Atlanta

TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE BIRDS OF AT L A NT A S T A T E P A R K A FIELD CHECKLIST 2016 INTRODUCTION A tlanta State Park lies on the southern edge of Wright Patman Lake. The park is covered with mixed hardwood and pine forest with excellent views of the lake. Inside the park, woodland birds can be found in the camping and picnic areas and from the hiking trails on the east side of the park. Brown-headed Nuthatches and Pine Warblers are resident in the trees overhead. In winter, the picnic area provides one of the best viewing areas of the lake for Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, and other duck species, along with the many American White Pelicans and Double-crested Cormorants found on the water. Inside the park, woodland birds can be found in the camping and picnic areas and from the hiking trails on the east side of the park. Brown-headed Nuthatches and Pine Warblers are resident in the trees overhead. In winter, the picnic area provides one of the best viewing areas of the lake for Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, and other duck species along with the many American White Pelicans and Double-crested Cormorants found on the water. The dam area of the lake just west of US 59 offers other birding opportunities. In the winter, gull enthusiasts will enjoy the numerous Bonaparte’s Gulls mixed with lesser numbers of Ring-billed and the occasional Herring Gulls swirling below the dam when water is flowing from the spillway. Rarities such as Little and Black-headed Gulls have been found here. Red-necked Grebes have been found at the Clear Springs Campground. The dam area and the campgrounds are all worth investigation. This checklist was compiled by Hazel Bluhm and Mike Dillon of Marshall, Texas and is based on observations by Billy Heldt and members of the Northeast Texas Field Ornithologists along with visiting birders. This checklist includes species observed within the park as well as other locations around Wright Patman Lake. You can contribute to this checklist by reporting new and unusual sightings or changes in status. You may leave your sightings at the park headquarters or mail them to the Natural Resource Program, Texas 1 Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, Texas 78744. Nomenclature and organization for this checklist follow the 7th edition of the American Ornithologists Union Check-list of North American Birds as currently supplemented. Please help us protect the natural avian communities in our parks by refraining from using playback tapes of bird songs. Frequent use of these tapes disrupts normal avian activity patterns, including essential territorial behavior, and may lead to nest failure. Thank you for your cooperation. LEGEND c f u r – – – – Sp – Su – F – W – Common (present, easy to find) Fairly common (present, should see or hear) Uncommon (present, harder to find) Rare (may not occur every year) March, April, May June, July, August September, October, November December, January, February Cover: Illustration of Yellow-throated Warbler by Rob Fleming. 2 CHECKLIST Sp ___ Greater White-fronted Goose........................ u ___ Snow Goose.................................................. u ___ Ross’s Goose................................................. r ___ Canada Goose............................................... u ___ Wood Duck.................................................. f ___ Gadwall........................................................ f ___ American Wigeon......................................... f ___ American Black Duck................................... r ___ Mallard......................................................... f ___ Blue-winged Teal.......................................... f ___ Northern Shoveler........................................ f ___ Northern Pintail............................................ u ___ Green-winged Teal........................................ f ___ Canvasback................................................... u ___ Redhead....................................................... ___ Ring-necked Duck........................................ u ___ Greater Scaup............................................... u ___ Lesser Scaup................................................. c ___ Surf Scoter.................................................... r ___ White-winged Scoter..................................... r ___ Long-tailed Duck.......................................... ___ Bufflehead.................................................... f ___ Common Goldeneye...................................... f ___ Hooded Merganser....................................... u ___ Red-breasted Merganser............................... u ___ Common Merganser..................................... r ___ Ruddy Duck.................................................. f Su f u u F W u u r u f f f u u r u f f f f f f u f u u u u c r r r f f u u f f f f u f u u u u c r r r f f u u r f ___ Wild Turkey.................................................. r r r r ___ Northern Bobwhite....................................... u u u u u r u ___ Pacific Loon.................................................. ___ Common Loon.............................................. u 3  Sp Su F W ___ Pied-billed Grebe.......................................... u ___ Horned Grebe............................................... r ___ Red-necked Grebe........................................ ___ Eared Grebe................................................. r c u r u c u r u ___ American White Pelican................................ u u c c ___ Double-crested Cormorant........................... ___ Neotropic Cormorant.................................... u c r c u u r f ___ Anhinga........................................................ ___ Magnificent Frigatebird................................. ___ American Bittern.......................................... ___ Least Bittern................................................. ___ Great Blue Heron.......................................... ___ Great Egret................................................... ___ Snowy Egret.................................................. ___ Little Blue Heron.......................................... ___ Tricolored Heron.......................................... ___ Cattle Egret................................................... ___ Green Heron................................................. ___ Black-crowned Night-Heron......................... ___ Yellow-crowned Night-Heron........................ r u r c c u u u f u r r c c f f r c f r u c c u u r u f r u c u r r r ___ White Ibis..................................................... r ___ White-faced Ibis............................................ ___ Roseate Spoonbill......................................... r r r r ___ Wood Stork.................................................. u u ___ Black Vulture................................................ f ___ Turkey Vulture.............................................. c f f f c f c ___ Osprey.......................................................... u u u u 4  Sp Su ___ Swallow-tailed Kite........................................ ___ Mississippi Kite............................................. ___ Bald Eagle.................................................... ___ Northern Harrier.......................................... ___ Sharp-shinned Hawk.................................... ___ Cooper’s Hawk............................................. ___ Red-shouldered Hawk.................................. ___ Broad-winged Hawk..................................... ___ Swainson’s Hawk.......................................... ___ Rough-legged Hawk...................................... ___ Red-tailed Hawk........................................... ___ American Kestrel.......................................... ___ Merlin.......................................................... ___ Peregrine Falcon.......................................... r u u f u r u r u f f u f f u u f f r f f ___ Black-bellied Plover..................................... r ___ American Golden-Plover............................... r ___ Semipalmated Plover.................................... ___ Piping Plover................................................ r ___ Killdeer......................................................... f ___ Black-necked Stilt......................................... ___ American Avocet........................................... ___ Greater Yellowlegs........................................ ___ Lesser Yellowlegs.......................................... ___ Solitary Sandpiper........................................ ___ Willet............................................................ ___ Spotted Sandpiper........................................ ___ Sanderling.................................................... ___ Semipalmated Sandpiper.............................. ___ Western Sandpiper....................................... ___ Least Sandpiper............................................ 5 u u u f f u u u f r f f f f r r u c c f f f u r u r u u u u f u u u u u u u u u u f W u u r ___ Common Moorhen....................................... r ___ American Coot.............................................. c F f u f f u  Sp Su ___ White-rumped Sandpiper.............................. r ___ Pectoral Sandpiper....................................... ___ Dunlin.......................................................... u u ___ Stilt Sandpiper.............................................. u ___ Buff-breasted Sandpiper............................... u ___ Long-billed Dowitcher.................................. ___ Dowitcher, species.................................... r ___ Wilson’s Snipe.............................................. u ___ American Woodcock.................................... ___ Wilson’s Phalarope....................................... u ___ Laughing Gull............................................... ___ Franklin’s Gull.............................................. ___ Little Gull...................................................... ___ Black-headed Gull........................................ ___ Bonaparte’s Gull........................................... ___ Ring-billed Gull............................................ ___ Herring Gull................................................. ___ Black-legged Kittiwake.................................. ___ Caspian Tern................................................. ___ Common Tern............................................... ___ Forster’s Tern............................................... ___ Least Tern..................................................... ___ Black Tern.................................................... r f r f f u u u u f u u r r u ___ Rock Pigeon................................................. f ___ Mourning Dove............................................. c ___ Inca Dove..................................................... ___ Common Ground-Dove................................. f c ___ Black-billed Cuckoo..................................... r ___ Yellow-billed Cuckoo.................................... f ___ Greater Roadrunner..................................... u ___ Groove-billed Ani.......................................... ___ Barn Owl...................................................... 6 F W f u f u f u f u r f r r r r c c u r f f u r u r f u u f c r r f f c r r f u u r r u  Sp Su F W ___ Eastern Screech-Owl..................................... f ___ Great Horned Owl......................................... u ___ Barred Owl................................................... f f u f f u f f u f ___ Common Nighthawk..................................... u ___ Chuck-will’s-widow....................................... f ___ Eastern Whip-poor-will................................. u u u u ___ Chimney Swift............................................... f f f ___ Ruby-throated Hummingbird........................ f f f ___ Belted Kingfisher.......................................... f f f f ___ Red-headed Woodpecker............................. ___ Red-bellied Woodpecker.............................. ___ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.............................. ___ Downy Woodpecker..................................... ___ Hairy Woodpecker........................................ ___ Red-cockaded Woodpecker.......................... ___ Northern Flicker, yellow-shafted................... ___ Northern Flicker, red-shafted........................ ___ Pileated Woodpecker.................................... u c f c u u c u c f c u u c f c u f c r f ___ Olive-sided Flycatcher................................... ___ Eastern Wood-pewee.................................... ___ Yellow-bellied Flycatcher.............................. ___ Acadian Flycatcher........................................ ___ Willow Flycatcher......................................... ___ Least Flycatcher............................................ ___ Eastern Phoebe............................................. ___ Great Crested Flycatcher............................... ___ Eastern Kingbird........................................... ___ Scissor-tailed Flycatcher............................... r f r u r r f f c f f c u r u f f f f f u u r r f ___ Loggerhead Shrike........................................ u 7 r u f c c u f c c u u  Sp Su F ___ White-eyed Vireo.......................................... ___ Bell’s Vireo................................................... ___ Blue-headed Vireo........................................ ___ Yellow-throated Vireo................................... ___ Warbling Vireo.............................................. ___ Philadelphia Vireo........................................ ___ Red-eyed Vireo............................................. c r f W f r u u r r c u u u r c r u ___ Blue Jay........................................................ c ___ American Crow............................................. c ___ Fish Crow..................................................... u c c u c c u c c u ___ Purple Martin............................................... ___ Tree Swallow................................................ ___ Northern Rough-winged Swallow.................. ___ Bank Swallow............................................... ___ Barn Swallow................................................ ___ Cliff Swallow................................................. c u u u c f c r u u c c u u u u ___ Carolina Chickadee....................................... c ___ Tufted Titmouse............................................ c c c c c c c ___ Red-breasted Nuthatch................................. r ___ White-breasted Nuthatch............................... ___ Brown-headed Nuthatch............................... f r u f r u f r u f u u r c u u u r r c u u u r ___ Brown Creeper............................................. u ___ Rock Wren................................................... ___ Carolina Wren.............................................. c ___ Bewick’s Wren.............................................. ___ House Wren.................................................. u ___ Winter Wren................................................. ___ Sedge Wren.................................................. 8 c u c f  Sp Su F W ___ Golden-crowned Kinglet............................... ___ Ruby-crowned Kinglet................................... c r u c u c ___ Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.................................. f f f r ___ Eastern Bluebird........................................... ___ Gray-cheeked Thrush................................... ___ Swainson’s Thrush........................................ ___ Hermit Thrush.............................................. ___ Wood Thrush................................................ ___ American Robin............................................ c c c r r r u u u f u c f c c f c ___ Gray Catbird................................................. u ___ Northern Mockingbird.................................. c ___ Brown Thrasher........................................... f u c u u c f u c f ___ European Starling......................................... c c c c ___ American Pipit.............................................. u ___ Sprague’s Pipit.............................................. u u u r ___ Cedar Waxwing............................................. f f f ___ Tennessee Warbler....................................... ___ Orange-crowned Warbler............................. ___ Nashville Warbler......................................... ___ Northern Parula............................................ ___ Yellow Warbler............................................. ___ Chestnut-sided Warbler................................ ___ Magnolia Warbler......................................... ___ Black-throated Blue Warbler........................ ___ Yellow-rumped Warbler................................ ___ Black-throated Green Warbler...................... ___ Blackburnian Warbler.................................. ___ Yellow-throated Warbler............................... ___ Pine Warbler................................................ u r u r u r 9 u u u r u u c u u f c r r f u f c u c u u c c  Sp ___ Prairie Warbler............................................. ___ Palm Warbler............................................... ___ Bay-breasted Warbler................................... ___ Blackpoll Warbler........................................ ___ Black-and-white Warbler.............................. ___ American Redstart........................................ ___ Prothonotary Warbler................................... ___ Worm-eating Warbler................................... ___ Swainson’s Warbler...................................... ___ Ovenbird...................................................... ___ Northern Waterthrush................................... ___ Louisiana Waterthrush.................................. ___ Kentucky Warbler......................................... ___ Mourning Warbler........................................ ___ Common Yellowthroat.................................. ___ Hooded Warbler........................................... ___ Wilson’s Warbler.......................................... ___ Yellow-breasted Chat.................................... f r r f u f r r r u u r f f r f ___ Eastern Towhee............................................ u ___ Spotted Towhee............................................ ___ Bachman’s Sparrow...................................... u ___ American Tree Sparrow................................ ___ Chipping Sparrow......................................... f ___ Field Sparrow............................................... f ___ Vesper Sparrow............................................ ___ Lark Bunting................................................. ___ Lark Sparrow................................................ u ___ Savannah Sparrow........................................ f ___ Grasshopper Sparrow................................... ___ Henslow’s Sparrow....................................... ___ Le Conte’s Sparrow....................................... ___ Fox Sparrow................................................. u ___ Song Sparrow............................................... c ___ Lincoln’s Sparrow......................................... u ___ Swamp Sparrow............................................ f 10 Su F W r r f f u f r u u u r r u u f f r u r r f u u r u u f f u r r f u r u c u f u u r r f f u r f r r r f c u f  Sp Su F W ___ White-throated Sparrow................................ ___ Harris’s Sparrow........................................... ___ White-crowned Sparrow............................... ___ Dark-eyed Junco........................................... ___ Chestnut-collared Longspur.......................... c c u c r u c c u u c ___ Summer Tanager.......................................... ___ Northern Cardinal......................................... ___ Rose-breasted Grosbeak............................... ___ Blue Grosbeak.............................................. ___ Indigo Bunting.............................................. ___ Painted Bunting............................................ ___ Dickcissel..................................................... f c u f c f u f c f c c f c f u u f ___ Bobolink...................................................... ___ Red-winged Blackbird.................................. ___ Eastern Meadowlark..................................... ___ Yellow-headed Blackbird.............................. ___ Rusty Blackbird............................................ ___ Brewer’s Blackbird....................................... ___ Common Grackle.......................................... ___ Great-tailed Grackle...................................... ___ Brown-headed Cowbird................................ ___ Orchard Oriole............................................. ___ Baltimore Oriole........................................... r c f r c f c f u f u f f u r u u u c r f u u ___ Purple Finch................................................. u ___ House Finch................................................. ___ Red Crossbill................................................ ___ Pine Siskin.................................................... u ___ American Goldfinch...................................... c ___ Evening Grosbeak......................................... ___ House Sparrow............................................. c 11 u u r c f r u c r u u u r c u c r c c c CITATION Bluhm, Hazel and Mike Dillon. June 2007. Birds of Atlanta State Park and vicinity: a field checklist. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Natural Resources Program, Austin, Texas. In 1983, the Texas Legislature created the Special Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Fund. This fund may be used for nongame wildlife and endangered species research and conservation, habitat acquisition and development and dissemination of information pertaining to nongame management. Money for this fund is obtained through private donations and sale of nongame wildlife art prints and stamps. This fund now gives Texans a unique opportunity to help support this state’s valuable and sensitive nongame resources. Your individual contributions and purchases of nongame art prints and stamps will help determine the level of nongame conservation activities in Texas. For more information call toll-free (1-800-792-1112) or contact: Nongame and Endangered Species Program, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, Texas 78744. TPWD receives funds from the USFWS. TPWD prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age, and gender, pursuant to state and federal law. To request an accommodation or obtain information in an alternative format, please contact TPWD on a Text Telephone (TDD) at (512) 389-8915 or by Relay Texas at 7-1-1 or (800) 735-2989. If you believe you have been discriminated against by TPWD, please contact TPWD or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office for Diversity and Workforce Management, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041. Natural Resources Program Texas Parks and Wildlife 4200 Smith School Road Austin, Texas 78744 © 2016 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. PWD BK P4508-027E (3/16) In accordance with Texas Depository Law, this publication is available at the Texas State Publications Clearinghouse and/or Texas Depository Libraries.