Bird Checklists of the United States
Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge
Windsor, North Carolina
Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1989, consists of 16,500 acres of forested wetlands. A primary refuge objective is to porvide sanctuary for migratory birds.
Exceptional birding is possible in the Roanoke River wetlands from March through June, the spring migration and nesting season, but is best from mid-April through mid-May. Fifty-one species of neotropical migrants, those songbirds that nest in temperate North America and fly south to winter in the West Indies and Central and South America, have been observed.
This bird list includes 191 birds that have been identified on or near the refuge. Other species, especially spring and fall migratory transients, will certainly be added over time. Your help is needed to develop a more complete list. Please notify refuge staff when you observe additional species or obvious differences in indicated seasonal occurences.
Most birds are migratory; therefore, their seasonal occurrence is coded as follows:
SEASON:
s - Spring - March to May
S - Summer - June to August
F - Fall - September to November
W - Winter - December to February
Relative Abundance
a - abundant: a species which is very numerous
c - common: likely to be seen or heard in suitable habitat
u - uncommon: present, but not certain to be seen
o - occasional: seen only a few times during a season
r - rare: may be present but not every year
* - birds known or suspected to nest on or near the refuge
# - indicates threatened/endangered species
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service administers the Natioanl Wildlife Refuge System, which is a network of lands and waters managed specifically for the protection of wildlife and wildlife habitat and represents the most comprehensive wildlife management program in the world. Units of the system stretch across the United States from northern Alaska to the Florida Keys and include small islands in the Caribbean and South Pacific. The character of the refuges is as diverse as the nation itself.
LOONS-GREBES s S F W ___ Pied-billed Grebe u - o u ___ Common Loon - - r r
CORMORANTS s S F W ___ Double-crested Cormorant* c u u u ___ Anhinga* u u - -
BITTERNS-HERONS s S F W ___ Least Bittern* u u - - ___ Great Blue Heron* c c c c ___ Great Egret* c c u - ___ Snowy Egret o o - - ___ Little Blue Heron o o - - ___ Cattle Egret o o - - ___ Green-backed Heron* u u u - ___ Yellow-crowned Night-Heron* u u u -
SWANS-GEESE-DUCKS s S F W ___ Snow Goose - - r r ___ Canada Goose* u o o u ___ Wood Duck* a a c c ___ American Green-winged Teal* - - c c ___ American Black Duck u - u c ___ Mallard u o c a ___ Northern Pintail - - u u ___ Blue-winged Teal o - o u ___ Northern Shoveler - - o o ___ Gadwall - - u u ___ American Wigeon - - c c ___ Greater Scaup - - r r ___ Lesser Scaup - - u u ___ Ring-necked Duck - - c c ___ Bufflehead - - u u ___ Hooded Merganser* c r u c ___ Red-breasted Merganser - - r r ___ Ruddy Duck - - o o
VULTURES-HAWKS-FALCONS s S F W ___ Black Vulture* u u u u ___ Turkey Vulture* c c c c ___ Osprey* c c u - ___ Bald Eagle*# u u o u ___ Northern Harrier u - u u ___ Sharp-shinned Hawk u r c u ___ Cooper's Hawk* u r u u ___ Red-shouldered Hawk* c c c c ___ Broad-winged Hawk r - r - ___ Red-tailed Hawk* c c c c ___ Mississippi Kite* u u ___ Merlin - - o - ___ American Kestrel u - c c ___ Peregrine Falcon# - - r -
GROUSE-QUAIL-TURKEY s S F W ___ Northern Bobwhite* u u u u ___ Wild Turkey* c c c c
RAILS s S F W ___ Sora o - o - ___ American Coot - - u c ___ Common Moorhen r r r -
PLOVERS-SANDPIPERS s S F W ___ Killdeer* u u u u ___ Greater Yellowlegs o - o - ___ Solitary Sandpiper o - o - ___ Spotted Sandpiper c - u - ___ Least Sandpiper o - o - ___ Common Snipe - - o o ___ American Woodcock* u u u u
GULLS-TERNS-AUKS s S F W ___ Ring-billed Gull u - u u ___ Herring Gull o - o o ___ Black Tern - - r - ___ Forster's Tern - - r - ___ Caspian Tern o - o - ___ Common Tern o - - -
DOVES-CUCKOOS-OWLS- s S F W SWIFS-HUMMINGBIRDS ___ Rock Dove* c c c c ___ Mourning Dove* c c c c ___ Black-billed Cuckoo r - r - ___ Yellow-billed Cuckoo* c c c - ___ Eastern Screech-Owl* c c c c ___ Great Horned Owl* c c c c ___ Barred Owl* c c c c ___ Common Nighthawk u o u - ___ Chuck-will's Widow* c c o - ___ Whip-poor-will* u u o - ___ Chimney Swift* c c c - ___ Ruby-throated Hummingbird* c c c - ___ Belted Kingfisher* c c c c
WOODPECKERS-FLYCATCHERS s S F W ___ Red-headed Woodpecker* u o u u ___ Red-bellied Woodpecker* c c c c ___ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker u - u u ___ Downy Woodpecker* c c c c ___ Hairy Woodpecker* u u u u ___ Northern Flicker* u u c c ___ Pileated Woodpecker* c c c c ___ Eastern Wood-Pewee* c c c - ___ Acadian Flycatcher* a a a - ___ Eastern Phoebe* u o c c ___ Great Crested Flycatcher* c c u - ___ Eastern Kingbird* u u u -
LARKS-SWALLOWS-JAYS-CROWS s S F W ___ Horned Lark o - o o ___ American Water Pipit o - o u ___ Purple Martin u u u - ___ Cliff Swallow r - r - ___ Tree Swallow c - c r ___ Northern Rough-winged Swallow u u o - ___ Bank Swallow r - - - ___ Barn Swallow* c c c - ___ Blue Jay* c c c c ___ American Crow* c c c c ___ Fish Crow* c c u u
TITMICE-NUTHATCHES-WRENS s S F W ___ Carolina Chickadee* c c c c ___ Tufted Titmouse* c c c c ___ Red-breasted Nuthatch o - o o ___ White-breasted Nuthatch* c c c c ___ Brown-headed Nuthatch* o o o o ___ Brown Creeper u - u u ___ Carolina Wren* a a a a ___ House Wren o - o o ___ Winter Wren c - c c
KINGLETS-THRUSHES-THRASHERS s S F W ___ Golden-crowned Kinglet c - c c ___ Ruby-crowned Kinglet c - c c ___ Blue-gray Gnatcatcher* c c c - ___ Eastern Bluebird* u u u c ___ Veery o - o - ___ Swainson's Thrush o - o - ___ Hermit Thrush c - c c ___ Wood Thrush* c c u - ___ American Robin* u u c c ___ Gray Catbird* u u u u ___ Brown Thrasher* u u u u ___ Northern Mockingbird* c c c c
SHRIKES-WAXWINGS-STARLINGS s S F W ___ Loggerhead Shrike r r r r ___ Cedar Waxwing c - c c ___ European Starling c c c c
VIREOS-WOOD WARBLERS s S F W ___ Philadelphia Vireo - - o - ___ Red-eyed Vireo* a a c - ___ Solitary Vireo o - o r ___ Yellow-throated Vireo* u u u - ___ Warbling Vireo r - - - ___ White-eyed Vireo* c c c - ___ Northern Parula Warbler* a a c - ___ Yellow-throated Warbler* u u u - ___ Black-throated Green Warbler r r r - ___ Prothonotary Warbler* a a c - ___ Black-and-white Warbler* u r c - ___ Blackpoll Warbler u - u - ___ Black-throated Blue Warbler u - u - ___ Cerulean Warbler* r r r - ___ Magnolia Warbler - - u - ___ Yellow-rumped Warbler c - a a ___ Canada Warbler r - o - ___ Cape May Warbler r - u - ___ Chesnut-sided Warbler - - o - ___ Bay-breasted Warbler r - o - ___ Blackburnian Warbler - - o - ___ Amercian Redstart* c c c - ___ Pine Warbler* u u u u ___ Prairie Warbler* o o u - ___ Palm Warbler u - u o ___ Blue-winged Warbler u - u - ___ Yellow Warbler o - u - ___ Swainson's Warbler* u u o - ___ Worm-eating Warbler r - r - ___ Tennessee Warbler r - o - ___ Orange-crowned Warbler - - o o ___ Wilson's Warbler r - r - ___ Hooded Warbler* u u o - ___ Kentucky Warbler* u u u - ___ Common Yellow-throat* u u u o ___ Yellow-breasted Chat* u u u - ___ Louisiana Waterthrush* u u u - ___ Northern Waterthrush* o - u - ___ Ovenbird* u u u -
TANAGERS-SPARROWS s S F W ___ Summer Tanager* c c u - ___ Scarlet Tanager* u u u - ___ Northern Cardinal* a a a a ___ Blue Grosbeak* c c c - ___ Rose-breasted Grosbeak o - u - ___ Indigo Bunting* a a a - ___ Rufous-sided Towhee* u u u u ___ Chipping Sparrow* u u u o ___ Field Sparrow* u u u u ___ Fox Sparrow - - o c ___ Savannah Sparrow c - c c ___ Song Sparrow c - c c ___ Swamp Sparrow u - u u ___ White-crowned Sparrow - - r r ___ White-throated Sparrow a - a a ___ Dark-eyed Junco c - c c
BLACKBIRDS-FINCHES s S F W ___ Dickcissel - - r - ___ Bobolink u - u - ___ Eastern Meadowlark* c c c c ___ Red-winged Blackbird* c r a a ___ Rusty Blackbird o - u u ___ Common Grackle* a a a a ___ Brown-headed Cowbird* c c u u ___ Orchard Oriole* u u o - ___ Northern Oriole o - o - ___ American Goldfinch* c u c c ___ House Finch o o o o ___ Purple Finch u - u u ___ Evening Grosbeaks o - o o ___ Pine Siskin o - o o
The service also manages National Fish Hatcheries and provides Federal leadership in habitat protection, fish and wildlife research, technical assistance, and the conservation and protection of migratory birds, certain marine mammals, and threatened/endangered species.
For further information, contact:
Refuge Manager
Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge
P.O. Box 430
Windsor, North Carolina 27983
Telephone: 919/794-5326
This resource is based on the following source:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1996. Birds of Roanoke River National
Wildlife Refuge. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Unpaginated.
This resource should be cited as:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1996. Birds of Roanoke River National
Wildlife Refuge. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Unpaginated.
Jamestown, ND: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Online.
http://www.npwrc.usgs.govroanoke.htm
(Version 22MAY98).
Return to Bird Checklists of North Carolina
Return to Bird Checklists of the United States
