Guide to Kansas Birds and Birding Hotspots

Pete Janzen is active in the Kansas Ornithological Society and the Wichita Audubon Society and is the author of The Birds of Sedgwick County and Cheney Reservoir, as well as numerous articles and papers devoted to birding in Kansas and Oklahoma. Bob Gress is a former director of the Great Plains Nature Center in Wichita, coauthor of Birds of Kansas and Faces of the Great Plains, a widely published photographer, and the cofounder of the website Birds in Focus. Kenn Kaufman is the author of the popular Kaufman Focus Guides to birds, butterflies, insects, and mammals of North America and the recipient of the American Birding Association's prestigious Ludlow Griscom Award.

• Foreword to the Second EditionIntroductionUsing This GuideOrganization of SpeciesSpecies ProfilesBirding BasicsOptics and Field GuidesBirding TechniquesWhere to Find BirdsKansas Geography and EcosystemsCalendar of Kansas Bird ActivitySpecies AccountsWaterfowlCanada GooseCackling GooseGreater White-fronted GooseSnow GooseRoss’s GooseTrumpeter SwanTundra SwanBlack-bellied Whistling-DuckWood DuckGadwallAmerican WigeonMallardNorthern ShovelerGreen-winged TealBlue-winged TealCinnamon TealNorthern PintailCanvasbackRedheadRing-necked DuckLesser ScaupGreater ScaupCommon GoldeneyeBuffleheadHooded MerganserCommon MerganserRed-breasted MerganserRuddy DuckLong-tailed DuckSurf ScoterWhite-winged ScoterBlack ScoterOther Swimming BirdsCommon LoonPied-billed GrebeHorned GrebeEared GrebeWestern GrebeClark’s GrebeCommon GallinuleAmerican CootAmerican White PelicanDouble-crested CormorantNeotropic CormorantWading BirdsWhooping CraneSandhill CraneGreat Blue HeronLittle Blue HeronGreat EgretSnowy EgretWestern Cattle EgretGreen HeronLeast BitternAmerican BitternBlack-crowned Night HeronYellow-crowned Night HeronWhite-faced IbisGlossy IbisKing RailVirginia RailSoraBlack RaiShorebirdsBlack-bellied PloverAmerican Golden-PloverSnowy PloverPiping PloverSemipalmated PloverKilldeerBlack-necked StiltAmerican AvocetGreater YellowlegsLesser YellowlegsSolitary SandpiperWilletSpotted SandpiperUpland SandpiperLong-billed CurlewWhimbrelHudsonian GodwitMarbled GodwitRuddy TurnstoneSanderlingSemipalmated SandpiperWestern SandpiperLeast SandpiperBaird’s SandpiperWhite-rumped SandpiperPectoral SandpiperDunlinStilt SandpiperBuff-breasted SandpiperLong-billed DowitcherShort-billed DowitcherWilson’s SnipeAmerican WoodcockWilson’s PhalaropeRed-necked PhalaropeGulls & TernsFranklin’s GullBonaparte’s GullSabine’s GullRing-billed GullHerring GullGlaucous GullIceland GullLesser Black-backed GullGreat Black-backed GullCaspian TernForster’s TernCommon TernLeast TernBlack TernUpland Game BirdsRing-necked PheasantGreater Prairie-ChickenLesser Prairie-ChickenWild TurkeyNorthern BobwhiteScaled QuailDiurnal RaptorsTurkey VultureBlack VultureOspreyMississippi KiteBald EagleGolden EagleNorthern HarrierSharp-shinned HawkCooper’s HawkRed-shouldered HawkBroad-winged HawkSwainson’s HawkRed-tailed HawkFerruginous HawkRough-legged HawkGolden EagleAmerican KestrelMerlinPeregrine FalconPrairie FalconOwls & NightjarsAmerican Barn OwlEastern Screech-OwlGreat Horned OwlBarred OwlLong-eared OwlShort-eared OwlSnowy OwlBurrowing OwlCommon NighthawkCommon PoorwillChuck-will’s-widowWhip-poor-willDoves & CuckoosRock PigeonEurasian Collared-DoveWhite-winged DoveMourning DoveInca DoveYellow-billed CuckooBlack-billed CuckooGreater RoadrunnerWoodpeckers & KingfishersBelted KingfisherRed-headed WoodpeckerRed-bellied WoodpeckerYellow-bellied SapsuckerDowny WoodpeckerHairy WoodpeckerNorthern FlickerPileated WoodpeckerAerialistsChimney SwiftPurple MartinTree SwallowNorthern Rough-winged SwallowBank SwallowCliff SwallowBarn SwallowRuby-throated HummingbirdRufous HummingbirdInsect CatchersGreat Crested FlycatcherWestern KingbirdEastern KingbirdScissor-tailed FlycatcherOlive-sided FlycatcherEastern Wood-PeweeWestern Wood-PeweeEastern PhoebeSay’s PhoebeAcadian FlycatcherWillow FlycatcherAlder FlycatcherYellow-bellied FlycatcherLeast FlycatcherDusky FlycatcherGolden-crowned KingletRuby-crowned KingletWhite-eyed VireoYellow-throated VireoBlue-headed VireoBell’s VireoPhiladelphia VireoWarbling VireoRed-eyed VireoWarblersTennessee WarblerOrange-crowned WarblerNashville WarblerWilson’s WarblerKentucky WarblerCommon YellowthroatYellow WarblerProthonotary WarblerYellow-rumped WarblerBlack-throated Green WarblerNorthern ParulaYellow-throated WarblerBlack-and-white WarblerAmerican RedstartOvenbirdLouisiana WaterthrushNorthern WaterthrushOther Migratory WarblersWorm-eating WarblerGolden-winged WarblerBlue-winged WarblerMourning WarblerHooded WarblerCape May WarblerMagnolia WarblerBay-breasted WarblerBlackburnian WarblerChestnut-sided WarblerBlackpoll WarblerPalm WarblerPine WarblerBlack-throated Gray WarblerTownsend’s WarblerCanada WarblerSmall Active SongbirdsCarolina ChickadeeBlack-capped ChickadeeTufted TitmouseBlue-gray GnatcatcherRed-breasted NuthatchWhite-breasted NuthatchBrown CreeperRock WrenCarolina WrenBewick’s WrenNorthern House WrenWinter WrenSedge WrenMarsh WrenThrushes & OthersEastern BluebirdMountain BluebirdSwainson’s ThrushGray-cheeked ThrushVeeryHermit ThrushWood ThrushBrown ThrasherCurve-billed ThrasherAmerican RobinGray CatbirdTownsend’s SolitaireNorthern MockingbirdLoggerhead ShrikeNorthern ShrikeCedar WaxwingYellow-breasted ChatGround Dwellers & SparrowsHorned LarkAmerican PipitSprague’s PipitLapland LongspurSmith’s LongspurThick-billed LongspurChestnut-collared LongspurSpotted TowheeEastern TowheeCassin’s SparrowAmerican Tree SparrowChipping SparrowClay-colored SparrowBrewer’s SparrowField SparrowVesper SparrowLark SparrowLark BuntingSavannah SparrowGrasshopper SparrowHenslow’s SparrowLeConte’s SparrowNelson’s SparrowFox SparrowSong SparrowLincoln’s SparrowSwamp SparrowWhite-throated SparrowWhite-crowned SparrowHarris’s SparrowDark-eyed JuncoHouse SparrowBlackbirds, Corvids,& AlliesBlue JayWoodhouse’s Scrub-JayBlack-billed MagpieAmerican CrowFish CrowBobolinkRed-winged BlackbirdEastern MeadowlarkWestern MeadowlarkYellow-headed BlackbirdRusty BlackbirdBrewer’s BlackbirdCommon GrackleGreat-tailed GrackleEuropean StarlingBrown-headed CowbirdOrchard OrioleBaltimore OrioleBullock’s OrioleColorful SongbirdsScarlet TanagerWestern TanagerSummer TanagerNorthern CardinalRose-breasted GrosbeakBlack-headed GrosbeakBlue GrosbeakIndigo BuntingLazuli BuntingPainted BuntingDickcisselPurple FinchHouse FinchPine SiskinAmerican GoldfinchRed CrossbillKansas Birding HotspotsWestern Region1. St. Francis Area2. Rural Cheyenne County3. Atwood Area4. Oberlin Area5. Soldiers Memorial Park6. Colby Area7. Sheridan State Fishing Lake8. Sheridan Wildlife Area9. Historic Lake Scott State Park10. Little Jerusalem Badlands StatePark and Smoky Valley Ranch11. Arkansas River Scenic Drive12. Hamilton County Wildlife Area13. Garden City Area14. Manter Dam Recreation Area15. Ulysses Area16. Cimarron National Grassland17. Hugoton Area18. Arkalon Park19. Meade State Park20. Lakeview PlayaNorth-Central Region21. Keith Sebelius Reservoir22. Kirwin National Wildlife Refuge23. Lovewell Reservoir24. Jamestown Wildlife Area25. Talmo Wildlife Area26. Antelope Lake27. Webster Reservoir28. Rooks State Fishing Lake29. Waconda/Glen Elder Reservoir30. Gurley Salt Marsh31. Ottawa State Fishing Lake32. Cedar Bluff Reservoir33. Hays Area34. Wilson Reservoir35. Kanopolis Reservoir36. Salina AreaSouth-Central Region37. Cheyenne Bottoms38. McPherson Valley Wetlands39. McPherson State Fishing Lake and Maxwell Wildlife Refuge40. Jetmore Area41. Quivira National Wildlife Refuge42. Sandhills State Park and Dillon Nature Center43. Harvey County West Park44. Harvey County East Park45. Ford State Fishing Lake46. Hain Wildlife Area47. Herron Playa Wildlife Area48. Texas Lake Wildlife Area and Pratt Sandhills Wildlife Area49. Pratt Area50. Kingman State Fishing Lake and Byron Walker Wildlife Area51. Cheney Reservoir52. Lake Afton53. Wichita Area54. Clark State Fishing Lake55. Coldwater Lake56. Red Hills Scenic Drive57. Anthony City Lake58. Wellington Lake59. Slate Creek WetlandsEast-Central Region60. Alcove Spring Park61. Milford Reservoir62. Konza Prairie63. Tuttle Creek Reservoir64. Echo Cliff Park and LakeWabaunsee 65. Herington City Lakes66. Council Grove Reservoir67. Marion Reservoir68. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve69. Chase State Fishing Lake70. Lyon State Fishing Lake71. El Dorado Reservoir72. Fall River Reservoir73. Toronto Reservoir74. Woodson State Fishing Lake75. Augusta City Lake76. Chaplin Nature Center77. Kaw Wildlife Area78. Winfield City Lake79. Cross Timbers Scenic DriveEastern Region80. Nemaha Wildlife Area81. Pony Creek Lake82. Wathena Area83. Banner Creek Lake84. Atchison State Fishing Lake85. Perry Reservoir86. Kansas City Area87. Topeka Area88. Lawrence Area89. Flint Hills Trail State Park90. Hillsdale Reservoir91. Melvern Reservoir92. John Redmond Reservoirand Flint Hills NationalWildlife Refuge93. Marais des Cygnes Wildlife Area and Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge94. Lehigh Portland State Park95. Elm Creek Lake96. Neosho Wildlife Area97. Bone Creek Lake98. Crawford State Park99. Elk City Lake100. Cherokee County AreaBirding ResourcesSeasonal Distribution of Kansas WarblersSeasonal Distribution of Kansas SparrowsComplete Species List for KansasAcknowledgmentsIndex to Place NamesIndex to Bird NamesQuick Index

"Fortune has favored the Kansas bird enthusiast with this tour de force guide to the state’s birds and birding locations. Expertly prepared and magnificently useful, it is a resource that birders in other states should hope and strive to emulate."—Dan L. Reinking, author of the Oklahoma Winter Bird Atlas"As the authors point out, this book is a ‘less intimidating introduction to the birds of Kansas.’ It is an accurate description that predicts its applicability to that great middle ground of birders and birdwatchers, the serious beginners and relaxed veterans. Despite its quite comprehensive nature, this book is nevertheless an easy-to-use reference written in a relaxed style that I strongly recommend to anyone interested in Kansas birds."—Ross Silcock, coauthor of Birds of Nebraska: Their Distribution and Temporal Occurrence"In this authoritative yet engaging resource for bird lovers, renowned field ornithologists Pete Janzen and Bob Gress tell you how to identify the nearly 500 bird species recorded in Kansas, and just as important, where to find them. Centrally located on the North American continent, Kansas is home to a splendid diversity of birds from east and west, north and south. Bird migration in Kansas is epic, and the state is a magnet for rarities. Janzen and Gress are especially to be commended for their thorough coverage of the many recent changes to the dynamic, adaptable, and rapidly changing birdlife of the state."—Ted Floyd, editor of Birding magazine