U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge Birds Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge is one of more than 555 refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System, which is administered This goose, designed by by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. J.N. “Ding” Darling, has become a symbol of the The National Wildlife Refuge System National Wildlife Refuge is a network of lands and waters System. managed specifically for the protection of wildlife and wildlife habitat and represents the most comprehensive wildlife resource management program in the world. Units of the system stretch across the United States from northern Alaska to the Florida Keys, and include small islands in the Caribbean and South Pacific. The character of the refuges is as diverse as the nation itself.

This refuge contains more than 47,000 acres of southern New Jersey, spanning 50 miles from Oceanville to Brick Township. About 80% of the refuge is tidal salt marsh. Along the wildlife drive are man-made freshwater ponds called impoundments. Upland woods, swamps, grassland, and brushy thickets complete the diversity of habitat which attracts a wide variety of birds. Spring and fall are great times to view migrant songbirds and shorebirds. In fall, huge flocks of ducks and snow geese arrive, and Forsythe holds the largest concentrations of wintering American Black Duck and Brant on the Atlantic coast. A description of refuge wildlife viewing sites is available in the refuge’s general brochure. 1 Gail South Dunlin and Semipalmated Sandpipers This brochure lists 359 species that have been observed on the refuge. Names and order of the listing are in accordance with the Seventh American Ornithologists’ Union Checklist, through the 53rd supplement.

Season Most birds are migratory, therefore, their seasonal occurrence is coded as follows: Sp Spring March – May S Summer June – August F Fall September – November W Winter December – February

Status • has nested on the refuge

Italics indicate federally threatened or endangered species

(A) Found primarily or exclusively on Atlantic coastal portion of refuge or offshore; unusual or absent along Wildlife Drive

(EX) Extirpated; formerly occurred on the refuge but no longer does

Relative Abundance Codes indicate how frequently you might see a bird in its favored habitat and appropriate season. a abundant very numerous in suitable habitat c common likely to be seen or heard in suitable habitat u uncommon usually present in suitable habitat, but not certain to be seen o occasional seen in suitable habitat only a few times during the season r rare may be present in very small numbers; not necessarily every year x accidental very few records; not seen in most years

2 Sp Su F W Swans – Geese – Ducks ____ Black-bellied Whistling-Duck____ x x ____ Fulvous Whistling-Duck______x x x ____ Greater White-fronted Goose____ x x ____ Snow Goose______c r a a ____ Ross’s Goose______x r r ____ Brant______a r a a ____ Cackling Goose______x x ___ • Canada Goose______c c c c ____• Mute Swan______c c c c ____ Tundra Swan______o u o ____• Wood Duck______u u u r ____• Gadwall______c u c u ____ Eurasian Wigeon______r r ____ American Wigeon______c r c u ____• American Black Duck______a c a a ____• Mallard______c u c c ____• Blue-winged Teal______c o u r ____ Cinnamon Teal______x ____ Northern Shoveler______c o c c ____ Northern Pintail______c o a u ____ Garganey______x ____ Green-winged Teal______c o a c ____ Canvasback______r o r ____ Redhead______r o r ____ Ring-necked Duck______u u u ____ Greater Scaup______u c c ____ Lesser Scaup______u u u ____ King Eider (A)______x x ____ Common Eider (A)______r r ____ Harlequin Duck (A)______o r u u ____ Surf Scoter (A)______u r u u ____ White-winged Scoter (A)______o o o ____ Black Scoter (A)______u r u u ____ Long-tailed Duck (A)______u u u ____ Bufflehead______c c c ____ Common Goldeneye______o u u ____•Hooded Merganser______c r c c ____ Common Merganser______r r ____ Red-breasted Merganser______u r c c ____• Ruddy Duck______u u u u

3 Sp Su F W Quail – Grouse – Turkey ____• Northern Bobwhite______o o o o ____ Ring-necked Pheasant (EX)_____ r r r r ____• Ruffed Grouse (EX)______r r r r ____• Wild Turkey______u u u u

Loons – Grebes ____ Red-throated Loon (A)______u a c ____ Pacific Loon (A)______x ____ Common Loon (A)______u r u u ____ Pied-billed Grebe______u o u u ____ Horned Grebe______u u u ____ Red-necked Grebe (A)______x ____ Eared Grebe______x x x ____ Western Grebe (A)______x

Shearwaters – Cormorants – Pelicans ____ Cory’s Shearwater (A)______r ____ Sooty Shearwater (A)______o r ____ Wilson’s Storm-Petrel (A)______o ___ Frigatebird, sp. (A)______x ____ Northern Gannet (A)______c o a u ____ Double-crested Cormorant______a c a u ____ Great Cormorant (A)______r o o ____ American White Pelican______r r r x ____ Brown Pelican (A)______o u u r

Northern Pintail Gail South

4 Sp Su F W

Bitterns – Herons – Ibises ____ American Bittern______u r u u ____• Least Bittern______u u o ____• Great Blue Heron______c u c u ____• Great Egret______c c c o ____• Snowy Egret______c c c r ____• Little Blue Heron______u u u r ____• Tricolored Heron______u u u r ____ Reddish Egret______x ____ Cattle Egret______o o o ____• Green Heron______u u u ____• Black-crowned Night-Heron_____ u u u u ____• Yellow-crowned Night-Heron____ o o o ____ White Ibis______r r r ____• Glossy Ibis______c c c ____ White-faced Ibis______r r r ____ Roseate Spoonbill______x x

Vultures ____ Black Vulture______u o u o ____ Turkey Vulture______u c u o

Great Egret Dave Woeller 5 Sp Su F W

Hawks – Eagles ____• Osprey______c c c ____ Swallow-tailed Kite______x ____ White-tailed Kite______x ____ Mississippi Kite______x ____ Bald Eagle______u o u u ____• Northern Harrier______u o u u ____ Sharp-shinned Hawk______o u u ____• Cooper’s Hawk______u o u u ____ Northern Goshawk______r r ____ Red-shouldered Hawk______r r o r ____• Broad-winged Hawk______o o u ____• Red-tailed Hawk______u o c c ____ Rough-legged Hawk______r o u ____ Golden Eagle______r r r

Rails – Cranes ____ Yellow Rail______x x x ____• Black Rail______r r r ____• Clapper Rail______c c c u ____ King Rail______r r r ____• Virginia Rail______u u u o ____ Sora______u u u ____ Purple Gallinule______r r r r ____• Common Gallinule______o o o r ____• American Coot______u o u u ____ Sandhill Crane______x x

Plovers – Sandpipers ____ Black-bellied Plover______c u c u ____ American Golden-Plover______r r o ____ Wilson's Plover (A)______x x x ____ Semipalmated Plover______c u c r ____• Piping Plover (A)______u u o ____• Killdeer______u u u o ____• American Oystercatcher______u u u o ____ Black-necked Stilt______r x x ____ American Avocet______x r r ____ Spotted Sandpiper______u o u ____ Solitary Sandpiper______u u u ____ Spotted Redshank______x ____ Greater Yellowlegs______c c c u

6 Dave Woeller Willet

Sp Su F W ____• Willet______c c u r ____ Lesser Yellowlegs______u c c r ____ Upland Sandpiper______r r r ____ Whimbrel______c o u x ____ Long-billed Curlew______x ____ Black-tailed Godwit______x x x ____ Hudsonian Godwit______r o o ____ Bar-tailed Godwit______x ____ Marbled Godwit______r r o r ____ Ruddy Turnstone______c o c u ____ Red Knot (A)______u u u r ____ Sanderling (A)______c o c u ____ Semipalmated Sandpiper______a a a ____ Western Sandpiper______o u c o ____ Red-necked Stint______x ____ Little Stint______x ____ Least Sandpiper______c c c r ____ White-rumped Sandpiper______u u u ____ Baird’s Sandpiper______o ____ Pectoral Sandpiper______o o u ____ Purple Sandpiper______r o o ____ Dunlin______a o a a ____ Curlew Sandpiper______r r r ____ Stilt Sandpiper______r u u ____ Buff-breasted Sandpiper______r o ____ Ruff______r r r

7 Sp Su F W

____ Short-billed Dowitcher______c a c r ____ Long-billed Dowitcher______r o c r ____ Wilson's Snipe______u r u o ____• American Woodcock______u o u o ____ Wilson’s Phalarope______r o o ____ Red-necked Phalarope______r r r ____ Red Phalarope______x x x

Gulls – Terns – Alcida ____ Black-legged Kittiwake (A)______r r ____ Bonaparte’s Gull (A)______u u u ____ Black-headed Gull (A)______x x x ____ Little Gull (A)______o ____• Laughing Gull______a a c r ____ Ring-billed Gull______c u c c ____• Herring Gull______a c a a ____ Iceland Gull (A)______r r ____ Lesser Black-backed Gull (A)____ r r r r ____ Glaucous Gull (A)______r x r ____• Great Black-backed Gull______c c c c ____ Sooty Tern______x ____ Bridled Tern______x ____• Least Tern______u u r ____• Gull-billed Tern______u u r ____ Caspian Tern______u u u ____ Black Tern______r o o ____ Roseate Tern (A)______r r

Piping Plover Don Freiday/USFWS 8 Sp Su F W

____• Common Tern______u c u ____• Forster’s Tern______c c c r ____ Royal Tern (A)______o o u ____ Sandwich Tern (A)______r r ____• Black Skimmer______c c c r ____ Pomarine Jaeger (A)______x ____ Parasitic Jaeger (A)______r o ____ Dovekie (A)______x ____ Common Murre (A)______x ____ Razorbill (A)______r

Doves – Owls – Swifts – Hummingbirds ____• Rock Pigeon______u u u u ____• Mourning Dove______c c c c ____• Yellow-billed Cuckoo______u u u ____• Black-billed Cuckoo______o o o ____• Barn Owl______r r r r ____• Eastern Screech-Owl______u u u u ____• Great Horned Owl______u u u u ____ Snowy Owl______r ____• Barred Owl______o o o o ____ Long-eared Owl______r o r ____ Short-eared Owl______o o o ____ Northern Saw-whet Owl______r o r ____ Common Nighthawk______o r u ____• Chuck-will’s-widow______c c ____• Eastern Whip-poor-will______u u o ____• Chimney Swift______u u u ____• Ruby-throated Hummingbird____ u u u ___ • Belted Kingfisher______u o u u

Woodpeckers – Falcons – Flycatchers ____ Red-headed Woodpecker______o r o r ____• Red-bellied Woodpecker______c c c c ____ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker______o u r ____• Downy Woodpecker______u u u u ____• Hairy Woodpecker______o o o o ____• Northern Flicker______u u c o ____ American Kestrel______u o u o ____ Merlin______o u o ____ Gyrfalcon______x x

9 Sp Su F W

____• Peregrine Falcon______u u u u ____ Olive-sided Flycatcher______r r ____• Eastern Wood-Pewee______u o u ____ Yellow-bellied Flycatcher______r r r ___ Acadian Flycatcher______r r r ____ Alder Flycatcher______r r o ____• Willow Flycatcher______o r r ____ Least Flycatcher______o o ____ Pacific-slope/Cordilleran Flycatcher x ____• Eastern Phoebe______u r u r ____ Say's Phoebe______x ____ Ash-throated Flycatcher______x ____• Great Crested Flycatcher______u u u ____ Western Kingbird______r x ____• Eastern Kingbird______u u u ____ Gray Kingbird______x ____ Scissor-tailed Flycatcher______x ____ Fork-tailed Flycatcher______x

Shrikes – Vireos ____ Northern Shrike______x x ____• White-eyed Vireo______u u u ____• Yellow-throated Vireo______o r r ____ Blue-headed Vireo______o o ____ Warbling Vireo______r x r ____ Philadelphia Vireo______x o ____• Red-eyed Vireo______u u u

Jays – Crows – Larks – Swallows ____• Blue Jay______c c c u ____• American Crow______c u c u ____• Fish Crow______c c c u ____ Common Raven______r r r ____• Horned Lark______o r u u ____• Northern Rough-winged Swallow_ u u u ____• Purple Martin______c c o ____• Tree Swallow______c c c o ____ Bank Swallow______o o o ____• Barn Swallow______c c c ____ Cliff Swallow______r r o ____ Cave Swallow______r

10 Sp Su F W

Titmice – Nuthatches – Wrens ____• Carolina Chickadee______c c c c ____• Tufted Titmouse______c c c c ____ Red-breasted Nuthatch______o o o ____• White-breasted Nuthatch______u o u u ____ Brown Creeper______o o o ____• House Wren______u u u r ____ Winter Wren______o u o ____• Sedge Wren______r r r r ____• Marsh Wren______c u c o ____• Carolina Wren______c c c c

Kinglets – Thrushes – Thrashers ____• Blue-gray Gnatcatcher______u o u ____ Golden-crowned Kinglet______u c o ____ Ruby-crowned Kinglet______u c o ____ Northern Wheatear______x ____• Eastern Bluebird______o o u u ____ Mountain Bluebird______x ____ Townsend’s Solitaire______x x ____ Veery______u u ____ Gray-cheeked Thrush______o o ____ Swainson’s Thrush______o o ____ Hermit Thrush______u c u ____• Wood Thrush______u u o ____• American Robin______c c c c ____• Gray Catbird______c c c o ____• Northern Mockingbird______c c c u ____ Sage Thrasher______x ____• Brown Thrasher______u u u o

Starlings – Waxwings ___ •European Starling______c c c c ____ American Pipit______o u o ____ Bohemian Waxwing______x ____• Cedar Waxwing______u o u u

Longspurs – Snow Bunting ____ Lapland Longspur______r r r ____ Snow Bunting______r o o

11 Sp Su F W

Wood-warblers ____• Ovenbird______u u u ____ Worm-eating Warbler______r r o ____ Louisiana Waterthrush______o o ____ Northern Waterthrush______u o u ____ Blue-winged Warbler______u o u ____ Golden-winged Warbler______r r ____• Black-and-white Warbler______u o u ____ Prothonotary Warbler______r ____ Tennessee Warbler______o o ____ Orange-crowned Warbler______r r ____ Nashville Warbler______o u ____ Connecticut Warbler______r ____ Mourning Warbler______r r ____ Kentucky Warbler______r r ____• Common Yellowthroat______c c c r ____• Hooded Warbler______o o o ____ American Redstart______u o c ____ Cape May Warbler______o o ____ Cerulean Warbler______r ____ Northern Parula______u o u ____ Magnolia Warbler______u u ____ Bay-breasted Warbler______o o ____ Blackburnian Warbler______o o ____• Yellow Warbler______c c u ____ Chestnut-sided Warbler______u u ____ Blackpoll Warbler______u u ____ Black-throated Blue Warbler_____ u u ____ Palm Warbler______u c o ____• Pine Warbler______u u u r ____ Yellow-rumped Warbler______c c u ____ Yellow-throated Warbler______r r ____• Prairie Warbler______u u u ____ Black-throated Gray Warbler____ x ____ Townsend’s Warbler______x ____ Black-throated Green Warbler___ u u ____ Canada Warbler______u u ____ Wilson’s Warbler______o o ____• Yellow-breasted Chat______o o o r

12 Sp Su F W Sparrows & Allies ____• Eastern Towhee______u u u o ____ American Tree Sparrow______r r ____• Chipping Sparrow______c c u r ____ Clay-colored Sparrow______r ____• Field Sparrow______u u u o ____ Vesper Sparrow______x r ____ Lark Sparrow______r ____ Savannah Sparrow______c c u ____• Grasshopper Sparrow______r r r ____ Nelson's Sparrow______o o r ____• Saltmarsh Sparrow______c c u o ____• Seaside Sparrow______c c u o ____ Fox Sparrow______o u u ____• Song Sparrow______c c c c ____ Lincoln’s Sparrow______r r ____• Swamp Sparrow______c u c u ____ White-throated Sparrow______c c c ____ White-crowned Sparrow______r o r ____ Dark-eyed Junco______u c c

Tanagers – Cardinals – Grosbeaks ____ Summer Tanager______r r ____• Scarlet Tanager______u u u ____ Western Tanager______x ____• Northern Cardinal______c c c c

Brant Sp Su F W ____ Rose-breasted Grosbeak______u u ____• Blue Grosbeak______u u o ____• Indigo Bunting______u u u ___ Painted Bunting______x ____ Dickcissel______r r

Blackbirds – Finches ____ Bobolink______o u u ____• Red-winged Blackbird______a a a c ____• Eastern Meadowlark______u o u u ____ Yellow-headed Blackbird______r r ____ Rusty Blackbird______o u o ____• Common Grackle______c c c u ____• Boat-tailed Grackle______u u u u ____• Brown-headed Cowbird______c u c u ____• Orchard Oriole______u u r ____• Baltimore Oriole______u o u ____ Purple Finch______o u o ____• House Finch______c c c c ____ Red Crossbill______r r ___ White-winged Crossbill______r ____ Common Redpoll______r r ____ Pine Siskin______r o o ____• American Goldfinch______c c c u ____ Evening Grosbeak______r r r ____• House Sparrow______c c c c Don Freiday/USFWS Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge 800 Great Creek Road Oceanville, NJ 08231 Telephone: 609/652 1665 E-mail: [email protected] http://www.fws.gov/northeast/forsythe/

Federal Relay Service for the deaf and hard-of-hearing 1 800/877 8339

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 1 800/344 WILD http://www.fws.gov

September 2012

Clapper rail Donald P. Freiday