Birds of Greenbelt Park and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway
Greenbelt Park constitutes one of the largest tracts of forest inside the
Washington Beltway. Upland forest trees include
Virginia Pine and oaks, often
with an understory dominated by American Holly, Mountain Laurel, or
blueberries. This habitat supports nesting populations of Eastern Wood-Pewee,
Acadian Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Wood Thrush, Pine
Warbler, Ovenbird, Scarlet Tanager, and Eastern Towhee. Oaks killed or
damaged by outbreaks of gypsy moth caterpillars (Lymantria dispar) in
years past provide nesting cavities for Great Crested Flycatchers and for
resident woodpeckers, chickadees, titmice, White-breasted Nuthatches, and
Carolina Wrens. Hooded and Kentucky warblers and Louisiana Waterthrushes nest
in the forest bordering the park's streams.
In fall and winter, Yellow-bellied
Sapsuckers, Brown Creepers, Golden-crowned Kinglets, and, in some years,
Red-breasted Nuthatches, join foraging flocks of resident birds, and the
abundant fruits of American Holly attract occasional Hermit Thrushes and
flocks of American Robins. Many species of flycatchers, vireos, thrushes,
and warblers use the forest during migration.
Scrubby vegetation along
forest edges or in disturbed areas provides nesting habitat for a few Gray
Catbirds, Brown Thrashers, Blue Grosbeaks, and Indigo Buntings. Song
Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows, and occasional other sparrows use these
habitats in other seasons. Urban birds like Rock Dove, House Wren, Northern
Mockingbird, European Starling, House Finch, and House Sparrow are found
sparingly in Greenbelt Park, mostly along the edges that border residential
neighborhoods.
Additional information on each species on the checklist can be accessed through
hypertext links. Click on the species name to access general information from
the Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter; a description of the information
available can be obtained by clicking on the "Species" heading in the
checklist. To view maps of bird distribution in the park during the
nesting season of 1999, click on the summer abundance codes that are in
hypertext. Distribution maps were prepared for species that are probable or
confirmed nesters in the park from data collected by biologists from the USGS
Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. Maps showing the distribution of birds
detected on surveys conducted during January- February 2000 can be accessed by
clicking on the winter abundance codes that are in hypertext. Additional
information on the bird surveys can be accessed by clicking on the "Summer" or
"Winter" headings on the checklist.
If you see any of the boldfaced species, any species not already on the checklist,
or any species in a season
marked by a question mark, please report the sighting to:
Brent_Steury at nps.gov