Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge Bird List
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U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge Bird List Welcome Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge April, barely preceding the peak (NWR) consists of 22,310 acres “crowing” activity of male located in Burleigh and Kidder ring-necked pheasants. Impressive Counties in south-central North flocks of phalaropes, sandpipers, Dakota. It was established in 1932 and plovers buzz mudflats during and is administered as a unit within late spring amid the constant din This goose, a chain of refuges located throughout of various waterbird species that designed by J.N. the Central Flyway. Long Lake NWR are establishing colonies in isolated “Ding” Darling, contains mixed-grass prairie, ravines, emergent marsh areas. Vocalizations is the symbol cultivated fields, small tree and shrub of numerous prairie sparrows of the National plantings, and seasonal wetland interrupt the early morning quiet Wildlife Refuge basins, in addition to Long Lake. in June. System. Beginning at U.S. Highway 83 near Moffit, the Refuge extends The fascinating mating displays of northeastward for 16 miles. western grebes can be observed across Long Lake beginning in Long Lake is a natural lake of early June, just prior to the sight of limited depth because of its location numerous squadrons of ducklings in a shallow alkaline basin. It is scattered along shorelines and areas separated into three units by dikes, of emergent vegetation. Mornings in and at normal water level it covers July reveal a patchwork of molting about 16,000 acres. The Refuge waterfowl across Long Lake’s open was established primarily for the water areas. Not long after the mass control of botulism, which has a long of fall migrating shorebirds have and varied history at Long Lake. filled-up on protein-rich invertebrates The principle source of water is and headed to more southerly from Long Lake Creek south of the locations, Long Lake is invaded with Refuge, which has a relatively large a variety of south-bound waterfowl. watershed. Dikes and spillways permit the holding of a higher water Large congregations of ducks and level in each unit from west to east geese are accompanied by thousands when there is a water shortage. of sandhill cranes in search of waste grain and other agricultural staples. The best opportunities for bird Occasionally, endangered whooping observation are in spring, summer, cranes visit the Refuge during their and fall. Canada geese typically lead fall flight to Texas. In late fall, once the northward flight of waterfowl, Long Lake has frozen solid and fields beginning in late March. Northern are snow-filled, resident birds search pintails, mallards, and a variety of for food and winter cover along with diving duck species follow shortly winter migrants including rough- thereafter. Sharp-tailed grouse legged hawks, snow buntings, and an occupy traditional dancing grounds occasional snowy owl. across the Refuge uplands throughout Long Lake NWR has been designated as both a “Globally Important Bird Area” and a “Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network Site.” Checklist The following checklist includes Seasons Since many birds are migratory, their 289 birds. Species that are known seasonal occurrence and relative to nest on the Refuge are noted abundance are noted as follows: with a bullet (•). Most of the species listed have been seen on the Refuge. Sp Spring (March-May) Those species known to occur in the S Summer (June-August) vicinity that have not actually been F Fall (September-November) sighted on the Refuge are noted W Winter (December-February) in italics. Visitors are encouraged to report new or noteworthy Seasonal observations to Refuge staff. Abundance c common - certain to be Additionally, confirmed sightings seen in suitable habitat of some rare and accidental species u uncommon - present, may not have occurred on the Refuge but not certain to be seen itself, but rather on private land in r rare - seen at intervals close proximity to the Refuge. All of 2 to 5 years species names are in accordance with (i) irregular - indicates a species the American Ornithologists’ Union, which is irregular during at 1998. Check-list of North American least one season Birds. 7th ed. Am. Ornithol. Union, • denotes a species that nests Washington, D.C. For clarity, some of on the Refuge the former names of bird species are ❒ denotes a species that likely shown in parentheses. nested on the Refuge historically, but does not Bird species listed as “Accidentals” presently nest on the Refuge have been sighted once or only a few E threatened and endangered times and the Refuge is outside of species in the United States their normal range. Common Bird Name Sp S F W Common Bird Name Sp S F W Loons • Green-winged Teal c u c Common Loon r • Canvasback c c c • Redhead c c c Grebes • Ring-necked Duck c r c • Pied-billed Grebe c c c Greater Scaup r r • Horned Grebe u u u • Lesser Scaup c u c Red-necked Grebe r r White-winged Scoter r • Eared Grebe c c c Bufflehead c u c • Western Grebe c c c Common Goldeneye c u r • Clark’s Grebe u u u • Hooded Merganser u r u Common Merganser c u r Pelicans Red-breasted Merganser r r ❒ American White Pelican c c c • Ruddy Duck c c c Cormorants Osprey, Kites, Hawks, and Eagles • Double-crested Cormorant c c c Osprey r r E Bald Eagle c c r Bitterns, Herons, and Egrets • Northern Harrier c c c r • American Bittern c c c Sharp-shinned Hawk u r u Least Bittern r • Cooper’s Hawk u u u Great Blue Heron c u c Northern Goshawk r r r Great Egret u u c Broad-winged Hawk r r • Snowy Egret r u r • Swainson’s Hawk u u u Little Blue Heron r r r • Red-tailed Hawk c c c r • Cattle Egret c c c • Ferruginous Hawk u u u Green Heron r r r Rough-legged Hawk u u u • Black-crowned Night-Heron c c c Golden Eagle u r u u Yellow-crowned Night-Heron r r r Falcons and Caracaras Ibises and Spoonbills • American Kestrel c u c r • White-faced Ibis u u u Merlin u u r Gyrfalcon r New World Vultures Peregrine Falcon r r Turkey Vulture u u u u Prairie Falcon u r u r Swans, Geese, and Ducks Gallinaceous Birds Greater White-fronted Goose c c • Gray Partridge c c c c Snow Goose c r c • Ring-necked Pheasant c c c c Ross’ Goose u u • Sharp-tailed Grouse c c c c • Canada Goose c c c u ❒ Greater Prairie-Chicken r r r r ❒ Trumpeter Swan r ❒ Wild Turkey u u u u Tundra Swan u c • Wood Duck u u u Rails • Gadwall c c c • Yellow Rail r r r • American Wigeon c u c • Virginia Rail u u u American Black Duck r r • Sora c c c • Mallard c c c u • American Coot c c c • Blue-winged Teal c c c • Cinnamon Teal r r r Cranes • Northern Shoveler c c c ❒ Sandhill Crane c c • Northern Pintail c c c ❒E Whooping Crane r r Common Bird Name Sp S F W Common Bird Name Sp S F W Plovers Pigeons and Doves Black-bellied Plover r r • Rock Dove u u u u American Golden-Plover r r • Mourning Dove c c c r Semipalmated Plover u u •E Piping Plover u u u Cuckoos and Anis • Killdeer c c c • Black-billed Cuckoo (i) u u u Yellow-billed Cuckoo r Stilts and Avocets • American Avocet c c c Typical Owls Eastern Screech-Owl r r r r Sandpipers and Phalaropes • Great Horned Owl c c c c Greater Yellowlegs u u u Snowy Owl (i) u r u Lesser Yellowlegs c u c ❒ Burrowing Owl r r Solitary Sandpiper u u u Long-eared Owl r r r • Willet c c c • Short-eared Owl (i) c c c r • Spotted Sandpiper c c c Northern Saw-whet Owl r • Upland Sandpiper c c c Whimbrel r Nightjars ❒ Long-billed Curlew r • Common Nighthawk u u u Hudsonian Godwit r • Marbled Godwit c c c Swifts Ruddy Turnstone u u Chimney Swift r r r Red Knot r r r Sanderling u u u Hummingbirds Semipalmated Sandpiper c u c Ruby-throated Hummingbird r r r Western Sandpiper r r r Least Sandpiper c c c Kingfishers White-rumped Sandpiper c u r Belted Kingfisher u r u Baird’s Sandpiper c u u Pectoral Sandpiper u u Woodpeckers Dunlin u u • Red-headed Woodpecker r r r Stilt Sandpiper u u u Yellow-bellied Sapsucker u u u Short-billed Dowitcher u u u • Downy Woodpecker u u u u Long-billed Dowitcher c c c • Hairy Woodpecker u u u u • Common Snipe u u u • Northern Flicker c u c u • Wilson’s Phalarope c c c Red-necked Phalarope u u Tyrant Flycatchers Olive-sided Flycatcher r r r Skuas, Jaegers, Gulls, and Terns Eastern Wood-Pewee r • Franklin’s Gull c c c Yellow-bellied Flycatcher r r Bonaparte’s Gull r r r Alder Flycatcher r r • Ring-billed Gull c c c • Willow Flycatcher u u u California Gull u r u • Least Flycatcher r r r Herring Gull c r u • Eastern Phoebe r r r Caspian Tern r r • Say’s Phoebe u u u • Common Tern c u c Great Crested Flycatcher r r • Forster’s Tern c c c • Western Kingbird c c c E Least Tern r • Eastern Kingbird c c c • Black Tern c c c Common Bird Name Sp S F W Common Bird Name Sp S F W Shrikes Thrushes • Loggerhead Shrike u u u Eastern Bluebird r r r Northern Shrike u u u Mountain Bluebird u u Townsend’s Solitaire r r r Vireos Veery r r Yellow-throated Vireo r r r Gray-cheeked Thrush r r Blue-headed Vireo r r Swainson’s Thrush u r u • Warbling Vireo r r r Hermit Thrush r r Philadelphia Vireo r r r • American Robin c c c r Red-eyed Vireo u u u Mimic Thrushes Crows, Jays, and Magpies • Gray Catbird u u u Blue Jay u u u u Northern Mockingbird r • Black-billed Magpie u u u u • Brown Thrasher c c c • American Crow c u c u Starlings Larks • European Starling u u u u • Horned Lark (i) c c c c Wagtails and Pipits Swallows American Pipit u u • Purple Martin u c u • Sprague’s Pipit u u u • Tree Swallow c c c • Northern Rough-winged Swallow u u u Waxwings • Bank Swallow c c c Bohemian Waxwing (i) u • Cliff Swallow c c c • Cedar Waxwing (i) r r r r • Barn Swallow c c c Wood Warblers Titmice