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Occoquan Bay NWR Provisional Bird Checklist  



 

 

 Birds of the Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge
 Explore, Enjoy and Protect Prince William Natural Areas

 

Chipping Sparrow by Julia FlanaganFor 20 years Northern Virginia birder Jim Waggener has led a citizen science project to document birds and other wildlife at the Occoquan Bay NWR. Jim and a team of Northern Virginia birders regularly survey the Refuge in all seasons, no matter the weather. The team collects information on species and the numbers of birds. This information is compiled in an annual report and serves as the basis for a provisional checklist developed for the Refuge.

According to the report done for the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia, volunteers collectively logged 1,661 survey hours in 2008 and added three new species to the list: Ash-throated Flycatcher, Clay-colored Sparrow and Pine Siskin. These additions brought the list total to an amazing 240 species.

For perspective, the Ding Darling NWR in South Carolina covers 6,390 acres with 238 bird species. Considering that the Occoquan Bay Refuge covers only one square mile and is surrounded by high density development, the huge number of birds observed at the site speaks volumes about the importance of this small site to both wildlife and wildlife watchers.

The 2008 survey results included both good news as well as some troubling observations. Great Egrets continued to be present in increasing numbers, although the numbers of Great Blue Herons were the 3rd lowest recorded. American Kestrals were also at an all time low, as were Bobwhites. This was the fourth year out of the past five that no Grasshopper Sparrows were seen. On the bright side, the survey team documented 15 active Osprey nest sites on/around the Refuge and observed a continued increase in the numbers of Bald Eagles and Northern Harrier. Surprisingly, Prairie Warblers bounced to an all time high after trending downward for several years.

Check out the Provisional Checklist, below, then grab your binoculars and visit the Refuge for a fun morning watching wildlife. The paths are flat and wide, it's an easy walk with no hills to climb and lots to discover along the way.

 
 
Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge Provisional Checklist
Documented Species 1989 - 2008, Developed by Jim Waggener*
Click here to dowload the USFWS Bird Checklist
 
Key to documented occurrence at the Occoquan Bay NWR         
  • Bold - 1st NoVA and/or PWC Record
  • Italics - Nonnative Species 
  • Green Underlined - Links to photos
  • PR - Permanent Resident
  • WR - Winter Resident
  • SR - Summer Resident
  • T - Transient or Migrant
  • V - Irregular Visitor
  • A- Accidental
  • H - Historical
LOONS  
Common Loon (WR)
x
GREBES  
Pied-billed Grebe (WR)
x
Horned Grebe (T)
x
Red-necked Grebe (T)
x
PELICANS
American White Pelican (A)
x
CORMORANTS
Double-crested Cormorant (SR)
x
BITTERNS, EGRETS, HERONS  
American Bittern (T)
x
Least Bittern (SR)
x

Great Blue Heron (PR)

x
Great Egret (SR)
x
Snowy Egret (V)
x
Little Blue Heron (V)
x
Cattle Egret (T)
x
Green Heron (SR)
x
Black-crowned Night-Heron (V)
x
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (V)
x
IBISES
White Ibis (A)
x
Glossy Ibis (T)
x
VULTURES
Black Vulture (PR)
x
Turkey Vulture (PR)
x
GEESE, SWANS, DUCKS  
Snow Goose (T)
x
Canada Goose (PR)
x
Tundra Swan (WR)
x
Wood Duck (PR)
x
Gadwall (WR)
x
American Wigeon (WR)
x
American Black Duck (WR)
x
Mallard (PR)
x
Blue-winged Teal (WR)
x
Northern Shoveler (WR)
x
Northern Pintail (WR)
x
Green-winged Teal (WR)
x
Canvasback (WR)
x
Redhead (WR)
x
Ring-necked Duck (WR)
x
Greater Scaup (WR)
x
Lesser Scaup (WR)
x

Long-tailed Duck (T)

x
Bufflehead (WR)
x
Common Goldeneye (WR)
x
Hooded Merganser (WR)
x
Common Merganser (WR)
x
Red-breasted Merganser (WR)
x
Ruddy Duck (WR)
x
Muscovy Duck (WR/H)
x
EAGLES, HAWKS  
Osprey (SR)
x
Mississippi Kite (SR)
x
Bald Eagle (PR)
x
Northern Harrier (WR)
x
Sharp-shinned Hawk (WR)
x
Cooper's Hawk (WR)
x
Northern Goshawk (T)
x
Red-shouldered Hawk (PR)
x
Broad-winged Hawk (T)
x
Red-tailed Hawk (PR)
x
Rough-legged Hawk (V)
x
Golden Eagle (V)
x
FALCONS  
American Kestral (PR/H)
x
Merlin (T)
x
Peregrine Falcon (T)
x
GROUSE, TURKEY, QUAIL
Ring-necked Pheasant (PR/H)
x
Wild Turkey (PR)
x
Northern Bobwhite (PR)
x
RAILS, COOTS  
King Rail (SR)
x

Virginia Rail (T)

x
Sora (T)
x
American Coot (WR)
x
CRANES
Sandhill Crane (A)
x
PLOVERS  
Semipalmated Plover (T)
x
Killdeer (PR)
x
STILTS and AVOCETS  
Black-necked Stilt (A)
x
SANDPIPERS
Greater Yellowlegs (T)
x
Lesser Yellowlegs (T)
x
Solitary Sandpiper (T)
x
Spotted Sandpiper (T)
x
Semi-palmated Sandpiper (T)
x
Western Sandpiper (T)
x
Least Sandpiper (T)
x
Baird's Sandpiper (T)
x
Pectoral Sandpiper (T)
x
Dunlin (T)
x
Short-billed Dowitcher (T/H)
x
Wilson's Snipe (WR)
x

American Woodcock (SR)

x
GULLS, TERNS  
Laughing Gull (SR)
x
Bonaparte's Gull (T)
x
Ring-billed Gull (WR)
x
Herring Gull (WR)
x
Great Black-backed Gull (WR)
x
Caspian Tern (T)
x
Common Tern (T)
x
Royal Tern (T)
x

Forster's Tern (T)

x
Least Tern (T/H)
x
Black Tern (T/H)
x
DOVES
Rock Pigeon (PR)
x
Mourning Dove (PR)
x
CUCKOOS
Black-billed Cuckoo (T)
x
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (SR)
x
TYPICAL OWLS  
Great Horned Owl (PR)
x
Barred Owl (PR)
x
Short-earred Owl (V)
x
GOATSUCKERS
Common Nighthawk (SR)
x
SWIFTS 
Chimney Swift (SR)
HUMMINGBIRDS  
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (SR)
x
KINGFISHERS
Belted Kingfisher (PR)
x
WOODPECKERS
Red-bellied Woodpecker (PR)
x
Red-headed Woodpecker (V)
x
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (WR)
x
Downy Woodpecker (PR)
x
Hairy Woodpecker (PR)
x
Northern Flicker (PR)
x
Pileated Woodpecker (PR)
x
FLYCATCHERS 
Eastern Wood-pewee (SR)
x
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (T)
x
Acadian Flycatcher (SR)
x
Alder Flycatcher (T)
x
Willow Flycatcher (SR)
x

Eastern Phoebe (SR)

x
Vermillian Flycatcher (A/H)
x
Great Crested Flycatcher (SR)
x
Ash-throated Flycatcher (A)
x
Eastern Kingbird (SR)
x
SHRIKES
Loggerhead Shrike (V/H)
x
VIREOS
White-eyed Vireo (SR)
x
Yellow-throated Vireo (SR)
x

Blue-headed Vireo (T)

x
Warbling Vireo (SR)
x
Philadelphia Vireo (T)
x
Red-eyed Vireo (SR)
x
CROWS  
Blue Jay (PR)
x
American Crow (PR)
x
Fish Crow (PR)
x
LARKS
Horned Lark (V)
x
SWALLOWS 
Purple Martin (SR)
x
Tree Swallow (SR)
x
N. Rough-winged Swallow (SR)
x
Bank Swallow (SR)
x
Cliff Swallow (T)
x
Barn Swallow (SR)
x
CHICKADEES, TITMICE  
Carolina Chickadee (PR)
x
Black-capped Chickadee (V/H)
x
Tufted Titmouse (PR)
x
NUTHATCHES  
Red-breasted Nuthatch (V)
x
White-breasted Nuthatch (PR)
x
CREEPERS
Brown Creeper (WR)
x
WRENS 
Carolina Wren (PR)
x
House Wren (SR)
x
Winter Wren (WR)
x
Sedge Wren (T)
x
Marsh Wren (T)
x
KINGLETS 
Golden-crowned Kinglet (WR)
x
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (WR)
x
GNATCATCHERS  
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (SR)
x
THRUSHES
Eastern Bluebird (PR)
x
Veery (T)
x
Gray-cheeked Thrush (T)
x
Swainson's Thrush (T)
x
Hermit Thrush (WR)
x
Wood Thrush (T)
x
American Robin (SR)
x
MIMIDS, THRASHERS  
Gray Catbird (SR)
x
Northern Mockingbird (PR)
x
Brown Thrasher (SR)
x
STARLINGS  
European Starling (PR)
x
PIPITS
American Pipet (WR)
x
WAXWINGS  
Cedar Waxwing (PR)
x
WARBLERS  
Blue-winged Warbler (T)
x
Tennessee Warbler (T)
x
Nashville Warbler (T)
x
Northern Parula (SR)
x
Yellow Warbler (SR)
x
Chestnut-sided Warbler (T)
x
Magnolia Warbler (T)
x
Cape May Warbler (T)
x
Black-throated Blue Warbler (T)
x
Yellow-rumped Warbler (WR)
x
Black-throated Green Warbler (T)
x
Blackburnian Warbler (T)
x
Yellow-throated Warbler (SR)
x
Pine Warbler (SR)
x
Prairie Warbler (SR)
x
Palm Warbler (T)
x
Bay-breasted Warbler (T)
x
Blackpoll Warbler (T)
x
Black-and-White Warbler (T)
x
American Redstart (SR)
x
Phrothonotary Warbler (SR)
x
Worm-eating Warbler (T)
x
Ovenbird (T)
x
Northern Waterthrush (T)
x
Louisiana Waterthrush (T)
x
Connecticut Warbler (T)
x
Mourning Warbler (T)
x
Kentucky Warbler (SR)
x
Common Yellowthroat (SR)
x
Hooded Warbler (SR)
x
Wilson's Warbler (T)
x
Canada Warbler (T)
x
Yellow-breasted Chat (SR)
x
TANAGERS 
Summer Tanager (T)
x
Scarlet Tanager (SR)
x
SPARROWS
Eastern Towhee (PR)
x
Tree Sparrow (WR)
x
Chipping Sparrow (SR)
x
Clay-colored Sparrow (A)
x
Field Sparrow (PR)
x
Vesper Sparrow (T)
x
Lark Sparrow (A/H)
x
Savannah Sparrow (WR)
x
Grasshopper Sparrow (SR)
x
Henslow's Sparrow (A/H)
x
LeConte's Sparrow (A)
x
Seaside Sparrow (A)
x
Fox Sparrow (WR)
x
Song Sparrow (PR)
x
Lincoln's Sparrow (T)
x
Swamp Sparrow (WR)
x
White-throated Sparrow (WR)
x
White-crowned Sparrow (WR)
x
Dark-eyed Junco (WR)
x
Snow Bunting (V)
x
CARDINALS, GROSBEAKS, BUNTINGS  
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (T)
x
Northern Cardinal (PR)
x
Blue Grosbeak (SR)
x
Indigo Bunting (SR)
x
Bobolink (R)
x
BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES  
Eastern Meadowlark (PR)
x
Red-winged Blackbird (PR)
x
Rusty Blackbird (WR)
x
Brown-headed Cowbird (PR)
x
Common Grackle (PR)
x
Orchard Oriole (SR)
x
Baltimore Oriole (SR)
x
GROSBEAKS, FINCHES  
Purple Finch (V)
x
House Finch (PR)
x
Common Redpoll (V)
x
Pine Siskin (V)
x
American Goldfinch (PR)
x
OLD WORLD SPARROWS 
House Sparrow (PR)
x
 

* 2008 Acknowledgments...

To Marty McClevey (USFWS) for his day-to-day information on wildlife activity at the OBNWR.

To Suzanne Miller and Bill Teetz for sharing banding results.

To Ken Larsen, Rusty Moran, and Mark Moran for their excellent survey-related wildlife photos.

To Kevin Munroe for his timely counsel.

To the many other participants and contributors to this year’s surveys:

Gerry Abbott, Ana Arguelles, Scott Baron**, Larry Blair, Bob Blakney, Wells Burgess, Deborah Chapman, Colleen and Bryan Cloyed, John Cole, Bill Cox, Ron Cunningham, Alton Dick**, Astrid Dick, Elaine Franklin, Janice Frye, Silvana Giberti, Ann Gockle, Bill Hackbarth, Rob Hartwell**, Tim Hodge, Larry Hyer, Pam and Jim Johanson, Beth Johnson, Gurupran Khalsa, Judy Kenyon, Carl Kikuchi**, Bob Klarquist**, Gary Knipling, Karen Knopes, Jennifer Koenig, Dan and Terrence Kopp, Jeanne Leckert, Shiela Maher, Larry Meade**, Val Morgan, Gary Myers**, Matthew Myers, Karen Pacquin, John Pangborn, Kevin Parker*, Mary Peth, Mike Ready**, Mary Jane Reyes**, Pat Rentz, Diana Reynolds, Marc Ribaudo**, Andrew Ross, John Ruhs, Joan Schindel, Maryellen Shine, Norm Smith, Ray Smith, Dick Smythe**, Lee Stang, Jessica Strother, Grace Suttle, Patrick Swedock, Larry Underwood, Martha Vandevoorr, Julia Viets, Larry and Joy Walker**, Dana White, Jonah and Willie Whitley, and Carolyn Willliams**.

** Indicates Leaders/Reporters

 

 

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