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Birds of Long Island
AP Environmental Science
Mr. Clark
National Wildlife Refuges
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The Oyster Bay and Target Rock National
Wildlife Refuges are located on the north
shore of Long Island, east of New York
City.
Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge
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The Oyster Bay NWR is a 3,209-acre
Refuge that includes sub-tidal (bay bottom
to mean high tide line) habitats, salt marsh
and a freshwater pond.
Most Long Island water bird species have
been documented on the Refuge.
Wintering waterfowl include black ducks,
greater scaup, bufflehead, canvasback and
long-tailed ducks .
Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Target Rock National Wildlife
Refuge
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Target Rock NWR is an 80-acre refuge
composed of mature oak-hickory forest, a
half-mile rocky beach, a brackish pond,
and several vernal ponds. It is very close to
Caumsett State Park.
The land and waters support a variety of
songbirds (particularly warblers during
spring migration), mammals, shorebirds,
fish, reptiles and amphibians.
Target Rock National Wildlife
Refuge
Target Rock National Wildlife
Refuge
Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Target Rock National Wildlife
Refuge
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The most common raptors observed at the
Target Rock NWR include red-tailed hawk,
great horned owl, eastern screech owl,
osprey, and American kestrel.
Screech owls are abundant and easily
detected on the Refuge.
Target Rock National Wildlife
Refuge
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Waterfowl: Waterfowl use occurs in the
brackish pond and the rocky shoreline.
Target Rock National Wildlife
Refuge
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Puddle ducks comprise about a fourth of
the ducks using the Refuge and black ducks
are by far the dominant puddle duck.
Black ducks use both the brackish pond
and the rocky shoreline.
The most common diving ducks include
common golden-eye, greater scaup, longtailed duck, bufflehead, and red-breasted
merganser.
Target Rock National Wildlife
Refuge

Shorebirds, Gulls, Terns and Allied
Species, Common loons, red-throated
loons, great cormorants, and horned grebes
are common in winter off the Refuge's
beach.
Target Rock National Wildlife
Refuge
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During the summer, double-crested
cormorants are easily observed.
Among the six species of long-legged
waders present, those commonly
documented on the Refuge include great
blue herons, snowy egrets, and great egrets.
Target Rock National Wildlife
Refuge
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Four species of gulls are present on the Refuge,
while sandpipers also make use of the rocky
beach and brackish pond.
The most common shorebird species include
greater yellowlegs, black-bellied plover, semipalmated plover, spotted sandpiper and willet.
Common and least terns are observed on the
Refuge from May through September.
Target Rock National Wildlife
Refuge
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Other Migratory Birds: A total of 35 neotropical bird species have been documented
on the Refuge.
The most common include gray catbird,
American robin, Rufous-sided towhee,
northern flicker, northern oriole, northern
cardinal, bank swallow, and house finch.
Crow
Blue Jay
Purple Finch
Rose-Breasted Grosbeak
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Gray Catbird
Starling
Tufted Titmouse
Yellow-Shafted Northern
Flicker
Great Blue Heron
Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker
Eastern Screech Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Great Horned Owl
Sparrow Hawk
(American Kestrel)
Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
Barn Owl
Tree Swallow
Purple Martin
Barn Swallow
Black Crowned Night Heron
Downy Woodpecker
Mourning Dove
House Sparrow
Cedar Waxwing
Robin
Wood Thrush
Cardinal
Rufous-Sided Tohee
(Eastern Towhee)
White-Breasted Nuthatch
Black-Capped Chickadee
Red-Tailed Hawk
Osprey