Delaware Checklist

Regularly-occurring Species

Under construction. Compiled by Maurice Barnhill, mvb@udel.edu, copyright © 1995, 1996, 1997. Occurrence of a species on this list does not mean that either the Birds of Delaware or the Delaware Rare Birds Committee has accepted the species for the Delaware list, nor does the absence of a species from this list indicate that the species has been officially rejected. Last revised November 17, 1996.

For complete information about the occurrence of birds in Delaware, see the forthcoming Birds of Delaware by Hess, West, Barnhill, and Fleming. The book is in production and publication is currently expected in late summer, 1998.

Electronic copies of this file may be freely made provided it is left unchanged. No charge, including any charge or part of a charge for distribution costs, may be made for a copy of the file. Commercial distribution forbidden, but links from commercial documents to this file are acceptable and encouraged. Although I have used information that I learned in the process of helping to write the Birds of Delaware, this list is a separate document and any errors in it are my responsibility only.

r = Casual/Accidental, o = Occasional;
W = winter, S = spring, U = summer, F = Fall

The seasonal labels apply to the pattern of occurrence, not to particular months. For example, Fall shorebirds arrive as early as late June. Birds absent only in early February are listed as Winter. Some species are much more common in one of the listed seasons than in others.

Species marked widespread are present in too many locations to tabulate, at least in the season in which they are most common. A limited number of sites are listed, so most species occur in some locations that are not listed in this table. "Try X" means that X is the best spot, but don't expect to find the species very easily.

Red-throated Loon		W	Atlantic Coast
Common Loon		W	Atlantic Coast
Pied-billed Grebe		W	Gunning Bedford
Horned Grebe		W	Atlantic Coast
Red-necked Grebe	o	W	Try Cape Henlopen SP, Indian River Inlet
Northern Fulmar		W	Offshore
Cory's Shearwater		SF	Offshore
Greater Shearwater		SF	Offshore
Sooty Shearwater		SF	Offshore; try Cape Henlopen SP
Manx Shearwater	o		Offshore
Audubon's Shearwater		U	Far offshore
Wilson's Storm-Petrel		U	Offshore; try Cape Henlopen SP
Leach's Storm-Petrel		SF	Offshore
Northern Gannet		W	Atlantic Coast
Brown Pelican		U	Cape Henlopen SP, Indian River Inlet
Great Cormorant		W	Cape Henlopen SP
Double-crested Cormorant		U	Widespread along coasts
American Bittern		U	Widespread in marshes but difficult to find
Least Bittern		U	Gunning Bedford, The Refuges
Great Blue Heron		U	Widespread
Great Egret		U	The Refuges, Atlantic Coast
Snowy Egret		U	The Refuges, Atlantic Coast
Little Blue Heron		U	Gunning Bedford
Tricolored Heron		U	Atlantic Coast
Cattle Egret		U	Widespread in north; rare in south
Green Heron		U	Widespread
Black-crowned Night-Heron		U	C and D Canal
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron		U	C and D Canal
White Ibis	o	U
Glossy Ibis		U	Widespread
White-faced Ibis	r
Fulvous Whistling-Duck	o
Tundra Swan		W	Try Bombay Hook NWR, Little Creek WA
Mute Swan		WSUF
Greater White-fronted Goose	o
Snow Goose		W	The Refuges
Ross' Goose		W	Try The Refuges
Brant		W	Cape Henlopen SP Indian River Inlet
Canada Goose		W	Widespread
Wood Duck		U	Gunning Bedford, The Refuges
Green-winged Teal		W	The Refuges
Black Duck		WSUF	The Refuges, Indian River Inlet
Mallard		WSUF	The Refuges
Northern Pintail		W	The Refuges
Blue-winged Teal		U	The Refuges
Northern Shoveler		W	The Refuges
Gadwall		WSUF	The Refuges
Eurasian Wigeon	o	UF	The Refuges
American Wigeon		W	The Refuges
Canvasback		W	Rehoboth Beach
Redhead		W	Try Rehoboth Beach
Ring-necked Duck		W
Greater Scaup		W	Cape Henlopen SP, Indian River Inlet
Lesser Scaup		W	Cape Henlopen SP, Indian River Inlet
Common Eider	o	W	Try Cape Henlopen SP, Indian River Inlet
King Eider	o	W	Try Cape Henlopen SP, Indian River Inlet
Harlequin Duck	o	W	Try Indian River Inlet
Oldsquaw		W	Cape Henlopen SP, Indian River Inlet
Black Scoter		W	Try Cape Henlopen SP, Indian River Inlet
Surf Scoter		W	Cape Henlopen SP, Indian River Inlet
White-winged Scoter		W	Cape Henlopen SP, Indian River Inlet
Common Goldeneye		W	Cape Henlopen SP, Indian River Inlet
Bufflehead		W	The Refuges, Atlantic Coast
Hooded Merganser		W	Bombay Hook NWR, Rehoboth Beach
Common Merganser		W	Bombay Hook NWR, Little Creek WA
Red-breasted Merganser		W	Atlantic Coast
Ruddy Duck		WSUF	The Refuges
Black Vulture		WSUF	Widespread, less uncommon south, not easy to find
Turkey Vulture		WSUF	Widespread
Osprey		U	Indian River Inlet
Swallow-tailed Kite	r
Mississippi Kite	r
Bald Eagle		WSUF	Bombay Hook NWR
Northern Harrier		WSUF	The Refuges
Sharp-shinned Hawk		W	Fall: Brandywine Creek SP
Cooper's Hawk		W	Fall: Brandywine Creek SP
Northern Goshawk	o	W
Red-shouldered Hawk		WSUF	Fall: Brandywine Creek SP
Broad-winged Hawk		U	Fall: Brandywine Creek SP
Red-tailed Hawk		WSUF	Widespread
Rough-legged Hawk	o	W	Try The Refuges
Golden Eagle	o	W	The Refuges
American Kestrel		WUSF	Widespread
Merlin		W	In fall, try Atlantic Coast
Peregrine Falcon	o	SF	Try The Refuges, or in fall, try Atlantic Coast
Ring-necked Pheasant		WSUF	White Clay Creek
Wild Turkey		WSUF
Northern Bobwhite		WSUF	Bombay Hook NWR and sometimes the other refuges. Not easy to find except in spring
Yellow Rail	o	SF	Try Bombay Hook NWR, Little Creek WA
Black Rail		U	Bombay Hook NWR, Little Creek WA, Prime Hook NWR
Clapper Rail		WUSF	Can be heard in The Refuges in spring and summer.
King Rail		WSUF
Virginia Rail		WSUF	Gunning Bedford, The Refuges
Sora		SF	Gunning Bedford
Common Moorhen		U	Try Gunning Bedford
American Coot		W	The Refuges
Sandhill Crane	r
Black-bellied Plover		SF	The Refuges
American Golden-Plover		SF	The Refuges
Semipalmated Plover		SF	The Refuges
Piping Plover		U	Cape Henlopen SP
Killdeer		WSUF	Widespread
American Oystercatcher		U	Cape Henlopen SP, Indian River Inlet
Black-necked Stilt		U	The Refuges
American Avocet		U	The Refuges
Greater Yellowlegs		SF	The Refuges
Lesser Yellowlegs		SF	The Refuges
Solitary Sandpiper		SF
Willet		U	Widespread along Bay and Atlantic beaches
Spotted Sandpiper		SF	The Refuges
Upland Sandpiper		SF
Whimbrel		SF	Try Indian River Inlet
Long-billed Curlew	r
Hudsonian Godwit		F	Try The Refuges
Marbled Godwit		SF	Try The Refuges
Ruddy Turnstone		WSF	The Refuges
Red Knot		SF	The Refuges
Sanderling		W	Widespread along Bay [SF] and Atlantic beaches
Semipalmated Sandpiper		SF	The Refuges
Western Sandpiper		SF	The Refuges
Rufous-necked Stint	o	F	Try The Refuges
Least Sandpiper		SF	The Refuges
White-rumped Sandpiper		SF	The Refuges
Baird's Sandpiper		F	The Refuges
Pectoral Sandpiper		SF	The Refuges
Purple Sandpiper		W	Indian River Inlet
Dunlin		W	The Refuges
Curlew Sandpiper	o	SF	Try The Refuges
Stilt Sandpiper		SF	The Refuges
Buff-breasted Sandpiper	o	F
Ruff	o	SF	Try The Refuges
Short-billed Dowitcher		SF	The Refuges
Long-billed Dowitcher		SF	The Refuges
Common Snipe		W	The Refuges
American Woodcock		WSUF
Wilson's Phalarope		SF	Try The Refuges
Red-necked Phalarope		SF	Try The Refuges
Red Phalarope	o	SF	Offshore
Pomarine Jaeger		SF	Offshore
Parasitic Jaeger		SF	Offshore
Long-tailed Jaeger	r		Offshore
Great Skua		W	Offshore
South Polar Skua	r		Offshore
Laughing Gull		U	Widespread
Franklin's Gull	r
Little Gull		W	Try Cape Henlopen SP, Indian River Inlet
Black-headed Gull		W
Bonaparte's Gull		W	Cape Henlopen SP, Indian River Inlet
Ring-billed Gull		WSUF	Widespread
Herring Gull		WSUF	Widespread
Iceland Gull	o	W
Lesser Black-backed Gull		W
Glaucous Gull	o	W
Great Black-backed Gull		WSUF	Widespread
Black-legged Kittiwake		W	Offshore. Casual on Atlantic beaches.
Gull-billed Tern		SF
Caspian Tern		SF
Royal Tern		SF
Sandwich Tern	o	UF	Try Cape Henlopen SP
Roseate Tern	o	S	Try Cape Henlopen SP
Common Tern		U
Arctic Tern	r		Try Cape Henlopen SP
Forster's Tern		U	The Refuges
Least Tern		U	Cape Henlopen SP
White-winged Tern	o	F	Try The Refuges
Black Tern		SF	The Refuges
Black Skimmer		U	Cape Henlopen SP, Indian River Inlet
Dovekie	o	W	Offshore
Common Murre	r		Offshore
Thick-billed Murre	o	W	Offshore, try Cape Henlopen SP
Razorbill	o	W	Offshore, try Cape Henlopen SP
Atlantic Puffin	o	W	Offshore
Rock Dove		WSUF	Widespread
Mourning Dove		WSUF	Widespread
Black-billed Cuckoo		SF
Yellow-billed Cuckoo		U	Widespread
Barn Owl		WSUF
Eastern Screech-Owl		WSUF	Widespread
Great Horned Owl		WSUF	Widespread
Snowy Owl	o	W
Barred Owl		WSUF	White Clay Creek
Long-eared Owl	o	W
Short-eared Owl		W
Saw-whet Owl	o	W
Common Nighthawk		U	Cape Henlopen SP, in Fall Brandywine Creek SP
Chuck-will's-widow		U
Whip-poor-will		U
Chimney Swift		U	Widespread
Ruby-throated Hummingbird		U	Widespread
Belted Kingfisher		WSUF	Widespread
Red-headed Woodpecker		U
Red-bellied Woodpecker		WSUF	Widespread
Yellow-breasted Sapsucker		W	White Clay Creek, Brandywine Creek SP
Downy Woodpecker		WSUF	Widespread
Hairy Woodpecker		WSUF	White Clay Creek
Northern Flicker		WSUF	Widespread
Pileated Woodpecker		WSUF	White Clay Creek
Olive-sided Flycatcher	o	SF
Eastern Wood-Pewee		U	Widespread
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher	o	SF
Acadian Flycatcher		U	White Clay Creek, Brandywine Creek SP
Alder Flycatcher		SF	Try Brandywine Creek SP
Willow Flycatcher		U	White Clay Creek
Least Flycatcher		SF	Try Brandywine Creek SP
Eastern Phoebe		WSUF	Widespread
Great-crested Flycatcher		U	Widespread
Western Kingbird	o	F
Eastern Kingbird		U	Widespread
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher	r
Horned Lark		WSUF	Widespread
Purple Martin		U	Widespread
Tree Swallow		U	Widespread
Rough-winged Swallow		U	White Clay Creek
Bank Swallow		U	C and D Canal
Cliff Swallow		U	Augustine WA
Barn Swallow		U	Widespread
Blue Jay		WSUF	Widespread
American Crow		WSUF	Widespread
Fish Crow		WSUF	University of Delaware campus
Black-capped Chickadee	o	W
Carolina Chickadee		WSUF	Widespread
Tufted Titmouse		WSUF	Widespread
Red-breasted Nuthatch	o	W	White Clay Creek
White-breasted Nuthatch		WSUF	White Clay Creek, Brandywine Creek SP
Brown-headed Nuthatch		WSUF
Brown Creeper		W	White Clay Creek, Brandywine Creek SP
Carolina Wren		WSUF	Widespread
House Wren		U	Widespread
Winter Wren		SF
Sedge Wren		U
Marsh Wren		U	Widespread in Phragmites
Golden-crowned Kinglet		W	White Clay Creek, Brandywine Creek SP
Rufous-crowned Kinglet		SF	White Clay Creek, Brandywine Creek SP
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher		U	Widespread
Eastern Bluebird		WSUF	White Clay Creek, Brandywine Creek SP
Veery		U	White Clay Creek
Gray-cheeked Thrush		SF	Try Gunning Bedford
Swainson's Thrush		SF	Gunning Bedford
Hermit Thrush		W	White Clay Creek, Brandywine Creek SP
Wood Thrush		U	Widespread
American Robin		U	Widespread
Gray Catbird		WSUF	Widespread in summer, in winter try Augustine WA
Northern Mockingbird		WSUF	Widespread
Brown Thrasher		WSUF	Widespread
American Pipit		W
Cedar Waxwing		WSUF	Widespread
Loggerhead Shrike	o	W
European Starling		WSUF	Widespread
White-eyed Vireo		U	Widespread
Solitary Vireo		SF	White Clay Creek
Yellow-throated Vireo		U	Widespread
Warbling Vireo		U	White Clay Creek
Philadelphia Vireo		SF
Red-eyed Vireo		U	Widespread
Blue-winged Warbler		U	White Clay Creek
Golden-winged Warbler	o	SF
Tennessee Warbler		SF	Brandywine Creek SP
Orange-crowned Warbler	o	SF
Nashville Warbler		SF
Northern Parula		U	Widespread
Yellow Warbler		U	White Clay Creek, Brandywine Creek SP, Gunning Bedford
Chestnut-sided Warbler		SF	White Clay Creek, Brandywine Creek SP
Magnolia Warbler		SF	White Clay Creek, Brandywine Creek SP
Cape May Warbler		SF
Black-throated Blue Warbler		SF	White Clay Creek, Brandywine Creek SP
Yellow-rumped Warbler		W	Widespread
Black-throated Green Warbler		SF	White Clay Creek, Brandywine Creek SP
Blackburnian Warbler		SF	White Clay Creek, Brandywine Creek SP
Yellow-throated Warbler		U	Try Pocomoke Swamp Nanticoke River
Pine Warbler		U	Widespread in south
Prairie Warbler		SF	White Clay Creek
Palm Warbler		SF	White Clay Creek
Bay-breasted Warbler		SF	White Clay Creek, Brandywine Creek SP
Blackpoll Warbler		SF	White Clay Creek, Brandywine Creek SP
Cerulean Warbler		U	White Clay Creek
Black-and-white Warbler		U	Widespread
American Redstart		U	Widespread
Prothonotary Warbler		U	Pocomoke Swamp Nanticoke River
Worm-eating Warbler		U	Pocomoke Swamp Nanticoke River
Swainson's Warbler	r
Ovenbird		U	Widespread
Northern Waterthrush		SF	White Clay Creek, Brandywine Creek SP
Louisiana Waterthrush		U	White Clay Creek, Gunning Bedford
Kentucky Warbler		U	White Clay Creek
Connecticut Warbler		F	Try Brandywine Creek SP
Mourning Warbler		SF	White Clay Creek, Brandywine Creek SP
Common Yellowthroat		U	Widespread
Hooded Warbler		U	White Clay Creek
Wilson's Warbler		SF	White Clay Creek, Brandywine Creek SP, Gunning Bedford
Canada Warbler		SF	White Clay Creek, Brandywine Creek SP
Yellow-breasted Chat		U	White Clay Creek
Summer Tanager		U	Trap Pond SP
Scarlet Tanager		U	Widespread
Northern Cardinal		WSUF	Widespread
Rose-breasted Grosbeak		SF	White Clay Creek, Brandywine Creek SP
Blue Grosbeak		U
Indigo Bunting		U	Widespread
Painted Bunting	r
Dickcissel	r
Rufous-sided Towhee		WSUF	Widespread in summer, in winter try Augustine WA
American Tree Sparrow		W
Chipping Sparrow		U	Widespread
Field Sparrow		U	Widespread
Vesper Sparrow		U	Redden/Ellendale SF
Lark Sparrow	o	SF
Savannah Sparrow		W	Widespread; Cape Henlopen SP and Indian River Inlet are good
Grasshopper Sparrow		U	White Clay Creek
Henslow's Sparrow	r
Le Conte's Sparrow	r
Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow		W?; SF	Try Indian River Inlet
Salt-marsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow		W?;SUF	Try Indian River Inlet in winter or Little Creek WA (Port Mahon Road) in summer.
Seaside Sparrow		WSUF	Widespread in marshes, in winter try Indian River Inlet
Fox Sparrow		W	Brandywine Creek SP, Augustine WA
Song Sparrow		WSUF	Widespread
Lincoln's Sparrow		SF
Swamp Sparrow		WSUF	Widespread
White-throated Sparrow		W	Widespread
White-crowned Sparrow		W
Harris' Sparrow	r
Dark-eyed Junco		W	Widespread
Lapland Longspur		W
Snow Bunting		W	Try Cape Henlopen SP, Bombay Hook NWR, Indian River Inlet
Bobolink		SF
Red-winged Blackbird		WSUF	Widespread
Eastern Meadowlark		WSUF	Widespread
Yellow-headed Blackbird	o	W
Rusty Blackbird		W
Brewer's Blackbird		W
Boat-tailed Grackle		WSUF	Widespread on Atlantic coast [U]; widespread in small numbers on Bay and Atlantic coasts [W]
Common Grackle		WSUF	Widespread
Brown-headed Cowbird		WSUF	Widespread
Orchard Oriole		U
Northern Oriole		U	Widespread
Purple Finch	o	W	Try Brandywine Creek SP
House Finch		WSUF	Widespread
Red Crossbill	o	W
White-winged Crossbill	o	W
Common Redpoll	o	W
Pine Siskin	o	W
American Goldfinch		WSUF	Widespread
Evening Grosbeak	o	W
House Sparrow		WSUF	Widespread

Total 342

Last changed 9/26/96