COMMON BIRDS SEEN NEAR THE BIRD BLIND Duke University Wetland Center

A Checklist of the Birds of The Stream & Wetland Assessment Management Park (SWAMP)

Mallard (20-28”) The Mallard is the most common duck in the Belted Kingfisher (11-14”) The Kingfisher uses its oversized, eastern U.S. Both the green-headed male and the brown heron-like beak to aggressively dive for fish. Only the female female have bright blue, white, and black wing patches. has the rusty-colored breast band.

A mother Mallard herds her brood across the SWAMP pond during a springtime swim. Photo by Mengchi Ho

Ever since the 1962 publication of Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring, scientists have Great Blue Heron (39-52”) The largest of the North American Eastern Bluebird (6.5-7”) Once seriously threatened by herons is a solitary hunter, wading and foraging for fish. pesticides and habitat loss, the Eastern Bluebird’s recovery recognized that bird populations provide an is one of conservation’s great success stories. easy-to-read barometer of the pressures that human activities bring to bear on the world’s biodiversity. Birds–whether in our backyards, our cities, or our parklands–are a familiar part of our daily lives. People who might not recognize other indicators of an environment in crisis will notice that the numbers and variety of birds are slipping away. Since the Duke University Wetland Center undertook the restoration of Sandy Creek and its flood plain in 1998, birders have been keeping track of the birds seen in the restoration area now known as SWAMP. If you would like to report Red-shouldered Hawk (17-24”) This common forest dweller Song Sparrow (6”) One of the many small, brown sparrows your bird sightings at SWAMP, send an e-mail favors woodlands near water while hunting for small found in shrubby or grassy wet areas, the Song Sparrow is a to [email protected]. mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects. year-round resident of North Carolina.

The Duke University Wetland Center is part of the Nicholas School of the Environment. ANSERIFORMES STRIGIFORMES House Wren Common Grackle Canada Goose Barred Owl Winter Wren Ovenbird Mallard CORACIIFORMES Carolina Wren Worm-eating Warbler Hooded Merganser Belted Kingfisher Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Louisiana Waterthrush PODICIPEDIFORMES PICIFORMES Golden-crowned Kinglet Northern Waterthrush Pied-billed Grebe Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Ruby-crowned Kinglet Blue-winged Warbler COLUMBIFORMES Red-headed Woodpecker Eastern Bluebird Black-and-white Warbler Rock Pigeon Red-bellied Woodpecker Veery Prothonotary Wabler Mourning Dove Downy Woodpecker Swainson’s Thrush Tennessee Warbler CUCULIFORMES Hairy Woodpecker Hermit Thrush Nashville Warbler Yellow-billed Cuckoo Pileated Woodpecker Wood Thrush Common Yellowthroat CAPRIMULGIFORMES Northern Flicker American Robin Hooded Warbler Common Nighthawk FALCONIFORMES Gray Catbird American Redstart Chuck-will’s-widow Merlin Brown Thrasher Northern Parula APODIFORMES PASSERIFORMES Northern Mockingbird Magnolia Warbler Chimney Swift Eastern Wood Peewee European Starling Blackburnian Warbler Ruby-throated Hummingbird Acadian Flycatcher Cedar Waxwing Chestnut-sided Warbler CHARADRIIFORMES Eastern Phoebe House Finch Blackpoll Warbler Killdeer Great Crested Flycatcher Purple Finch Black-throated Blue Warbler Spotted Sandpiper Eastern Kingbird Pine Siskin Palm Warbler Solitary Sandpiper White-eyed Vireo American Goldfinch Pine Warbler Ring-billed Gull Yellow-throated Vireo Chipping Sparrow Yellow-rumped Warbler SULIFORMES Blue-headed Vireo Field Sparrow Yellow-throated Warbler Double-crested Cormorant Red-eyed Vireo Fox Sparrow Prairie Warbler PELECANIFORMES Blue Jay Dark-eyed Junco Black-throated Green Warbler American Bittern American Crow White-crowned Sparrow Wilson’s Warbler Great Blue Heron Fish Crow White-throated Sparrow Summer Tanager Green Heron Northern Rough-Winged Savannah Sparrow Scarlet Tanager CATHARTIFORMES Swallow Song Sparrow Northern Cardinal Black Vulture Barn Swallow Swamp Sparrow Rose-breasted Grosbeak Turkey Vulture Carolina Chickadee Eastern Towhee Blue Grosbeak ACCIPITRIFORMES Tufted Titmouse Yellow-breasted Chat Indigo Bunting Osprey Red-breasted Nuthatch Orchard Oriole House Sparrow Sharp-shinned Hawk White-breasted Nuthatch Red-winged Blackbird Cooper’s Hawk Brown-headed Nuthatch Brown-headed Cowbird Red-shouldered Hawk Brown Creeper Rusty Blackbird Red-tailed Hawk The Red-bellied Woodpecker’s barred back and red cap Updated August 23, 2018 makes it unforgettable. Learn the Red-bellied’s rolling call and you’ll notice these birds everywhere.