Birds of Winter

 

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by Island Artist
Nancy Richards West

The following birds have been sighted in winter on the Chincoteague
National Wildlife Refuge.

Included are birds that are:
Abundant - a species which is very numerous
Common - certain to be seen or heard in suitable habitat
Uncommon - present, but not certain to be seen
Occasional - seen only a few times during a season
Rare - seen at intervals of two to five years

Listing Order
Birds are listed alphabetically by the base word of the common name (such as Sandpiper) and then by the full common name (such as Baird's Sandpiper, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, etc.).

Birding data is on pages of about 50 birds each.
Please allow a moment or two for the data to download.
The data will appear below on this page.

Database courtesy Assateague.com

 

American Avocet
Winter Sighting Information: rare
Nests on or near Refuge? no

American Bittern
Winter Sighting Information: occasional
Nests on or near Refuge? no

Red-winged Blackbird
Winter Sighting Information: abundant
Nests on or near Refuge? yes

Rusty Blackbird
Winter Sighting Information: occasional
Nests on or near Refuge? no

Eastern Bluebird
Winter Sighting Information: rare
Nests on or near Refuge? yes

Bobolink
Winter Sighting Information: uncommon
Nests on or near Refuge? no

Northern Bobwhite
Winter Sighting Information: abundant
Nests on or near Refuge? yes

Brant
Winter Sighting Information: common
Nests on or near Refuge? no

Bufflehead
Winter Sighting Information: common
Nests on or near Refuge? no

Snow Bunting
Winter Sighting Information: uncommon
Nests on or near Refuge? no

Canvasback
Winter Sighting Information: rare
Nests on or near Refuge? no

Northern Cardinal
Winter Sighting Information: common
Nests on or near Refuge? yes

Gray Catbird
Winter Sighting Information: uncommon
Nests on or near Refuge? yes

Yellow-breasted Chat
Winter Sighting Information: rare
Nests on or near Refuge? yes

Carolina Chickadee
Winter Sighting Information: common
Nests on or near Refuge? yes

American Coot
Winter Sighting Information: uncommon
Nests on or near Refuge? no

Double-crested Cormorant
Winter Sighting Information: common
Nests on or near Refuge? no

Great Cormorant
Winter Sighting Information: rare
Nests on or near Refuge? no

Brown-headed Cowbird
Winter Sighting Information: uncommon
Nests on or near Refuge? yes

Brown Creeper
Winter Sighting Information: uncommon
Nests on or near Refuge? no

Red Crossbill
Winter Sighting Information: rare
Nests on or near Refuge? no

American Crow
Winter Sighting Information: common
Nests on or near Refuge? yes

Fish Crow
Winter Sighting Information: uncommon
Nests on or near Refuge? yes

Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Winter Sighting Information: rare
Nests on or near Refuge? yes

Mourning Dove
Winter Sighting Information: common
Nests on or near Refuge? yes

Rock Dove
Winter Sighting Information: uncommon
Nests on or near Refuge? no

Long-billed Dowitcher
Winter Sighting Information: occasional
Nests on or near Refuge? no

Short-billed Dowitcher
Winter Sighting Information: common
Nests on or near Refuge? no

American Black Duck
Winter Sighting Information: common
Nests on or near Refuge? yes

Ring-necked Duck
Winter Sighting Information: uncommon
Nests on or near Refuge? no

Ruddy Duck
Winter Sighting Information: uncommon
Nests on or near Refuge? no

Wood Duck
Winter Sighting Information: rare
Nests on or near Refuge? yes

Dunlin
Winter Sighting Information: abundant
Nests on or near Refuge? no

Bald Eagle
Winter Sighting Information: uncommon
Nests on or near Refuge? yes

Great Egret
Winter Sighting Information: uncommon
Nests on or near Refuge? no

Snowy Egret
Winter Sighting Information: occasional
Nests on or near Refuge? no

Common Eider
Winter Sighting Information: rare
Nests on or near Refuge? no

Peregrine Falcon
Winter Sighting Information: uncommon
Nests on or near Refuge? yes

Northern Flicker
Winter Sighting Information: common
Nests on or near Refuge? yes

Gadwall
Winter Sighting Information: common
Nests on or near Refuge? yes

Common Goldeneye
Winter Sighting Information: uncommon
Nests on or near Refuge? no

American Goldfinch
Winter Sighting Information: common
Nests on or near Refuge? no

Canada Goose
Winter Sighting Information: common
Nests on or near Refuge? yes

Greater Snow Goose
Winter Sighting Information: abundant
Nests on or near Refuge? no

Greater White-fronted Goose
Winter Sighting Information: rare
Nests on or near Refuge? no

Boat-tailed Grackle
Winter Sighting Information: common
Nests on or near Refuge? yes

Common Grackle
Winter Sighting Information: common
Nests on or near Refuge? yes

Horned Grebe
Winter Sighting Information: common
Nests on or near Refuge? no

Pied-billed Grebe
Winter Sighting Information: common
Nests on or near Refuge? no

Red-necked Grebe
Winter Sighting Information: rare
Nests on or near Refuge? no

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Table data from:
Birds - Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge
(Brochure, December 1997, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

Photos in this section are from the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. Sauer, J. R., J. E. Hines, G. Gough, I. Thomas, and B. G. Peterjohn. 1997. The North American Breeding Bird Survey Results and Analysis. Version 96.4. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD