List of birds of the Indiana Dunes

Turkey vultures at the Indiana Dunes

This is a list of birds of the Indiana Dunes.[1]

The Indiana Dunes (state park and national park) protect over 15,000 acres (61 km2) of dunes and shoreline. From the barren sand beaches to the inter-dunal ponds and the intervening forest, this area is inhabited by 271 identified species of birds.

Because the area forms part of the Mississippi Flyway, many more species of birds can be observed there during spring and fall migration times.[1]

Water birds

Common name Season(s) Habitat
Loons
Common loon common in the fall along the lakeshore
Grebes
Pied-billed grebe[2] spring through fall marshes and ponds
Horned grebe fall lakeshore
Cormorants
Double-crested cormorant abundant in the fall lakeshore
Bitterns and herons
Great blue heron[2] common from spring to fall marshes and ponds
Green heron common from spring to fall marshes and ponds
Black-crowned night heron common in the spring marshes
Least bittern[2] summer marshes
Swans, geese and ducks
Canada goose abundant year round lakeshore, marshes and ponds
Wood duck common from spring to fall swamps
American black duck common in the spring and fall lakeshore and marshes
Long-tailed duck uncommon in the fall lakeshore and ponds
Mallard[2] abundant year round marshes and ponds
Blue-winged teal common in spring and fall marshes and ponds
Gadwall common in spring and fall marshes and ponds
American wigeon common in spring and fall marshes and ponds
Redhead common in spring lakeshore and ponds
Ring-necked duck common in spring and fall marshes and ponds
Lesser scaup common in spring lakeshore and ponds
Black scoter uncommon in spring and fall lakeshore
Common goldeneye common in spring and fall lakeshore
Bufflehead common in spring and fall lakeshore and ponds
Red-breasted merganser common in spring and fall lakeshore and ponds

Birds of prey

Common name Season(s) Habitat
Vultures
Turkey vulture common in spring and summer seen in flight
Hawks
Sharp-shinned hawk common in spring seen in flight
Red-shouldered hawk common in spring seen in flight
Broad-winged hawk common in spring seen in flight
Red-tailed hawk common all year seen in flight
Falcons
American kestrel common in spring and fall seen in flight

Ground birds

Common name Season(s) Habitat
Bobwhite and pheasant
Northern bobwhite uncommon all year wooded areas and fields
Rails and coots
Sora common in spring marshes
American coot common in summer marshes and ponds
Cranes
Sandhill crane common in spring usually seen in flight
Plovers
Killdeer common in summer and fall marshes and dunes
Piping plover rare in spring and summer marshes and swamps
Sandpipers
Solitary sandpiper common in spring marshes
Spotted sandpiper common in spring and summer marshes and swamps
Sanderling common in summer beaches
Semipalmated sandpiper common in summer beaches and ponds
Least sandpiper common in spring and fall beaches and ponds
Pectoral sandpiper common in spring marshes and ponds
Dunlin common in summer marshes and ponds
American woodcock[2] common in spring and summer swamps and woods
Gulls and terns
Bonaparte's Gull common in spring and summer lake and beach
Ring-billed gull common in winter lake and beach
Herring gull common in fall lake and beach
Caspian tern common in spring and fall lake and beach
Forster's tern common in fall lake and beach

Perching birds

Common name Season(s) Habitat
Doves
Mourning dove[2] common all year woods and fields
Goatsuckers
Common nighthawk common in spring and summer seen in flight
Swifts
Chimney swift common in spring through the fall seen in flight
Hummingbirds
Ruby-throated hummingbird common in the fall woods
Kingfishers
Kingfishers[2] common in spring through the fall marshes and ponds
Woodpeckers
Red-headed woodpecker[2] common in spring through the fall woods
Red-bellied woodpecker common in spring and fall woods
Downy woodpecker[2] summer woods
Northern flicker[2] common in summer woods
Flycatchers
Eastern wood pewee[2] common in spring through the fall woods
Acadian flycatcher common in spring through the fall woods
Willow flycatcher[2] common in spring marshes
Least flycatcher[2] common in spring and summer woods and wooded edges
Eastern phoebe common in spring fields, woods, and wooded edges
Great crested flycatcher[2] common in spring and summer woods
Eastern kingbird[2] common in spring and summer fields and marshes
Swallows
Purple martin common in spring through the fall
Tree swallow common in spring and summer marshes
Bank swallow common in spring and summer fields
Barn swallow common in spring through the fall fields
Jays and crows
Blue jay[2] abundant all year woods
American crow common all year all areas
Titmice
Black-capped chickadee[2] common all year woods
Tufted titmouse[2] common all year woods
Cuckoos
Yellow-billed cuckoo uncommon in summer woods
Nuthatches
Red-breasted nuthatch uncommon to rare year round woods
White-breasted nuthatch[2] common all year woods
Creeper
Brown creeper common in spring and fall woods
Wrens
House wren common spring through fall woods
Marsh wren[2] common spring through fall marshes
Old World warblers, thrushes and allies
Golden-crowned kinglet common spring and fall woods
Ruby-crowned kinglet common spring through fall woods
Eastern bluebird common spring woods
Veery common spring through fall woods
Hermit thrush common spring and fall woods
Wood thrush common spring and summer woods
Swainson's thrush uncommon in May and September woods
American robin[2] spring through fall fields
Mockingbirds and thrashers
Gray catbird[2] common summer and fall wooded edges
Brown thrasher[2] common spring woods
Waxwing
Cedar waxwing[2] common spring and fall woods and marshes
Starlings
European starling common all year common in all habitats
Vireos
Yellow-throated vireo common spring and summer woods
Warbling vireo common spring wooded edges
Red-eyed vireo[2] common spring through fall woods
Blue-headed vireo common spring through summer woods
Warblers
Blue-winged warbler common spring wooded edges
Tennessee warbler common spring and fall woods
Golden-winged warbler common spring and summer woods
Nashville warbler common spring and fall woods
Yellow warbler common summer wooded edges and marshes
Chestnut-sided warbler common spring wooded edges and woods
Magnolia warbler common spring and fall woods
Cape May warbler common spring and summer woods
Black-throated green warbler common spring and fall woods
Blackburnian warbler common spring woods
Palm warbler common spring and fall wooded edges and marshes
Bay-breasted warbler common spring and fall woods
Blackpoll warbler common spring and fall woods
Cerulean warbler common spring and summer woods
Black and white warbler common spring and fall woods
American redstart common summer and fall woods
Ovenbird[2] common spring and summer woods
Northern waterthrush common spring and fall wooded edges and marshes
Common yellowthroat[2] common fall marshes
Wilson's warbler common spring and summer woods
Canada warbler common spring woods
Tanager
Scarlet tanager[2] common spring and summer woods
Cardinal and buntings
Northern cardinal[2] common all year woody edges
Rose-breasted grosbeak common from spring through fall woods
Indigo bunting[2] common spring and summer woody edges
Sparrows
Eastern towhee previously the rufous-sided towhee[2] common spring through autumn woody edges
Tree sparrow common in spring and fall woody edges, fields and dunes
Chipping sparrow common from spring through fall woody edges, fields and dunes
Field sparrow common spring and summer fields, dunes and marshes
Fox sparrow common spring and autumn woody edges
Song sparrow[2] common in spring through fall woody edges, marshes
Swamp sparrow[2] common from spring through fall marshes
White-throated sparrow common spring and fall woody edges
Dark-eyed junco abundant except in the summer woody edges
Bobolink common in spring fields
Blackbirds and orioles
Red-winged blackbird[2] abundant from spring through autumn marshes
Eastern meadowlark common from spring through autumn fields
Common grackle[2] abundant from spring through autumn marshes and fields
Brown-headed cowbird[2] common in spring and summer woods
Baltimore oriole or northern oriole common in spring and summer woods
Finches
Purple finch common in spring and autumn woods
House finch abundant all year urban
American goldfinch[2] common all year woody edges and fields
Weaver finches
House sparrow abundant all year urban

Where to see birds

For more details about each habitat type, see Habitats of the Indiana Dunes.

Lake and beaches

There are several points of access to the beaches of Lake Michigan. From east to west, they are: Central Avenue; Lakeview (Beverly Shores); Kemil Road Beach (west end of Beverly Shores); Indiana Dunes State Park (admission fee); Cowles Bog Trail (2.5 miles (4.0 km) walk with a climb); West Beach (admission fee); Wells Street Beach (parking fee); Marquette Park; Lake Street Beach.[1]

Dunes

Mt. Baldy (steep climb); Indiana Dunes State Park (admission fee); West Beach (admission fee).[1]

Fields

The Calumet Bike Trail traverses the length of the park along the South Shore Tracks, with parking at several points, including the Mineal Springs Road, U.S. 12 in the Pines. The Chellberg Farm off Mineral Springs Road and U.S. 20 has several cultivated fields.[1]

Woods

Indiana Dunes State Park, trails #9 and #10; the Ly-Co-Ki-We horsetrail, U.S. 20; Miller Woods on Lake Street in Gary; and The Bailly/Chellberg trail in Porter[1]

Ponds

Long Lake is easy to reach from West Beach, of Lake/Porter County Line Road. Miller Woods is dotted with ponds.[1]

Marsh

The Great Marsh stretches from Dune Acres (off Mineral Springs Road, east, to East State Park Road (Kemil Rd).[1]

Swamps

The restoration of the Great Marsh in Beverly Shores along Beverly drive (east and west of Broadway). Trail #2 in the State Park traverses a large area of swamp.[1]

Conifers, wooded edges

These are most difficult as they are scattered throughout the other habitats and do not dominate any single area.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Birds of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, National Park Service; Porter, Indiana; 1997.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak Ecology of Miller Woods, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Research Program Report 90-01; National Park Service, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore; Porter, Indiana; 1990.

Further reading

  • Brock, Kenneth & Helen Dancey; Birds of the Indiana Dunes
  • Tekiela, Stan; Birds of Indiana, Field Guide; Adventure Publications; Cambridge, Minnesota; 2000