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Theodore Roosevelt National ParkLark Sparrow
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Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Bird Watching and Checklist

"One of our sweetest, loudest songsters is the meadow-lark...the plains air seems to give it a voice, and it will perch on the top of a bush or tree and sing for hours in rich, bubbling tones."

Theodore Roosevelt

 

Theodore Roosevelt admired and respected the knowledge of John James Audubon. As a result, he became quite an avid bird watcher and spent much time studying natural history. He wrote, “All I can say is that almost as soon as I began to read at all, I began to read about the natural history of beasts and birds....”When Roosevelt arrived in the North Dakota Badlands in 1883 for a hunting trip, not only was he struck by the beauty of the area but, as a naturalist, he also found the variety of birdlife exhilarating.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a 70,447-acre park in three units. A variety of habitats make up the park, including native prairie, north- and south-facing slopes, hardwood and juniper draws, sagebrush flats, and undisturbed Little Missouri River bottomland forest. The occurrence and status of bird species has been changing since the beginning of time. The current list of birds for Theodore Roosevelt National Park includes 186 species which have been observed in Theodore Roosevelt National Park plus 22 species that have not yet been observed but are suspected of occurring since they have been seen in the immediate area. This list includes 69 species that are known to have nested in the park, 39 species that are probable breeders, and 16 species whose nesting status is uncertain.

SEASONS
S — Spring: March through May
S — Summer: June through July
F — Fall: August through November
W — Winter: December through February

CODE DEFINITION
C — Common species: abundant in suitable habitats; habitat is widespread.
F — Fairly common in most suitable habitats: habitat type is strongly represented.
U — Uncommon: present but not certain to be seen on each trip.
R — Rare: local occurrence within park, low numbers in area.
O — Occasional: seen only a few times a season and not every year.
Ac — Accidental: a species out of normal range; very few records; not expected to occur again or occurs very infrequently.
S — Suspected: not yet observed WITHIN the park or in that season, but has been seen in the area and MAY be present.
E — Extirpated: no longer occurs in the park but did historically.
X — Species that are known to have nested in the park. Active nests with eggs or young, adults and dependent young, etc.
Y — Species suspected to have nested from observation of pair in suitable habitat, singing male, etc.
Z — Nesting status uncertain.

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LOONS AND GREBES
S
S
F
W
  Pied-bil. Grebe
O
S
   
  PELICANS AND CORMORANTS
  Am. White Pelican
U
U
U
  .D.-c. Cormorant
S
Ac
   
  HERONS AND IBISES
  Great Blue Heron - X
F
F
F
  Bl.-cr. N.-heron
O
   
  WATERFOWL
  Tundra Swan
S
S
  Snow Goose
U
S
  Gr. Wh.-f Goose
S
S
  Canada Goose - X
F
O
F
O
  Wood Duck - X
O
O
S
  Green-w. Teal - Y
U
R
S
  Mallard - X
F
R
O
S
  Northern Pintail - Z
U
R
S
  Blue-winged Teal - X
F
R
S
  Cinnamon Teal - Z
S
S
S
  N. Shoveler
U
S
S
  Gadwall - Y
R
O
S
  American Wigeon - Y
R
O
S
  Canvasback
O
S
S
  Redhead
S
S
  Ring-necked Duck
S
S
  Lesser Scaup
O
S
S
  Common Goldeneye
O
S
S
  Bufflehead
S
S
  Common Merganser
O
S
  Ruddy Duck
S
S
 
VULTURES AND HAWKS
S
S
F
W
  Turkey Vulture - Y
U
U
U
  Ospray
Ac
  Bald Eagle
R
S
R
O
  Northern Harrier - X
C
F
C
O
  Sharp-shin. Hawk - X
U
U
U
O
  Cooper’s Hawk - X
U
U
U
O
  Northern Goshawk
O
O
S
R
  Swainson’s Hawk - Y
U
U
U
  Red-tailed Hawk - X .
C
F
C
R
  Ferruginous Hawk - Z
R
R
R
  Rough-leg. Hawk
R
U
R
  Golden Eagle - X
F
F
F
F
  American Kestrel - X
C
F
C
O
  Merlin - X
R
O
R
O
  Peregrine Falcon - Z
O
O
O
O
  Prairie Falcon - X
U
U
U
O
   
  GALLINACEOUS BIRDS
  Gray Partridge - Y
O
O
  Ring-n. Pheasant - X
F
F
F
F
  Sage Grouse - X
S
O
S
S
  Gr. Pr.-Chicken - Z
E
E
E
E
  Sharp-t. Grouse - X
F
F
F
F
  Wild Turkey - X
F
F
U
U
   
  CRANES AND RAILS
  Sora - Z
O
S
S
  American Coot
O
S
  Sandhill Crane
F
C
  Whooping Crane
O
O
   
  PLOVERS AND TURNSTONES
  Killdeer - X
F
F
U
  Mountain Plover - Y
E
E
E
 
SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, & STILTS
S
S
F
W
  American Avocet
O
O
S
  Gr. Yellowlegs
S
O
  Les. Yellowlegs
S
O
  Sol. Sandpiper
O
S
  Willet
O
S
  Spot. Sandpiper - Y
U
U
U
  Upland Sandpiper - X
U
U
U
  Eskimo Curlew
E
E
  Long-bil. Curlew - Z
S
O
  Semipalmated Sandpiper
S
S
S
  Least Sandpiper
O
  Pectoral Sandpiper
S
S
  Common Snipe
S
S
  Wilson’s Phalarope
S
S
   
  GULLS AND TERNS        
  Franklin’s Gull
O
S
S
  Ring-billed Gull
O
O
S
  California Gull
S
S
S
  Common Tern
S
S
S
  Forster’s Tern
S
S
S
  Black Tern
S
S
S
   
  PIGEONS AND CUCKOOS
  Rock Dove - Y
O
O
O
O
  Mourning Dove - X
C
C
C
  Passenger Pigeon - Z - EXTINCT
  Black-b. Cuckoo - Y
U
U
S
  Yellow-b. Cuckoo - Y
S
O
S
   
  OWLS AND GOATSUCKERS
  Barn Owl - Y
O
  E. Screech-Owl - Y
R
R
R
R
  Great Horned Owl - X
F
F
F
F
  Snowy Owl
S
O
  Burrowing Owl - X
U
U
U
  Great Gray Owl
Ac
  Long-eared Owl - Y
R
R
S
  Short-eared Owl - Z
S
O
S
O
  N. Saw-whet Owl - X
O
O
O
  Common Nighthawk - Y
F
F
C
  Poor-will - Y
R
U
R
 
HUMMINGBIRDS AND KINGFISHERS
S
S
F
W
  R.-t. Hummingbird
O
O
O
  Belted Kingfisher - Y
U
U
U
O
   
  WOODPECKERS
  R.h. Woodpecker - X
U
U
U
  Downy Woodpecker - X
F
F
F
F
  Hairy Woodpecker - X
F
F
F
F
  Common Flicker - X
C
C
C
O
   
  FLYCATCHERS
  W. Wood-Pewee - X
S
O
S
  Willow Flycatcher - X
S
O
S
  Least Flycatcher - X
U
U
U
  Say’s Phoebe - X
U
U
U
  G. C. Flycatcher
O
O
S
  Western Kingbird - X
F
F
F
  Eastern Kingbird - X
C
C
C
  Scis.-tailed Flycatcher
Ac
   
  LARKS AND SWALLOWS
  Horned Lark - Y
F
F
F
U
  Tree Swallow - X
U
U
U
  Violet-g. Swallow - X
S
R
O
  N. R.-w. Swallow - X
F
F
F
  Bank Swallow - X
F
F
F
  Cliff Swallow - X
F
F
F
  Barn Swallow - X
C
C
C
   
  JAYS, MAGPIES AND CROWS
  Blue Jay - X
U
U
U
O
  Clark’s Nutcracker
S
O
O
  Black-b. Magpie - X
F
C
C
F
  American Crow - X
C
F
C
O
  Common Raven - Z
E
O
S
 
  CHICKADEES, NUTHATCHES AND CREEPERS
S
S
F
W
  B.-c. Chickadee - X
C
C
C
C
  Red-b. Nuthatch - Z
S
O
O
O
  White-b. Nuthatch - X
U
F
U
U
  Brown Creeper
S
S
O
   
  WRENS AND KINGLETS
  Rock Wren - X
C
C
F
  House Wren - X
C
C
F
  Gol.-cr. Kinglet
S
O
  Ruby-cr. Kinglet
S
O
   
  THRUSHES AND THRASHERS
  Eastern Bluebird - X
U
O
U
  Mount. Bluebird - X
F
F
F
  Town. Solitaire
S
O
R
  Veery - Y
O
O
S
  Gray-ch. Thrush
S
  Swainson’s Thrush
O
O
S
  American Robin - X
C
C
C
U
  Gray Catbird - Y
U
U
S
  Brown Thrasher - X
F
F
U
  Mockingbird
Ac
   
  PIPITS AND WAXWINGS
  Sprague’s Pipit - Y
U
U
U
  Bohemian Waxwing
U
U
C
  Cedar Waxwing - X
U
F
U
U
   
  SHRIKES AND STARLINGS
  Northern Shrike
O
U
  Loggerhead Shrike - Y
U
F
U
O
  European Starling - X
U
R
O
R


 
VIREOS AND WOOD WARBLERS
S
S
F
W
  Solitary Vireo
S
S
  Yellow-thr. Vireo
Ac
  Warbling Vireo - Y
U
F
U
  Red-eyed Vireo - X
F
C
F
  Tenn. Warbler
O
S
  Or.-cro. Warbler
O
O
  N. Parula
Ac
  Yellow Warbler - X
C
C
C
  Bl.-thr. Blue Warbler
Ac
  Yel.-ru. Warbler
F
S
  Blackpoll Warbler
U
O
S
  Bl. & Wh. Warbler - Y
F
F
F
  Am. Redstart - X
C
C
C
  Ovenbird - X
F
F
F
  N. Waterthrush
S
S
  Mourning Warbler
O
S
  Com. Yellowthroat - X
C
C
C
  Wilson’s Warbler
S
O
  Yellow-br. Chat - X
F
F
F
   
  TANAGERS, GROSBEAKS AND BUNTINGS
  Western Tanager - Z
O
O
  Rose-b. Grosbeak - Z
O
O
S
  Bl.h. Grosbeak - X
F
F
S
  Lazuli Bunting - X
C
C
F
  Indigo Bunting - Y
S
O
S
   
  TOWHEES, SPARROWS, JUNCOS AND LONGSPURS
  Spotted Towhee - X
C
C
C
  Am. Tree Sparrow
F
F
R
  Chipping Sparrow - X
C
C
C
  Clay-col. Sparrow - Y
C
C
C
  Brewer’s Sparrow - Z
S
S
S
  Field Sparrow - X
C
C
C
  Vesper Sparrow - X
C
C
C
  Lark Sparrow - Y
F
F
F
  Lark Bunting - Y
U
R
U
  Savannah Sparrow - Y
S
R
O
  Baird’s Sparrow - Y
S
R
S
  Grasshopper Spar. - Y
F
F
U
  Fox Sparrow
S
S
  Song Sparrow - X
U
U
U
  Lincoln’s Sparrow
S
S
  Wh.-thr. Sparrow
R
O
Ac
  Wh.-cr. Sparrow
U
U
  Harris’ Sparrow
U
U
O
  Dark-eyed Junco
C
C
O
  McCown’s Longspur - Z
S
S
S
  Lapland Longspur
S
S
O
  Smith’s Longspur
O
  Ch.-col. Longspur - Y
U
U
U
  Snow Bunting
S
O
O

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
  MEADOWLARKS, BLACKBIRDS AND ORIOLES
S
S
F
W
  Bobolink - Y
S
R
S
  Red-w. Blackbird - Y
U
U
U
O
  W. Meadowlark - X
C
C
C
O
  Yel.-h. Blackbird - Z
S
O
O
  Rusty Blackbird
S
S
O
  Brewer’s Blackbird - Y
U
R
U
O
  Common Grackle - Y
F
F
F
  Brown-h. Cowbird - X
F
F
U
  Orchard Oriole - Y
R
U
U
 

Baltimore Oriole - X
F
F
S
  Bullock's Oriole
F
F
S

 

 

GROSBEAKS, FINCHES AND REDPOLLS
  Rosy Finch
O
  Pine Grosbeak
O
  Purple Finch
O
O
  Red Crossbill
O
O
S
O
  Common Redpoll
S
F
  Hoary Redpoll
S
O
  Pine Siskin - X
O
O
O
  American Goldfinch - Y
F
F
F
O
  Evening Grosbeak
O
S
O
   
  WEAVER FINCHES
  House Sparrow - Y
U
U
U
U
 

LIST REVISED 9-07

This Bird Checklist is also available in a pdf format - Bird Checklist (Get the free Acrobat Reader)

 
River Bend Overlook in the North Unit is the work of federal relief agencies during the 1930s.  

Did You Know?
Handiwork by federal relief agencies in the 1930s including the CCC, WPA and ERA can be viewed in both the North and South Units.

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Last Updated: October 28, 2008 at 16:26 EST