U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Big Branch Marsh

National Wildlife Refuge

Bird List

Osprey
Larry W. Richardson

Heron
Big

Branch

Marsh

National

Wildlife

Refuge

This goose,

designed by

J. N. “Ding”

Darling, has

become the

symbol of the

National

Wildlife

Refuge

System.

Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife

Refuge is one of over 500 national

wildlife refuges. The refuge is located

along the north shore of Lake

Pontchartrain, approximately 35 miles

from New Orleans in St. Tammany

Parish. The refuge is about 14,000

acres and is primarily comprised of

intermediate marsh and pine

flatwoods. Cypress brakes and

hardwood areas are also found on the

refuge. Many woodland birds are

year-round residents of the pine

flatwoods, including the Federally

endangered Red-cockaded

Woodpecker. Spring and fall

migrations bring many neotropical

migrant songbirds through the refuge

that breed in northern climates. In

winter, thousands of waterfowl species

reside in the marshes along the lake

shore. At any time of year a wide

variety of birds including shorebirds,

wading birds, raptors, waterfowl, and

songbirds can be found at the refuge.

This bird list conforms to the

nomenclature and arrangement

established by the American

Ornithologists’ Union (1998). Symbols

used in this brochure represent the

following:

Sp Spring (March-May)

S Summer (June-August)

F Fall (September-November)

W Winter (December-February)

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)

cover photo:

Charlie Heidecker

How to use this

checklist

Seasonal

Appearance

Seasonal

Abundance
Loons

___Common Loon u u u

Grebes

___Pied-billed Grebe c c c

___Horned Grebe r r u

___Eared Grebe r r

Pelicans, Cormorants & Darters

___American White Pelican c c c

___Brown Pelican c r c c

___Double-crested Cormorant c r c c

___Anhinga r r r r

Frigatebirds

___Magnificent Frigatebird o

Bitterns, Herons & Egrets

___American Bittern r r r

___Least Bittern c c u

___Great Blue Heron c c c c

___Great Egret c c c c

___Snowy Egret c c c c

___Little Blue Heron u u u u

___Tricolored Heron u c c u

___Reddish Egret r

___Cattle Egret u u u u

___Green Heron c c c r

___Black-crowned Night-Heron r r r

___Yellow-crowned Night-Heron u u u

Ibises, Spoonbills, Storks &

New World Vultures

___White Ibis c c c c

___Glossy Ibis u u u u

___White-faced Ibis u u u u

___Roseate Spoonbill r r

___Wood Stork r

___Black Vulture c u c c

___Turkey Vulture c u c c

Waterfowl

___Greater White-fronted Goose u u

___Snow Goose c c

___Ross’s Goose r

___Canada Goose r r

___Wood Duck c c c c

___Gadwall c c c

___American Wigeon u u c

___Mallard u u c

___Mottled Duck c c c c

___Blue-winged Teal c r c c

 SP S F W
 SP S F W

___Northern Shoveler c c c

___Northern Pintail u u c

___Green-winged Teal r u u

___Canvasback r r r

___Redhead r r r

___Ring-necked Duck u u c

___Greater Scaup r

___Lesser Scaup u u c

___Common Goldeneye u

___Bufflehead c c c

___Hooded Merganser u

___Red-breasted Merganser u u c

___Ruddy Duck u u u

Hawks, Eagles & Kites

___Osprey u u u c

___American Swallow-tailed Kite u u r

___Mississippi Kite c c u

___Bald Eagle u u u

___Northern Harrier c c c

___Sharp-shinned Hawk u u u

___Cooper’s Hawk u u u

___Red-shouldered Hawk c c c c

___Broad-winged Hawk c u c

___Red-tailed Hawk c c c

___Swainson’s Hawk r

___Red-tailed Hawk c c c

___Rough-legged Hawk r

True Falcons

___American Kestrel c c c

___Merlin u u u

___Peregrine Falcon r

Gallinaceous Birds (Quail, Turkey and Allies)

___Northern Bobwhite c c c c

Rails, Gallinules, Coots & Cranes

___Yellow Rail o

___Black Rail o

___King Rail c c c c

___Virginia Rail u u u

___Sora c c c

___Common Moorhen u u u

___American Coot c c c

Plovers

___Black-bellied Plover u u u

___Semipalmated Plover u u

___Killdeer c c c c
SP S F W

Avocets & Sandpipers

___Black-necked Stilt c c c u

___Greater Yellowlegs c c u

___Lesser Yellowlegs c c u

___Solitary Sandpiper u u

___Willet r r

___Spotted Sandpiper c c c

___Sanderling r

___Semipalmated Sandpiper c c

___Western Sandpiper c c u

___Least Sandpiper c c u

___Pectoral Sandpiper u u

___Dunlin u u u

___Short-billed Dowitcher r r

___Long-billed Dowitcher u u

___Common Snipe u u c

___American Woodcock u u u

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers

___Laughing Gull c c c c

___Bonaparte’s Gull u u c

___Ring-billed Gull c r c c

___Herring Gull c c c

___Gull-billed Tern r

___Caspian Tern c u c c

___Royal Tern c u c c

___Common Tern r r r

___Forster’s Tern c c c c

___Least Tern u c u

___Black Tern u

___Black Skimmer r r

Pigeons & Doves

___Eurasian Collared-Dove o

___Mourning Dove c c c c

___Common Ground-Dove r r r

Cuckoos

___Black-billed Cuckoo u u

___Yellow-billed Cuckoo c c c

Owls

___Barn Owl r

___Eastern Screech-Owl c c c c

___Great Horned Owl c c c c

___Barred Owl c c c c

Nightjars

___Common Nighthawk u u u

___Chuck-will’s-widow u u u

___Whip-poor-will r
SP S F W

Swifts & Hummingbirds

___Chimney Swift c c c

Hummingbirds

___Ruby-throated Hummingbird c c c r

___Rufous Hummingbird r

Kingfishers

___Belted Kingfisher c u c c

Woodpeckers

___Red-headed Woodpecker c c c c

___Red-bellied Woodpecker c c c c

___Yellow-bellied Sapsucker u c c

___Downy Woodpecker c c c c

___Hairy Woodpecker u u u u

___Red-cockaded Woodpecker u u u u

___Northern Flicker c u c c

___Pileated Woodpecker c c c c

Tyrant Flycatchers

___Olive-sided Flycatcher r

___Eastern Wood-Pewee c c c

___Acadian Flycatcher c c c

___Alder Flycatcher r r

___Least Flycatcher r r

___Eastern Phoebe u c c

___Vermilion Flycatcher r

___Great Crested Flycatcher c c u

___Eastern Kingbird c c u

Shrikes

___Loggerhead Shrike c c c c

Vireos

___White-eyed Vireo c c c u

___Yellow-throated Vireo c c c

___Blue-headed Vireo u u u

___Philalephia Vireo u

___Red-eyed Vireo c c c

Jays & Crows

___Blue Jay c c c c

___American Crow c c c c

___Fish Crow c c c c

Larks

___Horned Lark r
SP S F W

Swallows

___Purple Martin c c c

___Tree Swallow c c c

___Northern Rough-winged Swallow u u u r

___Bank Swallow u u u

___Cliff Swallow r r u

___Barn Swallow c c c

Chickadees & Titmice

___Carolina Chickadee c c c c

___Tufted Titmouse c c c c

Nuthatches

___Red-breasted Nuthatch r

___Brown-headed Nuthatch c c c c

Creepers

___Brown Creeper u u u

Wrens

___Carolina Wren c c c c

___House Wren c c c

___Winter Wren u u u

___Sedge Wren u u c

___Marsh Wren c c c c

Kinglets & Gnatcatchers

___Golden-crowned Kinget u u c

___Ruby-crowned Kinglet c c c

___Blue-gray Gnatcatcher c c c c

Thrushes

___Eastern Bluebird c c c c

___Veery u u

___Gray-cheeked Thrush u u

___Swainson’s Thrush u u

___Hermit Thrush u u c

___Wood Thrush c c c

___American Robin u u c

Mockingbirds & Thrashers

___Gray Catbird c c c

___Northern Mockingbird c c c c

___Brown Thrasher c c c c

Starlings

___European Starling c c c c

Pipits

___American Pipit u u c
SP S F W

Waxwings

___Cedar Waxwing c c c

Wood Warblers

___Blue-winged Warbler u u

___Golden-winged Warbler r r

___Tennessee Warbler u u

___Orange-crowned Warbler c c c

___Nashville Warbler r u

___Northern Parula c c c

___Yellow Warbler c c

___Chestnut-sided Warbler u u

___Magnolia Warbler u u

___Yellow-rumped Warbler c c c

___Black-throated Blue Warbler r

___Black-throated Green Warbler u c

___Blackburnian Warbler r r

___Yellow-throated Warbler u u u

___Pine Warbler c c c c

___Prairie Warbler r r

___Palm Warbler u u u

___Bay-breasted Warbler u u

___Cerulean Warbler r r

___Black-and-white Warbler u u r

___American Redstart u c

___Prothonotary Warbler c c c

___Worm-eating Warbler u u u

___Swainson’s Warbler u u u

___Ovenbird u u

___Northern Waterthrush u u

___Louisiana Waterthrush r r

___Kentucky Warbler u u u

___Common Yellowthroat c c c c

___Hooded Warbler c c c

___Wilson’s Warbler u u u

___Yellow-breasted Chat c c c r

Tanagers

___Summer Tanager c c c r

___Scarlet Tanager r r

Sparrows

___Eastern Towhee c c c c

___Bachman’s Sparrow r r r r

___Chipping Sparrow c u c c

___Field Sparrow u u c

___Vesper Sparrow u u u

___Savannah Sparrow c c c

___Grasshopper Sparrow r r r

___Henslow’s Sparrow u u u

___Le Conte’s Sparrow u u u

___Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow r r r
___Seaside Sparrow u u u u

___Fox Sparrow u

___Song Sparrow c c c

___Lincoln’s Sparrow u u u

___Swamp Sparrow c c c

___White-throated Sparrow c c c

___White-crowned Sparrow u u u

___Dark-eyed Junco u u c

New World Finches

___Northern Cardinal c c c c

___Rose-breasted Grosbeak c c

___Blue Grosbeak c u c

___Indigo Bunting c u c

___Painted Bunting c u c

___Dickcissel u u u r

Blackbirds

___Red-winged Blackbird c c c c

___Eastern Meadowlark c c c c

___Rusty Blackbird u u c

___Brewer’s Blackbird r r u

___Common Grackle c c c c

___Brown-headed Cowbird c c c c

___Boat-tailed Grackle r r r r

___Orchard Oriole c c c

___Baltimore Oriole u u r

Old World Finches

___Purple Finch u u u

___House Finch u u u

___Pine Siskin u

___American Goldfinch c u c

___House Sparrow u u u u

Ethics for Birdwatching

Take care not to disturb nesting birds which could expose

eggs and young to extreme temperatures and predation.

Please 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.

SP S F W
Route or area

Sighting Notes

Date

Time

Weather

No. of species

Route or area

Observers

Remarks

Walter Clifton

Downy Woodpecker
Big Branch Marsh

National Wildlife Refuge

61389 Highway 434

Lacombe, LA 70445

985/882 2000

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

1 800/344 WILD

http://www.fws.gov/r4eao

June 2006