U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Wildlife Checklist “I slept but very little last night for the noise kept up during the whole of the night by the swans, geese...brant (and) ducks on a small sand island... they were immensley numerous and their noise horrid.” Capt. William Clark Lewis and Clark Journal Lower Columbia River November 5, 1805 The Pacific Flyway Welcome to Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Ridgefield located on the lower Columbia River National Wildlife floodplain adjacent to Ridgefield, Refuge Washington, provides 5,150 acres of vital migration and wintering habitat for birds migrating through the region west of the Cascade Mountains in the Pacific Flyway. The mild, rainy winter climate, combined with important remnant wetlands along the Columbia River, create ideal resting and feeding areas for a variety of species, including ducks, geese, swans, sandhill cranes and provides a key wintering area for the dusky subspecies of Canada goose. A variety of other wildlife also lives in the diversity of habitats found on the refuge. Cover photo cackling Canada geese © Jim Cruce Birds of The grassland and wetland habitats of Wildlife You will be most successful at viewing Ridgefield Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Watching wild animals in their natural habitats National Wildlife are best known for the spectacular Tips if you use binoculars or a spotting Refuge concentrations of migratory scope. This equipment will help you waterfowl they attract during the observe wildlife from a distance and winter. Seven subspecies of Canada minimize disturbance. Wild animals, geese occur here. Both trumpeter and especially waterfowl are easily tundra swans return every winter disturbed by humans and may be accompanied by their gray colored forced to use vital energy reserves immature offspring. In late winter, trying to escape from their feeding shorebirds flock together in search and roosting areas. For this reason, of food hiding in the mudflats. Early be aware of special refuge seasonal spring brings the passerines and regulations on public use activities songbirds. Bald eagles nest here during the fall and winter seasons. and are often seen causing a ruckus Wildlife watching is best shortly after among ducks and other potential sunrise and close to sunset. This will prey. Other nesting birds include enhance your chances of seeing both herons, owls, some species of ducks, nighttime and daytime active animals. songbirds and sparrows. Unusual If you see any unusual sighting The Oaks to Wetlands Trail of the Sightings? such as a species observed out of its Carty Unit passes through Oregon normal season, in large numbers, white oak and Douglas fir forests, or a new species not listed, please lush understory vegetation and by report your information to the refuge numerous wetlands and meadows. biologist at the address and phone A Chinook Indian village originating number listed on the back cover in ancient times once existed here. of this leaflet. This information is The people hunted the elk, deer and greatly appreciated and will aid in birds that roamed the land. Lewis future updates to this list. In addition and Clark visited the village, camped it will provide the biologist with here and described this place and its information about species occurances people. The Carty Unit exists today and populations on the refuge. as it did then. It is not protected by flood dikes, thus water levels are dependent upon the rise and fall of the Columbia River. Expect more water during the spring snowmelt and during winter rains. Ridgefield is truly an amazing showcase of birds of the Pacific Flyway. Birding experiences vary upon the season of the year as you will see by the list that follows. We hope you will enjoy the birds and your visit! Pied-billed grebe Birds of Ridgefield NWR Season Symbols Sp - Spring (March through May) S - Summer (June and July) Common Name N Sp S F W F - Fall (August through November) Loons W - Winter (December through February) Red-throated loon r r o Pacific loon r r N - Notes * - Birds known to nest on Common loon r r r the refuge Grebes ✔ - Endangered or Threatened Pied-billed grebe * c c c c Horned grebe o o r Season c - Common, certain to be seen in Red-necked grebe r Abundance suitable habitat Eared grebe r r Symbols u - Uncommon, present but not Western grebe o o o certain to be seen o - Occasionally seen Pelicans r - Rare, known to be present, American white pelican r r but not every year Cormorants ac - Accidental Double-crested cormorant c o u u Bitterns, Herons, Egrets and Ibis American bittern * c u u o Great blue heron * c c c c Great egret * u u u u Cattle egret r r Green heron o o o r Black-crowned night-heron o o r r White-faced ibis ac ac American Vultures Turkey vulture u u u r Swans, Geese and Ducks Greater white-fronted goose u r u o Emperor goose r r Snow goose o o u Ross goose r r Canada goose * c u c c Brant o o o Trumpeter swan o o o Tundra swan u r u c Wood duck * c c u o Gadwall * c u c c Eurasian wigeon u u u American wigeon * c r c c Mallard * c c c c Belted kingfisher Blue-winged teal * u u r r Swans, Geese and Ducks, continued next page Common Name N Sp S F W Common Name N Sp S F W Swans, Geese and Ducks, continued Rails, Coots and Cranes Cinnamon teal * c c u o Virginia rail * o o u u Northern shoveler * c o c c Sora * u u r r Northern pintail * u u c c American coot * c c c c Green-winged teal c o c c Sandhill crane c r c o Canvasback o o Redhead o o Plovers Ring-necked duck c o c Black-bellied plover o o Tufted duck ac Semipalmated plover o o Greater scaup o o o Killdeer * c c c Lesser scaup c o c c Harlequin duck ac Stilts and Avocets Surf scoter ac Black-necked stilt * ac White-winged scoter ac American avocet ac Bufflehead u o c Sandpipers and Phalaropes Common goldeneye u o u Greater yellowlegs o u o Barrow’s goldeneye r Lesser yellowlegs o u r Hooded merganser * u o o o Solitary sandpiper r r Common merganser * c o c Spotted sandpiper * o o u Red-breasted merganser r Long-billed curlew ac Ruddy duck * u o o u Sanderling ac ac Ospreys, Kites, Hawks and Eagles Semipalmated sandpiper o Osprey u u r r Western sandpiper u u u r White-tailed kite ac ac Least sandpiper u u u o Bald eagle * ✔ u u u c Baird’s sandpiper r Northern harrier * c u c c Pectoral sandpiper o Sharp-shinned hawk o o o o Sharp-tailed sandpiper ac Cooper’s hawk o o o o Dunlin c u Northern goshawk r Short-billed dowitcher r Red-shouldered hawk r o o Long-billed dowitcher u o u o Red-tailed hawk * c c c c Common snipe * u o u c Rough-legged hawk o o u Wilson’s phalarope * o r o Golden eagle r r r Red-necked phalarope r r r Red phalarope ac ac Falcons American kestrel * c c c c Gulls and Terns Merlin o o o Bonaparte’s gull o r o r Peregrine falcon r r o o Mew gull u r o c Prairie falcon r r Ring-billed gull c o o c California gull c o u c Gallinaceous Birds Herring gull u o u Ring-necked pheasant * u o u u Thayer’s gull c o u c Ruffed grouse * o o o o Glaucous-winged gull c o u c California quail * r r r r Glaucous gull r r Gulls and Terns, continued next page Common Name N Sp S F W Common Name N Sp S F W Gulls and Terns, continued Say’s phoebe r Caspian tern r o o Vermilion flycatcher ac Black tern * r r r Ash-throated flycatcher ac Western kingbird r r Pigeons and Doves Eastern kingbird r Rock dove * c c Band-tailed dove o o o o Shrikes Mourning dove * u c u o Loggerhead shrike r Northern shrike o o o Owls Barn owl * u u u u Larks Western screech-owl * o o o o Horned lark r Great horned owl * u u u u Snowy owl r Vireos Northern pygmy-owl o o o o Cassin’s vireo r o Short-eared owl o o o Hutton’s vireo r r r r Warbling vireo * u u Nightjars Red-eyed vireo * o o o Common nighthawk o o Crows, Jays and Magpies Swifts Gray jay r r Vaux’s swift u u o Steller’s jay * c u u c Western scrub-jay * c c c c Hummingbirds Black-billed magpie ac ac Anna’s hummingbird r r r r American crow * c c c c Rufous hummingbird * u u o Swallows Kingfishers Purple martin * u u u Belted kingfisher * c u c u Tree swallow * c c u r Woodpeckers Violet-green swallow * c c o r Lewis’ woodpecker r r r Northern rough-winged swallow * o u u Red-naped sapsucker ac Bank swallow * r r u Red-breasted sapsucker * o o o o Cliff swallow * u u u Downy woodpecker * c c c c Barn swallow * c c c r Hairy woodpecker * o o o o Chickadees Northern flicker * c c c c Black-capped chickadee * c c c c Pileated woodpecker * o o o o Chestnut-backed chickadee * o o o o Tyrant Flycatchers Nuthatches Olive-sided flycatcher o o o Red-breasted nuthatch * o o o o Western wood-pewee * u c u White-breasted nuthatch * u u u u Willow flycatcher * u u u Least flycatcher ac ac Bushtits Hammond’s flycatcher o o r Common bushtit * c c c c Dusky flycatcher ac ac Pacific-slope flycatcher * u c r Common Name N Sp S F W Common Name N Sp S F W Creepers Towhees and Sparrows Brown creeper * o o o o Spotted towhee * c c c c American tree sparrow ac Wrens Chipping sparrow o o o r Bewick’s wren * c c c c Vesper sparrow r r House wren * r c o Fox sparrow o o u Winter wren * u u o c Song sparrow * c c c c Marsh wren * c c u u Lincoln’s sparrow o u u Swamp sparrow o o Kinglets Savannah sparrow * c c u o Golden-crowned kinglet c o c c White-throated sparrow r o o Ruby-crowned kinglet u o u u Harris’ sparrow ac Thrushes White-crowned sparrow * u u u u Western bluebird r Golden-crowned sparrow u u u Swainson’s thrush * u c u Dark-eyed junco c o c c Hermit thrush u o o Lapland longspur ac American robin * c c c c Grosbeaks and Buntings Varied thrush o o u Black-headed