List of birds of the Indiana Dunes
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.
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This is a list of birds of the Indiana Dunes.
Because the area forms part of the Mississippi Flyways, many more species of birds can be observed there during spring and fall migration times.[1]
Common birds of Indiana Dunes
This is a listing of the most common birds seen in the Indiana Dunes.[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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Nuthatches | ||
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Warblers | ||
| Blue-winged warbler | common spring | wooded edges |
| Tennessee warbler | common spring and fall | 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 Rufus-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 (administion fee); Cowles Bog Trail (2.5 miles (4.0 km) walk with a climb); West Beach (administion fee); Wells Street Beach (parking fee); Marquette Park; Lake Street Beach.[1]
Dunes
Mt. Baldy (steep climb); Indiana Dunes State Park (administion fee); West Beach (administion 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.
References
- Birds of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, National Park Service; Porter, Indiana; 1997
- 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