Bird Checklist
for Augusta County, Virginia

NEW! 2023 Augusta County Bird Checklist (PDF), compiled by Allen Larner and edited by Mona Bearor.

Birds of Augusta County book cover







ALSO NEW! For complete information on the occurrence of bird species in our area, see the Birds of Augusta County, Fifth Edition (including records up until 2020), edited by Allen Larner and Andrew Clem. Previous editions were published in 1988, 1998, 2008 (in print, edited by YuLee Larner), and (electronic form only) 2016, edited by Dan Perkuchin. This 48-page book is a comprehensive reference, serving as an invaluable tool for casual bird watchers and serious conservationists alike.



 

NOTE: This checklist is based on the publication Birds of Augusta County, and the records of Editor, Herbert Allen Larner. Updates are current through November 2023. The sequence of this list corresponds to to the American Ornithological Scoeity Checklist of North and Middle American Birds, 7th edition, 64th supplement, 2023. It includes
four species that are new to Augusta County: Eurasian Wigeon, Calliope Hummingbird, Say's Phoebe, and Scott's Oriole. ## The previous checklist included five new species: Purple Gallinule, Northern Shrike, Cave Swallow, Bicknell's Thrush, and Smith's Longspur.
.

Symbols and abbreviations appear at the end of the list.

Breeding
Status Code
Species s
(Spring)
S
(Summer)
F
(Fall)
W
(Winter)
Fulvous Whistling-Duck a a
Snow Goose R R R
Ross's Goose R R R
Greater White-Fronted Goose R R R
Brant a a
Barnacle Goose a a
Cackling Goose R R R
* Canada Goose C C C A
Mute Swan R a a a
Trumpeter Swan R R
Tundra Swan U a U U
* Wood Duck C C C U
Blue-Winged Teal C R C R
Cinnamon Teal a
Northern Shoveler R a R U
Gadwall U a U C
Eurasian Wigeon (NEW) a a
American Wigeon U a U U
* Mallard A C A A
American Black Duck U a U U
Northern Pintail U U U
Green-Winged Teal U a U U
Canvasback U U R
Redhead R R R
Ring-Necked Duck C a C C
Greater Scaup R R R
Lesser Scaup U a U U
Surf Scoter a R a
White-Winged Scoter R a R
Black Scoter a a a
Long-Tailed Duck R R R
Bufflehead U U U
Common Goldeneye R R R
Hooded Merganser U R U U
Common Merganser R R R R
Red-Breasted Merganser R a R R
Ruddy Duck U a U U
Northern Bobwhite R R R R
* Wild Turkey U U U U
* Ruffed Grouse U U U U
* Ring-Necked Pheasant a a a a
American Flamingo a
* Pied-Billed Grebe C R C U
Horned Grebe U a U R
Red-Necked Grebe R R
Eared Grebe a a
* Rock Pigeon C C C C
Eurasian Collared-Dove R a a a
Common Ground-Dove a
White-Winged Dove a a
* Mourning Dove A A A A
* Yellow-Billed Cuckoo C C C
* Black-Billed Cuckoo R R R
* Common Nighthawk R R U
# Chuck-Will's-Widow R R R
* Eastern Whip-Poor-Will C C C
* Chimney Swift C C C
* Ruby-Throated Hummingbird C C C a
Calliope Hummingbird (NEW) a a a
Rufous/Allen's Hummingbird@ a a a R
Virginia Rail R R R a
# Sora U R U a
Common Gallinule R a R
American Coot C R C U
Purple Gallinule a a
Sandhill Crane R a R R
American Avocet a R
Black-Bellied Plover R a R
American Golden-Plover a R
* Killdeer C U C C
Semipalmated Plover U R U
Lesser/Greater Sand-Plover@ a
Upland Sandpiper a a a
Whimbrel a
Ruddy Turnstone a a
Red Knot a
Ruff a
Stilt Sandpiper R R
Sanderling a R
Dunlin U a U a
Baird's Sandpiper R
Least Sandpiper U R U a
White-Rumped Sandpiper R a R
Buff-Breasted Sandpiper R
Pectoral Sandpiper U R U a
Semipalmated Sandpiper U R U
Western Sandpiper a a R
Short-Billed Dowitcher R R R
Long-Billed Dowitcher a a
* American Woodcock U U R R
Wilson's Snipe U a U U
# Spotted Sandpiper U U U
Solitary Sandpiper U R U
Lesser Yellowlegs U R U
Willet a a a
Greater Yellowlegs U R U a
Wilson's Phalarope a a R
Red-Necked Phalarope R a
Red Phalarope a a
Bonaparte's Gull R R R
Laughing Gull a a a
Ring-Billed Gull U a U U
Herring Gull R R R
Least Tern a a
Caspian Tern R R R
Black Tern R a R
Common Tern R R
Forster's Tern R a R a
Black Skimmer a
White-tailed Tropicbird a
Red-Throated Loon a a a
Common Loon R a R R
Black-Capped Petrel a
Wood Stork a a
Anhinga a a
Double-Crested Cormorant R R R R
American White Pelican a a
American Bittern R R a
Least Bittern R a
* Great Blue Heron C C C C
Great Egret R U U a
Snowy Egret a a a
Little Blue Heron a R a
Tricolored Heron a a
Cattle Egret R R R
* Green Heron C C C a
Black-Crowned Night-Heron R R R R
Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron R R R
White Ibis R a
Glossy Ibis a a a
Roseate Spoonbill a
* Black Vulture C C C C
* Turkey Vulture C C C A
Osprey U R U a
Swallow-Tailed Kite a a
Golden Eagle R a U R
Northern Harrier U R U U
* Sharp-Shinned Hawk C U C U
* Cooper's Hawk C U C U
Northern Goshawk a R R
* Bald Eagle U U C U
Mississippi Kite a a R
* Red-Shouldered Hawk U U U U
* Broad-Winged Hawk C U A
Swainson's Hawk R
* Red-Tailed Hawk C C C C
Rough-Legged Hawk R R R
* Barn Owl U U U U
* Eastern Screech-Owl C C C C
* Great Horned Owl U U U U
Snowy Owl a a
* Barred Owl U U U U
Long-Eared Owl a a a
Short-Eared Owl R R R
Northern Saw-Whet Owl a a R
* Belted Kingfisher C C C C
* Red-Headed Woodpecker U U U U
* Red-Bellied Woodpecker C C C C
Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker U a U U
* Downy Woodpecker C C C C
* Hairy Woodpecker U U U U
* Northern Flicker C C C U
* Pileated Woodpecker U U U U
* American Kestrel C U C C
Merlin R U U
Peregrine Falcon R a R R
* Great Crested Flycatcher C C C
Western Kingbird a a
* Eastern Kingbird C C C
Scissor-Tailed Flycatcheer a
Olive-Sided Flycatcher R R
* Eastern Wood-Pewee C C C
Yellow-Bellied Flycatcher a a R
* Acadian Flycatcher C C C
Alder Flycatcher R R a
* Willow Flycatcher U C R
* Least Flycatcher R R R
* Eastern Phoebe C C C R
Say's Phoebe (NEW) a
White-Eyed Vireo U U U a
* Yellow-Throated Vireo U U U
* Blue-Headed Vireo U C U a
Philadelphia Vireo R R
* Warbling Vireo U U U
* Red-Eyed Vireo C A C
# Loggerhead Shrike R R R R
Northern Shrike a
* Blue Jay C C C C
* American Crow C C C C
* Fish Crow U U U U
* Common Raven U U U U
* Carolina Chickadee C C C C
* Black-Capped Chickadee U U U U
* Tufted Titmouse C C C C
* Horned Lark U U U U
# Bank Swallow U R U
* Tree Swallow C A C R
* Northern Rough-Winged Swallow C U C
* Purple Martin U C U a
* Barn Swallow A A A
* Cliff Swallow U U U
Cave Swallow a a
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet U a U R
Golden-Crowned Kinglet U R U U
* Cedar Waxwing C U C R
Red-Breasted Nuthatch R R R R
* White-Breasted Nuthatch C C C C
Brown-Headed Nuthatch a a a a
Brown Creeper U R U U
* Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher C C C
Bewick's Wren (EXTIRPATED)
* Carolina Wren C C C C
* House Wren U C U a
Winter Wren R R R R
# Sedge Wren a R
Marsh Wren a R a
* Gray Catbird C C C R
* Brown Thrasher C C C R
* Northern Mockingbird C C C C
* European Starling A A A A
* Eastern Bluebird C C C C
# Veery U R U
Gray-Cheeked Thrush R R
Bicknell's Thrush a a
Swainson's Thrush U a U a
Hermit Thrush U a U U
* Wood Thrush C C C
* American Robin A A A U
* House Sparrow A A A A
American Pipit R R R
Evening Grosbeak a a
* House Finch C C C C
Purple Finch U U R
Common Redpoll a a R
Red Crossbill a a a a
White-Winged Crossbill a a a
Pine Siskin U a U R
* American Goldfinch C C C U
Lapland Longspur R R R
Smith's Longspur a a
Snow Bunting a R R
Bachman's Sparrow a
* Grasshopper Sparrow U U C
Lark Sparrow a a a
* Chipping Sparrow C C C R
Clay-Colored Sparrow a a R a
* Field Sparrow C C C U
Fox Sparrow U U U
American Tree Sparrow R R R
# Dark-Eyed Junco C U C C
White-Crowned Sparrow C a C C
Harris's Sparrow a
White-Throated Sparrow C R C A
* Vesper Sparrow U U U R
Le Conte's Sparrow a
Nelson's Sparrow a
Henslow's Sparrow a
* Savannah Sparrow C U C U
* Song Sparrow A A A A
Lincoln's Sparrow R U R
Swamp Sparrow U U U
* Eastern Towhee C C C U
* Yellow-Breasted Chat R R R
Yellow-Headed Blackbird a a
# Bobolink U R U
* Eastern Meadowlark C C C U
* Orchard Oriole U U U
* Baltimore Oriole U U U R
Scott's Oriole (NEW) a a
* Red-Winged Blackbird A A A U
* Brown-Headed Cowbird A A A U
Rusty Blackbird R R R
Brewer's Blackbird R a R
* Common Grackle A A A U
* Ovenbird C C C
* Worm-Eating Warbler C C C
* Louisiana Waterthrush C C C
Northern Waterthrush U a U
Bachman's Warbler (EXTINCT) a
# Golden-Winged Warbler R R R
# Blue-Winged Warbler R R R
* Black-And-White Warbler C C C a
Prothonotary Warbler R a
Swainson's Warbler a
Tennessee Warbler U U
Orange-Crowned Warbler R R a
Nashville Warbler U a U a
Connecticut Warbler a R
# Mourning Warbler R R R
* Kentucky Warbler U U U
* Common Yellowthroat C C C a
* Hooded Warbler C C C
* American Redstart C C C
Cape May Warbler C C a
* Cerulean Warbler U U U
* Northern Parula U U U
Magnolia Warbler U a U
Bay-Breasted Warbler R R
* Blackburnian Warbler U U U
* Yellow Warbler C C C
* Chestnut-Sided Warbler C U C
Blackpoll Warbler C R U
* Black-Throated Blue Warbler C U C a
Palm Warbler R U R
* Pine Warbler U U U R
# Yellow-Rumped Warbler C R C U
Yellow-Throated Warbler R R
* Prairie Warbler U R U
* Black-Throated Green Warbler C C C
* Canada Warbler R R R
Wilson's Warbler R R
Summer Tanager R R R
* Scarlet Tanager C C C
Western Tanager a a
* Northern Cardinal C C C C
* Rose-Breasted Grosbeak U R U a
Black-Headed Grosbeak a
* Blue Grosbeak U U U
* Indigo Bunting A A A a
Painted Bunting a a
# Dickcissel R R R R
Explanation:

Breeding Status Code:
* = Breeds locally - some breeding evidence, not necessarily a nest record.
# = Rare and local breeding, not necessarily a nest record.

Categories (based on criteria set by VARCOM):
1 = Confirmed as occurring in Virginia, based on physical evidence.
2 = Confirmed as occurring in Virginia, based on written documentation.
3 = Identity accepted, but of uncertain provenance.
4 = Historical records that no longer meet current standards.
5 = Introduced species that have become self-sustaining.
6 = Introduced species that have been extirpated.
NOTE: In the table above, only Categories 3 - 6 are indicated.

Seasons:
Sp = Spring (March - May)
S = Summer (June - July)
F = Fall (August - November)
W = Winter (December - February)

Relative abundance:
A = Abundant -- likely in large numbers in proper habitat.
C = Common -- seen most of the time or in small numbers in proper habitat/season.
U = Uncommon -- occurs in small numbers or in limited habitat
R = Rare -- occurs irregularly in small numbers.
a = Accidental -- no more than five records in the given season.

Italics indicate a species accidental to the area.
@ = Ambiguous cases, in which two similar species are very hard to distinguish.


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