U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Rachel Carson

National Wildlife

Refuge

Birds
Introduction Welcome to Rachel Carson National

Wildlife Refuge. The refuge consists

of ten separate divisions which are

located on the coast between Portland

and Kittery in southern Maine.

Nearly 5,000 acres have been

acquired, approximately two-thirds

of the current acquisition boundary.

When completed, each refuge

division will include a tidal

waterway, the surrounding marsh

and adjacent uplands. Ninety

percent of the habitat protected as

refuge is coastal wetland.

Bird activity on the refuge is highlighted by shorebird migrations in

the spring and summer, waterfowl

concentrations in the winter and

early spring, and raptor migrations

in the early fall.

Great Blue

Heron

This goose,

designed by J.N.

Ding Darling,

has become a

symbol of the

Refuge System.

cover: Nashvillle Warbler, ©Bill Silliker, Jr.
 This brochure lists 250 species that have been identified

on or seen from the refuge, and is in accordance with the

sixth American Ornithologists Union Checklist. An

additional thirteen species have been seen only once or at

intervals of five or more years and have been listed as

accidentals.

Most birds are migratory, therefore, their seasonal

occurrence is coded as follows:

Season

s spring March – May

S summer June – August

F fall September – November

W winter December – February

•Birds known to nest on or near the refuge

Italics indicate threatened/endangered species

Relative Abundance

Relative abundance indicates how frequently you might

see a bird in its favored habitat.

a abundant a species which is very numerous

c common likely to be seen or heard in suitable habitat

u uncommon present, but not certain to be seen

o occasional seen only a few times during a season

r rare may be present but not every year

s S FW

LOONS – GREBES

___ Red-throated Loon ................................... o o u

___ Common Loon ........................................... c o c c

___ Pied-billed Grebe ...................................... o o o

___ Horned Grebe............................................ u o u

___ Red-necked Grebe .................................... o u u

 STORM -PETRELS

___ Wilson’s Storm-Petrel .............................. r r

GANNET – PELICANS – CORMORANTS

___ Northern Gannet ...................................... o u o

___ Great Cormorant ...................................... u u o

___ Double-crested Cormorant ..................... c c c o
s S FW

BITTERNS – HERONS – IBISES

___ American Bittern ...................................... u u u

___ Great Blue Heron ..................................... c c c o

___ Great Egret ............................................... o o o

___ Snowy Egret .............................................. c c c

___ Little Blue Heron ..................................... o u u

___ Tricolored Heron ...................................... o o o

___ Cattle Egret .............................................. r

___ • Green-backed Heron ................................ u c u

___ • Black-crowned Night-Heron ................... u c c

___ Yellow-crowned Night-Heron ................. r r r

___ Glossy Ibis ................................................. u u r

SWANS – GEESE – DUCKS

___ Snow Goose ................................................ o r

___ Brant........................................................... o o

___ • Canada Goose ............................................ c o c u

___ • Wood Duck ................................................ o o u

___ • Green-winged Teal ................................... u o c o

___ • American Black Duck .............................. cccc

___ • Mallard ....................................................... cccc

___ Northern Pintail ....................................... u u o

___ • Blue-winged Teal ...................................... u o u

___ Northern Shoveler .................................... o

___ Gadwall ....................................................... r r r

___ American Wigeon ..................................... o o

___ Ring-necked Duck .................................... o o

___ Greater Scaup ........................................... o o o

___ • Common Eider .......................................... u u u c

___ King Eider ................................................. r

___ Oldsquaw .................................................... u o u

___ Black Scoter .............................................. u u u

___ Surf Scoter ................................................. u u u

___ White-winged Scoter ................................ u u u

___ Common Goldeneye.................................. c u c

___ Barrow’s Goldeneye ................................. r r

___ Bufflehead .................................................. c c c

___ Hooded Merganser ................................... o o o

__ Common Merganser ................................. o o o

___ Red-breasted Merganser ........................ c c c

Green-winged Teal
s S FW

VULTURES – HAWKS – FALCONS

___ Turkey Vulture ......................................... o o

___ Osprey ........................................................ u o u

___ Bald Eagle ................................................. o

___ Northern Harrier ..................................... u o u u

___ • Sharp-shinned Hawk ................................ u o c o

___ • Cooper’s Hawk .......................................... o o

___ Northern Goshawk ................................... o o o

___ Red-shouldered Hawk ............................. oooo

___ Broad-winged Hawk ................................. u u c

___ Red-tailed Hawk ....................................... u o u o

___ Rough-legged Hawk ................................. o o

___ American Kestrel ...................................... u u u o

___ Merlin ......................................................... o o

___ Peregrine Falcon ...................................... u

GROUSE – QUAIL – TURKEY

___ • Ring-necked Pheasant ............................. uuuu

___ • Ruffed Grouse ........................................... uuuu

RAILS – CRANES

___ Virginia Rail .............................................. o o

___ Sora ............................................................. o o

___ Common Moorhen .................................... r r

___ American Coot .......................................... r r

PLOVERS – SANDPIPERS

___ Black-bellied Plover ................................. c u c

___ Lesser Golden-Plover .............................. o o

___ Semipalmated Plover ............................... c u c

___ •Piping Plover ............................................ o u o

___ • Killdeer ....................................................... u c u o

___ American Avocet ....................................... r

___ Greater Yellowlegs ................................... c c c

___ Lesser Yellowlegs ..................................... u u c

___ Solitary Sandpiper .................................... o u u

___ • Willet .......................................................... u c o

___ • Spotted Sandpiper .................................... u c u

___ Upland Sandpiper ..................................... r r

___ Whimbrel ................................................... u o u

___ Hudsonian Godwit .................................... o o

___ Marbled Godwit ........................................ r r

Killdeer
s S FW

___ Ruddy Turnstone ...................................... o o o r

___ Red Knot .................................................... o o o

___ Sanderling .................................................. u o u o

___ Semipalmated Sandpiper ......................... a c a

___ Western Sandpiper ................................... u u

___ Least Sandpiper ........................................ u u c

___ White-rumped Sandpiper ........................ u o u

___ Baird’s Sandpiper ..................................... r r

___ Pectoral Sandpiper ................................... u u u

___ Purple Sandpiper ...................................... o o u

___ Dunlin ......................................................... u o c

___ Curlew Sandpiper ..................................... r r

___ Stilt Sandpiper .......................................... o o

___ Ruff ............................................................. r r

___ Short-billed Dowitcher ............................. r c c

___ Long-billed Dowitcher ............................. r r

___ Common Snipe .......................................... u o u

___ • American Woodcock ................................. u u u

___ Wilson’s Phalarope ................................... o o o

___ Red-necked Phalarope ............................. r r r

JAEGERS – GULLS – TERNS – AUKS

___ Laughing Gull............................................ o o o

___ Bonaparte’s Gull ....................................... u u u r

___ • Ring-billed Gull ......................................... cccc

___ • Herring Gull .............................................. aaaa

___ Iceland Gull ............................................... o r o

___ Glaucous Gull ............................................. o r o

___ • Great Black-backed Gull .......................... cccc

___ • Roseate Tern ............................................. r r

___ • Common Tern ........................................... o o o

___ Arctic Tern ................................................ u u u

___ •Least Tern ................................................. r

___ Black Tern ................................................. r r

___ Dovekie....................................................... r

___ Common Murre ......................................... r

___ Thick-billed Murre ................................... r

___ Razorbill ..................................................... r

___ Black Guillemot ......................................... r r

American

Woodcock
s S FW

DOVES – CUCKOOS – OWLS – SWIFTS – HUMMINGBIRDS

___ Rock Dove .................................................. cccc

___ • Mourning Dove ......................................... cccc

___ • Black-billed Cuckoo .................................. u u o

___ • Yellow-billed Cuckoo ................................ o o o

___ • Great Horned Owl .................................... uuuu

___ Snowy Owl ................................................. r r

___ • Barred Owl ................................................ uuuu

___ Short-eared Owl ........................................ r r r o

___ Northern Saw-whet Owl .......................... oooo

___ Common Nighthawk ................................ u

___ • Whip-poor-will ........................................... u u u

___ Chimney Swift ........................................... u u

___ • Ruby-throated Hummingbird ................. u o u

___ • Belted Kingfisher ..................................... c c c o

WOODPECKERS – FLYCATCHERS

___ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker ......................... u u

___ • Downy Woodpecker ................................. cccc

___ • Hairy Woodpecker ................................... uuuu

___ • Northern Flicker ...................................... cccc

___ • Pileated Woodpecker ............................... oooo

___ Olive-sided Flycatcher ............................. o o

___ • Eastern Wood-Pewee ............................... u u u

___ Yellow-bellied Flycatcher ........................ o u

___ Alder Flycatcher ....................................... u u

___ • Willow Flycatcher ..................................... o u o

___ Least Flycatcher ....................................... u u u

___ • Eastern Phoebe......................................... c c c

___ • Great Crested Flycatcher........................ c c c

___ Western Kingbird ..................................... r

___ • Eastern Kingbird ...................................... c c c

Downy

Woodpecker
s S FW

LARKS – SWALLOWS – JAYS – CROWS

___ • Horned Lark ............................................. uuuu

___ • Purple Martin ............................................ c c

___ • Tree Swallow ............................................. c c o

___ • Northern Rough-winged Swallow .......... o o

___ • Bank Swallow ............................................ u u u

___ • Cliff Swallow .............................................. u u o

___ • Barn Swallow............................................. c c o

___ • Blue Jay ..................................................... cccc

___ • American Crow ......................................... cccc

TITMICE – NUTHATCHES – WRENS

___ • Black-capped Chickadee .......................... cccc

___ Boreal Chickadee ...................................... r

___ • Tufted Titmouse........................................ oooo

___ • Red-breasted Nuthatch ........................... cccc

___ • White-breasted Nuthatch ........................ cccc

___ • Brown Creeper.......................................... cccc

___ • House Wren ............................................... o u o

___ Marsh Wren............................................... o o

___ Winter Wren .............................................. u u u

KINGLETS – THRUSHES – THRASHERS

___ Golden-crowned Kinglet .......................... c u

___ Ruby-crowned Kinglet ............................. c c

___ • Eastern Bluebird ...................................... o o o

___ • Veery .......................................................... c c o

___ Gray-cheeked Thrush .............................. o o

___ Swainson’s Thrush .................................... u o

___ • Hermit Thrush .......................................... c u u

___ • Wood Thrush ............................................. c c o

___ • American Robin ........................................ c c c u

___ • Gray Catbird ............................................. c c c

___ • Northern Mockingbird............................. u u u

___ • Brown Thrasher ........................................ c c c

Eastern

Bluebird
s S FW

WAXWINGS – SHRIKES – STARLINGS

___ American Pipit .......................................... u u

___ • Cedar Waxwing ......................................... u c c

___ Northern Shrike ....................................... o o o

___ • European Starling .................................... a a a c

VIREOS – WOOD WARBLERS

___ • Solitary Vireo ............................................ u u u

___ Warbling Vireo .......................................... o o r

___ Philadelphia Vireo .................................... o o r

___ • Red-eyed Vireo ......................................... u c u

___ Tennessee Warbler ................................... u u u

___ • Nashville Warbler..................................... u u u

___ Northern Parula ....................................... u u u

___ • Yellow Warbler ......................................... c c o

___ • Chestnut-sided Warbler .......................... u o u

___ • Magnolia Warbler ..................................... u u u

___ Cape May Warbler ................................... u o u

___ Black-throated Blue Warbler ................. u o u

___ Yellow-rumped Warbler .......................... c u a

___ • Black-throated Green Warbler ............... c c u

___ Blackburnian Warbler ............................. u u u

___ • Pine Warbler ............................................. u u u

___ Prairie Warbler ......................................... o o o

___ Palm Warbler ............................................ u u

___ Bay-breasted Warbler ............................. u u u

___ Blackpoll Warbler ..................................... u u

___ • Black-and-white Warbler ........................ c c c

___ • American Redstart ................................... c c c

___ • Ovenbird..................................................... u u u

___ Northern Waterthrush ............................ u u

___ Louisiana Waterthrush ............................ r

___ Mourning Warbler .................................... o o o

___ • Common Yellowthroat ............................. c c c

___ Wilson’s Warbler ...................................... u u u

___ • Canada Warbler ........................................ c u u

___ Yellow-breasted Chat ............................... o o

TANAGERS – SPARROWS

___ • Scarlet Tanager ........................................ u u u

___ • Northern Cardinal .................................... uuuu

___ • Rose-breasted Grosbeak.......................... u u o

___ • Indigo Bunting .......................................... u u u

___ • Eastern Towhee ........................................ cccr

___ American Tree Sparrow .......................... c c c

___ • Chipping Sparrow ..................................... c u c

___ • Field Sparrow............................................ u u u

___ Vesper Sparrow ........................................ o u

___ • Savannah Sparrow .................................... c c c o

___ • Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow ............ c c c

___ • Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow ............... c c c
s S FW

___ Fox Sparrow .............................................. u u

___ • Song Sparrow ............................................ c c c u

___ Lincoln’s Sparrow ..................................... o o

___ • Swamp Sparrow ........................................ u u u

___ • White-throated Sparrow .......................... c u c

___ White-crowned Sparrow .......................... u u

__ Dark-eyed Junco ....................................... c c c

___ Lapland Longspur .................................... o o o

___ Snow Bunting ............................................ u u u

BLACKBIRDS – FINCHES

___ • Bobolink ..................................................... c u

___ • Red-winged Blackbird ............................. a a c

___ • Eastern Meadowlark ................................ u u u o

___ Rusty Blackbird ........................................ o u

___ • Common Grackle ...................................... a c c

___ • Brown-headed Cowbird ........................... a c c o

___ • Baltimore Oriole ....................................... u u u

___ Pine Grosbeak ........................................... o o

___ • Purple Finch .............................................. u u c u

___ • House Finch .............................................. cccc

___ Red Crossbill ............................................. o

___ White-winged Crossbill............................ o

___ Common Redpoll ...................................... o o o

___ Pine Siskin ................................................. o o o

___ • American Goldfinch .................................. cccc

___ Evening Grosbeak .................................... c u c

___ • House Sparrow ......................................... u c c u

ACCIDENTALS

These additional 12 species are considered accidentals:

 Tundra Swan Black Skimmer

 Canvasback Great Gray Owl

 Ruddy Duck Gray Jay

 Sooty Tern Worm-eating Warbler

 Royal Tern Dickcissel

 Caspian Tern Hoary Redpoll

Red-winged

Blackbird
NOTES

Location _______________________________________________

Date ______________________ Time ______________________

Observers _____________________________________________

Weather _______________________________________________

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TIPS FOR FIELD I.D.

The identification of birds is greatly aided by simply

noting a few key field marks. The diagram below

illustrates several of these. In addition, general size,

color, habitat, song and behavior help narrow down the

options. Remember, use more than one field mark, as

many species are similar and can only be distinguished

by using a combination of several marks.

bill

(shape, color)

eye color crown

neck

belly

leg color

feet color

tail

wing

back

nape

chest
Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge

321 Port Road

Wells, ME 04090

Telephone: 207/646 9226

Fax: 207/646 6554

Hearing impaired visitors may call the Maine Relay

Center at 1 800/437 1220 TDD/1 800/457 1220 voice.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

1 800/344 WILD

http://www.fws.gov/

Rachel Carson is one of over 500 refuges in the National

Wildlife Refuge System administered by the U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge

System is a network of lands and waters managed

specifically for the protection of wildlife and wildlife

habitat and represents the most comprehensive

wildlife management program in the world. Units

of the system stretch across the United States from

northern Alaska to the Florida Keys and include

small islands in the Caribbean and South Pacific.

The character of the refuges is as diverse as the

nation itself.

The Service also manages National Fish Hatcheries,

and provides Federal leadership in habitat protection,

fish and wildlife research, technical assistance and

the conservation and protection of migratory birds,

certain marine mammals and threatened and

endangered species.

August 1999