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Seasons Relative Abundance Delaware State Parks Species Seasonal Abundance www.destateparks.com S Sp Su F W elaware Seashore State Park offers bird enthusiasts unlimited opportunities to study and enjoy the natural world Geese and Ducks of the Delaware Coast. The park’s geographic location puts it in the direct flight path of many birds. The park’s Snow Goose c r - c c variety of marine, estuarine and upland habitats provides critical feeding, resting and nesting areas for migrating Brant c r r c c Dand breeding birds. This checklist includes many species that Canada Goose* c c c c c Cackling Goose - - - r r occur in the park fairly regularly. The list is Wood Duck* r r r o r Delaware Seashore offers excellent birding year-round. In spring and fall, shorebirds, songbirds and raptors move based on the Seventh Edition of the American Green-Winged Teal u u - u u through the park in impressive numbers. In late October and early November thousands of seaducks, cormorants, Ornithological Union’s Checklist of North American Black Duck* c c c c c gannets and loons stream south just offshore as they migrate. Winter offers the chance to see northern visitors Mallard* c c c c c like harlequin duck, little gull, orange-crowned warbler and snowy owl. During the summer months the largest American Birds. Your sightings are crucial to Northern Pintail u o - u u concentration of Ospreys in the state is busy raising young on man-made platforms around Rehoboth and helping us better understand the abundance Blue-Winged Teal u o - u - Indian River Bays. and occurrence of birds at Delaware Seashore Northern Shoveler o o - u u Gadwall o o - o o State Park. If you are not already a regular American Wigeon o o - o o Delaware Seashore State Park offers a number of good birding sites. The Indian River Inlet is by far the best place eBird user, please consider entering your to look for rare gulls, terns and waterbirds. The marshes on the east side of Rehoboth Bay, Thompson and Burtons Canvasback r - - r r sightings into the eBird database at Redhead r - - r r Island Nature Preserves, and the Fresh Pond area of the park are all great places to look for birds. Two bathhouses and Ring-Necked Duck r - - o o a number of beach-side parking lots allow easy access for those interested in scanning the ocean for seabirds www.ebird.org. Greater Scaup u - - u u year-round. Lesser Scaup u - - u u Common Eider r - - o o King Eider r - - r r Harlequin Duck r - - r r Long-tailed Duck c - - c c Relative Abundance Seasons Black Scoter c r - c c Surf Scoter c r - c c c - Common Fairly abundant and likely to be EARLY SPRING = S FALL = F White-Winged Scoter u - - u u seen in proper habitat on each March 15 thru April SEPTEMBER thru Common Goldeneye c - - c c visit NOVEMBER BuffleHead c - - c c LATE SPRING = SP Hooded Merganser o - - o o u - Uncommon Present in small numbers and not May 1 thru JUNE 15 WINTER = W Common Merganser r - - r r always seen on every visit December thru Red-Breasted Merganser c o o c c 39415 Inlet Road SUMMER = SU MARCH 15 Ruddy Duck u - - u u Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 o - Occasional Occurs sporadically in proper June 15 thru AUGUST Gamebirds season and habitat (302) 227-2800 Northern Bobwhite* o o o o o Wild Turkey* o u u o o r - Rare Seldom seen Loons, Grebes and Seabirds DELAWARE SEASHORE STATE PARK Red-Throated Loon c o r c c *Indicates a species which has nested within the Common Loon c o r c c park Pied-billed Grebe u u r u u The Division of Parks and Recreation Horned Grebe u r - u u Species in bold print are neotropical migrants - 89 Kings Hwy. Red-necked Grebe r - - r r they spend the winter in tropical regions of South Dover, DE, 19901 BIRDS of Eared Grebe r - - r r and Central America (302)739-9220 Wilson's Storm-Petrel - - o - - Gannet, Cormorants, Herons and Egrets Species in italicized print are species that have Delaware Seashore State Park Northern Gannet c o r c u been introduced into North America by humans. Double-Crested Cormorant c c c c c Great Cormorant u - - u u Brown Pelican r u u u u Species Seasonal Abundance Species Seasonal Abundance Species Seasonal Abundance Species Seasonal Abundance Species Seasonal Abundance S Sp Su F W S Sp Su F W S Sp Su F W S Sp Su F W S Sp Su F W Great Blue Heron* c c c c c White-Rumped Sandpiper - o o o - Woodpeckers and Falcons Eastern Bluebird* u u u u u Sparrows Great Egret* c c c c o Pectoral Sandpiper - o o o - Red-Headed Woodpecker - r r r - Veery - o - o - Eastern Towhee* c c c c c Snowy Egret* c c c c r Semipalmated Sandpiper - c c c - Red-bellied Woodpecker* c c c c c Gray-cheeked Thrush - o - o - American Tree Sparrow - - - - r Little Blue Heron* o o o o - Western Sandpiper - r c c r Yellow-bellied Sapsucker o - - o o Swainson’s Thrush - o - o - Chipping Sparrow* c c c c o Tricolored Heron* u u u u o Short-billled Dowitcher u c c c o Downy Woodpecker* c c c c c Hermit Thrush u u - u u Field Sparrow* c c c c c Cattle Egret r r r r - Long-billed Dowitcher o r - o o Hairy Woodpecker* u u u u u Wood Thrush* u c u u - Savannah Sparrow c u - c c Green Heron* u u u u - Wilson's Snipe o o - o o Northern Flicker* u u u c u American Robin* c c c c c Nelson’s Sparrow o - - o o Black-crowned Night-Heron* u u u u u American Woodcock* o o o o o American Kestrel u o o u o Mimids, Starling, Pipit and Waxwing Saltmarsh Sparrow* o u u u o Yellow-crowned Night Heron r r r r - Jaegers and Alcids Merlin u r - u o Gray Catbird* r c c c r Seaside Sparrow* o c c c o White Ibis - r r r - Pomarine Jaeger - r - r - Peregrine Falcon o o - u o Brown Thrasher* o c c c o Fox Sparrow - - - o o Glossy Ibis* u u u o - Parasitic Jaeger r r - o - Flycatchers Northern Mockingbird* c c c c c Song Sparrow* c c c c c Vultures and Hawks Dovekie - - - - r Eastern Wood Pewee* - u u u - European Starling* c c c c c Lincoln's Sparrow - - - r r Black Vulture* c c c c c Razorbill o - - o o Willow Flycatcher* - o o - - American Pipit r r - r r Swamp Sparrow* u u u u u Turkey Vulture* c c c c c Gulls and Terns Least Flycatcher - r - r - Cedar Waxwing* u u u u u White-throated Sparrow c c - c c Osprey* c c c c r Bonaparte's Gull u u - u u Eastern Phoebe* o o o u r Snow Bunting and Warblers White-crowned Sparrow o r - o o Bald Eagle u u u u u Black-Headed Gull r - - r r Great Crested Flycatcher* - u u o - Snow Bunting o - - o o Dark-eyed Junco c o - c c Northern Harrier u o - u u Little Gull r - - r r Eastern Kingbird* - u u u - Ovenbird* - u u u - Tanagers, Cardinal and Grosbeaks Sharp-shinned Hawk u o - u o Laughing Gull* c c c c r Viroes and Corvids Worm-eating Warbler - o o o - Summer Tanager - r r r - Cooper's Hawk u o o u o Ring-billed Gull c c u c c White-eyed Vireo* - c c c - Louisiana Waterthrush o o o r - Scarlet Tanager - o r o - Red-shouldered Hawk r - r r r Herring Gull* c c c c c Yellow-Throated Vireo - r r r - Northern Waterthrush - r - r - Northern Cardinal* c c c c c Broad-Winged Hawk r r - r - Iceland Gull r - - r r Blue-Headed Vireo - o - o - Golden-Winged Warbler - r - r - Rose-Breasted Grosbeak - o - o - Red-tailed Hawk* u u u u u Lesser Black-backed Gull u u o u u Warbling Vireo - r - r - Blue-Winged Warbler - r - r - Blue Grosbeak* - c c c - Rough-legged Hawk r - - r r Glaucous Gull r - - r r Red-eyed Vireo* - c c c - Black-and-White Warbler* r u o u - Indigo Bunting* - c c c - Rails Great Black-backed Gull* c c c c c Blue Jay* c c c c c Prothonotary Warbler - o o - - Blackbirds Clapper Rail* c c c c u Least Tern* - u u o - American Crow* c c c c c Tennessee Warbler - r - r - Bobolink - u - u - Virginia Rail r r r r r Gull-billedTern - r r - - Fish Crow* c c c c c Orange-crowned Warbler - - - r r Red-Winged Blackbird* c c c c c Sora r r - r - Caspian Tern o c u c - Horned Lark and Swallows Nashville Warbler - r - r r Eastern Meadowlark* o o o o o American Coot o r - o o Black Tern - r o r - Horned Lark o o o o o Kentucky Warbler - r r r - Boat-tailed Grackle* c c c c c Shorebirds Roseate Tern - r - - - Purple Martin* u c c c - Common Yellowthroat* r c c c r Common Grackle* c c c c c American Oystercatcher* u c c u r Common Tern* o c c c r Tree Swallow* u c c c o Hooded Warbler - r - r - Brown-Headed Cowbird* c c c c c Black-bellied Plover u c u c u Forster's Tern* c c c c u Northern Routh-winged Swallow - o o o - American Redstart - c - c - Baltimore Oriole* - u o u - American Golden-Plover r r - r - Royal Tern - c c c - Bank Swallow - o r o - Cape May Warbler - r - o - Orchard Oriole* - u u u - Semipalmated Plover - c c c - Black Skimmer* - o o o - Cliff Swallow - o - o - Northern Parula - c - c - Finches and House Sparrow Piping Plover r r r r - Doves and Cuckoos Barn Swallow* o c c c - Magnolia Warbler - u - u - House Finch* c c c c c Killdeer* u u u u u Rock Pigeon* c c c c c Chickadee, Titmouse, Nuthatch and Wrens Bay-Breasted Warbler - r - u - Purple Finch r - - r r Spotted Sandpiper - u o u - Mourning Dove* c c c c c Carolina Chickadee* c c c c c Blackburnian Warbler - o - o - Common Redpoll - - - - r Solitary Sandpiper - r - r - Yellow-billed Cuckoo - o r o - Tufted Titmouse* c c c c c Yellow Warbler* - c u c - Pine Siskin r - - r r Greater Yellowlegs u c c c o Black-billed Cuckoo - r r o - Red-Breasted Nuthatch o o - o o Chestnut-Sided Warbler - u - u - American Goldfinch* c c c c c Willet u c c u - Owls and Nightjars Brown-Headed Nuthatch* u u u u u Blackpoll Warbler - c - c - House Sparrow* c c c c c Lesser Yellowlegs u c c c o Eastern Screech-Owl* u u u u u Brown Creeper u o - u u Black-Throated Blue Warbler - u - u - Whimbrel - o o r - Great Horned Owl* u u u u u House Wren* r c c c r Palm Warbler o u - c o Accidental Marbled Godwit r r - r - Snowy Owl r - - r r Winter Wren u r - u u Pine Warbler* c c c c o The following species have been seen at Delaware Ruddy Turnstone c c o c c Short-eared Owl r - - r r Carolina Wren* c c c c c Yellow-Rumped Warbler c c - c c Seashore State Park fewer than five times.
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