Rappahannock River Valley National FishU.S. Fish& Wildlife & Wildlife Service Service Wildlife Refuge 336 Wilna Road Warsaw, VA 22572 Rappahannock 804/333-1470 804/333-3396 Fax E-mail: [email protected] www.fws.gov/northeast/rappahannock River Valley

Federal Relay Service for the deaf and hard of hearing National Wildlife 1 800/877 8339 Refuge U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1 800/344 WILD http://www.fws.gov Birds

September 2007

Scarlet Tanager Les Brooks Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1996, with a goal of protecting 20,000 acres along a 65-mile stretch of the This goose, designed by lower Rappahannock River. As of J.N. “Ding” Darling, has become a symbol of the June 2007, the refuge consisted of 17 National Wildlife Refuge tracts, distributed on both sides of the System. river, totaling 7,711 acres. This total includes 1,359 acres in conservation easements.

Hardwood and pine forests, steep

shady ravines, forested swamps, tidal s k o

marshes, wet meadows, ponds, and o r B

grasslands make up the diverse s e

habitats which have attracted about L 208 species of birds. An additional 22 Blue grosbeak species are listed as rare, accidental, or infrequent occurrences. In spring and summer, grassland and shrub birds include grasshopper Focus species or suites include bald sparrow, eastern meadowlark, eagles, waterfowl, forest interior dickcissel, eastern kingbird, yellow- birds, grassland birds, shrub/early breasted chat, indigo bunting, blue succession species, and marshbirds. grosbeak, prairie warbler, eastern Several refuge tracts lie within one of towhee, American woodcock, bobwhite the most important concentration quail, wild turkey, American kestrel, areas for bald eagles in the and perhaps a barn owl. In the Chesapeake Bay region. Winter forested trails near Wilna Pond, look counts recorded a peak of nearly 400 or listen for scarlet tanager, summer eagles. Barn owls also nest in the high tanager, orchard oriole, northern cliffs of this area. Three of the refuge parula, prothonotary warbler, tracts are destinations on the Virginia Louisiana waterthrush, yellow- Birding and Wildlife Trail. The Lower throated warbler, Kentucky warbler, Rappahannock Important Bird Area, yellow-throated vireo, and red-tailed designated on the basis of the bald and red-shouldered hawks. Check the eagles, barn owls, Virginia’s only pond too for wood duck, red-winged population of the coastal plain swamp blackbird, green heron, and great blue sparrow, and other birds of heron. The shallow end contains many conservation concern, includes 8 snags—there you might find pileated refuge tracts. and red-headed woodpeckers any time of the year. Also in the spring or The Wilna tract, open to the public summer walk along the deep forest year round from sunrise to sunset, trail to find black and white warbler, offers a great diversity of bird hooded warbler, wood thrush, watching opportunities throughout ovenbird, Acadian flycatcher, and the year. maybe a Chuck-will’s-widow, great horned or barred owl. Season Sp Spring March – May S Summer June – August F Fall September – November W Winter December – February

• Birds known to nest on or near the refuge Italics indicate threatened/endangered species

Relative Abundance e d

a Relative abundance indicates how frequently you might e

M see a bird in its favored habitat. y r r a L a abundant a species which is very numerous Wood duck c common likely to be seen or heard in suitable During spring migration, these same habitat forests are also stopovers for beautiful u uncommon present, but not certain to be seen long distance migrants such as: o occasional seen only a few times during a season magnolia warbler; blue-winged r rare may be present but not every year warbler; American redstart; black throated blue and black-throated green warblers; yellow warbler; Sp S F W Blackburnian warbler; mourning Swans – Geese – Ducks warbler; warbling vireo and blue- headed warbler; veery; and ___ Snow Goose ______o o Swainson’s thrush. Check the ___•Canada Goose ______a c a a grasslands too for bobolinks dancing ___•Mute Swan ______o o o o across the tops of the grasses. ___ Tundra Swan ______c u a ___•Wood Duck ______c c c c In winter, the river and its tributaries ___ Gadwall______u u u teem with waterfowl. The sounds of geese and swans can be heard from ___ American Wigeon ______u u u miles away. Many grassland species ___•American Black Duck______u u c c winter here: northern harrier; ___•Mallard ______c c c a Cooper’s hawk; sharp-shinned hawk; ___ Blue-winged Teal______c o c savannah sparrow; swamp sparrow; ___ Northern Shoveler ______c o c horned lark; American pipit; dark- eyed junco and white-throated ___ Northern Pintail ______c o c sparrow. In the flocks of mixed ___ Green-winged Teal ______c u c blackbirds, you might spot a few rusty ___ Canvasback ______o a blackbirds. Return to the forest trails ___ Ring-necked Duck______c o c to see if you can find kinglets, brown ___ Greater Scaup ______u u u creeper, and winter wren amidst all ___ Lesser Scaup ______c u c the robins and scores of grackles. ___ Long-tailed Duck ______o o o We are continuously working to ___ Bufflehead ______c c a enhance our visitor services program ___ Common Goldeneye ______o o and facilities. Please check with the ___ Hooded Merganser ______c c c refuge headquarters to learn about ___ Common Merganser ______c c c other birding opportunities. ___ Red-breasted Merganser ______c c c ___ Ruddy Duck ______c c a Sp S F W

BITTERNS – HERONS - EGRETS ___ American Bittern ______r u r r ___•Least Bittern ______c c ___•Great Blue Heron ______c c c c ___ Great Egret ______o o o ___•Green Heron ______c c c ___ Black-crowned Night-Heron _____ o o r ___ Yellow-crowned Night-Heron ____ r

NEW WORLD VULTURES ___•Black Vulture ______c c c c ___•Turkey Vulture ______c c c c

OSPREY – KITES – HAWKS - EAGLES ___•Osprey ______c c ___•Bald Eagle ______a c c a ___ Sharp-shinned Hawk ______c c c c ___•Cooper’s Hawk ______o o c c h

c ___•Red-shouldered Hawk ______c c c c n y

L ___ Broad-winged Hawk ______o o y r

r ___•Red-tailed Hawk ______c c c c a L ___ Rough-legged Hawk ______r r Red-tailed hawk ___ Northern Harrier ______u u c

FALCONS - CARCARAS ___ Peregrine Falcon ______r r Sp S F W ___•American Kestrel ______c o c c GALLINACEOUS BIRDS ___ Merlin ______r r ___•Wild Turkey ______c c c c ___•Northern Bobwhite______o/u c c o/u RAILS ___ Clapper Rail______r r r LOONS ___•King Rail ______u u u ___ Red-throated Loon ______r ___•Virginia Rail______c u u ___ Common Loon ______u c c ___ Sora ______r r ___ Common Moorhen______r GREBES ___ American Coot______u o r ___ Pied-billed Grebe ______c r u u ___ Horned Grebe ______o u o CRANES ___ Sandhill Crane______r r PELICANS ___ Brown Pelican ______o PLOVERS ___ Semipalmated Plover ______r CORMORANTS ___•Killdeer______c c c c ___ Double-crested Cormorant ______c c c c Sp S F W

SANDPIPERS - PHALAROPES ___ Greater Yellowlegs ______c u ___ Lesser Yellowlegs ______u u ___ Solitary Sandpiper ______u u ___•Spotted Sandpiper ______u u u ___ Least Sandpiper ______r n

___ Pectoral Sandpiper ______r i a K

___ Dunlin ______r r r a t e

___ Stilt Sandpiper ______r T ___ Wilson’s Snipe ______u u u u Chuck-will’s widow ___•American Woodcock ______c u u c Sp S F W SKUAS – JAEGERS – GULLS – TERNS ___ Laughing Gull ______c c c BARN OWLS ___ Bonaparte’s Gull ______r r r ___•Barn Owl ______c c c c ___ Ring-billed Gull ______c c c c ___ Herring Gull ______c c c c TYPICAL OWLS ___ Great Black-backed Gull ______c c c c ___•Great Horned Owl______c c c c ___ Caspian Tern ______u o u ___•Eastern Screech Owl ______c c c c ___ Royal Tern ______c c c ___•Barred Owl ______c c c c ___ Common Tern ______r r ___ Long-eared Owl______r ___ Forster’s Tern ______c o c ___ Short-eared Owl ______r r ___ Least Tern ______u u u NIGHTJARS ___ Black Tern ______r o ___ Common Nighthawk______c u u ___•Chuck-will’s-widow ______c c u PIGEONS - DOVES ___•Mourning Dove ______a a a a ___•Whip-poor-will ______u u u ___•Rock Pigeon______c c c c SWIFTS ___•Chimney Swift ______c c c CUCKOOS – ANIS ___•Black-billed Cuckoo ______o o o HUMMINGBIRDS ___•Yellow-billed Cuckoo______c c c ___•Ruby-throated Hummingbird ____ c c c

KINGFISHER ___•Belted Kingfisher ______c c c c

WOODPECKER ___•Red-headed Woodpecker ______u u u u ___•Red-bellied Woodpecker______c c c c ___ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker ______u r u c h c n

y ___•Downy Woodpecker ______c c c c L y

r ___•Hairy Woodpecker ______o o o o r a

L ___•Northern Flicker______c c c c American Woodcock chick ___•Pileated Woodpecker ______c c c c Sp S F W

TITMICE - CHICKADEES ___•Carolina Chickadee______c c c c ___•Tufted Titmouse ______c c c c d n o

m NUTHATCHES m u

r ___ Red-breasted Nuthatch ______o o o D

n ___•White-breasted Nuthatch ______c c c c h o J __ Brown-headed Nuthatch ______o o o Grasshopper sparrow CREEPERS Sp S F W ___ Brown Creeper ______o u c

TYRANT FLYCATCHERS WRENS ___ Olive-sided Flycatcher ______r ___•Carolina Wren ______c c c c ___•Eastern Wood-Pewee ______c c c ___•House Wren ______o o o r ___ Yellow-bellied Flycatcher ______r r ___ Winter Wren ______o o o ___•Acadian Flycatcher ______c c c ___ Sedge Wren ______r ___•Willow Flycatcher ______o o r ___•Marsh Wren ______c c c u ___ Least Flycatcher______r r ___•Eastern Phoebe______c c c c KINGLETS ___•Great Crested Flycatcher ______c c c ___ Golden-crowned Kinglet. ______u u c ___•Eastern Kingbird ______c c c ___ Ruby-crowned Kinglet ______u u c

VIREOS OLD WORLD WARBLERS ___•White-eyed Vireo ______c c c ___•Blue-gray Gnatcatcher ______c c c ___ Warbling Vireo______r r ___•Yellow-throated Vireo ______c c c ___ Blue-headed Vireo______o o o ___•Red-eyed Vireo ______c c c

CROWS – JAYS – MAGPIES ___•Blue Jay ______c c c c ___•American Crow ______c c c c ___ Fish Crow______u u u u

LARKS ___ Horned Lark ______u u a/u

SWALLOWS ___•Purple Martin ______c c c ___•Tree Swallow ______a c c

___•Northern Rough-winged Swallow_ o o u s k o o

___ Bank Swallow ______r u r r B s

___•Cliff Swallow ______r o r e L ___•Barn Swallow______a a c Yellow breasted chat Sp S F W

THRUSHES ___•Eastern Bluebird ______c c c c ___ Veery______u u ___ Gray-cheeked Thrush______r r ___ Bicknell’s Thrush ______r r ___ Swainson’s Thrush ______o o ___ Hermit Thrush ______u u c ___•Wood Thrush ______c c c ___•American Robin______c c c a s k

MIMIC THRUSHES o o r

___•Gray Catbird ______c c c u B s e

___•Northern Mockingbird ______c c c c L ___•Brown Thrasher ______c c c u Cedar waxwing

STARLINGS Sp S F W ___•European Starling ______c c c a ___ Black-throated Blue Warbler ____ c u WAGTAILS - PIPITS ___ Yellow-rumped Warbler ______c a a ___ American Pipit______r r u/a ___ Black-throated Green Warbler ___ u u WAXWINGS ___ Blackburnian Warbler ______o r ___•Cedar Waxwing ______c u c c ___•Yellow-throated Warbler ______c c u ___•Pine Warbler ______c c c o WOOD WARBLERS ___•Prairie Warbler ______c c c ___ Blue-winged Warbler ______u r ___ Palm Warbler______u u r ___ Orange-crowned Warbler______r r r ___ Bay-breasted Warbler ______u u ___ Nashville Warbler ______r ___ Blackpoll Warbler ______c u ___•Northern Parula ______c c u ___ Cerulean Warbler. ______r ___•Yellow Warbler______c c u ___•Black-and-white Warbler ______c c u ___ Chestnut-sided Warbler ______u u ___ American Redstart ______c u ___ Magnolia Warbler ______u u ___•Prothonotary Warbler ______c c u ___ Cape May Warbler ______u u ___•Worm-eating Warbler ______c c u ___ Swainson’s Warbler______r r ___•Ovenbird______c c u ___ Northern Waterthrush ______u u ___•Louisiana Waterthrush______c u u ___•Kentucky Warbler ______c u u ___ Mourning Warbler ______o u e

d ___•Common Yellowthroat ______c c c o a e

M ___•Hooded Warbler ______c c u y r

r ___ Canada Warbler______r r a L ___•Yellow-breasted Chat ______c c c Prothonotary warbler Baltimore oriole SP T ______• ______• ______• ___• ANAGERS ARROWS -TOWHEES • • • • • White-throated Spar White-crowned Spar Coastal PlainSwamp Swamp Spar Lincoln’s Spar Song Spar Seaside Spar Le Conte’sSpar Savannah Spar V F Clay-colored Spar Chipping Spar Scarlet T Summer T Dark-eyed Junco Spar F Grasshopper Spar American T Easter esper Spar ox Spar ield Spar row (subsp) n T anager row owhee row anager row ree Spar row row row ______row row row ______row ______row row ______. ______row row row ______Sp u c c c c c c c c r c c c c S c c c c c c c c c F u u c c c c c c r c r c c c W u u a a a c c c c r r c r

Les Brooks Singing Dickcissel BLACKBIRDS -ORIOLES CARDINALS –GROSBEAKS-ALLIES Old W FINCHES ___• ___• ___• ______• ______• ______• ______• ___• ___• ______• ___• ___ • Dickcissel Indigo Bunting Blue Grosbeak Rose-breasted Grosbeak Norther American Goldfinch White-winged Crossbill House F Baltimore Oriole Orchard Oriole Brown-headed Cowbird Common Grackle R Easter Red-winged Blackbird Bobolink House Spar Purple F orld Sparrows usty Blackbird n Meadowlark n Cardinal inch inch ______row ______

Les Brooks Sp u u u u u u a a c c c c c c c c S u u a c c c c c c c c c F u u u u u u o a o c c c c c c c W u u u a a a c r c c c