Huntington Beach State Park

The 2500 acres which comprise Huntington Beach State Park include 1060 acres of salt marsh
and tidal waters, 750 acres of woodlands, 90 acres of freshwater lagoon, 400 acres of maritime
shrub thicket and 200 acres of sandy beach and dunes.

The diversity of habitat at Huntington Beach State Park provides for the corresponding
diversity of bird life. During almost any month, and especially in fall and winter when waterfowl
populations are increased, a full day of birdwatching can yield 100 or more species.

Please report any sightings of birds not listed or shown in season to: the park naturalist at
Huntington Beach State Park, 16148 Ocean Highway, Murrells Inlet, S.C. 29576.

This list provided by the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism and
downloaded from Columbia Audubon Society at www.columbia-audubon.org. Posted to the web
on October 15, 2001.

Seasonal occurrences are coded as follows:

Spring - March - May

Summer - June - August
Fall - September - November
Winter - December - February

A - Abundant - greatest relative numbers.

C - Common.
U - Uncommon.
R - Rare - lowest relative numbers.
X - Exceptional - recorded only once or twice.

SPECIES .............................. S S F W
Loons
______Red-Throated Loon...... C _ C C
______Common Loon............. C _ C A

Grebes
______Pied-Billed Grebe......... C C C C
______Horned Grebe............... U _ U C
______Red-necked Grebe........ R _ _ R
______Eared Grebe.................. _ _ _ R

Shearwaters and Petrals

______Greater Shearwater....... _ X _ _
______Audubon's Shearwater.. _ X _ _
______Wilson’s Storm-Petrel. . _ R _ _

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______Magnificent Frigatebird _ X _ _
Gannet
______Northern Gannet........... U _ U C

Pelicans
______Brown Pelican.............. C C C C
______American White Pelican X _ X X

Cormorants
______Great Cormorant........... _ _ R U
______Double-Crested Cormorant U U A C

Anhinga
______Anhinga........................ U U U U

Herons and Bitterns

______American Bittern.......... U U U U
______Least Bittern................. C C C _
______Great Blue Heron......... C C C C
______Great Egret................... C C C C
______Snowy Egret................. C C C C
______Little Blue Heron.......... U U U U
______Tricolored Heron.......... C C C C
______Reddish Egret............... _ R X _
______Cattle Egret.................. U R U R
______Green-Backed Heron.... C C C R
______Black-Crowned Night Heron C C C C
_____Yellow-Crowned Night Heron C C C R

Ibises and Spoonbills

______White Ibis..................... C C C C
______Glossy Ibis................... U C U R
______Roseate Spoonbill......... _ X _ _
Storks
______Wood Stork.................. R U R _

Swans, Geese and Ducks

______Fulvous Whistling-Duck _ X X X
______Tundra Swan................ R _ R C
______Snow Goose................. _ _ R R
______Brant............................. _ _ X X
______Canada Goose.............. _ _ R U
______Wood Duck.................. U U U C
______Green-Winged Teal...... U R U C
______American Black Duck. . U R U U
______Mallard......................... U _ U U
______Northern Pintail............ U _ U U
______Blue-Winged Teal........ U R U C
______Cinnamon Teal............. _ _ X _
______Northern Shoveler........ U _ U U
______Gadwall........................ U _ U C

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______Eurasian Wigeon.......... _ _ _ X
______American Wigeon........ U _ U C
______Canvasback.................. U _ U C
______Redhead........................ R _ R U
______Ring-Necked Duck....... C _ C C
______Greater Scaup............... _ _ R R
______Lesser Scaup................ U _ U U
______Common Eider............. _ _ _ R
______King Eider.................... _ _ _ X
______Harlequin Duck............ _ _ _ R
______Oldsquaw..................... U _ U U
______Black Scoter................. U R U C
______Surf Scoter................... U _ U U
______White-Winged Scoter... U _ R U
______Common Goldeneye..... _ _ _ R
______Bufflehead.................... U _ U C
______Hooded Merganser....... U _ U C
______Common Merganser..... _ _ _ R
______Red-Breasted Merganser U _ U C
______Ruddy Duck................. U _ U C

American Vultures
______Black Vulture............... U U U U
______Turkey Vulture............. C C C C

Eagles, Kites and Hawks

______Osprey.......................... C C U R
______Swallow-Tailed Kite.... _ X _ _
______Bald Eagle.................... C R C C
______Northern Harrier........... U _ U C
______Sharp-Shinned Hawk.... U _ U C
______Cooper’s Hawk............. _ R _ U
______Red-Shouldered Hawk. U C C U
______Broad-Winged Hawk.... R _ U R
______Red-Tailed Hawk......... U U U C

Falcons
______American Kestrel......... U R C C
______Merlin........................... U _ U U
______Peregrine Falcon........... _ _ R U

Quails and Pheasants

______Northern Bobwhite....... U U U U

Rails, Gallinules and Coots

______Clapper Rail................. C C C C
______King Rail...................... _ _ _ R
______Virginia Rail................. R _ R R
______Sora.............................. U R U U
______Purple Gallinule........... _ R _ _
______Common Moorhen....... C C C U

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______American Coot............. C U C A

Cranes
______Sandhill Crane.............. X _ _ _

Plovers
______Black-Bellied Plover.... C U U C
______Lesser Golden Plover... R _ R _
______Wilson’s Plover............ U C U C
______Semipalmated Plover.... C U C C
______Piping Plover................ U U U C
______Killdeer........................ U C U U

Oystercatchers
______American Oystercatcher U C U U

Stilts and Avocets

______Black-Necked Stilt....... U U R X
______American Avocet......... _ R R X

Sandpipers
______Greater Yellowlegs....... U U U C
______Lesser Yellowlegs........ U U U U
______Spotted Redshank......... _ _ _ X
______Solitary Sandpiper........ U _ R _
______Willet........................... C C C C
______Spotted Sandpiper........ U C U U
______Whimbrel..................... U U C U
______Long-Billed Curlew...... _ _ X _
______Hudsonian Godwit....... _ X X _
______Marbled Godwit........... _ R U R
______Common Snipe............. U _ U U
______American Woodcock.... _ _ _ R
______Ruddy Turnstone.......... U C C A
______Red Knot...................... C U C U
______Sanderling.................... C C C C
______Semipalmated Sandpiper U U U R
______Western Sandpiper....... U U C A
______Least Sandpiper............ U U U C
______White-Rumped Sandpiper R _ R R
______Pectoral Sandpiper....... U U U U
______Purple Sandpiper.......... U _ U C
______Dunlin......................... U C U C
______Stilt Sandpiper.............. _ R R _
______Buff-Breasted Sandpiper _ R _ _
______Ruff............................. X _ _ _
______Short-Billed Dowitcher U U U C
______Long-Billed Dowitcher. R _ R R

Phalaropes
______Wilson’s Phalarope...... R _ R R

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______Red Phalarope.............. X _ _ _

Jaegars
______Parasitic Jaeger............. _ X _ R

Gulls
______Laughing Gull.............. C C C U
______Franklin’s Gull............. _ _ X _
______Common Black-Headed Gull X _ X _
______Bonaparte’s Gull.......... U R U C
______Ring-Billed Gull........... U U C A
______Herring Gull................. U U U C
______Lesser Black-Backed Gull _ _ _ X
______Glaucous Gull.............. _ _ _ X
______Great Black-Backed Gull R _ R U

Terns
______Gull-Billed Tern........... U U U R
______Caspian Tern................ C U C C
______Royal Tern................... C C C C
______Sandwich Tern............. U U U U
______Common Tern.............. U U U U
______Forster’s Tern............... U R U C
______Least Tern.................... U C C _
______Black Tern.................... U U C _
______Black Skimmer............. C C C U

Auks and Puffins

______Marbled Murrelet......... _ _ _ X
______Razorbill....................... _ _ _ X
______Black Guillemot........... X _ _ X

Pigeons and Doves

______Rock Dove................... R R R R
______Mourning Dove............ U C C U
______Common Ground Dove U U U C

Cuckoos
______Yellow-Billed Cuckoo.. U C U _

Owls
______Eastern Screech-Owl.... C C U U
______Great Horned Owl........ U U U U
______Burrowing Owl............. _ X _ _
______Barred Owl................... U U U U
______Short-Eared Owl........... _ _ R R

Night Jars
______Common Nighthawk.... U C R _
______Chuck-Will’s-Widow... U C _ _
______Whip-Poor-Will............ _ _ _ X

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Swifts
______Chimney Swift............. U C U _

Hummingbirds
_____Ruby-Throated Hummingbird U C U _

Kingfishers
______Belted Kingfisher......... C U C C

Woodpeckers
______Red-Headed Woodpecker C C C C
______Red-Bellied Woodpecker C C C C
______Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker U _ U C
______Downy Woodpecker..... U U U U
______Hairy Woodpecker....... U U U U
______Red-Cockaded Woodpecker R R R R
______Northern Flicker........... C C C C
______Pileated Woodpecker.... U U U U

Tyrant Flycatchers
______Eastern Wood-Pewee. . . U C U _
______Acadian Flycatcher....... U C U _
______Eastern Phoebe............. U _ U U
______Vermilion Flycatcher.... X _ _ _
______Great-Crested Flycatcher C C U _
______Western Kingbird......... X _ X X
______Eastern Kingbird.......... U U U _
______Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher _ X X _

Swallows
______Purple Martin............... U C U _
______Tree Swallow............... C U A R
_Northern Rough-Winged Swallow U U C R
______Bank Swallow.............. U R R _
______Cliff Swallow............... R _ R _
______Barn Swallow............... U C C R

Jays and Crows

______Blue Jay........................ C C C C
______American Crow............ U U U C
______Fish Crow..................... C C C C

Titmouse and Chickadees

______Carolina Chickadee...... C C C C
______Tufted Titmouse........... C C C C

Nuthatches
______Red-Breasted Nuthatch. R _ _ R
______White-Breasted Nuthatch R R R R
______Brown-Headed Nuthatch C C C C

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Creepers
______Brown Creeper............. U _ R C

Wrens
______Carolina Wren (State Bird) C C C C
______House Wren.................. U _ R U
______Winter Wren................. U _ R U
______Sedge Wren.................. U _ R U
______Marsh Wren.................. U U U U

Kinglets and Thrushes

______Golden-Crowned Kinglet U _ U U
______Ruby-Crowned Kinglet C _ U C
______Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher. U C U R
______Eastern Bluebird........... U U U C
______Veery............................ U _ _ _
______Gray-Cheeked Thrush. . R _ _ _
______Hermit Thrush.............. U _ U C
______Wood Thrush................ U C U R
______American Robin........... U R U C

Mimic Thrushes
______Gray Catbird................. C U U C
______Northern Mockingbird.. C C C C
______Brown Thrasher............ C C C C

Pipits and Wagtails

______American Pipit............. U _ R U
______Sprague’s Pipit............. _ _ X _

Waxwings
______Cedar Waxwing............ C _ U A

Shrikes
______Loggerhead Shrike....... U U U U

Starlings
______European Starling......... C C C C

Vireos
______White-Eyed Vireo........ U C U _
______Solitary Vireo............... R _ R U
______Yellow-Throated Vireo R U R _
______Red-Eyed Vireo............ U U U _

Wood Warblers
______Blue-Winged Warbler. . R _ _ _
______Tennessee Warbler....... _ _ U _
______Orange-Crowned Warbler _ _ _ U
______Northern Parula............ U C U _

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______Yellow Warbler............ U _ C _
______Cape May Warbler....... _ _ U _
______Black-Throated Blue Warbler U _ U
______Yellow-Rumped Warbler C _ C A
___Black-Throated Green Warbler R R U _
______Blackburnian Warbler. . U _ _ _
______Yellow-Throated Warbler U C U _
______Pine Warbler................ C C C C
______Prairie Warbler............. U U U R
______Palm Warbler............... U _ C U
______Blackpoll Warbler........ U _ _ _
______Cerulean Warbler......... R _ _ _
______Black-and-White Warbler U U C U
______American Redstart........ U U C _
______Prothonotary Warbler... R R R _
______Swainson’s Warbler..... R _ _ _
______Ovenbird...................... _ _ U _
______Common Yellowthroat. U C C U
______Hooded Warbler........... U U U _
______Wilson's Warbler.......... R _ _ X
______Yellow-Breasted Chat. . U C U _

Grosebeaks, Buntings and Sparrows

______Northern Cardinal......... C C C C
______Rose-Breasted Grosbeak U _ U _
______Blue Grosbeak.............. U U U _
______Indigo Bunting............. C U U _
______Painted Bunting............ U U U _
______Dickcissel..................... X _ _ _
______Rufous-Sided Towhee. . C C C C
______Chipping Sparrow........ U _ U C
______Field Sparrow............... U _ U C
______Vesper Sparrow............ _ _ _ R
______Lark Sparrow................ _ _ R _
______Lark Bunting................ _ _ X _
______Savannah Sparrow........ U _ U C
______Grasshopper Sparrow... _ _ X _
______Le Conte’s Sparrow...... _ _ R R
______Sharp-Tailed Sparrow. . U _ U C
______Seaside Sparrow........... U C C U
______Fox Sparrow................. U _ U U
______Song Sparrow............... U _ U C
______Swamp Sparrow........... U _ U U
______White-Throated Sparrow C _ U C
______White-Crowned Sparrow _ _ X _
______Dark-Eyed Junco.......... U _ U C
______Lapland Longspur........ _ _ R R
______Snow Bunting............... _ _ X R

Blackbirds and Orioles

______Bobolink....................... U _ U _

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______Red-Winged Blackbird. C C C A
______Eastern Meadowlark..... U _ U U
______Rusty Blackbird............ _ _ R R
______Boat-Tailed Grackle..... C C C C
______Common Grackle......... C C C C
______Brown-Headed Cowbird C U U U
______Summer Tanager.......... U C U
______Orchard Oriole............. U C U _
______Northern Oriole............ _ R U _

Finches
______Purple Finch................. U _ _ U
______House Finch................. _ _ U _
______Pine Siskin................... _ _ _ R
______American Goldfinch..... U R R U
______Evening Grosbeak........ _ _ _ U

House Sparrow
______House Sparrow............. U U U U