![]() | Inks Lake Birds |
![brochure Inks Lake - Birds]()
TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE
BIRDS
OF
INKS LAKE AND
LONGHORN CAVERN
S T A T E
P A R K S
A FIELD CHECKLIST
2015
INTRODUCTION
I
nks Lake State Park is situated in Burnet County along the east side of
Inks Lake on a stretch of the Colorado River between Buchanan Dam and
Wirtz Dam. The state park consists of 1,200 acres and contains about
three miles of shoreline. The woodlands in the upland areas of the park are
dominated by Plateau live oak, Ashe juniper, cedar elm, and post oak. Along
the shoreline sycamore, willows, and box elders can be found. In general,
the park is characterized by a mosaic of shrublands typical of the Edwards
Plateau with abundant Texas persimmon interspersed with areas that are more
open grassland with scattered mesquite and other shrubs.
Just south of Inks Lake State Park, the Federal Fish Hatchery can be
reached from Park Road 4. There is a small picnic area along the river bank
and the hatchery ponds attract a great many ducks in the winter. Check the
visitor center for their checklist.
Continuing south along Park Road 4 another two miles, you will reach
Longhorn Cavern State Park. The woodland there is more typical of the Hill
Country with a mixed oaks and junipers. Here there are many large Plateau
live oaks with smaller numbers of Texas oak and other hardwoods. There
are many areas along the edges of openings in the woodland where a brushy
understory is present. The limestone of Longhorn Cavern on the backbone
ridge contrasts sharply with the gneiss and granite bedrock of the remainder
of the checklist area. Notice particularly the absence of Texas oak on nonlimestone derived soils. This has an effect on the types of birds present as
well and a good example of this is the presence of Golden-cheeked Warblers
at Longhorn Cavern State Park.
This checklist includes all species known to occur within Inks Lake State
Park. Checklist nomenclature and organization follow the A.O.U. Check-list
of North American Birds (7th Edition, 1998 as currently supplemented).
This checklist was compiled by Ursula Kramer and updated by Sherry Bixler,
and is based in part on previous editions of the checklist and volunteer efforts within the park. Because we are interested in maintaining and revising
this checklist, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department asks visitors to help
by sharing new and unusual sightings and/or comments on the status of the
park’s birdlife. Please report any new sightings to the park interpreter.
1
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 essential territorial behavior and may lead to nest
failure. Thank you for your cooperation.
LEGEND
Seasons
Sp = spring (March – May)
S = summer (June – July)
F = fall (August – November)
W = winter (December – February)
Abundance
A = Abundant, always present and observed, expect large numbers in
proper habitat and season
C = Common, always encountered in proper habitat and season,
numbers may vary from low to high
U = Uncommon, usually present in proper habitat and season but may
be overlooked, never common or abundant
R = Rare, seldom recorded, not expected each season as designated,
may not be recorded each year
X = Accidental, may be observed only once in ten years or more, not
expected
2
CHECKLIST
Sp
S
F
W
___ Greater White-fronted Goose...................... R
R
___ Snow Goose................................................
X
___ Canada Goose............................................. U
R
U
C
U
___ Gadwall ..................................................... U
U
U
___ American Wigeon....................................... U
U
U
___ Wood Duck................................................. C
C
___ Mallard ...................................................... R
R
C
C
___ Blue-winged Teal........................................ R
R
U
U
___ Northern Shoveler...................................... R
R
U
U
___ Green-winged Teal...................................... C
C
C
___ Canvasback................................................. U
U
U
___ Redhead..................................................... U
U
U
___ Ring-necked Duck...................................... R
R
R
___ Lesser Scaup............................................... C
C
C
___ Long-tailed Duck........................................
R
___ Common Goldeneye....................................
R
___ Bufflehead.................................................. C
C
C
___ Hooded Merganser..................................... R
R
U
___ Red-breasted Merganser ...........................
R
___ Ruddy Duck................................................ U
R
U
C
___ Northern Bobwhite..................................... R
R
R
R
___ Wild Turkey................................................ U
U
U
U
U
U
___ Common Loon............................................ U
___ Least Grebe................................................. X
3
X
Sp
S
F
W
___ Pied-billed Grebe........................................ C
U
C
C
___ Eared Grebe...............................................
U
___ Western Grebe ...........................................
___ Neotropic Cormorant.................................. U
R
U
___ Double-crested Cormorant......................... A
U
U
A
U
___ Anhinga...................................................... X
X
X
___ American White Pelican.............................. U
R
U
U
___ Great Blue Heron........................................ C
C
C
C
___ Great Egret................................................. U
U
U
R
___ Snowy Egret................................................ U
C
U
___ Green Heron............................................... C
C
C
R
___ Black-crowned Night-Heron....................... U
U
U
R
___ Yellow-crowned Night-Heron...................... U
U
U
___ White Ibis................................................... X
___ White-faced Ibis.......................................... R
R
___ Roseate Spoonbill....................................... X
___ Black Vulture.............................................. A
A
A
A
___ Turkey Vulture............................................ A
A
A
U
___ Osprey ....................................................... U
U
U
___ Mississippi Kite........................................... U
U
___ Bald Eagle..................................................
U
U
___ Northern Harrier........................................ U
U
U
___ Sharp-shinned Hawk.................................. U
U
U
U
U
C
C
___ Cooper’s Hawk........................................... U
U
___ Swainson’s Hawk........................................ R
R
___ Red-tailed Hawk ....................................... C
C
4
Sp
S
F
___ Golden Eagle..............................................
W
X
___ Sora ........................................................... U
R
R
A
A
R
R
C
C
___ Greater Yellowlegs...................................... U
U
U
___ Lesser Yellowlegs........................................ U
U
___ Spotted Sandpiper...................................... U
U
___ Upland Sandpiper....................................... U
U
___ Western Sandpiper...................................... U
U
___ Least Sandpiper.......................................... U
U
___ American Coot............................................ A
U
___ Sandhill Crane............................................ R
___ Killdeer ...................................................... C
C
U
U
___ White-rumped Sandpiper ........................... R
___ Baird’s Sandpiper....................................... U
U
___ Pectoral Sandpiper..................................... U
U
___ Stilt Sandpiper............................................ U
U
___ Long-billed Dowitcher................................ U
U
___ Wilson’s Snipe............................................ U
U
___ Wilson’s Phalarope..................................... U
U
___ Franklin’s Gull............................................ U
U
___ Bonaparte’s Gull......................................... U
U
U
___ Ring-billed Gull ......................................... C
C
C
___ Herring Gull............................................... R
R
R
U
___ Forster’s Tern............................................. C
R
U
C
___ Rock Pigeon............................................... U
U
U
U
___ Eurasian Collared-Dove ............................. U
U
U
U
___ Inca Dove................................................... U
U
U
U
5
Sp
S
F
W
___ Common Ground-Dove ............................. R
R
R
R
___ White-winged Dove..................................... A
A
A
A
A
___ Mourning Dove........................................... A
A
A
___ Yellow-billed Cuckoo.................................. U
U
U
___ Greater Roadrunner................................... U
U
U
U
___ Barn Owl.................................................... U
U
U
U
___ Eastern Screech-Owl .................................. U
U
U
U
___ Great Horned Owl....................................... U
U
U
U
___ Barred Owl................................................. R
R
R
R
___ Common Nighthawk................................... U
U
___ Chuck-wills-Widow..................................... U
U
___ Common Poorwill....................................... R
R
___ Chimney Swift............................................. U
U
___ Ruby-throated Hummingbird...................... U
U
U
___ Black-chinned Hummingbird..................... C
C
___ Rufous Hummingbird................................. X
X
C
R
R
___ Ringed Kingfisher....................................... R
___ Belted Kingfisher........................................ U
U
U
U
___ Green Kingfisher......................................... R
R
R
R
___ Golden-fronted Woodpecker ..................... U
U
U
U
U
U
___ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
...................... U
___ Ladder-backed Woodpecker ...................... C
U
U
U
___ Downy Woodpecker.................................... R
R
R
R
___ Hairy Woodpecker......................................
X
___ Northern Flicker......................................... R
R
R
___ American Kestrel........................................ U
U
U
6
Sp
S
F
W
___ Merlin ....................................................... R
R
R
___ Peregrine Falcon........................................ R
R
R
___ Olive-sided Flycatcher ............................... U
___ Acadian Flycatcher...................................... R
U
R
R
___ Willow Flycatcher....................................... U
U
___ Least Flycatcher.......................................... U
U
___ Eastern Phoebe........................................... C
C
C
C
___ Vermilion Flycatcher................................... R
R
R
R
___ Ash-throated Flycatcher
......................... U
U
U
___ Great-Crested Flycatcher
...................... U
U
U
___ Western Kingbird .................................... C
C
___ Eastern Kingbird ..................................... U
___ Scissor-tailed Flycatcher .......................... C
C
C
___ Loggerhead Shrike...................................... U
R
U
___ White-eyed Vireo......................................... C
C
U
___ Bell’s Vireo................................................. C
C
___ Blue-headed Vireo......................................
U
R
R
___ Red-eyed Vireo........................................... C
C
___ Blue Jay...................................................... U
U
U
U
___ Western Scrub-Jay....................................... U
U
U
U
___ American Crow........................................... R
R
R
R
___ Common Raven.......................................... U
U
U
U
___ Purple Martin............................................. C
C
R
___ Tree Swallow............................................. R
U
___ Northern Rough-winged Swallow................ U
U
___ Bank Swallow............................................. U
R
7
Sp
S
F
___ Cliff Swallow............................................... C
C
U
___ Cave Swallow.............................................. C
C
U
___ Barn Swallow.............................................. C
C
U
___ Black-crested Titmouse ............................ C
C
C
C
___ Carolina Chickadee ................................... C
C
C
C
___ Verdin ........................................................ R
R
R
R
___ Bushtit........................................................ R
R
R
R
___ Brown Creeper...........................................
W
U
R
___ Rock Wren.................................................. R
R
R
R
___ Canyon Wren.............................................. U
U
U
U
___ House Wren................................................
U
___ Winter Wren...............................................
R
___ Marsh Wren................................................
R
___ Carolina Wren............................................. C
C
C
C
___ Bewick’s Wren............................................ C
C
C
C
___ Cactus Wren................................................ U
U
U
U
___ Red-breasted Nuthatch .............................
___ Blue-gray Gnatcatcher ............................ U
R
U
___ Ruby-crowned Kinglet ............................. C
U
C
___ Golden-crowned Kinglet ...........................
___ Eastern Bluebird......................................... U
R
C
U
U
U
U
___ Wood Thrush.............................................. X
X
___ Hermit Thrush............................................ U
U
U
R
R
___ American Robin.......................................... R
R
___ Gray Catbird............................................... R
R
___ Brown Thrasher......................................... U
U
8
U
Sp
S
F
W
___ Northern Mockingbird ............................. C
C
C
C
___ European Starling....................................... C
C
C
C
___ American Pipit............................................ C
U
C
___ Cedar Waxwing........................................... A
U
A
___ Ovenbird.................................................... R
R
___ Louisiana Waterthrush................................ R
R
___ Northern Waterthrush................................. R
R
___ Black-and-white Warbler............................ U
R
U
___ Prothonotary Warbler................................. R
R
___ Orange-crowned Warbler...........................
U
___ Nashville Warbler........................................ C
U
___ Tennessee Warbler...................................... R
R
___ Mourning Warbler...................................... R
R
___ Common Yellowthroat
........................... U
U
___ American Redstart...................................... U
U
___ Northern Parula.......................................... U
U
C
R
U
___ Magnolia Warbler....................................... R
___ Blackburnian Warbler................................ R
___ Yellow Warbler........................................... U
U
___ Chestnut-sided Warbler............................... R
___ Yellow-rumped Warbler.............................. U
___ Yellow-throated Warbler............................. R
U
R
R
___ Black-throated Green Warbler.................... U
U
___ Canada Warbler.......................................... R
R
___ Wilson’s Warbler......................................... U
U
___ Yellow-breasted Chat.................................. R
9
R
R
C
Sp
S
F
W
U
C
U
U
U
R
R
___ Rufous-crownd Sparrow............................. C
C
C
C
___ Chipping Sparrow....................................... C
U
C
C
___ Field Sparrow............................................. U
R
U
A
C
C
___ Spotted Towhee.......................................... U
___ Canyon Towhee........................................... U
___ Cassin’s Sparrow......................................... R
___ Vesper Sparrow.......................................... U
___ Lark Sparrow.............................................. C
C
C
A
___ Black-throated Sparrow.............................. U
U
U
U
R
R
___ Lark Bunting............................................... R
___ Savannah Sparrow...................................... U
___ Grasshopper Sparrow................................. U
R
C
C
U
U
___ Le Conte’s Sparrow.....................................
U
___ Fox Sparrow...............................................
U
___ Song Sparrow............................................. U
U
C
___ Lincoln’s Sparrow....................................... C
C
C
___ Swamp Sparrow.......................................... R
R
U
___ White-throated Sparrow..............................
R
R
___ White-crowned Sparrow............................. C
C
A
___ Harris’s Sparrow.........................................
U
U
___ Dark-eyed Junco......................................... U
U
U
A
A
R
R
___ Summer Tanager........................................ C
C
___ Northern Cardinal....................................... A
A
___ Pyrrhuloxia................................................. R
___ Black-headed Grosbeak..............................
X
___ Blue Grosbeak............................................ U
U
10
U
Sp
S
___ Lazuli Bunting............................................. R
___ Indigo Bunting............................................ U
F
W
R
U
U
___ Painted Bunting.......................................... C
A
U
___ Dickcissel................................................... U
R
U
___ Eastern Meadowlark................................... U
U
C
C
U
C
C
___ Western Meadowlark.................................. U
___ Brown-headed Cowbird.............................. C
C
C
___ Bronzed Cowbird........................................ R
R
R
___ Yellow-headed Blackbird............................ U
U
___ Red-winged Blackbird................................ C
C
C
A
___ Great-tailed Grackle.................................... U
U
U
C
___ Rusty Blackbird.......................................... X
___ Orchard Oriole........................................... C
X
C
U
___ Bullock’s Oriole.......................................... U
U
___ Baltimore Oriole......................................... U
U
___ Scott’s Oriole.............................................. R
R
R
R
___ House Finch............................................... C
C
C
C
C
C
U
C
U
A
C
C
___ Pine Siskin.................................................. U
___ Lesser Goldfinch......................................... U
U
___ American Goldfinch.................................... A
___ House Sparrow........................................... C
11
C
CITATION
Ursula Kramer and Sherry Bixler. April 2015. Birds of Inks Lake
State Park: a seasonal checklist. Natural Resource Program, Texas
Parks and Wildlife.
Cover: Illustration of Lark Sparrow by Clemente Guzman III.
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
© 2015 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
PWD BK P4507-015C (4/15)
In accordance with Texas Depository Law, this publication is available at the
Texas State Publications Clearinghouse and/or Texas Depository Libraries.
