Bird Checklists of the United States
Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge
Brownsville, Tennessee
Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1964 to provide a feeding and resting area for migratory waterfowl. Today, the refuge encompasses 11,556 acres of predominantly lowland forest which attracts over 200 species of birds, either on a part-time or year-round basis. Waterfowl wading birds, raptors, and songbirds abound at various times of the year. They can be seen by hiking along levees, field or wooded roads.
Ethics for birdwatching
Take care not to disturb nesting birds. This exposes 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.
How to use your checklist
This 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 217 species of birds and is based on observations by refuge personnel and visiting ornithologists. If you should find an unlisted species, please let us know at Refuge Headquarters. We will appreciate your help in updating our records.
Species followed by the pound sign (#) are neotropical migratory birds, which breed in North America and winter in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and South America. They appear to be declining due to habitat loss and related problems.
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
u - uncommon: 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
# - neotropical migrants
* - nests on the refuge
These additional species are of accidental or rare occurrence on the refuge and have been recorded only once or twice:
LOONS Sp S F W ___ Common Loon r - - r
GREBES Sp S F W ___ Pied-billed Grebe* c u c c
PELICANS AND ALLIES Sp S F W ___ Double-crested Cormorant u - u u ___ Anhinga - u u -
HERONS, EGRETS AND ALLIES Sp S F W ___ American Bittern o - o - ___ Least Bittern o o o - ___ Great Blue Heron u c u u ___ Great Egret u u u - ___ Snowy Egret u u u - ___ Little Blue Heron u c u - ___ Cattle Egret r r r - ___ Green-backed Heron* c c c - ___ Black-crowned Night-Heron o r o - ___ Yellow-crowned Night-Heron* c c c -
IBISES, SPOONBILL, STORK Sp S F W ___ White Ibis - r r - ___ Wood Stork - r r -
WATERFOWL Sp S F W ___ Greater White-Fronted Goose - - - r ___ Snow Goose u - u - ___ Canada Goose* u c u c ___ Wood Duck* c a a c ___ Green-winged Teal c - c u ___ American Black Duck c r c c ___ Mallard* c o c c ___ Northern Pintail c - c c ___ Blue-winged Teal c o c u ___ Northern Shoveler u r u u ___ Gadwall c - c c ___ American Wigeon c - c c ___ Canvasback u - u u ___ Redhead u - u u ___ Ring-necked Duck c - c c ___ Lesser Scaup c - c c ___ Common Goldeneye r - r r ___ Bufflehead u - u u ___ Hooded Merganser* c a c c ___ Common Merganser u - u u ___ Red-breasted Merganser u - u u ___ Ruddy Duck u - u u
VULTURES, HAWKS AND ALLIES Sp S F W ___ Black Vulture* u c u u ___ Turkey Vulture#* c c c u ___ Osprey u r u r ___ Mississippi Kite# o o o - ___ Bald Eagle - - r r ___ Northern Harrier# c - c c ___ Sharp-shinned Hawk# r r u u ___ Cooper's Hawk# r r r r ___ Red-shouldered Hawk#* c c c u ___ Broad-winged Hawk# c c c - ___ Red-tailed Hawk#* c c c c ___ Rough-legged Hawk - - r r ___ Golden Eagle - - - r ___ American Kestrel# u u u c
GALLINACEOUS BIRDS Sp S F W ___ Wild Turkey* u u u u ___ Northern Bobwhite* c a a a
RAILS, GALLINULES, COOTS AND CRANES Sp S F W ___ Sora u - u - ___ American Coot c u c u
SHOREBIRDS Sp S F W ___ Semipalmated Plover o - o - ___ Killdeer#* c c c c ___ Greater Yellowlegs o u o - ___ Lesser Yellowlegs u u u - ___ Solitary Sandpiper c o c - ___ Spotted Sandpiper u u u - ___ Upland Sandpiper u r u - ___ Semipalmated Sandpiper u - u - ___ Western Sandpiper r - r - ___ Least Sandpiper u u u - ___ Pectoral Sandpiper u u u - ___ Common Snipe u - u u ___ American Woodcock u u u u ___ Ring-billed Gull o - r o ___ Common Tern o o o - ___ Forster's Tern o o o - ___ Black Tern* o o o -
PIGEONS, DOVES Sp S F W ___ Rock Dove r r r r ___ Mourning Dove#* c c a c
CUCKOOS Sp S F W ___ Yellow-billed Cuckoo#* c c c -
OWLS Sp S F W ___ Barn Owl o o o o ___ Eastern Screech-Owl* u u u u ___ Great Horned Owl* u u u u ___ Barred Owl* c c c c ___ Short-eared Owl# - - - o
NIGHTJARS Sp S F W ___ Common Nighthawk# o o o - ___ Chuck-will's-widow#* c c r - ___ Whip-poor-will#* u u u -
SWIFTS, HUMMINGBIRDS Sp S F W ___ Chimney Swift#* c c c - ___ Ruby-throated Hummingbird#* u u u -
KINGFISHERS Sp S F W ___ Belted Kingfisher#* c c c r
WOODPECKERS Sp S F W ___ Red-headed Woodpecker* c c c c ___ Red-bellied Woodpecker* c c c c ___ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker# c - c c ___ Downy Woodpecker* c c c c ___ Hairy Woodpecker* u u u u ___ Northern Flicker#* c o c c ___ Pileated Woodpecker* c c c c
FLYCATCHERS Sp S F W ___ Eastern Wood-Pewee#* c c c - ___ Yellow-bellied Flycatcher# r - r - ___ Acadian Flycatcher#* c a c - ___ Least Flycatcher# r - r - ___ Eastern Phoebe#* u o o o ___ Great Crested Flycatcher#* c c c - ___ Eastern Kingbird#* c c c -
LARKS Sp S F W ___ Horned Lark# o o o o
MARTINS AND SWALLOWS Sp S F W ___ Purple Martin# u u c - ___ Tree Swallow# u o c - ___ Northern Rough-winged Swallow#* u u c - ___ Bank Swallow#* u u u - ___ Cliff Swallow#* u u u - ___ Barn Swallow#* c a c -
JAYS AND CROWS Sp S F W ___ Blue Jay* c c c c ___ American Crow* c a a a ___ Fish Crow r r - -
CHICKADEES AND TITMICE Sp S F W ___ Carolina Chickadee* c c c c ___ Tufted Titmouse* c c c c
NUTHATCHES Sp S F W ___ Red-breasted Nuthatch u - u u ___ White-breasted Nuthatch* u u u u
CREEPERS Sp S F W ___ Brown Creeper# u r u u
WRENS Sp S F W ___ Carolina Wren* c c c c ___ Bewick's Wren* r r r r ___ House Wren# u - u r ___ Winter Wren c - c c
KINGLETS AND GNATCATCHERS Sp S F W ___ Golden-crowned Kinglet c - c u ___ Ruby-crowned Kinglet# c - c c ___ Blue-gray Gnatcatcher#* c c c -
BLUEBIRDS, THRUSHES AND ROBINS Sp S F W ___ Eastern Bluebird#* u u u u ___ Veery# u - u - ___ Gray-cheecked Thrush# c - c - ___ Swainson's Thrush# c - c - ___ Hermit Thrush# c - c c ___ Wood Thrush#* c c c - ___ American Robin#* c c c c
THRASHERS Sp S F W ___ Gray Catbird#* - c c -
PIPITS Sp S F W ___ American Pipit# - - - u
WAXWINGS Sp S F W ___ Cedar Waxwing# c - c c
STARLINGS Sp S F W ___ European Starling* c c c a
SHRIKES Sp S F W ___ Loggerhead Shrike#* u u u u
VIREOS Sp S F W ___ White-eyed Vireo#* c a c - ___ Solitary Vireo# u - u - ___ Yellow-throated Vireo#* c c c - ___ Warbling Vireo#* r - r - ___ Philadelphia Vireo# r r - - ___ Red-eyed Vireo#* c c c -
WARBLERS Sp S F W ___ Blue-winged Warbler# c - c - ___ Golden-winged Warbler# c - c - ___ Tennessee Warbler# - a - c ___ Orange-crowned Warbler# u - u - ___ Nashville Warbler# c - c - ___ Northern Parula#* c c c - ___ Yellow Warbler# c - c - ___ Chestnut-sided Warbler# c - c - ___ Magnolia Warbler# c - c - ___ Cape May Warbler# r - r - ___ Yellow-rumped Warbler# c - c c ___ Black-throated Green Warbler# c - c - ___ Blackburnian Warbler# c - c - ___ Yellow-throated Warbler#* c c c - ___ Pine Warbler u - u - ___ Prairie Warbler#* c c c - ___ Palm Warbler# c - c - ___ Bay-breasted Warbler# c - c - ___ Blackpoll Warbler# c - - - ___ Cerulean Warbler#* c c c - ___ Black-and-white Warbler#* u o u - ___ American Redstart#* c a c - ___ Prothonotary Warbler# c a c - ___ Worm-eating Warbler# u r u - ___ Swainson's Warbler# u c u - ___ Ovenbird# c - c - ___ Northern Waterthrush# c - c - ___ Louisiana Waterthrush#* c c r - ___ Kentucky Warbler#* c c c - ___ Common Yellowthroat#* c c c - ___ Hooded Warbler#* c c c - ___ Wilson's Warbler# c - c - ___ Canada Warbler# c - c - ___ Yellow-breasted Chat#* c c c -
TANAGERS Sp S F W ___ Summer Tanager#* c c c - ___ Scarlet Tanager# c r c -
NEW WORLD FINCHES Sp S F W ___ Northern Cardinal* c a c c ___ Rose-breasted Grosbeak# c - c - ___ Blue Grosbeak#* u u u - ___ Indigo Bunting#* c a c - ___ Dickcissel#* c c r -
SPARROWS Sp S F W ___ Rufous-sided Towhee#* c c c c ___ Chipping Sparrow#* c r c - ___ Field Sparrow* c c c c ___ Vesper Sparrow# c - c - ___ Lark Sparrow# r - r - ___ Savannah Sparrow# c - c c ___ Grasshopper Sparrow# r r r - ___ Le Conte's Sparrow r - r r ___ Fox Sparrow# c - c c ___ Song Sparrow# c - c c ___ Lincoln's Sparrow# c - u r ___ Swamp Sparrow# c - c c ___ White-throated Sparrow# c - c a ___ White-crowned Sparrow# c - c u ___ Dark-eyed Junco# c - c c
BLACKBIRDS, GRACKLES, COWBIRDS AND ORIOLES Sp S F W ___ Bobolink# o - - - ___ Red-winged Blackbird#* c c c c ___ Eastern Meadowlark#* c c c c ___ Rusty Blackbird c - c c ___ Common Grackle* c c c c ___ Brown-headed Cowbird#* c c c c ___ Orchard Oriole#* c c u - ___ Northern Oriole#* c u c -
OLD WORLD FINCHES Sp S F W ___ Purple Finch# u - o c ___ Pine Siskin# r - r o ___ American Goldfinch#* c u c c
WEAVER FINCHES Sp S F W ___ House Sparrow* c c c c
Horned Grebe Northern Goshawk Marsh Wren# Tundra Swan Willet Evening Grosbeak
For further information contact:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge
4172 Highway 76 South
Brownsville, Tennessee 38012-8332
Telephone: 901/772-0501
This resource is based on the following source:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1993. Birds of Hatchie National Wildlife
Service. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Unpaginated.
This resource should be cited as:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1993. Birds of Hatchie National Wildlife
Service. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Unpaginated.
Jamestown, ND: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Online.
http://www.npwrc.usgs.govhatchie.htm
(Version 22MAY98).
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