Birds

Almost 500 different species of birds (Class Aves) can be found in Florida. Many are year-round residents, some pass through Florida during spring and fall migrations, and others are only part-time residents (summer or winter). Many nonnative species (parrots, parakeets, starlings, pigeons, etc.) also have established breeding populations in the state.

During 1994 to 1998, Greg McDermott, then a graduate student in entomology, made regular observations of birds in NATL. The birds listed below are those he recorded during that period, except for the eight species marked with a single asterisk (*). These were reported earlier but were not seen by McDermott.

The key below designates each species’ status in the Gainesville area, and is not specific to the Natural Area Teaching Laboratory. The seasonal designations are generalized (e.g. some winter residents arrive as early as September and some depart as late as May). Species reported since 1998 are designated with a double asterisk (**) with details given at the end of the list.

KEY:
migrant = present only during spring and fall migration
resident = year round resident
summer = summer resident, departs the area in winter
winter = winter resident, departs the area in summer

The vernacular names and sequence of listing match the checklist at the front of Peterson’s A Field Guide to the Birds.

Order Podicipediformes
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) – resident

Order Ciconiiformes
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) – resident
Green Heron (Butorides virescens) – resident
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) – resident
Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) – resident
Great Egret (Ardia alba) – resident
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) – resident
Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) – resident
White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) – resident

Order Anseriformes
Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) – winter
Black-bellied Whistling Duck** (Dendrocygna autumnalis) – summer
Wood Duck** (Aix sponsa) - resident

Order Falconiformes
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) – resident
Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) – resident
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) – resident
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus ) – resident
Mississippi Kite** (Ictinia mississippiensis) - resident
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) – resident
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) – winter

Order Galliformes
Common Bobwhite* (Colinus virginianus) – resident
Wild Turkey** (Meleagris gallopavo) – resident

Order Gruiformes
American Coot (Fulica americana) – winter
Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) – resident

Order Charadriiformes
Common Snipe (Capella gallinago) – winter
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia) – winter
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) – winter

Order Columbiformes
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) – resident

Order Cuculiformes
Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) – summer

Order Strigiformes
Barred Owl (Strix varia) – resident
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) – resident

Order Caprimulfiformes
Chuck-Will’s-Widow* (Caprimulgus carolinensis) – summer

Order Apodiformes
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) – summer
Chimney Swift** (Chaetura pelagica)

Order Piciformes
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) – resident
Red-headed Woodpecker** (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) – resident
Hairy Woodpecker* (Picoides villosus) – resident
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker* (Sphyrapicus varius) – winter
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) – resident
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) – resident

Order Passeriformes
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) – winter
Great-crested Flycatcher (Myriarchus crinitus) – summer
Eastern Kingbird** (Tyrannus tyrannus) - summer
Eastern Wood-pewee (Contopus virens) – summer
Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) – resident
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) – resident
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) – resident
Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus) – resident (scarcer in winter)
Tree Swallow (Iridoprocne bicolor) – winter
Carolina Chickadee (Parus carolinensis) – resident
Tufted Titmouse (Parus bicolor) – resident
American Robin (Turdis migratorius) – winter
Wood Thrush* (Hylocichla mustelina) – migrant
Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) – winter
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) – resident
Golden-crowned Kinglet* (Regulus satrapa) – winter
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) – winter
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) – winter
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) – winter
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) – resident
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) – winter
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus poltglottos) – resident
Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) – resident
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) – resident
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) – winter
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) – migrant
White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus) – resident
Yellow-throated Vireo (Vireo flavifrons) – summer
Blue-headed Vireo (Vireo solitarius) – winter
Orange-crowned Warbler (Vermivora celata) – winter
Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia) – migrant
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata) – winter
Pine Warbler (Dendroica pinus) – resident
Palm Warbler (Dendroica palmarum) – winter
Black and White Warbler (Mniotilta varia) – winter
Ovenbird (Seiurus aurucapillus) – migrant (some overwinter)
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) – migrant
Prairie Warbler (Dendroica discolor) – migrant
Blackpoll Warbler (Dendroica striata) – migrant (4/16/97)
Northern Parula Warbler (Parula americana) – summer (may remain though winter some years)
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) – resident
Yellow-throated Warbler (Dendroica dominica) – resident
Black-throated Blue Warbler** (Dendroica caerulescens) - migrant
Cape May Warbler** (Dendroica tigrina) - migrant
Northern Waterthrush (Seiurus noveboracensis) – migrant
Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) – resident
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) – resident
Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) – summer
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) – resident
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) – resident
Boat-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus major) – resident
Common Grackle* ** (Quiscalus quiscula) – resident
Blue Grosbeak* (Guiraca caerulea) – summer
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) – summer
Painted Bunting** (Passerina ciris) - migrant
House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) – resident
American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) – winter
Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) – winter
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) – winter
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) – winter
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) – winter
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) – winter
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) – winter
House Sparrow** (Passer domesticus)


*Not seen by McDermott but included on his list.

In 2010, 20 commercially reared Common Bobwhite were released in NATL (results).


**Details of additions to McDermott's list:

Adult male Painted Bunting seen 23 Oct 2004 by Tom Webber

Common Grackle, House Sparrow, Chimney Swift, and Red-headed Woodpecker listed for NATL-east by Daniel Dawson in an 8 May 2005 report to Facilities Planning & Construction.

Black-bellied Whistling Duck, four seen in SEEP by Doug Levy on 16 July 2008. On 6 Sep 2011, a family of this species, consisting of two adults and 6 or more ducklings, were seen swimming in the lesser of SEEP's two principal pools.

Wild Turkey, one hen photographed in Surge Area by Bill Coughlin and seen to disappear into NATL-west on 11 March 2011 (photo).

Wood Duck, Eastern Kingbird, Cape May Warbler, Black-Throated Blue Warbler and Mississippi Kite listed for NATL-west by Caleb Gordon on 29 April 2012.

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