Birds at Fort Washington Park

Pileated woodpeckers can be identified by their large size and bright red hammerhead.

NPS/MJGarcia

Birding begins as soon as you exit your vehicle, in the parking lot. Yearlong residents’ American crows, Northern Mockingbirds, Pileated woodpeckers gather in the trees that grow along the park’s parking spaces. Fort Washington is near several commercial and military airports, so air traffic is loud for a natural area. Studies have shown that birds in urban areas sing and call louder than their relatives who live in quiet natural areas and it seems this is true for Fort Washington Park’s birds.

Eastern Phoebes and Barn Swallows make their home in Battery Decatur, the oldest battery of the park’s 8-unit Endicott System. Bald Eagles are year-round residents, maintaining nests along the park’s perimeter trails, high in the trees.

 

There are nesting pairs of Bald Eagles at Fort Washington Park.

NPS/MJGarcia

Carolina Chickadees, Tufted titmice, White Breasted Nuthatches and Carolina Wrens are small but mighty in presence year-round. They can be spotted and heard along on every path from the visitor center to the fort and along the hiking trail.

Mallards are year-round residents of Fort Washington's coast. Buffleheads, Ruddy Ducks and Lesser Scaups can be spotted visiting Fort Washington's coast in small groups in winter and larger groups during spring and summer.

 

Hooded Mergansers can be seen floating along the Potomac River.

NPS/MJGarcia

 

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Species Attribute Definitions

Definitions

Occurrence

Occurrence values are defined below. One or more Occurrence Tags may be associated with each Occurrence value.

Present: Species occurs in park; current, reliable evidence available.

Probably Present: High confidence species occurs in park but current, verified evidence needed.

Unconfirmed: Species is attributed to park but evidence is weak or absent.

Not In Park: Species is not known to occur in park.

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Occurrence Tags

Adjacent: Species is known to occur in areas near to or contiguous with park boundaries.

False Report: Species was reported to occur within the park, but current evidence indicates the report was based on misidentification, a taxonomic concept no longer accepted, or other similar problem of error or interpretation.

Historical: Species' historical occurrence in park is documented. Assigned based on judgment as opposed to determination based on age of the most recent evidence.

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Abundance

Abundant:

• Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, and counted in relatively large numbers.
• Plants: Large number of individuals; wide ecological amplitude or occurring in habitats covering a large portion of the park.

Common:

• Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, but not in large numbers.
• Plants: Large numbers of individuals predictably occurring in commonly encountered habitats but not those covering a large portion of the park.

Uncommon:

• Animals: Likely to be seen monthly in appropriate habitat and season. May be locally common.
• Plants: Few to moderate numbers of individuals; occurring either sporadically in commonly encountered habitats or in uncommon habitats.

Rare:

• Animals: Present, but usually seen only a few times each year.
• Plants: Few individuals, usually restricted to small areas of rare habitat.

Occasional:

• Animals: Occurs in the park at least once every few years, varying in numbers, but not necessarily every year.
• Plants: Abundance variable from year to year (e.g., desert plants).

Unknown: Abundance unknown

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Nativeness

Native: Species naturally occurs in park or region.

Non-native: Species occurs on park lands as a result of deliberate or accidental human activities.

Unknown: Nativeness status is unknown or ambiguous.

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List Differences

The Checklist contains only those species that are designated as "present" or "probably present" in the park.

The Full List includes all the checklist species in addition to species that are unconfirmed, historically detected, or incorrectly reported as being found in the park. The full list also contains species that are "in review" because their status in the park hasn't been fully determined. Additional details about the status of each species is included in the full list.

The checklist will almost always contain fewer species than the full list.

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Species attribute definitions

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