Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Newington, New Hampshire
This checklist was prepared by the Seacoast Chapter of the Audubon Society of New Hampshire for the Reserve. Funds were provided by the State of New Hampshire and NOAA under a cooperative agreement (#NA270R0188-01).
Birdwatching Locations
ADAM'S POINT (GBNERR) - Located in Durham at the mouth of Great Bay, Adam's Point is one of the best birdwatching locations and the easiest to access. Trails lead out around the point and offer excellent views of the bay.
SANDY POINT PROPERTY (GBNERR) - At the south end of the bay off Depot Road, Sandy Point offers another fine area for looking out over the bay.
GREAT BAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE - The new refuge located on the east shore of Great Bay currently has two birding trails. One is a 1/2 mile walk to a freshwater pond, the other, a 2 mile walk to the bay. Access is through Pease International Tradeport.
a - abundant: a species which is very numerous and usually easy to find
c - common: a species which should be seen or heard in the appropriate habitat
and during the appropriate time of year
u - uncommon: a species which is present only in small numbers and may be
hard to find
o - occasional: a species which is rarely seen, or is very local in distribution
r - rare: a species which is very rarely seen, and is not expected to show
up each year
* - species has nested in the area of Great Bay in recent years
The following are some of the more unusual species sighted in the bay area within the past 30 years, and are not to be expected.
LOONS, GREBES Sp S F W ___ Red-throated Loon r - u - ___ Common Loon c r c u ___ Pied-billed Grebe u o u r ___ Horned Grebe u - c r ___ Red-necked Grebe r - u r
CORMORANTS, HERONS, IBIS Sp S F W ___ Great Cormorant u - u u ___ Double-crested Cormorant c c c r ___ American Bittern u o u r ___ Least Bittern r r r - ___ Great Blue Heron* c c c u ___ Great Egret o o o - ___ Snowy Egret c c c - ___ Little Blue Heron r r r - ___ Cattle Egret r r r - ___ Green Heron* c c c - ___ Black-crowned Night-Heron u u u - ___ Yellow-crowned Night-Heron r r r - ___ Glossy Ibis c c c -
SWANS, DUCKS Sp S F W ___ Mute Swan* u u u u ___ Snow Goose u - u - ___ Brant r - r - ___ Canada Goose* a u a a ___ Wood Duck* c c c - ___ Green-winged Teal c - c r ___ American Black Duck* a u a a ___ Mallard* a c a a ___ Northern Pintail u - u r ___ Blue-winged Teal u - u - ___ Northern Shoveler - - r - ___ Gadwall - - r - ___ American Wigeon u - u o ___ Redhead r - r r ___ Canvasback u - u o ___ Ring-necked Duck c - c r ___ Greater Scaup c - c c ___ Lesser Scaup u - u r ___ Oldsquaw - - r - ___ Black Scoter - - u - ___ Surf Scoter - - u - ___ White-winged Scoter - - u r ___ Common Goldeneye c - c c ___ Barrow's Goldeneye o - - o ___ Bufflehead c - c c ___ Hooded Merganser* c u c u ___ Common Merganser c - c c ___ Red-breasted Merganser c - c c ___ Ruddy Duck o - o -
VULTURES, HAWKS, FALCONS Sp S F W ___ Turkey Vulture c c c - ___ Osprey* c u c - ___ Bald Eagle o r o u ___ Northern Harrier u r u r ___ Sharp-shinned Hawk c o c c ___ Cooper's Hawk u o u o ___ Northern Goshawk* u u u u ___ Red-shouldered Hawk* u u u r ___ Broad-winged Hawk* c c c - ___ Red-tailed Hawk* c c c c ___ Rough-legged Hawk o - o o ___ American Kestrel* c c c c ___ Merlin r - u - ___ Peregrine Falcon r - u -
PHEASANT, RAILS, COOT Sp S F W ___ Ring-necked Pheasant* u u u u ___ Ruffed Grouse* c c c c ___ Wild Turkey* u u u u ___ Virginia Rail* c c c r ___ Sora* u u u - ___ Common Moorhen r r r - ___ American Coot o - u r
PLOVERS, SANDPIPERS Sp S F W ___ Black-bellied Plover o - u - ___ American Golden Plover - - r - ___ Semipalmated Plover o - u - ___ Killdeer* c c c r ___ Greater Yellowlegs c c c - ___ Lesser Yellowlegs u c c - ___ Solitary Sandpiper u u u - ___ Spotted Sandpiper* c c c - ___ Upland Sandpiper* o o o - ___ Whimbrel - - r - ___ Ruddy Turnstone - - r - ___ Red Knot - - r - ___ Sanderling - - r - ___ Semipalmated Sandpiper c u c - ___ Western Sandpiper - - r - ___ Least Sandpiper c u c - ___ White-rumped Sandpiper - - o - ___ Baird's Sandpiper - - r - ___ Pectoral Sandpiper u - u - ___ Dunlin - - o - ___ Stilt Sandpiper - - r - ___ Buff-breasted Sandpiper - - r - ___ Short-billed Dowitcher - - u - ___ Common Snipe u - u r ___ American Woodcock* c c c r ___ Wilson's Phalarope - - r - ___ Red-necked Phalarope - - r -
GULLS, TERNS Sp S F W ___ Bonaparte's Gull c - c u ___ Ring-billed Gull c u c c ___ Herring Gull a a a a ___ Iceland Gull - - - u ___ Glaucous Gull - - - o ___ Great Black-backed Gull* a a a a ___ Caspian Tern - - r - ___ Common Tern* c c c - ___ Forster's Tern - - r -
DOVES, CUCKOOS, OWLS Sp S F W ___ Rock Dove* a a a a ___ Mourning Dove* a a a a ___ Black-billed Cuckoo* u u u - ___ Yellow-billed Cuckoo o o o - ___ Eastern Screech-Owl o o o o ___ Great Horned Owl* c c c c ___ Snowy Owl - - o o ___ Barred Owl* c c c c ___ Short-eared Owl o - o o ___ Northern Saw-whet Owl* o o o o
NIGHTJARS, WOODPECKERS Sp S F W ___ Common Nighthawk c o c - ___ Whip-poor-will* u u u - ___ Chimney Swift* c c c - ___ Ruby-throated Hummingbird* c c c - ___ Belted Kingfisher* c c c u ___ Red-headed Woodpecker - - r r ___ Red-bellied Woodpecker - - r r ___ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker u - u - ___ Downy Woodpecker* c c c c ___ Hairy Woodpecker* c c c c ___ Northern Flicker* c c c u ___ Pileated Woodpecker* u u u u
FLYCATCHERS, SWALLOWS Sp S F W ___ Olive-sided Flycatcher u - u - ___ Eastern Wood-Pewee* c c c - ___ Yellow-bellied Flycatcher o - o - ___ Alder Flycatcher u r u - ___ Willow Flycatcher* o o o - ___ Least Flycatcher* c u u - ___ Eastern Phoebe* c c c - ___ Great Crested Flycatcher* c c c - ___ Eastern Kingbird* c c c - ___ Horned Lark* u o u u ___ Purple Martin u - u - ___ Tree Swallow* c c c - ___ Northern Rough-winged Swallow* u u u - ___ Bank Swallow* c u c - ___ Cliff Swallow* c u c - ___ Barn Swallow* c c c -
JAYS, CHICKADEES, WRENS Sp S F W ___ Blue Jay* a a a a ___ American Crow* a a a a ___ Fish Crow r r r - ___ Common Raven o - o o ___ Black-capped Chickadee* a a a a ___ Boreal Chickadee r - r r ___ Tufted Titmouse* c c c c ___ Red-breasted Nuthatch* c u c c ___ White-breasted Nuthatch* c c c c ___ Brown Creeper* c c c c ___ Carolina Wren o o o o ___ House Wren* c c c - ___ Winter Wren* u o u o ___ Marsh Wren* o r o -
KINGLETS, THRUSHES, THRASHERS Sp S F W ___ Golden-crowned Kinglet c r c u ___ Ruby-crowned Kinglet c - c r ___ Blue-gray Gnatcatcher* u o u - ___ Eastern Bluebird* u u u r ___ Veery c c c - ___ Gray-cheeked Thrush o - o - ___ Swainson's Thrush u - u - ___ Hermit Thrush* c u c r ___ Wood Thrush* c c c - ___ American Robin* a a a u ___ Gray Catbird* c c c r ___ Northern Mockingbird* c c c c ___ Brown Thrasher* u u u r
PIPIT, WAXWINGS, SHRIKE, STARLING Sp S F W ___ American Pipit u - u - ___ Bohemian Waxwing - - - r ___ Cedar Waxwing* c c c o ___ Northern Shrike u - u u ___ European Starling* a a a a
VIREOS, WOOD WARBLERS Sp S F W ___ White-eyed Vireo r - r - ___ Solitary Vireo* c u c - ___ Yellow-throated Vireo* u u u - ___ Warbling Vireo* c c c - ___ Philadelphia Vireo r - u - ___ Red-eyed Vireo* a a a - ___ Blue-winged Warbler* u u u - ___ Golden-winged Warbler* r r r - ___ Tennessee Warbler c - c - ___ Orange-crowned Warbler r - r - ___ Nashville Warbler* c u c - ___ Northern Parula c - c - ___ Yellow Warbler* a a u - ___ Chestnut-sided Warbler* c c c - ___ Magnolia Warbler* c o c - ___ Cape May Warbler u - u - ___ Black-throated Blue Warbler c r c - ___ Yellow-rumped Warbler* c u a u ___ Black-throated Green Warbler* c u c - ___ Blackburnian Warbler* c o c - ___ Pine Warbler* c c c - ___ Prairie Warbler* u u u - ___ Palm Warbler c - c - ___ Bay-breasted Warbler u - u - ___ Blackpoll Warbler c - c - ___ Black-and-white Warbler* c u c - ___ American Redstart* c c c - ___ Worm-eating Warbler r - - - ___ Ovenbird* c c c - ___ Northern Waterthrush c r c - ___ Louisiana Waterthrush u r - - ___ Connecticut Warbler - - r - ___ Mourning Warbler u - r - ___ Common Yellowthroat* a a a r ___ Hooded Warbler r - - - ___ Wilson's Warbler u - u - ___ Canada Warbler* c o c - ___ Yellow-breasted Chat r - o r
TANAGERS, SPARROWS Sp S F W ___ Scarlet Tanager c c c - ___ Northern Cardinal* c c c c ___ Rose-breasted Grosbeak* c c c - ___ Indigo Bunting* c c c - ___ Dickcissel - - r r ___ Rufous-sided Towhee* c c c r ___ American Tree Sparrow c - c c ___ Chipping Sparrow* c c c - ___ Field Sparrow* c c c o ___ Vesper Sparrow o o o - ___ Savannah Sparrow* u u u r ___ Grasshopper Sparrow - - r r ___ Sharp-tailed Sparrow* o o o - ___ Fox Sparrow u - u r ___ Song Sparrow* c c c u ___ Lincoln's Sparrow u - u - ___ Swamp Sparrow* c c c o ___ White-throated Sparrow* c u c u ___ White-crowned Sparrow u - u - ___ Dark-eyed Junco c r c c ___ Lapland Longspur - - o o ___ Snow Bunting u - u u
BLACKBIRDS, FINCHES Sp S F W ___ Bobolink* c c c - ___ Red-winged Blackbird* a a a u ___ Eastern Meadowlark* c c c r ___ Rusty Blackbird u - u r ___ Common Grackle* a a a u ___ Brown-headed Cowbird* c c c u ___ Orchard Oriole* o o o - ___ Baltimore Oriole* c c c r ___ Pine Grosbeak - - - o ___ Purple Finch* c c c u ___ House Finch* a a a a ___ Red Crossbill r - r r ___ White-winged Crossbill o - o o ___ Common Redpoll u - o u ___ Pine Siskin u - u u ___ American Goldfinch* c c c c ___ Evening Grosbeak c - c c ___ House Sparrow* c c c c
Manx Shearwater Leach's Storm-Petrel Tundra Swan Eurasian Wigeon Hoary Redpoll King Eider Golden Eagle King Rail Curlew Sandpiper Black-legged Kittiwake Marbled Godwit Laughing Gull Common Black-headed Gull Black Tern Dovekie Thick-billed Murre Long-eared Owl Boreal Owl Black-backed Woodpecker Western Kingbird Sedge Wren Varied Thrush Loggerhead Shrike Summer Tanager Blue Grosbeak Lark Sparrow Henslow's Sparrow Western Meadowlark Greater White-fronted Goose
Valuable information on bird distribution in the Great Bay area can still be learned through your observations. Please report any unusual sightings to:
Audubon Society of New Hampshire
P.O. Box 528-b
Concord, New Hampshire 03301-0516
For more information contact:
Refuge Manager
Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge
100 Merrimack Drive
Newington, New Hampshire 03801-2903
Telephone: 603/431-7511
Great Bay Reserve Manager
NH Fish and Game Department
Marine Fisheries Division
225 Main Street
Durham, New Hampshire 03824
Telephone: 603/868-1095
This resource is based on the following source:
Mirick S., Audubon Society of New Hampshire. 1993. A checklist to the birds
of Great Bay. New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. Unpaginated.
This resource should be cited as:
Mirick S., Audubon Society of New Hampshire. 1993. A checklist to the birds
of Great Bay. New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. Unpaginated.
Jamestown, ND: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Online.
http://www.npwrc.usgs.govgreatbay.htm
(Version 22MAY98).
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/chekbird/r5/greatbay.htm
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Page Last Modified: Friday, 01-Feb-2013 18:55:55 EST
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