Birds at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve

GEESE, SWANS, & DUCKS

Canada Goose* Branta canadensis
Cackling Goose Branta hutchinsii
Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons
Snow Goose/Blue Goose Chen caerulescens
Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus
American Wigeon Anas americana
Blue-winged Teal Anas discors
Cinnamon Teal Anas cyanoptera
Gadwall Anas strepera
Green-winged Teal Anas crecca
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
Northern Pintail Anas acuta
Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata
Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis
Wood Duck Aix sponsa
Canvasback Aythya valisineria
Greater Scaup Aythya marila
Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis
Redhead Aythya americana
Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris
Bufflehead Bucephala albeola
Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula
Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus
Common Merganser Mergus merganser
Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator

GROUSE, PHEASANT, & TURKEY

Greater Prairie Chicken* Tympanuchus cupido
Ring-necked Pheasant* Phasianus colchicus
Wild Turkey* Meleagris gallopavo

QUAIL

Northern Bobwhite* Colinus virginianus

LOONS

Red-throated Loon Gavia stellata
Common Loon Gavia immer

GREBES

Pied-billed Grebe* Podilymbus podiceps
Horned Grebe Podiceps auritus
Eared Grebe Podiceps nigricolis
Western Grebe Aechmophorus occidentalis

CORMORANTS & PELICANS

Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus
American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Brown Pelican Pelicanus occidentalis

HERONS & IBISES

American Bittern Botaurus lentiginosus
Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis (exotic)
Great Blue Heron* Aredea herodias
Great Egret Ardeu alba
Green Heron Butorides striatus
Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea
Snowy Egret Egretta thula
Roseate Spoonbill+ Platalea ajaja
White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Nyctanassa violacea

VULTURES

Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura

OSPREY, HAWKS, KITES, & EAGLES

Broad-winged Hawk Buteo platypterus
Ferruginous Hawk Buteo regalis
Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus
Red-tailed Hawk* Buteo jamaicensis
Rough-legged Hawk Buteo lagopus
Swainson's Hawk Buteo swainsoni
Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos
Mississippi Kite Ictinia mississippientis
Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus
Osprey Pandion haliaetus
Cooper’s Hawk* Accipiter cooperii
Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis
Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus

FALCONS

American Kestrel* Falco sparverius
Merlin Falco columbarius
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
Prairie Falcon Falco mexicanus

RAILS & GALLINULES

American Coot Fulica americana
Purple Gallinule Porphyrio martinica
Sora Porzana carolina
Virginia Rail Rallus limicola

CRANES, STILTS, & AVOCETS

American Avocet Recurvirostra americana
Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus
Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis
Whooping Crane Grus americana

PLOVERS

American Golden-Plover Pluvialis dominica
Killdeer* Charadrius vociferus
Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus

SANDPIPERS

Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularia
Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca
Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes
Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitaria
Willet Tringa semipalmata
Upland Sandpiper* Bartramia longicauda
Long-billed Curlew Numenius americanus
Hudsonian Godwit Limosa haemastica
Baird’s Sandpiper Calidris bairdii
Buff-breasted Sandpiper Calidris subruficollis
Dunlin Calidris alpina
Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla
Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos
Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla
Stilt Sandpiper Calidris himantopus
Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri
White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis
Short-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus
Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus
Wilson’s Snipe Gallinago delicata
American Woodcock* Scolopax minor
Wilson’s Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor

GULLS & TERNS

Bonaparte's Gull Larus philadelphia
Franklin’s Gull Leucophaeus pipixcan
Herring Gull Larus argentatus
Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis
Black Tern Chlidonias niger
Forster’s Tern Sterna forsteri

PIGEONS & DOVES

Eurasian Collared-Dove Streptopelia decaocto
Mourning Dove* Zenaida macroura
Rock Pigeon* Columba livia

CUCKOOS

Yellow-billed Cuckoo* Coccyzus americanus
Black-billed Cuckoo* Coccyzus erythropthalmus
Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus

BARN & TRUE OWLS

Burrowing Owl* Athene cunicularia
Barred Owl* Strix varia
Barn Owl* Tyto alba
Eastern Screech-Owl* Megascops asio
Great Horned Owl* Bubo virginianus
Snowy Owl Bubo scandiacus
Long-eared Owl Asio otus
Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus
Northern Saw-whet Owl Aegolius acadicus

NIGHTJARS

Common Nighthawk* Chordeiles minor
Chuck-will’s-widow* Antrostomus carolinensis
Eastern Whip-poor-will* Antrostomus vociferus

SWIFTS

Chimney Swift* Chaetura pelagica

HUMMINGBIRDS

Ruby-throated Hummingbird* Archilochus colubris
Rufous Hummingbird Selasphorus rufus

KINGFISHERS

Belted Kingfisher* Ceryle alcyon

WOODPECKERS

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

FLYCATCHERS

Eastern Kingbird* Tyrannus tyrannus
Western Kingbird* Tyrannus verticalis
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher* Tyrannus forficatus
Great Crested Flycatcher* Myiarchus crinitus
Acadian Flycatcher Empidonax virescens
Least Flycatcher Empidonax minimus
Willow Flycatcher Empidonax traillii
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Empidonax flaviventris
Eastern Wood-Pewee* Contopus virens
Olive-sided Flycatcher* Contopus cooperi
Eastern Phoebe* Sayornis phoebe
Say’s Phoebe Sayornis saya

SHRIKES

Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus

VIREOS

Bell’s Vireo* Vireo bellii
Blue-headed Vireo Vireo solitarius
Philadelphia Vireo Vireo philadelphicus
Red-eyed Vireo* Vireo olivaceus
Warbling Vireo* Vireo gilvus
White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus
Yellow-throated Vireo Vireo flavifrons

JAYS, CROWS, & MAGPIES

Black-billed Magpie* Pica hudsonia
Blue Jay* Cyanocitta cristata
American Crow* Corvus brachyrhynchos
Fish Crow* Corvus ossifragus

LARKS

Horned Lark* Eremophila alpestris

SWALLOWS

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

CHICKADEES & TITMICE

Black-capped Chickadee Parus atricapillus
Tufted Titmouse Parus bicolor

NUTHATCHES

Red-breasted Nuthatch Sitta canadensis
White-breasted Nuthatch Sitta carolinensis

CREEPERS

Brown Creeper Certhia americana

WRENS

Bewick's Wren* Thryomanes bewickii
Carolina Wren* Thryothorus ludovicianus
House Wren* Troglodytes aedon
Winter Wren* Troglodytes troglodytes
Sedge Wren Cistothorus platensis

GNATCATCHERS

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher* Polioptila caerulea

KINGLETS

Golden-crowned Kinglet Regalus satrapa
Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regalus calendula

THRUSHES

American Robin* Turdus migratorius
Eastern Bluebird* Sialia sialis
Mountain Bluebird Sialia currucoides
Gray-cheeked Thrush Catharus minimus
Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus
Swainson's Thrush Catharus ustulatus
Townsend's Solitaire Myadestes townsendi
Wood Thrush Hylocichla mustelina

MOCKINGBIRDS & THRASHERS

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

STARLINGS

European Starling* Sturnus vulgaris (exotic)

PIPITS

American Pipit Anthus rubescens
Sprague’s Pipit Anthus spragueii

WAXWINGS

Cedar Waxwing* Bombycilla cedrorum

LONGSPURS

Chestnut-collared Longspur Calcarius ornatus
Lapland Longspur Calcarius lapponicus
Smith's Longspur Calcarius pictus

WARBLERS

American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla
Black-throated Blue Warbler Setophaga caerulescens
Black-throated Green Warbler Setophaga virens
Blackburnian Warbler Setophaga fusca
Bay-breasted Warbler Setophaga castanea
Blackpoll Warbler Setophaga striata
Chestnut-sided Warbler Setophaga pensylvanica
Yellow-rumped Warbler Setophaga coronata
Prothonotary Warbler* Protonotaria citrea
Tennessee Warbler Vermivora peregrina
Northern Parula* Parula americana
Palm Warbler Dendroica palmarum
Yellow Warbler* Dendroica petechia
Mourning Warbler Oporornis philadelphia
Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas
Orange-crowned Warbler Leiothlypis celata
Nashville Warbler Leiothlypis ruficapilla
Black-and-White Warbler* Mniotilta varia
Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla
Northern Waterthrush Parkesia noveboracensis
Louisiana Waterthrush* Parkesia motacilla
Wilson’s Warbler Cardellina pusilla
Yellow-breasted Chat Icteria virens

SPARROWS

American Tree Sparrow Spizella arborea
Chipping Sparrow* Spizella passerina
Clay-colored Sparrow Spizella pallida
Field Sparrow* Spizella pusilla
Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis
Fox Sparrow Passerella iliaca
Eastern Towhee Pipilo erythrophthalmus
Spotted Towhee Pipilo maculatus
Lark Bunting* Calamospiza melanocorys
Lark Sparrow* Chondestes grammacus
LeConte’s Sparrow Ammospiza leconteii
Nelson’s Sparrow Ammospiza nelsoni
Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis
Grasshopper Sparrow* Ammodramus savannarum
Henslow’s Sparrow* Centronyx henslowii
Lincoln’s Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii
Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia
Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana
Vesper Sparrow* Pooecetes gramineus
Harris' Sparrow Zonotrichia querula
White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis
White Crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys

GROSBEAKS & BUNTINGS

Northern Cardinal* Cardinalis cardinalis
Summer Tanager Piranga rubra
Scarlet Tanager Piranga olivacea
Western Tanager Piranga ludoviciana
Blue Grosbeak* Guiraca caerulea
Dickcissel* Spizza americana
Black-headed Grosbeak Pheucticus melanocephalus
Rose-breasted Grosbeak* Pheucticus ludovicianus
Indigo Bunting* Passerina cyanea
Painted Bunting* Passerina ciris

BLACKBIRDS & ORIOLES

Bobolink Dolichonyx oryzivorus
Brown-headed Cowbird* Molothrus ater
Common Grackle* Quiscalus quiscula
Great-tailed Grackle* Quiscalus mexicanus
Red-winged Blackbird* Agelaius phoeniceus
Brewer's Blackbird Euphagus cyanocephalus
Rusty Blackbird Euphagus carolinus
Baltimore Oriole* Icterus galbula
Orchard Oriole* Icterus spurius
Oriole Intergrade Icterus spp.
Eastern Meadowlark* Sturnella magna
Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta
Yellow-headed Blackbird Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

FINCHES

American Goldfinch* Carduelis tristis
Evening Grosbeak Coccothraustes vespertinus
House Finch* Carpodacus mexicanus
Purple Finch Carpodacus purpureus
Pine Siskin Spinus pinus

OLD WORLD SPARROWS

House Sparrow* Passer domesticus (exotic)

* Documented breeding species

+ Fewer than ten Kansas records

List compiled from the records of the Kansas Ornithological Society, Kansas Breeding Bird Atlas Project, and the Kansas Biological Survey

Useful books and websites

• Dunn, John L. and Jonathan Alderfer. National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 7th ed. National Geographic Society. 2017.
• All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology: www.allaboutbirds.org
• WhatBird: www.whatbird.com