Endangered and Threatened Birds

Connecticut DEP’s Wildlife Division publishes a list of Endangered and Threatened Species, which includes mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. Their bird list is presented below in the format of the Sherwood Island checklist, which includes most of the Endangered and Threatened Species. For each of the listed birds, DEP provides fact sheets.

In the table below, “Status” refers to Endangered (E), Threatened (T), or Special Concern (SC). For species sighted in the park during the 2002-2003 Fall-Winter season, links are provided to the sightings reports and/or photographs.

Willet

The Willet, listed as a Species of Special Concern, was an occasional visitor to the park until 1997. Since then one to three pairs have nested each year. The birds arrive in late April or early May and leave in August.

Family	Species	Status	SISP	Sightings, 2002-2003
Kites, Eagles, Hawks	Bald Eagle	E		report
	Northern Harrier	E		photo
	Cooper’s Hawk	T		photo
	Sharp-shinned Hawk	E
Falcons	Peregrine Falcon	E
Grebes	Pied-billed Grebe	E
Bitterns and Herons	American Bittern	E		report, photo
	Least Bittern	T
	Great Egret	T
	Snowy Egret	T
Rails, Gallinules, Coots	Black Rail	E	—	report
	King Rail	E
	Common Moorhen	E
Plovers	Piping Plover	T
Sandpipers & Phalaropes	Upland Sandpiper	E
	Willet	SC		see below
Skuas,Gulls,Terns,Skimmers	Least Tern	T
	Roseate Tern	E	—
Barn Owl	Barn Owl	E
Typical Owls	Long-eared Owl	E		photo
	Short-eared Owl	T		photo
Woodpeckers	Red-headed Woodpecker	E
Larks	Horned Lark	T		photo
Wrens	Sedge Wren	E	—
Wood-warblers	Yellow-breasted Chat	E		report, photo
Towhees,Sparrows,Longspurs	Vesper Sparrow	E		photo
	Grasshopper Sparrow	E	—