Seedskadee

National Wildlife 

Refuge

Wildlife List

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
This goose, 

designed by J.N. 

“Ding” Darling, 

is the symbol of 

the National 

Wildlife Refuge 

System.

Welcome Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge 

(NWR) was established in 1965 to 

make up for the loss of habitat 

resulting from the construction of the 

Flaming Gorge and Fontenelle dams. 

The name Seedskadee originated 

from the Shoshone Indian word 

“Sisk-a-dee-agie” meaning “river of 

the prairie hen.” This 27,230-acre 

Refuge protects a mosaic of riparian, 

wetland, and upland shrub habitats 

along 36 miles of the Green River in 

the vast high desert sagebrush plains 

of southwestern Wyoming. The variety 

of habitats, from wet to dry, supports 

an interesting diversity of wildlife.

Over 300 species of wildlife have 

been documented on Seedskadee 

NWR. The Green River and adjoining 

riparian habitat provides an important 

migration route and nesting area for a 

wide variety of migratory waterfowl, 

such as the green-winged teal, and 

passerine bird species, like Wilson’s 

warbler and the northern oriole. Bald 

eagles, great blue herons, moose, 

mule deer, beaver, and porcupine raise 

their young in the riparian area. The 

river itself is home to several species 

of trout, as well as the Utah chub and 

other fish. Wetlands along the river 

attract species such as the trumpeter 

swan, ruddy duck, American avocet, 

and muskrat. Wildlife species that 

depend on the upland shrub habitats 

include sage grouse, Brewer’s sparrow, 

ferruginous hawk, pygmy rabbit, Great 

Basin gopher snake, and pronghorn.

Wildlife observation can be interesting 

any time of year at Seedskadee NWR, 

but to see the greatest diversity 

of birds, the best times of year to 

visit are spring and fall when bird 

migration is in full swing. Wildlife is 

most active during the morning and 

evening hours, so if possible, plan to 

be on the Refuge during these times.

About this This checklist includes 222 bird species, 

Checklist 53 species of mammals, 6 species of 

reptiles, 4 amphibian species, and 22 

species of fish. The checklist will be 

updated periodically as new species 

are documented. Species abundance 

varies annually due to changes in 

wetland water levels, fluctuations in 

available food, and natural cycles. 

Seasons of Since many birds are migratory, their

Occurrence: 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 c common – certain to be seen in

Abundance: suitable habitat

o occasional – seen only a few times 

during the season

r rare – seen at intervals of 

2 - 5 years

x hypothetical – within normal range, 

but never documented

Other Codes • denotes a breeding species

Accessibility Equal opportunity to participate in and

Information 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 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 307 / 875 2187, or 

the U.S. Department of the Interior, 

Office of Equal Opportunity, 1849 C 

Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20240.
Ducks, Geese, and Swans

 Snow Goose rxrx

 Ross’s Goose rxrx

• Canada Goose cccc

• Trumpeter Swan cccc

 Tundra Swan oror

 Wood Duck rrrx

• Gadwall cccx

• American Wigeon occx

• Mallard cccc

• Blue-winged Teal ocox

• Cinnamon Teal occr

• Northern Shoveler cccr

• Northern Pintail ooor

• Green-winged Teal ooox

 Canvasback oror

• Redhead ccor

 Ring-necked Duck cocr

 Lesser Scaup cocr

 Bufflehead oroo

 Common Goldeneye cro c 

 Barrow’s Goldeneye rxrr

 Hooded Merganser rxro

• Common Merganser cocc

 Red-breasted Merganser rxr r 

• Ruddy Duck ccox

Partridges, Grouse, Turkeys • Greater Sage-Grouse 

ccco

Loons

 Common Loon rorx

Grebes • Pied-billed Grebe 

ccor

 Horned Grebe rxrx

 Eared Grebe oxox

 Western Grebe oorx

 Clark’s Grebe rorx

Cormorants

 Double-crested Cormorant rrrx

Pelicans • American White Pelican 

ocox

Bitterns, Herons, and Egrets

 American Bittern rorx

• Great Blue Heron ccox

 Great Egret rrrx

 Snowy Egret rrrx

 Cattle Egret xrxx

 Black-crowned Night-Heron rrxx

Ibises and Spoonbills

 White-faced Ibis ooox

New World Vultures

 Turkey Vulture rrrx

Hawks, Kites, and Eagles • Osprey 

rorx

• Bald Eagle cccc

• Northern Harrier ccco

 Sharp-shinned Hawk oror

 Cooper’s Hawk oror

 Northern Goshawk xxxx

• Swainson’s Hawk ooor

• Red-tailed Hawk occr

• Ferruginous Hawk ooor

 Rough-legged Hawk oroc

• Golden Eagle oooo

Caracaras and Falcons • American Kestrel 

ocox

 Merlin rrrx

 Peregrine Falcon rrrx

• Prairie Falcon ooox

Rails, Gallinules, and Coots

 Virginia Rail rorx

 Sora ooox

• American Coot occx

Cranes • Sandhill Crane 

ocox

 Whooping Crane rxrx

Plovers

 Black-bellied Plover rxrx

 Semipalmated Plover rxrx

• Killdeer ocox

 Mountain Ploverrorx

Stilts and Avocets

 Black-necked Stilt rorx

 American Avocet rorx

Sandpipers and Phalaropes • Spotted Sandpiper 

ocox

 Solitary Sandpiper rxrx

 Greater Yellowlegs orox

 Willet orox

 Lesser Yellowlegs orox

 Upland Sandpiper rxrx

 Long-billed Curlew rrrx

 Marbled Godwit rrrx

 Red Knot xxxx

 Semipalmated Sandpiper rxrx

 Western Sandpiper rxrx

 Least Sandpiper orox

 Baird’s Sandpiper orox

 Pectoral Sandpiper rxrx

 Stilt Sandpiper rxrx

 Long-billed Dowitcher orox

• Wilson’s Snipe ooox

• Wilson’s Phalarope rorx

 Red-necked Phalarope rxrx

Gulls, Terns, Skimmers, and Skuas

 Bonaparte’s Gull rxrx

 Franklin’s Gull oxox

 Ring-billed Gull cocx

 California Gull cocx

 Herring Gull rxrx

 Caspian Tern oxox

 Black Tern oxox

 Common Tern oxox

 Forster’s Tern oxox

Pigeons and Doves

 Rock Pigeon xxxx

• Mourning Dove cccx

Cuckoos, Roadrunners, and Anis

 Yellow-billed Cuckoo rrxx

Typical Owls • Great Horned Owl 

cccc

 Snowy Owl xxxr

• Burrowing Owl rorx

• Long-eared Owl oooo

• Short-eared Owl oooo

Nighthawks and Nightjars • Common Nighthawk 

ocox

 Common Poorwill rorx

Common Bird Name SpSFW Common Bird Name SpSFW Common Bird Name SpSFW
 

Swifts

 White-throated Swift rrrx

Hummingbirds 

 Calliope Hummingbird rorx

 Broad-tailed Hummingbird rorx

 Rufous Hummingbird rorx

Kingfishers • Belted Kingfisher 

ocox

Woodpeckers

 Lewis’s Woodpecker rrrx

 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker rrrx

 Red-naped Sapsucker ooox

• Downy Woodpecker ooox

 Hairy Woodpecker orox

• Northern Flicker cccx

Tyrant Flycatchers

 Olive-sided Flycatcher orox

• Western Wood-Pewee ocox

 Willow Flycatcher roox

 Least Flycatcher orox

 Hammond’s Flycatcher rxrx

 Gray Flycatcher orox

 Dusky Flycatcher rorx

• Cordilleran Flycatcher occx

• Say’s Phoebe occx

• Western Kingbird ocox

• Eastern Kingbird ocox

Shrikes

 Loggerhead Shrike ooor

 Northern Shrike oroo

Vireos

 Plumbeous Vireo orox

 Blue-headed Vireo orox

• Warbling Vireo ocox

 Red-eyed Vireo orox

Crows, Jays, and Magpies • Black-billed Magpie 

cccc

• American Crow ooo o 

• Common Raven cccc

Larks • Horned Lark 

cccc

Swallows • Tree Swallow 

occx

• Violet-green Swallow occx

• Northern Rough-winged Swallow occx

• Bank Swallow rorx

• Cliff Swallow occx

• Barn Swallow occx

Titmice and Chickadees

 Black-capped Chickadee ooo o 

 Mountain Chickadee rxro

Nuthatches

 Red-breasted Nuthatch rorx

 White-breasted Nuthatch rorx

Creepers

 Brown Creeper rrrx

Wrens • Rock Wren 

occx

 Bewick’s Wren rorx

• House Wren ocox

• Marsh Wren cccx

Old World Warblers and Gnatcatchers

 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher roox

Dippers

 American Dipper rxrx

Kinglets

 Ruby-crowned Kinglet cocx

Thrushes • Mountain Bluebird 

cccx

 Townsend’s Solitaire ooox

 Veery ooox

 Swainson’s Thrush cocx

 Hermit Thrush orox

• American Robin cccx

Mimic Thrushes

 Gray Catbird rorx

 Northern Mockingbird rrrx

• Sage Thrasher occx

 Brown Thrasher orox

Starlings • European Starling 

ocox

Wagtails and Pipits

 American Pipit orox

Waxwings

 Bohemian Waxwing rxr o 

 Cedar Waxwing rxro

Longspurs and Buntings

 Lapland Longspur xxxr

 Chestnut-collared Longspur rxrx

 McCown’s Longspur orox

 Snow Bunting rxro

Wood Warblers 

 Tennessee Warbler rxrx

 Orange-crowned Warbler orox

 Nashville Warbler rxrx

 Virginia’s Warbler rxrx

 MacGillivray’s Warbler rorx

• Common Yellowthroat ocox

 American Redstart orox

 Magnolia Warbler rxrx

• Yellow Warbler ocox

 Chestnut-sided Warbler rxrx

 Yellow-rumped Warbler cocx

 Black-throated Gray Warbler rxrx

 Wilson’s Warbler cocx

 Yellow-breasted Chat rorx

Sparrows and Towhees

 American Tree Sparrow rxro

 Chipping Sparrow rorx

• Brewer’s Sparrow ocox

• Vesper Sparrow ocox

• Lark Sparrow roox

• Sage Sparrow ocox

 Lark Bunting rorx

• Savannah Sparrow cccx

 Grasshopper Sparrow orox

 Fox Sparrow orox

• Song Sparrow cccr

• Lincoln’s Sparrow ooor

 White-crowned Sparrow orox

 Dark-eyed Junco cocr

Tanagers

 Western Tanager ooox

Common Bird Name SpSFW Common Bird Name SpSFW Common Bird Name SpSFW
 

Cardinals, Grosbeaks, and Allies

 Black-headed Grosbeak o r o x

 Lazuli Bunting r o r x

Blackbirds and Orioles

 Bobolink r x r x

• Red-winged Blackbird c c c x

• Western Meadowlark c c c x

• Yellow-headed Blackbird c c c x

• Brewer’s Blackbird c c c x

 Common Grackle r o o r

• Brown-headed Cowbird o c c x

• Bullock’s Oriole o c o x

Finches

 Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch o r o c

 Black Rosy-Finch r x r r

 Cassin’s Finch o r o x

 House Finch o r o x

 Common Redpoll x x x r

 Pine Siskin c o c r

• American Goldfinch o c c x

 Evening Grosbeak o r o x

Old World Sparrows

 House Sparrow o c c r

Birds Reference: American Ornithologists’ Union. 1998. 

Check-list of North American Birds. 7th edition. American 

Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, DC.

Shrews

 Cinereus or Masked Shrew (Sorex cinereus) c

 Merriam’s Shrew (Sorex merriami) r

 Dusky or Montane Shrew (Sorex monticolus) c

 American Water Shrew (Sorex palustris) o

 Vagrant Shrew (Sorex vagrans) o

Vesper Bats

 Western Small-footed Myotis x

(Myotis ciliolabrum)

 Long-eared Myotis (Myotis evotis) o

 Little Brown Myotis (Myotis lucifugus) c

 Long-legged Myotis (Myotis volans) x

 Silver-haired Bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans) o

 Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus) o

 Pallid Bat (Antrozous pallidus) r

Hares and Rabbits

 Pygmy Rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis) o

 Desert Cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii) c

 White-tailed Jackrabbit (Lepus townsendii) c

Squirrels

 Least Chipmunk (Neotamias minimus) c

 Yellow-bellied Marmot (Marmota flaviventris) o

 Uinta Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus armatus) o

 Wyoming Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus elegans) c

 Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel o

(Spermophilus lateralis)

 Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel o

(Spermophilus tridecemlineatus)

 White-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys leucurus) c

Pocket Gophers

 Northern Pocket Gopher (Thomomys talpoides) c

Pocket Mice and Kangaroo Rats

 Olive-backed Pocket Mouse o

(Perognathus fasciatus)

 Great Basin Pocket Mouse (Perognathus parvus) o

 Ord’s Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys ordii) o

Beavers

 American Beaver (Castor canadensis) c

Mice, Rats, and Voles

 Deer Mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) c

 Northern Grasshopper Mouse o

(Onychomys leucogaster)

 Bushy-tailed Woodrat (Neotoma cinerea) o

 Long-tailed Vole (Microtus longicaudus) o

 Montane Vole (Microtus montanus) c

 Meadow Vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) c

 Sagebrush Vole (Lemmiscus curtatus) o

 Common Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) c

Jumping Mice

 Meadow Jumping Mouse (Zapus hudsonius) r

New World Porcupines

 North American Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) c

Dogs, Foxes, and Wolves

 Coyote (Canis latrans) c

 Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) o

Common Bird Name Sp S F W Common Mammal Name Abundance

Common Mammal Name Abundance
Raccoons, Ringtails, and Coatis

 Northern Raccoon (Procyon lotor) c

Weasels, Otters, and Badgers

 Ermine or Short-tailed Weasel (Mustela erminea) o

 Long-tailed Weasel (Mustela frenata) o

 Black-footed Ferret (Mustela nigripes) x

 American Mink (Mustela vison) o

 American Badger (Taxidea taxus) c

 Northern River Otter (Lontra canadensis) r

Skunks

 Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) o

Cats

 Bobcat (Lynx rufus) o

Deer

 Wapiti or Elk (Cervus canadensis) o 

 Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus) c 

 White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) c

 Moose (Alces alces) c

Pronghorn

 Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) c

Mammals Reference: Baker, R. J., L. C. Bradley, 

R. D. Bradley, J. W. Dragoo, M. D. Engstrom, R. 

S. Hoffmann, C. A. Jones, F. Reid, D. W. Rice, C. 

Jones. 2003. Revised checklist of North American 

Mammals north of Mexico, 2003. Occasional Papers, 

Museum of Texas Tech University, 229: 1-24.

Amphibians

 Boreal Chorus Frog (Pseudacris maculate) c

 Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens) c

 Great Basin Spadefoot (Spea intermontana) c

 Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) c

Reptiles

 Greater Short-Horned Lizard c

(Phrynosoma hernandesi)

 Northern Sagebrush Lizard c

(Sceloporus graciosus graciosus)

 Northern Plateau Lizard r

(Sceloporus undulates elongates)

 Eastern Yellow-bellied Racer c

(Coluber constrictor flaviventris)

 Great Basin Gopher Snake o

(Pituophis catenifer deserticola)

 Intermountain Wandering Garter Snake c

(Thamnophis elegans vagrans)

Fish

 Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) o

 Utah Chub (Gila atraria) c

 Roundtail Chub (Gila robusta) r

 Fathead Minnow (Pimephales promelas) o

 Longnose dace (Rhinichthys cataractae) o

 Speckled Dace (Rhinichthys osculus) c

 Redside Shiner (Richardsonius balteatus) c

 White Sucker (Catostomus commersonii) c

 Bluehead Sucker (Catostomus discobolus) r

 Flannelmouth Sucker (Catostomus latipinnis) c

 Mountain Sucker (Catostomus platyrhynchus) r

 Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) r

 Snake River Cutthroat Trout c

(Oncorhynchus clarkii)

 Bonneville Cutthroat Trout o

(Oncorhynchus clarkii utah)

 Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) c

 Kokanee Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) c

 Mountain Whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni) c

 Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) c

 Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) c

 Burbot (Lota lota) o

 Mottled Sculpin (Cottus bairdii) c

 Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu) r

Reptiles and amphibians reference: Crother, B. I. (ed.). 2008. 

Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and 

Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, pp. 1–84. 

SSAR Herpetological Circular 37.

Fish Reference: Nelson, J. S., E. J. Crossman, H. EspinosaPerez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, and J. D. 

Williams. 2004. Common and scientific names of fishes from 

the United States, Canada, and Mexico. American Fisheries 

Society, Special Publication 29, Bethesda, Maryland.

Common Mammal Name Abundance Common Reptile, Amphibian, and Fish Names Abundance

Common Reptile, Amphibian, and Fish Names Abundance
Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge

PO Box 700

Green River, WY 82935

307 / 875 2187

307 / 875 4425 fax

seedskadee@fws.gov

http://www.fws.gov/seedskadee

For State relay service

TTY / Voice: 711

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

http://www.fws.gov

For Refuge Information

1 800 / 344 WILD

October 2012