Birds

A group of white pelicans sunbathing on a log on the Poteau River
American White Pelicans photographed at Fort Smith National Historic Site.

NPS Photo

Birdwatching in Arkansas is a fun and often rewarding pastime. Situated between the Mississippi and Central flyways, Fort Smith is an ideal destination for birdwatchers. Walking the paved River Loop Trail offers the beautiful scenery of the Arkansas and Poteau Rivers as well as a chance to spot a variety of resident and migratory birds.

How to Use This List

Present: species seen in the state each month but not necessarily in all areas.
Migrant: species passes through the state in spring and/or fall.

Summer (June - July)
Winter (December - February)

Asterisk (*) means the species currently nests with regularity.
Double asterisk (**) means that the species does not nest regularly and that there are few or no such reports since 1950.

 
 

Whistling-Ducks, Swans, Geese, and Ducks

Greater White-fronted Goose - Migrant
Snow - Migrant
Canada - Present
Wood Duck* - Present
Gadwall - Winter
Mallard* - Present
Blue-winged Teal* - Migrant
Northern Shoveler - Migrant
Northern Pintail - Migrant
Green-winged Teal - Migrant
Canvasback - Migrant
Redhead - Migrant
Ring-necked Duck - Winter
Greater Scaup - Winter
Lesser - Winter
Bufflehead - Winter
Common Goldeneye - Winter
Hooded Merganser* - Summer
Ruddy Duck** - Winter

Grebes

Pied-billed Grebe * - Winter

Pelicans, Cormorants, and Darters

American White Pelican - Winter
Double-crested Cormorant* - Winter

Heron, Egrets, Ibises, and Vultures

Great Blue Heron* - Present
Great Egret* - Present
Snowy* - Summer
Little Blue Heron* - Summer
Cattle Egret* - Summer
Green Heron* - Summer
Yellow-crowned* - Summer

Hawks and Falcons

Black Vulture* - Present
Turkey* - Present
Osprey* - Migrant
Mississippi* - Summer
Bald Eagle* - Present
Northern Harrier ** - Winter
Sharp-shinned Hawk* - Winter
Cooper's Hawk * - Winter
Read-shouldered Hawk* - Present
Broad-winged* - Migrant
Red-tailed* - Present
American Kestrel* - Present
Peregrine Falcon** - Migrant

Rails, Galllinules, and Cranes

American Coot * - Winter

Plovers, Sandpipers, Gulls, and Terns

Killdeer* - Present
Spotted Sandpiper ** - Migrant
Bonaparte's - Winter
Ring-billed - Winter
Least* - Summer
Caspian - Migrant
Forster's - Winter

Pigeons and Doves

Rock Pigeon * - Present
Eurasian Collared-Dove* - Present
Mourning* - Present

Cuckoos, Roadrunners, and Anis

Yellow-billed Cuckoo - Summer
Greater Roadrunner - Present

Owls

Eastern Screech-Owl - Present
Great Horned Owl* - Present
Barred* - Present

Goatsuckers

Common Nighthawk* - Summer

Swifts and Hummingbirds

Swift, Chimney* - Summer
Ruby-throated* - Summer

Kingfishers

Belted Kingfisher* - Present

Woodpeckers

Red-headed* - Present
Red-bellied* - Present
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - Winter
Woodpecker, Downy* - Present
Hairy* - Present
Pileated Woodpecker * - Present

Flycatchers

Eastern Wood-Pewee - Summer
Acadian* - Summer
Phoebe, Eastern* - Summer
Great Crested* - Summer
Western* - Summer
Eastern* - Summer
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher* - Summer

Vireos

White-eyed Vireo* - Migrant
Bell's* - Summer
Yellow-throated* - Migrant
Blue-headed - Migrant
Warbling* - Summer
Philadelphia - Migrant
Red-eyed* - Summer

Jays and Crows

Blue Jay* - Present
American Crow* - Present
Fish* - Summer
Tree Swallow* - Summer
N. Rough-winged Swallow* - Summer
Bank* - Migrant
Cliff* - Summer
Barn* - Summer

Chickadees and Titmice

Chickadee, Carolina* - Present
Tufted Titmouse * - Present

Nuthatches

White-breasted* - Present

Creepers

Brown Creeper** - Winter

Wrens

Carolina* - Present
House* - Migrant
Winter - Winter

Kinglets

Kinglet, Golden-crowned - Winter
Ruby-crowned - Winter

Gnatcatchers

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher * - Summer

Wheatears, Bluebirds, and Thrushes

Eastern Bluebird - Present
Swainson's - Migrant
American Robin* - Present

Mockingbirds, Thrashers, and Allies

Gray Catbird - Summer
Northern Mockingbird * - Present
Brown* - Present

Starlings

Starlings, Europeans* - Present

Waxwings

Cedar* - Winter

Wood Warblers

Blue-winged Warbler * - Migrant
Golden-winged - Migrant
Tennessee - Migrant
Orange-crowned - Migrant
Nashville - Migrant
Northern Parula * - Summer
Warbler, Yellow* - Migrant
Chestnut-sided* - Migrant
Magnolia - Migrant
Yellow-rumped - Winter
Black-throated Green* - Migrant
Blackburnian - Migrant
Yellow-throated* - Summer
Prairie* - Migrant
Palm - Migrant
Bay-breasted - Migrant
Blackpoll - Migrant
Cerulean* - Migrant
Black-and-white* - Migrant
American Redstar* - Migrant
Prothonotary Warbler * - Summer
Worm-eating* - Migrant
Swainson's* - Summer
Ovenbird* - Migrant
Lousisiana Waterthrush - Migrant
Kentucky Warbler * - Summer
Mourning - Migrant
Common Yellowthroat -Summer
Hooded Warbler * - Migrant
Wilson's - Migrant
Canada - Migrant
Yellow-breasted Chat* - Summer

New World Sparrows

Eastern* - Summer
Chipping* - Summer
Clay-colored - Migrant
Field* - Present
Vesper - Migrant
Lark* - Summer
Savannah Sparrow - Winter
Fox - Winter
Song - Winter
Lincoln's - Migrant
Swamp - Winter
White-throated - Winter
White-crowned - Winter
Dark-eyed Junco - Winter

Tanagers, Cardinals, and Grosbeaks

Summer Tanager * - Summer
Scarlet* - Migrant
Cardinal, Northern* - Present
Blue* - Summer
Indigo* - Summer
Painted* - Summer
Dickcissel* - Summer

Blackbirds and Allies

Red-winged Blackbird* - Present
Eastern Meadowlark* - Present
Yellow-headed Blackbird - Migrant
Rusty - Winter
Brewer's - Migrant
Common Grackle * - Present
Brown-headed Cowbird * - Present
Orchard Oriole* - Summer
Baltimore* - Summer

Finches

Purple Finch** - Winter
House* - Present
Common Redpoll - Winter
Siskin, Pine** - Winter
American Goldfinch* - Present

Old World Sparrows

House Sparrow * - Present

Last updated: May 8, 2024

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

301 Parker Ave
Fort Smith, AR 72901

Phone:

479 783-3961

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