J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D BIRDS of the OUTER BANKS ABUNDANCE DESIGNATIONS GREBES FALCONS SANDPIPERS (cont'd.) OWLS __ Pied-billed Grebe •••••••• __ American Kestrel •••** *• __ Ruff ******** ************ __ Barn Owl ************************************************ Nearly 400 species of birds have been sighted within COMMON: Certain to be found in proper habitat __ Horned Grebe •••**** ***•• __ Merlin ••••** __ Short-billed Dowitcher __ Eastern Screech-Owl Cape Hatteras National Seashore. This impressive number __ Red-necked Grebe **••••••** ***** __ Peregrine Falcon •••••• •• __ Long-billed Dowitcher • •• FAIRLY COMMON: Will usually be found ** * * __ Great Horned Owl is due to several factors, which include: the rich diversity of __ Eared Grebe •••••••*** ***••••••• __ Wilson's Snipe •* ***••• __ Short-eared Owl •••••••••••• ••••••• RAILS & ALLIES habitats; the fact that the ocean off the Banks is biologically UNCOMMON: Present, but will often be missed __ American Woodcock ••••*********************••••• __ Northern Saw-whet Owl ******** ******** rich, in part because of the mixing of subtropical waters from OCCASIONAL: May require several visits to fi nd __ Yellow Rail ************ ************ __ Wilson's Phalarope **** *•• ••*** SHEARWATERS __ Black Rail ••••••••••••• ••••••••••• the south with the temperate waters from the mid-Atlantic; • •••• __ Red-necked Phalarope **•••* ****••******** NIGHTJARS * RARE: Not recorded every year __ Cory's Shearwater *** __ Clapper Rail and the limited extent of land, which tends to concentrate • •• __ Red Phalarope ****************** ****************** __ Common Nighthawk •• •••••••• VERY RARE TO ACCIDENTAL: __ Great Shearwater __ King Rail vagrants. In spite of its rich potential, the Banks is actually __ Chuck-will's-widow ••• __ Sooty Shearwater * •* underbirded. In fact, sometimes a visiting birder discovers Found less often than fi ve times a decade. __ Virginia Rail GULLS & TERNS See separate list at end of checklist __ Manx Shearwater *•* • • __ Eastern Whip-poor-will ********** a species that has never been recorded in this area before. __ Sora __ Black-legged Kittiwake ••••••******** **•••••• __ Audubon's Shearwater •• ••** •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• __ Common Moorhen __ Bonaparte's Gull •••**** ****•••••• SWIFTS J F M A M J J A S O N D __ American Coot ••••••••••••••• __ Black-headed Gull The area covered by this list includes all of Cape STORM-PETRELS *************** ******** __ Chimney Swift • •• __ Little Gull ••• ••• Hatteras National Seashore, from Nags Head south to GEESE & DUCKS __ Wilson's Storm-Petrel ••• * ** ****** * **** PLOVERS __ Laughing Gull •••••• Ocracoke village, to include Pea Island National Wildlife __ Snow Goose (Light Morph) •••••••************•• __ Leach's Storm-Petrel ••• HUMMINGBIRDS Refuge. Also included is the Fort Raleigh National Historic __ Black-bellied Plover __ Ring-billed Gull __ Ruby-throated Hummingbird ••••••••••• • __ "Blue Goose" • •• ••••••••••• Site on Roanoke Island. Note that the bar-graph statuses __ American Golden-Plover ************* **** __ California Gull ••••••**** ****• __ Rufous Hummingbird ************ ******** __ Ross's Goose ***** *********** PELICANS & ALLIES ••• •• provided in this list are based on the sites where species __ Wilson's Plover *** *** __ Herring Gull __ Brant ••****** • __ Magnifi cent Frigatebird *••••********** •••• are easiest to fi nd. For instance, the statuses given for __ Semipalmated Plover __ Thayer's Gull •••••••••• • KINGFISHER __ Canada Goose __ Northern Gannet •••**********•••• **** __ Piping Plover __ Iceland Gull •••••••••• • __ Belted Kingfi sher •••••••• most waterfowl species are based on their abundances at __ Mute Swan __ Double-crested Cormorant **** **** Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. Some resident landbird __ Killdeer __ Lesser Black-backed Gull •••••••••••••••••••• __ Tundra Swan ••••••••••••••••••••••••• __ Great Cormorant ••••••**********•••••• species that are easy to fi nd at Fort Raleigh National Historic __ Glaucous Gull •••••••••• •• WOODPECKERS __ Wood Duck •••••••• •••••••••••••••• __ American White Pelican •••••••••**********************• ******* **** Site are much harder to fi nd further south on the Banks, e.g. OYSTERCATCHERS __ Great Black-backed Gull __ Red-headed Woodpecker •• •••••••• __ Gadwall __ Brown Pelican __ American Oystercatcher __ Sooty Tern ••••••••••••••••• __ Red-bellied Woodpecker Brown-headed Nuthatch. __ Eurasian Wigeon ••*********** **••• •••• ** ** __ Least Tern • •• __ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker • • __ American Wigeon •• • BITTERNS & HERONS ** * AVOCETS & STILTS __ Gull-billed Tern ••• __ Downy Woodpecker __ American Black Duck __ American Bittern ••**********••• • ** __ Black-necked Stilt • ** __ Caspian Tern ••• •• •••••••••••••• __ Least Bittern __ Hairy Woodpecker ********* ********** __ Mallard ********* __ American Avocet __ Black Tern •• ••••• •• __ Northern Flicker __ Blue-winged Teal ••••••• ••••••• __ Great Blue Heron ** ** WHEN and WHERE __ Roseate Tern ••• __ Pileated Woodpecker __ Northern Shoveler ••** •• __ Great Egret SANDPIPERS *************** ••• •• __ Common Tern *• ••••** __ Northern Pintail ** __ Snowy Egret __ Spotted Sandpiper *•• •**• •••••**** Birding is always exciting on the Outer Banks though •• • __ Forster's Tern FLYCATCHERS __ Green-winged Teal __ Little Blue Heron __ Solitary Sandpiper • • • * the greatest variety of species occurs during spring and fall __ Royal Tern __ Eastern Wood-Pewee • ••••••••• __ "Common Teal" ******* **** __ Tricolored Heron __ Greater Yellowlegs migrations. For those seeking out migratory shorebirds, the __ Sandwich Tern ••__ Yellow-bellied Flycatcher *** __ Canvasback ••• ••• __ Reddish Egret ******••••••••*** __ Willet * various inlet tidal fl ats, the ponds at Pea Island and Bodie •• •• __ Acadian Flycatcher •••••••• __ Redhead •**** • __ Cattle Egret ** * __ Lesser Yellowlegs **** Island, and the salt pond at Cape Hatteras Point offer the • •• ••••••• __ Alder/ Willow Flycatcher ** *** __ Ring-necked Duck • __ Green Heron ******** __ Upland Sandpiper ******* *••••••••* SKIMMERS greatest concentrations. However, the ponds at Pea Island __ Least Flycatcher *** __ Greater Scaup •••• ••• __ Black-crowned Night-Heron __ Whimbrel **********• •••• •••**** __ Black Skimmer •••••••• •• and Bodie Island offer the greatest variety, and typically the •• __ Eastern Phoebe • __ Lesser Scaup •••• •• __ Yellow-crowned Night-Heron __ Long-billed Curlew ************ ******************** best chance of seeing one of the rarer species. __ Great Crested Flycatcher • ••** __ King Eider ********** ******* __ Hudsonian Godwit *•• •** JAEGERS __ Western Kingbird ******•••••••**** __ Common Eider ••••••••••••****** ***•••••• IBISES __ Marbled Godwit ••••••••••••• Landbird migration in fall can be excellent, but typically __ South Polar Skua ** __ Eastern Kingbird **• •• __ Harlequin Duck *********** ****** __ White Ibis __ Ruddy Turnstone ••••• only after strong cold fronts. The best areas to look for these __ Pomarine Jaeger ••*********••••••• ••************•• __ Gray Kingbird ****** ********* __ Surf Scoter •******* •• __ Glossy Ibis ******•• ••••••****** __ Red Knot ••••• migrants is along the dikes at Pea Island; the northern tip of __ Parasitic Jaeger ••*********••••••• ••* ****•• __ Scissor-tailed Flycatcher ********************* __ White-winged Scoter •• • __ Sanderling Pea Island, near the Oregon Inlet bridge; and at Fort Raleigh, __ Long-tailed Jaeger *** __ Black Scoter •••************•• VULTURES __ Semipalmated Sandpiper •••• ••* especially in and around the Elizabethan Gardens and along VIREOS __ Long-tailed Duck •••••* ••• __ Turkey Vulture __ Western Sandpiper •• • the section of the hiking trail that ends at Croatan Sound. •• • ALCIDS __ White-eyed Vireo ••••••••• •••••••••• __ Buffl ehead ** __ Least Sandpiper ***•• HAWKS & EAGLES __ Dovekie __ Yellow-throated Vireo **** •• __ Common Goldeneye •• ••• __ White-rumped Sandpiper • •** **• ••* ********* ****** In winter, ocean-watching is generally best from Cape __ Osprey *******•• ••• **** __ Razorbill •••••••••• • __ Blue-headed Vireo ••••** •• __ Hooded Merganser • __ Baird's Sandpiper ****••••••••** *** **** Hatteras northward. Occasionally in winter, especially __ Swallow-tailed Kite ***••••••***** __ Warbling Vireo **** __ Common Merganser ********** ***** __ Pectoral Sandpiper *•• ••* * •* in severe weather, Cape Hatteras Point may be almost __ Mississippi Kite *•••** * __ Philadelphia Vireo *•••• __ Red-breasted Merganser •••*********•••• __ Purple Sandpiper ••** *•• DOVES blanketed with gulls, providing the opportunity to see several __ Bald Eagle •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• __ Red-eyed Vireo •• __ Ruddy Duck •••******* *•• __ Dunlin ••••••••••••• __ Rock Pigeon of the rarer species. Often in late May, impressive numbers __ Northern Harrier •••••• __ Curlew Sandpiper *** **••••••******* __ Eurasian Collared-Dove of pelagic birds—storm-petrels, shearwaters, jaegers—may __ Sharp-shinned Hawk •• ** JAYS & CROWS GALLINACEOUS BIRDS __ Stilt Sandpiper *•• ** •* __ White-winged Dove **** ****************** be seen in northward migration passing just off the tip of __ Cooper's Hawk ••••••••••** ***••• __ Blue Jay __ Northern Bobwhite __ Buff-breasted Sandpiper *••••••••* __ Mourning Dove Cape Hatteras Point. __ Red-shouldered Hawk __ American Crow __ Broad-winged Hawk **** __ Fish Crow LOONS __ Red-tailed Hawk ••••*******************•••• CUCKOOS Even if you visit the Outer Banks during a __ Yellow-billed Cuckoo __ Red-throated Loon ••****** * •• __ Rough-legged Hawk ** ******* LARKS __ Black-billed Cuckoo •••• ••• slower period, don’t forget that exciting birds __ Common Loon ••••••••••••• **** __ Horned Lark ****** ** can turn up any time. J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D SWALLOWS WARBLERS TANAGERS VERY RARE /ACCIDENTAL SPECIES __ Purple Martin *• ••** __ Blue-winged Warbler *•••* __ Summer Tanager • •••••••••••••••••• Date: __ Tree Swallow ••• • __ Golden-winged Warbler **** __ Scarlet Tanager ••** • •* Fulvous Whistling-Duck White-winged Tern __ N. Rough-winged Swallow •••••• __ Tennessee Warbler *********** Greater White-fronted Arctic Tern Observers: •••• •• __ Bank Swallow * ••• •••• __ Orange-crowned Warbler * ***••• CARDINALS & ALLIES Goose __ Cliff Swallow ••** ••••••**** __ Nashville Warbler • •* __ Northern Cardinal “Cayenne Tern” __ Cave Swallow *• •* __ Northern Parula * *******••• ••** __ Rose-breasted Grosbeak •• • •• Cackling Goose Great Skua __ Barn Swallow *• •••* __ Yellow Warbler •***** • __ Blue Grosbeak • Cinnamon Teal Common Murre __ Chestnut-sided Warbler •* •••••• __ Indigo Bunting •• Garganey TITMICE __ Magnolia Warbler • • *• • __ Painted Bunting •••••••••••••*** ***•••••• Thick-billed Murre __ Carolina Chickadee __ Cape May Warbler ** • • __ Dickcissel •••••• *** *** Ring-necked Pheasant Common Ground-Dove Location: __ Tufted Titmouse **** ********** __ Black-throated Blue Warbler •••• • • Pacifi c Loon __ Yellow-rumped Warbler • • Snowy Owl NUTHATCHES * BLACKBIRDS & ORIOLES __ Black-throated Green Warbler •• Western Grebe __ Red-breasted Nuthatch •••*** *•• __ Bobolink • • • • Burrowing Owl __ Blackburnian Warbler ••• ••• * __ Brown-headed Nuthatch __ Red-winged Blackbird Clark's Grebe __ Yellow-throated Warbler • ••••••••• Antillean Nighthawk *** __ Eastern Meadowlark __ Pine Warbler Yellow-nosed Albatross CREEPERS __ Yellow-headed Blackbird ************ Olive-sided Flycatcher • __ Prairie Warbler ••••*******• ••••••••• __ Brown Creeper •• __ Rusty Blackbird ** •••••• Northern Fulmar __ Palm Warbler •••••• • * **** Say's Phoebe __ Common Grackle __ Bay-breasted Warbler •••• Black-capped Petrel WRENS __ Boat-tailed Grackle Vermilion Flycatcher __ Carolina Wren __ Blackpoll Warbler Please report unusual sightings at the __ Brown-headed Cowbird White-faced Storm-Petrel __ House Wren • __ Black-and-white Warbler •• • Ash-throated Flycatcher ** ******* __ Orchard Oriole • • Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center __ Winter Wren •••• • __ American Redstart *••••• •• Band-rumped Storm-Petrel Tropical Kingbird ** *** __ Baltimore Oriole ** • •••****** or at the Hatteras Island Ranger Station. __ Sedge Wren • •• __ Prothonotary Warbler * ••* ** White-tailed Tropicbird Fork-tailed Flycatcher __ Marsh Wren __ Worm-eating Warbler • •••••• Red-billed Tropicbird __ Ovenbird ••••••****** ••••• •••••••••• FINCHES Loggerhead Shrike THRUSHES & ALLIES __ Northern Waterthrush •• •• •• __ Purple Finch •••• ••••••** **•••••••• Compiled By: Wood Stork Northern Shrike __ Blue-gray Gnatcatcher •••******** __ Kentucky Warbler __ House Finch ** *** ***** Masked Booby John Fussell, III __ Golden-crowned Kinglet •• __ Connecticut Warbler *** __ Pine Siskin ***************** *********** White-breasted Nuthatch •• __ Mourning Warbler __ American Goldfi nch ••••••• •• 2002 __ Ruby-crowned Kinglet *** Brown Booby Bewick’s Wren __ Eastern Bluebird __ Common Yellowthroat Anhinga __ Veery • __ Hooded Warbler • ••••••• Northern Wheatear Revised By: • •• __ Gray-cheeked Thrush • • • __ Wilson's Warbler OLD WORLD SPARROWS “Great White Heron” Sage Thrasher Ricky Davis • __ Canada Warbler __ House Sparrow __ Swainson's Thrush *** ****** White-faced Ibis October 2010 __ Hermit Thrush • • __ Yellow-breasted Chat ************** ••••••******** Sprague’s Pipit __ Wood Thrush J F M A M J J A S O N D Roseate Spoonbill Black-throated Gray __ American Robin SPARROWS & ALLIES Black Vulture Warbler Cover Design & Calligraphy Courtesy of: __ Eastern Towhee MIMICS __ Chipping Sparrow •••••••••••••• • •••• Northern Goshawk Townsend’s Warbler Patricia J. Moore •••••• __ Gray Catbird __ Clay-colored Sparrow * ** FIELD NOTES Swainson’s Hawk Cerulean Warbler __ Northern Mockingbird __ Field Sparrow Leafl ets Courtesy of: ••• Golden Eagle Swainson’s Warbler __ Brown Thrasher __ Vesper Sparrow *** Eastern National & __ Lark Sparrow *•••••••**** Purple Gallinule Louisiana Waterthrush STARLINGS __ Savannah Sparrow • *• Coastal Wildlife Refuge Society __ European Starling __ "Ipswich Sparrow" ••••••••••• ••••••••• Sandhill Crane American Tree Sparrow __ Grasshopper Sparrow ******** Snowy Plover Lark Bunting Please Visit Our Websites At: PIPITS __ Nelson's Sparrow •••* • Spotted Redshank Leconte’s Sparrow __ American Pipit ••••••••••****** • •• __ Saltmarsh Sparrow •••* • Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge __ Seaside Sparrow “Eurasian Whimbrel” Harris's Sparrow http://peaisland.fws.gov __ Fox Sparrow •••• WAXWINGS Black-tailed Godwit Western Tanager __ Cedar Waxwing •••••••••••••• __ Song Sparrow Cape Hatteras National Seashore __ Lincoln's Sparrow ***** Bar-tailed Godwit Western Meadowlark __ Swamp Sparrow • • http://www.nps.gov/caha LONGSPUR * Little Stint Brewer’s Blackbird & SNOW BUNTING __ White-throated Sparrow ••* • __ White-crowned Sparrow ********** • ••••••• Sabine’s Gull Shiny Cowbird __ Lapland Longspur ********* *•••••**** ** __ Dark-eyed Junco •••••••••••••• • __ Snow Bunting ••••••** *•••••••• * Franklin’s Gull Red Crossbill Common (Mew) Gull White-winged Crossbill Yellow-legged Gull Common Redpoll J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D Bridled Tern Evening Grosbeak