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Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge BIRD LIST

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Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge BIRD LIST Merrritt Island National Wildlife Refuge U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service P.O. Box 2683 Titusville, FL 32781 http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Merritt_Island 321/861 0669 Visitor Center Merritt Island U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 1 800/344 WILD National Wildlife Refuge March 2019 Bird List photo: James Lyon Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, located just Seasonal Occurrences east of Titusville, shares a common boundary with the SP - Spring - March, April, May John F. Kennedy Space Center. Its coastal location, SU - Summer - June, July, August tropic-like climate, and wide variety of habitat types FA - Fall - September, October, November contribute to Merritt Island’s diverse bird population. WN - Winter - December, January, February The Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee lists 521 species of birds statewide. To date, 359 You may see some species outside the seasons indicated species have been identified on the refuge. on this checklist. This phenomenon is quite common for many birds. However, the checklist is designed to Of special interest are breeding populations of Bald indicate the general trend of migration and seasonal Eagles, Brown Pelicans, Roseate Spoonbills, Reddish abundance for each species and, therefore, does not Egrets, and Mottled Ducks. Spectacular migrations account for unusual occurrences. of passerine birds, especially warblers, occur during spring and fall. In winter tens of thousands of Abundance Designation waterfowl may be seen. Eight species of herons and C – Common - These birds are present in large egrets are commonly observed year-round. numbers, are widespread, and should be seen if you look in the correct habitat. Tips on Birding A good field guide and binoculars provide the basic U – Uncommon - These birds are present, but because tools useful in the observation and identification of of their low numbers, behavior, habitat, or distribution, birds. While marshes and shallow impoundments are they are not usually seen. However, an experienced the most productive birding areas, in order to find bird watcher should be able to find them by looking in the widest variety of bird species, you should also the right places at the right times. visit mangrove-rimmed shorelines, cabbage palm and hardwood hammocks, palmetto and pine uplands, oak O – Occasional - These birds are present in low scrub and the beach. The refuge has provided trails numbers and are not expected to be seen without a and roads into each of these habitat types in order to special effort to find them. At least a few are seen each enhance bird watching opportunities. The cool weather year. months (October-April) are generally the best time of R – Rare - These birds are not expected to be seen year for birding. The best times of the day are early every year. They occur in low numbers, may also be morning and late afternoon. secretive or hard to identify, and may be unreported for Using This List several years. This checklist is arranged taxonomically by order (solid DATE - A date indicates the most recent sighting of an line) and family. Representatives from 18 orders and accidental species, extremely Rare species, or a species 60 families have been identified on the refuge. The that has not been seen on the Refuge recently due to word family is a classification term that places birds of changes in habitat conditions. Their occurrence here is similar appearance and habits into one group. Closely considered so unusual as to not be expected. related families make up an order. All birds in the same order have some common characteristics. Learning to *-- Breeds on the Refuge. recognize families and orders can help in identifying new birds you may encounter at Merritt Island Status National Wildlife Refuge. Listed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (E) – Federal endangered species This list is in accordance with the “Checklist of Florida (T) – Federal threatened species Birds” as updated by the Florida Ornithological Society’s Records Committee through December 31, Listed by the Florida Wildlife Commission 2015. (FL-E) – FL endangered species (FL-T) – FL threatened species (FL-SSC) – FL species of special concern (FL-NNS) – FL non-native species SP SU FA WN Status SP SU FA WN Status Ducks, Geese, and Swans Grebes Black-bellied Whistling Duck R R R R Pied-billed Grebe* C R C C Fulvous Whistling Duck R R R Horned Grebe U U U Greater White-fronted Goose 2005 Red-necked Grebe 1994 Snow Goose O O Eared Grebe 1978 Ross’s Goose 2009 Western Grebe 1979 Brant R R R Canada Goose R Flamingos Mute Swan 2009 (FL-NNS) Greater Flamingo 1992 Tundra Swan 2010 Muscovy Duck 2007 (FL-NNS) Shearwaters and Petrels Wood Duck * O O O Northern Fulmar 2008 Gadwall U U U Cory’s Shearwater U O U R Eurasian Wigeon R R R Great Shearwater O O O American Wigeon O C C Sooty Shearwater 2009 American Black Duck R R R Manx Shearwater 2004 Mallard O O O Audubon’s Shearwater O O O Mottled Duck * C C C C Blue-winged Teal C O C C Storm-Petrels Cinnamon Teal 2019 Wilson’s Storm-Petrel O O O Northern Shoveler C R C C Leach’s Storm-Petrel O O O White-cheeked Pintail 1996 (FL-NNS) Band-rumped Storm-Petrel R R Northern Pintail U C C Green-winged Teal U C C Tropicbirds Canvasback O O U White-tailed Tropicbird 1981 Redhead U U U Ring-necked Duck O C C Storks Greater Scaup U U U Wood Stork C C C C (E)(FL-E) Lesser Scaup C U C C Common Eider 2018 Frigatebirds Harlequin Duck 1960 Magnificent Frigatebird O O O R Surf Scoter O O O White-winged Scoter O O O Boobies and Gannets Black Scoter U U U Masked Booby R R R Long-tailed Duck R R Brown Booby O O O Bufflehead O U C Northern Gannet C C C Common Goldeneye R R Hooded Merganser U C C Cormorants Common Merganser 1995 Double-crested Cormorant* C C C C Red-breasted Merganser U R U U Great Cormorant 2001 Ruddy Duck O O C Darters Upland Game Birds Anhinga* C C C C Northern Bobwhite* U U U U Wild Turkey* C C C C Pelicans American White Pelican C R U C Loons Brown Pelican* C C C C (FL-SSC) Red-throated Loon R R Pacific Loon 2008 Herons, Bitterns, and Allies Common Loon U O O American Bittern O O U Least Bittern* U U U R Great Blue Heron* C C C C SP SU FA WN Status SP SU FA WN Status Great Egret* C C C C Common Gallinule* C C C C Snowy Egret* C C C C (FL-SSC) American Coot C O C C Little Blue Heron* C C C C (FL-SSC) Tricolored Heron* C C C C (FL-SSC) Limpkins Reddish Egret* C C C C (FL-SSC) Limpkin R R R R (FL-SSC) Cattle Egret* C C C C Green Heron* C C C C Cranes Black-crowned Sandhill Crane* O O O O (FL-T) Night-Heron* U U U U Yellow-crowned Lapwings and Plovers Night-Heron* O O O O Black-bellied Plover C O C C American Golden-Plover R R R Ibises and Spoonbills Wilson’s Plover* O O O O White Ibis* C C C C (FL-SSC) Semipalmated Plover C R O C Glossy Ibis* C C C C Piping Plover R R (T)(FL-T) White-faced Ibis 2009 Killdeer* C C C Roseate Spoonbill* C C C C (FL-SSC) Oystercatchers New World Vultures American Oystercatcher R R R R (FL-SSC) Black Vulture* C C C C Turkey Vulture C C C C Stilts and Avocets Black-necked Stilt* C C U R Hawks, Kites, Eagles, and Allies American Avocet C R C C Osprey* C C C C Swallow-tailed Kite O O O Sandpipers, Phalaropes, and Allies White-tailed Kite 1992 Spotted Sandpiper U U U Snail Kite 2004 (E)(FL-E) Solitary Sandpiper U O R Mississippi Kite 2007 Greater Yellowlegs C U C C Bald Eagle* C O C C Willet* C C C C Northern Harrier U R C C Lesser Yellowlegs C U C C Sharp-shinned Hawk O U U Upland Sandpiper R R Cooper’s Hawk* U U U U Whimbrel O O O Red-shouldered Hawk* C C C C Long-billed Curlew 2005 Broad-winged Hawk R O R Black-tailed Godwit 1996 Short-tailed Hawk O O O Hudsonian Godwit 1999 Swainson’s Hawk R R Bar-tailed Godwit 1995 Red-tailed Hawk* U U U U Marbled Godwit U U U Ruddy Turnstone C C C C Caracaras and Falcons Red Knot U O U Crested Caracara 2017 T)(FL-T) Sanderling C C C C American Kestrel U C C Semipalmated Sandpiper C R C Merlin O U O Western Sandpiper C O C C Peregrine Falcon U U O Least Sandpiper C U C C White-rumped Sandpiper O O Rails, Gallinules, and Coots Baird’s Sandpiper R R Yellow Rail 2010 Pectoral Sandpiper U U R Black Rail* R R R R Purple Sandpiper 2003 Clapper Rail* U U U U Dunlin C R C C King Rail* U O O U Curlew Sandpiper 1991 Virginia Rail R R R Stilt Sandpiper U R U O Sora R U U Buff-breasted Sandpiper R Purple Gallinule 2007 Ruff R R SP SU FA WN Status SP SU FA WN Status Short-billed Dowitcher C C C Cuckoos and Anis Long-billed Dowitcher U C C Yellow-billed Cuckoo* U O U Wilson’s Snipe O U U Black-billed Cuckoo R R American Woodcock R R Smooth-billed Ani 1991 Wilson’s Phalarope R R Red-necked Phalarope R R Barn Owls Red Phalarope R Barn Owl R R R R Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers Typical Owls Black-legged Kittiwake R R Eastern Screech-Owl* C U C C Sabine’s Gull 2009 Great Horned Owl* U U U C Bonaparte’s Gull O U U Burrowing Owl 1976 (FL-SSC) Black-headed Gull 2008 Barred Owl* U U U U Laughing Gull* C C C C Short-eared Owl R R Franklin’s Gull 2003 Ring-billed Gull C R C C Nightjars (Goatsuckers) Herring Gull U R U U Common Nighthawk* C C U Lesser Black-backed Gull U U U Chuck-will’s-widow* C C O Glaucous Gull 1991 Eastern Whip-poor-will R R Great Black-backed Gull U O U U Brown Noddy R R Swifts Sooty Tern R R R Chimney Swift U U U Bridled Tern R R R Least Tern* C C O (FL-T) Hummingbirds Gull-billed Tern O O O O Ruby-throated Hummingbird U U U R Caspian Tern C C C Black Tern O U U Kingfishers Roseate Tern R R (T)(FL-T) Belted Kingfisher C R C C Common Tern O U U R Forster’s Tern C O C C Woodpeckers and Allies Royal Tern* C C C C Red-headed Woodpecker R R Sandwich Tern O O O O Red-bellied
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