List of birds of the Indiana Dunes facts for kids
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The Indiana Dunes are a really special place in Indiana, USA! It's home to both the Indiana Dunes State Park and the Indiana Dunes National Park. Together, these parks protect over 15,000 acres (about 60 square kilometers) of amazing landscapes. You can find everything from sandy beaches to hidden ponds and thick forests here.
This area is a super important spot for birds. Over 271 different kinds of birds have been seen here! Why so many? The Indiana Dunes are part of something called the Mississippi Flyway. Think of it like a giant bird highway in the sky! Many birds use this route to travel long distances during spring and fall when they migrate. This means you can see even more amazing birds passing through during those times of the year.
Contents
Birds of the Water
These birds love to hang out near water, whether it's the big lake, marshes, or ponds. They are often great swimmers or waders!
| Common name | Season(s) | Habitat |
|---|---|---|
| Loons | ||
| Common loon | common in the fall | along the lakeshore |
| Grebes | ||
| Pied-billed grebe | spring through fall | marshes and ponds |
| Horned grebe | fall | lakeshore |
| Cormorants | ||
| Double-crested cormorant | abundant in the fall | lakeshore |
| Bitterns and herons | ||
| Great blue heron | common from spring to fall | marshes and ponds |
| Green heron | common from spring to fall | marshes and ponds |
| Black-crowned night heron | common in the spring | marshes |
| Least bittern | summer | marshes |
| Swans, geese and ducks | ||
| Canada goose | abundant year round | lakeshore, marshes and ponds |
| Wood duck | common from spring to fall | swamps |
| American black duck | common in the spring and fall | lakeshore and marshes |
| Long-tailed duck | uncommon in the fall | lakeshore and ponds |
| Mallard | abundant year round | marshes and ponds |
| Blue-winged teal | common in spring and fall | marshes and ponds |
| Gadwall | common in spring and fall | marshes and ponds |
| American wigeon | common in spring and fall | marshes and ponds |
| Redhead | common in spring | lakeshore and ponds |
| Ring-necked duck | common in spring and fall | marshes and ponds |
| Lesser scaup | common in spring | lakeshore and ponds |
| Black scoter | uncommon in spring and fall | lakeshore |
| Common goldeneye | common in spring and fall | lakeshore |
| Bufflehead | common in spring and fall | lakeshore and ponds |
| Red-breasted merganser | common in spring and fall | lakeshore and ponds |
Birds of Prey: Mighty Hunters
These birds are powerful hunters with sharp talons and keen eyesight. They often soar high in the sky looking for their next meal.
| Common name | Season(s) | Habitat |
|---|---|---|
| Vultures | ||
| Turkey vulture | common in spring and summer | seen in flight |
| Hawks | ||
| Sharp-shinned hawk | common in spring | seen in flight |
| Red-shouldered hawk | common in spring | seen in flight |
| Broad-winged hawk | common in spring | seen in flight |
| Red-tailed hawk | common all year | seen in flight |
| Falcons | ||
| American kestrel | common in spring and fall | seen in flight |
Birds on the Ground and Shore
This group includes birds that prefer to walk or run on the ground, often in fields, marshes, or along the beaches.
| Common name | Season(s) | Habitat |
|---|---|---|
| Bobwhite and pheasant | ||
| Northern bobwhite | uncommon all year | wooded areas and fields |
| Rails and coots | ||
| Sora | common in spring | marshes |
| American coot | common in summer | marshes and ponds |
| Cranes | ||
| Sandhill crane | common in spring | usually seen in flight |
| Plovers | ||
| Killdeer | common in summer and fall | marshes and dunes |
| Piping plover | rare in spring and summer | marshes and swamps |
| Sandpipers | ||
| Solitary sandpiper | common in spring | marshes |
| Spotted sandpiper | common in spring and summer | marshes and swamps |
| Sanderling | common in summer | beaches |
| Semipalmated sandpiper | common in summer | beaches and ponds |
| Least sandpiper | common in spring and fall | beaches and ponds |
| Pectoral sandpiper | common in spring | marshes and ponds |
| Dunlin | common in summer | marshes and ponds |
| American woodcock | common in spring and summer | swamps and woods |
| Gulls and terns | ||
| Bonaparte's Gull | common in spring and summer | lake and beach |
| Ring-billed gull | common in winter | lake and beach |
| Herring gull | common in fall | lake and beach |
| Caspian tern | common in spring and fall | lake and beach |
| Forster's tern | common in fall | lake and beach |
Perching Birds: Songbirds and More
This is the largest group of birds! They have special feet that help them grip branches, allowing them to perch easily. Many of them are known for their beautiful songs.
| Common name | Season(s) | Habitat |
|---|---|---|
| Doves | ||
| Mourning dove | common all year | woods and fields |
| Goatsuckers | ||
| Common nighthawk | common in spring and summer | seen in flight |
| Swifts | ||
| Chimney swift | common in spring through the fall | seen in flight |
| Hummingbirds | ||
| Ruby-throated hummingbird | common in the fall | woods |
| Kingfishers | ||
| Kingfishers | common in spring through the fall | marshes and ponds |
| Woodpeckers | ||
| Red-headed woodpecker | common in spring through the fall | woods |
| Red-bellied woodpecker | common in spring and fall | woods |
| Downy woodpecker | summer | woods |
| Northern flicker | common in summer | woods |
| Flycatchers | ||
| Eastern wood pewee | common in spring through the fall | woods |
| Acadian flycatcher | common in spring through the fall | woods |
| Willow flycatcher | common in spring | marshes |
| Least flycatcher | common in spring and summer | woods and wooded edges |
| Eastern phoebe | common in spring | fields, woods, and wooded edges |
| Great crested flycatcher | common in spring and summer | woods |
| Eastern kingbird | common in spring and summer | fields and marshes |
| Swallows | ||
| Purple martin | common in spring through the fall | |
| Tree swallow | common in spring and summer | marshes |
| Bank swallow | common in spring and summer | fields |
| Barn swallow | common in spring through the fall | fields |
| Jays and crows | ||
| Blue jay | abundant all year | woods |
| American crow | common all year | all areas |
| Titmice | ||
| Black-capped chickadee | common all year | woods |
| Tufted titmouse | common all year | woods |
| Cuckoos | ||
| Yellow-billed cuckoo | uncommon in summer | woods |
| Nuthatches | ||
| Red-breasted nuthatch | uncommon to rare year round | woods |
| White-breasted nuthatch | common all year | woods |
| Creeper | ||
| Brown creeper | common in spring and fall | woods |
| Wrens | ||
| House wren | common spring through fall | woods |
| Marsh wren | common spring through fall | marshes |
| Old World warblers, thrushes and allies | ||
| Golden-crowned kinglet | common spring and fall | woods |
| Ruby-crowned kinglet | common spring through fall | woods |
| Eastern bluebird | common spring | woods |
| Veery | common spring through fall | woods |
| Hermit thrush | common spring and fall | woods |
| Wood thrush | common spring and summer | woods |
| Swainson's thrush | uncommon in May and September | woods |
| American robin | spring through fall | fields |
| Mockingbirds and thrashers | ||
| Gray catbird | common summer and fall | wooded edges |
| Brown thrasher | common spring | woods |
| Waxwing | ||
| Cedar waxwing | common spring and fall | woods and marshes |
| Starlings | ||
| European starling | common all year | common in all habitats |
| Vireos | ||
| Yellow-throated vireo | common spring and summer | woods |
| Warbling vireo | common spring | wooded edges |
| Red-eyed vireo | common spring through fall | woods |
| Blue-headed vireo | common spring through summer | woods |
| Warblers | ||
| Blue-winged warbler | common spring | wooded edges |
| Tennessee warbler | common spring and fall | woods |
| Golden-winged warbler | common spring and summer | woods |
| Nashville warbler | common spring and fall | woods |
| Yellow warbler | common summer | wooded edges and marshes |
| Chestnut-sided warbler | common spring | wooded edges and woods |
| Magnolia warbler | common spring and fall | woods |
| Cape May warbler | common spring and summer | woods |
| Black-throated green warbler | common spring and fall | woods |
| Blackburnian warbler | common spring | woods |
| Palm warbler | common spring and fall | wooded edges and marshes |
| Bay-breasted warbler | common spring and fall | woods |
| Blackpoll warbler | common spring and fall | woods |
| Cerulean warbler | common spring and summer | woods |
| Black and white warbler | common spring and fall | woods |
| American redstart | common summer and fall | woods |
| Ovenbird | common spring and summer | woods |
| Northern waterthrush | common spring and fall | wooded edges and marshes |
| Common yellowthroat | common fall | marshes |
| Wilson's warbler | common spring and summer | woods |
| Canada warbler | common spring | woods |
| Tanager | ||
| Scarlet tanager | common spring and summer | woods |
| Cardinal and buntings | ||
| Northern cardinal | common all year | woody edges |
| Rose-breasted grosbeak | common from spring through fall | woods |
| Indigo bunting | common spring and summer | woody edges |
| Sparrows | ||
| Eastern towhee previously the rufous-sided towhee | common spring through autumn | woody edges |
| Tree sparrow | common in spring and fall | woody edges, fields and dunes |
| Chipping sparrow | common from spring through fall | woody edges, fields and dunes |
| Field sparrow | common spring and summer | fields, dunes and marshes |
| Fox sparrow | common spring and autumn | woody edges |
| Song sparrow | common in spring through fall | woody edges, marshes |
| Swamp sparrow | common from spring through fall | marshes |
| White-throated sparrow | common spring and fall | woody edges |
| Dark-eyed junco | abundant except in the summer | woody edges |
| Bobolink | common in spring | fields |
| Blackbirds and orioles | ||
| Red-winged blackbird | abundant from spring through autumn | marshes |
| Eastern meadowlark | common from spring through autumn | fields |
| Common grackle | abundant from spring through autumn | marshes and fields |
| Brown-headed cowbird | common in spring and summer | woods |
| Baltimore oriole or northern oriole | common in spring and summer | woods |
| Finches | ||
| Purple finch | common in spring and autumn | woods |
| House finch | abundant all year | urban |
| American goldfinch | common all year | woody edges and fields |
| Weaver finches | ||
| House sparrow | abundant all year | urban |
Where Can You Spot These Birds?
Birds live in different places, called habitats. The Indiana Dunes have many types of habitats, which is why so many different birds can be found here! To learn more about these habitats, check out Habitats of the Indiana Dunes.
Lake and Beaches
You can reach the beaches of Lake Michigan from several spots. From east to west, these include Central Avenue, Lakeview (in Beverly Shores), Kemil Road Beach, Indiana Dunes State Park (there's an admission fee), Cowles Bog Trail (a 2.5 mile or 4 km walk with a climb), West Beach (admission fee), Wells Street Beach (parking fee), Marquette Park, and Lake Street Beach.
Dunes
The sandy dunes are a unique habitat. You can explore them at Mt. Baldy (it's a steep climb!), Indiana Dunes State Park (admission fee), and West Beach (admission fee).
Fields
Open fields are great for spotting certain birds. The Calumet Bike Trail runs through the park and has parking at places like Mineral Springs Road and U.S. 12 in the Pines. The Chellberg Farm, off Mineral Springs Road and U.S. 20, also has several farm fields.
Woods
Forests are home to many perching birds. Good places to explore include Indiana Dunes State Park (trails #9 and #10), the Ly-Co-Ki-We horsetrail off U.S. 20, Miller Woods on Lake Street in Gary, and The Bailly/Chellberg trail in Porter.
Ponds
Ponds are small bodies of water where birds like to drink and find food. Long Lake is easy to get to from West Beach, near the Lake/Porter County Line Road. Miller Woods also has many small ponds.
Marshes
Marshes are wetlands with lots of grasses and reeds. The Great Marsh is a huge marsh that stretches from Dune Acres (off Mineral Springs Road) east to East State Park Road (Kemil Road).
Swamps
Swamps are wetlands with trees. The Great Marsh restoration area in Beverly Shores (along Beverly Drive, east and west of Broadway) is a good swamp spot. Trail #2 in the State Park also goes through a large swampy area.
Conifers and Wooded Edges
These areas are a mix of pine trees (conifers) and the edges where woods meet open spaces. They are found in many places throughout the park, often mixed in with other habitats.
See also
