Birds of Buck Island Ranch

A checklist

by by Michael A. McMillian and Reuven Yosef, 2001
Photos at Buck Island Ranch by Alex Calzadillo (burrowing owl), Lourdes Rojas (caracara), Joyce Voneman (barred owl) and Tom Bancroft (cranes & kingbird)


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Burrowing OwlBurrowing Owl

Crested CaracaraCrested caracara

Barred OwlBarred Owl

Sandhill CranesSandhill Cranes

Eastern KingbirdEastern Kingbird

This checklist includes 161 species of birds recorded (through January 2001) at the Buck Island Ranch, Lake Placid, Highlands County, Florida, and site of the MacArthur Agro-ecology Research Center. The list includes 46 species confirmed as nesters, with an additional 9 suspected, but unconfirmed. Of 11 listed species, 4 are confirmed nesters (1 additional species is a possible nester). The list follows the American Ornithologists' Union's "Check-list of North American birds," seventh edition, 1998.

Definitions:
*  indicates species confirmed nesting.
*?  indicates species suspected of nesting.
(L)  are listed species.
S  is specimen collected.


ORDER PODICIPEIFORMES

Family Podicipedidae – Grebes

  • Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps

ORDER PELECANIFORMES

Family Pelecanidae - Pelicans

  • American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos 

Family Phalacrocoracidae – Cormorants

  • Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus

Family Anhingidae – Darters

  • Anhinga Anhinga anhinga

ORDER CICONIIFORMES

Family Ardeidae - Herons, Egrest and Bitterns

  • American Bittern Botaurus lentiginosus
  • Least Bittern*? Ixobrychus exilis
  • Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias
  • Great White Heron (here considered a color form of the Great Blue Heron)
  • Great Egret Casmerodius albus
  • Snowy Egret (L) Egretta thula
  • Little Blue Heron (L) Egretta caerulea
  • Tricolored Heron (L) Egretta tricolor
  • Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
  • Green Heron* Butorides striatus
  • Black-crowned Night Heron* Nycticorax nycticorax
  • Yellow-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax violaceus

Family Threskiornithidae - Ibises and Spoonbills

Subfamily Threskiornithinae

  • White Ibis (L) Eudocimus albus
  • Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus

Subfamily Plataleinae

  • Roseate Spoonbill Ajaia ajaja

Family Ciconiidae – Storks

  • Wood Stork (L) Mycteria americana

Family Cathartidae - American Vultures

  • Black Vulture* Coragyps atratus
  • Turkey Vulture* Cathartes aura

ORDER ANSERIFORMES

Family Anatidae - Swans, Geese and Ducks

Subfamily Dendrocygninae

  • Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis

Subfamily Anserinae

  • Snow Goose Chen caerulescens

Subfamily Anatinae

  • Wood Duck Aix sponsa
  • American Wigeon Anas americana
  • Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
  • Mottled Duck* Anas fulvigula
  • Blue-winged Teal Anas discors
  • Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata
  • Northern Pintail Anas acuta
  • Green-winged Teal Anas crecca
  • Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus
  • Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator

ORDER FALCONIFORMES

Family Accipitridae - Hawks, Kites and Eagles

Subfamily Pandioninae – Ospreys

  • Osprey Pandion haliaetus

Subfamily Accipitrinae - Kites, Hawks, Eagles and Harriers

  • American Swallow-tailed Kite Elanoides forficatus
  • White-tailed Kite*(S) Elanus caeruleus
  • Bald Eagle* (L) Haliaeetus leucocephalus
  • Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus
  • Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus
  • Cooper’s Hawk* Accipiter cooperii
  • Red-shouldered Hawk* Buteo lineatus
  • Short-tailed Hawk Buteo brachyurus
  • Swainson’s Hawk Buteo swainsoni
  • Red-tailed Hawk*? Buteo jamaicensis

Family Falconidae - Falcons and Caracaras

  • Crested Caracara*(L) Caracara cheriway
  • American Kestrel Falco sparverius
  • Merlin Falco columbarius
  • Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus

ORDER GALLIFORMES

Family Phasianidae - Pheasants, Grouse and Turkey

Subfamily Meleagridinae – Turkeys

  • Wild Turkey* Meleagris gallapavo

Family Odontophoridae – New World Quail

  • Northern Bobwhite* Colinus virginianus

ORDER GRUIFORMES

Family Rallidae - Rails, Gallinules and Coots

  • Black Rail Laterallus jamaicensis
  • King Rail*? Rallus elegans
  • Virginia Rail Rallus limicola
  • Sora Rail Porzana carolina
  • Purple Gallinule* Porphyrula martinica
  • Common Moorehen* Gallinula chloropus
  • American Coot Fulica americana

Family Aramidae – Limpkins

  • Limpkin (L) Aramus guarauna

Family Gruidae – Cranes

  • Sandhill Cranes*(L) Grus canadensis pratensis

ORDER CHARADRIIFORMES

Family Charadriiformes – Plovers

  • Killdeer* Charadrius vociferus

Family Recurvirostridae

  • Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus

Family Scolopacidae - Sandpipers and Allies

  • Greater Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes

  • Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes

  • Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitaria

  • Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularia

  • Dunlin Calidris alpina

  • Semipalmated Sandpiper(S) Calidris pusilla

  • Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla

  • Dowitcher sp. Limnodromus sp.

  • Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago

Family Laridae - Skuas, Jaegers, Gulls and Terns

  • Laughing Gull Larus atricilla
  • Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis
  • Caspian Tern Sterna caspia
  • Royal Tern Sterna maxima
  • Forester's tern Sterna forsteri

ORDER COLUMBIFORMES

Family Columbidae - Pigeons and Doves

  • Rock Dove Columba livia
  • Eurasion Collared-Dove*? Streptopelia decaocto
  • White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica
  • Morning Dove* Zenaida macroura
  • Common Ground-Dove*? Columbina passerina

ORDER PSITTACIFORMES

Family Psittacidae - Lories, Cockatoos, Macaws and Parrots

  • Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri

ORDER CUCULIFORMES

Family Cuculidae - Cuckoos, Roadrunners and Anis

  • Yellow-billed Cuckoo* Coccyzus americanus

ORDER STRIGIFORMES

Family Tytonidae - Barn Owls

  • Common Barn Owl* Tyto alba

Family Strigidae - Typical Owls

  • Eastern Screech Owl* Otus asio
  • Great Horned Owl* Bubo virginianus
  • Burrowing Owl*(L) Athene cunicularia
  • Barred Owl*(S) Strix varia
  • Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus

ORDER CAPRIMULGIFORMES

Family Caprimulgidae

Subfamily Caprimulginae

  • Chuck-will’s-Widow*? Caprimulgus carolinensis
  • Whip-poor Will Caprimulgus vociferus

Subfamily Chordeilnae

  • Common Nighthawk* Chordeiles minor

ORDER APODIFORMES

Family Apodidae – Swifts

  • Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica

ORDER CORACIIFORMES

Family Alcedinidae - Kingfishers

  • Belted Kingfisher Ceryle alcyon

ORDER PICIFORMES

Family Picidae - Woodpeckers and Wrynecks

  • Red-headed Woodpecker Melanerpes erythrocephalus
  • Red-bellied Woodpecker* Melanerpes carolinus
  • Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius
  • Downy Woodpecker* Picoides pubescens
  • Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus
  • Pileated Woodpecker* Dryocopus pileatus

ORDER PASSERIFORMES

Family Tyrannidae - Tyrant Flycatchers

  • Least Flycatcher Empidonax minimus
  • Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe
  • Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus
  • Great Crested Flycatcher* Myiarchus crinitus
  • Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticals
  • Eastern Kingbird* Tyrannus tyrannus
  • Fork-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus savana

Family Laniidae – Shrikes

  • Loggerhead Shrike* Lanius ludovicianus

Family Vireonidae – Vireos

  • White-eyed Vireo* Vireo griseus
  • Blue-headed Vireo Vireo solitarius
  • Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus

Family Corvidae - Jays, Magpies and Crows

  • Blue Jay* Cyanocitta cristata
  • American Crow* Corvus brachyrhynchos
  • Fish Crow Corvus ossifragus

Family Hirundinidae – Swallows

  • Purple Martin Progne subis
  • Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor
  • Northern Rough-winged Swallow* Stelgidopteryx serripennis
  • Bank Swallow Riparia riparia
  • Barn Swallow* Hirundo rustica

Family Paridae - Titmice and Chickadees

  • Tufted Titmouse Baeolophus bicolor

Family Troglodytidae – Wrens

  • Carolina Wren* Tryothorus ludovicianus
  • House Wren Troglodytes aedon
  • Sedge Wren Cistothorus platensis
  • Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris

Family Regulidae

  • Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula

Family Sylviidae

Subfamily Sylviinae

  • Blue-gray Gnatcatcher* Polioptila caerulea

Family Turdidae - Thrushes

  • Swainson’s Thrush Catharus ustulatus
  • Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus
  • American Robin Turdus migratorius

Family Mimidae - Mockingbirds and Thrashers

  • Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis
  • Northern Mockingbird* Mimus polyglottos
  • Brown Thrasher* Toxostoma rufum

Family Sturnidae – Starlings

  • European Starling* Sturnus vulgaris

Family Motacillidae - wagtails and Pipits

  • American Pipit Anthus rubescens

Family Bombycillidae – Waxwings

  • Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum

Family Parulidae - Emberizid Finches and allies

  • Tennessee Warbler Vermivora peregrina
  • Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata
  • Northern Parula* Parula americana
  • Black-throated Blue Warbler Dendroica caerulescens
  • Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata
  • Black-throated Green Warbler Dendroica virens
  • Yellow-throated Warbler Denroica dominica
  • Prairie Warbler Dendroica discolor
  • Palm Warbler Dendroica palmarum
  • Blackpoll Warbler Dendroica striata
  • Black and White Warbler Mniotilta varia
  • American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla
  • Worm-eating Warbler Helmitheros vermivorus
  • Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapillus
  • Northern Waterthrush Seiurus noveboracensis
  • Common Yellowthroat* Geothlypis trichas
  • Hooded Warbler Wilsonia citrina

Family Emberzidae - American Sparrows and Towhees

  • Eastern Towhee* Pipilo erythrophthalmus
  • Bachman’s Sparrow*?(L) Aimophila aestivalis
  • Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina
  • Vesper Sparrow Pooecetes gramineus
  • Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis
  • Le Conte’s Sparrow Ammodramus leconteii
  • Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia
  • Lincoln’s Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii
  • Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana
  • Grasshopper Sparrow Ammodramus savannarum

Family Cardinalidae - Cardinal and Grosbeaks

  • Northern Cardinal* Cardinalis cardinalis

Family Icteridae - American Blackbirds and Orioles

  • Bobolink Dolichonyx oryzivorous
  • Red-winged Blackbird* Agelaius phoeniceus
  • Eastern Meadowlark* Sturnella magna
  • Common Grackle*? Quiscalus quiscalus
  • Boat-tailed Grackle*? Quiscalus major
  • Brown-headed Cowbird Molthrus ater

Family Fringillidae - Old World Finches and allies

Subfamily Carduelinae

  • American Goldfinch Carduelis tristis
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