Brighton State Recreation Area

6360 Chilson Road
Howell, MI 48843
Phone (810)229-6566

Species Checklist for Brighton Recreation Area

Revised January 8, 2009 - 188 Species
The following list is based on data from the following individuals:
Richard A. Wolinski, Lyle Hamilton, John Lowry, Sean Bachman, Tex Wells, Tom Shehan and Chris Kargel

ANSERIFORMES

ANATIDAE
Canada Goose Branta canadensis
Mute Swan Cygnus olor
Wood Duck Aix sponsa
Gadwall Anas strepera
American Wigeon Anas americana
American Black Duck Anas rubripes
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
Blue-winged Teal Anas discors
Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata
Northern Pintail Anas acuta
Green-winged Teal Anas crecca
Canvasback Aythya valisineria
Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris
Greater Scaup Aythya marila
Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis
Surf Scoter Melanitta perspicillata
Bufflehead Bucephala albeola
Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula
Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus
Common Merganser Mergus merganser
Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator
Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis

GALLIFORMES

PHASIANIDAE
Ring-necked Pheasant Phasianus colchicus
Ruffed Grouse Bonasa umbellus
Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo

ODONTOPHORIDAE
Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus

GAVIIFORMES

GAVIIDAE
Common Loon Gavia immer

PODICIPEDIFORMES

PODICIPEDIDAE
Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps

PELECANIFORMES

PHALACROCORACIDAE
Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus

CICONIIFORMES

ARDEIDAE
American Bittern Botaurus lentiginosus
Least Bittern Ixobrychus exilis
Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias
Great Egret Ardea alba
Green Heron Butorides virescens

CATHARTIDAE
Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura

FALCONIFORMES

ACCIPITRIDAE
Osprey Pandion haliaetus
Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus
Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus
Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii
Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus
Broad-winged Hawk Buteo platypterus
Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis
Rough-legged Hawk Buteo lagopus

FALCONIDAE
American Kestrel Falco sparverius
Merlin Falco columbarius

GRUIFORMES

RALLIDAE
Virginia Rail Rallus limicola
Sora Porzana carolina
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
American Coot Fulica americana

GRUIDAE
Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis

CHARADRIIFORMES

CHARADRIIDAE
Killdeer Charadrius vociferous

SCOLOPACIDAE
Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius
Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitaria
Wilson's Snipe Gallinago delicata
American Woodcock Scolopax minor

LARIDAE
Bonaparte's Gull Larus philadelphia
Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis
Herring Gull Larus argentatus
Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia

COLUMBIFORMES

COLUMBIDAE
Rock Pigeon Columba livia
Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura

CUCULIFORMES

CUCULIDAE
Yellow-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus
Black-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus erythropthalmus

STRIGIFORMES

STRIGIDAE
Eastern Screech-Owl Megascops asio
Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus
Barred Owl Strix varia

CAPRIMULGIFORMES

CAPRIMULGIDAE
Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor

APODIFORMES

APODIDAE
Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica

TROCHILIDAE
Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris

CORACIIFORMES

ALCEDINIDAE
Belted Kingfisher Ceryle alcyon

PICIFORMES

PICIDAE
Red-headed Woodpecker Melanerpes erythrocephalus
Red-bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius
Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens
Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus
Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus
Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus

PASSERIFORMES

TYRANNIDAE
Olive-sided Flycatcher Contopus cooperi
Eastern Wood-Pewee Contopus virens
Acadian Flycatcher Empidonax virescens
Alder Flycatcher Empidonax alnorum
Willow Flycatcher Empidonax traillii
Least Flycatcher Empidonax minimus
Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher Myiarchus crinitus
Eastern Kingbird Tyrannus tyrannus

LANIIDAE
Northern Shrike Lanius excubitor

VIREONIDAE
Yellow-throated Vireo Vireo flavifrons
Blue-headed Vireo Vireo solitarius
Warbling Vireo Vireo gilvus
Philadelphia Vireo Vireo philadelphicus
Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus

CORVIDAE
Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata
American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos

ALAUDIDAE
Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris

HIRUNDINIDAE
Purple Martin Progne subis
Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor
Northern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis
Bank Swallow Riparia riparia
Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

PARIDAE
Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus
Tufted Titmouse Baeolophus bicolor

SITTIDAE
Red-breasted Nuthatch Sitta canadensis
White-breasted Nuthatch Sitta carolinensis

CERTHIIDAE
Brown Creeper Certhia americana

TROGLODYTIDAE
Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus
House Wren Troglodytes aedon
Winter Wren Troglodytes troglodytes
Sedge Wren Cistothorus platensis
Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris

REGULIDAE
Golden-crowned Kinglet Regulus satrapa
Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula

SYLVIIDAE
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea

TURDIDAE
Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis
Townsend's Solitaire Myadestes townsendi
Veery Catharus fuscescens
Gray-cheeked Thrush Catharus minimus
Swainson's Thrush Catharus ustulatus
Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus
Wood Thrush Hylocichla mustelina
American Robin Turdus migratorius

MIMIDAE
Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis
Brown Thrasher Toxostoma rufum

STURNIDAE
European Starling Sturnus vulgaris

MOTACILLIDAE
American Pipit Anthus rubescens

BOMBYCILLIDAE
Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum

PARULIDAE
Blue-winged Warbler Vermivora pinus
Golden-winged Warbler Vermivora chrysoptera
Tennessee Warbler Vermivora peregrina
Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata
Nashville Warbler Vermivora ruficapilla
Northern Parula Parula americana
Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia
Chestnut-sided Warbler Dendroica pensylvanica
Magnolia Warbler Dendroica magnolia
Cape May Warbler Dendroica tigrina
Black-throated Blue Warbler Dendroica caerulescens
Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata
Black-throated Green Warbler Dendroica virens
Blackburnian Warbler Dendroica fusca
Pine Warbler Dendroica pinus
Palm Warbler Dendroica palmarum
Bay-breasted Warbler Dendroica castanea
Blackpoll Warbler Dendroica striata
Cerulean Warbler Dendroica cerulea
Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia
American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla
Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla
Northern Waterthrush Seiurus noveboracensis
Connecticut Warbler Oporornis agilis
Mourning Warbler Oporornis philadelphia
Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas
Hooded Warbler Wilsonia citrina
Wilson's Warbler Wilsonia pusilla
Canada Warbler Wilsonia canadensis
Yellow-breasted Chat Icteria virens

THRAUPIDAE
Scarlet Tanager Piranga olivacea

EMBERIZIDAE
Eastern Towhee Pipilo erythrophthalmus
American Tree Sparrow Spizella arborea
Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina
Field Sparrow Spizella pusilla
Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis
Henslow's Sparrow Ammodramus henslowii
Fox Sparrow Passerella iliaca
Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia
Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii
Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana
White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis
White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys
Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis

CARDINALIDAE
Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis
Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus
Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea

ICTERIDAE
Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna
Rusty Blackbird Euphagus carolinus
Common Grackle Quiscalus quiscula
Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater
Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula

FRINGILLIDAE
Purple Finch Carpodacus purpureus
House Finch Carpodacus mexicanus
White-winged Crossbill Loxia leucoptera
Common Redpoll Carduelis flammea
Pine Siskin Carduelis pinus
American Goldfinch Carduelis tristis

PASSERIDAE
House Sparrow Passer domesticus

Report a Sighting

If you observe a species at Brighton Recreation Area that is not on the checklist, please report your sighting to the webmaster.

The Most Recent Addition

White-winged Crossbill
A male was observed feeding in White Pine trees near park headquarters on January 8, 2009. A few days later, a flock of over 100 birds was observed in the Tree Improvement Center just down the road.

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