Birding at Lake Carlos State Park STATE PARK BIRDS Sp S F W DATE STATE PARK BIRDS Sp S F W DATE STATE PARK BIRDS Sp S F W DATE STATE PARK BIRDS Sp S F W DATE The park’s diverse habitat includes lakeshore, wetlands, GEESE, SWANS, DUCKS PIGEONS, DOVES PELICANS FLYCATCHERS woodlands and grasslands that make it a popular birding Snow Goose U O Rock Pigeon C C C C American White Pelican C C C Great Crested Flycatcher C C C destination. A staff favorite is to walk along the lake from the beach to Hidden Lake Group Camp where you can Cackling Goose U U Mourning Dove C C C O BITTERNS, HERONS, EGRETS, NIGHT-HERONS Eastern Kingbird C C C find more than 50 species in the spring (mid-May). During Canada Goose C C C U CUCKOOS American Bittern O O O Olive-sided Flycatcher O O O migration, large numbers of warblers, vireos, flycatcher, Trumpeter Swan C U C C Yellow-billed Cuckoo U O O Least Bittern O O O Eastern Wood-pewee C C C thrushes, and sparrows move through the park's woodland and grassland areas. Tundra Swan C U Black-billed Cuckoo U U U Great Blue Heron C C C Yellow-bellied Flycatcher O O Wood Duck C C C NIGHTJARS Great Egret U U U Alder Flycatcher O O O The Prairie Pothole, Hidden Lake and Wetland Overlook Blue-winged Teal C C C Common Nighthawk C C C Green Heron U U U Willow Flycatcher U U O Trails are excellent for water bird viewing. Watch for Least Flycatcher C C C waterfowl on Lake Carlos and along the Long Prairie River Northern Shoveler C U C SWIFTS NEW WORLD VULTURES during late fall through early spring. Gadwall U O U Chimney Swift C C C Turkey Vulture U U U Eastern Phoebe C C C American Wigeon U O U HUMMINGBIRDS OSPREY SHRIKES Mallard C C C U Ruby-throated Hummingbird C C C Osprey U U U Northern Shrike U U U Key Northern Pintail U O U RAILS, GALLINULES, COOTS KITES, HAWKS, EAGLES VIREOS Occurrence Green-winged Teal C C Virginia Rail U U U Northern Harrier C C C Yellow-throated Vireo U U U Sp - Spring (Mar—May) Canvasback U U Sora C C C Sharp-shinned Hawk U U O Blue-headed Vireo U U S - Summer (Jun—Jul) F - Fall (Aug—Nov) Redhead U U American Coot C C C Cooper's Hawk U U U Philadelphia Vireo U U W - Winter (Dec—Feb) Ring-necked Duck C C CRANES Bald Eagle U U C O Warbling Vireo C C C Greater Scaup O O R Sandhill Crane U O U Red-shouldered Hawk U U O Red-eyed Vireo C C C Abundance C - Common (Present, relatively easy to find) Lesser Scaup C C R PLOVERS Broad-winged Hawk C C C JAYS, MAGPIES, CROWS, RAVENS U - Uncommon (Present, not certain to be seen) Surf Scoter R Killdeer C C C Red-tailed Hawk C C C U Blue Jay C C C C O - Occasional (Infrequent, may not return each year) White-winged Scoter R SANDPIPERS AND ALLIES Rough-legged Hawk U U O American Crow C C C C R - Rare (Observed at least once, may not return) Black Scoter R American Woodcock U U U TYPICAL OWLS Common Raven U O U U : Enter the date you saw the bird. Date Bufflehead C C R Wilson's Snipe C C C Eastern Screech Owl U U U U LARKS Common Goldeneye C O C U Spotted Sandpiper C C C Great Horned Owl U U U Horned Lark C C C U Hooded Merganser C U C O Solitary Sandpiper U U U Barred Owl U U U U MARTINS, SWALLOWS Bird Identification Tips Common Merganser C C O GULLS, TERNS Northern Saw-whet Owl U O U Bank Swallow U U U When you observe a bird, make note of at least three Red-breasted Merganser U O Bonaparte's Gull U U KINGFISHERS Tree Swallow C C C characteristics. Ruddy Duck U U U Franklin's Gull C U C Belted Kingfisher C C C Northern Rough-winged Swallow C C C Location: Where did you see the bird? (water, forest, feeder, PARTRIDGE, PHEASANTS, GROUSE, TURKEYS Ring-billed Gull C C C R WOODPECKERS Purple Martin U U U lower branch, tree trunk, etc.) Ring-necked Pheasant C C C C Herring Gull U U U R Red-headed Woodpecker U U U Barn Swallow C C C Body size and shape: Compare to a known bird. (smaller Ruffed Grouse U U U U Caspian Tern U O Red-bellied Woodpecker U U U C Cliff Swallow C C C than a...bigger than a...plump like a...slender like a...) Look at tail, legs and bill. (long, short, thick, thin, curved, straight) Wild Turkey U U U U Black Tern U U U Yellow-bellied Sapsucker C C C CHICKADEES, TITMICE GREBES Common Tern U U Downy Woodpecker C C C C Black-capped Chickadee C C C C Colors and markings: Look on wings, tail, back, belly, rump Pied-billed Grebe C C C R Forster's Tern U U U Hairy Woodpecker C C C C NUTHATCHES and head. (stripe above eye, white spot on tail, etc.) Horned Grebe U U LOONS Northern Flicker C C C R Red-breasted Nuthatch C U C C Sounds and movements: How do they act and sound? Red-necked Grebe U U U Common Loon C C C Pileated Woodpecker C C C C White-breasted Nuthatch C C C C (travel alone or in groups, in-flight wing position - soaring, flapping, flap and glide, etc.) Eared Grebe O O O CORMORANTS FALCONS CREEPERS Western Grebe O O O Double-crested Cormorant C C C American Kestrel C C C O Brown Creeper U U U STATE PARK BIRDS Sp S F W DATE STATE PARK BIRDS Sp S F W DATE STATE PARK BIRDS Sp S F W DATE WRENS LONGSPURS, SNOW BUNTINGS American Redstart C C C House Wren C C C Snow Bunting C C C Cape May Warbler U R Winter Wren O O TOWHEES, SPARROWS Northern Parula R R Sedge Wren C C C Chipping Sparrow C C C Magnolia Warbler U O Marsh Wren C C C Clay-colored Sparrow C C C Bay-breasted Warbler U O GNATCATCHERS Field Sparrow U U O Blackburnian Warbler U O BIRD CHECKLIST Blue-gray Gnatcatcher O O O Fox Sparrow U U Yellow Warbler C C C LAKE CARLOS STATE PARK KINGLETS American Tree Sparrow C C O Chestnut-sided Warbler U O U Golden-crowned Kinglet O U O Dark-eyed Junco C C O Blackpoll Warbler U R Ruby-crowned Kinglet C C C White-crowned Sparrow U U Black-throated Blue Warbler O O THRUSHES Harris’s Sparrow U U Palm Warbler C C Eastern Bluebird C C C White-throated Sparrow C O C Yellow-rumped Warbler C C Veery U U U Vesper Sparrow C C C Black-throated Green Warbler O O Gray-cheeked Thrush U U Savannah Sparrow U U U Canada Warbler U O Swainson’s Thrush U U Song Sparrow C C C Wilson’s Warbler U O Hermit Thrush C C Lincoln’s Sparrow U C TANAGERS, CARDINALS, GROSBEAKS Wood Thrush U U O Swamp Sparrow C C C Scarlet Tanager U U U American Robin C C C O BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES Northern Cardinal O O O THRASHERS, MOCKINGBIRDS Yellow-headed Blackbird U O O Rose-breasted Grosbeak C C C Gray Catbird C C C Bobolink C C U Indigo Bunting C C U Brown Thrasher C C C Western Meadowlark U O O STARLINGS Orchard Oriole U O O European Starling C C C C Baltimore Oriole C C U WAXWINGS Red-winged Blackbird C C C Checklist created by Robert B. Janssen, Jerry Bonkoski Bohemian Waxwing O O O Brown-headed Cowbird C C U and MNDNR. Data was gathered from MNDNR staff observations, public observations and Minnesota Cedar Waxwing C C C O Rusty Blackbird U U Ornithologist’s Union records. Nomenclature and OLD WORLD SPARROWS Brewer's Blackbird U U C organization of checklist based off of the Check-list House Sparrow C C C C Common Grackle C C C of North American Birds (7th edition) as currently supplemented. PIPITS WARBLERS American Pipit U C Ovenbird C C C Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Parks and Trails, FINCHES Northern Waterthrush C U 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4039. Phone: 651-259-5600. House Finch U U U U Golden-winged Warbler U O The Minnesota DNR prohibits discrimination in its programs and Purple Finch C U C O Black-and-white Warbler C U C services based on race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, Common Redpoll O O O Tennessee Warbler C C public assistance status, age, sexual orientation or disability. Persons with disabilities may request reasonable modifications to access or Hoary Redpoll O O O Orange-crowned Warbler U C participate in DNR programs and services by contacting the DNR Red Crossbill O O O Nashville Warbler U O ADA Title II Coordinator at [email protected] or 651-259-5488. Discrimination inquiries should be sent to Minnesota DNR, 500 Pine Siskin U U U U Mourning Warbler O O Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4049; or Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1849 C. Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20240. American Goldfinch C C C U Common Yellowthroat C C C © 2019, State of Minnesota, DNR