Checklist: Birds of Sherwood Island State Park
A list of 284 species was compiled in the mid-1990s by Robert Winkler, with contributions from Richard Soffer, Frank Mantlik and Charles Barnard Jr. The list published in 1996 is available here
Additions since 1996 (shown in red): Ross’s Goose, Yellow Rail, Marbled Godwit, Black Skimmer, Cave Swallow, Dicksissel, Clay-colored Sparrow, Smith’s Longspur, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Boat-tailed Grackle, Western Meadowlark and Yellow-throated Warbler – all Very Rare. And also: Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow, common in Fall.
Note: Robert Winkler’s birding experiences at Sherwood Island are recorded in his book Going Wild and in essays available at his website.
| Family | Species | N | Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter |
| Loons | Red-throated Loon | FC | FC | UC | ||
| Common Loon | FC | R | FC | UC | ||
| Grebes | Pied-billed Grebe | R | R | R | ||
| Horned Grebe | C | C | FC | |||
| Red-necked Grebe | R | R | ||||
| Eared Grebe | VR | |||||
| Gannets | Northern Gannet | R | R | |||
| Pelicans | American White Pelican | VR | ||||
| Cormorants & Darters | Great Cormorant | FC | FC | FC | ||
| Double-crested Cormorant | C | C | C | R | ||
| Bitterns & Herons | American Bittern | R | R | R | ||
| Least Bittern | VR | VR | ||||
| Great Blue Heron | UC | FC | FC | FC | ||
| Great Egret | FC | FC | C | VR | ||
| Snowy Egret | C | FC | C | |||
| Little Blue Heron | UC | UC | UC | |||
| Tricolored Heron | R | R | R | |||
| Cattle Egret | UC | R | R | |||
| Green Heron | UC | FC | FC | |||
| Black-crowned Night-Heron | FC | FC | FC | R | ||
| Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | VR | VR | ||||
| Ibis | Glossy Ibis | UC | UC | R | ||
| Swans, Geese, Ducks | Tundra Swan | VR | ||||
| Mute Swan | N | FC | FC | FC | FC | |
| Greater White-fronted Goose | VR | |||||
| Snow Goose | UC | UC | R | |||
| Ross’s Goose | VR | |||||
| Brant | UC | UC | R | |||
| Canada Goose | N | C | C | C | C | |
| Wood Duck | R | R | ||||
| Green-winged Teal | FC | FC | R | |||
| American Black Duck | N | C | FC | C | C | |
| Mallard | N | C | FC | C | C | |
| Northern Pintail | R | R | R | |||
| Blue-winged Teal | UC | UC | ||||
| Northern Shoveler | R | R | ||||
| Gadwall | UC | UC | R | |||
| Eurasian Wigeon | R | R | R | |||
| American Wigeon | FC | C | FC | |||
| Canvasback | FC | FC | UC | |||
| Redhead | VR | |||||
| Ring-necked Duck | R | R | ||||
| Greater Scaup | UC | UC | UC | |||
| Lesser Scaup | R | R | R | |||
| King Eider | VR | VR | ||||
| Long-tailed Duck | C | C | C | |||
| Black Scoter | VR | VR | VR | |||
| Surf Scoter | UC | UC | UC | |||
| White-winged Scoter | FC | FC | FC | |||
| Common Goldeneye | C | C | C | |||
| Barrow’s Goldeneye | R | R | R | |||
| Bufflehead | C | C | FC | |||
| Hooded Merganser | FC | R | FC | UC | ||
| Common Merganser | R | R | ||||
| Red-breasted Merganser | C | C | C | |||
| Ruddy Duck | VR | VR | VR | |||
| Kites, Eagles, Hawks | Black Vulture | VR | ||||
| Turkey Vulture | UC | UC | ||||
| Osprey | N | UC | R | C | ||
| Bald Eagle | R | R | R | |||
| Northern Harrier | UC | FC | R | |||
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | UC | FC | R | |||
| Cooper’s Hawk | R | UC | ||||
| Northern Goshawk | R | R | ||||
| Red-shouldered Hawk | R | UC | R | |||
| Broad-winged Hawk | UC | UC | ||||
| Red-tailed Hawk | FC | FC | FC | |||
| Rough-legged Hawk | R | R | ||||
| Golden Eagle | VR | |||||
| Falcons | American Kestrel | UC | FC | R | ||
| Merlin | R | UC | R | |||
| Peregrine Falcon | R | R | ||||
| Grouse, Turkeys, Quail | Ring-necked Pheasant | N | FC | FC | FC | FC |
| Wild Turkey | VR | |||||
| Rails, Gallinules, Coots | Clapper Rail | N | UC | R | UC | R |
| Yellow Rail | VR | |||||
| King Rail | VR | |||||
| Virginia Rail | R | R | R | |||
| Sora | VR | VR | ||||
| Common Moorhen | VR | |||||
| American Coot | R | R | ||||
| Cranes | Sandhill Crane | VR | ||||
| Plovers | Black-bellied Plover | FC | C | UC | ||
| American Golden-Plover | R | R | ||||
| Semipalmated Plover | FC | C | ||||
| Piping Plover | VR | VR | ||||
| Killdeer | N | FC | FC | C | UC | |
| Oystercatchers | American Oystercatcher | R | R | R | ||
| Stilts & Avocets | American Avocet | VR | ||||
| Sandpipers & Phalaropes | Greater Yellowlegs | C | C | R | ||
| Lesser Yellowlegs | UC | FC | ||||
| Solitary Sandpiper | UC | UC | ||||
| Willet | R | UC | ||||
| Spotted Sandpiper | FC | FC | ||||
| Upland Sandpiper | R | R | ||||
| Whimbrel | R | |||||
| Hudsonian Godwit | VR | |||||
| Marbled Godwit | VR | |||||
| Ruddy Turnstone | UC | FC | R | |||
| Red Knot | VR | |||||
| Sanderling | R | UC | R | |||
| Semipalmated Sandpiper | FC | C | ||||
| Western Sandpiper | R | |||||
| Least Sandpiper | FC | C | ||||
| White-rumped Sandpiper | R | |||||
| Baird’s Sandpiper | VR | |||||
| Pectoral Sandpiper | R | FC | ||||
| Purple Sandpiper | VR | |||||
| Dunlin | FC | C | FC | |||
| Stilt Sandpiper | R | |||||
| Buff-breasted Sandpiper | VR | |||||
| Ruff | VR | |||||
| Short-billed Dowitcher | UC | FC | ||||
| Common Snipe | FC | UC | R | |||
| American Woodcock | N | UC | R | UC | R | |
| Wilson’s Phalarope | VR | VR | ||||
| Skuas, Gulls, Terns, Skimmers | Laughing Gull | UC | FC | C | ||
| Bonaparte’s Gull | UC | UC | UC | |||
| Ring-billed Gull | C | FC | C | C | ||
| Herring Gull | C | C | C | C | ||
| Iceland Gull | VR | VR | ||||
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | R | R | R | |||
| Glaucous Gull | VR | VR | ||||
| Great Black-backed Gull | FC | FC | FC | FC | ||
| Caspian Tern | VR | VR | ||||
| Common Tern | FC | FC | FC | |||
| Forster’s Tern | UC | |||||
| Least Tern | FC | FC | UC | |||
| Black Tern | VR | VR | ||||
| Black Skimmer | VR | |||||
| Pigeons & Doves | Rock Dove | N | UC | FC | UC | UC |
| Mourning Dove | N | C | C | FC | FC | |
| Parrots | Monk Parakeet | FC | FC | FC | UC | |
| Cuckoo | Black-billed Cuckoo | R | R | |||
| Yellow-billed Cuckoo | R | R | ||||
| Barn Owl | Barn Owl | VR | ||||
| Typical Owls | Eastern Screech-Owl | R | R | R | R | |
| Great Horned Owl | N | R | R | R | R | |
| Snowy Owl | VR | |||||
| Barred Owl | VR | |||||
| Long-eared Owl | VR | |||||
| Short-eared Owl | R | R | R | |||
| Northern Saw-whet Owl | VR | |||||
| Goatsuckers | Common Nighthawk | R | C | |||
| Whip-poor-will | VR | |||||
| Swifts | Chimney Swift | FC | FC | |||
| Hummingbirds | Ruby-throated Hummingbird | UC | FC | |||
| Kingfishers | Belted Kingfisher | N | UC | UC | FC | UC |
| Woodpeckers | Red-headed Woodpecker | VR | VR | VR | ||
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | UC | R | FC | UC | ||
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | UC | UC | R | |||
| Downy Woodpecker | N | FC | FC | FC | FC | |
| Hairy Woodpecker | UC | R | UC | UC | ||
| Northern Flicker | N | C | FC | C | UC | |
| Pileated Woodpecker | VR | VR | ||||
| Tyrant Flycatchers | Olive-sided Flycatcher | VR | ||||
| Eastern Wood-Pewee | FC | FC | ||||
| Yellow-bellied Flycatcher | VR | VR | ||||
| Acadian Flycatcher | R | R | ||||
| Alder Flycatcher | R | R | ||||
| Willow Flycatcher | N | FC | FC | UC | ||
| Least Flycatcher | UC | UC | ||||
| Eastern Phoebe | FC | FC | ||||
| Great Crested Flycatcher | UC | R | UC | |||
| Western Kingbird | VR | |||||
| Eastern Kingbird | N | FC | UC | UC | ||
| Larks | Horned Lark | UC | FC | UC | ||
| Swallows | Purple Martin | UC | R | R | ||
| Tree Swallow | N | C | UC | C | ||
| Northern Rough-winged Swallow | N | FC | UC | FC | ||
| Bank Swallow | UC | FC | ||||
| Cliff Swallow | R | R | ||||
| Cave Swallow | VR | |||||
| Barn Swallow | N | C | C | C | ||
| Jays & Crows | Blue Jay | N | C | FC | C | FC |
| American Crow | N | C | C | C | C | |
| Fish Crow | N | FC | FC | FC | UC | |
| Chickadees & Titmice | Black-capped Chickadee | N | C | FC | C | FC |
| Tufted Titmouse | N | C | FC | FC | UC | |
| Nuthatches | Red-breasted Nuthatch | UC | FC | UC | ||
| White-breasted Nuthatch | N | FC | UC | FC | UC | |
| Creepers | Brown Creeper | UC | UC | UC | ||
| Wrens | Carolina Wren | N | FC | FC | FC | UC |
| House Wren | N | FC | FC | FC | ||
| Winter Wren | UC | UC | ||||
| Marsh Wren | N | UC | R | UC | R | |
| Kinglets & Thrushes | Golden-crowned Kinglet | FC | C | FC | ||
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | FC | C | R | |||
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | UC | UC | ||||
| Northern Wheatear | VR | |||||
| Eastern Bluebird | N | UC | UC | UC | ||
| Veery | UC | UC | ||||
| Gray-cheeked Thrush | R | R | ||||
| Swainson’s Thrush | UC | UC | ||||
| Hermit Thrush | FC | FC | R | |||
| Wood Thrush | UC | UC | ||||
| American Robin | N | C | C | FC | R | |
| Thrashers | Gray Catbird | N | C | C | C | R |
| Northern Mockingbird | N | FC | FC | C | FC | |
| Brown Thrasher | N | UC | UC | UC | R | |
| Pipits | American Pipit | UC | FC | R | ||
| Waxwings | Cedar Waxwing | N | C | UC | FC | UC |
| Shrikes | Northern Shrike | VR | ||||
| Starlings | European Starling | N | C | C | C | C |
| Vireos | White-eyed Vireo | UC | UC | |||
| Blue-headed Vireo | UC | UC | ||||
| Yellow-throated Vireo | UC | UC | ||||
| Warbling Vireo | N | C | FC | UC | ||
| Philadelphia Vireo | R | |||||
| Red-eyed Vireo | FC | FC | ||||
| Wood-warblers | Blue-winged Warbler | UC | UC | |||
| Golden-winged Warbler | VR | VR | ||||
| Tennessee Warbler | UC | UC | ||||
| Orange-crowned Warbler | VR | |||||
| Nashville Warbler | FC | UC | ||||
| Northern Parula | C | FC | ||||
| Yellow Warbler | N | C | C | FC | ||
| Chestnut-sided Warbler | FC | FC | ||||
| Magnolia Warbler | C | FC | ||||
| Cape May Warbler | UC | UC | ||||
| Black-throated Blue Warbler | FC | FC | ||||
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | C | C | R | |||
| Black-throated Green Warbler | FC | FC | ||||
| Blackburnian Warbler | UC | UC | ||||
| Yellow-throated Warbler | VR | |||||
| Pine Warbler | UC | UC | ||||
| Prairie Warbler | UC | UC | ||||
| Palm Warbler | FC | FC | R | |||
| Bay-breasted Warbler | UC | UC | ||||
| Blackpoll Warbler | FC | UC | ||||
| Black-and-white Warbler | C | FC | ||||
| American Redstart | C | C | ||||
| Worm-eating Warbler | VR | |||||
| Ovenbird | FC | FC | ||||
| Northern Waterthrush | UC | UC | ||||
| Connecticut Warbler | VR | |||||
| Mourning Warbler | R | R | ||||
| Common Yellowthroat | N | C | C | C | R | |
| Hooded Warbler | R | R | ||||
| Wilson’s Warbler | FC | UC | ||||
| Canada Warbler | FC | FC | ||||
| Yellow-breasted Chat | R | R | VR | |||
| Tanagers | Scarlet Tanager | UC | UC | |||
| Cardinals, Grosbeaks, Buntings | Northern Cardinal | N | FC | FC | FC | FC |
| Rose-breasted Grosbeak | UC | UC | ||||
| Blue Grosbeak | VR | |||||
| Indigo Bunting | UC | UC | ||||
| Dickcissel | VR | |||||
| Towhees, Sparrows, Longspurs | Eastern Towhee | FC | R | FC | R | |
| American Tree Sparrow | UC | FC | FC | |||
| Chipping Sparrow | N | C | FC | UC | ||
| Clay-colored Sparrow | VR | |||||
| Field Sparrow | UC | UC | R | |||
| Vesper Sparrow | R | UC | ||||
| Lark Sparrow | VR | |||||
| Savannah Sparrow | C | R | C | UC | ||
| Le Conte’s Sparrow | VR | |||||
| Saltmarsh Sparrow | N | FC | UC | FC | ||
| Nelson’s Sparrow | C | |||||
| Seaside Sparrow | R | R | R | |||
| Fox Sparrow | UC | UC | R | |||
| Song Sparrow | N | C | C | C | FC | |
| Lincoln’s Sparrow | UC | UC | ||||
| Swamp Sparrow | UC | C | R | |||
| White-throated Sparrow | C | C | FC | |||
| White-crowned Sparrow | UC | FC | ||||
| Dark-eyed Junco | FC | C | FC | |||
| Lapland Longspur | R | R | ||||
| Smith’s Longspur | VR | |||||
| Snow Bunting | FC | FC | ||||
| Blackbirds & Orioles | Bobolink | UC | FC | |||
| Red-winged Blackbird | N | C | C | FC | R | |
| Eastern Meadowlark | UC | R | FC | R | ||
| Western Meadowlark |
VR | |||||
| Yellow-headed Blackbird | VR | |||||
| Rusty Blackbird | VR | VR | ||||
| Common Grackle | N | C | C | UC | R | |
| Boat-tailed Grackle | VR | |||||
| Brown-headed Cowbird | N | C | FC | UC | R | |
| Orchard Oriole | N | FC | FC | R | ||
| Baltimore Oriole | N | C | C | UC | ||
| Finches | Purple Finch | UC | UC | R | ||
| House Finch | N | C | C | C | FC | |
| Red Crossbill | VR | |||||
| White-winged Crossbill | VR | |||||
| Common Redpoll | VR | |||||
| Pine Siskin | UC | R | ||||
| American Goldfinch | N | FC | FC | C | UC | |
| Evening Grosbeak | VR | |||||
| Old World Sparrows | House Sparrow | N | C | C | C | UC |
| Code key: | Top of page |
| C: Common, nearly always seen FC: Fairly common, usually seen UC: Uncommon, sometimes seen |
R: Rare, infrequently seen, but expected in proper season VR: Very rare, very infrequently seen; some years absent; includes accidentals. N: Nesting. |
| Data from “Checklist: Birds of Sherwood Island State Park” (c) 1996 by Robert Winkler |
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