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Birds at Chincoteague (NWR) in Virginia. Published by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS).
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U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Chincoteague
National Wildlife Refuge
Birds
Behind the dunes, shrub habitat
extends north and south gradually
merging into an upland forest
community. The shrub habitat and
upland forest support landbirds and
game birds including the northern
flicker, eastern towhee, and northern
bobwhite.
Leaving the forest for the west edge
of the island, the landscape falls away
to expansive salt marshes that border
the Chincoteague Bay. Secretive marsh
birds including the clapper rail and
green heron are outstanding marvels of
the salt marsh.
Another facet of the refuge is the
fresh-water impoundments. More
than 2,600 acres of shallow freshwater
moist soil impoundments are managed
to provide wetland vegetation and
mudflats as year round foraging areas
and cover for varieties of waterfowl,
shorebirds, and other waterbirds
during migrations. Along with roadside
ditches, impoundments provide resting,
feeding, and brood-rearing habitat for
wading birds such as great blue herons
and snowy egrets.
This brochure lists 277 birds that have
been identified on the refuge since 2008
and is in accordance with the Seventh
American Ornithologists’ Union
Checklist.
Bill Thompson/USFWS
Introduction
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge
consists of sandy beach backed by
a series of low dunes. During the
summer our beaches become a nesting
area for various species including the
American oystercatcher, least terns,
black skimmers, and the threatened
piping plover. Chincoteague NWR is
one of the country’s top five shorebird
migration staging areas east of the
Rocky Mountains.
Least sandpiper
Most birds are migratory, therefore,
their seasonal occurrence is coded as
follows:
Season
Sp spring
S
summer
F
fall
W winter
March – May
June – August
September – November
December – February
*Birds known to nest on or near the
refuge
Italics indicate threatened/
endangered species
Relative Abundance
Relative abundance indicates how
frequently you might see a bird in its
favored habitat.
a abundant: a species which is very
numerous
c common: likely 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: may be present but not every
year
Sp S F W
Ducks, Geese, & Swans
___Greater White-fronted Goose r
___Greater Snow Goose
c r c c
___Ross’s Goose
r r u
___Brant
c r c c
___Cackling Goose
u u
___Canada Goose*
c c a c
___Mute Swan*
o o o o
___Tundra Swan
c c c
___Wood Duck*
u u u r
___Gadwall*
c o c c
___Eurasian Wigeon r r
___American Wigeon
c r c c
___American Black Duck*
c c c c
___Mallard*
c c c a
___Blue-winged Teal*
c u c o
___Northern Shoveler
c o c c
___Northern Pintail
c r c c
___Green-winged Teal
c o c c
___Canvasback r
___Redhead r
___Ring-necked Duck u
___Greater Scaup
r r
___Lesser Scaup
r u
___Common Eider r
___White-winged Scoter
u u c
Great egret
Sp S F W
___Surf Scoter
o o
___Black Scoter
u u
___Long-tailed Duck
___Bufflehead
c o c
___Common Goldeneye o
___Hooded Merganser
o u
___Common Merganser r
___Red-breasted Merganser
u r o
___Ruddy Duck
u r o
Turkey & Quail
___Wild Turkey*
o o o
___Northern Bobwhite*
u c o
Loons & Grebes
___Red-throated Loon
c u
___Common Loon
c r c
___Pied-billed Grebe
u u
___Horned Grebe
u r u
___Red-necked Grebe
Shearwaters & Storm-Petrels
___Cory’s Shearwater
r r r
___Sooty Shearwater r r
___Wilson’s Storm-Petrel
r r
Gannet, Pelicans & Cormorants
___Northern Gannet
c o o
___American White Pelican
r r r
___Brown Pelican*
u c o
___Double-crested Cormorant* a a a
___Great Cormorant
r r r
Bitterns, Herons & Ibises
___American Bittern
o o o
___Least Bittern*
r r
___Great Blue Heron*
a c a
___Great Egret*
a a a
___Snowy Egret*
c a a
___Little Blue Heron*
c c c
___Tricolored Heron*
c c c
___Cattle Egret*
o c c
___White Egret sp. r r
___Green Heron*
o a c
___Black-crowned Night-Heron* o o o
o
c
o
c
o
o
r
c
c
o
o
c
c
c
c
r
u
r
u
u
r
a
a
u
u
o
o
u
u
o
c
r
c
c
c
o
u
c
o
u
u
Steve Hillebrand/USFWS
Steve Hillebrand/USFWS
Sp S F W
___Yellow-crowned Night-Heron* r u r
___White Ibis*
u c u
___Glossy Ibis*
c a o
___White-faced Ibis
r r
Vultures, Hawks & Falcons
___Black Vulture*
o o o
___Turkey Vulture*
c c c
___Osprey*
c c c
___Bald Eagle*
o o c
___Northern Harrier*
u r c
___Sharp-shinned Hawk
o o u
___Cooper’s Hawk
o o
___Red-shouldered Hawk
o o
___Red-tailed Hawk*
o o o
___American Kestrel
o r o
___Merlin
u r o
___Peregrine Falcon
u u o
Rails & Cranes
___Clapper Rail*
o u o
___King Rail
r r r
___Virginia Rail*
r r r
___Sora
r r
___Common Gallinule
r
___American Coot
o u
Plovers & Sandpipers
___Black-bellied Plover
c c c
___American Golden-Plover
r r
___Wilson’s Plover* r
___Semipalmated Plover
c a c
___Piping Plover*
o o o
___Killdeer*
o o u
___American Oystercatcher* c c c
___Black-necked Stilt*
o u
___American Avocet
o u o
___Spotted Sandpiper
u u o
___Solitary Sandpiper o o
___Greater Yellowlegs
c c c
___Willet*
c c c
___Lesser Yellowlegs
c u u
___Whimbrel
u u o
___Black-tailed Godwit
r r
___Hudsonian Godwit r o
___Marbled Godwit
u u u
___Ruddy Turnstone
o c o
___Red Knot
r o r
___Sanderling
u c o
___Semipalmated Sandpiper
a c u
___Western Sandpiper
o r o
___Least Sandpiper
c c u
___White-rumped Sandpiper
o o r
___Baird’s Sandpiper r r
___Pectoral Sandpiper
o o u
___Dunlin
c o u
___Stilt Sandpiper
r o
___Buff-breasted Sandpiper r r
___Ruff
r r
___Short-billed Dowitcher
u c u
___Long-billed Dowitcher
r r r
___Wilson’s Snipe
r r r
___American Woodcock*
___Wilson’s Phalarope r r
___Red-necked Phalarope r
Gulls, Terns & Auks
___Bonaparte’s Gull
r r
___Black-headed Gull
o
___Laughing Gull*
a a c
o
r
r
o
c
r
u
o
o
c
c
u
u
o
r
o
o
c
u
o
u
r
u
o
r
Bald eagle
Sp S F W
___Ring-billed Gull
c u c a
___Herring Gull*
c c c a
___Lesser Black-backed Gull u u u o
___Great Black-backed Gull* c c c c
___Least Tern* c r
___Gull-billed Tern*
o o r r
___Caspian Tern*
r o c
___Black Tern u r
___Royal Tern*
u c c
___Sandwich Tern* u o
___Common Tern*
o c o
___Forster’s Tern*
a a a u
___Black Skimmer*
u c o
___Dovekie r r
___Razorbill r
Doves, Cuckoos, Owls, Swifts & Hummingbirds
___Rock Pigeon
o o o o
___Mourning Dove*
c c c c
___Yellow-billed Cuckoo*
r o o
___Black-billed Cuckoo*
r u r r
___Northern Saw-whet Owl o o
___Barn Owl*
r r r r
___Eastern Screech-Owl*
o o o o
___Great Horned Owl*
o o o o
___Snowy Owl r
___Barred Owl*
o o o o
___Long-eared Owl r
___Short-eared Owl o
___Common Nighthawk o
___Chuck-will’s-widow*
o o
___Chimney Swift* o r
___Ruby-throated Hummingbird* r o r
___Belted Kingfisher*
c r c c
Woodpeckers & Flycatchers
___Red-headed Woodpecker* r o r
___Red-bellied Woodpecker*
o o o o
___Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
r o o
___Downy Woodpecker*
r o r r
___Hairy Woodpecker
r r r r
___Northern Flicker*
o o c o
Northern cardinal
___Boat-tailed Grackle*
c a
___Brown-headed Cowbird*
u o
___Orchard Oriole*
r o
___Baltimore Oriole
r r
___Purple Finch
r
___House Finch*
o o
___Pine Siskin
___American Goldfinch*
o c
___House Sparrow
r o
u
r
r
r
r
o
r
o
r
o
r
o
r
o
r
Accidental Species
These additional 21 species have been seen
only once or twice on the refuge:
Eared Grebe
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
Greater White-fronted Goose
King Eider
White-cheeked Pintail
Little Egret
Great Shearwater
Rough-legged Hawk
Black Rail
Purple Gallinule
Curlew Sandpiper
Red Phalarope
Iceland Gull
Eastern whip-poor will
Willow Flycatcher
Western Kingbird
Warbling Vireo
Cave Swallow
Golden-winged Warbler
Vesper Sparrow
Dickcissel
Notes
Location______________________________
Date________ Time_____________________
Observers____________________________
Weather______________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge
8231 Beach Road
P.O. Box 62
Chincoteague Island, VA 23336-0062
757/336 6122
757/336 5273 Fax
email: fw5rw_cnwr@fws.gov
www.fws.gov/refuge/Chincoteague
Virginia Relay Center
1 800/828 1120 TDD
1 800/828 1140 voice
Bill Thompson/USFWS
r r r
Sp S F W ___Yellow-throated Warbler
___Pine Warbler*
o o o o
___Pileated Woodpecker*
o o c o
___Prairie Warbler*
r r r r
___Olive-sided Flycatcher
r
___Palm Warbler
r o r
___Eastern Wood-Pewee*
u u o
___Bay-breasted Warbler
r
___Acadian Flycatcher*
r r
___Blackpoll Warbler
r r
___Eastern Phoebe*
r o o r
___Black-and-white Warbler r o
___Great Crested Flycatcher* u o o
___American Redstart
r o
___Eastern Kingbird*
u o o
___Prothonotary Warbler
r r r r
Vireos
___Worm-eating Warbler
r
___White-eyed Vireo*
r o r
___Ovenbird*
r o r
___Yellow-throated Vireo
r r r
___Northern Waterthrush r
___Blue-headed Vireo
r r
___Louisiana Waterthrush r
___Philadelphia Vireo r
___Common Yellowthroat*
o o o r
___Red-eyed Vireo*
o o o
___Hooded Warbler r
Jays, Crows, Larks & Swallows
___Wilson’s Warbler r
___Blue Jay*
o o u o
___Canada Warbler
r
___American Crow*
u u u u
___Yellow-breasted Chat*
r o o
___Fish Crow*
u c o o
Tanagers, Sparrows & Allies
___Horned Lark *
r r r r
___Scarlet Tanager
r r r
___Purple Martin*
o o r
___Summer Tanager*
r o o
___Tree Swallow *
c c u r
___Eastern Towhee*
o o o o
___N. Rough-winged Swallow r r r
___American Tree Sparrow
r
___Bank Swallow
r r
___Chipping Sparrow*
o o o r
___Barn Swallow
c a r
___Clay-colored Sparrow r
Chickadees, Nuthatches & Wrens
___Field Sparrow*
r o o r
___Carolina Chickadee*
o o o o
___Lark Sparrow r
___Tufted Titmouse
o o r r
___Savannah Sparrow
o r o o
___Red-breasted Nuthatch
r u o
___Grasshopper Sparrow
r r
___White-breasted Nuthatch o o o o
___Nelson’s Sparrow
r r
___Brown-headed Nuthatch* u u u u
___Saltmarsh Sparrow*
r o o r
___Brown Creeper
o o o o
___Seaside Sparrow*
o o o o
___Carolina Wren*
o o o o
___Fox Sparrow
o o o
___House Wren*
u u u u
___Song Sparrow*
o o o c
___Winter Wren o
___Lincoln’s Sparrow
r r
___Sedge Wren
r r
___Swamp Sparrow
o o u
___Marsh Wren
r r r
___White-throated Sparrow
o o c
Kinglets, Thrushes & Thrashers
___White-crowned Sparrow r r
___Golden-crowned Kinglet
r o
___Dark-eyed Junco
r r o o
___Ruby-crowned Kinglet
r r
___Snow Bunting r
___Blue-gray Gnatcatcher*
r r r
___Northern Cardinal*
c c c c
___Eastern Bluebird*
r r r r
___Rose-breasted Grosbeak
r r
___Veery r
___Blue Grosbeak*
o o o
___Gray-cheeked Thrush
r r
___Indigo Bunting*
u c o
___Swainson’s Thrush o
Blackbirds & Finches
___Hermit Thrush
r o o
___Bobolink r
___Wood Thrush*
r o r r
___Red-winged Blackbird*
c a c c
___American Robin*
c c o o
___Eastern Meadowlark*
o r o r
___Gray Catbird*
o o o u
___Rusty Blackbird r r
___Northern Mockingbird*
c o o o
___Common Grackle*
o a o o
___Brown Thrasher*
o o o o
Starlings, Pipits & Waxwings
___European Starling*
o o o o
___American Pipit r o
___Cedar Waxwing
r o o r
Warblers
___Blue-Winged Warbler r
___Tennessee Warbler r
___Nashville Warbler r
___Northern Parula*
r r
___Yellow Warbler*
r o r
___Chestnut-sided Warbler
r r
___Magnolia Warbler
r o
___Cape May Warbler r
___Black-throated Blue Warbler r o o
___Yellow-rumped Warbler
c c a
___Black-throated Green Warbler r r
___Blackburnian Warbler
r o
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
http:///www.fws.gov
For Refuge Information
1 800/344 WILD
March 2015