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 Fayetteville in 1989. They have nested in a large, mixed-species rookery just northeast of Van Buren in Crawford County. A flock of 10 was present at Bob Kidd Lake from at least September 12-October 3, 1987.
Little Blue Heron, Egretta caerulea April 9 to October 26. Common migrant and local summer resident. It’s most numerous during late summer and early fall along streams and impoundments. The first known local nesting occurred in 1985 when 100 or more adults with young in nests were observed in a heronry near Lincoln on May 17. Cattle Egrets were nesting in the same colony. The site was an overgrown field, with the nests placed in winged elms and cedars, and was near a poultry farm. Two hundred adults with about 15 nests were found at Fayetteville in late June 1987. The birds returned to a new nesting site at Fayetteville in 1988 and moved in response to deliberate disturbance. As many as 633 adults were counted in the Fayetteville nesting area on May 7, 1989. Vegetation at both Lincoln and Fayetteville was cut to keep Little Blues and Cattle Egrets from nesting in future seasons. Doug James counted 265 birds roosting-nesting on August 2, 1993, with Cattle Egrets.
Tricolored Heron, Egretta tricolor Rare transient with 4 spring observations and one in the fall. A single bird was observed (and documented) by Russell Graham and others at the state fish hatchery in Benton County on July 2-3, 1987. Mike Mlodinow documented the presence of one at Lake Fayetteville April 7, 1994, and Lake Sequoyah April 10, 1994. A single bird was present in spring 2000 (no date) at SWEPCO Lake in Benton County near Gentry (observed by Terry Stanfill and photographed by David Nolan). Pat Valentik found one at Lake Leatherwood west of Eureka Springs on May 25, 2003.
Cattle Egret, Bubulcus ibis April 9 to October 27+. Common transient and local summer resident. The first nesting record was in 1984 when a colony with 37 nests was found near Lincoln (see the Little Blue Heron account). More than 100 adults were observed at this site on May 17, 1985 (same location as nesting Little Blue Herons, above). More than 1000 Cattle Egrets roosted in this colony in late August 1984 (Neal 1987). At least 3,500 were roosting at Bob Kidd Lake on September 27, 1987. A few, scattered November sightings are also on file.
Green Heron, Butorides virescens April 3 to October 18+. Common migrant and summer resident. Green herons are birds of forested habitats, found in summer along the edges of streams, reservoirs, and ponds. During migration they can be seen at water sources in more open areas. During late summer and early fall green herons gather in small flocks of a dozen or so at places where there is an abundance of aquatic prey. A single bird was seen at a trout farm at Johnson in Washington County December 14, 1991, during the Fayetteville CBC.
Black-crowned Night-Heron, Nycticorax nycticorax April 9 to October 26+. Uncommon transient and possible summer resident. In 1985, adults and immatures (a total of at least three birds) were seen at the state fish hatchery in Benton County between late August and late October. It now appears birds may be present annually at Centerton in late summer and early fall. Most observations have involved single birds, but seven were seen flying over Fayetteville on April 15, 2000, and four at Centerton on May 8, 2005. One adult was there on June 19, 1988, and two lingered as late as December 4, 1987. Two were observed at Lake Elmdale on August 4, 1990.
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Nyctanassa violacea April 20 to October 5+. Somewhat rare summer resident. Seen during summer, singly or in pairs, but never in high numbers. Its presence around impoundments and along forested streams in summer suggests that nesting here involves isolated pairs. During late summer and fall as many as three adults have been seen at the Lake Sequoyah dam site. Frank Reuter saw 2-4 in the Berryville area (Carroll County) at King’s River April 28, 1987. Doug James saw a single bird at Fayetteville on January 8, 1991. In the 1950s, Doug James used to see these birds foraging for the abundant terrestrial crayfish that inhabit former lowland prairie habitats here. His specific observations involved the University campus in Fayetteville along Razorback Road north of 6th Street. This area has been subsequently developed into facilities for sporting events and parking. Though I have no specific data supporting my hypothesis, it seems reasonable to think that extensive development of these former lowland prairies would negatively impact this species, especially if terrestrial crawfish concentrations provided an important food source. Areas spared such impacts, like the Baffalo National River, Kings River, etc. with their abundant stream crawfish, still provide suitable habitat. Jack and Pam Stewart saw one bird in Newton County along the Buffalo in Newton County, just upstream from the Erbie Campground, on June 8, 2004. These birds were found during the course breeding bird atlas projects in the Missouri Ozarks (Jacobs and Wilson 1997: 45) and to a lesser extent in the Oklahoma Ozarks (Reinking 2004: 51).
White Ibis, Eudocimus albus Two records. A bird was seen on August 3, 1991, at Devil’s Den State Park and was still present until at least August 11. A single bird found at Lake Sequoyah on September 2, 1989, was still present on September 13.
Glossy Ibis, Plegadis falcinellus Two records. A single bird was identified at Lake Frances (now drained) near Siloam Springs on August 26, 1986. Another was found at Centerton May 22, 2002; a single bird with nine White-faced Ibises seen well on May 24, 2002, at Centerton was presumably the same bird seen on the 22nd.
White-faced Ibis,
Plegadis chihi April 15 to May 24. Rare spring transient. This species has been identified at the state fish hatchery in Centerton on at least 6 occasions since 1991. Single birds were seen May 4-5, 1991; May 6, 1995; and April 15, 2000. Nine were seen on May 24, 2002, and 13 on May 8, 2005.
Plegadis species In non-breeding plumage, Glossy Ibis and White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi are difficult to separate. There is a single record for spring: May 4, 1994, and four fall records September 21-October 16. These observations are from Centerton in Benton County, Bob Kidd Lake near Prairie Grove, and War Eagle Minnow Farm in Madison County.
Black Vulture, Coragyps atratus This species has been observed in all seasons. Uncommon, usually in low numbers and generally much less numerous than Turkey Vulture. A population has been known for years from the Rudy area of Crawford County and at Devil’s Den State Park. Eggs were seen in a nest in the cliffs above Devil’s Den in March 1985. A total of 45 birds were in a roost with Turkey Vultures above the White River south of Sonora in Washington County on December 15, 1984. Black Vultures are also seen regularly in the Cricket Creek area of Table Rock Lake and near Lincoln Lake where 30 were kettling on September 13,1987. During the 1960s and 1970s reports of Black Vultures on the Fayetteville CBC were irregular with none reported or only low numbers. Since that time, however, both vultures have been counted along a bluff line within the count circle, with peaks of 92 in 1999 and 100 on December 15, 2002. Black Vultures were also recorded on the Buffalo National River (west) CBC, though not every year. Relatively high numbers have been reported on the Crooked Creek CBC, ranging from 43-116 during the period of 2001-2004. Frank Reuter reported 45 kettling near Berryville in Carroll County on January 6, 1990.
Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura This species has been observed in all seasons. The population drops during severe weather of mid-winter, especially during December and January. Winter roosts form in areas where high south or southeast-facing cliffs facilitate soaring. An estimated 200 or more went to roost near Maysville in Benton County on March 21, 1985, and a total of 243 were counted in a major poultry producing section of the same county on October 2, 1985. Numbers of these birds found on the Fayetteville CBC have increased since the mid-1980s, with 100 or more (up to a peak of 206 in 1994 and 210 in 2002) reported on 8 counts since 1986. High numbers are also recorded on the Crooked Creek CBC, with data from 2001-2004 involving 140 to 205 birds. Visitors to Devil’s Den State Park see groups of vultures (both species, but primarily TV) perched in tall snags that have good exposure to morning sun in winter.
Osprey, Pandion haliaetus March 16 to May 29+ and August 19 to November 21+. Uncommon transient at lakes, larger ponds, and rivers; rare in summer. Migration peaks at area lakes in April and September (Neal and Mlodinow 1988: 47). Most observations involve single birds. JoAnne and Earl Rife observed 3 on the Long Creek Arm of Table Rock Lake in Boone County on April 25, 1997. They noted that the birds were perching in snags that stand in water. Two were seen repeatedly in summer of 1981 in the Prairie Creek area of Beaver Lake. Two were seen at Rocky Branch on Beaver Lake July 19, 1986. In 1990, single birds were seen at Beaver Lake on June 22 and August 3. No nests have been reported to date. One was seen at Lake Siloam Springs in Benton County on December 26, 1992.
Swallow-tailed Kite, Elanoides forficatus In his bird list for the Winslow area of Washington County, Smith (1915) stated the following: “The only record that I can recall during my stay in the mountains was that of a single bird, observed by a farmer near Winslow, on October 8, 1913. Old residents were well acquainted with it, and described it to me minutely...” Baerg (1951) received a report involving two birds seen in Newton County on July 10, 1949. There have been no records since.
White-tailed Kite, Elanus leucurus Ellen Neaville saw this kite at Rogers on March 23, 2001. She saw the bird perched, heard its vocalization, and had two good looks as it flew. She noted that the tail had distinct wide white edges and was gray in the middle.
Mississippi Kite, Ictinia mississippiensis May 10-early June, and August 17-October 10. Rare transient in spring and fall, Baerg (1951) published two records of single birds seen by Dean Crooks at West Fork and Harrison, both in 1939. In 1985, a single bird was seen repeatedly along the White River near Durham, Washington County, from May 23 to early June, during an emergence of periodical cicadas.
Bald Eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus This species has been observed in all seasons. September 29 to April 20+, but primarily during the period of real cold weather, early November to late March. Fairly common transient and winter resident. Single birds are observed beginning in the first week of November with the population building towards midwinter. The pattern reverses in spring: of 40 birds seen at Maysville on March 18, 1985, only 4 remained on March 25 (personal communication, D. James, J. Fitzgerald, C. Riley). Terry Stanfill, who has watched eagles for years in the Gentry area, says that he doesn’t see eagles there in fall until there is a good cold spell (with frost or freezing); in the spring, the birds all depart with the coming of a good warm front lasting at least 3 days. During winter they are seen at lakes throughout the area and flying overhead almost anywhere. They are common in winter in the poultry producing areas of western Benton County and Carroll County. During the 1980s, poultry farmers removed dead chickens from their barns and disposed of them in fields where carrion-feeding birds, including eagles, fed on them. Such was the case at one time in the Maysville area of Benton County where 115 were seen on January 22, 1986; 49 were present in a similar situation near Durham in Washington County on January 2, 1986. Poultry companies have prohibited the practice of dumping dead chickens in fields. However, high numbers of wintering eagles are still present in the area. A total of 71, for example, were counted in a roost northwest of Decatur in January 2001. Up to 400 used this forested river bottom roost during winter 2004-2005. There are concentrations elsewhere, like the 60 birds reported by JoAnne Rife in the Green Forest and Berryville areas of Carroll County during midwinter 1991. Relatively high numbers have also been observed near Lead Hill, just south of the Sugar Loaf arm of Bull Shoals Lake in Boone County. Northwest Arkansas Audubon Society has sponsored popular eagle watch weekend featuring boat rides for spotting eagles perched along Beaver Lake. A popular spot for viewing wintering eagles is the Eagle Watch Nature Area in Benton County off Highway 12 just west of Gentry (see details in Neal and Mlodinow 2005). While primarily a winter resident, Bald Eagles are present throughout the year and nesting has been confirmed near Maysville in Benton County and near Huntsville in Madison County, both in 1997. The heartening story of the Bald Eagle’s escape from extinction is illustrated by data from the Fayetteville CBC. The birds were virtually absent from the count during the 1960s and 1970s, and only began to be found with regularity from 1979 and thereafter. The highest number to date on the Fayetteville count was 16 adults and 6 immatures in 1985. Nine were seen on the Fayetteville CBC of December 19, 2004.
Northern Harrier, Circus cyaneus August 26 to April 16+. Fairly common transient and uncommon winter resident in low numbers in open country, especially former prairie grasslands. As many as a dozen were observed in low, brushy fields between Gravette and Maysville during winter of 1986-1987. Harriers in low are seen on most CBCs in the region. The Fayetteville peak was 10 reported for the 2000 count. Additional sightings in late May and in summer could be related to a few known instances of nesting in Sebastian and Crawford counties, south of the Ozarks region, in the Missouri Ozarks (Jacobs and Wilson 1997:71) and northeastern Oklahoma (Reinking 2004: 93).
Sharp-shinned Hawk, Accipiter striatus This species has been observed in all seasons. Sharpies are present throughout the year, including a small nesting population. A nest found in Newton County June 29, 1994, was approximately 35 feet up in a shortleaf pine and held three young. Highest numbers are present during winter and migration, roughly the period from late September through May. Sharp-shinneds are reported on most, but not all, Fayetteville CBCs, but always in low numbers; 7 in 1982 was a peak. Both of the Accipiter hawks catch birds around feeders and so are often seen in town, and unfortunately, fly into plate glass windows in pursuit of feeder birds.
Cooper’s Hawk, Accipiter cooperii This species has been observed in all seasons. Fairly common migrant and winter resident; uncommon summer resident. It has apparently increased ince the 1980s, but apparently was a more numerous summer resident in the past (see Baerg 1951). There had been few summer records in two decades up to the 1980s, but observations have increased since. For example, two birds seen near Durham in Washington County on May 23, 1985, appeared to be performing courtship rituals. Immature birds near Elkins, Washington County, on July 30, 1986, indicated local nesting. Between 1985-2005, there have been more than 20 summer records in the northwest Arkansas area suggestive of nesting, plus several nests (in parks, forested neighborhoods, etc). In 2004, I found three fledglings perched together in one tree at the University of Arkansas farm August 11. In 2005, I observed an adult male and female engaging in courtship activities including copulation near Veterans Park at Lake Fayetteville on March 13 and found an apparently finished nest approximately 75 yards away March 18. The nest was approximately 60 feet up in a post oak. Birds were sitting tight on the nest on April 8 and thereafter. Subsequent leaf out of hardwood trees obstructed further observations except for an occasional long tail over the nest’s lip and an adult flying close by. This nest is ¾ of a mile from NW Arkansas Mall, near the lake with its boats; and alongside the popular Two Turtle mountain bike trail. The area is generally forested, which seems to suit these hawks, since breeding season observations at Lake Fayetteville date back at least a decade and there are numerous other breeding season observations elsewhere in Fayetteville and the regionally generally.
Northern Goshawk, Accipiter gentilis. A specimen was taken at Winslow on November 2, 1926 (Black 1935). Baerg (1951) reported one collected near Fayetteville during the winter of 1928-1929. Documentation was placed on file for a bird taking poultry from a yard next to a farmhouse at West Fork, Washington County, December 24-25, 1982.
Red-shouldered Hawk, Buteo lineatus This fairly common species has been observed in all seasons. One of the pleasures of late winter birding (late January-March) is seeing pairs as they soar in tight circles above, giving loud, repeated “kee-ya, kee-ya” calls—courtship time for Red-shouldered Hawks. They live in areas with extensive mature forest, including towns. Since the 1980s, nests have been found at various places in Fayetteville, including neighborhoods (Mt Sequoyah and Markham Hill), cemeteries (Evergreen), and parks (Wilson Park). What these areas have in common is mature forest cover. Adult birds have been seen on nests as early as the first week of March. One nest built high in a mature pine near the swimming pool at Wilson Park in Fayetteville during the 1990s was still being used during the 2005 season –I saw the bird sitting tight on the nest March 27, 2005. Visitors to the pool observe hawks as they carry snakes to the nest. Birds on a nest at the Bob and Sara Caulk place on Mt Sequoyah began incubating by at least March 8, 2005, and feeding hatchlings by April 15. Judging from the Fayetteville CBC data, these birds have increased here since the early 1960s. The number seen was often 0 or 1on half of CBCs during the 1960s-1980s. Since the early 1990s, they have been found each CBC and in numbers often in the range of 3-5; 10 were found on the 2005 count.
Broad-winged Hawk, Buteo platypterus March 30 to October 25. Fairly common summer resident in extensively forested habitat. Migratory flocks mark spring and fall. On April 15, 1957, 44 were seen in Franklin County. The fall migration typically peaks with the same kinds of cold fronts that bring monarch butterflies on their southward migration. At least 40 passed through Fayetteville September 21, 2001, within days of a major passage of monarch butterflies through the same area. During summer the birds are present in areas with extensive mature forests such as the Ozark NF, Buffalo National River, and Devil’s Den State Park. Joyce Shedell videotaped a rare dark morph Broad-winged near Highfill in Benton County April 25, 2004.
Swainson’s Hawk, Buteo swainsoni March 20-October 5. Very uncommon migrant and local summer resident. This western hawk reaches the easternmost extremes of its regular occurrences on the prairies of eastern Oklahoma. Our summer records suggest that the former prairies of western Arkansas remain marginally attractive. A finished nest with 2 adults was observed by Bob Sanger (and subsequently others) seven miles west of Fayetteville in Washington County on April 8, 1986. Apparently no young were reared in the nest. This is the only confirmed nest record. Summer sightings have occurred basically every year since, often in Benton County. These sightings have occurred in the Centerton area (and were regular prior to the huge population and construction boom from 2003 and thereafter), Cherokee City (former Round Prairie), Maysville (former Beaty prairie), Pea Ridge, and elsewhere. Most of these summer sightings involve 1-3 birds. There are also summer records for the bordering Missouri Ozarks (Jacobs and Wilson 1997: 81). In Oklahoma the birds are apparently regular breeders only in the western part of the state (Reinking 2004: 101).
Red-tailed Hawk, Buteo jamaicensis This species has been observed in all seasons. Common large hawk of open country. Most numerous during the period of cold weather, November through February. Transients and wintering birds show extreme variation in plumage, ranging from very light to almost totally black. Harlan’s Hawk, a dark Red-tailed subspecies, is fairly common during winter (fall arrival early October, spring departure, early April) and is sometimes misidentified as Rough-legged Hawk. An important research paper on Harlan’s Hawk (Wood 1932) was based in large part on specimens caught with pole traps by poultry farmers in northwest Arkansas in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Another dark subspecies occurs in the region in winter, the western Red-tailed Hawk. The Fayetteville CBC mean was 59.4 (n=39, range 0-225); the count of 225 in 1994 was double most other peaks. There are also common on the Crooked Creek CBC with numbers ranging from 14-43. An unusual concentration of 50 was seen in a field near Fayetteville on February 12, 1982.Nesting is widespread during March, but incubation has been noted as early as late February. I have observed many nests over the years in stout forks of hardwood trees (e.g., post oak), often in groves within generally open areas. This nesting habit conforms to historical patterns in which Tallgrass Prairies included woodlots generally referred to in pioneer times as barrens or oak barrens. Even with conversion of Tallgrass Prairie habitat to pastures and hayfields of non-native species like fescue, our red-tails seem to have adapted to hunting and prey available in these greatly altered landscapes. Many oak barrens remain outside developing urban areas (e.g., Fayetteville to Bentonville). Red-tails are common in such areas and provide a living link to our region’s ecological history.
Rough-legged Hawk, Buteo lagopus November 5 to February 15. Rare winter visitor that reaches the Arkansas Ozarks in low numbers. Most sightings involve single birds. A total of 4 were found on the Siloam Springs CBC in 1979. The extreme winter weather of December 1983 and January 1984 was marked by the appearance of three Rough-legged Hawks on December 27, 1983 (one at Wedington west of Fayetteville, and two at Siloam Springs). Almost all birds have been in the light phase plumage. Full documentation was presented for a dark phase bird seen two miles east of Maysville on January 15, 1987, and thereafter. Rough-leggeds are fairly common on the prairies in eastern Oklahoma (e.g., Tallgrass Prairie Preserve near Pawhuska). Birds seen in the western Arkansas Ozarks could involve eastward movements of these birds. .
Golden Eagle, Aguila chrysaetos October 18 to March 8. Rare winter visitor. Much less numerous than Bald Eagle with only 6 reliable observations in the past two decades. Almost all observations involve single birds. Frank and Joanna Reuter saw 2 at Berryville in Carroll County October 22, 1988. Mike Bivin saw two from Fly Gap Mountain in Franklin County November 11, 1996.
American Kestrel, Falco sparverius This species has been observed in all seasons. Most numerous during winter. Nesting birds typically occupy habitat consisting of open grassland habitats with only scattered trees or buildings, typically associated with former prairies, especially those in Benton County. However, the birds also nest in more urban settings with open areas. In the past it has nested on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville in cavities of mature trees, in the eaves of Old Main (before its renovation), in a deteriorated wooden martin box, and more recently (2005) an old barn at University Farm where Tom Green of Arkansas Archeological Survey noticed them going in and out of the barn by March 1, 2005. These three examples illustrate the usual situation where kestrels are found during the breeding season. Like the campus, old farm places in open country provide the requisite cavities. During the summer of 2005, Mike Mlodinow and I made an informal effort to find breeding season kestrels. In Washington County we found them at the U of A farm, on Markham Hill, and at the former Norwood prairie on the Washington-Benton County line. We found them in a minimum of 12 places in Benton County (Chesney prairie, Center Corner on Highway 264, Centerton, Elm Springs, Decatur, Gentry, at the Regional Airport (Highfill), Cherokee City, former Beaty prairie near Maysville, and Lake Bentonville. The birds were also seen at Hindsville in Madison County, and Baker Prairie in Carroll County. No doubt there were many others as well. The four birds perched together on a wire near Durham in Washington County on March 12, 1985, appeared to be migrants, as did the seven on a wire in northern Franklin County on October 3, 1985. Wintering kestrels are reported in good numbers annually during the Fayetteville CBC; the CBC mean was 31.1 (n=39, range 4-73).
Merlin, Falco columbarius September 8 to April 23. Rare transient and winter visitor. There are about 10 observations over the past 20 years; 6 involve fall from September 8 to November 12. A bird seen on the former Beaty prairie near Maysville on January 1, 2003, was observed as it perched on a snag overlooking an expansive open field. It first pursued blackbirds and, swiftly crossing State Line Road into Oklahoma, chased a huge flock of Horned Larks. The generally pale coloration of this falcon indicated that it was the prairie form richardsonii. Northwest Arkansas forms part of this bird’s winter range (Wheeler 2003: 450). Two Merlins were reported on the 1969 CBC at Fayetteville.
Peregrine Falcon, Falco peregrinus April 5 to May 21 and September 17 to October 14+. Rare transient and winter visitor. The approximately 20 observations are devided between spring and fall. There is also a January record. Several of these reports have involved Peregrines stooping on shorebirds at the state fish hatchery in Benton County.
Prairie Falcon, Falco mexicanus November 15 to February 3. Rare winter visitor. The 5 observations during the past 20 years have been from Benton County, and 3 involved the month of January. Irene Camargo and I collected a diagnostic digital image of a bird that was perched on a tall snag in the open grasslands near Chesney Prairie Natural Area on January 17, 2003. The big grasslands and prairies of eastern Oklahoma (e.g., Tallgrass Prairie Preserve near Pawhuska) form the normal eastern edge of this bird’s winter range (see Wheeler 2003: 523), but western Arkansas is little more than a short hop for these big falcons.
King Rail, Rallus elegans Dean Crooks saw one in Benton County, but this published record was undated (Baerg 1951). Single birds were observed at the state fish hatchery in Benton County on October 10, 1983, and April 10, 1991.
Virginia Rail, Rallus limicola April 10-May 13 (9 records) and October 12-November 14+ (5 records). Rare transient. All records involve single birds. In addition, there are a few observations illustrating the hazards of migration in a region that has lost most of its former lowland prairie grasslands: Elizabeth Adam found a dead bird in a store parking lot at Fayetteville on August 31, 1987. Bruce Roberts found a live, but injured bird in a storage facility lot near Bentonville on May 1, 2005. The single bird seen by Mike Mlodinow in the Clabber Creek bottomlands at Fayetteville January 8, 2004, provides the only mid-winter record.
Sora, Porzana carolina April 13 to May 26+ and August 24 to October 31+. Fairly common to uncommon migrant in the well-vegetated edges of marsh-like ponds or wet well-vegetated ditches in extensive open areas. There were at least10 in the former grasslands at Wilson Springs in Fayetteville May 3, 2002, and 24 on September 23, 2000, at Centerton. Peak numbers like these provide a view of the past: Soras must have been very common during migration in former wet, lowland prairie grasslands. These have been drained, leaving only relatively small patches of favorable habitat. In addition to the above observations, Russell Graham found a single bird in Madison County June 23, 1987. There is a single record for November 10, 1991.
Common Moorhen, Gallinula chloropus No recent record. Baerg (1951) published the report of one bird at Fayetteville on October 30, 1936, and one at Lake Wedington October 7 and 13, 1949. Moorhens nest in marshy habitat well to the north and south of our region, but we apparently provide little in the way of attractive habitat for even migratory stopovers.
American Coot, Fulica americana September 5 to May 20+. Abundant migrant and winter resident. The approximately 850 plus on Lake Fayetteville October 23, 1984, was a migratory peak in numbers, as was the estimated 1,325 on November 16, 2003, and 1,900 November 8, 1997, both counts at Lake Elmdale near Springdale. Single birds have been seen on several occasions during the summer months at Centerton, Lake Atalanta, Lake Bentonville and elsewhere. Coots have been a stable and predictable feature of the Fayetteville CBC since the 1960s, with a peak CBC count of 942 in 1997. The abundance of coots here is a direct result of lake construction, just as the dearth of birds like Virginia Rails results from wetland losses.
Sandhill Crane, Grus canadensis Two records. A single bird was seen during the Fayetteville CBC on December 14, 2003 by Rose Ann Barnhill and others in her party. Barnhill has considerable experience with cranes in Belize; the observation was well documented. Documentation was also provided by Mary Bess Mulhollan who had close observaztions of 6 birds at Fayetteville on December 5, 2005. These birds winter primarily south of northwest Arkansas, but are present at this time both to the northeast and northwest of Arkansas (see maps of CBC data at http://audubon2.org/birds/cbc/hr/map.html).
Black-bellied Plover, Pluvialis squatarola April
22 to May 26 and August 12 to November 3. Somewhat rare transient not
seen in some years. Most observations are in May and October and involve
single birds. Found in typical mudflat habitat attractive to shorebirds
(mudflats along pond margins at Centerton and mudflats when lakes are
drawn-down), but also in open pastures.
Mike Mlodinow saw 41 at Centerton on May 26, 1994.
American Golden-Plover, Pluvialis dominica March 4 to May 19+ and September 9 to December 3. Fairly common transient in spring and uncommon transient in fall. Flocks stop in pastures, flooded fields, and pond flats during the northward migration of spring,. At Centerton the annual peak is in the first three weeks of April (Smith et al. 1991). On April 8, 1985, for example, an estimated 80 were in a pasture east of Fayetteville. Many fall records involve single birds, but 12 were seen at Centerton October 19, 2002. An injured bird was present at Centerton as late as June 7, 1997.
Snowy Plover, Charadrius alexandrinus One record. Barry Haas and Susan Hardin found
this bird at Centerton on May 5, 2001. This furnished the third record
for Arkansas, and the only one since 1974. Their discovery came during
a joint meeting of Arkansas Audubon Society and the Wilson Ornithological
Society in Fayetteville. When Barry returned to the meeting in Fayetteville
with the news, his report was initially greeted with skepticism by me,
among others. Right in the middle of that discussion, Kenny
& LaDonna Nichols called on their cell phone directly from Centerton
to say they had the bird in their scope and had photographed it. Most
of us skeptics soon adjourned to the hatchery and were quickly converted.
This rarity provided many enjoyable birding hours until last seen May
8.
Wilson’s Plover, Charadrius wilsonia One was discovered at Centerton by Nigel Ball on May 18, 1986, and was subsequently seen by others and photographed. It remained until May 24.
Semipalmated Plover, Charadrius semipalmatus April 11 to May 25+ and July 11 to October 22. Common at Centerton from late April to mid-May and during August to mid-September (Smith et al. 1991). Most reports involve only a few individuals seen on open pond flats like those at the state fish hatchery. Peaks include 31 on April 27, 1995, and 87 on April 28, 1996. There are also 2 early June records.
Piping Plover, Charadrius melodus Federally-listed as a Threatened Species (Great Plains region). April 23 to May 1 and July 4 to September 24. Rare transient with about 16 observations since the early 1980s. All observations involved single birds or occasionally 2. Most observations are from Centerton. Mike Mlodinow and Mike Biven counted 8 there on July 8, 1993. Birds migrating through the western Ozarks are presumably associated with populations that nest on the Great Plains that lie to the west and north of northwest Arkansas (Haig 1992). Stopover mudflats like those associated with drained ponds at Centerton are important to this declining bird.
Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus This species has been observed in all seasons. Birds commonly nest throughout the area in rocky open places (gravel along country roads and drives, bare places in fields, flat graveled roofs, etc). Killdeer that nested one year at the 112 Drive in theatre in Fayetteville were protected with a roped off space until the young hatched. High numbers are present on pond flats, plowed fields, and in pastures during migration; 100 or more may gather in especially favorable locations. Killdeers flock during late summer and fall at favorable locations. There were 185 at Centerton on August 9, 1988, and 299 at Lake Elmdale near Springdale on December 17, 1994. The Fayetteville CBC mean was 47.1 (n=39, range 6-286). Most of this variation between high and low counts is no doubt is related to weather patterns since most depart severe winter weather.
Black-necked Stilt, Himantopus mexicanus One record. I saw and photographed a single bird at the Craig State Fish Hatchery in Centerton on May 25, 2005. Hatchery employees told me they had first noticed the bird the previous day. Furthermore, they had seen two birds the previous year—so apparently 2 records!
American Avocet, Recurvirostra americana April 9 to June 2 and July 24 to November 3. Rare transient seen most years. Most sightings have involved 1 or 2 birds, but occasionally we also see small flocks. JoAnne Rife and others saw 12 avocets on Crooked Creek in downtown Harrison April 24, 1992, and Rob Doster reported 18 at Lake Fayetteville on April 20, 2003. The15 at Bob Kidd Lake on October 22, 1984, was a good fall count as were the 11 at Bull Shoals Lake in Boone County August 24, 1999. While avocets have been seen at the Centerton hatchery many times over the years, they are not specifically attracted to mudflat habitat and may be seen in many other aquatic habitats, including lakes and ponds throughout the area.
Greater Yellowlegs, Tringa melanoleuca March 1 to June 4+ and July 1 to November 25+. Fairly common transient observed in low numbers. The peaks at Centerton occurred from mid-March through April, and last week in August to first week in November (Smith et al. 1991). There are several mid-winter records, including single birds on the 1966 Fayetteville CBC and at Centerton on December 26, 2003 (this bird had an injured foot). Mike Mlodinow saw 4 on the unusual date of June 26, 2003. These birds left the hatchery heading south, suggesting to him that they were fall migrants. There were 15 at Centerton on April 10, 1988, and the same number there on October 21, 1984.
Lesser Yellowlegs, Tringa flavipes March 13 to June 1+ and June 20 to November 16. Common transient. Spring peak are observed from mid-April through mid-May (Smith et al. 1991). There are several big peak records involving flocks of 40 or more in late April and early May: 79 on April 28, 1988; “several hundred” at Lake Sequoyah on May 9, 1960; 193 at Centerton April 27, 1995. Fall peaks tend to be much lower, rarely as many as 12. The suggested break between spring and fall (above) is arbitrary. It’s based upon the fact that observations after the big spring peaks tend to be singles (these are scattered in June); summary of migration records in Tibbitts and Moskoff (1999) supports this treatment. Mike Mlodinow counted 3 on June 20, 1993, and 11 on June 21, 2000. Both of these Centerton observations in the second half of June suggest southward-moving fall migrants.
Solitary Sandpiper, Tringa solitaria March 28 to June 10 and July 4 to November 23+. Fairly common transient that occasionally lingers into winter. They can be found in a variety of habitats, especially open mudflats of ponds and along streams. In past years, relatively high counts were obtained at the Springdale wastewater treatment ponds: 8 on April 27, 1988; counts ranging from 7 to as many as 12 birds there during the period July 25-September 13, 1987. Twelve were tallied at Centerton on September 4, 1988. There are several observations of single birds in December. A single healthy bird was observed along a spring-fed stream and pond near Johnson on January 4, 1986, and was present and still healthy a month later.
Willet, Catoptrophorus semipalmatus April 16 to May 17+ and June 21 to September 4. Very uncommon spring transient and rare fall transient. Habitat includes mudflats and shallow ponds, also open edges of lakes. Highest numbers involve the last week of April and the first week of May. John Prather saw 97 at Centerton on April 23, 1999, and Mike Mlodinow counted 100 at the same place May 1, 1990. JoAnne Rife found flocks in the Boone County/Table Rock Lake area: 10 at Cricket Creek boat dock May 3 and 16 on May 10, 1997, in the Long Creek boat dock area. My observation of 20 Willets on June 21, 1990, involved the Arkansas Game & Fish hatchery pond on Beaver Lake.
Spotted Sandpiper, Actitis macularia April 1 to June 8+ and July 4 to October 25+. Common transient in spring and fall, with additional records in other seasons. Most sightings involve early April to early June and early July to mid-October. The big spring peak at Centerton was from mid-April through May (Smith et al. 1991). As many as 5 to 8 are seen regularly during a day at the Centerton fish hatchery during peak migration periods, and it is also commonly seen as it feeds and teeter-bobs along streams. There were 12 at the hatchery on May 14, 2004. Northern Arkansas is immediately south of this bird’s extensive breeding range. There are two half-century old records of breeding in the Winslow area (Black 1935), but none since. Callahan (1953) listed Spotted Sandpiper as a common summer resident at Lake Wedington, but without details. Spotted Sandpipers have been found in the Missouri Ozarks in summer, including probable nesting in Barry County, Missouri (Jacobs and Wilson 1997:113). Scattered reports of single birds in June are not unusual. Were birds seen at Centerton on June 28, 2000, and June 21, 2004, heading north or south? These observations fall into the crack between the typical end of spring migration in by early June and the beginning of fall migration in early July (Oring et al. 1997). A bird remained during the winter of 1982-1983 at SWEPCO Lake in Benton County, perhaps because the lake’s high water temperature (Smith 1985). Single birds have turned up on the Fayetteville CBC in 1989 and 1992.
Upland Sandpiper, Bartramia longicauda April 6 to May 16 and July 2 to September 21. Uncommon transient typically found or heard flying overhead in extensively open areas like the former prairie grasslands. Smith et al. (1991) noted modest migratory peaks in late April and late August. Baerg (1951) stated that a “small flock” was seen in Benton County on June 30, 1940. The 12 birds in a pasture in Benton County near Centerton on April 24, 1984, was a high number. The 10 I saw in a recently mowed hayfield on the former Norwood Prairie on August 14, 2005, was also a fall migration peak. During 2004, I had records of 1-3 birds on three occasions at Chesney Prairie Natural Area and adjoining fields (August 13, 14, and 21; with Chesney’s land steward Joe Woolbright on the 14th) and three records at Centerton (August 20, 28, and September 6). Upland Sandpipers are present (and nest) in the Missouri Ozarks, but none of these records involve bordering counties (Jacobs and Wilson 1997:115). Nesting is also confirmed in the Flint Hills prairie region of northeastern Oklahoma (Reinking 2004), including the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in Osage County. In Missouri, Upland Sandpipers were frequently seen in low to medium height grasses, no taller than their backs, and lacking dense ground cover; they were uncommon in fescue pastures, even with heavy grazing, possibly because dense ground cover associated with this grass would impede movement (Skinner and others 1984:9-10).
[Eskimo Curlew, Numenius borealis] The spring migration path of this species formerly included the Tallgrass Prairie habitats in central North America (Gill and others 1998). This northward spring path likely accounts for the report by Professor Harvey of the University of Arkansas of one bird at Fayetteville on March 31, 1883 (Howell 1911). The 1880s marks the period in which Tallgrass Prairie habitats were widely altered by fire suppression and plowing, and when Eskimo Curlew populations plunged toward extinction. This grassland sandpiper shared migration habitat choices similar to those of other “grasspipers” like Upland Sandpiper, Buff-breasted Sandpiper and American Golden-Plover. We can keep a sharp eye out for Eskimo Curlews during the big spring peaks of other sandpiper species. This thought may seem Pollyannaish, but keep in mind the premature declared extinction of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker.
Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus May 14-23. Rare spring transient with six records. Two birds were at Bob Kidd Lake near Prairie Grove on May 23, 1984. All other observations are from Centerton in Benton County: May 21, 1987 (1), May 14, 1994(3), May 14, 1997 (1), May 19, 1999 (1), and May 17, 2002, when Mike Mlodinow and I saw 6 overhead.
Hudsonian Godwit, Limosa haemastica April 14 to May 26. Somewhat rare spring transient. Almost all observations have been made at the state fish hatchery in Centerton. Flocks include: 26 on May 12, 1984; 10 on May 12, 1985; 22 on April 14, 1988; 35 on May 9, 1989; 28 on May 14, 1997; 41 on May 14, 1997. Two birds I saw at the University of Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Farm in Fayetteville during International Migratory Bird Day on May 14, 2005, furnishes the only observation outside Centerton. This farm pond and associated mudflat is similar in many respects to the ponds at Centerton in that the landscape is very open and is a former prairie. Approximately 50 Stilt Sandpipers and 30 White-rumped Sandpipers were associated with the godwits at University farm; godwits and numerous other shorebird species were also found at Centerton during this “fall out” event.
Marbled Godwit, Limosa fedora Rare transient. Mike Mlodinow has found this bird four times. Records of single birds include Lake Sequoyah on July 29, 1989, Centerton on August 13, 1989, and Beaver Lake State Park on April 13, 1991. The peak record involved 8 birds at Centerton on July 21, 2000. Kenny and LaDonna Nichols observed 2 at Centerton on May 13, 2005.
Ruddy Turnstone, Arenaria interpres May 14-June 4 (10 records) and October 9-18 (one record). Rare spring transient. Most observations involve 1 or 2 birds in breeding plumage, and all are from the state fish hatchery at Centerton. Peaks include 26 there on May 25, 1997, as reported by David Chapman and Mike Mlodinow, and 12 on May 17, 2002. The only fall record is that of October 9-18, 1983, also at the hatchery.
Red Knot, Calidris canutus Written documentation was placed in the Arkansas Audubon Society file for a single bird seen by a number of observers at Lake Sequoyah in Fayetteville on September 1-10, 1983. This was a fall when the lake was drained, exposing huge mudflats. Baerg (1951) considered “somewhat doubtful” the report of a bird in Benton County on April 30, 1947.
Sanderling, Calidris alba April 28-May 28 and July 21-September 25. Rare transient. Most observations involve single birds, up to 3 on occasion. Most observations are from the state fish hatchery at Centerton, but there are also records from the Springdale wastewater plant ponds, Lake Atalanta, and Lake Elmdale. Single birds were seen regularly August 3-September 7, 1983,on extensive mudflats that formed when Lake Sequoyah at Fayetteville was drawn-down for maintenance. At the same location, 1-3 birds were seen August 29- September 19, 1982, and 1 on August 15, 1989.
Semipalmated Sandpiper, Calidris pusilla April 7 to June 17 and July 8 to September 29. This is one of the common “peeps” that can be found regularly during both the northward and southward migration. The big peak in spring occurs throughout May (Smith et al. 1991). Mike Mlodinow counted 187 on May 24, 1994; 282 on the same day in 1995; and 394 (with David Chapman) on May 17, 1999. The end of northward spring migration and the beginning of southward fall migration is confused by at least 4 scattered June records. On June 2, 1984, 30 birds were observed at Centerton and 4 were present there on June 16, 1998.
Western Sandpiper, Calidris mauri April 13 to May 28+ and July 8 to September 29+. Uncommon spring and common fall transient usually in low numbers. Migration peak counts include 24 at Lake Sequoyah in Fayetteville on August 31, 1963, and 20 at the state fish hatchery in Benton County on September 12, 1981. The 8 at the hatchery on April 29, 1993, was a spring peak. A single bird at Centerton June 9, 2004, was missing a “foot.” There is also an observation for October 29, 1989, approximately a month later than other fall records.
Least Sandpiper, Calidris minutilla This species has been observed in all seasons. Common transient and fairly common winter resident. The big northward push of spring occurs during May as evident in peak counts like 116 on mudflats at the state fish hatchery May 14, 1985, and 166 in the same place on May 4, 2003. Records of single birds at the end of May and during early June may be non-breeders remaining on their winter range (Cooper 1994). Fall migration may begin as early as the end of June and certainly by early July; the relatively numerous (at least 7) records for the first week in July typically involve single birds or occasionally 3. The 70 at Centerton August 28, 2004, was a good fall count. Records of 1-5 individuals at midwinter are typical. There are midwinter observations in at least the following places: Centerton, SWEPCO Lake near Gentry, Beaver Lake, wastewater treatment plants at both Springdale and Fayetteville, and Lake Elmdale near Springdale. The 15 at Centerton on December 24, 1998, was a good winter count. Mike Mlodinow, Amy Clifton, and I saw 32 at Centerton on December 4, 2004. Fluctuation in midwinter numbers associated with severity or mildness of the season would be expected because northwest Arkansas is on the northern edge of this bird’s winter range.
White-rumped Sandpiper, Calidris fuscicollis April 21 to June 29. Two fall records: August 16, 1966, and November 8, 1989. Locally common spring transient. Counts of over 100 birds have occurred on several occasions at Centerton during the period May 12 to May 28, and 193 were observed by Mike Mlodinow and David Chapman on May 17, 1997. During the big fallout day of May 14, 2005 (also International Migratory Bird Day), I was surprised to see 10 white-rumps among other shorebirds in a flooded field with shallow pools in Fayetteville, and later, at least 30 on the mudflat margins of a big pond on the University of Arkansas Experiment Farm, also in Fayetteville. It commonly lingers past mid-June. These late reports involve 1-2 birds.
Baird’s Sandpiper, Calidris bairdii March 10 to June 11 and July 22 to November 16. Fairly common spring transient, uncommon fall transient. Baird’s occurs regularly though often in low numbers on mudflats associated with drained ponds at the Craig state fish hatchery in Centerton. Spring peaks ranging from 14-24 birds involve April 20 to May 5. The 9 on September 28, 1986, was a fall peak count.
Pectoral Sandpiper, Calidris melanotos March 5 to June 16+ and July 9 to December 9+. Common transient. Centerton peaks: 92 on March 26, 1986, 263 on April 26, 2002, 87 on May 25, 1994, and 180 on August 28, 1982. In 1989, when Lake Sequoyah near Fayetteville was drawn-down for maintenance, huge mudflats were exposed: 187 pecs were counted there on August 21. This “grasspiper” is found in numerous open habitats including drained ponds or pond margins, sewage lagoons, and low, wet, grassy pastures. There are scattered records in late June and late December.
Dunlin, Calidris alpina April 19 to June 4 and July 22 to November 22+. Very uncommon spring transient; uncommon but regular fall transient. This is one of our latest arriving fall shorebird transients: sightings prior to mid-October are rare. Jo and J.O. Gibson saw approximately 50 at Centerton on May 25, 1997. There were 20 along the shoreline at Lake Elmdale on November 8, 2003. In addition, there is a December 4, 2004, record from Centerton. Perhaps most intriguing were 2 birds at SWEPCO Lake near Gentry seen on January 18, 2004, and February 27, 2004: these were either Western Sandpipers or more likely, Dunlins. I photographed a definitive Dunlin on big mudflats at SWEPCO Lake on December 31, 2005. The abnormally high temperatures at SWEPCO Lake may encourage these birds to winter somewhat north of their usual winter range.
Stilt Sandpiper, Calidris himantopus April 29 to June 2 and July 11 to November 16 and. Fairly common transient. Overall, highest numbers involve the second and third weeks of May. Centerton peaks include 93 there on May 13, 1984; 118 on May 14, 1985; 80 on May 9, 2000. Approximately 50 Stilts Sandpipers and 30 White-rumped Sandpipers were associated with two Hudsonian Godwits at University farm in Fayetteville May 14, 2005—just in time for International Migratory Bird Day. The 15 at Centerton on July 19, 1988, was a good fall count.
Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Tryngites subruficollis May 12-May
17 (3 records) and July 27 to September 28.Very rare spring transient,
uncommon fall transient. A flock of 11 was observed on a dry flat area
where grass was just sprouting
at Lake Sequoyah near Fayetteville on September 16, 1982.
At Centerton, Mike Mlodinow counted 16 on August 24, 2000, and Mike
and Jimmy Woodard counted 20 there on September 9, 1990. Each of the
three spring observations involved 1-2 birds.
Ruff, Philomachus pugnax One record. Mike Mlodinow and Rob Dobbs
identified one at Centerton on April 22, 1994.
Short-billed Dowitcher, Limnodromus
griseus April 30 to May 31 and July 6 to October 22. Very uncommon transient. The big northward seems to occur in the second week of May. The following high counts are from Centerton: 70 on May 15, 1986; 40 on May 13, 1989; and 215 on May 12, 1997. The 15 seen at Centerton on October 2, 1986, by Russell Graham was a fall peak. There are also three records of the griseus race, as noted by Mike Mlodinow. Observers attempt to separate the two dowitcher species by specific plumage characteristics and by calls.
Long-billed Dowitcher, Limnodromus scolopaceus March 26 to May 26+ and July 6 to November 21+. Transient that is uncommon in spring (but note peak numbers) and fairly common in fall (see Smith et al. 1988: 109). The 87 counted at the Centerton hatchery on May 1, 2003, by Mike Mlodinow and I was a big peak, but there are also reports of 51, 58,and 68 during the spring peak period, late April into the first two weeks of May. A flock of 34, identified by call, was at Centerton on October 23, 1984, and 54 were counted on October 7, 1990. There are additional records of single birds for June 21, 1998, and one that lingered at least until December 8, 1986.
Wilson’s Snipe, Gallinago gallinago July 17 to May 16+. Common transient and winter resident. Most observations occur between the end of September and the end of April. Snipes are widespread in wet, grassy or marshy places in open country, and especially common along open pond edges well vegetated with grasses and other emergent vegetation. My fall 2004 trips to Centerton (many trips with Mike Mlodinow and others) illustrate the fall influx reasonably well: first bird seen on August 20, as many as 7 by September 2; 25 on October 16; approximately 100 by October 31; approximately 130 by November 15. Severe weather characterized by prolonged freezes reduces feeding opportunities at midwinter. Many of the fall migrants then move south. Snipe have been found during most CBCs at Fayetteville. While the usual number ranges up to 20 or fewer, there were 102 in 1976. Spring peaks at Centerton include 52 on April 7, 1985, and 35 on March 22, 2003. My spring 2004 records illustrate the other end of the migration at Centerton: 6 on April 18 (including 2 birds engaging in courtship displays); 3 on April 24; 0 on May 1. There have been two June records involving single birds.
American Woodcock, Scolopax minor This species has been observed in all seasons. Most sightings fall between mid-February and early December. Single birds were reported on the Fayetteville CBC in 1975 and 1995. Krementz and others (1995) found that at night, wintering woodcocks were typically in forested habitat, and less often in open fields. There is an especially heavy concentration of observations between mid-February and early April, because at this time males perform their spectacular nuptial flights where open fields with some bare ground adjoins forests, including pastures and regenerating patches within forests. In such places several males can be seen and heard performing at dawn and dusk during early spring, even when there is snow on the ground. In recent years, the open fields and parking lot area adjacent to the Lake Fayettevi1le Environmental Study Center has been a regular site for those flights and have drawn appreciative audiences. Among nesting records are an adult with four hatchlings near Ponca in Newton County on April 15, 1984, and an adult with four hatchlings in the Wharton Creek area of Madison County on March 31, 1985..
Wilson’s Phalarope, Phalaropus tricolor March 26 to June 6 and July 2 to October 25. Fairly common spring and rare fall transient. Most reports involve one or a few birds, especially during May. Centerton peaks: 30 on May 2, 1984; 32 on May 20, 1985; 48 on May 19, 1997. The 5 on July 25, 1993, was a good fall peak count.
Red-necked Phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus May 14 to June 6; rare spring transient, and one fall record on September 27, 1986. Three were present at Centerton on September 27, 1986, and five on May 19, 1997.
Red Phalarope, Phalaropus fulicaria The bird at Centerton on May 14, 1988, furnishes an extremely rare spring record for Arkansas.
Laughing Gull, Larus atricilla April 5 to May 4. There are 4 observations of 1 or 2 birds (1996 to 2001).
Franklin’s Gull, Larus pipixcan March 22 to May 28+ and July 31 to November 13. Rare spring and uncommon fall transient. The 50 at Centerton on April 23, 2001, and 14 there on May 1, 2003, reflect spring peaks. The southward migration of Franklin’s Gull is sometimes spectacular, especially in October: 200 were at Centerton on October 9, 1983, and the observers thought the true count might actually be double that figure. On October 19, 1985, over 300 were counted in the vicinity of Smith Field in Siloam Springs, with single birds and small flocks streaming south. Later in the day the same observers counted several thousand near or on the Grand Lake of the Cherokees in Delaware County, Oklahoma. There are also two observations of single birds in early June.
Bonaparte’s Gull, Larus philadelphia October 17 to May 12. Uncommon transient and local winter resident. Most records are from Beaver Lake, with additional observations elsewhere, including Bull Shoals in Boone County. Approximately 45 were visible from the Beaver Lake dam on December 8, 2002, 40+ from Rocky Branch December 29, 2002, a kettle of 50+ seen from Slate Gap Road on January 4, 2003, and 180 at Beaver Dam State Park on December 12, 1992. One was reported on the Fayetteville CBC in 1973, 10 in 1995, and 7 in 1999. In 1984, counts of 6 to 30 birds were made regularly between April 1 and May 2 at Lake Frances (now drained) near Siloam Springs. More regular observations at Beaver Lake should shed additional light on this bird’s midwinter status.
Ring-billed Gull, Larus delawarensis August 10 to May 16. Common migrant and winter resident. The 85 birds Mike Mlodinow and I saw at Bob Kidd Lake near Prairie Grove on November 7, 2003, reflected a fall peak (this was also a major peak day for fall waterfowl migration); on the same day we also saw these gulls at Lake Fayetteville (2+), and Centerton (15)—also indicative of a major influx from their breeding areas to the north of us. More than 100 were in the Prairie Creek area on Beaver Lake on January 1, 1984. On Bull Shoals Lake, these gulls occur regularly in the Sugar Loaf area near Lead Hill in Boone County. Flocks have been found on several occasions feeding on dead fish at the state fish hatchery and at Beaver Lake. The estimated 250-500 at Lost Bridge Park on Beaver Lake December 31, 1989, was a high count for our area. They are found with fair regularity during the Fayetteville CBC, usually in low numbers. However, a count of 157 was obtained on the CBC of December 18, 2005, as a result of the discovery that the gulls are present at a Tontitown landfill.
Herring Gull, Larus argentatus November 3 to April 14+; rare transient and winter visitor. There are only about 12 observations since the early 1970s and were of single birds. In addition to the above observations, there was a single bird at Beaver Lake on June 2, 1990.
Black-legged Kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla Max and Helen Parker and Doug James identified one at Beaver Lake on November 19, 1991. It was relocated again (presumably the same bird) as late as November 23.
Caspian Tern, Sterna caspia. April 28 to June 6+ and July 8 to October 10. Fairly common transient in low numbers in fall; many fewer records for spring and some mid-summer records. Most sightings involve a few birds or small flocks, occasionally as many as a dozen individuals. Flocks seen in fall in the Ozarks usually include immature birds being fed by adults. A flock of 53 flew over Lake Sequoyah on September 16, 1982, and 27 were at Lake Frances (now drained) on September 2, 1986. There were 16 on May 12, 1990, at Centerton and 14 at Lake Elmdale on June 6, 1992. In addition to these records, there have been other reports. Were three birds in the Horsehoe Bend area of Beaver Lake on June 21, 1990, headed north or south?
Common Tern, Sterna hirundo May 2-26 and August 12 to September 25. Rare transient easily confused with Forster’s Tern. Five were seen at the state fish hatchery ponds on May 12, 1985, and 12 on May 23, 1992.
Forster’s Tern, Sterna forsteri April 1 to June 8+ and July 9 to October 11+. Uncommon to fairly common transient observed on open bodies of water. Spring peaks include: 22 on April 28, 1996 at Centerton and 14 at Lake Fayetteville May 4, 1994. Fall peaks include 11 at Centerton on July 29, 1982, following the passage of a heavy rainstorm, and 20 at Lake Sequoyah on September 29, 1980. Among June records are two at Bob Kidd Lake on June 8, 1986 and four at Centerton on June 26, 1990. One was at Bob Kidd Lake on December 15, 1990.
Least Tern, Sterna antillarum Inland nesting Least Terns are Federally-listed as an Endangered Species. April 20 to June 4+ and July 28 to September 7+. Transient that is very uncommon, but also of fairly regular occurrence here. Most sightings involve single birds at reservoirs or larger ponds. Five were at Centerton on May 20, 1988 and 4 at the same location August 6, 1989. There are at least 4 records of single birds at Centerton into in the second and third weeks of June. One was seen at Beaver Lake at the relatively late date of October 30, 1994. Least Terns nest on the Arkansas River south of northwest Arkansas (James and Neal 1986), in Oklahoma (Reinking 2004: 159) and in southeastern Missouri (Jacobs 2001:144).
Black Tern, Chlidonias niger April 28 to June 6+ and July 11 to September 26. Common transient. This is the most numerous of terns migrating through northwest Arkansas. Single individuals and small flocks are widespread. Big peaks involving upwards to 100 or more birds typically occur in mid to late May. The 76 counted by Mike Mlodinow at Centerton on June 6, 1992, was a high number relatively late in the northward migration. There are some interesting mid-June observations as well: 2 birds at Centerton on June 13, 2002, and 6 at Beaver Lake in the Horseshoe Bend area on June 21, 1990.
Rock Pigeon, Columba livia This species has been observed in all seasons. Fayetteville CBC records involve hundreds up to the 1,310 in 1994. They are found in especially high numbers around feedlots and feed mills, benefiting from plentiful waste grains. They can also be seen in more “natural” habitats like the picturesque bluffs above the Buffalo River. Wherever found, their graceful flights and cooing adds much to the delight of the outdoors, a compensation to keep in mind in the face of poisoning and other killing methods use to reduce their numbers in urban areas.
Eurasian Collared-Dove, Streptopelia decaocto This species has been observed in all seasons. Our first record dates to 1989: Martha Milburn had one in her yard at Harrison in Boone County June 25-August 1, 1989; it was found dead on August 17. Subsequently the birds have been seen regularly in at least Washington, Benton, and Boone counties. Most of these observations involve just a few birds. One was observed for the Fayetteville CBC in 2002, and Amy Clifton counted 60 at the Tyson feed mill in Springdale on December 14, 2003, during that year’s CBC. We are now finding them regularly in the poultry-producing areas of Benton County, no doubt a result of plentiful waste grain available throughout the area. They are also tallied on the Crooked Creek CBC (5-6 on recent counts).There is an interesting description of the initial records for Arkansas and how it was determined these were not escaped cage birds (James and others 1994).
White-winged Dove, Zenaida asiatica One record. Donald and Barbara Holt identified one in their yard in Fayetteville; it was present from November 18-December 5, 2000.
Mourning Dove, Zenaida macroura This species has been observed in all seasons. Mourning Doves nest throughout northwest Arkansas. Jack Mobly and Doug James found a nest on the University in which eggs were laid by about February 7, 1992. Flocks begin to form during July, and large flocks numbering in the hundreds can be seen in stubble fields and other open fields with waste grain during late summer and fall. We see them in high numbers at the University experiment farm in Fayetteville. There were easily 200 or more in the area around Chesney Prairie Natural Area at Siloam on August 6, 2005. Joe Woolbright, a Siloam Springs native and Chesney Prairie land steward, said huge flocks were an annual event in that area. These birds are almost always recorded on the Fayetteville CBC. Counts of 100-200 are common; the mean was 115.6 (n=39, range 0-413).
[Passenger Pigeon, Ectopistes migratorius] Extinct. It was once a plentiful transient and winter visitor Last reported in about 1900 (see Howell 1911, Schorger 1955). Passenger Pigeon bones were recovered from the cellar of the historic Ridge House in Fayetteville during archaeological work (Jurney 1978).
Inca Dove, Columbina inca Four records. One bird was found dead at Fayetteville on December 3, 1972. Another bird was seen in Fayetteville from October 22, 1990, to January 8, 1991. Robert Doster and Lisa K. Mosely identified and photographed an adult male on August 24-25, 2002. Harold J. Hill photographed one in Fayetteville on December 25, 2002.
[Carolina Parakeet, Conuropsis carolinensis] Extinct by the 1870s or 1880s (Howell 1911, McKinley and James 1985).
Black-billed Cuckoo, Coccyzus erythropthalmus April 20 to October 19. Rare spring transient; very rare summer resident; very rare fall transient. Spring records are mostly in May; fall records scattered late August to mid-October. Baerg (1951) published two nesting records. A nest was found at Harrison in 1958. Two birds were present at Lake Elmdale on May 30, 1992, and a bird was seen well (and also heard vocalizing) at Lake Fayetteville June 3, 2001. These cuckoos were found during the course of the Missouri Breeding Bird atlas in the Ozarks bordering Arkansas (Jacobs and Wilson 1997:125).
Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Coccyzus americanus April 25 to November 6. Common summer resident. During summer it nests at the forest edge or in forest openings. It often selects a cedar or a small tree covered by vines as nest site. During 1985, I observed seven nests with eggs or young at Durham southeast of Fayetteville from late May to mid-August. The nests were all 12 feet or lower, and were in cedar trees (3), oaks (2), hackberry (1), and winged elm (1). A rat snake ate the contents of one of these nests and a windstorm in early June destroyed another. In his studies in the Winslow area, Black (1935) found young in “about five different nests on September 11, 12 and 16, all of the young still being in quills.” They are found on BBSs throughout the region. On the Ozark NF BBS in Johnson County, the mean was 14.2 (n=9, range 6-28). Forest management studies (Figure 1) showed them in stands managed with a variety of treatments, with highest numbers in mature forests.
Greater Roadrunner, Geococcyx californianus This species has been observed in all seasons. Typically found along roads or in pastures where there is a mixture of forest and farm clearings or in lightly developed areas of towns. Mike Mlodinow made this apt observation about roadrunner sightings: “A species that is more often found when one is driving rather than birding.” Winters in the late 1970s apparently decimated them in the Ozarks (Evans and Probasco 1982). Severe weather reduces the prey upon which roadrunners depend. Reports since the late 1980s suggests they have rebounded. Roadrunners were found on each Fayetteville CBC between 1963 and 1972, with a peak of 5 in 1972. None were found on any count again until 1981. Since that time, most CBC tallies have involved 0 or 1 bird, but 4 were seen in 1991. Roadrunners totals involve 1-3 on the Crooked Creek CBC. Mary Pledger of Boone County told JoAnne Rife about a series of nests at the base of Gaither Mountain. She saw 3 adults and 5 fledglings there on May 26, 1996.
Barn Owl, Tyto alba One report for Washington County was published by Baerg (1951). A specimen was collected near Rogers in the summer of 1958. A single bird was seen at Sonora in Washington County on April 2, 1957. A bird was seen during summer on a study site in Benton County (as reported in Shugart and James 1973). One was observed in Benton County north of Siloam Springs on December 24, 1989. Mike Mlodinow saw one in Fayetteville on October 18, 1998, and another in Fayetteville on March 11, 2004.
Eastern Screech-Owl, Otus asio This species has been observed in all seasons. Adults with fledglings have been seen flying at dusk in Fayetteville in late May and early June on several occasions over the years. These birds can be found almost anywhere with a supply of mature trees with holes or cavities suitable for nesting and daytime resting. Large boxes, like those put up for Wood Ducks, are used by screech-owls in even a small woodlot in town. In several different years I’ve had birds in large boxes in my yard in Fayetteville. On sunny days at midwinter they perch at the box entrance, seemingly heedless of the stir this causes for vigilant blue jays, titmice, and other smaller birds. A few are reported on most Fayetteville CBCs (peak of 6 in 1997 and 2005). Red plumaged birds of southern populations are the screech-owls mostly commonly found here, but there are also records of gray plumaged birds associated with northern populations. .
Great Horned Owl, Bubo virginianus This species has been observed in all seasons. Commonly seen or heard where broken woods are mixed with open farmlands. In the Arkansas Ozarks it has been found nesting in old Red-tailed Hawk nests on several occasions. A hawk’s nest in spring 1982 became an owl’s nest the following two years. At Lake Fayetteville, I saw an adult on the nest on January 22, with two hatchlings on January 29, and young owls climbing out of the nest on February 27, 1983. In 2005, I saw a nest in a Great Blue Heron colony at Lake Sequoyah near Fayetteville that held two downy young on March 19. It seems the owls chose a heron nest before the herons returned to the colony site. A nest in a mature post oak west of Bentonville held two large nestlings on April 2, 2005. During the course of the 2005 International Migratory Bird Day, I saw two fledglings accompanied by an adult in a pine woodlot at the University farm in Fayetteville on May 14. Great Horneds are tallied each year on the Fayetteville CBC, with peaks of 11 (1973) and 10 (1994).
Barred Owl, Strix varia This species has been observed in all seasons. Fairly common resident in extensive blocks of mature forest. Barreds are recorded in small numbers (often in the range of 1-3) on most Fayetteville CBCs (if there is an owling party). The peak was 8 in 1973. There have been no formal surveys for Barred Owls here, so quantitative data is lacking. However, I have often seen or heard them without special effort during walks on Mt Sequoyah in Fayetteville, at Lake Sequoyah, at night in the Wedington Unit of the Ozark NF, and at the Buffalo National River. I have never failed to hear them at Lake Wilson in Washington County where I often go to find them during the Fayetteville CBC. I had the good fortune to find a nest in 2005 at Lake Fayetteville. I was walking on the Two Turtles trail in good daylight on March 13 looking for an early Black-and-white Warbler. I found no Black-and-whites that day, but I heard a Barred Owl calling. It sounded unusual, sort of hollow, as though coming through a pipe. Finally I discovered the source of this strange singing: it came from within a hardwood snag whose top appeared to have been broken in a storm. The top of the snag was about 25 feet high; part of the owl’s wing protruded from a long crack. In subsequent trips I again could see part of the incubating adult’s wing and a second adult owl perched in a cedar near the nest. A fully feather owlet was perched on top of the snag by May 6; I could just see the top of a second owlet’s head.
Long-eared Owl, Asio otus October 18 to April 4. Rare winter visitor. Albert Lano, an early day Fayetteville ornithologist, considered this species a fairly common winter visitor (Black 1933). Specimens of four owls, collected from Benton and Washington Counties, in 1924, 1925, 1930, and 1935 are in the University of Arkansas Museum collection. Douglas James found four birds in a pine grove east of Rogers on April 4, 1959.
Short-eared Owl, Asio flammeus November 1 to March 25. Rare winter visitor. An “invasion” involving the period between December 4 and March 25 in Benton County was said to have been a response “to a heavy infestation of cotton rats” (Baerg 1951). At Siloam Springs, Joe and Vivian Stockton received and provided care for birds injured after impacts with automobiles in 1980, 1982, and 1985. These birds were from Springdale and from Carroll County. An injured bird was found on the east side of Fayetteville on November 1, 1985. A single bird was seen during a snowstorm at Rogers on December 15, 1987. One was seen in the Clabber Creek bottomland fields at Fayetteville on February 18, 2001. There was a single bird in tall dense native grasses at Chesney Prairie Natural Area December 24, 2003, and one at Centerton on March 12, 2005. In Missouri, Short-eared Owls roosted in medium-to-tall grasslands that were either moderate grazed or idle (Skinner and others 1984:14).
Northern Saw-whet Owl, Aegolius acadicus Two records. A single bird was observed near Shores Lake in the Ozark NF of Franklin County on January 30, 1967. There is also a documented observation in Boone County on December 25, 1997.
Common Nighthawk, Chordeiles minor April 24+ to October 19+. Common migrant and summer resident. Nighthawks pass through in large flocks, often with more than 100 individuals, during late August and the first half of September. Scattered individuals are seen thereafter. The 96 at Fayetteville on October 12, 1985, was a high count so late in the season. A total of 250 migrated southward over Fayetteville on August 27, 1987, during the passage of heavy rainstorms. There are also two good observations of single birds in mid-November. No vocalizations were heard. The assumption is that these were Common Nighthawks, but another nighthawk species could not be eliminated.
Chuck-will’s-widow, Caprimulgus carolinensis April 14 to September 13. Common summer resident. This and the following species are often called “whip-poor-wills” by those unfamiliar with the distinctions in their songs. “Chucks” usually inhabit the dry open woods near open farmland or other types of forest clearings, especially those in bottomlands, low hills, and low ridges. Two eggs are laid on leaves, often under a cedar or other small tree. Six clutches of eggs or new hatchlings were observed between May 24 and July 17 during the course of a research project conducted on low, forested hillsides near Durham southeast of Fayetteville in 1984 and 1985.
Whip-poor-will, Caprimulgus vociferus March 28 to September 22. “Whips” usually arrive in the Ozarks before “chucks.” Their calls may be heard almost anywhere, including yards in towns, during spring migration. During the breeding season they are common in the upland forests where there are farms and other types of clearings, often seen and heard along gravel roads through the Ozark NF and elsewhere. The ranges of “whips” and “chucks” overlap, and it is not unusual to hear both species singing in places like Devil’s Den State Park.
Chimney Swift, Chaetura pelagica March 24 to October 25. Abundant migrant and common summer resident. Swifts commonly nest in open chimneys in homes and older buildings. It will also use artificial “chimneys.” (Plans and other information are available from Driftwood Wildlife Association in Austin, Texas.) During the fall migration, hundreds and even several thousand may be observed as they fly into chimneys for nighttime roosting. Over 1000, for example, roosted in a single large chimney at a church on Dickson Street in Fayetteville in mid-October and an estimated 300 entered a Fayetteville chimney April 13. Over 1000 entered a chimney near the Washington County Courthouse on April 24, 1988.
White-throated Swift, Aeronautes saxatalis A single bird was seen and described fully by several experienced observers as it flew near a high bluff above the Buffalo River in Newton County on December 19, 1981.
Green Violet-ear, Colibri thalassinus There are three records of single birds seen in mid to late summer, July 6-September 5. A single bird visited a feeder at the home of Sue and Dan Burlingame north of Lurton in Newton County July 6-23, 1990. Doug James and many observers saw a single bird near Rogers that was present August 4 to September 5, 1990. Taos Jones obtained video footage of a bird at the Joan and Floyd Bodkin place at Gentry in Benton County August 21-22, 2000. This bird was also seen by Joyce Shedell and others. There is an interesting description of how Doug James was able to clarify the identification of a bird photographed by Bill Brazelton at Fort Smith in 1984 (James and Neal 1986: 216).
Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Archilochus colubris April 9 to October 25+. Common migrant and summer resident. Few arrive before mid-April and most have departed by mid-September. A few individuals linger later in fall. Dr. Marguerite Baumgartner of near Jay, Oklahoma (in the Oklahoma Ozarks approximately 15 miles west of Maysville, Arkansas) started banding them in 1977. She found that males arrive ahead of females. Young birds recently out of the nest begin coming to feeders by around mid July. Most southward migration occurs between late August and early September (personal communication, 1987; Baumgartner 1980). Jewel-weed (Impatiens capensis) grows in profusion along the Frisco Spring run at Lake Atalanta in Rogers. It may be an important plant to these migrating birds. Mike Mlodinow and I saw high numbers (25+) of hummingbirds visiting these flowers during their peak blooming August 30, 2003. Though many flowers were still blooming, hummingbird numbers had fallen to approximately 10 by September 14; none were seen on September 28.
Rufous Hummingbird, Selasphorus
rufus Rare transient and winter resident. August 26 to April 4; most records September to mid-December. At least 13 records since 1987; 3 of these observations involved Selasphorus species. An adult female Rufous trapped and banded at Fayetteville by Max and Helen Parker was first seen October 2, 2004, and departed April 8, 2005. An adult male first seen on October 25, 1998, remained during a long, mild fall, then died on December 23 during the year’s first hard freeze (temperature in teens). Of the approximately 11 records identified to species, 3 were adult females, 2 adult males, 1 an immature female, and 5 immature males. Doug James trapped two (an adult female and an immature female) in Fayetteville on October 20, 1996. Feathers were measured, and samples sent to the collection maintained by William Baltosser in Little Rock.
Belted Kingfisher, Ceryle alcyon This species has been observed in all seasons. At least fairly common along larger streams, lakes, etc. Nesting burrows have been found on several occasions in dirt banks above or near the Buffalo and Illinois Rivers. During winter kingfishers are widespread as long as open water feeding habitat remains unfrozen. They are found in good numbers on an annual basis in the Fayetteville CBC circle. Numbers reported are often 10 or more with several counts of 20 or more.
Lewis’s Woodpecker, Melanerpes lewis A single bird was observed repeatedly at Evangeline Foldvary’s residence on Mt. Sequoyah in Fayetteville June 30 to July 3, 1967. Dean Crooks collected one in Adair County, Oklahoma, 20 miles from the Arkansas line, on April 3, 1943 (Baerg 1951).
Red-headed Woodpecker, Melanerpes erythrocephalus This species has been observed in all seasons. The required habitat includes mature trees, and mature tree snags, usually in open forest or forest edge. The need for open forest conditions is widespread (Smith and others 2000). Historically, I assume that red heads were likely found in the prairie region of the western Arkansas Ozarks in oak barrens (as described by Miller 1972: 23-26) maintained in an open condition by fire. I make this assumption because this appears to be the case in the current time--where such barrens, or barren-like habitat, still exist in northwest Arkansas. This Ozark habitat has an analogue in the Ouachita NF of Scott County. There, during the period 1990-2005, I have found red heads during the breeding season in stands of mature trees maintained in an open condition by fire in mature tree habitat managed for endangered Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. Such habitat contains a heavy stocking of both shortleaf pine and mixed hardwood species, and numerous mature tree snags. Information gathered from throughout the broad range in North America indicates a pattern of marked population fluctuations (Smith and others 2000). Numbers of wintering red-heads (who depend on acorns as a winter food resource) is positively related to hard mast production in the Ozarks, but this relationship doesn’t hold for Blue Jays, that also store acorns, and also use a variety of other winter food sources (Smith 1986, Smith and Scarlett 1987). In past decades, acorn crop fluctuation probably explained why red heads tended to be common in some winters and rare in others. For example, from 1963-1974 annual Fayetteville CBC totals were: 26, 16, 32, 1, 3, 4, 13, 46, 33, 1, and 17. These numbers contrast sharply with CBC totals from the last decade, 1989-2000: 0, 3, 2, 4, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, and 0. These numbers are also reflective of the general situation during the breeding season. A sharp decline on the Fayetteville CBC, starting with the 1987 count, is apparent. Declines on the Fayetteville CBC are likely to be at least in part a result of massive local habitat loss or degradation related to human population growth with the circle dating to the 1980s. While some trees are retained due to tree protection ordinances in large-scale developments, most trees are still lost and very few mature tree snags remain. As of 2005, oak barrens dating to the pioneer period have been cleared or greatly reduced in a corridor along US 71 B from Fayetteville north to Bentonville, and extending as much as 15 to 20 miles to the east and west of this corridor (personal observation; Neal 2000). The integrity of quality habitat for red heads is severely compromised, to say the least. Red heads have been found regularly on the Crooked Creek CBC, with a peak of 13 in 2003.
Red-bellied Woodpecker, Melanerpes carolinus This species has been observed in all seasons. Red-bellies are counted on all BBSs in our region, but highest numbers have been found over the years on the Compton survey in Newton County. There, the mean was 6.2 (n=34, range 1-12). It has been found in high numbers on every Fayetteville CBC since the early 1960s, with totals ranging in the 20s-50s. The Fayetteville CBC mean was 33.8 (n=39, range 6-59). They are regular visitors at bird feeders.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Sphyrapicus varius September 30 to April 13+. Fairly common migrant and winter resident. Sapsuckers are found annually on the Fayetteville CBC, usually in low numbers (but see below). The mean was 6.7 (n=39, range 1-15 for data to 2000). Some recent CBC totals have been much higher than in the past: 23 were counted on the CBC in 2003, 29 in 2004, and 27 in 2005. They also found in good numbers on the Crooked Creek CBC in Boone County.
Downy Woodpecker, Picoides pubescens This species has been observed in all seasons. Downies are common in all kinds of woodlands, including small woodlots in town and venture out of the woods into open areas with small trees, fenceposts, etc. On the Compton BBS in Newton County, the mean was 4.8 (n=39, range0-20). Downies are always observed in good numbers on the Fayetteville CBC. The mean was 43.6 (n=39, range 6-95).
Hairy Woodpecker, Picoides villosus This species has been observed in all seasons. Fairly common in extensive forests or larger woodlots with mature trees, including some with large dead limbs. Their habitat preferences are similar to those of Pileated Woodpeckers. Hairy Woodpeckers are observed in towns as well as in forests, but nowhere are they numerous. On the Compton BBS, the mean was 0.6 (n=39, range 0-4). There have been a few Fayetteville CBCs with tallies of as many as 14-16, though the usual number is much lower: the mean was 7.9 (n=39, range 0-17).
[Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Picoides borealis] Federally-listed Eandangered Species long extirpated from the western Arkansas Ozarks. Howell (1911) reported it as late as 1890 from the few remaining virgin shortleaf pine stands in Van Buren and Cleburne counties. Here as elsewhere, loss was the inevitable result of land management decisions including at least the following: (1) rapid cutting of the native, mature shortleaf pine forests; (2) failure to regenerate them to pine after virgin stands were cut; (3) widespread suppression of wildfire, which allowed pine stands to be replaced by hardwoods. Hikers on many trails in the Ozark NF (e.g., White Rock to Shores Lake), Hobbes State Management Area on Beaver Lake (e.g., Van Winkle Hollow and Pigeon Roost Trail) and elsewhere pass by isolated mature shortleaf pines without realizing that these are relics of a lost ecosystem and habitat of a bird threatened with extinction. In the 1870s, huge pine timbers used to frame Old Main on the UA-Fayetteville campus (and other big structures in late 19th century northwestern Arkansas) were cut by loggers from the Van Winkle Mill in the War Eagle-Beaver Lake area of Benton County (Rothrock 1973). “The first sawmills of commercial importance were…around the War Eagle settlements, due to the large quantity and fine quality of pine. An early writer said the supply of pine was ‘inexhaustible’” (Funk 1959: 14). Big mills were active all over northwest Arkansas, e.g., Carroll County (Johnson 1979) and Cleburn County (Thomas 1980, Harral 1980). A huge pine log shown being hauled from Cleburn County (Thomas 1980:81) may not have been all that unusual. The heavy support pine timbers in Old Main came from trees whose age, diameter, and other characteristics were compatible with trees required by RCWs in a habitat with the varied biota of plants and animals native to pine-grassland ecosystems, once part of the western Ozarks. I think it’s reasonable to speculate that RCWs occurred in these old pine stands. Modern birders here must travel 110 miles south, into the native shortleaf pine forests of Scott County, Arkansas, where the Ouachita NF has undertaken an ambitious effort to restore 155,000 acres of pine-grassland habitat, plus the native plants and animals, including RCWs (Neal and Montague 1991, Bukenhofer et al. 1994).
Northern Flicker, Colaptes auratus This species has been observed in all seasons. This yellow-shafted form is a fairly common summer resident in mature open forest, including urban areas with extensives areas of mature trees. On the Compton BBS in Newton County, the mean was 1.1 (n=39, range 0-8). It’s much more numerous as a migrant and winter resident. The mean for the Fayetteville CBC was 42.4 (n=39, range 5-95). Flickers regularly foraged on a burned area of approximately 30 acres at Chesney Prairie Natural Area during winter 2005-6. The red-shafted form nesting in western North America is seen occasionally in winter.
Pileated Woodpecker, Dryocopus pileatus Pileateds have been observed in all seasons. It is a common resident in extensive mature forests, including those in lightly developed parts of towns. The needs of this species and that of Hairy Woodpecker seem nearly identical. Pileateds are highly vocal during the time of the BBS and are recorded in high numbers on the four forested surveys. On the Ozark NF BBS in Johnson County, the mean was 13.8 (n=9, range 6-32). Pileateds are always found on the Fayetteville CBC, and typically in numbers slightly higher than those of Hairys (this may have something to do with the impressive carrying ability of Pileated calls). The mean at Fayetteville was 10.1 (n=39, range 1-30).
Olive-sided Flycatcher, Contopus cooperi April 29 to June 7+ and August 7 to September 29. Uncommon transient in low numbers. This flycatcher can usually be found perched on the upper limbs of dead trees in forest openings or in forest edge habitat. Most reports involve single birds, occasionally as many as 2 or 3.
Eastern Wood-Pewee, Contopus virens April 18 to October 17. Common summer resident, especially in forests and woodlots where there are open, park-like stands of mature trees. “It nests commonly along the wooded hillsides and is one of the most characteristic birds of the region” (Black 1935). The mean on the Compton BBS in Newton County was 10.1 (n=34, range 2-18). Since pewees prefer open forests, it is little surprise that they exhibit only minor responses to forest management (Figure 1). This conclusion was also shared by Smith and others (2004: Table 1 and 2). They found pewees about equally common in relatively undisturbed upland hardwood forest and in forests disturbed by various forest practices.
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Empidonax flaviventris May 9 to June 3 and two recent fall records, August 24-25 and 31. Rare spring and very rare fall transient. Always observed in low numbers (based upon 26 observations since the early 1980s). Most observations have occurred from mid to late May. Smith (1915) stated that he found it regularly at Winslow one year from May 16 to May 22 and September 1-23. Black (1935) stated he found it on May 15 and October 23 only. Baerg (1951) published a May 29 report at Rogers. Mike Mlodinow has carefully studied these birds and has observed them most years since 1986.
Acadian Flycatcher, Empidonax virescens April 27 to September 22. Common summer resident where there are mature trees and extensive forest: shady stream bottomlands as well as moist, upland forested ravines. On the Boston Mountain BBS in Franklin County, the mean was 3.4 (n=8, range 0-6). Forest management studies show that Acadians are most numerous in mature forests and those with moderate cutting, but decline as more of the canopy is removed (Figure 1). Smith and others (2004: Table 1 and 2) found that Acadians were one of the more common species in relatively undisturbed upland mesic hardwood forest, and much less common in forests disturbed by various forest practices.
Alder Flycatcher, Empidonax alnorum May 4 to June 6 and August 5-September 8.Uncommon spring and fall transient. In spring of 1984 this species was carefully identified in impressive numbers in the fringe of willow trees along Lake Fayetteville, Lake Frances near Siloam Springs, and Bob Kidd Lake near Prairie Grove. In the past there have been reports for Traill’s Flycatcher, but no record was made of vocalizations. Four were found at Lake Fayetteville on May 20, 1987 and 6 there June 2, 2001; the record card notes that Acadian, Yellow-bellied, Willow/Least Flycatchers were in the same area on this date. Mike Mlodinow’s studies of this bird include numerous fall records, including 4 birds on September 8, 2001.
Willow Flycatcher, Empidonax traillii May 10 to August 2; little data available for fall migration [in northeastern Oklahoma is occurs as late as September 16 (Oklahoma Bird Records Committee 2004: 24)]. Uncommon transient, local summer resident. Spring migration continues into early June: at least two birds were singing in wet thickets of the old Boxley millpond in Newton County on June 8, 2000, but were not found after search on June 11. This species once nested in prairie ravine thickets in Benton County in Rogers, according to Dean Crooks, who reported having found nine nests in a half-mile area (Baerg 1951). This habitat was subsequently developed and the breeding population lost. Beginning at least in the mid-1980s, Willow Flycatchers were present in small numbers during the summer (and nesting confirmed) in former lowland prairie grassland dotted with clumps of trees area adjacent Lake Bentonville in Benton County (Mlodinow 1993). Bell’s Vireos were present in the same habitat. A few birds were found there annually through 2003, after which habitat disappeared with drainage and subsequent development. There were at least 6 singing birds on Baker Prairie Natural Area at Harrison on June 16, 2001, and nesting there has been confirmed. Bill Holimon noted 4 territories in 2003 and observed a nest with four eggs on July 10. The best remaining nesting population of Bell’s Vireo in the western Ozarks is also at Baker Prairie NA. Vegetation management at Baker Prairie by Joe Woolbright of Ozark Ecological Services is designed to maintain suitable habitat for these birds. Willow Flycatchers have been found regularly in migration and early summer in a wet prairie thicket at Fayetteville called Wilson Springs. This former prairie lowland along Clabber Creek (Wilson Springs area near Dean Solomon Road) also hosted a summer population of Bell’s Vireo. It held great potential as Willow Flycatcher nesting habitat, but is now under development as a business park. The birds were found in Missouri adjacent northwest Arkansas during the course of the Missouri Breeding Bird Atlas (Jacobs and Wilson 1997: 169).
Least Flycatcher, Empidonax minimus April 21 to May 30+ and July 26-October 10. Fairly common spring transient, with many fewer records in fall. Fall records are based upon presence of a conspicuous, complete eye ring and “whit” calls in forest edge habitat. Rob Doster counted 23 at Lake Fayetteville on May 11, 2002, and 15 in the same area on May 10, 2003.
Empidonax species Many flycatchers of this genus cannot be identified as to species unless their full vocalization is heard. Often these vocalizations are not heard. Nevertheless, many of them migrate through during spring and fall. During fieldwork in 1985, for example, the birds were encountered with regularity from September 6 to 23, with four birds seen on September 16. There is also a recent record of a silent bird found as late as October 27.
Eastern Phoebe, Sayornis phoebe All year, but mainly late February or early March to mid-October+. Phoebes have been seen all year, but are common primarily from the first periods of warm weather in late winter and early spring until fall when heavy frosts greatly reduce the populations of insects. One of the welcome signs of oncoming spring in the Arkansas Ozarks is the frequently repeated “phoebe-phoebe-phoebe” calls, given by birds as they perch in trees or on rock ledges above streams and rivers. During summer phoebes nest under bridges, rock ledges, and under the roofs of sheds or porches in lightly developed areas. On the Compton BBS in Newton County, the mean number of phoebes was 3.7 (n=34, range 0-12). Scattered single birds are always a surprise at mid-winter, but there are now many such records. Single phoebes were reported on 7 of 39 recent Fayetteville CBCs. Results from the Buffalo National River (west) CBC showed phoebes present in about half the years there, with a peak of 6. This was exceeded on the 2004 Fayetteville CBC, where the total was a surprising 7. Phoebes have been found each year on the Crooked Creek CBC, with a peak of 4.
Say’s Phoebe, Sayornis saya Mike Mlodinow and David Chapman found this bird at the Centerton state fish hatchery on October 18, 1997.
Vermilion Flycatcher, Pyrocephalus rubinus Ragan Sutterfield found this bird in Washington County on June 13, 1995.
Great Crested Flycatcher, Myiarchus crinitus April 16 to October 10. Common summer resident. In the Arkansas Ozarks this flycatcher is heard or observed in mature or fairly mature forests, either along the edges or in openings within the forest. They are common in urban areas with intact mature forest, like that on Mt Sequoyah in Fayetteville. It is found regularly until late summer, and infrequently thereafter. It attracts attention to itself by distinctive calls, but after summer these calls aren’t often heard. On the Compton BBS in northern Newton County, the mean number was 3.4 (n=34, range 0-7). Forest management studies showed modest responses to logging of varying intensities (Figure 1).
Western Kingbird, Tyrannus verticalis May 3 to June 7 and July 15 to September 5. Rare spring and very rare fall transient. The June record seems to have involved a late transient, since the bird was found only this one time in a location that was visited daily. Western Kingbirds are now nesting regularly and in fair numbers immediately to the south, in the Arkansas River Valley at Fort Smith (Bill Beall and Sandy Berger, personal communication). Oklahoma atlasers had few records for the Ozarks and did not confirm nesting (Reinking 2004: 247).
Eastern Kingbird, Tyrannus tyrannus April 3 to September 29. Common migrant and summer resident of open country with scattered mature trees. Large flocks pass through during spring and fall. A flock of 50 at Durham in Washington County on May 11, 1985, remained in the area for several days, apparently attracted by an emergence of the 13-year periodical cicada (Magicicada species). Highest numbers during the nesting season are in open country, such as the Avoca BBS in Benton County. The mean number of kingbirds there was 12.1 (n=32, range 4-23). Flocks numbering in the hundreds of birds have been seen going to roost in willow trees on the edge of Lake Sequoyah during August and early September. The presence of kingbird roosts in this location seem to be related to emergences of mayflies (Ephemerida species). The bird seen September 29, 1984, was foraging with a flock of 30 Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, who typically perform the southward migration later than kingbirds.
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Tyrannus forficatus March 28 to November 2. Common summer resident in open farmlands, large open fields, airports, edges of towns--where there are scattered tall trees, power poles, or other structures which provide suitable perches and nest sites. The mean was 6.1 (n=32, range 0-14) on the Avoca BBS in Benton County.
Loggerhead Shrike, Lanius ludovicianus This species
has been observed in all seasons. It is now much reduced in parts of
its former range in northwest Arkansas, especially intensively developed
parts of the former Osage Prairie. It is still fairly common in former
Tallgrass Prairie habitat that retains extensive areas of undeveloped
or only lightly developed (e.g., grazing) grassland. Shrikes have largely
disappeared in most of Washington County and in eastern Benton County
because of population growth and development of former grassland habitat.
In past years, shrikes were observed in low numbers on both of the Avoca
and Compton BBS routes. Avoca had the best open country habitat prior
to the extensive urbanization of the past two decades. On this BBS,
they were recorded annually from 1969 to 1984—typically 2-3 birds (range
1-6). Since 1985, they have been found only 3 years, with none since
1990. The Avoca BBS begins in the eastern sections of the former Osage
Prairie north of Rogers and heads south across numerous other former
prairies with locals names (e.g., Lynch’s Prairie at Springdale) all
now urbanized. The Compton BBS includes a relatively smaller amount
of suitable shrike habitat; here birds were found in half the years
between 1967 and 1989 (total of 16 birds in 10 years), but none since
1990. This distressing pattern is also visible in Fayetteville CBC data.
They were once common birds with a mean of 12.2 (n=39, range 0-36).
From the late 1960s to mid-1980s, there were 10 years when Fayetteville
CBC totals exceeded 20 birds, but not since. Some of this is predictable:
shrikes are birds of native grasslands and unimproved pastures. They
nest in dense fencerows and similar situations. They aren’t found in
typical subdivisions and in areas where all thickets and fencerows have
been cleaned. Like the Avoca BBS, decline visible in Fayetteville CBC
tallies is partly attributable to urbanization. But declines are also
essentially rangewide. “Role of contaminants in decline of this species
remains unclear because concentrations required to reduce populations
are unknown; species’ decline, however, coincides with introduction
and increased use of organochlorines in 1940s-1970s” (Yosef 1996:19).
During the nesting season it builds its bulky nests in thorny shrubs,
small thorny trees and fencerows in open country. There is still a relatively
high amount of this former prairie habitat scattered throughout northwestern
Arkansas, though the native grasses have been replaced with non-natives.
Here the birds continue to nest and are regularly observed in winter.
My recent observations (since 2002) indicate nesting activity from March
26 (nest just finished) to family groups with young out of the nest
by May 25 and adults still closely attending fledglings on July 16.
On May 30, 2004, Irene Camargo and I found three family groups. One
of these was on the former Norwood Prairie west of Wedington (3 birds
together), and two were on the road into Chesney Prairie Natural Area
(6 and 5 birds together), part of the former Lindsley Prairie at Siloam
Springs.
White-eyed Vireo, Vireo griseus March 23 to October 10+. Essentially a bird of forested areas, this vireo is a common summer resident in appropriate habitat: moist thickets at the forest edge. It has been found on all BBSs, with highest means on the Compton route in Newton County: 7.6 (n=34, range 0-16) and lowest on the open country of the Avoca route. There several records of late-lingering single birds in November and one in December. They benefit from extensive forest cutting that creates suitable openings (Figure 1).
Bell’s Vireo, Vireo bellii April 8 to September 18. Increasingly uncommon and highly localized summer resident in open country with large patches of thickets, shrubs, and small trees, often in riparian habitat (pond, stream, etc.). Bell’s is essentially a species of former, primarily lowland prairie grasslands where it occurs in dense shrubby vegetation and fencerows. Don’t look for it in vast barbed wire-enclosed pastures of fescue grasses, cows, and poultry houses, but rather in old field-grassland-thicket habitats. Often there are noticeable mounds relict clumps of native vegetation denoting locations of prairies that existed prior to European settlement. Frances James (1971, Fig. 7) described northwestern Arkansas breeding habitat that was very open and in ecological succession about midway between shrubs and small trees; roughly speaking, somewhere between Prairie Warblers and Brown Thrashers. On the BBS, it has been found only on Avoca in Benton County. During the first years along the route, 1967-1976, numbers ranged from 3-9, dropping to 0-2 by the mid-1980s, and thereafter frequently 0. This is primarily a result of urbanization and consequent loss of open grassland habitat along this BBS (see Loggerhead Shrike discussion). Bell’s has also declined throughout much of its range (Brown 1993). In 2001, as Fayetteville’s human population exceeded 58,000, its Bell’s Vireo population could still be found within the city limits on a former lowland prairie in the Clabber Creek watershed. Most of this area is under development. In the 1980s we found Bell’s Vireo in several locations around Fayetteville and at several places in Benton County, including wet thickety lowlands adjoining Lake Bentonville, at the Centerton hatchery, and elsewhere. In Washington County, the last Bell’s habitat is disappearing along Clabber Creek and has also disappeared at both Lake Bentonville and Centerton. We still find a few scattered birds in the Wet Prairie area near Maysville. Bell’s nests at Baker Prairie Natural Area in Harrison where Bill Holimon found a nest with 3 large nestlings (and no cowbirds) on July 10, 2002, and a nest with 4 vireo eggs (and no cowbird eggs) on July 3, 2003. Bell’s Vireo is still common on the former prairies of the Fort Chaffee area to the south. It was found in scattered locations of northeastern Oklahoma during that state’s atlas project (Reinking 2004: 257) and in southern Missouri (Jacobs and Wilson 1997: 245)
Yellow-throated Vireo, Vireo flavifrons March 25 to October 11. Uncommon migrant and summer resident in mature forests. Examples of such places include extensive forests of the Buffalo National River and area, Ozark NF, and Devil’s Den State Park where they nest in the campground along Lee Creek. It is also present in the mature forest on Mt Seqyoah in Fayetteville, though it’s absent in urban areas or smaller woodlots except during migration. It has been reported on each of the five BBSs, though rarely on the open country of the Avoca route, and most frequently on the Compton and Ozark NF routes, with most annual totals ranging 0-2. The mean on the Compton route was 1.2 (n=34, range 0-4). Studies of Neotropical migratory birds in Ozark hardwoods show that Yellow-throated Vireos are most abundant in mature forests with either no disturbance or only modest disturbances such as single-tree selection harvests; they decline with increasing disturbance levels (Figure 1). This raises questions about how this species will respond to unprecedented large-scale deaths of mature hardwood trees caused by red oak borers (Spencer 2000).
Blue-headed Vireo, Vireo solitarius April 18 to May 22+ and September 5 to November 17. Uncommon to fairly common transient. Most sightings involve single birds, but in fall 1981 numbers were higher: seven were counted at Lake Fayetteville on October 7, seven in Evergreen Cemetery in Fayetteville on October 9, and three still present at Lake Fayetteville on October 28. There are no winter records for the area, but there one observation for March 31, 2001.
Warbling Vireo, Vireo gi1vus April 1 to October 13. This open country bird is a common migrant in open woodlands, including those of urban areas. It can be surprisingly common from mid to late April into the second half of May. It is an uncommon, local summer resident on moist prairies and similar habitats with a few scattered trees. It doesn’t occur in heavily forested areas in summer. Small summer populations have been reported during the nesting season along the edge of Bob Kidd Lake, Withrow Springs State Park, along the Illinois River, scattered tall trees at Centerton state fish hatchery, Lake Siloam Springs, Lake Bentonville, and elsewhere. Warbling Vireos have also been found in low numbers along the Avoca BBS in Benton County.
Philadelphia Vireo, Vireo philadelphicus April 24 to May 24 and September 4 to October 15+. Uncommon transient, most often reported during spring. The four birds seen in one tree at Thompson in Madison County on May 1, 1985, was a high number. One was seen at Fayetteville on November 2, 2000.
Red-eyed Vireo, Vireo olivaceus April 5 to October 13. Common migrant in all kinds of forested areas, including those of towns, and abundant summer resident in mature forests (Figure 1). Judged by BBS data, this species with its relatively loud and regular calls is probably our most numerous forest bird, emblematic of our extensive forests. Highest numbers are attained in forest stands with well-developed midstories of small trees growing under mature canopies, a condition common in forests long protected from wildfire. Therefore, while it has always been a common bird, numbers have likely increased with regeneration of forests after extensive logging in the early 1900s and near total protection from wildfire in modern times. As expected, they are found in high numbers along the four forested BBS routes, but in very low numbers in the open country route. On the two most heavily forested routes, recent tallies have ranged into the 60s and 70s, with 96 on the Ozark NF route in 2001. The steady increase in numbers is evident on the Lurton route in Newton County: mean 40.8 (n=32, range 9-89). Totals in the 20s-30s were typical from the late 1960s to late 1980s, 40s-50s to the mid-1990s, 60s-70s+ thereafter. The best description of this bird is that it is frequently heard, but seldom seen: it blends well into green leaves and lichens—as suggested by “vireo” and “olivaceous” in its scientific name.
Blue Jay, Cyanocitta cristata This species has been observed in all seasons. Common migrant and summer resident. Impressive migratory flocks are seen during spring and fall when hundreds of birds may pass a single location in minutes. On the Avoca BBS, the mean number of jays was 16.4 (n=32, range 3-27.) Winter populations sometimes show considerable fluctuation. During 39 CBCs at Fayetteville since 1961, jay numbers varied from 326 (1986) to 8 (1962). The mean was 189.8. Some of this fluctuation is obviously attributable to the number of observers (and therefore effort in terms of party hours) and weather on CBC day. Numbers are also linked to acorns, an important food for jays. Good local acorn production means more jays in winter, and vice versa, though jays also have other food sources in winter, and aren’t therefore as tied to acorns as Red-headed Woodpeckers (Smith 1986, Smith and Scarlett 1987). Considering this, one wonders about ultimate effects of the die-off of mature oaks over a vast area as a result of highly elevated red oak borer activity. By late 2001, mature oaks, principally in the red oak group, were affected in over 300,000 acres of northwestern Arkansas (Spencer 2001).
American Crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos This species has been observed in all seasons. Common in all areas and seemingly in all habitats. Counts in the range of 300-500 are typical on the Fayetteville CBC.
Fish Crow, Corvus ossifragus February 24 to November 5. Fairly common migrant and summer summer resident, at least locally, along major streams and reservoirs: White River, Beaver Lake, Lee Creek, Mulberry River, Buffalo National River, and doubtless elsewhere. It was unreported in the western Arkansas Ozarks until the early 1980s. After the breeding season, Fish Crows depart breeding areas and form roosts in areas with food abundance (McGowan 2001). For example, more than 30 were present around a feedlot just south of Chesney Prairie Natural Area August 21, 2005. Fish Crows (and American Crows) have also maintained late summer roosts at the University farm in Fayetteville. A flock of 25 was at Lake Sequoyah on the relatively late date of September 28, 1989.
Horned Lark, Eremophila alpestris This species has been observed in all seasons. Uncommon or locally common in low numbers during the nesting season in old open prairie areas--large open flat plowed fields or closely grazed pasture. In winter, flocks are locally common in similar habitat, also flat grassy areas with sparse vegetation. Especially large flocks, sometimes numbering 100 individuals, are found at midwinter during periods of severe cold when the ground is covered with snow. The mean on the Fayetteville CBCs was 32.6 (n=39, range 0-110). It was not found on 6 of 39 recent CBCs. The increasing pace of development and population growth in the metroplex between Fayetteville and Bentonville can be expected to further reduce suitable winter habitat within the count circle, not to mention total loss of former breeding habitat. Birds still occur in former prairie habitat in northwest Arkansas where development has been minimal. For example, I found singing birds in at least three places near Maysville on February 13, 2005, and that was in a high wind, which meant I heard only birds near the road. On July 2, 2005, Mike Mlodinow and I saw flocks of 20 and 6 in recently harvested green bean fields near Maysville. This suggests successful local nesting. I also found singing birds in two places on the former Norwood Prairie west of Wedington on the Washington-Benton county lines in 2005 (June 4 and July 16), and saw a flock of 4 overhead in a different area of the old Norwood July 24. Winter flocks can be impressive. On January 17, 2003, I estimated at least 250 on a plowed fields adjacent the Siloam Springs Airport. There were at least 100 in the Maysville area in a heavily grazed pasture January 1, 2003, and an estimated 300 or more in the same area on February 8. Horned Larks in a Missouri study were common only on very short grasslands, usually heavily grazed pastures (Skinner and others 1984). Horn Larks were sparsely distributed in Missouri atlas blocks (Jacobs and Wilson 1997: 183) as well as in those in northeastern Oklahoma (Reinking 2004: 283).
Purple Martin, Progne subis February 26 to September 19. Common summer resident. Martins may be especially abundant after the breeding season, when they gather into large roosts. Here are a few examples. “Thousands” of martins maintained a fall roost in the Larue area of Beaver Lake in late July 1987. There were 133 at Lake Elmdale on August 6, 1989. The 700 perched on utility wires at the state fish hatchery in Centerton on August 17, 2003, declined to 15 by August 30, and none were seen on September 6. In August 2005 a very roughly estimated 30,000 roosted in sweetgum trees near the Arkansas River in Fort Smith. There’s no way to say if this huge roost included birds from western Arkansas to the north, but birds in such roosts elsewhere have come a distance of 80 km from their natal site (Brown 1997:6).
Tree Swallow, Tachycineta bicolor February 25 to November 14. Common migrant, somewhat rare summer resident. It is observed either in small flocks or mixed among flocks of other species of swallows. Very early warm-ups in late winter can produce a few birds. There were at least 75, all males, at Lake Fayetteville on March 13, 2005. Approximately 1000 swallows were seen at Table Rock Lake on April 3, 1987; among them were Tree, Northern Rough-winged and Barn Swallows, plus Purple Martins. Adults and a nest with eggs were found in a snag out in the lake on May 25, 1984, at Bob Kidd Lake near Prairie Grove. Subsequently, there have been nesting season reports at Lake Siloam Springs, Beaver Lake, Table Rock, Hobbs Estate (Shaddox Hollow), Lake Leatherwood, and Lake Elmdale, and doubtless elsewhere. It seems likely our small nesting population is attracted to the numerous and relatively safe (from terrestrial predators) natural and woodpecker-excavated cavities in snags where mature trees have been killed due to the creation of impoundments that were once forests. They also use boxes. Leif Anderson saw Tree Swallows using a bluebird box at Wedington on May 26, 2002. I saw a male and female using a Purple Martin box adjacent a large pond at Fayetteville Country Club on May 25, 2005.
Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Stelgidopteryx serripennis March 5 to October 25. Common migrant and summer resident. In the Arkansas Ozarks these cavity nesters have utilized tunnels in hard dirt banks as well as natural cavities in rock bluffs, both above streams. Other cavities will do as well. In summer 1985, for example, they successfully reared young in square holes in the concrete supports under a bridge in Madison County near the Thompson community.
Bank Swallow, Riparia riparia March 31 to June 6 and July 13 to September 28. Uncommon transient. Bank Swallows can be looked for in the mixed species flocks of swallows that forage over open bodies of water during migration. At Centerton, for example, they fly low over ponds and perch conveniently (for observers) on wires, just like a Roger Tory Peterson painting. Small, “pure” flocks of 20 or so birds have been observed on several occasions during May as they flew over the open ponds at Centerton. An estimated 80 were there on May 14, 2004. There is no evidence they nest in northwest Arkansas, but the early June observations in Benton and Washington counties raise some interesting possibilities. Nesting was confirmed in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, adjacent Benton County, during the course of the Oklahoma Breeding Bird Atlas project (Reinking 2004: 291) and in McDonald County, Missouri, also adjacent Benton County (Jacobs and Wilson 1997:191).
Cliff Swallow, Petrochelidon pyrrhonota March 18 to October 6. Common migrant, locally common summer resident. It nests under large bridges as well as in traditional situations like bluffs above the White River (Beaver Lake and elsewhere). An estimated 50-100 active nests were seen in cliffs above War Eagle Creek north of Huntsville in 1986. In May 1999, work on replacement of the Highway 412 bridge east of Sonora (spanning the White River near the Blue Springs area of Beaver Lake) was halted for several months by Arkansas Department of Highways and Transportation in order to accommodate nesting Cliff Swallows. This temporary inconvenience was a laudable example of environmental ethics.
Barn Swallow, Hirundo rustica March 2 to November 16+. Abundant migrant and summer resident in open fields. This species nests under bridges, in large highway culverts, in open barns, and under porches of houses in lightly developed areas of towns. On the Avoca BBS, the mean was 38.5 (n=32, range 9-61). The 16 Barn Swallows tallied on the 2001 Crooked Creek CBC in Boone County furnishes a highly unusual and very late record for Arkansas (Need to get the documentation for this or not use it).
Carolina Chickadee, Poecile carolinensis This species has been observed in all seasons. Common in forests and woodlots. On the Ozark NF BBS, the mean was13.7 (n=9, range 2-22). Totals in the range of 150-200 birds are typical for Fayetteville CBCs: the mean was 162.9 (n=39, range 23-354). In Missouri, both Carolina and Black-capped Chickadees were found in southern counties during the course of their atlas project, but these records are highly unusual, since the birds became frequent only in central Missouri and further north (Jacobs and Wilson 1997:203). There is no record for the Black-capped Chickadee in northeastern Oklahoma (Wood and Schnell 1984: 196) and no valid record for Arkansas.
Tufted Titmouse, Baeolophus bicolor This species has been observed in all seasons. Common in woodlands, including those of towns. Less common than chickadees but still numerous. On the Ozark NF BBS, the mean was 10.2 (n=9, range 5-16). On the Fayetteville CBC, the mean was 85.0 (n=39, range 0-187).
Red-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta canadensis September 7 to May 10. Irregular migrant and winter resident. Numbers present vary considerably from year to year, with very few or none seen some years. Ten were observed in pines at Fayetteville Country on November 7, 2004, during an “invasion” year. It was found on 21 of 39 Fayetteville CBCs since 1961. The 38 on the 1993 CBC doubled any previous count.
White-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta carolinensis This species has been observed in all seasons. Common in mature forests and woodlots in towns. On the Ozark NF BBS, the mean 4.1 (n=9, range 1-10). These nuthatches are also found regularly on the Fayetteville CBC: mean 21.3 (n=39, range 2-64).
Brown-headed Nuthatch, Sitta pusilla This species has been observed in all seasons. Rare and local. Bill Beall has observed them in a stand of pines at south of Fern in Franklin Country. His sightings in 1986 and 1987 were 1.5 miles southeast of Fern in a logged area. A nesting cavity was being excavated there March 7- April 4, 1987. There have been several observations at Fairfield Bay in Van Buren County, at Rosetta in Johnson County, and one mile north of Pelsor in Newton County. These birds seem likely in the past to have been resident in big pine stands including those in Madison, Carroll, and Newton counties. An obligate permanent resident in pine stands, it has been almost wholly extirpated from the Ozarks for the same reason that Red-cockaded Woodpeckers were lost: failure to restore once extensive stands of shortleaf pine heavily logged in the past century (see comments in the Red-cockaded Woodpecker account). This failure, coupled with long-term fire suppression, has resulted in many native pine stands being replaced by hardwoods that won’t support Brown-headed Nuthatches or many other species of plants and animals that require pine forest habitat. Populations are still robust south in the Ouachita NF where logging in pine timber includes silvicultural practices that regenerate the stands.
Brown Creeper, Certhia americana October 2 to April 21. Fairly common migrant and winter resident, usually in low numbers. It is often found in mixed-species flocks that include Golden-crowned Kinglets, chickadees, titmice, and other small birds. Creepers were reported on 37 of 39 Fayetteville CBCs. The mean was 5.7 (n=39, range 0-24).
Rock Wren, Salpinctes obsoletus Three records. This western species was first reported in the Arkansas Ozarks on January 1, 1986, when Bob Sanger saw a single bird at a limestone quarry in Johnson, Washington County. It was observed on several occasions thereafter during the first half of January. There were also two records in 1989: one seen by Frank and Joanna Reuters at Beaver dam in Carroll County on January 21 and one during the Arkansas Audubon Society meeting at Lake Ft. Smith State Park on October 28.
Carolina Wren, Thryothorus ludovicianus This species has been observed in all seasons. Common in urban areas as well as generally in the forest, especially where there is much woody material on the forest floor, logging slash, brush piles, and the like. However, our population fluctuates considerably in numbers. In some years they are scarce, in others “almost everywhere.” These assumptions are supported by data. Since these predominantly insectivorous birds don’t migrate, their decimation during severe, prolonged cold is inevitable. Alternately, the population expands following mild winters. These trends are reflected in results from the Fayetteville CBC as well as on the Compton (Newton County-headwaters area of Buffalo National River) BBS. Data from the Fayetteville CBC since the early 1960s shows population lows during four periods: 1961-1963, 1971-1975,1977-1981, 1984-1985, and a rather sharp dip in 2000 as compared to 1999. Measured by the number of wrens seen per 10 party hours on the CBC, the lowest count occurred in 1978 with only 0.1 (this amounted to 1 bird). This contrasts with relatively high counts throughout the decade of the 1990s. In the peak year of 1993, observers found Carolina Wrens at the rate of 19.2 birds per 10 party hours (actually 107 birds). Data from the BBS shows roughly similar patterns. The lowest totals from the Buffalo headwaters region also occurred in the decade of the 1970s, with the only zeros (no birds found) on the count from 1976-1978. Based upon the party hour data, these wrens have been much more numerous from the early 1990s than earlier, an apparent trend also on the BBS data. Finally, even after decimations, these birds certainly have the ability to recover: in mid-February of 2002, they were busy constructing a nest atop a light fixture in my Fayetteville carport, early preparation for the potentially long nesting season ahead.
Bewick’s Wren, Thryomanes bewickii This species has been observed in all seasons. It occurs primarily as a very uncommon transient, a rare summer resident, and rare winter resident. It favors open habitats and brushy edge. Spring migrants are noted primarily in March (but notice below that some birds start nesting in March), fall migrants from mid-September through October. Black (1935) considered it an irregular summer resident at Winslow, a heavily forested locale in the Boston Mountains. Baerg (1951) considered it “locally common” in summer at Fayetteville, which was then more open and less forested. It was reported in low numbers (usually 1-2) on the Fayetteville CBC up to 1973, but was unreported on the count again until 1991 (1 bird) and not thereafter. Since the mid-1980s there have been approximately 26 observations between mid-March and July that involved nesting or a possibly of nesting. The observations involve Washington, Benton, Madison, Carroll, and Boone counties. Of these 26 observations, 11 involve the mid to late 1980s, 11 for the 1990s, and 4 during 2000-2005. Young fledged from a nest in a gourd between Springdale and Rogers on June 19, 1988. There have been records of singing birds and nesting in Newton County at Steele Creek campground (1992 and 1993); at a nest box on Mt. Sequoyah in Fayetteville on April 27, 1994; near Rhea in Washington County where the birds were nest building in a mailbox on July 15, 1996. JoAnne Rife, Sally Jo Gibson and others in Boone County have provided a number of recent nest records. Adults with 3 fledglings were reported on a developed portion of Baker Prairie (near the Natural Area) in Harrison on July 3, 1998. Also at Harrison, Gibson first saw birds on March 15, 2000; they were incubating in a birdhouse on April 4 and three young fledged by May 4. Mike Mlodinow found an adult at the University of Arkansas Experimental Farm in Fayetteville on March 9, 2000, and later saw three fledglings together in the same area on May 29. I also found 2 birds together on Floyd Moore Road near Cherokee City in Benton County on June 18, 2005. In Missouri, Bewick’s was found in many atlas blocks bordering northwest Arkansas (Jacobs and Wilson 1997:215). They were also observed in northeastern Oklahoma (Reinking 2004:319). There have been recent observations of migrating birds at Chesney Prairie Natural Area in Benton County: September 19, 2004 and April 2, 2005. I found a bird in Fayetteville farm implement junkyard on December 18, 2002, and one in the same area February 17, 2003--apparently an overwintering individual. When race has been noted in observations, all have involved the eastern subspecies. Historically, northwest Arkansas combined elements of both eastern forests and open grasslands of the Tallgrass Prairie. Growing human populations, expanding urbanization, and near total suppression of wildfires favors more forest and much less of open grassland and brushy edge favored by Bewick’s Wren.
House Wren, Troglodytes aedon April 3 to December 12+. Common migrant and locally common summer resident; rare in winter. The species nested at Winslow in the 1930s (Black 1935). Callahan (1953) listed it as an uncommon summer resident at Lake Wedington. It was nesting at Fayetteville by the 1970s and is now common in summer at Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, and by at least 2000, at Harrison. In Missouri, House Wrens were found in many atlas blocks bordering northwest Arkansas (Jacobs and Wilson 1997:217). They were also observed in northeastern Oklahoma (Reinking 2004:321). Single birds have been found four years on the Fayetteville CBC since 1981and there are additional mid-winter records elsewhere in the region.
Winter Wren, Troglodytes troglodytes October 5 to April 26. Fairly common migrant and uncommon but regular winter resident, always in low numbers. Winter wrens stop briefly in yards in urban areas in migration, but wintering birds must be looked for in forests, typically in hillside drainages or stream bottoms with large rocks, ledges, and down woody material. It may be more common during mild winters than during those with prolonged periods of severe cold. It has not always been found on the Christmas Bird Count at Fayetteville (0 recorded in 8 of 39 years), with peaks of 8 and 9 (1983, 1992). Mlodinow’s (2000:11) analysis of CBC data indicated a significant increase 1992-1998 as compared to 1985-1991.
Sedge Wren, Cistothorus platensis This species has been observed in all seasons. We find them in open, low-lying, wet grassy fields, often at the edge of a pond, lake, or small stream. They seem to be essentially birds of former prairie lowlands. Fall peaks are apparent in these 2 observations: 12 birds in the low-lying grassy fields at Lake Bentonville on October 3, 1998, and 8 at Chesney Prairie Natural Area on October 8, 2004. Many spring records involve the period from late April to mid-May. At least 4 were in the grassy fields of Wilson Springs along Clabber Creek at Fayetteville on May 1, 2003. It has been found in Benton and Washington counties during the period when it has been known to breed elsewhere in Arkansas (James and Neal 1986). It’s well known for breeding outside its “usual range” and at different times of the breeding season (Herkert 2001). Baerg (1951) published the reports of Dean Crooks who in 1947 found it in Benton County during May, July, and August. Could 5 birds singing vigorously at Lake Elmdale August 21-September 4, 1988, have been nesting there? A singing bird was observed at Lake Bentonville on August 24, 2000, and at Wilson Springs in Fayetteville on August 15, 2002. Joe Woolbright and I saw 4 at Chesney Prairie Natural Area on August 14, 2004. In August 2005, three singing birds occupied low wet fields just west of Fayetteville (proposed wetlands mitigation site for a new wastewater treatment plant (personal communication, Jason Lucier) and 6-7 at Chesney Prairie on August 20. On August 13, 2005, there were a total of 5 in two areas along Clabber Creek in Fayetteville, but both of these fields are part of planned developments. There are additional records for this period in recent years from other areas in northwest Arkansas. Very little data is available from breeding atlas projects in adjoining states, primarily because of this wren’s “late” nesting habitat (Jacobs and Wilson 1997; Reinking 2004). In Missouri, the birds were observed in tall dense vegetation, a result of light grazing or leaving pastures idle; they used spring burned prairie by mid-July (Skinner and others 1984:22). This habitat was almost identical to that chosen by Henslow’s Sparrow (Fig. 12). There have been a number of observations at mid-winter dating back into the 1980s. Many involve single birds. Five were found in grassy fields along Clabber Creek in Fayetteville on December 10, 2000; none could be found after a snowstorm three days later. On December 28, 2002, I counted 7 birds, including 5 together apparently going to roost in the same field near Clabber Creek. Mike Mlodinow had a similar series of observations (3-6) birds in this same area between December 12, 2002, and February 12, 2003. Unfortunately, drainage and development of these former lowland prairie fields is underway. Between 2000 and 2005, many birders in northwest Arkansas focused attention on the Clabber Creek fields because they were such excellent places to find specific birds hard-to-find elsewhere (e.g., Sedge Wren and Henslow’s Sparrow) and also because it became clear that former lowland prairies in the Arkansas Ozarks were an increasingly rare habitat. It would be desirable for conservation agencies or other public entities to acquire such habitat when available, and to manage it as grassland. While the focus for preservation has properly been on preservation of remnant high-quality natural habitats (i.e., habitats retaining a high percentage of original botanical composition), many species can also benefit from non-native grasslands. Efforts to acquire and protect non-native grasslands could complement acquisition and restoration of native Tallgrass Prairie.
Marsh Wren, Cistothorus palustris April 15+ to May 12 and September 13 to December 15+. Regular transient, especially in fall with a big peak in the first half of October. This is the cattail wren, often found where marsh-like habitat is available. They occur regularly in migration in places like the wet ditches with aquatic vegetation around the ponds at the state fish hatchery in Centerton. Many reports involve single birds. I saw 5 in dense vegetation along Clabber Creek in Fayetteville on October 2, 2002. In Benton County on October 3, 1998, Mike Mlodinow and David Chapman hit a big migration peak: they observed 13 at Lake Bentonville and another 8 at the state fish hatchery. This is similar to my experience at Chesney Prairie Natural Area near Siloam Springs where I found 10 on October 8, 2004. Since the 1980s, there have been as many as 8 December-February observations, most involving single birds, suggesting that Marsh Wrens linger here in small numbers.
Golden-crowned Kinglet, Regulus satrapa October 2 to April 15. Fairly common migrant and winter resident during most years. The 37 at Fayetteville on November 2, 2000, indicated a big fall migration peak. The count mean is 18.3 for 39 recent years of the Fayetteville CBC; the highest count total was 65 on January 4, 1986; this was doubled during the extraordinary count on December 18, 2005. In some years, however, they are almost rare after fall migration: numbers reported ranged only from 0 to 3on 7 of 39 CBCs.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Regulus calendula September 12 to May 26. Common migrant and uncommon winter resident. Apparently more numerous in winter now than in previous years. This kinglet is common during migration, but most depart for the south by the time of hard winter cold, with relatively few observations from December through February. A few are usually reported on the Fayetteville CBC. On more than half of counts since 1961, totals have ranged from 0-3 (mean of 3.3). There were 21 on the 1999 CBC. There were reported more frequently on the Buffalo National River (west) in the 1980s, with numbers ranging up to 8. Mlodinow (2000:11) reported an apparent trend toward higher Arkansas CBC numbers.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Polioptila caerulea March 10 to October 7+. Common migrant and summer resident. Sometimes their calls fill the stream bottom and hillside forests where they nest. Gnatcatchers seem to thrive in moist forests along streams as well as relatively dry cedar and hillside hardwood forests. Nesting begins early, commonly by mid-April. Nests are constructed in both cedars and deciduous trees. On the Lurton BBS in Newton County, the mean was 7.7 (n=32, range 0-21). Gnatcatchers respond positively to a variety of forestry practices (Figure 1). There are also occasional reports of single birds lingering in December. One was found on the Crooked Creek valley CBC in 2002, and two on the Fayetteville CBC of December 14, 2003.
Eastern Bluebird, Sialia sialis This species has been observed in all seasons. Common in open country, including open farmlands and openings of a few acres in urban areas (e.g., Mt. Sequoyah in Fayetteville). They disappear as openings are replaced by forests or development. The following data is from nesting boxes in the White River valley near Durham in Washington County: a clutch with five eggs as early as March 26, and at least 17 nests under construction or completed by the same date (C. Hensley, personal communication). On the Compton BBS in Newton County, the mean was 10.1 (n=34, range 0-26). Bluebirds are present all winter and have been found in relatively high numbers. The Fayetteville CBC mean was 96.3 (n=39, range 8-255). More than 100 have been found on half the counts since 1961, with over 200 in 1991 and 1998. Bluebirds were also numerous on the Buffalo National River (west) CBC, with a peak of 393 (1982) and on the Crooked Creek valley CBC in Boone County, with a range of 135-258 on four recent counts.
Townsend’s Solitaire, Myadestes townsendi A single bird was seen by Doug James and others in a stand of cedars above the White River south of Sonora, Washington County, between December 8, 1963, and January 4, 1964. Another bird was seen on Hideout Hollow Trail near Erbie in Newton County on October 21-28, 1995.
Veery, Catharus fuscescens Rare spring transient, April 29 to May 26+. There is also an early June record.
Gray-cheeked Thrush, Catharus minimus April 23 to May 24. Uncommon spring transient. I see them in the same areas frequented by migrating Swainson’s Thrushes, but most of my observations of Gray-cheekeds involved single birds only. Three were seen together in Walker Cemetery at Fayetteville on May 8, 1981, and another bird sang in my yard at Fayetteville on a daily basis the same year, May 9-20.
Swainson’s Thrush, Catharus ustulatus. April 16 to June 4 and September 3 to October 27. Common, sometimes locally abundant, spring transient, and rare fall transient. They are “everywhere” in the spring, but much more difficult to find in fall. There are regular accounts of high numbers during late April to mid-May. Here are 2 examples: a conservatively estimated 30-40 on Mt Sequoyah in Fayetteville on April 28, 2003, and 75+ in the Pelsor area on the Newton/Pope county lines on May 10, 1994. During spring migration this thrush is conspicuous in wooded yards, parks, and forests, calling attention to its presence with its song. During a major spring peak in migration, 11 were seen in Fayetteville on May 6, 1984, and doubtless many more could be found during such peaks. The migration route for fall is more easterly than the broad migration front characterizing spring (Mack and Yong 2000:6). Therefore, compared to the northward migration, relatively few birds may be passing through the western Ozarks in fall.
Hermit Thrush, Catharus guttatus October 5 to May 4. Fairly common migrant and winter resident. A total of nine, including one group of six, was seen in a hillside forest at Durham in Washington County on October 27, 1985. During winter here, it can be looked for in forests with extensive stands of cedars, often in the same places frequented by flocks of robins. On the Buffalo River (west) CBC, Hermit Thrushes were recorded most years and frequently in numbers higher than those at Fayetteville, with peaks of 46 (1978) and 28 (1982). Numbers found over the years (to 2000) on the Fayetteville CBC have ranged upwards to 6, with 0-1 on 22 of 39 counts. The total was 8 on the 2003 CBC, and 12 in 2004. The peak was 9 on the Crooked Creek valley CBC in 2002.
Wood Thrush, Hylocichla mustelina April 14 to October 15+. Fairly common summer resident in open mature forest with an understory of small trees and shrubs. In the Winslow area many years ago, it was “very common...especially so in the deep ravines...It is not uncommon to see and hear as high as 100 singing males in a single afternoon around the first of May when the spring migration is at its height” (Black 1935). The species is found on all BBS routes in the western Arkansas Ozarks with the highest numbers on the Ozark NF route in Johnson County. The mean there was 10.5 (n=9, range 7-15). The birds are also found regularly on other BBS routes: Lurton (Newton County, mean 7.3), Compton (Newton County, mean 6.6), Boston Mountain (Franklin County, mean 5.7). Based upon data from 1966-2000, Wood Thrushes have declined along the Lurton BBS, but no such decline is yet detected on Compton. The regional decline is a statistically significant annual loss of -0.7 (Sauer et al. 2001). Wood Thrushes here are on the extreme western margin of their summer range. Range wide losses have been attributed to many factors including destruction and fragmentation of forest habitats in both the breeding range and wintering range in the Tropics (Roth et al. 1996:2). Forest management studies showed Wood Thrush numbers highest in undisturbed forests, declining with increasing levels of timber harvest (Figure 1). Smith and others (2004: Table 1 and 2) showed similar results. Wood Thrushes were more common in relatively undisturbed upland hardwood forest as compared to sites disturbed by various forest practices. Wood Thrushes were rare or absent in sites that involved clearcutting or clearcutting for pine conversion. It remains relatively common in suitable habitat, including lightly developed sections of towns. Wood Thrushes sing in the forests all around the Newton County seat at Jasper—one of the special delights of visiting the Buffalo National River area. There is also a highly unusual, but well-supported, observation for February 5, 1998.
American Robin, Turdus migratorius This species has been observed in all seasons. BBS data illustrates how adapted robins are to towns and farmlands. They have steadily increased over the years on the highly urbanized Avoca BBS route in Benton County. With more than 100 counted some years, robins are among the top five birds in terms of numbers on this route; the mean number was 75.3 (n=32, range 10-151). By contrast, they are almost never found on two of the most heavily forested and least urbanized BBS routes, Ozark NF and Boston Mountain. During winter they may be quite widespread in towns as well as forested areas since robins form large roosts in winter when the crops of wild berries (cedar, hackberry, blackgum, poison ivy, etc.) are available in abundance. The Fayetteville CBC mean was 478.0 (n=39, range 4-8000). Their dawn chorus singing dominates even busy cities on warming temperatures of late winter. Their energetic courtships and foraging adds life to urban areas, connecting us to a world typically wider than that otherwise encompassed by our busy lives.
Gray Catbird, Dumetella carolinensis April 11 to October 22+. Fairly common summer resident in towns, farm yards, and “edge,” but absent from extensive forests. “In the region of Fayetteville catbirds begin to sing about April 23 and may be heard until near the end of July” (Baerg 1951). In the Winslow area, Black (1935) considered it “perhaps the most common summer bird in the region.” Black also noted “in dry summers they retire to the larger streams about the middle of July, in company with other birds that ordinarily remains more evenly distributed.” They occur in modest numbers on Avoca, Compton, and Lurton BBS (all with means of <3.0), and are absent from the Boston Mountain and Ozark NF routes. Catbirds occasionally linger past October, leading to occasional midwinter records of single birds.
Northern Mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos This species has been observed in all seasons. They are adapted to all but the most heavily developed urban environments. It is often associated with fruit-bearing trees and shrubs, especially multiflora rose and other thickets. Of five BBS routes, it is frequent only on Avoca in Benton County. The mean was 35.0 (n=32, range 20-55). It occurs in low numbers along the Compton and Lurton routes (both have farms and farmland), and has not been found on the two most heavily forested routes: Boston Mountain and Ozark NF. It occurs annually, usually in high numbers, on the Fayetteville CBC: mean 73.1 (n=39, range 11-157).
Brown Thrasher, Toxostoma rufum This species has been observed in all seasons. Common except during midwinter, when relatively few are found. Thrashers are similar to mockingbirds in their avoidance of extensive forests and preference for shrubby thickets in generally open country. This is also reflected on BBS surveys, where it is found in relatively high numbers on the Avoca route where the mean was 6.3 (n=32, range 1-11), followed by lower counts on Compton and Lurton, and virtually none on the two most heavily forested routes. The number of thrashers reported on the CBC at Fayetteville (1961-2001) varied from 0-10, with 0-1 recorded 14 years.
European Starling, Sturnus vulgaris This species has been observed in all seasons. Abundant permanent resident. During winter starlings congregate into enormous night roosts that in the Arkansas Ozarks often number in the hundreds of thousands of individuals.
American Pipit, Anthus rubescens September 25 to May1. Fairly common transient and local winter resident. Observed in open areas such as plowed fields, pond flats, and shorelines. A migration peak is observed during October: 65 at Lake Sequoyah near Fayetteville on October 24, 1983, at a time when the water level was low, exposing extensive mudflats; 87 there October 21, 1989. These pipits are found infrequently on the Fayetteville CBC, with 0 or 1 reported on 28 of 39 counts. Peaks include 21 in 1965 and 1999. These numbers have been easily exceeded in the most recent CBCs: 47 on December 14, 2003 and 98 on December 19, 2004. Most of the birds in 2004 were observed on plowed fields at the University farm.
Sprague’s Pipit, Anthus spragueii Douglas James saw 1-5 birds in an open field near Farmington in Washington County between December 15, 1956, and April 17, 1957. Otherwise, this species has not been found here. James’ winter 1956-1957 sightings involved an open pasture with very sparse vegetation somewhat typical of the old prairie areas of western Washington and Benton counties.
[Bohemian Waxwing, Bombycilla garrulus] Two old records. The first, published by Baerg
(1931), is vague: 12 to 15 birds at Fayetteville in “April or May’ of
1921. The second involved a single bird associating with Cedar Waxwings
at Winslow on May 12, 1931 (Black 1935).
Cedar Waxwing, Bombycilla cedrorum This species has been observed in all seasons. Common migrant and irregular winter resident. Somewhat rare in summer, but nesting is confirmed. They have been found on most Fayetteville CBCs: 100 or more were counted 14 years, but on 7 others there were none or a single bird on count day. The mean was 121.5 (n=39, range 0-828). Data from the Buffalo National River (west) CBC is similar, with a peak of 879 in 1982. They have often been seen in fall, winter, and spring, but their appearances are somewhat unpredictable even in these seasons. Flocks estimated to number more than 500 individuals were present during March on the University campus at Fayetteville. There are reports of similar magnitude at Harrison and elsewhere. Birds remain in the Arkansas Ozarks during late spring and early summer in order to take advantage of ripening fruits, but some of these are nesting. The 10 birds at Jasper in Newton County on August 17, 1985, included birds in juvenile plumage. During the 1990s there were at least 10 reports of nests or fledglings. Kim Smith found a nest in a pine at Paradise Valley Country Club in Fayetteville on June 2, 1996; young fledged by June 30. James Tucker, Mia Ravels, and others found a nest with 4 nestlings in a sycamore at Cass in Franklin County on June 19, 1993. In Boone County, Harold and Mary Jo Loch observed a nest that was built in a pine in the first week of August 1997; young fledged about September 1. Mike Mlodinow and Betty Coody observed a bird with pine needles in its beak at Lake Bella Vista in Benton County on July 9, 1999. In addition, they have been found during the nesting season at Lake Elmdale, Lake Atalanta, Lake Wedington, Lake Sequoyah, at Fayetteville, in Newton and Carroll counties, and elsewhere. They have also nested in the Missouri Ozarks adjacent northwest Arkansas (Jacobs and Wilson 1997:237).
Blue-winged Warber, Vermivora pinus April 10 to October 22. Uncommon migrant and summer resident. Inhabits larger, open fields grown-up in saplings; essentially a bird of early succession. At Pea Ridge National Military Park in Benton County it inhabited an open landscape in the “early tree stage” of Shugart and James (1973). The size of these “early tree stage” fields makes a difference: Hunter et al. (2001: Table 3) found them associated with “larger patches (e.g., greater than 5 ha) with shrub-scrub, early succession and forest edge conditions generally more than 3 years after disturbance.” Callahan (1953) listed it as a “common summer resident” at Lake Wedington—when that area included much abandoned and regenerating farmland. Summer localities include old fields at Pea Ridge National Military Park, Lake Wedington (dam area plus other places still in early succession), overgrown fields at Devil’s Den State Park, Redding area in the Ozark NF in the Mulberry River valley, Buffalo National River, and doubtless elsewhere. A nest with young was found at Redding on May 25, 1987. Low numbers of Blue-wingeds have been reported on 4 of 5 BBSs in northwest Arkansas. It has been found with most consistency on the Compton BBS route in northern Newton County (extensive weedy fields of the Springfield Plateau north of Ponca). It can also be looked for in recently logged oak-hickory forest habitat with extensive disturbance (Figure 1). This suggests that this species may have been more common and widespread here in the wake of past logging booms (late 1800s-early 1900s) and after the Great Depression (late 1920s-early 1940s) when many farms were abandoned with the consequence of widespread initiation of young tree forests. Habitat preferences of Blue-winged Warblers (and other ecologically related birds) confound the notion that all oak-hickory forest landscapes should be managed for mature trees. The hybrid form “Brewster’s Warbler” has been observed on at least 3 occasions.
Golden-winged Warbler, Vermivora chrysoptera April 25 to May 16 and September 12 to28. Very uncommon spring transient; rare in fall. Most observations involve single birds. Paul Rodewald and Rob Dobbs counted 3 on May 4, 1994, during a long day that included birding at Lake Atlanta (1) and the Ozark NF (2). Mike Mlodinow saw 2 (a male and female) at Gregory Park in Fayetteville on May 11, 1990, and I saw 2 on Mt. Sequoyah in Fayetteville on May 15, 2004; these were part of a huge wave of migrants.
Tennessee Warbler, Vermivora peregrina April 3 to May 27+ and August 27 to October 29+. Common transient in spring; uncommon in fall. It is easily found by its singing. Invariably, it chooses mature trees (such as post oaks) in open, park-like settings. “Of all the warblers migrating through the Fayetteville area, this one is easily dominant with its song” (Baerg 1951). This situation is unchanged with the passage of a half-century since Bill Baerg’s observation. Paul Rodewald provided what he termed a very conservative count of 100+ during a long day in the Pelsor area and Jasper in Pope and Newton counties during a spring peak, May 10, 1994. I saw and heard one in my yard at Fayetteville on the very late date of June 13, 1986. Mike Mlodinow found 1 at the University of Arkansas Experiment Farm on the unusual dates of December 17, 2003, and January 3, 2004.
Orange-crowned Warbler, Vermivora celata April 12+ to May 18 and September 4 to November 27+. Early spring arrival and later fall departure dates are complicated by occasional lingering and overwintering birds (especially winter 2004-2005, see below). Uncommon to fairly common transient. It has been found on a number of occasions outside the usual migration period including scattered records, often of single birds, on the Fayetteville CBC (or during the count week). Orange-crowneds were widespread in the Fayetteville area (and at least at Bob Kidd Lake) during the winter of 2004-2005. Mike Mlodinow had 19 observations during December, January, and February, making this the biggest winter on record.
Nashville Warbler, Vermivora ruficapilla March 31 to May 16+ and August 29 to November 4+. Common transient in spring from mid-April to mid-May, and in fall during much of October. As is the case with Tennessee, its song seems to literally fill the air during peak periods of spring migration. Nine were counted in 20 acres of deciduous forest in Madison County on May 2, 1986—a “conservative” and not unusual spring peak count. My impression is that these birds are so common that most of us just stop counting. Nashvilles also show up outside the expected migration periods. Mike Mlodinow found a bird that apparently spent much of winter 2001-2002 on Mt. Sequoyah in Fayetteville and there is also a June report from Newton County.
Northern Parula, Parula americana March 23 to October 16+. Common migrant and summer resident in moist forests, especially those in stream bottomlands and in upland ravines. These birds are widespread in our forests. They have been found on each of the BBS routes, with highest numbers on Compton in northern Newton County. The mean was 5.3 (n=34, range 0-11). A long section of this BBS lies in the Buffalo National River bottomlands, plus moist forested ravines north of Ponca and on Cave Mountain. In the latter places, parulas can be heard singing in the same places as Cerulean Warblers, making possible direct comparisons of their somewhat similar songs. Shugart and James (1973) showed them in mature mesic forest (Table 1) and James (1971) characterized their habitat choice as falling between that of Wood Thrush and White-breasted Nuthatch (Fig. 8). Forest management studies (Figure 1) showed parulas most numerous in mature forests and remaining numerous with single tree and group selection cutting, but declined as more of the canopy was removed. There are several observations as late as November 11.
Yellow Warbler, Dendroica petechia April 15 to September 28. Common migrant; local summer resident in low numbers. They are widespread in migration and can be seen in numerous forested habitats, including urban woodlots. The six birds counted at Fayetteville on May 6, 1984, were part of a migration peak. In late summer and fall of 1985 reports were concentrated during August: peaks of 8 at Bob Kidd Lake on August 10, 1986, and 6 at Centerton on August 31, 1985. During the nesting season they must be sought in a more restricted habitat, characterized by Frances James (1974) as the willows and cottonwoods “fringing open water of gravel bars along rivers, or in the scattered trees and shrubs of small towns.” The birds have been found on the Avoca, Lurton, and Compton BBS, but since the early 1980s, only on the Compton route. These reports, involving 1-2 birds, have come from a fringe of tall trees along the old millpond at Boxley in the valley of the Buffalo River. There are also summer records from the bordering Missouri Ozarks (Jacobs and Wilson 1997:257) and northeastern Oklahoma (Reinking 2004: 351). Northern Arkansas is on the southern extreme of this bird’s vast nesting range (Dunn and Garrett 1997). Early June records may include late northward migrants. Fall migrants may be seen by late July.
Chestnut-sided Warbler, Dendroica pensylvanica Fairly common spring transient, uncommon fall transient, rare and local summer resident known from a few areas with small clearcuts or group selection cuts on the Ozark NF. Records span the period from April 21 to October 7, but most involve migration, April 21 to June 2 and August 28 to October 7. In 1993, UA-Fayetteville graduate student Paul Rodewald found four male Chestnut-sided Warblers in Pope and Johnson counties in clearcuts where he also found Black-throated Green Warblers (Rodewald 1993). On June and July 1994, he and Amanda Dumin observed 10 males and 2 females within a 3-mile radius of Pelsor on the Pope/Newton county line. More recently, Mike Mlodinow has found them in summer in a group selection cut near junction of highways 21 and 16 in southwestern Newton County. There were four singing males at two locations in Newton County in June 2001. David Rupe, Jason Garrett, and Heath Martin found 9 birds in hardwood regeneration cuts in the Sassafras Knob area of Newton County on May 29, 2002, and located a nest there in early June (3 nestlings seen on June 20). Richardson and Brauning (1995) note its affinity for “scrubby second-growth areas and forest edges,” such as regenerating clearcuts and abandoned farmland.
Magnolia Warbler, Dendroica magnolia April 29 to June 4 and August 28-October 6. Fairly common spring transient, very uncommon fall transient. Rob Doster counted 12 at Lake Fayetteville on May 12, 2003.
Cape May Warbler, Dendroica tigrina April 30 - May 22. Rare spring transient. Karen McGee saw two at Devil’s Den on May 9, 1992. There are three fall observations. Doug James and others saw one at Lake Sequoyah on September 23, 2000. A single bird was observed by Wayne Easley and Jim Wampler at Gentry November 28-December 2, 1981. Mike Mlodinow and David Chapman found one for the Fayetteville CBC, December 12, 1999.
Black-throated Blue Warbler, Dendroica caerulescens Two records. One was identified at Fayetteville on October 4, 1986. Written documentation was accepted by the Arkansas Bird Records Committee. A single male was found as early as December 9, 1999, at a feeder in Fayetteville, observed and counted on the CBC on December 19, and last observed December 20.
Yellow-rumped Warbler, Dendroica coronata September 10 to May 23. Common to abundant migrant and common winter resident in most winters. Spring migration peak: March-April; fall peak: second week October-first week November (Neal and Mlodinow 1988). Fayetteville CBC data since 1961 shows them present most years, but in 9 years the totals range only from 0-3. The overall CBC mean was 23.0 (n=39, range 0-109). During migration the birds are widespread, but in winter they seem more concentrated in forests where there are cedars and other wild fruits (poison ivy, wild grapes). It is conspicuous in spring migration, from mid-March and thereafter. More than 50 were counted in a few hours at Lake Fayetteville on March 24, 2002, and 114 on April 8, 2000. Almost all of our yellow-rumps are the eastern “myrtle warbler” with a white throat (Dunn and Garrett 1997), but Mike Mlodinow has made two observations of “Audubon’s Warbler,” the form with a yellow throat that winters in the far western U.S.
Black-throated Green Warbler, Dendroica virens April 2 to November 15. Fairly common transient; rare, local summer resident found in mature tree stands on north and east-facing slopes on the Ozark NF. General migration period: April 7 to May 29 and August 13 to October 31. In 1986, 11 fall observations ranged from August 29-October 2 in northwest Arkansas and northeastern Oklahoma. No birds were found on the Ozark NF BBS route in Johnson County in its first year (1991), but 1-3 have been reported annually since by Steve Osburne and John Andre. UA-Fayetteville graduate student Paul Rodewald found 14 singing males and fledglings in Pope and Johnson counties in 1993 (Rodewald 1993). Rodewald reported that the Black-throated Green sites were “rather rich in tree species diversity.” Subsequently, Leif Anderson and other observations have them in summer in a few additional areas with similar habitat.
Blackburnian Warbler, Dendroica fusca Uncommon spring transient in low numbers, April 30 to June 4. Three fall records: a single bird on September 6, 1986, October 1, 1995, and September 2, 2001. Mike Mlodinow and I observed at least 8 during a big spring peak on May 15, 2004, on Mt. Sequoyah in Fayetteville.
Yellow-throated Warbler, Dendroica dominica March 20+ to September 29. Fairly common summer resident in larger stream bottomlands with mature riparian forest as well as in pine stands. It has been found on the Compton, Lurton, and Boston Mountain BBS, with highest numbers on the Compton route: mean 1.3 (n=34, range 0-6). Approximately 10 miles of this route are heavily influenced by the Buffalo River and its tributaries, with both riparian forest and native upland shortleaf pine that is outstanding habitat for this species. They were numerous along the Buffalo in big trees on a float from Pruitt to Hasty June 17, 2001—this fits the pattern of this bird’s former name, “Sycamore Warbler.” Forest management studies showed little response by this species to a variety of cutting techniques (Figure 1). Written documentation was provided for a single bird at Hickory Creek Park on Beaver Lake in Benton County on February 1, 1987.
Pine Warbler, Dendroica pinus This species has been observed in all seasons. Common in summer in extensive pine stands, but at mid-winter it may be uncommon and even somewhat rare. It occurs in high numbers on the Ozark NF BBS route where the mean was 35.2 (n=9, range 21-50). It is also numerous on the Boston Mountain BBS, with lower numbers elsewhere. Pine Warblers in northwest Arkansas are representatives of a once more robust and widespread pine ecosystem that included Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, Brown-headed Nuthatches, and other plants and animals within the range of native Ozark shortleaf pine (see Dale 1986 for map and discussion; and Sargent 1884). For example, in 1880 Professor F.L. Harvey of Arkansas Industrial University (now UA-Fayetteville) estimated that Newton County held 767 million board feet of shortleaf pine and neighboring Polk County, 2,592 million (Sargent 1884: 544). Pines are not native to the area within the Fayetteville CBC, but as planted pines have matured, there is some habitat for wintering Pine Warblers, which accounts for CBC records of 1-3 birds. These mainly pertain to a golf course atop South Mountain in Fayetteville. Pine Warblers respond well to most timber management activities, but decline with extensive canopy removal (Figure 1). The 5 birds Doug James found singing in a patch of pines at Eureka Springs on February 28, 1993, no doubt marked to onset of the breeding season. More mid-winter study within existing pine forests will no doubt expand our knowledge of this bird’s seasonal fluctuations.
Prairie Warbler, Dendroica discolor April 5 to September 13. Locally common summer resident in large overgrown fields with small trees and shrubs. James’ (1971) study of habitat ordination in northwestern Arkansas showed Prairie Warblers on the extreme end of birds that require open habitat. In their study at Pea Ridge National Military Park, Shugart and James (1973) found Prairie Warblers in a variety of open fields including those with broomsedge, early tree stage, and forest edge. They have been found on all BBSs, but disappear as open field habitat moves toward forest (or urbanization). They are present in relatively high numbers on the Ozark NF route: the mean was 6.0 (n=9, range 2-26). Prairie Warblers are absent from heavily forested areas in the Ozarks, but they can quickly take advantage of areas harvested with shelterwoods and especially clearcuts (Figure 1).
Palm Warbler, Dendroica palmarum April 14 to May 12+ and September 25 to October 29+. Uncommon spring transient, very uncommon to somewhat rare fall transient; several winter season records. It has been found with fair regularity in all kinds of extensive brushy and crop fields. Here are some peak observations: 6 at Lake Fayetteville on April 27, 1995 (Mike Mlodinow); 4 at Centerton on May 8, 1984; 4 at the University Farm in Fayetteville on September 29, 1999 (Mike Mlodinow). JoAnne Rife and Martha Milburn found 2 at Harrison on May 9, 1988. In submitting her record she wrote, “Is this warbler being overlooked because we usually look for warblers in wooded locations?”
Bay-breasted Warbler, Dendroica castanea April 28 to June 2 and September 24 to October 12. Somewhat rare spring transient, rare fall transient. Almost all observations involve single birds. JoAnne Rife and others saw 2 in Boone County on April 28, 1996. Northwest Arkansas is west of the bird’s typical Arkansas fall migration pattern (Dunn and Garrett 1997:378).
Blackpoll Warbler, Dendroica striata April 20 to May 25. Fairly common spring transient. The peak was 11 at Lake Fayetteville on May 4, 1984. I hear them in all types of mature open woods in Fayetteville.
Cerulean Warbler, Dendroica cerulea April 14 to September 6. The birds are rarely seen away from known breeding areas here; therefore their late summer-early fall status is largely unknown. In summer it inhabits moist, mature, extensive forests that typically exhibit a rich understory. In our area these are typically the east and northeastern-facing slopes. At Winslow, Smith (1915) found that ceruleans arrived “by April 16, and before the trees were fully leafed out, it was readily detected as it moved about in the tops of the highest trees on heavily forested slopes and in ravines. Later as the foliage developed it was less apt to be observed...” A recent survey for ceruleans (James et al. 2001) turned up many sites in the western Ozarks, including Devil’s Den State Park, Wedington Unit of the Ozark NF, and elsewhere. I have observed them over the past decade in various places in heavily forested Newton County, and especially on Cave Mountain near Boxley, where they inhabit heavily forested benches in an area with umbrella magnolia, pawpaws, and cucumber magnolias—“rich woods,” to use a common term—and typical habitat for these birds in the Ozarks. It has been found on both BBSs in Newton County and on the Boston Mountain route (once, 2 birds in 1994). On the Lurton route, ceruleans have been reported in 12 of 32 counts since the 1960s (range 1-4 birds). The situation is similar on the Compton route, where birds have been reported on 12 of 34 counts (range 1-4). They were certainly present in some years they didn’t make the survey, because I returned later and found birds I didn’t see or hear during the three-minute stop. Ceruleans have long been known from the former Cherry Bend campground in the Ozark NF of northern Franklin County. Here the Ozark Highlands Trail crosses highway 23 along a bench far above a forested stream bottom. In past years it has been possible to watch ceruleans nearly at eye level as they foraged in canopies of mature trees growing in the stream bottom below. At current epidemic levels, red oak borers have killed mature trees over huge areas (Spencer 2001), including trees in the Cherry Bend area. However, ceruleans remain in the immediate area. In 2005, for example, I found several singing within a few hundred yards of the former site—basically in the same area, but not where the borer damage was most intense. Therefore, while it’s unclear what impacts these mature tree deaths will have on ceruleans, it’s reasonable to think it may add to existing problems that already were negatively impacting these birds. Ceruleans have been declining throughout their range (Dunn and Garrett 1997:407).
Black-and-white Warbler, Mniotilta varia March 17 to October 15. Common migrant in forests, including urban woodlots, and common summer resident in extensive mature forest. These birds have been reported on all BBSs. They were never common on the lightly forested Avoca route, but are numerous on the four routes with extensive forests. On the Boston Mountain BBS, the mean was 8.9 (n=8, range 3-19) and on the Lurton BBS, 5.3 (n=32, range 0-13). Forest management studies (Figure 1) showed that when compared to untreated mature forest, these birds appear to benefit from various levels of disturbance. Smith and others (2004: Table 1 and 2) found only marginal differences when relatively undisturbed upland hardwood forest was compared to sites disturbed by various forest practices.
American Redstart, Setophaga ruticilla April 17 to October 18. Fairly common migrant and local summer resident. I observed at least 11 singing birds along Richland Creek near the Richland Creek campground in Searcy County during a camping trip on May 19, 1984. Rob Doster counted 22 birds at Lake Fayetteville on May 11, 2002. Black (1935) found it “common in the larger ravines on the slope” at Winslow during summer, but never “on the north side.” At Devil’s Den State Park, the birds are “common particularly in the lower streamside trees” along Lee Creek (Tulsa Audubon Society: 100). I have found them in many places along the upper Buffalo River—Cave Mountain, Ponca Creek, Ponca lowwater bridge, Steele Creek area, etc. They also occupy adjoining moist mature upland forests. They have been found most years on the Compton BBS typically in the segments near the Buffalo River. The mean on the Compton BBS was 2.3 (n=34, range 0-8).
Prothonotary Warbler, Protonotaria citrea April 5 to September 16. Fairly common summer resident in the larger forested stream bottomlands with swampy overflow areas and along the forested, swampy backwater lake margins. JoAnne and Earl Rife found 10+ in Boone County on April 23, 25, and May 1, 1997, on Long Creek Arm of Table Rock Lake, in Blair Creek and Long Creek. These birds were primarily singing at or near nest holes, but one was “apparently defending turf in one of the large boat docks at Cricket Creek.”
Worm-eating Warbler, Helmitheros vermivorus April 11 to September 14. Fairly common summer resident in mature forests, including moist, rocky, upland ravines or rocky slopes. Breeding birds are typically observed in rich woods with a tangle of wild grapevines, low shrubs, small trees, etc. Examples include slopes below White Rock Mountain in the Ozark NF, Cave Mountain and Lost Valley in the Buffalo National River area, and Devil’s Den State Park. They are found on each forested BBS route, with highest numbers in the Ozark NF. On the Ozark NF route in northern Johnson and Pope counties, the mean was 4.7 (n=9, range 2-9). Abundances are similar on the Boston Mountain route in northern Franklin County: mean 4.5 (n=8, range 0-10). In Benton County, James and Shugart (1973: 65) found them in their mesic wood plot with sparse understory and an extensive canopy. Extensive canopy was also noted by Smith (1977). In their study plots in southern Newton County and northern Pope County, Rodewald and Smith (1998) compared mature, untreated plots with plots where the understory (or midstory) had been thinned to encourage oak regeneration. They found fewer Worm-eating Warblers in the treated plots, perhaps because these birds make extensive use of smaller understory trees for foraging. In the Missouri Ozarks, Annand and Thompson (1997: 168) noted that it (and others) “usually associated with mature forests, were abundant in group and single-tree selection treatments. A key feature…appears to be the interspersion of small canopy openings containing dense patches of shrubs and tree reproduction…Bird species usually associated with mature forest, however, were likely abundant in the selection treatments due to he presence of intermediate-and large-diameter trees.” Forest management studies (Figure 1) showed them most numerous in the least disturbed forests.
Swainson’s Warbler, Limnothlypis swainsonii April 22 to July 29+ (spring arrival and fall departure dates poorly known). Migrant and local summer resident in low numbers. The presence of adults still feeding young on July 29, 1983, at Redding indicates that the birds remain after this date. In spring 1985 single singing birds were found in dense bottomland forest along the White River in Washington and Madison counties in the first two weeks of May, but not thereafter. A migrant was seen on Mt. Sequoyah in Fayetteville May 10-22, 2000. The birds have been found during summer in a few extensive canebrakes like the one at Buffalo Point on the Buffalo National River and during the 1980s in the dense, shady floodplain forest at the Ozark NF’s Redding campground along the Mulberry River near Cass in Franklin County. It has also been found in summer in the stands of cane or thickets of maple trees in moist, upland slopes (Wheeler 1924, James 1974) and in cane below the Beaver Lake dam site. Cannon et al. (2000) searched for Swainson’s on the Buffalo National River, finding birds at four locations: Erbie, just upriver from Ozark (two locations), and Hasty; high water interfered with the surveys and probably caused birds to be missed. While they found Swainson’s in two canebrakes, they characterized habitat as “deciduous habitats with dense shrub development in moist, but not inundated bottomland hardwood forest” and dense “swampy tangles, thickets and areas with shade and dense understory…”
Ovenbird, Seiurus aurocapillus April 7 to October 8. During migration Ovenbirds are widespread, utilizing all types of smaller, forested areas including urban woodlots, but nesting birds are found only in the most extensive, mature, undisturbed forests. A common theme in Ovenbird research is their need for large continuous mature forest habitat in the breeding season (Van Horn and Donovan 1994). Under such conditions, Ovenbirds are among the most numerous of our breeding Neotropical migrant warblers. On the Ozark NF BBS route , the mean was 27.3 (n=9, range 9-44); on the Boston Mountain route, 18.3 (n=8, range 9-28); on the Lurton BBS in southern Newton County, 25.4 (n=32, range 0-51). Several studies have shown that Ovenbirds prefer mature forests with little disturbance (Figure 1). In their study in Benton County, Shugart and James (1973) found Overbirds only in mature forest plots. Rodewald and Smith (1998) found that Ovenbirds declined on their study plots in the Ozark NF after treatments that included understory thinning and canopy reduction. In their Missouri Ozarks study, Annand and Thompson (1997) found that Ovenbirds were most abundant in undisturbed mature forests and declined with increasing intensity of treatments.
Northern Waterthrush, Seiurus noveboracensis April 4 to May 26 and August 16 to October 15. Fairly common spring and uncommon fall transient. It is often observed in forested habitat at the edges of reservoirs, along sluggish streams and other pond-like, still water situations including those in urban areas. The fringe of willow trees along Lake Fayetteville has been productive. At least three (and perhaps more) were singing in this habitat on May 2, 1985. More than five were in dense river bottom woods along the White River in Washington County on May 2, 1982. The three at Lake Frances (now drained) on August 24, 1986, was a high fall count.
Louisiana Waterthrush, Seiurus motacilla March 14 to October 4. These birds are fairly common along the fast flowing creeks and streams and in adjacent floodplain forests. They are reported in low numbers on BBSs, like the Compton route in Newton County that includes a segment in Buffalo River tributary habitat (reported on 12 counts since 1968), in part because these surveys typically don’t sample streams. Even though they aren’t typically reported on BBSs, they are readily apparent on float trips down the Buffalo. My daughter Ariel and I floated between Pruitt and Hasty on June 17, 2001, and saw and heard them all along the river.
Kentucky Warbler, Oporornis
formosus April 15 to September 30. Common summer resident that is often found in thickets or similarly dense understory vegetation within mature forests or in forest edge. In her study of bird habitats in northwestern Arkansas, James (1971) demonstrated that Kentucky Warbler habitat choices lay between Gray Catbird and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Figure 8). Kentucky Warbler is often associated with disturbance within forests (Hunter et al. 2001: Table 5). Research in Missouri and other Central Hardwood states showed that Kentuckies responded positively to forest management, including single-tree and group selection (Figure 1). Kentuckies are widespread and have been reported on all BBS in the western Ozarks. Numbers are low on the heavily urbanized Avoca route, but are relatively high on the routes that sample forests or the forest-farmland interface. Data from the Compton BBS in northern Newton County is typical: mean 6.6 (n=32, range 0-12).
[Connecticut Warbler, Oporornis
agilis] Baerg (1951) published two records from Washington County, but no documentation is available on these: May 22, 1926, and October 14, 1928.
Mourning Warbler, Oporornis
philadelphia April 30 to June 6 and August 24 to October 3. Uncommon to very uncommon transient. All observations involve 1-2 birds. They utilize semi-open areas with a dense brushy cover of shrubs, bushes, etc. Singing birds may call attention to themselves in spring; otherwise, they’re difficult to “spish” out of the bushes; they rarely pop up for clear views. We have found them consistently in recent years in the dense edges along the Frisco Spring trail at Lake Atalanta—waist high vegetation, including flowers, shrubs, and grasses easily viewed from the trail. It is possible to walk carefully along this trail (or the mowed edge) and hear even the quiet singing that characterizes their spring passage. A male and female remained in my yard in Fayetteville May 20-22, 2002, using the bushes and other low vegetation growing in a 15 foot-wide unmowed strip left just for such purposes.
Common Yellowthroat, Geothlypis
trichas April 4 to November 11. Common migrant and summer resident in moist, thickets of extensively open areas, including regenerating clearcuts in forested habitat. James (1971: Fig. 8) located yellowthroat habitat between Brown Thrasher and Field Sparrow. Yellowthroats are reported on all BBSs. On the Avoca BBS in Benton County, the mean was 3.7 (n=32, range 0-12); on the Compton BBS in northern Newton County, 3.5 (n=34, range 0-9).
Hooded Warbler, Wilsonia citrina April 12 to October 4. Common summer resident in extensive mature forests, in both upland and bottomland situations. During migration they are found in places where the forest is less extensive (e.g. Lake Fayetteville). At Winslow, Smith (1915) noted that the species “chooses rather drier woodlands than the Kentucky Warbler, but (is) equally numerous....” Black (1935) stated that it preferred “dark hillsides” and that it remained “until the last of September.” It is very common on the forested slopes below White Rock Mountain in the Ozark NF, on Cave Mountain above the Buffalo River, and other such places. It is found on each of the four BBSs in forested areas. Data from the Ozark NF route includes a peak of 26 in 2001; on the Boston Mountain survey the peak was 15, also in 2001. The mean on the Lurton survey was 4.7 (n=32, range 0-15). James (1971: Fig. 7) depicted northwest Arkansas breeding habitat as highly diverse in tree species, high percentage of canopy cover, relatively tall trees, and numerous small trees in the midstory. She shows gaps in this canopy (Fig. 2). In another study, hoodeds appeared to respond negatively in the short-term to understory removal and partial reduction in the canopy (Rodewald and Smith 1998). However, in their study in Missouri Ozarks hardwoods, Annand and Thompson (1997: Fig. 2, Table 2) found that Hoodeds responded positively to both single-tree and group selection harvests (also see Figure 1). The presence of large amounts of mature forest in the Ozark NF, Buffalo National River, and other public lands should insure a healthy nesting population of Hooded Warblers.
Wilson’s Warbler, Wilsonia pusilla April 29 to June 3 and August 17 to October 22+. Common transient in much of May, and in September to early October (Neal and Mlodinow: 49). During its passage, Wilson’s can be found just about anywhere with open habitats including woodlots, fields with medium sized trees, forest edge, and overgrown fencerows. There is also an observation for November 12, 1994. Of the unusual June 3, 2004, record Mike Mlodinow noted, “This could have been a member of the western race as the song was atypical, rising at the end in a way reminiscent of the song of Blackburnian Warbler.”
Canada Warbler, Wilsonia canadensis May 1-June 6 and August 23-September 22. Uncommon transient in spring and fall.
Yellow-breasted Chat, Icteria virens April 16-October 13. Common summer resident in the thickets of extensive, overgrown fields. There are very few reports after late August. Chats show up on most BBSs. On the Ozark NF BBS, the mean was 14.9 (n=9, range 10-29); on the Lurton BBS, 9.6 (n=32, range 2-17). Chats are on the extreme edge of birds using extensive open habitats, sharing this trait with species like Prairie Warbler, Bell’s Vireo, and Brown Thrasher (James 1971: Fig. 7). At Pea Ridge, Shugart and James (1973: Table 1) found chats in a variety of early successional habitats, with peak numbers in their woody field plot—a late development within the general framework of “early tree stage.” Chats benefit from a variety of forestry practices that produce this kind of habitat (Figure 1). In the Missouri Ozarks, Annand and Thompson (1997: Fig. 2) found chats in low numbers in group selection cuttings, then increasing strongly through shelterwoods and clearcuts. Prior to human settlement, chats must have found suitable habitat in parts of the prairies that didn’t burn thoroughly. Also, it seems likely that periodical destructive windstorms and forest fires must have provided suitable habitat patches.
Summer Tanager, Piranga rubra This species has been observed in all seasons, but mainly April 11 to October 14+ (except for a few unusual wintering records; see below). Common summer resident in many types of mature forests. Summer Tanagers are recorded in good numbers on each forested BBS routes, but have disappeared from Avoca due to its urbanization. Mean number of Summer Tanagers on the Compton BBS was 5.8 (n=34, range 1-14). In her ordination of birds, James (1971: Fig. 8) placed it between Blue Jays and Warbling Vireos. In Central Hardwood forests, Summer Tanagers didn’t exhibit appreciable change across a broad range of forestry practices (Figure 1). There are several winter records, including one with a deformed bill at Gentry November 28- December 18, 1981. On Mt Sequoyah in Fayetteville, there have been records of single Summer Tanagers in female or immature male plumage and in adult male plumage from 2002-2005. In each case, investigation showed that these birds were visiting feeders. A male Summer Tanager was photographed for the Fayetteville CBC at the home of Bob and Sara Caulk in 2004 sand 2005 where it made regular visits to a suet feeder.
Scarlet Tanager, Piranga
olivacea April 4 to October 3. Common summer resident in extensive mature deciduous forests, often more common than Summer Tanagers at higher elevations, and not often found in urban areas except during migration. Scarlet Tanagers are recorded in good numbers on each of the forested BBS routes. On the Lurton route the mean was 9.8 (n=32, range 0-20) and on the Compton route 4.0 (n=34, range 0-13). As compared to Summer Tanagers, Scarlet Tanagers are more associated with undisturbed mature forests. When compared to untreated mature control stands, Scarlets increased in single-tree selection cuts but declined with increasing levels of forest removal (Figure 1). Smith and others (2004: Table 1 and 2) showed that Scarlets were a fairly common species in relatively undisturbed upland hardwood forest and sites variously disturbed by management practices. The exception involved clearcutting or clearcutting for pine conversion; in these sites Scarlet Tanagers were rare.
Western Tanager, Piranga
ludoviciana One record. Documentation was accepted by the Arkansas Bird Records Committee for one observed by Lavaughn Graham near War Eagle Recreation Area on May 14, 1980, in Washington County.
Spotted Towhee, Pipilo masculatus October 12 to March 4. Very uncommon winter resident. This western towhee seems to be present with fair irregularity and in low numbers during winter. Single birds have been reported on the Fayetteville CBC in 1991, 1993, and 2000. Three were at Lake Fayetteville November 11, 2000. A female was observed March 4, 2001.
Eastern Towhee, Pipilo
erythrophthalmus This species has been observed in all seasons. Common migrant and summer resident, uncommon winter resident in low numbers. During migration towhees make brief stops in all kinds of thickets, including those in urban areas. During summer they are typically found in fairly open habitats with shrubs and medium-sized trees, including regenerating field habitat. In the Shugart and James study at Pea Ridge (1973:65), towhees occurred in a range of early succession habitats, with highest numbers in their woody field and especially forest edge plot (Table 1). This latter plot was characterized as “the junction of a post oak forest and a broom sedge field. The junction included a dense understory of winged sumac and blackberry.” In the Missouri Ozarks, towhees were common in regenerating clearcuts, and present in lower numbers in stands treated to shelterwood and group selection cutting (Annand and Thompson 1997: Fig. 2). Towhees are recorded on all BBS routes. On the Lurton survey in Newton County, the mean was 8.6 (n=32, range 2-16). Towhees have been found most years on the Fayetteville CBC: the mean was 6.9 (n=39, range 0-24). A peak was 12 was recorded on the Crooked Creek valley CBC in 2002. During winter 2001-2002, there were at least 3 birds in a brushy field with scattered trees midst a lightly developed residential neighborhood on a south-facing slope of Mt. Sequoyah in Fayetteville.
Bachman’s Sparrow, Aimophila aestivalis The only recent record is one bird found by Bill Shepherd in Franklin County on April 30, 1992. The habitat was a recent clearcut on the Ozark NF. As in the case of Red-cockaded Woodpecker and Brown-headed Nuthatch, it must have been more widespread here historically. It is strongly associated with the early regeneration of forests (both pine and hardwood) and open, mature pine-dominated forest (James and Neal 1986). These birds are common immediately south on the frequently burned prairie (or prairie-like) landscape at Fort Chaffee and occur regularly in mature pine habitat on the Ouachita NFin western Arkansas, also maintained in an open condition with fire.
American Tree Sparrow, Spizella
arborea October
18 to April 3. Uncommon winter resident in big, open fields with brush, weeds, and other cover; doesn’t utilize typical
pastures. Habitat is similar to that chosen by White-crowned Sparrows.
Tree sparrows arrive
with the first blasts of snow and severe cold, usually by the middle
of December. Small numbers are often reported on the Fayetteville CBC.
On 44 CBCs through 2005, they were found on 32 counts (plus 1 count
week record). However, numbers observed were either 0 or 1 bird on 17
of the 44 counts. Peak CBC counts were 25 (1974) and 44 (2000). On the
Siloiam Springs CBC, peak counts included 48 (1983) and 55 (1976). Flocks
of 40 or more have been found on several occasions in brushy-weedy fields like those at the
University Agricultural Experiment Farm north of the Fayetteville campus,
in the area around the state fish hatchery at Centerton, and elsewhere.
Mike Mlodinow counted 65 at the University farm on January 31, 2001.
Chipping Sparrow, Spizella
passerina This species has been observed in all seasons. Common migrant and summer resident, March-October. Formerly considered somewhat rare in winter though apparently more common in winter since at least the mid-1990s. During migration and summer, Chipping Sparrows are found where there are well-spaced, mature trees and the ground is open and grassy--parks, campgrounds, golf courses, open pasture where trees have been left, and mature pinewoods. They are reported on all BBSs. On the Compton BBS in northern Newton County the mean was 12.4 (n=34, range 3-26). They have been found in about half of the Fayetteville CBCs since the early 1990s. Peaks include 8 in 1998 and 15 in 2001.
Clay-colored Sparrow, Spizella
pallida April 10 to May 12 and September 17 to October 31. Very uncommon transient that is observed in open areas including brushy fields and open park-like forest. Many sightings have involved 1 or 2 birds, but a flock of 12 was found at Fayetteville on April 28, 1968. At least three were in a brushy field at Lake Fayetteville on May 2, 1986, and for several days thereafter. Mike Mlodinow and others saw 25 at the Centerton hatchery on April 26, 1996.
Field Sparrow, Spizella
pusilla This species has been observed in all seasons. Inhabits larger open fields with brush, small trees, and thickets; not in fescue pastures. In their study at Pea Ridge, Shugart and James (1973: Table 1) found Field Sparrows across a range of fields in early succession, with highest numbers in plots characterized by broomsedge, clonal persimmons, and woody fields. The highest numbers were in the clonal persimmon plot (pp. 64-65), an “early tree stage” with “small trees separated by expanses of broom sedge and other herbaceous species…Overall the canopy was 83 percent open.” On the Compton BBS in northern Newton County, their song can be heard in farmlands all along the route. The mean on the survey was 16.3 (n=34, range 7-34). Field sparrows are found annually on the Fayetteville CBC. The mean was 84.2 (n=39, range 4-350). However, numbers found on the CBC have fallen since high counts of the early 1960s and 1970s. This is attributable in part to Fayetteville’s growth with consequent reductions in a count circle that once had many acres of suitable “young tree stage” fields, but is now almost completely filled in by developement. In addition, however, continental BBS data also indicates a significant decline in Field Sparrows (see Hunter et al. 2001: Table 3). This species responds positively to forestry practices, including clearcutting (Figure 1).
Vesper Sparrow, Pooecetes
gramineus October 4 to April 28. Uncommon to fairly common migrant and rare winter resident observed in extensively open areas, including farmland, short grass fields, etc. Vesper Sparrows were once fairly common during winter, based upon the few CBCs at Fayetteville in the 1920s: 6 were recorded on the 1925 CBC. The birds were found on 10 Fayetteville CBCs 1961-1990, but have not been recorded since (totals range from 1-3 when found). It seems to be present chiefly in fall until about mid-November and in spring from about mid-March and thereafter. Most observations involve 1-2 birds. I saw nine together near Centerton on March 28, 1990, marking a spring peak. On October 16, 2004, a group of us counted 3 at Chesney Prairie Natural Area, at least 7 in a plowed field nearby, and another single bird at Centerton. I saw at least 8 on the old Hindsville Prairie on October 15, 2005. The western Ozarks are on the bird’s extreme northern edge of typical winter range. Presence or absence here is probably related to a variety of land use changes that have occurred over time—primarily reforestation of lands once much more open as pasture, crop fields, even native prairie (see Jones and Cornely 2002:3-4). Extensive development within the Fayetteville CBC circle has certainly reduced suitable habitat.
Lark Sparrow, Chondestes
grammacus March 26 to September 12+. Uncommon transient and local summer resident. This is essentially a bird of former prairies and heavily grazed pastures, observed along unpaved roads where there are a few tall trees and in open overgrazed fields with sparse vegetation. It was found on both BBSs in Newton County in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but not since. The last BBS record was one bird on the Avoca route in Benton County in 1993. Lark Sparrows have suffered a significant continental decline (Hunter et al. 2001:Table 2). In 2005 I began visits to some former prairie areas and subsequently located a Lark Sparrow population in and around the former Norwood Prairie, just west of Wedington on the Washington/Benton county line. On July 24, 2005, I found 13-14 birds in four family groups, all with fledglings. They nest across the adjacent Missouri border (Jacobs and Wilson 1997: 317) and widely in northeastern Oklahoma (Reinking 2004:407). John Prather observed a bird on November 1, 1998, at the University of Arkansas experiment farm.
Savannah Sparrow, Passerculus
sandwichensis September 11 to May 15+. Common and sometimes locally abundant migrant and winter resident. Observed in grassy-weedy fields including croplands with stubble. During winter they are often numerous in open areas with cover of grasses, weeds, cropfields (essentially former prairie habitat), including frequently birded places like the University Experimental Farm north of the campus in Fayetteville and around the ponds at the state fish hatchery in Benton County. I have found them regularly during birding trips in the Siloam Springs area, including the airport, burned plots of pasture edge in and around Chesney Prairie Natural Area, and along gravel roads with weedy fence lines. There were 85 at the Bentonville airport on December 17, 1998. They have been found in most years on the Fayetteville CBC. Peaks include 104 in 1993 and 82 in 2005. Since 1961, there have been 8 count years with only 0-2 birds recorded at Fayetteville. The birds may pass unseen as thery forage in weedy fields, but can be observed in high numbers when forced to roadsides (presumeably for open ground and waste grain from poultry feed trucks) during periods of severe weather when ice or snow covers open fields. Baerg (1951) reported two observations of nesting birds at Fayetteville, but there have been no such reports since. There is a record from the Missouri Breeding Bird Atlas for for a bordering county (Jacobs and Wilson 1997:319).
Grasshopper Sparrow, Ammodramus savannarum April
6 to October 20+ (to November 11). Uncommon migrant and local summer
resident. Inhabits large, open fields with a modest and relatively sparse
cover of grasses, especially
former prairie grasslands. In Missouri, nesting habitat was characterized
as grasslands of low to medium height, in pastures heavily to moderately
grazed (Skinner and others 1984:19). There are recent (since 2000) summer
records from Hindsville in Madison County, the former Beaty Prairie
in the Maysville area, former Round Prairie at Cherokee City, former
Norwood Prairie west of Wedington, on Baker Prairie and environs at
Harrison, and elsewhere. I saw and heard at least 15 in the Hindsville
area on May 28, 2005. JoAnne Rife reported 15-20 on May 1, 1997, in
Boone County at Lone Star Dairy and adjoining farms that are part of
the original Baker Prairie. In addition, they have been found in many
other places in summer, but disappear as areas lose their openness due
to development. Grasshopper Sparrows were recorded on bordering Missouri
atlas blocks, but were much more common further north (Jacobs and Wilson
1997:321). They were also found in a few of the adjacent Oklahoma atlas
blocks (Reinking 2004:413). Overall, this species has suffered a significant
continental decline (Hunter et al. 2001: Table 2).
Henslow’s Sparrow, Ammodramus henslowii April 1 to October 31. Rare transient in a variety of grassy habitats; local summer resident in former moist prairie or prairie-like open country habitat. All records are from Washington and Benton counties. Mike Mlodinow found a bird singing on June 6-26, 2001, in a former lowland prairie along Clabber Creek in Fayetteville in an area called Wilson Springs. A collaborative survey effort in this area starting in spring 2002 lead to discovery of at least 3 or 4 territories in the Wilson Springs property (see Holimon and others 2004). During International Migratory Bird Day May 10, 2003, I found 3-5 Henslow’s in a second Clabber Creek lowland field, just southwest of Razorback golf course and therefore about one-fourth mile from the initial Wilson Springs birds. Unfortunately, both of these properties are midst intense housing and commercial projects. During International Migratory Bird Day May 14, 2005, Mike and David Chapman found a single singing Henslow’s in a large grassy field at Pea Ridge National Military Park in Benton County. Mike and I returned to this spot on July 9, 2005, and located 6-7 Henslow’s in a field dominated by Johnson grass just outside the visitor’s center and in the following week, at least 3 more birds in the Leetown battlefield area. This is basically the center point of the battlefield between the lines of cannon that marked the Union and Confederate lines on March 8, 1862. Unlike the Clabber Creek grassy lowlands, Pea Ridge is public property and likely to remain grassland. Henslow’s Sparrow has suffered a significant continental decline (Hunter et al. 2001: Table 2), but adjacent the western Arkansas Ozarks is a robust population on the Tallgrass Priaire Preserve near Pawhuska, OK (see Reinking et al. 2000). Could this growing population be a source for birds here? Henslow’s Sparrow also occurs during summer in the adjacent Missouri Ozarks (Jacobs and Wilson 1997: 323). Missouri habitat was characterized as tall, dense cover in lightly grazed or idle grasslands; spring burned prairie was suitable by mid-July. The birds were common on undisturbed grassland even if it had been disturbed the previous year (Skinner and others 1984:21). This habitat is quite similar to that selected by Sedge Wrens. Indeed, we have found the two together in several locations during summer in recent years at Wilson Springs and Pea Ridge National Military Park.
Le Conte’s Sparrow, Ammodramus leconteii October 8 to May 11. Uncommon migrant and very uncommon winter resident. Inhabits tall grasses or similar vegetation, usually in low-lying, extensive, open fields. A fall arrival peak is indicated by the 7+ at Chesney Prairie Natural Area on October 16, 2004. Relatively few are observed between early December and mid-February, but at least 6 were at Lake Bentonville-Bentonville airport on January 17, 1998. This is one of the highly sought-after birds on the Fayetteville CBC. Le Conte’s was found on almost every count from 1961-1973, including a peak of 7 in 1968, but wasn’t found between 1974-1984. Since 1985, it has been found on about half of the counts; 2 birds in 1999 and 2005 mark peak numbers. Quality extensive field habitat is fast disappearing under a wave of development within the Fayetteville CBC circle.
Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow, Ammodramus nelsoni October 2 to 28, and one spring record, May 20. Rare transient with approximately 9 observations in two decades. Most observations involve single birds. A single bird was seen by several experienced observers at Centerton on October 9, 1983; two were there the following day. The habitat was dense, knee-high vegetation in a drained fishpond and the low-lying overgrown field nearby.
Fox Sparrow, Passerella iliaca October 10 to April 13+. Common to fairly common winter resident in woody fields and forest edge. The Fayetteville CBC mean was 13.2 (n=39, range 0-55). Fox Sparrows can be scarce in some winters, as illustrated by Fayetteville CBC numbers: in 8 years since 1961, totals for the count ranged only between 0 and 2 birds. Fox Sparrows were found with greater frequency and relatively higher numbers on the Buffalo National River (west) CBC in Newton County, doubtlessly because of more forest habitat within the count circle. Peak numbers there include 33 in 1981 and 46 in 1982. These numbers seem more like Fayetteville’s early CBC in the 1920s: with only a few observers in the fields, the tally was 50 in 1925! We have also found Fox Sparrows regularly at Chesney Prairie Natural Area in Benton County, typically in the dense edge with scattered trees adjacent open fields. A single bird at Lost Valley near Ponca on April 28, 1987, was “late.”
Song Sparrow, Melospiza melodia October 7 to May 2+. Common to locally abundant migrant and winter resident in all sorts of dense, moist vegetation in open fields. The Fayetteville CBC (to 2000) mean was 79.8 (n=39, range 13-176). A total of 243 resulted from the 2002 CBC. Black (1935) stated that the species nested “rarely” at Winslow. No other nesting records are known here. Nesting was confirmed for an atlas block in bordering McDonald County, Missouri (Jacob and Wilson 1997: 325). There are several records of singing birds past the normal spring migration period, but no evidence of nesting.
Lincoln’s Sparrow, Melospiza
lincolnii September 23 to May 26. Common migrant, somewhat
rare winter resident. At Lake Bentonville, the count was 26 on October
15, 2000, marking a fall arrival peak. On Fayetteville CBCs since 1961,
number of Lincoln’s found was 0-1 in 29 years. Midwinter peaks on the
CBC include 7 (1966) and 6 (1964, 1975). Its secretive habits in winter
contrast with those of the migratory periods, when the birds also utilize
all types of edge habitats, including open forest edge and even lawns
in towns. At least ten were in an open field or a forest edge in Fayetteville
on April 28, 1988, and 20+ in open fields along Clabber Creek in Fayetteville
on April 28, 2002.
Swamp Sparrow, Melospiza georgiana September 23 to May 12. Common migrant and fairly common winter resident in marshy open habitat with some woody vegetation, such as edges of ponds and reservoirs. The 50+ birds in fields along Clabber Creek in Fayetteville on October 18, 2002, marked a fall arrival peak. The Fayetteville CBC mean was 16.0 (n=39, range 0-64). There were 143 on the 2002 CBC, but only 4 in 2004.
White-throated Sparrow, Zonotrichia albicollis October 3 to May 23+. Abundant migrant and winter resident. In towns white-throats are strongly associated with dense honeysuckle thickets, hedges, and other heavy cover. The Fayetteville CBC mean was 151.9 (n=39, range 15-400). This bird’s close association with honeysuckle as cover, roosting habitat, and winter fruit makes me wonder, only half-humorously, what they did before honeysuckle became so well established here? I don’t know what the status of honeysuckle was within the Fayetteville CBC circle in the 1920s, but here’s a hint: the peak number on the 1920s CBC was 5 birds, roughly the same as Vesper Sparrow! Arkansas CBC data indicates a modest downward trend, but no such trend is evident in the Fayetteville CBC data. The statewide trend may reflect modest declines in the bird’s breeding range which is primarily in Canada, and well north of Arkansas (Falls and Kopachena 1994: 22). There are several summer records, but no indication of nesting.
Harris’s Sparrow, Zonotrichia
querula October 15 to May 5. Uncommon but regular migrant and winter resident. The best strategy for finding Harris’s Sparrow is to head out and find dense fencerows in very open areas—basically, the same places frequented by the much more numerous White-crowned Sparrows. (On the Fayetteville CBC, the ratio of White-crowned to Harris’s is about 5-6 to 1). The Fayetteville CBC mean was 14.6 (n=39, range 0-8). The peak of 83 occurred in 1966; 0-1 have been recorded in 6 years. Harris’s numbers on the Siloam Springs CBC include peaks of 14 (1976) and 12 (1979); 13 is a peak on the Crooked Creek valley CBC (2002). Harris’s is also a regular winter visitor to home bird feeders in rural areas with suitable nearby habitat. Like other species of open grasslands, Harris’s Sparrow has declined in numbers on the Fayetteville CBC as the circle becomes more urbanized. There were 13 at Chesney Prairie Natural Area on December 21, 2002, and approximately 20 in a burned field at the same place on January 12, 2003. The single bird in my yard in the middle of Fayetteville on March 17, 2003, was certainly a migrant, as was the Eastern Towhee there on the same day.
White-crowned Sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys September 24 to May 19. Common migrant and winter resident. Inhabits open woody fields with well-developed hedgerows and other thickets, including blackberries, multiflora rose, etc. The Fayetteville CBC mean was 71.4 (n=39, range 0-196). Doug James noted spring migration at his feeder in Fayetteville from 1996-1998 with small numbers of birds (1-6) between April 27 and May 12.
Dark-eyed Junco, Junco hyemalis October 9 to April 28; numbers decline drastically during late March. Abundant migrant and winter resident. The Fayetteville CBC mean was 552.6 (n=39, range 29-1100). Hundreds are reported annually on the Fayetteville CBC and more that a thousand in several years. There are several records of “Oregon juncos.” I saw and photographed a “pink-sided” junco at my feeder in Fayetteville on March 21, 2002 (Neal 2003). From November 9, 2002 to February 26, 2003, I made 22 birding trips to various locations in northwest Arkansas (various people were along on these trips). Most juncos seen were fairly typical slate-colored birds, but I classified 13 as cismontanus, 6 as oregonus, and 1 mearnsi.
Lapland Longspur, Calcarius lapponicus November 13 to February 9. Uncommon but regular migrant and winter resident. Single birds can be heard overhead, giving their rattle and “tew”calls. Small flocks, usually of fewer than 10 birds, are found in open country with very sparse vegetation. It has been recorded on the Fayetteville CBC 6 times, with a peak of 21 birds in 2000. Many reports on file involve a few Laps among a flock of Horned Larks. There are reports from airports at Fayetteville, Siloam Springs and Rogers, the University Farm north of the campus in Fayetteville, and along highways at midwinter when hard freezes or snows force birds from open fields. An estimated 40 were among approximately 200 Horned Larks in a plowed field near the Siloam Springs airport on January 19, 2003.
Smith’s Longspur, Calcarius pictus November 17 to February 28. Rare transient and winter visitor. There were a few reports in the 1980s of 1-2 birds from Smith Field at Siloam Springs where they were observed in the Aristida species grasses near the terminal building. There are two February 28 records: Howell (1911) collected a specimen at Fayetteville and Mike Mlodinow saw 1 at Siloam Springs’ Smith field, on February 28, 1993. Mike also found a bird on December 11, 2004, in a partially harvested soybean field at the University of Arkansas Experimental Farm in Fayetteville.
Chestnut-collared Longspur, Calcarius ornatus A single bird was observed and heard by Tom Haggerty at the University Experimental Farm in Fayetteville on April 15, 1983. Documentation is on file with the Arkansas Audubon Society.
Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis
cardinalis Cardinals have been observed in all seasons. They occur in neighborhoods and woody fields, at the forest edge, and even within more open forests. Their striking appearance and pleasant song adds considerably to the charm of living in the western Ozarks. They are always a delight to see, whether it’s the striking plumage of the males, or the elegant subtlety of females and young. During summer highest numbers are recorded on the Avoca BBS route, with a mean of 35.8 (n=32, range 15-66). Mobley (1994) studied nesting behavior of cardinals in the Fayetteville area. He found that they made on average about 2.5 nesting attempts each year and overall fledged about two young with these attempts, but only about one-third of the pairs he studied managed to produce any offspring. He also found that cardinals abandoned nests if a cowbird egg was laid in it before cardinal eggs were laid, which may account for why 19% of the nests he found had been abandoned. They are counted annually in high numbers on the Fayetteville CBC: mean was 254.7 (n=39, range 21-460).
Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Pheucticus
ludovicianus April 18 to May 28+ and September 1 to October 18. Common spring and uncommon fall transient. There are also two records during summer, but no evidence that either involved breeding. During the course of the Missouri breeding atlas project, this species was confirmed as breeding widely in the northern half of Missouri, with summer records highly scattered to the south, including bordering blocks (Jacobs and Wilson 1997:297).
Black-headed Grosbeak, Pheucticus
melanocephalus Two records. A single bird was observed at close range from January 23-26, 1979, in Newton County near Boxley. One was observed at Siloam Springs on April 12-20, 1993.
Blue Grosbeak, Guiraca
caerulea April 19 to October 7. Common summer resident in former prairie grasslands, old fields, farmland with pastures, cropland, and forest edge. In her study of bird habitat ordinations in Arkansas, James (1971: Figs. 7, 8) characterized Blue Grosbeak habitat as very open, shrubby, with isolated larger trees; Field Sparrow and Eastern Kingbird shared these characteristics. The large, open, and frequently shrubby fields along the Compton BBS in Newton County seem about ideal for this species. Mean numbers of grosbeaks along the route was 11.1 (n=34, range 2-39).
Lazuli Bunting, Passerina
amoena One record. Jennifer Russell observed and photographed one male in
Washington County on May 9-15, 1996.
Indigo Bunting, Passerina cyanea April 14 to October 25+. Abundant migrant and summer resident. One of the most numerous of the migrant species that nests here. Common along the edge of the forest adjoining open farmland and in dense fencerows with tall trees in open country. In heavily forested habitats it increases with increasing levels of forest removal (see Figure 1; also Rodewald and Smith 1998: Table 1; and Annand and Thompson 1997: Fig. 2). It also nests in the forest interior where there are openings of sufficient size. On the Boston Mountain BBS, the mean was 70.5 (n=8, range 50-83). In 1986, at least five birds returned to the same 40-acre research plot near Durham in Washington County where they had been banded in 1985 (personal communication, Jane Fitzgerald). Flocking behavior is characteristic of the post breeding season: Jack Stewart observed approximately 30 birds feeding on seed of Indian grass and big bluestem in Newton County on September 10, 2004. There are also three records past the typical “late migration” period in fall, including a male observed in Fayetteville by Jennifer Russell from December 24, 1996 to February 11, 1997.
Painted Bunting, Passerina ciris April 16 to September 11. Painteds are fairly common summer residents in low numbers. They are close to Blue Grosbeak in habitat choice. This is a bird of former prairie grassland habitat observed or heard in “unkempt” open country broken by dense thickets or extensive fencerows with some tall trees, often overgrown fields with cedars, neglected railroad right-of-ways, also edges of towns where shrubby-thickety conditions prevail. They are common on the south side of Fayetteville, where modest levels of development gradually shade into small farms. In summer of 2001, birds could be found in south Fayetteville along Willoughby Road and in the Fayetteville Industrial Park. During summer of 2005 I birded regularly on former prairies at Norwood (just west of Wedington on the Washington-Benton County lines), Cherokee City (former Round Prairie), and Maysville (former Beaty Prairie). Painted Buntings were common in all of these areas (typically, at least 4-5 per day without specific effort to find them). I also found them on the former Hindsville Prairie in Madison County, Chesney Prairie Natural Area (singing adult male with apparent fledglings on August 6) and in remaining habitat patches in the Fayetteville area (University of Arkansas Experimental Farm, Clabber Creek bottomland fields). JoAnne Rife has documented a population in Boone County in the Lead Hill-Sugar Loaf-Diamond City Recreation Area on Bull Shoals (Rife 1990). She observed them in the residential area near Sugar Loaf dock, but stated that another way to find them was to go by boat and watch “not-so-steep bluff areas either up in West Sugar Loaf Arm, Deer Cove, or Shoal Creek.” Recognizing the song is important, because neither the brightly-colored males nor the greenish females are often seen; the males become visible only as they sing from the tops of trees in fencerows. Painted Buntings were reported in good numbers in past years on the Avoca BBS in Benton County (up to 5-6 in late 1960s-early 1970s), but disappeared almost entirely from that survey as the route was swallowed up by urban development that has virtually eliminated the obligate habitat of big open field with dense hedgerow. Continent-wide BBS data shows a significant decline in Painted Buntings (see Hunter et al. 2001: Table 3). Mike Mlodinow found a male and three juveniles at the University Farm in Fayetteville on August 12, 2001, and I observed 2 birds in what I assume was a juvenile plumage on August 30, 1987, in south Fayetteville near Drake Field.
Dickcissel, Spiza americana April 24 to October 31+. Common migrant and summer resident of large open fields. This is essentially the bird of our former prairie grasslands. Prefers fields with tall grasses and tangles of vegetation like blackberries, persimmon sprouts, etc. Joanne and Earl Rife made the big count of 75 in Boone County west of Harrison on April 28, 1996. In their study at Pea Ridge, Shugart and James (1973) found Dickcissels in a field with broomsedge grasses and sassafras saplings that had burned the winter before their study. It frequently attempts to nest in hayfields, but because of mowing, successful nests are likely only along the fencerows or in abandoned fields. It has been found on the three BBS routes (Avoca, Lurton, and Compton) that include farmland, but as expected, not in the two more heavily forested routes (Ozark NF, Boston Mountain). The Avoca BBS mean was 10.9 (n=32, range 0-29). Numbers found on the Avoca BBS have dropped considerably since the late 1980s, which is consistent with the tremendous burst of urbanization on the route. The 25 birds at the University Experimental Farm in Fayetteville on September 9, 2001, was a high count so late in the season. There are scattered records of 1-2 birds after the end of September and into early December. As is the case with many grassland species, continent-wide BBS data shows a significant decline (see Hunter et al. 2001: Table 2).
Bobolink, Dolichonyx oryzivorus April 28 to May 23+ and August 12 to September 13. Uncommon to locally common spring transient that occurs regularly in at least some locales; somewhat rare fall transient. JoAnne Rife and other Boone County birders have tracked Bobolink spring migration since at least the late 1960s. They have found them consistently in alfalfa fields in the Crooked Creek valley, 4 miles west of Harrison, especially in fields at Lone Star Dairy along Highway 206. Their records show relatively high numbers from April 25 to May 20, and peaks often in the first two weeks of May: for example, an estimated 100 on May 10, 2001; 100 on May 10, 1991; 100 on May 20, 1997. There were “100’s” on May 7, 1996, as reported by Rife and Martha Milburn. The estimated 50 Bobolinks observed 2-3 miles southeast of Harrison on May 10, 1997, suggested there were additional fields in the area being used by migrants. Big fields at Pea Ridge National Military Park in Benton County are also used in spring migration. Fall counts are much lower: 18 at Centerton on September 10, 1989, and 12 at the University Farm in Fayetteville August 12, 2001. I observed a “late spring” single singing male at Hindsville in Madison County on May 28, 2005. Bobolinks passing through northern Arkansas may be headed for nesting areas in west-central and northern Missouri; no birds were found in atlas blocks bordering Arkansas (Jacobs and Wilson 1997:327).
Red-winged Blackbird, Agelaius
phoeniceus This species has been observed in all seasons. Abundant in open country. Huge night roosts form in winter. Over the years, Doug James and his students have counted winter roosts in connection with the Fayetteville CBC. Some of the peak numbers include 450,000 (1972) and 182,083 (1981). On the Avoca BBS in Benton County, the mean was 72.0 (n=32, range 16-132).
Eastern Meadowlark, Sturnella
magna This species has been observed in all seasons. Abundant in extensive open grasslands. High numbers have been recorded on the Avoca BBS. The mean was 113.5 (n=32, range 19-198). Numbers recorded on this route have been dropping as a resulting of increasing levels of urbanization and consequent loss of suitable open field habitat. The Fayetteville CBC mean was 293.7 (n=39, range 55-660).
Western Meadowlark, Sturnella
neglecta October 10 to April 7. Uncommon winter resident. The superficial differences between this and the preceding species are slight; most birds seen are probably Easterns. However, on occasion a meadowlark can be heard and seen that is singing the Western song or giving the “chup” call note. Many such records have been obtained in the fields and feedlots at the University Experimental Farm near Fayetteville, with additional records scattered elsewhere. A sunny late winter day February 24, 2002, encouraged singing by meadowlarks at the University farm; I heard songs and calls from a small Western Meadowlark flock of at least 5 birds. Other meadowlarks in the area gave typical Eastern calls or songs. I have also found them in good numbers, and with fair regularity, in the Maysville area of Benton County.
Yellow-headed Blackbird, Xanthocephalus
xanthocephalus April 9 to May 12 and July 18 to October 5+. Very uncommon to somewhat rare transient; occasional winter visitor. Most reports have involved only a few of these birds, but 41 were counted at Centerton on April 15, 1984, and the flock remained there for more than a week. There were 10 at Centerton on May 3, 1997, and 5 at the Lead Hill area of Bull Shoals Lake in Boone County on May 8, 1999. This species is occasionally seen in mixed species blackbird flocks (November-March). Dean Crooks reported a “nesting pair” in Benton County on May 3, 1947 (Baerg 1951), but no further information is available. No confirmed or suspected nests turned up during breeding bird atlas projects in adjoining states (Jacobs and Wilson 1997:335; Reinking 2004:439).
Rusty Blackbird, Euphagus carolinus October 18 to May 1. Uncommon transient and winter resident. Often observed in wet ground situations like wet ditches, swampy forest edge, pond flats, feedlots and as part of a mixed-species flock of blackbirds. They are found on most Fayetteville CBCs (but 0 in eight years since 1961). Peak CBC numbers include 3029 (1976), 1000 (1980), 700 (1999). The 40 seen by Rob Doster and Mike Mlodinow at the former Ozark Trout Farm in Johnson, Washington County, on January 25, 2003, was a high count in recent years. I saw 15 in the Clabber Creek bottomlands at Fayetteville on December 25, 2003.
Brewer’s Blackbird, Euphagus cyanocephalus October 18 to March 18. Somewhat rare transient and winter resident. It has been found on one-third of Fayetteville CBCs since 1961. The 213 birds in 1981 was a peak. The 8 birds at the U of A Experimental Farm on November 8, 1996, was a good count.
Common Grackle, Quiscalus quiscula This species has been observed in all seasons. Abundant during both summer and winter. Huge roosts form during winter. Peak totals on the Fayetteville CBC (based primarily upon Doug James’ roost counts: 201,763 (1972), 150,822 (1972), 60,000 (1983), 44,000 (1999). Common grackles are rarely reported on BBS routes that are predominantly forested (Boston Mountain, Ozark NF), show up in fairly high numbers on routes with open farmland and forest (such as both Lurton and Compton in Newton County), and are abundant in the route with the most open country—Avoca in Benton County. The mean there was 91.0 (n=32, range 17-165).
Great-tailed Grackle, Quiscalus mexicanus This species has been observed in all seasons. The first definite records for the western Arkansas Ozarks were obtained at the state fish hatchery in Centerton on April 28, 1984, where a pair built a nest and laid three eggs by June 3. This nest was abandoned, apparently after nearby vegetation was cut. Nesting was observed in the cattails of a farm pond south of Maysville on April 16, 1986. Doug James found them roosting with other blackbirds, starlings, and herons in a peach orchard near Farmington in Washington County on August 19, 1990. On May 26, 1991, James observed approximately 50 nesting in the same orchard, with Cattle Egret and Little Blue Herons. At least 125 birds were at the U of A Experimental Farm in Fayetteville on October 3, 1987, and a flock of at least 30 remained for the winter 1987-1988. They have been reported on most Fayetteville CBCs since the late 1980s and early 1990s. Peak counts are 128 (1999) and 120 (1992). Doug James estimated 400 in a mixed species blackbird roost at Fayetteville January 18, 1997. Kenny and LaDonna Nichols saw approximately 500 at the Bentonville Airport on February 5, 2000. Mike Mlodinow and David Chapman estimated 400-500 at the U of A Experimental Farm on March 5, 1995. There were approximately 60, including males and females, just south of the Centerton hatchery on March 16, 2002.
Brown-headed Cowbird, Molothrus ater This species has been observed in all seasons. Cowbirds are common in numerous habitats during the nesting season. In winter they form huge night roosts with other blackbirds and starlings. They often forage in feedlots with other blackbirds and starlings. The cowbird brood parasitism problem is primarily a function of distance from open pastureland and feedlots where cowbirds forage to the nests of their potential hosts: the greater the distance, the lower the parasitism. Hence, it is little surprise that cowbirds are found in insignificant numbers on heavily forested BBS routes like Boston Mountain and Ozark NF—where there is little cowbird foraging habitat--and in higher numbers on the three routes with much agricultural land (Avoca, Compton, and Lurton). On the Compton BBS, the mean was 12.9 (n=34, range 3-40).
Orchard Oriole, Icterus spurius April 11 to September 9. Fairly common summer resident. Orchard Orioles are found in open, park-like areas with scattered trees in rural areas--especially around farms and other lightly-developed and partially cleared areas in the countryside. They seem most common in the former prairie grassland habitats with much open country and scattered tall trees. On the Compton BBS, the mean was 5.2 (n=34, range1-10).
Baltimore Oriole, Icterus galbula April 12 to October 5+. Common transient and uncommon summer resident. Spring migrants seem to be present until late May, but thereafter very few remain to nest. Many summer records involve Benton County in the vast watershed of the Illinois River: Lake Frances (now drained), Lake Siloam Springs, in the Illinois River bottoms, Lake Elmdale (Washington County), etc. In summer 2005, I found 4-5 birds in the Cherokee City area (Floyd Moore Road). Kimberly G. Smith has noted them during summer on golf courses in western Benton County (personal communication). The apparent clustering of breeding season records in Benton County is supported by atlas data in adjoining states with breeding confirmed in adjoining McDonald County, Missouri (Jacobs and Wilson 1997:345) and Ottawa and Delaware counties, Oklahoma (Reinking 2004:451). There are also two December records. A bird observed and photographed by Alan Bowers of Rogers overwintered in 2002-2003. (An apparent Bullock’s Oriole at Centerton on October 11, 1986, could possibly have been a Baltimore).
Purple Finch, Carpodacus purpureus October 8 to May 3+. Uncommon migrant; irregular and now unusual winter resident. Purple finches occurred regularly and often in good numbers on the Fayetteville CBC until the 1990s. They have become comparatively rare since. Mean on the first 29 years of the count was 58.4 (n=29); since the early 1990s, the mean is 3.4 (n=9). Slightly higher numbers have been recorded on the Crooked Creek valley CBC: 15 on the 2003 count. During this same period, House Finches arrived as a permanent nesting population the western Ozarks, largely replacing Purple Finches. The relationship between lower Purple Finch and higher House Finch numbers is complex. Lower Purple Finch numbers are derived, at least in part, from a steep decline in the breeding population in northeastern US and southern Canada. House Finch invasion into these breeding areas is considered the cause (Wootton 1996:13). Winter 2004-2005 was a relatively good year for Purple Finches here. I saw them on several occasions during walks on Mt. Sequoyah in Fayetteville, with a peak of 5 on March 28, at a feeder also visited by House Finches and Pine Siskins. Smith (1935) reported nesting at Winslow, the only such record for Arkansas.
House Finch, Carpodacus mexicanus This species has been observed in all seasons. Abundant permanent resident, primarily in urban areas with feeders. It has largely replaced Purple Finches (see Purple Finch above). The first House Finch record for the Fayetteville CBC involved 11 birds at Johnny Bakker’s feeder near Lake Fayetteville on November 26, 1988. Numbers have steadily increased. The peak Fayetteville CBC total was 240 in 1995. The 40 on the Crooked Creek valley CBC in 2003 is a peak there. Why have these finches become so successful? “The conversion of vast areas of forest, grassland, and desert into uniform areas of lawns, ornamental trees, and buildings created enormous areas of ideal habitat for House Finches” (Hill 1993:3).
Red Crossbill, Loxia curvirostra This species has been observed in all seasons. Rare, irregular or irruptive visitor in pine woods or mixed pine-hardwood habitat. Observations are scattered across most months with little obvious pattern. There are no nesting records. Here are a few high counts: 20 birds on April 10, 1997, in Boone County; of these, 6 birds remained for a week at a sunflower seed feeder at the home of Wayne Bell (this was in one of JoAnne Rife’s Arkansas Breeding Bird Atlas plots). Seven birds were in pines at the Fayetteville Country Club on December 19, 1987, and for at least several days thereafter. At Fayetteville, crossbills (up to 12 at one point) arrived at Bill Forbess’ feeder in the last week of February 1997 and returned daily until June 10 (usually 4 males, 3 females). Forbess told Mike Mlodinow that these were the only crossbills he had seen in 12 years of serious bird feeding. I have seen Red Crossbills on my Mt. Sequoyah (Fayetteville) walks on several occasions: there were 10 in the pines there on May 8, 2005, and 2 flew over the same area on May 21. Our understanding of Red Crossbill occurrences in western Arkansas are greatly handicapped by the relatively small amount of extensive quality pine habitat likely to attract these birds (and the very limited number of birding observations in such habitat). Bill Beall of Fort Smith stated that he has seen these birds in the Fern area of Franklin County (with much pine habitat) annually. The 47 there on January 23, 1993, was his highest number in many years of observations. This species is well-known for its nomadic movements associated with searches for cone crops (Adkisson 1996).
White-winged Crossbill, Loxia leucoptera One visited a home feeder in Benton County on April 4, 1982.
Common Redpoll, Carduelis flammea January 26 to March 14. Very rare winter visitor. There are five reports on file for the Arkansas Ozarks, and four of these have involved sightings since 1982. Several of these have involved single birds visiting feeders in association with goldfinches, siskins, and Purple Finches.
Pine Siskin, Carduelis pinus September 21 to May 26+. Fairly common transient, uncommon winter resident. Look for them especially in stands of mature pines. A few visit feeders in winter, but flocks are observed primarily during migration. They were recorded on only 9 Fayetteville CBCs, 1961-2000 (peak of 37 in 1977). More than 60 were harvesting ripe dandelion seeds on Mt. Sequoyah at Fayetteville on April 29, 1986, and a similar number was there on May 8, 2005. Siskins often associate with goldfinches during migration. One bird remained at Carroll and Velma Ridgway’s feeder at Berlla Vista during the period of June 4-9, 1987.
Lesser Goldfinch, Carduelis
psaltria A single bird of the green-backed form first appeared at Art Evans feeder in the summer of 1983 near Gravette, often being associated with American Goldfinches. It remained at this locale until an ice storm on January 1, 1991.
American Goldfinch, Carduelis tristis This species has been observed in all seasons. Common throughout the year, this “wild canary” is the symbol of the Northwest Arkansas Audubon Society. It is a highly characteristic resident of shrubby, abandoned fields in the region and is a regular visitor to home bird feeders in winter. In their study at Pea Ridge, Shugart and James (1973: Table 1) found highest numbers of goldfinches in early tree stage plots characterized by open fields with clonal persimmons and especially the “woody field.” Goldfinches occur on all BBSs. On the Compton BBS in Newton County, the mean was 5.3 (n=34, range 0-16). The Fayetteville CBC mean was 153.1 (n=39, range 4-440). We get a feel for our former prairie habitat in places like Chesney Prairie Natural Area near Siloam Springs. During August the native ashy sunflowers (Helianthus mollis) there are in full bloom, and numerous goldfinches are in attendance, harvesting seeds and filling the open country with their songs and flight calls.
Evening Grosbeak, Coccothraustes vespertinus November 1 to June 16. Rare, irregular winter visitor. During those years when the birds are present, they sometimes crowd around home feeders, with flocks sometimes including 20 to 30 birds. It has been found on the Fayetteville CBC (including the count week) four years since 1961; the peak was 13 in 1994. Russell Graham observed 125+ on March 19, 1986, at Nob Hill in Washington County; 1 bird remained until April 15.
House Sparrow, Passer domesticus This species has been observed in all seasons. Common to abundant resident. During the period 1961-1985, more than 700 were observed on the Fayetteville CBC, up to a peak of 1800 in 1964. During the past two decades, House Sparrow numbers on the CBC have been much lower, with a peak count of only 368 in 1986, and most counts much lower. Decline of House Sparrow numbers within the Fayetteville CBC circle coincides with arrival of House Finches here. House Finches prefer all kinds of settled areas and crowd feeding stations (Hill 1993:5), just like House Sparrows
Literature
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