The Region
Featured Bird
Mountain Bluebird
A common sight in ranchland and other open areas of the Chicken Dance Trail, the male Mountain Bluebird is a breathtaking brilliant sky blue. It prefers more open havitats and scattered trees. Look for them in the Loess Canyon region.
The Medicine Creek Adventure
Download a Medicine Creek Printable Trail Map
Approximate GPS Coordinates:
40.250774 N
-99.632851 S
View Google Maps
Oxford Park
We begin the Medicine Creek Adventure at Oxford Park in Oxford. Oxford Park is located just south of the town, on the west side of Nebraska Highway 46. With
plenty of turn-of-the-century deciduous trees and winding primitive trails, it’s a big area
and a good place to look for red-headed and other woodpeckers, vireos, king birds and other
woodland dwellers, especially during the spring and summer.
When you’re through exploring Oxford Park, it’s time to jump back in the car and head west on U.S. 136 toward Arapahoe. At the junction with U.S. Highways 6 and 34, turn left.
Use buttons to scroll and zoom the map.
Click on stars throughout the map for more information on that area.
40.299412 N
-99.896879 S
View Google Maps
Arapahoe Sewage Lagoons
The Arapahoe lagoons are an excellent place to
check for woodpeckers, waxwings, terns and other water fowl and shorebirds.
Once you get into Arapahoe, turn south on U.S. 283 to get to the lagoons. You’ll see the lagoons off to the west. Look for a gated road leading around to the north side of the lagoons for the best viewing spots.
Approximate GPS Coordinates:40.287612 N
-100.12167 S
View Google Maps
Cambridge Diversion Dam
Although our ultimate goal today is the Medicine Creek State Recreation Area, another stop worth
making along the way is the Cambridge Diversion Dam Wildlife Management Area located two miles
east of Cambridge. There you’ll find some 21 acres of grassland bordering the Republican
River and brushy bottomland along with some great views of the river.
The Cambridge Diversion Dam WMA is a favorite local hangout for a variety of shorebirds and wading birds, including egrets and herons in season, and it’s also a good place to look for vireos, warblers and thrashers.
Learn more about this site at Nebraska Birding Trails.com
Back to map...
40.384834 N
-100.204582 S
View Google Maps
Medicine Creek State Recreation Area and Harry Strunk Lake
Especially if you still have wood ducks and barn owls to check off your birding list, a trip to the Medicine
Creek SRA and Harry Strunk Lake might prove particularly fruitful. Wood ducks are surprisingly common
here and barn owls are known to breed in the area.
To get to Medicine Creek SRA, go west from Cambridge on U.S. 6 and 34, until you reach the junction of Harry Strunk Lake Road. Then go north seven miles to the well-marked entrance.
This is a large area, encompassing over 1,700 acres of reservoir as well as 1,200 acres of upland shrubs and sage. Throughout the Republican Valley, western meadowlarks, Nebraska's state bird, are common, but also look for the eastern meadowlark in the tallgrass prairies, and along wet meadowlands farther west.
Because there are 17 hiking trails, and a great deal of interesting and varied upland habitat, thoroughly birding the Medicine Creek SRA could take hours or days. We should also warn you that there is a park entry permit required for the State Recreation Area, but these can be purchased onsite for the day or season.
Learn more about this site at Nebraska Birding Trails.com
Back to map...
40.282865 N
-100.168635 S
View Google Maps
Back in Cambridge
Back in Cambridge, we decide to stroll along the trails in the Cambridge Park, on Highways 6 and 34
to enjoy the colorful flower garden and sculptures. The 1.2 mile Medicine Creek walking trail crosses
Medicine Creek twice and in summer attracts a wide variety of songbirds and other species.
The Birds of Central and Western Nebraska
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| Avocet, American |
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Bittern, American |
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Blackbird, Brewer's |
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Blackbird, Red-winged |
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| Blackbird, Rusty |
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Blackbird, Yellow-headed |
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Bluebird, Eastern |
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| Bluebird, Mountain |
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Bobolink |
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Bufflehead |
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Bunting, Indigo |
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Bunting, Lark |
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| Bunting, Painted |
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| Bunting, Snow |
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Bunting,Lazuli |
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Canvasback |
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| Cardinal, Northern |
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| Catbird, Gray |
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| Chat, Yellow-breasted |
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Chickadee, Black-capped |
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Coot, American |
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Cormorant, Double-crested |
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Cowbird, Brown-headed |
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Crane, Sandhill |
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| Crane, Whooping |
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| Creeper, Brown |
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| Creeper, Brown |
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| Crossbill, Red |
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| Crossbill, White-winged |
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Crow, American |
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| Cukoo, Black-billed |
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| Cukoo, Yellow-billed |
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Curlew, Long-billed |
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| Dickcissel |
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| Dove, Eurasian Collared |
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Dove, Mourning |
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Dove, Rock |
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| Dowitcher, Long-billed |
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Dowitcher, Short-billed |
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| Duck, American Black |
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| Duck, Black-bellied Whistling |
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Duck, Gadwall |
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| Duck, Garganey |
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Duck, Mallard |
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| Duck, Ring-necked |
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| Duck, Ruddy |
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Duck, Wood |
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| Dunlin |
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Eagle, Bald |
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Eagle, Golden |
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| Egret, Cattle |
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| Egret, Great |
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| Egret, Snowy | |||||
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Falcon, Peregrine |
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| Falcon, Prairie |
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Finch, House |
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Finch, Purple |
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| Finch, Rosy |
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Flicker, Northern |
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| Flycatcher, Alder |
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| Flycatcher, Great Crested |
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| Flycatcher, Least |
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| Flycatcher, Olive-sided |
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| Flycatcher, Scissor-tailed |
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| Flycatcher, Willow |
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| Flycather, Yellow-bellied |
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| Gallinule, Purple |
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| Gnatcatcher, Blue-gray |
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| Godwit, Hudsonian |
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Godwit, Marbled |
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| Goldeneye, Barrow's |
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Goldeneye, Common |
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Goldfinch, American |
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| Goose, Brant |
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| Goose, Cackling |
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Goose, Canada |
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| Goose, Emperor |
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| Goose, Great White Fronted |
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| Goose, Ross' |
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Goose, Snow |
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Grackle, Common |
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| Grackle, Great-tailed |
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| Grebe, Clark's |
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| Grebe, Eared |
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| Grebe, Horned |
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Grebe, Pied-billed |
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Grebe, Western |
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| Grosbeak, Black-headed |
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| Grosbeak, Blue |
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Grosbeak, Evening |
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| Grosbeak, Pine |
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Grosbeak, Rose-breasted |
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Grouse, Sharp-tailed |
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| Gull, Bonaparte's |
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Gull, California |
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Gull, Franklin's |
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| Gull, Herring |
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| Gull, Lesser Black-backed |
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Gull, Ring-billed |
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| Gull, Thayer |
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| Gyrfalcon |
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| Harrier, Northern |
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| Hawk, Broad-winged |
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Hawk, Cooper's |
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| Hawk, Ferruginous |
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Hawk, Red-tailed |
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Hawk, Rough-legged |
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Hawk, Sharp-shinned |
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Hawk, Swainsons's |
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Heron, black-crowned night |
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Heron, Great blue |
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| Heron, Green |
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| Heron, Litttle Blue |
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| Heron, Tri-colored |
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| Heron, Yellow-crowned Night |
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Hummingbird, Broad-tailed |
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| Hummingbird, Ruby-throated |
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Hummingbird, Rufous |
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| Ibis, Glossy |
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| Ibis, White |
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Ibis, White-faced |
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Jay, Blue |
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| Jay, Pinyon |
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Junco, Dark-eyed |
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Kestrel, American |
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Killdeer |
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| Kingbird, Cassin's |
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Kingbird, Eastern |
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Kingbird, Western |
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Kingfisher, Belted |
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| Kinglet, Golden-crowned |
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Kinglet, Ruby-crowned |
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| Kite, Mississippi |
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| Kite, White-winged |
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| Kittiwake, Black-legged |
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Lark, Horned |
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| Least Bittern |
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Lesser Scaup |
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| Longspur, Chestnut-collared |
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| Longspur, Lapland |
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| Longspur, McCown's |
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Loon, Common |
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Magpie, Black-billed |
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| Martin, Purple |
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| Meadowlark, Eastern |
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Meadowlark, Western |
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Merganser, Common |
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Merganser, Hooded |
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| Merganser, Red-breasted |
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Merlin |
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| Mockingbird, Northern |
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| Moorhen, Common |
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Nighthawk, Common |
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| Northern Bobwhite |
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| Northern Goshawk |
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| Nuthatch, Pygmy |
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Nuthatch, Red-breasted |
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Nuthatch, White-breasted |
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| Oriole, Baltimore |
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| Oriole, Bullock's |
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| Oriole, Northern |
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| Oriole, Orchard |
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Osprey |
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| Ovenbird |
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Owl, Barn |
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| Owl, Barred |
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| Owl, Boreal |
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Owl, Burrowing |
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Owl, Eastern screech |
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Owl, Great Horned |
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| Owl, Long-eared |
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| Owl, Northern saw-whet |
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Owl, Short-eared |
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Owl, Snowy |
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| Parula, Northern |
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Pelican, American white |
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Pewee, Eastern Wood |
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| Pewee, Western Wood |
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| Phalarope, Red |
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| Phalarope, Red-necked |
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Phalarope, Wilson's |
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Pheasant, Ring-necked |
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Phoebe, Eastern |
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| Phoebe, Say's |
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Pintail, Northern |
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| Pipit, American |
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| Pipit, Sprague's |
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Plover, American |
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| Plover, Black-bellied |
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| Plover, Mountain |
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| Plover, Piping |
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| Plover, Semipalmated |
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| Plover, Snowy |
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| Poorwill, Common |
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Prairie Chicken, Greater |
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| Rail, King |
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| Rail, Virgina |
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| Rail, Yellow |
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| Red Knot |
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Redhead |
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Redpoll, Common |
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| Redstart, American |
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Robin, American |
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| Ruff |
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Sanderling |
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| Sandpiper, Baird's |
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| Sandpiper, Buff-breasted |
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| Sandpiper, Curlew |
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| Sandpiper, Least |
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| Sandpiper, Pectoral |
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Sandpiper, Semi-palmated |
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| Sandpiper, Solitary |
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Sandpiper, Spotted |
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| Sandpiper, Stilt |
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| Sandpiper, Upland |
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| Sandpiper, Western |
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| Sandpiper, White-ruped |
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Sapsucker, Red-breasted |
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| Sapsucker, Williamson's |
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| Sapsucker, Yellow-bellied |
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| Scaup, Greater |
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| Scaup, Lesser |
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| Scoter, White-winged |
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Shoveler, Northern |
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Shrike, Loggerhead |
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| Shrike, Northern |
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Siskin, Pine |
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| Snipe, Wilson |
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| Solitaire, Townsend's |
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| Sora |
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Sparrow, American Tree |
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| Sparrow, Baird's |
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Sparrow, Chipping |
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| Sparrow, Clay-colored |
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| Sparrow, Field |
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| Sparrow, Fox |
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| Sparrow, Grasshopper |
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| Sparrow, Harris |
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| Sparrow, Henslow's |
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Sparrow, House |
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Sparrow, Lark |
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| Sparrow, LeConte's |
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| Sparrow, Lincoln's |
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| Sparrow, Nelson's Sharp-tailed |
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Sparrow, Song |
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| Sparrow, Swamp |
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| Sparrow, Vester |
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Sparrow, White-crowned |
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Sparrow, White-throated |
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| Spoonbill, Roseate |
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Starling, European |
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| Stilt, Black-necked |
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| Swallow, Bank |
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Swallow, Barn |
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Swallow, Cliff |
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| Swallow, Rough-winged |
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| Swallow, Rough-winged |
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| Swallow, Tree |
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| Swallow, Violet-green |
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| Swallow, Violet-green |
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Swan, Trumpeter |
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| Swan, Tundra |
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| Swift, Chimney |
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| Swift, White-throated |
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| Tanager, Scarlet |
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| Tanager, Summer |
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Tanager, Western |
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Teal, Blue-winged |
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Teal, Cinnamon |
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Teal, Green-winged |
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| Tern, Black |
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Tern, Common |
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| Tern, Forester's |
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| Tern, Least |
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| Tern. Caspian |
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| Thrasher, Brown |
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| Thrush, Gray-necked |
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| Thrush, Hermit |
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Thrush, Swainson's |
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| Thrush, Varied |
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| Thrush, Wood |
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| Titmouse, Tufted |
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| Towhee, Spotted |
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Turkey, Wild |
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| Turnstone, Ruddy |
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| Veery |
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| Vireo, Bells |
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| Vireo, Blue-headed |
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| Vireo, Philadelphia |
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Vireo, Red-eyed |
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| Vireo, Solitary |
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Vireo, Warbling |
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| Vireo, Yellow-throated |
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| Virginia Rail |
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Vulture, Turkey |
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| Warbler, Bay-breasted |
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| Warbler, Black-and-white |
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| Warbler, Blackburnian |
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| Warbler, Blackpoll |
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| Warbler, Black-throated Blue |
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| Warbler, Black-throated Green |
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| Warbler, Blue-winged |
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| Warbler, Canada |
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| Warbler, Cape May |
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| Warbler, Cerulean |
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| Warbler, Chestnust-sided |
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| Warbler, Connecticut | |||||
| Warbler, Golden-winged |
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| Warbler, Hooded |
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| Warbler, Kentucky |
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| Warbler, MacGillivray's |
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| Warbler, Magnolia |
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| Warbler, Mourning |
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| Warbler, Nashville |
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| Warbler, Orange-crowned |
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| Warbler, Palm |
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| Warbler, Pine |
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| Warbler, Prairie |
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| Warbler, Prothonotary |
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| Warbler, Tennessee |
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Warbler, Wilson's |
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| Warbler, Worm-eating |
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Warbler, Yellow |
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Warbler, Yellow-rumped |
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| Warbler, Yellow-throated |
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| Waterthrush, Louisiana |
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| Waterthrush, Northen |
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| Waterthrush, Northern |
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| Waxwing, Bohemian |
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Waxwing, Cedar |
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| Whimbrel |
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Wigeon, American |
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| Willet |
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| Woodcock, American |
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Woodpecker, Downy |
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Woodpecker, Hairy |
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| Woodpecker, Lewis' |
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Woodpecker, Red-bellied |
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Woodpecker, Red-headed |
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| Wren, Carolina |
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| Wren, Bewick's |
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Wren, House |
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Wren, Marsh |
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| Wren, Rock |
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| Wren, Sedge |
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| Wren, Winter |
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| Yellowlegs, Greater |
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Yellowlegs, Lesser |
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| Yellowthroat, Common |
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