Mackay Island

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Mackay Island Tim Cooper© National Wildlife Refuge Bird List Wood Duck Located along the Atlantic Flyway in northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge, provides a sanctuary for thousands of migratory waterfowl, with emphasis on the greater snow goose. Every fall and winter, ducks, geese, and swans fill the marshes and bays of the refuge. Many other migratory birds and resident wildlife call this area home as well. The Knotts Island Causeway (NC Rt. 615) crosses the refuge, offering observation points for many of the bird species present in the Back Bay and Currituck Sound Area. The refuge headquarters is located 1.2 miles south of the VA/NC state-line. Other locations to visit on the refuge include the Kuralt Site Overlook, the Great Marsh Loop Trail, and Mackay USFWS Island Road. Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge Tim Cooper© How To Use Your Checklist The bird checklist was designed to be informative and simple to use. The birds under major headings are arranged in alphabetical order. Symbols that appear in this checklist represent the following: Tundra Swan Seasonal Appearance Sp - Spring March - May S - Summer June - August F-Fall September - November W- Winter December - February Seasonal Abundance a - Abundant (a common species which is very numerous) c - common (likely to be seen in suitable habitat) Lawrence Wales© u - uncommon (present but not certain to be seen) o - occasional (seen only a few times during a season) r - rare (seen at intervals of 2 to 5 years) Yellow-rumped Warbler * - nesting may occur on the refuge Tim Cooper© This checklist includes 154 species of birds and is based on observations by refuge personnel and visiting ornithologists. If you should find an unlisted species, please let us know at Refuge Headquarters. We will appreciate your help in updating our records. Bald Eagle SP Loon and Grebes __Common Loon __Red-throated Loon __Horned Grebe __Pied-billed Grebe __Red-necked Grebe Pelicans and Cormorants __Double-crested Cormorant Bitterns, Egrets, and Herons __American Bittern* __Least Bittern* __Cattle Egret __Great Egret __Snowy Egret __Black-crowned Night-Heron __Great Blue Heron __Green-backed Heron* __Little Blue Heron __Tri-colored Heron __Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Ibises __Glossy Ibis __White Ibis Ducks, Geese and Swans __Black Duck* __Ring-necked Duck __Ruddy Duck __Wood Duck* __Common Goldeneye __Common Merganser __Hooded Merganser* __Red-breasted Merganser __Greater Scaup __Lesser Scaup __Blue-winged Teal __Green-winged Teal __American Widgeon __Eurasian Widgeon __Bufflehead __Canvasback __Gadwall __Mallard* __Northern Shoveler __Northern Pintail __Redhead __Canada Goose* __Snow Goose __Whistling Swan S F W o r o r o o o c c r o o c c u u c c u u u c c u o c u u o r u u o c o o c u o o r u u u u o o o c o c c r r a u c c r u u u r u c c c r o o a a u c u c c c a u c u r u u u r u c c c r u o a a u c u u a c c c u o c c u o a u o u c c r c r r c o o c r o r Vultures __Black Vulture __Turkey Vulture Osprey, Kites, Eagles, Hawks, and Falcons __Osprey* __Northern Harrier __Bald Eagle * __Golden Eagle __Broad-winged Hawk __Cooper’s Hawk __Red-shouldered Hawk __Red-tailed Hawk* __Rough-legged Hawk __Sharp-shinned Hawk __American Kestrel __Merlin __Peregrine Falcon SP S F W r c r c o a o a c c u c c c u r u u o u r u c o o r c u r u o u c c r c r u r c u c c o c o u u o o u o u u c Gallinaceous Birds __Northern Bobwhite* c c Rails, Cranes, Gallinules, and Coots __Black Rail __Clapper Rail __King Rail* __Sora* __Virginia Rail* __Purple Gallinule __American Coot* __Common Moorhen* r o c u u r c o r r c r o r r o Shorebirds __Short-billed Dowitcher __Long-billed Dowitcher __Black-bellied Plover __Semipalmated Plover __Least Sandpiper __Semipalmated Sandpiper __Solitary Sandpiper __Spotted Sandpiper __Western Sandpiper __Greater Yellowlegs __Lesser Yellowlegs __American Woodcock __Black-necked Stilt __Common Snipe __Dunlin __Killdeer __Ruddy Turnstone __Willet u o o u c c o u o c c o o u o c o u o r c u o o u c c r u o c c o o u o u o u u c o o o o o o r u u SP Gulls and Terns __Bonaparte’s Gull __Great Black-backed Gull __Herring Gull __Laughing Gull __Ring-billed Gull __Black Tern __Caspian Tern __Common Tern __Forster’s Tern __Least Tern __Royal Tern __Sooty Tern Doves __Mourning Dove __Rock Dove u u u u o u r u u u o c r o r F W o u u c u o u u c u o u o o o r c o Cuckoos __Black-billed Cuckoo __Yellow-billed Cuckoo* Owls __Barred Owl __Common Barn Owl* __Eastern Screech Owl* __Great Horned Owl* __Short-eared Owl* __Snowy Owl S c o c o c o c r c r c r r c u r r r r c u r r r c u r r c u r Goatsuckers __Chuck-will’s widow* __Common Nighthawk u r u r Swifts, Hummingbirds, and Kingfishers __Chimney Swift __Belted Kingfisher* __Ruby-throated Hummingbird* u c u o c u o c c Woodpeckers __Common Flicker* __Downy Woodpecker __Hairy Woodpecker __Pileated Woodpecker* __Red-bellied Woodpecker __Red-headed Woodpecker __Yellow-bellied Woodpecker c u u u u o o c u r u u o o a u r u u o o c u r u o r o Flycatchers __Acadian Flycatcher __Great Crested Flycatcher* __Scissor-tailed Flycatcher o c r u o u r SP u u c S u u o F u c o Martins and Swallows __Purple Martin* __Barn Swallow* __Northern Rough-winged Swallow __Tree Swallow* u c r c u c r c u c r a Jays and Crows __Blue Jay* __American Crow* __Fish Crow u c u u c u c c u u c Chickadees and Titmice __Carolina Chickadee* __Tufted Titmose* c u c c c c c Nuthatches and Creepers __White-breasted Nuthatch __Brown-headed Nuthatch* __Brown Creeper u o u o u o u o Wrens __Carolina Wren* __House Wren* __Marsh Wren* c u c c u c c o c c Kinglets and Gnatcatchers __Golden-crowned Kinglet __Ruby-crowned Kinglet __Blue-gray Gnatcatcher u u u u u u o Thrushes, Robins, and Bluebirds __Hermit Thrush __Wood Thrush __American Robin* __Eastern Bluebird* u c c o c c u c c o u Thrashers, Mocking Birds, and Catbird __Brown Thrasher* __Mockingbird* __Catbird* c c u c c u c c u c c u Waxwings and Starlings __Cedar Waxwing __European Starling* u c c u c u u Vireos __Red-eyed Vireo* __White-eyed Vireo* o u o c u __Eastern Kingbird* __Eastern Phoebe __Eastern Wood-Pewee* W o o c u o u SP Warblers __American Redstart __Black-and-white Warbler __Blackpoll Warbler __Black-throated Green Warbler __Common Yellowthroat* __Hooded Warbler __Magnolia Warbler __Northern Parula __Ovenbird __Palm Warbler __Pine Warbler* __Prairie Warbler* __Prothonotary Warbler __Yellow-rumped Warbler __Yellow-throated Warbler __Yellow Warbler __Yellow-breasted Chat u u o o c o u r c u c c c c o u u Cardinals, Grosbeaks, Buntings, and Tanagers __Northern Cardinal* c __Blue Grosbeak* u __Rose-breasted Grosbeak o __Indigo Bunting* u __Summer Tanager o Sparrows __Chipping Sparrow* __Dark-eyed Junco __Field Sparrow __Fox Sparrow __Eastern Towhee* __Savannah Sparrow* __Sharp-tailed Sparrow __Song Sparrow* __Swamp Sparrow __White-crowned Sparrow __White-throated Sparrow __Seaside Sparrow S F W u u c c u o c c c o r u c u u o c c o o a a u o c o o u o c u c c c u c c c c c c c c r c c u u Blackbirds, Meadowlarks, Orioles, and Cowbirds __Boat-tailed Grackle* a a __Bobolink o __Brown-headed Cowbird* c c __Common Grackle* c c __Eastern Meadowlark* c c __Northern Oriole o __Orchard Oriole* u u __Red-winged Blackbird* a a c c o c u c o u u u u c c c c c o a o c c c c c c u o a a S F W u o u u o u o Weaver Finches __House Sparrow* u u u r Lawrence Wales© SP Finches __American Goldfinch __Purple Finch Lawrence Wales© Snow Geese King Rail Sighting Notes Date _____________________________ ______________________________ Time _______________________________ _______________________________ Weather _____________________________ ______________________________ _______________________________ No. of species _______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ Route or area ______________________________ _____________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ Observers _____________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ Remarks ___________________________ ___________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ___________________________ ____________________________ This blue goose, designed by J. N. “Ding” Darling, has become a symbol of the National Wildlife Refuge System. ____________________________ ____________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ____________________________ Tim Cooper© Great Blue Heron Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge P.O. Box 39 Knotts Island, NC 27950-0039 252/429-3100 252/429-3185 Fax fw4rwmackayisland@fws.gov http://southeast.fws.gov http://mackayisland.fws.gov U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 1 800/344 WILD http://www.fws.gov August 2005