckers ___Vermilion Flycatcher4 ___Carolina Wren2 C C C C F,B ___Lesser Nighthawk4R R N R G,B R R R R B,Q ___Bewick’s Wren2 O O O O B,F ___Common Nighthawk2 ___Ash-throated Flycatcher ___House Wren U N U C F,B C C C R B,G R O R N B,G,F ___Winter Wren O N R O F,B ___Common Pauraque2 ___Great Crested Flycatcher ___Sedge Wren C N C C B,G,M U U O U F,B C N U N F,B ___Marsh Wren2 C N U U M ___Common Poorwill R N R N B,G ___Brown-crested Flycatcher2 Kinglets ___Chuck-will’s-widow U U U R F,B ___Golden-crowned Kinglet U N O N F,B ___Great Kiskadee2 O O O O B O N O U F,B ___Whip-poor-will U N O N F,B ___Couch’s Kingbird O N O O B,G ___Ruby-crowned Kinglet Swifts ___Western Kingbird O N O N B,G C N C C F,B ___Chimney Swift4 C R U N B,G ___Eastern Kingbird2 C R C R B,G Gnatcatchers ___White-throated Swift ___Scissor-tailed Flycatcher2 ___Blue-gray Gnatcatcher3 R N N N B,G C C C R B,G U R U U F,B Hummingbirds ___Fork-tailed Flycatcher Thrushes ___Green Violetear R N N N F,B N R N R B ___Eastern Bluebird R R O O B,G,F ___Buff-bellied Hummingbird2 Shrikes ___Mountain Bluebird U U U R F,B ___Loggerhead Shrike2 R N N R B,G ___Ruby-throated Hummingbird4 U O C C B,G,Q ___Veery U N R N F C R C R F,B Vireos ___Gray-cheeked Thrush ___Black-chinned Hummingbird ___White-eyed Vireo2 C C C C F,B O N R N F R N R N F,B ___Bell’s Vireo O O O R B ___Swainson’s Thrush ___Broad-tailed Hummingbird ___Yellow-throated Vireo U N O N F R N R N F,B U N R N F ___Hermit Thrush U N O C F,B ___Rufous Hummingbird ___Plumbeous Vireo N N N R F ___Wood Thrush U N R R F,B N R O N F,B ___Blue-headed VireoU N U U F ___Clay-colored Thrush Kingfishers ___Warbling Vireo U N R N F N N N R F ___Belted Kingfisher4 C O C C Q,M ___Philadelphia VireoU N R N F ___American Robin U R O C F,B ___Green Kingfisher R N N R Q,M ___Red-eyed Vireo C R U N F Mockingbirds and Thrashers Woodpeckers and Allies ___Yellow-green Vireo ___Gray Catbird C N C U F,B ___Red-headed Woodpecker R N N N F ___Northern Mockingbird2 R N R R F Crows and Jays C U C C B,G ___Acorn WoodpeckerN N N R F ___Blue Jay R R R R F,B ___Sage Thrasher N N R R B ___Golden-fronted Woodpecker2 ___Green Jay N N N R F ___Brown Thrasher C N C C F,B O O O O G,B ___American Crow R N R R G,B ___Long-billed Thrasher2 ___Red-bellied Woodpecker3 ___Chihuahuan Raven U O O U F,B U U U U F N R N N G ___Curve-billed Thrasher ___Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Larks O O O O B U N U U F ___Horned Lark2 U U U U G Starlings ___Red-naped Sapsucker Swallows ___European Starling1 2 N N N R F ___Purple Martin3 U O O R F,B O N R O F.B ___Ladder-backed Woodpecker2 ___Tree Swallow U R U O F,C,B Pipits U U U U F,B ___Northern Rough-winged Swallow ___American Pipit O N U C G,M,Q ___Downy Woodpecker C R U R F,B,G ___Sprague’s Pipit O N O U G R R R R F ___Bank Swallow4 U N U N F,B,G Waxwings ___Northern Flicker O N O O F,B ___Cliff Swallow2 C C C N F,B,G ___Cedar Waxwing O N O O F,B ___Pileated Woodpecker ___Cave Swallow3 R R R N B,G Silky-flycatchers R N R R F ___Barn Swallow2 C U C R F,B,G ___Phainopepla N N N R B,F Tyrant Flycatchers Chickadees and Titmice ___Olive-sided Flycatcher ___Carolina Chickadee U N U R F,B R R R R F,B ___Eastern Wood-Pewee ___Tufted Titmouse2 O O O O F,B C N C N F,B ___Black-crested Titmouse ___Yellow-bellied Flycatcher R R R R F,B O N O N F,B Sp S F W Hbt Sp S F W Hbt Sp S F W Hbt Wood-Warblers Tanagers Blackbirds and Orioles ___Blue-winged Warbler ___Summer Tanager R R U R F ___Bobolink O N N N G U N R N F ___Scarlet Tanager U N R N F ___Red-winged Blackbird2 ___Golden-winged Warbler ___Western Tanager R N R R F C C C C M,G,Q U N R N F Towhees, Sparrows and Allies ___Eastern Meadowlark2 ___Tennessee Warbler C N O R F ___Olive Sparrow R R N R B C C C C G,B ___Orange-crowned Warbler ___Green-tailed Towhee ___Western Meadowlark U N U C F N N N R B R N R R G ___Nashville Warbler U N U O F ___Spotted Towhee R N R O B,F ___Yellow-headed Blackbird ___Northern Parula C N U R F ___Eastern Towhee U N O U B,F O R R N G,M ___Tropical Parula5 R R R R F ___Cassin’s Sparrow2 U U U R G ___Rusty Blackbird N N R R G ___Yellow Warbler U R U R F ___Botteri’s Sparrow5R N N N G ___Brewer’s Blackbird ___Chestnut-sided Warbler ___American Tree Sparrow O N R U G,B C N O N F R N N R G,B ___Common Grackle O N N O G,B ___Magnolia Warbler C N O R F ___Chipping Sparrow ___Boat-tailed Grackle2 ___Black-throated Blue Warbler U N U C B,F U U U U G,M R N R N F ___Clay-colored Sparrow ___Great-tailed Grackle2 ___Yellow-rumped Warbler R N R R B,G U U U U G,M C R C C F.B ___Brewer’s Sparrow R N N N B,F ___Shiny Cowbird R N N N G ___Black-throated Gray Warbler ___Field Sparrow U N O U B,G ___Bronzed Cowbird2 U U O O G,B R N R R F,B ___Vesper Sparrow U N O U B,G ___Brown-headed Cowbird2 ___Golden-cheeked Warbler5 ___Lark Sparrow U R U U B.G C U C C G,B N R N N F ___Black-throated Sparrow ___Orchard Oriole4 C O U R B,F ___Black-throated Green Warbler N N N R G,B ___Bullock’s Oriole R N N N B,F C N U O F ___Lark Bunting R N N R G ___Baltimore Oriole C N U N B,F ___Townsend’s Warbler ___Savannah Sparrow Finches R N N R F C R C C G ___Purple Finch R N N R F,B ___Blackburnian Warbler ___Grasshopper Sparrow2 ___House Finch R N N R F,B C N R R F U O O U G,B ___Pine Siskin R N N R F,B ___Yellow-throated Warbler ___Henslow’s Sparrow ___Lesser Goldfinch R R R R F,B U R R R F N N N R G ___American Goldfinch ___Pine Warbler R N O U F ___Le Conte’s Sparrow U N O C F,B ___Prairie Warbler R N R R F,B O N R O G,B Old World Sparrows ___Palm Warbler O N U O F,B ___Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow ___House Sparrow1 O O O O F,G ___Bay-breasted Warbler R N N R M C N R N F ___Seaside Sparrow2 O O O O M If you should findan unlisted or rare ___Blackpoll Warbler R N N N F ___Fox Sparrow N N N R B,M species during your visit, please ___Cerulean Warbler O N N N F ___Song Sparrow U N R U B contact the Refuge staff and provide a ___Black-and-white Warbler ___Lincoln’s Sparrow U N O U B,M description. We welcome visitor wildlife C O C O F,B ___Swamp Sparrow C N O C M.Q.B reports to help augment our records. ___American Redstart ___White-throated Sparrow R N R R F C N O C B,F For Additional Information ___Prothonotary Warbler ___Harris’s Sparrow N N N R B Aransas and Matagorda Island U R O N F ___White-crowned Sparrow National Wildlife Refuge ___Worm-eating Warbler R N R O B,G P.O. Box 100 U N R R F ___Golden-crowned Sparrow Austwell, TX 77950 ___Swainson’s Warbler2 N N N R B 361/286-3559 U U U N F,B ___Dark-eyed Junco R N R R B,F 361/286-3722 FAX ___Ovenbird U N O R F,B Cardinals, Grosbeaks, and Buntings 1 800/735-2989 Texas State Relay Service ___Northern Waterthrush ___Crimson-collared Grosbeak www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas/aransas/ U N O O F,M,Q R N N R F,B 2 ___Louisiana Waterthrush ___Northern Cardinal April 2010 U N O R F,M,Q C C C C F,B ___Kentucky Warbler U N R N F ___Pyrrhuloxia O R R O B ___Connecticut Warbler ___Rose-breasted Grosbeak R N R N F U N O N F ___Mourning Warbler O N R N F ___Black-headed Grosbeak ___Common Yellowthroat2 R N N R F,B C C C C M,B ___Blue Grosbeak2 C U U N B ___Hooded Warbler3 C O U N F,B ___Lazuli Bunting R N N N B ___Wilson’s Warbler U N U O F,B ___Indigo Bunting C N U R B ___Canada Warbler U N O N F ___Painted Bunting2 C C O R B ___Red-faced WarblerR N N N F ___Dickcissel2 U U O R G,B ___Painted Redstart R N R N F ___Yellow-breasted Chat2 C R U R F,B