Lake Corpus Christi

BIRDS OF LAKE CORPUS CHRISTI STATE PARK A FIELD CHECKLIST 2022 INTRODUCTION T he brush-covered slopes, open waters, and quiet, sometimes marshy margins of Lake Corpus Christi and the lush riparian woodlands along the Nueces River combine to form a localized area whose birdlife is rich and diverse. Lake Corpus Christi State Park represents one of the few remaining stands of Tamaulipan thorn scrub, sometimes called by the local people chaparral, in the nearby vicinity of metropolitan Corpus Christi. The park and nearby natural areas are an important landfall for migrating birds and play an even greater role in the conservation of plants and animals native to the mesquite grassland of South Texas. Indicated abundance refers to species at the proper season in appropriate habitat (see legend). The checklist was compiled by Gene W. Blacklock, co-author, Birds of Texas, A Field Guide, Texas A&M Press, 1994 and Birds of the Texas Coastal Bend, Texas A&M Press, 1985. Nomenclature and organization are based upon the A.O.U. Check-list of North American Birds (7 ed. as currently supplemented). You may contribute to our knowledge of park birdlife by reporting sightings of rare, casual or accidental records to area officials. Please request Bird Sighting Report Forms available at park headquarters. Return the completed forms to the Natural Resources Program, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, Texas 78744; or leave them at the park headquarters. 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 and essential territorial behavior, and may lead to nest failure. Thank you for your cooperation. 1 LEGEND Abundance A – Abundant: 50+ seen in one day C – Common: 10+ seen in one day U – Uncommon: fewer than 5 per day R – Rare: 1-5 records each season I – Irregular: erratic and unpredictable but can be common Ca – Casual: 5-10 records in a decade Acc – Accidental: not normally expected Seasons SPG – Spring: March 15 – June 15 SUM – Summer: June 15 – September 15 FAL – Fall: September 15 – November 15 WIN – Winter: November 15 – March 15 Migration (Timelines): Spring – March 15 through June 15; Fall – June 15 through January 15 Other Notes O – Overhead: usually only seen flying over * – Has nested Section titles include the bird order (-iformes) until we reach Passeriformes. In Passeriformes, families (-idae) are used due to the breadth of the order. Cover: Illustration of Green Jays by Clemente Guzman III. 2 CHECKLIST SPR SUM FAL WIN ____ Black-bellied Whistling-Duck C C* C C ____ Fulvous-whistling-Duck I I* I Ca ____ Snow Goose R/O R/O U/O ____ Ross’s Goose Ca/O Ca/O R/O ____ Greater White-fronted Goose R/0 R/O U/O ____ Cackling Goose Ca/O Ca/O R/O ____ Canada Goose Ca/O Ca/O Ca/O Anseriformes – WATERFOWL ____ Tundra Swan Acc ____ Egyptian Goose Ca Ca Ca Ca ____ Wood Duck Ca Ca* Ca U ____ Blue-winged Teal A R* A C ____ Cinnamon Teal R R U ____ Northern Shoveler C Acc C C ____ Gadwall C C C ____ American Widgeon C C C ____ Mallard Ca Ca* Ca U ____ Mottled Duck C C* C C ____ Northern Pintail C C C ____ Green-winged Teal A A C ____ Canvasback R/O R/O U/O ____ Redhead R/O R/O U ____ Ring-necked Duck R R C ____ Greater Scaup Ca ____ Lesser Scaup C Ca 3 Ca SPR SUM FAL WIN ____ White-winged Scoter Acc ____ Bufflehead R R U ____ Common Goldeneye Ca Ca Ca ____ Hooded Merganser R R U ____ Red-breasted Merganser Ca Ca R ____ Masked Duck Ca Ca* Ca Ca ____ Ruddy Duck R R* R U ____ Plain Chachalaca Ca Ca Ca Ca ____ Northern Bobwhite R R* R R ____ Scaled Quail Acc Acc* Acc Acc ____ Wild Turkey Ca Ca* Ca Ca ____ Least Grebe R R* R R ____ Pied-billed Grebe U R* U U ____ Horned Grebe I ____ Eared Grebe Galliformes – LANDFOWL Podicipediformes – GREBES R R U ____ Rock Pigeon U U* U U ____ Eurasian Collared-Dove U U* U U ____ Inca Dove R R* R R ____ Common Ground-Dove U U* U U ____ White-tipped Dove C C* C R ____ White-winged Dove A A* A U ____ Mourning Dove C C* C C Columbiformes – PIGEONS and DOVES 4 SPR SUM FAL WIN ____ Groove-billed Ani R U* R Ca ____ Greater Roadrunner U U* U U ____ Yellow-billed Cuckoo C C* C Ca ____ Black-billed Cuckoo R R Cuculiformes – CUCKOOS Caprimulgiformes – NIGHTHAWKS and NIGHTJARS ____ Lesser Nighthawk R R R* ____ Common Nighthawk U U* U ____ Common Pauraque C C* C ____ Common Poorwill I I ____ Chuck-will’s-widow C C ____ Eastern Whip-poor-will R R Ca C Ca Apodiformes – SWIFTS and HUMMINGBIRDS ____ Chimney Swift A/O C/O* C/O ____ Ruby-throated Hummingbird A R A Ca ____ Black-chinned Hummingbird C R* C Ca ____ Rufous Hummingbird U U R ____ Broad-tailed Hummingbird R R Ca ____ Buff-bellied Hummingbird U U* U R ____ King Rail Ca Ca Ca ____ Virginia Rail Ca Ca Ca ____ Sora U U U ____ Common Gallinule U U* U U ____ American Coot C R* C A Gruiformes – MARSHBIRDS 5 SPR SUM FAL WIN ____ Purple Gallinule R R* R Ca ____ Sandhill Crane C/O C/O C/0 ____ Black-necked Stilt R R* R Ca ____ American Avocet R R R R ____ Black-bellied Plover R R R ____ American Golden-Plover U/O Ca/O ____ Killdeer C/O R* C/O C/O ____ Semipalmated Plover R R R ____ Piping Plover A A A ____ Wilson’s Plover A Ca A ____ Mountain Plover A A Ca Ca Charadriiformes – SHOREBIRDS ____ Snowy Plover Ca Ca Ca ____ Upland Sandpiper C/O R/O C/O ____ Whimbrel Ca Ca ____ Long-billed Curlew U Ca U ____ Hudsonian Godwit Ca Ca ____ Marbled Godwit R R R ____ Ruddy Turnstone A A A ____ Red Knot A A ____ Stilt Sandpiper R R Ca ____ Sanderling Ca Ca Ca ____ Dunlin R R R ____ Baird’s Sandpiper U U ____ Least Sandpiper C Ca C ____ White-rumped Sandpiper U U 6 U C SPR SUM FAL ____ Buff-breasted Sandpiper C/O C/O ____ Pectoral Sandpiper C/O C/O ____ Semipalmated Sandpiper Ca Ca ____ Western Sandpiper U Ca U ____ Short-billed Dowitcher A A ____ Long-billed Dowitcher R R Ca WIN U R ____ American Woodcock I I I ____ Wilson’s Snipe C C C ____ Spotter Sandpiper C Ca C C ____ Solitary Sandpiper U U Ca ____ Lesser Yellowlegs U/O U/O R ____ Willet R Ca R Ca ____ Greater Yellowlegs U/O Ca U/O U ____ Wilson’s Phalarope U U ____ Pomarine Jaeger A A ____ Parasitic Jaeger A A Laridae – GULLS and TERNS ____ Black-legged Kittiwake Ca ____ Bonaparte’s Gull Ca Ca Ca ____ Laughing Gull A C A C ____ Franklin’s Gull A/O A/O Ca ____ Ring-billed Gull U Ca U U ____ Herring Gull R Ca R R ____ Sooty Tern A A A ____ Least Tern R R R ____ Gull-billed Tern U U U 7 Ca SPR SUM FAL WIN ____ Caspian Tern U U U U ____ Black Tern C C ____ Common Tern A A Ca ____ Forster’s Tern C U C U ____ Royal Tern R R U Ca ____ Sandwich Tern R R R A ____ Black Skimmer R R R A ____ Pacific Loon Ca Ca ____ Common Loon R R R U/O R/O U/O Ca Gaviiformes – LOONS Ciconiiformes – STORKS ____ Wood Stork Suliformes – FRIGATEBIRDS and CORMORANTS ____ Magnificent Frigatebird A A A ____ Anhinga C/O R* C/O R ____ Double-crested Cormorant C R C C ____ Neotropic Cormorant C C* C C Pelecaniformes – PELICANS and WADINGBIRDS ____ American White Pelican C/O R A/O C ____ Brown Pelican R R R Ca ____ American Bittern Ca I Ca R ____ Least Bittern U* R ____ Great Blue Heron U U U U ____ Great Egret U U U U 8 SPR SUM FAL WIN ____ Snowy Egret U U U U ____ Little Blue Heron R R R R ____ Tricolored Heron R R U R ____ Reddish Egret Ca Ca R A ____ Cattle Egret C/O C/O C/O R/O ____ Green Heron U U* U R ____ Black-crowned Night-Heron U R U R ____ Yellow-crowned Night-Heron U R U Ca ____ White Ibis U U U U ____ White-faced Ibis U/O R U/O R ____ Roseate Spoonbill U U U R ____ Black Vulture A/O U* A/O C ____ Turkey Vulture A/O C* A/O C ____ Osprey U Ca U U ____ White-tailed Kite R R* R Ca ____ Swallow-tailed Kite R R ____ Golden Eagle R U R ____ Northern Harrier C C U ____ Sharp-shinned Hawk U U U ____ Cooper’s Hawk U U U ____ Northern Goshawk Ca ____ Bald Eagle R R R R ____ Mississippi Kite A/O R A/O A Cathartiformes – VULTURES Accipitriformes – KITES and HAWKS 9 R* SPR SUM FAL WIN ____ Harris’s Hawk R R* R R ____ White-tailed Hawk R/O R/O R/O R/O ____ Gray Hawk Ca Ca Ca Ca ____ Red-shouldered Hawk U U* U U ____ Broad-winged Hawk A/O Ca A/O ____ Swanson’s Hawk A/O R A/O Ca ____ Zone-tailed Hawk Ca Ca Ca ____ Red-tailed Hawk C R* C U ____ Ferruginous Hawk Ca Ca R ____ Barn Owl U U* U U ____ Eastern Screech Owl U U* U U ____ Great Horned Owl U U* Strigiformes – OWLS U U ____ Burrowing Owl I ____ Barred Owl R R ____ Short-eared Owl Ca R R* Coraciiformes – KINGFISHERS ____ Ringed Kingfisher R R R R ____ Belted Kingfisher U U U ____ Green Kingfisher R R” R R ____ Red-headed Woodpecker I I I ____ Golden-fronted Woodpecker C C* C C ____ Red-bellied Woodpecker Ca Ca ____ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker U U Piciformes – WOODPECKERS R 10 SPR SUM FAL WIN R R R ____ Downy Woodpecker Ca Ca ____ Ladder-backed Woodpecker U U* U U ____ Northern Flicker R R U ____ Crested Caracara U U* U U ____ American Kestrel U U U ____ Merlin R R R ____ Peregrine Falcon R R R ____ Prairie Falcon Ca Ca ____ Red-naped Sapsucker Falconiformes – FALCONS Tyrannidae – FLYCATCHERS ____ Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet Ca Ca Ca ____ Ash-throated Flycatcher R R* R R ____ Great Crested Flycatcher C Ca C Ca ____ Brown-crested Flycatcher C C* C Ca ____ Great Kiskadee U U* U U ____ Couch’s Kingbird C C* C R ____ Western Kingbird U R* U ____ Eastern Kingbird C Ca* C ____ Scissor-tailed Flycatcher C U* C ____ Olive-sided Flycatcher U U ____ Western Wood-Pewee Ca ____ Eastern Wood-Pewee C C ____ Yellow-bellied Flycatcher C C ____ Acadian Flycatcher U U 11 Ca Ca Ca Ca SPR SUM FAL ____ Alder Flycatcher R R ____ Willow Flycatcher U U Ca ____ Least Flycatcher C C Ca ____ Dusky Flycatcher Ca Ca ____ Cordilleran Flycatcher Ca Ca ____ Black Phoebe R R R WIN ____ Eastern Phoebe C C C ____ Say’s Phoebe R R R ____ Vermillion Flycatcher U Ca* U U ____ White-eyed Vireo C C* C U ____ Bell’s Vireo R Ca* R ____ Yellow-throated Vireo U R ____ Cassin’s Vireo Ca ____ Blue-headed Vireo U U U ____ Plumbeous Vireo R R R ____ Philadelphia Vireo U U ____ Warbling Vireo C C ____ Red-eyed Vireo C C Vireonidae – VIREOS ____ Yellow-green Vireo Ca Ca Laniidae – SHRIKES ____ Loggerheaded Shrike U U* U U ____ Green Jay R R* C C ____ Blue Jay I I I Corvidae – JAYS and ALLIES 12 SPR SUM FAL ____ American Crow A ____ Chihuahuan Raven A A WIN A A Remizidae and Paridae – VERDIN and CHICKADEES ____ Verdin U U* U U ____ Carolina Chickadee I I I I ____ Black-crested Titmouse U U* U U R Alaudidae and Hirundinidae – LARKS and SWALLOWS ____ Horned Lark R R ____ Bank Swallow C/O C/O Ca ____ Tree Swallow C/O R/O C/O R/O ____ Northern Rough-winged Swallow C/O C/O Ca ____ Purple Martin A/O U* A/O Ca ____ Barn Swallow A/O R* A/O Ca ____ Cliff Swallow C C* C ____ Cave Swallow U U* U R ____ Ruby-crowned Kinglet C C C ____ Golden-crowned Kinglet R R R C R C I I Regulidae – KINGLETS Bombycillidae – WAXWINGS ____ Cedar Waxwing Sittidae and Certhiidae – NUTHATCHES and CREEPERS ____ Red-breasted Nuthatch I ____ White-breasted Nuthatch A ____ Brown Creeper R R 13 R SPR SUM FAL WIN C R* C C ____ Rock Wren A ____ House Wren C C C ____ Winter Wren I I I ____ Sedge Wren U U U ____ Marsh Wren U U U ____ Carolina Wren U U* U U ____ Bewick’s Wren R R* R U ____ Cactus Wren Ca Ca* Ca Ca Polioptilidae – GNATCATCHERS ____ Blue-gray gnatcatcher Troglodytidae – WRENS Mimidae and Sturnidae – THRASHERS and STARLINGS ____ Gray Catbird U U R ____ Curve-billed Thrasher Ca Ca* Ca Ca ____ Brown Thrasher R R R ____ Long-billed Thrasher U C C ____ Sage Thrasher Ca ____ Northern Mockingbird C C* A A ____ European Starling R R* R U U U* Turdidae – THRUSHES ____ Eastern Bluebird R* U C ____ Mountain Bluebird I I ____ Veery U R ____ Gray-cheeked Thrush U R ____ Swainson’s Thrush C U 14 Ca SPR SUM FAL WIN ____ Hermit Thrush U U U ____ Wood Thrush C C Ca ____ Clay-colored Thrush Ca Ca I U I R R* R R ____ American Pipit U U C ____ Sprague’s Pipit R R R ____ American Robin Passeridae – OLD WORLD SPARROWS ____ House Sparrow Motacillidae – PIPITS Fringillidae – FINCHES ____ House Finch Ca* Ca Ca ____ Purple Finch Ca Ca Ca ____ Red Crossbill I ____ Pine Siskin R Ca R ____ Lesser Goldfinch R R* R R ____ American Goldfinch C C C ____ Cassin’s Sparrow R Ca* R Ca ____ Grasshopper Sparrow U R* U U ____ Olive Sparrow U U* U U ____ Black-throated Sparrow I Ca* I I ____ Lark Sparrow U U* U R ____ Lark Bunting I I I ____ Chipping Sparrow C C C Passerellidae – SPARROWS 15 SPR SUM FAL WIN ____ Clay-colored Sparrow U U Ca ____ Field Sparrow C U C ____ Brewer’s Sparrow Ca* Ca ____ Fox Sparrow R R R ____ Dark-eyed Junco Ca Ca ____ White-crowned Sparrow U U U ____ Harris’s Sparrow Ca ____ White-throated Sparrow C U C ____ Vesper Sparrow U U U ____ Le Conte’s Sparrow U U U ____ Savannah Sparrow c C C ____ Song Sparrow R R R ____ Lincoln’s Sparrow C C C ____ Swamp Sparrow U U U ____ Green-tailed Towhee I ____ Spotted Towhee R R R ____ Eastern Towhee R R R C C Ca ____ Yellow-headed Blackbird R R Ca ____ Bobolink Ca A ____ Eastern Meadowlark R R* R ____ Western Meadowlark C C C ____ Orchard Oriole C C Ca Icteriidae – CHATS ____ Yellow-breasted Chat Icteridae – ORIOLES and BLACKBIRDS 16 R* R SPR SUM FAL WIN ____ Hooded Oriole R R* R Ca ____ Bullock’s Oriole R R* R Ca ____ Audubon’s Oriole R R* I R ____ Baltimore Oriole C C Ca ____ Red-winged Blackbird A/O U* A/O A/O ____ Bronzed Cowbird C C* C R ____ Brown-headed Cowbird A/O U* A/O A/O ____ Brewer’s Blackbird U U U ____ Common Grackle I R* R R ____ Great-tailed Grackle A/O C* A/O A/O ____ Ovenbird U U Ca ____ Worm-eating Warbler U U ____ Louisiana Waterthrush U U ____ Northern Waterthrush C C ____ Blue-winged Warbler R R ____ Black-and-white Warbler C C ____ Prothonotary Warbler R R ____ Swainson’s Warbler R R ____ Tennessee Warbler C C ____ Orange-crowned Warbler U U U ____ Nashville Warbler C C Ca Parulidae – WOOD WARBLERS Ca R ____ McGillivray’s Warbler I I Ca ____ Mourning Warbler U U Ca ____ Kentucky Warbler U U ____ Common Yellowthroat C C 17 Ca* U SPR ____ Hooded Warbler SUM FAL C C WIN ____ American Redstart C C Ca ____ Cap May Warbler R R Ca ____ Cerulean Warbler U U Ca ____ Northern Parula C R* C Ca ____ Tropical Parula R Ca ____ Magnolia Warbler C C Ca ____ Bay-breasted Warbler U R Ca ____ Blackburnian Warbler U R Ca ____ Yellow Warbler C C Ca ____ Chestnut-sided Warbler U R Ca ____ Blackpoll Warbler R R ____ Black-throated Blue Warbler R Ca Ca ____ Pine Warbler U U U ____ Yellow-rumped Warbler C U C ____ Yellow-throated Warbler U R Ca ____ Prairie Warbler R R Ca ____ Black-throated Gray Warbler R R R ____ Black-throated Green Warbler C U Ca ____ Canada Warbler R U ____ Wilson’s Warbler C C R Ca Cardinalidae – CARDINALS ____ Summer Tanager C U* C ____ Scarlet Tanager U R ____ Western Tanager Ca Ca 18 Ca SPR SUM FAL WIN ____ Northern Cardinal A C* C A ____ Pyrrhuloxia U R* R U ____ Rose-breasted Grosbeak U U Ca ____ Black-headed Grosbeak R R R ____ Blue Grosbeak U R* U Ca ____ Lazuli Bunting R R R ____ Indigo Bunting A C R ____ Varied Bunting I ____ Painted Bunting C U* C Ca ____ Dickcissel A/O R* A/O R 19 R citation Blacklock, Gene. March 2022. Birds of Lake Corpus Christi State Park: a field checklist. Natural Resource Program, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. 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 (TTY) at (512) 389-8915 or by Relay Texas at 7-1-1 or (800) 735-2989 or by email at accessibility@tpwd.texas.gov. If you believe you have been discriminated against by TPWD, please contact TPWD, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744, or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office for Diversity and Workforce Management, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041. 20 Natural Resource Program Texas Parks and Wildlife Department 4200 Smith School Road Austin, Texas 78744 © 2022 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department PWD BK P4502–0065A (3/22)