Long Lake

National Wildlife 

Refuge

Bird List

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
This goose, 

designed by J.N. 

“Ding” Darling, 

is the symbol 

of the National 

Wildlife Refuge 

System.

Welcome Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge

(NWR) consists of 22,310 acres 

located in Burleigh and Kidder 

Counties in south-central North 

Dakota. It was established in 1932 

and is administered as a unit within 

a chain of refuges located throughout 

the Central Flyway. Long Lake NWR 

contains mixed-grass prairie, ravines, 

cultivated fields, small tree and shrub 

plantings, and seasonal wetland 

basins, in addition to Long Lake. 

Beginning at U.S. Highway 

83 near Moffit, the Refuge extends 

northeastward for 16 miles.

Long Lake is a natural lake of 

limited depth because of its location 

in a shallow alkaline basin. It is

separated into three units by dikes, 

and at normal water level it covers 

about 16,000 acres. The Refuge 

was established primarily for the 

control of botulism, which has a long 

and varied history at Long Lake. 

The principle source of water is 

from Long Lake Creek south of the 

Refuge, which has a relatively large 

watershed. Dikes and spillways 

permit the holding of a higher water 

level in each unit from west to east 

when there is a water shortage.

The best opportunities for bird 

observation are in spring, summer, 

and fall. Canada geese typically lead 

the northward flight of waterfowl, 

beginning in late March. Northern 

pintails, mallards, and a variety of 

diving duck species follow shortly 

thereafter. Sharp-tailed grouse 

occupy traditional dancing grounds 

across the Refuge uplands throughout 

April, barely preceding the peak 

“crowing” activity of male 

ring-necked pheasants. Impressive 

flocks of phalaropes, sandpipers,

and plovers buzz mudflats during 

late spring amid the constant din 

of various waterbird species that 

are establishing colonies in isolated 

emergent marsh areas. Vocalizations 

of numerous prairie sparrows 

interrupt the early morning quiet

in June. 

The fascinating mating displays of 

western grebes can be observed

across Long Lake beginning in 

early June, just prior to the sight of 

numerous squadrons of ducklings 

scattered along shorelines and areas 

of emergent vegetation. Mornings in 

July reveal a patchwork of molting 

waterfowl across Long Lake’s open 

water areas. Not long after the mass 

of fall migrating shorebirds have 

filled-up on protein-rich invertebrates 

and headed to more southerly 

locations, Long Lake is invaded with 

a variety of south-bound waterfowl. 

Large congregations of ducks and 

geese are accompanied by thousands

of sandhill cranes in search of waste 

grain and other agricultural staples.

Occasionally, endangered whooping 

cranes visit the Refuge during their 

fall flight to Texas. In late fall, once 

Long Lake has frozen solid and fields 

are snow-filled, resident birds search 

for food and winter cover along with 

winter migrants including roughlegged hawks, snow buntings, and an 

occasional snowy owl.

Long Lake 

NWR has been 

designated as 

both a “Globally 

Important 

Bird Area” 

and a “Western 

Hemisphere 

Shorebird Reserve 

Network Site.”
Checklist The following checklist includes 

289 birds. Species that are known

to nest on the Refuge are noted 

with a bullet (•). Most of the species 

listed have been seen on the Refuge. 

Those species known to occur in the 

vicinity that have not actually been 

sighted on the Refuge are noted 

in italics. Visitors are encouraged 

to report new or noteworthy 

observations to Refuge staff. 

Additionally, confirmed sightings 

of some rare and accidental species 

may not have occurred on the Refuge 

itself, but rather on private land in 

close proximity to the Refuge. All 

species names are in accordance with 

the American Ornithologists’ Union, 

1998. Check-list of North American 

Birds. 7th ed. Am. Ornithol. Union, 

Washington, D.C. For clarity, some of 

the former names of bird species are 

shown in parentheses.

Bird species listed as “Accidentals” 

have been sighted once or only a few

times and the Refuge is outside of 

their normal range.

Seasons Since many birds are migratory, their

seasonal occurrence and relative 

abundance are noted as follows:

Sp Spring (March-May) S Summer (June-August) F Fall (September-November) W Winter (December-February)

Seasonal

Abundancec common - certain to be 

seen in suitable habitat

u uncommon - present, 

but not certain to be seen

r rare - seen at intervals 

of 2 to 5 years

(i) irregular - indicates a species 

which is irregular during at 

least one season

• denotes a species that nests 

on the Refuge

❒ denotes a species that likely 

nested on the Refuge 

historically, but does not

presently nest on the Refuge

E threatened and endangered

species in the United States
Loons 

 Common Loon r 

Grebes • Pied-billed Grebe 

ccc

• Horned Grebe 

uuu

Red-necked Grebe rr

• Eared Grebe 

ccc

• Western Grebe 

ccc

• Clark’s Grebe 

uuu

Pelicans ❒ American White Pelican

ccc

Cormorants • Double-crested Cormorant 

ccc

Bitterns, Herons, and Egrets • American Bittern 

ccc

Least Bittern r 

 Great Blue Heron cuc

Great Egret uuc

• Snowy Egret 

rur

Little Blue Heronrrr

• Cattle Egret 

ccc

Green Heronrrr

• Black-crowned Night-Heron 

ccc

 Yellow-crowned Night-Heronrrr

Ibises and Spoonbills • White-faced Ibis 

uuu

New World Vultures

 Turkey Vulture uuuu

Swans, Geese, and Ducks

 Greater White-fronted Goose cc

Snow Goose crc

Ross’ Goose uu

• Canada Goose 

cccu

❒ Trumpeter Swanr

 Tundra Swan uc

• Wood Duck uuu

• Gadwall ccc

• American Wigeon cuc

American Black Duck rr

• Mallard cccu

• Blue-winged Teal ccc

• Cinnamon Teal rrr

• Northern Shoveler ccc

• Northern Pintail ccc

• Green-winged Teal cuc

• Canvasback ccc

• Redhead ccc

• Ring-necked Duck crc

Greater Scaup rr

• Lesser Scaup cuc

White-winged Scoter r

Bufflehead cuc

Common Goldeneye cur

• Hooded Merganser uru

Common Merganser cur

 Red-breasted Merganser rr

• Ruddy Duck ccc

Osprey, Kites, Hawks, and Eagles

 Osprey r r

E Bald Eagle ccr

• Northern Harrier cccr

 Sharp-shinned Hawk uru

• Cooper’s Hawk uuu

Northern Goshawk rrr

 Broad-winged Hawk rr

• Swainson’s Hawk uuu

• Red-tailed Hawk cccr

• Ferruginous Hawk uuu

Rough-legged Hawk uuu

 Golden Eagle uruu

Falcons and Caracaras • American Kestrel 

cucr

 Merlin u ur

 Gyrfalcon r

 Peregrine Falcon rr

Prairie Falcon urur

Gallinaceous Birds • Gray Partridge 

cccc

• Ring-necked Pheasant 

cccc

• Sharp-tailed Grouse 

cccc

❒ Greater Prairie-Chicken 

rrrr

❒ Wild Turkey 

uuuu

Rails• Yellow Rail 

rrr

• Virginia Rail 

uuu

• Sora 

ccc

• American Coot 

ccc

Cranes ❒ Sandhill Crane 

cc

❒E Whooping Crane rr

Common Bird Name SpSFW Common Bird Name Sp

SFW
Plovers

 Black-bellied Plover rr

American Golden-Plover rr

Semipalmated Plover uu

•

E Piping Plover uuu

• Killdeer 

ccc

Stilts and Avocets • American Avocet 

ccc

Sandpipers and Phalaropes

 Greater Yellowlegs uuu

Lesser Yellowlegs cuc

Solitary Sandpiper uuu

• Willet 

ccc

• Spotted Sandpiper 

ccc

• Upland Sandpiper 

ccc

Whimbrel r 

❒ Long-billed Curlew 

r 

 Hudsonian Godwit r 

• Marbled Godwit 

ccc

Ruddy Turnstone uu

 Red Knot rrr

Sanderling uuu

Semipalmated Sandpiper cuc

Western Sandpiper rrr

Least Sandpiper ccc

White-rumped Sandpiper cur

Baird’s Sandpiper cuu

Pectoral Sandpiper uu

Dunlin uu

Stilt Sandpiper uuu

Short-billed Dowitcher uuu

Long-billed Dowitcher ccc

• Common Snipe 

uuu

• Wilson’s Phalarope 

ccc

Red-necked Phalarope uu

Skuas, Jaegers, Gulls, and Terns • Franklin’s Gull 

ccc

Bonaparte’s Gull rrr

• Ring-billed Gull 

ccc

California Gull uru

Herring Gull cru

Caspian Tern rr

• Common Tern 

cuc

• Forster’s Tern 

ccc

ELeast Tern r

• Black Tern 

ccc

Pigeons and Doves • Rock Dove 

uuuu

• Mourning Dove 

cccr

Cuckoos and Anis • Black-billed Cuckoo (i)

uuu

 Yellow-billed Cuckoor

Typical Owls

 Eastern Screech-Owl rrrr

• Great Horned Owl 

cccc

 Snowy Owl (i)uru

❒ Burrowing Owl 

rr

 Long-eared Owl rrr

• Short-eared Owl (i)

cccr

 Northern Saw-whet Owl r

Nightjars • Common Nighthawk 

uuu

Swifts

 Chimney Swift rrr

Hummingbirds

 Ruby-throated Hummingbird rrr

Kingfishers

 Belted Kingfisher uru

Woodpeckers • Red-headed Woodpecker 

rrr

 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker uuu

• Downy Woodpecker 

uuuu

• Hairy Woodpecker 

uuuu

• Northern Flicker 

cucu

Tyrant Flycatchers

 Olive-sided Flycatcher r r r

 Eastern Wood-Pewee r

 Yellow-bellied Flycatcherrr

 Alder Flycatcherrr

• Willow Flycatcher 

uuu

• Least Flycatcher 

rrr

• Eastern Phoebe 

rrr

• Say’s Phoebe 

uuu

 Great Crested Flycatcher r r 

• Western Kingbird 

ccc

• Eastern Kingbird 

ccc

Common Bird Name SpSFW Common Bird Name SpSFW
Shrikes • Loggerhead Shrike 

uuu

 Northern Shrike uuu

Vireos

 Yellow-throated Vireorrr

 Blue-headed Vireo rr

• Warbling Vireo 

rrr

 Philadelphia Vireorrr

 Red-eyed Vireo uuu

Crows, Jays, and Magpies

 Blue Jay uuuu

• Black-billed Magpie 

uuuu

• American Crow 

cucu

Larks • Horned Lark (i)

cccc

Swallows • Purple Martin 

ucu

• Tree Swallow 

ccc

• Northern Rough-winged Swallow 

uuu

• Bank Swallow 

ccc

• Cliff Swallow 

ccc

• Barn Swallow 

ccc

Titmice and Chickadees • Black-capped Chickadee 

uuuu

Nuthatches

 Red-breasted Nuthatch uuu

• White-breasted Nuthatch 

uuu

Creepers

 Brown Creeper rrr

Wrens • House Wren 

ccc

 Winter Wren r

• Sedge Wren 

ccc

• Marsh Wren 

ccc

Kinglets 

Golden-crowned Kinglet rrr

 Ruby-crowned Kinglet rrr

Thrushes

 Eastern Bluebird rrr

 Mountain Bluebird uu

 Townsend’s Solitairerrr

 Veery rr

 Gray-cheeked Thrush rr

 Swainson’s Thrush u r u

 Hermit Thrush rr

• American Robin 

cccr

Mimic Thrushes • Gray Catbird 

uuu

 Northern Mockingbirdr 

• Brown Thrasher 

ccc

Starlings • European Starling 

uuuu

Wagtails and Pipits

 American Pipit uu

• Sprague’s Pipit 

uuu

Waxwings 

 Bohemian Waxwing (i)u

• Cedar Waxwing (i)

rrrr

Wood Warblers

 Tennessee Warbler uru

 Orange-crowned Warbler uu

 Nashville Warblerrr

• Yellow Warbler ccu

 Chestnut-sided Warbler rr

 Magnolia Warbler rr

 Cape May Warbler r r r

 Yellow-rumped Warbler cur

 Black-throated Green Warbler rr

 Blackburnian Warbler rr

 Palm Warbler uu

 Bay-breasted Warblerrr

 Blackpoll Warbler u r u

 Black-and-white Warbler uu

 American Redstart u r u

 Ovenbird uuu

 Northern Waterthrush r rr

 Connecticut Warblerrr

 Mourning Warbler r rr

 MacGillivray’s Warblerr

• Common Yellowthroat ccc

 Wilson’s Warbler u r u

 Canada Warbler r rr

 Yellow-breasted Chat r rr

Common Bird Name SpSFW Common Bird Name SpSFW
Tanagers

 Scarlet Tanager rr

Sparrows and Towhees

 Spotted Towhee rr

 American Tree Sparrow ccr

• Chipping Sparrow 

uuu

• Clay-colored Sparrow 

ccc

 Field Sparrow uru

• Vesper Sparrow 

uuu

• Lark Sparrow 

rrr

• Lark Bunting (i)

rcr

• Savannah Sparrow 

ccc

• Grasshopper Sparrow 

ccc

• Baird’s Sparrow 

uuu

• Henslow’s Sparrow

rrr

• Le Conte’s Sparrow 

uuu

• Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow 

uuu

 Fox Sparrow rr

• Song Sparrow 

ccc

 Lincoln’s Sparrow u r u

 Swamp Sparrow uru

 White-throated Sparrow uu

 Harris’ Sparrow uu

 White-crowned Sparrow uu

 Dark-eyed Junco uuu

 McCown’s Longspurrrr

 Lapland Longspur ccu

 Smith’s Longspur rr

• Chestnut-collared Longspur 

ccu

 Snow Bunting (i)uuc

Cardinals, Grosbeaks, and Allies

 Rose-breasted Grosbeak rr

 Black-headed Grosbeak rrr

 Lazuli Bunting rrr

 Indigo Bunting rrr

• Dickcissel (i)

uuu

Blackbirds and Orioles • Bobolink 

ccc

• Red-winged Blackbird cccr

• Western Meadowlark ccc

• Yellow-headed Blackbird ccu

 Rusty Blackbird rrr

• Brewer’s Blackbird uuu

• Common Grackle cccr

• Brown-headed Cowbird ccc

• Orchard Oriole uur

• Baltimore Oriole ccc

Finches

 Pine Grosbeak (i)rrr

 Purple Finch uuu

 House Finch rrru

 Red Crossbill (i)rrrr

 White-winged Crossbill (i)rrr

 Common Redpoll (i)uu

 Hoary Redpoll (i)r

 Pine Siskin (i)rrr

• American Goldfinch (i)

cccu

 Evening Grosbeak r

Old World Sparrows • House Sparrow 

cccc

Accidentals ❒ Tricolored Heron (unsuccessful nest attempt in 1978)

 White Ibis

 Garganey

 Surf Scoter

 Black Scoter

 Long-tailed Duck (formerly Oldsquaw)

 Barrow’s Goldeneye

 Red-shouldered Hawk

 Black-necked Stilt

 Red Phalarope

 Long-tailed Jaeger

 Arctic Tern

 European Collared-Dove

 Lewis’ Woodpecker

 Violet-green Swallow

 Prairie Warbler

 Prothonotary Warbler

 Northern Cardinal

Accessibility Information

Equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from 

programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service is available to all individuals regardless of 

physical or mental ability. Dial 711 for a free connection 

to the state transfer relay service for TTY and voice 

calls to and from the speech and hearing impaired. For 

more information or to address accessibility needs, please 

contact the Refuge staff at 701 / 387 4397, or the U.S. 

Department of the Interior, Office of Equal Opportunity, 

1849 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20240.

Common Bird Name SpSFW Common Bird Name Sp

SFW
Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge

12000 353rd Street SE

Moffit, ND 58560-9740

701 / 387 4397

701 / 387 4767 fax

longlake@fws.gov

http://www.fws.gov/long lake

For State relay service

TTY / Voice: 711

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

http://www.fws.gov

For Refuge Information

1 800 / 344 WILD

May 2002