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Chincoteague National
Wildlife Refuge
8231 Beach Road - PO Box 62
Chincoteague Island, VA 23336
(757) 336-5273

Refuge Information
(800) 344-WILD
Information Provided by:
Department of the Interior US Fish & Wildlife Service
Department of the Interior
www.doi.gov		 US Fish & Wildlife Service
www.fws.gov

The topography of Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge consists of wide, sandy beach backed by a series of low dunes which fall away to extensive salt marshes bordering Chincoteague Bay. Some parts of the refuge, particularly the southern end, also contain extensive areas of pine and oak interspersed with ponds and potholes. Over 2600 acres of shallow freshwater moist soil management unites were developed to make the refuge more attractive to waterfowl

Thousands of brant, geese, and ducks winter on the refuge. Shorebirds are an outstanding feature during spring and fall migrations. Large numbers of herons and egrets can usually be found in the moist soil management units from mid-spring to late-fall.

Most of the Maryland portion of Assateague Island is managed by the National Park Service whose policies emphasize maintaining natural habitats. Birds found on the Virginia portion of the island may also be observed in Maryland. Because of the freshwater moist soil management units, however, the Virginia portion tends to attract larger numbers of birds.
SEASON
SP Spring Mar-May
SU Summer June-Aug
F Fall Sep-Nov
W Winter Dec-Feb

This page lists 324 birds that have been identified on the refuge, and is in accordance with the Sixth American Ornithologists' Union Checklist.

Most birds are migratory, therefore their seasonal occurrence is coded in the column to the left.
RELATIVE
ABUNDANCE
Relative Abundance indicates how frequently you might see a bird in its favored habitat
a Abundant A species which is very numerous
c Common Likely to be seen or heard in suitable habitat
u Uncommon Present, but not certain to be seen
o Occasional Seen only a few times during the season
r Rare May be present but not every year
TIPS FOR FIELD ID
The identification of birds is greatly aided by simply noting a few key field marks. The diagram below illustrates several of these. In addition, general size, color, habitat, song, and behavior help narrow down the options. Remember, use more than one field mark, as many species are similar and can only be distinguished by using a combination of several marks.
 
ACCIDENTAL SPECIES
These additional 30 species have been seen only once or twice on the refuge.
  1. White-faced Ibis
  2. Ross' Goose
  3. Fulvous Whistling Duck
  4. Broad-winged Hawk
  5. Swainson's Hawk
  6. Golden Eagle
  7. Mountain Plover
  8. Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
  9. Purple Sandpiper
  10. Pomarine Jaeger
  11. Parasitic Jaeger
  12. Long-tailed Jaeger
  13. Little Gull
  14. Iceland Gull
  15. Glaucous Gull
  16. Elegant Tern
  17. Dovekie
  18. Atlantic Puffin
  19. Common Ground Dove
  20. Ash-throated Flycatcher
  21. Gray Kingbird
  22. Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
  23. Northern Rough-winged Swallow
  24. Cliff Swallow
  25. Northern Wheatear
  26. Northern Shrike
  27. Black-headed Grosbeak
  28. Le Conte's Sparrow
  29. Chesnut-collared Longspur
  30. House Sparrow

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 

If you have photographs of any birds on the reserve, we will link the photo from the name listed below and give you credit for the photograph. Please submit all photos to webmaster@visitchincoteague.com with the name of the bird and the name of the photographer, along with the date taken, and any additional information you would like added.
* Birds known to nest on or near the refuge
Italics indicate threatened or endangered species
COMMON NAME Sp Su F W
Loons-Grebes        
Red-throated Loon u   u u
Common Loon c r c c
Pied-billed Grebe c u c c
Horned Grebe c   c c
Red-necked Grebe r   r r
Eared Grebe     r  
Shearwaters-Storm-Petrels        
Cory's Shearwater r r u  
Greater Shearwater r r u  
Sooty Sheerwater r r u  
Wilson's Storm-Petrel r r u  
Gannet-Pelicans-Cormorants        
Northern Gannet r      
American White Pelican o o o o
Brown Pelican u c u  
Great Cormorant r   r r
Double-crested Cormorant a c a c
Bitterns-Herons-Ibises        
American Bittern o o o o
Least Bittern * u c u  
Great Blue Heron c u c c
Great Egret c a c u
Snowy Egret c a a o
Little Blue Heron c c c o
Tri-colored Heron u c c r
Cattle Egret u u c  
Green Heron * u u u  
Black-crowned Night-Heron u c u u
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron o u o  
White Ibis r r r  
Glossy Ibis c a c r
Swans-Geese-Ducks        
Tundra Swan c   c c
Mute Swan * c c c c
Greater White-fronted Goose       r
Greater Snow Goose c r a a
Brant c r c c
Canada Goose * c c c c
Wood Duck * u u u r
Green-winged Teal c r c c
American Black Duck * c c c c
Mallard * c c c c
Northern Pintail c r c c
Blue-winged Teal * c u c r
Northern Shoveler c o c c
Gadwall * c c c c
Eurasian Wigeon     r r
American Wigeon c r c c
Canvasback r   r r
Redhead r   r r
Ring-necked Duck r   u u
Greater Scaup u   u u
Lesser Scaup u   u u
Common Eider     r r
Oldsquaw u   u u
Black Scoter u   u u
Surf Scoter u   u u
White-winged Scoter u   u u
Common Goldeney u   u u
Bufflehead c r c c
Hooded Merganser u   u u
Common Merganser     u u
Red-breasted Merganser c r c c
Ruddy Duck u o u u
Vultures-Hawks-Falcons        
Black Vulture o u u o
Turkey Vulture u u u u
Osprey * c c c  
Bald Eagle * u o u u
Northern Harrier * u o u u
Sharp-shinned Hawk u   c u
Cooper's Hawk u   u u
Red-shouldered Hawk o   o o
Red-tailed Hawk * u o u u
Rough-legged Hawk       r
American Kestrel o r u o
Merlin o   u o
Peregrine Falcon * u u u u
Grouse-Quail-Turkey        
Northern Bobwhite a a a a
Rails-Cranes        
Yellow Rail     r  
Black Rail r r r  
Clapper Rail * c c c u
King Rail u u u u
Virginia Rail * u u u u
Sora o   o  
Purple Gallinule   r r  
Common Moorhen r o o  
American Coot u r u u
Plovers-Sandpipers        
Black-bellied Plover c c c u
American Golden-Plover r o u  
Wilson's Plover * u u    
Semipalmated Plover a a c  
Piping Plover * u u u  
Killdeer * u c u o
American Oystercatcher c c c c
Black-necked Stilt r r r  
American Avocet o o u r
Greater Yellowlegs u c c u
Lesser Yellowlegs u c c o
Solitary Sandpiper o o o  
Willet * c c u r
Spotted Sandpiper u u u r
Upland Sandpiper   r r  
Whimbrel c c u r
Hudsonian Godwit   u o  
Marbled Godwit r u o  
Ruddy Turnstone a c c u
Red Knot c c u r
Sanderling a a c c
Semipalmated Sandpiper a a c  
Western Sandpiper r c c o
Least Sandpiper a c c o
White-rumped Sandpiper c u u  
Baird's Sandpiper r r o  
Pectoral Sandpiper r c c r
Dunlin a o a a
Curlew Sandpiper r c c r
Stilt Sandpiper o c c  
Buff-breasted Sandpiper   o u  
Ruff r r r  
Short-billed Dowitcher a a c c
Long-billed Dowitcher u r u o
Common Snipe u r u u
American Woodcock * u u u o
Red-necked Phalarope o r r  
Jaegerrs-Gulls-Terns-Auks        
Laughing Gull * a a a r
Black-headed Gull r   r  
Bonaparte's Gull u   o u
Ring-billed Gull a c a a
Herring Gull c c a a
Lesser Black-backed Gull     o  
Great Black-backed Gull c c c c
Gull-billed Tern u u o  
Caspian Tern o u c  
Royal Tern c c c r
Sandwich Tern r o o  
Roseate Tern   r    
Common Tern * c c c o
Arctic Tern r      
Forster's Tern c c c r
Least Tern * c c    
Black Tern r o o  
Black Skimmer        
Doves-Cuckoos-Owls-Swifts-Hummingbirds        
Rock Dove u u u u
Mourning Dove * c c c c
Black-billed Cuckoo * o r o  
Yellow-billed Cuckoo * c c c r
Barn Owl * o o o o
Eastern Screech-Owl * c c c c
Great Horned Owl * c c c c
Snowy Owl       r
Long-eared Owl     o c
Short-eared Owl     o o
Common Nighthawk u c u  
Chuck-will's Widow * c c    
Chimney Swift * c c c  
Ruby-throated Hummingbird * u u u  
Belted Kingfisher u o c u
Woodpeckers-Flycatchers        
Red-headed Woodpecker * o o o  
Red-bellied Woodpecker o o u u
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker o   o  
Downy Woodpecker * u u u u
Hairy Woodpecker o   o o
Northern Flicker * c c a c
Pileated Woodpecker * r r r r
Olive-sided Flycatcher r      
Eastern Wood-Pewee * c c c  
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher o      
Acadian Flycatcher * u u    
Willow Flycatcher u r    
Least Flycatcher r   r  
Eastern Phoebe * u r c o
Great Crested Flycatcher * c c c  
Western Kingbird     r  
Eastern Kingbird a a c  
Larks-Swallows-Jays-Crows        
Horned Lark * c u c c
Purple Martin c c    
Tree Swallow * a c a o
Northern Rough-winged Swallow   r r  
Bank Swallow u o r  
Barn Swallow * a a a  
Blue Jay * o o o o
American Crow * c c c c
Fish Crow c c u u
Titmice-Nuthatches-Wrens        
Carolina Chickadee * c c c c
Tufted Titmouse     r  
Red-breasted Nuthatch o r o o
White-breated Nuthatch o r o o
Brown-headed Nuthatch * u u u u
Brown Creeper   r u u
Carolina Wren * c c c c
House Wren * c c c r
Winter Wren u   c u
Sedge Wren o   u u
Marsh Wren u u u  
Kinglets-Thrushes-Thrashers        
Golden-crowned Kinglet c r c c
Ruby-crowned Kinglet c r c c
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher * u u u  
Eastern Bluebird * r r r r
Veery r   u  
Bicknell's Thrush o   c  
Swainson's Thrush     c  
Hermit Thrush u   c c
Wood Thrush u   u  
American Robin * c c a u
Gray Catbird * c c c u
Northern Mockingbird * u u u o
Brown Thrasher * c c c u
Waxwings-Shrikes-Starlings        
American Pipi o   o o
Cedar Waxwing u u c u
European Starling * c c a a
Vireos-Wood Warblers        
White-eyed Vireo * c c c  
Solitary Vireo r   r  
Yellow-throated Vireo r      
Warbling Vireo r      
Philadelphia Vireo r      
Red-eyed Vireo * c c c  
Blue-winged Warbler r   r  
Golden-winged Warbler r   r  
Tennessee Warbler     r  
Orange-crowned Warbler     r r
Nashville Warbler     r  
Northern Parula * o r o  
Yellow Warbler * c c r  
Chestnut-sided Warbler r   r  
Magnolia Warbler u   c  
Cape May Warbler     c  
Black-throated Blue Warbler o   c  
Yellow-rumped Warbler a r a a
Black-throated Green Warbler r r r  
Yellow-rumped Warbler a r a a
Blackburnian Warbler r r r  
Yellow-throated Warbler u u    
Pine Warbler * a a a o
Prairie Warbler * c c    
Palm Warbler o   a o
Bay-breasted Warbler r   r  
Blackpoll Warbler u   u  
Cerulean Warbler r   r  
Black-and-white Warbler u u c  
American Redstart u   a  
Prothonotary Warbler r r    
Worm-eating Warbler r   r  
Swainson's Warbler r   r  
Ovenbird * u c c  
Northern Waterthrush u c c  
Louisiana Waterthrush r   r  
Kentucky Warbler r r    
Connecticut Warbler r   r  
Common Yellowthroat * a a a u
Hooded Warbler r      
Wilson's Warbler     o  
Canada Warbler r r r  
Yellow-breasted Chat * u u o r
Tanagers-Sparrows        
Summer Tanager * o o r  
Scarlet Tanager o r u  
Northern Cardinal * c c c c
Rose-breasted Grosbeak u   u  
Blue Grosbeak * u o o  
Indigo Bunting * u u u  
Dickcissel   r r  
Eastern Towhee * c c c c
American Tree Sparrow       o
Chipping Sparrow * c o c  
Clay-colored Sparrow *     r  
Field Sparrow * c c c o
Vesper Sparrow     o u
Lark Sparrow   r r  
Savannah Sparrow c u c c
Grasshopper Sparrow   r r  
Henslow's Sparrow r   r  
Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow * o c u u
Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow       r
Seaside Sparrow * c c c o
Fox Sparrow u   u u
Song Sparrow * c c c c
Lincoln's Sparrow r   r  
Swamp Sparrow c r c c
White-throated Sparrow c   c c
White-crowned Sparrow r o o o
Dark-eyed Junco u   c u
Lapland Longspur       o
Snow Bunting o   u u
Blackbirds-Finches        
Bobolink o   u u
Red-winged Blackbird * a a a a
Eastern Meadowlark * c c c c
Yellow-headed Blackbird r   r  
Rusty Blackbird     o o
Boat-tailed Grackle * c c c c
Common Grackle * c c c c
Brown-headed Grackle * c c c u
Orchard Oriole * o o o  
Baltimore Oriole o o c  
Purple Finch r   o  
House Finch * u o u  
Red Crossbill r     r
Common Redpoll r     r
Pine Siskin o   o o
American Goldfinch * c c c c
Evening Grosbeak r     r
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