NPS collection

Male red-winged blackbird singing in tree.

Whitman Mission supports a surprisingly rich diversity of bird life. A large proportion of the species are migratory and wintering birds, indicating the importance of the 98-acre parcel as a stop over for those species. The Mill Pond is used by many species of waterfowl and the riparian and grassland vegetation attract a wide variety of passerines. Of particular note are the many insectivorous flycatchers, vireos, and warblers that use the historic site as a migratory stop over and as a nesting area. Another important resource for birds is the dead and dying cottonwood trees found along Mill Creek and the Walla Walla River. These snags provide important resources for primary cavity nesters, such as the northern flicker and provides even more critical habitat to secondary cavity nesters such as the western screech owl. Rookeries of black-crowned night herons and great blue herons exist along Mill Creek near the west boundary of the historic site.

The 2002-2003 Vertebrate Survey confirmed the presence, at least occasionally, of 202 species of birds in or near the park. These have been placed onto lists based on residency status and abundance. For definitions of the various residency categories or abundance categories see definitions.

List of Birds that Breed at Whitman Mission NHS

List of Non-breeding, "Resident" Birds

List of the More Common Migrants

List of Less Common Migrants

List of Unexpecteds, Vagrants, and Residency Status Unknown

Material excerpted from: 2002-2003 Vertebrate Inventory: Whitman Mission National Historic Site. University of Idaho and National Park Service Columbia Cascades Support Office.