Birding

Sanibel

Bird Checklist
of Sanibel Island

Visit us online at
http://www.birdingsanibel.com

How to use your checklist. The bird checklist was designed to be informative and simple to use. The list
is arranged in the order established by the American Ornithological Union.

This checklist includes 174 species of birds. A list of 63 accidental sightings (seen once or twice during
the past 8 years) has also been included.

Symbols which appear in this checklist represent the following:

Seasonal appearance Seasonal abundance

Sp Spring - March to May a abundant: a common species which is very numerous

S Summer - June to August
F Fall - September to November
W Winter - December to February
c common: certain to be seen in suitable habitat
fc fairly common: present but not always seen
u uncommon: present but difficult to find
r rare: seen at irregular intervals
* known or suspected to have nested on refuge or known
to nest locally
LOONS Sp S F W o Sora fc - - fc
o Common Loon r - r u o Common Moorhen* a a a a
o American Coot u - - u
GREBES Sp S F W
o Pied-billed Grebe c u fc c PLOVERS, SANDPIPERS & ALLIES Sp S F W
o Horned Grebe r - r r o Black-bellied Plover c r c c
o Snowy Plover* u - u u
PELICANS AND ALLIES Sp S F W o Wilson's Plover fc fc fc fc
o American White Pelican r - fc fc o Semipalmated Plover r fc fc fc
o Brown Pelican* a a a a o Piping Plover r r r r
o Double-crested Cormorant* a a a a o Killdeer* c c c c
o Anhinga* a a a a o American Oystercatcher* fc fc fc fc
o Magnificent Frigatebird c c c fc o Black-necked Stilt* fc fc - -
o Greater Yellowlegs fc fc fc fc
HERONS, EGRETS AND ALLIES Sp S F W o Lesser Yellowlegs fc fc fc fc
o American Bittern r - r r o Solitary Sandpiper r - r -
o Least Bittern* u u u u o Willet a c a a
o Great Blue Heron* a a a a o Spotted Sandpiper c r fc c
o Great Egret* a c a a o Marbled Godwit r - r r
o Snowy Egret* a c a a o Ruddy Turnstone c fc c a
o Little Blue Heron* a c a a o Red Knot c fc c a
o Tricolored Heron* a c a a o Sanderling c fc c a
o Reddish Egret* fc fc fc fc o Semipalmated Sandpiper - - r -
o Cattle Egret* u u u u o Western Sandpiper c r c c
o Green Heron* c c c c o Least Sandpiper c r c c
o Black-crowned Night-Heron* u u u u o Dunlin c r r c
o Yellow-crowned Night-Heron* c c c c o Stilt Sandpiper r - - r
o Short-billed Dowitcher c c c c
IBISES, SPOONBILL AND STORKS Sp S F W o Common Snipe fc - - fc
o Glossy Ibis r r r r
o White Ibis* a a a a GULLS, TERNS AND SKIMMERS Sp S F W
o Roseate Spoonbill c c fc fc o Laughing Gull a c a a
o Wood Stork fc fc fc fc o Bonaparte's Gull r - - r
o Ring-billed Gull fc - r a
WATERFOWL Sp S F W o Herring Gull r - - fc
o Green-winged Teal u - - u o Caspian Tern r - - r
o Mottled Duck* c c c c o Royal Tern a fc a a
o Northern Pintail r - r u o Sandwich Tern c fc c c
o Blue-winged Teal* c r u c o Forster's Tern c - fc c
o Northern Shoveler r - r u o Least Tern* r c c -
o American Wigeon c - r c o Black Tern r r r -
o Lesser Scaup r - - r o Black Skimmer* fc fc fc fc
o Hooded Merganser u - - u
o Red-breasted Merganser c - - c PIGEONS AND DOVES Sp S F W
o Eurasian Collared-Dove* fc fc fc fc
VULTURES, HAWKS AND ALLIES Sp S F W o Ringed Turtle-Dove r r r r
o Black Vulture* c fc c c o Mourning Dove* a a a a
o Turkey Vulture* a c a a o Common Ground-Dove* c c c c
o Osprey* a a a a
o American Swallow-tailed Kite r r r r CUCKOOS Sp S F W
o Bald Eagle* r r r r o Yellow-billed Cuckoo r - - -
o Northern Harrier r - r r o Mangrove Cuckoo* u u u u
o Sharp-shinned Hawk r - r r
o Cooper's Hawk r - - r OWLS Sp S F W
o Red-shouldered Hawk* c c c c o Barn Owl* u u u u
o Broad-winged Hawk r - - r o Eastern Screech-Owl* fc fc fc fc
o Red-tailed Hawk r - - r o Great Horned Owl* fc fc fc fc
o American Kestrel r - fc c
o Merlin u - u u GOATSUCKERS Sp S F W
o Peregrine Falcon r - r r o Common Nighthawk fc fc fc -
o Chuck-will's-widow* fc fc fc -
RAILS, GALLINULES AND COOTS Sp S F W o Whip-poor-will r - r r
o Clapper Rail u - - u
o King Rail u u u u
o Virginia Rail u - - u
SWIFTS Sp S F W o Red-eyed Vireo r - - -
o Chimney Swift fc fc fc - o Black-whiskered Vireo* fc fc - -

HUMMINGBIRDS Sp S F W WARBLERS Sp S F W
o Ruby-throated Hummingbird fc - - - o Orange-crowned Warbler r - - r
o Nashville Warbler r - - -
KINGFISHERS Sp S F W o Tennessee Warbler r - - -
o Belted Kingfisher u u c c o Golden-winged Warbler r - - -
o Blue-winged Warbler r - - -
WOODPECKERS Sp S F W o Northern Parula u - r -
o Red-bellied Woodpecker* a a a a o Yellow Warbler u - r -
o Yellow-bellied Sapsucker u - - u o Magnolia Warbler r - - -
o Downy Woodpecker u u u fc o Black-throated Green Warbler u - - -
o Northern Flicker* c c c c o Cape May Warbler u - - -
o Pileated Woodpecker* c c c c o Black-throated Blue Warbler u - - -
o Yellow-rumped Warbler fc - fc c
FLYCATCHERS Sp S F W o Blackburnian Warbler r - r -
o Eastern Phoebe u - u fc o Yellow-throated Warbler fc - fc fc
o Great Crested Flycatcher* c fc fc c o Prairie Warbler* fc fc fc fc
o Western Kingbird r - - r o Palm Warbler c - c c
o Eastern Kingbird r - r r o Blackpoll Warbler u - - -
o Gray Kingbird* c c c - o Black-and-white Warbler fc - fc fc
o Scissor-tailed Flycatcher r - - r o American Redstart u - r -
o Prothonotary Warbler u - - -
MARTINS AND SWALLOWS Sp S F W o Bay-breasted Warbler r - - -
o Purple Martin u u r u o Worm-eating Warbler u - - r
o Tree Swallow u - u u o Ovenbird u - u u
o Northern Rough-winged Swallow u u u u o Northern Waterthrush u - - -
o Bank Swallow r - - - o Louisiana Waterthrush r - - -
o Barn Swallow fc fc fc r o Common Yellowthroat* fc fc fc fc
o Hooded Warbler u - r -
JAYS AND CROWS Sp S F W
o Blue Jay* u u u u TANAGERS Sp S F W
o American Crow - - - r o Summer Tanager r - r -
o Fish Crow* a a a a o Scarlet Tanager r - r -

WRENS Sp S F W NEW WORLD FINCHES Sp S F W

o Carolina Wren* fc fc fc fc o Northern Cardinal* c c c c
o House Wren r r - - o Rose-breasted Grosbeak u - - -
o Blue Grosbeak fc - - -
GNATCATCHERS Sp S F W o Indigo Bunting fc - - -
o Blue-gray Gnatcatcher u - fc fc o Painted Bunting u - r -

THRUSHES Sp S F W SPARROWS Sp S F W
o American Robin - - - fc o Rufous-sided Towhee* fc fc fc fc
o Swainson's Thrush r - - - o Swamp Sparrow u - r r
o Gray-cheeked Thrush r - - -
o Veery r - - - BLACKBIRDS, GRACKLES, Sp S F W
o Wood Thrush r - - - COWBIRDS AND ORIOLES
o Bobolink u - - -
MOCKINGBIRDS, THRASHERS Sp S F W o Red-winged Blackbird* a a a a
AND ALLIES o Boat-tailed Grackle* a a a a
o Gray Catbird fc - fc c o Common Grackle* c c c c
o Northern Mockingbird* a a a a o Shiny Cowbird r r - -
o Brown Thrasher* u u u u o Brown-headed Cowbird u u u u
o Orchard Oriole r - - -
WAXWINGS Sp S F W o Northern Oriole r - - -
o Cedar Waxwing fc - - fc
NORTHERN FINCHES Sp S F W
STARLINGS Sp S F W o American Goldfinch - - - fc
o European Starling* a a a a
OLD WORLD SPARROWS Sp S F W
VIREOS Sp S F W o House Sparrow c c c c
o White-eyed Vireo* fc fc fc fc
o Solitary Vireo r - - r
ACCIDENTALS
Birds seen only once or twice during the past eight years:

Northern Gannet Purple Gallinule White-crowned Pigeon Monk Eastern Bluebird

Greater Flamingo Limpkin Parakeet Swainson's Thrush
Fulvous Whistling-Duck Sandhlil Crane Green Parakeet Loggerhead Shrike
Wood Duck American Avocet Canary-winged Parakeet Yellow-throated Vireo
Mallard Whimbrel Rose-ringed Parakeet Philadelphia Vireo
Snow Goose White-rumped Sandpiper Black-billed Cuckoo Chestnut-sided Warbler
Gadwall Parasitic Jaeger Smooth-billed Ani Pine Warbler
Eurasian Wigeon Pectoral Sandpiper Barred Owl Kentucky Warbler
Canvasback Common Black-headed Gull Short-eared Owl Wilson's Warbler
Redhead Great Black-backed Gull Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-breasted Chat
Ring-necked Duck Gull-billed Tern Hairy Woodpecker Savannah Sparrow
Bufflehead Roseate Tern Vermilion Flycatcher Eastern Meadowlark
Ruddy Duck Common Tern Sedge Wren
Swainson's Hawk White-winged Dove Marsh Wren
Black Rail Rock Dove Ruby-crowned Kinglet

ETHNICS FOR BIRDWATCHING

• Take care not to disturb nesting birds, exposing eggs and young to extreme temperatures and predation.

• 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.

• Do not litter. Many birds die when they become entangled in fishing lines, 6-pack rings, and other trash,
or when they mistake garbage for food.

Presented by Birding Sanibel; Sanibel Island, Florida. Visit our website at http://www.birdingsanibel.com

Compiled by the J.N. "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society, Inc. For additional information contact:

Refuge Manager
J.N. "Ding" Darling NWR
#1 Wildlife Drive
Sanibel, Florida 33957
Telephone: 813/472-1100
This resource is based on the following source:

J.N. "Ding" Darling Wildlife Societ y, Inc. 1993. Birds of the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel
and Captiva Islands and surrounding waters. J.N. "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society, Inc. Unpaginated. Jamestown,
ND: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Home Page. http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/othrdata/chek-
bird/r4/dingdarl.htm (Version 22MAY98).