Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Titonka, Iowa
The Refuge consists of 2,845 acres of marsh, grassland and timber. This biological diversity provides suitable habitat for over 240 species of birds. As you visit the refuge, keep in mind that, like all wild animals, each bird requires a certain habitat to survive. As one habitat blends into another, bird communities will change, just as seasons change.
White Pelicans, Great Blue Herons, Yellow Warblers, Brown Thrashers and Bobolinks are a few of the many birds that can be seen along the Wildlife Drive and the Deer Meadow Nature Trail. If you should find an interesting or unusual species, please let us know at the Refuge Headquarters. We will enjoy sharing this information with other visitors.
LOONS S s F W ___ Common Loon o r - -
GREBES S s F W ___ Pied-billed Grebe* c c c - ___ Horned Grebe o - r - ___ Eared Grebe o r o - ___ Red-necked Grebe r r r - ___ Western Grebe r r r -
PELICANS AND CORMORANTS S s F W ___ American White Pelican c o c - ___ Double-crested Cormorant* c c c -
BITTERNS, HERONS, EGRETS AND IBIS S s F W ___ American Bittern* u u u - ___ Least Bittern* u c u - ___ Great Blue Heron c c c r ___ Great Egret u o u - ___ Snowy Egret - r r - ___ Cattle Egret r r r - ___ Little Blue Heron - r r - ___ Green-backed Heron* c c c - ___ Black-crowned Night-Heron* c c c - ___ Yellow-crowned Night-Heron - r r - ___ White-faced Ibis r - r -
SWANS, GEESE, AND DUCKS S s F W ___ Tundra Swan o - o - ___ Greater White-fronted Goose c r c - ___ Snow Goose c r c - ___ Ross' Goose r - r - ___ Canada Goose* a c a o ___ Wood Duck* a a a - ___ Green-winged Teal c o a r ___ American Black Duck u r u r ___ Mallard* a c a o ___ Northern Pintail* c o c r ___ Blue-winged Teal* a c a - ___ Cinnamon Teal r - - - ___ Norhtern Shoveler* c c c - ___ Gadwall* c u c - ___ American Wigeon c u c - ___ Canvasback c o c - ___ Redhead* c o c - ___ Ring-necked Duck c o c - ___ Greater Scaup r - - - ___ Lesser Scaup a o c - ___ Common Goldeneye u - r - ___ Bufflehead c - u - ___ Hooded Merganser* c u u - ___ Common Merganser c - o - ___ Red-breasted Merganser u - - - ___ Ruddy Duck* c c c -
HAWKS, EAGLES, AND FALCONS S s F W ___ Turkey Vulture u o u - ___ Osprey o o o - ___ Bald Eagle u r u o ___ Golden Eagle r - r r ___ Northern Harrier* c u c o ___ Sharp-shinned Hawk u o u r ___ Cooper's Hawk* o o o - ___ Northern Goshawk r - r r ___ Red-shouldered Hawk r - r - ___ Broad-winged Hawk c r c - ___ Swainson's Hawk* o o o - ___ Red-tailed Hawk* c c c u ___ Rough-legged Hawk u - c c ___ American Kestrel* c u c o ___ Merlin o - o - ___ Prairie Falcon r - r - ___ Peregrine Falcon r - r -
GALLINACEOUS S s F W ___ Gray Partridge* c c c c ___ Ring-necked Pheasant* a a a a ___ Northern Bobwhite* r r r - ___ Wild Turkey* u u u u
RAILS, COOTS, AND CRANES S s F W ___ King Rail* - o o - ___ Virginia Rail* u c c - ___ Sora* c c c - ___ Common Moorhen* r u u - ___ American Coot* a c a - ___ Sandhill Crane r r r -
SHOREBIRDS S s F W ___ Black-bellied Plover u r u - ___ Lesser Golden Plover c o u - ___ Semipalmated Plover u o u - ___ Piping Plover - - r - ___ Killdeer c c c r ___ American Avocet r r r - ___ Greater Yellowlegs u u c - ___ Lesser Yellowlegs c c a - ___ Solitary Sandpiper u u u - ___ Willet r r - - ___ Spotted Sandpiper* u c c - ___ Upland Sandpiper* u u o - ___ Hudsonian Godwit o - r - ___ Marbled Godwit o - r - ___ Ruddy Turnstone r r r - ___ Sanderling r r r - ___ Semipalmated Sandpiper c c c - ___ Western Sandpiper r r r - ___ Least Sandpiper c c c - ___ White-rumped Sandpiper c u r - ___ Baird's Sandpiper u - u - ___ Pectoral Sandpiper c c a - ___ Dunlin u - o - ___ Stilt Sandpiper c c c - ___ Buff-breasted Sandpiper - - r - ___ Long-billed Dowitcher u - a - ___ Short-billed Dowitcher u o u - ___ Common Snipe* u o c r ___ American Woodcock* u u u - ___ Wilson's Phalarope* u u u - ___ Red-necked Phalarope - - o -
GULLS AND TERNS S s F W ___ Franklin's Gull c u a - ___ Bonaparte's Gull u - u - ___ Ring-billed Gull c u c - ___ Herring Gull u - u r ___ Caspian Tern u o u - ___ Common Tern o o o - ___ Forster's Tern c u u - ___ Least Tern - o - - ___ Black Tern* c u c -
DOVES S s F W ___ Mourning Dove* c c c o ___ Rock Dove* c c c u
CUCKOOS S s F W ___ Black-billed Cuckoo* u u u - ___ Yellow-billed Cuckoo* u u u -
OWLS S s F W ___ Eastern Screech-Owl* c c c c ___ Great Horned Owl* c c c c ___ Snowy Owl - - - o ___ Barred Owl* u u u u ___ Long-eared Owl* u - o o ___ Short-eared Owl - r u u ___ Northern Saw-whet Owl o r o o
NIGHTJARS S s F W ___ Common Nighthawk* u u u -
SWIFTS AND HUMMINGBIRDS S s F W ___ Chimney Swift* c u u - ___ Ruby-throated Hummingbird* u u u -
KINGFISHERS S s F W ___ Belted Kingfisher* u c c -
WOODPECKERS S s F W ___ Red-headed Woodpecker* u c c - ___ Red-bellied Woodpecker* o o o u ___ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker o - o - ___ Downy Woodpecker* c c c c ___ Hairy Woodpecker* u u u u ___ Northern Flicker* c c a u
FLYCATCHERS S s F W ___ Olive-sided Flycatcher u o u - ___ Eastern Wood-Pewee* u c c - ___ Yellow-bellied Flycatcher r - - - ___ Willow Flycatcher* u c c - ___ Alder Flycatcher r - - - ___ Least Flycatcher r - - - ___ Eastern Phoebe* o u u - ___ Great Crested Flycatcher* u u u - ___ Eastern Kingbird* c c u -
LARKS S s F W ___ Horned Lark* c c c c
SWALLOWS S s F W ___ Purple Martin* o u - - ___ Tree Swallow* c c a - ___ Northern Rough-winged Swallow* u u u - ___ Bank Swallow* c c c - ___ Cliff Swallow* c c a - ___ Barn Swallow* c c c -
JAYS AND CROWS S s F W ___ Blue Jay* u c c u ___ American Crow* c c c c
CHICKADEES, NUTHATCHES, AND CREEPERS S s F W ___ Black-capped Chickadee* c c c c ___ Red-breasted Nuthatch o - o o ___ White-breasted Nuthatch* c c c c ___ Brown Creeper o - o o
WRENS S s F W ___ House Wren* c c c - ___ Sedge Wren* u c u - ___ Marsh Wren* u c c -
KINGLETS S s F W ___ Golden-crowned Kinglet u - u r ___ Ruby-crowned Kinglet c - c -
GNATCATCHERS AND THRUSHES S s F W ___ Blue-gray Gnatcatcher* r r r - ___ Eastern Bluebird c c c - ___ Gray-cheeked Thrush u - r - ___ Veery r - r - ___ Swainson's Thrush c - u - ___ Hermit Thrush u - u - ___ American Robin* c c c r
THRASHERS S s F W ___ Gray Catbird* c c c - ___ Brown Thrasher* c c c -
PIPITS S s F W ___ American Pipit u - u -
WAXWINGS S s F W ___ Cedar Waxwing* c c c o
SHRIKES S s F W ___ Northern Shrike - - r r ___ Loggerhead Shrike* u o r -
STARLINGS S s F W ___ European Starling* c c c c
VIREOS S s F W ___ Solitary Vireo c - u - ___ Yellow-throated Vireo o - o - ___ Warbling Vireo* u c u - ___ Philadelphia Vireo o - o - ___ Red-eyed Vireo* c u c -
WARBLERS AND TANAGERS S s F W ___ Golden-winged Warbler o - o - ___ Tennessee Warbler a - c - ___ Orange-crowned Warbler u - c - ___ Nashville Warbler c - c - ___ Yellow Warbler* c c c - ___ Chestnut-sided Warbler u - u - ___ Magnolia Warbler u - u - ___ Yellow-rumped Warbler a - a - ___ Black-throated Green Warbler u - u - ___ Blackburnian Warbler o - o - ___ Palm Warbler u - u - ___ Bay-breasted Warbler - - u - ___ Blackpoll Warbler o - r - ___ Black-and-white Warbler c - c - ___ American Redstart c - c - ___ Ovenbird u - u - ___ Northern Waterthrush c - u - ___ Mourning Warbler o - o - ___ Common Yellowthroat* c c u - ___ Wilson's Warbler u - c - ___ Canada Warbler o - o - ___ Scarlet Tanager o - r - ___ Yellow-breasted Chat u u - -
CARDINALS, GROSBEAKS, AND BUNTINGS S s F W ___ Northern Cardinal* c c c u ___ Rose-breasted Grosbeak* u u u - ___ Indigo Bunting* u c u - ___ Dickcissel* u c u -
SPARROWS S s F W ___ Rufous-sided Towhee u - u - ___ American Tree Sparrow u - a a ___ Chipping Sparrow* u u u - ___ Clay-colored Sparrow u - o - ___ Field Sparrow* u u u - ___ Vesper Sparrow* u c c - ___ Savannah Sparrow* u u c - ___ Grasshopper Sparrow* u c - - ___ Le Conte's Sparrow o - u - ___ Fox Sparrow u - u - ___ Song Sparrow* c c c o ___ Lincoln's Sparrow u - u - ___ Swamp Sparrow* c c c - ___ White-throated Sparrow c - c - ___ White-crowned Sparrow u - u - ___ Harris' Sparrow u - c - ___ Dark-eyed Junco c o a c ___ Lapland Longspur c o c u ___ Snow Bunting o o o u
BLACKBIRDS AND ORIOLES S s F W ___ Bobolink* c c c - ___ Red-winged Blackbird* a a a - ___ Yellow-headed Blackbird* c c c - ___ Eastern Meadowlark* o o o - ___ Western Meadowlark* c c c o ___ Rusty Blackbird c - c o ___ Brewer's Blackbird o - o - ___ Common Grackle* a c a o ___ Brown-headed Cowbird* c c c - ___ Orchard Oriole* u u u - ___ Northern Oriole* c c u -
FINCHES S s F W ___ House Ficnh u u u - ___ Purple Finch u - u - ___ Common Redpoll - - u u ___ Pine Siskin o - u u ___ American Goldfinch* c c c u
OLD WORLD SPARROW S s F W ___ House Sparrow* c c c c
Glossy Ibis Black Vulture Roseate Spoonbill Long-billed Curlew Tri-colored Heron Western Kingbird Red Knot Gyrfalcon Black-necked Stilt Surf Scoter Common Raven Yellow-breasted Chat
Date:__________________________________________________________________________ Number of Species:_____________________________________________________________ Time Afield:___________________________________________________________________ Observers:_____________________________________________________________________ Weather:_______________________________________________________________________ Remarks:_______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________
Refuge Manager
Union Slough National Wildlife Refuge
1710 360th Street
Titonka, Iowa 50480
Telephone: 515/928-2523
This resource is based on the following source:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1993. Birds of Union Slough. U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service. Unpaginated.
This resource should be cited as:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1993. Birds of Union Slough. U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service. Unpaginated. Jamestown, ND: Northern Prairie
Wildlife Research Center Online.
http://www.npwrc.usgs.govunion.htm
(Version 22MAY98).
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/chekbird/r3/union.htm
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Page Last Modified: Friday, 01-Feb-2013 18:49:57 EST
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