Quivira

National Wildlife 

Refuge

Quivira National Wildlife Refuge

1434 NE 80th Street

Stafford, KS 67578-9532

620 / 486 2393 

quivira@fws.gov

http://quivira.fws.gov

For State transfer relay service 

TTY / Voice: 711

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

http://www.fws.gov

For Refuge Information 

1 800 / 344 WILD 

May 2008

Bird List

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

2BirdList.indd 2-3 5/6/2008 6:41:35 AM
This goose, 

designed by J.N. 

“Ding” Darling, 

has become the 

symbol of the 

National Wildlife 

Refuge System.

throughout the year. Look for ringnecked pheasants and bobwhite quail 

in the grasslands and grain fields. Wild 

turkey can be seen along the edge of 

tree groves and shelter belts where 

they often look for food and shelter.

Watching Wildlife Spring and fall are the best seasons 

to visit Quivira NWR since wildlife, 

especially waterfowl, is abundant 

and more easily viewed during these 

times. Try to schedule your visit 

early or late in the day when wildlife 

is most active and more frequently 

seen. Take a drive through the 

Refuge and along its boundaries; the 

best viewing is along the scenic tour 

route and the Wildlife Drive. See the 

Refuge general information leaflet 

for a map and more information.

About this This list of 311 birds follows the

Checklist format of the Seventh American 

Ornithologists’ Union, 1998. 

Checklist of North American Birds. 

7th ed., 48th supplement (2007). 

Am. Ornithol. Union, Washington, 

D.C. Accidental species appear 

at the end of the checklist. Since 

most birds are migratory, their 

seasonal occurrence and relative 

abundance are coded as follows: 

Seasons Sp Spring (March – May) 

Su Summer (June – August) 

F Fall (September – November) 

W Winter (December – February) 

Seasonal a abundant – a common species

Abundance which is numerous

c common – a species certain to 

be seen in suitable habitat

u uncommon – a species which is 

present, but not certain to be seen 

o occasional – a species seen only a 

few times during the season

r rare – a species seen at intervals 

of 2 to 5 years

Other Codes • birds that nest on the Refuge 

Bird names in italics are listed 

as endangered species in the 

United States.

About the Refuge Quivira National Wildlife Refuge 

(NWR) is located in south-central 

Kansas within the transition zone of 

the Great Plains. In this zone, the 

relatively lush vegetation of the 

eastern prairie blends with the more 

arid grasslands of the western prairie. 

The blend of varied plant communities

and the presence of the Big and Little 

Salt Marshes, major water features 

on the Refuge, attract birds common 

to both eastern and western North 

America. Over 300 species of birds 

have been observed in the marshes, 

grasslands, farmlands, and low 

sandhills of Quivira NWR. 

Seasonal From September to December, up

Highlights to 800,000 Canada geese and ducks

Fall Flights and pass through Quivira NWR on their

Winter Visitors way to wintering grounds along the 

Gulf Coast and in Mexico. Other 

migratory birds, such as sandhill 

cranes and shorebirds, can also be 

seen. Endangered whooping cranes 

may make a brief visit as they move 

along the Central Flyway. Both bald 

and golden eagles winter on Quivira 

NWR from November until March. 

Spring Staging During March and April, Quivira 

NWR becomes a staging area for 

over 200,000 ducks and geese. 

Shorebirds, American white pelicans, 

gulls, and other migrants can also 

be seen. The majority of these birds 

stop here on their way to traditional 

nesting grounds in the prairie pothole 

regions of north-central United 

States and Canada. 

Spring and Snowy plovers, American avocets, 

Summer black-necked stilts, and white-faced

Residents ibis are some of the more common 

nesting species found on the Refuge. 

A colony of endangered interior 

least terns use the salt flats on the 

north end of the Quivira NWR as 

nesting habitat. Swainson’s hawks and 

Mississippi kites are common during 

the summer months, while northern 

harriers, American kestrels, and 

red-tailed hawks are commonly seen 

2BirdList.indd 4-5 5/6/2008 6:41:35 AM
Common Bird Name Sp S F W Common Bird Name Sp S F W

Swans, Geese, and Ducks

 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck r 

 Greater White-fronted Goose c r a a 

 Snow Goose c u c

 Ross’s Goose o u u 

 Brant r r r

	 • Canada goose c c a a 

 Trumpeter Swan r r

 Tundra Swan o o r

	 • Wood Duck c u u o

	 • Gadwall a u c c

	 • American Wigeon a u c c 

 American Black Duck r r r

	 • Mallard a c a a

 Mottled Duck r r 

	 • Blue-winged Teal a c a

	 • Cinnamon Teal u o o o

	 • Northern Shoveler a u a c

	 • Northern Pintail a u c a

	 • Green-winged Teal a o a c

	 • Canvasback c o c c

	 • Redhead a c c a

 Ring-necked Duck c r c u

 Greater Scaup o o

	 • Lesser Scaup c o c c

 Long-tailed Duck (formerly Oldsquaw) r o r

 Bufflehead c c c

 Common Goldeneye c r c c 

	 • Hooded Merganser u o u o

 Common Merganser u c

 Red-breasted Merganser r r o

	 • Ruddy Duck a c a u

Gallinaceous Birds

	 • Ring-necked Pheasant (Introduced) c c c c

	 • Greater Prairie-Chicken r r r r

	 • Wild Turkey c c c c

	 • Northern Bobwhite c c c c

Loons

 Common Loon o r o r 

Grebes

	 • Pied-billed Grebe c c c o

 Horned Grebe u u o

	 • Eared Grebe c u c r

 Western Grebe r r o o

Pelicans

 American White Pelican a a a o

Cormorants

 Neotropic Cormorant o o 

	 • Double-crested Cormorant a c a u

Bitterns, Herons, and Egrets

	 • American Bittern u u u o

	 • Least Bittern o u o

	 • Great Blue Heron c c c u

	 • Great Egret c c c

	 • Snowy Egret c c c

	 • Little Blue Heron c c u

 Tricolored Heron r r 

	 • Cattle Egret a a c

	 • Green Heron u u o

	 • Black-crowned Night-Heron c c c

	 • Yellow-crowned Night-Heron u u u

Ibises and Spoonbills

 White Ibis r r r

 Glossy Ibis r r r

	 • White-faced Ibis c c c

New World Vultures

 Turkey Vulture c u u

Osprey, Kites, Hawks, and Eagles

 Osprey o r o

	 • Mississippi Kite u u 

 Bald Eagle u u u

	 • Northern Harrier c o c c

 Sharp-shinned Hawk u o u

	 • Cooper’s Hawk u o u u

 Northern Goshawk r r

 Red-shouldered Hawk r

 Broad-winged Hawk r

	 • Swainson’s Hawk c c u

	 • Red-tailed Hawk c c c c

 Ferruginous Hawk o o o

 Rough-legged Hawk u u

 Golden Eagle o o o

Falcons and Caracaras

	 • American Kestrel c u c u

 Merlin o r o o

 Peregrine Falcon o o o o 

 Prairie Falcon o r o o

2BirdList.indd 6-7 5/6/2008 6:41:35 AM
 

Common Bird Name SpSFW Common Bird Name SpSFW

Rails

	 • Black Rail uu 

	 • King Rail uuo

	 • Virginia Rail cco

	 • Sora uuo

	 • Common Moorhen ouo

	 • American Coot acau

Cranes

 Sandhill Crane a ao

 Whooping Craneo or

Plovers

 Black-bellied Plover uuur

 American Golden-Plover uoo

	 • Snowy Plover ccc

 Semipalmated Plover ccu

 Piping Plover uoo

	 • Killdeer ccco

 Mountain Plover r r

Stilts and Avocets

	 • Black-necked Stilt ccu

	 • American Avocet ccc

Sandpipers and Phalaropes

 Greater Yellowlegs ccco

 Willet uuu

 Lesser Yellowlegs aca r 

	 • Upland Sandpiper cuu

 Whimbrel ooo

 Long-billed Curlew ooo

 Hudsonian Godwit ur 

 Marbled Godwit uuu

 Ruddy Turnstone ooo

 Red Knot ooo

 Sanderling coc

 Semipalmated Sandpiper aca

 Western Sandpiper ccc

 Least Sandpiper aca

 White-rumped Sandpiper aao

 Baird’s Sandpiper aca

 Pectoral Sandpiper ccc

 Dunlin uour

 Stilt Sandpiper aca

 Buff-breasted Sandpiper oro

 Ruff rr 

 Short-billed Dowitcher uuo

 Long-billed Dowitcher ccc

 Common Snipe uou

 American Woodcock r r

	 • Wilson’s Phalarope aca

 Red-necked Phalarope oro

 Red Phalarope r r

Skuas, Jaegers, Gulls, and Terns

 Laughing Gull ro 

 Franklin’s Gull aua

 Ring-billed Gull cucu

 Herring Gull omoo

 Sabine’s Gull rr

	 • Least Ternuuo

 Caspian Tern ror

	 • Black Tern ccu

 Common Tern ooo

	 • Forster’s Tern ccu

 Parasitic Jaeger rr

Pigeons and Doves

	 • Rock Dove (Introduced)uuuu

	 • Mourning Dove aaao

Cuckoos and Anis

 Black-billed Cuckoo rr 

	 • Yellow-billed Cuckoo our

Typical Owls

	 • Eastern Screech-Owl uooo

	 • Great Horned Owl uuuu

 Snowy Owl rr

	 • Burrowing Owl oo 

	 • Long-eared Owl rrro

 Short-eared Owl r rr

Nightjars

	 • Common Nighthawk ucu

 Common Poorwill oo 

	 • Chuck-will’s-widow oo 

Swifts

	 • Chimney Swift uuu

Hummingbirds 

 Ruby-throated Hummingbird r 

Kingfishers

 Belted Kingfisher uuuo

2BirdList.indd 8-9 5/6/2008 6:41:35 AM
Common Bird Name Sp S F W Common Bird Name Sp S F W

Woodpeckers

	 • Red-headed Woodpecker c a u

	 • Red-bellied Woodpecker u u u u

	 • Downy Woodpecker u u u u

	 • Hairy Woodpecker u u u u

	 • Northern Flicker c c c c

Tyrant Flycatchers

 Olive-sided Flycatcher o o

	 • Eastern Wood-Pewee u u 

 Willow Flycatcher o o

 Least Flycatcher u u

	 • Eastern Phoebe u u 

 Say’s Phoebe o o

	 • Great Crested Flycatcher u u 

	 • Western Kingbird c c o

	 • Eastern Kingbird c c o

	 • Scissor-tailed Flycatcher u u 

Shrikes

*Loggerhead Shrike u u u o

 Northern Shrike r o o

Vireos

	 • Bell’s Vireo u u 

	 • Warbling Vireo u u 

 Red-eyed Vireo o o r

Crows, Jays, and Magpies

	 • Blue Jay c u c u

	 • Black-billed Magpie o o o o 

 American Crow c u c u

Larks

	 • Horned Lark c u u c

Swallows

	 • Purple Martin o o 

	 • Tree Swallow u o o

	 • Northern Rough-winged Swallow u o u

	 • Bank Swallow c a o

	 • Cliff Swallow a a o

	 • Barn Swallow a a c

Titmice and Chickadees

	 • Black-capped Chickadee c u u c 

 Tufted Titmouse o o

Nuthatches

	 • White-breasted Nuthatch u o o o 

Creepers

 Brown Creeper o o

Wrens

 Carolina Wren o o

	 • Bewick’s Wren o o 

	 • House Wren c c u

 Sedge Wren o o

 Marsh Wren u u u

Kinglets

 Golden-crowned Kinglet o o 

 Ruby-crowned Kinglet u u o

Old World Warblers

	 • Blue-gray Gnatcatcher u u r

Thrushes

	 • Eastern Bluebird u u u o

 Mountain Bluebird r

 Townsend’s Solitaire r o

 Swainson’s Thrush o o

 Wood Thrush r 

	 • American Robin c c c u

Mimic Thrushes

	 • Gray Catbird c u o

	 • Northern Mockingbird u u u o

	 • Brown Thrasher c c o r

Starlings

	 • European Starling c c c c

Wagtails and Pipits

 American (Water) Pipit u u

Waxwings

 Cedar Waxwing r o o o

Wood Warblers 

 Tennessee Warbler r 

 Orange-crowned Warbler u u

 Nashville Warbler o o

 Yellow Warbler u r 

 Yellow-rumped Warbler u r u

 Palm Warbler o 

 Blackpoll Warbler r 

 American Redstart o o

 Northern Waterthrush o 

	 • Common Yellowthroat c c u o

(Wood Warblers continued on next page)

2BirdList.indd 10-11 5/6/2008 6:41:36 AM
Common Bird Name Sp S F W Common Bird Name Sp S F W

Accidentals

___ Fulvous Whistling-Duck

___ Surf Scoter

___ Black Scoter

___ Barrow’s Goldeneye

___ Clark’s Grebe

___ Brown Pelican

___ Greater Flamingo

___ Reddish Egret

___ Roseate Spoonbill

___ Wood Stork

___ Curlew Sandpiper

___ Black-legged Kittiwake

___ Barn Owl

___ Barred Owl

___ Northern Saw-whet Owl

___ Whip-poor-will

___ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

___ Pileated Woodpecker

___ Yellow-Throated Vireo

___ Philadelphia Vireo

___ Western Scrub Jay

___ Violet-green Swallow

___ Carolina Chickadee

___ Red-breastedNuthatch

___ Rock Wren 

___ Winter Wren

___ Veery

___ Gray-cheeked Thrush

___ Sprague’s Pipit

___ Bohemian Waxwing

___ Golden-winged Warbler

___ Magnolia Warbler

___ Blackburnian Warbler

___ Prothonotary Warbler

___ Worm-eating Warbler

___ Ovenbird

___ Mourning Warbler

___ Canada Warbler

___ Summer Tanager

___ Henslow’s Sparrow

___ McCown’s Longspur

___ Smith’s Longspur

___ Snow Bunting

___ Painted Bunting

___ Rusty Blackbird

___ Bullock’s Oriole

___ Purple Finch

___ Common Redpoll

___ Evening Grosbeak

(Wood Warblers continued from previous page)

 Wilson’s Warbler o o

	 • Yellow-breasted Chat o r r

Sparrows and Towhees

 Spotted Towhee u c u

 American Tree Sparrow u c a 

 Chipping Sparrow c r c

 Clay-colored Sparrow c o

	 • Field Sparrow c u u u

 Vesper Sparrow u r o r

	 • Lark Sparrow c o o

 Lark Bunting o r 

 Savannah Sparrow u r u o 

	 • Grasshopper Sparrow u u o

 Le Conte’s Sparrow o o r

 Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow o o

 Fox Sparrow o o

 Song Sparrow c c u

 Lincoln’s Sparrow o u

 Swamp Sparrow u u u

 White-throated Sparrow u u o 

 Harris’s Sparrow c r c c

 White-crowned Sparrow u u o 

 Dark-eyed Junco c c c

 Lapland Longspur r o u

 Chestnut-collared Longspur r r 

Cardinals, Grosbeaks, and Allies

	 • Northern Cardinal c u u c

 Rose-breasted Grosbeak o 

	 • Black-headed Grosbeak o r 

	 • Blue Grosbeak o o 

 Lazuli Bunting r 

	 • Indigo Bunting u o 

	 • Dickcissel c c r

Blackbirds and Orioles

	 • Bobolink u u 

	 • Red-winged Blackbird a a a a 

	 • Eastern Meadowlark c c c c

	 • Western Meadowlark c c u c

	 • Yellow-headed Blackbird a a c r

 Brewer’s Blackbird o o o o

	 • Common Grackle c c c o

	 • Great-tailed Grackle c c c r

	 • Brown-headed Cowbird c c c c

	 • Orchard Oriole u u o

	 • Baltimore Oriole c c r

Finches

	 • House Finch o o o o

 Pine Siskin o o u

	 • American Goldfinch c o u c 

Old World Sparrows

	 • House Sparrow c u u u

Accessibility

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 7-1-1 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 620 / 486 2393 or the U.S. 

Department of the Interior, Office of Equal Opportunity, 

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

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