Burrowing Owl
Crested Caracara
Barred Owl
Sandhill Cranes
Eastern Kingbird

BIRDS of BUCK ISLAND RANCH

 Lake Placid, Florida:
A checklist

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)

MAERC Home | Ranch Fishes |Ranch Herps | Ranch Mammals

This checklist includes 162 species of birds recorded (through August 2008) 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

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 (pers. comm., P.J. Bohlen)

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

Home | Top | Index | MAERC