TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE BIRDS OF P A L M E T T O S T A T E P A R K A FIELD CHECKLIST 2009
Cover: Illustration of Red-shouldered Hawk by Chris Morel.
INTRODUCTION Palmetto State Park is situated along the San Marcos River in Gonzales County, nestled in the Post Oak Savannah vegetation area of east-central Texas. The park is noted for its diverse flora and fauna, and is especially well known as one of central Texas premier birding spots. The park and immediate environs contain some of the westernmost nesting distribution for many eastern species, such as the Pileated Woodpecker, Kentucky Warbler and Prothonotary Warbler. Also reaching their westernmost distribution here are Flying Squirrels, the Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad, and numerous plants, mostly wetland species. Several plant communities occur within the park, including bottomland hardwoods of hackberry, ash, elm and oak along the river, wet grasslands and a spartina marsh with occasional palmetto-filled swales, an oxbow lake, and several lagoons fed by an artesian well. Short hiking trails provide access to most habitat types within the park. This checklist includes those species which have been sighted within the park or the immediate area of the park, such as along Park Road 11, the village of Ottine, the privatelyowned Salt Lake, or on the grounds of the Texas Rehabilitation Center and Elks Hospital. Some species that are included were seen during the annual Palmetto State Park Christmas Bird Count, which extends from the park entrance in a 15-mile radius. Throughout the years, many individuals have contributed information adding to our knowledge of the avifauna of this area. The compiler of this checklist edition is especially grateful to Rose Ann Rowlett, Ray Chancellor, Fred S. Webster, Jr., Ed Kutac, Jack Sunder, Charles Alexander, Willie Sekula, Greg Lasley, Pat Hartigan and Brush Freeman for the information they have provided. You can contribute to our knowledge of the birdlife of this area by reporting any unusual observations to the Natural Resource Program, Texas Parks and Wildlife 1
Department, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, Texas 78744; or leave them at the park headquarters for forwarding. Nomenclature and organization of this checklist follow the A.O.U. Check-list of North American Birds, 7th edition, as currently supplemented. Please help us protect the natural avian communities in our parks by refraining from using playback tapes of bird songs. Frequent use of these tapes disrupts normal avian activity patterns, disrupts essential territorial behavior and may lead to nest failure. Thank you for your cooperation. LEGEND A Abundant: Present in such numbers and with such general distribution in proper habitat that many may be found in a given day. C Common: Always present and in such numbers that one may expect to find several in a day. U Uncommon: Normally present in habitat but one cannot be sure of finding one in a day. The bird referred to by the phrase it should be there but we might miss it is uncommon. R Rare: Definitely not expected. On the average it occurs only a few times a season or not at all. It is always a surprise to see one. O Occasional: Occasionally seen. Occurs only once or twice a year on the average. V Vagrant: Occurs only once every ten years on the average. # Known to occur in the areas near the park but not recorded within the park checklist area to our knowledge. These species should be watched for, as they undoubtedly pass through or over the park on occasion. SP March May S June August F September November W December February 2
CHECKLIST SP S Black-bellied Whistling-Duck... R R Greater White-fronted Goose... # Snow Goose... R R O Ross s Goose... # Canada Goose... R R R Wood Duck... U U U U Gadwall... R R U American Wigeon... R R U Mallard... U Blue-winged Teal... U U R Cinnamon Teal... R O Northern Shoveler... R R U Northern Pintail... R R U Green-winged Teal... U U C Canvasback... R R U Redhead... R R U Ring-necked Duck... R R U Greater Scaup... # Lesser Scaup... U U R Common Goldeneye... R Bufflehead... # Hooded Merganser... R Red-breasted Merganser... O O Ruddy Duck... O O R Wild Turkey... R R R R Northern Bobwhite... R R R R Least Grebe... R R R R Pied-billed Grebe... U R U U Horned Grebe... # 3
Eared Grebe... R R R American White Pelican... R R R Neotropic Cormorant... O O O O Double-crested Cormorant... R R U Anhinga... R C R R American Bittern... O O R Least Bittern... R O Great Blue Heron... U U U U Great Egret... R R R R Snowy Egret... R # Little Blue Heron... R Tricolored Heron... R Cattle Egret... U U U R Green Heron... U U U R Black-crowned Night-Heron... R R Yellow-crowned Night-Heron... U U R U White Ibis... # White-faced Ibis... # Roseate Spoonbill... # R Wood Stork... R R Black Vulture... C C C C Turkey Vulture... C C C A Osprey... R R O White-tailed Kite... O O R Mississippi Kite... U U Northern Harrier... U U U Sharp-shinned Hawk... U U R Cooper s Hawk... U U R Common Black-Hawk... # Harris s Hawk... # Red-shouldered Hawk... U U U U 4
Broad-winged Hawk... U U Swainson s Hawk... U U White-tailed Hawk... V Zone-tailed Hawk... V O Red-tailed Hawk... U R U U Ferruginous Hawk... O O R Crested Caracara... U U U U American Kestrel... U U U Merlin... V V V Virginia Rail... V V Sora... O O O Purple Gallinule... R R Common Moorhen... O R O American Coot... U U U U Sandhill Crane... U U R Killdeer... C C C C American Avocet... R R Northern Jacana... # Spotted Sandpiper... R R R Solitary Sandpiper... R R # Greater Yellowlegs... R R R Lesser Yellowlegs... R R O Upland Sandpiper... U U Long-billed Curlew... R R Marbled Godwit... V Western Sandpiper... R R # Least Sandpiper... U U R Baird s Sandpiper... R Pectoral Sandpiper... R R Dunlin... V Long-billed Dowitcher... R # 5
Wilson s Snipe... U U U American Woodcock... R U Wilson s Phalarope... R R Bonaparte s Gull... # Franklin s Gull... U U Ring-billed Gull... R R R Herring Gull... O O O Least Tern... O O Caspian Tern... # Black Tern... U U Forster s Tern... # Rock Pigeon... U U U U White-winged Dove... C Mourning Dove... C C C A Inca Dove... U U U U Common Ground-Dove... U U U U Black-billed Cuckoo... R R Yellow-billed Cuckoo... U U R V Greater Roadrunner... U U U U Groove-billed Ani... # Barn Owl... R R R R Eastern Screech-Owl... U U U U Great Horned Owl... U U U U Barred Owl... C C C C Common Nighthawk... C C U Common Pauraque... V Common Poorwill... O Chuck-will s-widow... C C Whip-poor-will... R R Chimney Swift... C C C Buff-bellied Hummingbird... R R R R 6
Ruby-throated Hummingbird... C U C Black-chinned Hummingbird... R Rufous Hummingbird... # Ringed Kingfisher... V Belted Kingfisher... U U U U Green Kingfisher... R R R R Red-headed Woodpecker... O O Golden-fronted Woodpecker... R R R R Red-bellied Woodpecker... C C C C Yellow-bellied Sapsucker... U U U Red-naped Sapsucker... V Ladder-backed Woodpecker... U U U U Downy Woodpecker... C C C C Hairy Woodpecker... O O Northern Flicker... U U C Pileated Woodpecker... U U U U Olive-sided Flycatcher... U U Eastern Wood-Pewee... U R R Yellow-bellied Flycatcher... U R Acadian Flycatcher... U U R Least Flycatcher... U U Eastern Phoebe... C C C Say s Phoebe... R Vermilion Flycatcher... R O R Ash-throated Flycatcher... U U R Great Crested Flycatcher... U U R Couch s Kingbird... R R R R Western Kingbird... U R U Eastern Kingbird... C R U Scissor-tailed Flycatcher... C C C # Loggerhead Shrike... U U U C 7
White-eyed Vireo... C C C C Bell s Vireo... R R R Blue-headed Vireo... U U U Yellow-throated Vireo... R O Warbling Vireo... R O Philadelphia Vireo... R O Red-eyed Vireo... U U R Blue Jay... C C C Western Scrub-Jay... V American Crow... C C C A Horned Lark... R Purple Martin... C C U Tree Swallow... U U O Northern Rough-winged Swallow... U R U Bank Swallow... R R # Cliff Swallow... C C U Cave Swallow... # Barn Swallow... C C C O Carolina Chickadee... C C C C Tufted Titmouse... C C C C Verdin... R R R R Red-breasted Nuthatch... R R R White-breasted Nuthatch... V Brown Creeper... R R U Cactus Wren... O Carolina Wren... A A A A Bewick s Wren... C C C C House Wren... U U U Winter Wren... U R U Sedge Wren... R R R Marsh Wren... R R R 8
Golden-crowned Kinglet... U U U Ruby-crowned Kinglet... C A A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher... C R C R Eastern Bluebird... C C C A Veery... R Gray-cheeked Thrush... # Swainson s Thrush... U Hermit Thrush... U U C Wood Thrush... R R O American Robin... A R A A Gray Catbird... U U O Northern Mockingbird... A A A A Brown Thrasher... U U U Sage Thrasher... # Long-billed Thrasher... R Curve-billed Thrasher... O European Starling... C C C C American Pipit... U U C Sprague s Pipit... R Cedar Waxwing... A C A Tennessee Warbler... U Orange-crowned Warbler... C C U Nashville Warbler... C C R Northern Parula... C C R Yellow Warbler... C U Chestnut-sided Warbler... U Magnolia Warbler... U R Cape May Warbler... V Black-throated Blue Warbler... V Yellow-rumped Warbler... A C A Black-throated Gray Warbler... V 9
Black-throated Green Warbler... U U O Blackburnian Warbler... U Yellow-throated Warbler... R O Pine Warbler... R Palm Warbler... V Bay-breasted Warbler... U Black-and-white Warbler... U R R American Redstart... U R Prothonotary Warbler... U U Worm-eating Warbler... O Swainson s Warbler... R R Ovenbird... U V Northern Waterthrush... U R V Louisiana Waterthrush... R R V Kentucky Warbler... R R O Mourning Warbler... U R Common Yellowthroat... U U U Hooded Warbler... U R R Wilson s Warbler... U U R Canada Warbler... U Yellow-breasted Chat... U R R Hepatic Tanager... V V Summer Tanager... U U R Scarlet Tanager... R O Northern Cardinal... A A A A Pyrrhuloxia... R Rose-breasted Grosbeak... U R Black-headed Grosbeak... R O Blue Grosbeak... U U R Indigo Bunting... U U U Painted Bunting... C C U 10
Dickcissel... U U R Green-tailed Towhee... O Eastern Towhee... R R R Spotted Towhee... U U U Cassin s Sparrow... R R O Chipping Sparrow... C C C Clay-colored Sparrow... U U O Field Sparrow... C U U C Vesper Sparrow... C C A Lark Sparrow... U U U U Black-throated Sparrow... O Lark Bunting... R Savannah Sparrow... C C C Grasshopper Sparrow... U R U R Le Conte s Sparrow... R Fox Sparrow... U U U Song Sparrow... U U U Lincoln s Sparrow... C C C Swamp Sparrow... R R U White-throated Sparrow... A A A Harris s Sparrow... C R C White-crowned Sparrow... C C C Dark-eyed Junco... R R U Chestnut-collared Longspur... R Red-winged Blackbird... A C C A Eastern Meadowlark... A A A A Western Meadowlark... R R U Yellow-headed Blackbird... O O Rusty Blackbird... R Brewer s Blackbird... C Common Grackle... C C C C 11
Great-tailed Grackle... U U U U Brown-headed Cowbird... C U C A Orchard Oriole... U Baltimore Oriole... U U O Purple Finch... O R House Finch... R Pine Siskin... U O U Lesser Goldfinch... R American Goldfinch... C U A House Sparrow... A A A A citation Rogers, Christopher D. October 2009. Birds of Palmetto State Park: a field checklist. Natural Resources Program, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. 12
In 1983, the Texas Legislature created the Special Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Fund. This fund may be used for nongame wildlife and endangered species research and conservation, habitat acquisition and development and dissemination of information pertaining to nongame management. Money for this fund is obtained through private donations and sale of nongame wildlife art prints and stamps. This fund now gives Texans a unique opportunity to help support this state s valuable and sensitive nongame resources. Your individual contributions and purchases of nongame art prints and stamps will help determine the level of nongame conservation activities in Texas. For more information call toll-free (1-800-792-1112) or contact: Nongame and Endangered Species Program, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, Texas 78744.
Natural Resources Program Texas Parks and Wildlife Department 4200 Smith School Road Austin, Texas 78744 2009 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department PWD BK P4505-0049B (9/09) In accordance with Texas Depository Law, this publication is available at the Texas State Publications Clearinghouse and/or Texas Depository Libraries.