Zaepfel Nature Center

 

Bird Species Observed at the:

James A. Zaepfel Nature Sanctuary and Research Center

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Order: PODICIPEDIFORMES

• Family Podicipedidae – Grebes

  • Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)

  • Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus)

 

Order: CICONIIFORMES

• Family Ardeidae – Bitterns, Herons, and Allies

  • Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

  • Great Egret (A. alba)

  • Green Heron (Butorides virescens)

 

• Family Cathartidae – New World Vultures

  • Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)

 

Order: ANSERIFORMES

• Family Anatidae – Geese, Swans, and Ducks

  • Geese (Subfamily Anserinae)

    • Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)

    • Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus)

  • Ducks (Subfamily Anatinae)

    • Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)

    • Gadwall (Anas strepera)

    • American Wigeon (A. americana)

    • American Black Duck (A. rubripes)

    • Mallard (A. platyrhynchos)

    • Blue-winged Teal (A. discors)

    • Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)

    • Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)

    • Common Merganser (Mergus merganser)

 

Order: FALCONIFORMES

• Family Accipitridae – Kites, Eagles, Hawks, and Allies

  • Osprey (Subfamily Pandioninae)

    • Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

  • Kites, Eagles, and Hawks (Subfamily Accipitrinae)

    • Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), find more HERE (thanks to the Fairview Elementary Students who shared this!)

    • Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus)

    • Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus)

    • Cooper’s Hawk (A. cooperii)

    • Red-Shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)

    • Broad-winged Hawk (B. platypterus)

    • Red-tailed Hawk (B. jamaicensis)

    • Rough-legged Hawk (B. lagopus)

 

• Family Falconidae – Caracaras and Falcons

  • Falcons (Subfamily Falconinae)

    • American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)

    • Peregrine Falcon (F. peregrinus)

 

Order:  GALLIFORMES

• Family Phasianidae – Partridges, Grouse, and Turkeys

  • Pheasants and Peafowl (Subfamily Phasianinae)

    • Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)

  • Grouse and Ptarmigan (Subfamily Tetraoninae)

    • Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus)

  • Turkey (Subfamily Meleagridinae)

    • Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)

 

Order: CHARADRIIFORMES

• Family Charadriidae – Plovers and Lapwings

  • Plovers (Subfamily Charadriinae)

    • Killdeer (C. vociferus)

 

• Family Scolopacidae – Sandpipers, Phalaropes, and Allies

  • Sandpiper (Subfamily Scolopacinae)

    • Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)

    • Lesser Yellowlegs (T. flavipes)

    • Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago)

    • American Woodcock (Scolopax minor)

 

• Family Laridae – Skuas, Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers

  • Gulls (Subfamily Larinae)

    • Bonaparte’s Gull (Larus philadelphia)

    • Ring-billed Gull (L. delawarensis)

 

Order: COLUMBIFORMES

• Family Columbidae – Pigeons and Doves

  • Rock Dove (Columba livia)

  • Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)

 

Order: CUCULIFORMES

• Family Cuculidae – Cuckoos, Roadrunners, and Anis

  • Cuckoos (Subfamily Cuculinae)

    • Black-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus erythropthalmus)

    • Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)

 

Order: STRIGIFORMES

• Family Strigidae – Typical Owls

  • Eastern Screech Owl (Otus asio)

  • Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)

  • Barred Owl (Strix varia)

  • Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)

 

• Family Trochilidae – Hummingbirds

  • Hummingbirds (Subfamily Trochilinae)

    • Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)

 

Order: CORACIIFORMES

• Family Alcedinidae – Kingfishers

  • Kingfishers (Subfamily Cerylinae)

    • Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon)

   

Order: PICIFORMES

• Family Picidae – Woodpeckers and Allies

  • Woodpeckers (Subfamily Picinae)

    • Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)

    • Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)

    • Hairy Woodpecker (P. villosus)

    • Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)

    • Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)

 

Order: PASSERIFORMES

• Family Tyrannidae – Tyrant Flycatchers

  • Tyrant Flycatchers (Subfamily Fluvicolinae)

    • Eastern Wood-pewee (Contopus virens)

    • Alder Flycatcher (Empidonax alnorum)

    • Willow Flycatcher (E. traillii)

    • Least Flycatcher (E. minimus)

    • Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)

  • Large Flycatchers and Kingbirds (Subfamily Tyranninae)

    • Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)

    • Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)

 

• Family Laniidae – Shrikes

  • Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor)

 

• Family Vireonidae – Vireos

  • Blue-headed Vireo (Vireo solitarius)

  • Red-eyed Vireo (V.  olivaceus)

 

• Family Corvidae – Jays, Magpies, and Crows

  • Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)

  • American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

 

• Family Hirundinidae – Swallows

  • Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)

  • Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)

  • Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota)

  • Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

 

• Family Paridae – Chickadees and Titmice

  • Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)

  • Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)

 

• Family Sittidae – Nuthatches

  • Nuthatches (Subfamily Sittinae)

    • Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)

    • White-breasted Nuthatch (S. carolinensis)

 

• Family Certhiidae – Creepers

  • Creepers (Subfamily Certhiinae)

    • Brown Creeper (Certhia americana)

 

• Family Troglodytidae – Wrens

  • House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)

  

• Family Regulidae – Kinglets

  • Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa)

  • Ruby-crowned Kinglet (R. calendula)

 

• Family Sylviidae – Old World Warblers and Gnatcatchers

  • Gnatcatchers (Subfamily Polioptilinae)

    • Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)

 

• Family  Turdidae – Thrushes

  • Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)

  • Veery (Catharus fuscescens)

  • Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)

  • American Robin (Turdus migratorius)

 

• Family Mimidae – Mockingbirds, Thrashers, and Allies

  • Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)

  • Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)

 

• Family Sturnidae – Starlings and Allies

  • European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris)

 

• Family Bombycillidae – Waxwings

  • Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)

 

• Family Parulidae – Wood Warblers

  • Blue-winged Warbler (Vermivora pinus)

  • Nashville Warbler (V. ruficapilla)

  • Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia)

  • Chestnut-sided Warbler (D. pensylvanica)

  • Magnolia Warbler (D. magnolia)

  • Black-throated Blue Warbler (D. caerulescens)

  • Yellow-rumped Warbler (D. coronata)

  • Black-throated Green Warbler (D. virens)

  • Blackburnian Warbler (D. fusca)

  • American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)

  • Northern Waterthrush (Seiurus noveboracensis)

  • Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)

  • Hooded Warbler (Wilsonia citrina)

 

• Family Thraupidae – Tanagers

  • Scarlet Tanager (Piranga rubra)

 

• Family Emberizidae – New World Sparrows

  • Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)

  • Chipping Sparrow (S. passerina)

  • Field Sparrow (S. pusilla)

  • Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)

  • Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca)

  • Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)

  • Swamp Sparrow (M. georgiana)

  • White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)

  • White-crowned Sparrow (Z. leucophrys)

  • Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)

 

• Family Cardinalidae – Grosbeaks and Buntings

  • Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)

  • Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)

 

• Family Icteridae – Blackbirds

  • Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)

  • Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)

  • Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)

  • Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)

  • Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)

  • Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)

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• Family Fringillidae – Fringilline and Cardueline Finches

  • Cardueline Finches (Subfamily Carduelinae)

    • Purple Finch (Carpodacus purpureus)

    • House Finch (C. mexicanus)

    • American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis)

    • Evening Grosbeak (Coccothraustes vespertinus)

 

• Family Passeridae – Old World Sparrows

  • House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)