Deer Flat

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Stone Lakes Deer Flat National WildlifeRefuge National Wildlife Refuge Birds Watchable Wildlife The Lake Lowell and Snake River Islands Units of Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge provide a watery oasis for resident and migratory wildlife. Introduction The Refuge Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge has two units. The Lake Lowell Unit has over 10,000 acres, including the almost 9,000-acre Lake Lowell and surrounding lands. The Snake River Islands Unit contains about 1,200 acres on over 100 islands. The Refuge has been designated an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society. Over one hundred species are known to nest at the Refuge, so spring and early summer are good times to observe nesting activities and young birds. As summer progresses and the lake is slowly drawn down for irrigation, large numbers of shorebirds come to feed on the exposed mudflats. As fall approaches, the number of birds using the refuge increases. Resident flocks of ducks and Canada geese are usually on Lake Lowell by the second week of October. As colder weather drives migrating ducks and geese south, migratory birds join the resident birds at the lake. Some birds pass through while others spend the winter. By mid-November, the goose population peaks at up to 15,000 birds. 2 Canada geese. ©Mike Shipman Duck populations peak in midDecember, with up to 150,000 on Lake Lowell. Geese and ducks roost on the lake at night, their activity usually keeping patches of water open all winter. Bald eagles, which move into the area to feed on weak and injured birds, can often be seen around the lake. The Snake River also provides a winter home for a variety of waterfowl, including goldeneyes, scaup, mergansers, buffleheads, wood ducks, greenwinged teals and a large number of mallards. 3 Getting the Most from Your Visit The Refuge is open to the public all year from sunrise to sunset. Please help protect wildlife and their habitats by obeying all regulations. Some areas are closed to public use, so please observe signs. The Lake Lowell Unit is easily accessible by road from Nampa and Caldwell, Idaho. The Snake River Islands Unit is accessible only by boat, although some sections can be viewed from roads along the river. The Refuge Visitor Center is located about 5 miles southeast of Nampa and is open 8:00 am to 4:00 pm weekdays and 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Saturdays. It provides an observation room overlooking Lake Lowell, interpretive panels about the wildlife and history of the Refuge, and a Kids' Activity Area. Nearby are several trails, as well as a viewing blind and viewing platforms. Ask for Refuge brochures and information on areas open for your enjoyment. You will see more birds if you time your visit for early morning or evening hours, sit quietly, and wait for the birds to come to you. If walking, move slowly and quietly to avoid scaring wildlife. Be sure to listen for calls and songs. A good field guide and binoculars or a spotting scope will help you identify what you see. If driving, your car is an excellent blind; for better viewing opportunities, stay in your car. Lake Lowell and Snake River Islands driving tours are available. Whether you are a seasoned “birder” or are just beginning, we wish you rewarding and memorable experiences from this visit to the refuge. Come back again soon! 4 Checklist Notes This list includes 249 species that have been observed on the Refuge since 1950. Habitat, seasonal occurence, and abundance are coded as follows. Habitats W - On or near water G - Grassland and dry uplands D - Deciduous woodlands and riparian areas A - Agriculture S - Species more likely to be seen on the Snake River Islands Unit Seasons Sp - Spring = March-May S - Summer = June-August F - Fall = September-November W - Winter = December-February Abundance a - abundant = a common species that is very numerous c - common = certain to be seen in suitable habitat u - uncommon = might be seen in suitable habitat o - occasional = seen only a few times during a season r - rare = seen at intervals of 2-5 years v - vagrant = highly unusual * - species that nest on the refuge Refuge personnel, visiting professionals, and amateur ornithologists have contributed observations for this list. This list is undoubtedly incomplete; other species probably use the Refuge. To improve future editions of this list, please provide confirmed sightings of species listed as rare or vagrant, as well as of species not on this list. American White Pelicans. ©Dick McKee 5 Birds of Deer Flat NWR Common Name Habitat Sp S Geese, Swans, and Ducks Greater White-fronted Goose Snow Goose Ross's Goose *Canada Goose Trumpeter Swan Tundra Swan *Wood Duck *Gadwall Eurasian Wigeon *American Wigeon *Mallard *Blue-winged Teal *Cinnamon Teal *Northern Shoveler *Northern Pintail *Green-winged Teal Canvasback *Redhead Ring-necked Duck Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup Harlequin Duck White-winged Scoter Long-tailed Duck Bufflehead Common Goldeneye Barrow's Goldeneye Hooded Merganser *Common Merganser Red-breasted Merganser *Ruddy Duck W,A W,A W,A W,A W W W,D W W W W,A W W W W W W W W W W S,W S,W W S,W W S,W W W W W o u r c o u c u r c a o c o c c o u o o u G,D,A G,A S,G,A G,A G,A S,D a r r o c o o c r u u o u r c r c u u c u c u c c u r F W u u o a o u c o r a a u u c a a o u u o c o r u a r u c u u a r r o c o a r o o c o o u o o o a o o r c a o c a r o o u v r r o a u o c u Common Name Loons Pacific Loon Common Loon Habitat Sp S F W W W o o r o *Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe *Eared Grebe *Western Grebe *Clark's Grebe W W W W W u r o c c u o r a a u o u c c Pelicans and Cormorants American White Pelican *Double-crested Cormorant W W c c c c o c W W W,D W,D W,D W,A W S,W,D o v c c c r o r c c a c r r r c W o u r o Grebes u u r r u Bitterns, Herons and Egrets *American Bittern Least Bittern *Great Blue Heron *Great Egret *Snowy Egret Cattle Egret Green Heron *Black-crowned Night-Heron Ibis and Spoonbills White-faced Ibis r c u o Gallinaceous Birds *California Quail Northern Bobwhite *Chukar *Gray Partridge *Ring-necked Pheasant Wild Turkey 6 a r o o c o Right: Great blue herons in a rookery. ©Fritzi Newton, with permission. 7 Common Name Habitat Sp S F New World Vultures Turkey Vulture S,G,A u u u Osprey, Kites, Hawks and Eagles *Osprey *Bald Eagle *Northern Harrier Sharp-shinned Hawk *Cooper's Hawk Northern Goshawk *Swainson's Hawk *Red-tailed Hawk Ferruginous Hawk Rough-legged Hawk Golden Eagle W,D W,D W,G,A G,D G,D D G,A G,D,A G,A G,A S,G c c c u o o c c r o o c c c c o r c c r c c c c o o o c r u u Falcons *American Kestrel Merlin Gyrfalcon Peregrine Falcon Prairie Falcon Rails *Virginia Rail *Sora *American Coot Cranes Sandhill Crane Plovers Black-bellied Plover American Golden-Plover Snowy Plover Semipalmated Plover *Killdeer G,D,A G,D G, A W,G,A S,G,A W W W W,G W W W W W,G S,W S,W o c o c r c o r o o u o u u u a r c c a u u a 8 u c c u u o c u u c u v r o o u o r a v u a u c o u u c u Common Name o Habitat Sp S Sandpipers *Spotted Sandpiper Solitary Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Willet Lesser Yellowlegs Long-billed Curlew Marbled Godwit Red Knot Sanderling Semipalmated Sandpiper Western Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Baird's Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Dunlin Stilt Sandpiper Short-billed Dowitcher Long-billed Dowitcher S,W W W W W W,G W W W W W W W W W W W W u o u o u o o u o u o u o o v u o c o o o Snipe *Wilson's Snipe Phalaropes Wilson's Phalarope Red-necked Phalarope r Stilts and Avocets *Black-necked Stilt *American Avocet W Gulls and Terns Sabine's Gull Bonaparte's Gull Franklin's Gull *Ring-billed Gull *California Gull Herring Gull Thayer's Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Glaucous-winged Gull *Caspian Tern *Black Tern Common Tern Forster's Tern F W u o u o u o r r u o v r u c u u o o o r u W c u u W W u o u r u o r o a a v r u a a v o o a a o c u u o u o o o W W W W,A W,A W W W W W W W W r c o r o a c o r r r 9 Common Name Habitat Sp Doves *Rock Pigeon *Eurasian Collared-Dove *Mourning Dove Cuckoos Yellow-billed Cuckoo D,A G,D,A G,D,A a a a D S a a a F a a a W a a a v Owls *Barn Owl Flammulated Owl *Western Screech-Owl *Great Horned Owl Snowy Owl Northern Pygmy-Owl Burrowing Owl Barred Owl *Long-eared Owl Short-eared Owl Northern Saw-whet Owl G,D,A D D G,D,A G G G,A D D W,A D u o r o o r G,D G u c v c c r r u c c u r c c r r r o r o Nightjars *Common Nighthawk Common Poorwill u u c c v r r r u r o Common Name Habitat Sp S F W Swifts Vaux's Swift White-throated Swift S,W S,W,G r o r o D D D u c u r o c u r o W,D u u c c D D D D o c o c o c o c o c o c c o c D D D G,A D G,D D D,A G,D o u o r o u o o o c u r u r c u S,G,A G,A u u D D D D o o u o Hummingbirds *Black-chinned Hummingbird Calliope Hummingbird Broad-tailed Hummingbird Rufous Hummingbird Kingfishers *Belted Kingfisher Woodpeckers Lewis's Woodpecker *Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker *Northern Flicker Flycatchers Olive-sided Flycatcher *Western Wood-Pewee Willow Flycatcher Gray Flycatcher Cordilleran Flycatcher *Say's Phoebe Ash-throated Flycatcher *Western Kingbird *Eastern Kingbird u r r u o Shrikes *Loggerhead Shrike Northern Shrike Vireos Plumbeous Vireo Cassin's Vireo *Warbling Vireo Red-eyed Vireo 10 Western screech-owl.©Dick McKee u o u o u o o u o 11 Common Name Jays, Magpies, and Crows Steller's Jay Blue Jay *Black-billed Magpie *American Crow *Common Raven Habitat Sp S D D G,D,A D,A S,G,D a c c G S,W,D S,W,D S,W S,W,A S,W,G W,A F W a c c v a a c r v a a c o o o o o c c c a a o u c c a a o u c u a c Larks *Horned Lark Swallows *Tree Swallow *Violet-green Swallow *Northern Rough-winged *Bank Swallow *Cliff Swallow *Barn Swallow Titmice and Chickadees *Black-capped Chickadee Mountain Chickadee Bushtits Bushtit D D c D,S u D D Creepers Brown Creeper D 12 Kinglets, Bluebirds, and Thrushes Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Western Bluebird Mountain Bluebird Townsend's Solitaire Swainson's Thrush Hermit Thrush *American Robin Varied Thrush Mockingbirds and Thrashers Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird *Sage Thrasher S,G S,G D D W c o c c u o o u c Pipits American Pipit Waxwings Bohemian Waxwing *Cedar Waxwing u o o o c c u Habitat Sp D D G,D G,D D D D G,D D o c r r o r u a D G,D,A S,G v r o G,D,A S u o a F W o u r r o r o c r u c r o r c r r u v r o a a a a W,G o o u u D D r u o c o c D D D D D D D D D S,D o o u v u o o c u c o o o c o c o u Starlings *European Starling Nuthatches Red-breasted Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatch Wrens *Rock Wren *Canyon Wren *House Wren Pacific Wren *Marsh Wren Common Name o r u o u u o o o o c o o r o Warblers Orange-crowned Warbler Nashville Warbler *Yellow Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Townsend's Warbler MacGillivray's Warbler *Common Yellowthroat Wilson's Warbler *Yellow-breasted Chat c v o r c o c r u 13 Common Name Habitat Sp S Towhees and Sparrows Green-tailed Towhee Spotted Towhee American Tree Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Brewer's Sparrow *Vesper Sparrow *Lark Sparrow Black-throated Sparrow Sage Sparrow *Savannah Sparrow Grasshopper Sparrow Fox Sparrow *Song Sparrow Lincoln's Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Harris's Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Lapland Longspur Snow Bunting S,D D G,D G,D G G S,G G G G G D W,D D D G,D G,D,A D G G Grosbeaks and Allies Western Tanager *Black-headed Grosbeak *Lazuli Bunting Indigo Bunting r u u o o u r c o u o u o u v v u v F W u r o u o u u o r u r c c u c u o a c D D S,D D,A u c u o c c v c u r W,A G,A W,A G,A G,A G,A G,A W,D a c c a a c c a r c c r c c a a o a v r u u r c u v r c a r r Common Name Finches Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch Black Rosy-Finch Cassin's Finch *House Finch Common Redpoll Pine Siskin *American Goldfinch Evening Grosbeak Habitat Sp S S,G S,G D D D D G,D D F W r a r a r a c o c r o c o o o o c v c c u a a a a Weaver Finches *House Sparrow D Field Notes Blackbirds and Orioles *Red-winged Blackbird *Western Meadowlark *Yellow-headed Blackbird *Brewer's Blackbird Common Grackle Great-tailed Grackle *Brown-headed Cowbird *Bullock's Oriole 14 u u o c v r 15 Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge 13751 Upper Embankment Road Nampa, Idaho 83686 Telephone: 208/467 9278 FAX: 208/467 9278 http://www.fws.gov/deerflat U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service http://www.fws.gov Refuge Information 1 800/344 WILD September 2011 Western Grebe. USFWS/Addison Mohler Equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is available to all individuals regardless of physical or mental disability. For more information please contact the U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Equal Opportunity, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20240. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service StoneFlat Lakes Deer National WildlifeRefuge National Wildlife Refuge Birds Watchable Wildlife