A Natural History of
BIRDS
in the Western Arkansas Ozarks
Joseph C. Neal
Version of January 6, 2006
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A natural history of birds
in the western Arkansas Ozarks is about birds and habitats in northwestern Arkansas.
I have included many dates, a plethora of numbers, and a huge cast of
observers who have studied and enjoyed birds here for more than a century. This book’s geographic area
is naturally bounded in the south by the rise of the Boston Mountains
above the valley of the Arkansas River. Where it rolls into Missouri,
the relatively flat plain of the Springfield Plateau forms the northern
boundary. The western boundary is formed by the Ozark Mountains and
remnants of Tallgrass Prairie habitat extending to the Oklahoma border.
The deep, winding, bluff-lined valley of the upper Buffalo National
River and the rugged, hardwood dominion of the Ozark NF forms a natural
eastern boundary. This is to say I have attempted
to summarize bird data for the western and northern border regions that
Arkansas shares with Oklahoma and Missouri, extending eastward to include
the upper and middle portions of the Buffalo National River and the
Ozark National Forest (NF), and southward through the Boston Mountains
section of the Ozark Plateaus bordering the Arkansas River. Core observations
are from Washington and Benton counties, but there are also many observations
from Madison, Newton, Carroll, Boone, plus the Ozarks portions (as distinguished
from the Arkansas River Valley portions) of Crawford, Franklin, and
Johnson counties. There is a long history of
bird studies that have included data for the 9 counties of the western
Arkansas Ozarks. Howell (1911), Smith (1915), Wheeler (1924), Black
(1935), Baerg (1931, 1951), James and Neal (1986) all included such
data. Baerg also utilized the field notes of Dean Crooks whose work
in Benton County would otherwise have been largely unavailable. Most
of these books are out-of-print and the journal articles can be hard
to find away from major libraries. This project combines my twin
passions for birds and history. My local history interests date to my
childhood in Fort Smith. I heard family stories told by my parents Grover
Ray Neal and Hazel Kennedy Neal, my sisters Ruth and Jerrie, and from
related families. It flowered as an undergraduate at the U of A-Fayetteville
(1964-1968) and continued with support from the Shiloh Museum of Ozark
History in Springdale. Over the years I have provided research papers
for the museum on a variety of local history topics: Arkansas poultry,
fossils, the fruit industry, Native Americans, etc. Work with Shiloh
Museum resulted in my publication of a history of Washington County
(Neal 1989). Here I wish to acknowledge the now retired Director of
Shiloh Museum, Bob Besom, and his spouse Patty McCrary Besom, for their
creativity and friendship. The taproot for this book reaches
to the early-1980s. In the beginning, I examined and summarized a mass
of local bird data presented in a handbook for Northwest Arkansas Audubon
Society (Neal 1983, 1986). This research had been undertaken initially
as part of the state bird book project with Doug James (James and Neal
1986). The next step was a local birding guide, Birding in the western
Arkansas Ozarks (Neal and Mlodinow 1988). Working through Shiloh
Museum, I produced a standard history of Washington County in 1989,
which included chapters focused specifically on the natural history
of Washington County and in a general sense, the western Arkansas Ozarks.
A natural history continues the process, combining my
interests in local bird information and natural history. The bird occurrence data includes
thousands of individual records on index cards. Doug James and others
(including me) have in past years curated these data for Arkansas Audubon
Society (AAS). I want to thank Max Parker, long-time AAS records curator.
He currently maintains thousands of bird records (around 9000 by 2005)
accumulated in Arkansas since publication of Arkansas Birds in
1986. Those files continue to expand. My long time friend Eleanor
Johnson of Fayetteville provided seed money that allowed me to work
with Richard Stauffacher of Fayetteville to have part of the post-1986
bird records entered into a database. We were able to demonstrate the
utility of this database as a way of providing ready access to thousands
of individual records. After we demonstrated the value of this project,
the AAS Board provided additional funds to get all post-1986 records
into this database. Rob Doster, an active birder and a former AAS president,
played a key role in networking between Richard and me and the webmaster.
These “user-friendly” data are readily available at: http://www.ar.org/data/index.html.
I have examined more than four
decades of data from the Fayetteville Christmas Bird Count (CBC). I
also consulted three other CBCs in the region. The Buffalo River (west)
CBC in the Boxley-Ponca area of Newton County was conducted starting
December 16, 1978 and discontinued after December 28, 1987. There was
a count at Siloam Springs in Benton County initiated December 18, 1976
and discontinued after December 31, 1983. Members of the Disorganized
Bird Club initiated a count centered on the Crooked Creek valley at
Harrison in Boone County starting December 19, 2001. Each count has
contributed to our knowledge of the region’s birdlife. The longevity
of the Fayetteville CBC makes it a gold mine of mid-winter data. The Fayetteville CBC’s geographical
center is described as adjacent highway 180, where the St. Louis and
San Francisco Railroad crosses Scull Creek. The center remains as in
the past, but names and the landscape have changed. Scull Creek and
a railroad remain, but today that area is near where Drake Street (180)
intersects Gregg Street approximately one-half mile south of I-540.
The 15-mile diameter circle
includes about 177 square miles. The choice of this center point allows
CBC participants to tally birds in a variety of habitats reflecting
ecological conditions in a wide area. There are urban habitats like
neighborhoods, golf courses, parks, and ornamental plantings. The circle
includes pastures and crop fields at the U of A farm and grasslands
associated with the former Osage Prairie in the Springdale area. Significant
parts of the White River valley are included like the upper sections
of Beaver Lake and Lake Sequoyah. Other reservoirs in the circle are
Lake Fayetteville and parts of Lake Elmdale. There are upland habitats
with hardwoods and pines, and streamside zones in the bottomlands, including
a few spring runs. The Fayetteville count dates
to the 1920s. There were counts in 1920-1923, 1924-25, then a single
count in 1937. Only one count year has been missed at Fayetteville since
1961. The count took on its modern form December 24, 1961. With Frances
James as compiler, she, Doug James, Richard Reid, Thomas Utley and one
feeder-watcher identified 59 species during 19 party hours. During the
count held December 18, 2005, 28 participants totaled over 64 party
hours and identified 95 species (four feeder watchers). The five Breeding Bird Surveys
(BBS) consulted for this project encompass a range of habitats and therefore
provide a sample of summer bird abundance and distribution. Farm and
forest is well mixed on two routes in Newton County: Compton and Lurton.
In addition, these routes provide peeks into summer bird distribution
along the Buffalo National River. Forests (hardwood and mixed species
hardwood-shortleaf pine including the Ozark NF) are sampled on the Ozark
NF route (Johnson and Pope counties) and in the Boston Mountain route
(Franklin County). Even though it’s largely outside the specific geographical
area in this book, I looked at the data on the Ozark NF route. It likely
reflects bird distribution over a broad area of western Arkansas forests. The BBS with the most open
country is Avoca in Benton County. The route starts just south of Pea
Ridge near the Avoca community, then heads south through Rogers, Bethel
Heights, western Springdale and ends in northeastern Fayetteville. During
its early years, Avoca was unique in that it provided a useful sample
of open country bird distribution associated with the original Osage
Prairie and smaller unnamed grasslands in western Benton and Washington
counties. Originally, it was Loggerhead Shrike country. Today the rapid
growth of northwestern Arkansas has converted most of the open fields
and grasslands to other uses. Avoca now samples modern urban bird communities. Since northwestern Arkansas
includes one of the largest national forests in the eastern U.S. (Ozark
NF), I make frequent references to forest management. The management
of forests on both private and public lands is a complicated and sometimes
contentious issue. There is interest and concern about how forest management,
especially logging and prescribed burning, affects birds (Smith and
Petit 1988, Thompson et al. 1995). Opinions on these issues vary. Fortunately,
there is a growing body of research bearing on this subject. The arguments
can now be considered against a background of fact. For example, a series
of research papers on Upland Oak Ecology (Spetich 2004) were
presented at a meeting held in Fayetteville October 7-10, 2002. Many
of the ecological issues affecting bird habitats (e.g., fire and logging
history) can be examined in the papers. The whole symposium proceeding
is available (see http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/viewpub.jsp?index=6470).
I have also reproduced with permission a graphic depiction, Figure
1 (below), from Thompson et al. (1995). No claim is made here that
this is precisely what to expect in forests of the western Ozarks,
but carefully collected data can be a rational departing point in such
discussions. My views of the habitats used
by birds in the western Arkansas Ozarks can be summarized in a few thumbnails: ·
Almost
all original Tallgrass Prairie habitat has been eliminated. It was once
rather extensive. Urban areas are constructed on land that was formerly
Tallgrass Prairie. With the exception of a few small, protected remnants,
“prairie” is all pasture, city, and highway. Extensive non-native grasslands
remain and provides important bird habitat. ·
Water
development projects have created habitats that did not exist here prior
to the 1930s. Ponds, small lakes, and expansive reservoirs are now common.
They provide habitat for a wide range of waterfowl, shorebirds, gulls,
and terns. Bald Eagles frequent impoundments. Protection of reservoir
water quality has necessitated acquisition and protection of tens of
thousands of acres of woodlands adjoining reservoirs. ·
The
original hardwood forest was extensively logged. Maturing second growth
forest occupies at least as many acres as it did historically. The expanse
of the Ozark NF guarantees a good future for many bird species and provides
abundant opportunities for birding. ·
Once
modestly extensive native shortleaf pine forests were harvested early
to build cities like Fayetteville. Due primarily to successful wildfire
suppression, predominantly shortleaf pine stands extensively converted
to predominantly hardwood stands. Extensive second growth pine habitat
is now localized in a few areas: especially the Ozark NF and the Beaver
Lake area of eastern Benton, northern Madison, and Carroll counties.
The rugged nature of Boston
Mountains has greatly hindered its economic development—a good thing
for birds. The Ozark NF occupies much of the area—another good thing
for birds. These forests are part of the vast Central Hardwoods region
(Fitzgerald et al. 2002). The Central Hardwoods contains over 15% of
the world’s nesting populations of Eastern Wood-Pewees, Acadian Flycatchers,
Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Yellow-throated Warblers, Blue-winged Warblers,
Prairie Warblers, Louisiana Waterthrushes, and Summer Tanagers. The
Central Hardwoods contain even higher percentages of the following:
Worm-eating Warbler and Field Sparrow (20%), Kentucky Warbler (28%),
and Whip-poor-will (35%). Further north, erosion has
removed most of the sediments comprising the Boston Mountains. Here
the surface is dominated by the Springfield Plateau, which tends to
be flat and slightly rolling, and is dissected by numerous spring-fed
streams. Limestone soils favored development of prairie grasslands.
Here is where most development has occurred—and continues—not such a
good thing for grassland birds. Greater Prairie-Chickens once lived
here, just as they still do on the protected prairies of southwestern
Missouri and northeastern Oklahoma. In recent years I have had
a particular interest in grassland birds and hence, our former prairie
region. In the 19th century, prairies in a floralistic sense were still
common here. Civil War era prairies in Washington and Benton counties
are presented as Figure 1 in Miller (1972) and for Benton County in
a technical book from the 1890s (Simonds and Hopkins 1894). They described
the Osage Prairie (now Bentonville-Rogers-Centerton), Beatie Prairie
(Maysville), Round Prairie (Cherokee City), Lindsley’s Prairie (Siloam
Springs), as well as 5 smaller prairies, including one unnamed (Norwood
Prairie on the Benton-Washington County line just west of the Wedington
area). Miller (1972: Figure 1) shows the extensive prairies in the Fayetteville
area and in western Washington County generally. There were many other
prairies in the area, such as Prairie Township at Hindsville in Madison
County and Baker Prairie in Boone County. A map produced from a compilation
of historical sources illustrates the chief prairie areas in the western
Arkansas Ozarks (included in Dale 1986). These prairies were quite diverse,
and included lowland prairie along the floodplains of streams. These
lowland prairies were seasonally wet and provided natural marsh habitat.
While the upland prairies were heavily modified for agriculture in the
19th century, hydric soils of the lowland prairies stalled
development until recent years. The controversy in Fayetteville over
the Wilson Springs property (between I-540 and Dean Solomon Road) during
the period 1990-2004 was focused on (1) the fate of the former seasonally
wet prairies bordering Clabber Creek, (2) the Arkansas Darter, a rare
fish in spring runs flowing into Clabber Creek, and (3) an impressively
diverse bird community, including Henslow’s Sparrow (Mlodinow 2002,
Neal and Radwell 2002). The failure of civic leaders to understand the
biological importance of the Clabber Creek area made nearly impossible
its protection in the face of heavy development pressure. The commercial development
of the prairies alongside Clabber Creek and nearby property along Mud
Creek amounts to a last chapter in the natural history of prairies at
Fayetteville. Future generations will be shocked to learn that marsh-associated
birds (rails, bitterns, several wetland sparrow species, etc.) once
used these areas, only a stone’s throw from I-540 and within sight of
Northwest Arkansas Mall. For additional background on this controversy,
see Wagner (2002a, 2002b). The drumbeat of development
in the Rogers-Bentonville-Lowell-Centerton area is a last chapter in
the natural history of the Osage Prairie. Basically, it’s adieu to the
Osage. This once extensive native grassland occupied at least 25-30
square miles. Basically, it is all now developed. Fields of Indian grass
and big bluestem are covered with asphalt and manicured lawns. With
a few noteable exceptions, this vast ecological change occurred with
little notice. The 10 acres of the Searles Prairie Natural Area provides
mute witness to the loss. Did anyone note the last Greater Prairie-Chicken
on the Osage? With a few notable exceptions
(e.g., Chesney Prairie and Baker Prairie Natural Areas), floralistically-speaking,
these prairies are lost. However, beyond the busy pace of the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers-Bentonville
metro area, there are workable examples of (non-native) grasslands that
continue to attract many species of grassland birds. Northern Bobwhites
and Loggerhead Shrikes are disappearing on the former Osage Prairie
and in the Fayetteville area, but they seem to hold their own on extensive
non-native grasslands elsewhere. While some natural bird habitats
have disappeared, others have been created. The bulk of the shorebird
records have been obtained from the state fish hatchery at Centerton
in Benton County. The C.B. “Charlie” Craig state fish hatchery was built
in a wetland on the former Osage Prairie. Migrating shorebirds once
paused to feed and rest in the shallow water and surrounding muddy fields
of spring runs and temporary rain-fed ponds typical of poorly drained
fields in the Springfield Plateau. Drained fishponds at the hatchery
concentrate this effect, providing the birds with quantities of soft-bodied
prey. This spot is a magnet for birds and bird watchers. Unfortunately,
urbanization is catching up with the hatchery. Residential and commercial
development associated with the Walmart-driven boom reduces surrounding
open grasslands that formerly were seasonally wet prairies. Though listed
as an Important Bird Area by Audubon Arkansas-- and long one of the
region’s finest all around birding opportunities--the hatchery is being
heavily impacted by the filling and draining of adjoining seasonal wetlands.
There are no natural lakes
in the western Arkansas Ozarks. However, reservoirs have been constructed
at a feverish pace since the 1930s. Arkansas Game & Fish Commission
has created fishing lakes. Birders in the Harrison area frequently visit
Bull Shoals, an impoundment of the White River whose dam was completed
in 1951. In 1966, the Army Corps of Engineers completed another impoundment
of the White River behind the Beaver Lake dam. Each impoundment provides
habitats for water birds. Adjoining public lands provide habitat for
forest birds. Impoundment construction has radically impacted bird diversity.
For example, Dean Crooks and other early 20th century birders
had no opportunity to see loons here, because there was no habitat for
them, either as migrants or winter residents. By contrast, three species
of loons have now been reliably identified at Beaver Lake. Free-flowing streams have been
lost to dam projects, but others remain. Public areas like the Buffalo
National River and Devil’s Den State Park on Lee Creek combine forested
stream bottomlands with hillside and hilltop forests conducive to forest-dwelling
birds. The Buffalo River escaped live burial under a reservoir as a
result of a long citizen-lead fight, primarily in the 1960s, against
several proposed dams (see Smith 2004: 106-110). The Ozark NF provides maturing
second growth oak-hickory forest that was heavily cut over during the
logging boom of the late nineteenth century. Timber cutting today provides
early succession habitat for birds. In the 1990s, Chestnut-sided Warblers
were discovered nesting in clearcuts in the Ozark NF.
Every species of wild bird
that has been reliably reported is included in the species accounts.
Many extreme dates of early arrival and late departure are listed,
but the most likely time of finding them falls inbetween. The names
and order follow that published by the American Ornithologists’ Union
(see http://www.aou.org/checklist/birdlist46.pdf
). I also have tried to include
a statement about how numerous the bird appears to be when an observer
visits appropriate habitat in the proper season. I have chosen ordinary
terms. I call a bird common if I expect to see it during a field
trip to appropriate habitat at the right time of the year. A bird seems
rare to me if I feel extremely lucky that I saw it. Somewhere
inbetween are the uncommon birds. In the case of birds that have
been found in all seasons of the year, I state this fact and mean it
in the way the term “all year” is used by the Oklahoma Ornithological
Society (2004:6): individuals of the species in question have been found
in all seasons, though not necessarily the same birds, and not necessarily
in a given year. They may be common in some seasons and some years,
but rare in others. Cardinals are here in all seasons and are common
throughout the year. Sedge Wrens have also been found in all seasons,
but are uncommon to rare except during migration. Many species accounts include
notations about Breeding Bird Surveys (BBS) and Christmas Bird Counts
(CBC). Consider this example involving Killdeer in winter: “The Fayetteville
CBC mean was 47.1 (n=39, range 6-286).” The number of Killdeer is presented
as an arithmetic mean (or average) for all years considered. The number
of years is then expressed as “n = 39.” The last numbers represent the
range of observations, from the lowest count, 6, to the highest count,
286. This doesn’t tell you how many
Killdeer you are likely to see on a given day or in a given year, but
it does provide some idea of what to expect at mid-winter in the Fayetteville
area when parties of observers are out for the day. It tells you that
Killdeer can be found basically all winters in appropriate habitat,
but are much more common in years when 286 were seen than in years with
6. Data from the BBS is presented in a similar way. I have assumed that those who
consult this book are asking themselves how likely it is, for example,
that the bird seen on January 5 is a Chipping Sparrow. The more experienced
local birders know it is uncommon and even somewhat rare most winters
here, but new birders will wonder. Could it have been an American Tree
Sparrow? I am trying to answer some of these questions, but only in
a broad sense. I don’t present certainty,
even if here and there it sounds like that. You will get a general idea
about what bird “most likely” it was, based upon the data available,
including my interpretations. I’m going to assume that the bird seen
on January 5 was probably a White-crowned Sparrow, because that’s the
available data and my own experience. However, I am open to being proven
wrong—and I will put my money on the fact that it will happen—again
and again. There is one thing you can bank on: the passage of time,
changes in weather, more skilled observers and observations will modify
the hard truth of yesterday. My designations involving seeing
a bird at a certain time are largely qualitative; that is, it’s my impression
of what the available numbers mean. However, these judgements do have
a quantitative base. They are quantitative in that my decision to call
a bird common or rare is usually based upon a mass of
data. I have collected some of this data, but most come from others.
There have been many thousands of bird observations here, spanning a
period of more than a century. On the other hand, my designations of
distribution and abundance--say the likelihood of seeing any bird species
at a particular place or time—are definitatively non-quantitative. I
have not performed specific research-oriented study that would permit
me to predict likelihood of occurrence based solely upon data. The lure of science-based predictability
is strong in me, but it is tempered by my thought that reality occupies
a space larger than a single data set or even several. I collect data,
I examine that collected by others, and then I make a call. It is not
the guesswork of a purely qualitative approach, but then neither is
it a process ignorant of, or rejecting of, hard data. My own active bird work in
the western Ozarks began in the late 1970s. I joined Doug James on what
became Arkansas Birds (1986) and subsequent projects in the late
1980s. Then there is a gap of roughly 12 years, 1990-2002 in my Ozarks
fieldwork. During this time I was an active parent and, relatively late
in life (age 44), returned to graduate school at University of Arkansas-Fayetteville.
I had completed my undergraduate degree in history in 1968, then started,
and after one semester left, a Masters program in history. I returned
to UA-Fayetteville for a Masters in 1990, but this time the field was
Zoology. Upon graduation, I accepted
a position as wildlife biologist on the Ouachita NF, stationed at Waldron,
in Scott County. I was still working with birds, but I focused on recovery
of endangered Red-cockaded Woodpeckers (RCW). I gratefully acknowledge
the USDA Forest Service for this opportunity. While I wasn’t given specific
time off from other Forest Service duties to work on A natural history,
I did receive something of great value: the opportunity to study the
interactions of birds and forests on public lands midst a robust program
of timber management. This direct experience over 15+ years has informed
and helped shape my views. While my observations of birds in the Ouachitas
have been concentrated on RCWs, the experienced gained has wider application.
This background has been beneficial in looking at issues affecting birds
on the Ozark NF and the role that forest management (including logging
and wildfire suppression) plays in bird distribution. At Waldron, I made a solid
ecological connection between the modification of western Arkansas’s
former prairies (extensive grasslands with prairie mounds and relict
prairie plants) and the decline of grassland birds. A veteran science
teacher, Ron Goddard of Waldron High School, shared with me his extensive
knowledge of Scott County’s avifauna, and especially Painted Buntings,
which he saw in surprisingly high numbers in the course of driving a
school bus and collecting students whose families raise chickens and
cows on the former prairies. Driving back roads after work, I eventually
found them, too. There were Lark Sparrows, Blue Grosbeaks, Dickcissels,
and Eastern Meadowlarks. My experiences on the small farms and grasslands
provided me with the background I needed to start looking at similar
habitats in the western Ozarks. Birding on a school bus with
Ron and his ecology students ranks among the finest of my birding experiences.
“Bald Eagle!” Ron shouts for the benefit of his students. The bus seems
to list on the driver’s side as students on the right bale from their
seats to the left where Ron has spotted the bird. Looking for Wild Turkeys
is no problem either; his students know how to gobble. Many of them,
male and female, have grown up in families with strong hunting traditions.
His students know him as “Coach,” since he once lead Waldron’s football
program. Coach has shared with many generations of Scott County students
his enthusiasm for birds--and has therefore opened these generations
of citizens to the wider world of ecology and the environment. JoAnne Rife of Harrison is
a native of Evening Star in Benton County. She knew the former Osage
Prairie as a child, including school at Vaughn a few miles south of
the state fish hatchery. Her professional achievements include teaching
basic science to thousands of students over a career spanning 35 years
and a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching
(1983). She has contributed many bird records from Baker Prairie in
Boone County and from two big impoundments of the White River, Bull
Shoals and Table Rock lakes. The Arkansas Bird Records database includes
her notations from numerous field trips documenting Bobolink migration
through Boone County, among other birds of interest. Now retired, Rife
continues to post bird data and various observations on the birds of
Arkansas discussion list (<arbird-l@listserv.uark.edu>). Noting
that she grew up in Benton County in the 1930s and 1940s, she recently
shared with the list that she didn’t see a Painted Bunting until she
was 25. “Just shows that you have to be looking and not waiting for
a bird to fly in front of your eyes.” Rife and others in the Boone-Newton
County area have banded together for field trips into a group they call
the Disorganized Bird Club. The numerous contributions
of records and data analysis by Michael Mlodinow are obvious in the
species accounts. He has certainly been our single most active field
ornithologist since the early 1980s. He has used his skills and understanding
of math and statistics to analyze his field data. Mike is the quintessential
“patch birder.” He systematically returns to the same spots (patches),
birding them in a similar way each time. This allows him to make data-enriched
assumptions about how common certain birds are in specific seasons and
specific habitats. His patches are numerous; most are in Fayetteville.
Some of these are Evergreen Cemetery adjacent the U of A campus, the
U of A farm, Markham Hill and Mt Sequoyah, Gregory Park, Lake Fayetteville
and Lake Sequoyah, the state fish hatchery in Centerton, and Lake Atalanta
in Rogers. Since 1993 his primary patch during June has been the Ozark
NF where his birding skill is helping to demonstrate how various forest
management techniques affect the bird community (see Smith et al. 2004).
Much of what we know about
our avifauna is directly attributable to the life work of biologist,
teacher, mentor, and, well, for lack of better words, “bird lover,”
Douglas A. James. Beginning in the early 1950s, Dr. James of the University
of Arkansas-Fayetteville, Department of Zoology (now Biological Sciences),
began an extensive card file of bird records for the state, including
the Ozarks. With the assistance of Dr. Frances Crews James, this file
served as the basis for a summary of the occurrence of birds in Arkansas
(James and James 1964). These records, plus Doug’s own research, and
that of his many students, formed the core of the state bird book Arkansas
Birds, with Doug as senior author. The card file has continued to
grow and his students continue making their own contributions to ornithology. There are legions of Arkansans
who first discovered the joy of birding and an interest in all aspects
of natural history on a Doug James field trip. Other than his obvious
and numerous academic achievements, Doug’s career is a unique and creative
example of bringing together professionals and private citizens in positive
efforts for environmental commonsense. One of Doug’s professional
colleagues, Kimberly G. Smith, has made his own unique mark in ornithology.
Three decades ago, Kim was himself a U of A student. He and his students
have since investigated birds in northwest Arkansas (and elsewhere)
from numerous perspectives. With help from many volunteers, Kim is preparing
a major new work, the Arkansas Breeding Bird Atlas. This project
is just another one in a long series spanning 30 years illustrating
Kim’s interest in birds, research, graduate students, and organizations
like Arkansas Audubon Society that serve as links between private citizens
and researchers. The atlas has drawn upon the skills and energies of
folks all over Arkansas. Kim has pulled them together for a useful shared
goal. In the middle of the Atlas project, Kim was elected Chairman of
the U of A Department of Biological Sciences, which includes of course,
Dr. James. Mirroring the diversity among
birds themselves, bird watchers are a varied lot. Whoever we are, and
whatever our interests, we are perpetual students, coming together in
our bird studies. In this process, we learn a great deal about the planet—and
ourselves. My expectation for A natural
history is that casual readers will come away with some idea about
what birds are likely to be seen here and during what time of the year
they are most likely to be encountered. Along with this information,
they will be exposed to natural history, and especially how changes
in the landscape impact birds, both positively and negatively. My personal
measure of success will be whether or not students of birds find herein
a spur to their own interests and passions. I see this book as a process, an ongoing project, a frontier. It’s a record of the past and a point of departure. Species accounts
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Dendrocygna autumnalis Apparently a rare fall visitor. The initial record involved a single bird at Bob Kidd Lake near Prairie Grove on November 11, 1994. Terry Stanfill observed (and photographed) two birds in late-August - September 2003 and saw two again at about the same time in 2004. Both observations were at the same small pond near Gentry in Benton County. A single bird was present for at least several days at a large pond on U of A farm in Fayetteville during late September 2005. Mike Mlodinow called me after seeing the bird and I obtained images of it on September 24.
Greater White-fronted Goose, Anser albifrons February 22 to April 9+ and September 28 to November 17+. Uncommon but regular transient. More numerous since the 1980s than in previous decades. Flocks estimated at 200 to 240 birds were seen in two locations in Washington County on March 2, 1986. An estimated 500 in 5 flocks passed overhead on October 16, 1999. A few birds have both wintered and summered with domesticated waterfowl. Snow Goose, Chen caerulescens October 5 to April 11+. Common and occasionally an abundant migrant; much less common winter resident. Big flocks of both the white and blue forms of the Snow Goose pass through during spring and fall. The distinctive gabbling can be heard as they pass overhead during migration. Wave after wave of birds, with flocks of hundreds or even thousands, are associated with huge cold fronts in November. Spring passages are associated with strong warm fronts, often in late February and early March. Lower numbers, usually white birds, visit during winter. Small numbers (typically 5 or less) have been seen on the Fayetteville CBC; 72 in 1989 was exceptional. A few birds have become more or less resident at lakes or ponds where they flock with domesticated waterfowl. Ross’s Goose, Chen rossii November 11 to March 4+. Rare transient and winter visitor with scattered observations throughout the year. A single individual was observed regularly on a farm pond near Fayetteville between December 12, 1973, and April 18, 1974. A bird banded in Canada in 1979 was found dead on about October 27, 1983, on a pond near Springdale. Since 2001, 1-2 birds have become more or less permanent residents among a few Snow Geese and domestic geese and ducks at Lake Atalanta in Rogers. The 8 seen by Doug James at Centerton on March 4, 1992, were among 550 Snow Geese grazing in a pasture south of the hatchery.
Cackling Goose, Branta
hutchinsii This species was formerly classified as a small-bodied form of Canada Goose.
Along with the larger Canadas, they have seen off and on over the years.
After Cackling Goose was elevated to full species status in 2004, the
first local record for hutchinsii involved two birds with Snow
Geese and Greater White-fronted Geese in a field at Centerton on March
12, 2005. The birds made their first appearance on the Fayetteville
CBC in December 2005: approximately 60 were loosely associated with
a flock of 180 Canada Geese at the U of A farm for several weeks, including
the count day, December 18, 2005.
Canada Goose, Branta canadensis This species has been observed in all seasons on larger ponds and lakes. Canadas have long been common and familiar transients, but were otherwise uncommon until the 1980s. Birds have nested locally since at least the 1980s. For example, on Fayetteville CBCs during the 1960s and 1970s, they were found on only 7 of 20 counts and never more than 10 birds. Numbers have steadily climbed, with more than 300 on the Fayetteville CBC since the late 1990s and an astounding 2,075 on the 2000 count. The sights and sounds of these large birds flying in formations over busy and rapidly growing northwest Arkansas are welcome, and for birders and nature enthusiastic generally, preferable to traffic noise and endless multiplications of parking lots and 24-hour superstores. On the other hand, fecal matter associated with growing flocks is a nuisance in places like golf courses.
[Mute Swan, Cygnus olor] Brackets are placed around the name of this species because the two birds seen in the Fayetteville area in the fall of 1986 and winter 1986-1987 were almost certainly ones that had escaped from captivity in Benton County.
Trumpeter Swan, Cygnus buccinator Doug James and others identified one at Beaver Lake on February 10 & 14, 1991. Amy Davis reported two at Siloam Springs February 2, 2005; red collars on these birds indicated they were from an Iowa flock. Don Nelms photographed two birds on the Boxley Mill pond in Newton County on December 15, 2005. It seems possible that some of these observations could be associated with Trumpeter Swans that now winter yearly at Magness Lake (an oxbow near the Little Red River) near Heber Springs in Cleburne County (Mosby 2002).
Tundra Swan, Cygnus columbianus Two records. Three birds were identified by Charlie Wooten at Centerton from November 19 to 29, 1981. One was seen at Beaver Lake on February 10 & 14, 1991.
Wood Duck, Aix sponsa This species has been observed in all seasons. Common migrant and summer resident along the larger streams and swampy, forested sections of impoundments. Uncommon to rare during winter. Wood Ducks begin to return during warming trends of late February and the first half of March and can be found with regularity through November or early December. I see them annually in early June on the Ponca Mill Pond in Newton County. Often there are 2 or 3 broods of ducklings, escorted by adults, and easily seen from the highway, at least when you first drive up. Especially high numbers may congregate on lakes during October and November before the fall migration. Rarity of wood ducks at midwinter is supported by data from the Fayetteville CBC where it has been found on only 7 of 40 counts, with a peak of 5 in 1977. There was also only a single Wood Duck reported on the Siloam Springs CBC (1979).
Gadwall, Anas strepera August 22 to May 2+. Gadwalls are abundant migrants and winter residents appearing on almost any pond or reservoir where there is shallow water with emergent vegetation. Numbers reported on Christmas Bird Counts at Fayetteville were low until the 1970s, but have increased thereafter, with several counts involving 300+. The Fayetteville CBC mean was 75.0 (n=39, range 0-362). There were 397 at Lake Fayetteville on November 11, 1995, and approximately 400 at Centerton on March 9, 2003, and 300 there on March 30, 2004. These records reflect migration peaks. Two males and two females were at Lake Elmdale on June 6, 1992.
American Wigeon, Anas americana September 12 to May 15+. Common migrant and uncommon winter resident. Flocks of a dozen or so are not uncommon. However, we rarely see as many as the estimated 300 on Lake Fayetteville March 24, 1956. These birds are not reported every year on Fayetteville CBC. The peak record is 52 in 1998, no doubt a reflection of improved reproduction (see shoveler). The Fayetteville CBC mean is 9.3 (n=39, range 0-52).
American Black Duck, Anas rubripes In the file there are a total of seven reports between October 29 and March 3. All but one observation for this species, whose population has been in decline for several decades, occurred prior to 1963. In addition, Mike Mlodinow has in 3 years found apparent hybrids with black duck and Mallard characteristics at Centerton
Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos This species has been observed in all seasons. It occurs here primarily as an abundant migrant and winter resident whose population levels are highest between October and March. Along with Gadwall, these are our most numerous ducks. There were 920 at Bob Kidd Lake December 25, 1990. Very few of the sizeable population present here in March remain. Some that may be partially domesticated breed here on an annual basis. The Fayetteville CBC mean is 151.9 (n=39, range 0-404).
Blue-winged Teal, Anas discors February 20 to June 13+ and July 8 to November 28+. Common and sometimes abundant transient on all sizes of ponds and mudflats. Common in early spring: basically all mudflats and ponds in open areas provide this bird habitat. They become very common after late August or early September. Most depart to the south upon the arrival of freezing weather in late fall, but there are occasional sightings into December. The typical breeding range lies to the north of Arkansas. An adult female with 10-12 ducklings was at Centerton July 6, 1993. Additional June observations of 1-3 birds indicate a few linger on an irregular basis.
Cinnamon Teal, Anas cyanoptera February 21-May 12. This common bird of the West is a rare transient here with 7 spring records. These observations involved 1-4 birds.
Northern Shoveler, Anas clypeata August 23 to May 25+. Common migrant, fairly common winter resident. Shovelers utilize both large impoundments and small farm ponds. During winter it can often be found during mild weather, but the numbers are less than during migration. The flock of 57 at Lake Fayetteville on November 5, 1990, reflects a fall peak. As is the case with many species of ducks, habitat conservation and improvement on northern breeding grounds have lead to nice increases in shoveler numbers seen in northwestern Arkansas. This is reflected on the Fayetteville CBC. Shoveler numbers were very low during the 1960s-1980s, with none many years. During the 1990s, numbers increased dramatically, with shovelers almost always found, and some peak counts reaching 94-95 birds by the late 1990s (only 1 was found on the CBC of December 19, 2004). A total of 337 were on ponds at Fayetteville’s wastewater plant on December 6, 1997. The 22 at Centerton on April 16, 2005, was a good spring count. There are several observations of 1-3 birds in June.
Northern Pintail, Anas acuta August 22 to April 14. Uncommon migrant and somewhat rare winter resident. Most sightings involve low numbers (1-5). Pintails occur regularly in high numbers in flooded agricultural fields of the Arkansas River valley, immediately south of the region. This flooded field habitat is largely lacking in the western Ozarks.
Green-winged Teal, Anas crecca August 20 to April 18+. Common migrant, fairly common winter resident. Green-winged is the usual wintering teal here. Since the early 1960s, they have been reported on about half of Fayetteville CBCs, with peak records of over 30 in 1966 and 1999. Some of the highest counts involved Lake Sequoyah at Fayetteville; 153 were counted there on December 3, 1989. There are several May and June records of single birds.
Canvasback, Aythya valisineria October 26 to May 2. Uncommon migrant and winter resident. Canvasbacks are seen here on an annual basis, but sightings of even as many as a dozen are unusual. Canvasbacks show up on about half of Fayetteville CBCs; numbers reported are typically 10 or fewer, with a peak of 81 in 1976.
Redhead, Aythya americana October 26 to April 19+. Uncommon migrant and winter resident. The 42 birds at Bob Kidd Lake on November 7, 2003, were part of an enormous raft of waterfowl that included approximately 2,000 diving duck species; there were at least 20 Redheads at Lake Fayetteville on the same day. Redheads show up in low numbers on about half of Fayetteville CBCs; the peak was 26 in 1993. The highest number reported for the winter season was 31 at Lake Elmdale on December12, 1993. There is also one extra-seasonal observation.
Ring-necked Duck, Aythya collaris October 13 to May 4+. Common migrant and winter resident. A total of 266 were on ponds at Fayetteville’s wastewater plant on November 26, 1995. A major spring influx was indicated by the presence of a day’s total of 96 on March 27, 1983 (day’s total for Lake Elmdale, Lake Fayetteville and hatchery ponds at Centerton) and 187 at Lake Elmdale on March 13, 1994. They have been found most years during the Fayetteville CBC. Low numbers during the 1970s and early 1980s improved considerably during the 1990s, with a peak of 273 in 1995. A total of 337 were seen by Mike Mlodinow and David Chapman on December 30, 1995, at Lake Wedington.
Greater Scaup, Aythya marila October 28 to April 7. Very uncommon to somewhat rare transient and winter resident. Low numbers (often 1-2) have been found on most of the larger bodies of water. A flock of up to eight spent much of the winter on Lake Atalanta near Rogers where they were observed December 1985 to mid-March 1986. Nine were there January 21, 1989. There have been reports of 1-4 birds on seven Fayetteville CBCs since 1991 (half of the counts), and additional reports from lakes throughout the area. The difficulty in separating the two scaup species, especially at distance or under harsh weather conditions, contributes to the relatively few records. For example, a single female was identified on Bob Kidd Lake on November 7, 2003, and a single male at Lake Fayetteville—but one must wonder if there were others among the huge numbers of Lesser Scaups present on the same lakes on this big fall migration date. Mike Mlodinow counted 28 at Beaver Lake Dam State Park on March 17, 1990.
Lesser Scaup, Aythya affinis October
13 to May 9+. Common and sometimes abundant migrant and common winter
resident. A fall influx was indicated by the huge raft estimated at
1,500 birds on Bob Kidd Lake November 7, 2003; at least 200 were at
Lake Fayetteville on the same day. Such large flocks of scaups and other
duck species are seen regularly during the fall migration. Lesser scaups
have been reported on most Fayetteville CBCs, with highest numbers in the
1990s, including 212 on the 1991 CBC. The 228 at the Fayetteville wastewater
treatment plant on March 23, 1995, was a big spring peak. There are
several summer observations of up to 4 birds.
Surf Scoter, Melanitta perspicillata October 11-November 26. Rare fall transient. Most observations have involved 1-2 birds. There were 6 at Bob Kidd Lake on October 27, 1990. My first scoter was at Lake Fayetteville on a typically stormy second week in November (November 10, 1981): a big dark duck out in the middle of the lake with what appeared to be two white patches on the side of its head. According to Peterson, nothing but a female scoter fit the pattern, but I had no experience with scoters and besides, it “couldn’t” be a scoter, because 25 years ago we had almost no Arkansas records for any kind of scoters. But Surf Scoter it was; a second one appeared 10 days later. I found another one at Bob Kidd Lake near Prairie Grove, November 19, 1983. Again, it was a stormy day, this time with wind and rain. My observations and note taking (for a documentation form) were made while squatting under an umbrella on the dam: umbrella held in one hand, the other attempting to keep in focus a bobbing bird, and trying to stay warm and dry in the excitement.
White-winged Scoter, Melanitta
fusca Three records. Mike Mlodinow found 2 immatures on December 9, 1994, and
1 immature on November 5, 2000, both at Bob Kidd Lake. Jason Lucier
and others found an adult at Centerton on November 9, 2003, and the
bird was seen as late as November 16.
Long-tailed Duck, Clangula hyemalis November 16-March 17. Rare transient and winter visitor. It has been found on only 3 of 39 Fayetteville CBCs. Four were found on Lake Fayetteville on December 16, 1979 and five were there January 27, 1980. Two females were seen at the Fayetteville wastewater treatment plant’s big holding pond on November 1, 2002. There are also two records from Beaver Lake.
Bufflehead, Bucephala albeola October 26 to April 24+. Common migrant and winter resident where small flocks of a dozen or more birds remain throughout the winter. Buffleheads, however, were absent during the severe cold of December 1983-January 1984, returning again with milder weather. They have been observed most years on the Fayetteville CBC, with peaks exceeding 100 birds during the 1990s. An estimated 200 were present on Bob Kidd Lake November 7, 2003, and at least 100 on Lake Fayetteville the same day. A few extra-seasonal records involved an apparently injured bird.
Common Goldeneye, Bucephala clangula November 14 to April 18. Fairly common migrant in low numbers and uncommon winter resident on a few impoundments (e.g., Lake Atalanta during winter 2001-2002; most years on Beaver Lake). The only large flocks have been reported on Beaver Lake, where 40 or more birds have been seen on several occasions during January and 206 were counted at Beaver Lake Dam State Park on December 26, 1989. It has been found on about half of Fayetteville CBCs, with a peak of 30 in 1975. At Siloam Springs, the poeak was 33 seen on the 1981 CBC.
Hooded Merganser, Lophodytes cucullatus This species has been observed in all seasons. It’s most frequently observed as a fairly common migrant, uncommon winter resident, usually in low numbers. Most reports are from the period of October-February. There were 31 at the Fayetteville wastewater treatment plant pond on November 11, 2003. During a major duck migration, a flock of 15 were at Bob Kidd Lake and 30 at Lake Fayetteville, both on November 11, 2004. There are also approximately a dozen summer records of juveniles or occasionally adults (on ponds at Centerton, but also elsewhere) and an adult female with young on Beaver Lake. Seven were found at Lake Fayetteville May 31, 1992, and an adult female was there on May 26, 2005. It has been found irregularly during the Fayetteville CBC; the 21 found on the 2005 Fayetteville CBC was a count high. This record was obtained on December 18. Mike Mlodinow and David Chapman counted approximately 65 in the same area on the following day. These high numbers could be a result of the extremely mild weather that characterized winter through December 2005, allowing this species to winter further north and in higher numbers than they typically do.
Common Merganser, Mergus merganser October 26 to April 18. Somewhat rare migrant and winter visitor in low numbers. It has been found on only 7 of 39 Fayetteville CBCs; the peak was 11 birds on the 1963 count. Common Mergansers were found on the Siloam Springs CBC in 1979 (7) and 1981 (2). On December 26, 1989, 27 were counted from Beaver Lake State Park in Carroll County. The 4-5 birds found on December 14, 2003, on Lake Sequoyah remained until at least February 14, 2004.
Red-breasted Merganser, Mergus serrator November 1 to May 28+. Uncommon migrant; rare winter visitor. These birds migrate through the western Ozarks on a regular basis, but most winter far to the south along the coast. A flock of 14 was on Lake Fayetteville on November 23, 1983, and 12 were seen on Lake Frances (now drained) on April 15, 1984. Prior to 2005, the only Fayetteville CBC record was one bird in 1982. On December 18, 2005, Kim Smith and his Fayetteville CBC party counted 21 on a large pond. Written documentation was submitted for this highly unusual record. There were also Hooded Mergansers on the same pond. There is also a June-July record at Centerton.
Ruddy Duck, Oxyura jamaicensis October 7 to May 28+. Common migrant and winter resident. Flocks of up to two dozen birds are not unusual at Lake Fayetteville after the arrival of big cold fronts in November. The fall migration in 2003 was just amazing. An estimated 360 Ruddy Ducks were at Bob Kidd Lake November 7, 2003, and an astounding 1,200 at Lake Fayetteville on the same day. They are found on most Fayetteville CBCs; 86 counted in 1997 was a peak. There are also a few summer season observations of single birds.
Ruffed Grouse, Bonasa umbellus The 19th Century pioneer literature of northwest Arkansas included references to this “wood hen” (see, for example, Neal 1958 and Donat 1974:12). This population seems to have been extirpated by around 1900. Professor F. L. Harvey of the University of Arkansas considered it very scarce in the Fayetteville area in 1883 (Howell 1911). During the 1980s, wild-trapped birds from other regions of North America were released near Ponca in Newton County and near Hagarsville in Johnson County in an attempt to establish a wild population in areas of the Buffalo National River and the Ozark NF (Arkansas Game & Fish data). Unlike wild turkey reintroductions, this effort hasn’t flourished.
[Greater Prairie-Chicken, Tympanuchus cupido] Extirpated. In the 19th Century, prairie-chickens were resident in the open grasslands of the western Arkansas Ozarks (Ellis 1957, Neal 1958). They disappeared early. Albert Lano (1921) was greatly surprised when a bird was killed west of Fayetteville in 1919. Dean Crooks reported the last one from northwest Arkansas (Baerg 1951), undoubtedly from the native (before fescue) grasslands of Benton County. This loss undoubtedly resulted from overhunting and especially the conversion of its grassland habitat to the production of wheat, a crop that covered as many as 100,000 acres in northwest Arkansas during the period 1870 to 1920 (see also discussion in Smith and Petit 1988:34). Flocks can still be seen on preserved prairie remnants in the Missouri Ozarks (Wilson 1984; Jacobs and Wilson 1997:93) and in eastern Oklahoma in places like the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve near Pawhuska in Osage County (Reinking 2004).
Wild Turkey, Meleagris gallopavo Permanent resident in extensively forested areas. The original population was greatly reduced by overhunting, forest clearing, and widespread fire suppression that degraded remaining habitat (Widner 1998). In a major effort by Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, the all but extirpated local population was augmented by releases starting in 1932. The release of wild birds trapped in southeastern Arkansas since the 1950s (James, et al. 1983) has successfully restored turkeys on public lands and elsewhere with suitable habitat. Releases have been concentrated on public lands, like the Ozark NF, where bird densities are in the range of 6-15 per square mile (Widner 1998:44). Doug James and his students found 3 flocks totaling 109 birds between Boxley and Ponca in Newton County on December 4, 1998. Groups like the National Wild Turkey Federation urge the use of prescribed burning to improve habitat for this bird, as well as other animals and plants that flourish in habitats shaped in part by fire. There were 9 turkeys on the Crooked Creek CBC in 2001.
Northern Bobwhite, Colinus virginianus Permanent resident common in extensive grasslands, abandoned pastures, forest edge, and similar habitat; rare and basically extirpated from the expanding urban corridor between Fayetteville and Bentonville. In their study at Pea Ridge, Shugart and James (1973: Table 1) found bobwhites across a range of grassy early succession habitats, with peak numbers in woody field and forest edge plots. Winter coveys of bobwhites were once abundant on the Fayetteville CBC. Totals of over 100 birds were frequent up into the mid-1990s (1994=109, 1995=45), but plunged to 0 on some counts thereafter. The proximate cause is rapid human population growth and consequent radical habitat change within the Fayetteville CBC circle. But it’s not just “growth” that has reduced bobwhites. Even in the countryside where farms rather than freeways are the norm, bobwhite numbers are depressed. The widespread practice of clean fencerows isn’t suitable for bobwhites and other native species requiring cover and travel corridors. As in the case of turkeys, fire that once helped shaped brushy, open habitats with suitable food plants is now absent. Bobwhites, as well as many other native species, have been hurt by resulting widespread habitat changes. The best remaining habitats involve the still extensive non-native grasslands of former prairies. As many as 154 bobwhites were at Siloam Springs on the 1979 CBC. Bobwhites are still reported in on the Crooked Creek CBC in Boone County (20-29 2002-2004).
Pacific Loon, Gavia pacifica Two records. Charles Mills identified one near the dam site on Beaver Lake in Carroll County
on November 21, 1991. Mike Mlodinow and I found a single bird in the
Rocky Branch area of Beaver December 29, 2002; it was observed in the
same area as late as March 2, 2003. On the last date we had wonderful
views as it flew across the water relatively close to us and near a
Common Loon. Compared to the Common Loon, the Pacific exhibited faster
wing beats and was obviously smaller.
Common Loon, Gavia immer September 7 to May 20+. Uncommon transient and winter resident in low numbers. Loons are typically observed on big reservoirs, but are also occasionally seen on larger ponds like those at Centerton. The fall migration in 2003 produced some relatively high numbers. At least 10 were present on Bob Kidd Lake on November 11 and at least 12 on Lake Fayetteville the same day; these observations reflect peaks in the fall migration, whereas observations as early as September 7 are highly unusual. Fayetteville CBC records: 1968(1), 1979(1), 1985(1), 1998 (2). Three birds on Lake Fayetteville April 8, 2005, were in brilliant breeding plumage. There is a summer record of a non-breeding individual at Beaver Lake.
Yellow-billed Loon, Gavia
adamsii Mike Mlodinow identified this bird just above
Beaver Lake dam site in Carroll County on November 19, 1991. It was
seen as late as November 30.
Pied-billed Grebe, Podilymbus podiceps These grebes have been seen throughout the year. However, most observations involve migrants and winter residents, September through April. Observed primarily on larger impoundments, but also visits ponds during migration. Non-breeding individuals have summered at Lake Fayetteville, Lake Atalanta in Rogers, and Lake Elmdale. The fall migration peak has been noted between the second week in September into the third week of October; 250 at Lake Fayetteville on October 17, 1999, marked a peak. While they are generally present throughout the winter, severe weather forces them to seek open water habitat elsewhere. Fayetteville CBC observers see them almost every year; mean 10.3 (n=39, range 0-33). Mike Mlodinow found probable evidence of breeding at Lake Elmdale in northern Washington County during several years in the 1990s, including adults with possibly three broods on July 16 and 24, 1994.
Horned Grebe, Podiceps auritus August 24 to April 24+. Fairly common transient and locally common winter resident. During migration, a few birds, usually five or fewer, can be found on lakes and large ponds throughout the area. Big flocks have been seen at the Beaver Lake dam site and especially in the Slate Gap Road area of Beaver Lake during winter. Counts ranging from 64 up to 500 have occurred in these areas from mid-November to mid-March. There are scattered summer records of non-breeding birds from Bull Shoals and Beaver Lake dam site.
Eared Grebe, Podiceps nigricollis September 2 to June 1. Very uncommon transient and winter resident that occurs annually in low numbers. The more than two-dozen observations since the mid-1980s have been scattered between September and early June. Early to mid-November is typical for fall arrivals. Most observations involve 1-3 birds. The six at Beaver Lake on November 4, 1995, was a high count. Most birds have passed through by late April, but there a few later records, including a single bird seen at the Centerton hatchery on June 1, 1995.
Western Grebe, Aechmophorus occidentalis and Aechmophorus species (Western/Clark’s Grebe) November 4 to March 15. Rare transient and winter visitor with approximately 11 observations 1981-2004. On January 21, 1981, members of the Northwest Arkansas Audubon Society saw two birds of the Western/Clark’s type at Rocky Branch on Beaver Lake. Details on the plumage of the 1981 birds are not available. One was seen at Bob Kidd Lake near Prairie Grove on March 13, 1984. The bird reported in 1984 fit the general pattern of Western Grebe. A single bird that wintered on Beaver Lake in 1994-1995 was of the Aechmophorus type, but couldn’t be further identified. A single bird was present on Bob Kidd November 7-14, 2003.
American White Pelican, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos April 3 to May 18+ and September 13 to November 20+. Fairly common transient and somewhat rare winter visitor. Flocks of more that 100 birds have been observed on several occasions, including an estimated 400 flying overhead in Benton County on April 13, 1985. The 600 at Lake Sequoyah near Fayetteville on September 18, 1989, remained several days and a few birds remained several more weeks after most of the flock departed. There are a handful of single bird records at midwinter, including four observations of single birds during 39 years of the Fayetteville CBC. There are also several summer records (non-breeding), including the 75-80 observed by Mike Bivin as they soared over Fayetteville on August 14, 1992. JoAnne Rife and Martha Milburn saw 36 passing over Boone County on May 8, 1996. An unusually late flock of 156 flew over Centerton on May 18, 1986. Very high numbers involving hundreds and even more than one thousand have wintered in recent years on the Arkansas River just south of the Ozarks and small flocks of non-breeding pelicans also summer along the river—a short flight on a breezy day. .
Double-crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus March 15 to May 28+ and August 13 to December 20+. Records are scattered in all seasons, but it is primarily a common transient and, in recent years, a local winter resident, especially at Lake Sequoyah. This fish-eating bird gathers in flocks on impoundments, especially during fall migration. The population is especially great in October and November. At least 500 were at Lake Frances (now drained) near Siloam Springs on October 21, 1984. No cormorants were reported on the Fayetteville CBC until 1984, but have been found regularly since, with a 1999 count of 47. Since 1987, there have been at least two records of single birds observed during February and June. The increase in numbers of birds is no doubt related to higher nesting success resulting from environmental protection, especially the control of chemical pollution that is severely detrimental to fish-eating birds. Unfortunately, the bird’s population growth has produced conflict with fish hatcheries and fish farmers, and birds are now being legally shot, sometimes in high numbers (Spencer 1993).
Anhinga, Anhinga anhinga Mike Mlodinow saw one at Center Point Lake in
Benton County on June 15, 1991.
Magnificent Frigatebird, Fregata magnificens A single bird was seen during the Fayetteville Christmas Bird count on December 21, 1967. This bird is sometimes blown far inland from the Gulf Coast by storms.
American Bittern, Botaurus lentiginosus March 20-May 25+ and September 3-October 9+. Rare transient with approximately 10 observations of single birds during the past 20 years. There are records scattered in all seasons, and for most months, but most involve spring and fall migration. Baerg (1951) published a record from naturalist Dean Crooks of Rogers, who found it nesting in Benton County on seasonally wet prairies (former Osage Prairie) that have long since been developed. Many reports are from the state fish hatchery at Centerton, prior to the recent (2003 and thereafter) frenzied housing development near the hatchery. When the bird is found, the habitat is usually open, marshy ditches, edges of impoundments, and other low-lying, open, well-vegetated areas. Recent records of single birds include one flushed from marshy vegetation at Fayetteville on March 30, 2002, and May 8, 2004. Location of each of these recent sightings was marshy vegetation in the Clabber Creek bottomlands near Dean Solomon Road. Unfortunately, seasonal wetlands associated with Clabber Creek have been functionally lost to commercial development.
Least Bittern, Ixobrychus exilis May 6-June 20 and August 1-October 15. Rare transient with most observations in spring. There have been approximately 9 observations, primarily of single birds, from 1983 to 2005. Many recent records are from the state fish hatchery at Centerton in Benton County where observers have long made regular trips, especially in spring, to look for shorebirds. Bitterns are found in low-lying marshy vegetation. Additional observations have also involved marshy vegetation along lake edges. There is no evidence that Least Bitterns nest in northwest Arkansas, but we are in the middle of the species’ summer range, which likely accounts for our June and August records.
Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias This species has been observed in all seasons. Great blues nest primarily in colonies in tall trees like sycamores in isolated forested river bottomlands. There have been nesting colonies on Lee Creek, Osage Creek, White River, Illinois River, Ventris Creek at Beaver Lake, Middle Fork of the White River, Richland Creek and elsewhere. They utilize nesting sites year after year, but these sites are easily disturbed. A man and his two sons killed more than 30 adults at the Osage Creek heronry in 1982. He was subsequently arrested after neighbors reported the shooting (Ivy 1981). I visited a colony with approximately 40 nests on Butler Creek, west of Beaver in Carroll County on March 15, 2003. The colony was potentially in the path of highway construction on Arkansas 178. Local residents lead by Beverly and Duane Kepford went to bat for the Great Blues. During the winter 2004-2005, Robin Devine of Fayetteville found a new colony on the main fork of the White River where it flows into Lake Sequoyah east of Fayetteville. I visited this site with her on March 19, 2005. We counted approximately 25 nests. At that time, the Great Blues had started to nest; birds were still feeding a few young in nests into mid-July. One nest was in use by Great Horned Owls attending two downy nestlings that day. Small colonies with up to 40 or 50 nests are typical, but smaller colonies and even single nests are sometimes seen. They occur in fair numbers throughout the winter and are found most years on the Fayetteville CBC: the mean was 11.2 (n=39, range 0-28).
Great Egret, Ardea alba This species has been observed in all seasons. Most reports involved the period March 5 to November 12+. Fairly common transient, primarily during April and May in spring; and most numerous in fall, with a peak from mid-July through October. There are sparse records throughout the summer, including a few birds presumably nesting in mixed-species rookies with other herons and egrets. The birds can be observed along rivers and lakes, ponds, and on mudflats. Summer records suggestive of local nesting have been obtained from Fayetteville, Bob Kidd Lake, Lake Sequoyah, Lake Elmdale and at Lake Harrison (July 14, 1999). A total of 36 were counted at the state fish hatchery September 6, 2003.At least 60 flew over Chesney Prairie Natural Area in Benton County on October 3, 2005. There is also a recent mid-winter record from Centerton.
Snowy Egret, Egretta thula April 1 to October 20. Uncommon transient in spring, fairly common transient in low numbers during late summer and early fall. There are also mid-summer records suggestive of nesting, including low numbers of Snowys in rookies with Little Blue Herons and Cattle Egrets. Presence of birds all summer in the Illinois River bottoms at Lake Frances (now drained) suggests birds may have nested there in the mid-1980s (Neal and Mlodinow 1988:46); 14 were counted in a heronry near Fayettevil |
