Mattamuskeet

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Mattamuskeet and Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuges Wildlife List photo: F. Eugene Hester tundra swan Mattamuskeet and Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuges are located in Hyde County, North Carolina. They are two of over 548 National Wildlife Refuges administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior. The National Wildlife Refuge System is an extensive network of lands and waters protected and managed especially for Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1934, consists of 50,180 acres of open water, marsh, timber, and cropland. The refuge’s main feature is Lake Mattamuskeet, the largest natural lake in North Carolina. Although 40,000 acres in size, the lake only averages two feet deep. The Refuge is well known for the thousands of wintering waterfowl it attracts each year. This blue goose, designed by J. N. “Ding” Darling, has become a symbol of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge is 16,411 acres of saltmarsh islands and forested wetlands interspersed with potholes, creeks, and drains. Established in 1932, the refuge provides wintering habitat for puddle and diving ducks, and nesting habitat for colonial waterbirds. Approximately 8,800 acres are included in the National Wilderness Preservation System. photo: F. Eugene Hester Mattamuskeet and Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuges photo: Keith Sylvester photo: F. Eugene Hester northern shoveler bald eagle wood duck This wildlife checklist is provided to acquaint refuge visitors with birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians of both Mattamuskeet and Swanquarter Refuges. Observing wildlife can be enjoyable. Field guides and binoculars are recommended to help identify wildlife that you observe. Visitors are encouraged to report any rare or unusual sightings to the refuge headquarters. Mammals Most mammals are secretive and wary of humans. Many of them are active at night. So don’t expect to see all the mammalian species on this list. Mattamuskeet and Swanquarter Refuges host 41 species of mammals. Tracks and scats may be the only traces of mammals that you will see during your visit. A field guide will be helpful to identify a mammal by the evidence it leaves behind. Marsupials Opossum Insectivores Southeastern Shrew Short-tailed Shrew Least Shrew Bats Big Brown Bat Silver-haired Bat Eastern Pipistrelle Bat Brazilian Free-tailed Bat Eastern Mole Star-nosed Mole Red Bat Hoary Bat Evening Bat Rabbits Eastern Cottontail Marsh Rabbit Rodents Gray Squirrel Southern Flying Squirrel Beaver Rice Rat Eastern Harvest Mouse Golden Mouse White-footed Mouse Cotton Mouse Carnivores Red Fox Gray Fox Red Wolf Black Bear Raccoon Hispid Cotton Rat Meadow Vole Muskrat Black Rat Norway Rat House Mouse Nutria Long-tailed Weasel Mink River Otter Bobcat Marine Mammals Atlantic Bottlenosed Dolphin Manatee Hoofed Mammals White-tailed Deer Amphibians Toads, frogs, and salamanders belong to the class Amphibia, derived from the Greek “amphibious” meaning “living a double life.” These clawless, moist-skinned animals pass through a larval stage as young, usually in an aquatic environment, before growing into adults. Mattamuskeet and Swanquarter Refuges provide habitat for 24 amphibian species. Salamanders Greater Siren Eastern Newt Dwarf Mudpuppy Two-toed Amphiuma Marbled Salamander Southern Dusky Salamander Slimy Salamander Toads Eastern Spadefoot Toad Oak Toad Southern Toad Fowler’s Toad Eastern Narrowmouth Toad Frogs Southern Cricket Frog Gray Treefrog Green Treefrog Spring Peeper Pine Woods Treefrog Squirrel Treefrog Little Grass Frog Brimley’s Chorus Frog Bullfrog Green Frog Southern Leopard Frog Carpenter Frog Reptiles Reptiles have skin covered with scales or plates. Snakes and a few lizards are legless. Other reptiles have two pairs of limbs each with five clawed toes. Reptiles include turtles, snakes, lizards and the alligator. The diversity of habitats at Mattamuskeet and Swanquarter Refuges supports 44 reptilian species. Alligator American Alligator Turtles Snapping Turtle Eastern Mud Turtle River Cooter Florida Cooter Painted Turtle Lizards Carolina Anole Five-lined Skink Southeastern Five-lined Skink Snakes Worm Snake Black Racer Ringneck Snake Corn Snake Greenish Rat Snake Mud Snake Rainbow Snake Eastern Hognose Snake Eastern Kingsnake Redbelly Turtle Yellowbelly Slider Spotted Turtle Diamondback Terrapin Eastern Box Turtle Broadhead Skink Ground Skink Eastern Glass Lizard Brown Water Snake Rough Green Snake Glossy Crayfish Snake Brown Snake Redbelly Snake Carolina Watersnake Eastern Ribbon Snake Eastern Garter Snake Rough Earth Snake Scarlet Kingsnake Copperhead Redbelly Water Snake Cottonmouth Banded Water Snake Canebrake Rattlesnake Northern Water Snake Pygmy Rattlesnake Carolina Swamp Snake Birds Mattamuskeet and Swanquarter Refuges are wintering grounds for large numbers of ducks, geese and swans. Ospreys nest in low cypress trees near the edge of Lake Mattamuskeet and are seen at both refuges. The marshes and woodlands provide a variety of habitat for over 200 avian species. To maximize your avian encounters, learn bird field marks and songs, explore a variety of habitats and visit the refuge often. The seasonal occurrence and abundance of these species are coded as follows: Seasonal appearance Sp - Spring S - Summer F - Fall W - Winter March - May June - August September- November December - February Seasonal abundance a - abundant (a species which is numerous) c - common (certain to be seen or heard in suitable habitat) 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) * - nests on the refuge SP S F W Swans, Geese & Ducks ___Fulvous Whistling-Duck..................... r ___Greater White-fronted Goose............ r ___Snow Goose.......................................... c ___Ross’s Goose......................................... o ___Brant..................................................... r ___Cackling Goose.................................... o ___Canada Goose*....................................c c c ___Mute Swan............................................r r ___Tundra Swan........................................o r a ___Wood Duck*.........................................u u c ___Gadwall.................................................u o c ___Eurasian Wigeon................................. o ___American Wigeon................................u c r r c o r o c r a c c o c SP S F ___American Black Duck*.......................u o c ___Mallard*...............................................u u c ___Blue-winged Teal.................................u c ___Northern Shoveler..............................o c ___Northern Pintail.................................. c ___Green-winged Teal.............................. c ___Canvasback.......................................... u ___Redhead................................................ u ___Ring-necked Duck............................... c ___Greater Scaup...................................... u ___Lesser Scaup........................................ u ___Harlequin Duck................................... ___Surf Scoter........................................... u ___White-winged Scoter.......................... o ___Black Scoter......................................... u ___Long-tailed Duck................................. u ___Bufflehead............................................ c ___Common Goldeneye............................ u ___Hooded Merganser............................. u ___Common Merganser........................... r ___Red-breasted Merganser................... u ___Ruddy Duck......................................... c W c c u c c a u u c u u r u o u u c u u u u c Turkey & New World Quail ___Wild Turkey..........................................o ___Northern Bobwhite*...........................u o u o u o u Loons ___Red-throated Loon.............................. ___Common Loon...................................... u u c c Grebes ___Pied-billed Grebe*...............................u u c ___Horned Grebe......................................u ___Eared Grebe......................................... r c u r Gannets ___Northern Gannet................................. r u Pelicans, Cormorants & Anhinga ___American White Pelican..................... ___Brown Pelican......................................u u ___Double-crested Cormorant................c u ___Great Cormorant................................. ___Anhinga.................................................o o u u c r o u u c r o Bitterns & Herons ___American Bittern*..............................u ___Least Bittern*.....................................u ___Great Blue Heron*..............................c ___Great Egret..........................................c ___Snowy Egret........................................c ___Little Blue Heron................................u u o c c u u u r c c u u u u c c c u SP S ___Tricolored Heron.................................u u ___Reddish Egret..................................... ___Cattle Egret.........................................o u ___Green Heron*......................................c c ___Black-crowned Night-Heron*...........u u ___Yellow-crowned Night-Heron............o o F W u u r r u r u r u u r Ibises ___White Ibis.............................................o ___Glossy Ibis............................................u o u u u o o Vultures ___Black Vulture*.....................................u ___Turkey Vulture*...................................c u c u c u c Hawks & Eagles ___Osprey*.................................................c c u o ___Bald Eagle............................................o o u u ___Northern Harrier................................u c c ___Sharp-shinned Hawk*........................o r u u ___Cooper’s Hawk....................................u u u u ___Red-shouldered Hawk........................u u u u ___Broad-winged Hawk........................... o ___Red-tailed Hawk*................................u u c c ___Rough-legged Hawk........................... r ___Golden Eagle........................................ r r Falcons ___American Kestrel................................ ___Merlin.................................................... ___Peregrine Falcon.................................. c u u Rails, Gallinues & Coots ___Yellow Rail............................................ r ___Black Rail.............................................u u ___Clapper Rail*.......................................u u u ___King Rail*.............................................u u u ___Virginia Rail.........................................u u ___Sora.......................................................u u ___Common Moorhen...............................u u o ___American Coot.....................................c o a Cranes ___Sandhill Crane..................................... r Plovers ___Black-bellied Plover............................u u ___American Golden-Plover....................r ___Wilson’s Plover....................................u ___Semipalmated Plover..........................u u ___Killdeer*...............................................o o u o u u o c u u r r u u u o c r u o o u SP Oystercatchers ___American Oystercatcher.................... S F W o Avocets & Stilts ___Black-necked Stilt...............................o ___American Avocet.................................. o r r r Sandpipers ___Spotted Sandpiper...............................u u ___Solitary Sandpiper..............................u ___Greater Yellowlegs..............................o o ___Willet*...................................................u u ___Lesser Yellowlegs................................u o ___Upland Sandpiper...............................r ___Whimbrel..............................................o ___Hudsonian Godwit............................... ___Marbled Godwit...................................o o ___Ruddy Turnstone.................................o ___Red Knot..............................................o ___Sanderling............................................o ___Semipalmated Sandpiper...................u u ___Western Sandpiper..............................u u ___Least Sandpiper..................................u ___Baird’s Sandpiper................................ ___Pectoral Sandpiper..............................o u ___Dunlin...................................................o u ___Ruff........................................................ ___Short-billed Dowitcher.......................o ___Long-billed Dowitcher........................o ___Wilson’s Snipe......................................u u ___American Woodcock............................o o ___Red-necked Phalarope........................ u u u o u r o r o r o o u u u r u u r u u u u r Gulls, Terns, & Skimmers ___Laughing Gull......................................c c c ___Black-headed Gull............................... r ___Bonaparte’s Gull..................................o u ___Ring-billed Gull....................................c c c ___Herring Gull.........................................c c c ___Great Black-backed Gull....................o c ___Least Tern............................................ u ___Gull-billed Tern.................................... o ___Caspian Tern........................................o o o ___Black Tern............................................ o ___Common Tern*....................................u u u ___Forster’s Tern*....................................u u u ___Royal Tern............................................o o o ___Sandwich Tern..................................... r ___Black Skimmer....................................o o r r u o o u u o r u u u c o r u c c c u r r SP Doves ___Mourning Dove*..................................c S F W c c c u r o r Owls ___Barn Owl...............................................o o ___Eastern Screech-Owl*........................u u ___Great Horned Owl*.............................u u ___Barred Owl*.........................................u u ___Northern Saw-whet Owl..................... o u u u r Nightjars ___Common Nighthawk...........................u ___Chuck-will’s-widow*............................u ___Whip-poor-will..................................... u u u u u u Swifts ___Chimney Swift.....................................u u o Hummingbirds ___Ruby-throated Hummingbird*..........u u o r Kingfishers ___Belted Kingfisher................................c c c c Woodpeckers ___Red-headed Woodpecker*..................o o ___Red-bellied Woodpecker*...................c c ___Yellow-bellied Sapsucker....................u ___Downy Woodpecker*..........................u u ___Hairy Woodpecker*............................u u ___Northern Flicker*...............................c c ___Pileated Woodpecker*........................u u o c u u u c u o c u u u c u Cuckoos ___Yellow-billed Cuckoo*.........................u ___Black-billed Cuckoo............................r Flycatchers ___Eastern Wood-Pewee*........................u u u ___Acadian Flycatcher.............................u u ___Eastern Phoebe...................................o u u ___Ash-throated Flycatcher.................... r ___Great Crested Flycatcher*................u u o ___Tropical Kingbird................................ ___Western Kingbird................................ r ___Eastern Kingbird*..............................u u o o u u u r c r r Shrikes ___Loggerhead Shrike............................. r Vireos ___White-eyed Vireo*...............................u u u ___Bell’s Vireo........................................... r r SP S ___Yellow-throated Vireo.........................o o ___Blue-headed Vireo...............................o ___Red-eyed Vireo*..................................u u F o o u W Jays & Crows ___Blue Jay*..............................................u ___American Crow*..................................c ___Fish Crow*...........................................c u c c u c c Larks ___Horned Lark........................................ r u c c Swallows ___Purple Martin......................................u u ___Tree Swallow........................................o u a ___Northern Rough-winged Swallow.....u ___Cave Swallow....................................... ___Barn Swallow*.....................................c c o o a r r Titmice, Nuthatches & Creepers ___Carolina Chickadee*...........................c c ___Tufted Titmouse*................................c c ___Red-breasted Nuthatch...................... ___White-breasted Nuthatch*................o o ___Brown-headed Nuthatch*..................u u ___Brown Creeper.................................... c c r o u o c c r o u o Wrens ___Carolina Wren*....................................c c ___House Wren*........................................u u ___Winter Wren......................................... ___Sedge Wren.......................................... ___Marsh Wren*.......................................u u c u u u u c u u u u Kinglets & Gnatcatchers ___Golden-crowned Kinglet..................... ___Ruby-crowned Kinglet........................u u ___Blue-gray Gnatcatcher*.....................o o o u c o Thrushes ___Eastern Bluebird*...............................u u ___Swainson’s Thrush..............................o o ___Hermit Thrush....................................u u ___Wood Thrush*......................................u u u ___American Robin*.................................c c u Mockingbirds & Thrashers ___Gray Catbird*......................................u ___Northern Mockingbird*.....................c ___Brown Thrasher*................................u u c u u c u o u u u c u SP Starling ___European Starling*.............................c S F W c c c Pipits ___American Pipit..................................... u u Waxwings ___Cedar Waxwing....................................u u u Wood Warblers ___Orange-crowned Warbler................... u u ___Nashville Warbler................................ o r ___Northern Parula..................................u o u r ___Yellow Warbler*...................................o o r r ___Chestnut-sided Warbler.....................r u r ___Magnolia Warbler................................r ___Cape May Warbler..............................r r ___Black-throated Blue Warbler.............o o o ___Yellow-rumped Warbler......................c c c ___Black-throated Green Warbler..........o o ___Blackburnian Warbler........................r ___Yellow-throated Warbler*..................u u o r ___Pine Warbler*......................................u u u u ___Prairie Warbler*..................................u u o o ___Palm Warbler.......................................u u u ___Blackpoll Warbler................................o ___Black-and-white Warbler...................o u u o ___American Redstart..............................u u u ___Prothonotary Warbler*......................u u ___Worm-eating Warbler.........................o o ___Swainson’s Warbler.............................r r ___Ovenbird...............................................u u u ___Northern Waterthrush.......................o o r ___MacGillivray’s Warbler....................... r ___Common Yellowthroat*......................c c c c ___Hooded Warbler*................................u u ___Canada Warbler...................................r u r ___Yellow-breasted Chat..........................o o r Sparrows & Allies ___Eastern Towhee*.................................c c c c ___American Tree Sparrow..................... r ___Chipping Sparrow...............................o o u u ___Field Sparrow......................................u u u u ___Vesper Sparrow................................... o ___Lark Sparrow...................................... r ___Savannah Sparrow..............................u u c ___Grasshopper Sparrow......................... r ___Henslow’s Sparrow............................. r ___Saltmarsh Sparrow............................. o o ___Seaside Sparrow*................................u u u u ___Fox Sparrow.........................................u u u ___Song Sparrow......................................u u c SP S F ___Swamp Sparrow..................................u u ___White-throated Sparrow....................u u ___White-crowned Sparrow.................... o ___Dark-eyed Junco.................................u u ___Snow Bunting....................................... Tanagers ___Summer Tanager.................................u ___Scarlet Tanager...................................r W c c o u r u Cardinals & Allies ___Northern Cardinal*............................c c ___Blue Grosbeak*...................................u u ___Indigo Bunting*...................................u u ___Painted Bunting................................... c u u r Blackbirds ___Bobolink................................................o o ___Red-winged Blackbird*......................a a a ___Eastern Meadowlark*........................c c c ___Yellow-headed Blackbird....................r r ___Rusty Blackbird................................... ___Brewer’s Blackbird............................. ___Common Grackle*...............................c c c ___Boat-tailed Grackle.............................u u u ___Brown-headed Cowbird*....................c u u ___Orchard Oriole*...................................u u o ___Baltimore Oriole.................................. o c r a c r o r a u c r u u r u r Old World Sparrows ___House Sparrow*..................................u u photo: F. Eugene Hester Finches ___Purple Finch........................................o o ___House Finch.........................................u u ___Pine Siskin............................................ ___American Goldfinch.............................u ___Evening Grosbeak............................... lesser yellowlegs u u Sighting Notes Date Time Weather No. of species Route or area Observers photo: Larry Ditto Remarks photo: F. Eugene Hester northern pintail king rail pileated woodpecker photo: F. Eugene Hester Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge 38 Mattamuskeet Road Swan Quarter, North Carolina 27885 252/926 4021 http://fws.gov/mattamuskeet U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 1 800/344 WILD December 2010