 |
 |
|
Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge |
|
|
|
|
Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge |
BIRDING INFORMATION & CHECKLIST
Birding Information
Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge provides excellent habitat for a variety of birds. The Refuge is composed of uplands, grassland, agricultural lands, hardwood river bottoms, marshes, and flooded sloughs. The Refuge is managed primarily for migratory waterfowl, with consideration given to resident and other migratory species of birds. A secondary function is to provide an opportunity for the public to observe, study, harvest and enjoy wildlife and plants in their natural environment.
April and May are the best months for observing passerines. November is an excellent time to observe the peak migration of waterfowl.
Checklist
The following tabulation lists 294 birds, including 90 species which nest on the refuge (*).
Since most birds are migratory, their seasonal occurrence and relative abundance is coded as follows:
SEASONS:
S --Spring (March-May)
S --Summer (June-August)
F --Fall (September-November)
W--Winter (December-February)
SEASONAL ABUNDANCE:
a--abundant occurring in large numbers
c--common certain to be seen in suitable habitat
u--uncommon present but not certain to be seen
o--occasional seen only a few times during a season
r--rare seen at intervals of 2 to 5 years
x--accidental straggler or out of normal range
| ENGLISH NAME | ZOOLOGICAL NAME | Sp | Su | F | W |
| LOONS | |||||
| Common Loon | Gavia immer | u | r | u | |
| GREBES | |||||
| Pied-billed Grebe* | Podilymbus podiceps | c | o | c | o |
| Horned Grebe | Podiceps auritus | o | o | ||
| Eared Grebe | Podiceps nigricollis | o | u | ||
| Western Grebe | Aechmophorus occidentals | r | |||
| Clark's Grebe | Aechmophorus clarkii | a | a | ||
| PELICANS | |||||
| American White Pelican | Pelecanus erythrorhynchos | c | o | c | |
| CORMORANTS | |||||
| Double-crested Cormorant* | Phalacrocorax auritus | c | u | c | |
| HERONS and BITTERNS | |||||
| American Bittern | Botaurus lentiginosus | u | o | u | |
| Least Bittern* | Ixobrychus exilis | o | o | r | |
| Great Blue Heron* | Ardea herodias | c | c | c | u |
| Great Egret | Ardea alba | u | u | u | |
| Snowy Egret | Egretta thula | u | u | u | |
| Little Blue Heron | Egretta caerulea | u | u | c | |
| Cattle Egret | Bubulcus ibis | o | o | o | |
| Green Heron* | Butorides virescens | c | c | c | |
| Black-crowned Night-Heron | Nycticorax nycticorax | u | o | u | |
| Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Nyctanassa violaceus | o | o | o | |
| IBISES and STORKS | |||||
| White-faced Ibis | Plegadis chihi | r | r | ||
| DUCKS, GEESE, and SWANS | |||||
| Greater White-fronted Goose | Anser albifrons | c | c | u | |
| Snow Goose | Chen caerulescens | a | a | u | |
| Ross' Goose | Chen rossii | c | c | ||
| Canada Goose* | Branta canadensis | a | u | a | u |
| Tundra Swan | Cygnus columbianus | r | r | r | |
| Wood Duck* | Aix sponsa | c | c | c | r |
| Gadwall | Anas strepera | c | r | c | r |
| Eurasian Wigeon | Anas penelope | r | |||
| American Wigeon | Anas americana | a | r | a | u |
| American Black Duck | Anas rubripes | u | u | o | |
| Mallard* | Anas platyrhynchos | a | u | a | a |
| Blue-winged Teal* | Anas discors | a | r | a | |
| Cinnamon Teal | Anas cyanoptera | x | x | ||
| Northern Shoveler | Anas clypeata | c | o | c | |
| Northern Pintail | Anas acuta | a | o | a | u |
| Green-winged Teal | Anas crecca | a | o | a | o |
| Canvasback | Aythya valisineria | u | r | u | r |
| Redhead | Aythya americana | c | r | c | r |
| Ring-necked Duck | Aythya collaris | c | r | c | r |
| Lesser Scaup | Aythya affinis | a | r | a | r |
| Oldsquaw | Clangula hyemalis | x | x | ||
| Bufflehead | Bucephala albeola | u | u | o | |
| Common Goldeneye | Bucephala clangula | u | o | u | |
| Hooded Merganser | Mergus merganser | o | u | r | |
| Common Merganser | Mergus merganser | a | c | a | |
| Red-breasted Merganser | Mergus serrator | u | u | r | |
| Ruddy Duck | Oxyura jamaicensis | c | r | c | r |
| VULTURES | |||||
| Turkey Vulture* | Cathartes aura | c | c | c | |
| HAWKS, KITES, and EAGLES | |||||
| Osprey | Pandion haliaetus | o | o | ||
| Mississippi Kite | Ictinia mississippiensis | r | r | ||
| Bald Eagle* | Haliaeetus leucocephalus | u | u | u | c |
| Northern Harrier* | Circus cyaneus | c | u | c | c |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | Accipiterstriatus | u | r | u | u |
| Cooper's Hawk | Accipiter cooperii | o | o | u | o |
| Northern Goshawk | Accipiter gentilis | r | |||
| Red-shouldered Hawk | Buteo lineatus | r | r | r | |
| Broad-winged Hawk | Buteo platypterus | u | r | u | |
| Swainson's Hawk | Buteo swainsoni | u | o | u | |
| Red-tailed Hawk* | Buteo jamaicensis | a | a | a | a |
| Ferruginous Hawk | Buteo regalis | r | r | ||
| Rough-legged Hawk | Buteo lagopus | u | u | c | |
| Golden Eagle | Aquila chrysaetos | o | o | o | |
| FALCONS | |||||
| American Kestrel* | Falco spawverius | c | c | c | c |
| Merlin | Falco columbarius | o | o | r | |
| Peregrine Falcon | Falco peregrinus | o | o | r | |
| Prairie Falcon | Falco mexicanus | u | u | u | |
| PHEASANTS, GROUSE, TURKEY, and QUAILS | |||||
| Ring-necked Pheasant* | Phasianus colchicus | o | o | o | o |
| Greater Prairie-Chicken* | Tympanuchus cupido | u | u | u | u |
| Wild Turkey* | Meleagris gallopavo | c | c | c | c |
| Northern Bobwhite* | Colinus virginianus | a | a | a | a |
| RAILS, GALLINULES, and COOTS | |||||
| King Rail | Rallus elegans | o | r | o | |
| Virginia Rail | Rallus limicola | u | o | u | |
| Sora | Porzana carolina | u | u | c | |
| Purple Gallinule | Porphyrula martinica | r | |||
| Common Moorhen | Gallinula chloropus | r | r | ||
| American Coot | Fulica americana | a | o | a | o |
| CRANES | |||||
| Sandhill Crane | Grus canadensis | r | r | ||
| PLOVERS | |||||
| Black-bellied Plover | Pluvialis squatarola | o | o | ||
| American Golden-Plover | Pluvialis dominica | u | o | ||
| Snowy Plover | Charadrius alexandrinus | r | |||
| Semipalmated Plover | Charadrius semipalmatus | o | o | ||
| Piping Plover | Charadrius melodus | r | r | ||
| Killdeer* | Charadrius vociferus | a | a | a | u |
| AVOCETS | |||||
| American Avocet | Recurvirostra americana | u | u | ||
| SANDPIPERS and PHALAROPES | |||||
| Greater Yellowlegs | Tringa melanoleuca | u | o | u | |
| Lesser Yellowlegs | Tringa flavipes | c | o | c | |
| Solitary Sandpiper | Tringa solitaria | u | u | ||
| Willet | Catoptrophorus semipalmatus | o | o | ||
| Spotted Sandpiper | Actitis macularia | u | u | u | |
| Upland Sandpiper* | Bartramia longicauda | a | a | c | |
| Long-billed Curlew | Numenius americanus | r | r | ||
| Hudsonian Godwit | Limosa haemastica | o | r | ||
| Marbled Godwit | Limosa fedoa | u | o | ||
| Ruddy Turnstone | Arenaria interpres | x | |||
| Sanderling | Calidris alba | r | r | ||
| Semipalmated Sandpiper | Calidris pusilla | c | r | c | |
| Western Sandpiper | Calidris mauri | u | r | o | |
| Least Sandpiper | Calidris minutilla | c | o | c | |
| White-rumped Sandpiper | Calidris fuscicollis | u | r | u | |
| Baird's Sandpiper | Calidris bairdii | c | r | c | |
| Pectoral Sandpiper | Calidris melanotos | u | o | u | |
| Dunlin | Calidris alpina | o | r | o | |
| Stilt Sandpiper | Calidris himantopus | u | r | u | |
| Short-billed Dowitcher | Limnodromus griseus | x | x | ||
| Long-billed Dowitcher | Limnodromus scolopaceus | a | u | a | |
| Common Snipe | Gallinago gallinago | u | u | u | r |
| American Woodcock* | Scolopax minor | r | r | r | |
| Wilson's Phalarope | Phalaropus tricolor | c | o | c | |
| JAEGERS | |||||
| Parasitic Jaeger | Stercorarius parasiticus | r | |||
| GULLS and TERNS | |||||
| Franklin's Gull | Larus pipixcan | a | a | ||
| Little Gull | Larus minutus | r | r | ||
| Bonaparte's Gull | Larus philadelphia | o | r | r | |
| Ring-billed Gull | Larus delawarensis | c | u | c | c |
| Herring Gull | Larus argentatus | u | r | u | u |
| Glaucous Gull | Larus hyperboreus | r | |||
| Great Black-backed Gull | Larus marinus | r | |||
| Black-legged Kittiwake | Rissa tridactyla | r | |||
| Thayer's Gull | Larus thayeri | a | |||
| Caspian Tern | Sterna caspia | o | o | ||
| Forster's Tern | Sterna forsteri | u | u | ||
| Least Tern | Sterna antillarum | r | r | ||
| Black Tern | Chlidonias niger | c | u | u | |
| DOVES | |||||
| Rock Dove* | Columbia livia | u | u | u | u |
| Mourning Dove* | Zenaida macroura | a | a | a | o |
| CUCKOOS and ROADRUNNERS | |||||
| Black-billed Cuckoo* | Coccyzus erythropthalmus | c | u | u | |
| Yellow-billed Cuckoo* | Coccyzus americanus | c | c | c | |
| OWLS | |||||
| Barn Owl* | Tyto alba | o | o | u | o |
| Eastern Screech-Owl* | Otus asio | u | u | u | u |
| Great Horned Owl* | Bubo virginianus | c | c | c | c |
| Snowy Owl | Nyctea scandiaca | r | |||
| Burrowing Owl | Athene cunicularia | o | o | ||
| Barred Owl* | Strix varia | c | c | c | c |
| Long-eared Owl | Asio otus | o | o | u | |
| Short-eared Owl | Asio flammeus | u | u | u | |
| Northern Saw-whet Owl | Aegolius acadicus | o | |||
| GOATSUCKERS | |||||
| Common Nighthawk* | Chordeiles minor | c | c | c | |
| Common Poorwill | Phalaenoptilus nuttallii | r | r | r | r |
| Chuck-will's-widow* | Caprimulgus carolinensis | u | u | u | |
| Whip-poor-will | Caprimulgus vociferus | u | o | u | |
| SWIFTS | |||||
| Chimney Swift* | Chaetura pelagica | a | a | a | |
| HUMMINGBIRDS | |||||
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird* | Archilochus colubris | c | c | c | |
| KINGFISHERS | |||||
| Belted Kingfisher* | Ceryle alcyon | c | c | c | o |
| WOODPECKERS and ALLIES | |||||
| Red-headed Woodpecker* | Melanerpes erythrocephalus | c | c | c | u |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker* | Melanerpes carolinus | a | a | a | a |
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | Sphyrapicus varius | u | u | u | |
| Downy Woodpecker* | Picoides pubescens | c | c | c | c |
| Hairy Woodpecker* | Picoides villosus | u | u | u | u |
| Northern Flicker* | Colaptes auratus | c | c | c | c |
| Pileated Woodpecker* | Dryocopus pileatus | o | o | o | o |
| FLYCATCHERS | |||||
| Olive-sided Flycatcher | Contopus cooperi | o | o | ||
| Eastern Wood-Pewee* | Contopus virens | c | c | c | |
| Yellow-bellied Flycatcher | Empidonax flaviventris | r | r | ||
| Acadian Flycatcher | Empidonax virescens | u | u | u | |
| Alder Flycatcher | Empidonax alnorum | u | u | ||
| Willow Flycatcher | Empidonax traillii | u | u | ||
| Least Flycatcher | Empidonax minimus | u | u | ||
| Eastern Phoebe* | Sayornis phoebe | c | c | c | |
| Say's Phoebe | Sayornis saya | r | |||
| Great Crested Flycatcher* | Myiarchus crinitus | c | c | c | |
| Western Kingbird* | Tyrannus verticalis | u | u | u | |
| Eastern Kingbird* | Tyrannus tyrannus | a | a | a | |
| Scissor-tailed Flycatcher* | Tyrannus forficatus | c | c | c | |
| SHRIKES | |||||
| Loggerhead Shrike* | Lanius ludovicianus | c | c | c | c |
| Northern Shrike | Lauius excubitor | r | |||
| VIREOS | |||||
| White-eyed Vireo | Vireo griseus | u | u | o | |
| Bell's Vireo* | Vireo bellii | c | c | c | |
| Solitary Vireo | Vireo solitarius | u | u | ||
| Yellow-throated Vireo | Vireo flavifrons | o | o | ||
| Warbling Vireo* | Vireo gilvus | c | c | c | |
| Philadelphia Vireo | Vireo philadelphicus | u | o | ||
| Red-eyed Vireo* | Vireo olivaceus | c | u | c | |
| JAYS and CROWS | |||||
| Blue Jay* | Cyanocitta cristata | a | a | a | a |
| American Crow* | Corvus brachyrhynchos | c | c | c | c |
| LARKS | |||||
| Horned Lark* | Eremophila alpestris | a | c | a | a |
| SWALLOWS | |||||
| Purple Martin* | Progne subis | c | c | c | |
| Tree Swallow* | Tachycineta bicolor | c | o | c | |
| Northern Rough-winged Swallow* | Stelgidopteryx serripennis | c | u | c | |
| Bank Swallow | Riparia riparia | u | u | ||
| Cliff Swallow | Petrochelidon pyrrhonota | u | u | u | |
| Barn Swallow* | Hirundo rustica | a | a | a | |
| CHICKADEES and TITMICE | |||||
| Black-capped Chickadee* | Poecile atricapillus | a | a | a | a |
| Tufted Titmouse* | Baeolophus bicolor | c | c | c | c |
| NUTHATCHES | |||||
| Red-breasted Nuthatch | Sitta canadensis | o | u | ||
| White-breasted Nuthatch* | Sitta carolinensis | c | u | c | c |
| CREEPERS | |||||
| Brown Creeper | Certhia americana | c | u | c | |
| WRENS | |||||
| Rock Wren | Salpinctes obsoletus | r | |||
| Carolina Wren* | Thryothorus ludovicianus | u | u | u | u |
| Bewick's Wren* | Thryomanes bewickii | u | u | u | |
| House Wren* | Troglodytes aedon | a | a | c | |
| Winter Wren | Troglodytes troglodytes | o | |||
| Sedge Wren | Cistothorus platensis | o | u | ||
| Marsh Wren | Cistothorus palustris | u | u | u | r |
| KINGLETS and GNATCATCHERS | |||||
| Golden-crowned Kinglet | Regulus satrapa | c | c | u | |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | Regulus calendula | u | c | o | |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher* | Polioptila caerulea | c | c | c | |
| THRUSHES | |||||
| Eastern Bluebird* | Sialia sialis | c | c | c | u |
| Townsend's Solitaire | Myadestes townsendi | o | o | ||
| Veery | Catharus fuscescens | u | |||
| Gray-cheeked Thrush | Catharus minimus | u | |||
| Swainson's Thrush | Catharus ustulatus | a | u | ||
| Hermit Thrush | Catharus guttatus | u | u | ||
| Wood Thrush* | Hylocichla mustelina | c | u | u | |
| American Robin* | Turdus migratorius | a | a | a | u |
| THRASHERS | |||||
| Gray Catbird* | Dumetella carolinensis | u | u | u | |
| Northern Mockingbird* | Mimus polyglottos | c | c | c | u |
| Brown Thrasher* | Toxostoma rufum | c | a | a | r |
| STARLINGS | |||||
| European Starling* | Sturnus vulgaris | a | a | a | a |
| PIPITS | |||||
| American Pipit | Anthus rubescens | c | c | ||
| Sprague's Pipit | Anthus spragueii | o | o | ||
| WAXWINGS | |||||
| Cedar Waxwing | Bombycilla cedrorum | c | u | u | |
| Bohemian Waxwing | Bombycilla garrulus | r | |||
| WARBLERS | |||||
| Blue-winged Warbler | Vermivora pinus | r | r | ||
| Tennessee Warbler | Vermivora peregrina | c | u | ||
| Orange-crowned Warbler | Vermivora celata | a | a | r | |
| Nashville Warbler | Vermivora ruficapilla | c | c | ||
| Northern Parula | Parula americana | u | r | u | |
| Yellow Warbler* | Dendroica petechia | u | c | ||
| Chestnut-sided Warbler | Dendroica pensylvanica | u | u | ||
| Magnolia Warbler | Dendroica magnolia | u | o | ||
| Cape May Warbler | Dendroica tigrina | r | |||
| Black-throated Blue Warbler | Dendroica caerulescens | r | |||
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | Dendroica coronata | a | a | r | |
| Black-throated Green Warbler | Dendroica virens | u | o | ||
| Blackburnian Warbler | Dendroica fusca | u | o | ||
| Yellow-throated Warbler | Dendroica dominica | x | |||
| Palm Warbler | Dendroica palmarum | r | r | ||
| Bay-breasted Warbler | Dendroica castanea | o | o | ||
| Blackpoll Warbler | Dendroica striata | u | u | ||
| Cerulean Warbler | Dendroica cerulea | u | |||
| Black-and-white Warbler | Mniotilta varia | u | u | ||
| American Redstart | Setophaga ruticilla | c | r | o | |
| Prothonotary Warbler* | Protonotaria citrea | u | u | u | |
| Worm-eating Warbler | Helmitheros vermivorus | x | |||
| Ovenbird | Seiurus aurocapillus | u | u | ||
| Northern Waterthrush | Seiurus noveboracensis | u | o | ||
| Louisiana Waterthrush* | Seiurus motacilla | o | r | u | |
| Kentucky Warbler* | Oporomis formosus | u | u | o | |
| Mourning Warbler | Oporomis philadelphia | u | o | ||
| Common Yellowthroat* | Geothlypis trichas | a | c | c | |
| Wilson's Warbler | Wilsonia pusilla | u | u | ||
| Canada Warbler | Wilsonia canadensis | r | |||
| Yellow-breasted Chat | Icteria virens | o | r | r | |
| TANAGERS | |||||
| Summer Tanager* | Piranga rubra | o | o | o | |
| Scarlet Tanager | Piranga olivacea | r | r | ||
| SPARROWS and TOWHEES | |||||
| Eastern Towhee* | Pipilo erythrophthalmus | u | u | u | u |
| Spotted Towhee | Pipilo maculatus | u | u | u | |
| American Tree Sparrow | Spizella arborea | a | a | a | |
| Chipping Sparrow | Spizella passerina | c | c | ||
| Clay-colored Sparrow | Spizella pallida | u | u | ||
| Field Sparrow* | Spizella pusilla | c | u | c | r |
| Vesper Sparrow | Pooecetes gramineus | c | c | ||
| Lark Sparrow* | Chondestes grammacus | c | c | u | |
| Lark Bunting | Calamospiza melanocorys | o | |||
| Savannah Sparrow | Passerculus sandwichensis | c | c | ||
| Grasshopper Sparrow* | Ammodramus savannarum | c | c | c | |
| Henslow's Sparrow* | Ammodramus henslowii | r | r | r | |
| Le Conte's Sparrow | Ammodramus leconteii | u | u | x | |
| Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow | Ammodramus nelsoni | r | |||
| Fox Sparrow | Passerelia iliaca | u | u | u | |
| Song Sparrow | Melospiza melodia | c | c | c | |
| Lincoln's Sparrow | Melospiza lincolnii | c | c | o | |
| Swamp Sparrow | Melospiza georgiana | u | u | r | |
| White-throated Sparrow | Zonotrichia albicollis | c | c | u | |
| Harris' Sparrow | Zonotrichia querula | a | a | ||
| White-crowned Sparrow | Zonotrichia leucophrys | c | c | c | |
| Dark-eyed Junco | Junco hyemalis | a | c | a | |
| Lapland Longspur | Calcarius lapponicus | c | c | a | |
| Smith's Longspur | Calcarius pictus | o | r | r | |
| Chestnut-collared Longspur | Calcarius ornatus | r | r | ||
| Snow Bunting | Plectrophenax nivalis | r | |||
| GROSBEAKS and BUNTINGS | |||||
| Northern Cardinal* | Cardinalis cardinalis | c | c | c | c |
| Evening Grosbeak | Hesperiphona vespertina | r | |||
| Rose-breasted Grosbeak* | Pheucticus ludovicianus | o | o | o | |
| Blue Grosbeak | Guiraca caerulea | u | u | o | |
| Lazuli Bunting | Passerina amoena | r | |||
| Indigo Bunting* | Passerina cyanea | c | c | c | |
| Painted Bunting* | Passerina ciris | o | o | r | |
| Dickcissel* | Spiza americana | c | c | c | |
| BLACKBIRDS and ORIOLES | |||||
| Bobolink | Dolichonyx oryzivorus | o | r | ||
| Red-winged Blackbird* | Agelaius phoeniceus | a | a | a | a |
| Eastern Meadowlark* | Stumella magna | a | a | a | a |
| Western Meadowlark | Stumella neglecta | u | o | o | u |
| Yellow-headed Blackbird | Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus | u | u | ||
| Rusty Blackbird | Euphagus carolinus | u | u | u | |
| Brewer's Blackbird | Euphagus cyanocephalus | c | c | c | |
| Common Grackle* | Quiscalus quiscula | a | a | a | u |
| Great-tailed Grackle* | Quiscalus mexicanus | o | o | o | |
| Brown-headed Cowbird* | Molothrus ater | a | c | a | c |
| Orchard Oriole* | Icterus spurius | c | c | u | |
| Baltimore Oriole* | Icterus galbula | c | c | u | |
| FINCHES | |||||
| Purple Finch | Carpodacus purpureus | u | u | u | |
| Red Crossbill | Loxia curvirostra | r | |||
| Common Redpoll | Carduelis flammea | r | |||
| Pine Siskin | Carduelis pinus | o | r | o | u |
| American Goldfinch* | Carduelis tristis | c | c | c | a |
| OLD WORLD SPARROW | |||||
| House Sparrow* | Passer domesticus | a | a | a | a |
| 368 | 321 | 287 | 175 | 278 | 132 |
Return to the Flint Hills National
Wildlife Refuge Home Page
Return to the Mountain-Prairie Region Home Page