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Massachusetts 2007-2011 (published!)

Species Info

Species Information

currently sorted by: species, alphabetic

sort: taxonomic | alpha sort by sort by sort by  
Species Alpha Code* Safe date start** Safe date end Habitat
  (Myrtle Warbler) Yellow-rumped Warbler  MYWA5 / 25 8 / 10Mature White Pines (SE), coniferous forest (C, W) 
  (Slate-colored Junco) Dark-eyed Junco  SCJU5 / 1 9 / 5Edges in coniferous or mixed woodlands; saplings and brushy thickets at higher elevations 
  (Yellow-shafted Flicker) Northern Flicker  YSFL5 / 1 7 / 25Forests, parks 
  Acadian Flycatcher  ACFL6 / 5 8 / 1Red Maple swamp (SE) and Hemlock (elsewhere) 
  Alder Flycatcher  ALFL6 / 5 8 / 1Shrub (esp. Alder) swamp 
  American Bittern  AMBI5 / 15 8 / 1Fresh/brackish reedy pond or marsh  
  American Black Duck  ABDU5 / 1 8 / 5Most wetlands, from beaver ponds to saltmarsh 
  American Coot  AMCO6 / 1 8 / 15Fresh/brackish reedy pond or marsh  
  American Crow  AMCR3 / 25 7 / 15Conifers in forested areas, woodlots, suburban yards, parks 
  American Goldfinch  AMGO6 / 1 8 / 1Forest edge, copses, brushy areas, marsh edges, residential 
  American Kestrel  AMKE5 / 10 7 / 20Open country, scattered trees, edge 
  American Oystercatcher  AMOY5 / 15 8 / 15Upper portions of coastal beach, dunes 
  American Redstart  AMRE6 / 1 8 / 1Secondary forest, copses 
  American Robin  AMRO5 / 1 9 / 1Almost anywhere except the most open habitats such as marsh, grasslands 
  American Wigeon  AMWI5 / 15 8 / 5Fresh/brackish pond or marsh  
  American Woodcock  AMWO4 / 15 7 / 15Forest edges 
  Arctic Tern  ARTE6 / 1 8 / 5Coastal sandy beaches, islands 
  Bald Eagle  BAEA4 / 15 8 / 15Margins of large lakes, rivers 
  Baltimore Oriole  BAOR5 / 25 8 / 1Open deciduous forest, shade trees in urban or rural areas 
  Bank Swallow  BANS5 / 25 7 / 1Earthen embankments 
  Barn Owl  BANO4 / 1 8 / 1Open habitats 
  Barn Swallow  BARS5 / 25 7 / 1Structures offering access to interior; barns, garages, porches, sheds, etc. 
  Barred Owl  BADO4 / 1 7 / 15Moist woods, wooded swamps, bottomlands.  
  Belted Kingfisher  BEKI5 / 1 8 / 10Stream, river, lake, or bay shore with banks  
  Bicknell's Thrush  BITH6 / 1 8 / 10High elevation spruce/fir forest 
  Black Guillemot  BLGU6 / 1 8 / 1Coastal rock ledge 
  Black Skimmer  BLSK6 / 1 8 / 1Coastal, sandy beach  
  Black Vulture  BLVU5 / 10 8 / 15Woods, cliffs, caves, buildings 
  Black-and-white Warbler  BAWW5 / 25 8 / 1Mainly deciduous forest 
  Black-billed Cuckoo  BBCU6 / 5 8 / 15Forested habitats, edge 
  Black-capped Chickadee  BCCH4 / 1 8 / 15Woodlands, orchards, shade trees, yards, and city parks 
  Black-crowned Night-Heron  BCNH5 / 5 7 / 15Coastal Islands 
  Black-throated Blue Warbler  BTBW5 / 25 8 / 10Mixed woods with dense understory, esp. Mountain Laurel 
  Black-throated Green Warbler  BTNW5 / 25 8 / 5Coniferous and mature mixed forest 
  Blackburnian Warbler  BLBW5 / 25 8 / 5Coniferous forest 
  Blackpoll Warbler  BLPW6 / 10 8 / 10High elevation spruce, Balsam Fir forest 
  Blue Grosbeak  BLGR6 / 1 6 / 30 
  Blue Jay  BLJA5 / 1 8 / 15Varied; including most forest types, thickets, suburban yards, parks 
  Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  BGGN5 / 15 8 / 1Wooded edges along ponds, rivers, streams, swamps, beaver ponds 
  Blue-headed Vireo  BHVI5 / 15 8 / 10Mature coniferous or mixed woods  
  Blue-winged Teal  BWTE5 / 10 8 / 5Fresh/brackish pond or marsh  
  Blue-winged Warbler  BWWA5 / 20 8 / 1Old, brushy fields, copses, edge with low undergrowth, powerline cuts 
  Bobolink  BOBO6 / 1 8 / 1Grasslands, including airports, hayfields 
  Brewster's Warbler (Golden-winged x Blue-winged)  BRWA5 / 20 8 / 1Old, brushy fields, copses, edge with low undergrowth, powerline cuts 
  Broad-winged Hawk  BWHA5 / 15 7 / 25Mature, mixed woodlands 
  Brown Creeper  BRCR5 / 20 8 / 1Mature, mixed, and swampy forest, including Atlantic White Cedar swamps 
  Brown Thrasher  BRTH5 / 15 8 / 10Dry secondary growth; powerlines cuts, overgrown pastures, coastal thickets, etc. 
  Brown-headed Cowbird  BHCO5 / 1 7 / 15Virtually all habitats; anywhere host species are found 
  Canada Goose  CANG4 / 15 8 / 1Shore or islands in any wetland 
  Canada Warbler  CAWA6 / 5 8 / 1Thick undergrowth in moist deciduous or mixed forest; cedar swamp, Red Maple (SE) 
  Carolina Wren  CARW4 / 1 8 / 15Wet woods, stream edges with dense thickets, tangles, brush piles, etc. 
  Cattle Egret  CAEG5 / 10 7 / 15Coastal Islands 
  Cedar Waxwing  CEDW6 / 10 8 / 15Second-growth forest, parks, orchards, gardens, and margins of waterways 
  Cerulean Warbler  CERW6 / 1 8 / 1Mature, moist deciduous forest 
  Chestnut-sided Warbler  CSWA5 / 25 8 / 1Brushy, open second-growth, edges 
  Chimney Swift  CHSW5 / 25 8 / 15Urban chimneys 
  Chipping Sparrow  CHSP5 / 1 8 / 15Open mixed forest, suburbs, parks, and cemeteries with conifers 
  Chuck-will's-widow  CWWI6 / 1 7 / 15Scrub Oak 
  Clapper Rail  CLRA5 / 15 8 / 1salt and brackish marsh 
  Clay-colored Sparrow  CCSP6 / 1 8 / 1Shrubby grasslands 
  Cliff Swallow  CLSW5 / 25 7 / 1Eves and sides of old barns and other buildings, bridges 
  Common Eider  COEI5 / 15 8 / 1Coastal islands  
  Common Gallinule  COGA5 / 25 8 / 15Fresh/brackish reedy pond or marsh  
  Common Grackle  COGR5 / 15 7 / 10Wide variety of urban and rural habitats from open forest to fresh and salt marshes, parks, etc.  
  Common Loon  COLO6 / 1 8 / 1Lakes and ponds 
  Common Merganser  COME5 / 10 8 / 5Lake or river 
  Common Nighthawk  CONI6 / 5 8 / 1Barren habitats including river bars and flat rooftops 
  Common Raven  CORA3 / 20 7 / 20Remote forested areas 
  Common Tern  COTE6 / 1 8 / 5Coastal islands, saltmarsh 
  Common Yellowthroat  COYE6 / 1 8 / 10Brushy areas, thickets, powerline cuts, preferably wet 
  Cooper's Hawk  COHA5 / 5 8 / 1Mixed woodlands, groves, copses 
  Dickcissel  DICK6 / 1 6 / 30 
  Double-crested Cormorant  DCCO5 / 10 8 / 5Islands on coast or lake 
  Downy Woodpecker  DOWO5 / 1 7 / 25Forests, copses, suburbs 
  Eastern Bluebird  EABL5 / 1 8 / 15Open areas with scattered trees; farmland, orchards, swamps, pastures, etc.  
  Eastern Kingbird  EAKI5 / 25 7 / 25Open habitats, including edge, copses, often near water 
  Eastern Meadowlark  EAME5 / 5 7 / 25Extensive grasslands, including airports, margins of saltmarsh 
  Eastern Phoebe  EAPH5 / 1 8 / 15Ledges, bridges, porch sills, etc., usually near water  
  Eastern Screech-Owl  EASO4 / 1 8 / 1Open deciduous forests, woodlots, orchards, residential areas 
  Eastern Towhee  EATO5 / 1 8 / 10Dry, open forest, edge, brushy habitats, including coastal thickets, powerline cuts 
  Eastern Wood-Pewee  EAWP6 / 5 8 / 1Mature forest 
  European Starling  EUST1 / 1 12 / 31Everywhere except remote rural areas 
  Evening Grosbeak  EVGR5 / 25 8 / 15Mixed forest  
  Field Sparrow  FISP5 / 1 8 / 5Brushy areas, weedy fields, powerline cuts 
  Fish Crow  FICR5 / 1 7 / 15Mixed woods, woodlots, suburban yards, parks 
  Forster's Tern  FOTE6 / 1 8 / 5Saltmarsh 
  Gadwall  GADW5 / 15 8 / 5Fresh/brackish water or saltmarsh 
  Glossy Ibis  GLIB5 / 1 7 / 15Coastal Islands 
  Golden-crowned Kinglet  GCKI5 / 10 8 / 1Coniferous woods 
  Golden-winged Warbler  GWWA5 / 20 8 / 1Damp brushy fields, powerline cuts  
  Grasshopper Sparrow  GRSP5 / 25 8 / 10Grasslands, including airports, hayfields 
  Gray Catbird  GRCA5 / 20 8 / 15Dense tangles and thickets 
  Great Black-backed Gull  GBBG5 / 1 8 / 1Coastal islands 
  Great Blue Heron  GBHE5 / 1 7 / 15Wooded swamps, beaver ponds, islands 
  Great Cormorant  GRCO5 / 1 8 / 5Islands on coast 
  Great Crested Flycatcher  GCFL5 / 25 8 / 1Mature forest, edge 
  Great Egret  GREG5 / 15 7 / 15Islands on coast or lake 
  Great Horned Owl  GHOW1 / 1 12 / 31Wide variety of habitats from forest to farmland 
  Green Heron  GRHE5 / 10 8 / 1Woody growth near marshes or open water 
  Green-winged Teal  GWTE5 / 15 8 / 5Fresh/brackish pond or marsh  
  Hairy Woodpecker  HAWO4 / 25 7 / 20Forests  
  Henslow's Sparrow  HESP6 / 1 8 / 1Weedy fields, wet meadows 
  Hermit Thrush  HETH5 / 10 9 / 10Damp mixed forest with dense undergrowth including pine barrens 
  Herring Gull  HERG5 / 1 8 / 1Coastal shores/islands, flat rooftops 
  Hooded Merganser  HOME5 / 15 8 / 5Wooded swamps, freshwater marshes, streams 
  Hooded Warbler  HOWA6 / 1 8 / 1Moist thickets in woodlands  
  Horned Lark  HOLA4 / 25 8 / 1Coastal dunes and beaches, abandoned agricultural fields, airports 
  House Finch  HOFI4 / 15 8 / 1Scattered trees- especially conifers- mainly in residential areas 
  House Sparrow  HOSP1 / 1 12 / 31Residential, farms 
  House Wren  HOWR5 / 20 8 / 15Open forests, wood edges, farms, orchards, suburbs, parks, gardens  
  Indigo Bunting  INBU5 / 25 8 / 10Brushy habitats including forest edge, overgrown fields, powerline cuts 
  Kentucky Warbler  KEWA6 / 1 8 / 1Wet thickets, dense understory in moist or wet deciduous forest, bottomland 
  Killdeer  KILL4 / 20 7 / 1Open, sparcely vegetated areas; flat rooftops 
  King Rail  KIRA5 / 15 8 / 1Fresh/brackish reedy pond or marsh  
  Laughing Gull  LAGU5 / 1 8 / 1Coastal islands 
  Lawrence's Warbler (Golden-winged x Blue-winged)  LAWA5 / 20 8 / 1Old, brushy fields, copses, edge with low undergrowth, powerline cuts 
  Leach's Storm-Petrel  LESP6 / 1 8 / 15Coastal Islands 
  Least Bittern  LEBI5 / 25 8 / 1Fresh/brackish reedy pond or marsh  
  Least Flycatcher  LEFL5 / 25 8 / 5Open deciduous forests, forest edge 
  Least Sandpiper  LESA5 / 25 6 / 15Variety of coastal habitats 
  Least Tern  LETE5 / 25 8 / 15Coastal sandy beach, esp dredge spoils 
  Lesser Black-backed Gull  LBBG5 / 1 8 / 1Coastal shores/islands 
  Lincoln's Sparrow  LISP6 / 1 8 / 1High elevation boreal bog 
  Little Blue Heron  LBHE5 / 15 7 / 15Coastal Islands 
  Loggerhead Shrike  LOSH5 / 15 8 / 1Farmland and other open habitats 
  Long-eared Owl  LEOW4 / 1 8 / 1Conifers 
  Louisiana Waterthrush  LOWA5 / 10 7 / 20Rocky streams in deciduous or mixed forest 
  Magnolia Warbler  MAWA6 / 5 8 / 10Coniferous forest 
  Mallard  MALL5 / 1 8 / 5All wetlands, occasionally suburban yards with swimming pools 
  Manx Shearwater  MASH6 / 1 7 / 15In shore sightings only – no pelagic sightings please. 
  Marsh Wren  MAWR5 / 15 8 / 15Cattail and other tall marshes, including saltmarsh edges 
  Merlin  MERL5 / 10 7 / 20Conifers  
  Monk Parakeet  MOPA6 / 1 8 / 1Urban streets, large trees, telephone poles 
  Mourning Dove  MODO4 / 1 8 / 15Suburbs, woodlots, farmlands 
  Mourning Warbler  MOWA6 / 5 8 / 10High elevation; dense, early second growth, tangles, esp raspberry in clearcut 
  Mute Swan  MUSW4 / 15 8 / 1Large ponds and marshes 
  Nashville Warbler  NAWA5 / 25 8 / 15Open Scrub Oak woodlands (SE), overgrown pastures, bogs (C, W) 
  Nelson's Sparrow  NESP6 / 1 8 / 1Saltmarsh 
  Northern Bobwhite  NOBO4 / 30 8 / 15Open scrub, pastures, fields 
  Northern Cardinal  NOCA4 / 15 8 / 20Suburban or semi-rural areas; forest edge, woodlots, thickets, parks, gardens 
  Northern Goshawk  NOGO4 / 10 8 / 15Mature, mixed woodlands 
  Northern Harrier  NOHA5 / 10 8 / 20Coastal dunes, beaches, marshes, heathlands 
  Northern Mockingbird  NOMO5 / 5 8 / 15Suburban or semi-rural habitats with thickets, brushy forest edges, hedgerows 
  Northern Parula  NOPA6 / 1 8 / 10Woodlands with Usnea lichen 
  Northern Pintail  NOPI5 / 15 8 / 5Fresh/brackish pond or marsh  
  Northern Rough-winged Swallow  NRWS5 / 20 7 / 1Variety of habitats, often near water, in cavity, pipe, or excavated burrow.  
  Northern Saw-whet Owl  NSWO4 / 15 8 / 15Mixed moists woods with conifers 
  Northern Shoveler  NSHO5 / 15 8 / 5Fresh/brackish pond or marsh  
  Northern Waterthrush  NOWA5 / 20 7 / 25Wooded swamps, bogs, backwaters 
  Olive-sided Flycatcher  OSFL6 / 5 8 / 1Spruce/Larch bog 
  Orchard Oriole  OROR5 / 25 7 / 15Open, patchy forest, copses, often near river, stream, or pond 
  Osprey  OSPR5 / 10 8 / 15Coastal marshes; rarely large wetlands inland 
  Ovenbird  OVEN5 / 20 8 / 5Open forests with little or no understory vegetation and ample leaf litter 
  Peregrine Falcon  PEFA5 / 15 8 / 1Cliffs, tall buildings, towers 
  Pied-billed Grebe  PBGR5 / 10 8 / 1Fresh/brackish reedy pond or marsh  
  Pileated Woodpecker  PIWO1 / 1 12 / 31Matured forest, especially bottomland 
  Pine Siskin  PISI5 / 1 7 / 15Conifers 
  Pine Warbler  PIWA5 / 1 8 / 5Variety of pine forest types 
  Piping Plover  PIPL5 / 15 8 / 15Coastal, sandy beach 
  Prairie Warbler  PRAW5 / 25 8 / 1Brushy fields, powerline cuts, edges 
  Prothonotary Warbler  PROW6 / 1 8 / 1Variety of deciduous or mixed forest types, saplings in field edge bordered by forest 
  Purple Finch  PUFI5 / 25 8 / 10Conifers in mixed woods, suburbs, parklands  
  Purple Martin  PUMA5 / 25 7 / 1Open areas; edge of saltmarsh, coastal farmland, and golf courses 
  Red Crossbill  RECR5 / 1 7 / 15Coniferous forest 
  Red-bellied Woodpecker  RBWO4 / 15 8 / 1Older-growth forest and woodlots 
  Red-breasted Merganser  RBME6 / 1 8 / 5Coastal marsh 
  Red-breasted Nuthatch  RBNU5 / 15 8 / 10Coniferous forest 
  Red-eyed Vireo  REVI6 / 1 8 / 10Mixed and deciduous Woods 
  Red-headed Woodpecker  RHWO5 / 20 8 / 25Open country with scattered trees 
  Red-shouldered Hawk  RSHA4 / 10 8 / 15Wet mixed forests, swamps 
  Red-tailed Hawk  RTHA4 / 15 8 / 1Mature woodlands, often near edges 
  Red-winged Blackbird  RWBL5 / 1 7 / 15Wide variety of densely vegetated freshwater habitats, higher saltmarsh 
  Ring-billed Gull  RBGU5 / 1 8 / 1Lakes, reservoirs 
  Ring-necked Duck  RNDU5 / 25 8 / 5Wooded swamps, beaver ponds, stump ponds 
  Ring-necked Pheasant  RNEP5 / 1 8 / 15Open scrub, pastures, fields 
  Rock Pigeon  ROPI1 / 1 12 / 31Buildings, bridges, towers in urban areas, farms 
  Rose-breasted Grosbeak  RBGR5 / 25 8 / 5Deciduous and mixed forest, woodlots, shade trees of parks and suburbs 
  Roseate Tern  ROST6 / 1 8 / 5Coastal islands 
  Ruby-crowned Kinglet  RCKI5 / 20 8 / 1Coniferous woods 
  Ruby-throated Hummingbird  RTHU6 / 1 8 / 1Open woodland, rural and suburban gardens, edge 
  Ruddy Duck  RUDU5 / 15 8 / 1Fresh/brackish pond or marsh  
  Ruffed Grouse  RUGR1 / 1 12 / 31Mixed upland woods 
  Rusty Blackbird  RUBL5 / 25 7 / 25Boreal bog 
  Saltmarsh Sparrow  SALS5 / 25 8 / 10Saltmarsh 
  Sandhill Crane  SACR5 / 1 8 / 1Extensive, freshwater marsh or bog  
  Savannah Sparrow  SAVS5 / 10 8 / 1Grasslands, including airports, hayfields 
  Scarlet Tanager  SCTA5 / 25 8 / 10Mature deciduous forest 
  Seaside Sparrow  SESP5 / 25 8 / 10Saltmarsh 
  Sedge Wren  SEWR6 / 1 8 / 1Wet meadows, freshwater marshes 
  Sharp-shinned Hawk  SSHA5 / 10 8 / 1Conifers in mature woodlands 
  Short-eared Owl  SEOW5 / 1 8 / 1Extensive coastal grassland/heathland 
  Snowy Egret  SNEG5 / 15 7 / 15Coastal Islands 
  Song Sparrow  SOSP5 / 1 8 / 10Forest edge, brushy areas, marsh edges, suburbs 
  Sora  SORA5 / 15 7 / 25Fresh/brackish reedy pond or marsh  
  Spotted Sandpiper  SPSA5 / 25 7 / 5Coastal shores, shores of freshwater lakes, ponds, rivers, streams 
  Summer Tanager  SUTA6 / 1 6 / 30 
  Swainson's Thrush  SWTH6 / 1 8 / 10High elevation spruce/fir forest 
  Swamp Sparrow  SWSP5 / 1 8 / 5Freshwater wetlands including cattail marsh, swamps, river meadow, and pond edges 
  Tennessee Warbler  TEWA6 / 1 8 / 1Coniferous forest  
  Tree Swallow  TRES5 / 15 7 / 1Open areas or woodland edge near wetlands; including saltmarsh 
  Tricolored Heron  TRHE5 / 25 7 / 15Coastal Islands 
  Tufted Titmouse  TUTI4 / 5 8 / 1Deciduous (especially oak) forest, riparian woodlands, and residential areas 
  Turkey Vulture  TUVU5 / 10 8 / 15Woods, cliffs, caves, buildings 
  unid. Mexican / Eastern Whip-poor-will  WPWI5 / 25 7 / 15Secondary forest, copses, pine barrens,scrub oak, edge 
  unid. Pacific Wren / Winter Wren  UPWW5 / 1 8 / 5Cool, moist, coniferous or mixed woods, swamps, bogs, streams, brooks 
  Upland Sandpiper  UPSA5 / 20 7 / 15Extensive grasslands, especially airports 
  Veery  VEER5 / 25 8 / 10Moist mixed forest 
  Vesper Sparrow  VESP5 / 10 8 / 5Short grass areas, agricultural fields, clearings in pine barrens, coastal moors  
  Virginia Rail  VIRA5 / 15 8 / 1Salt, fresh, or brackish pond or marsh 
  Warbling Vireo  WAVI5 / 15 8 / 10Semi-open borders of river meadows, ponds, and streams 
  White-breasted Nuthatch  WBNU4 / 25 8 / 10Deciduous forest 
  White-eyed Vireo  WEVI5 / 15 8 / 1Moist areas, thickets, tangles of vines or briers. 
  White-throated Sparrow  WTSP5 / 20 8 / 20Scrubby habitats esp with conifers (C, W); Red Maple, Atlantic White Cedar (SE) 
  White-winged Crossbill  WWCR5 / 1 7 / 15Coniferous forest 
  Wild Turkey  WITU1 / 1 12 / 31Mature deciduous woods, edge 
  Willet  WILL5 / 15 7 / 15Coastal beach, dunes, saltmarsh 
  Willow Flycatcher  WIFL6 / 5 8 / 1Shrub (esp. Willow) swamp 
  Wilson's Phalarope  WIPH6 / 1 7 / 25Saltmarsh 
  Wilson's Snipe  WISN5 / 20 8 / 1Bog, wet meadow 
  Wood Duck  WODU5 / 1 8 / 5Wooded swamps, freshwater marshes, streams, rivers 
  Wood Thrush  WOTH5 / 25 8 / 10Mature forest 
  Worm-eating Warbler  WEWA5 / 20 8 / 1Brushy undergrowth of rocky, wooded hillsides and ravines, usually near water 
  Yellow Warbler  YEWA5 / 25 8 / 1Margins of freshwater marsh, other wet brushy areas, farmland 
  Yellow-bellied Flycatcher  YBFL6 / 5 8 / 1Spruce/Sphagnam bog 
  Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  YBSA5 / 20 8 / 1higher-elavation hardwoods 
  Yellow-billed Cuckoo  YBCU6 / 5 8 / 15Forested habitats, edge 
  Yellow-breasted Chat  YBCH6 / 1 8 / 5Thickets, esp regenerating fields and pastures 
  Yellow-crowned Night-Heron  YCNH5 / 5 7 / 15Coastal Islands 
  Yellow-throated Vireo  YTVI5 / 20 8 / 10Open deciduous and mixed forest and riparian woodlands 
 
* Alpha Codes are also known as 'banding codes' (not AOU codes, which are numeric)
** Safe dates represent a window when a singing male is assumed not to be in migration, and therefore on territory. Some atlases do not use safe dates, because they prefer (given present knowledge) not to assume migration or territorial status of all individuals. Safe dates generally apply to the Possible breeding category only when used.
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Last updated: Site - May 2014; Content - various, depending on atlas.
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