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Home , Little stint, Spotted sandpiper, Woodcock

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

A Refuge for Birds Spring (March - May) Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Piping plovers first return in March was established in 1941 to provide to nest on the ocean beach.1 Purple feeding, resting, and nesting habitat martins begin to arrive in mid-April for migratory birds. Located along the and are most easily observed from Atlantic Flyway on the Massachusetts parking lot 1 at provided compartment coast, the refuge is of special signifi- houses. Raptor migration is best cance to waterfowl and shorebirds, in- in April and early May with prime cluding the federally threatened piping viewing available in parking lot 1. Top plover. Consisting of 4700 plus acres of single-day flights of American kestrel, diverse wetland and upland habitats, sharp-shinned hawk, and other Bill Thompson Black-capped Chickadee the refuge also supports a great variety consist of several hundred birds. Peak of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, migratory diversity occurs during insects and other wildlife. the latter half of May. At this time a Fall (September - November) day’s tally may result in one hundred Passerine migration continues into Trails and Other Facilities Provide or more species. Major waves of early September and shorebird Excellent Viewing, Several Wheelchair songbirds, especially warblers, vireos, diversity is at its height. Peregrine Accessible thrushes, and flycatchers, are the main falcons occur most regularly from Parker River refuge is accessible by attraction. Hellcat Wildlife Observation mid-September through November. motor vehicle and foot over mostly Area and the Pines Trail are popular During October, sizeable numbers of gentle terrain. Several miles of foot viewing sites. yellow-rumped warblers can be found trails meander through dune, shrub/ in refuge thickets. In October and thicket, freshwater marsh, and other Summer (June - August) November, dabbling ducks dominate refuge habitats. Observation towers Good birding continues into early at the freshwater pools, complemented and platforms afford commanding June with songbird migration still in here and in deeper water areas by views of the refuge and surrounding progress. By early July, southbound a diversity of divers. Mid-October lands and waters. A 6.3 mile (10.1 shorebird migrants begin to arrive with through November is best for viewing kilometer) roadway runs the length of numbers peaking in August. Viewing northern gannets with strong onshore the refuge and provides several pull- is normally best at the Salt Pannes ocean winds most favorable. offs. For your safety, roadside parking Wildlife Observation Area at high is prohibited and the 25 mph (40 kmph) tide and Stage Island, Bill Forward, Winter (December - February) speed limit is strictly enforced. and North Pools when water levels Emerson Rocks (parking lot 7) attracts are low. Beginning in mid-August, wintering loons, grebes, and sea ducks Wheelchair accessible birding sites large numbers of herons during some including common eider, white-winged include the Salt Pannes Wildlife years congregate at Bill Forward Pool scoter, and long-tailed duck. Also at Observation Area, the Bill Forward Bird and other refuge roost sites. In even this tidal area, purple can Blind, the North Pool Overlook, the 0.3 greater concentrations, migrating tree sometimes be observed on exposed mile (0.5 kilometer) Pines Trail, and the swallows can be observed in marsh, rocks. Two winter specialties are snowy observation platforms overlooking the beach, and other open habitats. Also owl and rough-legged hawk, found beach and ocean at parking lots 1, 5 and 7. at this time, warblers, vireos, and most commonly in refuge grasslands other fall songbird migrants become and other open habitats. Northern Birding Best in Spring, Summer, and Fall apparent. shrike, another winter feature, is most Parker River refuge is noted as one of frequently located in roadside trees and the finest birding areas in the nation shrubs. with more than 350 species recorded. While any season can produce a Please remain an unobtrusive observer 1 Each year the Refuge beach is closed to all memorable visit, spring, summer, by viewing birds and other wildlife public entry April 1 to mid-late August to provide from an appropriate distance and and fall offer the best birdwatching undisturbed nesting habitat for the piping plover. opportunities. Each season’s highlights Generally, sections of the beach start opening in staying within designated public use are described as follows. mid-July as chicks fledge. areas. Arrive Early to Avoid Disappointment Additional Symbols Sp S F W During the warmer months, the refuge • represents a species known or ___Great Egret 5 5 4 sometimes fills to capacity and is suspected to nest on the refuge ___Snowy Egret 5 5 4 subsequently closed for several hours. ___Little Blue Heron 1 2 1 Arriving early may help you avoid this bold indicates a federally listed ___Tri-colored Heron 1 2 1 inconvenience. threatened or endangered ___Green Heron• 2 2 1 species ___Black-crowned Night-Heron• 2 3 2 1 Checklist Provides Seasonal Sp S F W ___Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 1 1 1 ___Glossy Ibis 2 3 1 Probabilities of Seeing Individual Ducks, Geese, & Swans Species ___Snow Goose 2 1 3 3 Vultures, Hawks & Falcons ___Turkey Vulture 2 1 2 1 This checklist provides information ___Brant 3 1 2 1 ___Osprey• 4 4 2 1 on the likelihood of seeing individual ___Canada Goose 5 5 5 5 ___Bald Eagle 1 1 1 2 bird species through the seasons. This ___Mute Swan 5 4 4 2 ___Northern Harrier• 5 3 5 5 likelihood is based on the species’ ___Wood Duck 1 2 1 ___Sharp-shinned Hawk 3 1 2 1 observability and is dependent upon ___Gadwall 5 4 4 2 ___Cooper’s Hawk 2 1 3 1 many factors including its size, color, ___Eurasian Wigeon 1 1 2 1 ___Northern Goshawk 1 1 1 1 behavior, habitat preference, habitat ___American Wigeon 2 1 3 1 ___Red-shouldered Hawk 1 1 1 conditions, relative abundance, and ___American Black Duck 5 4 5 5 ___Broad-winged Hawk• 1 1 frequency of occurrence. ___Mallard 5 5 4 4 ___Red-tailed Hawk• 2 2 2 3 ___Blue-winged Teal 3 3 3 ___Rough-legged Hawk 2 2 3 Prepared in accordance with the ___Northern Shoveler 2 1 3 1 ___American Kestrel• 4 1 2 3 Seventh Edition of “The American ___Northern Pintail 4 2 4 3 ___Merlin 3 1 3 3 Ornithologists’ Union Check-list of ___Green-winged Teal 5 3 5 2 ___Peregrine Falcon 3 1 4 3 North American Birds,” this brochure ___Redhead 1 1 ___Gyrfalcon 1 1 1 lists 306 species which have been ___Ring-necked Duck 2 1 1 observed on or from the Plum Island ___Greater Scaup 1 1 2 1 Rails, Gallinules, and Coots ___Clapper Rail• 2 3 1 section of Parker River National ___Lesser Scaup 1 2 1 ___King Rail• 1 2 1 Wildlife Refuge. It also includes two ___King Eider 1 1 ___Virginia Rail• 2 3 1 1 separate lists of birds of extremely rare ___Common Eider 3 1 4 5 ___Sora• 2 3 1 occurrence. ___Harlequin Duck 1 1 1 ___Common Moorhen• 1 1 1 ___Surf Scoter 2 1 2 2 ___American Coot• 1 1 1 1 Seasons ___White-winged Scoter 3 1 4 5 Sp spring March – May ___Black Scoter 3 1 3 3 Plovers ___Black-bellied Plover 2 4 4 1 S summer June – August ___Long-tailed Duck 4 1 2 4 ___American Golden-Plover 1 1 2 F fall September – November ___Bufflehead 3 3 3 ___Semipalmated Plover 2 4 4 W winter December – February ___Common Goldeneye 3 2 4 ___Piping Plover• 3 3 1 ___Barrow’s Goldeneye 1 1 ___Killdeer• 5 5 2 Sighting Likelihood ___Hooded Merganser 2 1 3 3 5 very good to excellent ___Common Merganser 2 1 1 Oystercatcher ___American Oystercatcher 1 1 4 good to very good ___Red-breasted Merganser 4 1 3 4 3 fair to good ___Ruddy Duck 1 1 2 1 Avocets ___American Avocet 1 1 2 poor to fair Gallinaceous Birds Sandpipers, , and Allies 1 very poor to poor ___Ring-necked Pheasant 1 1 1 1 ___Greater Yellowlegs 5 5 5 1 ___Wild Turkey• 1 1 1 1 ___Lesser Yellowlegs 3 4 3 The probability of seeing a bird Loons & Grebes ___Solitary 1 1 1 may vary within a season. The value ___Red-throated Loon 3 1 3 3 ___Willet• 4 5 2 assigned to each bird in this checklist ___Common Loon 4 2 4 4 ___Spotted Sandpiper• 2 3 2 represents the highest value that ___Pied-billed Grebe• 2 1 2 1 ___Upland Sandpiper 1 1 1 generally occurs within that season. ___Horned Grebe 3 2 4 ___Whimbrel 1 2 2 ___Red-necked Grebe 2 2 2 ___Hudsonian 1 2 For specific information on Fulmars & Shearwaters ___Marbled Godwit 1 1 Massachusetts birds concerning such ___Northern Fulmar 1 1 ___Ruddy 2 2 2 1 factors as seasonal abundance, habitat ___Greater Shearwater 1 1 ___Red Knot 1 2 2 preference, and early and late seasonal ___Sooty Shearwater 1 1 ___Sanderling 2 3 4 2 dates, refer to the website www. ___Manx Shearwater 1 1 1 ___Semipalmated Sandpiper 2 5 4 massbird.org. Storm-Petrels ___Western Sandpiper 1 2 ___Wilson’s Storm-Petrel 1 2 1 ___Least Sandpiper 3 4 3 ___Leach’s Storm-Petrel 1 1 1 ___White-rumped Sandpiper 2 3 3 Gannets ___Baird’s Sandpiper 1 1 ___Northern Gannet 2 2 3 2 ___Pectoral Sandpiper 1 2 2 Cormorants ___Purple Sandpiper 1 1 2 ___Great Cormorant 1 2 2 ___Dunlin 2 1 4 2 ___Double-crested Cormorant 5 5 4 1 ___Stilt Sandpiper 1 3 2 Bitterns, Herons, Egrets & Ibises ___Buff-breasted Sandpiper 1 1 ___American Bittern 2 1 2 2 ___Ruff 1 1 1 ___Least Bittern• 1 2 1

Dave Menke/USFWS ___Short-billed 2 4 3 ___Great Blue Heron 4 4 4 2 Blue Jay Sp S F W Sp S F W ___Long-billed Dowitcher 2 3 1 Kingfishers ___Wilson’s 2 1 1 1 ___Belted Kingfisher• 2 2 2 1 ___American • 3 2 1 Woodpeckers & Allies ___Wilson’s 2 2 1 ___Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 1 1 ___Red-necked Phalarope 1 1 1 ___Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 2 ___Red Phalarope 1 1 ___Downy Woodpecker• 3 3 3 3 Jaegers, Gulls & Terns ___Hairy Woodpecker 1 1 1 1 ___Parasitic Jaeger 1 1 1 ___Northern Flicker 4 1 3 1 ___Laughing Gull 1 2 2 Tyrant Flycatchers ___Little Gull 1 2 1 1 ___Olive-sided Flycatcher 1 1 1 ___Black-headed Gull 1 1 1 1 ___Eastern Wood-Pewee 2 1 1 ___Bonaparte’s Gull 2 3 2 1 ___Yellow-bellied Flycatcher 1 1 1 ___Ring-billed Gull 3 4 4 3 ___Alder Flycatcher 1 1 1 ___Herring Gull• 5 5 5 5 ___Willow Flycatcher• 2 4 1 ___Iceland Gull 1 1 1 ___Least Flycatcher 2 1 1 ___Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 1 1 1 ___Eastern Phoebe• 3 2 3 ___Glaucous Gull 1 1 1 ___Great Crested Flycatcher• 2 2 1 ___Great Black-backed Gull 5 4 4 5 ___Western Kingbird 1 1 ___Black-legged Kittiwake 1 1 2 ___Eastern Kingbird• 4 5 2 ___Caspian Tern 1 1 1 Shrike ___Roseate Tern 1 2 1 ___Northern Shrike 2 1 3 ___Common Tern 3 5 2 Vireos

___Arctic Tern 1 1 1 ___White-eyed Vireo 1 1 George Gentry/USFWS ___Forster’s Tern• 1 1 1 ___Blue-headed Vireo 3 2 Red-winged blackbird ___Least Tern• 2 4 1 ___Yellow-throated Vireo 1 1 ___Black Tern 1 1 1 ___Warbling Vireo 1 1 1 Sp S F W Auks ___Philadelphia Vireo 1 1 2 Starlings, Pipits & Waxwings ___Thick-billed Murre 1 ___Red-eyed Vireo• 2 2 3 ___European Starling• 4 4 4 4 ___Razorbill 1 1 2 Jays, Crows, Larks & Swallows ___American Pipit 1 3 1 ___Black Guillemot 1 1 1 ___Blue Jay• 4 2 4 3 ___Cedar Waxwing• 2 4 3 1 Doves, Cuckoos, Owls, Swifts & Hummingbirds ___American Crow• 5 4 4 4 Wood-Warblers ___Rock Pigeon• 3 3 3 3 ___Horned Lark• 2 1 2 4 ___Blue-Winged Warbler 1 1 1 ___Mourning Dove• 5 4 3 3 ___Purple Martin• 4 4 1 ___Tennessee Warbler 1 1 ___Black-billed Cuckoo• 2 2 1 ___Tree Swallow• 5 5 4 1 ___Orange-crowned Warbler 1 1 ___Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1 1 2 ___N. Rough-winged Swallow• 2 1 1 ___Nashville Warbler 2 1 2 ___Great Horned Owl• 1 1 1 1 ___Bank Swallow• 2 3 2 ___Northern Parula 3 1 2 ___Snowy Owl 2 1 3 ___Cliff Swallow• 1 1 1 ___Yellow Warbler• 4 4 1 ___Long-eared Owl 1 1 1 ___Barn Swallow• 3 3 2 ___Chestnut-sided Warbler 2 1 1 ___Short-eared Owl 2 1 2 Chickadees, Nuthatches & Wrens ___Magnolia Warbler 3 1 2 ___Northern Saw-whet Owl• 1 1 1 ___Black-capped Chickadee• 5 3 4 4 ___Cape May Warbler 1 1 ___Chimney Swift 2 2 2 ___Tufted Titmouse 1 1 1 ___Black-throated Blue Warbler 2 1 2 ___Ruby-throated Hummingbird• 2 2 1 ___Red-breasted Nuthatch 3 1 3 2 ___Yellow-rumped Warbler 4 1 4 3 Nightjars ___White-breasted Nuthatch 1 1 1 1 ___Black-throated Green Warbler 3 1 2 ___Common Nighthawk 1 1 1 ___Brown Creeper 2 1 2 1 ___Blackburnian Warbler 2 1 1 ___Whip-poor-will 1 1 1 ___Carolina Wren 2 1 2 1 ___Pine Warbler 2 1 2 ___House Wren• 1 2 1 ___Prairie Warbler 1 1 1 ___Winter Wren 2 1 1 ___Palm Warbler 3 2 ___Marsh Wren• 4 4 3 1 ___Bay-breasted Warbler 1 1 1 Kinglets, Thrushes & Thrashers ___Blackpoll Warbler 2 1 2 ___Golden-crowned Kinglet 2 3 1 ___Black-and-white Warbler 3 1 2 ___Ruby-crowned Kinglet 4 3 1 ___American Redstart• 3 3 3 ___Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2 1 1 ___Worm-eating Warbler 1 1 1 ___Eastern Bluebird 1 1 ___Ovenbird 2 1 2 ___Veery• 2 1 1 ___Northern Waterthrush 3 1 2 ___Gray-cheeked Thrush 1 1 ___Connecticut Warbler 1 ___Bicknell’s Thrush 1 1 ___Mourning Warbler 1 1 1 ___Swainson’s Thrush 2 1 ___Common Yellowthroat• 3 4 2 ___Hermit Thrush 3 1 2 1 ___Hooded Warbler 1 1 1 ___Wood Thrush 1 1 1 ___Canada Warbler 2 1 2 ___American Robin• 5 5 4 4 ___Yellow-breasted Chat 1 1 1 1 ___Gray Catbird• 4 5 4 1 Tanagers, Sparrows & Towhees ___Northern Mockingbird• 4 4 4 3 ___Summer Tanager 1 1 ___Brown Thrasher• 4 4 3 1 ___Scarlet Tanager 2 1 2 ___Eastern Towhee• 4 4 3 1 Eugene F. Hester/USFWS Eugene F. Green heron Refuge Visitors Acknowledgments The following is a list of resident or We are indebted to the many visiting migratory bird species of eastern ornithologists and birders who have Massachusetts that are of extremely over the years contributed significantly rare refuge occurrence. to the refuge avian data base. The accuracy of future checklists depends Cackling Goose Pileated in part upon the continued support of Tundra Swan Woodpecker such professional and amateur bird Acadian Flycatcher enthusiasts. Please report significant Northern Loggerhead observations to refuge headquarters at Bobwhite Shrike the address or phone number listed at Cory’s Fish Crow the end of this brochure. Shearwater Common Raven Cattle Egret Boreal Chickadee THANK YOU! Black Vulture Sedge Wren Golden Eagle Bohemian Bill Thompson/USFWS Refuge Vagrants Yellow Rail Waxwing Northern cardinal The following is a list of bird species Pomarine Jaeger Golden-winged whose normal range does not Long-tailed Warbler Sp S F W encompass eastern Massachusetts Jaeger Cerulean Warbler ___American Tree Sparrow 3 3 5 and that are of extremely rare refuge Gull-billed Tern Prothonotary ___Chipping Sparrow 2 1 2 occurrence, some having been recorded Royal Tern Warbler ___Clay-colored Sparrow 1 1 1 only once. Black Skimmer Louisiana ___Field Sparrow• 4 3 2 1 Dovekie Waterthrush ___Vesper Sparrow• 1 1 1 Fulvous Whistling Black-headed Common Murre Kentucky Warbler Atlantic Puffin Lark Bunting ___Lark Sparrow 1 1 Duck Woodpecker Barn Owl Henslow’s ___Savannah Sparrow• 4 3 4 2 Greater White- Say’s Phoebe fronted Goose Vermillion Eastern Screech- Sparrow ___Grasshopper Sparrow 1 1 Garganey Flycatcher Owl Blue Grosbeak ___Saltmarsh Sparrow• 2 4 2 1 Pacific Loon Ash-throated Barred Owl Evening ___Nelson’s Sparrow• 1 1 Eared Grebe Flycatcher Red-headed Grosbeak ___Seaside Sparrow• 2 2 2 1 Western Grebe Couch’s Kingbird Woodpecker ___Fox Sparrow 2 1 1 American White Scissor-tailed ___Song Sparrow• 5 5 4 4 Pelican Flycatcher Notes ___Lincoln’s Sparrow 1 1 1 Little Egret Fork-tailed Location______Swamp Sparrow• 3 1 2 1 White-faced Ibis Flycatcher Date______Time______White-throated Sparrow 4 1 4 3 White Ibis Black-billed Observers______White-crowned Sparrow 2 2 Swainson’s Hawk Magpie Weather______Dark-eyed Junco 3 4 2 Black Rail Cave Swallow ______Lapland Longspur 1 2 1 Sandhill Crane Northern ______Snow Bunting 2 3 2 Pacific Golden- Wheatear ______Northern Cardinal• 4 3 3 4 Plover Sage Thrasher ___Rose-breasted Grosbeak 2 1 1 Wilson’s Plover Black-throated ______Indigo Bunting 1 1 1 Black-necked Stilt Gray Warbler ______Dickcissel 1 1 Yellow-throated ______Blackbirds, Orioles & Finches Warbler ______Bobolink• 3 5 2 Long-billed Western Tanager LeConte’s ___Red-winged Blackbird• 5 5 2 1 Parker River National Wildlife Refuge ___Eastern Meadowlark• 1 1 1 1 Bar-tailed Godwit Sparrow Red-necked Harris’s Sparrow 6 Plum Island Turnpike ___Rusty Blackbird 1 1 Chestnut-collared Newburyport, MA 01950 ___Common Grackle• 5 5 2 1 Longspur 978/465 5753 ___Brown-headed Cowbird• 5 4 2 1 Franklin’s Gull Black-headed 978/465 2807 Fax ___Orchard Oriole• 1 1 Thayer’s Gull Grosbeak email: [email protected] ___Baltimore Oriole• 2 3 2 Sabine’s Gull Yellow-headed www.fws.gov/refuge/Parker_River ___Purple Finch• 4 3 2 1 Ross’s Gull Blackbird ___House Finch• 4 3 2 1 Ivory Gull Bullocks’s Oriole Federal Relay Service ___White-winged Crossbill 1 1 1 Sandwich Tern Pine Grosbeak for the deaf and hard of hearing ___Common Redpoll 1 1 2 Sooty Tern Hoary Redpoll 1 800/877 8339 ___Pine Siskin 1 1 1 Chuck-will’s- ___American Goldfinch• 5 4 3 2 widow U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ___House Sparrow• 3 3 2 2 http:///www.fws.gov

For Refuge Information 1 800/344 WILD

July 2014