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Birds
The Natural Area Teaching Lab (NATL) is home to a unique variety of avifauna due to its vast mixture of habitat types. Over 500 species of birds were sighted from 1994 to 1998, when Greg McDermott compiled an initial list of birds seen at NATL. In 2018, UF's student chapter of the National Audubon Society, GREBE Audubon Campus Chapter, surveyed the property for three months to determine if there were any new species residing at NATL. While they did not find any new species during their survey period, they were able to determine the relative commonality of each species.
If you are interested in reporting bird sightings at NATL, a popular tool is eBird, a worldwide citizen science project aimed at collecting data on species distributions. eBird is a user-friendly database in which birders can create checklists, access photos, calls, and range maps for various species, and even keep logs of their outings. All information collected plays a crucial role in avian conservation. To get started with eBird, click the following link:
Below is a comprehensive, alphabetized list of species found at NATL grouped by Order. Non-native species are designated with an asterisk (*). The key below defines the seasonal occurrence of each species in Gainesville.
KEY:
- Migrant = present only during spring and fall migration
Year-round = present all year
Summer = summer resident, departs Gainesville in winter
Winter = winter resident, departs Gainesville in summer
| COMMMON NAME | SCIENTIFIC NAME | RESIDENCE |
| Order Anseriformes | ||
| Black-bellied Whistling Duck | Dendrocygna autumnalis | Year-round |
| Hooded Merganser | Lophodytes cucullatus | Winter |
| Muscovy Duck * | Cairina moschata | Year-round |
| Wood Duck | Aix sponsa | Year-round |
| Order Apodiformes | ||
| Chimney Swift | Chaetura pelagica | Summer |
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird | Archilochus colubris | Summer |
| Order Caprimulgiformes | ||
| Chuck-Will's-Widow | Caprimulgus carolinensis | Summer |
| Order Charadriiformes | ||
| American Woodcock | Scolopax minor | Winter |
| Common Snipe | Capella gallinago | Winter |
| Lesser Yellowlegs | Tringa flavipes | Winter |
| Spotted Sandpiper | Actitis macularia | Winter |
| Order Ciconiiformes | ||
| Cattle Egret | Bubulcus ibis | Year-round |
| Great Blue Heron | Ardea herodias | Year-round |
| Great Egret | Ardia alba | Year-round |
| Green Heron | Butorides virescens | Year-round |
| Little Blue Heron | Egretta caerulea | Year-round |
| Snowy Egret | Egretta thula | Year-round |
| White Ibis | Eudocimus albus | Year-round |
| Wood Stork | Mycteria americana | Year-round |
| Order Columbiformes | ||
| Mourning Dove | Zenaida macroura | Year-round |
| Rock Pigeon * | Columba livia | Year-round |
| Order Coraciiformes | ||
| Belted Kingfisher | Megaceryle alcyon | Year-round |
| Order Cuculiformes | ||
| Yellow-billed Cuckoo | Coccyzus americanus | Summer |
| Order Falconiformes | ||
| American Kestrel | Falco sparverius | Winter |
| Bald Eagle | Haliaeetus leucocephalus | Year-round |
| Cooper's Hawk | Accipiter cooperii | Year-round |
| Mississippi Kite | Ictinia mississippiensis | Summer |
| Osprey | Pandion haliaetus | Year-round |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | Buteo lineatus | Year-round |
| Red-tailed Hawk | Buteo jamaicensis | Year-round |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | Accipiter striatus | Winter |
| Swallow-tailed Kite | Elanoides forficatus | Summer |
| Turkey Vulture | Cathartes aura | Year-round |
| Order Galliformes | ||
| Northern Bobwhite | Colinus virginianus | Year-round |
| Wild Turkey | Meleagris gallopavo | Year-round |
| Order Gruiformes | ||
| American Coot | Fulica americana | Winter |
| Common Moorhen | Gallinula chloropus | Year-round |
| Sandhill Crane | Grus canadensis | Year-round |
| Order Passeriformes | ||
| Bombycillidae - Waxwings | ||
| Cedar Waxwing | Bombycilla cedrorum | Winter |
| Cardinalidae - Cardinals, grosbeaks, and allies | ||
| Blue Grosbeak | Guiraca caerulea | Summer |
| Indigo Bunting | Passerina cyanea | Summer |
| Northern Cardinal | Cardinalis cardinalis | Year-round |
| Painted Bunting | Passerina ciris | Migrant |
| Scarlet Tanager | Piranga olivacea | Migrant |
| Summer Tanager | Piranga rubra | Summer | Corvidae - Jays and crows |
| American Crow | Corvus brachyrhynchos | Year-round |
| Blue Jay | Cyanocitta cristata | Year-round |
| Fish Crow | Corvus ossifragus | Year-round |
| Fringillidae - Finches | ||
| American Goldfinch | Carduelis tristis | Winter |
| House Finch * | Carpodacus mexicanus | Year-round |
| Pine Siskin | Spinus pinus | Winter |
| Hirundinidae - Swallows | ||
| Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica | Migrant |
| Northern Rough-winged Swallow | Stelgidopteryx serripennis | Migrant |
| Tree Swallow | Iridoprocne bicolor | Winter |
| Icteridae - Meadowlarks, cowbirds, grackles, and orioles | ||
| Baltimore Oriole | Icterus galbula | Migrant and winter |
| Boat-tailed Grackle | Quiscalus major | Year-round |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | Molothrus ater | Year-round |
| Common Grackle | Quiscalus quiscula | Year-round |
| Red-winged Blackbird | Agelaius phoeniceus | Year-round |
| Laniidae - Shrikes | ||
| Loggerhead Shrike | Lanius ludovicianus | Year-round |
| Mimidae - Mimic thrushes | ||
| Brown Thrasher | Toxostoma rufum | Year-round |
| Gray Catbird | Dumetella carolinensis | Winter |
| Northern Mockingbird | Mimus poltglottos | Year-round |
| Paridae - Titmice | ||
| Carolina Chickadee | Parus carolinensis | Year-round |
| Tufted Titmouse | Parus bicolor | Year-round |
| Parulidae - Wood warblers | ||
| American Redstart | Setophaga ruticilla | Migrant |
| Black and White Warbler | Mniotilta varia | Winter |
| Blackburnian Warbler | Setophaga fusca | Migrant |
| Blackpoll Warbler | Dendroica striata | Migrant | Black-throated Blue Warbler | Dendroica caerulescens | Migrant |
| Cape May Warbler | Dendroica tigrina | Migrant |
| Common Yellowthroat | Geothlypis trichas | Year-round |
| Hooded Warbler | Setophaga citrina | Migrant |
| Kentucky Warbler | Geothlypis formosa | Migrant |
| Magnolia Warbler | Setophaga magnolia | Winter (migration) |
| Northern Parula | Parula americana | Summer (some overwinter) |
| Northern Waterthrush | Seiurus noveboracensis | Migrant | Orange-crowned Warbler | Vermivora celata | Winter |
| Ovenbird | Seiurus aurucapillus | Migrant (some overwinter) |
| Palm Warbler | Dendroica palmarum | Winter | Pine Warbler | Dendroica pinus | Year-round |
| Prairie Warbler | Dendroica discolor | Migrant |
| Tennessee Warbler | Oreothlypis peregrina | Migrant |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | Dendroica coronata | Winter |
| Yellow-throated Warbler | Dendroica dominica | Year-round |
| Yellow Warbler | Dendroica petechia | Migrant |
| Passerellidae - American sparrows, towhees, and juncos | ||
| Eastern Towhee | Pipilo erythrophthalmu | Year-round |
| Passeridae - Old World sparrows | ||
| House Sparrow * | Passer domesticus | Year-round | Polioptilidae |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | Polioptila caerulea | Year-round |
| Regulidae - Kinglets | ||
| Golden-crowned Kinglet | Regulus satrapa | Winter |
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | Regulus calendula | Winter |
| Sturnidae - Starlings | ||
| European Starling * | Sturnus vulgaris | Year-round |
| Troglodytidae - Wrens | ||
| Carolina Wren | Thryothorus ludovicianus | Year-round |
| House Wren | Troglodytes aedon | Winter |
| Marsh Wren | Cistothorus palustris | Winter |
| Turdidae - Thrushes | ||
| American Robin | Turdis migratorius | Winter |
| Eastern Bluebird | Sialia sialis | Year-round |
| Hermit Thrush | Catharus guttatus | Winter |
| Swainson's Thrush | Catharus ustulatus | Migrant |
| Veery | Catharus fuscescens | Migrant |
| Wood Thrush | Hylocichla mustelina | Migrant |
| Tyrannidae - Flycatchers | ||
| Acadian Flycatcher | Empidonax virescens | Migrant |
| Eastern Kingbird | Tyrannus tyrannus | Summer |
| Eastern Phoebe | Sayornis phoebe | Winter |
| Eastern Wood-pewee | Contopus virens | Summer |
| Great-crested Flycatcher | Myriarchus crinitus | Summer |
| Least Flycatcher | Empidonax minimus | Migrant |
| Vireonidae - Vireos | ||
| Blue-headed Vireo | Vireo solitarius | Winter |
| Red-eyed Vireo | Vireo olivaceus | Migrant |
| White-eyed Vireo | Vireo griseus | Year-round |
| Yellow-throated Vireo | Vireo flavifrons | Summer |
| Order Piciformes | ||
| Downy Woodpecker | Picoides pubescens | Year-round |
| Hairy Woodpecker | Picoides villosus | Year-round |
| Northern Flicker | Colaptes auratus | Year-round |
| Pileated Woodpecker | Dryocopus pileatus | Year-round |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | Melanerpes carolinus | Year-round |
| Red-headed Woodpecker | Melanerpes erythrocephalus | Year-round |
| Yellow-bellied Sapsucker | Sphyrapicus varius | Winter |
| Order Podicipediformes |
||
| Pied-billed Grebe | Podilymbus podiceps | Year-round |
| Order Strigiformes | ||
| Barred Owl | Strix varia | Year-round |
| Great Horned Owl | Bubo virginianus | Year-round |
| Order Suliformes | ||
| Anhinga | Anhinga anhinga | Year-round |
| Double-crested Cormorant | Phalacrocorax auritus | Year-round |
Note: In 2010, 20 commercially reared Common Bobwhite were released in NATL (results).
Contributors
We would like to thank the following people for contributing to the list of sightings from 2004 to 2015:
- Bill Coughlin
- Caleb Gordon
- Daniel Dawson
- Doug Levy
- Lary Reeves
- Scott Robinson
- Tom Webber
For detailed information on each contributor's sightings, click the following link: New Bird Observation Records
