U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Southwest

Louisiana

National Wildlife Refuge

Complex Bird List

Cameron Prairie, Lacassine and Sabine
Dan Everett

Pelican

The Southwest Louisiana

National Wildlife Refuge

Complex consists of

Cameron Prairie,

Lacassine and Sabine

National Wildlife Refuges.

Together these refuges total

over 184,000 acres and are

located in the extreme

southwestern portion of

Louisiana in Cameron

Parish.

The Complex also

manages a private, state

and federal venture known

as the Cameron Creole

Watershed Project

consisting of an additional

49,000 acres. The diversity

of habitat enhances the

value of these southwest

Louisiana coastal refuges

to a great variety of

migratory birds utilizing

the Central and

Mississippi Flyways.
Birds of

Southwest

Louisiana

National

Wildlife

Refuge

Complex

The Refuge Complex consists of a

diversity of habitats including

fresh and saltwater marshes,

coastal prairie, bottomland

hardwoods, numerous ridges and

levees, wooded islands, tidal

bayous and canals, ponds, and

lakes. Additionally, some areas are

managed for moist soil plants and

agricultural crops to provide

desirable waterfowl foods.

This list of birds recorded on the

Complex includes 313 species, of

which 22 are incidentals, very rarely

seen on the Complex with only one

or two sightings. This checklist has

been designed to be informative and

simple to use. The list is arranged in

the order established by the

American Ornithological Union.

Symbols which appear in this

checklist represent the following:

Seasonal Appearance

SP: Spring...................... March-May

S: Summer ................... June-August

F: Fall ...........September-November

W: Winter ........ December-February

Seasonal Abundance

a - abundant (a common species

which is very numerous)

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

within a season)

r – rare (seen at intervals of 2 to 5

years)

* - nests within the Refuge Complex

D. Borden-Billiot/USFWS D. Borden-Billiot/USFWS D. Borden-Billiot/USFWS D. Borden-Billiot/USFWS

Yellow-crowned

night Heron

Red-tailed Hawk

Great Egret

Ruby-crowned

Kinglet

cover photo: Ryan Hager

Roseate Spoonbill
SP S F W

Loons

___Common Loon o o o

Grebes

___Pied-billed Grebe* c u c c

___Eared Grebe r r r

___Horned Grebe r r r

Pelicans

___American White Pelican c o c c

___Brown Pelican o o o o

Frigatebird

___Magnificent Frigatebird r r

Anhingas and Cormorants

___Anhinga* u u u o

___Double-crested Cormorantc o c c

___Neotropic Cormorant* a a a a

Wading Birds-Bitterns, Herons, and Egrets

___American Bittern* u r u u

___Least Bittern* c c c r

___Great Blue Heron* c c c c

___Great Egret* c c c c

___Snowy Egret* c c c c

___Reddish Egret r r r r

___Little Blue Heron* c c c u

___Tricolored Heron* c c c c

___Cattle Egret* a a a a

___Green Heron* a a c o

___Black-crowned Night Heron c c c u

___Yellow-crowned Night Heron c c o r

___Glossy Ibis* o o o o

___White-faced Ibis* a a c c

___White Ibis* a a c c

___Roseate Spoonbill* c c u u

___Wood Stork o o

Geese

___Greater White-fronted Goose c r a a

___Ross’ Goose r o o

___Snow Goose a r a a

___Canada Goose o o o o

Ducks and Mergansers

___Fulvous Whistling-Duck* c u c o

___Black-bellied Whistling Duck* u u o r

___Wood Duck* u u u u

___Mallard c r a a

___American Black Duck r r r

___Mottled Duck* c c c c
___Gadwall c c c

___Northern Pintail c r a a

___American Wigeon c c c

___Northern Shoveler a o a a

___Blue-winged Teal* c r a a

___Cinnamon Teal r r r

___Green-winged Teal c a a

___Canvasback r o o

___Redhead r o o

___Greater Scaup u u u

___Ring-necked Duck c c c

___Common Goldeneye r r r r

___Bufflehead u u u

___Ruddy Duck u o r

___Hooded Merganser o o o

___Red-breasted Merganser o o u

___Common Merganser r r

Eagles, Falcons, Hawks, and Vultures

___Black Vulture o o o o

___Turkey Vulture* o o o o

___Osprey o r o o

___White-tailed Kite o r o o

___Mississippi Kite r r r

___Sharp-shinned Hawk o u o

___Cooper’s Hawk o r u o

___Northern Harrier u c c

___Red-shouldered Hawk* o o u u

___Broad-winged Hawk o r u

___Red-tailed Hawk c o c c

___Golden Eagle o o o

___Bald Eagle r r r

___Crested Caracara r r r r

___American Kestrel u u u

___Merlin o o o

___Peregrine Falcon o o o

Upland Game Birds

___Northern Bobwhite* o o o o

Rails, Gallinules, Coots, Cranes

___Clapper Rail* c c c c

___King Rail* c c c c

___Virginia Rail o o o

___Sora c u c

___Yellow Rail o o o

___Black Rail r r r

___Common Moorhen* a a a a

___Purple Gallinule* c c u r

___American Coot* a r a a

___Sandhill Crane r r o

SP S F W
SP S F W

Shorebirds

___Black-bellied Plover c c c

___American Golden-Plover o r

___Killdeer* c c c c

___Semipalmated Plover c o c c

___Wilson’s Plover r r r r

___Black-necked Stilt* c c c u

___American Avocet u r u u

___Greater Yellowlegs c o c c

___Lesser Yellowlegs c o c c

___Solitary Sandpiper u u u r

___Spotted Sandpiper c o c u

___Willet c c c c

___Marbled Godwit o r o o

___Hudsonian Godwit r

___Whimbrel o r o o

___Long-billed Curlew o r u u

___Upland Sandpiper o o o

___Ruddy Turnstone o r u o

___Sanderling c o u u

___Red Knot r r r r

___Dunlin c u c c

___Pectoral Sandpiper u o u r

___White-rumped Sandpiper c o

___Semipalmated Sandpiper c u c

___Western Sandpiper c o c c

___Least Sandpiper c o c c

___Stilt Sandpiper u r u o

___Long-billed Dowitcher c c c

___Short-billed Dowitcher c u c c

___Wilson’s Snipe c c a

___American Woodcock r r r

___Wilson’s Phalarope r r

Gulls, Terns, Skimmers

___Bonaparte’s Gull o o u

___Laughing Gull c c c c

___Franklin’s Gull r r r r

___Ring-billed Gull u o u c

___Herring Gull u o u u

___Black Tern c c c

___Caspian Tern u u u o

___Gull-billed Tern u u u u

___Royal Tern o o o o

___Common Tern r r r r

___Forester’s Tern* c c c c

___Least Tern o u o

___Black Skimmer u u u u

Pigeons and Doves

___Rock Dove o o o o

___White-winged Dove o o o r

___Mourning Dove* c c c c
SP S F W

___Inca Dove u u u u

___Common Ground-Dove r r r r

___Eurasian Collared-Dove* u u u u

___Cuckoos

___Black-billed Cuckoo* o o

___Yellow-billed Cuckoo* c c u

___Groove-billed Ani o r o

Owls

___Barn Owl* u u u u

___Short-eared Owl r r r

___Eastern Screech-Owl* u u u u

___Great Horned Owl* u u u u

___Barred Owl* u u u u

___Burrowing Owl r

Nighthawks, Nightjars, and Swifts

___Common Nighthawk* c c c

___Chuck-will’s-widow o o r

___Whip-poor-will o o r

___Chimney Swift* o o o

Hummingbirds

___Ruby-throated Hummingbird* c u c r

___Black Chinned Hummingbird o r

___Rufous Hummingbird o r

___Buff-bellied Hummingbird r r r

Kingfishers

___Belted Kingfisher c u c c

Woodpeckers

___Yellow-bellied Sapsucker o o o

___Red-headed Woodpecker o r o r

___Red-bellied Woodpecker* u u u u

___Downy Woodpecker u u u u

___Hairy Woodpecker u u u u

___Northern Flicker* c o c c

___Pileated Woodpecker* u u o o

Flycatchers, Phoebes, and Kingbirds

___Olive-sided Flycatcher r r r

___Eastern Wood-Pewee u o u

___Yellow-bellied Flycatcher r r

___Acadian Flycatcher u u u

___Least Flycatcher r r o c

___Eastern Phoebe c c c

___Vermillion Flycatcher r r r

___Ash-throated Flycatcher r r r

___Great Crested Flycatcher o o o

___Western Kingbird r r r r

___Eastern Kingbird* a a a

___Scissor-tailed Flycatcher* o o o r
SP S F W

Shrikes and Vireos

___Loggerhead Shrike* u u u u

___Warbling Vireo r r

___Philadelphia Vireo u c

___White-eyed Vireo u u u o

___Red-eyed Vireo u u u

___Yellow-throated Vireo o o

___Blue-headed Vireo o u u

Jays and Crows

___Blue Jay* u u u u

___American Crow o o o o

___Fish Crow u u u u

Swallows

___Barn Swallow* a a a

___Cliff Swallow* c u c

___Northern Rough-winged Swallow c c r

___Bank Swallow u o u

___Tree Swallow a a a

___Purple Martin* c c u

Chickadees, Nuthatches, Titmice

___Carolina Chickadee* u u u u

___Brown Creeper r o o

___Tufted Titmouse u u u u

___Red-breasted Nuthatch r r

Wrens

___Marsh Wren* a c a a

___Sedge Wren u u c

___Carolina Wren* c c c c

___House Wren u u u

___Winter Wren o u

Kinglets, Gnatcatchers, Thrushes and Allies

___Goleen-crowned Kinglet o o o

___Ruby-crowned Kinglet c c c

___Blue-gray Gnatcatcher* c o c u

___Eastern Bluebird u u r r

___Swainson’s Thrush c u

___Veery u o

___Gray-cheeked Thrush u o

___Hermit Thrush u u u

___Wood Thrush u u r

___American Robin u u u

Thrashers, Pipits, Waxwings, and Starlings

___Gray Catbird* u r u u

___Northern Mockingbird* c c c c

___Brown Thrasher* u u u u

___American Pipit u u u
SP S F W

___Sprague’s Pipit r r r

___Cedar Waxwing u u u

___European Starling* c c c a

Wood Warbler

___Tennessee Warbler c c

___Nashville Warbler o u

___Orange-crowned Warbler u u c

___Blue-winged Warbler o o

___Golden-winged Warbler r r

___Northern Parula* u u u r

___Yellow Warbler u r u

___Chestnut-sided Warbler u u

___Magnolia Warbler u u

___Cape May Warbler r r

___Blackburnian Warbler u r

___Black-throated Blue Warbler r r

___Cerulean Warbler u r

___Black-throated Green Warbler u u

___Yellow-rumped Warbler c c a

___Palm Warbler u u u

___Pine Warbler u u u

___Prairie Warbler o o

___Blackpoll Warbler u

___Bay-breasted Warbler c u

___Yellow-throated Warbler u o o r

___Black-and-White Warbler c c r

___American Redstart c c

___Prothonotary Warbler* c c u

___Worm-eating Warbler o o

___Common Yellowthroat* c c c c

___Mourning Warbler r o

___Kentucky Warbler c r u

___Northern Waterthrush u r u

___Louisiana Waterthrush o r o

___Ovenbird c r o

___Canada Warbler o o u

___Hooded Warbler c u u

___Wilson’s Warbler o o o

___Yellow-breasted Chat u o u r

Tanagers, Cardinals and their Allies

___Scarlet Tanager* u o

___Summer Tanager* c u c

___Western Tanager r r

___Dickcissel u o o

___Blue Grosbeak c o u

___Rose-breasted Grosbeak c u

___Indigo bunting c o u

___Painted Bunting u u u r

___Northern Cardinal* c c c c
SP S F W

Sparrows and their Allies

___Eastern Towhee o o o o

___Chipping Sparrow o o o

___Field Sparrow o u u

___Vesper Sparrow r o o

___Lark Sparrow o r o o

___Le Conte’s Sparrow o u u

___Sharp-tailed Sparrow u u u

___Seaside Sparrow* c c c c

___Savannah Sparrow a a a

___Song Sparrow u c c

___Lincoln’s Sparrow u u u

___Swamp Sparrow c c c

___Fox Sparrow o o

___White-crowned Sparrow o o o

___White-throated Sparrow u u u

___Dark-eyed Junco o o

___Lapland Longspur r

Blackbirds and their Allies

___Baltimore Oriole u o u

___Orchard Oriole* c c u

___Eastern Meadowlark* a a a a

___Western Meadowlark r r

___Bobolink u r

___Red-winged Blackbird* a a a a

___Yellow-headed Blackbird r r

___Rusty Blackbird r r r

___BrewerÕs Blackbird o o u

___Common Grackle o o o u

___Boat-tailed Grackle* a a a a

___Great-tailed Grackle u u u u

___Brown-headed Cowbird* u u u c

Finches and Old World Sparrows

___House Sparrow* u u u u

___American Goldfinch o o c

___House Finch o o u

___Purple Finch r r

These additional 22 species are

considered accidental, very rarely

seen on the Complex with only one

or two sightings.

Brant

Black swan

Oldsquaw

Masked duck

White-winged scoter

Masked Booby

USFWS

Northern Gannet

Eastern Kingbird
Bell’s Vireo

Brown Crested Flycatcher

Rough-legged Hawk

Swallow-tailed Kite

Black-throated Gray Warbler

Swainson’s Warbler

Black Francolin

American Tree Sparrow

Sooty Tern

Brown Noddy

Pine Siskin

Whooping Crane

Western Grebe

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Lesser Nighthawk

Ethics for Birdwatching

Observe birds without disturbing

them. Avoid chasing or repeatedly

flushing birds. Electronic call

devices should be used sparingly

even when they are permitted.

Keep an appropriate distance from

nests and nesting colonies so as not

to disturb the birds or expose them

to danger.

Disturb wintering wildlife as little as

possible, particularly during critical

feeding and resting periods. They

need all of their energy reserves to

withstand the stresses of harsh

weather and migration.

Leave habitats as they are found.

Many birds die when they become

entangled in fish lines, crab strings,

six-pack rings, and other trash, or

when they mistake garbage for food.

Acknowledgements

This Southwest Louisiana National

Wildlife Refuge Complex Bird List

was compiled by USFWS volunteer

and birder, Sharon Wallace. Sharon

worked with refuge staffs and area

ornithologists to develop one

comprehensive bird list for the

refuge complex. Species names and

seasonal abundance codes were

D. Borden-Billiot/USFWS

updated throughout the process.

D. Borden-Billiot/USFWS D. Borden-Billiot/USFWS USFWS

White Ibis

American Robin

Great Egret

Young Great Egret
Wes Brown/USFWS

Barn Owl

Cedar Waxwing

Dan Everett
Sighting Notes

_____________________________

______________________________

_______________________________

_______________________________

_____________________________

______________________________

__________________________________

______________________________

_______________________________

_______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

_____________________________

______________________________

______________________________

_____________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

_______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

Date

Time

Weather

No. of species

Route or area

Observers

Remarks
To report unusual sightings, or for

further information, contact:

Refuge Outreach Coordinator

Southwest Louisiana National

 Wildlife Refuge Complex

 Headquarters

Cameron Prairie NWR

1428 Highway 27

Bell City, LA 70630-9618

337/598 2216

E-mail: cameronprairie@fws.gov

N

 

 

Intracoastal Waterway

Sabine Lake

Calcasieu Lake

Gulf of Mexico

Mud

Lake

Sabine NWR

East Cov

Texas Louisiana

LA 82

Grand Bayo

Boat Bay

Holly Beach

Cameron

Hackberry Cameron Parish

Calcasieu Parish

Sulphur

LA 27

LA 82 LA 2

LA 27

Legend

Refuge boundaries

Parish boundary

Cameron Creole 

Watershed Project

Creole Nature Trail (CNT)

All American Road

City

Intracoastal Waterway

State boundary

Refuge Visitor Center

Restrooms

Creole Nature Trail

Creole Nature Trail

Creole Nature Trail

Vinton

Lake Cha

LA 384

90

Blue

Goose

Walking

Trail

Wetland

Walkway

I-10

USFWS USFWS

Black & White Warbler

Female Boat-tailed

Grackles
0 Miles 10

 0 Kilo 14

Intracoastal Waterway

e

Grand Lake

Cameron

Prairie NWR 

Cameron

Prairie

NWR 

Lacassine NWR 

Rockefeller Refuge

ve Unit

LA 101 LA 99 LA 26

LA 14

Illinois

Plant

Road

Streeters

Road

Wildlife

Drive

Wilderness Area

Pintail

Wildlife

Drive

ou

Bank

Fishing

Road

LA 14

LA 14

Grand

Lake

Sweet

Lake

Oak Grove

Creole

Grand

Chenier

Lowry

Lake Arthur Thornwell

LA 27

27

LA 82

LA 27

LA 82

LA 82

Creole

Nature

Trail

Creole Nature Trail

Creole Nature Trail

Creole Nature Trail

Creole Nature Trail

Cameron C reole

Watershed Project

Westlake

arles

Jennings

Welsh Iowa

Holmwood Hayes

Bell City

LA 385

LA 384

90

LA 14

LA 380

LA 382

I-10

I-210

LA 3056

I-10

LA 27 LA 14

Gibbstown

D. Borden-Billiot/USFWS

Common Moorhen
Cameron Prairie

National Wildlife Refuge

SW LA NWR Complex Headquarters

1428 Highway 27

Bell City, LA 70630

Phone: 337/598 2216

Fax: 337/598 2492

http://cameronprairie.fws.gov

email: fw4rwcameronprairie@fws.gov

Office Hours: 7:30 am – 4:00 pm M-F

10:00 am - 4:00 SA

Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge

209 Nature Road

Lake Arthur, LA 70549

Phone: 337/774 5923

Fax: 337/774 9913

http://lacassine.fws.gov

email: fw4rwlaccassine@fws.gov

Office Hours: 7:00 am to 4:00 pm

M-F

Sabine National Wildlife Refuge

3000 Holly Beach Highway

Hackberry, Louisiana 70645

Phone: 337/762 3816

Fax: 337/762 3780

http://sabine.fws.gov

email: fw4rwsabine@fws.gov

Office Hours: 7:00-4:00 M-F10:00-4:00

SA-SU

Complex Website: http://www.fws.gov/

southeast/swlarefugecomplex

August 2005