Birds

dark eyed junco in tree — Dark eyed junco
NPS Photo / Kyle Burton

Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park is home to a diverse range of bird species, encompassing seasonal visitors, migratory passersby, and year-round residents in Vermont. A number of different song birds can be heard during the summer, including the Hermit Thrush, the Vermont state bird. On the Pogue, the park's 14-acre pond, Great Blue herons fish for bass. At night, the forest is the home of many different owl species, including the Barred owl, which is commonly seen in the park.

Habitats and Conservation

The variety of habitats within the park supports a wide range of bird species. The trails provide excellent opportunities for birdwatching, allowing visitors to explore different environments. The park's sustainable forestry program plays a crucial role in maintaining habitats for early successional species while conserving forest bird habitats, ensuring a balanced ecosystem for both resident and migratory birds.

Raptors

Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller is home to 17 documented species of raptors, including hawks, owls, eagles, falcons, and vultures.

american redstart on branch, black warbler with orange coloring

Wablers

Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller has 28 documented species of warblers, including ovenbirds, magnolia warblers, and wilson’s warblers.

Woodpeckers

The Mt. Tom forest is home to northern flickers, pileated woodpeckers, downy woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, and yellow-bellied sapsuckers.

Bobolinks

Bobolink monitoring is conducted annually to ensure fledging occurs before fields are hayed, supporting their nesting success.

Ruffed Grouse

Ruffed Grouse are non-migratory and stay in the park throughout the winter.

Ovenbirds

The ovenbird's migration cycles in spring and fall are tracked through phenology monitoring, revealing changes in the forest.

Northeast Temperate Network (NETN) Program

The Northeast Temperate Network (NETN) monitors a variety of natural resource indicators, called vital signs, for 12 parks in the northeast and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. Explore the NETN webpage for a full checklist of birds of Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller.

Species Spotlight Articles

Great Horned Owl - Species Spotlight

With its large size, long ear tufts, big yellow eyes, and classic hooting call - this is the quintessential owl.
Ruffled Grouse - Species Spotlight

Sporting supreme camouflage during the spring, summer and fall, a Ruffed Grouse can be very hard for hunters (human or otherwise) to spot...
Species Spotlight Turkey & Black Vulture

The Black Vulture, along with its close relative the Turkey Vulture, provides the invaluable service of cleaning up our roadsides & forests
Hummingbirds - Species Spotlight Article

Possessing the ability to hover, fly forwards, backwards, straight-up, even upside-down, and at speeds up to 60 miles-per-hour when diving
Species Spotlight - Hermit Thrush

The state bird of Vermont and a little smaller than a Robin, the Hermit Thrush has grey-brown upper parts and a contrasting white underside.
Species Spotlight Sharp-Shinned Hawk

“Sharpie’s” are the smallest of three North American agile hawks known as the accipiters (ah-sip-it-ers).
Species Spotlight - American Woodcock

The American Woodcock is a stout, short-legged shorebird with a long and straight bill.