Birds of Albemarle County (225 species)

Official Virginia State List

***note: excludes rarely seen birds, and excludes some birds found only on the coast like puffins

Yellow-billed Cuckoo- breeding

Black-billed Cuckoo- migratory, a little bit north breeding

Common Nighthawk- breeding

Whippoorwill- breeding

Chuck-will's-widow- breeding, maybe a few migratory dots

Chimney Swift- breeding

Ruby-throated Hummingbird- breeding

Northern Bobwhite- year-round

Ruffed Grouse- year-round

Wild Turkey- year-round

Rock Pigeon- year-round

Mourning Dove- year-round

Eurasian Collared-Dove- introduced, possibly wild populations, less likely to see

Black Vulture- year-round

Turkey Vulture- year-round

Osprey- breeding and migratory

Bald Eagle- nonbreeding

Northern Harrier- nonbreeding

Sharp-shinned Hawk- nonbreeding and yearround near the northern border of VA

Cooper's Hawk- year-round

Red-shouldered Hawk- year-round

Broad-winged Hawk- breeding

Red-tailed Hawk- year-round

Rough-legged Hawk- nonbreeding

Barn Owl- year-round

Eastern Screech Owl- year-round

Great Horned Owl- year-round

Barred Owl- year-round

Short-eared Owl- nonbreeding

Northern Saw-whet Owl- nonbreeding, near northern border year round

Belted Kingfisher- year-round

Red-headed Woodpecker- breeding and wintering

Red-bellied Woodpecker- year-round

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker- nonbreeding and migrator

Downy Woodpecker- year-round

Hairy Woodpecker- year-round

Northern Flicker- year-round

Pileated Woodpecker- year-round

American Kestrel- year round

Merlin, Taiga- migratory, nonbreeding by the coast

Peregrine Falcon- migratory, year-round near the coast

Monk Parakeet- wild populations in cities

Eastern Wood-Pewee- breeding

Acadian Flycatcher- breeding

Alder Flycatcher- migratory

Willow Flycatcher- breeding, migratory

Least Flycatcher- breeding, migratory

Eastern Phoebe- year-round

Great Crested Flycatcher- breeding

Eastern Kingbird- breeding

Loggerhead Shrike- year-round

White-eyed Vireo- breeding

Yellow-throated Vireo- breeding

Blue-headed Vireo- breeding, migratory

Philadelphia Vireo- migratory

Warbling Vireo- breeding, migratory

Red-eyed Vireo- breeding

Blue Jay- year-round

American Crow- year-round

Fish Crow- year-round

Common Raven- year-round

Horned Lark- year-round

Purple Martin- breeding

Tree Swallow- breeding, year-round in the coastal plain

Northern Rough-winged Swallow- breeding

Bank Swallow- breeding, migration

Cliff Swallow- breeding, migration

Barn Swallow- breeding

Carolina Chickadee- year-round

Tufted Titmouse- year-round

Red-breasted Nuthatch- nonbreeding, year-round

White-breasted Nuthatch- year-round

Brown Creeper- nonbreeding, year-round

House Wren- breeding

Winter Wren- nonbreeding, year-round a little farther north

Sedge Wren- migration, a little farther south than we are

Marsh Wren- migration, year-round near the coast

Carolina Wren- year-round

Blue-gray gnatcatcher- breeding

Golden-crowned Kinglet- nonbreeding, breeding a little north in West Virginia

Ruby-crowned Kinglet- nonbreeding

Eastern Bluebird- year-round

Veery- migration, breeding a little north

Gray-cheeked Thrush- migration

Swainson's Thrush- migration

Wood Thrush- breeding

American Robin- year-round

Gray Catbird- breeding, year-round closer to coast

Brown Thrasher- breeding, and a little south year-round

Northern Mockingbird- year-round

European Starling- year-round

Cedar Waxwing- year-round

House Sparrow- year-round

American Pipit- migrating and nonbreeding

House Finch- year-round

Purple Finch- year-round a little north, and non-breeding

Pine Siskin- nonbreeding

American Goldfinch- year-round

Snow Bunting- nonbreeding (scarce)

Eastern Towhee- breeding and year-round

American Tree Sparrow- non-breeding

Chipping Sparrow- year-round and breeding

Field Sparrow- year round

Vesper Sparrow- breeding and migrating

Savannah Sparrow- breeding a little north, and nonbreeding

Grasshopper Sparrow- breeding (110)

Yellow-breasted Chat- breeding

Bobolink- breeding near and just inside VA border

Eastern Meadowlark- year-round

Orchard Oriole- breeding

Baltimore Oriole- breeding, migratory

Red-winged Blackbird- year-round

Brown-headed Cowbird- year-round

Rusty Blackbird- nonbreeding

Common Grackle- year-round

Ovenbird- breeding

Worm-eating Warbler- breeding

Louisiana Waterthrush- breeding

Northern Waterthrush- breeding, migratory

Golden-winged Warbler- migratory, breeding closer to and within VA border

Blue-winged Warbler- migratory mostly, spots of breeding

Black-and-white Warbler- breeding

Prothonotary Warbler- breeding a little to the east and south of here

Tennessee Warbler- migratory

Orange-crowned Warbler- migratory

Nashville Warbler- migratory

Mourning Warbler- migratory

Kentucky Warbler- breeding

Common Yellowthroat- breeding

Hooded Warbler- breeding

American Redstart- breeding

Cape May Warbler- migratory

Cerulean Warbler- migratory, breeding

Northern Parula- breeding

Magnolia Warbler- migratory

Bay-breasted Warbler- migratory

Blackburnian Warbler- migratory, breeding

Yellow Warbler- breeding

Chestnut-sided Warbler- breeding just in from the VA border

Blackpoll Warbler- migratory

Black-throated Blue Warbler- migratory, breeding in Blacksburg area and west

Palm Warbler (Western and Yellow)- migratory

Pine Warbler- breeding, year-round a little south

Yellow-rumped Warbler (also Myrtle subspecies)- migratory, winter

Yellow-throated Warbler- breeding, migratory

Prairie Warbler- breeding

Black-throated Green Warbler- migratory, breeding in WV

Canada Warbler- breeding in a thin strip in VA near the mountains, migratory

Wilson's Warbler- migratory

Summer Tanager- breeding

Scarlet Tanager- breeding

Northern Cardinal- year-round

Rose-breasted Grosbeak- breeding, migratory

Blue Grosbeak- breeding

Indigo Bunting- breeding

American Woodcock- breeding, year-round

Wilson's Snipe- nonbreeding

American Bittern- wintering, year-round a little farther east

Double-crested Cormorant- migratory, nonbreeding near the coast

Common Loon- migratory

Least Bittern- breeding

Great Blue Heron- year-round

Great Egret- migratory, breeding only the tiniest bit farther toward the coast

Snowy Egret- migratory

Black-crowned Night Heron- migratory and breeding

Green Heron- breeding

Cattle Egret- migratory

Yellow-crowned Night Heron- not here, breeds nearer coast and in Blacksburg area

Pied-billed Grebe- year-round

Horned Grebe- migratory, non-breeding a little farther east

Killdeer- year-round

Lesser Black-backed Gull- nonbreeding (scarce)

Ring-billed Gull- migratory and nonbreeding

Herring Gull- migratory and a little east, winter

Bonaparte's Gull- migratory and non-breeding (180 species total)

DUCKS, GEESE, SWANS

Canada Goose- year-round 

Mute Swan, introduced in possible scattered populations

Trumpeter Swan, introduced and rare possible scattered populations

Tundra Swan- migratory

Wood Duck- year-round

Blue-winged Teal- migratory

Northern Shoveler- migratory, nonbreeding

Gadwall- migratory, nonbreeding just a little farther east

American Wigeon- migratory, winter

Mallard- year-round

American Black Duck- nonbreeding, year-round closer to the coast

Northern Pintail- migratory, nonbreeding

Green-winged Teal (also American subspecies)- nonbreeding, migratory

Canvasback- migratory, nonbreeding closer to the coast

Redhead- nonbreeding, migratory near the northern border of VA

Ring-necked Duck- migratory, nonbreeding

Greater Scaup- nonbreeding (scarce)

Surf Scoter- winter

Bufflehead- nonbreeding and migratory

Common Goldeneye- nonbreeding

Hooded Merganser- year-round

Red-breasted Merganser- migratory

Ruddy Duck- nonbreeding

Shorebirds, Rails, Gallinules & Gulls that you might see only during migration

King Rail- breeding in scattered populations

Virginia Rail- migratory

Sora- migratory

Common Gallinule- migratory, breeding up near nova and coast

Black-bellied Plover- migratory

American Golden-Plover- migration (scarce)

Semipalmated Plover- migratory

Red-necked Grebe- migratory

Stilt Sandpiper- migratory

Dunlin- migratory

Least Sandpiper- migratory

White-rumped Sandpiper- migratory

Pectoral Sandpiper- migratory

Semipalmated Sandpiper- migratory

Short-billed Dowitcher (also Griseus and hendersoni subspecies)- migratory

Lesser Yellowlegs- migratory

Greater Yellowlegs- migratory

Laughing Gull- breeding near the coast

Caspian Tern- migratory

Black Tern- migratory

Common Tern- migratory

Forster's Tern- migratory