U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Alligator River
National Wildlife Refuge Bird List
Northern Flicker
Sedge Wren & Marsh Wren
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Artwork: Michal Skakuj (MS) and Pat Moore (PJM)
Cover: Brown-headed Nuthatch
Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge
This blue goose, designed by J. N. “Ding” Darling, has become a symbol of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Note Not intended to be the blue goose or the Snow Goose, but named for its bright blue color as a logo.
MS Red-cockaded Woodpecker
Birds of Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge provides a variety of habitat for over 250 species of birds. The diversity of refuge habitat includes high and low pocosin (pond pine bogs), fresh and brackish water marshes, hardwood swamps, Atlantic white cedar swamps, and managed farming areas. The Refuge is of importance as a major breeding area for many species of songbirds. Truly impressive are the breeding populations of Prairie Warblers, Prothonotary Warblers, and Common Yellowthroats. The Refuge is of special significance as the last major stronghold of the Southeastern Coastal Plain population of Black-throated Green Warblers. Observant birders will notice that several species of “common” songbirds are relatively scarce (completely absent in some cases) as breeders in this coastal location—species like Wood Thrush, Red-eyed Vireo, American Redstart, and Summer Tanager. This biologically fascinating area may still hold ornithological secrets—it was recently discovered that Black-billed Cuckoos over-summer (and presumably breed) in the Refuge some years, and that Northern Saw-whet Owls sometimes overwinter in numbers. The Refuge has several colonies of the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, although these are rather inaccessible. This bird list covers birds found within the Refuge’s 152,000 acres, as well as the 45,000+ acre Dare County Range found within the Refuge’s borders and waters immediately adjacent. Although much of the Refuge can be difficult to access, especially during wet weather, accessible areas are an unexplored adventure for the enthusiastic birder. At any season, the Refuge can be an excellent complement to a birding excursion on
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Northern Harrier
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Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow & Saltmarsh Sharptailed Sparrow
the nearby Outer Banks (Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge). During late fall and winter, the 5,100-acre farming area attracts an impressive variety of waterfowl and raptors, and several rarities—such as Swainson’s Hawk and Ash-throated Flycatcher—have been found here. At any season, you might see Northern Bobwhites, and maybe a King Rail. Please pay attention to refuge regulations and signs marking closed areas. When and Where In addition to walking trails, there are 15 miles of paddling trails which offer access to Refuge habitats. Creef Cut Wildlife Trail includes an observation platform which overlooks a moist soil management unit and a boardwalk over a freshwater marsh. Waterfowl (during the winter months), raptors, and woodpeckers are common at this location. Sandy Ridge Wildlife Trail offers access to Milltail Creek wetland areas and wanders through Atlantic white cedar stands, areas with wood duck boxes, and Prothonotary Warbler nesting areas. Swainson’s Warblers have also been heard here. Sp - Spring S - Summer F - Fall W - Winter March-May June-August September-November December-February
Barred Owl
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American Bittern
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C Common (easily seen in suitable habitat) F Fairly common (seen most of the time in suitable habitat) U uncommon (usually 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) A Accidental (extremely rare; birds that are completely outside of normal range) * breeds or has bred on the Refuge
Palm Warbler MS
Blackpoll Warbler
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SP ___Snow Goose ___Canada Goose ___Brant ___Tundra Swan ___Wood Duck* ___Gadwall ___American Wigeon ___American Black Duck* ___Mallard ___Blue-winged Teal ___Northern Shoveler ___Northern Pintail ___Green-winged Teal ___Canvasback ___Redhead ___Ring-necked Duck ___Greater Scaup ___Lesser Scaup ___Surf Scoter ___Black Scoter ___Bufflehead ___Common Goldeneye ___Hooded Merganser ___Red-breasted Merganser ___Ruddy Duck ___Wild Turkey* ___Northern Bobwhite* ___Red-throated Loon ___Common Loon ___Pied-billed Grebe ___Horned Grebe ___Wilson’s Storm Petrel ___Brown Pelican ___Double-crested Cormorant ___Anhinga* ___American Bittern ___Great Blue Heron* ___Great Egret ___Snowy Egret ___Little Blue Heron ___Tricolored Heron ___Cattle Egret O U U F U O U F U F O U O O U O U O O F U U O U C O F U O C C O U C U U O U U
S O F O O
F O U U F U U U F F F C F U O U O O F U O U U C O U U A C C O U C F U U U O
W O U R C F U U U C O F C C O O F O U O U F O F U F U C U F F U C C U C U O O O
U C R R A C U O R F F U U U U
___Green Heron* ___Black-crowned Night-Heron ___Yellow-crowned Night-Heron ___White Ibis ___Glossy Ibis ___Black Vulture ___Turkey Vulture* ___Osprey* ___Swallow-tailed Kite ___Mississippi Kite ___Bald Eagle* ___Northern Harrier ___Sharp-shinned Hawk ___Cooper’s Hawk ___Northern Goshawk ___Red-shouldered Hawk* ___Broad-winged Hawk ___Swainson’s Hawk ___Red-tailed Hawk* ___Rough-legged Hawk ___Golden Eagle ___American Kestrel ___Merlin ___Peregrine Falcon ___Yellow Rail ___Black Rail* ___Clapper Rail* ___King Rail* ___Virginia Rail* ___Sora ___Purple Gallinule ___Common Moorhen ___American Coot ___Black-bellied Plover ___Semipalmated Plover ___Killdeer* ___Black-necked Stilt ___Greater Yellowlegs ___Lesser Yellowlegs ___Solitary Sandpiper ___Spotted Sandpiper ___Semipalmated Sandpiper ___Western Sandpiper ___Least Sandpiper ___Dunlin ___Short-billed Dowitcher ___Long-billed Dowitcher ___Common Snipe ___American Woodcock* ___Long-tailed Jaeger
SP F O R F O O C F R O U C U U F R A C F O O O F U U O A R O R O C U O O U R R O F R R F U
S C O R F O O C F R U R R F U
F U O R F O O C U R U C F U F F C U U R O F U U U R U R O C U O O O R O O F R O F U A
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O R F R U F F
___Laughing Gull ___Franklin’s Gull ___Bonaparte’s Gull ___Ring-billed Gull ___Herring Gull ___Great Black-backed Gull ___Gull-billed Tern ___Caspian Tern ___Royal Tern ___Sandwich Tern ___Common Tern ___Forster’s Tern ___Least Tern ___Bridled Tern ___Sooty Tern ___Black Tern ___Black Skimmer ___Rock Pigeon* ___Mourning Dove* ___Black-billed Cuckoo* ___Yellow-billed Cuckoo* ___Barn Owl ___Eastern Screech-Owl* ___Great Horned Owl* ___Barred Owl* ___Long-eared Owl ___Short-eared Owl ___Northern Saw-whet Owl ___Common Nighthawk ___Chuck-will’s-widow* ___Whip-poor-will* ___Chimney Swift* ___Ruby-throated Hummingbird* ___Belted Kingfisher* ___Red-headed Woodpecker ___Red-bellied Woodpecker* ___Yellow-bellied Sapsucker ___Downy Woodpecker* ___Hairy Woodpecker* ___Red-cockaded Woodpecker* ___Northern Flicker* ___Pileated Woodpecker* ___Eastern Wood-Pewee* ___Acadian Flycatcher* ___Eastern Phoebe ___Ash-throated Flycatcher ___Great Crested Flycatcher* ___Western Kingbird ___Eastern Kingbird* ___Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
SP C U F F F R O F O U F O
S C O F U O O F U U F O O O O C O C C C C R R C U U C U O C C C U C C F F C C
F C F F F R U F U O F O A A O O O C R F R C C C O R O U U U C F O C U C C U C C F F C C R C A
W O A U C F F O F
O O C O C C C C O R C U U C F O C O C C U C C F F F C C
O C R C C C A U R
R F C U C C U C C F A R
___White-eyed Vireo* ___Yellow-throated Vireo ___Blue-headed Vireo ___Philadelphia Vireo ___Red-eyed Vireo* ___Blue Jay* ___American Crow* ___Fish Crow* ___Horned Lark ___Purple Martin* ___Tree Swallow ___Northern Rough-winged Swallow ___Bank Swallow ___Barn Swallow* ___Carolina Chickadee* ___Tufted Titmouse* ___Red-breasted Nuthatch ___White-breasted Nuthatch* ___Brown-headed Nuthatch* ___Brown Creeper ___Carolina Wren* ___House Wren* ___Winter Wren ___Sedge Wren ___Marsh Wren* ___Golden-crowned Kinglet ___Ruby-crowned Kinglet ___Blue-gray Gnatcatcher* ___Eastern Bluebird* ___Veery ___Gray-cheeked Thrush ___Swainson’s Thrush ___Hermit Thrush ___Wood Thrush* ___American Robin* ___Gray Catbird* ___Northern Mockingbird* ___Brown Thrasher* ___European Starling* ___American Pipit ___Cedar Waxwing* ___Blue-winged Warbler ___Orange-crowned Warbler ___Nashville Warbler ___Northern Parula* ___Yellow Warbler ___Chestnut-sided Warbler ___Magnolia Warbler ___Cape May Warbler ___Black-throated Blue Warbler ___Yellow-rumped Warbler
SP C O F F F C C C U O R C C U O O C C U U F F U C C U R R R F U C C F U C C R U F U R O C
S C
U F C C C O O O C C U O C C O F C U
F F R F R F F C C R U F
W O F F C F R F
U F C F U C O
F U
C C U U O C U C C U F F C C C U R R R F U C C F U C U F R U R F U R O O U C
C U O O C U C C U F F C C R U
F C C F U C U F U
C
SP ___Black-throated Green Warbler* ___Blackburnian Warbler ___Yellow-throated Warbler* ___Pine Warbler* ___Prairie Warbler* ___Palm Warbler ___Bay-breasted Warbler ___Blackpoll Warbler ___Black-and-white Warbler* ___American Redstart ___Prothonotary Warbler* ___Worm-eating Warbler* ___Swainson’s Warbler* ___Ovenbird* ___Northern Waterthrush ___Kentucky Warbler ___Mourning Warbler ___Common Yellowthroat* ___Hooded Warbler* ___Wilson’s Warbler ___Canada Warbler ___Yellow-breasted Chat* ___Summer Tanager ___Scarlet Tanager ___Eastern Towhee* ___American Tree Sparrow ___Chipping Sparrow ___Clay-colored Sparrow ___Field Sparrow* ___Vesper Sparrow ___Lark Sparrow ___Savannah Sparrow ___Grasshopper Sparrow ___Henslow’s Sparrow ___Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow ___Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow ___Seaside Sparrow* ___Fox Sparrow ___Song Sparrow ___Lincoln’s Sparrow ___Swamp Sparrow ___White-throated Sparrow ___White-crowned Sparrow ___Dark-eyed Junco ___Snow Bunting ___Northern Cardinal* ___Rose-breasted Grosbeak ___Blue Grosbeak* ___Indigo Bunting* C R F C C U U F U C C U C R R C F U U U C U O C O R O O O C R C C O C O F C
S C F C C
F U R U C C C R U F F U F O U O R A C U R R U U U C A U R U R R C O R U
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C R U R
F R C C U C
R
C F U O C O O
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R C U O R C O R R R R U C R C C O U R C
O
C F C
U O U C R C C O U R C U F C
___Painted Bunting ___Dickcissel ___Bobolink ___Red-winged Blackbird* ___Eastern Meadowlark* ___Yellow-headed Blackbird ___Rusty Blackbird ___Brewer’s Blackbird ___Common Grackle* ___Boat-tailed Grackle ___Shiny Cowbird ___Brown-headed Cowbird* ___Orchard Oriole* ___Baltimore Oriole ___Purple Finch ___House Finch* ___Common Redpoll ___Pine Siskin ___American Goldfinch* ___Evening Grosbeak ___House Sparrow*
SP R R O C C O C U C U O R F O U A U
S R C C
F R O C C C R O C U C R F R F A O U U
W R C C R O A C U C R R F A O U A U
C U A C U F O U
Please assist the Refuge by reporting sightings of new species to alligatorriver@fws.gov or by calling 252/473 1131.
Field Notes
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Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge P.O. Box 1969 Manteo, North Carolina 27954 http://www.fws.gov/alligatorriver U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 1 800/344 WILD Join us for Wings Over Water http://www.wingsoverwater.org September 2006