"Mt. Hood at Steigerwald Lake NWR in WA" by Jeff Hollett , public domain
![]() | Steigerwald LakeWildlife |
Wildlife at Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Washington. Published by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS).
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covered parks
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Steigerwald Lake
National Wildlife
Refuge
Watchable Wildlife
In order to
see birds it is
necessary to
become part
of the silence.
- Robert Lynd
Introduction
Steigerwald Lake
NWR
A wide variety of birds await the
patient observer at Steigerwald
Lake National Wildlife Refuge.
Located in the Columbia River
Gorge, at the crossroads of the
Cascade Mountain Range and the
Columbia River, birds from the east
can be found among those of the
west at this near sea-level passage.
Bird List Key
c
Seasonal
Abundance Codes
Over 200 of the 300 bird species
seen in Clark County, Washington
have been observed on this relatively
small refuge, making Steigerwald
Lake an excellent birding destination.
A number of habitats support this
diverse bird population, including
riparian forest along Gibbons Creek,
seasonal wetlands, grasslands and
oak forested uplands.
Enjoying Wildlife
When looking at a bird, pay close
attention to characteristics like color,
size, shape, wing and head markings.
Always observe first and then refer
to your identification book, because
the bird may move out of sight quickly.
This is especially true of perching birds.
Also, be sure to listen for their calls
and sounds. Take note of the type of
habitat in which you see the bird, and
where in the habitat they are likely
to be found—canopy, tree trunk, brushy
areas, open water or on the ground.
u
- Uncommon – usually present
but may not be seen or heard
o
- Occasional – seen or heard only
a few times per season
r
- Rare – unlikely to be seen or
heard
a
- Accidental - less than five
records
Sp - Spring – March through May
S - Summer – June through July
F - Fall – August through November
The Gibbons Creek Wildlife Art Trail
offers Refuge visitors the chance to
experience and learn about wildlife
and the places they call home. As a
guest in their home, your visit will
be most successful if you move
slowly, talk softly, use binoculars
and leave only footprints behind.
The trail is open year-round from dawn
until dusk. A seasonal spur is closed
from October 1 – April 30 to provide
sanctuary for wintering waterfowl.
Observation Tips
Seasons
- Common – likely to be seen or
heard
W - Winter – December through
February
Marsh wren
Birds of Steigerwald Lake NWR
Common Name
Loons
Common Loon
Grebes
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Eared Grebe
Western Grebe
Cormorants
Double-crested Cormorant
Bitterns, Herons and Egrets
American Bittern
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Sp S
r
c
o
W
u
c
o
c
o
u
o
a
a
o
o
u
r
u
u
u
c
r
u
c
o
r
u
r
o
r
u
c
u
a
r
a
Ibises and Spoonbills
White-faced Ibis
a
a
New World Vultures
Turkey Vulture
c
c
Swans, Geese and Ducks
Greater White-fronted Goose
Snow Goose
Ross’s Goose
Brant
Cackling Goose
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Trumpeter Swan
Tundra Swan
Wood Duck
Gadwall
Eurasian Wigeon
American Wigeon
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
F
o
o
c
u
r
a
r
r
u
c
o
r
u
c
r
c
c
c
c
u
a
r
r
c
r
c
u
o
r
a
c
c
o
r
c
c
r
c
c
u
c
u
o
c
u
o
c
u
c
Common Name
Sp S
F
W
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Tufted Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Surf Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Barrow’s Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
u
o
c
r
o
c
o
r
r
r
u
o
u
r
o
o
c
c
c
o
a
c
a
u
c
Osprey, Kites, Hawks and Eagles
Osprey
White-tailed Kite
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Swainson’s Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Ferruginous Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Golden Eagle
Red-tailed hawk
© Ken Morris
o
c
c
r
r
u
o
o
r
o
u
a
a
o
r
a
o
r
r
r
r
c
c
u
c
o
a
u
c
r
a
u
c
o
r
o
a
c
a
o
c
c
a
r
c
o
a
u
o
a
r
a
c
u
r
o
c
o
a
Common Name
Falcons and Caracaras
American Kestrel
Merlin
Gyrfalcon
Peregrine Falcon
Prairie Falcon
Sp S
o
o
r
F
W
u
u
u
a
a
o
a
o
Gallinaceous Birds
Ring-necked Pheasant
California Quail
r
r
r
r
r
r
r
r
Rails
Virginia Rail
Sora
American Coot
o
o
c
o
u
u
u
r
u
r
Cranes
Sandhill Crane
a
Plovers
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
u
Stilts and Avocets
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
a
a
Sandpipers and Phalaropes
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
u
o
Greater
yellowlegs
u
r
u
u
u
u
c
o
o
Common Name
Solitary Sandpiper
Spotted Sandpiper
Long-billed Curlew
Sanderling
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Baird’s Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Dunlin
Short-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson’s Snipe
Wilson’s Phalarope
Red-necked Phalarope
Red Phalarope
Skuas, Jaegers, Gulls and Terns
Bonaparte’s Gull
Mew Gull
Ring-billed Gull
California Gull
Herring Gull
Thayer’s Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Glaucous Gull
Caspian Tern
Sp S
r
r
a
u
o
o
a
u
c
r
F
a
u
r
o
r
r
r
r
r
r
o
o
u
o
r
a
u
u
r
a
a
r
r
r
o
u
u
o
r
c
u
r
o
u
o
o
r
o
o
o
o
Pigeons and Doves
Rock Pigeon
Band-tailed Pigeon
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Mourning Dove
o
a
u
u
o
u
u
c
u
o
Barn Owls
Barn Owl
r
r
o
o
c
r
o
Typical Owls
Western Screech-Owl
Great Horned Owl
Snowy Owl
Burrowing Owl
Short-eared Owl
r
o
o
W
o
o
u
u
o
u
r
c
a
o
a
u
o
o
a
a
o
o
Common Name
Sp S
F
o
o
Vireos
Cassin’s Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Crows, Jays and Magpies
Steller’s Jay
Western Scrub-Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Swifts
Black Swift
Vaux’s Swift
o
r
c
Hummingbirds
Anna’s Hummingbird
Calliope Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
o
r
o
o
r
o
o
Kingfishers
Belted Kingfisher
u
u
c
Woodpeckers
Lewis’s Woodpecker
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Tyrant Flycatchers
Western Wood-Pewee
Willow Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Gray Flycatcher
Dusky Flycatcher
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
Say’s Phoebe
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Western Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird
Shrikes
Loggerhead Shrike
Northern Shrike
u
u
c
u
c
o
o
o
o
o
c
u
a
a
a
u
o
a
r
c
o
c
u
o
a
o
a
r
o
o
o
r
a
r
a
r
a
a
r
Common Name
Sp S
o
o
r
c
c
o
o
r
o
c
c
o
F
a
r
Swallows
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Bank Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
u
c
u
u
© Matt Macgillivray
r
o
u
r
a
c
c
c
u
o
c
c
c
c
u
a
u
c
u
u
u
u
a
u
c
r
Titmice and Chickadees
Black-capped Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
o
a
u
c
o
Bushtits
Bushtit
r
o
o
r
a
c
r
Nuthatches
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
u
o
Creepers
Brown Creeper
r
r
u
c
c
c
u
u
u
u
o
a
r
r
o
r
o
Wrens
Bewick’s Wren
House Wren
Winter Wren
Marsh Wren
White-breasted nuthatch
W
o
o
Larks
Horned Lark
o
u
r
o
a
W
Kinglets
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
r
u
o
Common Name
Thrushes
Mountain Bluebird
Townsend’s Solitaire
Swainson’s Thrush
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Varied Thrush
Mimic Thrushes
Sage Thrasher
Starlings
European Starling
Sp S
F
W
a
a
o
c
c
c
u
a
c
a
a
o
r
a
c
Wagtails and Pipits
American Pipit
r
Waxwings
Cedar Waxwing
o
c
c
r
c
c
r
c
Wood Warblers
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Townsend’s Warbler
Palm Warbler
MacGillivray’s Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson’s Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Tanagers
Western Tanager
Sparrows and Towhees
Spotted Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
Brewer’s Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
u
r
o
o
o
a
a
o
u
r
r
u
o
r
r
a
u
c
u
c
u
o
r
c
a
o
o
r
r
u
r
u
r
o
r
Common Name
Lincoln’s Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Harris’s Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Lapland Longspur
c
c
a
u
u
c
W
u
a
r
a
u
u
o
a
r
u
Cardinals, Grosbeaks and Allies
Black-headed Grosbeak
Lazuli Bunting
o
u
c
o
o
u
Blackbirds and Orioles
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Brewer’s Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Bullock’s Oriole
c
u
r
o
c
o
c
r
r
o
c
c
c
o
u
u
u
r
u
u
r
c
r
r
c
o
r
c
c
c
r
a
c
o
c
o
o
Finches
Purple Finch
House Finch
Pine Siskin
Lesser Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
Old World Sparrows
House Sparrow
o
u
u
r
F
a
a
u
u
o
a
a
a
c
u
c
Sp S
American robin
© Ken Morris
r
r
a
o
u
u
a
r
Mammals of the Gorge Refuges
Species
Presence
Common Name
The following lists of mammals,
amphibians, reptiles, and fish
include species that have been
verified through biological surveys
to occur within the Columbia River
Gorge National Wildlife Refuges
(Steigerwald Lake NWR, Franz
Lake NWR, Pierce NWR). The
remaining are potential species
obtained from various publications.
V - (•) Verified Species
Common Name
V
Pouched Mammals
Common opossum
•
Shrews and Moles
Shrew-mole
Coast mole
Townsend mole
Dusky shrew
Water shrew
Vagrant shrew
Bats
Big brown bat
Silver-haired bat
Western red bat
Hoary bat
•
•
•
•
•
Little
brown myotis
© Ken Morris
California myotis
Western long-eared bat
Little brown myotis
Long-legged bat
Yuma bat
Big-eared bat
Pikas, Rabbits and Hares
Brush rabbit
Eastern cottontail
Rodents
Beaver
Gray-tailed vole
Creeping (Oregon) vole
Townsend vole
Nutria
Muskrat
Deer mouse
Eastern gray squirrel
Western gray squirrel
Beechey ground squirrel
Townsends chipmunk
Douglas squirrel
Mazama pocket gopher
Brush prairie gopher
Northern pocket gopher
Pacific jumping mouse
V
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Carnivores
Coyote
Mountain lion
Bobcat
River otter
Striped skunk
Long-tailed weasel
Mink
Racoon
Black bear
Red fox
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hoofed Mammals
Roosevelt elk
Black-tailed deer
•
•
Amphibians & Reptiles of the Gorge Refuges
Fish of the Gorge Refuges
Common Name
Common Name
Salamanders
Northwestern salamander
Long-toed salamander
Ensatina
Larch Mountain salamader
Western red-back salamander
Cascade torrent salamander
Rough-skinned newt
V
•
•
•
•
•
•
Frogs and Toads
Western toad
Pacific chorus frog
Northern red-legged frog
Bullfrog
•
•
•
•
Turtles
Western painted turtle
Western pond turtle
•
•
Lizards
Northern alligator lizard
Snakes
Rubber boa
Northwestern garter snake
Red-spotted (common) garter snake
•
•
Rough-skinned newt
© Andy Purviance
Green sturgeon
White sturgeon
Chiselmouth
American shad
Yellow bullhead
Brown bullhead
Goldfish
Longnose sucker
Bridgelip sucker
Largescale sucker
Riffle sculpin
Torrent sculpin
Carp
Threespine stickleback
Channel catfish
River lamprey
Pumpkinseed
Bluegill
Smallmouth bass
Largemouth bass
Sea-run cutthroat trout
Chum salmon
Coho salmon
Sockeye salmon
Rainbow trout
Steelhead
Chinook salmon
Yellow perch
Sandroller
Starry flounder
White crappie
Black crappie
Mountain whitefish
Northern pike-minnow
Longnosed dace
Redside shiner
Brown trout
Bull trout
Walleye
Eulachon (smelt)
V
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Northern harrier
Field Notes
© Roger Windemuth
Have you seen
me lately?
Date & time
Observer
Weather
Species
Behavior
Comments
Date & time
Observer
Weather
Species
Behavior
Comments
If you find a rare, accidental or
unlisted species, please share your
observations with us. And remember,
a picture is worth a thousand words.
Steigerwald Lake
National Wildlife Refuge
35501 SE Evergreen Hwy
Washougal, WA 98671
Telephone: 360/835-8767
Fax: 360/835-9780
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
http://www.fws.gov
Refuge Information
1 800/344 WILD
October 2010
Cover photo
Purple martin/Photograph by Dori
Inside front cover photo
Great blue heron/© Dave Olson