Birds of the Indiana Dunes
The area covered by this list is bounded by Michigan City and Westville on the east,
U.S. Highway 6 on the south, and Indiana Highway 51 and Miller woods on the west
1997 Revision by Kenneth Brock author of
"Birds of the Indiana Dunes" and Helen Dancey.
Table #1 Group Index
Select One
LOONS
GREBES
CORMORANTS
BITTERNS & HERONS
SWANS, GEESE, & DUCKS
VULTURES
HAWKS
FALCONS
BOBWHITE  & PHEASANT
RAILS & COOTS
CRANES
PLOVERS
AVOCETS
SANDPIPERS
 Table #2
This list of symbols and corresponding meanings are used in the table.

For a better explanation click on the symbol's underlined word.

S-Spring (March-May)
S-Summer (June-August)
F-Fall (September-November)
W-Winter (December-February)
  • a - abundant 
  • c - common
  • u - uncommon
  • r -  rare
  • x - accidental
  • i - irregular
  • * - Breeds within area
    •
  • l-lake  
  • b-beach   
  • d-dunes  
  • f-field  
  • w-woods  
  • p-ponds  
  • m-marsh  
  • s-swamps  
  • c-conifers 
  • we-wooded edges 
  • h-harbor

    • Blank

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    Table #1

     
    LOONS
    S
    S
    F
    W
    Habitat
    Return
    to
    Index
    Red-throated Loon
    x
     
     r
    x
     l
     
    Common Loon
    u
    x
    c
    r
     l
     
    GREBES
    S
    S
    F
    W
    Habitat
    Return
    to 
    Index
    Pied-billed Grebe *
    c
    c
    c
    r
     m,p
     
    Horned Grebe
    u
     
    c
    r
     l,h
     
    Red-necked Grebe
     
     
    x
     
    l
     
    Eared Grebe
     
     
    x
    x
     l,h
     
    Western Grebe
     
     
    x
    x
     l,h
     
    CORMORANTS
    S
    S
    F
    W
    Habitat
    Return
    to 
    Index
    Double-crested Cormorant
    u
    r
    a
    r
    l
    BITTERNS  &  HERONS
    		 S S F
    W
    Habitat
    Return
    to 
    Index
    American Bittern
    r
    r
    x
     
     m
     
    Least Bittern *
    r
    r
     r
     
     m
     
    Great Blue Heron *
    c
    c
    c
    x
     m,p
     
    Great Egret
    u
    r
    u
     
     m
     
    Little Blue Heron
    r
    r
    x 
     
     m
     
    Cattle Egret
    x
    r
    x
    r
    f, p
     
    Green Heron *
    c
    c
    c
     
    m, p
     
    Black-Crowned Night Heron
    c
    u
    u
     
    m
     
    Yellow-Crowned Night Heron
    x
    x
    x
     
    m
     
    SWANS, GEESE  &  DUCKS
    S
    S
    F
    W
    Habitat
    Return
    to 
    Index
    Tundra Swan
     
     
    r
    x
    l,p
     
    Mute Swan
    r
     
    r
     
    l,p 
     
    Snow Goose
     
     
     u
    x 
     
     
    Brant
     
     
     x
    x
    l,p 
     
    Canada Goose *
    a
    a
    a
    a
    l,m,p 
     
    Wood Duck *
    c
    c
    c
    r
    s 
     
    Green-winged Teal
    u 
     
    u 
    r 
    m,p 
     
    Black Duck
    c 
    x 
    c 
    u 
    l,m 
     
    Mallard *
    c 
    c 
    c 
    a 
    m,h,p 
     
    Northern Pintail
    u 
     
    u 
    r 
     m,p
     
    Blue-winged Teal *
    c 
    u 
    c 
     
     m,p
     
    Northern Shoveler
    u 
     
    u 
    x 
     m,p
     
    Gadwall
    c 
     
    c 
    u 
     m,p
     
    American Wigeon
    c 
     
    c 
    r 
     m,p
     
    Canvasback
    u 
     
    u 
    u 
    m,h,p 
     
    Redhead
    c 
     
    u 
    r 
    l,h,p 
     
    Ring-necked Duck
    c 
     
    c 
    r 
     m,h,p
     
    Greater Scaup
    u 
     
    u 
    c 
     l,h,p
     
    Lesser Scaup
    c 
     
    c 
    u 
     l,h,p
     
    Harlequin Duck
     
     
     
    r 
     h
     
    Oldsquaw
     
     
     
    r 
    l
     
    Black Scoter
    x 
     
    u 
    r 
     l
     
    Surf Scoter
    x 
     
    u 
    r 
     l
     
    White-winged Scoter
    r 
     
    u 
    r 
     l
     
    Common Goldeneye
    c 
     
    c 
    a 
     l,h
     
    Bufflehead
    c 
     
     c
    a 
    l,h 
     
    Hooded Merganser
    u 
     
    u 
    r 
     m
     
    Common Merganser
    u 
     
    u 
    c 
    l
     
    Red-breasted Merganser
    c 
     
    c 
    u 
     l,p
     
    Ruddy Duck
    u 
    x 
    u 
    r 
     l,h,p
     
    VULTURES
    S
    S
    F
    W
    Habitat
    Return
    to 
    Index
    Turkey Vulture
    c 
    c 
    u 
    x 
     
     
    HAWKS
     S
    S
    F
    W
     Habitat 
    Return
    to 
    Index
    Osprey
    u 
     
     u
     
     
     
    Bald Eagle
    r
     
    r
    x
     
     
    Northern Harrier
    u 
    r 
    u 
    r 
     
     
    Sharp-shinned Hawk
    c 
     
    u 
    r 
     
     
    Cooper's Hawk *
    u 
    r 
    r 
    r 
     w
     
    Red-shouldered Hawk *
    c 
    r 
    u 
    r 
     
     
    Broad-winged Hawk *
    c 
    r 
    u 
     
     
     
    Red-tailed Hawk *
    c 
    c 
    c 
    c 
     
     
    Rough-Legged Hawk
    u
     
    u 
    u 
     
     
    Golden Eagle
    x 
     
    x 
     
     
     
    FALCONS
    S
    S
    F
    W
    Habitat
    Return
    to 
    Index
    American Kestrel *
    c 
    u 
    c 
    u 
     
     
    Merlin
    r 
     
    r 
     
     
     
    Peregrine Falcon
    u 
    u 
    u 
    u 
     
     
    BOBWHITE & PHEASANT
     S
     S
     F
     W
     Habitat 
    Return
    to 
    Index
    Northern Bobwhite *
    u 
    u 
    u 
    u 
     w,f
     
    Ring-necked Pheasant  *
    u 
    u 
    u 
    u 
     f
     
    RAILS & COOTS
    S 
    S 
    F 
    W 
    Habitat
    Return
    to 
    Index
    Yellow Rail
    r 
     
     
     
    m 
     
    King Rail *
    r 
    r 
    r 
     
    m
     
    Virginia Rail *
    u 
    u 
    u 
    r 
    m 
     
    Sora *
    c 
    u 
    u 
     
    m 
     
    Common Moorhen *
    r 
    r 
    r 
     
    m 
     
    American Coot *
    a 
    c 
    a 
    r 
     m,p,h
     
    CRANES
    S 
    S 
    F
    W
     Habitat
    Return
    to 
    Index
    Sandhill Crane
    c 
     
    r 
     
     
     
    PLOVERS
    S 
    S 
    F 
    W
     Habitat
    Return
    to 
    Index
    Black-bellied Plover
    u 
    r 
    u
     
     b,p
     
    Lesser Golden Plover
    u 
     
    r 
     
     f,p
     
    Semipalmated Plover
    u 
    r 
    u 
     
     b,p
     
    Piping Plover
    x 
    x 
    x 
     
     b
     
    Kildeer *
    a 
    c 
    c 
    r 
     m,d
     
    AVOCETS
    S
    S
    F
    W
    Habitat
    Return
    to 
    Index
    American Avocet
    x 
    r 
    r 
     
     b
     
    SANDPIPERS
    S
    S
    F
    W
    Habitat
    Return
    to 
    Index
    Greater Yellowlegs
     u
     r
     r
     
    m,p 
     
    Lesser Yellowlegs
    u 
    u 
    u 
     
    m,p 
     
    Solitary Sandpiper
    c 
    u 
    u
     
    m 
     
    Willet
    r 
    u 
    r 
     
     b
     
    Spotted Sandpiper *
    c 
    c 
    u 
     
     m,s
     
    Upland Sandpiper
    r 
     
     
     
    f 
     
    Whimbrel
    x 
    x 
    r 
     
    b
     
    Marbled Godwit
    x 
    x 
    x 
     
    b,f 
     
    Ruddy Turnstone
    u 
    r 
    u 
     
     b,h
     
    Red Knot
     
    r 
    r 
     
    b
     
    Sanderling
    r 
    c 
    a 
    x 
       b 
    Return
    to 
    Index
    Semipalmated Sandpiper
    u
    r
    c
     
    b,h,p
    Least Sandpiper
    c
    u
    c
     
    b,p
    Baird's Sandpiper
     
     
    r
     
    b,p
    Pectoral Sandpiper 
    c
    r
    u
     
    m,p
    Purple Sandpiper
     
     
    r
    r
    h
    Dunlin
    u 
     
    c 
     
    b,p 
    Buff-breasted Sandpiper
     
     
    x 
     
    b,p,f 
    Short-billed Sandpiper
     
    r 
    r 
     
    p 
    Common Snipe
    u 
     r
    u 
    r 
     m,p
    American Woodcock *
    c 
    c 
    u 
     
     s,w
    Wilson's Phalarope
    x 
    x 
    x 
     
    p 
    Red Phalarope
     
     
    x 
     
    l,h 
    Return
     

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

     


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    I-lake, b-beach - The easiest access points to the
    lake are Central Avenue, Kemil Road (State Park
    Road), Indiana Dunes State Park
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    d-dunes - Mt Baldy, grassy dunes behind the
    beach in the State Park, and at West Beach.
    Back to List
    f-field - Open areas along the Calumet Bike Trail
    and the Ly-Co-Ki-We green trail, Chellberg Farm,
    and cultivated fields south of Highway 20.
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    w-woods - Trails 9 and 10 in the State Park, Ly-
    Co-Ki-We horsetrails, trails at Bailly/Chellberg,
    and Miller woods.
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    p-ponds - Long Lake, interdunal ponds at West
    Beach, Miller Woods, and along the Cowles Bog Trail.
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    m-marsh - Marshes off Mineral Springs Road
    north of Highway 12, off kemil Road (State Park
    Road) between Beverly Drive and Kemil Beach
    parking lot and around long Lake.
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    s-swamps - Trail 2 in the State Park, off Kemil
    Road (State Park Road) north of Highway 12,
    along Beverly Drive, and many areas surrounding
    the Little Calumet River.
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    c-conifers, we~wooded edges - Scattered
    throughout the area.
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    h-harbor - Michigan City Harbor and the Port of Indiana.
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    blanks - Where no habitat is given, the species is usually seen in flight.
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