An article from the Lyon Park Citizen,
whose birds should be the same as
other Neighborhoods in Arlington
The Neighborhood�s Nature
By Jeff Brokaw
Spring brings many changes. Some are obvious, such as the emergence
of leaves and flowers. Others, such as the great diversity of birds
migrating through our neighborhood, require careful observation to
notice.
Listed below are the 92 bird species that I have seen from
my Lyon Park yard over the past ten years. The letter in parentheses
after each provides a key for when the species can principally be
seen in our neighborhood:
(a)-year around resident
(s)-summer resident
(w)-winter resident
(m) migrant passing through during spring or fall.
The majority of the species, fifty-five, are seen
principally, or only, during migration. Twenty-four species are here
year around; an additional eight are summer residents, migrating
south for the winter; and five are winter residents, leaving here in
spring to nest in the north. Most of the spring migration occurs
over a one-month period from early April through early May. No, I do
not have loons in my bird bath. The list is of all species seen from
my yard, including those flying over.
The East Coast is one of the major migration routes north, partially
explaining the large number of migrants we get. A second reason,
though, is our oaks. Compared to other types of trees, oaks have a
rich diversity of caterpillars and other insects feeding on their
tender emerging leaves in spring. Many migrants depend on these
insects as a food source during migration. Areas in our neighborhood
without oaks have noticeably fewer of the insect-eating migrants such
as warblers and vireos.
The List
1. Common Loon (m)
2. Double-Crested Cormorant (m)
3. Great Blue Heron (s)
4. Black-Crowned Night Heron (s)
5. Tundra Swan (m)
6. Canada Goose (a)
7. Mallard (a)
8. Turkey Vulture (m)
9. Coopers Hawk (m)
10. Sharp-Shinned Hawk (m)
11. red-tailed Hawk (a)
12. Rock Dove (a)
13. Mourning Dove (a)
14. Yellow-billed Cuckoo (m)
15. Black-billed Cuckoo (m)
16. Whip-Poor-Will (m)
17. Common Night Hawk (m)
18. Chimney Swift (s)
19. Ruby-Throated Hummingbird (s)
20. Common Flicker (s)
21. Pileated Woodpecker (a)
22. Red-Bellied Woodpecker (a)
23. Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker (w)
24. Hairy Woodpecker (a)
25. Downy Woodpecker (a)
26. Great-Crested Flycatcher (m)
27. Eastern Phoebe (m)
28. Eastern Pewee (m)
29. Blue Jay (a)
30. American Crow (a)
31. Fish Crow (a)
32. Carolina Chickadee (a)
33. Tufted Titmouse (a)
34. White-Breasted Nuthatch (a)
35. Brown Creeper (w)
36. House Wren (s)
37. Carolina Wren (a)
38. Northern Mockingbird (a)
39. Catbird (s)
40. Brown Thrasher (m)
41. American Robin (a)
42. Wood Thrush (m)
43. Hermit Thrush (m)
44. Swainson�s Thrush (m)
45. Gray-Cheeked Thrush (m)
46. Veery (m)
47. Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher (m)
48. Golden-Crowned Kinglet (m)
49. Ruby-Crowned Kinglet (m)
50. Cedar-Waxwing (w)
51. European Starling (a)
52. White-Eyed Vireo (m)
53. Solitary Vireo (m)
54. Red-Eyed Vireo (s)
55. Blk.-and Wht. Warbler (m)
56. Worm-Eating Warbler (m)
57. Golden-Winged Warbler (m)
58. Blue-Winged Warbler (m)
59. Parula Warbler (m)
60. Yellow Warbler (m)
61. Magnolia Warbler (m)
62. Black-Throated Blue Warbler (m)
63. Yellow-Rumped Warbler (m)
64. Black-Throated Green Warbler (m)
65. Blackburnian Warbler (m)
66. Chestnuts-Sided Warbler (m)
67. Bay-Breasted Warbler (m)
68. Blackpoll Warbler (m)
69. Palm Warbler (m)
70. Ovenbird (m)
71. Northern Waterthrush (m)
72. Louisiana Waterthrush (m)
73. Common Yellowthroat (m)
74. Canada Warbler (m)
75. American Redstart (m)
76. House Sparrow (a)
77. Red-Winged Blackbird (m)
78. Northern Oriole (m)
79. Common Grackle (m)
80. Brown-Headed Cowbird (m)
81. Scarlet Tanager (m)
82. Northern Cardinal (a)
83. Rose-Breasted Grosbeak (m)
84. House Finch (a)
85. American Goldfinch (a)
86. Rufous-Sided Towhee (m)
87. Northern Junco (w)
88. Chipping Sparrow (m)
89. Field Sparrow (m)
90. White-Throated Sparrow (w)
91. Song Sparrow (a)
92. Fox Sparrow (m)
This page was last revised on: December 28, 2003.
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Arlington County Civic Federation
