Birds of Oxon Cove Park
The diverse habitats of Oxon Cove Park host a variety of bird species
throughout the year. The upland forests of Oxon
Hill Farm and Bald Eagle Hill provide nesting habitat for Acadian
Flycatchers, Red-eyed Vireos, Wood Thrushes and resident Red-bellied and Downy
woodpeckers, Carolina Chickadees, titmice, and Carolina Wrens. Winter
inhabitants include Brown Creeper and Winter Wren, often joining flocks of
resident birds. A few Northern Parulas and Prothonotary Warblers nest in the
swamp forest along Oxon Cove and the Potomac River. Baltimore Orioles nest in
trees bordering Oxon Run and Cove or along forest
edges. Yellow Warblers, Yellow-breasted Chats, Blue Grosbeaks, Field Sparrows,
Orchard Orioles, and occasionally Willow Flycatchers nest in the
shrubs and scattered trees that have regenerated
on the old landfill site to the north and east of Oxon Cove.
Field, Song, and White-throated sparrows and sometimes American Tree Sparrows
use these habitats during winter. In late winter and spring, American
Woodcock perform courtship displays in agricultural
fields and mowed areas. Northern Bobwhites, Eastern Meadowlarks, and
Grasshopper Sparrows nest in the fields, which also provide habitat for
wintering or migrating Savannah and Vesper sparrows and American Pipits.
Red-winged Blackbirds nest and roost in
marshes scattered throughout Oxon Cove Park,
and Common Snipe and occasional other birds use these areas during migration.
The park's ponds provide foraging habitat for
herons and kingfishers, and are
regularly used by ducks, especially Gadwalls and Mallards, in fall through
spring. Bald Eagles and Osprey frequently fly over or roost along the
shoreline or on mudflats in Oxon Cove. The mudflats,
visible at low tide, are occasionally used by a variety of shorebirds and
waders as well as large numbers of gulls and terns, in season. The
waters of Oxon Cove and the Potomac River near
Fox Ferry Point are regularly used by waterbirds, including Pied-billed Grebes,
Double-crested Cormorants, Great Blue Herons, Canada Geese, Mallards and other
ducks, gulls, and terns. American Robins, Northern Mockingbirds, and
occasionally Eastern Bluebirds mingle with non-native Rock Doves, European
Starlings, and House Sparrows around the lawns,
buildings, and animal pens of the farm.
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