How to use your checklist
The bird checklist was designed to be informative and simple to use. The list is arranged in the order established by the American Ornithological Union.
This checklist includes 174 species of birds. A list of 63 accidental sightings (seen once or twice during the past 8 years) has also been included. If you should find an unlisted species, please notify Refuge Headquarters (info below). They will appreciate your help in updating records.
Symbols which appear in this checklist represent the following:
Seasonal appearance
Sp - Spring - March to May
S - Summer - June to August
F - Fall - September to November
W - Winter - December to February
Seasonal abundance
a - abundant: a common species which is very numerous
c - common: certain to be seen in suitable habitat
fc - fairly common: present but not always seen
u - uncommon: present but difficult to find
r - rare: seen at irregular intervals
* - known or suspected to have nested on refuge or known to nest locally
LOONS Sp S F W
___ Common Loon r - r u
GREBES Sp S F W
___ Pied-billed Grebe c u fc c
___ Horned Grebe r - r r
PELICANS AND ALLIES Sp S F W
___ American White Pelican r - fc fc
___ Brown Pelican* a a a a
___ Double-crested Cormorant* a a a a
___ Anhinga* a a a a
___ Magnificent Frigatebird c c c fc
HERONS, EGRETS AND ALLIES Sp S F W
___ American Bittern r - r r
___ Least Bittern* u u u u
___ Great Blue Heron* a a a a
___ Great Egret* a c a a
___ Snowy Egret* a c a a
___ Little Blue Heron* a c a a
___ Tricolored Heron* a c a a
___ Reddish Egret* fc fc fc fc
___ Cattle Egret* u u u u
___ Green Heron* c c c c
___ Black-crowned Night-Heron* u u u u
___ Yellow-crowned Night-Heron* c c c c
IBISES, SPOONBILL AND STORKS Sp S F W
___ Glossy Ibis r r r r
___ White Ibis* a a a a
___ Roseate Spoonbill c c fc fc
___ Wood Stork fc fc fc fc
WATERFOWL Sp S F W
___ Green-winged Teal u - - u
___ Mottled Duck* c c c c
___ Northern Pintail r - r u
___ Blue-winged Teal* c r u c
___ Northern Shoveler r - r u
___ American Wigeon c - r c
___ Lesser Scaup r - - r
___ Hooded Merganser u - - u
___ Red-breasted Merganser c - - c
VULTURES, HAWKS AND ALLIES Sp S F W
___ Black Vulture* c fc c c
___ Turkey Vulture* a c a a
___ Osprey* a a a a
___ American Swallow-tailed Kite r r r r
___ Bald Eagle* r r r r
___ Northern Harrier r - r r
___ Sharp-shinned Hawk r - r r
___ Cooper's Hawk r - - r
___ Red-shouldered Hawk* c c c c
___ Broad-winged Hawk r - - r
___ Red-tailed Hawk r - - r
___ American Kestrel r - fc c
___ Merlin u - u u
___ Peregrine Falcon r - r r
RAILS, GALLINULES AND COOTS Sp S F W
___ Clapper Rail u - - u
___ King Rail u u u u
___ Virginia Rail u - - u
___ Sora fc - - fc
___ Common Moorhen* a a a a
___ American Coot u - - u
PLOVERS, SANDPIPERS AND ALLIES Sp S F W
___ Black-bellied Plover c r c c
___ Snowy Plover* u - u u
___ Wilson's Plover fc fc fc fc
___ Semipalmated Plover r fc fc fc
___ Piping Plover r r r r
___ Killdeer* c c c c
___ American Oystercatcher* fc fc fc fc
___ Black-necked Stilt* fc fc - -
___ Greater Yellowlegs fc fc fc fc
___ Lesser Yellowlegs fc fc fc fc
___ Solitary Sandpiper r - r -
___ Willet a c a a
___ Spotted Sandpiper c r fc c
___ Marbled Godwit r - r r
___ Ruddy Turnstone c fc c a
___ Red Knot c fc c a
___ Sanderling c fc c a
___ Semipalmated Sandpiper - - r -
___ Western Sandpiper c r c c
___ Least Sandpiper c r c c
___ Dunlin c r r c
___ Stilt Sandpiper r - - r
___ Short-billed Dowitcher c c c c
___ Common Snipe fc - - fc
GULLS, TERNS AND SKIMMERS Sp S F W
___ Laughing Gull a c a a
___ Bonaparte's Gull r - - r
___ Ring-billed Gull fc - r a
___ Herring Gull r - - fc
___ Caspian Tern r - - r
___ Royal Tern a fc a a
___ Sandwich Tern c fc c c
___ Forster's Tern c - fc c
___ Least Tern* r c c -
___ Black Tern r r r -
___ Black Skimmer* fc fc fc fc
PIGEONS AND DOVES Sp S F W
___ Eurasian Collared-Dove* fc fc fc fc
___ Ringed Turtle-Dove r r r r
___ Mourning Dove* a a a a
___ Common Ground-Dove* c c c c
CUCKOOS Sp S F W
___ Yellow-billed Cuckoo r - - -
___ Mangrove Cuckoo* u u u u
OWLS Sp S F W
___ Barn Owl* u u u u
___ Eastern Screech-Owl* fc fc fc fc
___ Great Horned Owl* fc fc fc fc
GOATSUCKERS Sp S F W
___ Common Nighthawk fc fc fc -
___ Chuck-will's-widow* fc fc fc -
___ Whip-poor-will r - r r
SWIFTS Sp S F W
___ Chimney Swift fc fc fc -
HUMMINGBIRDS Sp S F W
___ Ruby-throated Hummingbird fc - - -
KINGFISHERS Sp S F W
___ Belted Kingfisher u u c c
WOODPECKERS Sp S F W
___ Red-bellied Woodpecker* a a a a
___ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker u - - u
___ Downy Woodpecker u u u fc
___ Northern Flicker* c c c c
___ Pileated Woodpecker* c c c c
FLYCATCHERS Sp S F W
___ Eastern Phoebe u - u fc
___ Great Crested Flycatcher* c fc fc c
___ Western Kingbird r - - r
___ Eastern Kingbird r - r r
___ Gray Kingbird* c c c -
___ Scissor-tailed Flycatcher r - - r
MARTINS AND SWALLOWS Sp S F W
___ Purple Martin u u r u
___ Tree Swallow u - u u
___ Northern Rough-winged Swallow u u u u
___ Bank Swallow r - - -
___ Barn Swallow fc fc fc r
JAYS AND CROWS Sp S F W
___ Blue Jay* u u u u
___ American Crow - - - r
___ Fish Crow* a a a a
WRENS Sp S F W
___ Carolina Wren* fc fc fc fc
___ House Wren r r - -
GNATCATCHERS Sp S F W
___ Blue-gray Gnatcatcher u - fc fc
THRUSHES Sp S F W
___ American Robin - - - fc
___ Swainson's Thrush r - - -
___ Gray-cheeked Thrush r - - -
___ Veery r - - -
___ Wood Thrush r - - -
MOCKINGBIRDS, THRASHERS AND ALLIES Sp S F W
___ Gray Catbird fc - fc c
___ Northern Mockingbird* a a a a
___ Brown Thrasher* u u u u
WAXWINGS Sp S F W
___ Cedar Waxwing fc - - fc
STARLINGS Sp S F W
___ European Starling* a a a a
VIREOS Sp S F W
___ White-eyed Vireo* fc fc fc fc
___ Solitary Vireo r - - r
___ Red-eyed Vireo r - - -
___ Black-whiskered Vireo* fc fc - -
WARBLERS Sp S F W
___ Orange-crowned Warbler r - - r
___ Nashville Warbler r - - -
___ Tennessee Warbler r - - -
___ Golden-winged Warbler r - - -
___ Blue-winged Warbler r - - -
___ Northern Parula u - r -
___ Yellow Warbler u - r -
___ Magnolia Warbler r - - -
___ Black-throated Green Warbler u - - -
___ Cape May Warbler u - - -
___ Black-throated Blue Warbler u - - -
___ Yellow-rumped Warbler fc - fc c
___ Blackburnian Warbler r - r -
___ Yellow-throated Warbler fc - fc fc
___ Prairie Warbler* fc fc fc fc
___ Palm Warbler c - c c
___ Blackpoll Warbler u - - -
___ Black-and-white Warbler fc - fc fc
___ American Redstart u - r -
___ Prothonotary Warbler u - - -
___ Bay-breasted Warbler r - - -
___ Worm-eating Warbler u - - r
___ Ovenbird u - u u
___ Northern Waterthrush u - - -
___ Louisiana Waterthrush r - - -
___ Common Yellowthroat* fc fc fc fc
___ Hooded Warbler u - r -
TANAGERS Sp S F W
___ Summer Tanager r - r -
___ Scarlet Tanager r - r -
NEW WORLD FINCHES Sp S F W
___ Northern Cardinal* c c c c
___ Rose-breasted Grosbeak u - - -
___ Blue Grosbeak fc - - -
___ Indigo Bunting fc - - -
___ Painted Bunting u - r -
SPARROWS Sp S F W
___ Rufous-sided Towhee* fc fc fc fc
___ Swamp Sparrow u - r r
BLACKBIRDS, GRACKLES, COWBIRDS AND ORIOLES Sp S F W
___ Bobolink u - - -
___ Red-winged Blackbird* a a a a
___ Boat-tailed Grackle* a a a a
___ Common Grackle* c c c c
___ Shiny Cowbird r r - -
___ Brown-headed Cowbird u u u u
___ Orchard Oriole r - - -
___ Northern Oriole r - - -
NORTHERN FINCHES Sp S F W
___ American Goldfinch - - - fc
OLD WORLD SPARROWS Sp S F W
___ House Sparrow c c c c
ACCIDENTALS - Birds seen only once or twice during the past eight years:
Northern Gannet
Greater Flamingo
Fulvous Whistling-Duck
Wood Duck
Mallard
Snow Goose
Gadwall
Eurasian Wigeon
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Bufflehead
Ruddy Duck
Swainson's Hawk
Black Rail
Purple Gallinule
Limpkin
Sandhill Crane
American Avocet
Whimbrel
White-rumped Sandpiper
Parasitic Jaeger
Pectoral Sandpiper
Common Black-headed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Gull-billed Tern
Roseate Tern
Common Tern
White-winged Dove
Rock Dove
White-crowned Pigeon
|
Monk Parakeet
Green Parakeet
Canary-winged Parakeet
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Black-billed Cuckoo
Smooth-billed Ani
Barred Owl
Short-eared Owl
Red-headed Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Vermilion Flycatcher
Sedge Wren
Marsh Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Swainson's Thrush
Loggerhead Shrike
Yellow-throated Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Pine Warbler
Kentucky Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Savannah Sparrow
Eastern Meadowlark
|
Ethics for Birdwatching
Take care not to disturb nesting birds, exposing eggs and young to extreme temperatures and predation.
Disturb wintering wildlife as little as possible, particularly during critical feeding and resting periods. They need all of their energy reserves to withstand the stresses of harsh weather and migration.
Do not litter. Many birds die when they become entangled in fishing lines, 6-pack rings, and other trash or when they mistake garbage for food.
Compiled by the J.N. "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society, Inc. For additional information contact:
Refuge Manager
J.N. "Ding" Darling NWR
1 Wildlife Drive
Sanibel, Florida 33957
Telephone: (239) 472-1100
Fax: (239) 472-4061
Email: dingdarling@fws.gov
This resource is based on the following source:
J.N. "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society, Inc. Birds of the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel and Captiva Islands and surrounding waters. J.N. "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society, Inc. Unpaginated.
J.N. "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society, Inc. Birds of the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel and Captiva Islands and surrounding waters. J.N. "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society, Inc. Unpaginated. Jamestown, ND: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Home Page. http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/othrdata/chekbird/r4/dingdarl.htm.
